advfhorn

FYI - we have multiple adults at our dojo who drive 1hr (or more) to attend our dojo bc other dojos did not "work for them" they usually say the people were not as good to train with. As a Mom I understand the baby issue - call me a lousy Mom but I used to stick my 4yr old on the side with a tablet as I trained. he is 11 now and I still do it, and yes he gets to bed way too late and sometimes he ate fast food for dinner. Time for Mommy is important ... not only for your physical health but your mental health too. Also its good for the kids to learn that not everything in their world revolves around them.

This thread is very helpful. I was searching on PTSD and kumite and found this. Though my situation might be different bc I feel my sparring skills are being held back bc I first need to learn how control the PTSD (disassociation and flashbacks while sparring) ... reading this thread has reminded me the solutions are pretty much the same - "spar more and relax" - drill, especially offensive versus defensive I find once my adrenaline kicks in my focus to control the PTSD and to stay "offensive' is out the window .... but if offensive moves were muscle memory less focus would be needed and perhaps the it would be easier to keep myself "grounded in the present". I don't know .... its a theory anyway.

In our current dojo our parents area has a solid wall between it and the floor but with camera and two TV screens (which are recorded). Some kids run out to their parents, or have anxiety they cannot see there parents and it is something the staff are taught to deal with. For parents like me who train with our children, I am occasionally reminded that it is "his dojo his rules" and that I am not in charge of my child in that setting BTW I have been training for 5.5 yrs and my son for 6 yrs years. Mostly it is brought to my attention for either correcting his behavior or doing too much for him.

Definitely NOT!!! I do it to learn, keep myself flexible and fun. I am far from a natural at anything in my life!

I have paid for private lessons for my son to "catch up" when he is having a harder time grasping a concept than other kids his age. Also for confidence before a tournament. IRT myself ... I am considering it before my testing grade that requires 2 and 3 on 1 while sparring ... I am terrible at sparring. As far as from a pro ... maybe if I felt I was nearing the level that my own Sensei was not able to teach me more.

every block can be a strike as well. yes I would use it if it gave me an opening or I could redirect into another move.

I think you owe it to your Sensei to tell him you are attending another dojo to extend your knowledge in another discipline, whether you decide to leave his dojo or not.

Funny you ask as this has been on my mind a lot recently. I am nearing my testing for brown belt and my Sensei has started to drop comments about my "future black belt testing". Here is my dilemma ... I joined karate to learn, to stay flexible, and knowledgeable, for the discipline and although I take pride in being an advanced level belt as it shows my dedication and commitment I never had a black belt as a goal. I suppose that sounds weird to you all but mentally I am just not ready to commit .... although I have no desire to stop my training even if that meant having to change dojos. Maybe I will feel differently after I am a brown belt for awhile .. maybe I will be looking for another step. so far I have been training 5 years.

I am 41 years old and have been training for about 5 years. In the last 5 years I have had a lot of issues with my shoulders. When the guys hit me (even when I am holding a pad) I know they contact me lighter. If I am okay with harder, I tell them. The higher belts come at me very quick and controlled and then tap light. I know they punch my husband's pad harder.

We have to earn our white belt, usually after 2-3 classes and starting to learn our student creed and motto.

3 years ago our Sensei temp took away a 7yr old boy's belt. the boy is also a student in elementary school with my son and I know he was lacking control both in and out of the dojo. The Mom told me later she was on board with whatever decision our Sensei had made. Fast forward 3 years later (today) the boy is still seen as a bully in elementary school (I hear my son's school friends tell stories of him verbally and physically bullying them) and several of my son's friends that have considered our dojo to train, have gone to other dojos bc this boy still trains with us. The more I think about it, I am glad this boy is still at our Dojo bc it means that he and his family respect our Sensei and his teachings to stick with it, and the longer he trains with us the more of chance our Sensei has a chance to teach him control. He appears to demonstrate control on the dojo floor.

Thank you Nidan Melbourne ... maybe it is time to do private lessons. I have been coping by orienting myself in the room (meaning occasionally move my eyes from the belt or chest to around the room) to remind myself where I am and that I am safe. The faster their hands and or my head being hit triggers the feelings which eventually if they keep pursuing me when I retreat, then the visuals.

In my 3.5 yrs of training the students I have met at the dojo that seem to have what I call "fake confidence" (meaning they appear cocky or bossy but it is really them trying to prove themselves) or those that completely lack confidence and do not seem to gain it from others encouraging and praising them .... usually leave after their contract ends (year long contracts). In our dojo we never skip belt rankings. We also do not pay for testing. However if any student ever made a comment against a judgement call of our Sensei publicly ... I would not want to be them at that moment I do remember a student making a snide comment once after one class about not advancing a stripe. Sensei immediately addressed it and her disrespect and I very much remember her NEXT class (he put her in the spotlight and she was not up to the task). She quit after that.

Thank you, those replies were very helpful. Our Dojo has a STORM team and some of those members teach class both with Sensei in the building and not. As a parent paying $200/m for our son, I have an issue with some of these STORM team teachers. I feel they are not mature enough to control the Karate kid classes and lack the experience the kids need to learn and grow. As a student there myself I pick and chose who is teaching bc the inexperienced teachers do mostly a fitness workout and do not correct technique.

Our dojo closes 3 weeks a year for vacation plus all traditional holidays and holiday weekends. We have enough staff to stay open even when the owner is away. He tends to do it on the long months but I feel its wrong. Even if the classes were shortened to maybe all ages all belts, I feel there should be something.

Do you have some students teach classes (without you present)? STORM team students? Do they teach both adult and youth classes? Are they all black belts?

Our Sensei runs the Dojo and has a STORM team of "teachers" (not all black belts) and he does the admin work for the Dojo. He does it full time doing a few odd jobs outside of the Dojo at times. His wife runs the Cardio business with the help of another instructor (she has a full time job outside of the dojo).

Please do not take offense to this, but As a parent of a 7 yr old boy I would not allow my son do any kind of training without the ability to watch him. NOT that I always do, but if I am not given that option I assume something is wrong. our Dojo has a "back room" that is sometimes used and the kids do not go back there without the camera on in the parent viewing area. Forget about parental feelings ... think of the liability concerns!!!

Used to shrink on Thursday (last adult training day of the week) bc our Sensei was consistently physically pushing us harder especially when he went thru a circuit training phase. Now I would say our Monday nights are the lightest.

My son's group ages 5-9 (mostly 5-6 yr olds) and usually has 22-24 kids for 45 mins. They usually spit into 2-4 groups (depending how much help they have) and do stations. They incorporate a lot of games and obstacle courses with circle time about 3/4 of the way thru. My son almost always comes off the floor smiling.

yeah we earn our white belts too, but fast. In the adult class we "rib" each other if we forget our belt. I was a student of 2-3 months and laid mine on the floor when it fell off (I will never forget that verbal dress down). This 7yr old is big (3-4 inches taller than my same age son who is on the taller size) and pushy and verbally deeming. This boy "thinks" he is being funny, his father is the same way. I noticed since the kid lost his belt he refuses to wear his gi top (even during testing week) and wears his blue shirt and lines up with the blue belts (which I am guessing was not Sensei's intention). I realize he is only 7 but someone needs to knock this kid down a peg or two because he is only getting bigger and stronger.

As a parent of a student I appreciate that I know ROUGHLY my son will get a stripe every X # of classes, more so if he doesn't then I can ask "is something wrong, what does he need to work on, etc". They do watch them closer before a stripe and make sure they deserve the stripe. After 4 stripes they watch him closer and make sure he is where he needs to be to go up. Once there name goes on the board for graduation I rarely see it removed for failure to comply (when I have it has been higher belts). I understand your concerns about auto ranking BUT parents need a way to know specifically what is going on too. I am an adult student about 6 months behind my son and I can tell by pressure from my Sensei or little comments here and there, but my son is way to young to understand any of that.

I have only been training 1.5 yrs. Recently our Sensei took a student's belt away. Its a kid in my son's school classroom and I know the boy has been having issues with control at school and in the Dojo. Is this a "not uncommon occurrence", to see a belt removed (at least temporarily)?

Thanks all. I am only a student at this dojo of 1.5 yrs and this teen is a white belt (5-6 months). I told my Sensei. She is a quiet girl who you would never expect. My Sensei was shocked when I told him who. He said he wanted to see for himself and he worked in a drill the following week (conditioning and checked our arms were red). The rest is up to him. He will do the right thing. I have heard the teen say she fights with Mom a lot and is bad in Math. When I was a rebellious teen I yelled, screamed and punched doors and walls when I was mad and smoked cigarettes. I guess ech generation has their own thing. Thanks all. I am real sensitive since my neighbors teen hung himself last sept. The impact of that will make me hug my own son everyday. I would want to know if it were my kid.

juggling family schedule (my son's karate/swimming/guitar/cub scouts) while my husband and I both also train at the Dojo, and trying to stay healthy (cardio exercise and eating right).