The true problem with Shotokan Karate

[fujicolt]

and please do not use your wife as an analogy excuse - our poor wives have had to put up with so much - including getting intimate with us - and James, though we have never met i can't see us getting intimate to solve a disagreement

A few quick points that I want to make after this point.

First I agree with the agree to disagree agreeably.....great idea, now we must all learn to do this and not just say it...Neh?

Now, as for the wife thing, other than you missing a joke...yet again....I find it funny..your reaction that it.

My wife does not "put up with me", just a few of my ecentricities....and My want and need to dance about violently in white pajamas with other people..but she married me knowing this!

If your wife must "put up with" being intimate with you...that is your issue. I would venture to say that most of our wives dont see it as "putting up with us" in the least (I got the joke, but you left the door open mate)

And I have to AGREEABLY AGREE WITH YOU....I dont venture the solution to many of our disagreements would include our getting intimate! In fact I venture to say if we ever did meet A hand shake at a distance woudl be the start...a long distance after that comment!

Meeting you would be a joy James I am sure - and No I don't think you got the Joke - your wife assures me being intimate with you is something she has to put up with! I am Joking Iam Joking - Honest - she reckons tis OK and she can cope

[kensei]

I just keep telling her it wont take long and she will barely feel a thing!

Seriously though, Speaking of the problems with Shotokan, I just read that a guy in Canada was given the political post of Technical Director of INDIA! I KID YOU NOT!!!!

I am not sure if I should laugh or cry! The sillyness that we see in Political-Do is starting to scare me! Such crazy stupidity. Oh, and as far as the web sites say...he has never been to India!!

[fujicolt]

James

I hope you have been mistaken and the India reffered to is a small town somewhere in the canadian wilderness.

[kensei]

James

I hope you have been mistaken and the India reffered to is a small town somewhere in the canadian wilderness.

I really wish I had been. but now you can see the moronic and silly antics that some big organizations pull. By the way. After years of thrumping around under my instructor and trying to go to a specific organization I may actually get my way in the next while. I hate politics, it stops us from doing what we want to do.

Some of the issues I see with Karate today...Shotokan in general are:

Politics
Stupid politics
Stupid ideas that are driven by politics

and

Morons that think that politics and stupid ideas ARE Shotokan!

[fujicolt]

James - you clearly are very - shall we say - upset by your situation. you are clearly long-time served : have you not got an avenue to voice your disquiet?

[kensei]

James - you clearly are very - shall we say - upset by your situation. you are clearly long-time served : have you not got an avenue to voice your disquiet?

thought thats what I was doing


I get upset over silliness, normally it is when I have gone more than two or three days with out training....Now that I have my own work out space in the basement that should not happen again.

[fujicolt]

James - you clearly are very - shall we say - upset by your situation. you are clearly long-time served : have you not got an avenue to voice your disquiet?

thought thats what I was doing


I get upset over silliness, normally it is when I have gone more than two or three days with out training....Now that I have my own work out space in the basement that should not happen again.

I meant an avenue within your organisation

[kensei]

I meant an avenue within your organisation

LMAO, I know...I was being cheeky!

I actually dont have much of an avenue for expressing my dislike in my current organization...well in the structure we have. basically it is Me, my instructor and his son at the top. I am trying to guide us back to a fantastic group lead by Saeki sensei....but it has taken me five years to get my instructor to the point that he is willing to rejoin that group! Old Irish bull headedness mixed with some misguided ideas of being slighted I think. Besides that the group dropped the ball with us once before, but I just want to be closer to Saeki and his Koyo camps...I dont care what the students forgot or did not do or misplaced!!! Its a long story!!!

[fujicolt]

sad to hear and even more sadly not an isolated or new one. If i can throw my tuppence worth in...

Take it on yourself to go and explore - may cost you a little in travel expenses and fees but you will be able to return 'home' and say 'there is a whole wide world out there that we are simply missing out upon'

I know - for example, if you or anyone ever wanted to visit the UK and do a tour - there are many fine clubs and Instructors whom would (if they quietly and discreetly new your situation - I and others would help with that!) totally welcome you free of charge to train - and most likely sort accommodation whilst in their area. Your expenses would be getting here and pocket money.

I am confident you would find the same in other countries. I KNOW this could be arranged and then in the future you could host their people. WORTH A THOUGHT AND A BIT OF PLANNING EH?

[james luke]

I jumped ship on my Instructor and association some years ago mainly due to the whole shu-ha-ri thing and some personal stuff and a feeling of being stifled. I have never looked back really apart from in fond memories, and we are now just affiliated for insurance purposes and pretty autonomous in all else. we have the freedom to train with whomever we wish and i am about to embark on an intensive kobudo course with a local guy who i would never have met in the other set-up we had.
sometimes the familiar holds us back.

[fujicolt]

Good luck with your new adventure - sounds very interesting

[james luke]

Ist class is this Sunday and we are apparently going to study aragaki jo ? less flowery than the aikido versionn so i am told. been asked to bring a jo a bokken , pen and notepad and a packed lunch. 6hrs with a 15 minute break! i cannot wait. as you say a new adventure.

[shotokan101]

I look forward to hearing more about it.

Jim

[kensei]

sad to hear and even more sadly not an isolated or new one. If i can throw my tuppence worth in...

Take it on yourself to go and explore - may cost you a little in travel expenses and fees but you will be able to return 'home' and say 'there is a whole wide world out there that we are simply missing out upon'

I know - for example, if you or anyone ever wanted to visit the UK and do a tour - there are many fine clubs and Instructors whom would (if they quietly and discreetly new your situation - I and others would help with that!) totally welcome you free of charge to train - and most likely sort accommodation whilst in their area. Your expenses would be getting here and pocket money.

I am confident you would find the same in other countries. I KNOW this could be arranged and then in the future you could host their people. WORTH A THOUGHT AND A BIT OF PLANNING EH?

could not agree more steve. I have hosted Ichikawa sensei in my instructors Dojo hyears ago along with others. I have seen a few interesting things in hosting several instructors...Some are good and some teach me how great an instructor I have. We hosted one JKA grad...well almost grad...and his class alone taught me how lucky I am to have such a great instructor.

I will plan on heading around some other clubs and even a few styyles in the near future!

[james luke]

Had my first lesson in Arakaki no jo today and still buzzing with the ideas it sparked. The course lasted 6 hours with a 15 minute break for lunch (and occasional water breaks). very intensive, we learnt the kata, interspersed with bunkai practised with a partner. the course was hosted by sensei Brian Ford who lists among his many qualifications being a former member of the British kendo team. sensei Ford seemed very knowledgeable and linked everything back to open hand and katana. this is an Okinawan school of jo and is less flowery than the aikido forms I have seen in the past, linking directly to Te and ju-jitsu.
if anyone on this forum lives near Sunderland I urge you to take the opportunity to train with Brian Ford, I can't see you being disappointed and he is a genuinely welcoming and decent chap. money well spent indeed.( and he showed me a new "implication" for the opening moves of heian yondan )