Squawman

I've been teach close to 8 years full time and I still get little things by watching my instructor teach. One of the biggest mistake an instructor can make is by thinking that they know it all. If a student asked a question and you don't know the answer then tell them "I don't know, but I will find the answer for you." then stay to your word and get back to them.

We are having a little debate about being certified through a governing body and if it makes you a better black belt because of it. Our studio is mainly TKD through the WTF. We do the TaeGuek forms and so on. The debate is this: If we didn't certify our black belts through the WTF would that make them any less a black belt. I say no but some others say that if you can show that you are a certified balck belt then you have more credibility. Which I then reply that I've seen some "certified" black belts who couldn't punch their way out of a paper bag. I also asked my fellow instructor what she thought she was, a TKD instructor or a martial artisit. She said she was a TKD instructor (thus needing the certification) while I consider myself a martial artisit.

It sounds like you were in what is called "the white zone". Not really paying attention to your surroundings and then was surprised by the attack. Unlike when you were in full combat you were very focused about your surroundings. I think the only thing you should do different is to have the mind set that you could be attacked anywhere at anytime. But in the same mind set, "Be aware but not on guard". Like I tell my students, don't leave the house freaked out that everybody is out to get you.

Yeah, she is lucky he didn't have a gun but even if he did she should have done the same thing. The worst thing you can do is comply with someone who has a gun because you "think they might shoot you" if you don't.

When I teach I try to find a few techniques that you can put into a circuit. The most basic is one person starts in side control then goes to mount then the person on the bottom rolls him off. This puts the person who was on the bottom into guard. Then pass the guard and go right back into side control starting the circuit over. Sweeps are great to do this way also.

I took a seminar with him once. A great fighter with alot of knowledge but has been hit in the head a few too many times.

Being the biggest and best studio in the city with the best instruction and open minded curriculum. Just some small things like that.

I would try putting a piece of mat that is used for area rugs to keep them from sliding aroun the floor.

We have about 40 black belts from 1st to 3rd dan (I'm a 3rd dan). Here is a question along the same line though. How many people have recieved black belts in your studio but no long train and why? Who has a black belt only class? Alot of people who recieve thier belts often quit because they are no longer taught anything new or are made to teach the class they are in just because they are the highest rank.

True street self defense techniques are very basic. Palm strike, knees and elbows. If you take a self defense class and they teach you 100 different ways to get out of a wrist grab then you are wasting your time because you will never remember it. A good self defense class teaches how not to be a victim by the way you look and act. A stranger, or bully for the kids, is looking for the weak person who will not put up a fight. If you taech self defense classes then you need to incorporate adrenal response and verbal boundaries. And yes it can be taught in a 3 hour seminar, trust me.

You do but it has really gone down in quality. MAIA has much better in terms of tips from Martial Artists like the Kovars, Tom Callos and Bill Wallace to name a few.

We used to belong to NAPMA and my instructor was actually a regional director but NAPMA became all about money so people started to jump ship and alot went to MAIA. They had a good convention in Vegas with alot of speakers. They also have a good monthly package with a magazine, a CD with advertizing and DVD with instructor tips which I like because it gives you some good ideas.

I think you have your guard and mount confused. Guard (legs wraped around partner) Mount(sitting on top of partner) . Anyway, I would say those are great to practice but the best practice is just rolling with people and getting smashed and tapping by a variety of people.

I'd say no, you stood up to him and beat him fairly. I have to question your instructor though who is in charge of class. First he shouldn't even have let him in class with no belt and a scooby do shirt and also if your instructor has had cheap shots by this guy then he should have told him that he can't spar until he shows some self control. The two things that are on top of a martial artists list: 1. respect 2. self control

John Will http://www.bjj.com.au/ has been hired by the US Marines to restructure their whole hand to hand combat training. The Marines have built a whole new multi million dollar complex in Virginia to teach Martial Arts. The Marines new slogan is "Every Marine a Black Belt"

You might have to do a one-on-one with him. Separate him from the rest of the class with another instructor, someone who can handle him, and lay down the law. If he is disrespctful then he sits out. Talk to his parents and tell them that he can only come to class if they are there so if he sits out then he sits with them. An Autistc person is very difficult to teach because they all have their own little quirks. Make sure that this one person doesn't ruin the other students workout espescially if they are paying good money to be there. By the way, what part of the OR coast are you from? I'm in the Portland area.

3rd dan TKD WTF. Blue Belt BJJ.

I've done 4 which isn't too hard. it's all about technique. You use patio blocks which are about 8 inches wide by 18 inches long and about 2 inches thick. Plus you put spacers between the bricks at the ends. Thats the big secret because once you break the first one then it's force helps break the rest. We do it for a fund raiser every year and if the students donate enough money we light the bricks on fire its great for a demo. My instructor said the most impresive brick break he ever saw was his instructor break a house brick with a knife hand strike while it was sitting on the palm of his hand. He blew the top of the brick off and the bottom didn't even move.

One thing that it might be is that you have such a wide range of age in one class. 5 year olds and 10 year olds learn at a totally different level. A lot of instructors make the mistake of thinking that they can teach a complex form to a 5 or 6 year old. When they really need to be taught things in the form of games whether it's focus or fitness. They might be bored and need to just run and jump for a while then redirect them into learning techniques.

http://www.ultimateblackbelttest.com/index.asp

We have about 4 summer camps. They are on Fridays and are from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Are camps are bamboo sword, Bo staff, Sparring and a demo camp which is teaching some of the stuff our demo team does (gymnastics, specialty kicks, board breaking, weapons) and then putting it to music. We also have a whole lot of dodge ball during that time because the kids attention span isn't that long. We also used to do week long camps that were from 9:00 to 3:00 but by the end of the week you pretty much wanted to kill every kid.

Actually, the rule of thumb if you are looking for a school is, if the don't offer a trial lesson then look for another place. Some schools will have you sign a contract before you even start then if you don't like it your still locked into paying. Our trial right now is a month of classes for free with the purchase of a uniform.

Only the ones with something to protect.

I don't have the $4000 to pay for a gymnastics curriculum. And that $4000 is no joke either.

Be friendly but not a friend. It also depends on your age too. Our jr leadership team has trouble telling older students how to do things because they sometimes won't listen to them.