aefibird

In my dojo it takes about 5 years to get blackbelt, but it really does depend on the student and the amount of effort they put in.

Wayne Otto is the assistant coach for the England karate squad. He's pretty well known in the karate world over here in the UK, but I don't think that many people have heard of him outside of England. He's the 9x WUKO World kumite champion, 9x European champion and winner of the 10K Karate Klash, as well as winning a shed load of other titles. He's also very proficient at kata. If anyone ever gets the chance to train with him then jump at it - he's a great guy to learn from. I once went to a seminar where he was guest speaker and found that he was a very friendly and knowledgeable guy.

Sandhoppa... just GO FOR IT! You'll not regret it. Good luck!

Well, I started my MA training in Karate, Kobudo and Aikido. I still practice Karate and Kobudo. I started training in Wing Chun because I was offered a free lesson. Well, it was more to expand my MA knowledge and learn new things, but the free lesson sure helped! I trained on this ITK TKD course because it was my friend that was running it. I really enjoyed training in ITK TKD and I'd like to train in it further in the future; I just don't have the time at the moment. However, even though I've not been able to train much with the ITK TKD guys at that dojang, we learned from one another. That's one of the reasons that I train in more than one style of MA - to learn from others and see how other folks do stuff.

Yes. Thanks for the links in your PM, BTW!

Try these links for Kendo in England. I've been looking for ages to try and find a Kendo club near me but sadly, there isn't one. Doshinkenukai Kendo Sportslinks UK The Knowledge Martial Arts Register Martial Arts News Martial Arts Clubs UK Cracked Finger Karate Kid If you want to buy a Kendo headguard then your best choice would probably be e-bogu.

Hi Gilbert! Welcome back.

Hi there! Welcome to Karate Forums! Good to have you here.

Hi Steve! Welcome to Karate Forums.

Hi Taku-Shimazu! Welcome to Karate Forums!

Hi there KungFuSith! Welcome to the Forums. Good to have you aboard.

Hi oscar! Welcome to Karate Forums. Good to have you on board.

Hi Kieran-Lilith! Welcome to Karate Forums. Good luck to you for your orange belt test!

Hi fangshi! Welcome to Karate Forums. Good to have you on board.

Congrats SloMo!

I can't think of any reason why anyone could justify deliberately greying their belt. I feel that it is disrespectful. IMO, instructors should teach their students NOT to do this. As for the wash/not wash question, I gently washed my blackbelt when I first had it because it was so stiff that I couldn't tie it. It's not been washed since as I feel that it hasn't needed to be. When I was a brown belt and had white stripes on my belt I also washed it occasionally, as the white part of the belt used to become dirty. I wash my gi, so I have no problems with also washing my belt. However, I only wash it when I need to.

If you're looking for a cheap sword, then try eBay - but remember, it's buyer beware. If you're wanting something that'll last with a bit more quality than is usually found in eBay swords, then Paul Chen is a great place to look.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Wow, very extensive list!

Why not ask your friend to go over all the etiquette for your school & style? If he is particular about proper etiquette, then he should know what you have to do and when. All MA schools are different - even schools that teach the same style. However, here's some general gidelines for you about etiquette in Japanese MA. Be polite and respectful. Don't speak when training, unless to ask a question. Stand to attention when not training - not with your arms folded or on your hips. Ask before doing (such as getting water). Even if your dojo isn't very formal, it's always better to be polite and ask for water breaks. The instructor will tell you if he wants you to be otherwise. Try and copy what the other students are doing. If they bow when the instructor enters the room, then so should you. If they address him/her as "Sensei" then you should too. Looking at what the senior students are doing and following their example is a good way to learn what you have to do. If you have real problems with it then find time to talk to your instructor about it, or a higher grade student. Don't be afraid to ask your instructor anything - everyone has been a beginner at some point and has needed to ask things. If you don't ask then you won't know...

Hi fangshi! Welcome to Karate Forums. Kempo/Kenpo discussions usually take place in the Karate section of the forum, so I've moved your post over there. I think that you would be fine with Kenpo. I've never trained in it myself (no schools closeby!) but I've always heard of it to be a good strong style and adaptable to all practitioners. I'd suggest that you try out the local school and see what you think. Good luck!

Well, when you get back it'd be cool if you could post some pics in the Karate Forums Photo Album for everyone to see!

Hi Gunstar Hobo! Welcome to Karate Forums. Why not pop along to the Introductions forum and tell us a little about yourself?

Kev, please don't be discouraged! I'm sure that you're doing fine. Even if you keep on getting techniques wrong (and who doesn't, especially when they first start out) it's the fact that you keep going with it and keep on practicing. If you get partnered up with a higher grade again and you feel that they are not helping you, then have a quiet word with your Sensei about it. He or she should be able to sort out the problem. remember, everyone has had to start out as a beginner at some point. I had a similar situation a couple of weeks ago at my Wing Chun club. I'm pretty much a newbie to Wing Chun (I've been training about 6 months). I was partnered up with one of the experienced guys (equiv. to black belt) for Chi Sau (sticking hands). I'd only trained in Chi Sau a couple of times before and I was making quite a few mistakes with it, as I'd not had the experience that the other guy had. My partner was very impatient and disliked the fact that I was making so many mistakes. The fact that I was up against an experienced practitioner was making me a little nervous and his attitude didn't help. Sifu saw what was going on and made him work on his own. He partnered me up with another senior member who was much more understanding and sympathetic. In fact, his first words to me as we started practicing were "don't worry if you don't get it right, you've only just started learning Chi Sau. Everyone makes mistakes with it." His positive and helpful attititude really helped my training and I could feel that my techniques was much improved by the end of the session. Good luck with your training, Kev and KEEP GOING!

BlobOn, I'm glad that you've found a school that you like. I hope that you stick with it. Good luck!