mr_obvious

Binding contracts are for cell phone companies, not dojos or gyms. Definitely offer a month-to-month option. Nothing wrong (IMHO) with offering blocks of dues (ie: 3, 6, 12 months) provided they offer a discount; and are hopefully accompanied by a temporary freeze option. Definitely against paying for a "Black Belt Package." Like yeah....pay "x" number of dollars and you will receive two years of training, followed by a black belt. Pfft.

Disadvantage? Sure. This is probably more profound in the application of grappling disciplines, or in competitive events. In most real-life striking applications; the same 12-year-old could still be very effective, simply by directing attacks between the legs of any superior opponent. Followed by retreat or striking other sensitive areas (ears, eyes, throat) as they hopefully become more vulnerable, and as necessary, following initial attack. I wouldn't imagine too many big-bad guys (or older teenagers, as the more likely scenario) remember to don a cup, before heading out to pick on 12-year-olds.

.....just make sure you get informed consent by the subject(s), and allow them to opt-out. I personally hate being video'd / photo'd, which isn't necessarily an unusual sentiment.

I have, on fairly regular occasion. If you tinker around with YouTube, not hard to dig up some vidz of tubbies demoing their unique skillz. Heck, some people get into MA, to aid in weight loss where other exercise programs have failed. I think, to most people, it would be obvious that both fat loss and muscle gain are beneficial to MA ability. Attack!!!

If he has one of the double-ended models, you could boorrow it to run through some of your Wado Bo Kata.

Funny thing -- some Karate Sensei actually did just that (Jedi Lightsaber demo) a few years ago. Don't recall the guy's name, but it was a few years ago at DragonCon in Atlanta (HUGE SciFi and Technology convention every September). http://www.dragoncon.org/

Baby powder your feet, maybe.....

Where I primarily train these days, we're similar. We'll spontaneously go over the stuff each deshi is supposed to be working on in class. After which, Sensei says you're doing good, bad, something needs work.....or congratulations you've just been promoted. At my alternate school, they do formal "tests" with panel members walking around to each testing station (sparring, heavy bag, focus mitts, kata, etc) scoring each student. Of course, everyone "invited" to test at this school tests at the same time, adults and children. So their adult, non-black-belt students (roughly 7% of the total attendance) get the extreme pleasure of demonstrating in front of little kids' mommies, poppies, grannies, kid brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, screaming babies, photo and video cameras. In the time since this has been put into practice, I've declined to test. At any rate, I'm a firm believer in the concept of "If someone's made progress and met the competency requirements for promotion, it's obvious. Don't need no stinkin' test to figure it out."

X2, well said.

Being an expert on the subject, I can tell you that's just how it is BTW, I love the concept of evaluating a school as whole, rather than "testing." If someone's ready for a promotion, and subsequent introduction to new material (techniques, kata, etc), this should be apparent in the course of practical observation.

If my name were Neo, we were in The Matrix and they......just happened to have a copy of the program, ready to download into my thick skull. .......I s'pose it's possible.

I suppose it varies by location...and age. In my area, the trend indicates a continual supply of "kid business" and (turnover). Not so much market for adults, or beginners at least. Majority of schools in my area are comprised vastly of low-rank kids, and advanced-rank adults. Not much in-between. Maybe the MMA advent has drawn the beginner adult crowd away, I dunno..... Just my $0.02 as an "adult consumer" of martial arts training schools. Opinions, observations and conjecture, perhaps, based on what I've seen and experienced through the years: 1) Tap into the parent market. All those big people waiting for the little people's class to end, are potential students themselves. Maybe offer a parent's trial night / lesson once per quarter.... 2) Don't combine adults and small kids classes. Even if one market is far smaller than the other; training methods *DO* differ, even if the end material is the same. Except.... 3) Offer an occasional "family night" where parents and their children can train together. Not to be substituted for #2. 4) Be a teacher, first and foremost. Don't let business, or administrative stuff become a burden. A great example is today's automated billing and check-in systems (that sound alarms and flash lights if a non-auto-payer is late, lol). Not having to remind your entire student base, monthly, that you're running a business....removes a distraction. 5) Don't be a salesman. If you offer other, specialized classes (private lessons....knitting, underwater basket weaving, whatever), passively advertise only. Sales pitches, in this economy.....especially while "on the clock" with existing clientele, has a high-potential for bad perception. 6) Depending on how "intimate" a particular school is, maybe set aside a few minutes before / after class for open discussion. Perhaps freely advertise / welcome students to chat after class, in-private, about any concerns.... 7) Happy people, students, prospectives, etcetera....are a good thing! Foster this atmosphere Again, this is from the keyboard of a martial arts student-consumer. At my point along the path, I neither aspire to, nor am working towards any sort of "Senseidom." So take it, as-it-is.

First name.

Yeah.....it was just a quickie g00gle search. Even after further digging, I couldn't find anything better. Me thinks that would be an awful cool gift though. Too bad nobody I know sews, or could custom make one ;-(

How about a really pimp Gi-style bath robe. Like this: Too bad they don't make them in black (or that I haven't ascertained yet).

You say that like smart alecs are bad...! We could always adapt the old adage: "if they don't like the answers, they shouldn't ask the questions."

Sorry to bump an older thread; I went on hiatus from the forums for a while, but wanted to add something to the knowledge base. So to speak Anyway, weight training wise.... You could try exercises focusing on maximum resistance using minimal weight. Lateral raises (palms down, arms outstretched, elbows just unlocked) and upright rows, for instance. Physics wise, an outstretched arm presents a lot of mechanical advantage over the Deltoid group. If lifted to just over ground-parallel, the weight won't significantly bear on the shoulder joint, thus mitigating impingement and inflammation injuries. Could also be done with cables, just make sure to watch the angles. Exercises such as mil-press, upright dumbbell press (handstands, lol) DO bear most of the working weight onto the joint. Might want to dial those exercises down while having issues. Too bad they're indispensable for building big ol' "shoulders like boulders."

I'll dial up the cardio when cutting weight; 3-5 times per week. I've been in maintenance mode lately, so I'm lucky to spin the hamster wheel once or twice a week. For martial arts specific application, I like HIIT (high intensity interval training) on the treadmill. For instance -- 5 minute warmup, 10 minute light jog, recover at a walk for a few minutes, then crank up the speed and incline for 60-120 seconds, recover, repeat until dead! Cool down. It would be analogous to a 30-40 minute spar / fight, with several all-out short blitzes.

Not necessarily. Two of the styles I train (Yoshukai, Shorin-Ryu) have unique subtleties, not just in application of striking techniques, but blocks and stances.....as well as Kata as you mentioned.

Why not just respond with "creative" answers? For instance: Age = 2 Birthplace = Sri Lanka Other Martial arts = Pugilism, Kalarippayattu, Kajukenbo (anything esoteric) Religion = Violence

Did you ever bully anyone? No way. Funny how things work out though..... The fat (although robustly strengthed) kid grows up to harness his "inner athlete." Going on to slim down / bulk up, train in martial arts, and even start a fitness side business. Of course, I never got into martial arts for self-defense. I work on a secured facility (complete with fully-equipped SWAT team), and carry a G21 while away from the office. Rather, I find much more benefit in the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the MAs. In the dojo, it's pretty hard to be anywhere mentally, but in the dojo; and if nothing else, is a great way to get 1/2 the week's allowance of cardio

I'm sure most everybody was at some point in their formative years. Grade school is more about drama, then education.... Heh, all the "bullies" in the 3429763243874 different schools I attended, would try and push my buttons, but being the fat kid who could lift car rearends with his bare hands, and leg press more that the sleds could hold -- not too many of them actually tried anything physical with me

Hey....it's a guaranteed "something to do," and an opportunity to travel on someone else's dime (without all the bullet and IED dodging our military endures).

So why not work on defence and counter attack. If that is per instructions for the drill, I do. Sometimes it's not. Countering, admittedly I have a problem going more than, say 10% throttle in return.

As it happens, heh, same happened to me. Only, in my case, it was a heavy truck ;-(