Spartacus Maximus

The most sensible approach to this issue is undoubtedly to follow the advice of one's own teacher. There is a norm, however and that is 5th dan to run a dojo and 3rd dan to teach under supervision. This is still just a guideline and the finer details depend on the individual and the instructor's decision. A student who respects and trusts an instructor's judgement will not question or refuse the tasks and roles expected; nor the responsibilities given. Maybe this is an old-fashioned an foreign point of view, but it makes sense and it works fine.

A short search on google confirms that the belt system used in most Okinawan dojo is an exact copy of the Judo ranks in Japan from shodan to Judan. Everything before 7th Dan is a plain black belt. "Kyoushi" ranks (7, have red/white bars and "Hanshi" ranks (9,10) solid red. Every karateka I have ever seen with the renshi belt was either from an independent dojo or a foreign branch of an Okinawan/Japanese school. All were 5th or 6th Dan.

Breaking down kata and practising individual techniques in isolation(bunkai) is an essential exercise meant to be done at the same time as kata. It is the first an most important step to effective kata. Kata is a lifeless and meaningless pantomime if one does not have an idea of exactly what one is doing. The better the techniques, their mechanics and purpose are understood, the better one will be able to execute them. Correct techniques and basic application principles ought to be practised from the very beginning of training. Either as soon as a kata's pattern is learned or preferably after each part of a kata is taught. Both the kata and its basic application(oyo bunkai) ought to be drilled repeatedly in sequence as well as in isolation.

Being related and having to deal with one another everyday can make things difficult to manage. This is probably why it is a good idea to have someone else be the parent/child/sibling's main instructor. A question to add to the OP: Would teaching one's parent be more or less challenging than teaching one's son/daughter? How and Why?

My experience training in Okinawa is that there are only two Dan-level belts of a colour other than black. 9th and 10th dan wear a red belt, 7th and 8th have red/white. All other dan levels wear plain black belts without any fantasies such as shiny satin and the like. Only the name of the person, ryuha and organization in golden embroidery. It is possible that the so-called renshi belt was offered because the Okinawan instructor knew that it was accepted abroad and wanted to present it as a sign of appreciation and approval of a foreign student representing his organization.

Having an isolated sound proofed viewing area is a great option. Unfortunate it is not the norm, nor is it feasible for the average dojo. If the testing is made out to be a public thing where parents or anybody is allowed to come in, it will be very difficult, nigh on impossible to keep all these spectators from becoming a distraction. Some will constantly be talking, others will not be able to refrain from attempting to cheer as they would at a tournament. Others still will argue about the results or even question the evaluation panel's decision.

JR has the cheapest idea. Just adding a tie at the upper chest of the jacket works quite well. Shureido does it with their gi if asked and most suppliers/manufacturers might do it too. If not, than any decent tailor will certainly be able to sew on an extra tie or two.

Better a pink gi than one full of holes. Or worse still, one that suddenly tears and rips in the middle of a kata.

Closed to the public and anyone not directly concerned. The dojo is very small with slightly over a dozen regular students and a total of around 30-35. The reason for closed cycles is that most of the time the person concerned is notified less than a week before. Another reason is that there is no space for sitting an audience and the presence of one would be disruptive to both the evaluators and the person being tested.

The fingertips are very delicate in structure and take a very long time to properly condition. It is quite ill-advised to attempt without the sustained guidance of an expert. Conditioning greatly enhances the effectiveness of this type of strike, but the other important part is the targets. Most of these will work even without much conditioning. Common, obvious targets are soft enough to attack without having hardened hands.

Sensei8 is correct about people assigning labels. It sounds very much like what I observed. At their core, there is really nothing more simple than martial arts. Yet some instructors make it seem like there is something mysterious because they themselves misunderstand certain concepts which are foreign to begin with; and were probably taught to them by instructors who knew no more than they did. Theoretically it is entirely possible to teach karate(or any other MA)with a Western philosophy, and explain concepts and mechanics in English scientific terms(physics, anatomy etc). Then again it all sounds much more impressive if everything is wrapped in a cloak of mysterious mystic sounding Japanese.

For modesty's sake and reasons of privacy I avoid naming my instructors. For reference though, all of them were trained as lifelong students of Chibana Chosin's most senior students. I met many instructors with a very wide variety of backgrounds and never at any time did any of these martial artists present what they taught and practised as something mysterious, mystical or spiritual. It was always directly to the point.

The very last thing a test needs is an audience. In fact the less people present the better it is for everyone involved. Anyone who is not being tested or doing the evalution has no business being there.

The instructor is the heart of the dojo and everything ultimately depends on that one person. A school can have all the best facilities and equipment but if the instructor is not good, it will fail. Martial arts skills are but one piece of the puzzle. Personality is another and neither can be bought.

The fact that such schools exist is not any surprise and could be considered one of the stranger, more marginal aspects of the martial arts. What is worrisome is the situation where every school seems to have jumped on the New Age/Spiritual bandwagon. Perhaps it is just a passing fad or a "sign of the times".

Bleach does something very nasty to cotton. The chemical is very harsh on cotton fibers and it only takes a couple of washes to ruin a quality 100% cotton canvas dogi. I found out the hard way a few years ago and now I completely avoid using it. There is no sure way to know if a colour will bleed, so washing separately is the best way to avoid a brand new pink dogi.

Nearly all of my training in Okinawan karate up to this point has been under native Okinawan instructors all of whom were very attached to the physical as well as philosophical aspects of the system they taught. In all instances there was emphasis on martial philosophy(i.e. When it is morally acceptable to use what we train) but the main focus remained strictly functional techniques for skills in defense against attacks, strength and living a longer healthier life. Never was there any mention of a specific spiritual belief system. There is severe digression from purpose when martial arts cease to be recognizable as such because they are taught in pursuit of a specific esoteric, spiritual or religious belief system. What I saw looked and felt foreign to me though not born and raised in East Asia. If I had been, I would have had rightly felt resentment. A martial arts school is probably not the best place to go seek answers to issues related to one's personal spirituality. It is much more sensible to discuss this or esoteric practices with an expert on the topic. To expect a martial arts instructor to do that is ignorant and misguided.

Following dojo traditions and protocol or martial philosophy is one thing and New Age mysticism, esoteric or spiritual belief systems are another. While there is nothing wrong with any belief systems, it highly unethical and disturbing for anyone to teach martial arts as the expression and practice of these. It is a question of false representation and image. Perhaps the phenomenon is the product of over-enthusiastic instructors who are just following the popular interests. That however, does not and must not make it acceptable.

After visiting and observing most martial arts schools in my area, I realized that a majority of these seem to be heavily steeped in New Age or esoteric theory. The worst ones were almost cult-like in the way they taught and practised. The general impression is that the martial arts are some sort of marginal cult with weird rituals. Even acquaintances who were more or less familiar with martial arts seemed to think that. The biggest issue with this and what was really shocking and disturbing to me, was the fact that I could not recognize what I saw as martial arts. Practicionners were way too preoccupied with whatever spiritual doctrine the school taught. The physical aspect and actual purpose to the movements was almost downplayed. This is very strange and foreign to me and nothing like the martial arts I observed in Okinawa, Japan and China. Martial arts are a physical discipline and were never intended to be a belief system or religion. It seemed to surprise many that these two things (MA and spirituality/religion) are not the same and are mutually exclusive. This made me rethink my plan to start teaching and served as proof that there is much work to do to restore the image of martial arts. The way it is taught and practised in that city probably makes many people very uncomfortable. How common is this phenomenon in martial arts elsewhere? Any impressions or ideas to share? Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

Nothing is more important than stability because that is what keeps the dojo running. If very few join and people stay year after year, there is little growth but it means the dojo stays open. That alone is a sign of success. Turnover rate ceases to be relevant when the dojo retains enough members to remain active. The key number of members is determined by the dojo's vocation.

Compared to the other Okinawan styles it is not as widespread, but it is very likely to have a presence in the USA. There is a good book by M. Bishop which includes a section on this style and also several websites easily found with a quick search. The best source, however, is an instructor of this system.

Coloured dogi seems like more of an American trend and was more than likely started in the late seventies. White is still the standard and most common colour by far, with black used by a few schools. It is very difficult to know exactly when or who began this trend, but Century is likely one of the very first suppliers to offer a dogi in a colour other than white or black.

If they are able to do that and still have enough people willing to pay their price, then the owners must indeed be shrewd in business. Whether or not their martial arts skills are as sharp as their business sense is a separate question. What is good for business is not necessarily good for martial arts. The opposite is also true.

That's probably why "mcdojos" are so successful...zing!

The best kind of ceremony is very short and simple. There really is no need for it to be a big event with all sorts of elaborate or overly solemn decorum. Currently, all promotions are announced after an official evaluation before peers. This is just a formal recognition of skill level because the students tested have already been evaluated by the instructor and informed that they are to demonstrate before the senior levels and the instructor. Belts and recognition certificates are handed down and announced officially at the end. The entire ceremony is about 15 minutes long, more or less depending on how many are going through it.