Sasori_Te

I tend to do and teach the same type movement you guys are talking about. A lot of that type of snap comes along with having the proper amount of relaxation as you execute your technique.

I find that I can make a loose short sleeve t-shirt snap. I don't use this as feedback for proper technique. Makiwara training and heavy bag training give me the feedback I need to tell whether or not I'm punching properly.

I guess I should have qualified my statement more by saying most dojos in America are an average of $50 per month. I personally only charged $20.00 per month for my students.

I like your idea Shorinryu Sensei. I've been awarded rank this way as well. It gives you incentive to try hard all of the time (if you need extra incentive). I've awarded 2 of my students rank this way as well. They were my workhorse students that gave 100% every time. I did this to show my other students that there are other ways to advance besides a formal belt test.

Hello and welcome to the Forum!

Hello and Welcome!

Hi and welcome!

I agree Delta. I could never get the hang of firing a 1911A. For the most part they were all old and they rattled because their parts were so old that they were wearing away. The best I ever did with one was to qualify sharpshooter. I liked the stopping power but the aiming point seemed to be different than any other pistol that I've ever shot. Browning also has a new .50 cal revolver out that looks to be outstanding if you need to shoot through armored cars or cement.

No... No.. don't get me wrong. I have nothing against anyone's lifestyle. While I agree that there is a small chance for infection from blood getting into an open cut or sore, it is still a possibility and I as the instructor am still responsible for protecting the rest of my students as best I can. It's not HIV phobia or homo phobia. I wouldn't allow any student with an infectious disease into my class. As Spock once said on "Star Trek", "The needs of the many, out weigh the needs of the few." I don't think it's fair for anyone to have these diseases but I wouldn't risk my other students health for that reason alone.

If it weren't more difficult how could we charge more for it?

Firstly, if you're looking to purchase handgun try a Sig Sauer .40 caliber. It is an awesome pistol. I had one until my wife and I had a child. Darn but those German engineers are good. Now, secondly, all the places where I live say you can only carry a bladed weapon on your person if the blade is 3" or under in length. You can only carry a hunting knife if it has a belt clip or a sheath. This puts you in the same depatment * a gun because you can't just go where ever you want with it. As for carrying a Katana around, I'm pretty sure someone might stop you and ask you what you were doing. The law and the letter of the law are often two different things. I would recommend training with a cane to everyone with an interest in self defense. You can still carry a cane on an airplane. I'm not saying you need to go out and become a member of Canemasters or Goju Shorei Weapons. If you can use a bo or jo you can use a cane. Again, for a firearm I'd take a look at the Sig Sauer line.

You must be some teacher JerryLove. This guys name is Ernie Mayer and he's a natioanlly recognized knife instructor with several real knife fights to his credit. He has the scars to prove it. Even with his teaching technique it takes several months to become slightly proficient. The first things he taught me was were ways to effectively avoid and counter knife techniques.

I also want to say that it depends on the style. A person with hepatitis or HIV might or might not get on very well with something like a non combat Tai Chi class. Even there there is still a risk at higher levels when you do exercises like sticking hands. It's a tough call.

Nope never had that one before. I would hope, as I said before, that the person would be responsible enough to realize that contact sports are probably not a safe option. Other than that, I believe that I would have to exercise my right to teach who I want. That is also in my waiver form. I have to do what I feel is best for all of my students, not just one of them. I'm not saying this to sound mean but there is a very real chance that a person with HIV or Hepatitis could pass it along to another student or to me. why would I want to take that risk?

Well, Ben Dorling, your right. We don't know what your path should be either. You must have something in mind already for training. Why do you want to train? Have you seen something you like somewhere else? Other than that do an internet search on martial arts and see what you can come up with. Once you look and formulate some questions that we can answer, come back and give us a yell. Good luck.

Sometimes people seem to forget that Senseis are not supermen. They are regular folks like everyone else. They just happen to have some knowledge that their student don't. I'm always proud if a student can spar with me and land a technique that I didn't see coming. It means that I'm doing my job and that the information is being received and understood.

Western thought is indeed strange. Marketing folks have figured all of this out and capitalize on it everyday. People in the West feel that if something costs more then it must indeed be better than it's lesser costing competition. If something takes longer to achieve then it must be more valuable than something gotten in a short amount of time. Also, let's not forget our need for that all powerful positive reinforcment. I know thse examples aren't true of everyone in the West, but it is our general mentality. I'm as guilty of it from time to time as the next person.

Did you not read the wording at the top? The pictures are of Pinan Shodan not Heian Nidan as modified by Yoshitake Funakoshi. You are correct. Instead of doing a simultaneous side kick/ back fist, you are actually doing a simultaneous front snap with the toes turning down to attack a pressure point on the upper inside thigh/ back fist. Teh later pictures may have been snapped before he turned the toes down. It's a non-question I think.

ramymensa, I think you are discounting the fact that not everyone has the money every month to pay dues at a dojo. Let's face it, mmost dojos these days charge on average of $50.00 American per month. The one time cost of a book seems attractive for some people that don't really know any better.

I'm not advocating this in any way but you can push the slide to the rear on a semi-automatic pistol and it will not fire. A revolver can be grabbed by the cylinder. Or on both you can try and get the webbing of your thumb and finger between the hammer and the firing pin. All these are good in theory but I wouldn't want to try them unless absolutely necessary. As far as knife defense goes, as someone said earlier, I would rather face someone with a gun than a knife. I took Phillipino knife fighting for a bit and I discovered that someone that knows how to fight with a knife can do SERIOUS damage to you in a short amount of time. I don't care how much training and how many fancy tricks you think you know. My instructor offered any rank of any style to defend against a "knife attack" from him. He gave the target and angle of attack. No one was able to lay a hand on him without being sliced and diced as it were. The "wounds" he was able to inflict wouldn't have been minor.

I have an instructor cane, a combat cane, 2 flex canes and 2 student canes from the Goju Shorei Weapons System. They are excellent quality canes. I believe that Canemasters and Goju Shorei canes come from the same stock supplier as these groups once were the same organization.

With all of your suggestions he's still at risk of student complaints. The complaints are what can close the school. Personally, I've been in a similar situation, I would test the way I thought testing should run. Have a meeting with the students beforehand and let them know how you test and what can happen if complaints are filed. Nothing like a little peer pressure to help out. Also, if you get a complaint, you close down long enough to get a new location lined up. Try a church, YMCA's are good if you have one near you or go out and get a private place. Ultimately it's not the end of the world. The change and pressure relief would be a good thing.

That was pretty good.

Also, here's a little more food for thought. I agree that you should try to avoid these situations all together. However, someone else may one day make this decision for you. If so, to be safe, do only what you need to to handle the situation, no more or no less. Then, you be the one to call the authorities. That way, you get to tell your side of the story first. If you run and leave a person lying in the street injured, even if they were the instigators of the attack, you will look extremely suspicious. When they asked you what happened, see my other post.