Lupin1

That's something I'm trying to work on right now, too. If I knew someone was going to try to move my arm to the right with their block, I'd just punch to the right to begin with. That is until my sensei told me that if I ever do that again while I'm being uki for him, he'll make me regret it. I've been taught enough painful little lessons by him that I don't want that, so now I always look directly where I want to punch and then punch right there ignoring everything they're supposed to do. I find that if I concentrate on that spot, my punches are more accurate and it's better training for them.

It's all in good fun. If he's only late that one time, I don't see a problem with it. It's like a right of passage type thing. I think it's funny. I'd do it. But then again, my school doesn't bow to black belts and it's perfectly acceptable at my school to come in late, so this is all in theory...

And I thought we had to learn a lot of kata. We've got one empty hand kata for the first two belts and then two for every belt after that until brown where you have to learn like four empty hand kata and a weapons kata. I can't imagine having to remember all the ones you have to do.

This here is halarious! http://www.urlesque.com/2010/04/06/math-teacher-pranks/?ncid=webmaildl8

I've been learning Naihanchi (our first blue belt kata) for the past few weeks and I have to say I am definitely not a big fan of it. It's very short and only moves side to side and the second half is just repeatingn the first half, so you'd think it'd be easy. Not. It's really hard to move side to side and do moves to the side while keeping your body facing front. Plus naihanchi dachi (we name most of our stances after the kata they're found in) is the weirdest, most unnatural stance I've incountered so far and it's so hard to do all the stepping while keeping your toes pointed in like that. Ugg. I can tell this won't be my favorite kata.

My instructor said when he was younger they did this thing, I forget what it's called, where you hit yourself a lot and then you get with a partner and like, hit each other in the chest and in the stomach and shoulders and stuff in a set pattern so that you get used to getting hit and aren't afraid of getting hit. A lot of times just getting used to it and realizing you won't die if you get hit can help. Like when Coach Bombay tied Goldberg up to the net and had the whole team shoot hockey pucks at him until he stopped being afraid to get hit with the puck.

Haha. I get yelled at for being too much of an honest uke. If they do the move wrong, I don't go down. Period. They yell at me saying I'm supposed to go down and I'm like "what you're doing isn't going to make me go down". Then I have a higher pain tolerance than all of the big strong men in the class, so while they're all whining like babies at the sensei's slightest touch and making the moves look really scary and painful, when it's tried on me I barely react and they get mad at that (of course, usually the sensei just twists my arm or whatever a little further until he does get a reaction). I'm not going to put on a show for people. I want realistic training so I'll give a realistic reaction.

He's not usually mean about it. It's more like, "a correction for ______'s sake" and then he goes on to give the correction. Or he'll say "I'm going to pick on ______ a little bit" and then point out nicely what they're doing wrong. It's more just letting you know it's you who needs to make the adjustments. He usually says it jokingly, not mean. And like I said, I normally don't mind it at all. I was more upset with myself about forgetting to take my watch off than I was with him pointing it out.

What about ancient one-touch death grip styles? Can we concur that most of them are inaffective?

From experience, I usually try to get the person on the ground and then run. But if someone tried to punch me, I'd always go to the outside. It's just natural to me, not to mention it's harder for them to attack again if you go to the outside. If an adult tried to punch me, I'd block to the outside and then punch to the ribs and then the face and then run. If a kid tried to punch me (I have been working in middle school most of the time) I'd probably block to the outside and then try to get them in some sort of arm-bar over a desk or something until another teacher can help me control them. Not saying any of that would work and I'd guess I'd have to wing it if it doesn't, but from what I've learned so far those are my best moves.

Haha. My sensei's teaching style is to point out everyone's mistakes constantly in front of the whole class. He'd laugh at me and probably make fun of me more in front of the class if I said anything about it. Usually I don't mind it because usually the faults he points out in me are technical things-- screwing up my blocks, punches, stances, kicks, etc. And since I'm the lowest ranking person in the class that doesn't bother me-- no one expects me to be perfect. It's the fact that it's something I could've prevented that makes it embarassing.

I think I more didn't like my mistake pointed out. It did hurt, but I don't like being called out in front of people.

I don't know if this counts, but I forgot to take my watch off for class yesterday (first time I've forgotten) and my instructor decided to use it as an opportunity to teach the class why we don't wear jewelry in class and he did something to my wrist that used my watch against me that had me bent over begging him to stop within a matter of seconds (and I have a high pain tolerance and he doesn't usually get much reaction out of me, so having me actually asking him to stop is saying something).

I don't know very many right now, but so far my favorite is our variation on Ananku from Shorin Ryu. I most like it because that's the kata I'm best at. I did it in a competition when I was younger so I worked it and worked it and worked it and so when I was older I had so much muscle memory with the thing I barely had to do anything to relearn it and it's still my best kata. Plus I find a lot of moves in it that are very affective and they're some of my favorite to use in partner drills.

I started learning our first blue belt Kata, Naihanchi, last week. It's short and you only move side to side and stay facing front the whole time, but it's still wicked complicated...

It was a teacher's birthday yesterday at the middle school I was working at. A few of the girls got a cake-sized cardboard box and covered it in frosting. He (and everyone else in the class) got all excited thinking they were going to get cake until he tried cutting into it. That was one of the better April Fools Day pranks I've seen.

You mean that was all a joke? Nooooooo... It was a good one, Patrick. You really did have me going for the first little bit of it.

So who gets to attack Patrick? He has to prove himself too, right?

Haha. You got me for like the first three sentences.

You just have to wait until someone gets seriously hurt trying one of his moves and the guy will be sued. It's really all you can do.

Thanks guys. I sent in my acceptance letter, so as of right now I'm doing it. Unless a) I'm not able to defer all my loans or b) I get offered a full time teaching job between now and the end of July.

This. My school's free. Although if he were to charge $50 a month or so, I might be willing to do that. Anything more than that for two hour long classes a week is just too much, imho.

I was a total Harry Potter freak in middle school, but the ending of the series ruined it for me (Harry should have died! That ending was such a lie...). I would love to go there, though. Maybe someday.

I've been to Fenway three or four times, but not since middle school or so. And I've never seen the Yankees play in person.

There are a lot of good retailers online. Since you already know your gi size from your dojo, take a look around online. Or if you like the gi you got from your dojo and the price is fair, you can always support your dojo by asking if you can buy more from them.