[KF 500k] Member Interview: SaiFightsMS

[Patrick]

Member Profile

SaiFightsMS (View Profile)

Former KarateForums.com Sensei

Joined: October 28, 2001

Posts: 6,378

KarateForums.com Awards: Staff Member of the Year (2003) and Article of the Year (2003)

Interview

Where are you from?

Ohio.

Why did you get started in the martial arts?

I needed something for anger management.

Why have you continued to practice them?

The many great benefits they have given me.

Please briefly describe the styles of martial arts that you have taken.

Tai chi, Shorin Ryu, Shito Ryu, Shotokan, chi kung. I did most of my active training in Shotokan.

What is your grade or level?

Nidan.

Do you teach?

Yes.

What are your first memories from training?

The great challenge of Shiko-dachi.

What has been the highlight of your training?

The first board I broke was the most empowering experience of my life.

What do you do when you're not training?

I am a hardcore internet junky and a dedicated reader.

What do you do for a living?

I am medically retired.

Who are or were your martial arts heroes?

The early years of Chuck Norris’ training and the work he has done with kids programs.

What are your favorite martial arts films and/or shows?

It was a subtitled Mandarin movie I watched recently titled simply Shaolin.

Where do you see yourself going in your martial arts journey in the next few years?

I now practice chi kung and I see that as for the near future to be the most beneficial practice I can do.

Do you remember how you found KarateForums.com? Why did you join?

I was looking for information about karate online and found a few forums. I tried several and read for information originally.

Why did you stay?

The atmosphere and the genuine sharing of the participants was the best.

You've been a member since October 28, 2001. During this time, how has KarateForums.com changed in your eyes, if at all?

So many have gone on to other things and as each long termer has left the transition has gone smoothly at times and participation has waxed and waned but overall KF has been the one enduring forum.

How did becoming a staff member change how you viewed the site?

I became more aware of areas of the forum I had not previously spent much time in. And the diversity in the membership in age, background and experience levels.

How, if at all, have you used KarateForums.com in your classes or training?

Some of the shared training techniques were used in my personal training.

Are there any members here who have had a particular influence or impact on you?

It was the diversity that was left with me. From younger people like monkeygirl to older people like hobbitbob, there were many members with a range of experience that could express themselves well.

Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey?

It was the range and the way that we learned from each other that stayed with me. And the Mr. Clark debacle.

[Patrick]

It's great to still have you as a member of our community after all of these years, Pat. Thank you for all of your outstanding contributions over the years. I am grateful for your kindness and support during the challenges that we faced while you were a member of the team.

Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey?

It was the range and the way that we learned from each other that stayed with me. And the Mr. Clark debacle.

It's funny that you should mention this. To fill in the blanks, as virtually all members will be unaware of this story, there was a member who joined the community in January of 2003, named Mr. Clark. He violated our guidelines in nearly every post and was what some would consider to be the traditional definition of a "troll," which is someone who posts things with the explicit purpose of angering people. So, he posted a lot of random nonsense aimed at angering people.

I happened to be traveling at the moment, spending time with family, so I wasn't around to cut him off as I normally would be. A couple of days later, it was taken care of.

But for the staff members at the time, primarily Doug (SBN Doug) and Pat, the 33 posts definitely seemed like a barrage. But they did a solid job taking care of the issue until I could step in more firmly. In hindsight, we have had situations that were much, much more challenging, but it is a funny story to look back on.

Privately, as one might expect, we have forums for staff members that help us to get things done more efficiently. This includes a trash bin type forum where removed content goes. As a joke, after this occurred, I renamed that forum to Mr. Clark's Room, which is what it remains to this day.

Patrick

[gheinisch]

Always enjoy reading your post Pat. Your knowledge of the Martial arts and help you have provided thousands truly is something to be proud of.

[tallgeese]

It's great to still have you as a member of our community after all of these years, Pat. Thank you for all of your outstanding contributions over the years. I am grateful for your kindness and support during the challenges that we faced while you were a member of the team.

Can you share a memorable moment within the community where you received great advice or an experience that really affected you and your martial arts journey?

It was the range and the way that we learned from each other that stayed with me. And the Mr. Clark debacle.

It's funny that you should mention this. To fill in the blanks, as virtually all members will be unaware of this story, there was a member who joined the community in January of 2003, named Mr. Clark. He violated our guidelines in nearly every post and was what some would consider to be the traditional definition of a "troll," which is someone who posts things with the explicit purpose of angering people. So, he posted a lot of random nonsense aimed at angering people.

I happened to be traveling at the moment, spending time with family, so I wasn't around to cut him off as I normally would be. A couple of days later, it was taken care of.

But for the staff members at the time, primarily Doug (SBN Doug) and Pat, the 33 posts definitely seemed like a barrage. But they did a solid job taking care of the issue until I could step in more firmly. In hindsight, we have had situations that were much, much more challenging, but it is a funny story to look back on.

Privately, as one might expect, we have forums for staff members that help us to get things done more efficiently. This includes a trash bin type forum where removed content goes. As a joke, after this occurred, I renamed that forum to Mr. Clark's Room, which is what it remains to this day.

Patrick

This is a great piece of the forum history! Lol! I've always wondered about the Mr. Clark name. Now we know. Thanks for bringing this up.

[ninjanurse]

Great to hear your story Sai... and you aswered the question I have always had about Mr. Clarks Room !!!!

[Patrick]

[monkeygirl]

I forgot all about Mr. Clark's room! Wow that brings back memories. That board opened my teenage eyes to an entire world that was previously unknown to me. ("who would DO that?!")

Sai, I always admired and looked up to you. So nice to read your interview and I'm extremely flattered to be mentioned.

[sensei8]

I, too, have always admired you for everything that you do for KF. Your posts are enlightening across the board, this I feel without any ambiguity whatsoever.

I've enjoyed reading about your history thru this KF Interview.

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!

[DWx]

Great anecdote about Mr Clark.. I had always wondered Always been funny to me because Mr Clark just happens to be the name of one of my TKD coaches!

[Patrick]

Haha.