NewEnglands_KyoSa

that's a good one too, too rough for some studetns unfortunately though. i'll sure use it though!

yes, we view it more not as strength but as you get your black belt and age you learn your way of fighting without strength. the turtle is old and full of wisdom...kinda like the turtle and the hare story.

that's what it is...i was looking for the name The soke council...that's definately what you'll need...i second unknownstyle

yea, it's in the 90s in mass today...i have a class to teach in an hour, and its an air conditioned facility but i guarantee the kids are still going to whine, even though my uniform is three times thicker than theres and the effort kids tend to exert is minimal and i agree, and think you are right, i think you should understand all sides of the argument. train like those before you did, and train in the now. it's up to you what kind of training you want, and how far it will take you.

Of course other people have natural abilities, there's not doubt about that...that goes for everything from office work to sports to state jobs to martial arts. Not everyone wants to but i think everyone has the ability. Ability and natural ability are not one in the same, much like left and right.

It isn't a matter of old training methods...that isn't the problem. But old methods were good methods, nobody died, nobody was scarred for life and it produced many great martial artists. Is there other ways to do what the old methods did? Maybe, and sometimes. The old methods and more traditional methods were carried over from the continents on which these arts came, the old methods are a small piece of tradition that often get lost in todays Americanized martial arts.

Like i said, my compliments go to Chuck Liddell, very smart and very real. I compliment him for fighting with his mind, as opposed to other things. He is not your atypical MMA fighter. My hat's off to him. And again i also have a sweet spot for him because he's an 8th dan kempo.

I am pretty sure Nike takes the cake. But as far as sandals go, i live in my adidas sandals winter,spring, summer, and fall.

Yes, everyone has to be taught how to hit someone and hit properly but i think everyone is capable of it. Some more than others...to the point where you have mass murderers out there who just hurt people for fun...but that's a different story. I'm sure you can pull the older card, I am one of the younger adults on this board, but i 've seen my fair share, trust me. I think women get a bad rep. And im not biased because i'd love to say oh women don't have a kill instinct but, im one of the few that do...trust me i'd love to take that title. But on top of thinking women get a bad rep, some women don't help to shake it...the "oh my God, i just broke a nail" type don't really help us out much. Whatever it comes down to, i don't really care, i am a woman, i can protect myself, and even more than that i have a "Budo" instinct and that's all i care about. I'll survive, so the rest is just whatever it is...

I whole-heartedly agree. The mental and physical toughness just isn't there anymore. I mean all the classes that i teach are in AIR CONDITIONED dojos/dojangs. Can you imagine that?!?!?!? AIR CONDITIONED! Back when i trained in the under black belt level air conditioning was unheard of in a karate dojo. Cracking a window was even unheard of. You toughed it out, and you liked it. And as for being mean, people are going to think you're mean for a long time...usually until they themselves become teachers and make their first kid cry or pout, or get looked at like the have five heads by one of the adults. It's usually not until they themselves question themselves for being mean do they realize that being mean is really just looking out for them and trying to teach them the right way, so they don't become another statistic.

Some people do water, but it's messy, smelly, needs maintenance etc, IMO. My ones at my school have dried out Indian Korn in it...like the feed you can buy at farms, etc. You can do Bebes, or there are other small metal balls you can find at MAs stores. But anything dry and small like that will do.

Yes for Tang Soo Do we have fire water wood and metal. They relate to each other in our philosophy by ranks, like this: White Belt...Element=Metal...Season=Winter...Animal= Tiger...Meaning= New, Potential Green Belt...Element=Wood...Season=Spring...Animal=Dragon...Meaning=Starting to Grow Red Belt...Element=Fire...Season=Summer...Animal=Bird...Meaning=Hot,Energetic, and Agile Black Belt...Element=Water...Season=Autumn...Animal=Turtle...Meaning=Maturity and Wisdom

Out of my Tang Soo Do system...my favorite to watch has to be the sword form...jang Gum Hyung and Kong Sang Koon representing the air the universe and beyond...which says all it needs to. My favorite to do would have to be Jin Do. My favorite to watch in my kempo system is Shodanqua...way or path of the black belt.

I understand what you are saying because i, myself, am a female. But i've always grown up with what my instructor calls 'a command presense' he's always told me, 'when you walk into a room, everyone knows it'. which is quite flattering and very nice of him to say. but i have to say, i usually don't have too much of a problem with people listening to me the first time, and i never have a problem with people listening to me the second time. I am a very athletic, tough 5'6" female...skinny but muscley. So, i am not as fortunate. I don't quite have that innocent look down yet. But you are a girl at the end of the day! Yes, at the end of the day I am a woman...but that doesn't make any difference. Well yes it does really. Being a young woman in karate, taking a class and really "owning" it, takes a lot. Perhaps more than it would if you were a fella. If I was being brutally honest, I think it would take a lot for a female instructor to impress me. Sure most women at senior dan grade levels are great technicians but perhaps there is only one female Karate-ka that I know of that truly cuts the mustard in this predominantly male world of karate. And she is truly extraordinary, so perhaps thats my point. If you are a woman and want to make a mark, you have to be extra good. That's a very interesting remark and opinion. Maybe women only have to try harder to impress people because that's what people think oh she better be amazing if she's a female doing Martial Arts. If it's a man in Martial Arts nobody questions it. But in fact, i think women artists are better technitions, at times, because men usually, but not always, have that brute strength mentality. To do something without strength is quite a skill in itself. There's no reason why women should be extra good because they're woman. If you wouldn't ask the exact same of a man, why would you ask extra of a woman. And if you were a woman instructor in martial arts and you couldn't "own" your class, you should not be an instructor...and that goes for a man too. Indeed, I should start by saying that I wasn't seeking contention by posting what I did, in fact, I was trying to agree with you. I think that sometimes, as people escalate through their karate grades eventually it is assumed (in some associations at least) that they will become a teacher - kids to start with and then on to adults. I know, cos in the eighties I was one of them! Reality is however it takes a very special person to do that properly... more than a perfect technician really and again I will agree with you that some of the best karate technicians that I have ever met are women. My missus occasionally helps out at our Karate club, and when she does she has all of the kids eating out of the palm of her hand. A bit of that is because she is a mother of two, another is that she is a high school teacher by profession. And of course she is a very good Wado-ka That said, there is a huge gulf of difference IMO from technical ability and the"budo" mindset that is effectively the missing link in terms of converting the physical actions of karate into a workable and meaningful MA. Now I will hold my hand up here to be old and sexist, but IMO not many women have that instinct built into them. Some yes, but in the most part women are not born fighters. And thats a good thing me thinks, cos my missus would batter me senseless most nights lol! Those are all very good points. And let me tell you i could not agree with you more about the whole everyone expects to be an instructor someday thing. Some people have a more inept ability than others, some don't even have the ability to teach at all...i know this because i am friends and a co-worker of people like that. I know first hand because i was selected out of three other second degree black belts when we needed a new Kyo Sa. Now i've been teaching for years since, and people are still bitter about it...but on the other hand they've done nothing to improve their ways of teaching and bad teaching habbits. As an instructor, i get to choose who covers my classes in my absents, and i will not feed my class to the wolves by giving them someone who can't teach, or will scare them, etc. Teaching for everyone, men and women, is a skill and is truly an art in itself, and not everyone is meant to teach. As for the "budo" mindset, i'd like to say that everyone has it, men just prove it daily because they feel the need to be macho. Just because women don't throw around their "Budo" mindset daily doesn't mean they don't have it. If you do a survey on the street, and you start swinging at males and females you are going to get about the same amount on each side to swing back, karateka or not karateka. In my opinion, no one is born a fighter necessarily, it's your background, lifestyle, struggles, and experiences that determine who you are. I am tough because i've had to be tough all my life, whether it's been for my family, my other, my co workers, whatever. I was also tough because i was brought up tough...the not afraid to break a nail kinda gal. And granted many women aren't brough up that way. I don't think you could have technical ability without seeing yourself in a fight. I don't think you could ever do it, but not use it when it comes time. So, most women, usually "save it up", for when they need it. You know...you ever see those TV shows or commercials where some feeble old lady gets picked on, or mugged or something...and then she beats the livin crap outta the guy with her purse alone? Woman have that instinct, we just don't go around grunting, flexing, and all that good stuff. and Indeed, no contention sought my friend...all in good fun. all in a post

I was working when my whole family invited me to see it. so i didn't go, but im glad i didn't because i talked to them a few days later and all the women hated it. they said it was funny but it was 'stupid' funny. i heard all the guys got a kick out of though.

Yea i can do that, just not from my laptop, because i don't have a dvd burner/ripper. but i could do it from another computer if necessary. sounds like a cool feature

I am going to start a new annual or semi-annual process of handing out surverys for students and/or parents. My question is, do any of you guys do this? how has it gone in the past? even if you don't do it, do you suggest it? what questions do you typically ask? so far i have four simple questions... -what do you like? -what do you dislike? -do you have any improvements to suggest? -do you have comments for any of the instructors? In advanced, any input's appreciated

the only real way to practice what you're saying you want to practice is follow throwdown's idea and get a training partner and just do it, or go to a school that would offer that. there's so much theory and physics behind the actual dynamics of a real fight that you'd be best off trying to find classes that would do that. my kempo school is great for dealing with real life scenarios. don't give up what you're doing, but find something to supplement your needs.

I understand what you are saying because i, myself, am a female. But i've always grown up with what my instructor calls 'a command presense' he's always told me, 'when you walk into a room, everyone knows it'. which is quite flattering and very nice of him to say. but i have to say, i usually don't have too much of a problem with people listening to me the first time, and i never have a problem with people listening to me the second time. I am a very athletic, tough 5'6" female...skinny but muscley. So, i am not as fortunate. I don't quite have that innocent look down yet. But you are a girl at the end of the day! Yes, at the end of the day I am a woman...but that doesn't make any difference. Well yes it does really. Being a young woman in karate, taking a class and really "owning" it, takes a lot. Perhaps more than it would if you were a fella. If I was being brutally honest, I think it would take a lot for a female instructor to impress me. Sure most women at senior dan grade levels are great technicians but perhaps there is only one female Karate-ka that I know of that truly cuts the mustard in this predominantly male world of karate. And she is truly extraordinary, so perhaps thats my point. If you are a woman and want to make a mark, you have to be extra good. That's a very interesting remark and opinion. Maybe women only have to try harder to impress people because that's what people think oh she better be amazing if she's a female doing Martial Arts. If it's a man in Martial Arts nobody questions it. But in fact, i think women artists are better technitions, at times, because men usually, but not always, have that brute strength mentality. To do something without strength is quite a skill in itself. There's no reason why women should be extra good because they're woman. If you wouldn't ask the exact same of a man, why would you ask extra of a woman. And if you were a woman instructor in martial arts and you couldn't "own" your class, you should not be an instructor...and that goes for a man too.

I haven't been fortunate enough to have a life schedule to accomodate TV watching. But when i get the rare chance i like human weapon. It was good enough but just controversial enough to make fun of every now and then. But i can't remember what it's called but i have a Discovery Channel VHS of a one time show they did, like a documentary and it was like fight science or something. It was so good on TV i called up and ordered the VHS, but i can't find the VHS and i can't quite remember the name, but that was definately my favorite one.

I understand what you are saying because i, myself, am a female. But i've always grown up with what my instructor calls 'a command presense' he's always told me, 'when you walk into a room, everyone knows it'. which is quite flattering and very nice of him to say. but i have to say, i usually don't have too much of a problem with people listening to me the first time, and i never have a problem with people listening to me the second time. I am a very athletic, tough 5'6" female...skinny but muscley. So, i am not as fortunate. I don't quite have that innocent look down yet. When I first started teaching I was 17 and looked like I was 12. Right now I'm 24 and could still pass for 15. Most students listen to me the first time, but there are those students, mostly boys aged 8-11, who I have to prove my authority to. Parents have always assumed I was in my early 20's. I worked in a middle school (students aged 12-14) for two years. Most students were confused as to whether I was an adult or another students. I always got weird looks when I broke up fights or confiscated skateboards. A look of "wait...are you really an adult? or are you some kid messing with me?" Yea fortunately for me i look like i've been 25 all my life!(Now let's just hope i can keep it that way for the rest of my life.... ) But i have to say, your vertically challenged situation must make for some interesting situations, like with the kids in the school! I'd love to see the look on a guy's face that thinks they're picking on the small, inferior female who turns out to be a black belt and kick's his...butt!

I understand what you are saying because i, myself, am a female. But i've always grown up with what my instructor calls 'a command presense' he's always told me, 'when you walk into a room, everyone knows it'. which is quite flattering and very nice of him to say. but i have to say, i usually don't have too much of a problem with people listening to me the first time, and i never have a problem with people listening to me the second time. I am a very athletic, tough 5'6" female...skinny but muscley. So, i am not as fortunate. I don't quite have that innocent look down yet. But you are a girl at the end of the day! Yes, at the end of the day I am a woman...but that doesn't make any difference.

Here is the way I look at this scenario: I am the teacher. I know this Martial Art; they do not. I teach; they do not. They are paying for a service, and that is what they are getting. However, I decide what is taught, and how the classes are dealt with, along with other situations involved in class. If they do not like it, then they don't have to stay. But it is my class. I live by the same mantra and trust me, i do not get pushed around by any means. But times have changed and one has to be careful, especially with the economy being in the shape it is in you don't want to start losing students, but you still need to maintain a sense of discipline. You sometimes need to be conscience of the fact that you are running a business, as much as we martial artists don't want to admit it.

You're right, DWx, and it's a shame that some old school methods had to be phased out because of the times, law suits, and spoiled people. I like the old school way of martial arts. I wish, atleast i could be taught that way again.

I think the obvious answer here is no. It's not right to compromise something that compromises your integrity. Also, it's only going to come full circle and compromise your students too, whether you have ten, or ten million.