The Pred

Never ordered from them, thanks for the heads up !

I started when I was 4 (was forced to) wasn't a fan when I was younger, but I guess I grew into it. I know my strengths and weakness, I'm not the most athletic or anything like that, but I like to consider myself a good instructor, who can notice things that others are doing right or wrong.

So as we all know coming up in the martial arts can be difficult for some people. (It was for me at least). Do anyone here who currently teaches, as you were coming up not necessarily the best student. But because you stuck with it you improved. Do you feel that because you weren't always the best student that makes you a better teacher? I.E. You're more understanding with people not getting stuff just as you had trouble.

Very nice ! Best of luck

Oh as far as student B is concerned. As the old saying goes not everyone can teach. So if student B is just a student and has no need of ever opening a school. Then does it really matter pass black belt?

I would say 100 is a good number. It also depends on whether or not the CI and or owner owns the building. If he or she owns well costs to the instructor can be a bit more reasonable.

Only myself and one other who started in 1990.

So do you know with this story if the TKD person used kicks? Or did they both decide to use punches. Because if so, then clearly the boxer would have the advantage.

To student 'A': Shut up and train!! To student 'B': Shut up and train!! Student 'A'...just who promoted that student to a position that he/she doesn't possess?? Student 'B'...I will not force a student to test! Test...don't test...it's all good to me!! And when student 'B' is ready, I'll be here...whether it's sooner or later!! For student A, my answer is similar. They don't dictate when they test. For student B, it depends on their "why" & their rank. If they are holding back to have a chance to win tournaments, we'd be having a chat about ethics. If they just don't want to, it depends on their present rank & for how long they are there. If someone is 4th Dan. Runs their own school under me. But hasn't tested for 20 years, we'd be having a chat because at that point, that student is affecting his/her student's ability to promote, as well. Just an example. I hear ya, if a person has a 4th dan, hypothetically you could say his students could only go up to 1st dan. Which is fine but what if some students want to open a school. Do they have to go to another school or if they have an hombu have the hombu promote them.

When you were running your own dojo, how did you manage family dinner time? Would you go home and let a high ranking student run things for an hour or just have weekend family dinners.

Executive position + Head of your governing body + your family(if you have such) + training. That can be difficult while yes you can still train, question is, how much training will one be able to do. If a person enjoys training every day could they handle training once a week.

Congrats !

Many months prior to our Annual Testing Cycle, held at the Hombu once a year during the last week of June and the first week of July, I, and a select team from the Hombu, visit each and every dojo within the SKKA network to make ourselves available to them in any capacity they desire. I'm at the Hombu, as I post this, right now in preparation of finalizing each and every detail of my visits to be held over these next few months. These visits cover literally everything from 'A' to 'Z' and back. I'll also visit Shindokan dojos if a CI requests me for a seminar or for me to administer a Testing Cycle. I'll also do surprise visits to Shindokan dojos from time to time. A lot of these surprise visits are two folded purposes. One...to make the Hombu's presence felt; not as a control factor, but to let these dojos know that the Hombu is there for them whenever they're in need, and even when they're not in need. Two...to ensure that the curriculum is being taught properly and without any ambiguity, as it was written by our Soke. I'll also visit Shindokan dojos because I'm craving to be in that environment desperately. I'll show up unannounced, and I'll sit in the very back left, and follow the CI's class. Not as Kaicho, but as Bob...a student wanting to just train. Yeah, dojos get nervous at first, but quite soon, they forget that I'm even there. Students get a kick out of it whenever I show up to just train as one of them. Yes seems like you do plenty, how many dojos are part of your hombu?

No nothing wrong with you not being there. Do you also travel to other dojo's?

A few guys I train with wear the KI Mugen Orange Label. It looks great for a 10 oz. gi. Actually, it looks good for any weight gi. KI stuff, especially the tournament cut stuff doesn't fit me right. Not much else does either though, gis or clothes in general. I've been searching for a 10 oz. gi that fits right and is high quality. The only one I can think of is the Shureido K-11. At $175 it's out of my price range at the moment. It would be nice if KI sold 10 oz black uniforms

How much are you willing to spend?

Interesting, how does it work out for the students?

So obvious one can easily find seperate karate uniform tops. However, does anyone know of any sites that sell Judo gi tops seperates?

Eosin Panther is a great belt (I'm still having a problem with their site though, but that's another story, that I mentioned on here.)

At my Dojo, we don't call all our instructors Sensei unless they are of 3rd Dan or above. If they are below that we only call them Sempai. As my dojo only has 1 Yondan (My Sensei), 4 Nidan (me included), 6 Shodan, 16+/- Shodan-Ho. Even if I visited other Dojo's to teach or train, I would insist on being called Sempai due to the fact that I haven't been given the honour of being bestowed the title of Sensei. Although at my Dojo when we have multiple instructors we do generally split into multiple groups depending on available space and experience of said instructors. Solid !

Can you defend against a gun yes. Is it wise, I would say no it is not. I know they have wooden drills that people use but come on now. If you want to drill with a gun, students should be given small water pistols. So if the person defending gets squirted with water, than they weren't fast enough or did the drill wrong. However as for knives, like I always say, if you cannot see both hands when being approach by someone, keep your distance.

It's shame that we live in legalistic society. If one wants to start trouble with someone, one should be prepared to deal with the consequences. PS. Suing someone because you lost the fight to someone is just cowardly.

Now are you in the might set of treating the block as not just a block but also as a strike? I agree with the drilling part, one should try to make their techniques as perfect as possible. Since nerves in a real fight might lower our technique. So if you drill sloppy, than you'll do bad in a fight. However, drilling to the best of your ability will yield more positive results. My blocks for sparring vastly differs than for self-defense drills. Students need to realize that a block done in a kata should be modified for use in a street fight. Mechanics need to be there of course. For example I'm doing a kata from an front stance and I do a downward block over my left leg with my right arm in chamber position. For starters I would never fight in a front stance, but it's a great way for balance and leg strength. Also my right arm I always tell people that you're doing an elbow strike to a person grabbing from behind. So right there you are practice two techniques. However, in real life I would fight out of sanchin stance most likely, and as I do the downward block with one hand, I would keep the other near my face to guard.

Thanks everyone, sorry for the late reply, I didn't even notice the inbox in the message.

If you can rotate the curriculum that's great. Even greater is if you had an extra instructor (Not sempai) on the floor who after you do basics together can break spit the student body in half, which in turns gives greater attention to the students.