A: There may be occasional classes when you feel like you have 3 left feet. That still happens to me on occasion. If you're having problems with a technique go back to square one and practice it slowly several times [kata no nage] -- to get the form correct. Once your self-confidence is restored then you can go for smooth execution of the technique. There are some other issues here that can/may also be addressed.:

1] Your training partner should be as close to your weight/height as possible. Once you get techniques down with someone in that category then you can more effectively deal with bigger & smaller people, modifying your execution accordingly.

2] The higher you move in rank the more techniques & variations you’re expected to know & your expected to do them better at each higher grade. {Seki was incredibly frustrated by my inability to execute any sort of hane goshi until after I becme a nidan. I was an absolute klutz until I got it one night. I then figured out what I was doing right & that's how I teach it to my students & they pick up on it fairly fast.]

3] Your sensei should make reviewing techniques learned at lower AND upper ranks part of each class' instructional lesson. [Hope I'm not stepping on some toes here]. Seki had us do an incredible amount of review - -usually at least half the class. We might spend a whole hour doing koshi nage kata no nage. We might do 20-30 kata no nage & then one throw. Then he’d have us repeat the sequence. Constant review is the key to really learning techniques - even though you may feel it's incredibly redundant.

     BTW: If you're a purple belt [4th kyu] now & you've been in the program for 2 years, you're at about the right place rankwise. So you may be underestimating yourself. Ask your sensei to help you find a more "acceptable" partner [even if lower rank] and to watch you so that sensei can make positive suggestions to help you get over this hump & get better.

A: You are absolutely correct here. When I scripted each tape I made sure that every [or almost every] technique was a "complete" ju-jitsu technique/ That means it includes a distraction [strike, hit, kick, nerve attack, etc.] to off-balance the attacker, the actual technique required for a belt exam, and a finishing/submission technique [pin, lock, hold, dislocation, strike, kick, etc.] to make the technique "complete". Complete techniques are not required below 5th kyu & at 5th kyu you're only required to show 2-4 submission.

     In addition, I showed different responses that could be used for the waza [self-defense] portion of the test. You could use techniques used in the kata portion for the waza portion if you wish. However, since I realized what an opportunity I had to make the tapes, I showed additional techniques which, as you said, were for "later" grades. This was done intentionally to provide you with more than what was required. I do this in my classes as well.

     As a result [1] you are being presented with much more material than what is required which 2] gives you more choices of techniques to demonstrate, especially in the waza portion, and 3] you're learning techniques and submissions, etc that can also be used in later belt exams.

A: Up through 4th kyu you can just ask yourself 1/2 the questions & terms on video & answer them. The same applies to the kata & waza portion of the performance tests. Or you can have a 3rd person call off the kata & waza & then you execute it on your uke. Kata can be called off in English and Japanese up through 4th kyu. Starting at sankyu you'll go to a much more formal testing sequence where I'll actually set up the test for you based only on the criteria in the student handbook. Ast that point you must also know the names of the kata in Japanese. I will then select up to 10 kata and 15 waza for you to execute, but you won't know which ones until they're actually called out by the "3rd person" on the mat. Instructions on how to test in a secure method will be sent to you along with the 3rd kyu [& higher grade] exams when you're ready to formally test for each grade. BJJY certificates are issued for these grades and AJA certificates are also required [which means you also must become an AJA member by the time you test for sankyu.]

A: If the first belt you want to test for is sankyu [or any brown belt] I will require that you present ALL the kata & waza listed on the sankyu exam on a demo tape for pre-evaluation. The tape must also contain 60 seconds of "freestyle" where you are attacked randomly by 1-2 uke without any prior knowledge of what attacks they'll use. However, if you go through all the belt evaluations & I've evaluated them, then I will sometimes wave this massive evaluation video as I've been monitorig your progress all along.

A: You are correct here. As I stated in my answer to your first question, much more is presented than what is required. I figured I'd only get one chance to do something like this [DVD series] and I wanted to make it as comprehensive as possible. If you use the handbook as your guide for testing you'll be ok.

A: Although a smaller uke [your wife] will work for the lower ranks, you will need to find someone closer to your height/weight, particularly after 5th kyu. Some of the techniques will not work well with a significantly lighter uke.

A: Depending on how secure and flexible your sensei feels will determine his reaction to what you're doing. Regardless of how he might react you owe it to him [and yourself] to be up front with him. Honesty is the best policy although it might cause some short-run friction. However, if he sees that you're being an active participant in his classes that may assuage his concerns. I was very up front with Seki when I started studying Ketsugo [Hal Brosious] while still in Seki's class. The only hard part was for me to keep some of the Ketsugo Jujitsu techniques out of Seki's class. Occasionally Seki would ask me about Ketsugo JJ outside of class [we usually went for coffee after class], but that's as far as his interest went.

    Your sensei may actually be interested in what you're doing and how they apply to what you're learning in his dojo. You sort of have to go with the flow on this one. I am glad to see that you're taking your sensei into consideration here. That says a lot about you. Be very positive about his class as you don't want him to see you're training in Budoshin JJ as a threat to him or his dojo.

A: Ideally [according to Seki] all students & instructors in a jujitsu class should be wearing white judo gi top and black pants. However, there is also a financial reality. Ordering a white judo gi plus black pants would add another $20 or so to the costs for a new student. My compromise has been that all students & instructors, sankyu & higher should be wearing black pants. Also, if a student needs to get larger pants I'll sometimes recommend black ones. I think that requiring them from sankyu on up distinguishes them from the lower ranked students [ sort of a status symbol if you wish].

    ____ apparently requires black pants from the getgo from what I understand.

A: The ability to execute techniques in a more relaxed manner comes naturally with experience in executing the techniques correctly. [Sounds like a "catch-22" doesn't it. The more competent and confident you become in executing techniques, the less you will worry about doing them - as in any sport or physical activity.

A: In ju-jitsu there is rarely just "one" way to do something. All three variations will work although the second is probably the most effective. If, in the process of executing the takedown you could press your left thumb on top of your right thumb [another variation] or your left hand on top of your right thumb [another variation], the takedown would be more effective as you are able to apply more pressure [& therefore pain] to the particular pressure point. Generally, the more pressure you can apply to a smaller area to affect pressure points/nerve centers the more control you will have as the more pressure you can apply as necessary [control] to gain compliance of the attacker.

A: I like to see techniques executed smoothly as that indicates control. So "slowly" is relative. The more proficient you are with a technique the smoother it becomes & thus it seems you can execute the technique more "quickly." I don't like to see techniques done fast in the kata/waza portion of any test. I like to see them done correctly and smoothly, which means they have to be done somewhat slowly. However, a well-executed technique can be done smoothly while allowing the examiner to see all the essential elements of the technique.

     I know this is not the black/white answer you're lookig for but, as you said, a smooth speed will vary somewhat with the practitioner. There's also a reality that no matter how smoothly you try to do a certain technique, once you get below a certain speed it can't be done smoothly as there's not adequate ki movement/momentum in play.

     I'll get to see speed when you're doing the self-defense sequence. Again, I'm primarily looking for smoothness but also for flow; you're ability to blend with and control the attacker and his techniques. Just be careful with your uke.

     As far as modifying hand movements and footwork as techniques speed up, that does happen, again so that you can work with the attacker's ki act blend effectively with him & his momentum. Sometimes specific footwork is blended & modified. Sometimes very little visible footwork or hand/bady movement is required for a technique to work because you're using the attacker's ki fully. It's at that point that you wonder "what did I do?" and the art becomes an art. However, by training with all the specific movements, it trains your body to develop a feel for how techniques should work. If you know your techniques & have a feel for them, you can speed up, modifying some of your movements to allow for attacker ki & momentum, and still have a perfectly executed technique.

    If you really like Budoshin Ju-Jitsu you may be able to continue it beyond COC, dependent upon where you live. I also run a 2-nights/week program through Santa Clarita Parks dept & have other blackbelts teaching in other locations as well. Ultimately I'd like to see every student earn their blackbelt & teach the art to others.

    Years ago [30+] a student [who was also a police officer] & I would practice ju-jitsu in a local park. Occasionally we'd practice knife defenses [using a real knife with a dulled blade as we weren't totally stupid.] Inevitably someone would call the police. The normal pattern was that two police cars [with two officers each]  would come into the park with front doors open & guns drawn. If we saw them approach we'd put the knife down, raise own hands, and my partner  would pull out his badge. Everyone would sign with relief & we'd explain what we were doing. Eventually the police got used to us & ignored us. We've even had the same thing happen when we'd practice wuithout weapons. A concerend citizen would call the police about a "fight" in the park. Can't blame the citizens. They were acting responsibly, as were the police -- and us fortunately.