CheekyMusician

My response was not an attack at you. I was referring to the general consensus on Ki that you generally hear/read about. Plus, if you re-read my post you will see that I'm not dismissing anything out of hand. I said that I believe in no touch K.O.s

Just because you're tiny doesn't mean that you can't participate in throwing arts. In fact, having a low centre of gravity will give you an advantage. I'm only about 5 foot and I refuse to let that stand in the way of any martial art I want to participate in. I mean, height isn't a major issue. There's people that succeed in the martial arts who have bigger problems than their height, so don't let it get in your way. You really haven't narrowed down what your looking for much, though. If you want an art with a spiritual side, then Aikido could be good for you. Size isn't an issue in it, you use your opponent's momentum against them. Its a very defensive art, but not in a "girly" way.

Well I've never taught martial arts, but I do teach guitar and recently started to teach a Bible class. Teaching is definately difficult. What you do or say is going to have an effect on another person. You don't want to influence them negatively, but you'll find yourself being put on the spot sometimes and doing or saying things that you're not proud of. Every individual or every group you teach is different. When certain people are missing from the group, or new people join, the whole group dynamics can change. It can be hard to keep on top of it all and stay sane. My English teacher used to tell me that preparation prevents pathetic performance, but in a lot of ways I've found that preparation is my enemy when I'm teaching. When I prepare I tend to try to push things down a particular road all the time, because that's what my lesson plan says, when I should be being more flexible and going with the flow a bit more. Its especially hard if you're young. I'm 18, and when I'm teaching guitar I teach young kids (usually about age . Its so much easier to get respect off them because of the age difference, and because kids are generally more happy-go-lucky and will go with the flow. Teenagers are definately a problem. They push the boundries, and resist discipline because they see you as a peer rather than a leader. If you're not teaching teenagers, though, just young kids, then it is easier to structure lessons. Like I said before, preparation can bog you down, but generally young kids like to be led through a lesson, and wont try leading you off in one direction or another, so preparation would probably be a good thing in that situation. Remember, too: safety first! Parents don't want kids returning battered and bruised. Also, kids are easily influenced. Make it your duty to set a good example. You really will be influencing them in a huge way. For some of these kids you may be their only "decent" role model excluding their teachers, so act accordingly. Don't swear in front of them (even if you're not talking to them directly, you don't want one of them to overhear foul language), don't advocate violence outside of training, don't be afraid to discipline any little tearaways, but don't go over the top. They are only kids after all, and parents would not approve of some teenager yelling or physically manhandling their kid. Most of all let the kids have fun and let off steam. Let them learn, too, but don't overdo it or they'll get frustrated and bored. As for you: take the most out of this experience. Don't see it as a chore, but see it as a way for you to learn and have fun too. Good luck!

I do and I don't. I believe that no touch knock outs etc. can be done, but I don't believe that it is due to any kind of mystical life force or inexplicable energy. I believe that "ki" is a collection of things like focus, control, muscle control etc.

Some McDojos could use it as a money grab, but I think it'd be excellent otherwise. I'm a musician and my mum, sister and I all teach music. I teach guitar to kids for free, but I would like to charge, and if I was charging for lessons I'd charge extra for individual tuition than I would for group tuition, just to make it worth my while. After all, it wouldn't be worth me coming out of my house, spending time preparing a lesson, and then teaching a lesson to one person for only a couple of pounds, but it would be fine for each pupil to pay a couple of pounds each if I was teaching a group.

Got to agree with the muscular memory part. A few weeks ago this boy at my church grabbed my wrist and wouldn't let go. I performed a little twist of the wrist and pulled my hand in towards me and upwards, and then found myself following on with a hammerfist strike like in Heian Shodan. Luckilly I managed to realise that I'd gone insane right before I clunked the poor laddie on the head.

I think martial arts are like anything in life. You're going to come across people who put their all into it, and people who are half-hearted. There's easy and hard routes to take everywhere. For instance, I know a lot of people that had got grades to get into good universities, but chose to go to the lower ranked unis just because it was easier and more convenient. Its the same with martial arts. Its sad, though, because one bad black belt could drag other "good" black belts down with them. I guess its just up to each individual to prove him/herself.

I'm starting Uni after the summer to study Archaeology.

Well I got a budgie for Christmas so I've got a huge list of names that I came up with when trying to decide on a name for it (I eventually called it Kai, by the way, which is Hawaiian for ocean and old norse for hen). Anyway, here goes, some names that I like: Ace A.J. Seiko Bob Abraham or Abe (I get a kick out of giving a wise, important sounding name to a simple animal) Isaac Yoda Mike Zeus Hercules Funakoshi, Ueshiba, Kano, *enter name of founder/respected practitioner of your style here*

Well I was sitting Advanced Higher Biology and Advanced Higher English this year and passed them both with *. I'd already got into Uni from my results from last year, though, so these results were really just a bonus. I'd been wanting an A for Bio, but I can hardly complain with what I got.

As people have said, TKD tend to use V-necked tops while karate people use cross over tops. Most TKD schools I've seen have Tae-Kwon-Do written across the back of their gis, while most karate schools I've seen tend to wear plain gis. Karate/TKD uniforms aren't usually all that expensive, but if its really an issue, just tell your instructor that you've already got a karate suit that you could use and he would probably understand and let you wear it.

I'm a Christian and a martial artist, and although I believe there are a lot of similarities between christianity and MAs eg. the endless quest for humility and respect for your fellow man, I believe that there are also things which would be displeasing to God. I know I felt very uncomfortable bowing to a picture of O Sensei when I went to Aikido. Fair enough, at karate we practice small standing bows to our teacher at the start of the class and to our opponents, but I didn't like the fact that at Aikido we were bowing to a photograph of someone who therefore couldn't see that we were showing him respect, and more than that a picture of someone who is dead. Yes, it was still supposed to be showing respect, but to me it was done with so much reverance that it was verging on being unChristian. The thing I worry about most if martial arts taking paramount importance over my God, which obviously isn't a problem exclusive to martial arts, it could be applied to anything: schoolwork, music, friends etc.

My club trains in a sports centre, and we don't bow when entering it. Sometimes if someone comes in late, they bow at the corner of the area we train in before starting training, but I'd feel odd doing that if I ever arrived late. I don't think I've ever actually seen a "dojo" here. Most martial arts clubs are run out of church halls, YMCAs, sports centres etc. so I can't really say what I'd do when entering a building used specifically for training.

At my club, testing is every 6 months, and no one is told to test or not to test. They just go if they think they're ready. Delaying testing is my middle name! I didn't sit my first belt test 'cause I was worried that all my basics were faulty, and then I skipped this test, too, but that was more to do with the fact that I'd been ill for a couple of weeks and then had to miss a week of class for studying, so by the time the belt tests came I'd missed 3 or 4 weeks training before them, and I felt it'd be a bit cheeky to just turn up for the test after being away for so long.

In my club its 6 months between tests for all coloured ranks, but I don't know how long it is between 1st Kyu and 1st Dan and beyond. Don't worry about sitting belts, though. When I first started I reckoned that it'd be cool to be able to say that I was a purple, brown or black belt. Now I don't care at all. In fact I've never actually been to an official belt test (although my instructor convinced me to test for my 9th Kyu in class). In many ways I actually feel belts can be a bind, as occassionally you get the sort of people who reckon they're too good to spar with you, hold pads for you etc. because the strip of material round their waist is considerably darker than the one round yours, and that can be annoying.

Yeah, I pay per class as well. I pay £4 for an hour and half session which I think is very good value for money. I would be happy to pay monthly as I do go regularly, but I don't think my Sensei is very comfotable with the whole money thing. The other day one of the kids went home early from class (about half way through) because he felt ill. Sensei gave the class fee back to his mum! motoko Your instructor sounds like a top guy!

I would love to train more than once a week, but because of my schedule, I can't. I've played piano since I was 6 (I'm now 18), so don't want to throw in the towel with that, I would love to give up those guitar lessons I give as I teach the kids for free, but I know that I'm relied upon and that if I stopped teaching there'd be a lot of kids who wouldn't get the chance to learn as their parents couldn't afford to pay for lessons. My club doesn't train on a Wednesday, so I can't train then, and although it does train on a Friday and Sunday it trains in a town quite far away and my 'rents don't want to take me that distance. I train as many times a week as I can when the opportunity arises, though. Right now my piano lessons are cancelled so I can train twice a week, and of course, I train at home when I've got time and decent weather eg. not snowing or icy, at least ( there's no room to train in the house so I have to do it outside). As for the word "wanked"...well, it means something totally different here in the UK. *giggles*

My club teaches the same kata in the same order, but I don't know what we get taught after Shodan.

Holiday Routine (when I don't have exams to study for or anything.) -Get up. I can get up anytime. Usually its between 10 and 12 O'clock. -Go downstairs and speak to my mum, dad or big sister (whoever's in). -Read my Bible/devotionals -Play my piano, guitar or trumpet for a while -Paint, read, practice karate, go shopping etc. -Go to karate once a week, and have the rest of the nights in the week to myself (for a change) unless I go out with friends etc. -Usually watch TV or surf the 'net until about 2 or 3 in the morning. I know *slaps hand* I probably shouldn't do that. -Go to sleep. Saturday -Get up at 8:30am and get breakfast. -Leave the house at about 9:30 to walk to work. -Get to work at about 10 to 10 and work usually until 4, but sometimes later. -Walk home and get dinner. -Go on the 'net/watch TV/read -Go to sleep Sunday -Get up at about 9am and get dressed. -Leave for church at about 10am and get there at about 10 past 10. -Get home from church at about 1:30pm and get lunch. -Read, go on the 'net etc. until dinner time. -After dinner, get ready and go to church at another church at about 6pm -Get in from church at about 9:30pm, read/watch TV/go on the 'net/practice karate or music etc. until bedtime. Normal Day Not very sure how things'll work out on a normal day yet, 'cause I'm just starting Uni this year, but it should be something like this. -Get up at about 6am, get breakfast. -Walk to the bus stop and catch bus at about 7:30am. -Get into Uni at about 8:45am and go to lectures etc. -Get home at about 6pm. On a Monday night I'll go straight to my piano lessons, on a Tuesday I'll got straight to teach kids guitar at my church, on a Wednesday should be going to Tai Chi (if I get a reply from the Tai Chi school...Grr!), Thursday go to karate, Friday...catch up on Uni work/music practice etc. and collapse in exhaustion.

Wait and see what other class members do. Some clubs don't like pupils wearing their 'gis' to and from class, some don't mind. If you're club is one that doesn't mind, then do whatever you feel comfortable with, although I wouldn't advise you to wear your 'gi' and belt to class if you're walking to class, or getting public transport.

I study Shotokan karate, and want to start Tai Chi soon. I think its better to try to study two arts that contrast, as you're likely to learn more that way, instead of learning techniques that are performed in a very similar way.

My gi never sits the way its supposed to and I usually have to fix it, because otherwise it rides up in front of my face and I can't see properly. I'm beginning to think my gi is possessed by satan or something. As for my belt, I've got a nervous habit of pulling at it all the time in between sparring matches, in between warm up exercises, when the instructor is talking us through something etc. so it doesn't usually come loose 'cause I'm always tightening it up anyway.

Well maybe he tells other people that, I don't know, but I've had a pretty strong kick and punch from the start because of practicing with my dad and my dad makes me repeat a technique over and over again until I'm hitting as hard as I can, and we've been doing this ever since the second week of my karate training, I think, so when I hit pads I don't usually have too much of a problem with power. There's always room for improvement, of course, but I don't think my karate instructor would really expect much more power from me considering the length of time I've been training, the fact I'm female etc. so he's never had the need to teach me to hit with more power. Its speed that's usually more of a problem with me.

I'd never been taught to do that in actual karate class, but I knew about it because I'd read it in a few books and on a few websites.

Taikyoku Shodan. We don't bother with the other Taikyoku katas, though. After Taikyoku Shodan we just start learning the Heians.