Spartacus Maximus

I agree with the idea of change and I am certain that it has contributed a great deal to the development of every martial art that exist today. Where I draw the line is when changes are made for the wrong reasons. It is often very difficult to know when or why a change has been made. Especially if the source of that change is no longer around to explain. That is why I am always careful to question. Changes and variations due to personality, body type or technical preference are inevitable. However I strongly disagree with the idea of changing or otherwise altering anything that would compromise effectivity and the original purpose. The only thing I might change would be the intensity but I would try to follow exactly the same training methods. I absolutely refuse to be influenced by the sport/contest aspect. Nowadays the average person is too soft and lacks the drive to put themselves through that type of intense training. Nevermind doing it everyday. It isn't everyone who actually enjoys being sore all over nearly everyday and regularly coming home with bruises.

Martial arts inevitably change to some degree form teacher to student. Every martial art has gone through modifications throughout the generations. Some try hard to replicated their teacher's methods faithfully without changing a single thing. Others prefer to teach what they learned using a unique personal approach. Others still will pick and choose the aspects which suit them or add concepts from other sources. I don't think either is wrong, but I believe I would probably prefer to continue exactly the same training methods my sensei uses. This would make more sense as he would be my reference for technique and everything else. Also because I admire and respect him. He is an example of what I hope to become when I get "old" What about you who teach? Do you teach exactly the same way your teacher taught you? What did you change or add if anything and why?

It is difficult for me to imagine what or where I would be without martial arts. I can recall several occasions where being involved into martial arts kept me focussed on something else and out of potentially serious trouble. I will probably continue as long as I can move and the only thing that would force me to stop would be a very serious injury causing permanent disability or loss of limb. Other than that I cannot think of anything else that would stop me from doing the thing I love most.

My dojo is what would be called traditional but the training is probably more intense than the average karate dojo. Time constraints and distance only allow me to be in the dojo once or twice a week but those who can make it to every training day can get 5 or 6 days per week with 2 hours each time. 2 hours nearly non-stop is quite intense. There are some people under 18 but they are exceptional. One hour of focussed training should be good enough for the average adult. When I first started I could not keep up after the initial 30mins and I thought I was in decent shape. I and others have collapsed or briefly passed out a few times. Eventually it's possible to adjust but it is very dangerous to do without proper precautions.

I have a question for whoever is teaching out there. I would like some perspectives on the ideal time length for training different age groups. As for me, I am used to dojo sessions that are at least 2 hours long. However, doubt this is the norm everywhere and this is definitely not suited to everyone. Especially youths and children. Here are my ideas: Adults and teens(16+): 1-2hrs Youth 13-15yrs: 1hr max. Kids 8-12years: 45min

It is impossible to judge an entire school (style) of martial arts based on what goes on in a single dojo. There are just too many different variables to consider, even within the same association or organization. The only thing that remains the same is the core curriculum. The teaching methods and focus of training is usually dependent on the sensei, his experience, how he was taught and by whom; personal preferences and many many other factors. Three shotokan dojo can be almost as different as three different styles. I have been to one that was almost only kata without applications and combo drills for sport style matches. In another, students drilled basics for nearly a year before learning any kata, and kata was taught 3 steps at a time.

I have always had a suspicion that being THE senior must be very confusing and lonely at times. At least before there was always someone else above to give advice and a different perspective. Maybe the more advanced a person becomes the important peers get. I think that when one reaches the summit of the mountain, the best thing to do is come down and have a chat with those who have reached the top of different peaks. If this works for academics, then it must also be true for martial arts.

In my case, I do all my out-of-dojo work in a tiny room where I can just barely move 4 steps in any direction. This has forced me to breakdown everything to fit into 4 steps or less. Doing this is actually very useful because it allows for more attention spent on each part. It also naturally makes techniques more compact by adapting to a confined space. Basic techniques like punches, blocks and kicks are the easiest to do without too much trouble. However, kata was challenging because I had to breakdown even the shortest ones into sequences that fit into my space and then practise each of those 3 step parts. I do the same thing with the application/bunkai sets. The room I use also has obstacles that I cannot easily move out of my way. That means I have to carefully judge my distances so that I don't run into the furniture. I do everything in sets of 3 with such as: 10 punches for correct form/mechanics 10 punches keeping form and adding moderate power 10 punches keeping form and gradually increase power so that the last two are as hard as I can muster. I do this either standing still or moving forward depending on what I have planned. Planning your own curriculum is very important to keep focussed and self motivate. Without it I might be too tempted to skip or I might lose track of where I am.

How and what do you practise when you are not in the dojo and on your own? I practise for at least one hour every day. It is all that my daily schedule allows for because family and work takes the rest of my time. Anyway, I divide my practise time like this: 20min: stretching, all kicks in each direction, First slow then fast. Kick/punch combos 40-45min: kihon kata, 3 kata of my choice, applications for 2 kata. Each day I change my focus to different kata and practise everything I know once a week, usually Friday because Saturday I'm at the dojo. How about you?

The very concept of dieting always seemed like utter nonsense to me. A little bit of reading into human history confirmed my point of view when I realized that the idea of dieting is only about 60 or 70 years old at most. Look at lumberjacks and farmers of a few decades ago. They ate three big meals a day and were strong and tough. I guarantee you would have a hard time finding one who was fat. That is because of the repeated daily tasks involving hard physical effort. They ate what they wanted as much as they wanted. If you eat like a lumberjack but don't work like one, you will just get fatter and fatter. However, if you train hard everyday and drink plenty of water it won't matter what or how much you eat. It's that simple

I don't think there are many dojos that would accept grading a student without requiring a minimum evaluation time. It does not matter how long the student trained before joining or what skill level he has. The point is that the instructor needs to take whatever time he thinks is necessary to evaluate the new student. The student should just accept this and take it as an opportunity to show what he knows and a mind willing to accept the instructor's teachings. After all it is the student who sought out the teacher for evaluation. I heard of cases in japan and elsewhere in which a student with previous experience and a respectable level of skill changed dojo and were examined for a year at least before being given a rank or having their original rank recognized by the new sensei. During this time, the new student was closely watched and expected to train and keep up with those of his claimed level. Also evaluated was his character traits such as these: Good self control Humble or prone to bragging Patience level Respectful of seniors and fellows Etc..

3rd dan sounds like the norm to me for starting a branch dojo under your current instructor. The idea is you teach as a representative of your style and teacher while pursuing your own training. Becoming independant would imply being the head of your own organization. This would require a mastery of skills and a very deep knowledge of your style's techniques and function. In okinawan and Japanese martial arts this is at least 7th or 8th dan. In other words, minimum of 30 years of training. I know many sensei who only went on their own when they were asked to take over or when their teacher passed on The rest depends on the ability to understand how a technique is performed and how to effectively explain it so that others can reproduce it. Personally I would be suspicious of a dojo headed by an independant below 7th dan even more if this person claimed to have founded their own style.

Every student learns at their own individual space. That is why the number of years it takes to reach any level is not the same everywhere. There can only be given as a very rough guideline for teaching purposes. The most important factors are how someone practises as much as how often. For example 2 students are taught one kata. Student A is at the dojo 3 times a week for 2 hours. However he never practises outside the dojo. Student B comes to the dojo only once a week, twice every other week and has the same two hour sessions. Unlike A, B practises and reviews everything everyday for one hour or more. In this example, B's skills would improve much faster than A. Even if both keep the same pace for a year because A trains 6 hours in a week and B does at least double that time. One year is not the same for A and B. When I consider how long someone took to reach a skill level, the first thing I ask is how much does this person train and practise in a single day and how many days each week. Obviously someone who trains an hour or more every single day for years should be very skilled at whatever they train.

It is her own responsibility as an adult to know her physical limits. What did she expect going into martial arts?! If she has physical weaknesses preventing contact activity, she should KNOW her limitations and avoid risky activities! How hard is it to understand that? There are plenty of safer physical activities out there without contact which would be more suitable for people like her and other soccer mom types.

I wouldn't be worried about her suing the dojo or Nisan in question unless she has tangible evidence that she suffered a concussion. That means a medical report, not just her word. Her petty and vain vindicative behaviour is something your dojo doesn't need. Keeping her will poison your dojos training atmosphere. Get rid of her QUICK! Let her leave and don't allow her back. Nothing is worse than a person who won't accept being taught and has an overblown sense of entitlement.

Your son should focus more on training correct form to hit with power and not waste it before going adding speed. The next important thing is learning control so that he can adjust how hard he should hit. This is very important in partner drills and sparing because he may be paired with a less experienced person as well as a senior student. It takes more skill to adjust power and to go full power all the time. Obviously this lady thinks she is in an aerobics class. She would be better off doing boxercise if all she wants is work up a sweat. Does she think an attacker will go softly softly? If she can't take a little sting, martial arts are not for her. It is best for your son to find someone willing to work with him and avoid uncooperative or incapable people.

At one time I did practise outside in parks and my first dojo had some training sessions outdoors. When I did it with the dojo we were in our dogi, but when I did it alone I was in ordinary comfortable clothes. It still attracted much attention I would have rather not have had. Anything from an unwanted and very distracting audience to pestering requests for demonstrations and even hecklers out to prove that martial arts don't work. I had enough of that and with all those people around I would have been blamed for any trouble because I was the crazy karate guy training in the park. Now I keep it secret even if it might be seen differently where I live now.

Hard lessons are lessons never forgotten. Accidents and injury happen when one side is distracted. Martial arts training should never be done lightly. If mistakes do not sting, the lesson will not stick. Partner practise is meant to help each other learn and internalize correct technically sound details which make a the techniques work. It is not supposed to be a contest of macho ego or a game of tap tag. Injuring a partner is counterproductive and the only defeat is that of learning effective defense and counter Nevertheless, students must learn to take this type of training very seriously and never lose their focus and concentration. This is why feeling the sting of mistakes is the best and only teacher. Making it sting without more than a bruise is the mark of a senior or teacher who has true control. Many in my dojo get bruises each time we practise. Getting winded from a kick or punch that was improperly blocked or miscalculated is also common. Broken bones are rarer but not unusual for the dan grades. Nobody ever hurt anyone on purpose, but if we make a mistake we know we will feel it. After all, we might depend on what we learn to save ourselves if ever assaulted. Going soft does exactly the opposite of that. Once the moves are learned, it is time to test and train to make it work.

If you can deal with strangers or ignorant people disturbing your training, heckling you, challenging you or goading you; pestering you to show them something to entertain them, then you are luckier than me. Secrecy saves me the aggravation and tedium of trying to justify a very personal interest and life endeavour. As you said, it's nobody else's business and that's why I like to keep it between myself, my teacher and fellow martial arts people.

It's only exploitation if the kids are pressured into it by adults. If the kids are enjoying themselves playing ninja turtles there is no harm in it. It probably doesn't take much to get a kid who already loves martial arts to swing weapons around an pretend to be a mutant ninja.

Besides the toe-kick, the ippon ken or first finger knuckle strike is a part of what my sensei teaches in his curriculum. Over his decades of training he has developed bump of callous skin over these on each hand. I've seen him break several boards with it. I asked him about it and he told me that conditioning took much longer compared to other parts like the fists. His way is to knock on a board with that knuckle. At first nearly no power is needed. Just knock as is you are knocking at a door and repeat several hundred times. The fist is formed with the first knuckle protruding and the thumb held over the hole of the tightly folded index. Like a standard fist is is also very important that the little finger be held very tight to prevent the fist from deforming on impact and loose power. I don't know much else about this besides what was explained to me. I am not yet at shodan so I have not been actually introduced to the technique. Some of the advanced kata have these strikes where other styles commonly use the nukite or spear hand.

You are lucky to have that freedom. I always assume the strictest regulations wherever I go. That way I can't be wrong. It's always a good idea to assume weapons are strictly controlled.

The kata representing my style are the most common in all styles originating with Shuri-te. In other words all shorin ryu schools. In order the kata are like this: 1:kihon kata 1-5 2:naihanchin 1-3 3: pinan 1-5 4: kusanku sho, dai 5: chinto, gojushiho A 3rd dan is expected to be able to perform all of these and have a functional understanding of basic applications for all kata up to pinan 5.

Of course there is exploitation. It couldn't be a movie without it . It is definitely something to see for anyone who was a child in the 80s and 90s. When I grew up every kid in my class watched TMNT on TV after school. We even played it on Nintendo and Super Nintendo. It was everywhere! How many of us got involved in martial arts because of it? Even the most casual fan had his favourite turtle! I still remember watching the first movie at my neighbours birthday party. I loved Leonardo because his mask was blue and I thought his double swords were the dogs bollocks! Totally awesome, dude! I even collected action figures. My first one was Leonardo and I ended up with most of the characters and several accessories and vehicles. I still have them intact somewhere and they must be worth something by now.

As of now I don't think I would have the skills to represent my style or be worthy of my sensei's expectations. His skill, accuracy and power are truly amazing and frightening. His high expectations and encouragement puts pressure on me to try my very best to learn and understand every detail. Teaching has always been something I wanted to do. I just have my doubts as to whether or not I can meet my teachers expectations. I don't know how long I have left to learn before I have to move away. This isn't my first experience but I just started to relearn my original style in a different way with parts I was never taught.