sensei8

I wholeheartedly concur with DWx's advice to you. No two tournaments are the same, especially when the rules are concerned. Get with your sensei as DWx has suggested; anyone else might be only guessing, and guessing about these type of things only welcomes a bad experience. Good luck with your first tournament; just relax, practice and spar a lot, and have fun!! I look forward in hearing about your experience.

The fist is the fist no matter the labels we attach to them and/or how we use them.

Taking time or not taking time to achieve any rank isn't the context within anything that's remotely the MA. The ranking system, like the belt itself, is just a thing, but this thing possess us, instead of us possessing it. Any instructor that holds a student back for their own selfish reasons, that ill-gotten instructor doesn't deserve to be one. The black belt, and any rank for that matter of fact, ISN'T the core essence of the MA. The way that the rank system even started was the beginning of a conflict that will endure for as long as the rank system is mismanaged by some of those that have been entrusted with it's "beauty". And that's it, the rank system is meant to be a thing of beauty within the context of the MA... However, it's not, and I believe that we can attest this by some of the posts within this very topic. The beginning or it not being the beginning and the like, imho, are being incorrectly misunderstood. The truth will only be found by careful interpretation of the evidence before us MAists.

Yes...those were very nice MP!!

Teaching; this is all I've ever known and this is all that I've ever done, and in that, I've earned a very comfortable living while doing it, and I don't apologize for it. My profit margin allows me to live quite nicely, yet, my tuition isn't in the stratosphere. I teach full-time, and this to me, is not a hobby. My every intention when I first opened the Kyuodan dojo was to be profitable, and for me to become that, I decided right from the start to treat my dojo as a business because that's exactly what it is. No matter how it's decorated on the outside, it's on the inside where profit is made. Through every trial and every tribulation that I've endured in making my dojo and myself successful, I've made sure that I was honest with my students, my retail customers, the community, my fellow MAists, my family, and with myself across the board. Here at KF, I've stated it quite clear...I'm no fan of schools that charge $100-$200 a month for tuition, and while their tuition might meet what the market bears, I've stated that I don't understand why they charge so much because after all, it's just the MA, and in that, it's a want and not a need. This position isn't popular, nor is it acceptable, nor is it understood. My position truly came about when the USA was in the bowels of an economic downturn, however, quite a lot of schools weren't trying to meet the needs of their students who were facing some tough financial decisions for their families, and in that, these schools either maintained the cost or they raise the cost, instead of lowering the cost to help their students meet their budgets. To me that was wrong, but having said that, it's my problem and I'll deal with it some how and some way to try to understand the 'why's' about the whole ordeal. During those economic uncertainties I lowered my tuition down to the basement, ended all testing fees, and I offered more retail discounts; however, I still made profit each and every quarter. I did whatever I could to help my students/retail customers afford the want; the MA. To me, the MA is a want and not a need. Students, imho, don't need the MA, it's a luxury. Food, a home, a job, clothes, gas for the car, utilities, and the like, these are things that students of the MA need. I wanted to help them provide for their families without them feeling that the MA was an unwanted albatross around their necks. Therefore, I'm extremely thankful to every student and to every retail customer that graces the doors of the Kyuodan dojo, and I will not take advantage of them by raising my tuition to a level that vexes me. What Patrick's OP speaks about is solid across the board, and in that, I respect what he's speaking about wholeheartedly. Every instructor has every right to earn whatever profit they can, and in that, I don't fault them for doing whatever it is that helps them reach a profitable bottom line on their P&L. Not everything I champion for is right for others, but it feels right for me. If I've offended and/or hurt those instructors with my direct and unkind words; please forgive me...please! Sometimes I just hate myself!! Therefore, from this time forward, I will not speak judgmentally about those instructors as I have in the past. Profit is the right of everyone everywhere, and I won't begrudge them either.

You might be correct; if there's truly no favoritism occurring then there's nothing to worry about. However, perception is a dangerous thing; perception is reality to the one perceiving. Avoid all signs of impropriety because your students deserve that.

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!

You're more than welcome...anytime you need help...just post the question and I'll be more than happy to help you.

ps1, I thank you for taking the time to post such a thoughtful and through response, and in that, your explanation has erased any ambiguity I might have perceived from JZ post. I now, thanks to your precise explanation, understand what JZ was speaking about. You're absolutely correct in your assumption about myself...I've never trained to just meet the minimum standards, I've no idea what that means or looks like, and in that, I do demand and expect the same quality from my students. Our Dai-Soke never once allowed any of us to meet only the minimum standards; no way and no how!! His standards were extremely high, and in that, I echo his exact same standards, if not more, with my students as well, and this goes for any Shindokanist, including myself.

I did participate but not much of it applied to me in my current role at the Hombu. Still, I hope that it'll suffice.

No...I don't think you'll always flinch and it is something you will overcome. Having said that, I believe that there's a big difference from flinching and acknowledging any said attack. I don't flinch, as in being surprised, but I'll acknowledge any said attack, and then properly, yet calmly, respond effectively with said attack.

Oh yeah!! You'll grow out of it faster than you can ever imagine. However, that will mean that you'll have to engage in sparring more often than not...so...spar until the wheels fall off and then some. in other words, the less you spar the longer it will take to overcome!!

Solid post!! EVERYONE helps EVERYONE...that's it right there!!

Solid post!! Also, I too do as you do with students sparring for the first time. Then have those same students say to me..."How does someone as big as you move so fast and effortlessly?", my response usually..."I practice a lot!"

Stick with it a while, you'll see it. Sperki, Just wait. You will eventually run into the guy (it's always a guy and usually under 30) who thinks, and I quote, "That karate crap don't work in a fight". And when they come in to train, whether they say it up front or just harbor the thought, they are waiting for a chance to jump in with the instructor and "fight" when sparring. And, if the instructor doesn't lay a beating on them, with all the attached bumps and bruises, then they can't really fight and have nothing to teach them. I'm in a small town in the Appalachian Mountain region and it's common enough. Most guys get into a few scraps as teenagers and think that makes them a pretty good fighter. Most won't train. Those that do, about half start with the idea above and of that half most think after 6 weeks of training they've learned it all. As an instructor you have to keep your head on a swivel and be on the look out for that sort. It's always on the lower belt to ask for lighter contact. Unless they are blasting away at the higher belt and have to be told to calm down and ease up. You get what you give, and many times when you're really into things you don't realize how hard you really are hitting. That's more likely for lower belts. Since you don't want to blast them, sometimes the upper belt needs to remind them to ease up. We usually follow the second or third warning to back down the contact with, "If you don't, you're going to get hit as hard as you're hitting." If you want to hit someone hard, expect to get hit just as hard. I've met more than a few lower belts that thought sparring with uppers meant they could go all out and it was cool and they wouldn't get hit back with the same force. Sparring can be a fun and exciting training experience. However, everyone has to be on the same page as far as contact, have respect for one another and know that it's just sparring. It isn't a fight, you don't have to win and you aren't going to die from the experience. A very solid post!! It's also the lower belts that will tag the upper belts...stop...go wide eyed...then say something like..."Ohhh, I got 'cha"...then they prance about as though they did something unbelievable...when in reality...the upper belt is controlling the sparring intensity instead of thumping and dumping the lower belt, and that's because that type of attitude from an instructor just doesn't teach the lower belt very much, if anything at all.

I think at your level you should just concentrate on performing those kicks in their basic and original form and try to do them correctly , it is very important for you to develop correct posture and perform these kicks in the correct form so to avoid damaging your joints ,bad habits once set in are hard to get rid of and might do damage to your body . Once you get competent in diferrent stances you would know what stance works best for what kick , for example there are situations that you could perform front leg mawashigeri in back stance or a front leg kekomi depending on the distance and angle you have with your opponent . As others said stances are transitional , for example you avoid an attack in a 45 degree angle and adopt a back stance for moment before either countering or moving away again in another move to avoid a following attack by your opponent. Solid post!!

I think I understand what you're saying, still, I'm not 100% sure I do, and that's not your fault, it's mine for being a dunderhead at times, in that, I'm reading some ambiguity nonetheless.

Practically every MA philosophy from the past still rings true, and I believe that any responsible instructor, no matter rank/style, speaks about what you've posting here. Fight if you have to, otherwise, find safe haven. There is no shame, imho, to either choice; fight or flight.

I hear what you're saying. It's how you carry yourself; not looking like a victim...act like a victim, one will more than likely become a victim.

Sometimes you make me laugh and sometimes you make me say...."Hhhhmmmmm", but it's all good MP...it's all good!!

First, eastern martial arts aren't "proven" so much as "well known". There are martial arts all over the place that have good track records that just aren't as well known.Second, BJJ is actually a descendant of Jujutsu, from Japan, with a substantial amount of development put into it in order to develop it in specific directions. Third, in BJJ, a black belt is a really big deal. If you see a BJJ black belt, it means that they have been training hard for like, ten years straight. Their 1st degree black belt is equivalent to a moderately high Dan rank in Karate. They give a BJJ black belt a lot of respect. A Karate black belt not so much, because the typical Karate black belt has what they consider a trivial amount of experience. Fourth, they are grapplers. You went in expecting something totally different from what they are actually doing, and proceeded to be very disrespectful. It sounded like he was being pretty polite, all things considered, in response to someone "showing them up". How would your Karate teacher respond to a highschool wrestler coming in, discovering that they don't have a lot of competitive coaching victories in a sense that is only relevant to a wrestler, and deciding to 'show him up' with a takedown, just to have the teacher demonstrate applications of reverse punch on him? In that, I'm not the typical Karate black belt because my experience isn't trivial; I've been around the block and then some. Being lumped into being a "typical" Karate black belt is an unfair general statement because not all Karate black belts fit into your description. I believe that everyone here at KF can agree that not all black belts, no matter the style, are the same across the board, and yes, BJJ black belts are as you've described but it's unfair to those karate BB's that have a well of experience, and in that, they can hold their own on the floor; I don't shy away from any floor.

It is said that we must choose our "fights"! I wholeheartedly concur with that because actions based off ones sleeve can be harmful in many ways. I'll fight if I've no choice and I'm being forced into that, but, I'll flight rather than engage if I have a choice. Flight, imho, should be what we do first until the situation warrants my involvement. I can dial 911 faster than grease lighting because that's what the LEO's are there for; to protect and serve. Having said that, I WILL engage if I perceive that I must do so in order to save someone and/or myself until the LEO's arrive on scene. Nonetheless, I can't do much against a gun, so, flight is right for me because I'm of no help to anyone dead. However, what the principal did during the Newton, CT shooting is what I pray that I would do as well if I'm ever in that situation; one won't know until that moment.

I think we should embrace those schools that are McDojo's as far as we are concerned. Why? They're here to stay, and in that, there's not much we can do to curb them across the board. Be the best at every facet as well as being honest with our students and with ourselves, and this might mean that we need to devote our time into more constructive things other than worrying about the McDojo's. Imho.

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!! I hope that you stay for quite along time...I look forward to your future posts!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!!