sensei8

As you can imagine, this will be nearly impossible to accurately pin point exact monthly prices for electricity usages. Why? *Hours of operations? *Term plans? *What, if any, devices and the like that will require electricity, AND, how long are they going to be dependent on that electricity on a 24 hour cycle? *What lights, if any, are left on after closing? *What's the insulation and things like that adequate? If I were to open a dojo where I live in Pearland, TX, suburb of Houston, this is what I'd be facing... Price per kWh is based on the average monthly ... Average Monthly Use 1500 kWh/2500 kWh/3500 kWh Average Price per kWh 12.90¢/12.70¢/12.50¢ Early Cancellation Fee: The greater of one-sixth of the estimated billing for the remainder of the term for electric service per ESI ID or $300.00 per ESI ID. Negotiating for a plan that fits your needs is crucial. Can't hit the nail on its head, well, don't open a dojo or anything. I've had 3 Kyuodan Dojo's... CA $700 per month average TX $250 per month average OK $590 per month average Square footage, type of light bulbs, type of receptors, quantity of lighting, how many outlets, type of Heating and A/C units. Manage the thermostat by signing it..."DON'T TOUCH!!" Location and zoning have a lot to do with what plan you can and can't have!! You're going to have to be very proactive on everything that goes on your electric bill.

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!!

The Grinch Stole Christmas...Jim Carrey Play it every Christmas!! We've about 3 others that we watch as well, but the Grinch with Carrey, that tops the list.

OK...nice article; I enjoyed it...thanks for sharing it!!

WOW WOW WOW...that's all that I can say...I was blown away by everything I saw in the video and blown away at what can be done with a computer, editing, and all that stuff, including the knowledge to make that type of video. I'm a 10th kyu when it comes to things like that. Got a new camcorder from my wife for our 25 anniversary, and I STILL haven't operated it yet because I simply don't know HOW!! GREAT VIDEO...thank you for sharing!!

To the bold type above... Shouldn't it read... Kihon Kata Kumite Can't learn Kata without first learning the Kihon and so forth. Having said that, I'm not a math wiz, quite stupid with math, but shouldn't Kihon at the top of this pyramid looking thingy.

The etiquette of the gkr is THEIR etiquette!! As far as you striking the 2nd Dan, well, the 2nd Dan should've better defended himself, especially against a 9th kyu; no excuses for his inabilities!! In short, hit the upper rank, and it's their fault if they DO get hit...I say...hit away!! While it might be a form of etiquette to get the blessing of ones Sensei before training in another style of the MA, it should be remembered that it's YOUR choice, and not that of your Sensei. This type of etiquette was deeply rooted back in the 60's - 80's, but now, imho, those days are days from yesteryear, and not so much realized today. I don't own my students, in that, they're free to train with whomever and in whatever style of the MA they want.

Solid post!!

Solid post!! To the bold type above... If that's true, and that's why they think that, then I wonder just what do they think about of the ADULT THAT'S TEACHING THE KIDS?!?!?!

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to every KF member and their families!! First Christmas in Houston, TX, a bit bittersweet not sharing the holidays with our daughter, Krystal and her husband, Jason. So, it'll just be my wife, Linda, and our son, Nathan, and myself this year. Thank God for Skype!!

I like it! Me too!!

Why not both? We have a set of 'official' bunkai for all of our kata, but they are by no means meant to be the only use of them. Hence, Oyo!!

Firstly, I'd like to welcome you to KF, shifucrane; glad that you're here!! Secondly, solid opening post!!

Kids are just one demographics of Karate students!! If Karate was just for kids, as some have suggested, then there'd only be kids in Karate dojo's world wide. To me, their statement fails to incite, therefore, it's a failed statement!! Imho!!

Congrats, Liam...way to go!!

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!!

Well, that's a nice form of SHUGYO; way to go, Liam!! Btw, I can't view your link.

Congrats on earning your Shodan, Devin; well deserved!! I enjoyed the pictures, Devin; thanks for sharing them; looks GREAT!! Bad Sensei for lying to you, but such a nice lie!! What a Christmas present!!

Compelling article; thanks for sharing that, Danielle. Too soon? That's for her to decide! That's up to Holm's, and her manager, and whomever else if she should have some fights before her and Rousey tangle up again.

This might help... http://milehighkarate.com/ http://www.martialartsprofessional.com/about-mapro/about-stephen-oliver/ I'm sorry, but I've not any personal knowledge about Mr. Oliver outside of what I've read about over the many years.

Have fun with them; play with them, as you would if you were their dad! Us, CI's are the big scary man, and they're shrinking violets around us; we bark...man, we're intimidating to say the least. Once we earn their trust, they are without any pause whatsoever. Lie to an adult, it can be forgiven, but if you lie to a child, it's not an easily earned forgiveness.

The bold type above tells it all!! Do you know what businesses like to do? They always compare last year numbers with current numbers to see if they're increasing. Most retail stores do what's called an X Reading of the registers once every hour, and write the numbers in a log book that also shows numbers from last years date and time for comparison, with a final Z Reading for...yes...comparison. Don't reach expectations, then their DM will be calling and offer some advices as to how they can pass expectations. This also allows the DM and the Store Manager to come up with a plan as to what might've caused the low numbers, and in Retail, it can be as simple as Presentation of an End-Cap or a section up to an entire whole isle. Shoppers are visual, and are drawn to pictures, and not drawn into reading what is on the shelf. Presentation where consumers have to read all of the time, well, they're numbers will be lower than the store that planograms so that consumers see the pictures before the written words. I ran those figures for the entire time I owned and operated my MA Retail Store in the front of my dojo...X/Z Readings, the whole thing because it was RETAIL, but as far as the main dojo ratios, I ignored them after some time because it started to run me, and not me running the dojo. Not good for any CI...I'm there to teach, and I couldn't teach by looking at the student turnover ratios. Students deserved much more than that from me!! But that's me! Starting out, I'd do exactly what you're doing, and I'd graph it as well...visual realization can get you right in the P&L [Profit and Loss Statements], more than one can appreciate. You've got to build up the student body to cover the months when students life's prevent some from attending...summer...baseball/football/sports...holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas...etc!!

I've a little experience in this area, so I'll see if I can help. Don't try to reinvent the wheel!! That's already been done!! However, while the wheel can't be reinvented, nor should it be tried to, it can stand to have a look at just how many ways the wheel can be used for. You've got your core syllabus/curriculum! CHECK!! You've got your knowledge! CHECK!! You've got a student body! CHECK!! You've got your own Sensei to tap into, if needed! CHECK!! What's missing? YOU!! Are you enthused...STILL?!?!?! If you're not, then get off the floor until you are!! Are you there for the ENTIRE student body, or just for the adults...or just for the kids...or just for the black belts...or just for having a national tournament team...or just for students above green belt...so on and so forth??!! Define why you're there in the first place!! Are you going to go for quantity or for quality!! NOT BOTH; one or the other, whilst the former, imho, isn't a good reason to strive for. But, that's just me. Challenging?!? By challenging, I'm not speaking towards asking for the impossible tasks to happen each and everyday from your student body. Challenge them in small ways...those small ways build up to large rewards. But how? Drills!! You're only limited by your imagination!! Different drills keep the student body excited and enthused and educated and so on and so forth. Yet the drills must be age and rank appropriate. Use some drills often, while others, not so often, while at the same time, put the most popular one on the shelf from time to time to build up its anticipation of when it might reappear. *I use tennis balls for Awareness Drills...for all ages!! *Up and down drills have to have challenges built up in them...simply adding a new technique can be enough to challenge the student body!! *Revenge on Sensei with a specific technique as well as doing whatever technique they want to do...for the kids!! *Lunge Punching FOR THE ENTIRE CLASS WITHOUT STOPPING!! *Kumite Minus for Familiarity Drills...for all ages!! *Kumite Drills for the adults and for the black belts only!! *3-5 minutes on the Hanging bag!! *ETC. [This is where having a great imagination can come into play...I'm nothing more than a big kid that loves a challenge] You see, we teach the three K's [Kihon, Kata, and Kumite], and I have to tell you...that's a lot of material, and with a lot of material to garner from, the skies the limit with an active imagination. JUST DON'T BE CRUEL...TEACH AND HAVE A PURPOSE!! BE TRUTHFUL...DON'T EVER LIE TO YOUR STUDENT BODY ABOUT ANYTHING...EVER!! You're the CI, not the student body...however, a great CI has an open door policy so that ideas can be considered. You run the dojo, but the student body can assist in running the floor as far as what type of drills would they like to see and what they don't want to see anymore...final decision remains with the CI in ALL things!! I've not even scratched the surface, and to shorten this post, I'll leave it at that, for now!!

Solid post!! Some many great advices here from many KF members! Patrick has mad skills when it comes to things like this, and if it was me, I'd certainly pay it some serious attention. Patrick, btw, my computer froze up immediately when I clicked on the organic reach link, might've been a coincidence, but I just got my computer back from the laptop shop. I'm afraid to click on that link again.

Solid post!!