cathal

There isn't anything else. No boy scouts, girl guides, etc. Literally there's the after school program and that's it. They were in full support and even the staff's kids are involved; teachers too.

The feedback so far is quite positive. I actually did have fun which is great. Tonight I'm going to start them off after warm-up with 'Green & Grey', then 'Hop Fight'. After a quick water break we'll do some kihon and self-defence.

So yesterday's time was spent getting parent's informed, and the forms all signed. Of the 100 kids that did show up, 80 remained for the class and 18 committed to showing up from now on. The rest are thinking it over. I did a light warm up because we wound up with just 30 minutes. I spoke about the three main aspects of Shotokan training (Kihon, Kata, and Kumite) as well as self-defence, exercise, focus, etc. and showed them downward block and front stance. The kids were pretty excited when I threw around one of their teachers for the self-defence demo. They were all aged 8 through 17, most were 10 or 11. There were three teens, two 16 year-olds and one was 17. A few of the youngest began running around but I kept them in line (barely). My big success last night wasn't the amount of people, though, it was that I had two adult assistants, and I kept my cool and patience. Despite feeling frustrated at a few points I realized that it wouldn't be helpful if I got angry. I want this to be fun and constructive and if they start to fear me because I'm "mean" then I'll lose them before they realize just how Karate can help them in their daily lives. In all it went better than I expected. The two adults who helped stayed for the adult class right afterward, and I thanked them profusely for volunteering of their own initiative. As this is a new dojo, I think if they keep it up I may have found a pair of sempai to help me out.

2,000 square feet sounds nce. For me I'm used to smaller dojos where you've got about 500 or 1,000. As long as you've got enough room for one ring (12 metres x 12 metres) then you should be fine with a group of up to 20 to move comfortably. Assuming you've got space around the ring, that is. My previous dojo was 15 metres wide by about 30 metres long and we had 18-23 adults who'd attend at any given class. The one before that, we filled an entire elementary gym, and had just enough room for almost 80.

So I am starting, as the subject line says, a new class tonight. Why would I post about this, though? Well...after putting up posters at the local school apparently 200 children are interested in going. In the timeframe of about twelve days I have had well over 200 phone calls regarding whe where/when and how much variety. Breathe deep... I know that not all of them will stick with it, but wow, *that* is a lot of people. A lot of kids. I think this is going to be fun but a bit rocky at first as we go through the motions of etiquette and such. Anyone else deal with such a large group before?

I've seen that done before with flint, match heads, etc. Just simple flashy hollywood stuff.

That also helps with some of the deceptive movements, as well, yes?

10 minutes is a joke, imho. The dojos I used to train in, and the one I teach at now, provide two weeks free of charge; eight classes in total.

Thanks Tony

Not really, I suppose I should have been more specific. I'm referring to techniques which use the wrist, for example. As well, two finger tips, bear claw, tiger paw, finger nails, etc.

Some places can get you covered under their general public liability. It's what I usually do rather than arrange it for myself, as the premiums would be high.

Hey all, Just curious, when do you introduce techniques which do not use fists or sword hand? My first sensei introduced them early on, my second one only concentrated on fists & sword hand. She only worked with the other hand forms very rarely. I like to speak about them all the time, especially during bunkai classes. But when I mentioned this to a colleague he favours not speaking about them, or teaching them until much later in student's training, close to the black belt level. Just wondering what your thoughts are on this.

Hey folks I'm interested in learning what insurance you have for your clubs?

I find the one-steps to be very effective in helping to teach hip movement. We can memorize multiple techniques, no more than 10, say, and then practice them without moving or even with one-steps.

Ah, found it. Here is the link: http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/womens-self-defense-neck-break/2285485387

Hey there, So I was poking around the net and found a self defence video (I'll try to find it...can't seem to remember the URL) where the instructor was demonstrating how to get out of a rear bear hug. After breaking free, she used a finger lock to get her demo down onto his knees. Then she demonstrated how to break his neck. Not only was I horrified but I was desperately trying to figure out why someone would teach this without speaking to the legal ramifications, but she spoke about breaking the neck as casually as she did the finger lock. When you learned, or if you teach, do you talk about your local and national laws regarding self defence? Thanks

Taught some bunkai today, for Heian Shodan and Nidan. Went through "text book" interpretations and let them practice. After a water break I had them work on their own interpretations and then, for fun...movie time. Had them take Heian Shodan and Nidan as a "final battle fight scene" between the good guy and the bad guy in a movie. That was fun, creative, and they got to get a taste of practical applications.

So let's get back on topic, now that is cleared up. We shouldn't let such a fantastic discussion go on a tangent like this. I was trained to understand that fighting was most assuredly an untrained, instinctual method. It was how we instinctively wanted to do when we felt endangered, were threatened, et al. So essentially everyone would know how to fight in this manner. I distinctly remember my father telling me that fighting was bad but that self defence wasn't. It was more disciplined and methodical. It was targeted and focused. Conversely I have come to understand that fighting is a matter of perspective. I no longer believe it to be what it was, to me, before. Nowadays I feel that fighting is a generalized term for any kind of physical interaction where someone can or does get hurt. Even on the perspective for entertainment. The usual stereotype of a fight doesn't seem to generate the same feelings or images that it used to. When I heard of someone fighting I associated that person with bad behaviour. I associated a boxer as someone who boxed, not fought.

Actually our instructors do both. They assess each class, and come testing time they assess officially with paperwork. The on-going assessment is for consistency in spirit and technique.

Patch has it right on; you'll notice a slight lean back as you raise your leg. Use it to torque or even use the pendulum motion for other front-leg techniques, and voila. Practice it up, do the drills, and you'll eventually get a much more smooth and natural movement. Just like learning it to begin with, it can take a little time to "click in". Have fun!

Aside from what the others have said, I will be *that guy* who says: Practice, practice, and more practice. Keep practicing the not-so-common self defence and see what you can adapt to the common ones. Keep practicing the power of your voice and situational awareness. Keep it all up and you'll feel better about your reactions to the situation when it comes about, and you can't run anymore--or you can't run at all.

Wow, a lot of great information. For me when I started out I used a 6' straight bo made from white oak. It weighed more than the typical tournament or demonstration bo so it was better for training. .

Thank you .

Welcome to the forum RenegadeRSA. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the site.

In my experience I have not seen a particular emphasis placed on the hierarchy per se. However as in any hierarchical structure you will have those who feel that they must climb the ladder regardless of all else. It's regrettable to be sure. The key is to remain humble.