tori

Congratulations on getting to test. At this early point in your training, I wouldn't worry if you cannot kiai. Talk to your instructor and tell him you still feel a little shy about kiaing. Most instructors will not withhold a grade because you didn't yell. When I started, i too was nervous to yell out. My instructor told me that it will come naturally in time. He just wanted me to be able to demonstrate the moves I had been shown accurately and give the test 100% He was right, by the time I tested again, the kiai felt more natural. Good luck on your test. keep us posted.

My goal actually is to tone up a bit. Im not overweight, but feel that if I can develop more muscle, than my power will improve. I have a total gym, I just need fit it into my schedule and use it. I also hope to test for my sandan grade. I have been at nidan for quite some time now. I think this is actually the first time that I can actually say that I feel ready to test. Of course this goal is completely based on my instructors opinion of my readiness. I may want to test, but he may not feel I am ready. I never question him about my rank, so when it happens, it happens.

I did reply to all polls, but I do not feel there is a difference in the amount of time that a female or male leave after being a member at the dojo. I feel it is the same. However, we see more male students enrolling than female students.

At our school, the male percentage is much greater than the females.

This is hard to answer because certain female students leave due to age. Most 6 - 9 year old female typically stick around for 1 yr. If a female makes it to age 12/13, they tend to leave because they have gotten involved with school events. If you can get a female student to make it half way to black belt, in our school it would be gokyu rank, they tend to make it to black belt, which takes 3-5 years. In our school however, there are currently only 2 female nidans, myself and another. There is one active female sandan and one active female shodan. The rest are men, which is approximatley 20 collectively.

Maybe I have the scenerio mixed up, but if he is choking me with the left, and ready to strike with the right, I am going to try and deflect the strike with my left arm, causing my opponents balance to come down towards me giving me an opportunity to reach up with my left for the top of his head (hopefully hair) and cup his chin with my right hand. Then I am going to twist his head counter clockwise hard and fast. He will come off because he is injured or for the fear of getting his neck broken.

When I think about respecting other Martial Arts and other Martial Artist, it really only comes with my own mindset to be humble. I may not care for a certain style or practitioner ( and there are some that I do not ), but I refuse to openly criticize them. Instead, I try to train harder in the style that I am a participant. I do not believe that my style or my own technique is better or worse than others. I respect the person who trains hard in whatever they are passionate about, whether they are good at it or not.

I don't believe there are many people who do not compare themselves, their styles, and their own abilities when they come face to face with another style or school. What make you a good martial artist is to remain humble and not openly put down the other, especially in public. Just train harder to be good at the Art you belong to. People join MA for their own personal reasons. I am not one who likes to see a 10 year old black belt, but I really don't like seeing a 10 year old couch potato who is an expert at XBOX. If a demo, despite personal opinions from other MA, gets a kid to be involved in physical activity, then kudos to them.

At kyu and Dan rank, it goes by who received their rank first. For example, if you have on any given testing day, 4 people who were going for blue belt, the individual who had his blue belt put on him first, was the first to stand in line of blue belt ranks. This also goes for black belt testings. Whoever was promoted first to their Dan level, stands in line closer to the head instructor (to his left.) Hope my explaination makes sense. Also recognized mostly at Black Belt level, the Head Instructor bows, kneels, sits and stands first. We follow a split second behind. All a ranks, as a sign of respect, higher ranks go through doors first.

I had an instructor die. I had received my black belt, but as we all know, you really only start learning once you have achieved that rank and I had only just been ranked. I was not a part of the MA again for years. The instructor that I am currently with is very good. He has established himself in our neighborhood quite well. I don't forsee him leaving, but feel that I would follow him and his wife if for some reason they moved (unless they moved really far away).

Hello everyone! I am new to this forum (obviously), and what an impressive site. I had been looking for some information online when this site popped up under some of my results. I am very excited to learn more about everyone and their styles. I am a 2nd Dan in Shotokan. I have been training for sometime now and continue to love being a part of the Martial Arts world.