JR 137

I agree with you, as I think alot here do also. A ten year old may know all the syllabus etc, but without the maturity of comprehension, they really are just mimicking. I assume the problem is that if a child starts Karate at 6 or 7 years old then they move through the grades and are sitting at 1st Kyu around 12 years of age, then what to do with them? Even tho our style has an extra belt in the mix to slow the advancement of the young ones a bit, kids that stick with it are still sitting at 2nd and 1st kyu for quite a while waiting to turn 16 to take their shodan (Junior) grading if invited to do so. (The only difference bewteen a junior and a normal shodan grading is juniors only have 30 rds of kumite at the end instead of the normal 40). We have one junior shodan in our dojo who graded about 9 months ago. According to the syllabus, junior 1st kyus are at about advanced green belt adult level. I don't think she learned Pinan 5, Tensho, Saiha, nor Tsuki No until after junior shodan. Don't hold me to that though. Edit - I found this... http://www.seidokarate.co.nz/Syllabus.pdf

Not really sure. Where will you be? The only place I know of that has a storefront with a lot of stuff in stock is Kinjisan in Brooklyn NY. There may be more MA suppliers in NYC, I think there's one in the Bronx too. Have you seen and tried on the gi? If so, maybe order it when you're here and have it shipped to where you're staying? Not sure how long you'll be here nor how long it'll take to ship though. Google search MA supply stores in the city/cities you're staying at? But you've probably done that already.

Duct work, pipes and electrical all prevent that stuff in the areas where I'd have enough room to move around the bag. A bag stand would work had it not been for the aforementioned stuff too. The basement just wasn't designed to hang a bag. If I could knock down a supporting brick wall near the back, it would be perfect:) Knock out that supporting wall. Who needs a standing house when there are bags to hang? I was thinking the same thing while staring down the wall. I was contemplating punches, kicks, or sledgehammer. Then I went upstairs to get a drink and realized my wife and daughters need a house to live in. Back to the old drawing board. If I didn't have to coexist, it would be hanging from the support beam in the living room. I could move the couch over and hit it while watching Fighting Black Kings.

The TKD vest is a great idea if it starts to break down. Thanks a lot!

Duct work, pipes and electrical all prevent that stuff in the areas where I'd have enough room to move around the bag. A bag stand would work had it not been for the aforementioned stuff too. The basement just wasn't designed to hang a bag. If I could knock down a supporting brick wall near the back, it would be perfect:)

I suffer from the same affliction. I can front and crescent kick to the head just fine. I struggle to get roundhouse and side kick above belt level. Focus more on stretching the ignored muscles such as gluteus minimus and maximus, tensor fascia latae, piriformis, psoas. Most people have no idea what most of them are, let alone how to stretch them. A little Google-Fu helps a lot. Groin stretching is also important. Most people who don't stretch it right lean too far forward to support their weight when stretch it. The more upright, the better. I showed pretty good gains by routinely doing the "frog stretch." Basically a groin stretch by being on the elbows and spreading your legs with your weight on your knees. It's a yoga stretch, but it may have other names. Google search it. It could also be hip abductor weakness, as LLLearner was saying. Google. It's rarely one thing, and almost always a combination of many things.

Regarding looking up to yudansha as you're coming up... My first time coming up, the yudansha were as you described - tough as nails, excellent technique, etc. I admittedly may have been looking at them through rose tinted glasses, however. As I got closer to shodan, I saw more flaws in their technique. Not gross flaws by any means, but the more you know, the easier it is to spot less than perfection. You'd figure I'd lose some respect for them, but on the contrary my respect grew immensely. I started to know first hand what it took to get there - the hard work, determination, the hours put in, bumps and bruises, and most of all the mentality to not make excuses. The more imperfections I saw in their technique, the more determination I saw in their spirit. I started to realize it wasn't solely about fighting ability; it was just as much about a never quit mentality. This time around, I see even more imperfections. I see a sandan who's got two bum knees who can't even kneel in seiza, yet she's there 4 nights a week doing everything she physically can without making excuses. I see a yondan who's had 4 neck surgeries and two lower spine surgeries who has yet to complain about anything, and help anyone at any time. I see another yondan who's phenomenal physically, and never thinks he's above anyone in the dojo. He pulls me aside and teaches me something after class every time I have the pleasure of taking class alongside him (I don't mean when he's teaching class). That's what yudansha is all about. The ones who can't perform well anymore still earned their rank. They certainly performed when they could. And if they had the misfortune of having to defend themselves right now, they'd easily be crafty enough to take care of business and be more than mentally tough enough. Someone walking into the dojo may see some of our yudansha and think our kaicho hands out dan ranks for money. Train with them and it's quite apparent where they were and what they went through to earn it, and what they're going through to keep it. Sorry, I was on a roll. Lowering the standards to modernize takes all of that away. Students may not look up to every yudansha initially, but the more time they spend with them, the more they'll realize what it truly means. Lower the standards, and the concept of attaining shodan gets diminished. Sorry, but no way, no how does a child exhibit any of this modeling for lower ranks. I know it took them dedication and determination. I'm sure they've had their obstacles too. And some have possibly had it tougher than adults have had it. I know I contradicted myself there, but I don't know how to say it other than kids aren't adults. There's a big difference.

I could have seen this one coming... but your not going to like my answer. I also do not see gender as an obstacle. We all have deficiencies, strengths and weaknesses. The key is to teach your students how to maximize their strengths and to use their weaknesses to their benefit. It kills me that Karateka would ever question how someone could overcome a stronger or larger person. Is this not what we teach our students? Is this not what we find within the Kata/Bunkai. We are taught every day how to overcome larger opponents. We are taught how to capitalize on our opponents weaknesses. So yes she would fair just fine. Is ego a weakness? It is when you go into a fight thinking you have already won because you underestimate your opponent. I can take a larger man down just as fast as a smaller one. I see no difference. The body can be damaged if you understand it's weaknesses. A large man is the same as a small man. You obviously approach each situation differently and assess them according to their strengths and weaknesses but lets face it, if you strike me in the throat do I not gasp for air? To answer your question she would fair about the same as a 18 yr old 115 lb male. The strategy would differ, their approach would differ, their strengths and weaknesses differ but when they square off they will do as they have been trained to do and they will through their own way hold their own. I have seen mountainous men be taken down by the smallest of men. The worst I have ever been beaten was by a guy that weighed a 100 lbs soaken wet. It did not matter that I was trained or out weighed him by more than a 100 lbs. I have also witnessed women take down larger males by utilizing their strengths and their training. Why train if it doesn't matter if you actually meet someone that out weighs, is stronger, is scarier than you? Women can be just as dangerous as men if trained properly. It's also a matter of mentality. How willing are you to be maimed? If a woman hurts you enough and you start to realize that you may be permanently injured do you quit? It's not the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog. Oh and let me clarify. I do not give a pass or take it easy on someone just because they are a girl. They train the same and test the same as the men. Gender does not give you a pass out on the street so there is no pass in the Dojo. Again, some might think me to old school but it is what it is. This is how I have been brought up in the arts and this is how I bring my students up in the arts. And yes before someone else asks, there are those students that do not share my mentality and do not stay with me. But again that's just the way it is. I am not there to baby sit. I am here to teach and to pass on the art that I love to worthy students. I do not have favorites and all students are treated as equal and as such are trained and tested the exact same no matter age, gender, size, weight, or any other difference. I do not see differences, I see students. And as such I take their training seriously and expect them to as well. Lets face it we are not training to patty cake with a mugger, rapist, or murderer. We train so that if (God forbid) we meet that person that looks to do us harm, we can defend ourselves and walk away so that we can continue to live our lives. That's as simple as it is. Having said this I do not put the thought in my students mind that their is someone or some type of person that they can not beat. To me this is self defeating and guarantees them to loose if placed in this situation. Why then would I say that a 18 yr old 115 lb girl could not hold her own and/or do damage sufficient to walk away from an altercation with a larger man? I wouldn't because I believe if trained correctly anyone can stand up to anyone. I know it's coming so I'll further clarify... No I am not saying that everyone of my students can whip anyone in the world. I realize that others may be further in their journey and have more skill and knowledge. I get that a Shodan may not be able to beat a Sandan or a girl may not be able to ward off a trained professional MMA fighter. I am not invincible nor would I claim to be. I am old and can't do some of the things I could do as a younger man but I can say I can hold my own against larger, stronger, and younger men because I do it on a weekly basis. You don't have to be the badest you only have to know how to end the fight if you need to. This is quite possibly the best answer I've ever read on a forum.

I've been following your journey here, but haven't posted much. I'm pulling for you just as you're pulling for me in my debacle. Stress never helped anyone get better. Especially people with heart conditions. So much easier said than done, so don't beat yourself up about being stressed One thing that's usually gotten me through a sleepless night: ask yourself if what you're worrying about can be resolved by arguing with yourself. Are you going to resolve the issue by keeping yourself up late due to the debate going on in your head? Tell yourself you'll get back to the argument and worries after you get some needed rest. If they're important enough, those worries will still be there later to revisit. Ask yourself if you're doing everything you can to resolve the issue. I know it sounds stupid, and it's easier said than done, but it's honestly what's worked for me, so I thought I'd pass it along.

I'm not good at cutting and pasting multiple quotes, so bear with me... I agree with your views on junior black belts. No matter how hard I try to accept it and how good the arguments are for having them, I just can't justify it. Being a grade 5-8 science teacher, I have several students who are junior black belts in a few different arts. This sums up my feelings about it best - for every test, I play a review game the day before. Students get answers correct, they advance in belt rank. I follow Seido's white-blue-yellow-green-brown-black order, then award dan ranks. It's a great game and my students love it. When a student gets to their black belt question, I tend to make it difficult. I often get "he's already a real black belt!" To which I struggle not to say "he's 10, there's no way he's a real black belt." I can't help it, it's just how I feel. That ties in to my other thoughts on your dilemma... Black belt should be a sacred thing, in a way. Yes, it's just a belt, but it's so much more too. There needs to be integrity in setting the standards, testing, and awarding dan ranks. Shortening the time it takes to achieve it by cutting back the curriculum hurts the integrity of it. If someone meets the standards set by your Shinshii in less time than the norm, then so be it. But if they don't meet those standards, then go back and train some more. I'm not the firmest believer in minimum time in grade, but at the same time there's no substitute for experience. Watering down the curriculum by lowering the standards for shodan in an effort to "modernize" really hurts the organization's integrity. Black belts are the model of the school. Lowering those standards to "modernize" is putting the rank up for sale. No other way to put it. It's not being earned the way your Shinshii intended it to be earned. Better yet, it's not being earned they way your Shinshii demanded it to be earned. He had the dan candidate's teacher sit in on the test, and for very good reason. The teacher was held accountable for the student's performance, good, bad, and everything in between. What would he say to lowering the standards in order to modernize? I'm sure he wouldn't even hear the person finish the sentence. Just my opinions. I'm a 40 year old old-school guy.

I lack flexibility. Sometimes in sparring I can surprise myself and roundhouse kick a standing opponent's head. It's honestly when I'm not trying too hard to do so. But there's a far easier way to kick someone in the head... sweep them first.

I have to give him some credit. He's flexible, he's got very good balance, he can tap that target with his foot pretty quickly. And he put himself out there. I'd fall flat on my face. I'm sure his actual roundhouse (not his tapping flurry) is pretty fast as well. The best part of the video, by far, was the female co-hosts. Sorry.

I find no fault with your statement, hence not guilt should be felt. But maybe we're two peas in a pod.

You are absolutely horrible, and should leave the dojo in shame. Any good instructor would have kicked you out a long time ago, so shame on him/her too. Now for the serious part... Kick where you can, and strive to improve. Personally, I'm not a big fan of kicking head height anyway. I think a kick to the outside of the thigh, side of the knee or the groin would be far more effective, efficient, and less risky than kicking higher, but that's just me. Don't get me wrong, there's a time and a place for everything, but there's not nearly enough correct times to head kick as people do when sparring IMO. No one's body does exactly what their brain tells it to do. All anyone can do is keep working at it.

My previous organization had 3 brown belt levels. The first two were like previous belts in that there was new material to be learned and tested on. There was no new material with the 3rd level. The student was to train consistently and prepare for his/her shodan test. It was a period to fine tune things and to tie up loose ends. I liked it. My current organization has two brown belt levels. Both have new material to be learned. But rather than staying at 1st kyu for 6 months like previous belts, 1st kyu is 1 year to be eligible for shodan. So in essence, they are the same. Both organizations have somewhat of a shodan-ho system. When you're promoted to shodan, you are given a plain black belt. No kanji embroidery, no stripe. After 6 months of consistent training and the CI's recommendation, the student is given the fully embroidered black belt and certificate. If there's a time in grade requirement, it starts at the shodan test date, not at the receipt of the certificate. My certificate in my original organization was dated the day I passed, not the day I was presented with my embroidered belt. There were people who never got their embroidered belt nor certificate because they stopped training. They weren't happy about it, but they were made well aware before they tested. I'll find out when my shodan certificate will be dated when I get there

I think an overseeing organization shouldn't mandate who you teach, rather they should allow you to teach who you want to teach. I wouldn't see adding children to the student body as a bad thing at all, so long as dojos weren't mandated to teach children. It should be the CI's discretion, and the CI's discretion alone. How much difference does adding kyu ranks make? If the curriculum isn't changed, then adding 100 belts won't change what a student is responsible for come shodan test. Yes, these things (and others you've discussed) have the potential to become a disaster. But that's on the CI, not the organization. If said CI wants to turn his dojo into karate day care, it doesn't and shouldn't effect the standards that the honbu has for shodan. If a CI wants to turn his dojo into a cash grab through kyu testing fees, his customers will either stay or go. I guess the best solution to keep checks and balances is to have dan testing be done at honbu. If that's not feasible, the done by a member of the board or branch chiefs. Compensation would have to be discussed, standardized and agreed upon, but it should definitely help with quality control. Kyu testing is what it is. It doesn't matter if there are 20 kyu belts or one; what's important is if the student is worthy of wearing a black belt when the time comes. Leave kyu testing to the CIs. Having the higher ups test for dan level will give a system of checks and balances. The only curveball in that is if a kyu student transfers from dojo to another. Just my opinions. I've never run a dojo, much less an organization, so take it as you will.

I never doubted your rugged good looks for a second, Sensei8:) I'm not interested in the regular wavemasters, just the wavemaster xxl. I really like hitting the one I hit at the local Y. I just question its durability. I liked the lower profile base and the size of the bag itself. What I don't like is how there were clear indentations forming at where I hit most often. And how it would rattle when I went hard. I also felt the inner plastic tube a few times when I really teed off on it. My main complaint when I had the BOB was the base stuck out too far, thereby making me reach a bit. The current dummy seems bigger; hitting the one in the store the other day, the base didn't get in the way like I remembered. But it's a lot softer than the one I had. The one I had was quite firm. Not as firm as a heavy bag, but firmer than any wavemaster ive ever hit, and I've hit them all (except the kids' ones). What I also like about BOB is that uppercuts and hooks to the jaw and body are far more realistic than any bag I've ever hit, including heavy bags. It's all trade offs. Too bad Outslayer doesn't make their Muay Thai bag in a freestanding version. The thread isn't really about which one is better to hit, it's about which is the most durable. I think the BOB is probably going to last longer than the wavemaster XXL. And thanks for the concrete tip! I was honestly contemplating it.

If you only test every 4 months and someone's short a month or two, then so be it I guess. Hypothetically it'll only happen once, the first time around. Unless they take some time off. Also, timeframes should be a minimum and not a maximum. My CI schedules kyu tests every 2 months. Quite often no one is eligible/ready. It's basically on the calendar to keep him on track and organized. But realistically speaking, time in grade is only one aspect of promoting. The CI should know if someone's ready or not regardless of time in grade.

What is coming out on concussive injuries?I've seen some articles come out fairly recently regarding this. I'll try to find some. At my dojo we do pretty significant body, arm and leg conditioning. You can't condition the head. The more you "condition" the head, the more susceptible to concussions.

Thanks, Zaine. And thanks for pointing out my insensitivity toward Sensei8 Its not really a matter of if the BOB or WM is better to hit, as I've hit both enough. They're just different tools to ultimately get the same job done. Getting the Outslayer bag isn't a matter of cost. The bag and stand I want are about the same price as the BOB XL. The Outslayer bag would be cheaper if I could hang it from a support beam. It's a matter of it just won't fit no matter how hard I try. The ceiling is about 4 inches lower than any stand I've seen, and if I hang it from a beam, I'll be looking directly at where the straps meet the bag. Outslayer makes a bag that goes around a post. None of my support posts would handle my viscous attacks;) I'm leaning towards BOB. I don't know how much I trust the WM XXL's screw-in base setup long term. For any of you that have seen BOB and BOB XL side by side, is the extra length worth the extra $100? I wish a local store had them both, as that would make my life easier.

I can't hang a bag in my basement due to height issues. Stands are too tall, and if I use a beam, every bag will have the straps at eye level. I really, really want an Outslayer Muay Thai bag, and as hard as I've tried to make it be, it just isn't meant to be. I've gotten dimensions of various bags (even standard bags) and taped up blankets to their size as a mock-up. No dice. I'm looking at the BOB, BOB XL, and Wavemaster XXL. I used to own a BOB. I hit a WM XXL at my local YMCA for a few months. I haven't seen a BOB XL. It's not a matter of which I like more, it's a matter of long term ownership. I like hitting the WM XXL the most, but I wouldn't mind either BOB. There's trade offs. In a perfect world, I'd have an Outslayer MT bag and a BOB. Which of the 3 do you think is the most reliable/longest lasting? I looked at a BOB at a local store today. It seems bigger than the one I owned, but it also seems far softer. I owned the original that had the fully closed back. Does the inner foam last a long time, or does it break down quickly? The squishiness doesn't feel reassuring. And it's a new BOB (I'm assuming), as the store opened about a month ago. There were reports of the heads coming off and/or the chins splitting. Or was that the old ones? I have some reservations about the WM XXL. I don't know how old the one I hit was and how it was treated, so maybe it was pretty old and/or abused. I could see clear indentations at common striking spots. The bag itself seemed to come unscrewed from the base during use (I always gave it a quarter turn or so every round). Hitting it with some force, there were some days I'd hear it rattle inside, and not in a good way. Perhaps there was a magic elf on staff who'd fix something inside it at night. So I ask those of you who've had these in your school - how long on average do they last, under what conditions? Any serious issues with any of them? Another stupid question - if I go the BOB route, I can put a Wavemaster Powerline top on it. Any idea if Century or anyone else sells them separately, and if so how much?

Congratulations Brian. Thank you for being a big part of Karate Forums what it truly is. I too wanted to be a part of the live stream, but someone or something is always pulling me in a different direction at work. Before I started posting here, your posts and demeanor were one of the reasons why I kept looking. When I first started posting, you were one of the first to welcome me and converse with me. Thanks for making me a part of the community.

Thanks, Brian. I'm trying to stay positive. I guess this is my way to vent my frustrations with it. Yesterday was a rough day, physically.

Still battling this nonsense. I was doing better, then got worse again. While I've never felt 100% since the onset of symptoms, I was about 75%. At almost 2 weeks after the course of antibiotics, I started regressing. After about 5 days, I felt like I was back to when I started. I got a sinus infection on top of it. Because my immune system is run down, it made the sinus infection feel so much worse. Had I not been off work for the Christmas break, I would've had to take about 10 days off. Back on the antibiotics. I honestly haven't felt right since about 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. Going on 2 months now. I'm physically run down. No amount of sleep makes any difference. You'd think a good 10 hours of sleep would make a difference. Not at all. I'm sore and stiff. Every time I've felt this way, exercise has made me feel better. Get up and move. Warm up and stretch. It honestly makes me feel worse afterward. I teach pre-k and kindergarten phys ed. The 10 or 15 minutes I spend at the beginning of class warming up with the kids wipes me out for the rest of the day. It's always made me feel better in the past. I know it'll be over eventually; but that doesn't make me feel better now.

I agree with Wastelander. Make it something alongside what you currently do rather than making it a replacement. If you completely change over to WKF style sparring, you're going to change the identity of your school. IMO, and perhaps I'll catch a ton of flack for saying it, kumite is the soul of the school. The approach to sparring is what sets schools apart. There is a lot of overlap in which kata are taught and how they're performed (the movements themselves, not so much the bunkai); what separates a lot of schools is how kumite is practiced- full contact, light contact, knockdown, point fighting, sweeps, throws, joint locks, chokes, and on and on. There's nothing wrong with changing things up time to time. It's healthy to do so. Completely changing things to see how it'll work out could be catastrophic to your school. Not to come off the wrong way, but if I were your student and you told me you were changing the sparring from what you describe to WKF rules, I'd look for another school. I'd have the feeling that the direction you're headed isn't what I signed up for. I'd be fine with you adding WKF stuff, so long as it didn't change what I was there to do.