singularity6

I'm 5' 10", and about 190lb now. The Meijin size 5 felt slightly long in the legs, until I washed it a few times, It fits perfect. I tried one of their size 5.5s, and it's even fine on me, after several washes.

Anything practiced with any seriousness over the course of 30'ish years has got to be pretty solid. I've been playing guitar for about 25. I'm not professional, and I don't play regularly. All that considered, I do alright. With age, comes wisdom. That's usually better than brute force, in the long run.

To perform something correctly, repeatedly, and with ease. I dunno, something that takes a lot of practice?

Heh, since I teach at a college, I don't have to talk to the parents at all. In fact, I'm not allowed to (per FERPA.)

I suppose one could consider self defense to be the "martial" part of the martial art. All the extra stuff might be considered the art. If you think about it, art is what has carried much of our culture and traditions down (be it through painting, sculpture, music, poetry, cooking, etc.) The tradition gives us structure. It may not be perfect, but it is the way it has been done, and it has worked fairly well thus far.

I just watched parts of a documentary based on this book. In my opinion, it's probably still at the "hypothesis" stage in the scientific method. I'd like to see how the data was collected. I suspect some of it was questionable (anecdotal, voluntary response, non-random surveys, etc.)

I seemed to remember everything fine enough. I was able to go through all of my forms without missing a beat (if you ignore some slight balance issues.) The self defense and one-step portions of our classes were always a struggle for me... and they still are! Yeah, I'll be fine. It's just great to be back!

This is a very well-written post. Thank you for taking the time for being clear and concise about your concerns! I suspect the folks who're calling the shots are a bit overwhelmed, hence the abrupt change in teaching style. It also sounds like allowing the one student to advance through the ranks was a mistake. Now that this student is gone, perhaps some folks could be convinced to return? Regarding the idea of teaching - Most schools that I'm familiar with shift the focus from training to teaching somewhere around black belt. A good leader in any organization will always be training his/her replacements. This is how we keep things alive, and martial arts schools are no different. The higher higher ranks in martial arts seem to be more dependent on contributions to the school (i.e., teaching) than on the performance of skills, forms and the breaking of things. That being said, it is important to get some further training. I'd sit down with the CI with your concerns. Could it be the case that your school requires black belts to teach while in class, and train more on their own (I know my school leans this way, as does my friend's.)

I've pretty much been away from class since March. The wife and I went back last night. It felt good to be back at it! My balance, flexibility and core strength all seem to have waned slightly, but I think it'll come back soon enough.

Happy birthday!

Young kids tend to bounce back from injury a bit quicker than adults. Regardless, significant muscle strains or tears can take weeks.

^ Ah yes! Posture is important!

My school will train you for a competition, if you're interested in participated. We tend to do well at these when we participate, even though we don't focus on training for them. There is some encouragement, especially for our younger students to participate, but I wouldn't say they're pressured.

Welcome!

First - stretch every day! If done properly, that can only help you with all of your martial arts training. Second - I'd recommend exercising your kicks at home. Grab a chair, wall, or stair railing for balance and work on the motions slowly. Focus on the rotation. *Lift and begin the rotation *Extend the leg out while continuing the rotation *Finish the extension at a comfortable level, and hold it for a couple seconds (increase the hold time as your strength improves) *Rechamber the leg slowly, while returning your support foot to the normal position *Repeat several times per session

Congrats!

It always weirds me out seeing martial arts being practiced with shoes. It makes way more sense to do so... but you know... tradition from other tends to make one prejudice. The style appears to be effective! Low kicks are incredibly effective, and in my opinion, seem to be ignored in many styles training.

Welcome aboard!

This is why I've wondered why my school has never had "plain clothes training" days scattered through the calendar. I've done some on my own, however. Years ago, I grew upset that my Levi's as they were started becoming rare. 100% cotton was being replaced by a cotton/spandex blend. After a bit of MA training, I see this as a small blessing. That being said, though, I found that the DuluthFlex line of clothes from Duluth Trading Company to be the most MA-friendly. The DuluthFlex Firehose cargo pants are amazing! I've been able to do all my stretches and kicks in them almost as well as I can in my regular uniform.

Sure, some folks can invent things on their own. Sure, it may have been done before elsewhere, but the idea could still be reached independently. I do think that it's more common to find the charlatan who might mix a few basic concepts together and brand it as their own than it is to find legit pioneers, however.

Martial Arts ranks are a lot like college degrees, in my opinion. Both can take a long time and a lot of work to earn. Just because someone has earned a degree or a certain rank, doesn't necessarily make them an expert. Likewise, another person's lack of a degree or rank doesn't make them not an expert. I agree with Sensei8's "the proof is on the floor" 100% in these cases.

I'm fairly certain that "protected class" laws at both the federal and state level apply to all businesses, regardless of size.

Welcome to the forum! I'd recommend you turn to an internet search for something that specific in your location. You'll have a much higher chance of finding something. Good luck!

I know. Many, many teachers teach this technique against a knife. Many high grade teachers swear by it. But they have never put it to use in real life. If utilized against a novice it may work but the chances are high you get cut. Used against someone with any level of training... well lets just say that will at the very least end up in the hospital with stitches, that's if the attacker is squeamish and stops after seeing your blood. Don't take my word for it. Attend any knife fighting class and you will realize that, blocking in general, against a skilled person with a blade ends in tragedy. Have your Uke attack you at full speed and tell them to make it real. Use a lower grade with little experience, give them a marker, and just see what happens. I think you'll be surprised how many times they tag you. Don't wear your nice new Gi. To be honest I was taught the same thing but after my time in the Corps and studying under a Filipino knife fighter I was able to convince my Shinshii to remove these techniques. If you block an experienced knife fighter they will rip back as soon as they experience resistance and both of your arms/hands will be shredded. Hard to defend yourself at that point. I agree with you. I've tried to make my sensei remove these techniques to no avail. But the question is...what should we be doing instead of blocking? (other than running away ) Just punch him in the face.

My school uses the Japanese-style uniform, and I've trained in light, middle and heavy weight versions. I definitely prefer the middleweight the most (somewhere around 10 oz.) It feels sturdy, looks good and does pop from time to time.