sensei8

Black Belt Club's vary around the world, this is to be for sure! Usually students 7 years to adult are chosen by said school of the MA. It's custom in it's designed specifically for the "serious student, age 7 to adult, who has the talent, desire and ability to train at a higher level." For example, students that are part of the Black Belt Club receive Specialized Weapons Training. In that, they're trained in a "comprehensive weapons program" that will include all weapons within said style of the MA. In that, this weapons training will be held one time a week OUTSIDE OF REGULAR CLASSES. Yes, they'll usually get a Black Belt Club Uniform. Yes, you'll get a special patch that lets all know you're in that club. Some schools' Black Belt Club members can wear their new uniform to regular classes as well as to said testing cycles. For the most part, you'll also get seminars, special seminars scheduled throughout the year. How many? That varies! Some three a year, some more. Then, they're are the special pricing packages aimed at the Black Belt Club members. Some schools give percentages off of regular prices for many things that will be necessary to continue in training. Like weapons, sparring gear, to name a few. Some Black Belt Club members offer a one time up front fee. This can include SAVINGS off annual membership, yearly tuition, discounted tuitions. They'll vary from school to school and governing body to governing body. As part of the Black Belt Club, students are given a chance to audition for the schools Demonstration Team. This team performs wherever the school decides. The above, is just an example. Trust me, they're close, but yet, they are far away from the content that's offered from school to school and the like. I'm not speaking in ill towards those who offer said clubs, nor am I speaking in ill towards those students who partake of them. I just want to shed some small light as to what can or can't be found in said Black Belt Club's across the MA world.

Of course it's a marketing tool. Nothing wrong with it. When I first started back in the day, we didn't have a Black Belt Club, nor did anyone else, to my knowledge within the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. What I did see across the Valley, and other parts of California was when dojo's would offer 3 months, 6 months, and one year long programs for a discounted price. These were popular, and my mom bought into it right from the start because she saved money. And for a single mom, it fit perfect into her budget. I did get a free gi; that was cool for me. The No-Tuition aspect, imho, is based on paying, up-front, a one time monstrous fee. This one time fee is a discount, yes. It takes what it would cost a student in tuition up to Shodan, based on monthly tuition. Then, apply a reduced discount for the Black Belt Club. For example, if it normally takes 3 years to Shodan, and at $150 per month, that would roughly be $5400, not counting testing fees and the like. So, they dangle the carrot: $3000; a saving of $2400. It's tempting to many budget minded students/parents. Now, if the Black Belt Club states that the No Tuition is for life, well, you can be assured that there will be other fees for a many other things. The sky's the limit on what these fees will be, but they'll be there somehow and someway. Here's the kicker; many schools of the MA make it a rule to join the Black Belt Club before one reaches black belt. In that, many schools of the MA state that said student must join the black belt club at least 6 months before they reach Shodan. No exceptions!! Don't join the black belt club, well, you'll never be a Shodan. Albeit, the pressure will feel like the worlds on your shoulder to join said club, and the longer you hold out, the greater will be the pressure. Remember, a dojo/dojang/school of the MA is a BUSINESS!! The business must be cared for if the doors are to remain opened.

Is there a copy of what this curriculum looks like floating around? Perhaps it would give some ideas for classes."Lessons With The Master" by Paul Walker Try that! There's a SKIF layout at the end of the book.

Found this... Apparently there's an ongoing IBJJF scandal, various BJJ and MMA fighters stepped forward to confirm the allegations presented in the BJJEE article titled "IBJJF Under Attack". Any of you familiar with this?

Not all like or are not happy with anything tradition, especially in the MA.

The SKIF uses the Rotating Curriculum especially in Universities. Something to chew on!

Nice. Seems to me, he was speaking towards intercepting said attack. Albeit, what JKD in about. Thanks for it, Brian!!

ANGLES!! Overall, great stuff from those videos especially for that genre. Our Tuite, needs those angles, and in that, we must expose/manipulate those angles. Great stuff! Thanks for them all, Brian!!

Try to look up that Pro TKD, Bob. I think you will like and appreciate what you see. Its essentially Olympic TKD without the chest protectors and pads, like IcemanSK mentioned. Really was good stuff; lots of contact, not so much of the tip-tap look. It was a full-contact venue that allowed the counter-kicking and jump-spinning kicking to be showcased, along with the power they really put forth.Cool...thanks...I'll look it up!!

They have banana trees inside of their school?? Cool!

We may have discussed this, Bob, but I have forgotten if we did... What form do you teach at white belt? And is there a set amount of time you wait, to let them learn the moves of the form, before you start teaching bunkai? Great question. Taikyoku Shodan Pinan Shodan Normally, I will wait about 1 month before I introduce white belts to the Bunkai of either. In that first month, I'll fine tune them in their stances, turns, posture, hips, transitions, rhythm, proper execution, breathing, and kiai.

I wholeheartedly concur with both Brian and ps1...solid points, solid posts!!

Learning the steps of practically any kata/form doesn't take to long to learn. What takes so long, is the fine-tuning that takes some time. Even then, it might takes years to understand said kata/form, and this doesn't include all of the Bunkai/Oyo.

How many faction splits? Beyond the amount I care to even guess. Good point!! Just drives me wacky crazy!! LOL!!

Again, too much time is spent in the typical class on "learning" the kata. I can teach you to walk through Kanku Dai, considered a very advanced kata in many styles, in an hour or two. Then 10-15 minutes to tweak it to get improvements as long as you are spending time on your own practicing and get massive improvements in a month or so. Alternately, I can get you walking through a short section in 5-10 minutes and then spend the next 2 hours teaching the application with a partner. And then add another section the next time in the same fashion. And in a couple of months you have the full kata and hours and hours of partner drill under your belt and with them solid fighting/self defense techniques. It's the teaching format that is wrong, in my opinion, not the kata. The change in teaching format had a lot to do with this I think, and you hinted at it as well. Once karate was taken into schools (and I mean middle/high and university), in my opinion, you had to change the teaching format. Larger classes demand a different teaching format and style than small groups. When you make that shift you can't spend the time to break kata into small chunks and teach the applications. It's teach line basics and kata predominantly. And you keep the emphasis on the appearance, the look, of what's being done instead of the bones of it and functionality. Lots of time on kata in the class because you can teach and observe it to a larger group than watching lots of pairs work application. A couple of generations of that teaching format and you have a karate culture that is divorced from it's roots as a hands on, practical self defense system. It had then become one that produces students who are judged on how it looks, not how it works, are concerned with preserving the appearance of kata and not it's content. But again bushido_man, I'm the guy I've voted most likely to be kicked out of traditional karate for my beliefs and practices in pursuit of traditional karate. Heck, I shocked our handful of students last night by telling them that if it were up to me we would do 4, maybe 5 kata total. Not just to black belt, but total. Very solid post!! "It's the teaching format that is wrong, in my opinion, not the kata." That statement of yours hits the nail right on the head, imho. And your statement here, supports your first statement, imho..."It had then become one that produces students who are judged on how it looks, not how it works, are concerned with preserving the appearance of kata and not it's content." This is one of the reasons that I've not embraced a rotating curriculum. Not that teaching in a public school and a university is a bad thing, but a rotating curriculum seems to work well in that environment.

For those who enjoy the Kung-Fu genre type movies, a legend of those types has passed away at 106 years old. Here's the link... http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/07/movies/run-run-shaw-movie-mogul-seen-as-creator-of-kung-fu-genre-dies-at-106.html?ref=martialarts&_r=0 Rest in peace!! My prayers go out to his family, friends, and fans the world over.

Having thought about this, I agree that there are exceptions to self-promote ones rank/title. 1) You've founded a new MA = Rank & Title 2) Founded a new governing body = Title ONLY Those are about the only ones I can thing of. Now, if the second one above occurs, I suppose that one MIGHT be able to create a new set of By-Laws, which could state that the "President" of said new governing body MUST hold the rank of Judan, for example. That could be an exception, maybe. If so, a Godan could be the new President, and under the By-Laws, attain Judan. Also, one could, as the new President of said new governing body, appoint a new Administration, and then that new Administration could then promote Judan to the new President. Imho, this still lacks integrity. But, that's just me!

I believe that the judges got it right...Japan!! Thanks for the video!!

I truth, I'd rather do TKD sparring because of its constant sparring ideology. I have to admit that I don't like karate sparring because of its one and two step-sparring likeness. If I want to do one or two step-sparring, well, I'd do that instead.

Glad to see you again!! Congrats to your Blue Belt!!

I concur!! So, you're saying that the change(s) were made before money seeped its way into the fray?!? I think the changes were made when the instructors began introducing the arts into schools.Schools, like public schools for K-12?!?

Enough knees to the ribs will catch up. That's true of mostly everything MA.

Thanks for the video's...loved them all!! Kendall's got that fighter heart, and I love the way he drives...fearless. I bow to KENDALL!! As his dad, you must be so very proud of him across the board!!

I concur!! So, you're saying that the change(s) were made before money seeped its way into the fray?!?

You lost me here. That's not hard to do, lose me.