JohnASE

You would have loved last night and today. Mid April and we got hit with a snow and wind storm. Couldn't see the next block driving home from practice. Went from +9c to -10c in a few hours. I had a smile and just laughed. Brrrr! That's why it's called the Great White North. We've had great weather! It's about 74F today (23.3C), but we have cool rain due on Sunday (64F). Should be just enough to nicely water our vegetable garden and fruit trees.

Developing a social aspect to the school is good. I've heard of many schools having pot lucks and things like that. That way people who don't train in the same class get to meet, and students can socialize with higher ranks in an informal setting, establishing bonds that benefit both the school and the individuals.

I don't know. I loved the Robot Chicken Star Wars episode and the Family Guy Star Wars. Heck, I even liked Spaceballs! But I don't know if they can pull this off. If the Robot Chicken guys are involved, it might be geared towards adults, but will they have the freedom to be absurd and can they pull it off episode after episode? Unless it's geared toward kids, I'll at least check it out.

It's funny that I came across this thread today. I've been thinking about bikes a lot today. Last night, I started up my wife's bike for the first time in a few months, just to run it. And this morning, I saw a nasty motorcycle fatality on the news. The rider was in the #1 lane, and his bike was under a semi in the #4 lane. They didn't know how many times the guy had been hit before he came to a stop. There were long scrape marks behind the semi, so the bike had to be under there for a while. For anyone that knows the L.A. area, it was on the 101 near Laurel Cyn in Studio City some time before 7:30. That and an accident on the 101 by Universal Studios jammed up traffic pretty good! My wife doesn't ride anymore. She was into it or a while, and it was good for parking when her college was about 10 miles away. She transferred to a university 2 miles away and switched to her bicycle. She's always loved bicycles. I haven't gotten around to fixing my bike since I want down about 10 months ago. I keep putting it off. My wife's bike is ready to go whenever I need it. It was a minor get off with little damage to the bike and myself. I slid about 60', but I was geared up pretty good. Very little road rash. I would've had none if I'd been wearing my motorcycle pants. The only really bad thing was a partial bicep tendon tear that took about 8 months to heal. Oh, and to answer your questions, my wife and I both got Ninja 250s a few years ago. We're both short and wanted little, light weight bikes to play around with. My bike is stock, but now that I have to fix it, things will change. My wife's has rearsets, a Muzzy pipe, a rear shock off an SV650, and a couple of minor mods like a brake light modulator. I haven't ridden much since the accident, but now that I'm better, I'll get back to riding more. I only really ride to work a couple times per week, and I only work about 4 miles from home, so it doesn't add up to many miles. We have some small twisties about 5 miles away that I haven't been to in a while, and there are some major twisties about 15 or 20 miles away that I should really get to. They're in the hills above Malibu. They're great in my S2000, but I haven't taken the bike yet. I learned how to ride on Mulholland Drive on a GSX-R a little over 15 years ago, so I enjoy the twisties, but I never got fast. I'm a grownup now, so I probably never will. Ride safe!

Economically, things are tough right now. Many schools are having trouble maintaining a stable student base. To help each other out, what would you say was the single most important thing your school has done to either keep the students you have or to gain new students, and what was its affect? Is it a Bring-A-Buddy day? Black belt club program? Contracts? The head instructor teaches every class? Karate parties? Weapon seminars? Participating in tournaments? What works best for you?

I've heard that Wado and Shotokan are pretty close, and there are a lot of Shotokan dojos out there. I've heard that Tang Soo Do forms are close to Shotokan kata, so even a drastic change like that might not be too bad. I'd guess that changing from a hard style to a soft style might be tougher than hard to hard. As far as rank goes, it depends on the dojo and style. Some will make you start all over. Some might even let you keep your old rank as a probationary rank until you're ready for an equivalency test. Even if you start all over, your experience could enable you to progress more quickly. I remember a Kung Fu San Soo instructor once telling me he liked training former Shotokan students because their basics were so solid. I know a guy that switched from a Shotokan based style to Shito Ryu. He was allowed to wear his brown belt (3rd kyu) as a probationary rank, but I think it took him over a year before he learned enough to take his equivalency test to be awarded his brown belt in Shito Ryu.

By "political differences", I meant regarding policy on how the organization should be run. Sometimes, these differences are irreconcilable. Hypothetically, lets say the officers of a made-up organization, the Traditional Japanese Karate Group (TJKG), are in Japan, and they don't want control of the TJKG to shift overseas because foreigners aren't traditional enough. They might institute a new policy requiring officers to attend bi-monthly meetings or to visit each dojo in their assigned region at least once per year. This would make it hard for foreigners to be officers, especially in a country as spread out as the USA. The current officers might feel it's important to control the quality of their dan testing, so they might start to require two officers to be on any testing panel for ni-dan and above, and for yon-dan and above, you have to be tested in Japan. Members from the TJKG USA might think this is outrageous and unreasonable. They might refuse to follow the new policies. Flying officers from Japan to the USA for dan testing is too expensive. Traveling around trying to annually visit each of the 200 dojos under the USA director is just insane! The USA director is loyal to his old sensei, the head of the TJKG, so he doesn't want to quit. The old sensei understands and doesn't kick out the USA director. After some years, the old sensei passes away. The new people in power decide to enforce the rules and kick out the USA director, accusing him of awarding rank without authority, accepting testing fees that rightfully belong to the legitimate officers or the organization, and otherwise ignoring their directives. The above example is fictitious, but I have heard of similar things happening for similar reasons, both recently and decades ago. As another example, I don't have any first hand info, but a national organization is said to be in the midst of extreme political conflict. From what I hear, there are two main factions trying to gain control. There is said to be political and legal maneuvering. I don't know what their differences are. There have been accusations of misconduct. I've heard of people being removed from office, or maybe they were asked to step down. I don't remember if anyone has been kicked out of the organization or not. Things sound like they're getting pretty nasty. I don't like hearing about things like this in martial arts, but I suppose in any large group there are bound to be some differences of opinion and some conflict. I hope they can work things out, but I wouldn't be surprised if one group or the other were to break away.

You're kidding. Really? That's great! Thanks! I think this is a great site with lots of great people and great info. I just hope my contributions have helped some people out. As a martial arts supply guy, most of my knowledge is about equipment, especially things we sell, but I try to keep my posts unbiased. It's tough when your stuff's the best! Thanks to all contributors for making this such a great community!

Congrats! It sounds very rewarding. Maybe you can find local dojos to work out in every once in a while. Isshin Ryu might be hard to find, but it could be fun to get a little exposure to other styles.

I agree. Buying from your dojo is always a good idea for the reasons above. Your sensei carries the gis he does for a reason. Maybe he likes the quality or the cut or the value. Maybe he trusts his supplier to take care of him and you if the gi turns out to be defective in some way. Anyway, since you're asking here, I assume you have your reasons for looking at alternatives. I think it'll be hard for anyone to give good recommendations without more details. The best place to buy a cheap light weight gi won't necessarily be the same as the best place to buy a cheap heavy weight nor a good competition gi.

There's a difference between expulsion resulting from of misconduct and an organization splitting up over political differences. My thoughts are that they should be treated separately. Of course, there is some confusion when parties involved tell different stories. I followed the Itosu-kai link you provided, and they're obviously accusing Demura Sensei of misconduct. If you ask him, I'm sure he'd tell a different story. I vaguely remember hearing him talk about his separation from Itosu-kai back when it happened, and I know I didn't hear anything like what the letter said. Personally, I've found Demura Sensei to be a very honorable man, and I have a great deal of respect for him. Were there expulsions or accusations of misconduct in the other cases? I don't remember hearing anything like that when Okazaki Sensei split the ISKF off from the JKA, nor when Koyama Sensei, Mikami Sensei, and Takashina Sensei split from the ISKF deciding to stay with the JKA. I thought it was primarily due to philosophical differences. In cases of misconduct, I think there is a stigma, at least if the reasons are known, true or not. I've heard of rifts in national organizations or local dojos resulting from things like embezzlement, infidelity, sexual harassment, and racism. In some cases, they were unsubstantiated rumors, but in others, courts were involved. In many cases, I think great harm can come to the reputations of all people involved, not just the expelled. I initially stated that misconduct and political differences should be treated separately, but I suppose they're similar in that any splits or expulsions that result are for the good of the group. The reasons are just different. Hmm. I thought I knew what I thought, but now, I think not. I'll stop rambling now.

Making martial arts your sole source of income is going to be tough. We primarily sell to dojos, and the majority of our customers have day jobs, and the ones who don't, usually have a spouse who does. There are a few couples who support themselves and their families, but running a dojo like that is a lot more work and a lot more stress. I'm not saying don't try, but if you do, I hope you'll be happy with your dojo if ends up not being able to support you both. Now on to more helpful info. I'll jot down a few things that pop into my head. Lupin1 is right about not growing too fast. A lot of schools will start a new program, get a bunch of eager new students, and then the students start disappearing. This can be a catastrophe if you've just signed a lease on a nice big space and spent all your cash decorating it. You've been a part of a dojo long enough to know there's a lot of turnover. Just because you get a lot of new students right away doesn't mean they'll stick with you for long. Try to establish a loyal, regular student base and ongoing programs before expanding. Speaking of turnover and a regular student base, most of our customers say adults tend to stick around longer, but children's programs keep the doors open. Most of the financially successful dojos I've seen have thriving little ninja/little tigers/little dragons types of programs. Some are over-the-top commercialism, but they don't have to be. The main thing is to keep the kids interested. One source of income you can't ignore is merchandise sales. Your students will need gis and sparring gear. A few senseis make the students fend for themselves, but most handle these types of sales. Some will do it at cost, but if you're trying to make a living off your dojo, you need to get paid for the time you put into it. You can set up a wholesale account with a supplier, make a profit, and still get your students a decent deal. Also, your experience can help make sure your students get the right stuff, and if something goes wrong, your ongoing relationship with your trusted suppliers can help make it right. It doesn't necessarily take too much investment. Stocking merchandise is nice but having some samples around is often good enough. Oh, and one thing you might look into is an organization that teach you how to make money running a school. There are some good ones out there. I don't have personal experience with any of them, so no recommendations. They can be pretty commercial, but maybe you can get some ideas from them and not have to sell your soul to be successful. Good luck!

All other things being equal, cotton should be cooler than poly/cotton. Cotton typically breathes better than poly/cotton. Cotton also typically absorbs more sweat than poly/cotton. Brushed cotton is fluffier and softer than non-brushed cotton. Brushed cotton should absorb sweat more easily than non-brushed cotton. On the down side, and maybe sensei8 can confirm or refute this, but we've heard from some people that brushed cotton is harder to keep clean than non-brushed cotton. Some have said that the raised fibers trap dirt and stains more easily. We've sold a lot of brushed cotton gis and have rarely heard this, so it might not be much of a problem. I'm not sure what sensei8 means by "cotton is light." 8 oz brushed cotton is light, but we have several brushed cotton and cotton canvas gis in 14 oz, and most judo gis are 100% cotton. Heavy cotton gis can get hot, too. Like sensei8 says, it's all about use. If you're going to be doing a lot of throwing soon, you might want to wait until you're ready for a heavier uniform. Then again, for all we know, you could be 11 years old and 70 lbs, in which case you're not going to stress your gi much. If you're 6' 4", 290 lbs, you might not notice the difference. One thing we haven't mentioned is kumite gis. Kumite gis are typically textured poly/cotton gis designed for freedom of movement and light weight. Adidas has a climacool version with special venting that is supposed to feel pretty cool. Gis like this are the exception to the rule, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

I also agree with Sokusen, but I'll add a couple of my own thoughts. Switching back and forth is weird, but it's not uncommon for someone switch from one style to another. You don't usually see it when the person is running a dojo, but it does happen. I remember a Tang Soo Do school not too far from us switched to Ninjutsu many years ago. That was a drastic change. All the instructors stopped training in the old style and began training in the new one. I don't know how long they waited before they started teaching it. I know the original school eventually closed down, but, if I remember correctly, some of the former assistant instructors opened a separate school and continued their Ninjutsu training. Today, they're still affiliated with the same group, but I don't think they call themselves Ninjutsu anymore. I guess what I'm saying is that if you are enjoying your training, and you think your instructor might keep training in Goju, then I don't think you're wasting your time. He might not offer the level of instruction you need yet, but is he progressing? If not, then you might soon reach the extent of what he can teach you, and maybe you should start looking around for a new dojo.

Choosing the best anything or anyone requires qualifiers. Best at what? Under what circumstances? Some of the answers here illustrate that. Great generals use their soldiers as weapons to devistate their enemies. This can spark an interesting discussion, but I doubt that's what the OP had in mind. In his example of a man single handedly defeating a group, I doubt he meant some guy with a machine gun in a pillbox holding off an advancing group of enemy infantry. Otherwise, is the most effective martial artist Oppenheimer, the man credited with creating the atomic bomb? Although, I suppose he's not actually credited with the most effective use of that weapon. Don't mind me. Discuss as you see fit. In my oddball opinion, the best martial artist might be someone who didn't spend his time beating up as many people as he could. But then, why would anybody talk about him?

The typical MMA program will have fewer students per class and per square foot than the typical karate school, so fees should be higher. But for more money, you usually get more personal attention. The same goes for many grappling programs. Judo is often inexpensive when they meet in community centers and are taught by volunteers, but a professional gym has large overhead and only so much room. Octagons are expensive!

If nothing else, knowing your lineage might tell you how your training has differed from someone else's. Not all instructors are created equal. Each is better at teaching some things than others. Each has different ideas about what's most important, even within the same style. Students tend to follow in their instructor's footsteps. Even students who train under the same instructor at different times might have drastically different experiences. I'd bet that most instructors that have taught for decades have changed their teaching style over the years, and teaching is part of what they teach. Also, some have changed what they've taught when they've changed their affiliation with organizations. I've heard of at least one instructor who is said to have changed a kata because he couldn't kick as high anymore! He denies it, but multiple students have agreed. I remember seeing a thread on another forum that discussed Ed Parker's American Kenpo lineage. It branched off into a discussion about things that Mr. Parker developed later, things that some of his earlier black belts never learned. I remember hearing once (don't remember the source) that Mr. Parker could watch you do a kata and guess your lineage because of subtle difference in what he taught. What you've learned is obviously important, but knowing your lineage can give you context.

Pretty much all traditional Shotokan dojos use white, but non-traditional dojos can do whatever they want. Less traditional dojos sometimes wear black. Those entrenched in open style competition (NASKA, NBL, etc.) sometimes go along with what their peers are doing and wear flashier, color block, demo uniforms. Oh, and some traditional Shotokan dojos that have kobudo programs will use black gis or black tops when kobudo training, but I guess that doesn't really count.

I've seen threads on women's cut uniforms. You might want to search. I don't have any first hand experience with them. I think I've seen pants (not sure about full uniforms) with long, unfinished hems, but I don't remember where, and again, I have no first hand experience with them. You don't mention... how wide you are. Finding 33" inseam pants is easy if you don't mind if they're wide. I assume you want something long, but relatively narrow. That's what I suggest you look for, a narrow cut uniform. Stay away from anything that says tournament cut as they always have shorter pants. We carry many tournament cut uniforms and wide standard cut uniforms, but only one or two that run on the narrow side. From what you've said, without knowing your other dimensions, I would guess you need a size 5 that runs long or a size 6 that runs narrow. Just for reference, I checked one of our standard cut heavy weight uniforms in size 5, and it has a 32" gusseted inseam. Size 6 is probably about 2" longer. It's not particularly narrow though. Maybe you could find a 5.5 somewhere that'll work for you. We've known the owners of Dragon Associates/Tsunami Productions for a very long time (decades). I'm not familiar with their Meijin line, but we carry their Tsunami videos and are very happy with their quality. The linked page shows the overall pant length but not the inseam. After looking at their charts, I would guess that they don't run particularly long or narrow, but you could check the measurements for yourself. On sale for $85, they're not that pricey. FYI, Dragon/Tsunami publishes Classical Fighting Arts Magazine.

Personally, I think crosstraining should usually be allowed, but I can see why some instructors would be against it. Some people believe that training in multiple arts or styles at the same time can be confusing. Too much info. Sometimes conflicting. If one instructor taught you to handle a certain self defense situation one way, but the other taught you a different way, you might hesitate out in the real world. There are a lot of instructors out there with a lot of different ideas about martial arts. Is kata important? Can you learn anything worthwhile from tournamens? How effective are head kicks? Do you throw a lot of techniques or wait for an opening for one big hit? Maybe the OP's sensei just wants to protect his students from all the "wrong" ideas. Maybe that's part of how he chooses to teach the martial art that the OP is "paying him to teach." Again, it's not the approach I'd take, but I get how people can feel that way.

I would ask your sensei. He might not want you to crosstrain in a similar art, but maybe he'd be okay with a grappling art like judo. These days, a lot of people are taking both striking arts and grappling arts.

Thanks for posting that link, sensei8! It's always great to see our stuff in use! I see at least one of our gis in each of the action photos on that site, and some of the knuckle pads look like they might be our Tokaido Karate Mitts. We do a fair amount of business with AAU dojos in the NW.

Point sparring is a sport, and like any other, knowing the rules is important for success. One problem is that it's hard to put in written rules how much contact is too much or what a good scoring technique looks like. Often, that's something you have to see in action or be taught. Now that you have a little more experience, if you do this again, I'm sure you'll do better. I guess you can't do much worse! Like you and others have discussed, you fought the way you were trained. If you want to succeed in point sparring, you need to practice point sparring. Of course, if you decide to do this, your other training might suffer, if for no other reason than you'd have less time. It sounds like you put in a fair amount of time overall, so diverting a little might not slow you down too much. Only you can decide if it's worth it to you.

When it comes to sparring gloves, I'd say the two main issues are what your sensei prefers for the dojo and what is required at any tournaments you might attend. For example, on the page you linked to, there are WKF approved and WTF approved gloves. I'd bet that the WKF style wouldn't be allowed at WTF events and vice versa. Around here, you can usually purchase your gloves from your dojo. That's what I'd recommend, especially for beginners.

I don't mind the cold, but as a native Southern Californian, my idea of cold is when I have to wear a jacket at night to drive with the top down. Our local mountains get snow, but I've only been up there maybe once in the last decade or so, and I've probably only actually touched snow a handful of times in my life. It's funny how the internet brings people of different backgrounds together.