Lupin1

Welcome!

Well, I passed my test. So I'm officially going to 6th kyu for Judo. Not quite sure how the whole promotion thing works since I know the instructor has to mail everything to the USJA and they have to issue the promotion certificate stuff, so I don't know how long it'll be until it's "official" (I've never been part of an association before. Every class I've taken, the instructor hands you a belt immediately and you're your new rank...). But I passed!

Welcome!

I started when I was eight and I think I was actually more afraid of him back then than loyal. But when I got older the fact that he's so dedicated brought me back-- he's been teaching that class for free for over 25 years now and puts all his free time (which, now being home on disability from cancer treatment, is pretty much all the time he's not at doctors or PT) to learning and studying the art and finding things to share with us and add to our repertoire. He's never satisfied with his knowledge and is always striving to grow and get better, even when his body is physically declining. He doesn't take his new physical challenges as defeat and give up, he finds a way to keep going and adapt and continues to work hard for himself and for us. And that's something I greatly respect in any person.

Congratulations! I just took my test for rokyu in Judo and THAT felt crazy to me. My friend (we're almost always partners because we're close to the same size) is in the middle of her nikyu test and that looks insane. Congratulations on passing ikkyu. That's a LOT of work-- a LOT of stuff to know and a very long test. Enjoy the build up to shodan now. It's a very unique and special time a martial artist's journey. I know you'll make the most of it. Congrats again!

Judo we call most of the moves by the Japanese names, but the vast majority of the class in English. My Isshinryu class is all English. From stories I've heard, Shimabuku didn't teach many Japanese/Okinawan terms for things. Most of how he referred to moves was something along the lines of "put foot here".

Stay on top of it. This modern notion that we all start becoming decrepit after the age of the 30 isn't really how the human body was meant to age. It's mostly the modern lifestyle that leads to that. Paleolithic man, if he survived childhood (a challenge which caused the short average life expectancy we learn about), regularly lived into his 60s and he stayed strong until then-- none of this needing a cane after age 50 or these long degenerative illnesses. He would be strong right up until the end and then just keel over one day, which is definitely how I hope to go out. Eat right, lower your stressors, live long and drop dead.

Quality AND quantity. Can't beat that.

Congratulations, Harlan!

I think you mean Grandmaster, not sir. That's probably gonna be another 50 there.

Happy Easter! I feel so sick right now from all the junk I ate today. It's a good reminder why I don't let myself eat like this every day. It's worth it to do a few times a year, though.

Sounds like you've had a great journey so far! Looking forward to learning from you! Welcome!

Thanks for the well-wishes, guys. Took probably about 3/4 of the test tonight and we ran out of time, so I'll be finishing next week. I aced the written test-- 100%. So far I'm doing pretty good on the techniques. The score is out of four for each and I think I've got a couple of 4s with a good number of 2s and 3s. He's been having me do more than the required techniques, so if I botch something, the extra points will make up for it. So I'm feeling good about it. It's funny, but in the past two weeks preparing for the test and now taking it, I feel ready for my yellow belt whereas I didn't in the original post. I guess it was a matter of seeing just how much I know. Nothing perfect, but I'm starting to feel like I have a good foundation to start working on the basics, which is basically what yellow belt means. Until next week....

This might be the 20-something in me talking, but Facebook. Facebook. Facebook. Facebook.

Welcome! Enjoy being a beginner. That newness and excitement and the chance to learn so much every day is a gift.

Unless he only studied it for a few days, that's surprising to hear. Isshinryu is very kata-focused.

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome!

I like being with people who are more experienced than me because I can learn from them, but overall I like working with a variety of people, so switching off is good practice.

I can't remember when I first felt that way in Isshinryu. Too long ago and I was too young. I'm just starting to feel that way in Judo. I'm going for my yellow belt test next week and going over all the stuff for the test is really making me see how far I've come. Before that with how randomly it seemed like we practiced everything, I felt like I didn't know anything. But going over everything systematically to prepare for the test is making me feel like "hey! I know all this!". It's been about four months.

Don't worry guys, I think I'm good. The other night we were working on a technique where you pretty much pick a turtling opponent up off the floor by his gi, flip 'em around and put 'em back down (elbow and knee pull) and after I tried it my instructor said sort of under his breath, "you're a strong kid, Devin... Strong kid...". I got this.

I try my best to provide less criticism and more feedback. Criticism is more negative-- it's focused on what people are doing wrong. Feedback is more positive and future oriented-- focused more on what people can do to improve. Feedback acknowledges what's going right and provides praise in addition to giving specific advice on what can be changed. It's keeping in mind the three questions of performance assessment-- "where are we now?", "where are we going (eventually)?" and "where to next?". It's providing the necessary support for students (or employees) to close the gap between the "where are we now" and the "where to next" to eventually get to that "where are we going". So yeah-- I focus on keeping all feedback positive and goal oriented-- share the goals with people: "this is where we're going with this and here's something you can work on to help us get there". Then give people enough time and support to make the change before giving the next small goal. I think as long as feedback is being kept positive and goal oriented, there's not much chance of becoming too critical in it. That's not to say criticism doesn't have a place when someone is, say, purposely not following the rules or not trying and is being unresponsive to your feedback. I see criticism as something that's reserved more for behavior or attitude correction whereas feedback is more helpful for performance correction. They both have their place, but criticism should be a rare necessity and still needs to be delivered properly.

I'd put on a white belt for your first class. It's not being demoted so much as acknowledging you've forgotten a lot and need some time to get back up to speed. I doubt he'll make you go up all the ranks again. You'll probably either keep your white belt until you get back up to the purple belt level or he'll tell you to just wear a purple belt. But always start with the white belt. It's more humble and a lot less pressure on you so you won't have to worry about being self-conscious. Then rather than the lower ranks seeing a purple belt that they know more than, they'll see an utterly amazing white belt. I did something similar-- moved away then came back 12 years later. I wore a white belt for about three months until I got back up to where I was and then I put on my old belt and continued from there.

Thanks, guys! I'm working on it-- I've got the 45 or so Japanese terms I have to learn down pat and I'm working on the things like footwork that I can work on on my own. I have to say, this whole process is turning me into a fan of rank testing. I've said before my Isshinryu school doesn't do tests except for Shodan, so this will be my first ever rank test. For me, at least, it's producing a much greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction than I ever got when receiving an Isshinryu belt (I am proud of what I've learned and accomplished in Isshinryu, but receiving each individual belt was more of an arbitrary thing). When I go through all the stuff for my test it's like "wow! Look at all this stuff I can do now that I couldn't do four months ago!". And there's something about preparing for it and then having to perform under pressure and living up to set national standards that just makes it feel more tangible. I didn't use to be a huge fan of rank testing, but now I'm sold. And I haven't even taken my test yet! Watch me fail, haha. (I'd be fine with that-- just try again next time. Like I said, I wouldn't mind staying a white belt for a little longer)

I love what you said about consistency-- that's a huge part of it. Another good tip is to set out your expectations right off the bat. First night, get the beginners aside (or, if the other students need a reminder, just do the whole class), have them sit around you and outline the rules and behavior expectations. Most importantly, make sure to go over the whys for every rule (best way is to have them tell you why-- ask them "What does horseplay mean? Why is it important not to play around in the dojo?" The kids know the answers to those questions and having them personally think about the dangers and what might happen helps them internalize and personalize the rules and helps them see the value in those rules more easily. Post the most important rules on the wall where they can be a constant reminder and have these group discussions as needed if a bunch of kids are showing they need a reminder. Another idea is to work to form a sense of community in the class and to develop the idea of citizenship-- each individual's responsibility to the classroom community. They're a team-- they're all there to work together and learn together and it's everyone's job to make sure their friends and classmates are able to learn in a fun, safe and supportive environment. If they don't follow the rules, separate them from the group. Tell them something along the lines of "Your behavior right now is making it very hard for your classmates (or "friends" for younger kids) to learn/is making me worried that you or one of your friends might get hurt". Then separate them from the class for a little bit. Have them sit by themselves out of the way for a few minutes and just leave them alone. Tell them it's just a short break to calm down/re-center and get ready to rejoin the class. After the time is up, simply ask them if they're ready to follow the rules. If they are, have them jump right back in, if not, have them stay out of the way until they are ready. If a kid is repeatedly making it difficult for the others to learn or doing things that might be dangerous to himself or others, just tell the parents it isn't working. Sorry. It's an after school activity that the other students are paying good money for and want to actually learn during. If one student is ruining that for the entire class or putting the other students in danger with his behavior, kick him out. You're a karate school, not a reformatory.