twistkick kid

20 August- instructor's meeting with the owner and other assistant instructors to develop a plan of attack for curriculum development spanning the time between now and end of 2019. the last few months- been consistently inconsistent in attending classes and working out due to work/lack thereof and health circumstances. 19 August- went on a really long walk around my neighborhood. when I got to the baseball field I went through the basics from base to base in different stances.

China was a crazy adventure! I'll have to write up my experiences there. We're probably going back in 2020 and I hope that I have the opportunity to go with the group again

I haven't been in a state of recognizable burnout with teaching in the last few years. Instead of being reactive, I would rather be proactive so as not to end up burnt out, hating teaching, and being grouchy. My current agreement is teaching every Tuesday from 5 till 7.45 in exchange for what would be included in monthly tuition (1 individual lesson and 1-2 adult group classes a week). any extra teaching I am asked to do gets compensated monetarily. (Been in and out of a real job and don't always have the extra money to put towards training. My instructors know I love to teach and that I do a good job of it). I am allowed quite a bit of freedom to teach what I want to (within reason and some curriculum boundaries) ... perhaps a bit more than some other instructors because I can come at a topic from the position of more than one style. I've held various leadership roles and been a part of my school's Academy of Instruction and Management since earning my blue belt (2nd intermediate rank). I earned my Shodan in July 2018 and the privilege of being called Sensei shortly after. Being a part of our Academy means that I can't solely teach. I have to further my own abilities within the art to be able to further the abilities of my students. I hope some of what I wrote is clarifying where I am coming from. If not, please let me know and I'll add more. -Joe

I taught my first bunch of classes in the new year tonight. Stripe testing in individual lessons. Group lessons focused on the traits of the tiger, one of the 5 animals that Shaolin Kempo draws roots from. Teaching kids to press forward mentally as well as physically within the art. Forms reviewed were the ones that had primary traits of a tiger's movement, and the classes were tougher than normal to make the kids feel a pressure to give up, but not so tough they'd actually quit and go home mid class.

Thank you for your input and suggestions @tallgeese and @sensei8

Well, that was a most awful way to come back to classes... I did fine up until we were holding kick shields for partners to strike with. One strike rocked my world and I was seeing stars from the pain in my shoulder. No contact work for me for a few more weeks, methinks. I didn't forget near as much as I thought. Minor things to correct in Hansuki and Circle, and need to relearn defensive punch 27 and 30. Remembered all of my Plum Tree blocking system, just got two sections out of order. I get to start a new form next week- Swift Tiger will likely be my choice

I play Pokemon Go on a near-daily basis. I moderate (when schedule allows) on a mental health website I have a giant soft spot for animals I love to garden- succulents and plumeria are my current hobbies I love to experiment with recipes

Looking forward to my first class back after an unexpected month off (recovering from a car accident). I also have an individual lesson tonight so I plan on using that to recall material that somehow slipped the cracks in my month off. I want to review Plum Tree blocking system and defensive punch techniques 22-30. If I can get to Circle of the Tiger and Hansuki (forms), even better will post an update after class

Things for me to work on in 2019 1) Better work/life balance 2)Pay off new to me car and another 1/3 of remaining balance on student loans 3) build my savings acct back up 4) Meet with an instructor from one of our sister schools to discuss what it would mean for me to be a part of his staff

Hello All- For purposes of this I'm defining instructor burnout as an inability to enjoy teaching brought on by feeling overworked or stressed out about it. May or may not need a recovery period of stepping away from teaching. I've been approached by my CI to take on more teaching responsibility. I currently teach Tuesday nights from 5 pm till 7.45 and the ages and ranks I teach are as follows (within the timetable) 5-5.25 Individualized lessons (9 and up, intermediate to advanced ranks, between 3 and 6 students) 5.30-6.25 Group lesson for Juniors (7 and 1/2 to 14, all ranks from beginner to Jr Black, as few as 10 students and up to 30) 6.30-6.55 Individualized lessons (7 and up, mostly intermediate and advanced ranks, between 3 and 6 students) 7-7.45 Group lesson, Open Mat (6 and up, beginner and intermediate students, attendance is right around 7 students) Sometimes I have help during classes, sometimes I don't. The level of help also varies from students who are in our STORM program, to adult assistant instructors, to me being a co-instructor with the CI. From what I understand, I would also be teaching on Thursdays with a similar timetable to Tuesday, just no group Open Mat class, and different ages/ranks during the individualized lessons. Also would have more consistent help Normally, I would say "yes Ma'am, no problem!" and dive on in. However, there's some factors that complicate the matter so I'm a bit hesitant to dive back in. (work, car accident aftermath, and personal life adventures) So I guess my questions are these: 1) What are the signs/symptoms of burning out as it pertains to being an instructor? 2) What are strategies to prevent burnout? 3) Assuming 1 and 2 fail, what are things that can be done to minimize the effects of being burned out on myself and my students? 4) How do you effectively recover from burnout and get back to a point where teaching is fun again? One of my goals this year is to be more proactive about my mental health as it pertains to a work/life balance, and I'd like to keep my relationship to martial arts as positive as is possible not only this year, but also into the long term Any insight is welcome. I'm also available to clarify points in here that may/may not be clear. Thanks- Joe

thank you all for the welcome back! *note to self... post more here!*

Long time no post- I fell off the internet again. Between life, karate, and work, I kind of forgot the internet exists and is a good thing. Should probably re-introduce myself Short story long (or long story short, I'm not sure which), here goes! I started my journey in the martial arts as some children do- reluctantly. I had no aspirations of becoming a ninja or Power Ranger. There was no desire to be like Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee. I kinda wanted to be like Mulan, but I wasn’t sure it could happen. How’s a kid going to get to China, much less save the country? At 7½ years old, I was the smallest girl in class, the shyest, and (according to the bullies) the dorkiest. I had wildly curly hair with bangs, a very soft voice, preferred to read at recess instead of play sports, and was the only kid from Kindergarten to 2nd Grade who wore glasses. That combination made me the perfect target for all the school bullies- no matter what I did I couldn’t get away from them. My mom noticed, and talked to her friend M. M is a Tae Kwon Do instructor, and thought that having me do that might help with some of the bullying problems. M talked to me, and I reluctantly said “I’ll try a class, but I probably won’t like it.” A few days later, my entire life would change (even though I didn’t get the impact at the time). I went to the trial class and got to try all things Tae Kwon Do. I felt powerful and strong, and was instantly hooked on TKD! After the lesson was over, I eagerly looked for my mom and M. They both asked me “Did you like it?” My response “Like it? I LOVED IT! I want to be a Black Belt!” Next thing I know I’m trying on a brand new TKD uniform and mom telling me “Your first official class is Monday.” Soon enough, I’m trying my hand at sparring, breaking boards, and even competing at local tournaments! I l had so much fun, and I was becoming way more self-confident. Eight years later, and now I’m preparing for my 1st Degree Black Belt test. I’m still short, but no longer the only kid in my grade with glasses. I’ve also by some stroke of luck found a hairstyle that suits my wild hair. I still dealt with the occasional bully, but was much better equipped to handle it. As an athletic and smart freshman (almost sophomore) in high school, I learned to navigate the confusing social circles between the “nerds” and “jocks.” However, my sanctuary was still in the TKD school. Any restlessness, whether internal or external, melted away when I stepped on the mats. If my homework was done and my schedule was free, I’d beg mom to take me to TKD so I could train or teach. I’m not exactly sure when or why I fell so in love with teaching, but my instructor took notice of that. He asked me to start teaching sections of classes, and it snowballed into taking over the entire day under indirect supervision. The knowledge and understanding gained from teaching helped me pass my Black Belt test, and begin the leap to realizing my passion- to share what I learn in martial arts and why I love it. Fast forward two more years and I’m now preparing to enter my senior year of high school. Even with the challenges of high school sports, AP classes, and family struggles, I spent as much time as humanly possible in the TKD school. After earning my Black Belt, I joined a program through my school to become an instructor. I took extra classes on teaching methodologies, how people learn, and how to effectively teach children. However, I found it difficult to teach my own peers- and I felt intimidated. Many of them were much older than me (I was 17 and they were in their 30s and 40s), and it was a battle of wits to get them to accept that yes, anyone can be a teacher- even a young person. Eventually, what I lacked in age and life experiences was outclassed by the fact that I was detail oriented, good at working with the kids, and had a few more years of training under my belt than many of my classmates in the program. I’m glad I didn’t give up. Somewhere in the midst of my junior year, I was tapped to test for my 2nd Degree Black Belt. I also discovered that there was a feeling inside me that something wasn’t right, but I suppressed and did everything possible to ignore it. I thought ignoring the feeling would make the things I was feeling go away, but it caused me to be someone I really wasn’t. After struggling with various aspects of my 2nd Degree test, I didn’t quite make the cut. I was given a second chance, and I did much better. However, even passing my 2nd Degree test didn’t make that inner distress leave. I felt lost and insecure, but I pushed it aside to finish high school and get into college. It's 2012. I’m a junior chemistry major at a school 500 miles away from everything I’ve grown up with- including my Tae Kwon Do school. Even though I never found a TKD school I felt comfortable training in, I still practiced what I was able to, whether in the halls of my dorm, out on the grass, or in the gym. Despite practicing, I never felt the way I used to… that feeling of sanctuary was gone. Realizing that this was a bigger problem than what I had made it out to be and that I despised how it made me feel, I started seeing a counsellor for what I thought was some kind of depression. This was only partially true. Yes, I had really bad depression, but I also was realizing a root cause of my inner tension- who AM I? What makes me who I am? Girl or boy? A year, much relentless researching, and many crying sessions in the counselling center later, I finally understood where that internal restlessness was coming from. I had really bad gender dysphoria. With that discovery came an ultimatum of sorts- live my truth and come out as transgender or continue to suffer by not coming out. At the time, I knew coming out could cost me jobs, friends, family, and potentially more. However, if I didn’t live as my true self, I would likely not see my 22nd birthday or beyond. I came out slowly, first to online friends, then to more and more people in my offline life. Some people refused to accept it, others thought it was “just a weird phase.” A few friends hesitated at first but came around later. I finished up all the on-campus coursework for my degree and moved home at the beginning of 2014. Slowly but surely I was growing into my new self. I was being read as male in social situations. People began calling me Joe instead of my old name. Sadly, it wasn’t happening in the place I needed to feel the safest- my TKD school. I gave it time, but no matter what I said or did, nobody referred to me as a male or called me my preferred name. Eventually, I worked up the nerve to have a discussion about it with my instructor. It ended poorly, and I promised myself that I would rather live my truth with integrity than the truth someone else builds for me. I almost walked away from martial arts entirely that night. The first few months of 2015 were spent searching for a new martial arts home. I looked at some schools, but none seemed to fit me. No adult program, class times that didn’t work for my schedule, trying a class and not feeling comfortable with the instructor, the instructor not wanting to acknowledge I had prior martial arts training- you name it. After looking at 7 schools in different styles, I was ready to abandon martial arts entirely because I couldn’t find a place to train that felt safe. I told myself that if I didn’t find a place to train by the end of May 2015, my martial arts career would be over and there would be no looking back. Well, I managed to find a new dojo, and just in time. Out on a walk one evening, I walked past USSD 4S Ranch. I went about 20 more steps, then turned around, walked back, and opened the door. I had walked past the building many times- heck, I even remember when it was built! But something about walking past it this time was different. It felt like a magnet was pulling me into the building, and I couldn’t ignore it. I was so scared it would end badly, but I shoved that feeling aside and asked to speak to the instructor about trying some classes. In I went, hesitantly. Out I walked, confidently. I started over as a white belt, but quickly rose through the ranks and rediscovered my passion for teaching. As I grew in the martial arts with USSD, I grew as a person. Sure, I still have glasses, I’m still soft-spoken, and my short hair might be wrestling with the hair gel on a daily basis. But I’ve learned to be respectful and how to stand up for myself. I’m more confident. I’m better at engaging my students and their parents. I now know that being me is the best thing- trying to live as something/someone you’re not doesn’t work. It’s not easy to live as your authentic self, but it is worth it. Trust me… it’s been the best thing I’ve done, even with the struggles of self-acceptance and the recognition of others My 3 years with USSD have been a rollercoaster of a time- from re-discovering my love for tournaments, to recovery from 2 major surgeries (hip and abdominal), to joining the Academy for Martial Arts Instruction and Management, to burning out on teaching because I didn’t know when to say “I’m overwhelmed,” to travelling overseas and testing in the Shaolin Temple for my Shodan (1st Black Belt). I’ve had times where I’ve been doubtful of my abilities and times of confidence in them. Hopefully this year I don't fall off the internet again- I rather missed this forum! -Joe

my right hip used to click, clank, and pop. it wasn't because of poor muscle tone or a lack of flexibility though- rather due to a structural abnormality of my socket combined with a tear of the cartilage over the acetabulum. now that I've had both the abnormality and cartilage repaired surgically, my hip doesn't pop, click, or clank any longer

*dances like a dork* I am back to doing everything I could do before I had my surgery and before my hip was a huge pain in the a** level problem requiring surgery. the other night I did a hip toss and was hip tossed. I can cartwheel, spin kick, jump kick, and more now. still working on my balance and getting some flexibility back. also in tournament prep mode. working a kata that has a 360 spin to a crouch, then springing up to kick behind and in front of me at the same time. I'm so thrilled to be able to do that. there was no way in hell pre-surgery I could even spin and crouch down., let alone jump and kick two different directions!

*dances like a dork* I am back to doing everything I could do before I had my surgery and before my hip was a huge pain in the a** level problem requiring surgery. the other night I did a hip toss and was hip tossed. I can cartwheel, spin kick, jump kick, and more now. still working on my balance and getting some flexibility back. also in tournament prep mode. working a kata that has a 360 spin to a crouch, then springing up to kick behind and in front of me at the same time. I'm so thrilled to be able to do that. there was no way in hell pre-surgery I could even spin and crouch down., let alone jump and kick two different directions!

I get to cross a couple of my goals off the list! I earned my Yonkyu a couple weeks back. Debating either the August or December So Cal Test. Will have to see what my instructors say. Quite frankly, I'm even shocked they let me test for Yonkyu when I did due to only being 3.5 months post-major hip surgery. I'm working on re-learning the basics and getting those solidified again. Some of the jumping kicks and rolls are a little challenging I feel confident in Stature of the Crane, #3 Kata, and #5 Pinan. #5 Kata needs work, but I'm making improvements weekly in memory, ability to make it look "smooth" (not like I've forgotten what I was doing half way through and frozen), and understanding the Bunkai. I finished the Shaolin Spear form I started learning back in July of 2016. Now that I know the pattern and I can do it reasonably well facing different directions, I want to perfect it for tournament so I can compete with it (or the Yin side to Two Man Bo Kata) Found out the Tournament dates for the year. 21 May in San Francisco, 3 June in Irvine, and there's some dates TBA for November and December!

I got tapped to test for Yonkyu (Green Belt with Brown Stripe) sometime during 2017 back before I had my hip surgery (31 October 2016). My school had a group of students who don't necessarily test well under the traditional circumstances for whatever reason (disability, scheduling, injury, etc) set up to take a test on 19 February 2017. Granted, I do test well under the traditional set of circumstances (big group, people there you don't normally work with, having instructors there that you don't normally work with, I can make my schedule work), but my instructors wanted me to be on the 19 February test. So I went along with it. It was a surprise because I was thinking "well, I just had this surgery and I want to wait till things have been healing for at least 6 to 7 months", so my goal to test was in April or May of 2017 It was way different from the other tests I had taken. Instead of having people there to look to when I got lost, I was the highest rank testing, and that meant everyone was looking at me when they got lost. Rather than being told what exercises to do for a warm up, the test's presiding instructor made me lead it. On the spot, no planning what to do beforehand. Part of why the presiding instructor did that as she explained later was to see how I would react. Would I look at her in abject terror? Would I grumble and complain? Or would I take it in stride and run with it? There was the obligatory set of basics, DM's, Kempos, that everyone runs through together. Then forms. I got called out to demonstrate some of my upper rank material (advanced knife and club defences), my rank forms, and then material of my choice (a spear form I just finished, and 3 Bo Kata). That was the real test because the presiding instructor said "if you still remember your old forms from your previous arts of study, please show those to us" So I got back up on the floor, composed myself for a moment, and ran through as much of my old material as possible (all while thinking to myself, "thank gods they don't know any of these forms because I'm probably messing up left and right!") At the end, everyone got called up one by one, lowest rank testing to highest rank testing, to break a board. Some of the younger ones had never done this before and were quite afraid. Afraid to fail. Afraid it would hurt. Afraid to mess up in front of their peers. One boy tried and it didn't break the first and second time, and he got supremely upset. There were tears. He ran over to me and was like "Joe, I can't do this. I'm not strong enough". I told him that if he wasn't strong he would have given up a long time ago. He's a tough kid, so he tried again, and it snapped on the third time! Yes, I'm proud of myself. But I'm more proud of the effort of my peers that day. One student with sensory issues was able to keep his full gi on the entire 2 hour test. A student with Cerebral Palsy was given the task to work on a Bo Kata with me over the past 2 months and perform it on her own, and she more than rose to the occasion. 3 adult students who have a lot of scheduling conflicts and can't always make it to regular training through the week were able to rise to the occasion and do amazing things despite limited training time.

so. guess who's back to almost full speed! this guy!! I have gotten off crutches, off the cane, and am walking with no limp. Now I can do most of my martial arts training stuff- just no unsupported takedowns and I'm trying not to jump too much (hard not to jump like I used to!) and I feel so good doing what I can do now I don't want to jinx it, but I feel so good. No more pain that makes me cry getting out of bed. now I just have to decide if I want to keep the pins in my hip or if I want them out. OOooOOoo... decisions decisions

wait a minute... me? I totally have no idea what I did to deserve any sort of spotlight lately, but I accept **turns 6 shades of red and bows** for the edited for space bio version of my "about me", I'm the Mr Joe with glasses toward the bottom of the page here for a little more about my martial arts background... https://ussdteamfocus.com/the-team/

Welcome to KF! I know of a handful of schools under the United Studios of Self Defense name in and around LA (and possibly Fountain Valley, if that's what you mean in your title by FV). I'm at one of their schools near the San Diego area and have enjoyed all aspects of training with them over the last 20 or so months. USSD teaches Shaolin Kempo Karate. It varies from location to location and instructor to instructor, but call around to see if you can find someone who likes to focus on sparring. They have tournament opportunities every 6-9 months, with competitive sparring divisions in addition to kata (forms). If you put your ZIP code in here, it might give you a better idea of where the schools are in relation to your house/place of work. http://www.ussd.com/corporate/finder hopefully this gives you a starting point for you in your search for a karate school! again, welcome to the forums -twistkick kid

JusticeZero- If he's got questions, you're more than willing to PM me the questions through my inbox (my apologies for the late response... internet knocked itself out for a few days, so I'm just now getting back online)

All very interesting points brought up by members and the articles alike I am a transgender man and when I spoke with my endocrinologist about competitions, she told me to hold off on competing in sparring events until my T levels had stabilized (about 18-24 months into transition), but she told me I could compete in Kata and Weapons Kata at any point. Her reasoning was that during the first 18-24 months of HRT, one's levels can be incredibly unpredictable (and might even run too high or low), especially if you're adjusting dosages or having surgery to remove ovaries/uterus/associated bleedy bits. She also didn't want me to be put in a class where (based on appearance) I was having to spar females, as I didn't really have much of a change in body shape or a voice drop until about 8 months into my HRT regimen. Speaking from my own experiences, I had massive level changes (going too high) after I had my ovaries and uterus out, so much so that we had to halve my T dosage. She said now that I've been on T for 2 years (as of 15 December 2016), I would be able to try my hand at tournament level sparring. Due to Injury and surgery, I won't be trying my hand at competitive sparring till at least December 2017

Welcome to KF! nice to meet you, Sebastian

JusticeZero- welcome back! I am also a transgender martial artist, transitioning in the opposite direction of you. I hope you are able to find a place to train that is accepting and has decent locker room facilities available. Your post has given me the courage to write out and eventually post my story here. if you have questions, don't hesitate to PM. Inbox is always open

Safroot- the sport goggles I have are ones that look like what JR 137 put in his link. I don't wear them over my glasses.