tori

I can't imagine not having a belt to give to a person who earned it. My instructor orders the belts as soon as he knows who will test. If they don't pass, they will eventually and their belt will already have been ordered and on hand. I think in our dojo, most adult students would not care if they had a belt at all, but if a child practiced, tested, passed and did not get a new belt for a long time, I think we would lose them as a student. Parents are serious about that sort of thing.

I just received notice that I will be testing for my 3rd Dan this summer. I am really excited. Not nervous yet, but probably the closer it gets, the more butterflies I will have. I do have to say that I feel more prepared to take this rank test, than when I tested for shodan and nidan. Probably because I have been a nidan for quite awhile and have been able to train and teach 3 - 4 nights a week. I am really excited for some of the Ikkyu ranks that will be testing for Shodan the same night. It is going to be fun.

If I had the time and the place to train, I would love to take Aikido and BJJ.

I believe an individual that is going for her 2nd Dan shouldve learned control by now. I too have paired up with a black belt who was constantly striking me when we were doing and learning controlled self defense techniques. After one night of taking probably (and Im not kidding), 20 shots to the ribs, I told her "you have to learn control." I did end up with a broken rib. Ok, some of you may argue - "that's what martial arts is about." Yes it is, but I also have to go to work everyday and take care of patients. I can't afford to miss work because someone else has poor control, especially when we weren't even sparring. Since I told her to lighten up, she takes better care of not hitting her partners. My guess, is she was doing to everyone - even kyu ranks.

Congratulations and good luck on your journey. You are going to love it.

I think with any sport there is a risk. Full contact Martial Arts has just as much risk for serious injury as boxing. I would like to think that most people would be respectful of there opponent, but just go to youtube and look at some full contact matches. Crazy!

Isn't a km like 3700 feet away? How would I know that someone that far away has a gun aimed at me and why would I be standing still so long for him to shoot me?

You should approach the head instructor privately. It would even be better if you have the others who have same concerns as yourself. My suggestion however, is approach your instructor with something positive to say about this young teacher. Example: I like how enthusiastic sensei... is about teaching, but we have concerns that.... Once you are done, thank your instructor for his time. If you make the whole experience a positive meeting, then your outcome is going to be better. Trust me, your head instructor does not want to lose students because he has put an inexperienced instructor in charge, but at the same time, he wants his instructor to gain teaching time. He will get better. Your instructor just needs to know how is sempai is doing.

Just seems we all agree to disagree. Those who were not taught the terminology in the native language will argue for not learning and teaching it. Those who have been taught the proper native term for their movements will argue for learning it. Let me ask all of you this, what do you call your kata? I would much rather call my kata by their given names than their english interpretations. It just seems better to say Kanku Dai as opposed to Sky viewing or flowing lagoon kata. Also, if I wanted to go online to look up any one of my shotokan kata, they will be listed under their given japanese names.

Very awesome!

When I was a colored belt, I was still trying to really refine my technique. I can't think of anything that I was trying to figure out that I just gave up on because "I would figure it out at a higher rank." I tried this hard the whole time. I think anyone who is serious about their training at kyu level, works on refining technique. Obviously though, if you are an instructor in a dojo, watching the yellow belts and blue belts do their movements and giving it 100% looks different than a black belt doing the same movements giving 100% There is a level of learning the how's and why's of what is taught in a class. A student gains knowledge of technique all the time. At black belt, a student should not believe that their movements are perfect. In fact, I have yet to see perfection. Instead, a black belt should be constantly working on making better what they have learned so they can share their knowledge, and continue to learn new movements as though they are a white belt.

I like this answer tori! Thank you.

Shotokan is more linear style of martial art. Your defenses are fast and to the point. Their are numerous kata in shotokan. Each one from white on up, getting more difficult. The best way however, to learn about shotokan is go and try some classes. Most schools offer a trial membership. It would be too hard for any of us to give you our opinion. It would be biased anyways. You opinion is what really matters.

I respect everyone equally regardless of their rank. If I started taking classes in another dojo of a complete different style, I would expect to start as a white belt and not factor in that I am a black belt in something else. I am there to learn and will treat others as they treat me, with respect. I do not feel that just because I hold rank in one style, that I am going to be automatically fantastic in another. I think the individual that this post was originally talking about, felt the same. He just wanted to learn something new and not have it taken into account that he was already ranked in another style.

At kyu level, getting black belt meant everything. At black belt, it means going back through and really learning and refining technique. I used to feel at times that there were individuals who really werent ready to test for their shodan level, but it wasnt my decision. If black belt was their ultimate goal, they would then leave the dojo and discontinue their training. If the individual stayed dedicated to the school, their training, and got involved in teaching, the difference in their shodan testing to their nidan testing was immense! Shodan to me is white belt again. Black belt means you never stop learning, never stop trying to get better.

No, its just whoever was in line first, so it initially starts at white belt. If you are striped for a requirement before someone else, you stand higher than them in line at that rank level. Unless you miss time and/or they advance past you, you are ahead of that person in line. He places obi on the students at testing from highest to lowest rank. ohh, that makes more sense. It's just a way to keep things organized at the start of class.

I think 52 is still young and it is great that you have gotten into Martial Arts. You will not regret it at all. Most instructors will ask new students to do and learn at their own pace, but set small goals to achieve weekly (like I am going to do 5 more pushups than last week). No one is going to expect you to walk into a dojo and do 200 pushups and situps at white belt. However, keep in mind that you are 52 and starting any type of exercise program should be after you have sought the advice from your physician, especially if you decide to start distance running again. An undiagnosed hypertension or cardiac arrythmia could cause trouble during an extensive cardiovascular workout. I am not trying to say that you are a health risk, I am only offering this advice because you had mentioned that you were overweight. It is best to get that "a ok" from your doc to keep you safe and healthy. Good luck in your training.

Our training area consists of 2 floors. Each floor has several cameras. There are 6 televisions in a seperate area, behind closed doors that parents can sit and watch their children take class. We want complete attention from all of our students. Parents and other children sitting off to the side inhibit a proper training atmosphere because they unintentionally distract all the students who are training when they carry on conversations amongs each other.

Once a month, we take 5 minutes from our workout to go over tying the obi properly. We give only a handful of students to several black belt members and have them do it together. We have a rule that anyone under the age of 14 must come to the dojo with there uniform on and obi already tied. There are times during a workout, if I see that a student is not participating because they are too worried about their belt, I send them with a black belt to correct the problem, and then I expect them to catch up in the work out off to the side.

Well put! I am not required to buy from my instructor, but I do to support the dojo. He always guarentee's his products and if there ever is a problem, it is rectified quickly at no cost to me.

I love when a student of any age comes in and just loves what he/she is learning. They don't even have to be good at it. I just love to see them enjoy every minute they are in the dojo. It motivates me.

I had a person approach me with this just recently. He had previous experience in our style and was interested in training but not advancing to any rank. He wanted to only wear a white belt. I am only an assistant instructor, so obviously the ultimate decision will not be mine, but I would allow him to come to classes and train. I would train him the same information up to shodan, but I do not believe that I would teach him any black belt kata or techniques without being recognized as such. I would hope that he would eventually want to wear a rank deserving of his achievements, but that would be totally up to him. Really though, it would be up to the head instructor to allow him to take part in our dojo. I think it would be a welcome change however.

I took Kung Fu as a child for 4 years. I really liked the discipline I learned and know that it was what gave me the self confidence to get through those dreadful teenage years. My instructor died, so that was it for our classes. Skip ahead many, many years...I started taking Shotokan because I needed to get my self confidence back, get some exercise, and get control of the stress in my life. I have been there now for 8 years. I am really glad that I was exposed at such an early age to the Martial Arts, because I learned the benefits it can provide. So later in life, I went back to what was so good for me years ago.

No, its just whoever was in line first, so it initially starts at white belt. If you are striped for a requirement before someone else, you stand higher than them in line at that rank level. Unless you miss time and/or they advance past you, you are ahead of that person in line. He places obi on the students at testing from highest to lowest rank.

I do feel learning the proper term for a movement, stance, kata etc... in its native form is important. It should be used in class, but not be considered mandatory to earn a rank. If I decided to attend a shotokan training outside of my facility and could not follow the head instructor because he was using japanese terms, what would that say about me as a nidan?