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Yeah, that's what I wasn't sure on, Bob. I don't know if he meant my GM, or my current instructor, or some GM of his. I just wasn't sure. Either way, I don't see myself joining up at the place for regular training. My main interest would fall into the grappling aspect of the class, and we didn't even touch on that during the class I attended. I don't really need to gain a black belt rank in his style of TKD, because I've got most of it down.Its just one of those things that kind of caught my attention. I may go back from time to time to cross-train with them some, but we'll just have to see what time allows for that. That's it...you don't need another BB in TKD. I don't need another BB in Karate. Adding that from this style and that style is fine just as long as it adds to ones MA betterment. I dare to say, I'm eclectic through and through. While Shindokan is my core, my core needs those essential things that are outside of the Shindokan circle.

Ditto!! The knees and close range techniques are close to my heart, and while WC has its plethora of kicks, nothing drives me more than close range.

I concur with this, as well!! Target selection can make the difference. Not all targets require you to strike them hard, i.e., soft tissue targets yield favorable results without striking with maximum power. For example, and I believe any avid golfer might agree with me, distance can be achieved on the golf course by obeying the mechanics of the golf swing, and not to power the golf ball.

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! Can you do less impact type exercises? Tai Chi might be a possibility for you, still!! May I ask, how does your right leg keep on getting damaged? Hang in there!!

Yes...I agree...quite cheesy....I had to laugh.

Had she not have been wearing a gi and a belt... What would've been your opinion then?? Judging a book by it's cover, i.e., it's outer appearance, can be often quite one sided.

30-23 against the Seahawks in their home....COWBOYS WIN!! 5-1 record this year!! How about them COWBOYS!! GO COWBOYS!!

Solid post!! I do believe that character of said practitioner of the MA already exists before their first day of class. Through the guidance of ones instructor, that that already exists is either molded to be positive or negative, and in that, the choice IS of the individual.

Solid post!! I'm ok with contracts, but they're so binding, and once you've signed on that dotted line, the parameters are mostly on the side of the one who owns the contract.

As always, a solid tutorial for all who want to improve their ground work, and not just for BJJ practitioners and the like, but for all MAists because one never knows when they'll end up on the ground!! Thanks for that Alex!!

I hear you, Patrick, I hear you. I'm suspecting that, even though the Cowboys have only lost their first game, the dawn of the end of the tunnel is far in the distance. I'm predicting that the Cowboys will win one or two more before their win streak ends...history dictates that about the Cowboys. Romo will have a bad outing in the beginning of the season, and then win 5-6 straight before the floor crumples under their feet...one game at a time, and as of late, they will drop the last 3 games of the season. However, I'm optimistic like you, Patrick, when it comes to the Cowboys. I also know that Brain can't be all to thrilled with his Chiefs as of late, but I suppose he's just as optimistic with the Chiefs as we are with the Dolphins and the Cowboys. Could be worse! We all could be fans of the Jaguars or the Raiders, we haven't won a game the entire season so far, or the Jets, Titans, Redskins, Buccaneers, or the Rams who've only won 1 game!! GO COWBOYS!!

Well thank you very much Unfortunately the contract for Karate is alive still and there is one near me, another just charges a lot. The most damaging thing is to the students who won't go near another Dojo because they think it's the norm. I get the odd few who come to me and ask about money first as they nearly got conned into signing an expensive contract. Solid post!! To the bold type above... How do we, as MA instructors change the mind of students in this regard? Also, people who don't worry about money have plenty of money already, and this is why most consumers will ask about price quite readily before they will ask about curriculum and the like. Prices will scare the bee's knee's out of prospective new students faster than anything known to mankind.

Thanks for the links; they will benefit so many, including myself. Thanks, Patrick!!

To the bold type above... That's a good point!! Sometimes, people forget that there's a lot of "homeland" in their very own backyard. Those who live in area's where their MA homeland is, they're fortunate enough to just walk outside of their door.

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! In your opinion, how has age not gotten in the way?

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

Congrats....feels good, huh? Been there...done that!

Aaaarrrrrggggghhhhhhh.....still in business!?! Hopefully, his punishment scared him straight, for the sake of his students.

Thanks for the link...I'll check it out.

Karate will not be "too tough" for you. It will just be 'tough enough'. You want it to be tough enough as that's what you'll need to get slowly into shape. I'm about two and half times your age, I've flown a desk for the last twenty years without any exercise and I will be losing 38 kilos (83 pounds) over the next six to twelve months with karate. In the last five weeks going to dojo twice a week and doing a bike run of about ten miles once or twice a week I've already lost six kilos (13 pounds). Drink as much water as you can, cut down a little on the size of meals you eat and don't eat anything after 9pm. I'm brand new to karate and what I can say is that if you like the idea of karate, then you will love karate, so sign up, put positive energy into it and you'll see a transformation in yourself in no time at all. You'll be so happy you did. Go for it! Solid post!!

Good luck...have fun...RELAX...let the tournament take care of itself!! Can't wait to hear your report when it's all said and done!!

Karate: The Art of Empty-Hand Fighting by Hidetaka Nishiyama and Richard Brown And... Lessons with the Master by Paul A. Walker These two stand out, imho, and I'm not even a Shotokan karateka.

He wants you to talk with his GM first, before you join...Hhhhmmmm...yeah, I'd let that one lie there too, and that is a strange request. If I had told any of my students that they had to talk with Dai-Soke first, Takahashi Sensei would've scorned me to no end.

I hear you concerning the local cuisine, and I was lucky enough to acclimate myself to Okinawan food before I went there. I did have a plan if the actual local cuisine wasn't quite like what Soke and Dai-Soke feed us...find a McDonald's.

Welcome to KF; glad that you're here!! I understand and appreciate the importance of having a website, that hasn't escaped me at all. Having said that, there are two sides of any coin, and I'm on the side of the coin that just doesn't need, nor do I want a website for reasons that I've stated in this thread. I'm not hurting for students and if I was, then I might entertain that idea. I recognize the many reasons that all here have stated for having a website, and me not having a website hasn't affected my P&L, and that, for me, is the ultimate way for me to check that my business has a strong pulse or not.