AngelaG

I really can't see any problem with asking when you will be grading. I have asked before what kind of time scale I am looking at with regards garding, and was given an honest, friendly and polite answer. I think we must just run a very open dojo. If we have nothing to hide there should be no problems. Some people we may not know how long until they grade because they have got themselves stuck within a belt (i.e. stuck at green belt for a year), but we say to them that they could grade within the next couple of gradings, if they just start to try, so the ball is in their court. There are no secrets, and I would like to think that everyone can talk openly to the senseis. I think we have a really friendly atmosphere in our dojo. Angela

I volunteered to take a class of kids when I was on a training camp in Cyprus, because their head instructor had an important appointment come up. I was speaking to my instructor afterwards and saying that I would love to teach karate one day (I've always loved working with kids) and he said that all I had to do was talk it through with him and something could be sorted out. He was incredibly supportive, and I suppose probably quite chuffed that it was his teaching which had made me so enthusiastic. So I assist with 4 lessons a week now (2 juniors lessons and 2 teen lessons) and I love it! And as Shorinryu Sensei rightly points out, there is nothing that improves your own karate as much as teaching it to someone else. Good luck!

One of my friends changed his style slightly, so the kata were slightly different - and at different stages. Don't worry about it too much, it isn't as traumatic as it seems - these changes will be taken into account, and I suspect you won't be penalised too much if you accidentally do the kata the old way occasionally.

To be honest at this stage if you know the stuff I wouldn't worry about it too much, it's not the end of the world if you are not perfect in what you are doing. If you know that you are intending to start training seriously again soon then within a while you will feel like you have started to grow into your grade. If, however, you really strongly feel that you don't want to test then have a quiet word with your Sensei explaining it clearly. I'm sure he will appreciate the maturity you show in your reasons. Good luck in whatever you decide A

Try rubbing them with surgical spirit every day.

My god - Windows has really managed to improve since XP!!!

When the kids ask me when they will test I really don't mind. Although I usually give some really obscure answer like; "When you are ready!". If you are open and honest there should be no problems with any sorts of questions - and I think it is nice to know what sort of goals one should be looking towards.

G95champ - The kanji just reads "Shotokan". I believe the patches are just two different ways of drawing the "inyo" (Japanese version of "Yin Yang")

Start big and slowly work your technique down.

Bought me one of those Kata Master gi the other day (after your post on my forum ). It arrived today and unfortunately due a little error they had sent the wrong one. Never mind, their customer service was quick and fast, and I have posted it back to (hopefully) get my new one soon. I think that when I get my black belt I may treat myself to a Shureido. MMMMMM

I am a Local Government Officer. I am also a part-time Assistant Karate Instructor. On top of that I do free-lance web design (usually for favours and goods rather than cash). *Phew*, it's no wonder I am constantly tired! Angela

Really round???

If you don't want to tell tales on your fellow students (although I still think you should tell the sensei) then next time Craig does something that hurts say something really loud so that everyone cannot help but overhear (including your instructor). "OW! That REALLY hurts, I think you are being a bit too hard!"

Up until shodan we know the exact requirements for our next grade. For black belt we know the basic syllabus, but each test will be a little bit different depending on how our examiner is feeling, and which part of our karate he wishes to study in more detail.

This place sounds SO dodgy to me. Institutionalised bullying!? "Breaking" students?! Pain as punishment!? Sworn secrecy?! Even the armed forces are trying to expel this kind of thing these days. This sounds to me like the kind of dojo that gives MA a bad name Sorry, KL - I don't want to badmouth your place, but going on what you said I think that it sounds a dangerous and psychologically damaging place to be! Anyone else getting "Cobra Kai" vibes???

This has got to be a set up. Why else is she prevaricating so much. If that was me I would have driven off outta there like a bat outta hell!

I had an article published in Traditional Karate Magazine and Combat Magazine in this months editions. They took out my name though but I was in the picture

Was that you that passed wind?

I guess it is up to them, if they are honest to their students from the start. Personally I feel the need to pass on everything I know!

To be honest your sempai should not really be giving you orders unless they are actually assisting instructing the class. IMO there is nothing worse than when I am teaching and I can hear some 8th kyu mumbling on, bossing around some 10th kyu further down the line. When I am talking they should be listening or one of them may get hurt. In line work (such as Kihon), kata etc. there should be no talking either, because if you find time to look around and critique other people's technique then you are not concentrating on your own technique. The only time I will accept a gentle bit of guidance is during partner work, and even then it may be the lower grade telling the higher grade what to do because they have listened more!

Sounds like a bit of a bully to me. There is no need for extreme pain when drilling with a partner. Extreme pain is your body's way of telling you there is damage being done and we should not risk long term damage for what is essentially a hobby. To me it sounds like the sankyu needs too learn a bit of humility and be reminded that he is not top dog in the dojo. It sounds like a bully showing off to a lower grade and if my sensei saw us do something like that we would be in a lot of trouble! A bit of soreness after a workout is to be expected as long as you are constantly pushing yourself. Cold hard pain means something is going worng somewhere!

Couldn't agree less. **Shrugs**. That doesn't matter. What matters is that it is the truth. If not, how come most McDojos are doing very well for themselves financially, whilst the serious karate dude down the road has to struggle to keep members? Western sociatey wants quick fixes and instant results. They want their black belt and they want it now! Training? Pah! Why would they want to train and actually earn it? There is a prominent McDojo in my town. The company have the money to run a 4 full page spread in the papers every few months. It is common knowledge the instruction is sub-standard and that you would probably have more self-defence skills after a tae-bo class, but still people join there. They get to say to their mates that they do a MA, they get to say after a relatively short amount of time that they are X belt, and they don't have to do much more than invest some money into this business.

Some people want to train in a McDojo environment. It is not for me, but who am I to dictate what other people should do?

Sorry, I felt I was making it clear it was two different ideas behind the attack, but if I didn't I apologise. I just think sometimes people forget the use of a "sweep" as a distraction technique. It still has to look like a sweep though or you run the risk of being DQed for a low level kick!

I tend to listen in class. It is in work that I have the problem. I'm in an important meeting, and then suddenly realise everyone is staring at me, waiting for a response. Meanwhile I have been replaying my latest kata over and over in my head!