crash

if the problem continues after the second or third class try having an assistant instructor, (if possible) take the class and you take the student to the back of the mat and teach him the basics for the next few classes, 1 on 1 may keep his attention and get him into the routine of being in class with others. if this still dousnt calm him down or set the pace you may have to resort to suspension from class for a few days or a week. if he then comes back with the same attitude or problems then expelling him may be the only option. the class integrity and learning environment cant be compromised for an unruly student. a talk with the mom will have to happen as to what you expect from each student.

back years ago in the 80's - 90's it was common for all gyms, martial arts studios, etc... to be by contract with financing. this is a business, for instructors to be paid, bills to be met, (rent is expensive in a desirable location) and a profit to be earned there has to be a set price for any business to make it. it wasnt un-common back then for any dojo to offer "programs" such as a bluebelt program and a blackbelt program, i havent seen this method in a while but it dousnt necessarily make a "mcdojo". sports, good gyms, personal training, etc... are expensive, not everyone is going to be able to afford them, sad, but that is the reality of the world. it is a business and in order for any business to operate properly there has to be a profit and a system of pricing and services. i personnaly would not charge for belt testings but a lot of places do. this is an expensive sport/hobby/training. there is a lot of equipment, uniforms, etc... to keep up with and then if you are into tournament's or the sport/competitive side of it there are the fees and travel for those. the bottom line though is what you are comfortable with. you know what your school offers, classes, training quality etc... and only you can decide is it worth it in your eyes and are you comfortable and happy in your position. if not then you must decide whether to stay or move on and start your own system/school in the way you would like.

thats is cool, theres a dojo near me that i would workout in from time to time that is like that, gym and dojo combination, owner is a great guy. there is a lot of possibilities if done right. has given me many ideas for what type of setup and direction i would like to go in. im not looking to go the full gym route but something more along the lines of a full dojo with some gym equipment and personal training/high intensity training added in. thanks for sharing the info and good luck with the recruiting.

thanks Bushido_man for the reply, are you in a commercial Dojo? why do you not have many adults? covid/shutdown?, area?, (rural versus city), do the gyms in your area have full programs/memberships?.....that is why i asked if anyone had incorporated HIIT type classes/programs into their curriculum, there are a few 9 rounds type gyms in my area that keep large memberships, as well as full scale gyms. just brainstorming ideas here that could boost memberships. a lot of people get into the martial arts just for the exercise, cardio, weight loss, etc... what are some ways we could maybe keep people interested and returning even after the goal of blackbelt is reached. with the wave of planet fitness and workout anytime type establishments popping up everywhere at 20.00 a month it is getting tougher to compete and draw in customers. especially adults. who once they realize that these gyms arent what they seek will then go to gyms like 9 rounds or crossfit for 100 plus per month. how do we become the middleman, so to speak, and get some of this group of people interested. how do we market in a new way yet still retain the core of what we teach. I don't know that I'd call it a commercial dojang. When covid hit and everyone thought it was wise to force business to shut down, we lost a lot of our student body. Quite a few didn't come back. I'm guessing they were on the fence about it anyway, and covid provided a convenient excuse to walk away, and lasted long enough to justify not coming back. We also had a change in CI/school owner, which probably caused some of the drop off, too. Funnily enough, our school is in a 24-hour gym (not a national chain though), and the owner has leased floor space for some aerobic classes of some type. However, they aren't MA affiliated courses (like Tae-Bo for example). I live in a fair-sized city, about 21,000, but in a pretty rural area. We usually get lots of kids signed up, but when they starting getting older, lots of them trail off to school sports. I don't have a problem with this, it just is what it is. We used to have a better adult standing, and hope for it to start coming back. There was a time when our TKD class was one of a few courses available for a PE credit at the local university, but that was dropped about 10 years ago, and we lost a nice inflow of adult students, even if was just for a quarter at a time, and we'd usually have a few that stuck around. I've heard we are getting back into the college credit business, but I don't think the requirement level has changed. So we'll see what happens. The shutdown was hard on a lot of small businesses, for the last couple of months it seemed that maybe that was going to straighten out and return to normal, but now with the economy doing what it is doing i just dont know, current members of gym type facilities will hang in as long as possible but getting new people involved may be a little harder than past times. i had a friend who ran his dojo out of a gym for a while, a few years actually, until it changed hands and the new owners werent interested in renting space. they wanted an all, in house, hands on type business, he finally went the strip mall route and did well until retiring. the college deal sounds good though and hopefully you all can get university students back again on a regular basis. the local college in our city has a continuing education dept for night classes that the county residents can utilize. getting in and teaching classes like that can be a good way to get students also. not sure if your college has that type of dept./classes available to your comunity but it may be worth looking into.

thanks Bushido_man for the reply, are you in a commercial Dojo? why do you not have many adults? covid/shutdown?, area?, (rural versus city), do the gyms in your area have full programs/memberships?.....that is why i asked if anyone had incorporated HIIT type classes/programs into their curriculum, there are a few 9 rounds type gyms in my area that keep large memberships, as well as full scale gyms. just brainstorming ideas here that could boost memberships. a lot of people get into the martial arts just for the exercise, cardio, weight loss, etc... what are some ways we could maybe keep people interested and returning even after the goal of blackbelt is reached. with the wave of planet fitness and workout anytime type establishments popping up everywhere at 20.00 a month it is getting tougher to compete and draw in customers. especially adults. who once they realize that these gyms arent what they seek will then go to gyms like 9 rounds or crossfit for 100 plus per month. how do we become the middleman, so to speak, and get some of this group of people interested. how do we market in a new way yet still retain the core of what we teach.

There are a LOT of injuries in pro wrestling though. Whether or not it is 'real' they are extremely tough guys. Easy ones that come to mind from years ago as Steve Austin's broken neck; Brock Lesnar's broken neck; HHH's badly damaged quad etc. What makes it even worse is if possible they finish the match! no question on them being tough, they are top notch athletes, no doubt. there are indeed lots, and, sometimes severe injuries in pro wrestling, but i think that is also a product of their schedules, these guys do, on average three shows per week, that alone increases their chance of injury, add to that some of the stunts they partake in and it can be a dangerous occupation, lol....just imagine what the injury rate of the UFC would be if all the fighters fought 3 or more times per week.....hmmm

interesting, and thanks for the comment. yes covid and the shutdown was hard. I am in kind of the same boat as you, was getting everything ready to jump in full bore and had to put it on hold for a minute. hoping now is the time to start getting it all back on track....now everything is back up and running and im just wondering what could be done to expand a little as far as variety and quality of class, and what some people might would like added to add a little extra to the routine. are you still hoping to move into a commercial bldg and build a larger class base?, or is the home location enough? has having adult classes at 5:30 been convenient? I always had a hard time getting adults in that early due to work schedules and such?..... thank you and good luck with your plans

How are your classes scheduled?. 1 hour per night? 2 hours? is sparring done as part of class normally or do you have a separate sparring class once a week. do you have a separate beginners class for underbelts? (green belt and below as an example). just curious how some other Dojo's are ran. an example of class schedule like 6-6:45 beginners, 7-745 adult advanced, 8-9 wednesdays sparring. and if you had on mondays and fridays a HIIT (high intensity interval training) type training class/workout would you attend? (for some of the people who also split gym training with martial arts). this dousnt include childrens classes, just interested in adult classes and how others may be ran, and what you may think would make them better or what could be added to the standard martial arts class.

congratulations on getting back in there. i started in my teens back in the early 80's and like most, life takes turns one way or the other...lol... military, marriage, work, etc.... and as such there were breaks along the way. i always either stayed in the martial arts or the gym, or a combination of both. but there were still breaks away for short time limits, a year here, two years there and such, but always would feel something missing and return to training or teaching. its a lifestyle for some of us that we just need. congratulations on your return and best wishes on your journey, keep us informed and if you have questions im sure someone here will be more than glad to share their knowledge, there are a lot of knowledgeable members here with a wealth if information and years of experience to share. good luck and welcome aboard.

the tournament circuit back in the 70's and 80's was great, wow, a lot of good memories from then. not uncommon for knock outs and blood shed..lol... those were the days before headgear was required, or even common...lol... and whether people agree with sport karate or not, it cant be denied that it had an effect on everyday training, like you stated, it opened a lot of ppl's eyes to different techniques and styles to be implemented and adopted into their base style. leading to todays form of cross teaching most schools now practice to some degree. ......... good memories of travel, friendships, training.....those were the days....lol

the first style i learned as a teen and into my mid 20's back in the early 80's was tang soo do based. the dojo/dojang and style was heavy on the sport and tournament side, so while we were taught tang soo do we also had boxing (jabs, hooks, uppercuts) along with footwork and the power from the hips as you described above, along with other techniques from other styles of karate and tae kwon do implemented within the training. there are some schools that are strictly traditional im sure, but i would think that now most training has evolved with the times and with what is known to work in the modern world. my experience with mixing styles and moving from one position to another is actually quite an easy transition if the person understands the concepts and is not hung up on what is the "right" or "wrong" way of doing a technique. while a traditional style is great to learn, and the lineage of such styles should and must be respected and preserved, sadly in todays world the lineage isnt as important to the general public as it once was, thus leading to the doors being opened for other styles and techniques to be brought into the modern dojo's teachings. it would be interesting to see how many schools are strictly traditional versus how many now implement other styles into their curriculum.

Yubi-hasami or hira basami is i think what you may be looking for. but like spearhand and other finger strike techniques i still think they may not be the best go-to type strikes due to possible injury. but i do understand the traditional strikes are part of learning and tradition

the closest strike to that may be a ridge hand strike, but if you are actually striking with your hand formed like holding a cup, then you are possibly exposing the thumb, fingers and wrist in a position to be broken. the wrist and thumb are not the strongest areas to be taking a blunt force strike such as this in that type position.

yep, a few

this is a spot on answer, nice job describing / explaining... chinese splits and american splits along with partner streches standing and sitting are some of the best stretches to do. if you study a picture of a high side kick you will see it is basically an american split standing up, a roundhouse kick is closer to a chinese split standing. notice the rear foot placement, pointed back, compared to the front foot position in the different kicks. holding the kick extended is the best way to build the muscles for that particular position. that and just plain old repetitions....good luck

dont really have anything to add that hasnt been already stated, to get it actually dull enough to be 100% safe would require the edge to be completely flattened or rounded off and the point to be flattened, even then it could still stab and puncture the body, due to the small size of the blade. if you take this much off the blade it will no longer actually be identical the active carry one though. (sounds like you want an exact copy for practice) but the now, practice knife will be minutely less in weight and size due to blade loss....sure, probably not noticeable but still...... practicing with a similar practice knife is probably the best route imo, but that is just me, i couldnt bring myself to ruin a good blade...lol

seriously, a bo has to be licensed????? does no one there have walking sticks for hiking?

wrestling and boxing, but why be an mma fighter when pro wrestling pays more with a longer career and less chance of serious injury...lol, boxing is even much better as far as pay is concerned. mma is pretty much just pro wrestling that is real, but again, with less pay, lol...(may not be a popular statement, but think about it...)...pro wrestling has always been about striking, kicking and joint locks, armbars, etc. many from jujitsu and judo, mma just took all that and made it a real fight instead of staged....lol..not downing mma at all, just saying if going to train for a future career in fighting, why not go for the high pay, high publicity ones.

back in the late 80's I attended an Aikido dojo that was "Donation" based in a sense, the monthly dues were 50.00 and it was on an honor system in that you just dropped your dues in a wooden box inside the dojo entrance. a lot of Aikido dojos were like that and it seemed to work out fairly well. the dojo is still running some 40 years later and has actually moved locations and now has a very nice landscaped traditional garden and training hall look and feel. if for whatever reason you couldnt afford the dues you would be allowed to donate whatever you could until you could return to the set dues. it always had a packed floor and membership, so it can work if done properly and teaches honor, respect and responsibility.

is your son also a martial artist? if not this may be a good time to introduce him to this side of the arts, and it will keep him in shape for a return to the mat if he so chooses after a time off. good on you for not pushing him and letting him decide. guidance and support but at the same time respecting his decision can be a tough one sometimes, good luck to your son on whatever endeavor he chooses to pursue.

another thing to consider is that with a lot of people the goal of getting their black belt is the end game. task accomplished and they move on to other things they want to try to achieve. some will continue afterwards and see the lifestyle side of the arts but some will never go that deep and will move on to other ways of working out or staying in shape, which to a lot of people that is all this is, just a way to lose weight or stay in shape, not much different than cardio kickboxing class at the gym...lol... so there will always be those who drop the martial arts for the gym or other activities, im even guilty of that from time to time. ive taken 6 months or so off for just gym workouts, but i always return after a break, this is my roots, but for others it is just an activity

why do people quit the gym, or why do children quit baseball or soccer after playing for 3,4,5, or more years. its an activity for most people, especially children who at some point will move on to other hobbies or sports. i dont think it is because its too hard for most, quite the opposite actually, ive seen other sports and activities that require much more physical activity from its participants, junior high and senior high football, even cheer squads or gymnastics squads can be brutal in training, it takes dedication and commitment and for the majority that will pass and other life interests willl take its place. a small majority, like us, will make it a lifelong interest, a life style and those will become the teachers and instructors of the next generations and the circle will continue.

the last 15 years have been good thanks. WOW, cant believe its been that long, or that i am still active in the M,A's....lol.... the martial arts have been a huge part of my life and will always be a positive. good to see the forum is still here and active. Thanks everyone for the welcome back.

Personal Trainers get certifications in a variety of methods and training. from bodybuilding to nutrition and diet and everything in between, sports training and conditioning etc..... back in the day, I was a certified trainer and also had a senior trainer certification, along with staying current on red cross cert's and CPR. it is actually helpful as a martial arts instructor to stay on top of some certifications. search for a trainer who also has a senior certification or exp. with training seniors. sure a trainer is supposed to push you beyond what you would or could do as an individual or by your self, but your safety and current condition is first and foremost the most important cosideration. most trainers work with people in their 20's through the early 40's. senior training is a completely differant game due to health and age related conditions. just find a trainer who specializes in this.... Good luck with your search. you will find someone you are comfortable with.

Hi everyone, havent posted in a loooong while but have lurked off and on through the years. just passing through and catching up. hoping to return to posting regularly again and getting to know and re-know some of the members here.