Spartacus Maximus

Here are more details for the hypothetical dojo being discussed: The location is in a city of about 600 000 people No other places teach the same thing, the closest dojo offering something similar is at least 10hrs drive away. Besides the instructor, there is no staff or assistants of any kind. The dojo is limited to the bare minimum of a rented space with basic utilities, toilets and changing area.

A question about the business side of running a dojo or school. What do you think is a reasonable tuition without being outrageous? Imagine a dojo offering three weekdays plus weekends with each training session being an hour and a half. The cost is one 100$(or equivalent) per month. Is this an expensive dojo? How does it compare to what is offered in your area? How does it compare to your own dojo?

The number of people with shodan and above is not easy to tell precisely. It depends form what point the count starts. There are at least 2 or 3 hundred people graded to shodan and above by my instructor over several decades. The very earliest have between 5 and 7th dan.

Chinese systems are known for their flowery and poetic imagery for describing techniques, concepts and key points. There is much verifiable evidence that Chinese systems or at least parts of these were indeed taught in Okinawa and thus influenced the development of the Okinawan systems which became known as karate. However it is clear that the imagery and poetic descriptions commonly found in Chinese martial arts culture is not as extensive, if at all present in Okinawan karate. There is some imagery but is far less abstract than the Chinese terms found in the Bubishi.

The answer to that is not a simple one. There are in fact many reasons why in most karate dojo, regardless of style, do not spend adequate time on learning and training the applications of kata. One of the many reasons is that the instructor simply does not know. Most likely because it was never taught by whoever taught that instructor. Another reason is that the instructor was never taught how to use kata effectively as a training exercise the way it is meant to be. This is why in most dojo, kata training involves repeating a string of techniques like some sort of dance choreography. Every step and every move in a kata has a purpose and a function.

As far back as it is possible to look into the history of martial arts and the ways these were taught, instructors were always paid in one way or another. Either goods, work or other things. Even if an instructor teaches for free or asks nothing in return, it is common courtesy and good ethics for students to offer something as a token of thanks. Those who teach for free do it because they earn their living doing something else. This doesn't mean, however, that such an instructor is less passionate or less dedicated.

A free-standing bag or other structure is most preferable to use when taping the board to something. Most of the time the boards are used on their own and just placed on the floor.

Whether one is 15 or 27, ego and pride are major obstacle to progress. So long as one keeps training and seeking even the slightest improvement in skills, rank, belts or any recognition becomes insignificant. Looking past belts and ranks is the first step to knowing exactly how much one knows and how well one can apply them.

Indeed the best advice would be to contact your step-father and ask him to help you find a dojo. If he is as well-known and connected as you say he is, then with some luck you may be able to get somewhere through his introduction. However expect and be prepared to accept that your skill level will be re-evaluated by whoever the new instructor might be. Remember that the new instructor does not know you or your skill level and it takes time to observe and make a decision.

Cheaper still is a board of regular ordinary pinewood stuck to a piece of foam floor mat. Duct tape that to a standing heavy bag and have at it. Or lay it down on the floor and pound away. It works just as good, maybe better than a post makiwara but it takes some getting used to. As a bonus it is portable and fits in any bag.

Listen to Okinawans who try to give you advice or tell you about their country. If you do not know what is expected, ask them. Okinawans are usually happy to help those with genuine interest. Also recommend a visit to the Shureido karate equipment store in Naha. Even if you do no buy anything right away it is one of the best places to ask about advice for anything karate-related. The shop is known and frequented by every karate instructor on the island. Many often stop by for a chat with the staff. The staff speak and understand basic English and may help you. This website is also very very helpful: http://okkb.org/

The teaching style just depends on the intructor and is not really tied to whether or not one uses a certain set of terminology. The instructors from my experience used Japanese and Okinawan exclusively and the atmosphere in the dojo was very informal. The militaristic or strict style, which is often associated with martial arts is probably because a great portion of instructors have some kind of military background. They are only reproducing the way they learned.

Most martial arts systems taught originate in cultures where the language is different. Keeping the original terminology maintains continuity between generations of students and teachers. Naturally, every instructor will use their own native language to some extent when explaining or describing the system they teach. The terms used always depends on whom one learns from and how close this person is to the system's culture of origin. Okinawan karate tends to be taught with Japanese or even Okinawan terminology. Especially when the Instructor has close connections to representatives who teach and train in Okinawa. It is also the case with anyone who learned from any of the first non-native students of Okinawan systems. Personally, all except one instructor was not Okinawan so Japanese and native Okinawan terminology is used exclusively. Also thanks to personal interest and years spent in immersion, fluent communication in the instructor's native language is a habit. Of course nobody is expected to learn a new language to train, but it does help understand some of the context of what one is practising.

Teaching can also be an expression of thanks. It is one of the best ways to show appreciation for the years of effort one's instructor put into teaching. The longer one has spent training under the same instructor, the truer this is.

Unfortunately private or semi-private instruction is not the norm for training in martial arts. When it is available, it is usually at a considerable cost. Either way, those who are ready and determined to train will find a way. It makes more sense for an instructor to focus on who is training rather than worry or speculate about who is not joining or why.

A head butt is one of the very best close-range techniques. It even works when the enemy is to close for anything else or when it is difficult to use hands or elbows. Like everything else, it is something that should be trained and it would not be considered a waste to train and strengthen the neck and shoulders which give the head butt most of its power.

An instructor of that age claiming to be competent in several arts is, by personal experience, at best a dabbler jack-of-all trades with mediocre or passable skill or, at worst a liar with questionable motives. Common sense says that quality instruction is more likely to be given by someone who is dedicated to training and teaching a single system. 5 years is a very short time in martial arts. In many arts that is just enough time to be considered a serious student, but never experienced enough to teach. At the end of the day it is a personal choice and in that case, the best way to find out is to observe and go try. Compare the instructors at said school with those of schools offering the same systems exclusively.

A child that age cannot be expected to grasp more than gross motor skills and things like coordination, balance and basic movement. That is what she must be evaluated on to mark any progress rather than any specific techniques or finer points. It is important to give much encouragement and praise as well as keeping a good level of energy so that the child enjoys doing it. It must be a game. Every part of training has to be fun and adjusted to the appropriate level. This is difficult with a group, but easier to do at home with one's own child.

The best advice ever heard in any dojo: find the one who knows what you want to learn and watch, then question and listen and then do it over and over again and finally try it yourself. Beginners are often told this, but it is when one is no longer a beginner that one forgets this and needs reminding. The only way to gain experience and knowledge is to constantly look for it and then put it to use to make it stick.

It may be a cause for caution and suspicion if it is a school where a single instructor claims to be qualified and experienced enough to teach so many different systems. Schools run by several instructors of different systems are not uncommon and that alone cannot be taken as an indication of questionable motives. The one thing to keep in mind is that becoming competent in a single system, and understanding it enough to train others takes many years of serious training under the supervision of an expert instructor. Doing so for two different systems is already quite exceptional, never mind more. This is why someone who claims to be highly competent and teach several systems is likely either lying for profit and/or grossly overrating perceived skills. Even more so if they are less than 65 years old. All the true experts of traditional systems have spent decades training one, rarely two systems for decades. They usually also have a specialty within their chosen system to which they didicate their training and are likely modest about their skills and knowledge.

For training nunchaku, a heavy and dense wood is best. Personally, I find maple, ash or ironwood is a great choice

Formalities are few and far between. The only time any sort of formal protocol is used is at the end of a training session where the dojo creed is recited and everyone bows first to the instructor, then to each other.

Has anyone ever taken time to think about what they might be doing or where they would be if they were not training in martial arts? Personally, martial arts training has been an anchor of sorts, without which dangerous and self-destructive habits might have lead to serious problems. Ill health or incarceration due to bad choices might have been a consequence without the focus and dedication of karate

There are those who are driven by fear and who started to train because of it, and continue because of fear. This is a good thing, however it is very easy to allow fears to grow, take over and become involved in a cycle where one type of fear just grows into another.

As someone who has experienced the effects of the both policies in schools and various karate dojos, it is very difficult to accept that students are given anything just for attendance, let alone any recognized standing. Doing that effectively and completely removes all standards, as well as defeating the purpose of teaching. Evaluation is pointless if everyone and anyone can expect a reward without any work, patience or effort. In the end, what matters is whether or not the students make any real progress. They either have the skills or they do not and sooner or later those who lack the real skills will understand the value of hard work. Sensei8's anecdote about the company karate lessons is a great illustration of this inevitable outcome.