conrad665

I think I agree with you. I always pair up with higher ranks in judo (we do not punch each other but close enough ) and usually end up on the ground, being choked or pinned down, and sometimes I get discouraged after being beaten so many times. But all the way training is not the solution, either (an important part of the solution, though), unless you practice some close-to-real situations. That would give you false-confidence, which could be very dangerous. It is important to experience how the technique would affect the opponent, that is, be punched in the face, but only after you have your tools at hand~techniques practiced well. Receiving a technique also helps you control your power and technique better. I hurt my opponents a few times, not knowing how much pain a simple bending of the arm or pressing on the inner thigh could cause.

The Book of Five Rings has been at the top of my to-be-read list for ages. I will read it as soon as I have some free time. My iaido instructor always recommends this book to us. He told once that his style hasn't gained much popularity, because using two swords is not something ordinary people can do easily. If you are not the master of your two hands (and your brain lobes), it is easy to be killed on the battleground. As the common aim of the many ways of sword is to survive, one sword is the choice of the majority.

I started Ashihara karate last week! It is a style similar to Kyokushin, I am told. Man, it is so much fun! For the first time in my life, I hit someone with a shuto uke and there are different techniques like shita zuki, which I never practiced before. We first do some combinations and then apply them step by step on an opponent right away. It is less like an "art", but much more practical than Shotokan, I should say. I still practice Shotokan kata when I have time, and I miss our training sessions. For now, however, I'll stick to Ashihara for a bit. Judo is a totally different world. it has been more than one year now since I started judo. The skin on my knuckles began to harden and I think I am getting used to the techniques. In the beginning, I really had problems because I was so much used to keeping my body straight and feet grounded on the tatami. You need to be soft and elastic-and open minded- to be able to perform good technique in judo. I think every martial artist should try out judo some time. Actually, judo and wrestling have quite different techniques, as my Sensei told me. For example, we never grab legs, and the main difference is the judogi.

Thank you very much, Tempest. I sometimes feel tension in my body during an ukemi, maybe I should learn how to do it in a relaxed way. Yesterday I tried to to some handstands and landed in ukemi, and I still experienced the same thing. I will try to get used to the feeling by trying out the ukemi each class.

Hi, I have been practicing judo for about one year now, and I enjoy it very much. I got used to throwing people and being thrown, but there is one thing I am having trouble with and that has got worse recently: the ukemi. When we do ukemi (forward and backward), I cannot do more than two (my very limit). If I try more, then the whole world starts to turn, I feel dizzy, sit and cannot get up from the floor for a while. It doesn't happen when I am thrown by someone (probably because there is time to recover between throws), only happens when I do multiple ukemi. I googled my problem and tried some suggestions (like jumping when I get up, keeping my eyes open and breathing deeply during the ukemi) but none of them seems to work for me. I think I do not have vertigo or any related disease, I just don't know why this happens. Does one ever get used to rolling? Sensei tells me to stop when I feel dizzy, so I guess I cannot overcome this problem by rolling more. Any suggestions? Thank you very much in advance.

He may very well be a male chauvinist. If that’s the case, keep pairing up with someone else. It’s his issue to deal with, you don’t have to change anyone. You made a great point - we all need to adjust what we’re doing depending on who we’re partnered with. While I don’t spar with the younger ones very often, I have to go easier with them. There are a few women who I go easier with. There are also adult men who I go easier with. Then there are people with injuries and/or medical issues. To go all out with everyone doesn’t do anyone any good. Sparring partners are exactly that - partners. You should push your partner to work hard and keep him/her out of their comfort zone. Completely dominating and overwhelming them doesn’t do them any good, and it doesn’t do you much good either. I typically spar with two 3rd dans and a 4th dan on Tuesday nights. I’m a 1st kyu. They go at me, and I go right back at them. But I know they’re not going as hard as they possibly can. They’re pushing me hard enough to improve. When I get stupid and think I can keep up with everything they’ve got, I’m reminded of how far off I am during stuff like promotional tests. I just tested for 1st kyu last Monday night. They came at me far harder that night than they consistently do on Tuesday nights, that’s for sure. And I know they have more than they gave me that night. You go as hard as your partner can handle and walk away learning and improving. Some people can’t handle my 50%, and I wouldn’t be able to handle others’ 50%. The point is for everyone to work together and improve, not to walk in and dominate everyone in sight. Male, female, child, adult, injured, in perfect health; everyone should be reasonably pushed to their own individual limits. Just because I’m a man doesn’t mean every woman’s limits are significantly lower than mine. In fact, my limits are significantly lower than several women I train alongside. I think you might be going a bit rough by claiming he's a chauvinist. He was probably just raised that way, and he sticks to it. I don't think that's a bad thing at all. If he's been raised to never raise a hand to a woman, no matter the circumstance, then it probably translates to anything he does. He may just never feel comfortable with a high level of contact with a female, for fear of causing injury by accident. But who knows... What you could consider is speaking to you instructor about it, and maybe the three of you sitting down and hashing things out. It might help, or it might not. In the end, you should probably respect his wishes as much as he respects yours. Maybe I am, but this was how I felt when he refused to spar with me because I am a woman. I mean, I thought he was too proud of 'his manly strength' and it doesn't matter for him how good a female opponent is. I can say I am tougher than many of the women I sparred so far, and as Chunmonchek said, I took it as an insult. He spoke to me again and apologized, accepted what he said was rude and repeated he just ---can't punch women. He said the same thing as you, bushido_man96, that is, he was raised and programmed that way. I now can judge him less harshly, but still, I do not want an opponent who rejects sparring completely, instead of adjusting his technique and trying to learn how to control his technique. Sparring with this guy will not improve me in any way, nor him, so it is better not to do it again. And it is shocking to hear that there are women that abuse gentlemen as JR 137 mentioned. Hope there are only a few of them around.

Hi, OhioShodan85! I'm sorry to hear that you are not happy with your club. I experienced the same situation, the reasons were not totally the same, though, but quite similar. Maybe you would like to have a look at my previous topic: https://www.karateforums.com/giving-up-karate-and-taking-up-judo-vt51418.html I have struggled to quit (or not to quit!) my club for nearly three years and quit it last month. I am happy with my decision, as I got rid of the negative feelings I have for the club. I like my instructors, too, they are not bad people, but there are other things, you know. I wasn't content with the style of education and the system in the club anymore. Everything got more and more stagnant as I waited for a miraculous change. Staying away (at least so far) has greatly helped me, although I miss karate VERY much indeed. If you have the opportunity, I would suggest a change of scene. If possible, you can transfer to a another club. I am going to start a kyokushin karate club next month, just to see a fresh point of view. And I think JR 137 has a solid advice. I could never speak to my instructor about such issues, because he seemed to stuck in his own mindset and was very reluctant to change things in the club. Maybe you can help change your club for the better by speaking to your sensei.

Thanks for all your replies. I feel a bit better now, learning men have similar concerns. I will not take it personally. I can understand how a man can feel about hitting a woman in real life. It is a pity that in today's society, women are usually vulnerable to this kind of abuse, so I support protection of women by laws. I myself wouldn't hit a woman who does not practice martial arts, or a kid, or an elderly person. I wouldn't hit a man, either, as long as it is not a life and death situation. Why hurt someone when it is possible not to? However, being in the dojo is a totally different thing. Indeed, in real life, I think that guy could take me down with a single blow if he wanted. However, in the dojo, we must train and help each other to get better at what we learn. Everyone has a thing or two to learn from each other. Surely, a man may have some concerns over whether his technique would hurt his female opponent. I spar with kids and women, too, and the key point here is to *adjust* the technique so that no one will get hurt, instead of humiliating the opponent. I talked to him over this issue and expressed my thoughts, but he said there is nothing he can do about it and he will continue to live by his code, etc. The only thing I can do at this point is not to pair up with him again. I still think he is a male chauvinist.

What I can think of for Good: staying fit and healthy (most of the time), and observing how your own techniques change (and mature) over the years as you grow old. Bad: having little place for individuality. In my previous club, for example, we always used to perform kata in an aggressive manner, so as to impress the referees in competitions. Therefore, everyone in the club makes the same mistakes, and the grace and meaning are lost. The kata, practiced this way, turns into a demonstration of aggression, speed and power, rather than technical and mental training. Ugly: repeated many times, but I should repeat once more: EGO! People who underestimate their opponents rather than trying to learn things from each opponent. Fortunately, I haven't met many of this kind.

I hope it is O.K. to revive an old topic. Well, I didn't know such a phenomenon even existed. I never came across a guy who rejected sparring with me or went easy on me because I am a woman. Until yesterday. This guy just paired up with me and tried a few techniques, then said "I cannot hit women, it is my life philosophy" and stopped. Never in my life have I felt more humiliated. He simply meant that no matter how hard I train, I will never be a worthy opponent of him because of my gender. It is an exceptional example of male chauvinism. What I learnt during the years I spent in martial arts is that what matters is how hard you train and how willing you are to learn, and how well you can apply a technique. We do the same training, we spend the same amount of effort in the dojo, regardless of gender. And right, breasts are not that delicate I was hit several times in the chest area and it never bothered me. A hit in the solar plexus is much more efficient.

MatsuShinshii wrote Right, I do not have to pay anything to my previous club now if I start kyokushin. I think I will start it next week before I get used to having a lot of free time

They indeed have a strange kind of classification of styles. Today I learned that kyokushin karate is under Federation of Budo, together with wushu and stuff, while other karate styles are grouped under the National Karate Federation. I finally did it! I talked to my instructor and told him I will be off for a few months. I don't know I will ever return there. I also spoke to my new potential Sensei about my intention of joining his club. There has not been a part of my life without karate for the last 10 years, and now I will spend two weeks deciding what I really want to do. Now that I have plenty of free time, together with judo and iaido, I can even start... dancing? Gymnastics? Rugby? I feel kind of empty inside, I am not sure at this moment how I should go on with my pursuit of karate.

It is O.K. Well, it is not a heinous crime to want to transfer to a new dojo but it is highly uncourteous if you do it unless you are moving to somewhere else or just because you don't like the club and say it to the Sensei. All instructors know each other in a city and they wouldn't accept you if you do not follow the procedures properly. Our National Karate Federation is a government agency and every karateka has to be registered to enter the exams, competitions, etc. There is no problem with starting a new style from the beginning as a white belt, but if you wish to continue with your previous style, unfortunately, these are the rules :/ But, as I said, there are no other Shotokan clubs that I can attend and "fit my taste", so I am thinking about trying out Kyokushin a bit. Together with other reasons, I've lost my ability to even touch my opponents in the last few years, because I always pair up with people -how to say- "less tough" than me, like 16-year-old kids or delicate ladies and I am afraid of hurting them in any way.

The transfer process goes like this in my country: you pay some money to your previous Sensei, s/he gives you that reference thing if s/he is O.K. with your leaving the club, and only then can you become a member of a new club. Well, actually, this is good advice, thanks, LLLEARNER I regularly practice karate at least once a week. I think I'm a bit afraid of forgetting and losing everything I have practiced and learned so far, and never being able to return and continue from where I have left. I have never taken a break from karate since I started ten years ago -except a three-month-period when I broke a limb, and another period because of a nastier injury. But anyway, taking at least a few months off would really help me make up my mind. I have recently discovered a Kyokushin karate club and joined one session, and I think what they practice is closer to what I want to learn. Maybe I should go talk to that Sensei to let me in for some time and get to know their style better. Karate and judo are similar in some respects, as far as I know, too, but in my karate club, we never practiced judo techniques. You do not have to think about what a technique is for or whether it is useful that way, even if you sacrifice the correct technique for showing off and looking flashy in kata. I have little knowledge of how techniques in kata can be used against actual opponents. Judo, however, is much more realistic in that sense. So you can’t leave one club and join another without the original club’s owner’s written permission? That could quite possibly be the most absurd thing I’ve heard in the martial arts, and I’ve heard some pretty crazy stuff. I’m not saying you’re misinformed, as I don’t know where you live and train, I’m just saying that that policy is pretty crazy. It’s one thing if you’re transferring from one club to another club within an organization, ie transferring from the NYC branch of Joe’s Karate School to the Los Angeles branch of Joe’s Karate School. While I wouldn’t completely agree with it, I could see that being done for paperwork, rank, and instructors in the same organization not competing with each other and stuff like that. But to leave a school and start somewhere else entirely? It’s mind boggling to me. Are you sure this is an official policy, like a legal policy that’s applicable to all MA schools in your country, or is this something you’ve heard that could be urban legend? Kind of like the urban legend here in the US that black belts must register their hands and feet as lethal weapons with their local police department. It’s pure nonsense, but people still actually believe it. I’d check with an independent party to make sure it’s an actual policy and not something people have made up to keep students from leaving. I agree. Absolute nonsense! I think that this is a misconception of an introduction letter within the same organization. You don't have to pay money, it's not a necessity, nor does it keep you from joining another school in another town/city/state/country. It's a courtesy and nothing more. Instructors will write a letter of introduction to make the transition easier and establish the students credentials. It basically states that they are a student of yours, they trained for "x" years, hold the grade of "x" and are in good standing with the organization, and your contact information should other information be needed. It's not needed nor is it a requirement for either the student or instructor. It's a courtesy and nothing more. No one forces this nor does it keep the student from joining another school. Outside of an organization... Absolute nonsense! Sounds to me like a way to get a few more dollars out of the student before they leave. I wouldn't pay a dime. Unfortunately, this is a requirement in my country -probably a precaution because instructors do not like losing their successful students after spending so much time and effort on them, when they are offered better training conditions and stuff. There is even a list of fees on the official website of our national karate federation, for the amount you need to pay to transfer to other clubs, and this amount skyrockets if you represented your country in competitions and got medals. Fortunately, I am a mere karateka with no medals but I do not want to pay this still huge amount of money to my instructor, either-nearly equal to what I pay in one year to him. Actually, there is no other Shotokan club in my city that I can attend and offers better training, so what I have in mind is quit it rather than transfer to somewhere else.

The transfer process goes like this in my country: you pay some money to your previous Sensei, s/he gives you that reference thing if s/he is O.K. with your leaving the club, and only then can you become a member of a new club. Well, actually, this is good advice, thanks, LLLEARNER I regularly practice karate at least once a week. I think I'm a bit afraid of forgetting and losing everything I have practiced and learned so far, and never being able to return and continue from where I have left. I have never taken a break from karate since I started ten years ago -except a three-month-period when I broke a limb, and another period because of a nastier injury. But anyway, taking at least a few months off would really help me make up my mind. I have recently discovered a Kyokushin karate club and joined one session, and I think what they practice is closer to what I want to learn. Maybe I should go talk to that Sensei to let me in for some time and get to know their style better. Karate and judo are similar in some respects, as far as I know, too, but in my karate club, we never practiced judo techniques. You do not have to think about what a technique is for or whether it is useful that way, even if you sacrifice the correct technique for showing off and looking flashy in kata. I have little knowledge of how techniques in kata can be used against actual opponents. Judo, however, is much more realistic in that sense.

I feel similar about karate, I mean, although it keeps me frustrated however I try to learn and improve my technique and understanding. But still, I simply can't quit it. Actually, I have no intention of gaining skills to defend myself on the street (learning some street-fighting techniques wouldn't hurt, though-pardon the pun ). I visited a self-defence class once, and at the end, I decided karate would do more harm than good in actual fight. Even the first thing, our kamae position, has many weak points that the opponent can easily take advantage of. Then I realized that other things I perform now all build up on karate. Body coordination and flexibility (which is usually ignored in our judo classes and in iaido) are two assets I think I have learned over the years I practiced karate. Focusing on techniques, patience to practice them over and over, and other things I am not aware of yet. I don't know whether I would start with karate, either. It was just a random choice at first, but I could never quit it. Maybe it is because the real karate I want to learn is somewhere, and I'm still looking for it. I attended one seminar of Kanazawa Sensei and two seminars of Kasuya Sensei. Each time I loved karate much better and realized that I still have a long way to go. But now, what I feel is stagnation. I only attend classes because I don't want to lose my flexibility. It feels like an unhappy marriage that you can't quit because it has become a dull but comfortable routine.

In the last few weeks, I did a thorough research on possible instructors I can follow and asked a few senpai in the club. but unfortunately, I couldn't find any dojo that I could willingly join. Either they were too far from my home or totally kumite-oriented, without kihon and kata training o.o Just incredible... Thanks anyway for your kindness This is sometimes how I feel about certain karate techniques. Although I am far from perfection, the techniques feel more... natural, I guess. This makes me fear more about losing this feeling. Actually, I started judo because we never practiced grappling techniques in karate, although they are a part of karate. Once I heard that if it saves you, even biting your opponent is legit Then why should you just not enrich your repertoire and limit yourself by kicks and punches, just because competition rules expect you to? Therefore, I thought there would be no harm in getting to know more about grappling. It is great that you could internalize the essence and still make use of it. Well, so far, karate helped me a lot in terms of fitness and flexibility needed for judo (and toughness, I should say!), but sometimes I can confuse the two arts. I do not bend forward enough or get close to my opponent, or I find it hard not to look into my opponent's eyes in judo. For example, I still feel insecure when I try to perform a seoi nage, because I turn my back to my opponent. On the other hand, if you are fast enough in seoi nage or hide your technique well enough, the risk of being taken down instead is greatly reduced The logic is the same in karate. This is also a nice way to improve your mental flexibility, trying to figure out what is similar to the other art or not. I am sure, after a while, my body will get used to these new set of techniques. This sounds great. Karate is not just a few flashy kata, and forgetting them should not be a major problem. If you know the alphabet well, you can still write what you want to write, can't you (I think this metaphor fits the occasion )? After all, in my club, even yellow belt kids are taught multiple kata (many more than they can digest at their technical and mental level) in the aim of preparing them for competitions as soon as possible, while what matters should be the way they perform them. I would love to obtain a deeper understanding of what I have been practicing for years. Sometimes, you need to gain a new perspective to really understand the true essence and meaning of a thing. It is as if breathing your all life without being aware of it. You only realize how important it is when you stop breathing. Maybe quitting karate for even a few months will help me understand these things better. However, getting used to judo training is not an easy task. I find it tougher compared to the early stages of karate training, although I immensely enjoy the sessions. I think a former injury in my lower back returned last week, after an intense judo session. Therefore, I decided to let my body get used to the new training regimen in a slower pace. I will keep doing karate once or twice a week for a while, and try to adapt my body to judo. I have already obtained an uchikomi band and started doing strengthening exercises I guess it is too early yet for practicing judo techniques on it. Thanks!

This is exactly how I feel. My technique in karate may look ultra-super fast and strong, but I highly doubt if I could take someone down with a single blow-it is the main idea of karate, after all. Sorry if my point is misunderstood. I just gave it as an example of how karate is limited to studying certain techniques. If karate is thought as a lake, what we train is just a cup of water. Karate is much richer than that, but I even doubt whether my karate instructor knows traditional ways of sparring in depth. I have never been taught how to react against a weapon rather than a bare-handed person, so I cannot comment on the efficiency of those techniques in real life. I do not know if such techniques exist in Judo, either. When I think over things, I have many reasons to quit karate and the way competitions take over karate is one of them. I really hope to find a Sensei that could teach me what I really would like to learn, not just some flashy movements and stuff. But I can tell the odds are against me in this pursuit... Thank you very much for your good wish. No matter what style or what martial art I choose, I will try my best to learn and internalize it.

JR 137, thank you for your comment. Many people have recently quit the karate club, too, probably for the reasons I explained before. I do not feel any kind of dedication to the instructor except a certain level of respect for his knowledge. But I do not appreciate the way he sells his knowledge. Well, I guess we wouldn't get on well in real life... For me to be able to go to somewhere else, I need to take a reference letter kind of thing from him. And I don't want to spoil our relationship, so I told him that I will be very very busy for a while and I need some time off. And he told me returning to karate is going to be hard after a long break, and he is quite right. As I told earlier, I do not think I will ever be able to find a dojo which fits my taste, so, for now, I think I will leave it there. No problem about returning back. I have literally struggled for two years to finally reach this decision. It was rather my affection for karate that kept me nagging about all these issues without having the courage to take action. However, I realize that what we practice in the club is... artificial karate. It is not organic, it is mechanical and has no soul in it. I sweat a lot, I develop muscles, but I do not understand what we do. We just give the air around us a good beating, without knowing whether our technique which looks brilliant would actually work against a real human being. I want to perform karate just for myself, not for other people to look and enjoy. I, too, will remain friends with other club members and sometimes even visit them. My new Sensei is a retired judo instructor who teaches us for his own enjoyment. Now this is the kind of spirit I would like to see in an instructor We do not even pay for the sessions. He told us we can take the belt exams if we wished to, but I haven't applied for a licence yet. I think I am not interested much with belts and rankings at this stage, but sooner or later I will apply for one. And I have never heard a prerequisite such as entering a competition for the belt exams o.o I think it may be dangerous, as having to compete without enough experience may cause injuries or loss of enthusiasm for the art, or too much enthusiasm for competitions and nothing else. Once in a seminar, a Japanese Sensei told us scornfully about a world champion who was robbed on his way home. This is what I don't like about today's karate. As competitions have become the sole purpose for many people to train, everything about karate circulates around competitions and nothing else. For example, l have never been taught a technique against a person with a knife. We only work out with hand and foot guards. Competition techniques are limited to a few, like kizami dzuki, mawashi geri and ura mawashi geri. We never tried an empi or a hiza geri against each other. Or never a grappling technique, as if they do not exist in karate. I am not enthusiastic about hitting people and getting hit, but what we do is mock fight. What we do is amputated karate. And I share the same opinion, I am not able to hit people although I am faster than them (I experienced this with one judoka and one boxer). I have never got into trouble before, maybe I just didn't want to hit those people not to hurt them for no particular reason. But anyway, muscle memory is a dangerous thing. I don't believe competitions are totally useless. After all, one can never know if his/her technique is useful without trying them out on people with different strategies, right? But the way the competitions are conducted is the whole problem about karate and partially the reason why I quit karate.

MatsuShinshii, thank you for your good wishes and your warnings. Unfortunately, many martial arts tend to revolve around competitions more or less, and judo is no exception. Nevertheless, I believe I will be able to circumvent this complication somehow. Our group consists of people who do not compete or did judo when they were young and returned after a while. This is one of the many reasons that attracted me to judo, my classmates have similar intentions in training the art. Hope our dojo will not take the turn my karate club did, though Well, actually I'm not totally against competitions. They are great opportunities to test one's mental and physical abilities. What I do not like about them is they have become the sole reason for training for many people, and people can become champion without knowing anything about the true essence of the martial art, and without understanding what they do. As I mentioned above, I sometimes compete to see how I perform under stress. Although I will need many years of practice before, if Sensei sees me worthy, I'd like to give it a try

Thank you for the encouraging words, Sensei8 I concur with what you say, if the dojo has chosen a different path, it would be best to follow your own. After all, each martial artist creates and follows his/her own way. It would be unfair to allow others-whether it be your instructor or some other thing- to make you go astray. I'm not talking about guidance and sharing wisdom. Unfortunately, both are hard to find these days. And it is comforting to think that the karateka inside me will always survive somehow, somewhere It helps to think of a martial art as a journey. You cannot walk forever, can you? You sometimes run, sometimes stand and watch beauties around you. You may also get tired and stop for a while or for longer. What matters should be the experiences you should have no matter what activity you do. Judo is a whole new journey, and I will pursue my new path as long as I can. Thanks! Thanks for sharing your experience, Singularity6. It is nice to hear that you never lost your enthusiasm about martial arts, and I guess it is just normal to feel pain after training. We are both newbies in these martial arts and I wonder how much time it will take to get used to the new way of doing things. This really elevated my mood I spent my time and money on karate and I never regret doing so, but when it is time to move on, it is better to move on. Quitting a dojo should not mean quitting karate altogether. I can-and do- train myself, and I can enrich my knowledge on martial arts at the same time. Osu!

Hi, I am sorry for the long post, but I feel much better now, sharing my feelings with people who can understand me and guide me through my decision. I have been practicing Shotokan karate for the past 9 years. I started it at 18 and now I'm 27. Since the day I started, karate has always been a passion for me. However, in the last two years, my feelings about my karate club started to change. The club got more and more competition oriented, which is not a very bad thing for many, but just a source of frustration for the likes of me (who compete occasionally and not for medals). Instructors started to teach kids how to impress referees to get more points before correcting their techniques. And I started to find modern kumite more useless as I trained, and feel that it is more of a burden on my body trying to keep up with kids of age at most 16. And I started to think "What is the use of being fast or getting all flags up if your technique is not useful at all?" Last but not least, the club is swarming with little kids! There is not enough room for performing techniques without interruption and people bump into each other. Not being a competitor, the instructors do not care about me much, either. They haven't corrected my technique for such a long time-maybe for two years. To make a long story short, sadly, I do not feel that I am learning new things and improving my technique at all. And I am afraid I will not be able to find a new dojo in the entire city to my liking. I am not sure Sensei would let me go to another dojo, either. Because of all these reasons, I decided to try out new things. I started practicing iaido one year ago and judo three months ago, once a week, to get to know other martial arts. I enjoy iaido very much, but the sessions are once a week only. I hope to continue learning iaido as long as I can. Although judo takes a toll on my body (probably because of not being used to hitting the ground) and I feel more injury-prone during sessions (because I cannot do much without a partner in judo and my partners are usually tougher than me), I enjoy trying the throws and falls. It is a totally different world. Plus, Sensei corrects me whenever I make a mistake and then I can feel I am doing better, which makes me really happy. I can feel I am learning new things and improving what I once did wrong. And my classmates are serious and enthusiastic people, unlike the kids in the karate club who come to training because their family force them to. I still do not know what I expect from a martial art. I do not know why I adhered to karate that much. Just for the feeling of achieving something? Because I was seeking some kind of guidance? To socialize with people? For gaining self-confidence? For keeping fit? Well, the last one would be the weakest reason, because I have never felt fitter my entire life. I simply loved karate and I still love it, but I feel it is time to move on. I decided to quit karate for about six months and concentrate on judo. Then I will decide whether to quit it forever or give it another chance. So, what would be your suggestions on the new path that I chose? I would love to hear any comments and ideas, or any tips that would help me have less pain after judo sessions. Thank you very much in advance. It may sound trivial, but it was a tough decision to take for me and I was thinking over it all the time, and having decided at last, it feels great

So true! Couldn't agree with you more! Too many MA instructors in my neck of the woods have the attitude "you will respect my belt, no matter how well I teach or treat my students"... Our approach is, yes, we observe traditional ranking hierarchy with kyu students showing proper respect to yudansha. However, that doesn't give us freedom to treat them like dirt; they're still human beings. If we, as instructors / yudansha, don't show them respect as humans, not only is this unethical, it's bad for business (they'll leave, we lose money, won't be able to keep dojo running...) On the other hand, as many here pointed out, it's Karate class. We do our best to conduct our training in a safe manner, but, as bassaiguy said, injuries come with the territory... I'm not saying to simply ignore a fractured foot; only that as soon as you're able to train again after healing, TRAIN... TRAIN LIKE YOU MEAN IT As for communication issues, as others have mentioned, you should have notified your sensei as soon as an issue arose. Any good instructor with a decent sense of professionalism and respect will listen to a student's concerns. Any issues will be resolved by said instructors, however, you might not receive the exact resolution you're looking for For example, we had a new adult student join class last year that was a fairly timid person and had never really done any sort of hard physical fitness. This adult student found our workouts / training very difficult and needed a lot of encouragement. We did; we always give positive encouragement. However, this student's means of dealing with adverse, daunting exercises was to goof off during class. Since our adult classes range from fairly hardcore to extremely hardcore, this student was always goofing off. At first, we talked to this student alone, after or before class when no one else was around, about the goofiness because we know for some people this is a normal response to something stressful. We worked out a plan with this student to improve this behavior. After 3 months of working through this student's goofiness, there was no improvement. So, we discussed it with this student again (after class, no one else present), and this student didn't have a legitimate excuse. We told this student politely, but firmly, to knock it off; it's a distraction and disrespectful to everyone. We let it go another 3 months (maybe too long?)... During class one day, we told this student, again politely but firmly, that this student needed to take things more seriously. This student immediately became all huffy and stormed off the deck (no bowing off or such) and left in a hurry. We don't feel sorry for this student's actions, only a little sad that this student wasn't able to overcome self even with our help and a plan. We found out a week later that this student was even more angry at us because we didn't immediately chase after to stop this student from leaving... I apologize I'm so wordy...lol I'm glad to see that you found another dojo and continue your training. Karate / MA is meant to be a lifelong journey... Thanks for your ideas, CredoTe, I totally concur Having a higher belt or being sensei/senpai shouldn't make one forget that we are all humans and we see each other outside of the dojo, too. The sensei's reaction was the most heart breaking part. I studied with him for 4 years and I rarely missed trainings. My attendance rate was higher than that of all of my instructors And I was never disrespectful to them. Even after these events, I never said rude words or left in a huff as you told about the case in your dojo. I simply thanked my sensei, bowed and left since there was nothing else to do. 'A decent sense of professionalism and respect' is just what they need, I think. They are just too full of their own egos, which a karateka should have been able to overcome after 20 years of training. My new dojo is more competition oriented, and this requires more strength and more developed reflexes. I will not compete unless the sensei forces me to do so, but training with national team members and more experienced students showed me how I lagged behind in speed and power. I learned that my stances are also too high and I had thought they were good. I feel like I'm learning everything from scratch, especially in kumite(I'm still scared of kumite a little, but I'm trying hard to get over with it). Incredible! When I look back, I think that my expulsion was even fortunate. Otherwise, I may have deceived myself for years, thinking I was studying karate. As you said, karate is a lifelong journey, and I'm determined to stick to it all my life. I hope I will live till my 80s

Thanks for your good wishes, mal103. I hope my signature didn't make me look like a freak that studies karate only for competitions, medals, etc. These are not my intentions, on the contrary, I don't care even a bit about such things. In my new dojo, I told the sensei that I will not compete, but study karate only. That was a quote from the cartoon 'Penguins of Madagascar' and I found it funny, nothing else. I've removed it for further misunderstandings The Greatest Disciple, I think you are right. I should've talked to the sensei, but this does not mean that he could treat me this way. He must have been the wise one in such a case. And he naturally stood by the side of his co-worker. Anyways, karate is always karate. And I'm continuing to learn this magnificent art.

Hi Thank you all for your replies After this incident, I've found another dojo and have been training there since then. I do not have any intention to go back to my previous dojo. After all, I was kicked out not once but twice... I should point out that I'm not a proud, arrogant and conceited person. If the whole thing had happened because of something that I thought I did wrong, I wouldn't hesitate a moment to go back and beg for their forgiveness on my knees. Really, I really loved my instructors, my dojo and everything... You told me to speak to the sensei again. The last time we spoke, I told him the whole thing from my point of view, why I kept my guard, why I didn't come to training for 3 months, that I wouldn't treat an instructor or anybody rudely, like I told here. But he didn't listen to me. He didn't take my words seriously. He talked and talked and talked, told me I was disrespectful and rude, if I weren't a diligent karateka that never missed training sessions, he wouldn't speak to me ever again. He didn't try to understand why a 'diligent karateka' as he said, chose to stay away from karate for that long. He simply ignored what I told him. That is why I chose to give up my dojo. Yes, I should have spoken to the sensei before all these things happened. I just didn't want to make a fuss over this issue and that guy wasn't around much, so I didn't. And I know his breaking my bone was an accident. But as I said, he is always tough without a reason, in that session he was even aggressive and I didn't want the same thing to happen. I will continue doing karate, which is all I want, so I think I will overcome what happened in time. Unfortunately, I will have to see these guys, another instructor from the dojo is getting married soon and all of us will be invited. I will probably ignore them. Since they both expelled me, they don't want me as their student and so they are not my instructors anymore. Thanks again for your ideas They helped me a lot to think over and decide what to do. I had even thought to give up karate. But I decided to stick to it