Grenadier

Ack, Yesterday, I was watching some movie starring Bolo Yeung and the guy who played "Johnny Lawrence" in the first Karate Kid movie. Just... plain... terrible.... In this flick, Bolo Yeung plays the part of the good guy, and is some oddball master of martial arts. He's pursuing a bad guy, who shuts a steel door to prevent Bolo's character from getting to him, so he uses the "chi" force, punches the steel door, and transfers the energy into the bad guy, who just happens to be leaning against that steel door, killing him.

Don't forget the Yellow Pages of the phone book. Many people interested in learning martial arts are going to first look at the Yellow Pages, and call around. It's no secret that an advertisement in the Yellow Pages is going to catch a lot more eyes, and at least get you more phone calls.

Correct. Most folks would agree that it's pronounced as "ohs" (as in oh) or "oohs" (as in ooze, but with a "s"), in a short, defined manner. Sometimes, I have to remind some of the children in the class, that it's pronounced in the short, defined manner, since some of them might pronounce it as "ooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhs" instead! It seems to be more prevalent in certain styles than others, since some styles of Karate favor not using "osu" and using "Hai" for "yes," or "ei" (sp?) for "no."

Different strokes for different folks. If your friend is a martial artist of mediocre talent, with no previous experience, then I would seriously consider his place to be more of a "McDojo." It takes time to develop form, technique, and conditioning, and there's really no substitute for work in a dojo if he hadn't had any previous experience. If your friend has no previous experience, but has great talent and trains 4-5 times a week, 2 hours a day, then I would say that it's certainly possible. If your friend has previous experience with another style of martial arts, then that's definitely possible, especially when combined with a good work ethic and talent. In my time as an instructor, I've seen a couple of individuals who were blessed with superb athleticism, brilliant minds, and great execution skills. These two did not have any previous experience, but would soak up everything like a sponge. Combine this with a great level of dedication (10+ hours a week of class time), excellent techniques, strong and precise kata performance, and an uncanny ability at kumite, and it wasn't surprising that these two gifted individuals made it to shodan after just 18 months (normally took 3+ years). Those two were simply at a point where there was nothing further to be gained by simply waiting. Their performances were already better than any other shodan candidate at the time, and if someone is ready, both mentally and physically, then why not? Both passed with flying colors, and I don't have any second thoughts about having cast an "unconditional pass" vote for both. Those two went on to become instructors as well, got married, and now have their own dojo.

Perhaps we can help each other a bit. Can you give us some more information on the contents of your style? What kata are performed? What are the "trademarks" of the style? Lineage?

For the white, brushed cotton gi: Wash in cold water, regular detergent. If you need to whiten it, a scoop of Oxyclean, or its generic / cheaper substitutes, and the use of warm water, will give that extra boost. Hang dry, and iron out when still slightly damp. If you need to dry it in a hurry, then 30 min on a Permanent Press (low heat) cycle can help speed it up. For the less expensive 10 oz cotton canvas gi (Proforce): Wash in warm or hot water, tumble dry normally with other whites. Yes, this is abusing the uniform, but it's coming close to falling apart after a decade of use, and I'm replacing it anyways with a better uniform. Surprisingly, it didn't shrink that much, compared to its original size, even after all of these years. For the cheaper black ProForce gi, blended cotton / poly: Wash in warm water, tumble dry normally. Done this for 8 years, no signs of destruction, other than normal wear and tear, and fade.

On another note, have you ever thought about carrying a 4 or 5 D-cell Mag Lite? Those are just as good as any nightstick, and last I saw, most places don't have laws against carrying flashlights.

Depends on the state. For the most part, the law enforcement folks will generally frown upon you, if you are carrying a baton. There are some states that have concealed weapons permits that extend to both firearms as well as hand-held weapons, such as Kentucky, while others, such as Connecticut, actually have a concealed weapons permit for what they call "deadly weapons" that is a separate entity from the concealed handgun permit. Then, there are some states that will offer concealed handgun permits, but will not allow you to carry a baton. In some states, such as California, carrying a baton is a felony, and the same surprisingly holds true in Texas. When it comes down to it, contact your local law enforcement agency, and ask if it's possible to carry around an ASP baton or nightstick, and what needs to be done to get the proper permit. Don't be surprised, though, if they tell you that you can't. Just as a bit of humor, regarding the Kentucky concealed weapons permit: http://www.kentuckystatepolice.org/conceal.htm Now where can I find a planet-killing laser?

Depends on the state, and its laws. For the most part, if an armed intruder (weapon type matters not) breaks into your house, and you believe your life, or that of the others in your house, are in danger, then it's OK to shoot the intruder. If the intruder is unarmed, but still poses a danger, then you can still shoot him. This includes those under the influence of drugs, etc. A few states actually claim that you must make every attempt to retreat from your own house, first, though.

I've witnessed only three demotions in my entire time. The first incident was where someone who was testing had plain forgotten all of the Heian katas that he had previously learned, since he thought he could simply do Heian yondan for his 4th kyu purple (he was 5th kyu green). That, plus his techniques were sloppy, and his kumite was just plain awful. After the exam, Sensei gave him a blue belt (reserved for 6th kyu). At first, the kid was confused, and asked "I thought I was supposed to get a purple belt?" Sensei merely said "No, this is the correct belt for you," and said that he had to earn his green belt again. That lit a spark, and started a fire underneath this kid. He actually started training hard, and worked long hours at remembering all of the other kata, and one month later, he respectfully asked Sensei if he could re-retest for his green belt, which he did, and passed. He took the purple belt exam another two weeks after that, and went on to become one of the better assistant instructors at the dojo. The other time has been more recent. I saw someone (a young boy) get demoted as white belt. He would not listen to the instructor at all. He'd run around, make funny sounds with his mouth, spitting on other students in the process, and would even try to pinch other students. That's when instructor took away his belt entirely, and said that he had to earn his white belt before going any further. To this day, he still hasn't earned back his white belt, and until he does, he will not be testing with his classmates for yellow belt. The third time was when I trained in Tae Kwon Do. A pre-chodan rank (red stripe on top of black stripe) was taking his black belt exam over two days. The first day went smoothly for him, and he was allowed to flip the belt over, having the black stripe on top. The second day, during the final sparring session, his opponent foolishly jumped into him, and all but had the groin impaled by the tester's foot, which had been aimed at his chest instead. It wasn't the tester's fault, since the other guy had been reckless, and previously, arrogantly asserted that he didn't need a cup and supporter. The guy taking the test had even attempted to deliberately avoid kicking him at the abdomen level, for the fear of accidentally hitting him in the family jewels. Well, that didn't go over too well with the panel, since they didn't see things that way, and told the tester to try again later. Before he left, the panel told him that he had to revert to wearing the belt with the red stripe on top. The tester simply took the next exam during the next semester, and passed without a hitch. How does such a demotion feel? Well, I ought to know! I was the one taking the test. Two of the people on the panel knew exactly what transpired, but were too afraid to tell the sabumnim about exactly what had happened. At first, I felt disappointed, and then for a short while, rather irritated that someone else's mistakes cost me, but I dealt with it, and moved on.

Which user was this?

WTKempostudent hit it on the nose. When it comes down to it, does it matter what the uninformed think? If they're willing to heckle those who practice martial arts, they're most likely not going to be the type to take you up on an offer to come to your school and train. Most such hecklers are convinced in their minds, that they are always right, no matter what the topic, and would try to argue physics with Einstein, just so that they can hear themselves talk. Is it really worth wasting time dealing with them, other than a token invitation to train at the dojo? Of course, it's irritating to listen to them babble. Yes, there have been times where I imagined how nice it would be to throw them, or to sink a kick into their fat bellies (come on! You all have had this temptation one time or another), but at the same time, I'm not one to give them the attention they crave. If they really want to learn more about it in an honest manner, then they'll come forth and ask valid questions, and show a real interest.

Martial arts training means many things. One of the most important ones, though, is training the mind and body to override that which initially seems natural. After all, when you hit the first phase of being tired, your instinct is to stop, and rest, but the martial arts training teaches you to transcend those limits. Let's face it; unless you were a phenomanlly gifted athlete, you were all huffing and puffing your way through the introductory classes, as a white belt, learning how to condition your body and mind, dealing with the soreness of exertion. Once you got past that initial phase, that's where you probably realized that you can do many things that you previously couldn't. Also, many of the movements themselves aren't exactly natural-feeling either, but to practice these movements grants you a sense of balance, focus, etc., previously unattainable.

Welcome to the world of martial arts. The pain that you're feeling is because you really didn't develop those muscles previously, and after 2-3 more weeks of regular training, your muscles are going to get stronger, and you'll be in better condition. If the pain is really bothering you, then take a couple of ibuprofen tablets, to knock down the swelling as well. Naproxen also works well. As long as it's not chronic, unbearable pain, think of it like this:

This may sound like a cut 'n paste from a generic instructor's manual, but here goes: The kata and kumite compliment each other. If you improve your kata performance, then it will show in your kumite, and vice versa. Performance / repetition of kata will strengthen your muscles, improve your balance, and give you an insight on things, all of which can help make you better in kumite. Furthermore, the kata stress the technical aspects of the basic fundamentals, and it's from those basics, that the sparring applications are built. Doing kumite helps you apply the practical applications of that which you learned in your kata, which then gives you an even better understanding of the kata.

Probably the most common scoring technique in competition. It's very effective, especially when used in combinations, and someone with a good kazami-tsuki (lead hand punch) can combine the two techniques to make a really nice one-two. You can really drive a gyaku-tsuki a lot more than you can with a kazami-tsuki, especially if you get a good hip twist into it. The rear foot doesn't have to stay planted (you can come up on the ball of the foot), in order to get the power.

Such places often times lure the impatient by promising black belts in short time periods, without putting forth diligent efforts. Unfortunately, since many people can fall prey to this, such places will always have a clientele that will make them decent money.

Exactly. As I stated earlier, if he's a good teacher, then he'll know how to break you in properly, by teaching you the basics first. He might have an assistant instructor teach you the basics, but either way, you would be brought up to speed in a safe, and encouraging way. When you speak with him, be honest, and tell him what you're looking for, what your strengths and limitations are, etc. This can make the teaching part go more smoothly.

What I'm about to tell you is from a karate instructor's point, although it still generally applies to any decent martial arts school. Assuming that the school is a good one, and a decent sized one, there should be classes for beginners. Even though you would start in a beginner's class, as you suspect, you might not be ready to go through the entire class, due to the lack of familiarity. In this case, one of the instructors would take you aside from the rest of the class, and give the rundown on the basics. As you attend more and more classes, you might still be working one on one with an instructor, but you would be gradually training more and more with the rest of the class, until you no longer need the one-on-one work. Sometimes, there might be several new folks coming in at once, in which case, an instructor might take them aside as a group, away from the rest of the class, and give them the basic instruction. The principles are the same, though; a new student must be taught to walk before he can be taught to run. IMHO, to toss someone that has no experience at all, into a class of experienced people, without preparing them, isn't exactly wise. While I'm fairly certain that a few people might thrive no matter what the situation, many people would get frustrated, intimidated, or something similar, and simply quit. No decent instructor should throw an inexperienced newbie (no offense intended at all) into a pack of wolves, and hope that the newbie survives. Most of the folks who teach martial arts abide by a certain teachers' creed: A small percentage of the people training under you will "get it," even if the instruction isn't up to par. A small percentage of the people training under you will never "get it," no matter how good the instruction is. The large majority of people training under you can "get it," with proper guidance, but will not "get it," if given less than decent instruction.

It was a trojan that also hid in your Java folders. Easy to remove, since the trojan.downloader virus, and its partners, were easily detected and the files can be safely deleted. The virus itself was a rather old one, and should be easily detected using any of the more modern virus detectors with updated definitions. Thanks for taking care of this, Patrick.

I just think about the time when I failed a chodan test, and the comments from one of the panel members. That quickly puts a damper on things.

What kind of tournament is this? Does it have stopped action after points are scored (traditional tournament), or do they keep letting the action go on while scoring points (somewhat like a boxing match)? Some tips: If you can get to the arena early, do some footwork drills on the mats, since you are unfamiliar with that surface. This way, you'll get an idea of how a different surface affects you. 90 seconds per round isn't that much time at all, so you can maintain a decent pace of attacks. Since the fights are no more than two 90 second rounds, if you're in reasonably good shape, you shouldn't have to worry about fatigue. Don't, however, go at a frenetic pace. Don't throw only one technique. Unless you have an unearthly skill at throwing a particular kick or punch, an opponent will quickly wisen up to it, and make adjustments. Try to throw three techniques in a row, to keep him off balance. In these situations, try not to get too fancy with your technique. Stick with what the techniques that you do best. Try not to fall into playing your opponent's game. Try to circle your opponent, so that he can't lock onto you. See which side he favors, and circle around him accordingly (clockwise or counterclockwise).

Bonnar vs Griffith was the best UFC fight I've ever seen. I'll say this much: Griffith is one tough SOB. He took a lot of shots squarely on the head, that would have sent most people to dreamland. I still thought that Bonnar should have won by a slight margin. The president of the UFC did the right thing in giving both Bonnar and Griffith, contracts. They earned it. As for the middleweight division, Diego Perez obliterated his opponent very handily. It seems that today's fighters have fewer weaknesses than their predecessors did. I still remember the original group of folks, where Dan Severn was a terriffic grappler, but had trouble finishing off people that he couldn't suplex to death, since he couldn't strike worth a darn. There was also the rotund one, Joe San. I also remember the lesser trained folks that relied more on sheer brutal force and strength, such as David "Tank" Abbott, or Scott Ferrozo. While they were able to overpower a good number of opponents, both of whom were whipped easily by Vitor Belfort (200 lbs soaking wet).

Most instructors don't mind, as long as you keep things separate, when it comes to running a class. Some might have a personal grudge with another sensei / shihan or perhaps the style itself. As long as you remember to keep, say your Goju-Ryu practice within the Goju-Ryu dojo, and Shotokan practice within the Shotokan dojo, for the most part, then neither instructor will generally be offended. Also, as long as training in one doesn't degrade your performance in another, then you should be just fine. Where they *might* be a bit concerned, is if you try to impose one school's teachings upon the other without discussing it with them, though.

There's no one answer here. Sometimes, it's entirely up to the instructor, to tell the student that he will be testing. Other times, a signup sheet is posted, and the student decides when he wants to test. Of course, the instructor can always intervene, and recommend that the student delay testing, or encourage a student to test.