Grego

My sensei was a 1st Kyu (Snr Brown belt) when he started instructing. He was a shodan when he started instructing me the first time. Before Chito-ryu, he was also a shodan in TKD and Shotokan, so that probably attributed Hanshi Dometrich allowing him to run a dojo as a brown belt. Anyways, he's a Sandan now. Our style doesn't really promote fast, our Soke is only a 9th dan (we reserve 10th dan out of respect for our Osensei, and don't grant it). My point is that your dan rank isn't necessarily indicitive of your teaching ability.

my dad taught me by wresting with me and playing rough, starting at age two. As a result, I'm pretty hard to hold down.

Bushido, I completely agree. My sensei is not completely worried about alienating students. He's not making money, so he doesn't care to accurately represent a student's rank. Sensei is worried about be fair, however. He's careful not to have a "favorite son/daughter" If he did, and that person was double promoted, then I think the other students might actually have a basis for feeling alienated.

My sensei wouldn't permit children to change clothes at the various locations we called a dojo (we're a non-profit organization). Because he dealt with "troubled" youth, Sensei always insisted that everybody come to class fully uniformed. He didn't wanted to have to put up with teen boys trying to peeks at teen girls changing, or any accusations of being inappropriate.

I got started when I was about 12 years old. My sensei was forming a program to get disadvantaged kids off the street. He was teaching for free, and he needed students to get a government grant to get things going. I wasn't a troubled child, but we were very poor. I was kinda a geek in school, but got picked on alot. I didn't take Karate to learn how to fight (I already knew now to handle myself...I'm small, but fierce.) I took Karate to build my confidence. Being a nerdy kid from a poor family, I hated myself. After a few years, my sensei's funding fell through. Reluctantly, he had to shut down the school. I was a bout 15. I joined the army at age 17. In the army, we have to learn the army style of fighting. Its based loosely on BJJ, with some striking thrown it. My unit sent a few soldiers down to Ft. Benning to get qualified to instruct, so they taught us once a week. I did that for three years. I got off active duty in december. When I got back, I decided to look up my sensei. He is trying to start up his new school, and was glad to see me. He asked me to help him re-start, and he'd teach me for free like he used to. He had to break away from the US Chito-ryu federation to go non-profit. As such, he's missed out on many promotions and opportunities. However, since the Chito-ryu federation went through a civil war, they've decided to recognise the ranks of his students. It makes it more official. Officially, we're Chitose-Kai. We're pretty much a Chito-ryu school, but we couldn't go by Chito-ryu because when he first started the federation wouldn't support us. Now they do, but sensei won't change the name. He said he likes being "independant" Anyways, that more of my history than just WHY I got into martial arts.

I've not really had the experience of a young student getting to instruct senior people because of the nature of my school. It was originally designed as a non-profit way to get teens off of the street. As such, we have a pretty high drop-out rate. Me, as a green-belt, am the senior student. (I'm 23, I'm helping my sensei because he taught me when I was a young teenager. He's giving me free lessons, and I'm sempai for most of the students) However, I can relate to you my experience in the Army. When I was 19, only a year and a half into my service in the army, I was promoted to Sergeant. Suddenly, I was in charge of people who had been in service alot longer than I. I'm not really a strong leader personality, so I had a lot of trouble. Now if you put a very young person in charge of a class of older people, I can't honestly see how I can take that person seriously. Even now, as a green belt, I wouldn't feel insecure about sparring a 13 year old black belt. I have, in fact, during an inter-school sparring match. The kid just couldn't hang. I wasn't much bigger than the kid either, he just didn't have the application of the art down. (which is why we don't promote minors to black belt)

I'm 5'8, 145 lbs, so I'm pretty small. When I spar in Karate, I generally preform as a mobile striker because most people outweigh me. If I am the same size or heavier, I don't care to stand and duke it out. In US Army Combatives (based on BJJ, kinda), we do a lot of ground work. When I grapple, I prefer to go for chokes than submissions. I don't really have the weight behind me to wrestle somebody twice my size to submission, but I am wiry and good at getting out of most holds. Because of this, I'm able to choke people out from a non-dominant position.

At my school, we use a blue belt between Orange and green. Normally, the only people who recieve this blue belt are children, and adult/teens that aren't quite ready for green belt, but more advanced that other orange belts. (note that my sensei teaches karate for free, so this isn't a ploy to get money out of people) In that case, many students in our style are "double-promoted" over blue belt. Is this bad? no. Belts are a reflection of skills. There is no reason not to award a rank to a student that deserves it, unless you're worried about alienating other students.

In my school, the only protective gear that adults wear are those little white cloth pads on your knuckles, a mouthpiece, and a cup. In my experience doing Combatives in the US Army, 60% of what we do is sparring. We'll learn a technique, the pair up and practice it at "combat speed", where your opponent is actively trying to submit you. To me, kumite is where the art meets the application. Knowing how to perform a move, and knowing when two perform it are two seperate beasts. Sparring is an essential part to developing the art.

I've only ever worn century Gis....but I bought a first ProForce, and I find it to be of exceptionally higher quality. The ProForce is 14oz weight though, and I've never worn anything that heavy before.

Sounds kinda fishy if they don't give the style they practice. Perhaps you should ask them. I agree that their ranking system is a little weird, but I wouldn't called it a mcDojo based on that alone. You're correct to be a bit suspicious though. Once you ask, and they still can't give a style, you should avoid it. Also, you might want to ask one of the students. If a student can't tell you what style of Karate it is, then I wouldn't bother. Or, if its a style like "Smith-Kai" or "awesome-ryu" then I'd skip too.

I put it on and did some workouts with it on...it felt a little stiff, but great at the same time. I have decided that i love it.

Hey guys, I wanted to know your opinions on ProForce Gis. I recently bought a ProForce Diamond (14oz) Gi. I got it in the mail yesterday and tried it on. It fit beautifully and it feels great. It is really heavy, so hopefully it will hold up well. Does anybody have any experience with them?

Sorry if I'm bringing up an old topic, but I am a Chito-ryu Karateka. I call Bull on the 5th degree in 5 years thing. I stopped doing Karate awhile back when I was a green belt (I joined the military). That was about six years ago. When I started again earlier this year, my sensei started me out as a yellow belt. (in our style, Green is three ranks away from shodon, so quite a drop) Anyways, my sensei is only a Sandan. He's been doing Martial Arts for 25 years. He's very skilled. Chito-ryu is a very traditional style in my experience...so i don't know where that person is coming from. Its a small style too, so most of the black belts know each other...I don't see how this would have happened.