Nidan Melbourne

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.

Do you teach the spiritual side of Martial Arts? and How do you teach your students the spiritual side? I ask because i have had many students ask me about it and i wasn't too sure about it. I told them that Martial Arts transcends all religions, nationalities and everything that this world is. We are all one family, friends, brothers, sisters. Martial Arts is a journey not just physical but a spiritual one where we find peace and harmony in ourselves. It is one of the highest skills to gain within every persons journey and is the most difficult to master.

That is AWESOME that you're hooked!! Enjoy your training

Everyone is different and progress at different rates. Just take your time and don't stress. You are progressing at your own rate. Don't compare yourself to others. Especially since you only recently graded as well. Just practice and you will get there. Kata takes practice and patience. Go slowly through it so you can get the hang of the footwork, then build it up to the pace that you have to do it at. Partner Work you can't stress about, as much as it is important you just have to let it take its course. Cause it gets easier and easier as time goes on and the more you do it. Your a Yellow belt and your not in big trouble. Roundhouse kicks everyone still works on! Even my sensei who is a 3rd Dan and has trained for over 2 decades still works on his even they are perfect. Practice the correct technique/form of the kick (Quality) and then try and see how many you can do whilst maintaining the correct form. and then work on from there. Like what Lupin1 said trust your training and your instructor. You learn something new at every rank, so this is totally normal for you to feel behind. You learn, practice and practice to get better and definitely doesn't happen overnight. At my Dojo (I'm a Goju-Ryu Practitioner) as an Instructor we teach white belts how to do roundhouse kicks but they need to know the kick but not have it perfect. As Yellow belts they need to demonstrate the kick and show that they have improved in some way. So for your dojo you start learning it at yellow belt so the further in your training you go the better your kicks (should) hopefully get better. It will also improve your [so called] "Rubbish" Balance. and btw you were definitely not graded too soon! As gradings are there to test what you are required to know for that rank and will get tested on things from previous ranks that you should know. And that you were competent in what you had to know as a white belt. My best piece of advice when learning or practicing something in martial arts is not to rush it! Struggle with kata GO Slow, Struggle with kicks GO SLOW (Technically harder but improves your muscle strength, balance and definitely ensures that you are doing correct technique) then the easier it becomes then speed up whilst maintaining correct form. As I have seen people who do kata full speed and looks absolutely terrible because it wasn't strong or correct form which is disappointing.

I can totally understand why your having to step down from your roles at the school. We are here to support you Sensei8 when you need it. So you are not alone in the MA world. I am sure Patrick is going to keep you on board for all your hard work on the Forum. And that being a moderator will keep your spirits up. Taking the break as recommended by your doctor will probably make your karate even stronger. Don't give up hope

I don't live in the UK unfortunately but I hope you find a training partner

all the people i know that suffer from PTSD, i remind them that they can come to me for anything and that I am not going to tell anyone unless they let me to. Because it is not my business to tell anyone else what they are going through. Everything that the person tells me or doesn't tell me I will hold close to me because it takes a lot for them to tell me. And they have the belief that the trust that i will keep it private. All the kids that I teach that have PTSD, I will often sit down near them and if they want to talk i'll let them or if they don't thats cool. Most of the kids I have advised their parents that they need to talk to a psychologist. Although many of them haven't needed to see someone because they have found that they could trust someone to the point they found skills to cope with their episodes. Even recognizing what is causing their episodes. For them it was being hit during kumite to certain points of their body. But what we did with them was to have private sessions with them to work on it. As this was recommended by their psychologist. This is working slowly but we are seeing some results.

HIGH FIVE!! Congratluations