My Body Wants To…But…

[Patrick]

Thanks for sharing this, Bob. I can only echo what others have said, while at the same time acknowledging it may feel like cold comfort at this particular juncture. But obviously you mean a lot to many people, and you still have so much to offer people, in the martial arts and outside of them.

[sensei8]

1 hour ago, Patrick said:

Thanks for sharing this, Bob. I can only echo what others have said, while at the same time acknowledging it may feel like cold comfort at this particular juncture. But obviously you mean a lot to many people, and you still have so much to offer people, in the martial arts and outside of them.

Thank you, Patrick!!

It’s a very hard pill to swallow whenever it comes to accepting my challenges from where I once was to where I am now. Especially when the floor is considered.

One day at a time.

[bushido_man96]

@Nidan Melbourne said it very well.  Here's what you you've got to do....FIGHT!  Fighting solves everything!  Figure out how to fight it!  Get up, and do 2 front kicks.  Sit back down if you have to.  Who cares if they are only to the knees?  Then stand up and do 2 more.  Punch, but do it slowly, and focus on every part of your body that is moving when you do it.  If you can't punch like you used to, then figure out how to change it.  Punch you way now.  Slowly if you have to, and get a little bit more energy into if you can.  Small increments, baby steps, if you will.

Read, write, research.  Those are easy to do in a seated position.  Draw up class ideas and planners (I do this constantly).  Dictate a kata out loud to yourself or someone else.

It's not over now.  It's just different now.  But it's still there.

[aurik]

Bob, your mind and your insights are the greatest gifts you can give to your students.  In your decades of experience, you can look at someone and see exactly what that student needs to change to get better.  That is what I love about training with senior instructors -- not that they necessarily can demonstrate the physical skills that I'm trying to learn.  Their value to me is that they can look at the techniques I'm trying to do, and give me those nuggets of insight that makes my karate better.  You have senior students that can demonstrate the moves with the right speed, power, and technique.  However, what you bring to the table is the ability to look at a student's technique and say "Do this differently", and those little changes and tweaks can improve their technique by leaps and bounds.

I was just talking about this a few weeks ago -- we had a guest instructor come to our dojo back in May, and in about 15 minutes over the course of 2 days, he helped my son's technique improve more than I've seen in the past year.  Not through demonstration, but through observation and verbal feedback.  Something like that you can do from a chair, and can be invaluable to the student in question.

Edited June 11 by aurik

[TKDtexas]

With that much experience, you are still very useful and a part of the community. 

[sensei8]

For as many years as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write my memoirs which would include some Shindokan history/methodology/ideology, my history (boring), and as well as the SKKA civil war. I was even entertaining to write 3 separate books. One book about Shindokan history/methodology/ideology. Another book about my MA history, it would be a real short book. A third book about the SKKA civil war.

However, as many times that I’ve tried to tackle what seemed the impossible, I’d apply the brakes out of sheer ignorance and frustration of either my lack of writing skills in order to encompasses all that a great writer possesses.

For many years, unsolicited companies that provide ghost writers have continuously approached me in the hopes that I’d hire them. While that is intriguing enough to consider their offers, I don’t know if I can trust them, or afford them, with how they’d handle and respect my history.

Darn if I do and darn if I don’t!!

Edited June 23 by sensei8

[aurik]

9 hours ago, sensei8 said:

For as many years as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write my memoirs which would include some Shindokan history/methodology/ideology, my history (boring), and as well as the SKKA civil war. I was even entertaining to write 3 separate books. One book about Shindokan history/methodology/ideology. Another book about my MA history, it would be a real short book. A third book about the SKKA civil war.

However, as many times that I’ve tried to tackle what seemed the impossible, I’d apply the brakes out of sheer ignorance and frustration of either my lack of writing skills in order to encompasses all that a great writer possesses.

For many years, unsolicited companies that provide ghost writers have continuously approached me in the hopes that I’d hire them. While that is intriguing enough to consider their offers, I don’t know if I can trust them, or afford them, with how they’d handle and respect my history.

Darn if I do and darn if I don’t!!

My wife has started writing recently.  Not her memoirs or anything, but a story she wants to tell.  She doesn't know if she'll share it with anyone (even me), but she is writing.  If you are toying with the idea of writing your memoirs or the history of the SKAA, or whatnot - go ahead and do it.  Just because you don't feel like you're a good writer now doesn't mean you can't learn the skill.  And if you decide it is something you want to publish you can always take one of those ghost writers up on their offer, and you will already have something for them to start from.

Bob, there's no time to start like the present.  That goes for any journey, whether it be writing, self-realization, martial arts, or whatnot.          

[Nidan Melbourne]

On 6/23/2025 at 3:06 PM, sensei8 said:

For as many years as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write my memoirs which would include some Shindokan history/methodology/ideology, my history (boring), and as well as the SKKA civil war. I was even entertaining to write 3 separate books. One book about Shindokan history/methodology/ideology. Another book about my MA history, it would be a real short book. A third book about the SKKA civil war.

However, as many times that I’ve tried to tackle what seemed the impossible, I’d apply the brakes out of sheer ignorance and frustration of either my lack of writing skills in order to encompasses all that a great writer possesses.

For many years, unsolicited companies that provide ghost writers have continuously approached me in the hopes that I’d hire them. While that is intriguing enough to consider their offers, I don’t know if I can trust them, or afford them, with how they’d handle and respect my history.

Darn if I do and darn if I don’t!!

Your history definitely wouldn't be boring! Highs, Lows, a thrilling fight for your life, the consequences! Also it would allow you to reflect on your journey to help

The History of the Shindokan would be better from you over any ghost writer. As you could keep the integrity for everything that occurred, and how your Soke and Dai-Soke would feel about it. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

[Patrick]

On 6/22/2025 at 10:06 PM, sensei8 said:

For many years, unsolicited companies that provide ghost writers have continuously approached me in the hopes that I’d hire them. While that is intriguing enough to consider their offers, I don’t know if I can trust them, or afford them, with how they’d handle and respect my history.

These are probably just generic spammy offers that are likely best ignored. But I definitely would encourage you to write. You'll need an editor at some point, but you can start to piece your ideas together and see what you have.

[bushido_man96]

On 6/23/2025 at 12:06 AM, sensei8 said:

For as many years as I can remember, I’ve wanted to write my memoirs which would include some Shindokan history/methodology/ideology, my history (boring), and as well as the SKKA civil war. I was even entertaining to write 3 separate books. One book about Shindokan history/methodology/ideology. Another book about my MA history, it would be a real short book. A third book about the SKKA civil war.

However, as many times that I’ve tried to tackle what seemed the impossible, I’d apply the brakes out of sheer ignorance and frustration of either my lack of writing skills in order to encompasses all that a great writer possesses.

For many years, unsolicited companies that provide ghost writers have continuously approached me in the hopes that I’d hire them. While that is intriguing enough to consider their offers, I don’t know if I can trust them, or afford them, with how they’d handle and respect my history.

Darn if I do and darn if I don’t!!

Here's what you should do, @sensei8.  Just start writing.  Start with your first subject, Shindokan history.  Just write stuff.  Try to be chronological, but if you need to go back and insert something, do it.  Doing it on a computer might be easier, but some prefer writing on paper.  Either is fine, so long as your handwriting is fairly legible.  Then, give a copy to someone you trust (like me! ) who can read it over for grammatical errors, ask about clarification in spots, etc, and then can send it back to you for final approval.  It's your work, and there's nothing wrong with someone else looking at to give you a different perspective and perhaps ideas on what should be added or subtracted.