Lupin1

To second what Joesteph said, forms are only as good as the applications you gain from them. At my school, we generally teaching the kids the forms while keeping applications limited and simple. The goal is to start out just getting movements right so that they're second nature and then when they start studying applications in the advanced belts, they'll be able to do the moves without thinking (like Daniel-San painting the house until he didn't have to think to side block). Forms are a way of honing stances, techinque, breathing, timing-- everything you need to fight competently. Of course, they're pointless if you don't also study the applications, but if really STUDIED (meaning studying the applications as well as perfecting the form itself), they're anything but useless.

Good for her! You're doing a good job with that one.

Hmm. I knew there was a "dont stand right next to someone if there are other open urinals" rule, but I didn't know it got so complicated and detailed. Interesting...

Any brand suggestions, John?

Haha. I do that. It annoys the heck out of my family. You know you're a martial artist when you walk down the street thinking "if that guy grabs me right now, I can do this, this, this and this" and "if that lady suddenly attacks me, I'd do this, that and the other thing". You know perfectly well it's not going to happen, but it's fun and challenging to come up with defense moves based on your surroundings at the time and the different "opponents" you pass.

That movie is so awesome! I LOVE the part where he reveils himself to the emporer, of course I love any story where someone really important pretends to be someone unconsequencial and then gets to reveal it (probably why I love Undercover Boss so much). There's just so much strength and power in what he says and then how he defies the emporer just by refusing to die... I love it. It's my favorite dude flick.

This may be a bit off topic, but my religion professor told us that turning the other cheek has nothing to do with being humble, and was actually an act of defiance. When someone slapped you, they would slap you with their left hand on your right cheek and they would never slap you with their right hand (I forget the exact reason). When you turned your other cheek towards them, it made it harder for them to slap you again. That's what he said, anyway...

Maybe it's the elementary school teacher in me, but if someone told me to come up with a gift, I'd give the visiting person a club t-shirt that all the students signed... I would probably get my instructor a gift certificate to a nice resturaunt so he could enjoy an evening out with his wife on me.

How old were these kids? Personally I'd talk to their parents and tell them their kids didn't want to participate and maybe they should stop wasting their money buying them lessons. Karate is a voluntary activity. I don't see why any sesei should have to put up with kids who don't want to learn. That's a school teacher's job.

Also-- depending on how old you are, hit the gym and eat right. Talk to your doctor first to see if serious weight training would be safe for you (it's not good for really young guys, so make sure you ask first). If there's one trait professional wrestler share, it's bulging biceps and rock-hard abs. You have to look like a monster with your shirt off to be considered in that profession, which, as Toptomcat said, is more like acting than fighting.

Don't even worry about your weight now. You're 14. Definitely work out and exercise, but why worry about your weight when you've still got so much growing to do? You might shoot up another half foot or something and then those 10 lbs will be a given.

Does anyone have any experience with the Tiger Claw belts? I'm looking to buy my new belt and they're my top choice at the moment, but I've never actually seen one before. Are they a good, thick belt with nice stitching? I want a nice belt since I'll probably be a blue belt for a long while, but I can't afford an arm and a leg and their pricing is just right. Opinons?

I got promoted to blue belt this morning! I'm now a 5th kyu and officially past where I was when I was 11! Yay!

Is there a place around you that does MMA? I know there are a few MMA gyms around here. That'd probably be a lot better than taking karate and BJJ seperately. An MMA gym will teach you to use them together. Plus, I always thought Muay Thai was better for MMA, not Shotokan.

It seems cheap compared to a lot of the programs around here. I'd have to be getting really quality training to pay that much, personally, but if I was I'd pay that in a second.

idk... Even if no wisdom or overcoming was involved, memories of misfortune can still add to your fortitude. Look at the Holocaust and the strength the Jewish people gain from that memory even though we didn't overcome it by any act of wisdom or strength on our own part- other people came in and rescued what was left of us. Looking at hardships from the past can give you a different perspective on hardships in the present from which you can gain strength.

If it weren't for the fact that religious debates were against the rules, I could give you a very long argument about why that's not the least bit true. But alas...

Why so many languages? Methods of dress? Styles of dance? Different cultures develop differently, and that includes in karate. I don't think one is better than another-- they're just different.

Idk... I kind of like everyone testing when they're ready. Not everyone is ready quarterly and I find it unfair if they're almost ready at one quarter to make them wait until the next. The way I would change that system to make it less frustrating is to not let the students ask to test anymore. If the teacher thinks the student is ready, then it should be offered to the student that they can test whenever they feel ready. My sensei does it pretty much the same way as yours, but if someone ever asked... I wouldn't want to be that person... It's up to the instructors when we test and we just train as hard as we can until then. We know better than to ask about when we're going to get promoted. That's a big no-no at my school.

I'm going with the Maple Blondie first. They can't screw up maple being from Vermont.

They just started me on the first weapons kata today-- a stick version of our basic white belt kata. It's pretty cool since they usually don't teach that until green belt, which is two belts ahead of where I am now. They've got me all confused now. They've got me wearing a yellow belt yet they already taught me all of the first blue belt kata and now one of the green belt kata. Definitely going out of order for me, which is fine, but it's a bit frustrating since I have no idea where I stand.

I think in this economy the key is just to offer a lot for the money. Offer several classes a week, make every class unique, have social events where people can hang out outside of class to help them connect to the school better and make it their social circle (hooking people socially can be a big motivater for them to stay), hold special events every so often-- a tournament or an in-school competition or weekend "karate retreat" intensive program, etc. Just give a lot of options to keep things fresh and exciting-- at least one special event every month or so. If people feel like they're getting a really good deal for the money they're paying, they'll stay.

Ok-- update. I just got back from a job interview in New Mexico and I got offered a full time teaching job teaching 2nd grade for Navajo children out there. I get paid about 2/3rds a normal teacher salary through the school, plus they're also affiliated with AmeriCorps, so I can sign up for that while I'm out there and still get their help with my student loans. So that's the new plan (and since I'm signing a contract with this one, it should be the final plan). AND there's an MMA dojo in the town 30 miles from where I'm staying (which is in the middle of nowhere) so depending on how much it costs I might be able to sign up to go out there once a week or so just so I can keep up with my training, even though the style will be completely different. It'll give me a different perspective, though, and I can continue to work the Isshinryu kata on my own. I have enough I need to work on with the kata I know to keep me busy for a year or two and I guess I'll just get a good introduction to sparring while I'm there (since my school here doesn't spar).

We learned to pretty much just scream the letter "I".

We wear street clothes one day a week (because if we get attacked we probably won't be wearing a gi) and the other day we wear regular karate gis. Most of us wear white, but the people who have been around awhile start collecting gis, so they could be wearing white tops with black bottoms or black tops with white bottoms or all black or an old gi top with the sleeves ripped off-- pretty much anything. There's even one guy who wears his gi pants with an old button up dress shirt. Some of us wear patches and some don't. One of our black belts even has "tae kwon do" embroidered on his belt because he teaches there and doesn't want to buy a seperate black belt for training with us. I'm currently into the habit of rolling my gi sleeves up to my elbows because I find it less constricting, cooler, and easier for grabs and stuff. There's really no rhyme or reason to our uniforms, but I bet if someone bought a gi that was a color other than white or black they'd get made fun of. They wouldn't get in trouble, they'd just get teased mercilessly.