ninjanurse

Congrats everyone!

I like it pittbull!!!!

Best wishes to him!!

Surf Ninjas! I was actually training in Master Reyes system at the time the movie was filmed hence the "theme" of my 2nd degree test revolved around the movies message. "KWAN ZU!"....dudes!

I had a doberman named Conan once.....great dog-great movie!!! I also had a doberman named Thundarr.....yep, I date myself yet I was in college at the time!

Congrats!

Welcome!

Welcome to martial arts and to the forum!!

I have been there....and done that. My journey has taken me from an overweight, unhealthy, introverted slug to a fit, healthy, and confident martial artist with a passion to share what I have learned with others. It didn't happen overnight and there were times when I doubted myself but...I bought into it hook, line, and sinker and it changed my life forever! Never ever settle for the status quo...commit yourself to self improvement everyday for the rest of your life. Excuses only keep you shackled down and defeat you before you even start.

Welcome!

Proceed carefully here! Having faith in your instructor is very important and doubt can poison the waters. This guy may not have good intentions, especially if he says you can only learn more from him, etc. My advice would be to stay the course, achieve your Black, and then explore his offer.

Semantics aside, a journey can take a lifetime and is full of ups, downs, twists, and turns that make it all the more fulfilling when we finally reach our destination. It's what makes it all worth it! It is a shame that your daughter did not pass after all the pre-testing, etc., and you are correct in that the burden of that should fall partially on the instructors but you cannot blame the panel or system of judging as the process is intended to be impartial and as I said before, more than just technique is evaluated. It is true that not every student that strives for a Black Belt will achieve it. There is more to it than just physical skills and "being in shape"...and the standards should not change especially because someone is only a child-all the more important that they understand the meaning behind it as the rank comes with a great deal of responsibility! I think people do not give kids enough credit these days and spend a lot of time protecting them from disappointments and failures so they don't have to feel bad. What we learn from our struggles prepares us to deal with life, builds our characters, makes us stronger. Maslow's Hierarchy is in play throughout our lives and especially throughout a martial artists journey to Black Belt-we are all in a different place but that does not mean that we cannot move towards self-actualization and some reach it before others regardless of their age! If your school teaches nothing past 1st Degree Black Belt then I suggest that you and your daughter investigate another system as this is NOT and should NEVER be the case! There is so much more to learn that you could never learn it all in a lifetime!!! I have been at this for 30 years and am still learning all the time. New forms, new techniques, new combinations, new challenges.....it never ends. All the more reason to continue your journey-whatever your physical condition. The mental and spiritual benefits far outweigh what you can do physically.

Same as 1st dan...everything you know from white to current rank.

The goal of an instructor is to give a student the tools to succeed...it is up to the student to use them. We can guide and motivate but we can not "do it for them". You yourself said that she knows the stuff so obviously they have provided adequate instruction in the technical aspects of the art. It is up to her, not you or her instructors, to find it within herself the understanding of what it means to be a Black Belt. I think that somewhere along the line you may have missed the point about what it takes to earn and be a Black Belt. The road does not end when you tie a black piece of cloth around your waist.....you have not reached the end of the journey, only the beginning...dedication and perseverance are what it is all about! If your daughter has not been taught that then the school has let her down. If she has been guided there and not yet grasped it's concept then she is not ready to wear the rank. A personal story here may further clarify this: I have 2 sons. One started TKD training at the age of seven, the other at six. The older was a natural....everything came easy and he excelled at the technical aspects of the art so much so that he was one of the youngest to ever be promoted to Black Belt within that association. He quit shortly after this-boredom being his biggest complaint...he was not challenged by what he found beyond red belt-more of the same, expectations to improve on what was already learned, blah, blah, blah. His younger brother had the opportunity to exceed his brothers accomplishments by being an even younger Black Belt however he was not able to match his brothers intensity and physical prowess and did not pass his Black Belt test. In fact, he failed 3 more times before he finally passed which meant that he trained the same curriculum for an additional 24 months! He trained, he failed, he cried four times....too much for a 9 year old to bear? Dedication, perseverance, and passion kept him training...qualities that made him into one of the finest young men I know. A young man who went on to achieve his 2nd degree black belt, graduate from high school ahead of his peers (at 16 yoa), is a college graduate, and is now training to become a Martial Arts Instructor for the Marine Corps. He does not have any regrets about his journey and is thankful to his instructors who encouraged him and never gave up on him. It is not about the Belt , it is about the journey! A black belt is not a lure to be dangled in front of students it is a craving thats grows from the inside out. It is a passion that never wanes....an achievement that forever changes you. It is too bad that you have let this discourage you and that you feel you can settle for brown belt. Not all journeys are smooth sailing...sometimes there are ripples in the water that we encounter and must deal with, sometimes there are storms that blow us off course. If it was easy then everyone would have a Black Belt and it would mean nothing! It is also not about what you look like on the outside but what you look like on the inside that counts. You should take this as an opportunity to connect with your daughter and work physical, mentally, and emotionally towards a shared goal of Black Belt. What an opportunity you have to share in each others journey!

Welcome

Welcome!

Vein's don't usually "bruise", they actually pop open and bleed into the tissue surrounding them causing a very painful hematoma that takes several days to weeks to heal depending on the size. Happens all the time to me.

Geez! I don't even have that many pairs of shoes!

Sorry to hear it was such a bummer! Scoring is very subjective due to the human element so these kinds of things always happen but sometimes it does go your way. Doesn't seem fair though...winning on opinion not skill is just as disconcerting-at least for me. Don't let it discourage you much...giving your best performance should be your goal!

Sometimes not passing is part of the test. They may look to see that she continues to train and improve with a positive attitude.

\Didn't we talk about this!!!!! Fortified soy products baby, fortified soy!!!!!

Yes....in a perfect world all techniques would be universal so when talking of a back kick we would all have the same visual!

I never made reference to muscle memory in my post but I am glad you brought it up. Muscle memory takes on many forms....for example learning to crawl before you walk and learning to walk before you run. Whether obvious or not there are a lot of things in our development that give us muscle memory and pattern our minds/bodies for future skills that may or may not be similar in appearance or use.

They are definitely doing the student a dis-service...not to mention spoiling the fruit of their own tree.

So if kata program your body for specific motion, how is the specific motion of throwing a punch from a long stance with your other hand at your hip and holding the punching arm out straight at the end of the movement benifitial? If you are programming it, has you say, why not program useful things? All motion is beneficial to training whether you see it or not. The internal changes of muscle, tendon, and bone are just as important as the external form...and kata are just another tool to effect change.