mal103

Cheers for the info, all taken on board. I know some of them are getting nervous, especially me!

If it's as you say then you have nothing to worry about and will make a good contribution so go for it. Unfortunately it's a human failing that some will seek power and may try to cover their mistakes/failings by blaming others. Just keep an eye out and if anyone has "a quiet word" then question their motives. Most of the time they are okay but the last time I was in a committee of 5 it went to ruin as there was less done and more arguing.

It's an apprenticeship, this is where people end up saying that MA doesn't work but it's because they haven't done it long enough or effectively. It's painful to see someone get a Shodan when they are not ready, had a lesser grading or have broken all of the standard times to get it, especially when you did it at a certain standard. Proof will be on the floor if they ever stray into a good dojo.

Okay, you get your bb and learn there are another load of grades that get further apart and most won't or shouldn't get to be a high ranking dan grade. You also realise that the standards are all different and some still can't fight their way out of a paper bag or teach, some get given rank for political reasons and others grade themselves or get it after putting in lots of years. I've come to realise that unless you are part of a large (good) organisation then your standard can vary a great deal. From my personal findings I have trained alongside around 60 odd different black belts and am confident I have a good grasp on the average standard. Locally I have trained with a below average Sensei, seen a very poor Sensei and trained under a few very good Sensei. I believe that you can line up several students of the same belt/kyu grade from different clubs but have very different standards, I have therefore come to believe that a Black belt is a personal statement from one person (or club) to the student. Some will have to go through hours of training and testing to achieve this but others will get it handed to them on a plate. I think that a good student will become a good Black belt and hopefully get graded around the same time, they will be ready to move on with their training and have the right attitude, speed and power. They will have no problem turning up at any dojo around the world and fitting in at the top end. For anyone else that gets graded too early then it's the opposite. Unfortunately the student will know no difference and accept the grade but I suspect they are due for a shock if they ever try another dojo or want to expand on their training.

Great concept, when I train I often get everyone to do the same stuff, I also occasionally mix up the ranks/grades so you're not always training next to the same person. Belts are a good and bad thing which I would happily do without.

It is the Sensei's job to tell you when you are ready to grade, your dad was wrong to ask and the Sensei made their point (probably too much) by calling out your mistakes. Cost is a big consideration but you should try to choose the Dojo that offers the best standard and that you feel comfortable training at. You may be treated better at one but that doesn't mean it's the best Dojo. It sounds like they are both open to you training where you want and returning, this is something that you can do at any time, trying to train at both early on may be confusing so wait until way after black belt before trying that. If you want to go back to the old Dojo then you need to address the problem of mean and disrespectful students, bring it to the attention of the Sensei as they may not be aware, most would stamp out that behaviour immediately. If they allow it to happen then move Dojo. Maybe also have a word with Dad as well....

This is not a Martial Artist, just a self grading money maker. IMHO... I think there is a big difference between becoming a Black belt and being handed one. If you can say you have earnt it and are in line with the international average standard then you have become a Black belt, when you get one early or pay extra for it then it makes a joke of the standard and they will hopefully realise this one day if they are ever brave enough to leave the comfort of their own little ego club and stray into a real Dojo to train properly. We all know the difference between good MA and rubbish, you've just got rid of some rubbish, hopefully, maybe one day they will realise but until then be glad they are gone. How many times have you said "well, I thought I knew them", certain that I have and will do again.

This is very frustrating, all you can do is try to get the point accross that it's not a race and gradings can only be taken when the students are ready. We have the experience, although we all may have slightly different rules, standards and criteria, we are basing the students advancment on our system/experience, we are the ones that should be telling them when they can advance or what they need to work on. There are plenty of clubs around that will give out grades like sweets(candy) every 3 months wether they are ready or not, this is normally based on making money whilst patting them on the head and saying well done you are now a x Belt. You can tell who these clubs are because most of their BB's have realised the poor journey they have troden so far and gone off to train with the better clubs, there is normally anger that they have been given an easy ride and don't match the average standard. It's also a kick in the teeth when someone comes along behind you and gets an easy grade, you feel like putting your belt in the bin. There is always pressure of money, rent, ego, number of students, differences in students, etc, so some clubs lower the standard to keep everyone happy but they end up churning out bad students. I would rather have 5 good ones than 20 mixed good/bad/average. Unfortunately the sudents in question will either bad mouth your club/MA, find an easier club to train at or (hopefully) realise that they need to change and come back to apologise and continue training. I've had good technical students leave, they didn't get the whole package so would have ended up on Brown Belt row until they learnt humility and respect properly, i've also had the angry parent routine, some people I will give second chances to but when someone shouts or curses at you then I think the door should be firmly shut on their backsides.

After splitting from my old club I have ended up forming my own so that I can retain some independence and never go through "that" again. I still train at two other clubs and have close links with one of them so I am not out in the wilderness, I also need to get my 1st Kyu's graded somewhere else as I am only a 2nd Dan. Anyway, I used to be part of the gradings but the next one I do will be done as my new club, there will be 2 black belts, including myself, on the panel with a trainee instructor who is a 1st kyu. I have a good idea what I want to achieve and roughly how long each section should take, I also know that I may have to be harsh on a few if they don't put in any effort on the day. Any other tips or experiences to avoid/include? I am confident but also nervous...

THE Master! He is my role model and can even out smart his reflection - OSS!

I used to return them so they could be used if someone forgot their belt or graded last minute if there were none in stock. We also used them for resistance training. To me the belt is a reflection of the stage you are at in your training, once you move on then the belt is "used" and no longer valid, just like throwing out old clothes that no longer fit. Making a shrine to your training journey is fine if you like that sort of thing but this kind of show seems like an ego problem to me. IMHO....

Yes, seek medical advice, although a lot of them play easy by telling you not to do anything strenuous so you end up doing nothing. I would say - after speaking to your doctor - speak to your club and ask if you are okay to gradually return, either start with going through the motions slowly or taking regular breaks. I'm no expert but would suggest keeping active may help prevent heart attacks unless it's a medical condition, but keep everything to a gradual pace. Having a attack must be scary stuff so take it easy!

One problem I can see in the future is if he grades quicker with one club due to timings of the gradings etc, if he was still 6th kyu with one but 3rd Kyu with the other... A belt chaser would choose the easiest route, someone more humble would take our work for it and accept the level we grade them and when.

I'm affraid someone should have stopped him the second he returned to the Dojo with his honourary BB on and stated that if he is back training then its as a 1st Kyu. As you have allowed him to continue training thinking he is a normal BB then it will be difficult to take it away. He should have had the humilty and respect to ask if it was okay to return to training and wear the BB, most people would have not assumed this. Due to previous injuries then I would setup a grading but have it split up into manageable sections and maybe exclude full sparring for medical reasons. It may resolve itself if he continues and improves the standard but he will always be known as the one who didn't earn it, I think most people would accept a modified grading.

I teach twice a week and try my best to train at other Dojo's twice a week, at work we have a gym with a studio so I mix up gym work followed by Kata, I also work on new combinations I want to introduce into my lessons that I teach. If i'm lucky I will get 4-5 hours worth of gym/Karate a week. Other than that it's just bits and pieces at home, my whole family does Karate so it's no shock to see me training in the garden...

Had a new student start several weeks ago and they also train at another nearby Dojo, i've also been training there and they are very similar, same style, ethos etc. The student has said that they want to grade at both clubs? I have tried explaining that you typically only grade with one Sensei and I am really not bothered who it is so long as they keep up their training. I said it's like doing your driving test twice! How can I best get this across, or are they perfectly normal to grade at both, considering they may be out of sync if we grade at different times, would the other Sensei allow them to grade if they already had the latest belt colour on, certainly not to grade them to the next one but to allow them to re-take the grade? Would the student end up wearing different colour belts to different Dojo? I can see the point if it was different styles but we are both Shotokan Karate and both have the same standard.

It's painfull losing a good student but you have to be clear - either make a complaint or be quiet. If there is any truth in the complaint then approriate action should be taken like an apology, if there is not then they need to be told that their complaint is not justified, hint that if they continue to complain about staff/students then they risk exclusion.

I think this should be judged before they are allowed to test, someone who is rude, dishonest, etc shouldn't really get to Shodan. But if the examiners are bad then they will. i think its wrong to try and test for this and i would have chosen the new kit as i don't want to wear someone else's smelly stuff...

Exclude any liars... I have experience of a certain family that were a pain in the backside, they also wanted their kids to train because they had problems or were just misfits, rather than bring them up properly they took them to us... There were also bruises and a potential cover story by using karate as an excuse. We put on black belts and stand as role models to teach MA to every day folk, some look up to us, some expect us to be near perfect but others will just try to play us for their means. We must stand above it so long as we are in the right. There is only one place for liars and troublemakers - the door!

Black belts need to show bunkai for their gradings, everyone will learn bunkai but at their level. junior grades will learn basic bunkai and seniors advanced, although it is always clear that any application is one of many and not the application. The worst I have experienced is a self appointed 5th dan telling me the kids application to advanced kata.... I think it's fine to bend the kata to explore different bunkai as I think that is the next step.

...or how little actual meat is in some of the mass produced rubbish like Chicken kievs or sausages. In the cheaper ones its all the "stuff" left over after they cut off the meat.

Lots of good advice given, hope it helps. I have said something similar when teaching but in total jest! I was trying to get students to lift their legs in the first part of the front kick so I got their partners to kneel down in front of them, I informed them that if they didn't raise their legs enough and kicked their partners then it was their turn next... I haven't won trophies and train under extremely good Sensei that haven't won trophies, makes no difference. Personally I will only get lower grades to perform Kumite drills that will only give them sore forearms or maybe shins, never to aim at vital or soft parts of their partners body. Even later on there are still targets that are off limits, it's tricky as in a real situation you would want them to hit these areas first. Keep training but DO NOT retaliate, even if the guy with the Black belt says it's okay - this goes against the grain of MA full stop - or period for the US! Keep all Kumite under control, can you imagine if you were testing each others stomach muscles by punching in the gut, then found out that your partner lost a baby? Shocking thought maybe, but hit a punchbag hard, try the techniques on a partner with FULL control but hit an attacker the hardest.

I try to include it but most Dojo have hard floors and a lack of mats.... I also include getting up quick, including rolling away and springing to your feet, try to make a race out of it but few beat me to their feet. Can also be a bit of a game for the kids as you tell them the end position like left leg forward, upper rising block, then see who can get their first and in the right position. Certainly essential to know how to fall if you are going to entertain the idea of hitting back or enter competitions. When we did have the mats out I went through a couple of falls and a couple of students had done Judo years ago and were very good at it!

I see a lot of information on health and fitness, I even witness people using the gym sticking to a strict routine of exercise and drinking shakes, taking vitamins etc. good luck to them but I prefer the more simple approach... There is a great advert on the TV in the UK at the moment with Mo - the runner that did so well during the Olympics - people often ask him his secret and he replies something like eat well and train hard.

Stop buying the smelly cancer sticks! Look at people who have smoked for years with wrinkly skin, health problems etc. ask yourself if you want to be like them. It is tough but take charge of your habit and you will succeed in doing anything you want to do. I quit by reducing down to a few a day, gradually, then got it down to one a day which I would leave until the evening. Then made a date to stop when the last packet ran out. I think I just threw the last couple on the fire. You may have the odd lapse after a beer but look at it as a temporary lapse like eating a cake when you are trying to lose weight, don't assume you've failed just that you need to try again. After time you will hate them, hate the smell and become fitter, be able to taste more, walk up the stairs without gasping. It's your body and your life, take control...