Bad karateka are getting rank that should not. Candidates used to fail in the past all the time , this sent a message to train harder or some karateka just stayed at that rank forever...what's wrong with that? If for example you are a 3rd Dan, there is an expectation of what a 3rd Dan should exempli...

Agreed, with age things do diminish. I started in 1979 and I am 5 yrs your senior, I hope we get to train some day. OK we know that for 5th Dan and above you are only required to perform 3 katas. If that is all you need to do, you have to WOW me. Basically it has to look good, plain and simple. i.e....

This response is directed to Hoshin, here is my view on rank. Rank is something "Earned" and "Deserved". The candidate has to show/demonstrate improvement and proficiency in Knowledge, Power and Application. If they don't show this, then they should not even be going up to be tes...

Hello Sensei, Maurice here. I keep telling you that I am such a good teacher, because I had/have a good (Maybe great) teacher. Yeah there are a lot of things happening...the off line movement is right out of Tenshin or 8 form ...slight with an angle. While that is happening in a split second there i...

I would like to add a comment to your one piece movement in katas, one of the noticeable benefits is the amount of time you shave off in milli/seconds moving from movement to movement. You are not taking away from the power and completion of the thrusts or kicks, you see all that , you still perform...

Yesterday the 24th I was remembering training with Bill Bauknecht in the Falmouth dojo...just out of the blue. We made Shodan together on Thompson Island - Boston, MA. Sept 1981 in front of Master Tomoyose. Today his son David Bauknecht sent me a text wishing me a Merry Xmas. Bill was there when his...

NO MORE ACHES. I have been playing ice hockey my whole life having been raised in Massachusetts since I was 2 yrs. old. As an adult I still play twice a week, even travel to Montreal once a year with 2 teams to play in tournaments. The beginning of this year I started feeling knee pain on my left kn...

I concur,

I like the analogy you use imagining your hands are connected by an imaginary rope about 12+ inches long. Both of your hands are always close together because of the rope. Then that same concept is used with your feet in your shuffling Training drill you did at Tracy Rose's dojo found on your web si...

I feel like I was there, wait a minute...I was. You always get the guy at your seminar that asks the Question .... "Sensei Rabesa what is your GO TO or FAVORITE strike and why?" please elaborate and provide video. Question 2: If you were marooned on a tropical island, what one person would...

Urban Legend or fact? I heard a story that during Kanbun Uechi's teaching days in Okinawa that one of his students got in a confrontation and used a shoken. Really bad things happened. Really bad. Conclusion: The shoken is a nasty devastating weapon ...did I say nasty...devastating? Arthur's Lieuten...

I was able to witness history last night. My sensei Arthur Rabesa was awarded the rank of Judan 10th Degree Master at George Mattson's annual summer camp. As usual Arthur turned the spot light away from him and redirected it to Bill Bauknecht where he dedicated his promotion to Bill. "Bill woul...

Move Fast Hit Hard ... I have heard that before !

I was referring to Bill Bauknecht on my June 18 post. We made Shodan together on Thompson Island - Boston, MA. Sept 1981 in front of Master Tomoyose. Bill and I were doing some kind of fighting drill together, a different student watching us had commented "those two guys must really hate each o...

Thank you Van . I wish I could have been there on Columbus Ave....I will however settle for Bridgewater, MA. Maurice