sensei8

I've nothing to compare to in my own MA journey. However, what I've read and with some of the advice that you've already received from KF members, I do commend you on your MA journey. It's hard to be honest with others, but imho, it's even tougher to be honest with oneself. Do as you're doing; things will become more brighter for you and your MA betterment!!

ps1, From a marketing prospective, I believe that you're hitting the nail right on its head. By adding key words to your marketing models, like on your advertisement tools, you're speaking not to a small selective group of customers/students, but to a more appealing group as well as a much wider geographic possibilities of untapped new-student sources.

Solid post!! I'm also a firm believer that students need to be challenged in ways that will stimulate their learning/training as well as promoting their natural curiosity in a helpful way. Of course, students will quit no matter what we instructors do because training is the students choice and not a requirement; it's a want, and not a need, and the student has to want it.

Both our Soke and Dai-Soke were born/raised in Okinawa [Dai-Soke was Soke's student], and we've never been trained in the toe kick. Possibly, as natural as it might've been in the old days, neither of them ever spoke towards that subject, for one reason or another. Training any part of ones body at first isn't going to be a blast until conditioning starts to settle in, and of course, afterwards, continued conditioning is then a blast. Slow and steady; training maxims!

Great story about you and your son...and you're right...you can't tap out of a hug, especially with a mom...GREAT STORY!! Thank you for it...brought a huge smile to start out my long day.

You'll really enjoy Kanku Dai; I always have!

Congrats...well deserved!!

First of all...Welcome to KF; glad you're here!! I'm in an Okinawan art myself, but not in a Okinawan MA that utilizes the big toe in the fashion that you're describing. I've crossed trained with a lot of Uechi-ryu karateka's, and in that, I've seen them conditioning their big toe, and I just grimace in astonishment because I'm thinking..."That's got to hurt something fierce in the early conditioning stages". Hopefully, some KF member can shine some light on it for you.

Congratulations on your 8th kyu...well deserved...fells good, huh?!?!

Imho, they should've been doing that from the jump street, but, better late than never, right?! Glad to see that they're doing something about it right now.

Solid post!! Especially the bold type above!! In that, ones got to manage the brand, and it doesn't happen over night; it takes time. Time in getting known in ones community through all types of venues; print and/or video. Once the community begins to notice, the community will start to get behind you, but the marketing never stops. No. It must be changed constantly and it must be as though said marketing hasn't ever been seen and/or experienced before. Demo's are still the way to draw in prospective students. Our local ATA school appears in our towns parade down main street in the summer, and it's not by luck, but they're smack down in the middle of the parade. And how they managed this...but they put on a demo at our local Wal-Mart a week after the parade...pure genius or pure luck; I don't know but effective. Don't be afraid to offer suggestions to your CI, and while it's the CI's problem because it's the CI's dojo, it's also the problem of said dojo's student body. Why? If there's no students, then there's no dojo to train at. So, suggest away to your CI, and offer your assistance in anyway that you can.

Solid post!!

Great news...congratulations on your 8th kyu...well deserved. Feels great, huh?!?

You might want to check this out as well... http://www.karateforums.com/42-secrets-from-soke-inoue-yoshimi-kata-coach-vt46819.html There's an article written that might help, and this article can be found through the link above.

The noted differences from those practitioners not training in karate are solid across the board. Reminds me that there's more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak. I've enjoyed all posts from those who don't training regularly in karate, and as a karateka, I agree with Soke's 42 points.

Solid post!!

That would be simple enough, if it weren't for the fact that in karate I am required to kick with the foot, and required to pull my hand back. Picking and choosing isn't as simple as making a decision, the reflexes built by one training confound the reflexes built by another. Solid post!!

ps1 and Danielle...both solid posts, and I concur!!

Solid post!!

Congrats!!

My prayers go out to his family, loved ones, and friends!! Very sad!!

Thanks all. Hopefully the manuscript will be completed soon...hopefully.

I wasn't being literal, I wasn't even being figuratively. I was only offering something to the discussion for us to chew on for discussion sake. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong in what I posted. I learnt Shindokan. I learnt some TKD. I learnt some Shotokan. I learnt some Judo. I learnt some Aikido. I learnt some of this and some of that over the years; cross training. This is why I said Shindokan is a MMA, and in that, Soke combined Okinawa-te and Shuri-te; mixed them together, so to speak. If my Soke had heard me say that Shindokan is a MMA, he would've disowned me right there on the spot. In that, that's why I said that MMA was around before the label stuck, imho. Aren't the MA really just a combination of one art or another, for the most part? And if so, then why can't said MA be a MMA, and in that, I'm not saying that said MA IS MMA, I'm saying that said MA CAN be a MMA...Mixed Martial Art. I teach Shindokan, and I don't teach MMA. I don't have someone teaching MMA in my dojo, and there's no one teaching MMA in the Hombu, and I've never seen any dojo affiliated with our Hombu teaching MMA. I don't even say that I/we teach MMA in any shape, way, and/or form!!

I do like your analysis; might have bearing...maybe! Are you speaking about being a MAist, or are you speaking about being a BB? I can say that I USE to be a MAist once I'm inactive, but I will ALWAYS be a BB when I retire!! The OP is speaking about being a BB!! Why can't I still be a BB when I'm inactive? Where is it written that I'm not a BB when I'm inactive? I've looked...and I can't find it anywhere! I've looked at each of the corners...nothing! I've looked at the each hanko stamp...nothing! I've looked at the watermarks...nothing! I've looked at the signatures...nothing! I've looked at the text...nothing! I've looked E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E...nothing! Maybe someone can help me locate it, because if it's there, I want to know. I'm sure, if it's there, surely it's not hidden, or somehow cleverly placed somewhere. What is it that I've looked for, but can't find? The Expiration Date!! Not one of my Dan certificates seem to have one!! So, if there's no expiration date on any of my Dan certificates, then, by my understanding, no matter if I'm inactive or not; I'm still a black belt!! But, when that day finally ushers in, and I'm put out to pasture, imho, I'll still be a black belt!! You know, I'm quite thick headed!!

2 hours might seem enough, but, that depends on the practitioner. However, the 2 hours is doable, and it appears that you're doing 1 hour per class in your dojo. This leaves you doing quite a lot of practice, which isn't a bad thing because you can only be at the dojo as much as it's allowed, but you can be at home/gym/etc. whenever personal time's allowable. Ideally, 3 days a week at the dojo is much more desired, but again, it depends on the dojo and on the practitioner. Spending time on the floor with your CI/Sensei is vitally important, especially while one's a beginner. No matter the rank, floor time with the CI/Sensei is crucial to ones MA betterment. More personal practicing over floor time CAN create some bad habits that the CI/Sensei will have to adjust and the like as often as it's deemed by the CI/Sensei. Not always, because what I've just said, isn't a part normal occurrences within said practitioner, but, I've seen it enough, and that's why I stated that. If it's possible, maybe you can find a school that offers more floor time with the CI/Sensei. If not, then what you've got at your current dojo is fine. Train hard, and train well. Good luck!