Passed my exam

[Sainthood]

congrats! Hope your hand is doing alright.

[tallgeese]

Well done! Congrats!

[DWx]

congrats jaypo

[jaypo]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys! I'm training in South Louisiana right now. At the gym I've been a member of for years, I had noticed that they were advertising a "self defense" class about a year ago. There was a short, stocky gentleman teaching a few people, none ranked over orange belt. At that point in my life, I couldn't afford the fee or the time to train as most of the martial arts schools around here cost more than my car note every month. I recently took a Hapkido class as part of a fitness contest I was in, and my interest in martial arts started again (although it never really left!). So after a workout one afternoon, I met with the gentleman, and he is a former Marine from PA that lived in Okinawa for a few years. He holds a 2nd Dan ranking in Shotokan and a 2nd Dan ranking in Shorin Ryu. I asked about his classes and teachings, and he has a group of students that are members of my gym, so he gives classes there weekly and teaches classes at his dojo for non members of my gym. So currently, I attend all the classes he teaches at my gym, and I'll start training at his dojo as well next month.

About his system, I was drawn to it because I have a Shotokan background, but my original interest in MA was from the Chinese arts (Bruce Lee, Kung Fu Theater on Sunday Mornings!) I researched Shorin Ryu and discovered that it originated from Chinese forms. So I'm loving that aspect of the training. For my test for blue belt, I already knew the Shotokan bunkai and katas. I needed to learn the Pinan version of the Heians that I knew as well as a kicking kata and 2 sequences that he created. I did fairly well. I love the shorter stances and the focus on hooking and grabbing the attack rather than just linear blocking and countering. It leaves more opportunity for throws and breaks. I also find that while my Shotokan training always had me blocking and stepping backwards, (not sure if this is my sensei's style or a normal characteristic for Shorin Ryu)- we are blocking, but stepping forward (for instance, getting into a front stance used to be stepping back with your hands up. Now, it's stepping forward with the hands up!)

I also like that I will have the opportunity to do weapons training. My Shotokan training was awesome, and it gave me phenomenal knowledge and basics, but it was more geared towards tournament fighting. This system I find is more practical and more traditional to the origin of the art.

[shimizu]

Well, it was difficult, but I passed my exam and was awarded a blue belt in shorin Ryu! It was painful though. Whle I was sparring with the sr black belt. I blocked a front kick with a palm heel block and dislocated my finger. He and sensei freaked out, but I pulled it back into place and asked to continue! I hadn't sparred in over 22 years. He could have kicked my head off and I wouldn't have quit.

congratulations and well done for keeping at it

[Dobbersky]

OSU! Congrats

[Dobbersky]

I was awarded my next Dan Level this week, awesome, but humbling as I know I always want to be a Yudansha (Dan grade) that peopel want to be like, I hate Ego's I always say I would rather have a small class of quality than a big class of egotistical I wanna fight ugh! or a school of Mcdojoists