Grenadier

If you have access to AMC, they'll actually show some of the Bruce Lee flicks, in their original state, uncut and unedited. This includes the original, unaltered Game of Death, which would certainly have been much better than that sham final release. Sorry, but Bruce Li was nothing compared to Bruce Lee.

I certainly agree, that the overwhelming majority of younglings are physically and / or (more likely and) mentally developed enough, to get their shodan ranks. I am leery about letting those who aren't even 12, test for shodan, simply because the odds aren't in their favor, and also because one needs to be mature enough to handle it. On the flip side of the coin, though, I will gladly acknowledge that there will be the rare exceptions, and that holding back such younglings who have demonstrated that they possess the physical and mental requirements (and can perform well) would not necessarily be a good use of their time. If a gifted child the likes of Ernie Reyes Jr. can show that he understands the basics, and can perform to the acceptable standard as one would expect out of a shodan, then I wouldn't have any qualms about promoting such an outstanding individual to shodan (or beyond). Again, though, such individuals are rare, indeed, and I would feel blessed, indeed, to have one as a student. On another note, as for certain black belts becoming full fledged instructors, though, that's where I would have to draw the line. I wouldn't allow a youngling to be in charge of a class, no matter what rank he held. I would gladly let him work as an assistant, helping out the instructors, and being a shining example of what a student should be, though.

The link I posted above should work. http://www.kamikazekaiten.com/shop/category.asp?catid=2

What part of TN? It's a pretty wide state, after all.

I replied to 3DFIGHTER's PM, regarding JUKA uniforms, but I'll also post it here, since it could come in handy. Toru Shimoji did an abstract review on various uniforms, and has stated that the Kamikaze Europa (that I favor) is supposed to be pretty much the same uniform as the JUKA Bronze, which is usually a slight bit cheaper in price. http://www.dallas.net/~jka/docs/Gi_Review.html I would slightly disagree with his evaluation, in that the JUKA Bronze is listed as using 10-11 oz brushed cotton canvas, whereas the Kamikaze Europa is closer to 12 oz brushed cotton canvas. Still, though, if you're looking at a middle-heavyweight uniform, the JUKA Bronze would do just fine, and be quite comfortable.

Different strokes for different folks, and this depends on the instructor as well as the students in question. This is a GENERAL guideline that I use: If someone with previous experience in another closely-related style of Karate comes to the dojo, I would let him start out as something more advanced than a white belt (but never as a dan rank) after seeing how well he does on a class or two. Good Karate is good Karate, after all. The rank itself, though, would be unofficial until he tested for a rank at the next exam. If someone with significant previous experience in a significantly different style of martial arts comes to the dojo, he would start as a white belt, but I wouldn't hesitate to train him at an accelerated pace, since he could most likely handle it. If a student comes in with no experience at all, but shows a knack for learning things quickly, can execute the techniques, and perform to an excellent level (requirements for the next belt), and if there's sufficient time before the next examination, I would certainly consider teaching him the requirements for the belt after what was supposed to be his next one. This is far more likely to happen at the lower ranks (say, their yellow belt levels) than it is at the advanced ranks, of course. Note: just because someone has learned the techniques for the rank beyond the one he is testing for, does not necessarily mean that he will test for that rank at the next exam! He might take a private exam after the regular one, or could be double promoted at the regular exam. It all depends. Some students have a better knack for learning than others, and sometimes, it's better to simply let the students who demonstrate better techniques, etc., to continue on ahead, since the time could be better spent.

I will also echo what Fu Man has stated. In most cases, becoming a yudansha means that one has achieved a certain level of excellence when it comes to performing the basic fundamental techniques. While a mudansha can certainly perform at the same level, or even better, there is still no guarantee that any given mudansha would be able to perform at the level expected of a yudansha. By having such standards in place, the doubt that someone can perform the basics to a sufficiently level of proficiency is significantly reduced. By achieving this level of excellence, the yudansha has shown that he is ready to take on more advanced techniques and training. After all, advanced techniques are derived from the basic techniques, and trying to train the advanced techniques to one who doesn't have good basic techniques would be a fruitless endeavor, indeed. One cannot build a house upon a sand foundation (bad basics). He needs a concrete foundation (good basics) to build the house of his dreams.

If you're already fully grown, and are serious about your training, I would suggest doing it right this time around, and getting a better gi. While it's going to cost significantly more than a lightweight student uniform, the fact remains that it will be more durable, and give you more comfort. Some uniforms you may want to consider that are reasonably priced: http://www.kamikazekaiten.com/shop/category.asp?catid=2 Kamikaze Spirit: About 55-65 bucks, 10 oz cotton canvas. Good all-around uniform, decent durability and comfort. I generally suggest this for the folks who are serious about training, but don't want a heavyweight uniform. Kamikaze America: About 90 bucks, 14 oz cotton canvas. Very durable, and after a few washes, comfortable. Kamikaze Europa: About 100-110 bucks, 12 oz brushed cotton. Very comfortable, and cut a bit wider than traditional cuts. This is the uniform that I prefer during the hot summers when that air conditioning might not be cooling things down enough, or on warm days when we don't use the AC. As for the more expensive models, I'd hold off on those for a bit. Any of the above is going to be better than your average 50 dollar uniform, and would easily last twice as long as most such uniforms, as long as you follow the laundering instructions correctly. My only regret about not going with a better uniform from the start, was having wasted a good bit of $$$ on buying cheap uniforms, in hopes that I could find a nice bang / buck deal, but instead, I ended up with a small pile of uniforms that either ripped too easily, would feel clammy (stick to the skin after a wee bit of perspiration), or just wouldn't feel right. I should have listened to sensei instead of experimenting! The only somewhat decent cheap uniform I bought was a 12 oz one made by ProForce. While it was OK, and lasted me for 7 years, it still wasn't as good as even the Kamikaze Spirit. By today's prices, they're really not any cheaper than the Spirit. Now, I know that there are some folks that will swear up and down that nothing is as good as a Shureido uniform, and I don't necessarily disagree; it's just that you might not quite be at the point where a 200 dollar gi is worth it.

It can also happen if you look at the flip side of the coin. If you don't train, you're losing out on some good conditioning, excercise, and many benefits. As a result, you could easily get an elevated blood pressure, higher cholesterol counts, and lose muscle tone, all of which can shorten your life. To the original poster: Look at it this way: Anything you do can result in your death. You could choke to death on that next bite of food, you could get run over by a car driven by an incompetent driver stoned on marijuana, or you could die from a homicidal bomber that has explosives strapped to his chest the next time you go out to eat. Does that mean you shouldn't partake in activities? Of course not. You should live your life and enjoy it, and yes, train in the martial arts, as long as your body can handle it. The chances of you dying from something done in the dojo are slim, indeed. With proper instruction and supervision, those chances diminish even more, to the point where someone playing golf would run a greater risk.

This isn't meant as an insult, but are you using a lower quality gi, such as Century's paper-thin student uniform? If you were using a decent uniform, the black color wouldn't show through.

Currently, testing is held 4 times a year, but just because a testing time is coming up, does not necessarily mean that someone will test. Private tests are also given, in case if someone cannot make the testing date, or has progressed to the point where there is nothing further to be gained by keeping them at their current rank.

As always, talk with your instructor, and discuss your situation with him. Having injuries or medical conditions does not have to preclude you from martial arts entirely, and there are always alternate techniques / drills that you can perform. Any decent instructor should be willing to help you, since any such instructor would generally have a good idea that you wouldn't be expected to do certain techniques as if you were half your age. As for your age, don't worry; there are plenty of ways to train. We even had a senior citizen in the dojo, finish his shodan exam with flying colors. In the end, you'll still be just as good of a martial artist as the other guy half your age; it's just that instead of fighting harder, you'll learn to fight smarter. Keep up the work, though. It's good to see middle aged folks in the dojo, and it's actually inspiring.

Keep on practicing and hammering away at the basics. It is from these basics that the more complex techniques are derived, and someone who tries to practice the complex stuff without touching up on the basics, is akin to building a house on a sand foundation. Maintain your flexibility. Above all, when you go back to the dojo, keep an open mind. Your skills might be a bit rusty, but if I were a betting man, I'd say that they're still there, and just need some polishing. Be happy for the ones who have surpassed your rank; martial arts training isn't about superceding others, but rather superceding one's own limitations. Most importantly, take your training one day at a time. At the risk of sounding like a certain Star Wars character, I'm going to tell you to be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the present.

You get used to it after a while. If the standard supporter is too uncomfortable, you may want to give the boxer shorts-style supporters a try. These stay in place better, and give more comfort.

Video-based testing would be unusual, indeed. Normally, I would rather not have a test sent via video tape, though. If a sufficiently good video conferencing setup can be done, I see no reason why it wouldn't work. However, if you wanted one that could handle a belt test in real time, it would be rather expensive, indeed. For the most part, though, it's not normal. In all of schools at which I trained, the chief instructor (the one that was running the school) was the one who would attend your test, and give out your promotion. In the cases of my last three teachers, in the rare cases that anyone were coming close to them in rank, then there would be times where the teacher would defer the test to the menkyo-kaiden instead (the o-shihan / o-sensei). Let's face it; if someone were that dedicated that they would reach rokyudan or higher, then they wouldn't have a problem travelling to o-sensei's / o-shihan's dojo for the test.