Grenadier

Advancing / retreating drills will help your ground speed, and give you a burst. Practice the movements, whether it's by stepping with the lead foot and sliding (ori-ashi) or closing the gap by stepping with the rear foot first, and then propelling your front foot forward (tsue ashi?). Make sure that your first movement is in the direction in which you want to move, since many folks inadvertently step back a wee bit before moving forward. Try going 6 movements forward, and then 6 movements retreating. This will also build up leg strength and endurance, while making you lighter on your feet. Also, you'll be able to close the gap or retreat better than someone who has not practiced such drills. Remember, even if someone is inherently faster than you are, such pure speed doesn't necessarily equate to combat speed. At first, go at a moderate pace, so that you can get the footwork down. As you get stronger, and better conditioned, then try improving your burst of speed when advancing and retreating. Remember to maintain good posture while doing these drills, and don't let the shoulders and hips stray from the same vertical line. Also, practice side stepping drills, so that your burst of sideways movements will be faster, and more responsive. As a bit of relief / enjoyment, I would even suggest playing the old children's game of "hopscotch," just to further emphasize the importance of footwork and balance.

Welcome to the club. I'm the same height, but 10 lbs lighter. Unfortunately, it's not unusual to be paired with someone of equal height, but much more mass. Getting battered by heavier people generally means that you're trying to go toe to toe with them. You're going to be on the worse part of the exchange. A better way is to simply not get hit. There's no shame in circling your opponent, attacking when the opportunity presents itself, and using superior speed / footwork to sidestep, etc. If anything, it's certainly better than trying to soak your entire body in a bathtub full of hot water and epsom salts! Start working on footwork drills, speed drills, and especially combining the two, so that you can get a burst of speed when you advance and retreat (actually more of a side step). Gaining more muscle mass can help, but this is always a tricky thing; you would need to gain the mass, while maintaining flexibility and speed, and putting on that kind of quality pounds is a difficult matter, indeed. This is not really something that can be done in a short period of time; we're talking about years of work and conditioning. I tried this route a long time ago, trying to gain 15 lbs of muscle mass. In the long run, it did help, but in the immediate time, it was much more of a burden, as I was feeling sluggish and slow, and the footwork wasn't nearly as good as it was before I had started on the muscle mass gain project. Either that, or maybe it was the sheer weight of those horribly thick protein shakes that would give me acetone breath in the middle of the nights. It took about three, maybe four, years to get used to the weight, and to properly condition the muscles, so that I wouldn't lose any flexibility, while constantly working on footwork and speed drills. Looking back, I don't regret what I have done, since I've gone from a sub-150 lb beanpole, to a more healthy shape, but it wasn't easy, or particularly pleasant, getting this way.

You already realize that this is a case of burnout. However, nobody can really force you to get back "into the groove," unless you help yourself. Do you have some tapes of the previous tournaments? I'd try watching some matches, and evaluating your competition. Since you've been busting your rear trying to get into shape for this tournament, I would guess that there's a good chance that you would be better than many of the others there, who didn't take their training nearly as seriously. Perhaps that could give you some motivation?

When it comes to handpads, footpads, shin guards, etc, the students should really provide for their own. This way, they are responsible for their own equipment. A dojo could lose significant amounts of $$$ if it provides for constant replacement of handpads (and such), since sometimes they'll break, other times, some students might accidentally (?) stick them in their bags, etc. Buying some bo would actually be a good idea. If you're not going to do bo tai bo drills (bo on bo contact) on a regular basis, then the plain ash ones or even the red oak ones will do just fine. Such bo staffs are relatively cheap, and quickly available, and if you order a number of them at the same time, you can get a nice cheap shipping rate. You may also want to get some shorter bo for kids, just in case. If you also do bokken in your kobudo training, then you can get some red oak bokken for a cheap cost as well, in the same manner as mentioned above. Again, red oak wood is relatively cheap, and not really appropriate for hard contact, but for kata work, or light contact drills, they'll do fine. Other things you may want to consider: As the above poster mentioned, target pads for kicks and punches would be nice, as would a large sized shield for kicking drills.

Quite the opposite. It became more apparent, that dealing with some of the more trivial matters simply wasn't worth the time, effort, or most importantly, the consequences. Sensei's quote, regarding the situation: You can kick a dung pile, but do you really want to deal with the consequences of having it splattered all over your fine shoes?

Depends from one person to another. In my current dojo, only plain white cotton gi's are allowed. The only decorations that are allowed on the gi are the school's patch, and the small instructor's patch. In my previous dojos / dojang, only white or black gi's were allowed. Again, only the school patch was allowed as an extra. If a dojo wants only plain colored gis for the sake of simplicity and uniformity (a good reason as any), then a non-traditional gi shouldn't be used. If a dojo doesn't care about such a dress code (in which case, they might not be a traditional school), then that's their choice. Personally, I think it draws too much unwanted attention. A karate-ka is there to train, not to be bedazzled, disgusted, or impressed by someone else's uniform, and keeping things simple (plain white or black, traditional gi) prevents such a distraction.

I disagree with this nidan's assessment. No matter how advanced someone is in another style, there are inevitably, going to be some significant differences, especially in the basics, in which all things are built upon. While an advanced student coming in will find it easier to make adjustments to his old set of basics compared to a beginner trying to learn from the start, it still requires continual execution and practice. If the so-called minor nuances are never developed just because someone was an advanced rank coming in, it's going to show at the worst moments. Imagine the frowns from some people's faces when they see that an advanced student is performing a technique in the kata in the "wrong" manner, even though it was "right" in another style. Everyone should still practice the basics, no matter how advanced they become, even if they have been in the style for decades.

Not entirely for free. Before anyone starts flinging flames in my direction, please allow me to elaborate: 1) I would allow the student to pay what he could, and defer the rest for later, as good students do deserve a chance to prove themselves. During this time, he would certainly be welcome to train, with the understanding that he would be expected to be square with the house in a reasonable time. As long as he can make reasonable payments along the way, with the understanding that he will square things away later, then I see no problem with this. 2) If the student wants to cancel some of the debt by doing various things for the dojo, I would certainly encourage him to try it. For example, if he's a dan rank, then I'd allow him to organize and lead a demonstration, or teach classes in exchange for some credit, etc. If he becomes an instructor on a regular basis, then this would certainly benefit both parties involved. He might even come out a few dollars ahead each month. If he's a kyu grade, there are always projects that are available, such as painting the walls, sweeping / mopping the floor, vacuuming the carpets, cleaning out the refrigerator, passing out flyers at various grocery stores, etc. This would certainly be worth some credit as well. There's no shame in doing menial labor for the dojo. Now, on the flip side of the coin (as I put on the black hat): If a good student is unwilling to at least make an effort to meet us halfway (see the above examples on doing things to help out the dojo), and thinks that he can train for an extended time without paying, I simply wouldn't allow that. I know it sounds harsh, but encouraging this kind of lax discipline when it comes to financial matters will only lead to the dojo eating the costs of many more such charity cases. If such a student is unwilling to meet us halfway, these would be the options: 1) Take a break. Even if he's unwilling to help the dojo, at least he can do something to fix the financial situation. Whether this means re-organizing his finances, or taking another job (McDonald's is always hiring, and those who stick with it can actually make decent money), is up to him. or 2) Find a school that charges less. I would honestly rather have him training in a rival school, improving himself, than to be sitting around doing nothing. To conclude my "man with the black hat" statement, I would say that a good student that wants to train, should also be honorable enough to realize that he should be squared away with his debtors. To this date, I have never had to take a good student to court in order to collect on the money owed, and pray to God that I never ever have to resort to such methods.

It certainly can help in many ways, since your general cardiovascular conditioning is going to be better than the average person who starts. Still, though, each set of activities uses a different set of muscles, and possibly different kinds of conditioning. While conditioning in one area may carry over significantly into another, they aren't going to overlap enough. Just as an example, we had a fitness instructor join the dojo once. She was in great physical condition, and could teach aerobics and weight training all day long. About 40 minutes into the intermediate class (she had some experience a while ago), though, she was exhausted. I'm pretty much certain, that if I were to attend one of her aerobics / weight training classes, that I'd be huffing and puffing as well, despite being in decent condition. Still, though, she lasted a lot longer than anyone else did, when it came to new folks, and has since then, stuck with the program.

This is never an easy situation, if the parents don't understand what's going on. Even though you're telling them the truth, that their child is not ready, that's something they probably don't want to hear. Some of the more impatient ones are actually quite willing to yank their kids out of the program once their contracts expire, and take them elsewhere that will promote them faster. When asked the question why a different child was being promoted ahead of their own child, I would invite them to actually watch a class, and take an honest, hard look at the performance levels of their own child, compared to the other students in the class. Sometimes, this means that the other child is an exceptional student, listens to instructions, practices at home, and shows cleaner techniques / sharper kata. Other times, the child in question, might be a slower learner, and has a performance level that is simply not up to par when it comes to what we expect from that rank. In general, parents who watch their children take the classes are better informed, than those who don't. Overall, I've found that asking the parents to watch the classes is one of the more effective ways to get the point across, since they'll also be available for a quick chat after things are over, and they've seen what was going on. Does it always work? No. Some parents will still refuse to accept the fact that another child simply has significantly better talent levels and / or work ethics. Others simply can't tell the difference between an excellent student and a mediocre one. Finally, some parents flat out refuse to believe that their child may be below average in any way, shape, or form. Sometimes, this might mean that the parents will come forth to the chief instructor, and start filing complaints against you, even if you did things right. This is why it's important to talk with the chief instructor on a regular basis, and give a lowdown of encounters that you have had with the parents, good or bad. The chief instructor probably already has a good amount of faith in your abilities, else you wouldn't be in that position, but it never hurts to keep him informed.

CQC, If that black belt is still out to nearly injure the others, shouldn't this be brought to the chief instructor's attention?

It's still strongly recommended that you wash whites with whites, and colors with colors. If you absolutely must wash both together, use cold wash. You may also want to toss in a non-chlorine based bleach, such as Oxyclean.

One other note: Nothing beats excercises. I doubt most people here would disagree, but I have run into a couple of individuals in real life, who were suckered into buying the electrostimulation devices, thinking that it would passively condition their abdominal muscles.

Just take it to an alterations shop. The seamstress may look at the material, and give a weary sigh, and mumble something about how tiring it will be, but yes, such a person can hem your gi. Congrats on the purchase of a Shureido. As long as you take care of it, it will last you a long, long time, and give you many years of comfortable wearing.

The simplest Nokia phone you can imagine. Bulky, grey, and no bells or whistles, but hey, it works reliably, and was part of the TracFone package I received.

Stomach crunches and leg lifts can do as good of a job of conditioning your abdominal and oblique muscles, without the back pain. Also, learn to tense your stomach while throwing your own techniques.

Not entirely surprising, as the old adage of "the fruit never falls far away from the tree" holds true in many cases. The instructor's personality, teaching methods, and philosophies tend to rub off on his academic sons and daughters (his instructors that work for him). Even though they won't become clones of their chief instructor, they'll pick up enough traits, whether they realize it or not, that they become similar enough. Good instuctors produce mostly good instructors of their own, although a few bad apples from the tree can certainly be produced on occasion. Bad instructors will produce mostly bad instructors of their own, although some of the instructors can be salvaged with better teaching on how to become an instructor. Occasionally, though, there will be a particularly promising academic son / daughter that he can't corrupt.

Rules will vary with different rankings. Assuming that you are competing in the advanced divisions, the rules are as follows: Punches or kicks to the front torso or ribs, are worth a waza-ari (1/2 point). Various punches to the head, where there would normally be hair (not facial hair) are worth a waza-ari. In general, a closed fist technique is OK (punch, hammer strike, backfist), but the only open hand techniques that are allowed are ridge hand strikes. Light hand or foot contact to the face is allowed, but you had better demonstrate good control, or else the ref can call it a foul instead. Generally, a clean kick that exhibits good control, and hits the head, is worth an ippon (full point). If your opponent falls, or if you sweep him, and you follow up with a scoring technique, you'll get an ippon (full point). If you throw a combination, and land two or more clean techniques, the referees can give you an ippon or waza-ari, depending on your execution, etc. Light groin contact is usually allowed at this level, assuming that everyone is wearing protective gear. Light contact is worth a waza-ari, hard contact is a foul. Most such tournaments will give a waza-ari for a kick or punch to the back, but the spinal or renal (kidney) areas are off-limits. If you land a most magnificient technique, such as a strong reverse punch that totally catches your opponent off-guard, display excellent power, and excellent control, then the referee has the discretion to call the match in your favor, and end it, regardless of the score. Rare, but it does happen. Sweeps to the legs are acceptable, but you cannot sweep higher than the calf level, otherwise they'll call a foul. Note: the sweep itself will not score you a point. You must still follow through with a scoring technique to score. However, as I stated above, if you sweep your opponent, catch him off balance, and then land a good punch, the referee will often times give you an ippon instead of a waza-ari. If your opponent falls (whether by being swept or by slipping), you have three seconds to attack. If you land a scoring attack, you'll always get the ippon. First person to three points wins.

There is no one right answer. With children, it's not that easy to keep their attention for a full hour, so 45 minute classes may very well be better for them, especially if this such a class is tailored for the beginner children. So far, I can't argue with the results in our dojo, especially having taught at another dojo, where we frequently ran into the problems of many children's attention spans simply not being long enough to handle a full hour. As they grow in age and experience, then they'll generally gravitate to the classes designed for both adults and children, which for beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels, are one hour long in our dojo. Classes that consist of primarily yudansha, or those who are close to being ready for their yudansha exams, are supposed to be an hour, but since everyone can handle it, it's not unusual to extend this to 75 minutes. Everyone who has reached this level of proficiency also has a decent level of conditioning and discipline, so I see nothing wrong with Hanshi's methods of pushing them that extra bit. Now, there are many here who say that one hour is way too short. I won't argue with their claims, since there are many folks who could certainly benefit from the extra training. Still, though, any of the students are free to attend any of the other classes designed for ranks that they have already surpassed, if they want the extra workout / training. This also helps prepare some of them for becoming assistants, or even instructors, in the future. Furthermore, those who have previous experience in other styles, and show a remarkable level of talent, good conditioning, good technique, and a good attitude, are sometimes allowed to train in the classes that are for levels beyond their current one.

What you lack in flexibility and speed, you'll compensate for, in terms of wisdom and experience. You don't have to fight harder or stronger; just fight smarter. Maybe you can no longer cover the length of the room in just a single stepping series, or perhaps you can't kick as high as you used to. That's OK. You simply learn more ways to maximize your current abilities. You learn to conserve your energy, to attack when the opportunity presents itself, etc., instead of launching a barrage of attacks to overwhelm your enemy. You would use leverage, instead of brute force, etc. Remember, while we all eventually lose our youth, and the benefits associated with it, wisdom and experience stay with you for your entire life, and gets better with age.

One of the most important parts of a back kick (or almost any technique) is knowing to look before you execute. For many, this helps stabilize the balance significantly.

This is an interesting question. In general, when one is a kyu rank, or even a lower level dan rank, he is simply told to do what tradition dictates, but as one progresses, coming closer to a certain level of mastery, that's when making changes could certainly come into effect. As for traditional styles branching out and calling themselves descendants of a particular style, I see no problems with this, as long as they remain true to the roots of that from which they came, and this can come from multiple roots. If such branching out didn't occur, the array of styles available would have been very slim, indeed. For example, there would never have been a Wado-ryu had Ohtsuka not branched out from Funakoshi's teachings. Regardless of the small differences between Wado-Ryu and Shotokan, they still uphold a very similar base of fundamentals. I strongly doubt that traditional martial arts is going to die. While some styles will undergo changes to reflect what is a better way of doing things, the fundamental cores of such styles will still stay the same, and it is upon these cores that "modern martial arts" are still built. These styles have had an established track record, and a rich history. One simply can't say that traditional "X" style is horrible (even though there might be the occasional bad teacher), since it has years of history to otherwise dispute such assertions. Furthermore, if a school that teaches a traditional style of martial arts has excellent instruction, then they'll continue to attract potential students. The bottom line here, is that good instruction + good dojo management and business practices = enduring dojo (and a bit of luck), regardless of what else is out there.

Once upon a time, I was young, and thought I was indestructible. I could go straight into a workout / class without stretching, until the day that I strained a flexor. Not nice. That's when I took preliminary warmups and stretching seriously. Try doing some stretching before you start your workout. Sit down, extend one leg, and prop your ankle on top of it. Use your hands to grasp the foot, and rotate the ankle around in circles a couple dozen times one way, and then a couple dozen times the other way. Also, stretch your calf muscles. After your workout is done, ice your ankles, and see if this makes a difference, especially when you wake up the next morning. If the pain still persists, as with anyone, go to your doctor. You should be getting an annual physical exam anyways, so you may as well schedule one soon. Mention this to your doctor, and see what can be done.

Having a large dojo with loads of students, and still maintaining a high level of quality instruction is certainly possible. It will require, though, that the chief instructor make sure that he have excellent underlings (instructors), and that they be very well organized. After all, with that many students, he would have to offer several different classes, and he certainly can't teach all of them. Sometimes this will mean opening up additional dojo locations in nearby cities, which makes the importance of having good instructors working under him even moreso. Many times, it can also require that the chief instructor hire someone to take care of the business matters.

You are not at fault. The other guy was backing up, and hence, he must yield the right of way, horn warning or no. Did you call the police after the event occurred (you should always do this)? If so, make sure that your copy of the accident report is legible.