Chuck

Looks like Raymond has ADHD; he still needs work, but looks like he's falling in line (getting interested).

At San Jose State in California, to graduate with a B.S./B.A. you are required to have 2 units of Sports Classes. Martial Arts Classes which you can take are: (each class is 1 unit) Akido Karate (Shotokan) - Great Class run by 6th Dan Sensei Jay Castellano Judo - (Judo team Head Coach - Sensei Yoshihiro Uchida with 40 National Collegiate judo titles) Taekwondo Tai Chi

This makes me very angry; a total miss-use of the martial arts. More info on the matter: http://www.justice4kungfuguy.com/people.php http://www.facebook.com/pages/Justice-4-Kung-Fu-Guy/139581424457?v=app_2309869772 Bobby Joe now lives in Hanford just outside of Fresno, Ca. I hope he any every one in the video goes to jail for what they did to Kung Fu Guy.

Thanks for the insight guys. Just so I won't keep calling him the kid; I'm gonna call him Raymond, like from the movie RAINMAN. Raymond has some sort of dis-association from relating to people or a social situation (Asperger syndrome? ). Today during warm ups and basic drills he could not fall in-line with everyone. I don't think Raymond wants attention; any extra attention he got today he didn't even seem to noticed when I was around. However, when we started hitting the kicking pad with front kicks, Raymond was able follow instruction a little better.

It's a new session and I'm training the new white belts. Most of the kids listen. The 5 and 6 year olds need a little work, but there's this 4th grader that must have ADD (or something). He does not listen to instructions well. It's not like he out-right misbehaves; he's just not all there sometimes (autistic maybe?). His front stance is barely a front stance; when I ask him to copy me; his stance hardly changes. No kiai(s). Front kicks with no snaps. His forward punch, rising block, inside block, and outside block are really soft with little form with no bent knees. Most kids fall in line with instruction, but this kid doesn't get it. It's not like he's a 5 or 6 year old kid. He about 9 years old; usually it's easier to instruct the older kids. Anyways, his mom sits through the entire sessions but shows no reaction to his behavior. I don't want to ask her about his behavior (if there's a chance I might offend her somehow) but having some insight might help with his instruction. Needless to say me and the other Sempais need to spend extra time to train this kid. Anybody have similar students.

Good one.

We wash the Gi (and obi) after each practice. It's mandatory for everyone in the school.

Same with me, but I try to take the top off and put on a shirt or something. Outside the Dojo no belts. My sensei and the sempais will often meet after class at some hole in the wall but all our belts come off; the tops are usually replaced by shirts or jackets.

check out this kid good kime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4DF8kyQKsw

Beginners! This little girl's wearing a white belt... The little 7 year old girl is wearing a white belt, but I'm guessing she's from a traditional Karate school with only three belts white, brown, and black. IMO, As for her rank she's at least a 3rd kyu.

What would you say these guys should rank? In our school these kids would stay at 1st kyu (brown) for a long long long long long time.

check these kids out: Somebody may have already stated this: Keep in mind in JKA Shotokan all 1st Dans under the age of 16 is provisional and only counts in the school they're learning from. The 1st Dan (under 16) standing allows them to compete against other 1st Dans at their age level in tournaments and that's about it. At 16 the student will be re-test for 1st Dan.

Ti, are you familar with the San Jose, CA area?

Very true; in our School (JKA) you end up knowing 13-15 katas for your Shodan exam. However, you end up spending 2-3 years at brown re-learning/perfecting the early ones and learning the advanced ones right (i.e. Jion, Empi, Kanku Dai, Hangetsu, etc.)

50 years old? Plenty of time to get Shodan (Black Belt).

Where do you train at? Camp Carter Karate in San Jose

Sounds right to me.

Shotokan JKA (U.S.) Tested and completed 10th kyu - Taikyoku Shodan (white obi) 9th kyu - Heian Shodan (blue obi) 8th kyu - Heian Nidan (blue obi) 7th kyu - Heian Sandan (green obi) 6th kyu - Heian yondan (green obi) 5th kyu - Heian Godan (purple obi) 4th kyu - Tekki Shodan (purple obi) 3rd kyu - Bassai Dai (brown obi) 2nd kyu - Jion (brown obi) 1st kyu - Empi (brown obi) Learning pre shodan - Kandu Dai (brown obi) pre shodan - Gangaku (brown obi) pre shodan - Hangetsu (brown obi) pre shodan - nijushiho (brown obi)

I have come to not appreciate this statement much. Why discount all the learning that takes place before it? I think that learning is learning, and later learning builds on early learning. I like to think of it as just a continuum. I do think that it is difficult to quantify what exactly a "black belt" is. Everyone has different talents and abilities, and it is up to them to figure out what it is, and how to grow into it. Not everyone will have great technique, but some without may be great at applying concepts and strategies, and so on. Sometimes, I think the styles that really have it all figured out are the ones that don't use rank at all. I would certainly agree with this and so would my sensei. My sensei means 'real training' as in another level of training. Too many people (young kids and their parents) see Shodan as a benchmark of a final goal. Depending on what kind of Karateka you want to be Shodan can be a doorway to a life time of training (to better oneself).

From Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotokai IMO Shotokai is similar to Tai-chi.

When I learned this as a white belt, the punches had to be fired straight off the starting point to the solar plexus--no "swooping" at all. We learned to throw a hip twist into it for additional power. This video's punches "bump" the opponent's midsection. Isn't it a black belt performing the form--or am I seeing it wrong? Is there some bunkai (like a way of performing a groin strike) that justifies the way the punch is done? If that's what the practitioner's taught, and she's considered proficient enough to be featured on the site, then either that's the way of the art or, if not, then why is her instructor teaching/accepting what we see? Shotokai is a 'soft' form vs. Shotokan's 'hard' form based from the same foundaton of Funakoshi teachings. The Katas and kihon are basically the same. However, without studying from those who have mastered it; it is hard to understand a soft form when Shotokan is a pure (well mostly) hard form.

My Sensei (like many others) says 1st Dan (Shodan) is when the real training begins. My Sensei won't let you get past 1st kyu/test for 1st Dan until you are ready, so many just stay brown belt for quite sometime. In the last 3 years only two kids (10 and 12 years old) got their Shodan.

Here's a good one

$60 dollars sounds like it would just barely cover costs. In California a lot of schools charge crazy exam fees. Dan testing can be $500 to $1000. Color belt testing can be high as $100.

How much do you get charged for testing fees? My sensei charges $25.00 for each kyu testing. 1st Dan testing is $150.