Is the journey to shodan a formula or is it something more personal? Rank - is often...well...rank in the other sense. It stinks that so much is attached by people inside and outside the system as to what rank means. The rite of passage to shodan means something different to each and every martial artist.
I think everyone would agree that a shodan should have technical proficiency in the fundamentals that are focused on at that school. For many Uechi schools this will include:
Sanchin
Seisan
A vareity of basic strikes with hands and feet
The circle block
A certain level of body conditioning
A certain level of mindset
A certain....feeling of the tiger...if you will
My experience in Uechi is that the time up to shodan is a time of filling in. Helping the students to develop the physical and mental base they can pull on for the rest of their lives when they are faced with any sort of physical or mental difficulty.
Now what the above means for each student I think will vary quite a bit.
Is a 45 year old woman going to have the same level of conditioning as a 30 year old man? Will they both have identical techniques, identical understanding of the principles Seisan? Will they be equal fighters?
Maybe, no, and maybe.
We are very clear in our school that shodan starts the second phase of training. But I find the hardest thing to communicate to folks is that it doesn't get any easier after shodan....in fact it just seems to keep getting harder.
Harder to get to class
Harder to maintain the basics
Harder to honestly assess your weaknessess
Harder to admit you don't know the answer
Harder not to question where all this will end up anyway?
I think my sankyu time was the best. I knew exactly what I was trying to do, I was seeing steady concrete improvement in my skills, I was happy being an intermediate beginner and I had few(er) questions. Hmmm...there's a lesson in there somewhere.
Dana
What makes a shodan?
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Dana Sheets
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What makes a shodan?
Did you show compassion today?
I'm not a shodan, the only piece of paper that verifies my rank is as advanced green belt in Silkisondan karate, but I'd like to think I'm on the long road to shodan. I think it can be personal, a formula or a mix of the two. I've seen people advance by a formula for things like kata, basics, history and things like that, but I think the last two, mindset and feeling of the tiger, come from somewhere personal. I know blackbelts that got there by following the dots and to me that's quite a technical achievment; then there are others who are just somehow different, and for them I'd guess the journey was more personal since there seems to be a little more in their art.Is the journey to shodan a formula or is it something more personal?
Lucky for me that lately I've met black belts who are more about being themselves than a strip of dyed canvas. These are also people whose skills are easy to see and aren't just tied around their waist. I don't need to see an extra long black belt to respect them.Rank - is often...well...rank in the other sense. It stinks that so much is attached by people inside and outside the system as to what rank means.
Last edited by MikeK on Fri Jul 29, 2005 1:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
I was dreaming of the past...
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benzocaine
- Posts: 2107
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What does it mean really? Rank to me is an acknowledgement of the f###### hard work you've put into your practice. The bruises. The sweat. The blood. The hard workouts after a 12 hour shift at work.. and spilling out all you have into a workout.
It is the credential that you earned. It is a feeling of accomplishment that yes, it pays off.
Mushin, If your sensei is in Philly I know who he is.. good guy.
It is the credential that you earned. It is a feeling of accomplishment that yes, it pays off.
Mushin, If your sensei is in Philly I know who he is.. good guy.
Last edited by benzocaine on Fri Jul 29, 2005 6:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.
i always liked to compare martial arts to building a house. white belt to shodan is learning the trade. how to use a hammer and saw. how to measure. how to make sure things are square and plumb.
at shodan it's like " ok,, now go build your house". now you have to decide what kind of structure you like, the function that fits and what color curtains you want.
Hoshin
~~~~~
at shodan it's like " ok,, now go build your house". now you have to decide what kind of structure you like, the function that fits and what color curtains you want.
Hoshin
~~~~~
Anybody experience the Shodan Shuffle? It's when someone makes shodan and then shuffles out the door. I asked a friend who stopped training soon after reaching shodan what happened; He thought reaching black belt would have some profound effect on his life but found out he was still the same old him but now he got to stand in front of the class.
Dana, In your opinion why do these become harder?Harder to get to class
Harder to maintain the basics
Harder to honestly assess your weaknessess
Harder to admit you don't know the answer
Harder not to question where all this will end up anyway?
I was dreaming of the past...
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Dana Sheets
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- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2002 6:01 am
Mushin,
Welcome to the forums! If you're talking about Sumpter Sensei I'm not surprised. That man has an amazing ability to be focused on the training and nothing else. I really admire him.
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Oddly I've seen more people walk away after nidan than shodan...
It gets harder because of exactly what's been said - that you're still the same person with the same flaws, the same outside commitments, the same bad days the day after your shodan as the day before. Except now there's all this baggage that society puts on that "you're a black belt." Like the little fairy of martial artsdom came along and made you special and gave you the secret recipe of a panacea for all that ails the world.
What makes you special is what you walked in the door with. What makes you a black belt is that you've had the gumption to keep walking in that door day after day and kept a promise to yourself to learn something new and in that process learn more about yourself.
In that sense there is little difference between traditional karate (physical activity with an empahsis on spirital elements) and the tea ceremony. Mike will remember that this is something Mr. McCarthy mentioned during his visit. Both are methods to help you take an inward journey. The more you learn about yourself the more likely you are to dig up things you really love and things you really don't love about yourself.
Unfortunately some people think a black belt person is "better" than a non-black belt person. Instructors and senior students sometimes contribute to this idea when they belittle underbelt ranks. "The yellow belts should carry the gear" or "make the brown belts take out the garbage." This mindset is never tolderated in the least when I teach a class and I come down very quickly and clearly on those that think a higher rank in karate = a more important person in the world.
And for some the shodan is the same thing as their first marathon. They're training for that one race and when it's over - they're done. They've checked it off the list and now they'll go jump out an airplane, climb a mountain, scuba dive - whatever is their next planned accomlishment.
Master Kanei Uechi said many times - "karate begins and ends with respect." So we need to respect that people train for different reasons that change over time. We need to respect that sometimes because of their training students learn that there are things in their lives that fulfill them more than training. We should celebrate with them when they make those discoveries. We need to be clear that karate is a liftime endeavor with very slow progress and that there are no "magical moments"...except the first day you walk on the floor and start the journey.
In my own experience - the day after my black belt test I was very proud and very terrified. I remember thinking "now people are going to expect me know the answers to all these questions" and I remember also thinking "well, I don't know all the answers."
I'm very clear when I talk with people that I have a black belt in a family style of karate. It doesn't mean I've learned everything in the world about fighting or training. I simply means I've made good progress in my understanding within my system. Heck - when you look at the rank requirements for Shorin-ryu I've basically only made it to green belt. I've got 8 kata, one weapons form, 3 two-man sets and free fighting.
Welcome to the forums! If you're talking about Sumpter Sensei I'm not surprised. That man has an amazing ability to be focused on the training and nothing else. I really admire him.
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Oddly I've seen more people walk away after nidan than shodan...
It gets harder because of exactly what's been said - that you're still the same person with the same flaws, the same outside commitments, the same bad days the day after your shodan as the day before. Except now there's all this baggage that society puts on that "you're a black belt." Like the little fairy of martial artsdom came along and made you special and gave you the secret recipe of a panacea for all that ails the world.
What makes you special is what you walked in the door with. What makes you a black belt is that you've had the gumption to keep walking in that door day after day and kept a promise to yourself to learn something new and in that process learn more about yourself.
In that sense there is little difference between traditional karate (physical activity with an empahsis on spirital elements) and the tea ceremony. Mike will remember that this is something Mr. McCarthy mentioned during his visit. Both are methods to help you take an inward journey. The more you learn about yourself the more likely you are to dig up things you really love and things you really don't love about yourself.
Unfortunately some people think a black belt person is "better" than a non-black belt person. Instructors and senior students sometimes contribute to this idea when they belittle underbelt ranks. "The yellow belts should carry the gear" or "make the brown belts take out the garbage." This mindset is never tolderated in the least when I teach a class and I come down very quickly and clearly on those that think a higher rank in karate = a more important person in the world.
And for some the shodan is the same thing as their first marathon. They're training for that one race and when it's over - they're done. They've checked it off the list and now they'll go jump out an airplane, climb a mountain, scuba dive - whatever is their next planned accomlishment.
Master Kanei Uechi said many times - "karate begins and ends with respect." So we need to respect that people train for different reasons that change over time. We need to respect that sometimes because of their training students learn that there are things in their lives that fulfill them more than training. We should celebrate with them when they make those discoveries. We need to be clear that karate is a liftime endeavor with very slow progress and that there are no "magical moments"...except the first day you walk on the floor and start the journey.
In my own experience - the day after my black belt test I was very proud and very terrified. I remember thinking "now people are going to expect me know the answers to all these questions" and I remember also thinking "well, I don't know all the answers."
I'm very clear when I talk with people that I have a black belt in a family style of karate. It doesn't mean I've learned everything in the world about fighting or training. I simply means I've made good progress in my understanding within my system. Heck - when you look at the rank requirements for Shorin-ryu I've basically only made it to green belt. I've got 8 kata, one weapons form, 3 two-man sets and free fighting.
Did you show compassion today?
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jorvik
I'm a little sceptical of rank, I've always crossed trained, and never wanted to teach......and in a lot of arts such as Kung-fu there isn't any real concept of rank...one style will fight another, so you may be head of a system, but been beaten by somebody who is low in another system..............I once went to a Uechi dojo were the black belt teaching wasn't as good as a brown belt from another country that he was teaching 
and I've started afresh at one club were a new black belt tried it on in sparring.and I quickly re-educated him, he'd taken 5 or 6 years of learning kata to get where he was, I'd had 10 years of cross training before I even set eyes upon him...........and it doesn't come down to technique either, I've seen folks with appalling techniques, bad body mechanics who were terrific fighters.
My first style was jiu-jitsu........I saw a lot of fat old blokes telling tales about how tough they were and doing nothing, extra long belts with loads of tags on it
........then I met a small thai lad with nothing but a pair of shorts on, who could kick a bag through the ceiling, and could have severely hurt the black sashes in Nano seconds....Rank means nothing. In theory a black belt means you are a great fighter but as they say
Quote
"In theory,practise and theory are the same, in practise they are not"
borrowed from the arnis forum
and I've started afresh at one club were a new black belt tried it on in sparring.and I quickly re-educated him, he'd taken 5 or 6 years of learning kata to get where he was, I'd had 10 years of cross training before I even set eyes upon him...........and it doesn't come down to technique either, I've seen folks with appalling techniques, bad body mechanics who were terrific fighters.
My first style was jiu-jitsu........I saw a lot of fat old blokes telling tales about how tough they were and doing nothing, extra long belts with loads of tags on it
........then I met a small thai lad with nothing but a pair of shorts on, who could kick a bag through the ceiling, and could have severely hurt the black sashes in Nano seconds....Rank means nothing. In theory a black belt means you are a great fighter but as they sayQuote
"In theory,practise and theory are the same, in practise they are not"
borrowed from the arnis forum
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Dana Sheets
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- Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2002 6:01 am
Jorvik,
I'm glad you've got good skills as a fighter. You point out the fact that a person having black belt doesn't mean something universal. You've met a few individuals who were disillusioned. That doesn't discredit that for some a black belt ackowledges their effort and personal journey.
I have a third degree black belt and you might be able to wipe the floor with me - that doesn't mean my training is no good - it just means you are a better figther than I am.
Not every person who trains wants to specialize, teach, and pass down a formalized system - that's fine. Many people train in several systems for their own edification - that's fine too. At this point I've chosen to get down and dirty into the nitty gritty details of Uechi. So far, I'm not bored and I'm happy. Sounds like you're not bored and you're happy too.
Each marital artists must be met and judged individually. You can't assign qualities to people backed on a colored belt around their waist or the system they study. There's just so much more to it.
I'm glad you've got good skills as a fighter. You point out the fact that a person having black belt doesn't mean something universal. You've met a few individuals who were disillusioned. That doesn't discredit that for some a black belt ackowledges their effort and personal journey.
I have a third degree black belt and you might be able to wipe the floor with me - that doesn't mean my training is no good - it just means you are a better figther than I am.
Not every person who trains wants to specialize, teach, and pass down a formalized system - that's fine. Many people train in several systems for their own edification - that's fine too. At this point I've chosen to get down and dirty into the nitty gritty details of Uechi. So far, I'm not bored and I'm happy. Sounds like you're not bored and you're happy too.
Each marital artists must be met and judged individually. You can't assign qualities to people backed on a colored belt around their waist or the system they study. There's just so much more to it.
Did you show compassion today?
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jorvik
Quote
"Each marital artists must be met and judged individually. You can't assign qualities to people backed on a colored belt around their waist or the system they study. There's just so much more to it"
I so agree, I am coming around to the way of thinking that Belts and rankings are only "Honorary" anyway
Quote
"
I'm glad you've got good skills as a fighter. You point out the fact that a person having black belt doesn't mean something universal. You've met a few individuals who were disillusioned. That doesn't discredit that for some a black belt ackowledges their effort and personal journey.
I don't think that I've ever said that .....I have said that I am a beginner asking questions and not a master offering solutions 
I've not met dissillusioned folks either.....most of the folks that I know have gone the "hard contact" road..Muy Thai is much more common in my country now than about anything except BJJ..these folks were not dissillusioned.....they didn't spend years studying a crock of cr*p......as soon as they could see it wasn't working they moved on
..................heck I know guys in the weights room who could take me apart 
and No you are quite correct it doesn't discredit that for some a black belt acknowledges a "journey"
What I do question based on all we have said is where the journey is leading?...what are we striving to achieve?...what knowledge ( based on our study ) will equip us to face a deadly encounter ...what has your Uechi taught you that would enable you to fight a bigger,stronger,faster fighter than you??
you see you get situations on these fora.that make me fall about laughing
.really you do.
Look at Tony ( The Bronze Dago).......and yeah it's wrong for me to bring somebody else up, sorry Tony.....but folks have called him .I've witnessed it myself. Now there are a couple of things that " black belts" should know...............in fact it should be written in bright shiny letters in every Dojo......1) do not mess with the military because they think differently than you do, they have different values, they fight and think differently and they are extremely dangerous.
2) If they have fought in a war then mutiply all the factors in point number 1) by 100 and as a footnote divide by the number of stripes on your belt for your chances of survival when they get really mad ................and that Dana is just another reality check
and we should have lots of them.........if you are not really afraid that your teaching is ineffective ( whatever it is) then you are not training correctly ...............and once again IMHO
Quote
I do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men.............I seek what they saughtLao Tzu
a spiritual path mus tbe based on truth ( and if it's Ma's as your chosen path....then you must acknowledge the existance od firearms, and bad people )
"Each marital artists must be met and judged individually. You can't assign qualities to people backed on a colored belt around their waist or the system they study. There's just so much more to it"
I so agree, I am coming around to the way of thinking that Belts and rankings are only "Honorary" anyway
Quote
"
I'm glad you've got good skills as a fighter. You point out the fact that a person having black belt doesn't mean something universal. You've met a few individuals who were disillusioned. That doesn't discredit that for some a black belt ackowledges their effort and personal journey.
I don't think that I've ever said that
.....I have said that I am a beginner asking questions and not a master offering solutions I've not met dissillusioned folks either.....most of the folks that I know have gone the "hard contact" road..Muy Thai is much more common in my country now than about anything except BJJ..these folks were not dissillusioned.....they didn't spend years studying a crock of cr*p......as soon as they could see it wasn't working they moved on
..................heck I know guys in the weights room who could take me apart and No you are quite correct it doesn't discredit that for some a black belt acknowledges a "journey"
What I do question based on all we have said is where the journey is leading?...what are we striving to achieve?...what knowledge ( based on our study ) will equip us to face a deadly encounter
...what has your Uechi taught you that would enable you to fight a bigger,stronger,faster fighter than you?? you see you get situations on these fora.that make me fall about laughing
.really you do.Look at Tony ( The Bronze Dago).......and yeah it's wrong for me to bring somebody else up, sorry Tony.....but folks have called him .I've witnessed it myself. Now there are a couple of things that " black belts" should know...............in fact it should be written in bright shiny letters in every Dojo......1) do not mess with the military because they think differently than you do, they have different values, they fight and think differently and they are extremely dangerous.
2) If they have fought in a war then mutiply all the factors in point number 1) by 100 and as a footnote divide by the number of stripes on your belt for your chances of survival when they get really mad
................and that Dana is just another reality check and we should have lots of them.........if you are not really afraid that your teaching is ineffective ( whatever it is) then you are not training correctly ...............and once again IMHO
Quote
I do not seek to follow in the footsteps of wise men.............I seek what they saughtLao Tzu
a spiritual path mus tbe based on truth ( and if it's Ma's as your chosen path....then you must acknowledge the existance od firearms, and bad people
)jorvik, you're losing me in regards to the topic.
Can you clear that up?Look at Tony ( The Bronze Dago).......and yeah it's wrong for me to bring somebody else up, sorry Tony.....but folks have called him .I've witnessed it myself.
What does that have to do with the topic of what makes a shodan?.1) do not mess with the military because they think differently than you do, they have different values, they fight and think differently and they are extremely dangerous.
2) If they have fought in a war then mutiply all the factors in point number 1) by 100 and as a footnote divide by the number of stripes on your belt for your chances of survival when they get really mad................and that Dana is just another reality check
The first part could be learning to carry on when past your assumed limits. Part two is a crap shoot because it depends on the people. Sometimes you just get beat.what knowledge ( based on our study ) will equip us to face a deadly encounter ...what has your Uechi taught you that would enable you to fight a bigger,stronger,faster fighter than you??
I was dreaming of the past...
Thoughts
No disrespect to wonderful and dangerous Mauy thai fighters but I took a little tap with a tiger toe kick on the inside on my thigh and had a bruise from literally a tap from a trained toe. Now if I were hit with a hard roundhouse shin kick it would hurt for sure but I'm positive at least for me that the toe kick full force would be devastating compared to the roundhouse kick
I don't believe in rank seeking or anything like that but people put alot of work and heart into their training and I believe in alot of cases earn their promotions from experienced people. Not saying put your faith in rank or anything close to that but I am saying we should respect the work and effort they put forth to reach the level they're at.
Uechi to me is beautiful and simply the very best there is because we don't work on kata in one stance then go out and fight from different stances like any guy on the street.We train from day one the benefits of sanchin and build on that foundation in everything we do.
So when we go to spar or fight we don't turn sideways and start jumping around. We as Uechi people sit in our sanchin stance and root ourselves and destroy whatever we are faced with like Shinjo.
Who is the rock and the fighting example of Uechi and it goes to the traditional rock named Kiyohide Shinjo.
Everything is in Sanchin is what makes us different to me because our kata relate directly to how we apply them.We don't do improvisation as we go because we do the things we train every single class.
Our system to me is simply the very best because it's logic can't be beat of building upon sanchin in everything we do.
Jeff
I don't believe in rank seeking or anything like that but people put alot of work and heart into their training and I believe in alot of cases earn their promotions from experienced people. Not saying put your faith in rank or anything close to that but I am saying we should respect the work and effort they put forth to reach the level they're at.
Uechi to me is beautiful and simply the very best there is because we don't work on kata in one stance then go out and fight from different stances like any guy on the street.We train from day one the benefits of sanchin and build on that foundation in everything we do.
So when we go to spar or fight we don't turn sideways and start jumping around. We as Uechi people sit in our sanchin stance and root ourselves and destroy whatever we are faced with like Shinjo.
Who is the rock and the fighting example of Uechi and it goes to the traditional rock named Kiyohide Shinjo.
Everything is in Sanchin is what makes us different to me because our kata relate directly to how we apply them.We don't do improvisation as we go because we do the things we train every single class.
Our system to me is simply the very best because it's logic can't be beat of building upon sanchin in everything we do.
Jeff
Jeff
Just putting this out and I know Shinjo sensei is probably a very kind and humble man as most Uechika are but if there was any kind of fight and he was entered into the arena with any practicioner of any system I would put my money on Shinjo to crush any opponent into fine powder plain and simple in my mind.
I'm just picking out one of the many respected practicioners we have to represent Uechi but here I chose to use Shinjo sensei as my example.
My money would be on him no doubt about it so we do have a good example of traditional training that works with crushing and devastating results and he is just one of the many I believe.
Everyone has their own ideas and beliefs but I firmly believe in our pointy weapons and our STYLE. I say Style because I believe in Uechi as a unique and devastating system that was and is brillaintly designed for effectiveness.
Jeff
I'm just picking out one of the many respected practicioners we have to represent Uechi but here I chose to use Shinjo sensei as my example.
My money would be on him no doubt about it so we do have a good example of traditional training that works with crushing and devastating results and he is just one of the many I believe.
Everyone has their own ideas and beliefs but I firmly believe in our pointy weapons and our STYLE. I say Style because I believe in Uechi as a unique and devastating system that was and is brillaintly designed for effectiveness.
Jeff
Jeff
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Guest
Regeneration/Metamorphosis
Somebody mentioned Sumpter Sensei in Philadelphia. He is a remake, a transformation. He was shot in the shoulder in Viet Nam and discharged early for medical reasons. He was told he would never regain use of his right arm and shoulder. That was not acceptable to him. Maybe that's why it took a while to get things straight. Look at him now He's an inspiration on many levels. A Shodan is just one measure of the human spirit. What makes a Shodan is the prime ingrediant in what makes any Dan 
I had the disconcerting experience of hearing a terrible loud snap when Nakamatsu Sensei was performng a kata while visiting us in the Largo Florida dojo. His leg crumbled and our hearts were consumed by our guts. He had popped his Achilles tendon. He was fifty-four at the time. That was about 12 years ago. The winners don't give in. To me, at Shodan and beyond, Karate is about healing, physically and spiritually, it's about the investiture of time. For most of us, it's the spirit of coming back from an injury, coming back anew. For Nakamatsu Sensei, Karate is his path to reach the top of the mountain (and I'm paraphrasing him on that). After surgery and recovery, he was back on the path.
And in a different sitituation, I have seen Kiohide Sensei unintentionally injure a student while demonstrating a snap side kick to the back of the student's knee. I do believe in miracles, and Shinjo Sensei was the Master of the situation. Gently, he stabalized the young man on the dojo floor. Kneeling beside him, he spoke with the student and identified the source of the young man's pain. He moved to the foot of the man, and with both hands strightened the the student's pained leg. He cupped his own hands and rubbed them together for several seconds and then placed them on the man's knee and massaged, and repeated this several times as we all looked on. Should we call a doctor? No... no.... the student said he would be ok. And in a few more minutes he was up and able to walk unassisted. Oh, what a relief. I am not sure who here was victor. Surely both won and were humbled by the lesson.
Shodan ... nanadan ... whatever ... it's the spirit of rejuvination that's at the heart of karate.
He's an inspiration on many levels. A Shodan is just one measure of the human spirit. What makes a Shodan is the prime ingrediant in what makes any Dan I had the disconcerting experience of hearing a terrible loud snap when Nakamatsu Sensei was performng a kata while visiting us in the Largo Florida dojo. His leg crumbled and our hearts were consumed by our guts. He had popped his Achilles tendon. He was fifty-four at the time. That was about 12 years ago. The winners don't give in. To me, at Shodan and beyond, Karate is about healing, physically and spiritually, it's about the investiture of time. For most of us, it's the spirit of coming back from an injury, coming back anew. For Nakamatsu Sensei, Karate is his path to reach the top of the mountain (and I'm paraphrasing him on that). After surgery and recovery, he was back on the path.
And in a different sitituation, I have seen Kiohide Sensei unintentionally injure a student while demonstrating a snap side kick to the back of the student's knee. I do believe in miracles, and Shinjo Sensei was the Master of the situation. Gently, he stabalized the young man on the dojo floor. Kneeling beside him, he spoke with the student and identified the source of the young man's pain. He moved to the foot of the man, and with both hands strightened the the student's pained leg. He cupped his own hands and rubbed them together for several seconds and then placed them on the man's knee and massaged, and repeated this several times as we all looked on. Should we call a doctor? No... no.... the student said he would be ok. And in a few more minutes he was up and able to walk unassisted. Oh, what a relief. I am not sure who here was victor. Surely both won and were humbled by the lesson.
Shodan ... nanadan ... whatever ... it's the spirit of rejuvination that's at the heart of karate.
interesting thread
I think as usual Mr. Giacoletti made some great points and offered some very intresting stories I also consider the humble side of karate and the kind side to be of utmost importance also.
It seems at times when something is offered about self defense on the other end of the spectrum that Uechi-ryu is questioned as to it's effectiveness but I for one have complete and total confidence in the system as the best stand up self defense system there is.
Ju Jitsu to supplement for ground work seems to fit perfectly but as far as standing self defense I know all I want to know is Uechi and I only seek more of a deep understanding of it to have all I need while standing.
As far as extra long blackbelts goes again i'm confused as I was when it came to the lotus comments. The lotus comments had been explained but I never really found out what extra long blackbelts was about but I would imagine a belt at any length is just a belt. and skill and disposition in anything has to be measured on an individual and case by case basis.
I'm not close to being a shodan to get back to the original point of the thread but I would hope it means working hard and continuing on a path you love of humility and respect and self defense skills that had always been the purpose from the start of the journey. I would think a shodan would just carry on a new phase of discovery while keeping the same grounded ethics that got him there in the first place.
If karate begins and ends with respect then shodan should just be a deeper understanding and a new path of discovery and skill and of course respect.
Jeff
It seems at times when something is offered about self defense on the other end of the spectrum that Uechi-ryu is questioned as to it's effectiveness but I for one have complete and total confidence in the system as the best stand up self defense system there is.
Ju Jitsu to supplement for ground work seems to fit perfectly but as far as standing self defense I know all I want to know is Uechi and I only seek more of a deep understanding of it to have all I need while standing.
As far as extra long blackbelts goes again i'm confused as I was when it came to the lotus comments. The lotus comments had been explained but I never really found out what extra long blackbelts was about but I would imagine a belt at any length is just a belt. and skill and disposition in anything has to be measured on an individual and case by case basis.
I'm not close to being a shodan to get back to the original point of the thread but I would hope it means working hard and continuing on a path you love of humility and respect and self defense skills that had always been the purpose from the start of the journey. I would think a shodan would just carry on a new phase of discovery while keeping the same grounded ethics that got him there in the first place.
If karate begins and ends with respect then shodan should just be a deeper understanding and a new path of discovery and skill and of course respect.
Jeff
Jeff
