jaykay

thanks for all of the replies. This week I went on a different weeknight and the black belt and yellow belt students were there, so that was good to see. I know the yellow belt has worked 1:1 a lot and I was quite impressed with his skills. So I might try to alternate which days I go, as I know that the others aren't available on Thursdays, so it would be more likely to be 1:1 then. The heel turning was explained that if you turn on the ball of your foot, after the turn when you put your heel down your weight is shifted backwards. However, if you spin on the heel then it creates a forward motion at the end of the turn. I can definitely feel the forward motion when I perform the turns, but turning on the heel is a lot more unstable (for me at least). I'm not entirely happy with this method but like sensei8 said "when in Rome".

thanks for your reply That is a really good way to look at it. Even after 1 lesson, I've learnt of a lot of things that I'm doing wrong and how to fix them. Some of them are so tiny that they wouldn't have been picked up in a larger group. I am curious to see the black belt student train and how the pace changes when he is there, as it was obviously very basic for my 1st lesson.

I was looking to return to karate after a 10 year break (was 5th kyu), so I searched for local training venues. I called one of the two within an acceptable driving distance and found out that the class hadn't really taken off but the instructor still hired the hall and was wanting to teach. So I went along... It seemed ok, but of course being the only student, I am a little wary! There are apparently 3 other students that come every now and then (including one black belt). The instructor is registered with the national organisation (not for profit) and currently teaching for free. In terms of technique, the 1 on 1 attention was great. I was a little unsure about some things (turning on heel, rather than ball of foot) but I guess that is just the slight difference in style. I did try the other dojo and found it to be more MMA and had no kata until you reached a high grade (which I found odd). It was a large group and focused on pad work/sparring. Can you let me know your thoughts on the options?