Lupin1

That was my thought. I'm not very big on TV and only watch a few things each week, but I'm always on the internet. Way too much. I know I should be spending more time practicing my karate, but the internet has a strong siren's call....

That's awesome. My instructor was also committed to teaching for free. He sought out churches, rec departments, youth centers, etc over the years and eventually set up shop in a Boys and Girls Club and was there for over 30 years before he had to retire for severe health issues a few years ago. He could have made money teaching. There are several schools in my area that all charge over $100 per month for lessons. Their owners make bank. But he's the only one I know of who sought out to teach those who can't afford the big schools.

When I was 7 I wanted to be a Power Ranger. I figured if I already knew karate, Zordon would be more likely to pick me. I went back after I graduated college because I missed it. I like the personal challenge. I like the camaraderie with my classmates. I like teaching the kids and being a positive influence on their lives. For me it's mostly a fun hobby to get out of the house and be with others while getting a bit of exercise. I don't really do it for the self-defense, but I like knowing it increases my chances of being able to protect myself if someone attacks me (though I'm in no way deluded about my abilities-- I know as a woman, if a large man attacks me, I'm still going to be at a huge disadvantage).

Happy birthday, Noah!

I'd say it's a little of both. Belts work well to help the instructor know generally where each student is at a glance. But, as a former school teacher, I can say a good teacher should know generally where each of his students is without that physical reminder. If he can't remember that without a belt, he has too many students and each one most likely isn't getting the attention they deserve. Belts are also usefully as extrinsic motivation tools. Even though intrinsic motivation (the motivation that comes from inside of us) is much better and more sought after than extrinsic motivation (the motivation that comes from external things like belts), it can be harder to sustain intrinsic motivation-- especially for kids. So it can be a powerful motivational tool for them. It's also a way of teaching them to set and work for smaller goals. For adults, we can set goals based on performance-- "learn this kata" or "develop more power in my basic straight punch". But those types of goals are a bit abstract for kids, so "get to yellow belt" is something they can wrap their heads around a little easier. I know my school uses more belts for kids than they do for adults for this reason. Adults have five belts before Shodan. Kids have ten including three levels of junior black. It breaks down the goals into smaller chunks for them and keeps them motivated. Basically what I'm saying is there's nothing wrong with belts. There's been a trend lately of people dismissing belts as useless or even harmful because they are extrinsic vs intrinsic motivators and some schools have misused the belt system to make more money. But really they're a very useful tool for motivation and goal setting and helpful for both the instructors and the students.

Great idea, Patrick! We need to keep with the times. People today just don't have the attention span or time in our busy schedules for long posts. Short and sweet!

I wear glasses and I'm sure if I were ever in a fight, the first thing that would happen is they'd get knocked off. I really should start training without them more to get used to it, but I'd probably hurt myself/someone else.

I think it depends on the goals of your school. I know some people are against it because it's not "real" karate and just play, but depending on your goals, I don't think that's a bad thing. At my school we don't accept anyone under 2nd grade and most of the kids we start are in 3rd grade or higher. But we run out of a Boys and Girl Club, which doesn't accept children until Kindergarten, and we start groups together-- usually in the fall. So we have kids apply to the program and then our head instructor, who works for the club and knows all the kids, hand picks the ones he thinks would behave and have a good attitude. We also only have one class, so we can't do multiple classes for different age levels. But at a school that's dedicated to karate and has multiple class times every week and has room for every student who wants to participate, I'm all for a program for young children. Sure, it's not "real karate", but it's a developmentally appropriate program to help children develop a strong foundation on which they can advance to "real karate". Even if it just looks like play, play is a vital part of development in children that age and sadly, in today's world of plopping small kids in front of TVs and tablets, kids aren't getting enough of the movement play that develops strong coordination and motor skills. I think providing a program to give them a place to do that through guided play is extremely valuable.

Thank you, guys! I'm having a great day so far!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Congrats! That's awesome!

Happy birthday!

When I got my BB I was debating between Eosin Panther and Kataaro. I read a ton of reviews. The reviews I read mostly agreed that the Eosin Panther belts were just a touch better quality with tighter, more even stitching. So that's what I went with. I've had my belt (just a plain, cotton signature black belt with no embroidery or anything) for almost three years now. It's starting to wear a bit along the edges where the knot was (which actually looks a little strange as I've recently lost 50lbs and the knot is in a different place now), but other than that it's held up beautifully. Before I lost weight, it was FINALLY starting to stay tied. It took over a year of bi-weekly wear to soften it up enough to stay tied. But now that the knot is in a different place, it's back to having to tighten it all the time...

Kris Bryant. He's my 2nd cousin (his grandpa and my grandma were brother and sister). Maybe next year. Now I'm back to rooting for my default-- GO YANKEES! And if they get out, GO ANYONE WHO ISN'T THE RED SOX!

Despite growing up 40 minutes from Boston, I was raised a Yankees fan (my dad's from Buffalo). I am very anti-Red Sox. However my cousin plays for the Cubs (even though he was on the DL for a good chunk of the season), so they're the ones I'll be cheering for.

Isshinryu only has eight empty hand kata. For my Shodan test, however, I had to know 15 kata. Personally, I think the number was unnecessarily high. If I were to open my own school (or take over this one someday), I would cut the number to maybe 10 or 11 (the 8 Isshinryu kata with maybe 2 or 3 supplementary forms). Now almost three years after my Shodan test, I feel like I barely know a few of my kata. I couldn't get up and perform them without getting lost because we never practice them. I'd rather have fewer kata that we practice more often than a bunch of kata we barely ever touch.

Congrats!

I think it's different for everyone. Different people what different things out of it and I think different schools cater to different people. I don't think those training to be cage fighters are any more or less "right" than the middle age soccer mom who just wants to get out of the house, interact with other adults, and get a bit of exercise a few times a week. The world of martial arts is big and diverse and there's room for everyone.

One thing I've learned after about a decade of these discussions is that "black belt" means something different at every school. There is no standard. So at one school giving a black belt to a child would make no sense by their definition of black belt. At another school where black belt means just having the basics down, giving one to a child who has met that standard makes sense and there's nothing wrong with that. The first question that needs to be asked is "what does black belt mean at your school".

I'll probably regret not making it more of a priority. This school year I'll only be doing karate one night a week. I'm choosing to take an academic class the other night we have karate. I feel bad, but there's not time to do everything and choices have to be made. I have a feeling when karate comes to an end, I'm going to wish I had put more time and effort into it. My happiest memories will probably just be spending time with my instructors and classmates. I've known them since I was eight years old. The older guys feel like uncles to me and the guy near my age is like a (really annoying) older cousin. They're like family. I'll really miss those guys if our program shuts down-- which is a real possibility in the next few years as our instructors age and get burnt out. I'm the only one with the potential to take over and I'm just not motivated to do so right now.

As a woman, I am fully aware that there are differences between males and females of every species. It's nature. To ignore that or pretend it's not true is to deny a very basic fact of the world. The point of the test is to show the student is in shape and to push them physical. What "in shape" and "push physically" means for a male is going to be different than what it means for a female. Just like what it means for a child will be different than what it means for an adult. It would be illogical to have the same physical standards for everyone. Take a look at a military fitness test chart. See how they have different standards for gender and a for age? The goal of those tests is for the soldier to be in good shape and even the military recognizes that what that means is dependent on different variables. I am not offended by the fact that I'm not as strong as my male classmates. It's nature.

Congrats! Well deserved!

Heh. I have this problem. My instructor will be yelled at me "pull your toes back!" and I'll yell back "I am!".

Sounds like an awesome day! Glad you enjoyed it!

Welcome, Keith! Looking forward to hearing your perspective!