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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A handful of Nationals have drawn a cursory amount of attention over the years at the All-Star Game. Alfonso Soriano was a fairly big name at the 2006 All-Star Game. Dmitri Young made for a nice story in 2007. And Ryan Zimmerman fielded plenty of questions in 2009 (though most of those were about that morning's firing of manager Manny Acta).
Really, though, the Nationals' representative -- and it's almost always been one representative -- traditionally has sat on the sidelines and watched as the spotlight shined on plenty of other players from other, more-popular franchises.
That all changes today, because when the doors at Arrowhead Stadium swing open to media members looking to interview members of the National League All-Star team, a crowd will immediately assemble in whichever corner of the conference room officials decide to designate for the Nationals' delegation.
In a roomful of big names and big personalities, there may be no tandem of teammates more sought out than Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper, each a first-time All-Star. Throw in the loquacious and effervescent Gio Gonzalez, making his second appearance in the Midsummer Classic, and the Nationals have suddenly gone from afterthought to center of attention on baseball's biggest stage.
Thus will kick off the Nationals' 48-hour national coming-out party, a chance for the rest of the sporting world to see what fans and media in D.C. have seen for three months: a first-place club that not only boasts talent but also boasts legitimate star power.
This marks the first time since their inaugural 2005 season in which the Nationals have sent more than one player to the All-Star Game. And they'll actually be able to claim four roster members as All-Stars, with shortstop Ian Desmond selected to the team but unable to attend due to a lingering oblique injury that requires significant daily treatment.
Who figures to draw a bigger crowd, Strasburg or Harper? The safe bet is on the 19-year-old, the youngest position player ever to be named an All-Star, who also happens to be comfortable in front of cameras and microphones.
Harper didn't expect to be here. He'd already made plans to fly home to Las Vegas following yesterday's first-half finale, only to find out he would be replacing injured Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton on the All-Star roster.
Strasburg will draw a sizable crowd himself, though most reporters will be disappointed by the 23-year-old right-hander's lack of charisma and ability to offer up sound bites on cue.
If anything, the most entertaining player wearing Nats gear will probably be Gonzalez, who loves nothing more than to talk up his teammates and has perfected the art of turning a question about his own accomplishments into reason to brag about someone else on the club.
No matter who says what, or who draws however many reporters to his table, the Nationals will be among baseball's most-discussed franchises these next two days. People will talk about Strasburg's innings limit and Harper's contributions at such a young age. They'll talk about the important roles Gonzalez and Desmond have played in leading this team to the best record in the NL. And they'll talk about this club's chances not only of making the postseason but of making a deep run through the postseason.
Better get used to it now, folks, because this is going to become the norm. The Nationals no longer operate out of the spotlight. They are smack dab in the middle of it all, a franchise that has finally arrived and can't wait to show off its prized performers over the next two days.


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The Graduate Student Life Grants program is a request-for-proposal process inviting graduate students, spouses, faculty, or staff to submit creative, community building ideas for possible funding. The Grants provide a unique opportunity to kick-start projects that will enhance graduate student life at the Institute with experiences outside the classroom and lab.
What is community? It's difficult to define, but since the GSLG's began in 2002, some definitions have emerged, including:
- a sense of belonging, a sense of mattering
- shared experiences
- bringing together people outside the lab
- getting together people who rarely congregate
- building connections, relationships
- interdisciplinarity
Proposals may address a specific constituency such as families; they may cross departments or focus within a discipline; they may target several residence halls, or a variety of student groups. Their purpose should be to explore the role and relevance of community in creating a more balanced and fulfilling graduate experience. Scroll through the project archive for a brief description of past projects.
If you are interested in applying for funding, see the guidelines below.
The deadline for academic year 2018-19 proposals was Friday, October 12, 2018.
Contact the Grants program with questions at gslg [at] mit.edu.
Grant basics
Apply for a grant
Manage your grant

subset: commoncrawl


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'zucchini' tag.
Hi there,
Apologies I've been so quiet for a while – work has been hectic! But here is this week's offering, courtesy of my friend Tess and Taste.com.
Some kids might have an issue with 'the green stuff' in the fingers, but it is healthy, sounds very tasty and will work for lunchboxes and my baby of 10 months!
Makes: 12 fingers
Melted butter, to grease
2 tsp light olive oil
80g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) grated green courgette
60g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) grated carrot
50g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) grated parsnip or potato or sweet potato
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 eggs, lightly whisked
40g (1/3 cup) coarsely grated cheddar or tasty cheese
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
1 T plain flour, sifted
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a shallow, square 18.5cm cake pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 opposite sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang.
2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the grated courgette, carrot, parsnip and shallots, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
3. Combine vegetable mixture, egg, cheese, parsley and flour in a large bowl and stir until well combined.
4. Spoon vegetable mixture into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 12 minutes or until set.
5. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes to cool. Lift frittata from pan and place on a plate to cool completely. Cut into 12 fingers to serve.
Courgette and carrots can be substituted with potato and sweet potato too.


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Care Assessor
Role Location: Field Based – Doncaster & Sheffield
Salary Band: Competitive salary plus car/car allowance
About Us
Remit Group provides structured Apprenticeship training across the UK and are committed to being the learner focused training provider of choice, dedicated to supporting learner needs. We work with many larger organisations and have a wealth of experience in different sectors.
We are proud of our teams within the Remit Group and employ people with passion, pride and commitment to promoting and delivering high quality Apprenticeship training. It is these qualities that have ensured strong, positive and powerful working relationships.
Purpose of Role
The role of the Assessor/ Apprentice Development Coach is to teach, guide and support the development and progression of our learners on apprenticeship programmes. To support the delivery of the required framework within work based settings delivering effective and engaging training via a blended learning approach. This, along with regular visits to ensure continuous development, growth and achievement of learners allocated on the caseload.
Main Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
- Deliver and facilitate assessment and training, which encourages accelerated learning and results in new knowledge and skills being applied into the workplace.
- Evaluate and modify training delivery as a result of learner satisfaction and key stakeholder feedback.
- Complete the required number of visits and reviews required for each apprentice.
- Engage and coach the learner's line manager to provide adequate support and guidance needed by the learner during the working day.
- Manage and support the learner to collect the necessary evidence during the visits, to ensure progression for their qualification and to achieve the necessary milestones.
- Monitor and review learner issues on a regular basis, taking any necessary action to limit the number of early leavers from the programme.
- Manage and complete both business and personal administration within given timescales.
- Ensure knowledge of all subject areas including technical training and competitors are kept constantly updated by way of self-development (CPD).
- Work as part of the assessing team and give feedback and offer ideas and suggestions for improving team performance.
- Research the industry on a regular basis to keep abreast of market developments and trends.
Qualifications, Experience & Knowledge: As a minimum the successful candidate will need to demonstrate the following:
- NVQ Level 5 or equivalent in Health and Social Care
- TAQA Level 3 Assessors Award or equivalent
- Functional Skills Level 2 Maths & English or equivalent
- Experience of delivering apprenticeship training and support in a work based environment
- Assessment processes and evidence capture
- Knowledge of Government Funded training
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, oral and written
- Excellent IT knowledge & skills including using electronic portfolio system
- Time Management skills with the ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
- Ability to work with the minimum of supervision as part of a remote team
- Ability to motivate and support learners
- PTTLS or equivalent
- Functional Skills ICT Level 2 or equivalent
Do you have the ability to inspire others to learn, demonstrate a positive attitude and have the ability to work well in a responsive & pressured environment? Then this may be the role for you!
Email your C.V. to: email@example.com


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WASHINGTON (AP) Jayson Werth's Washington Nationals were as good as it got during the regular season, compiling a majors-high 98 wins.
That doesn't count for much come the postseason, where the St. Louis Cardinals excel. So what if manager Tony La Russa retired after last year's World Series title? Who cares that slugger Albert Pujols left via free agency? Just like in 2011, the Cardinals are a wild-card club that finds a different player to lead the way each game, it seems.
Heading into Thursday's Game 4 of their best-of-five NL division series, the Cardinals built a 2-1 lead by outscoring the Nationals 22-7.
``It's going to be tough to score if you don't hit,'' Werth said after St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter and three relievers shut down Washington 8-0 in Game 3 on Wednesday. ``But I believe in this team. I believe in these guys. We've been here all year. Over a 162-game season, we were the best team in baseball. I still feel that way.''
The Cardinals like their chances, too.
``It's the biggest game of the year,'' center fielder Jon Jay said. ``We all know how important it is. You can't look ahead.''
Kyle Lohse, who beat the Atlanta Braves in last week's one-game, wild-card playoff, gets the start for St. Louis. Ross Detwiler pitches for Washington, which is sticking to its long-stated plan of keeping Stephen Strasburg on the sideline the rest of the way.
``We're not out of this, by a long shot,'' Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. ``Shoot, I've had my back to worse walls than this.''
Perhaps. Will be tough for Washington to win and extend the season if it can't get its offense going, though.
The Nationals didn't do much at all Wednesday against Carpenter, who finds that even something as simple as breathing can feel odd on occasion now that he's missing a rib and two neck muscles.
Taking the mound for only the fourth time in 2012 after complicated surgery to cure numbness on his right side, the 37-year-old Carpenter spoiled the return of postseason baseball to Washington by pitching into the sixth inning.
``To go from not being able to compete, and not only compete but help your team, to be able to be in this situation,'' Carpenter said, ``it's pretty cool.''
Carpenter allowed seven hits and walked two across his 5 2-3 innings to improve to 10-2 over his career in the postseason. The 10 victories tie the righty for seventh-most, behind Andy Pettitte's record 19.
``If the baseball world doesn't know what an amazing competitor he is by now,'' Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday said, ``they haven't been paying any attention.''
Rookie Pete Kozma delivered a three-run homer, and a trio of relievers finished the shutout for the Cardinals.
With the exception of Ian Desmond - 3 for 4 on Wednesday, 7 for 12 in the series - the Nationals' hitters are struggling mightily. They went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base in Game 3.
Rookie phenom Bryce Harper's woes, in particular, stand out: He went 0 for 5, dropping to 1 for 15. He went to the plate with an ash bat and no gloves in the first inning, tried wearing anti-glare tinted contact lenses on a sun-splashed afternoon - nothing helped.
``Nothing I can do,'' the 19-year-old Harper said. ``I just missed a couple.''
All in all, quite a damper on the day for a Nationals Park-record 45,017 red-wearing, towel-twirling fans witnessing the first major league postseason game in the nation's capital in 79 years. They didn't have much to enjoy, in part because of the problems created by Nationals starter Edwin Jackson, who was on the Cardinals' championship team a year ago.
``I didn't feel like I was out of rhythm. I didn't feel like I couldn't throw strikes. I just missed across the plate with a couple of balls and it cost me,'' Jackson said.
He gave up four consecutive hits in the second, the biggest being Kozma's first-pitch homer into the first row in left off a 94 mph fastball to make it 4-0. Kozma took over as the Cardinals' everyday shortstop in September, replacing injured All-Star Rafael Furcal, and only had 72 at-bats during the regular season.
But he's only the latest in a series of ``Who's that?'' stars that seem to pop up for his club, such as David Freese last autumn.
The Cardinals won 10 fewer games than the Nationals this season and finished second in the NL Central, nine games behind Cincinnati, sneaking into the postseason as the league's second wild-card under this year's new format.
Doesn't matter.
The Cardinals learned to be resilient with their stretch run in 2011, also getting into the playoffs with the last NL berth.
``We saw how, if you just take it one game at a time, we're not looking at, `Hey, we have got to win two out of three here in Washington.' We're looking at it: We have to win today,'' Lohse said. ``We've done a good job of that - winning just about every game we absolutely had to. And I think when you start doing that, you realize you can do that. Your confidence goes up.''
Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/HowardFendrich


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Ten Green Bottles
|Ten Green Bottles
|GTA San Andreas
|Type of business
|Ganton, Los Santos
Ten Green Bottles is an interactive bar in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas located along Grove Street in Ganton, Los Santos, San Andreas. The bar is distinctive by its green sign, which illuminates green at night, supposedly to match the Grove Street Families' gang color. The bar's exterior also features a Sprunk vending machine outside.
Ten Green Bottles's interior, which is identical to interiors in the Misty's and The Craw Bar, features two pool tables (with one of them featuring a standing NPC which can be challenged for a game of pool) and two arcade game machines for "Go Go Space Monkey" and "Let's Get Ready to Bumble". The bar is also a destination in dinner/drinking dates with girlfriends, and is an ideal stop for Denise Robinson due to the proximity of the bar from her house.
- The bar's name is an homage to Rockstar North's past as DMA Designs, as "Ten Green Bottles" is also the name of one of the songs featured in Lemmings, one of their very first games.


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I pretty much missed it, but this blog turned one a couple of days ago. I can't believe I've been at this for a year now. In the past year I've had over 4,300 visits from about 3,500 unique visitors from 91 countries. Many of the more popular posts had to do with free templates and reviews I did of Geni and MyHeritage. So instead of listing the most viewed pages I think a more significant list would be the posts that meant most to me during my first year as an amateur genealogy nut:
- My grandfather had a twin brother nobody knew about!
- My second daughter was born and we named her after my great grandmother.
- My mother brought a lot of old photos and documents on one of her visits.
- I found out why City Directories are so great.
- I took my family on a local ancestors field trip.
- I translated a chapter from the Dolhinov Yizkor Book about my great-grand-uncle.
- I wrote about the annihilation of my Dombek line in the Holocaust.
- I am still trying to figure out who Margret Bishop/McElrath really was. I now know that her maiden name may have been Margret Timmons.
I look forward to many more years of exciting research and findings. Thanks for reading.


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Specific allergy points are targeted to help alleviate allergies and their concurrent symptoms.
Asian Bodywork Therapy
Involves a variety of manual body treatments, such as pressure, motion, cold and hot application, and stretching; popular forms include shiatsu, acupressure, amma, chi nei tsang, jin shin do, nuad bo rarn, and tuina.
Acupuncture can be used to treat skin disorders such as eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, infection, and eruptions.
Dietary Therapy
Employs herbal remedies, dietary changes, qi gong, and acupuncture to correct health problems.
Acupuncturists with a geriatric specialization primarily work with an older population.
Specialists concentrate their work on the reproductive health and fertility of patients.
Mental Health
Acupuncture can be combined with herbs and exercise to combat mental disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.
Acupuncture can be used to treat a host of neurological ailments, such as headache, neck pain, back pain, drug addiction, stroke rehabilitation, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.
Acupuncturists who specialize in orthopedic treatments combine acupuncture and herbs to treat neuro-musculoskeletal disorders such as back pain, arthritis, sciatica, sprains, and stiff neck.
Pain Management
Treatment targets pain and sensory nerves to limit or eliminate painful sensation.


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wu-tang clan
Wu-Tang with System of a Down
- 2005-10-18 12:19:11
© The Wu-Tang Corp.
- 2005-10-18
System Of A Tang? Shavo Collaborates With RZA, GZA
System of a Down will release the second half of their Mezmerize/Hypnotize double LP on November 22 - but bassist Shavo Odadjian is already looking ahead to a potentially fascinating side project he's cooking up with Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and GZA.
Odadjian said he first befriended the Wu when the two groups teamed up with producer Rick Rubin for a new version of Wu's "Shame," which opens 2000's Loud Rocks hip-hop/rock summit LP. Odadjian has kept in touch with the RZA ever since, and they'd often talk about working together again on some future project.
"[Wu-Tang] were in the studio two months ago," working on their forthcoming, yet-untitled album (see "Wu-Tang Regroup For ODB Tribute Track, RZA Brings Pink The Grunge"), "and I got a page from RZA," Odadjian recalled. "He's like, 'We're in [Los Angeles]. Come down and hang out.' So I went to the studio around midnight, and we started talking about maybe me doing some bass lines for the record. I had this white, fretless six-string bass I thought would be amazing for hip-hop, and we jammed all night, until like 7 the next morning — just RZA, GZA and me, going off on weird beats and playing weird time signatures."
Odadjian's contributions will be spliced and infused into some of the RZA's tracks, he said. But more importantly, the jam led to some even loftier ideas.
"We all hit it off, so we'll be working on a solo project soon," the bassist said. "GZA's writing beats and all of the lyrics, RZA's writing beats and I'll be playing all the bass and writing most of the music. It's not written in stone, but we're talking about it. I want to get [System frontman Serj Tankian] to play drums, maybe sing on some songs. We have a few ideas for songs and it's going to be really cool. It's going to be a really crazy album, but it's not going to be like Wu-Tang or System. It'll be wherever I'm at in my head and wherever they're at in their heads."
Of course, Odadjian's not the only Systemite who's branched out into hip-hop: Tankian recently remixed the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya" for the soundtrack to designer Marc Ecko's "Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure" video game.
For more on System of a Down's double album, Mezmerize/Hypnotize, check out "System Of A Down Album Preview: Hypnotize Even Wilder Than Mezmerize" and the feature "Doubleheader."
- Chris Harris
News Archive
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GZA Earns The 1st Platinum Album For The Clan In 20 Years
Proof, that the Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothing to mess with
Unpublished 'Ya'll be warned' video unearthed after 13 years
Wu-Tang Brand Unveils Winter 'Iron Flag' Collection
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Masta Killa releases Selling My Soul on Dec 11th
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Top brass at the Vermont College Of Fine Arts announced Wednesday [10] the appointment of screenwriter and playwright Brandon Cole to the faculty of the school's brand new film MFA [master of fine arts] programme.
Cole's credits include writing the 1992 film Mac with John Turturro, who also starred in the film, and he co-wrote Pete Smalls Is Dead starring Peter Dinklage, Steve Buscemi and Tim Roth.
"We're pleased to have a screenwriter of Cole's caliber joining our film faculty," said VCFA founding president Thomas Christopher Greene.
"This film school is already attracting top talent from around the world. It is our hope that independent film-makers will find an exciting new trajectory for their work by refining their craft, exploring new approaches, and building a lifelong network of professional relationships while here in Montpelier."
Cole also wrote the play Nothing Works, which was performed at the Teatro da Trindade in Lisbon, Portugal, and was subsequently produced for Portuguese and Brazilian television.
The VCFA will welcome the inaugural class to its Montpelier, Vermont, campus during October this year.


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I wanted to pause for a moment to say that what I am describing with respect to the first movement of Pinan Yondan is how I teach in our dojo, which is part of Kishaba Juku, which is a form of Shorin-Ryu, which is one of the styles of Okinawan Karate. I might teach differently than other instructors in our own dojo, differently than other Kishaba Juku instructors, differently than my own instructors, and we all teach differently than other instructors in other styles.
I might teach differently on Monday and Tuesday, or even at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.! And I certainly might teach two different students differently.
I would teach the same cumulatively, but it takes a long time to get the cumulative. During that time, my own thinking will have evolved.
So if what I am describing differs from what you have been taught or teach, then welcome to the club!
If it was fixed and static, I would be bored. As it is, Karate is always interesting and exciting to me. It is always new.
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 11
I wanted to pause for a moment to say that what I am describing with respect to the first movement of Pinan Yondan is how I teach in our dojo, which is part of Kishaba Juku, which is a form of Shorin-Ryu, which is one of the styles of Okinawan Karate. I might teach differently than other instructors in our own dojo, differently than other Kishaba Juku instructors, differently than my own instructors, and we all teach differently than other instructors in other styles.
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pinan Yondan - Part 10
Of course, you exhale with the strikes (in the first movement of Pinan Yondan). You do not hold your breath.
Squeezing out the air is also an important part of the koshi process. It makes the body firmer (less filled with pockets of air) and better able to generate torque driven, whip-like movements.
It also makes sense to exhale or kiai with strikes because you could get hit. If you are close enough to block, the attacker is close enough to hit you.
We tend to exhale through the mouth with a "hiss" sound. Essentially, we kiai this way for all movements. So we kiai all the time.
Making a kiai that can be heard is good for training. That way, I can make sure that the students are doing it. In a self defense situation, the kiai might be silent, or another sound, or even a yell, like "Stop!" or "Help!"
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 9
When you have performed the first movement of Pinan Yondan, you are in nekko ashi dachi (cat stance) with combined chudan and jodan shuto uke or uchi. The next movement is the mirror image, to the right.
But that does not mean that the second movement naturally follows the first. It might, but there are a lot of other things you can do from the first movement.
Even though it is not always present in the kata, you can always kick from nekko ashi dachi. Amazingly, in our kata, when you are in nekko ashi dachi, you usually kick with the back foot in kata, even though the front foot might have less weight on it (depending on what weight distribution you follow).
You might try kicking after you have performed the first movement. Imagine that you are holding or grabbing the attacker with your hands. Where and how would you kick him?
I have heard that if Chotoku Kyan grabbed your arms with his hands, he could kick you in the throat. His legs were almost like arms.
It is good to explore the kicks that could be thrown from any movement in a kata. Although they might not be present in the kata, they are always present in the bunkai (applications) or imi (meaning).
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 8
Let's not forget the drop. You start off in a standing position with your knees only slightly bent. In the first movement, you drop into nekko ashi (with the weight being 50/50 or perhaps 60 [back]/40 [front]). The drop from standing to nekko ashi is not haphazard. It is timed with the strikes.
For me, the "hit" of the drop is timed with the "hit" of the right hand (jodan shuto uchi). This transfers power from the body to the strike(s).
So there are three hits and recoils -- the left hand, the right hand, and the drop into nekko ashi dachi. It is an orchestra of movement designed to generate and transfer power, to draw it back in, and to transfer it to the next movement.
And we have not even addressed koshi (whole body, core driven, body dynamics).
I should add that with the "drop", the right side of your butt can be used to strike and unbalance the attacker. And your right foot could be stomping on the attacker's foot, your left foot could be trapping, etc.
There is a lot going on... and we are not done yet.
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 7
So with your left arm/hand, you execute a chudan shuto uke (middle knife hand block) or chudan shuto uchi (middle knife hand strike) to the left, and with your right arm/hand you execute a jodan shuto uke (upper or high knife hand block) or jodan shuto uchi (upper or high knife hand strike) to the front. This is a very nice combination. I cannot think of another kata in which it appears.
My point here is that your two hands work together. There is a saying that your hands should work together like man and wife. Obviously, two hands working together are stronger that two hands working separately.
The movements are executed simultaneously... but they are not simultaneous. This sounds contradictory. The movements start together but the focus of each movement is not at the same time. The way I do it, the chudan shuto is slightly ahead of the jodan shuto. This is by design.
If the movements "hit" at the same time, they will cancel out and my body movement will split or stall. If the movements are slightly off timed, the strikes and recoils will allow me to move freely.
We say that simultaneous movements are never simultaneous. To the untrained eye, they would appear to be simultaneous. But if you "know," you will see that they are off timed. In this case, my left hand is slightly ahead of my right. My left hand hits and recoils. At about the time of the recoil, my right hits and recoils... which is about when I will ride the recoils to initiate the next movement to the right. In slow motion, you would see waves of motion.
The first movement of Pinan Yondan is not stiff, rigid or fixed. It is dynamic, fluid, and explosive. Do you think that Anko Itosu would have designed it any other way? You have to remember that Itosu Sensei learned from Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura. Can you imagine Matsumura Sensei being stiff, rigid and fixed?
Come to think about it, the first movement of Pinan Yondan looks like a crane spreading its wings... very light and maneuverable -- like our Tomari Passai.
And any way, why should any movement be stiff, rigid and fixed?
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 6
With your right arm/hand, you execute a jodan shuto uke (upper or high knife hand block) or jodan shuto uchi (upper or high knife hand strike) to the front. Because you have turned to the left (without turning), it might seem that the high block/strike is to your right (from the point of view of the left). But from the starting position, you are blocking straight up, to the front.
Almost any movement can be executed as a block or a strike. In kata, I execute almost all movements as strikes.
So with my right hand, I am striking, not blocking. Typically, I visualize that I am striking up under the attacker's jaw or hitting the neck when I execute a jodan shuto uke.
With any shuto, you can hit with the side of your hand. But typically, I am hitting with the side of my forearm (radius). That way, after I hit, I can quickly grab. When you hit with the side of the hand, it might be more difficult to grab. Also, I feel that I can strike very hard with my radius, which has become conditioned over the years. Plus, I am pretty boney.
In addition, when I hit with my radius, the position of my hand is more forward. My striking point is in line with my sechusen (vertical center line). Since I have turned my head, this is in line with my right ear (approximately). So, my the striking point on my radius is in line with my right ear. If the striking point was on the edge of my hand, my right arm would be too far back (to the right). This is just my opinion.
And, of course, you could be striking with your elbow, or a combination of the above.
But one point I want to make is that I am not blocking or striking up the the left. Sometimes I see people turn their shoulders completely to the left and execute the jodan movement overhead... to the left. This seems awkward to me. Again, this is just my opinion. Plus, if you do this, it will take a long time to turn all the way to the right for the next movement.
When you turn to the left without turning, it will be very fast to turn to the right without turning.
We execute most movements in hanmi, naihanchi, or something like that.
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 5
In my last post, I wrote: "With your left arm/hand, you execute a chudan shuto uke (middle knife hand block) or chudan shuto uchi (middle knife hand strike) to the left."
Almost any movement can be executed as a block or a strike. In kata, I execute almost all movements as strikes.
So with my left hand, I am striking, not blocking. Typically, I visualize that I am striking the attacker's neck when I execute a chudan shuto.
While I execute most movements as strikes in kata, that does not mean that I would execute them the same way in a self defense context. There are many interpretations for each movement, and how you do them depends on what you think that you are doing. The response depends on the attack.
My kata performance typically reflects a striking interpretation. I would not alter it to reflect grappling interpretations, but I would practice such applications... and others. The kata will generally look the same but the applications will differ. See: The Why of Bunkai: A Guide For Beginners.
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 4
With your left arm/hand, you execute a chudan shuto uke (middle knife hand block) or chudan shuto uchi (middle knife hand strike) to the left. (I am not addressing the right hand in this post). Because you are striking to the left, many people assume that you must also turn your body to the left. In other words, some people turn their shoulders so that they are square to the left. This means that you would turn 90 degrees to the left.
I believe that this is a misunderstanding, caused originally by the terminology that developed in modern Karate. Take a yoko geri, for example. When you hear this, what do you visualize? Most people think about a side kick -- a kick with the side of the foot. However, in early Okinawan Karate, a yoko geri simply meant a kick to the side, not a kick with the side of the foot.
The first kick in Pinan Shodan, for example, even though it is done with the tip of the toe (tsumasaki), is a yoko geri (side kick) because it is executed to the side. However, you will often see this kick executed with the side of the foot, because early books described it as a yoko geri. In my style of Shorin-Ryu, there are hardly any kicks in kata with the side of the foot (the only one I can think of is in Passai). Most kicks are done with the tips of the toes.
In the same way, when people think that the first movements of the Pinan kata are done to the left side, they might also think that you must turn to the left.
Let me ask you this... if someone suddenly and unexpectedly punched you from the left side, would you turn into the attack and execute a block or strike? Or would you simply block or strike without turning?
One of the first things you learn about body dynamics is that blocking or striking to the side is fast, while turning to the side is slow by comparison.
In addition, if you turn your shoulders to the left, you present a cross section of your body which is easier to attack. And you are also presenting your vertical centerline (sechusen), which is very vulnerable to attack.
All this is my way of explaining why I strike to the left, but do not turn to the left. When I am in the ready position at the beginning of the Pinan kata, my bellybutton (tanden area) is facing the front. When I execute the first movement, my belly button and shoulders might be only slightly turned to the left, perhaps only 20 degrees or less. If a full turn to the left is 90 degrees, I am only turning about 1/5th of that (or less).
One result of this is that I can block very quickly. I do not have to spend time turning my body 90 degrees. In addition, when I execute the second movement to the right, I only have to turn a little. If I had turned 90 degrees to the left, I would then have to turn 180 degrees to get to the right. That would take a long time.
So the idea is to block to the side without turning to the side... like the Naihanchi kata.
This brings up something I often tell my students -- the Pinan kata should look like the Naihanchi kata, not vice versa. In fact, all the kata should look like the Naihanchi kata.
For people who relegate the Naihanchi kata to simple drills or "basic" kata, this might not make sense. But we (in my dojo and style) view Naihanchi as the foundation for all movement.
Some people might think that a block without body turning would be weaker than a block with body turning. Without going into detail, we use koshi (full body torque) to generate power, which is not based on rotational body turning. In addition, we work on very short power generation like the proverbial "one inch" punch. With such mechanics, tremendous power and speed can be generated with very little external movement.
To summarize, the first movement of Pinan Yondan (and the other Pinan kata as well) is executed to the left without turning to the left.
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 3
Kate are an excellent way to learn important aspects of Karate. However, the very structure of kata is also a major problem. Kata are prearranged sequences of movements. Students learn and repeat the sequences over and over -- literally for decades. It can become like saying a prayer at dinner -- if you say the same prayer over and over there is a danger that you are only repeating the words without the meaning. The same thing can happen with kata. Kata can lose their spontaneity.
Self defense is all about spontaneity. How will you react to an unexpected attack? Will you respond by starting a kata? I don't think so.
Kata are good for learning Karate but can be bad for self defense.
Therefore, as you prepare to perform the first movement of Pinan Yondan, you should think about how the self defense techniques that it encapsulates would work. What are you defending against? How are you defending? What are you doing?
And most importantly, you need to be able to perform the technique as a reaction rather than a prearranged sequence. It has to become like touching a hot stove -- you don't stop to think about it before you pull your hand away. It is just a natural and spontaneous reaction.
When you perform a kata, it should not look like you are are thinking: "this is movement 1, this is movement 2, next comes movement 3." Instead, it should look like suddenly there is movement 1, movement 2 erupts, movement 3! It does not look prearranged or intended.
The first movement of Pinan Yondan should almost look like a body twitch.
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 2
Before you can properly perform the first movement of Pinan Yondan, you have to have the correct posture and idea about body movement. I am reposting Body Posture 3 (from April 14, 2007) to help with this. It combines three posts on the subject.
In Basic Posture (December 17, 2006), I wrote:
- Slightly tuck your chin.
- Lower your shoulders.
- Squeeze your lats.
- Tuck your koshi.
- Slightly bend your knees.
- Keep your elbows close to your body.
- Shift your weight in the direction you will move, then move.
- Protect your sechusen (centerline).
- Move as if on a tightrope.
- Move from place to place at a walking pace -- time your strikes and blocks to arrive when you get there.
- Squeeze out your air -- almost all of it, but not quite -- in synch with the timing of your strike or block.
- Hit on the recoil of your koshi.
- Recover the energy/power of the recoil for the next movement.
- Train to move freely in any direction.
- Kicks and strikes are like stabbing.
- Keep your elbows close to your body and after a block or strike, generally return your elbows to or near the sides of your body (a little in front of that).
- Never punch or block directly to your sides (the side centerline of your body). You should block or strike more in line with your chest. This will give you more power and make it harder for the attacker to apply joint locks or throws.
- Lower your shoulders, and drop them a little extra before a block or strike.
- In all kata and movements, maintain the tanden/koshi alignment of the Naihanchi kata (or close to it).
- The rear foot in most stances is at a 90 degree angle (rather than a 45 degree angle).
- Maintain a hanmi body alignment.
- In a hanmi body alignment with a 90 degree rear foot, your stance can be narrower (even on a straight line). This makes it easier to move and also protects your centerline.
- Even if the upper body rotates, keep the lower body in the Naihanchi alignment. Even in kosa dachi (a crossed stance) your koshi is in the Naihanchi alignment (your koshi will be in the same direction as your front big toe).
- Do not be limited by the "specifics" of stances. All stances are transitions. The weight shifts throughout and even the length of the stance changes. There are no fixed stances. I only learned to appreciate this recently. I was paralyzed by the specifications of a Karate book I had practically memorized.
- Drop your body as you execute a block or strike. The "drop" is really like a spiral (not only in a downward direction).
- When you "drop" there will be a rebound. Use it.
- Move like a whip -- but not the end of a thin whip. The whip includes your entire body with the base at your feet (usually). Move like a thick whip.
- Blocks must "enter." You do not simply hit an attacking arm or leg -- you also enter toward the attacker. Your block jams in a combination of a striking and pressing manner. The block also has an osae feeling. When you block or strike in this manner, you will be very close to the attacker and able to counterattack or strike again.
- Osae (press) between movements. If you do not osae, you will create an opening for the attacker.
- Tuck your koshi. If you look at yourself in a mirror from the side, the line of your belt will show your "tuck." If your belt slants down, your koshi is probably not tucked. When your koshi is tucked, your belt will be horizontal. This is difficult to see if the student ties his or her belt too high around the waist. Then it will be horizontal even when the koshi is not tucked.
- Tuck your koshi when you block or strike. Before the next movement, your koshi may drop. Tuck it again when you perform the next block or strike. You can also keep your koshi loosely tucked between movements.
- Another way to say "tuck your koshi" is to say that "your belly button points up." My Aikido Sensei used to say the same thing!
- In the process of lowering your shoulders, tucking your koshi, and squeezing your lats, you can create a tension that is called "gamaku." But the name is not important -- the tension is what counts because you can use it.
- Delay your strikes as long as possible. When performing elbow strikes, for example, move your body and adjust your weight, holding off on throwing (or igniting) your elbow strike as long as possible. This is like the idea of a whip snapping -- the actual "crack" at the end is delayed.
- Overload your weight in the direction you wish to go. In the "bump" that occurs, you have an opportunity to move easily. Drop your weight and shoulder at this moment.
- Learn to take "neutral" body positions between techniques. In this way, you can move easily, freely and in any direction. This generally means bringing your feet together. But even with your feet together, keep your Naihanchi alignment. When you keep long stances, your directional choices are more limited.
- Fight sideways. Your shoulders should not be "square" to the front.
- Work to feel the connection between each movement. Each movement should connect to the next. There should be no "dead" spots, or places where you drop your connection. An entire kata can be done in this connected manner. But the idea is not that you could do the specific movements of a kata but rather that you could connect any movements you desire at any time. Do not go, stop, go, stop. Just go, go, go.
- The recoil or "reaction" of one movement can be used to generate the next movement. Don't waste it.
- Fully extend your blocks and strikes. If you "choke up," you will not properly penetrate (kikomi) and you will have less recoil or reaction to use.
- Horizontal or angular rotation of the trunk is "koshi." Vertical rotation of the trunk is "hara." Koshi gives speed, hara gives power. (I am still working on articulating this.)
- Your weight should not be on your heels, nor should it be on the balls of your feet either. Your weight should be naturally distributed over the soles of your feet so that you can move easily in any direction.
- It is much easier to move when you are already moving. A great deal of energy is required to move from a stationary position. Once you start moving, don't stop until you are completely through with whatever you are doing (including escape).
- There are many ways to move, depending on your body type, age, and level of skill. As such, the elements of Body Posture that you will emphasis will change as you progress and age. Generally, beginners learn to use fixed stances and move in a staccato manner. Advanced students learn to use flexible stances and to move freely in a connected matter.
- When returning to the formal or "ready" position at the end of a kata, you must maintain your awareness and body posture elements so that you are ready to move in an instant. The kata is not done until you complete the bow -- and even then you should remain prepared.
- Kicks and strikes are like stabbing -- with a sword, not a little knife.
I did not make these things up (and do not claim any credit for doing so). I am very fortunate to have very fine Sensei and mentors in Karate. They in turn had very fine Sensei. We are each just a point on the great line of Karate.
Charles C. Goodin
Pinan Yondan - Part 1
I mentioned that I recently spent most of a class teaching a student the first movement of Pinan Yondan (4). I wanted to share some of my thoughts about this kata and the opening movement.
First, Pinan Yondan is a very elegant kata. In some ways, it reminds me of our Passai, which is the Tomari version of the kata. To me, Passai is the most beautiful Shorin-Ryu kata.
According to my friend and senior, Sensei Pat Nakata, Itosu Sensei originally created Pinan Shodan when Karate was introduced to the Okinawan school system. It appears that the students would have already known one or more of the Naihanchi kata. The Pinan Shodan kata was developed as a relatively simple kata for the school children to learn during a school year. In private Karate schools or dojo, students might be taught Passai, Kusanku, and Chinto. These are pretty advanced, long, and difficult kata. The Pinan Shodan kata obviously borrows from the Kusanku kata, with an emphasis on a relatively short 8-direction pattern. Remember that the Japanese ran the Okinawan schools at the time. Itosu had to get their approval. An 8-direction kata would play to Japanese budo sentiments (unlike the side to side Naihanchi kata which looks very "Chinese").
After the first year, Itosu needed to create a second Pinan kata. This went on until there were a total of five Pinan kata, which we still have today. I sometimes say that Chotoku Kyan's Ananku (as we sometimes practice in Kishaba Juku) is like a sixth Pinan kata because it is also relatively simple.
To me, Pinan Shodan, Pinan Yondan, and Pinan Godan are pretty difficult, while Pinan Nidan and Pinan Sandan are pretty simple. Of course, this is relative. It can be argued that simpler kata are actually more difficult because there is no room to hide any errors. Robert "Snaggy" Inouye used to say this about Pinan Nidan, which is a pretty linear kata, and has elements that are similar to Fukyugata Ichi.
In any event, the fourth Pinan kata is pretty advanced, and has elements of the Tomari Passai kata (at least to me).
The first movement of Pinan Shodan is actually a series of movements:
From the the ready position (with the feet about shoulder's width apart and the hands down to the front in fists), the student will:
- Look to the left; and
- Step or shift and sink into a left nekko ashi dachi (cat stance) facing to the left; and
- Strike to the left (chudan shuto uke) with his left hand; and
- Block or strike to the front (jodan uke) with his right open hand.
This, in a nutshell, is the first movement of the kata. I do not believe that the exact hand position appears in any other kata in Kishaba Juku, but it does in transitional movements. For example, you can see it in the second movement sequence of Passai, right after the hands are raised overhead (like the opening movement of Kusanku).
"Movements" are more or less an arbitrary thing in Karate. Who is to say where one movement ends and another begins in a flowing sequence? "Movements" are a forced convention, probably required for the early Karate drawings and photographs. While they seem necessary, they are also inherently limiting, both in body dynamics and potential applications. They are far to literal for fluent Karate students.
As I have outlined it, the first movement of the kata is actually a series of movements. Or you could say that it is compound movement.
The first two elements of the movement are the same for all the Pinan kata. They all begin with a look to the left and a left nekko ashi dachi. Pinan Shodan and Yondan have compound movements (blocks or strikes with both hands), while Pinan Nidan, Sandan and Godan begin with a single left hand block or strike.
Let's begin to analyze each element.
1. Look to the left.
In all the kata (as I do them), you look first when you change directions. I like to say that this is like changing lanes when you drive -- you have to look first. It makes no sense to simply block to the left unless you know who and what you are blocking. What if it is a truck? If it is a truck, you have to jump out of the way.
In some styles of Karate, the students do not look first. Instead, they shift direction, block and shift at the same time. I think this is designed to make the movement look cleaner. But again, what if it is a truck? You will feel pretty silly blocking a truck. You have to look first.
Now I don't mean a dramatic "look." I mean that you quickly turn your head and look to the left, with your eyes set to see the periphery as much as possible (in other words, as much of a 180 degree view as possible).
You look at about eye level. You do not look up or down.
Many students tend to turn their heads only part of the way (looking side eyed). I remember seminars with Sensei Toshihiro Oshiro. He would say, "Point your nose." When your nose is pointing to the left, your head will be properly facing the left.
When a student fails to turn his head completely to the left, his peripheral vision to the left (to the back from where he originally started) will the incomplete and he will open to an attack from that direction.
So, the first movement is a look to the left. The remaining three movements will follow just a split second behind. By this I mean just a hair's breadth. The "look" will be almost imperceptible. But it will be there.
In the next increment, I will discuss the next element(s) of the first movement of Pinan Yondan.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving from Hawaii.
I am very thankful for my Sensei and fellow students in Karate, and for all my brothers and sisters in the martial arts around the world.
I am also very thankful for the people (many already in heaven) who have supported the Hawaii Karate Museum and our Hikari Dojo.
And I am thankful that Karate is an art that is always new, always interesting, always challenging, and always rewarding. After 37 years, I am still just scratching the very thick surface!
I will be 54 next week. As the years have gone by, I have also become more and more thankful for the health benefits of Karate.
Finally, thank you very much to the readers of this blog around the world. We certainly have shared many Karate thoughts! Hopefully there will be many more to come.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Teaching One Movement
At a recent class, I spent just about the entire time teaching a student the first movement of Pinan Yondan... just that first movement.
At another recent class, I spent just about the entire time teaching a student shuto... just shuto.
I could not have been happier! As a teacher, I am happiest when I am teaching something that the student needs to learn at that point in his or her training, when I have the time to concentrate on that student, and when the student gets it. Sometimes it takes a whole class, or even several classes, to work on a single movement.
If the student starts to get it, I will try to reinforce the movement and then give him or her time to work on it. I will not immediately move on to other movements or techniques. There is no sense confusing the student.
I always say that if a student can get one movement, he or she can get any other movement. By this I mean that if the student can learn the form of a movement and the body dynamics applicable to that movement, then learning other movements is basically a matter of just learning the form -- the body dynamics will be pretty much the same.
I started to learn the basics of Kishaba Juku body dynamics through gedan barai (downward block). My second son, Charles, started to learn through chudan shuto uke. Once we learned that movement, we applied the body dynamics to all other movements. And really, there is no difference between gedan barai and chudan shuto uke. Essentially, they are the same movement.
So if I can show a student how to do a single movement, that is a really big thing. From that one movement, the student can learn everything else. And I have found that such moments of critical teaching usually take place one on one. It does not happen when I am teaching a group and offer corrections, suggestions, or examples. Group teaching is necessary and important, but real progress happens one on one, with a focus on the fine details.
For this reason, I would prefer to teach a small group, and even then, look for opportunities when a student is ready to learn a certain movement. My job is to be aware at that time, and then to teach just enough for the student to "catch" the idea. Then it is up to the student to work on the movement, the body dynamics applicable to it, and then to apply that to other movements. If everything works right, it is as if the student catches on fire. So, so, so!
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Saturday, November 19, 2011
Ichariba Choodee -- Brothers and Sisters in Karate
There is a saying in Okinawa, "Ichariba choodee," which means, "Now that we've met and talked we're brothers." You might have read this saying in a book or at one of the many Okinawan culture websites. I first heard it at a coffee shop on the way to Yonabaru. I had arrived to Okinawa to visit and train with Sensei Katsuhiko Shinzato, the head of the Kishaba Juku form of Shorin-Ryu. He was kind enough to meet me at the airport and was driving me to an inn conveniently located close to his home where he teaches a small group of students.Before we reached the inn, Shinzato Sensei suggested that we stop at the coffee shop so that we could talk and become better acquainted as this was our first meeting. During the conversation he explained the saying, "Now that we've met and talked we're brothers." The thing is, it was not just a saying to him -- he meant it.When I trained with Shinzato Sensei I felt like a member of his Karate family. I know that I was a visitor and guest. Shinzato Sensei and his students graciously went out of their way to help me get around and with necessities. But I never felt like a stranger or a foreigner, a beginner yes, but never an outsider. I found that Shinzato Sensei and his students welcomed me the same way we do here in Hawaii, with Aloha.This is not an editorial about me. My story is neither special, nor unusual. The point I am making is that Karate students are welcomed in Okinawa, as brothers. When I mentioned this recently at a Karate demonstration for which I was the emcee, I was reminded that I should not only say brothers, but brothers and sisters! I wrote to Shinzato Sensei about this and he confirmed that choodee means siblings in Uchinaguchi (Okinawan), while ikiga choodee means brothers and inagu choodee means sisters.We Karate students are brothers and sisters.Shinzato Sensei mentioned another thing to me at the coffee shop. Japan in generally viewed as a vertical society in which every person knows his place. Okinawa is more of a horizontal society based on mutual respect and assistance. "When the typhoon came," Shinzato Sensei explained, "even the King needed help." This was represented symbolically at the dojo, where the students did not line up in the traditional rows facing the Sensei. Instead, all of the students, including Shinzato Sensei, formed a circle and bowed to each other as a sign of mutual respect.* * *I am reminded again of something Shinzato Sensei told me during my first visit and has repeated many times over the years since. He said, "We can learn together." He did not say, "I am the teacher and you are the student," or "I am the head and you are the lowly slave." He said, "We can learn together." No titles, no positions, no politics. The basis for our relationship is learning and that comes from one thing -- training. You learn by training and by training you learn."
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Monday, November 14, 2011
I watch a lot of documentaries about Word War II.
When England was attacked by German bombers and submarines, the problem was not just having the firepower to destroy the attackers -- the problems was locating the attackers and having the time to direct the proper resources to intercept and destroy them.
The answers were radar and sonar.
How does this relate to Karate?
Most advanced Karate students have the firepower to defend themselves. But we are preparing for a surprise attack ( a false crack). We do not know who will attack us, where, or when -- and for that matter, we do not know how many attackers there will be and whether they will be armed. But firepower is not the main problem -- identifying the attacker(s) and having time to react to it is.
We might not have radar and sonar, but we can increase our awareness of our surroundings, particularly if we are in a potentially dangerous environment. We can also try our best to avoid dangerous situations, such as places where a lot of drinking takes place.
I always say that avoidance is 100% effective, but that even the best Karate expert can get hit and injured. No technique is 100% effective. There is always a margin for error and a lucky punch could connect. And again, it is very hard to defend yourself against a surprise attack. The time to use Karate is not after you are already hit and possibly injured. The time to use Karate is in advance, when there might be time to avoid the attack or at least prepare for it.
Awareness is the key, particularly in a potentially dangerous environment (such as walking at night in a dangerous part of town). If you can't avoid being there, you must turn up your human radar and sonar, and try your best to avoid an attack.
Ironically, a person who thinks he is good at fighting might be less aware. His confidence might blind him. Even a great fighter can get knocked out or killed, particularly if he is blindsided.
I am reminded of Choki Motobu, a "great fighter" in Karate's 20th century history. He did fight from time to time, but many of the stories about him involved him running away and hiding from a mob (sometimes in a tree or hanging onto ceiling rafters). Even he realized that there is a time to fight and a time to run.
Charles C. Goodin
Fight or Attack?
This is a story.
Sally was speaking to her Sensei, about another student, Jane.
"Sensei," asked Sally, "if Jane and I were to spar, who would win?"
"You would surely win," answered the Sensei.
Sally smiled.
"But," continued the Sensei, "if you were to attack Jane she would surely kill you. You are good at sparring. Jane is good at Karate. You have the advantage when there are rules. She has the advantage when there are none."
Karate is self-defense as a last resort. At that point, there are no rules and anything goes. Most forms of sparring are bound (limited) by rules. Most of the effective techniques of Karate would be illegal in sparring.
The moral of the story is, don't mess with Jane.
Charles C. Goodin
Speaking Ill of Others
This is a story.
Four senior black belts, Bill, Sam, David, and Mark, were up for promotion. Only one would be promoted and their Sensei was interviewing them.
"Why should you be promoted?" he asked Bill.
"Because I am better than Sam, David, and Mark," answered Bill.
"Why should you be promoted?" he asked Sam.
"Because I am better than Bill, David, and Mark," answered Sam.
"Why should you be promoted?" he asked David.
"Because I am better than Bill, Sam, and Mark," answered David.
Finally he asked Mark, "Why should you be promoted?"
"I shouldn't," answered Mark. "Bill, Sam, and David are my seniors. I have learned a lot from them."
"What did you learn from them?" asked the Sensei.
"To respect my seniors and not to speak ill of others," answered Mark.
"And why do you think that you should not be promoted?" asked the Sensei.
"That is not up to me, Sensei. All I want to do is train and help the other students."
So who do you think the Sensei promoted?
If it were me, I would have kicked out Bill, Sam, and David. If a student is arrogant, it is my fault. If a student speaks ill of others, it is my fault. At some point, you have to correct such students or allow them to go their own way. If you keep promoting such students, then it is your own fault.
And this is very important, a student never improves by speaking ill of others. Improvement only comes from dedicated training. You can't build a house by criticizing other houses.
Speaking ill of others only shows your own weakness.
Charles C. Goodin
Kenpo.Me For Sale
I do not sell many things, but I have listed the Kenpo.Me domain name for sale at Ebay. Please see:
If you teach Kenpo, in particular, this might be a good domain name for you. The proceeds will go to our non-profit's projects.
Currently, the domain goes to the opening page of our various websites. See:
I may also sell some duplicate copies of books we are holding, including a nice copy of the massive Uechi-Ryu book and three or four books authographed by Sensei Morio Higaonna. Please contact me if you are interested.
Again, all proceeds will go to our non-profit's projects.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Kalihi Machete Attack
Please read this short article:
I often tell my students that you have to think that an attacker could be armed. We can't simply train to block a punch.
I'm not saying that we are capable to defending against a machete attack without getting injured. What I am saying is that we have to think that an attacker could use a machete or other weapon. A small knife could easily be concealed. Because of this, avoiding the conflict, if possible, if the best strategy. And being aware of the situation is essential. Even a second or two of advance warning could be critical. It could give you the time to escape or use something in the environment as a shield or self defense weapon.
Charles C. Goodin
Posted by Charles C. Goodin on Tuesday, November 01, 2011


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