senseikellam

I totally agree with other posters! Everyone has to decide what is right for themselves! Not everyone has the resources of Chuck Norris, Cynthia Rothrock, or other famous artist, so just do the best you can for yourself!

Yea! I probably do! When you plan your vacation around the big karate super show!

So TRUE! When reading through the treads, I was reminded of my first instructor. I really liked her at first and really enjoyed the classes at first. Then things changed in her life. Her husband changed professions (went into ministry and stopped practicing law). They sold there 1/2 million dollar home and moved into a rental house. She just could not accept the changes. Started drinking and you could smell it on her breath sometimes. I had been attending the same church and considered her a friend. She started taking her problems out on her students and often even had the very young students in tears. YOU CAN"T TREAT A SMALL KID THAT WAY! She even tried to tell us who we could talked to when we were not at the dojo. She would call students at home or work just to yell at us about the dumbest things. One night, the Sensei above her was at the dojo and I called her aside and had a long talk with her about everything. She told me to talk to my instructor openly and I said that there was no point because she could not see what she was doing and that she would not listen. Well, I did try. I ask her to take a deep look at herself and ask herself why all her students keep quitting. She just got mad and told me never to set foot in her dojo again. I honestly thought she was going to hit me, but, I didn't care (wasn't afraid). She didn't hit me. I have made other attempts over the years to talk with her and she still will not speak to me. I continued my training elsewhere and now have my own dojo and instruct many students. One of the first things, I try to instill upon all my students and the instructors that work at my school, is to respect everyone and to not take your problems out on each other. If someone has a problem and they can't leave it at the door so to speak, then they are more than welcome to talk to our school counselor and go bet up on a dummy or punching bag tell they are content. My point is that, we all have issues in our lives from time to time. It is how we choose to handle them that set each of us apart from the other!

I also have MS and I use the Discipline shoes. They help me alot. They are fairly soft and flexible but yet provide enough support to help me. I am working toward my 3rd Dan level in Shotokan which I never dreamed would be possible when I was diagnosed with MS years ago. But, I have found that training really helps me fight the MS and helps so much with my coordination. I can do most moves as well as anyone that does not have MS, but I sometimes have to modify my moves slightly. I was very fortunate to have an instructor who understood my needs and taught me ways to make modifications that would be acceptable even in competitive situations. Everyone here is very correct, talk with your instructor. Most good instructors are more than welling to help you make adjustments and allow needed accommodations as they know that your condition can benefit greatly from training.

When I read your discussion, it took me back to the original karate kid movie and the discussion between Daniel and Miyagi. Anyway, my point is that if but in a real life situation where you are forced to fight to protect yourself or someone else, wouldn't you want to know any and all techniques that may aid you in such a situation. That is why Sensei's teach techniques that are not allowed in competition. Speaking for myself (not meaning to offend anyone), I would be a really bad instructor if I only focused on the competition legal moves. You have to humble yourself and realize that no matter how much you know and how good you think you are, someone out there always knows more and you just HOPE it is not the criminal who is trying to kill you.

I also have MS and you just have to learn to alter moves and kicks a little to meet your physical capabilities. I have learned that with just a few minor changes in my stance, I can do most kicks and most moves as well as most people that don't have MS. I am a very tuff opponent. As time goes by, you will come into your own and find what works for you. Just be patient and try different things. Remember people progress at different rates. Don't push yourself to hard, or you will not enjoy the journey. Like maybe don't try to get as low in your stances as others until you are stronger. Also, try squatting on a wall with your legs apart. Just find a wall, squat like in a Kibadachi or horse stance, but, a little lower and hold the stance for a while. Then a little longer next time, and so forth. Your legs will burn, but, you will start getting stronger. Also, talk with your doctor just to be sure that nothing is wrong that you are not aware of. Sometimes people that suffer from inner ear problems have issues with balance and being wobbly.

I was at a school as a guest the other night demonstrating board breaking. Afterwords, I was talking to the instructor and was surprised that she had never trained with breaking boards before. So with that said, I was wondering how many of you incorporate board breaking into your curriculum and is it required to advance in rank and at what level everyone is starting board breaking training. At my school we start very early as we feel it helps build self confidence.

I have made bo staffs out of cut bamboo and they worked fairly well. They were pretty strong. Still do this occasionally to make gifts for kids at the dojo. We engrave their names into the bamboo with a wood burning tool.

If your really on a tight budget and would like a decent shield that is less than $38.00 then check out the Tiger Claw Foam Shield. Its dimensions are 30''x15''x4.5''. You can find it at several places online. Just do a search for Tiger Claw Foam Shield.

I really love Meijin uniforms. They are very well designed, fit great, they offer split sizes if needed, offer free Japanese embroidery, and just plan old feel GREAT! They have both white and black uniforms and the prices are far lower than most other of comparable quality. They offer different weight uniforms and my favorite uniform of all time is their Meijin TROPICAL which is a perfect weight for my work outs in the south as I live in Alabama. The Meijin TROPICAL provides me with the lighted weight but still has the snap, feel, and performance of a heavier uniform. I can not say enough good stuff about Meijin. Also they know how to get the kanji correct as they are native to the Japanese language. In case your wondering, NO I am not affiliated with them, I just plain old love their items. Their belts are great also. Cheack them out: http://www.dragon-tsunami.org/Products/Pages/Meijin.htm

Ti always remember that basics should be a part of any daily workout routine.

I personally feel that as a woman, training with men as given me an edge in being better able to defend myself should I ever be put in a real life or death situation against a man. I often spar with a man that is over 6 ft tall and 225 pounds and I often win the sparring match.

Just remember if you do wash your belt, do not use fabric softener as this will make it more likely that the Knot will loosen more easily and cause it to have trouble staying tied.

Congrats! I knew you could do it!

I had not intended to write anymore on this subject as it is clear that it is a very complicated topic where many are divided and when I said: many of you failed to understand that it was NOT my intention to compare apples to oranges, but, rather to use common sense that we must look at the situation with caution. Yes, some kids can hit as hard as some adults. We are all INDIVIDUALS, after all., however, I will answer the questions. The junior black belt doesn't pay another testing fee. All they pay is $20.00 for the new certificate and $60.00 for a new solid color black belt with custom embroidery if they want to get the belt from us (or they are welcome to get just a plain black one for $12.00 from us or they can buy their own elsewhere). Either replaces the black with white stripe they had worn as a JBB. The test may be slightly more intense as they should be more skilled and have more stamina, but, it doesn't vary that much. They may be required to break more, do more katas, spar longer. Remember, it is the child's choice along with their parents if they wish to test for a JBB or just wait until they are able to test for the regular BB. If they choose to wait, then they save $20.00 and cost of whichever belt if purchased from us. As stated before:

When I read your post, not just the part above, but, all of it; I was touched. The only thing I can say is: And, the journey continues!

I totally agree that the journey is the important part. I felt so strongly about it that when I designed the new logo at our dojo, I decided to place Japanese characters, or Kanji at the bottom center translated to mean "Journey". It is my hope that martial arts will become a lifelong journey which will change the lives of our students in a very positive way. We all need to take the time to enjoy the journey, not just in the martial arts, but, in all of life!

EXACTLY! I think that the reason it bothered me when a former practitioner said I shouldn't be a 2nd Dan because I hadn't trained long enough was because I have never looked at karate that way. I never told the person my rank. She saw my 2nd Dan award photo in an affiliation news letter. The color of the belt isn't really that important to me. I did joke on another post that it was time to start working toward my 3rd. However, if it takes me the rest of my life, that is fine. If I never get it, that is fine. I just love karate and it is part of my daily life and if my affiliation chooses to reward me for doing what I love and am going to do anyway, well so be it. If they don't, that is fine also. I try to study by the saying, Focus not on the color of the belt, but, the quality of what you know.

That's great, keep up the good work. Yes, Heian Godan is fun, but, my favorite katas of all are Heian Yondan (which you probably know) and Empi (don't know if you have seen this one yet or not). Empi is very popular at competitions, but is somewhat difficult. If you haven't seen or learned it yet, you will one day, I am sure.

O.K. This is the last I am going to write on this subject. First of all, I AM A WOMAN. I can most definitely hold my own with most people. I can punch and kick harder than a lot of men. With that said, people are INDIVIDUALS and no 2 are exactly alike nor are any 2 martial artist exactly a like. I could even punch and hit harder than the 4th dan woman that I trained under before moving to my current affiliation. But, would I want to be paired against a giant, no not really. Could I defend myself, I think so with no problem, but, I would rather not be in that situation. I would do my best of course and that is all anyone can do. Because people are individuals and differences exist between them, my dojo looks at the individual. We have standards to go by which are designed to protect the individual from harm. Some individuals are ready for a full black belt at 14 or even earlier and some or not and that is just the way it is. (You should see how big some of the kids are at 12 much less at 14 in my school). But, it is not just about being ready physically, the individual must be ready mentally and very, very, view are at such a young age. As with everything in life, there are exceptions and 2 such exceptions exist in my school. Should those that are not ready at 14 or those that can't hit as hard as others have the right to train, YOU BET YOUR BOOTS THEY SHOULD. All martial artist hope that a day never comes when we are put in a life or death situation, but, everyone deserves the chance to learn skills that might help saves their lives if such a time comes. Funakoshi said it best!

The kids and fellow instructors call me Sensei Crane because of my balance.

No my bad. I should have been more clear in my original post and explained that we give the kids a choice to test for a junior black or not. The problem that we had at the last tournament is that who sparred against who was decided more by the color belt and age than by weight which wasn't as fair as it the kids were paired up by belt color, age, and weight. It wasn't well planned or balanced. No, I certainly would not expect a small woman to fare as well as a 6 ft plus guy who is twice her weight. Which was kinda my point. Many times at tournaments (at least locally) the kids just don't seem paired fairly. I am not sure why. I know my son is small for his age, but, the tournament we were invited to had kids that looked like giants. There really just wasn't anyone for him to spar with as close to his weight as I would have preferred. I just believe in using caution so no one gets hurt. Could my little son defend himself in a real life and death situation against a six foot plus guy? Well, he would certainly make every hit and kick count, but, would that be good enough? I hope I never have to find out.

I think you may have misunderstood why I said what I did about kids. I was thinking of my son. He is very small for his size. Yes, he is strong and tuff and can break broads (several at a time). But, while he excels in kata, he doesn't do as well in sparring. He has to work twice as hard as the next guy to compete. He has to modify his techniques to be able to use what he knows to his advantage. Usually, at tournaments, he ends up competing against an opponent who his bigger in both height and weight. He can't physically kick/punch from as far away as the other guy. That is a disadvantage somewhat. He has to get in and be quick to make his moves count. He has to be smarter, so to speak, than the next guy. My son does well. He placed 3rd in sparring at a recent tournament against 18 in his class. Imagine what he might be able to do if he had that extra 25 pounds and 5 inches the others have. As I stated before, I have absolutely no problem at all awarding a regular (non junior) black belt to a child IF he can compete and defend himself/herself against an attacker of the same as expected of an adult testing for black. If the child has reached that ability and can meet all the same testing requirements as an adult, then give them the regular black belt. But, if they can't quite meet the same requirements, then, award them the junior black (more so they feel they have accomplished a lot) and keep letting them train until they are ready for the regular black. No, I am not out to just milk for testing fees as some may think. At my school, kids have a choice. If they wish to test for a junior black, they may, or they can decide to not pay the testing fee for the junior black and wait until they can meet the requirements for the regular black. Each month we evaluate and let the kids know if they are ready for either and each one along with their parents decides. Many actually want the junior as it makes them feel good about themselves while they continue toward the regular black. I have never put a child up for a regular black until I knew 100% they could pass the test. I have two 14 year old black belts in my school.

This is bad. However, you while having a dojo is nice, you don't have to have one to train. There are things you can do this summer that will aid your training. 1.Read books on the techniques you have been studying which might give you more insight into the proper way to execute the techniques (not saying you weren't doing them correctly). It is just good to enlighten yourself. 2. Strength train. Example: Pick a spot on the wall where you can squat with your legs widely apart and back against the wall. Place your hands on your knees and hold the position for say 1 minute the first time and work your way up to increased time in the position. This will burn in the legs, but, really helps increase the strength and endurance in the legs. 3. Practice what you have learned already on your own. For example: If it was kicks or punches, then, just stand in one place and do high kicks over and over each time trying to kick a little higher. 4. Do breathing exercises which we help with your stamina. All of the above are just examples as I don't know what style you are training in and it doesn't really matter. The point is, don't give up on the rest of your summer just because you don't have an instructor or a dojo. keep training the best you can so that when you go back, you are in good condition to learn new techniques. Good Luck!

Yes, he still trains. He recently placed 1st in kata at a local tournament. He doesn't do quite as well in sparring. He is good and knows the moves, but, he is so much smaller than the others kids his age and rank. Since his arms and legs are shorter than most of the others, he has to work harder than his opponent and really make the moves count. He is fast and tends to try to get in quick and attack fast cause he knows he can't reach as far as his opponent. He did place 3rd in sparring at the tournament.