sensei8

Ditto!!

Yes, RIP, very sad story; thanks for sharing it. I sincerely believe that any weight loss should be under the guidance of a doctor because, if one's not careful, something very serious might hapen.

I wholeheartedly concur with Brian!! Very rewarding to hear that you've returned. Felt great, huh? And yes, welcome back to KF as well!!

How should a Kata be performed? To the very best of their abilities. Their best will need to be examined from time to time. Imho!!

Make the instructor in question be accountable for their inappropriate actions. If you're under a contract, and you're wanting to void said contract, get with your lawyer to seek a possible breach of contract on the Sensei's actions. Accountability!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!!

To excel at the MA, one must not be injured, so, heal first, then train. Otherwise, permanent set backs will rule the day. Good luck, and hang in there!!

Time heals all wounds...welcome back to the floor!!

Solid post!! Kata should vary because true situations vary across the board.

Great article...solid across the board!! Thanks for sharing it.

As always, Alex make it points valid and quite thoughtful...SOLID article!! Thanks for sharing it!!

How'd I miss this before? Sorry! What a great article Danielle...SOLID across the board. Thank you for sharing it!!

In your opinion... What's more important... Proper Execution OR Effectiveness?? Can one survive without the other?!?!?!?! I can look good while executing any said technique(s), but that doesn't mean that my technique(s) are effective. As always, I look forward to your thoughts.

Practically doesn't mean none; therefore, Aikido does have kicks/strikes, just enough to be effective in set-ups and the like. It's possible that Segal has done some extensive cross training with other styles of the MA, and in that, it's possible he's learnt other things while being in Law Enforcement.

Congrats...feels great, huh??

Sorry to hear about your knee. As with most everything, TIME will tell. If an injury isn't rushed and allowed to follow the natural course of healing and the like. A long time is relevent, and in that, to rush it will mean that you'll never be able to progress positively. Rank can wait because it's just not that important. Knowledge and the like will progress if you're proactive about it!! Take care, take time to heal properly, and listen to your DOCTOR and not your Sensei, unless your Sensei is also your Doctor.

Congrats!! Feels great, huh?

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!!

Solid post, and I concur wholeheartedly!!

The Bo is the Kobudo weapon that every Gokyu student in Shindokan begins with; Gokyu is when Kobudo training begins!! It's a great weapon, and I believe that you'll enjoy it as well!!

Good luck with your testing cycle...relax...have fun...and remember, don't worry; the test will take care of itself!!

It's the practitioner and not the art that's a proponent of Shotokan, therefore, any self-defense is dependent on the practitioner to make said effective. IMHO!!

As I'm always saying... It's your MA journey, and in that, you're in control of your MA journey!! Yes, I concur, the situation you're in is a tricky one, but a doable one; follow your heart!! Nonetheless, you need to be honest and up front with everyone, especially with yourself, no matter what. Students deserve that on and off the floor from you. Now, getting the Seniors up in their grades "as quickly as possible in order to reduce the amount of time Sensei has to teach" is, imho, a disaster in the making. Rank shouldn't ever be before knowledge and the like, no matter what because it begets rank as the only reason why one does the MA. Please avoid this for the sake of your students betterment. Good luck!!

You are a teacher as soon as you help instruct someone that isn't as experienced as you are. If you intend on instructing, then you should be assisting in class (if your school allows it) as much as possible, and watching how your instructor deals with new instruction, correction to techniques, student approach, etc. Then use that to develop your own style. Using rank to determine readiness to teach is arbitrary, anyway. As far as a yoga/health club, it depends on the club. It's harder than you think, because if you contract the space and bring in your own students, then you have to worry about the insurance issues between you and the club. And, the club may expect you to take paying members of the club for free in your classes. Just be very clear about the setup if you do something like that. Most dance studios will rent space. The going rate in our area is $25 an hour, but then you are dealing with off peak hours, because the best hours will be filled with dance classes, unless they have extra rooms. Good luck with it, being an instructor is incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. John Solid post!!