AngelaG

Why? He is a teacher himself! Surely if he cares about your, and the other students' development, then he would take the time to make sure that you know how to teach effectively? Just knowing your martial art is not enough... teaching is an entirely different animal.It seems like it is already fostering resentment. This may be jealousy, or it may be because people feel that by having an untrained instructor teaching them that they are not getting "value for money".

Well in that hypothetical situation I personally think that his behaviour would be twice as bad. You are a student, and he should not be using you. Especially not for some ulterior motive.

If you do not want to teach, then do not teach. It really is as simple as that! If your instructor wants you to teach, and you are in agreement, then you should be taught how to teach before you are put in front of a class! http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2006/10/13/assistant-instructors/

That would depend on the training methods. We do actually train against fully resisting opponents in my dojo, and I consider myself Shotokan.

How long ago did this happen? To be honest if it was a while ago then I would just let it drop. You will have moved on in your technique by now and he will have probably forgotten what he said anyway. If I said that someone kicked like they do in TKD I would probably just be wondering if that person had done some TKD previously. It's usually fairly obvious to an instructot if someone has done a MA before.

However he is doing karate kata, with the Japanese names.As I said elsewhere, differences in style do not make up for bad body dynamics or poor technique. true, but not all techniques are the same, thus you may see differences. you see something similar to a bow and arrow stance in capoeira a lot, but it is a dynamic position and you are supposed to lean. when I trained jung fu, they told me my roundhouse was wrong - it came from muay thai and hard contact karate. No, not all techniques are the same. This I totally agree with, but ultimately there is always a few factors that mean it is either right or wrong. For example punching with a bent wrist is likely to end up with a sprained wrist, regardless of style.

The kanji for: Tou Kon Kai The Toukon/Tokon = fighting spirit

However he is doing karate kata, with the Japanese names.As I said elsewhere, differences in style do not make up for bad body dynamics or poor technique.

Interesting... I think most groups would agree that 18 is an acceptable age for shodan (Although a lot don't have any age limits). So say 18 for shodan Plus two years At 20 they get Nidan Plus 3 years At 23 they get Sandan Plus 4 years At 27 they get Yondan That's not exactly rushing through the grades (some groups do 1 year, 2 years, 3 years etc), and as I said it is not gaining a black belt at an age where they are doing "kiddy karate". Bear in mind that a lot of groups say ages 14-16 for black belt and that can come down quite dramatically.

Does anyone believe in exceptions to this rule? By the time I am eligible to test for 4th Dan I will have been running classes every week for 10 years...but I'll only be 22. Is Montana saying I should test just because of my age, and not because of experience? Don't get me wrong, I understand that there are many immature instructors out in the world, some in their 20's...some in their 50's. I may be showing immaturity by questioning this, but I feel I should. I look forward to hearing some opinions on this. Personally I think that 22 is VERY young for a 4th dan. But more to the point I think 12 is far too young to be taking lessons.Certainly in the UK you have to over 18 to get instructor's public liability insurance. Whilst I admire your spirit and consciencious attitude, I personally would have doubts about any dojo/dojang that was letting a 12 year old take a class. But as always, that is my own personal opinion.

The user Sensei_Rick trains under him I think.

I used to brag about my bruises . . . . . . . Now I brag about THEIR bruises.

Please please PLEASE be careful with doing kicks with ankle weights on, especially at high numbers as you can cause serious damage to yourself. The problems with high numbers of kicks (with or without weights) is that unless you do every single one perfectly it will not help your training, and in fact every one you do sloppily will detract from your training. You will also run the risk of over-extending your joints if you get tired from multiple repetitions. In order to gain speed in the relexes and accurace get some focus pads and get a partner to put them on. Then they present a target for a short period of time and you have to kick it before they remove the target. Start on the spot and work up to moving around, and gradually turn up the speed. For working up speed work on the heavy bag, or again get a partner with a tombstone pad or thai pads. Work it at various heights. A partner is always best because they can give feedback as to how your kicks are coming along.

But little children are bound by the timetable of their parents. We have several that turn up just as the lesson is about to start and so do not get the time to go before they start. You can ask the parent to try and get there a little earlier, or make sure that the child goes before they leave their house, but if the parent does not listen then will you punish the child?I still think you are approaching it from the point of view of an adult, with an adult's bladder control. If they are going to be late, then tell them to go before they come in. However, it should be made known that when they start their first class, that they need to take care of bathroom breaks before class starts. If you give an inch, kids will take a ruler. They know it, too. You have to stay on them. I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. My experience differs, so either a ) I am awesome at teaching children or b) we have the best behaved children in the world in my junior classes.

But little children are bound by the timetable of their parents. We have several that turn up just as the lesson is about to start and so do not get the time to go before they start. You can ask the parent to try and get there a little earlier, or make sure that the child goes before they leave their house, but if the parent does not listen then will you punish the child?I still think you are approaching it from the point of view of an adult, with an adult's bladder control.

Definitely, I could not train at any of the Dojo I visit if it wasn't for driving. I have only trained twice so far this week and clocked up best part of 100 miles. On top of 2 local dojo I am currently doing a 340 mile roundtrip once a week to teach at another dojo. Definitely one I would want to walk.

You cannot forbid little children from going to the toilet. Firstly it's just not right (they have smaller bladders than us) and secondly it will be you that has to clear up the mess when you find the one's that REALLY did need to go to the toilet. Instead you have to find ways to discourage toilet breaks, and also ask beforehand if everyone has gone to the toilet.The thing is, if you constantly allow them to go to the bathroom all of the time, then you will never have a focused class because you will have kids going to the bathroom all of the time. One will go and come back, and then another goes. I have seen this from the outside looking in, and the inside looking out. Kids try us; that is a fact. You mention finding ways to discourage toilet breaks: denying them is a good way to discourage them. It should be established before the kids sign up that toilet breaks should be done prior to coming to class. I honestly don't think that kindey infections are going to be that big of a deal, coming from an hour long class and not using the bathroom. As TangSooDoGuru mentioned, you can really tell with the ones who are serious. In that case, you let them go. But when it continues to happen, something has to be done. I disagree. We run a junior class and the other instructor and I have found a way to manage toilet breaks. The juniors rarely use the toilet any more, and when they do ask to go we know that they really need it. It may take a bit more thought and work than just denying them but I believe that ultimately it is the right thing to do.I personally would discourage anypone from sending their child to a school where toilet breaks are flatly forbidden. Furthermore if I had a child that had soiled themselves because the instructor had not allowed them the basic right of going to the toilet I would hit the roof. just my opinion.

You cannot forbid little children from going to the toilet. Firstly it's just not right (they have smaller bladders than us) and secondly it will be you that has to clear up the mess when you find the one's that REALLY did need to go to the toilet. Instead you have to find ways to discourage toilet breaks, and also ask beforehand if everyone has gone to the toilet.this goes two ways, yes martial arts instructors can deny potty breaks, even i do. but i did have one child actually pee on the floor during my class one day, no fault of my own actually, believe it or not i asked him multiple times if he needed to go! anyway, you can tell when a kid truly needs to go to the bathroom and when they do not, once over the age of 7 they should be able to hold it so, dont let em. but there are some kids that you can see it in their eyes and posture...LET THEM GO!!!haha trust me you'll thank yourself later. like i said previously i discourage potty breaks by adding the pushups on once they return. also each time someone asks me i ask them in a stern loud voice..."now why didnt we go before class???" and when i get a blank scared stare thats when i go..."go quickly, bow in and bow out or your dead. 20 pushups on the way back in!" also heres another hint, if the same child asks, every other class to go to the bathroom around the same time every class, they are just going for the fun of it, start cutting back. On the whole I agree with you, especially about discouraging the toilet breaks, BUT I cannot condone not allwoing a child go to the toilet - even if you know that they are just trying you on. If I was a parent and I sent a child to karateI would be extremely unhappy if I came to collect him/her and found they had wet themselves because the instructor had forbidden them the right to go to the toilet. As a child I had repeated Kidney infections and as such some days I would need to go to the toilet all the time. If someone had not allowed me I would wet myself.The best way is to give push ups or something, but do not do it as a punishment. Instead say that it is because they missed out on what the class did and so need to catch up (or something similar). That way children that genuinely feel that they need to go to the toilet won't feel victimised for doing something that is a natural thing to do!

I believe I do. There's a certain other poster on that forum that trains in Shoshinkan in Sussex; is this not an option for you? I believe you may know him/have made a makiwara for him?

You cannot forbid little children from going to the toilet. Firstly it's just not right (they have smaller bladders than us) and secondly it will be you that has to clear up the mess when you find the one's that REALLY did need to go to the toilet. Instead you have to find ways to discourage toilet breaks, and also ask beforehand if everyone has gone to the toilet.

How old are you, and do you want to stay with Shotokan?

I think that there could be some legal implications to not allowing a parent watch a test if they insisted, if the student is below 16 years of age.

I'm surprised how any people have said that training elsewhere would get them kicked out. I would not kick any of my students out for training elsewhere, if they can find something useful in their cross-training then good for them! Things that would get students into serious trouble: Turning up drunk, or high. Bullying or deliberately hurting someone in the dojo Violence (not including self-defence) Stealing from us or the other students Bringing the club into disrepute

If you are really worried about it and think that he won't attend class then you could try showing him stuff that doesn't work. He may get the view that what you study is rubbish and give up. Of course he will probably ridicule you for wasting your time, but as long as you don't rise to it (after all you know better) then he won't ask you to teach him any more.

That would be an Organisational choice.