interesting and ironic that I should be somewhat of a dissenting voice here... but at the Hut, in our Saturday morning class, we have migrated back to a stronger Sanchin and a stronger test. Sanchin is our thing, if I could put it that way, and we have been experimenting for at least the past five y...

Thanks for bringing this article to our attention, Sensei. We do not often talk about the down side of our preparedness, but it is potentially there.

Bill,
Would you mind replying to this with a private (off-forum) email address or telephone number. I would like to talk with you about something privately. Thanks, Paul

Van, yes, exactly... they manifest that behavior before stepping into the dojo. And then dojo training just serves to drive it in deeper because it reifies their obsessive fears and anxieties. Paradoxical, no? That we train in order to relieve ourselves of some of the worry but end up even more hype...

Bill, Good thoughts. the dividing line between normal and abnormal is indeed a subtle one, sometimes very hard to define. And not simply defined by the overt utility of the behavior. The example you gave of the surgeon with adaptive OCD traits is a good one. One would of course want one's surgeon to...

I work with PTSD cases every day, from the mild versions to the truly disabling. I can tell you that there are many mild PTDS cases among us martial artists. Martial arts practice can help to an extent to calm the anxieties but, paradoxically, it can make it worse in some cases. When someone spends ...

New Quentin Tarantino movie, "Hero"...just a word; see it (I know, that's two words, but see it anyway.)

As good as Crouching Tiger. Maybe better.

I was at a meeting of the New Enfland test board yestaerday and I brought up the issue of fitness standards again. It had been voted down on the first pass a few months ago, but I brought it up again because of this thread. Once again the majority feeling was that a fitness test should not be a part...

Risingstar, Where are you? GEM keeps a long list of Uechi-ryu resources and could certainly put you in touch with a quality sensei. As for the disappointment, try to separate the art from the man, be grateful that you were introduced to a wonderful art and move on.

"Honey, I'm home"... I've heard this comment is the Italian definition of foreplay!

test massage... George, I just spent an hour composing a reply to this thread. For the second time this week! And it was lost. Home computer and work computer.

There are an limitless number of "mindfulness" practices, Sanchin being one that is, of course, near and dear to us Uechi people. In my Renshi thesis I talked about how Sanchin is a particularly useful stress reduction/mindfulness drill because of the close association of stress with physi...

Allen,
You are and always will be the premier example of determination and resolute hard work. While it is understandable that you would be pensive, even depressed, on the anniversary of your accident I hope there is also room for prideful reflection.

Expert? I suppose so in the sense that I have spent alot of time studying this and similar questions, and I am often called upon for my opinion. But the field of psychology is huge, and there is no one "expert" who can answer this provocative question with finality. So who studies karate? ...

David Z. As a psychologist myself I have also thought long and hard about the "ultimate aim" of the art we teach and practice (I am a renshi/rokkudan with GEM sensei). My view is perhaps closest to David M's, stated above. Like Rick W, I say we cannot ignore that martial arts techniques we...