joesteph

The special needs student, such as an autistic one as my children are, just doesn't fit into the normal range of action category. The child is told what must be done and is defiant. The child is warned that the belt will be taken away and not returned until the action is done. If still defiant, the belt is removed and placed exactly where the child may see it, the child is "stuck" performing the action (e.g., to block and punch to the left, then block and punch to the right, then to the left, to the right), upon which the belt is returned with praise at being so good. Belt removal is uncommon, not the regular course of action. It so happens I was present when another special needs child struck a boy half his size (a try at mainstreaming, which does work with certain students). The boy who was struck was shaken up, and the teacher emphasized to the one who did the striking that hitting is not acceptable. She told him he must apologize. He refused. She repeated that this is what we do when we do something wrong. He still refused. She threatened to take his belt away. He continued to refuse. She removed the boy's belt with his father watching in the audience and put it on her desk. When he apologized, he could have it back. The boy who was struck was the victim and it has to be acknowledged; it's not the one who struck, even if special needs. At the end of class, there was still no apology, so the belt remained on the desk, the father then took his son out of the dojang (making it, as I see it, a family matter), and several minutes later the two reappeared. The apology was given and the belt was returned. No one wants this, any more than one would want one's child to have special needs issues, but appropriate action must be taken, even if it falls under "negative reinforcement." The special needs child is not being struck, verbally blasted, or in any way humiliated. That, to me, is punishment. And when the action is done, no matter how well or poorly, so long as there is effort, praise is lavished. Stickers are given every so often at the end of class to acknowledge good listening, working hard, remembering well. If you are dealing with a special needs child, or children as in my case, there cannot be ignoring. The complaint will be repeated endlessly and the child works himself up because it wasn't addressed. Refusals are often dealt with by me (learning from my teacher, I must add) asking "Why?", receiving a poor answer, asking "Why?" again, and reducing it to where the child doesn't know why there's a refusal on his part (meaning there is no injury, fear of getting hurt, etc.). The child doesn't even know himself why there's a refusal. One way I put things, as I'm on the floor, is to say, "You're not the boss. Daddy's the boss." Then I follow it up with "But Master ____ is the teacher. Daddy listens to the teacher, so you listen too." This hierarchy line, which I have to repeat once in a while, actually works, since the boys watch me do as the teacher instructs. It isn't smooth-sailing modeling, but they follow. I keep our teacher informed of what might be necessary. At the end of a session, she'll focus on what they did accomplish better than I do, and I wind up feeling positive. It also lets me have a "conversation" with the boys while in the car as we drive out to dinner, with me knowing what to ask them that they did in karate. Listening to them, you'd think class was a piece of cake!

I think Tiger's right when she says "for obvious reasons." It should be a no brainer because it's self-evident. In my philosophy class, we talk about "self-evident," and it seems to be that it's a great phrase to use among like-minded people, but it's a bust with others. What is going on in the minds of the parents?

Sorry, Bob, but you're right. It is about little ones in MMA, as the OP by DWx says. I've re-read my response to you, and I was referring to the article being about MMA and high school, not (in re-reading I can see that it can be taken another way) the topic. This is from DWx's OP, and she has something to say about it if you'd like to go to p. 1: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5615095

If you read this NT Times article and watch the accompanying video, Bob, it's about MMA in high school, where the maturity level (physically and mentally) is higher. There's a video that goes with it. It's called "Mixed Martial Arts Makes Its Way to High School." I think you'll be more approving of its introduction on this level, and it is supervised since its a school sport.

I don't know the age of the student, but he needs the "tough love" approach. Don't explain/try to reason with him about basics before advanced. That scene won't play with him; it will, though, with the parents, so they can handle the emphasizing process outside the training hall. It isn't easy teaching my boys, who will turn eight this week, but their teacher will "make a deal," that if you do what you're supposed to do, I'll _____ at the end of class--which is really after class. (They're kids, so they might want to grapple with her for two-three minutes; your student wants to learn an "advanced" technique which, to him, might be a takedown.) Your student cares about karate; it's kid talk when he says he doesn't, yet he wants to know something "advanced"--meaning special. Whatever belt level he is, if he won't do the work, even with a "deal" offered, then take the belt away from him for the duration of the class. First make it a threat, then do it if he calls you on it. (Don't repeat the threat; do it.) Don't tell the parents he's not interested; instead, tell them what you did either to motivate or penalize. Add in/emphasize that he can do what you're teaching; others are doing it, and he has the same skill level that they do. The parents, who've heard you speaking constructively with them, can drill it into his head when outside the training hall. I know it's not easy, but can you get a parent, particularly his father, to be on the floor or even in the audience? It's a help, a big help.

Hey! Congratulations, Armanox! Enjoy!

If you go to: http://www.unfictional.com/bobby-j-blythe-let-willie-j-dennis-murder-a-schizophrenic you'll find a posting under "You Can't Make This Up" dated Friday, April 21, 2009. It also carries what appears to be the chief instructor's own website posting, although you can't click on it to make a connection; you can read his posting and see it enlarged in the "You Can't Make This Up" article. If you read below the video connection on that page, it gives more info, such as "contact information" (not that I'd use it) for the chief instructor, as well as other info regarding who was present at the beating. Incidentally, even though Virginia is a Southern state, there's bright light coming through the back door where the man is dragged out of, the film narration saying it was 7:00PM. That much sunlight in December? There's also the question as to whether or not it happened as long ago as 1984. Going back twenty-five years may be the proverbial "wild goose chase"; it may likely have occurred a lot closer to today than that.

I'm also aware of this one. If this had been a "Wild West" setup in a "Cowboy Town" for kids to visit, the "shootout" would have been with the standard meet-in-the-street and firing of "cowboy guns." It would have been palatable to children as they would know it's all "make believe." The martial arts demonstration followed by a gunning down of another man, the gun fired being a modern one, the man gunned down being taken away by EMT's, well, this is not suitable "entertainment" for children, and the only way I can see it being suitable for adults is in the movies. I doubt the school administrators knew he was going to pull the shootout stunt.

I'm aware of the video and the incident. If you check 4:10 and following, the man wants to demonstrate kata and it's agreed to by the chief instructor. If you examine 8:10 and following, which is filmed outside the back door the man was dragged out of, you'll see where his head was banged twice on the metal door.

Ranpu, this is classic overtraining. I remember a friend who weight-trained on-and-off, doing an animal workout one day, then finding it impossible to work out again for a week. I'm not sure of the position of the arm when you did the one-arm dumbbell curls, but you likely did them with your arm hanging straight down. As soon as you began the curl, the stress was in the insertion of the biceps into the elbow. Seventeen minutes of nothing but repeated curls is not the way to exercise, unless I'm reading you wrong about what you did. Sets and reps are the way to go. Even if seventeen pounds doesn't sound like a lot, it's like a hundred pounds when you're doing curls for twenty minutes. Yes, you can give yourself biceps tendinitis (usually misspelled "tendonitis") by inflaming the tendon and then resuming exercise before healing. I wouldn't doubt that your biceps feel so tight (because you were training them to constrict for so much time) that you're having a hard time straightening out you arms. That's not the tendon; that's the biceps itself. Give them lots of rest and resist the impulse to keep "testing" them to see if they hurt. That's just undoing the rest. I've always found that warm water, such as in a warm shower cascading over the tightened muscle (or overtaxed joint) is a big help. It happens to everybody. I did free-weights and cable-assisted weights for twenty years, and I learned by my mistakes. After all, what's the point of making a mistake if you're not going to learn anything by it?

Go out and have a good time. Lots of people meet in "close quarters" such as school, work, church functions, and all sorts of activities that include the training hall. It's better to think positive and give it a go than to play it safe and wonder if you should have.

Hi Night Hawk. Welcome to Karate Forums.

I think she is strong in hand use, and that kick is ready to fire, but what follows would be tough to perform. This Krav-Maga video has front, side, and back hair grabs. http://www.ehow.com/video_2368030_defend-against-hair-grab-women.html I'm not sure about the front grab response, since it may depend on bodyweight as much as speed, but the side hair grabs really based themselves on striking like mad below the belt of the attacker. I think that anyone whose hair is pulled from behind has to be fast to do what's suggested in this video.

I really enjoy Jeet Kune Do, but since starting it, bit-by-bit my right elbow, which holds the focus mitt, has ached, first being in the morning of the next day, then being late at night. It's only been a bit for the left elbow, since we concentrate so much on the straight lead, and the better mitt-holding for your partner is with the right hand as he strikes with his right. Has anyone else experience impact-generated elbow pain? When someone sharp at JKD hits that focus mitt (like my instructor demonstrating), it's like Superman being "more powerful than a locomotive" (the George Reeves TV show) as he's using the falling step to drop his weight into it. Oddly enough, I don't lose any of my punching power. Curiouser and curiouser . . .

Grand Master (Masonic) Grand Master (Teutonic Order) Grand Master (Knights Templar--ended in 1314) Got them from Wikipedia.

The workshop was offered over a three-day period, but you didn't have to do all three days. I was able to do just one, the first day, but there were people who came in from England, Wales, Luxembourg, and the Philippines, as well as other states, so there had to be two- and three-day participants. I had the second-least training in JKD that I know of, less than three months. The one with the least had none at all, but he did have years of training in two other martial arts and was curious about JKD. The toughest part of JKD isn't the straight lead, it's the footwork. - It's got a ton of mini-steps (I think of them as "baby steps"), forwards and back, and when you do it right, repeatedly, from one end of the training hall to the other, your legs ache and it taxes your cardio--but when it's demonstrated how it can be used for positional advantage in a brewing altercation, you really appreciate it. - The "giant steps" (as I call them) have the rear leg move first, then the lead leg, and are really for lead leg strikes (although there's no law that says you can't punch), and you can tell that by practicing them you're able to hide your movement a lot better than a more obvious hop or jump. The giant step back to seize as much distance as possible as rapidly as possible takes some getting used to, because the first thought is to move your rear leg back, but it's the lead leg that moves back first (usually combined with a tilt back of the head), and then the rear leg. There's nothing to prevent you from giving your adversary a good shot to the nose, then giant step back in case his friends are right there and you want room. - The "L-shape" footwork isn't just to move one step off (instead of back) so that you're not so linear, but practicing it can mean L-shape after L-shape, like repeatedly forming a large square on the floor you're practicing on, and yet you can see that you're able to strike, L-shape, strike him again or another adversary instead, and even L-shape around the adversary(ies). I don't know enough to explain more, and if I'd have tried to learn everything at once I'd have info-overload, but like any other martial art it takes time and a ton of practice to get it down. - The "humbling experience" is when you try to kick wearing sneakers or shoes. I know I said "try" in that sentence, and it's good that there are only a few kicks in JKD, intended to be below the belt. I wore sneakers, and they gripped the matted floor that I practice JKD on without shoes during the week (after my Soo Bahk Do class--which has a matted floor also). Go ahead. Try to spin round on the ball of your (shod) foot to point the heel at your target to fire off that high kick. Don't be surprised if you don't find your foot only halfway turned, and that repeated tries feel like you're twisting your knee (the torque is felt right in that joint). High kicking barefoot in the training hall isn't the same as with footwear; footwear will affect your footwork for your kicks in the "real world." I believe the instructors were wearing special shoes that enabled them to move smoothly on any surface, although they didn't appear to be special. It was a valuable experience, especially for someone like me with limited training, and I think it's interesting that, instead of thinking of how much punching and kicking I did, it was the footwork that stuck in my mind the most.

Yeah, I'm just hoping to find a place where I can work around some issues I've got. I'm one of many adults with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Syndrome, so when I encounter some kinds of problems I can't move on without someone pushing me through it. Three classes is ideal for me because of that, though once I get back into some semblance of shape I'll probably be able to work things out at home easier XD. Laurien, the family responsibilites I referred to are that my seven-year-old twin sons, David and Patrick, are in the autistic spectrum. They're both diagnosed as PDD-NOS, but aren't in the same place of the spectrum. If you go to the Photo Album section of the forums (the connection is in the red band at the top of each web page) you can see photos of them. Special needs karate has been a great benefit for my sons, and their teacher is absolutely wonderful. I've been bringing them twice a week for three years now, some classes running fairly smoothly, others with a meltdown by one or the other, but progress has definitely been made. I'm allowed on the floor with them, so although I'm in the dojang, I'm not in training but assisting. The other two days that I'm there are for me. I'm glad you're in the High Functioning position. I'm hoping my children reach that level, too.

I don't live in CA, Luarien, but I understand scheduling problems. Due to family responsibilities, two nights a week is the max for me being able to attend classes. I have the option of taking no classes or taking two good classes in the training hall. Remember that you'll be expected to do some training at home whenever possible. While it may not be under the supervision of an instructor, it's often what you bring home with you that enables you to progress, and even to realize what you don't know/remember when not in school.

I think it's sad when we yield our freedom to have the simple length of our hair dictated to us by the Neanderthals of society. I think that the first video: http://www.ehow.com/video_2357209_self-defense-video-hair-grabs.html is the best one. Although I agree it may be more of a woman's concern than a man's, it can happen to men, too, and this demonstrator, a man, tells it like it is when he says "And it hurts!" I wonder if the one doing the seizing hasn't done this before, disorienting his/her victim, and controlling someone who doesn't know what to do other than to cry out in pain. It would be a surprise to such an attacker if the one seized did any counter-moves, and the ones demonstrated in this video seem the best to me.

When my teacher was preparing her school to be opened, a friend helped her to work on the floor. It was a challenge to get it just right for training, although they did it. When she agreed to share the space of her school with a friend whose course is JuJitsu, he had many mats, and they spread nicely on the floor. All that hard work could have been done in one shot by the mats. They cover all the training area of what is a small dojang and have been an asset. The work that went into the floor to save money in the beginning is covered by mats that give good support for standing, takedowns, people like me who fall when overdoing jump kicks, a floor that's never cold in the winter, and the young ones love to grapple, so the mats are a good feature. You can check out prices at AWMA or at Century.

I have discovered that the practice I've put into Soo Bahk Do regarding the hip turn has not only made it easier to straight lead punch in Jeet Kune Do, but the additional JKD emphasis on how the shoulders turn to form almost a straight line to the target puts a lot more power into those strikes. My footwork has also speeded up with the rear heel raised in JKD, meaning less "grounding" than in SBD, but SBD was where I first learned proper balance, such as not to over-commit to a strike or even "lean" or "list" to one side while performing one. I have noticed that the practice of blocking first and then responding has a strong emphasis in SBD, especially in the lower belts, but the higher belts (definitely dan level) concentrate more on parrying and a quicker response. In JKD, you're not blocking unless you're stuck with it, so from the get-go, you're learning to parry and punch, my instructor able to punch just before the parry, and even to block a kick with the leg while moving in and turning, so that the knee of your other leg strikes the inner thigh of your opponent. I've seen it demonstrated and practiced with a more advanced student, and it's perfect for anyone who's not afraid to step right up to the opponent instead of stepping away from his attack. How SBD and JKD complement one another in kicks, for me, is that in SBD the rear leg is emphasized, but in JKD it's the lead leg. It's great to get understanding and practice in with both. I realize that there are many fans of forms in the forums, and I like them if I know what applications (or even some applications) are contained within. The problem can be that it may be years before these applications are revealed, or revealed and practiced. In JKD, the application is what you're not only aware of, you're practicing it. I'm sure I'll find out more as I go further along the road in Jeet Kune Do. There's a seminar/workshop this weekend right in my hometown, and I'll be attending it.

I've always thought of cars from the earlier era as being heavier and far less of an eggshell than more recent cars, but this video: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/crash-test-1959-chevy-vs-2009-chevy.aspx?gt1=33009 shows otherwise. There's a small chart with the text of the article showing fatalities in comparing 1959 with 2008, and it's really a surprise how what's contemporary is safer.

I've been studying Soo Bahk Do for nineteen months now, but Jeet Kune Do for just about two-and-a-half. My SBD lessons have been twice a week, my JKD once a week, based on family responsibilities. I've already seen such a difference in how the systems work, one more traditional in fighting style and personal values, the other more attuned to straightforward "put out his lights," that I can definitely see why Jeet Kune Do is found under "Combative Martial Arts" here in the forums. One special quality about JKD is that it's geared towards what's comfortable or natural for you, personally. If you are comfortable with the vertical fist at all times, or with the vertical fist and sometimes the three-quarters, that's okay--just practice them faithfully. I've also found the JKD kicks much better suited to my kicking abilities than SBD. In my case, a green belt in Soo Bahk Do is all I feel I really need to call it my art, while studying Jeet Kune Do at the same time and having no confusion between the two. Taking JKD has changed my original thought that someone should reach dan level in one art before starting a second one. I'm ready now for this second art and what it offers. In a sense, Jeet Kune Do is like pragmatism. It's "true" for you because it "works" for you.

Thanks, Josh. Your post was very informative. I quoted the part I thought was most interesting to me. I understand that, while Nim is "honorific to the title," it's not that we'd use Nim when speaking with the person, so "Yes, Sir" or "Yes, Ma'am" wouldn't be "Yes, Nim."

In Vee Arnis JuJitsu, the use of the knife is part of the art. The sensei I took self-defense lessons from did have a guest instructor who was a knife-fighter. I thought we were going to learn disarms, but when we did the disarm techniques we were told were most common, he was showing us counters to them. I'm not making judgment about those who wish to be adept with the blade any more than with sticks, but I chose to excuse myself about halfway through when I found that we weren't going to learn disarms that would work.