Nidan Melbourne

You can train alone to learn it, but the thing is that you wouldn't get the full benefits of the training. Because when you train on your own you are more likely to get bored and therefore quit. Watching videos helps you learn the basics yes but you won't learn the finer points in those moves. When you do it properly in a class you will sweat and have fun whilst learning something. I am an overweight individual that has trained for 14 years now. And I understand fully well what it is like to be overweight and unfit and the psychology behind it i understand quite well. When you do Kata full strength will proper stances, kicks, blocks and strikes you really do build up a big sweat. It is akin to cardio yes but you don't notice that you are training like that. At my worst I have weighed approximately 130 kg (286 Pounds) now I am down to 114 kg. And I have been giving it 100% over the last few months. Many people who train in Martial Arts (in classes) focus on fitness and not necessarily self defense or sport. Question: When you train at the gym do you do it on your own or with friends? Why couldn't you keep at the calisthenics? The Best thing is to go to do some classes give everything 100% to it and will spare you from having to spend x amount on classes and then a further x amount for a gym membership. Because many people find more benefits from martial arts training than going to the gym. Certain Exercise Videos are good yes, but the flaw is that people often won't put 100% into doing it, then they will give up because they can't figure out why there aren't positive results. So Martial Arts does help greatly with weight loss and can be a benefit to flexibility. As you are a female, you are already predisposed to being more flexible than males. So once you lose some weight (not meant to be an insult, i apologize) it will really come through. And will develop even more, but depends on size of your joints and muscular length

I have no idea how they do these exercises as they would do these from a young age. And most likely the Shoalin Monks may not have shared how they do them

There is no such thing as speed recovery! The only type of recovery that should be occuring is rest and recovery! Many of us have had this at some point or another. Usually it occurs because you have pushed your muscles too far. So you may have just strained your muscles or just that they are very tight from you doing it. You can't really avoid it because you will need to train to strengthen those muscles. Because your inner thighs people don't train all that often. So that could be what your feeling.

That is a difficult choice. Maybe have a word with him in regards to the black belt exam and to find out why he is turning up late. Because you and the students have the right to know. It is weird that he rocks up late. Because students (in this case Parents) pay good money to learn something. Maybe just be patient till you go to university, as there will most likely be multiple dojos that you can go to. Then you will be able to work hard again and grade to shodan then. If you quit before you go and then sign up at a new dojo if it is the same style of karate they will most likely accept your grade anyway, but they may just grade to see where you are at and adjust you to their grading system. As we have done that a lot at my dojo when we have people who come from other dojos we will test them at our next grading just to make sure that they know the syllabus. But we do have students that have moved over at say brown belt, and they have done the same style. Yet they may have not done all the kata or bunkai or whatever they are missing that we require for our students of the same rank to be promoted, so we keep them at that rank until they catch up.

I don't go out to embarrass or insult the students when requiring them to know the terms. We ensure that all students are aware of the requirements for promotion to any grade as early as possible. As we usually in class as well quiz students to see what they remember of what they know and will remind them that they should be learning these and reminding them to ask questions (even if they are say a green belt they pretty much know the terms) We ensure that all our students are know all the terms because if they decide to travel overseas or even move dojo's that speak limited english (if any) and train then they will be ok. But we also have instructors come from various countries that don't speak english so they need to know it. And we also teach the japanese terminology because it helps you learn something and not just the moves. And it makes you think therefore grow as a person to link the move to the term

YAY FOR YOU!! CONGRATS!

Yesterday during our advanced juniors class I was taking our 1st Kyu's through basics because strong basics is the base of all martial arts. Because if you don't have strong (aka good) basics then the rest won't be as effective. As a general requirement i'm sure all schools require their students to be at least knowledgeable in the japanese terminology for all techniques they are required to know. I was taking them through Kihon especially since the 7 of them either had 2 or 3 'tags' on their belt so they are close to getting the 5 tags required to grade for shodan-ho. And I informed them before starting that no technique or combination that I get them to do or have them come up with will be in japanese, so no english terminology can be used. I did this because it will make them think and also that there is the expectation that they know their stuff. Especially when it comes to their black belt grading we do the same because they should have been listening and learning whilst learning the syllabus. Especially if they travel overseas where they don't speak english or a language that your fluent in then they will use japanese terminology to make things even easier for you to train and learn from someone else. As karate Japanese is the native language of karate (even further you can say Okinawan is the true tongue of karate). As my general rule when teaching and using the japanese terms, i look to see if they demonstrate the technique i want to see. If they get it right or no one knows I will demonstrate and tell them it in english. By doing this I like seeing if they learn and have actually payed attention to what we have taught them. Now during the class I did what i just mentioned, and started by telling them the combination i wanted in japanese and asked the 1 to tell me what it is (they got it right). Now 1 student was not paying attention at all, i got their attention and asked them what the combination was and they said "I don't know" when i asked if they were watching they responded with "no" and the same for when asked if they were listening. For one combination I asked her to give me a technique (any one that she can think of) if she can't think of the japanese term for it that she can say it in english. Now I got no response, when i reminded her that it can be in english because i could tell she didn't know the terms in japanese and tell me it in english. at the end of the class and my training class started, the parent pulled me over to the side and she was angry because her was upset especially after all the years she has trained at the school. She was asking me what during the class caused her to be so upset. I calmly told her that there is the expectation that a student of her rank that she should know all the terms required to grade. Her response was that "sensei has never mentioned the japanese terms before and why is it now that she has to know this and that no english would be used" so i calmly told her that there is a requirement that you know all the terms and that we have always used more japanese terms in the advanced class and used english terms on techniques that they are learning to make it easier on them. Once I finished explaining it to her and few other things, I did apologize for causing distress but the parent said that I didn't need to apologize because that makes sense and that her daughter should be asking questions when she doesn't know something and considering that she pays $85 per month she feels that there has to be a benefit to it all. When I told her that her daughter can't neglect the mental side to learning terms, numbers etc and not just learning the "meat head" side of karate or martial arts. she understood what her daughter is doing and that she (the mum) apologized for her reaction without knowing the other side of the story. What do you think of what happened? Here is our expectation levels of knowledge about terminology for our students in their respective classes: 'Beginners': Know the English Terms, and we start introducing the japanese terms slowly into their vocabulary. When they Graduate to the next class they should know at least 25% of the Japanese terms. 'Intermediate': Know the English Terms for their syllabus but also know the japanese terms for those techniques. By the time they are ready to graduate to the 'Advanced' Class they should know 75% of the Japanese Terms 'Advanced': Purple + Blue Belts should know 75-90% of the japanese terms. Whilst 2nd Kyu and above must know 100% of the japanese terms. Throughout the 'beginner' and 'intermediate' classes we say it in english and will tell them what it is in japanese. So when it gets near the end of the class we see if they remember what the japanese term was with a technique. We repeat the technique with both japanese and english names multiple times so you remember it. We in that way build it up over time that they remember all the terminology. All our students when they grade for any dan grading (including shodan-ho) we require them to sit a written exam where it tests their knowledge. Usually those who pass the written exam have either payed attention to retain the information or they have gone out of their way to learn the required information.

Well done! It must have been a massive relief to have heard your name called out

Judo if done correctly can be safe, but not 100% safe because there is always that element of risk of injury from either you landing or falling awkwardly, to your partner doing something stupid that is putting you at risk. Overtraining is a huge issue in any martial arts, especially in Judo because of all that repetitive landing. Even in Japan those who do it long term will usually train 2-3 times a week as to avoid the overtraining. Because the second that you start overtraining your likelihood of injury to either yourself or your partner increases. Which leads to longer time on the sidelines recovering from injury or worse! Worse being either becoming a paraplegic/quadraplegic or dead, all because of a bad throw that hit somewhere that caused such traumatic injury Beginners are at highest risk because of their inexperience. And they often rush into performing techniques without going through it slowly first. Judo you can take a long time to recover due to how you fall and the type of injuries you tend to get. As they are different to say karate or mauy thai. The hardest thing is to place your trust in your partner to execute a throw in a way that is effective but still as safe as possible. I hate training with people that are risky and dangerous, therefore i refuse to train with them because I don't trust them with my safety at all.

We don't have a SWAT Team or anything at my dojo. I actually spoke to my sensei about this topic and he thought that a SWAT Team would be more for those who compete at tournaments.

Yes it is a hard thing to keep people interested in continuing after achieving black belt and they quit due to boredom. I think it is part the job of the instructor to keep things fresh and interesting where you don't do the same thing. At my dojo when i train in the "Mixed" Class my sensei will normally get us black belts to have a little play around with things to figure out how to move and execute things instead of doing the same old thing every week. Yes we do practice a lot of our curriculum to keep up to date but he recognizes we get bored easily so he changes it up weekly. I know a lot of people who have quit because they don't want that responsibility to teach others during class and everything else that it comes with. Yes I love my karate and can't fathom why someone would quit but I admit i too quit for a time because of boredom. But came back within' 3 years of me quitting because i missed it. Quitting due to a lack of a challenge is often occuring due to the fact that once they hit their black belt they won't grade as often and also they may feel that their sensei doesn't push them as hard. For us black belts that train in the advanced class we do have some fun and learn techniques, kata or whatever my sensei is at least knowledgeable in he will share with us. So far he has taught us: - Jion (Shotokan) - Empi (Shotokan) - Bassai Dai (Shotokan + Shito Ryu versions) - Anan (Ryeui Ryu) - Nipaipo (Shitoryu) Also he teaches us Balintawak Arnis

Congrats on the promotion. Your Seipai is pretty good from my view. Here is what my dojo does in relation to seipai performed by my sensei: Although there were a few steps that looked odd to me because of the angle that you went, but may just be how your dojo does it. I am refering to the 16 second mark of your video. Also when you do the double punch downwards after the little foot sweep your stance looked really narrow + a little rushed to go back into shikodachi to the gedan uke. I am referring to the 22 second mark give or take a second or two. Then following both those steps you pivot into neko ashi dachi and you should have a chudan uke and a furi uchi but doesn't look like a furi uchi there (You might have a different name for it but it is like a really bad upper block but is a strike) Nothing Much changes from 4th to 5th Dan, except for you start training more on your own and developing your skills even further and people start coming to you for more advice.

Well when it comes to a foot injury and it is causing pain, people will normally change the way that they walk to avoid such pain. So the change in angle/movement of the leg will affect the knee and hip since it was "travelling" up the leg.

Is knowing his rank really that important if you trust the information he shares and his abilities? From what you said it shows that he found that he is content with his rank and that he doesn't feel the need to grade any further.

Like Wastelander said go see a Orthopedic Surgeon as they specialize in this type of problem. Any Physical Therapist Profession can give you an idea of what is going on. A Physiotherapist is probably the best port of call if you don't want to consult a doctor about the pain and discomfort of kicking and that it is affecting your daily life. In Martial Arts we do get really tight muscles in our legs from a lot of Kicks and stances that we all do. So you probably are suffering from those effects. Also from your old jujitsu injury it would be affecting your kicking ability. For you to continue really you need to sort out the muscular issues because they are really inhibiting you. So a Physiotherapist can really help you here because they can help you resolve these issues. also welcome to the forum!

21/1/15 4-5 pm Tournament Preparation Class; Focus Kata and Fitness Jion Anan Kururunfa Suparempei Seipai Fitness: Sprints 5 x 30m with 15 secs in between 30 tuck jumps over arm of a partner (of whom is in Shiko Dachi) - When mid air partner says 1, 2 or 3 and each number corresponds to a combination. 10 Punches full force with correct technique 10 Front Kicks full force with correct technique 45 Tricep Push Ups 45 Crunches 7-8 pm: Adults Class 30 tuck jumps 30 star jumps 30 plyometric push ups 30 crunches 20 leg raises (Alternating Legs) Kata: Taikyoku Jodan, Chudan, Mawashi Ich + Gekesai Ichi

Have it altered. I have a weird body shape so the sizing doesn't count all that much so i have to get it altered

I have been requested to help a senior grading despite my grade at other dojos. But at my dojo we don't have a required amount of grades ahead of those grading, with the exception of say a 2nd dan grading someone to 3rd Dan. I wouldn't insist they come to my club, because it is unfair to have them go somewhere else. At my last grading my sensei invited his old instructor (A Godan) to sit on the panel for his advice. Despite his instructors affiliations with my sensei's old club. So I say it is a good thing if you invite the 5th/6th Dan if they are aware of your syllabus and how you want things done.

For our adults it is the Friday Class as others have said it is because it is the start of the weekend. So they are wanting to go out for a night of fun with friends, family or whomever they are seeing Junior it is our Saturday Classes, because of the time that they are in the morning so not many parents are wanting to get up early to take their kids to karate. I teach the Saturday Classes and I love it how much smaller the classes are because it means i can focus more on the individual than the group

It was a shame he crashed, because they were doing really well in terms of the kata. There are a few in the style that are really good yes, and they redeem the style to an extent. When I watched their kihon, it was laughable because they had people off all ranks and there were many that shouldn't have been their rank. For instance their basic upper block (age uke or jodan uke) our white belt students at my dojo wouldn't get their basics tag for it. Having good business skills is important yes, but having the skills as a karateka should be even more important. My sensei works hard on the business side of things to keep the dojo running, but he works even harder to ensure his training doesn't slip up and ensures our students are the same

We don't have a slogan at my dojo. I would love to have one though

CONGRATULATIONS!!! That is a massive milestone!

So I was just out for lunch before (Its 1:45 pm here currently) and saw a GKR demo outside my work. I wasn't overly impressed by it, with some very questionable kihon, kata and kumite. Unfortunately during the kata section of the demo, they had 3 do a team performance of Unsu that they had apparently learnt from a 4th Dan Shotokan Instructor recently. They were doing well, UNTIL the jump and 1 of them face planted badly because when they landed they didn't resist properly and their face hit the ground hard! I felt so bad for the guy cause he broke his nose, but credit to him he finished off the rest of the kata and demo. Everyone applauded the guy for continuing.

I don't mind it so much when schools call their classes "dragons" or whatever but they don't need to put the term "lil" or anything before it. Our Gradings are a part of our fees that we charge. But don't cost anything extra. In terms of the patches my school has 1 patch (our Club patch), but we also allow patches that are worn by either the State or National Squads. But at my old Dojo we were given a patch that was a sign of the long term membership "Black Belt Club" which i thought was weird. In terms of not washing your belt most brands tell you not to wash it because it can damage the belt itself. Unless the manufacturer has states that it can be washing. But Majority of people won't wash their belt, instead of letting it air dry because of what it symbolizes to them. I have had my black belt since 2008 and have not washed it once. I do hate seeing it when people scream out a kata that you can't understand it. It should be understandable whilst loud. I hate seeing the dramatic walk out of competitions. Can't they be nice and simple? I don't mind the team kata displays, but there are some bad ones

I disagree because you would be unbalanced as a whole in Martial Arts. You don't need to be religious to be spiritual. I am not very religious at all but i still have the spiritual side in me. Because I believe that having spiritual side is still vital in becoming balanced. Like Yin & Yang. Because you can't just have a physical side. Because for me a spiritual side doesn't involve religion, it involves finding the core that is you without all the lies and shadows that you put on yourself and self improvement.