Lupin1

Another problem is the wording of the topic itself "Karate cuts 10-15 years of your lifespan". Even if the research could prove conclusively that people who practice karate live 10-15 years less than those who don't, it would have to show there are no mitigating factors and that studying karate itself is what's causing that.

My instructor talks about "Brown Belt-itis". Here's his blog post on it-- http://isshin-concentration.blogspot.com/2012/02/brown-belt-itis.html I feel like I'm in a slump with my martial arts right now. I've got no motivation at all to practice. Hopefully once September hits and my life gets back to semi-normal I'll snap out of it. That's my hope, anyway.

Not gonna lie-- I just went and made myself a hot dog after reading this thread. Classic Hebrew National with French's classic mustard.

I wish there was a pool around here to train in. That'd be amazing. Not to mention swimming is one of the best full body workouts you can get.

Let's see... 1. Got that like a week after I posted this goal.... Maybe my new goal should be to get nikyu by the end of the year. 2. Need to continue working that one. 3. Not doing the best with that one. 4. Judo's done for the summer now, but I plan on getting back into it in the fall. 5. Definitely didn't do this one. Right now my life is basically wake up, get ready for work, go to work, come home, get ready for bed, collapse into to bed. Days off consist of sitting on the couch half dead half the day and then doing laundry/grocery shopping the other half. I'm sure if I really, really tried I could cut down to even less sleep to wake up early and practice, but I'm just mentally and physically exhausted at this point. When I wrote this goal in December, I think I had already forgotten what a life sucking monster my summer job is. I don't think I've done a single kata in the past month and I'm not going to try. Imma just get through to September. 6. I am grokkin' on.

I like the Johnsonville ones with the cheese in them. Mmmmm. Also-- any hot dog cooked over an open fire and burnt to a crisp.

Something I think could be embraced more in individual schools is technology. Ever since my instructor put videos of instructors doing our kata on YouTube, my at home training has vastly improved. I learn almost all my kata by watching the videos first and then going to class and getting clarification. Great for visual learners. I also once had my instructor e-mail a step-by-step breakdown of a kata for me and I recently bought a book that breaks down all the Isshinryu kata step-by-step. Not quite as helpful as video for me, but might be for someone else and it certainly adds value when I use them both together. I think many students would benefit from a website (password protected if desired by the instructor) with videos and written explanations for home practice.

In the USJA, at least, females are required to wear a plain white cotton t-shirt under their gi top and males are required to wear nothing. Rash guards are against the rules. Not all clubs require this during practice (these are tournament rules), but many do.

The most I've ever done to differentiate (that's the fancy teacher word for it) is draw a diagram of one of the kata for a kid. I think we've got a decent mix of individual practice and partner work, but mostly it's "watch then do" or "listen to me explain it then do". I'm of the opinion that everyone uses all learning styles in different contexts. I don't really think people have one certain style.

Sometimes in Judo class I get a little jealous of the guys who wear just their gi top while I'm required to wear a t-shirt. Even after just the warmup run I just feel so hot... Then again, for my summer job I'm physically active outside all day and I choose to wear an undershirt even though at that job most of the girls don't because I find having that extra layer to soak up all the sweat and nastiness keeps me cooler in the end. So I could see it both ways. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, however, I have to say I like the idea of requiring t-shirts for everyone if only because I've taken more sweaty, hairy chests to the face than I care to think about.

Welcome! I know I've gotten a lot of great pointers on this site and coming here always helps put me in a great mindset when it comes to martial arts. It's been very helpful to me. I'm sure it'll be a great experience for you, as well.

Welcome!

Welcome! Looking forward to learning a lot from your experiences!

Great job, Heidi. You've been a wonderful example and have taught me a lot in the few years I've been here. We're all so lucky that you give so much of your time and effort to helping us. Looking forward to ten more!

Welcome!

Way to go!

I agree with the person who suggested it depends on why you're studying martial arts. If you're taking the class to meet new people and have a good time, keep with it. You're obviously meeting those goals. If you're taking it to become a serious martial artist, re-evaluate the school, not based on how quickly they give out belts, but on the actual technique they're teaching you and the skill levels of some of the upper ranks compared to people with similar experience in the area. Then decide from there. So really-- you have to look at if your school is right for you and what you want to accomplish and how it will help you in meeting your personal goals. Don't worry so much about belts.

I'd like to see his research methodology... That doesn't sound right to me.

Oooo, pressure... Haha. Hope we live up to your expectations. Welcome to the forum!

Welcome!

Welcome! Can't wait to hear more about your family's journey!

I'd probably keep training the way I am training-- 4 days a week. Even though I go to the cheap classes at the Boys and Girls Club and the town Rec Department, I'd probably keep with those. They're good classes with good teachers. I'd probably donate a lot to those programs, though, to make sure we all have state of the art everything and everyone can afford to go to clinics and competitions and whatnot. I might add in a morning class here or there in some really intense art like muay thai just for the exercise, or I might just join the local Crossfit gym for a morning workout. I don't know how much time I'd have, though, after I opened my own amusement park. I'd be pretty busy.

I was really into Harry Potter in middle school and Professor Lupin was my favorite character, so I started using Lupin1 on HP message boards and it just kinda stuck over the years. Now it's one of a few go-to names I use on various sites.

Thank YOU, Patrick! Without your hard work and dedication, we wouldn't be here. Thank you for giving 12 years of your life to helping us share our passion and for bringing so many great people together. That's a huge commitment and I'm grateful to you every day for making it.

With adults-- Look at them with the raised-eyebrow "really?" look. Usually they get the message. With kids-- make sure they know the expectations right from the start. Spell them out clearly and repeat them as often as possible. When they start up, just remind them we're here to learn karate (or whatever), not to talk or play around. Let them know they're being disrespectful to you and their classmates and if they can't stop, they're going to have to sit out or leave for the night. I find temporarily excluding those who are making it difficult for others to learn is more effective than physical punishments. And it allows you to keep plowing through the lesson without having to stop the entire class for some pushups. If it's the same kids again and again, maybe have a sitdown discussion with them and their parents and let them know if they can't reign it in, they'll no longer be welcome in the class. Come up with a plan-- like when they start getting too loud you'll give them a certain look to let them know and at that point they need to check themselves. A lot of kids (and adults-- I'm one of them) don't realize how loud they're getting because they're just enjoying themselves. An easy intervention plan like this will give them a chance to correct their behavior quickly and with as little interruption to the class as possible. If they're not willing to cooperate with that, maybe your class isn't the place for them.