hammer

Being of a certain age myself I don't mind it when an instructor makes adaptations for a technique due to age, flexibility, etc. For some of us, unfortunately our Jodan looks more like Chudan...but I for one am working on it... All I ask is that the adaptations be pointed out so that those who have the physical skills to perform a technique as intended know what to do.

Congrats...and I for one would consider late 30s to be on the young side...

It looks a lot like Chon Ji...

One question for the instructors here...while I can agree with a suggestive approach when talking about applications, for kata, isn't there a right way (from a school and/or style perspective) to perform each technique? Guess I'm just wondering if there are times when it's appropriate to keep students in the box and others when it's important to let them look outside the box... Agree with the other comments about the tone instructors should use.

New to kyokushin after many years of non-contact TKD...just turned 50 a few months ago. Not worried about the age factor, would be nice if my flexibility could get better though.

No worries, everyone's situation is different. My previous CI does not sound anything like your current Sensei. Like the advice about trying out the other school for a few classes if you can do that.

Congrats and thanks for your contributions. It's great to have someone with your experiences here on the forum.

Congrats and best of luck!

Here's the thread related to my transition from one school to another: http://www.karateforums.com/school-splits-and-loyalty-vt46048.html In the end it's up to you, if you feel you need to move on then just do it. With my situation I unfortunately had to let some bridges burn but sometimes that can't be helped. Hopefully your transition will go easier than mine did, but in the end if the new school is a better fit then no matter what it will be worth it.

Your Sensei is correct, just listen and keep training. Even when one is in a "non-contact" school stuff happens, I've had at least a few oops that resulted in face shots or hard body contact. Last one I remember was during a test at another school, we were doing 2 on 1 self-defense and I was one of the attackers. I tried to move in with a strike and was too slow, and the defender (person being tested) moved the other attacker's in between us after I was committed. End result was a solid face shot from me to the wrong person. Embarrassing on a few levels and I really felt bad when the other person's jaw was all swollen.

When the target is hurt a lot more than you are...meaning that the energy you meant to put into the strike is transferred to the target. IMO.

Small dojo, ratio is 4 to 1 on a crowded day. Was the only student on Monday night. We need more students...

I voted no but it was close to yes. IIRC the last school I went to awarded a full BB to a 13 YO. The school did not believe in junior grades. Do remember that the kid was talented and had the skills...but he left about 1 year afterwards, think he had some differences with the headmaster.

Your booth at a local town fair... Did the school do any demo's at all? Did anyone from the school wear a gi or a school t-shirt? What marketing things did the school do at that this local town fair? Was it mainly a meet and greet type booth? Did your school do any follow-up calls on any of the leads? It was a meet and greet booth, the school did a demo the previous year and did not get any leads. The instructor was actually happy about the number of leads, but I think getting responses and people in the door has been a challenge. The previous school I went to largely relies on word of mouth to get students, but I think they have enough of a student base to make that work out OK. They were also having challenges bringing in new people when I left, but I doubt the politics going on had anything to do with it.

Congrats and thanks for your contributions!

Would like to clarify that from what I've read diet can be linked to Type 2 diabetes...Type 1 has completely different causes. A bad diet is a bad diet, whether meat is in the mix doesn't matter IMO. Just have to watch the consumption of the bad stuff (whatever it is). I've heard the home phrase "Our house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy." Just substitute diet for house and that's where I stand. Now if I could just reduce the junk...tough when growing up with a metabolism that allowed me to eat anything and everything in sight...

Thanks for the input...it's a bit tougher for me at 50 to be just learning these kicks. I'm finding the high kicks more challenging in Kyokushin than I did in TKD because the Maai (distance) is somewhat closer. Would be real nice if I could get my height up on a Jodan mawashi or ushiro mawashi geri. As you said, while the low kicks are much more frequently used, it's great to be able to surprise an opponent with a properly executed high kick...

I did the Chang Hon forms in TKD, and of those I'd say Toi Gye and Chung Mu at the colored belt level and Moon Moo and Juche at the black belt level.

When I left my old school for a different style and school earlier this year, I realized this...on the part of the old school. I was at the old school for 14 years and reached the rank of 4th Dan, and while I do have some skills, in all honesty I'm challenged keeping up with the orange and blue belts in the new school. I did have to have some skills for my 1st Dan but I found that each rank above that became more of a matter of being a loyal student then of gaining any real skill. The main challenge beyond 1st Dan was that I had to learn more forms.

No change, if anything we have fewer students because a few families moved out of town. The school had a booth at a local town fair that generated around 20 leads but unfortunately I don't think any panned out. We did have a few adults who came in for one class (both had Kyokushin background) but nothing afterwards. Think one of the adults was several towns over and would have had a hard time making it to class but I don't know about the other. I certainly don't mind the personalized instruction I'm getting, but I'm still concerned how things will go. This isn't the instructor's full time job but I'm sure there's only so much time he can spend in the red.

When I started almost 15 years ago at the ripe old age of 35. Was taking my son and the club had a great family discount, but what really appealed was the physical challenge. As time went on I also appreciated the mental challenge.

see my earlier posts On this or other threads? There is plenty of advice (I've given some of my own here on KF) but my recent training has "revealed" that I'm not as flexible as I thought or hoped, and unfortunately once one gets to "a certain age" going overboard or not properly stretching makes for a rough time of it the next few days after a workout.

Just wondering if there's anyone in the 45 and up crowd that can give any advice on increasing flexibility...been working on high kicks at close range in Kyokushin, and while I can get some results just buy doing the kicks with proper technique, there's a point where the lack of flexibility gets in the way.

The way I'm learning Ushiro Mawashi Geri is that it comes from the body first (getting the rotation down), then getting the knee position, then getting the foot out for the kick. The most important aspect of the kick is the rotation...if you don't get the body around in the proper position it's hard to get real power out of the kick. The advantage of executing the kick with the hook (at least from what I've been told) is that one can adjust the height of the kick at the end, which then makes it more difficult to defend against. One other tough part of using this kick is that one has to be quick with it in order for it to be effective...but as Hawkmoon said, when it is effective it can be devastating.

Not sure if I read this here at some point, but there's a big difference between getting a black belt and being a black belt. Also, respect goes both ways. As a BB I never felt that a student was any less worthy of the same respect I afforded to other BBs. I do try to respect the rank when I can, in theory it does represent the experience and knowledge that the individual wearing it has.