JohnASE

Contact the vendor, in this case Oriente Sport. As already mentioned, belt sizing will vary from brand to brand. 280cm is about 110 inches. In our belts, that's about a size 4. In other brands, it is almost a size 5. I do not know which it would be for Itaki brand belts.

Before approaching church officials, it might be a good idea put together a plan, or at least give thought to some of the details. That would include how much you'd charge (yes, you can charge) and how much might go to the church. The main things dojos charge for include dues, testing fees, and equipment sales. Would you donate a portion of each, or maybe just dues? You could pay a flat hourly fee for the space or come up with something based on class size. You might want to collect a little extra money to cover expenses such as kicking shields or other targets if you use them. One thing someone else might be able to chime in on is insurance. Are most churches insured for something like this, or would a new policy be necessary? If so, you might need to figure that into dues. Regarding your rank, even if you were a brown belt, you might be able to manage a beginner program on your own, as long as you had the help, support, and guidance of your sensei. If your students progress more quickly than your ability to teach them, maybe you can refer them to your sensei's dojo.

Most of what I think has already been said. It sounds fine as long as it's okay with everyone involved. One advantage to talking to your sensei is that maybe he can adjust your duties to allow for more training. If he doesn't think that's best, maybe he can explain why. Part of advanced training is learning how to teach. Maybe that's what he wants you to focus on. It's funny. Your complaint is the same one that I hear from senseis all the time. They're so busy teaching that they don't have time to train. What some of them do is teach what they feel like working on, so they can teach and train at the same time.

Congrats, ShotokanMaster! I saw your other post saying you passed! If he's a green belt in Shotokan, I'm sure he already knows a lot of the basics. I'd guess the early ranks should be pretty easy for him.

I had a vague memory of Fumio Demura mentioning during a conversation that Steven Seagal trained with him for a little while as a teenager. Results from a quick internet search seems to support this. I didn't bother following any links to see how long he trained, so I have no idea how much of Seagal's striking could have come from those days.

Probably no one cares, but I thought I'd share this. I normally don't notice ads on websites as they're not usually relevant to me, but I just saw an ad for Autozone here on Karate Forums. It caught my attention because I was there on Tuesday getting radiator hoses for my wife's car. The next ad to pop up was for Quiznos. They delivered our lunch that same day. Then, I saw an ad for Jaybird, and I have a set of their Freedom bluetooth stereo headsets. I haven't used it in a while, but I actually thought about wearing it to listen to music while installing the hoses. I suppose this isn't very interesting, but I thought the odds against going three for three was probably pretty high. It is for me, anyway. Now that I think about it. This is the future, except it won't be random. Ads will be targeted at individuals more and more as time goes on. I know this is a big concern to many people, but I'm not really worried about it. There are plenty of bigger privacy issues to be worried about.

Woohoo! I'm not depressed! I will admit to several things on the list, but I'd bet most people could. I don't know much about depression and its treatment, and I don't have a strong opinion on meds, but what I take from this thread is that there isn't one right answer for everyone. On the upside, there are a variety of treatment options, so if one doesn't work for you, maybe another will. There's always hope! Yes, ALWAYS! Although finding it isn't always easy. Best wishes to those in the struggle.

Sorry, my grandmother wimped out! My mom said she was all dressed and ready to go, but she said she was tired, and the class was too late (8pm?), so she skipped it. My parents went without her. It was their first class. They're in their mid-70s. If my grandmother ends up going, I'll report back, but it's not looking good. Maybe if they find a day class. Even without Tai Chi, my grandmother is in pretty good health. She walks to the market 2 or 3 blocks away. Until my parents bought her a little cart, she walked home carrying her groceries. Neighbors would stop and offer her a ride, but she refused. She didn't carry a lot, but still... My dad drove her for bigger shopping trips. She never learned to drive, so she walked and took the bus everywhere. That's very unusual here in SoCal. She's not doing it now. It's too hot! It's been over 100*F most of this week.

Tonight, my 98 year old grandmother is taking her first Tai Chi class! Granted, Tai Chi is unlike most martial arts, and I'm sure there will be things she can't do, and her goal is fitness, not learning self-defense, but she'll be out there training and learning. My point is that being too old or too out of shape should not keep someone from beginning martial arts. Maybe you'll have to work harder to get the same results, or maybe you'll have to be satisfied with not performing as well, but either way, you'll still be working on being the best you that you can be, and that's what matters. My grandmother isn't going subdue a mugger or win any competitions, but she hopes that training will improve the quality of her life, and I bet it will.

I'm a chili dog guy... although I really love corn dogs, if that counts. Well, what about British versions? Bangers?

Olympic judo medalist and UFC champion Rhonda Rousey has been cast in the third "Expendables" movie. This NY Post article doesn't say much about the role or the movie. http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/the_main_event/actresses_bombshell_rousey_earned_xswvlG1soltLVxLq7HT0VM#axzz2aTMnJUcZ Jackie Chan is also in listed as a cast member.

Judo is an up close and personal martial art, isn't it? I took it for a few years as a kid.

Wow! Big news! I guess I shouldn't be surprised. This has been coming for a while. Being Kancho must have been getting very hard on him. I wish them a smooth transition. Here's a link to a photo of my mother, Margie, with Kanazawa Kancho at the 2011 SKIF Nationals in San Francisco. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150402076350310

I think Japanese or Okinawan made Tokaido, Hirota, and Shureido are all pretty close to each other in price. I would guess that all should retail for close to US$280 or $300 for a heavy weight gi. I would recommend that you make your choice based on other factors than which is "the best". All are exceptional quality. First, I recommend you find one local to you. That way you can try them on and see which fits and feels best. Also, it's more convenient if you have any questions or problems. At least try to find a distributor in your country. I mentioned fit above. That's an important factor in which is best for you. The Tokaido Yakudo tends to run a little narrow, so it usually fits better on thinner people. It's tournament cut, so the sleeves and pants are on the short side, so if you're not thin, and you want a long jacket, this might still work. Tokaido has other models with other cuts. Back when we carried Shureido (15 years ago?), they were cut more full. That's probably still true. They have both tournament cut and standard cut gi. I don't remember how Hirota fits, and I am unfamiliar with their various models. You mentioned being Shotokan. If you're a JKA or ISKF member, I know the Tokaido Yakudo is available with a JKA or ISKF label in addition to its normal fist label. I'm not sure what other organizations have special labels available. Good luck on finding the best gi for you!

Good luck with your test! Your passing would simplify things, at least in the short run. It's very common for groups to splinter after the head of an organization passes. Usually it's a shame. Sometimes it's for the best. If yours is like others, it's going to take a lot of work to patch the hole left by the loss of your Dai-Soke. This disagreement sounds like a bad sign to me. Will the Shindokan governing body be able to work together? Will a leader emerge who can get everyone else to fall in line? Can you be that man, and do you want to be? If not, could you follow someone else, or is it better if you leave? I might be over dramatizing, but the outcome of this will affect thousands of people.

Lots of great info in the posts above. I'd like to add that some of the locations Bob mentioned might include insurance. Oh, and regarding supplies, I'm not exactly unbiased, but I think students should try to buy from their dojos. The sensei can't always get the cheapest price, but they can make sure the student gets the right product. This is especially important for new students. Plus, the profits from supply sales can help keep the dojo alive while keeping fees down.

Hi Mike. A little more info might help us help you. Do you know what ISKA stands for? I see you're in Florida and the US Open is coming up, and they're sanctioned by the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA). If that's what you're looking at, they ask for NASKA approved gear in their point sparring divisions, which is the typical dipped foam type, plus chest guard for kids. They have gear requirements on the rules page at their website... http://usopen-karate.com/

I don't remember ever seeing a satin color belt, but there are both cotton and satin black belts, with cotton being much more popular. Cotton is more durable and less expensive than satin. I haven't heard about belts lengthening as they wear. I suppose some might stretch a little over time, but most people don't wear them that tight. It's more common for people to shrink belts in the wash. I see you're Shotokan. It's been my experience that Japanese styles, such as Shotokan, tend to like their belts longer. Korean styles tend to do a lot more kicking and prefer their belts a little shorter so they don't flip up in their faces. Grappling styles like them the shortest, so they don't get tangled or caught under anyone. I've seen plenty of exceptions. These are just tendencies.

Saw this on the Martial Arts History Museum's Facebook Page and thought someone might be interested. There are more posts on their page. https://www.facebook.com/messages/1502712766#!/

Today, the IOC cut the list of prospective sports for the 2020 Olympics. Karate is out. Still in the running are wrestling, baseball/softball, and squash. For as long as I can remember, some group or other has been trying to get karate into the Olympics. The current leader in the movement is the World Karate Federation. The US branch of the WKF is the USA-NKF. In Japan, it's the JKF. For several years or so, the WKF has been fine tuning its competition rules in an attempt to make them more Olympics friendly. They already run regional, national, and international events with a world championships every other year. They're all set up and ready go when or if the IOC gives their okay. I'm sure the WKF will renew their efforts for the 2024 Olympics.

Regarding the love interest, what if he has to leave his love at home while he goes on his quest? He could gain strength or comfort during times of stress from his memories of her or knowing that he has her to return to.

The IOC (International Olympic Committee) has a strong relationship with the WKF (World Karate Federation). If karate gets into the Olympics, it will likely be under them. The WKF is pushing hard for 2020, but they've been trying to get in for a long time. Over the years, the WKF has been changing their kumite rules to be more Olympics friendly. For example, to make it easier to distinguish between competitors, one wears a red belt, gloves and shin guards, while the other wears blue. For those of you in the USA, the USA-NKF is our branch of the WKF. In Japan, it's the JKF. Next weekend, March 29-31, 2013, is one of the USA-NKF's biggest tournaments of the year, the USA Open. It's in Las Vegas at the Paris Hotel. This event hosts some of the best competitors from all over the world. Admission is pricey though.

I wouldn't worry about tempting fate. You're probably not the first person to return to him. At some point, he probably established a policy on this. You just need to find out what it is.

That's awesome, Bob! Congrats! I'm so happy for you and Nathan.

I've heard it's good. They screened it at the Ozawa cup in Las Vegas last year, but I wasn't able to catch it. The guys who made it are also working on a documentary on Fumio Demura. I'll be at Demura's tournament this weekend, and they're supposed to be there. If they have any copies of Empty Hand, I'll see if I can pick one up and report back after watching it.