Grenadier

OK. If you're going to start learning, you really should start with a quality bokken. Before you start swinging around a shinken (live sword, sharp edge), you need to get the proper techniques down, not only for the sake of making you a better combatant, but also for the safety of yourself and others. Once you become familiar with sword techniques, you'll get an idea of what your preferences are, whether you prefer a heavier blade, a longer handle, different balance points, etc. I'm going to suggest that you take a look at Crane Mountain Dojo, and order yourself a nice bokken to start out. If you're going to be doing contact drills, then you would probably like a bokken made of hickory wood (very tough, and will easily outlast any oak ones). http://www.crane-mountain.com/index_Page699.htm As for blade steels (when the time is right), there are many good choices. 1090 seems to be a very popular steel, whereas 1050 might be a bit more economical. 1070 seems to be popular as well. 51xx series steels are nice, but might not be as readily available. Folded blades are nice, but there's no need to get a folded blade these days, since the purity of the steel is vastly superior to what was available during the old days. You would probably want a differentially tempered blade.

That is certainly true, but the amount of credibility that goes with such a title will ultimately depend on what the newly crowned Grand Master has done in the past. In general, the more experience and earned recognition, the more the credibility. For example, someone with a hachidan rank in a style of Karate that trained in a well-disciplined traditional dojo, that goes and starts his own martial arts style will be much more credible than, say, a Grand Master that only has a nidan from a McDojo. While it may not be apparent at first sight, the quality of instruction will be noticeably different after a class or two, and so forth. Amongst the martial arts community, it's only natural, that the more accomplished Grand Master is going to come out on top. No. Different styles have different heads, and each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses, and they realize it, too. They're not going to bother comparing apples to oranges. While they might compare individual traits (O-shihan X has a better side kick than O-shihan Y, und so weiter), that's a different story entirely. I doubt that the collective O-shihans and O-senseis will ever come to an agreement as to who the best (overall) is. Furthermore, as the O-sensei / O-shihan of their styles, they going to be too busy to worry about who's the best of the best, since their schedules are going to be packed, indeed. Your English isn't a problem!

I hope he's in better shape than when I last saw his picture. He was rather... portly...

I could easily write a much longer post, but for the sake of bandwidth, I'll keep it concise. Stainless steel is OK for knives, but terrible for swords. No stainless blade will be nearly as good as a decent 1050, 1090, 5160 carbon steel blade (assuming properly forged and differentially tempered). Most grades of stainless steel does not hold an edge well on a sword, and those that could conceivably do so are too brittle for regular use. I'm sure that most of the sword buffs here remember the infamous "shattering stainless steel sword video." The bottom line here, is that if you want a decent sword that would be combat worthy, it's going to cost you at least in the upper 100's. Furthermore, you are going to have to regularly maintain it by oiling the blade (most folks use choji or mineral oil, I prefer Teflon-based sprays). Now, if you get a good sword, you'll find that the blades are NOT heavy. Yes, even the European-style ones. The legends of how knights swung 50-60 lb swords back in the old days are nothing more than fiction. Even a 10 lb sword is unrealistic. Before I make a recommendation on a sword, though, it would help if you provided a bit more information. You've gotten off to a good start, and if you provided what kind of sword you are seeking (Katana? European long sword? Claymore? Saber?) you'll get a better answer. I'm assuming that regardless of what blade you select, you want one that is combat-worthy.

You can offer to help with paperwork. If your dojo has a good number of people in it, and if your instructor is handling all of the contract, renewals, billing, etc., there's a good chance that he will welcome trustworthy help. Furthermore, if you learn how to take care of some of the clerical matters when it comes to running a dojo, it would certainly help you understand how such a place is run, and make you better prepared for the future, should you decide to open up your own. There are going to be people whose contracts are expiring, and it's time to renew them. There will be new signups that need to have paperwork taken care of, as well as introduction to the classroom basics, etiquette, etc. There will be people who need calling, such as those who have missed a good number of lessons in a row, or those who haven't renewed their contracts after they've expired. Finally, there can also be people that need calling because they haven't paid, and so forth.

Bring it to the attention of Shihan. Having seen things like this in the past, it's not a good bet that your classmate is going to be inclined to listen to you. In the meantime, if he continues to pester you (which shouldn't last for long, if you speak with Shihan first), then continue to ignore him. He's probably screaming for attention at times, and the last thing you want to do is grant it to him.

The others have already stated most of the causes. I'll simply chip in by saying that as you get older, your muscles will atrophy, and the mass is often times replaced with fat. To attempt to avoid it entirely is not possible, but there are many things you can do to stave off this effect, such as proper excercises, proper diet, etc.

It's not really the art, but rather the individual practitioner, that would really make for a "deadly" character. Does it really matter if someone were equally proficient at killing someone with his hands, feet, grappling skills, vital point striking, etc? Dead is dead, after all. Also, what works for one practitioner is not necessarily going to work for another. Even though someone's kicking techniques would be deadly when executed by one person, that knowledge in the "hands" (figuratively speaking) of someone who lacks the flexibility and / or leg strength to execute such techniques would be all but useless, and not really deadly at all. Each person has to find out what works well for himself, and then make the optimizations around such techniques. If we compared it to the game of basketball, trying to turn Isiah Thomas (a point guard) into a rebounding, banging machine would be as fruitless of an endeavor as trying to make Bill Laimbeer a point guard.

Anime comes in a wide variety, tailored for all sorts of people. Some titles are great, others OK, and some just plain awful (Biohunter, anyone?). They also come in various language options, although if you buy the DVD titles, you'll get the option of whether you want Japanese or English audio, as well as your choice of subtitles. Basically, the Japanese are a lot more desensitized when it comes to animated violence, nudity, etc. In general, if you don't want your kids to see this kind of thing, then read the labels; the more graphic ones will have warning stickers on them. Those of us who are old enough to remember the time that Streamline actually distributed videos, probably also remember that rather humorous "Not for kids" label with the frowning face on it. If you were used to watching After School or Saturday Morning Cartoons, you'll probably find much of today's anime a completely different beast than what you're used to seeing. Seeing people literally explode in "Fist of the North Star" or people getting their heads lopped off in "Ninja Scroll" is quite commonplace. Even some of anime that was shown in the USA was watered down from the original episodes in Japan. For example, when the series "Battle of the Planets" was brought over to the USA (it was called "Gatchaman" in Japan), the editors would cut out 7-10 minutes out of each episode that was considered too violent for kids, and would even alter the audio. They would replace the lost footage with scenes of a very pathetic robot acting as their guide. Just to give you a taste, in one episode, a woman's family had been killed by one of the bad guy's robotic monsters, and the leader of the good guys gives the lady a chance to kill the monster. When she starts blubbering about how she can't do it, in the American version, the leader consoles her and agrees that revenge is never a good reason. In the Japanese version, the leader starts screaming at her, calling her a weakling as he smashes his fist into her solar plexus. Maybe some people like it because they can finally see decent cartoon violence. Maybe some people like it because at the time, the animation was superior to what was available in the US. Maybe others liked it for more cartoon eye candy. The bottom line, though, is that you should watch some of the Japanese Animation titles, and see if it's for you. If you would state your preferences as to what you would like to see, perhaps we can recommend some titles.

Assuming you want to explore legal options, given your location (Chicago, IL), you're going to find that you have far fewer options, due to the multitude of local laws forbidding many types of objects that could be used as weapons. Firearms, of course, are out of the question, since Illinois state law forbids the carrying of concealed firearms by civilians. Also, due to Chicago's laws that have essentially forbidden civilian handgun ownership (only registered ones are allowed, and they haven't been accepting registrations for decades), you wouldn't be able to carry one even if IL did pass some sort of concealed carry law. Knives are for the most part, allowed in your state, as long as there exists no unlawful intent. However, again, since you're in Chicago, the presumption of unlawful intent is much more likely to be the default. Sorry to say this, but that's just the way the locality operates. Keep it lawfully concealed, out of sight, and inconspicuous. If you are visiting the more rural areas of IL, though, there won't be a problem. If you do go with this option, a folding, lockback knife with under a 3" blade is probably your best choice (I recommend the Spyderco Delica). Again, keep it concealed. http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/il.txt Just as a bit of warning: Don't bother trying to get a switchblade; they're highly overrated as defensive knives, and anyone reasonably proficient at opening up a nicer lockback knife (such as the Spyderco I mentioned, or a Benchmade) can open up their knives just as quickly, and more importantly, still be within the legal limits. Also, don't bother with a balisong (butterfly knife), either. Once again, I'll remind you: Regardless of which weapon you choose to carry, concealed means concealed. Think of it like you would your martial arts training. Don't try to flaunt it; your best defense, as the others have already wisely stated, is to avoid the conflict entirely, even if it means swallowing your pride.

There is no one right answer, since it depends on the circumstances in which the weapons are used. For example, if you're going to be regularly doing sword on sword contact drills, then it's a no-brainer, that the wooden weapons are preferable. Even if someone were attempting to use blunted steel weapons, the possibility of injuries are simply way too high, when using metal weapons in such a manner. For that matter, using wooden weapons for contact drills is also dangerous, but at least you've factored out some of the dangers in the equation. On the other hand, though, if you're going to be practicing kata, then starting out with wooden weapons isn't a bad idea, but once enough familiarity with the weapon in question is achieved, then switching to a metal weapon isn't out of the question. I regularly perform kata with a live kata (Last Legend Mark V, folded blade, 4096 layers) that can also easily slice through three rolled up straw tatami mats. I won't, however, let others use live blades, unless they've also had significant amounts of familiarity and experience, and have demonstrated that they are mature and responsible people. This isn't very common, even amongst karate-ka, and only the most dedicated people who are serious about weapons training, are the ones that I would let use live blades. Even though I enjoy using a live blade for kata, I still enjoy bokken to bokken drills, and even took the pains of saving enough $$$ to buy a very nice bokken made out of jatoba wood (Brazilian cherry, very tough, hard, and beautiful).

Yup. One of the best all-around foods, since you get some quick energy needed, as well as some valuable nutrients, including the potassium. Also, they're not too sweet, so many folks who can't stand the really sweet stuff, can still enjoy a banana. They're easy for the body to digest, and it takes very little time to ingest one. Finally, everyone needs fiber.

Good ideas so far. When I compete in tournaments, my gear bag has the following: Gi Obi Extra Gi, just in case Protective gear (hand pads, foot pads, shin guards, mouth piece, cup and supporter) First aid kit Sportscream or Aspercream Cold packs Bottle of Advil Liquigels (fastest acting, and anti-inflammatory) Bottled water Chocolate bars Carbboom gel (much better than anything else) Bananas Pens Notebook Some money (never know when you might need it, especially if you want to grab a few cold ones after the tourney) Some people have affectionately nicknamed my gear bag the "ultimate bag of tricks," since it's helped a lot of folks, including those suffering from cramps (Aspercream, water and bananas), those suffering from general hunger (chocolate bars and Carbboom), judges who find themselves short of writing utensils, the bruised and battered (Cold packs, Advil liquigels), and even those who accidentally cut themselves with their katana during sword kata.

On another note, if you want to keep it as black as possible throughout the years, you may want to switch detergents entirely, to one of the products that were designed specifically for gentle washing of dark colors, such as Woolite for darks. This is probably overkill, though, since those of us that own black gis probably also don't mind it fading to dark grey over time.

Cold water, and a conservative amount of detergent. If anything, fill up the washing machine with water first, add the detergent, and mix it up. Then add the clothes. Use a gentle cycle (permanent press) instead of the standard washing cycle. Let it drip dry. Don't use the dryer.

In every dojo / dojang I've been to, the different sexes certainly do mix it up, unless we were preparing for a tournament.

When I was training in Shotokan Karate, we wore the stripes on the left side. When I was training in Tae Kwon Do, we wore the stripes on the right side. My current and previous dojo do not use stripes. When I asked Sabum-nim why we wore the stripes on the right side, I got a one knuckle rap to the head, and a gruff response in Korean, that basically translated to "because it's always been that way."

They are all important, but the most important ones are the first ones that you learn, such as the Taikyoku series, etc. These first stepping basic kata are the ones that the more advanced ones are built upon, and are also great fall-back forms when you need to go back to the basics.

As long as you, and your mark, er, prospective friend, are both sensible people, then I see no problems with simply asking him out, as long as some common sense is applied: 1) Do not, under any circumstances, bring your relationship into the dojo. Both of you are there to train, and doing anything else other than training or instruction distracts both of you, and potentially anyone else in the dojo. 2) If you have a problem with each other, solve it outside of the dojo. A LOT of strife can be created if two people are arguing in front of everyone else in the dojo. Such events have even chased off other good students, or left bad images in people's minds. 3) If the relationship goes sour (and yes, this does occur), you must break it off cleanly. If you don't, and feelings still linger, then this is going to be a distraction to both you and other folks in the dojo will be uncomfortable seeing the lingering strain between the two of you. 4) If something catastrophic happens that cannot be reconciled, are you, or is he, capable of simply walking away from the dojo entirely? This is a difficult question, and the answers may not be to your liking, but it's necessary. Finally, you need to ask yourself: Are you willing and able to do all of the above if push came to shove? If so, then by all means, go ahead. I've known a good number of folks who trained at the same dojo that ended up getting married, and it certainly can work. For some folks, having their significant other in the same classes worked out great, as both were able to "feed off" each others' work ethics and intensity. If you honestly belive that you couldn't do all of the above if it came down to it, then it's probably not a good idea. I've seen various dojos lose good students because one couldn't handle the strain of having the ex in the same class, or even as an instructor.

This is going to be a rather blunt statement, so my apologies if I may sound a bit callous towards the art instructor. "Finishing what you started" works both ways. While you did take the initiave by signing up for the art classes, it seems that these art classes are poorly organized, and not being run effectively. If the organizers of this class would have at least given you a better situation, then I would have said to go ahead and stick it out, but in this case, they aren't holding up their end. It's the same thing as a martial arts class; what you are going through in that art class isn't too far off from training at a not-so-stellar dojo. Let's suppose a student signed up for a 3 month contract, and was told that he would receive top notch training, and had to buy a uniform. Upon the first day of classes, the student, having already spent 40 bucks for a new uniform, finds that he didn't have to buy a uniform after all. No big deal, since he can always use the uniform after the first one wears out. However, he now finds that the instruction is shoddy, and the sensei in charge of the class is teaching with a lackidaisical attitude, and doesn't really give a flying fig about giving good instruction. If I were the student in the above case, I wouldn't finish out the training, since they did not hold up their end of the bargain. If that meant eating the costs for the remainder of the contract, so be it; I would rather eat those costs, and pay more at another dojo that gave good instruction, than to be wasting my time with a poor training regimen. In your case, I would simply return the supplies that you bought, and start attending the weapons classes. Business is business, after all. Those are your hard-earned dollars, and your precious free-time hours that are not to be wasted. Good luck with your choice, and the best of luck to you regarding your martial arts training!

This is assuming that someone IS going to join. I have mixed feelings on this matter, but here goes anyways: Case #1): If a dan-ranked karate-ka is going from one traditional dojo to another traditional dojo within the same style, then I generally see no problems with letting him start out at a higher level, and would let him start out with no rank, but allow him to wear his current rank. After all, when it comes down to it, no matter how people vary in their teachings, traditional Shotokan Karate is still traditional Shotokan Karate, traditional Wado-Ryu Karate is still traditional Wado-Ryu Karate, traditional Shorin Ryu Karate is still traditional Shorin Ryu, etc. If anything, though, I would ask the student if it were OK to give his former sensei / shihan a friendly call, just to chat a bit. I realize that not all students will be comfortable with my wanting to speak with their former instructors for various reasons (left on bad terms, etc), but for the most part, this hasn't been a problem. If anything, it's a great way to introduce yourself to another fellow instructor of the martial arts. Case #2): If a dan-ranked karate-ka is going from a different style of Karate that is still closely related, such as a traditionally trained Shotokan yudansha coming over to a traditional Wado-Ryu dojo, I'd still allow him to train with something other than a white belt, and in the cases of someone who picks things up quickly, would even allow as high as an unofficial brown belt. If the student is that advanced in a closely related style, and a good learner, then there's simply no reason why they couldn't hop right into the more advanced classes. Still, though, I would make such a student attend the beginner and intermediate classes as well, since certain things, such as basic techniques, can certainly differ. Once the advanced student has demonstrated that he knows all of the basics of the style, and can perform all of the requirements required for black belt, then I would let him test for an official Shodan rank. This can be as short as a half year, or as long as it needs to be, depending on the student. At the very least, though, I would ask that such a student start out training without the gi. Ordinary shorts and a t-shirt would be fine. By observing him in his first few classes, I would be able to get an evaluation of his abilities and experience, and make a placement decision accordingly. Case #3): If a dan rank from a significantly different style came in, such as going from a traditional Tae Kwon Do dojang to a traditional Wado-Ryu dojo, then I would make him start at white belt, with the understanding that he would be progressing a lot faster than others. In the end, he may very get to Shodan in the same time as the guy in Case #2, if things go well. Case #4): If a dan rank from ANY style, comes in and requests to start at white belt, then I would certainly grant this. Again, if he's a good student, then he'll probably be progressing through the ranks significantly faster than the others, and in the end, could get to Shodan as quickly as any of the above (except for #1). Ultimately, it is the chief instructor's decision, when initially "placing" a new student that has significant training, and if his beliefs are different than what I have stated, I would respect them, if I wanted to train in his dojo. The way I see it, if you're a good Karate-ka, then you'll climb up the ranks in short order. Remember, good Karate is always going to be good Karate, and those who are good Karate-kas will rise to the occasion. I realize that some folks will strongly disagree with what I propose, and to each, his own. Remember, this is simply an essay on what I would do if I were the instructor, and not what others should do.

It was entirely inappropriate for a parent to start hollering things that could be construed as insulting to another student, even if she were merely trying to encourage her own child. As a rule of thumb, parents are allowed to spectate, and even allowed to applaud with the rest of the class, but as for participating in the class itself in other ways, well, I simply tell them that they are to not interact with the students during the class, unless there is an obvious emergency. If they can't refrain themselves from doing so, I'll take them aside after the class is over, and give them three choices: 1) Leave the premises while the child is training 2) Firmly, but politely, insist that they keep quiet during the classes and NOT interact with the class, or 3) Have them actually become students in the class, training as Karate-ka.

Fish, I'll tell you right away, that it's easier for the advancing person to close the ground faster than the retreating person, which is why working on getting that good burst while stepping back is important. Even more importantly, though, is to learn how to move at oblique angles towards your opponent, in case if he is a hard-charging fighter. It's somewhat similar to side-stepping, except that you'll be actually advancing towards your opponent at the oblique angle. While it's easy for someone to keep on hard-charging towards someone who is retreating from them in a straight line, it's significantly more difficult if he has to make adjustments, and change his entire momentum. Once you get more comfortable with this technique, you'll be able to carry out sen-no-sen counterattacks in a more fluid manner, and at the same time, avoid the attack.

Different strokes for different folks. In Shotokan and my previous style, purple belt was given at yon kyu (4th kyu). Such students attended the advanced classes. In my current style, purple belt is given at ro kyu (6th kyu). Such students attend the intermediate classes.

There are good Tae Kwon Do schools, and there are bad Tae Kwon Do schools, just as there are with any other style of martial arts. The others have already given good advice, so I'll simply tack on a suggestion to by all means enjoy it, but to also recognize that your body has limitations at this stage, with respect of the ability to train. Work on carefully overcoming those limitations under your teacher's guidance, and you'll find yourself able to do things you didn't know you could do. If you can't kick above the waist at this time, that's fine. Work on getting the correct mechanics of the kick first. Flexibility, speed, and power, will all come naturally at a later time, when you are more experienced and better conditioned. It's much better to execute a mechanically sound kick to the knees, than it is to throw an undisciplined kick wildly to someone's head.