sensei8

Practice until the wheels fall off! Yes, and not just your dad. Him being a brown belt will help you. Spar your classmates, with permission from your instructor first. SPAR, SPAR, SPAR endlessly. Spar with a purpose. By that I mean. Work on timing, blocking, distancing, strategy...etc. Study your opponent, study yourself, make a plan, and then carry out that plan. Work on not running away from your opponent. At first, running away from your opponent can't be avoided, that's where sparing over and over comes in. You'll start getting use to seeing various attacks coming at you from all directions. Beat your opponent to the punch! YES!!!!!!! Preparing for a tournament, you might want to practice more often than you normally do. Practice makes perfect so the saying goes. So...practice, practice, practice...... Keeping it simple. A quick side-kick to the stomach as the opponent steps towards you. A little side step to your strong side, then block, and then punch/kick....Don't forget the loud kiai. Sometimes in tournaments, you've got to sell the techniques to the judges. Sparring is nothing more than a game of cat and mouse. Be alert, listen for your name, be at the designated ring and not at the wrong ring. Walk smartly when your name is called. Speak in a loud and clear voice. Don't forget your name or the name of the form or the name of your style or the name of your instructor. Bow in and out of the ring. Remember, you're a sells person and you've got to sell it to the judges. DON'T act cocky, but be confident. Wear a clean and pressed uniform. Don't forget your weapons if your doing any weapon forms. Don't forget ALL of your safety gear, especially your mouthpiece and have your groin protection. If you forget your form and/or you drop your weapon, and it happens, stop and ask for permission from the judges to start again. Will you be nervious...OH YEAH...just RELAX and BREATH! Get a good night sleep! Eat a light and smart breakfast. Possibly a banana or some fruit. I usually eat a banana with some toast and some OJ. During the day, well, I don't know if your butterflies will let you. For lunch, MAYBE, an orange/apple and water, for example. Whatever calms you down...do that. Whether it's a good book or some music, whatever it is, do that which calms you down the most. Don't be stage fright, it happens, but just BREATH. Take as many cleansing breaths as you need. Shake yourself to remain loose. Also, practice your forms, sparring, or whatever else. There's always some place to practice. You'll not be the only one practicing at the tournament. Biggest thing.........RELAX and HAVE FUN and LEARN from this experience! Good luck and let us know how it goes. Hopefully, I've given you some help. Ask all the questions you want! Talk to your instructor, as well as your dad. Your dad's been there!

BINGO! I'll steal a baseball expression, if I may...THAT WENT YARD!

Very solid post Brian...very solid! Before and after...genius idea!

I'd want both because I believe that they could/would benefit each other. The strength, especially in the muscles that are primarily used in Tuite and the like. To be slim, especially at my age/high blood pressure, my doctor says I don't need any "excess body fat".

Never mind...I just realized that I can't fix my spelling boo-boo.

Doh! It should read....DUMP. [i'll go fix that right now] Thanks for spotting that!

Congrats GeoGiant....well deserved!

Manhandled? To me, it seems that you don't think much about traditional martial artists, that's cool, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

That's ok, even the losing team, in this case, imho, the Celtics, have to have some fans, 2 or 3 or maybe 4, cheering for them. LOL! I'm just kidding Brian, I'm just kidding. I predict that the Lakers will win in 6 games.

Possibly it's just that we differ in what a bully is when one speaks about black belts in reference to the many ways there are to motivate a student. And in that, I'll continue to use the diplomatic approach.

My bad! I was confusing and mixing up the facts between with the 2010 Guatemala City Sinkhole AND the 2007 Guatemala City Sinkhole. 2007 story... http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070226-sinkhole-photo.html

Here's the link... http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/science_technology/huge+guatemala+sinkhole+appears+after+tropical+storm+agatha+batters+central+america/3665832 This sinkhole "swallowed a three story building and 12 homes."

In no special order: Nunchaku Kama Bo Sai Tonfa Naginata Tekko Tinbe-rochin Tambo Kuwa Surujin Eku Nunti Bo Yawara

ME!!!!!! Sorry, I couldn't resist, I tried, but I failed. I'll go back to my corner now.

For me, how the katana's been forged is primary to that katana's strength and worthyness. A master swordsmith's skill is not only needed, but, it's required. Check this link on forging... http://www.handmadesword.com/forging.html

Elbow or fist or palm heel!? Either one of these are an effective tool in the arsenal of any martial artist. Varying parameters are paramount in the equation, and the equation changes from moment to moment. At that time and at that moment, which one to use must be decided instantaneously, without any pause and/or any reservation. Blunt trauma is called that for a perfectly good reason; its effects can be devastating. Will you decide as to which one to use? Or Will the situation decide for you on its own? Either way, an elbow or a fist or a palm heel can all be good choices: It's just...which one at which time!?

This is just my opinion(s)... One will probably hear from both sides of the fence on this one. There are pros and cons to all things, hopefully the pros outweigh the cons. I particularly don't agree with using contracts for one main reason: Contracts force students to pay, and in that, if something financially rears up its ugly head, then that student can't escape from the contract because it's more than likely a very binding contract. One is in for the duration of the contract, like it or not, and depending on how well one has read the contract will decide if you can get out of it at renewal or not. I just don't want to shackle my students with this burden, especially if it means paying for the martial arts versus paying rent/food/utilities. I'm a fim believer that the martial arts is a want, it's not a need. I see the advantages of those who do use contracts. I also see the disadvantages of not using contracts. See, thats the fence I was speaking about, and depending on which side one is on, that will depend on their strengths and weaknesses. Freeing the instructor up to teach is paramount, and this is the only pro of contracts that I can see. A school has to make a profit, or at least meet the overhead, but not at the risk of their students. Month to month frees up the student to decide their path. If they can no longer afford the monthly tuition for whatever the reason(s) may or may not be, then they can just walk away with their heads held-up high. Students come and students go, this is just the way it is in the martial arts. Forcing students to go, or forcing students to pay is a headache that can be avoided by paying month to month. I want students to come because they want to because they love it...of their own free will. Packages are ok. But, in order for packages to be great, they've got to be managed fantastically with the complete understanding that the students are ONLY paying for monthly blocks, and NOT for any rank! If a student even hints that that's exactly what they thought it was for, don't allow that student to partake of any package, if you have them, right from the start. I'd have them sign something that explains that to them with no ambiquity whatsoever: Month blocks and NO guarantee of any rank and/or any testing assumptions. NEVER! One either EARNS the black belt or they DON'T! There are no in-between and there is NEVER any guarantee about anything in the martial arts. If I had this type of thing, which I wouldn't, I'd have them sign something that explains that to them with no ambiquity whatsoever: NO GUARANTEED RANK! RANK MUST BE EARNED. Another thing about a package like this is once you accept money for this, you'll never get another dime until the black belt is earned, that could be never. I see that some instructor would give in much earlier than normal because they want the money to equate to the rank versus their time spent in it. It's kind of like a mechanic that gets paid by the flat hour. If the Chilton Flat Rate Book says that an oil change takes 2.0 hours to complete it, the mechanic can actually do an oil change in 1.0 hours. This equates to the mechanic rushing through the oil change because he wants to do 2 to 1, this is more money, and this leads up to being sloppy.

I believe that school and karate training will balance each other out, as well as they both might greatly complement each other. My daughter is going into the 9th grade, and in that, she's an AP/Honors student as well. She also does karate [green belt] 3 times a week, school band [flute/piccalo], marching band, band camps, and Menga/Anime conventions. She graduated with all A's. I'm always warning her to be careful when filling up her plate, because an over filled plate can be overwhelming at times. Still, she balances everything that's on her plate quite well...I'm very proud of her. I believe that you'll do quite well and that you'll be fine!

Good posts thus far, with some pretty good insights for someone who's looking for a school/instructor. I'd only add this one little tidbit...VISIT THE SCHOOL MORE THAN ONCE. Why more than once? You'll probably see something different each time than you did before. A picture IS worth a thousand words.

Imho, this is an inappropriate way for any black belt and/or any instructor to act/react to that type of situation, especially during class. What did that really teach the entire class? One who isn't the instructor has no business taking corrective actions on their own. Matter of fact, the instructor has no business taking corrective actions, and that's what that was imho, in class because instructors have, or should have, other professional methods of disciplining their students. To cause a student, especially a minor student, to cry isn't how we're suppose to help our fellow martial artists. To bully a bully in class would've led me to tell that black belt to go home for that day because this isn't how these type of situations should be dealt with in class; not by any black belt or any rank, and not by the instructor. How would I have handled that situation? It's simple. I would've quitely instructed that bullying student as well as the parent into my office immediately, and then I would've suspended that student for a week minimum for bullying and I would've explained to that student and parent why bullying isn't allowed in my dojo. In that, I would've also explained why bullying isn't an appropriate action for anybody to display, especially for a martial artist. Bullying and the martial arts are a oxymoron, and therefore, they should be treat as such. Fair enough, you're entitled to your opinion. But I don't believe I was bullying the kid at all. Maybe you had to be there to understand what was going on as as with a lot of internet communication, maybe I'm not conveying what happened properly. He was unpleasant to the other kids so I joked that I would spar him properly (even he laughed when I said it). I actually think he probably would learn more from that then just talking to him. You showed him up. People can react two ways they either train harder or just give up. Its good discipline to make him train harder and is good to implement psychologically. Whenever he spars higher grades and adults you are always 'bullied'. I know I have done it, when you are a teen and in the adult class its hard. But eventually you learn to take it as it comes the higher grades always smack you around a bit. You learn to stick up for yourself. Imho, this too isn't the proper way to act for any martial artist, especially black belts. Maybe he only learnt that black belts can be bullies too. Again, bullying and the martial arts are a oxymoron, and therefore, they should be treat as such; they just don't mix. An old idiom says...'You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar' This means that it is easier to persuade people if you use polite arguments than if you are confrontational.

I think that depends on the instructor, type of students you have (all beginners or a mixture of belts), ages of the students, etc. I concur because the parameters do vary considerably.

Welcome to Karate Forums!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe, I truly loved that quote. It spoke to my heart. It spoke in such volume, that it couldn't be set aside, nor could it be ignored. For what they gave, I and my family shall forever be grateful to them today and tomorrow! Thanks for that Joe!

As a parent, I'm not concerned with any average and/or any "rule of thumb"! My wife and I are raising them! That being said, what my children watch or what they don't watch will be determined by my wife and I...only!

Dismissal under such circumstances usually means the offender's teaching career is over. Does anyone think he was made an example of by the school district, which could have taken other actions short of dismissal? No, I don't think that that teacher was made an example of by the school district, nor do I think that there was another course of action other than termination. What that school district simply did, imho, was nothing more than them enforcing rules/regulations/policies as set forth by that school's administration. The only message that should be sent by that district is this... Horseplaying/roughhousing isn't permitted, nor is it allowed by anybody, staff and/or students, at any time, and anybody, staff and/or students, that's found to have done so, will be either terminated [staff] or suspended/expelled [students] immediately.