CheekyMusician

'Cause he's one of these guys who is doesn't seem to have much respect for the girls in the class, for a start, but the main thing that made me think this was intentional was that he tried to block with his knee another 2 times after that while I could hardly walk might I add. Grr

Well I think the McDojo would be best at first since even the most incompetent instructor will probably be at least proficient in the basics. After that, both would be pretty hopeless.

I guess so, but its just really annoying me I could've killed the guy when it happened, 'cause I have my suspicions that it was no accident, but ach, who knows. Maybe it was. Straight after it happened I could barely stand on my leg, but I just kept on sparring just using my hands and keeping the kicks to a minimum. The pain seemed to ease up a bit after about 20 minutes, but then we'd to do jumping exercises and squats etc. and since then its been pretty unbearable at times. Its OK if I sit still and don't move it, but the moment I stand up, or even change the position my legs are in....OUCH! I just really want to train twice this week (usually only get to train once a week) and if this leg doesn't get better soon, then I might not be able to. Mind you, I'm thinking I'll just train anyway, even if my leg's hanging off! Grr!

I was performing a roundhouse kick today and the guy who I was sparring with blocked it with his knee. I don't know if it was an accident or deliberate, but it hurts! So a knee to the shin. I'm assuming there's nothing seriously wrong, just some bruising, but it really hurts right now. I really want to train next week too, so I hope its going to feel better tomorrow. Really just a wee rant there.

Yeah, I don't want to sit the grading, but my instructor is pushing for it. I missed the official grading and after it he tried to get me to say I'd test some other time, but everytime he asked me, I said no, but he it still pushing for me to test. The test tonight was cancelled, so I've to sit it another time. Who knows when.

I'm from Scotland, and its the same here as it seems to be in NZ. Most people are intrigued when you mention martial arts to them, but I'm female too, and I'm quite quiet and shy so that probably is what intrigues them most.

Well as a Christian you have to believe in more than God. The cornerstone of Christianity is Jesus Christ, and to be a Christian you have to believe that Jesus is the son of God who came to earth to die for our sins. If you believe that, then technically you are a Christian. It is generally accepted that Christians also ask Jesus Christ into their hearts and accept them as their Lord and Saviour. This can be done through private prayer, but at my church we can become "church members" by basically asking Christ into our hearts in front of the congregation. It isn't mandatory, and it doesn't make you a "proper" Christian, it basically is just a leap of faith type of thing. Basically saying that you're not afraid to let people know how you feel about God. As for the church thing, I recommend finding a church. I, for one, certainly believe in a church without walls. I believe Christians should show their faith through their actions inside and outside of the church, but if you decide to be a Christian, you will go through times of doubt and uncertainty, and being surrounded by Christian friends helps you through these periods. A church is a good place to meet Christian friends and affirm your beliefs. Its kind of like trying to teach yourself a martial art on your own. You might be able to get the general idea of the art, and may be able to reach a certain level of proficiency, but there will come a time where you'll need to meet with other martial artists to progress and be guided. Faith is similar in many ways.

This is gonna sound pathetic, but it's only my 8th Kyu grading I'm sitting and I have big problems with Heian Shodan. I can do other katas not too badly, but Heian Shodan gets me everytime because I tend to lose my balance when going into backstance for the last few moves. I've practiced it and tried to improve it without much showing for it. I either lose my balance at that bit, or get into a messy backstance that is so diabolical it hardly looks like backstance at all.

I've got a grading tomorrow! Argh! I can hardly do some of the stuff, keep losing my balance etc. I don't really care, though. I told the instructor at my club that I didn't want to sit it and he's making me anyway, so if I screw up at least I can say, "I told you so." I'm just hoping that it slips his mind or something.

I would recommend the traditional route. I just think the traditional martial arts are more interesting. Also, there's often a lot of "cowboys" in kickboxing etc. that aren't very good teachers, not to mention the fact that kickboxing can mean very many different things depending on what club you go to.

If you can do them both without getting confused, then I don't see why you shouldn't stick with them both. If you're new to the martial arts, though, it might be best to stick with one art for a few years before starting another. I've only been doing karate a year, but have dabbled in a few other arts, and the lesson I've learnt is that you can bite off more than you can chew. I found with 2 of the arts I tried (TaeKwon Do and kickboxing) they were quite similar to karate but with small differences, and these small things sometimes caused problems. With Aikido I didn't have any problems confusing it with my karate, but often sore muscles and joints after Aikido practice got in the road of me getting the best out of karate practice next day.

I think if you travelled down the Christian route you'd never look back. Its a long, hard journey, but well worth the effort. If you have any questions or just want a chat, feel free to PM me.

MA Short Term: Actually talk to people at my club. I've been there a year and I'm still to shy to talk to most of them. They must think I'm a real freak! Plus, I'd like to try and find a Judo school nearby. Long term: Get to at least 1st dan in Shotokan. But hey, if you're going that far you might as well stick out the journey and try and get 2nd dan and above. We shall see. Life Short Term: stop being lazy and learn some more Japanese, try and prepare some decent lessons for my Bible class, practice my music more, do more exercise etc. Long Term: Write a book sometime before I die (hopefully), travel the world (I especially want to see Florence, Rome, Paris again and Japan). And just wait and see where life takes me for the rest of my time, really.

Well I'm a member of a presbyterian church, but also attend a pentecostal church.

I'm a christian. Most of my fellow christians don't mind me practicing martial arts at all, but there is a few who think its wrong, although they don't stand in the way of me doing it. A few of my close christian friends were interested in taking up martial arts, and asked their parents. Their parents said that they didn't want them involved as martial arts had close links with demons and the occult. I think they were getting karate confused with witchcraft. Admittedly, there is a few things in the martial arts world that could make a christian feel uncomfortable. I, for instance, don't mind a small standing bow to my sensei or an opponent before a sparring match or before class starts (after all, I'm only showing respect for the person, not worshipping them), but I felt severely uncomfortable bowing to a picture of O'Sensei when I went to Aikido. Yes, it was still a respect thing, but we're bowing to a picture of someone who is dead. That is verging on idolatry to me.

I think there is a list of belt requirements for each belt at my club. I don't have a copy, but I saw a boy flicking through one the other day, so I'm guessing there is one. As far as I know we have no handbook. A list of grading requirements for each belt would be helpful, though. It would be handy to just flick through it and know what you need for the next test, rather than having to ask someone, or wait until the belt tests are coming around and you get to do a practice test.

I agree with G95champ, but basically I think the things that would apply to most good clubs are: 1. That its a good club for the student. The style of teaching should appeal to the student. You know how it is: one thing can work wonders for one person and not help another at all. 2. That the club is safe. Yeah, in martial arts you're going to get hit, but a good club wont have a high number of students with injuries. 3. Preferably that there's more than one instructor, preferably with a teaching style that contrasts with the other instructor eg. if one is really strict and interested in sparring, the other could be a bit more mellow and more into kata.

My instructors are pretty good with praise. They don't give you so much that it begins to mean nothing, but they don't withhold it when you deserve it either. I felt that when I first started I got praised for everything. That kept me enthusiastic, though, especially when I felt I was useless and everyone in the class was better than me. Looking back I don't know how my instructors managed to keep a straight face as they praised me for a wobbly, off target, feeble, shin-high mawashi geri, but somehow they did. Now I get praise now and again, but not all the time. If I'm doing pathetically, they'll tell me and tell me how to improve. If I'm being lazy, they might raise their voices a little bit. If I'm doing Ok, I'll maybe get a, "That was good, just try and get it faster/higher/more powerful etc." and if I'm doing well I'll get some praise.

I've just turned 18 and still haven't went on my first date.

Well I'd always wanted to since I was a kid and saw my dad's friend doing karate, judo and kickboxing moves with his sons in our garden. I was only a little kid (maybe 2 or 3 years old) and I begged my mum to let me start right the way up until I was about 13. She always said no. At first she was worried I'd get injured, but as I got older she realised I had a bit of a temper and she didn't want me learning to fight and then lashing out against someone in temper. Finally, though, at about 15 she said that I could start martial arts if I wanted to (I'd mellowed out a bit by then. lol). And believe it or not, once she'd given me permission to start I chickened out for a couple of years. Finally started last year just after I'd turned 17. Can't believe its been almost a year now....I still feel like I've just started out. I feel like I've only been doing karate for a few months.

It's about 6 or 7 months between every belt, apart from 1st kyu to Shodan. I think that's about a year.

Well, when I was a kid (and even still now) my mum used to call me Naughty Nicky (it was the name of a mischievous monkey in a book I used to read). She used to tell me she called me it because I was her wee cheeky monkey. So I was going to call myself CheekyMonkey, but decided that was a bit cliched. I'm a musician, so decided on CheekyMusician instead. I think this is the only place I used that name. Elsewhere I usually use Stratocaster (a rubbish name that came from the fact I worked in a music shop for a week with a guy who was obsessed with Stratocasters) or Guru-On-A-Mountain.

I only do Saturday work in a shoe shop, but I hate it so much. The people I work with are nice, and even most of the customers are OK, but I just get really stressed out because you have to go and fetch the shoes for the customers and I always worry that I'm too slow while searching in the stock room. I'm going to Uni after summer to study archaeology, and I'd quite like to be an archaeologist or a museum curator when I've left Uni. Mind you, 4 years of Uni could change my mind on that I'm sure! lol.

I used to worry about sweaty feet when I first started karate and refused to take my trainers off to train, even though some of the club members used to joke/moan to me about it. Finally, though, I realised that with my shoes on I'd be more likely to do someone a serious injury, and I started to train with them off. To be honest, I've never really noticed if I sweat. When I'm in class I'm usually too engrossed in what I'm doing to notice, but the floor of the hall we train in is always dirty so probably all the dust and muck that's got onto my feet off the floor absorbs the sweat anyway! Try putting talcum powder on your feet before class. It might help a little.

My Sensei is a 3rd dan, and he only grades our club members up to 1st Kyu. We have to be tested by someone else for shodan and above.