GrrrArg

mmm pizza... I use my karate everyday of my life the way I walk and carry myself is due to my training and it shows a confidence in my body that stops people from trying to pick on me (even the ones that used to try don't anymore). The times that I have had to resort to using it, it has done me proud. Although it is worth mentioning the only time when I had to use it and ended up getting hurt was the time that I didn't really have to use, I let my pride get trampled and responded badly, I now have a small but permanent scar in the corner of my mouth that reminds be that hot-headedness and arrogance are bad qualities and when you let them run free they send your skills out the window. Ah well, a lesson learned. I blame testosterone. Side note i'm 18 today!!!!!

Quote Treebranch: "You are absolutely right." Its hard to be right all the time I've been fortunate to have some very talented instructors in my time (a share of bad ones as well unfortunately), as such I've grown to recognise the good instructors very quickly and one characteristic they all seem to have is a healthy respect for kata. Says it all really.

Hmm wonder which club your talking about Dragon...the sameone you PM me about and the same one you got my MSN to talk about... Well atleast you didn't trash the entire club. Its good to see someone make the differentiation. I think its c#*p that some RM's let yellow tips teach (unless they are proficient in other styles), fortunately my RM is not one of these and prefers to ask higher graded students to get their black and white belts. Also these *sensei's* don't teach the higher grades, the RM does and he's actually got a REAL BB (don't know what grade exactly, he always wheres a plain BB, has done for years). My instructors not got a BB, but hes been involved in various MA for nearly 30 yrs or so (started boxing in the army at 16) people who have been with the club long enough (like me) choose our instructors carefully and go only with true BB's or black and whites with plenty of previous experience. ...can any guess the club where talking about yet? Oh and G95 the club has something like 40,000 members in 3 continents so it doesn't look like its going out of business anytime soon. Which is a good thing because apart from the LOW grade sensei's present in some areas its a really good club.

Some people just have more natural grace and phsical awareness than others do, the task is to help them realise this potential and not to let it go unrealised.

There seems to be an over emphasis on the meaning of belts / grades in this thread. As does there with age. I'm 18 soon (tomorrow as it happens ). Chances are if her head instructor thinks she's ready to teach them she probably is (was, this post started last year!!). As ahas already been mentioned the quality of her posts shows a maturity beyond her years, shes has the skill of a 1st dan so why shouldn't she teach? I admit I don't think she should have been teaching full classes without supervision at 15 or even now as there are some things that only experience can teach you to deal with (apparently ). I sempai for my instructor, he *made* me do it because he said he thought I would be a natural. Without meaning to sound arrogant I have got alot of natural talent for both teaching and training in general. This is represented by the respect I get from people in the class, especially the older individuals who I respect, one in particular used to be my grade years ago but he realises that he is no longer at that level and gives me his full respect when im teaching him and in return he gets mine. The over emphasis on age is especially amussing because playing by those rules I couldn't teach a class tonight, but tomorrow I could a full class by myself. Presumably the fairies/santa will leave wisdom under my pillow? The grade issue is also over played. At some point I will be a fist kyu one day and a first dan the next day, is that another overnight qualification? To a large extent maturity does come with age, but I (for example) am mature beyond my years, again I have been told this by others in the position to know, unlike many people my age I have never smoked or used drugs and very rarely drink (the age is 18 in the UK so tomorrow im legal), this puts me in a better position than many adults (not an accusation). In some cases a younger instructor can be better for the students. My instructor is somewhere in his late 40's / early 50's (won't tell me exactly where...) and has a bit of arthritis and as such he prefers that I take the class through the stretching and the kicks simply because it is easier for my and SOME of my techniques are better than his. Hope this didn't come across as the view from the arrogance of youth, but arrogance in small measures can be a good thing.

im guesing the gaps were filled by words beging MC... Mcmartialart Mctrainingsystem MCAMERICA where the police forces may fall for it ... J/K sorry felt like a bit of fool bashing Nobody can learn to become an instructor in anything in 12 hrs.

Gichin Funakoshi (in particular his auto-biography) BIG influence very inspirational (also slightly humbling) and use to everyone not just Karate-ka.

Kata as a whole would not work, you would have to rely on your oponent attacking in exactly the correct manner-the people who "wrote" the kata's would have known this and not intended for kata to be used in this manner. However if you understand the bunkai of the kata they can become VERY useful training tools as they can done almost anywhere without a training partner. Understanding the bunkai also means that your subconcious will remember the moves in the same way as it does with basics and this is when kata becomes useful. Anyone who says kata is useless doesn't understand what kata is.

Sounds like your talking about DVT (deep vain thrombosis) whichs has become a much more noticable problem on air flights and other long journeys now. There is a lot of info about this on the web just search for it. There seems to be socks you can buy that aid better blood flow but im not and MD so don't kill yourself on my info check medical web sites etc:

LOL

We tie ours that way too. It looks alot neater when its done right, unless the belts too big and needs to be wrapped around three times then it just looks silly.

Go to more karate lessons Iif it is karate you do since your pic is part of the Shotokan tiger)

lol

Why is this in the humor forum?... I'm sure everyone could benefit from the Grandmasters teachings...

3 classes a week at each dojo in the area, 2x1.5 hrs and 1x1 hr. Plus grading classes and sparring and kata specific katas. Advantages of a big company I guess.

Thanks, what supplements did you use and how much did they cost because things like creatine (which appears to be the best) cost a shed load of money.

40 lbs in 3 months!?, was that just muscle of fat as well (no offense), i was quoted 3 yrs earlier...

not yet hehe

Im not so sure on the relevance of Hagkure, it seems too bleak and heavily focused on death (I do own it) - just an opinion.

I know what you mean, I sempai for my instructor but sometimes its hard to get the respect (that generally you deserve) from older students, although since I got my brown belt this has changed quite dramatically which is weird because its only one up from the last one I had...

I hadn't noticed the edit, thanks for pointing it out-and the help incidentaly. Do you find the extra size/strength helps in training and sparring? Thats another one for me...

We have an early class for kids and new starters, we generally take them up to the senior class at yellow belt when they have the basics and can spar. However some of the more promising white belts are advised to go up for the second class as it will be of more use to them. We do have on boy about 12/13 in the second class who seems a little slow (not trying to be offensive its just a good descriptive word) with picking things up and with his reactions. He does try but he is easily distracted. He is also clumsy as an example he actually managed to swipe his own foot on friday, he landed on his face before anyone could catch him... It sounds harsh but I think he should go into the first class where he won't be pushed as hard, unfortunately he trains with about five others who are ready for the second class.

Thanks...again , I didn't intend to just focus solely on any one muscle don't worry. I'll just buy a pill to make my arms grow ... J/K Oh and I will have the last post today...

What does Osu mean? Is it the same as Hai? I remember once I was drifting off in a computing lesson (binary can get VERY boring) and my teacher shouted my name and I instantly responed with a HAI? in my very loudest voice, fortunately im about the most confident person in the class so it didn't bother me too much but my friend nearly wet himself with laughter, he didn't even have the courtesy to wake me up before the teacher noticed Grrr.

LOL