Grenadier

It's more of a matter of becoming desensitized to it. However, if there's unreasonable pain, then listen to your body!

Chin-ups, with palms facing away from you. In one previous dojo, one of the senseis, a fitness freak (in a good way), insisted that everyone do 2 regular chin-ups, followed by 2 chin-ups with your left leg raised, followed by 2 more with your right leg raised, 2 more with both legs raised, and then another 2 regular ones. This excercise resulted in waking up the next morning with the arms and shoulders screaming in pain at first. As much as I disliked this excercise, though, it made those muscles much stronger, and my shoulder that ached before I had started at the dojo, no longer ached in that spot.

As human beings, it's our "natural" instinct to sit down when exhaustion starts setting in, or when the next morning's feelings in the muscles make one feel as if someone drained all of the blood from it. As part of your training, you're conditioning the body and mind to overcome these initial limits, and transcend beyond. As time and training progresses, you'll find yourself in better physical and mental condition. You'll find it easier to accept the notion that you're pushing yourself to the next level, and overcoming exhaustion, pain, etc., and at the same time, you're going to be working out muscles in your body that you probably never developed before, especially the ones in the foot that give the experienced martial artist a good sense of balance (wearing shoes all of your life = certain poorly developed muscles in the feet = poor balance without shoes). Of course, you'll be making mistakes during your training. We have all made mistakes, and that's one of the important factors about learning. Whatever goes on in the dojo, just remember, that you're not there to become better than others, but to make yourself a better person. You are there to progress at your pace, and not that of the dojo's champion, etc. If you see that someone's progressing at a faster rate, be happy for them! Your time will come, and you just need to be patient. In the end, it all comes out in the wash. Those who train diligently will generally eventually surpass those who who train lackidaisically, even if it takes a while to get there. Think of it this way: Take two pianists, one who is an excellent sight reader but doesn't practice much, and one who isn't so good at sight reading, but is a steady learner and good technician. While the gifted sight reader may have the initial advantage, impressing everyone at first, in the end, the slower learner / better technician will often times surpass the sight reader when it comes to the quality of polished performance. Even though the slower learner's initial attempts at playing a difficult song may sound like cacophony, he knows that by continued practice, he'll end up producing music that can sound superior to his counterpart's attempts.

The old Shotokan dojo: Typically 2.5-4 years. Closer to 4 years if you only came twice a week, and closer to 2.5 years if you took more classes than that. We generally had three classes a day, twice a week. I ended up going for a bit less than two years initially, getting to my ikkyu (1st Kyu brown), before having to leave for college. After I finished college, and started grad school, I went back to Shotokan Karate. My new Shotokan sensei allowed me to start as an unofficial ikkyu, until I took his ikkyu exam after six months of training in his dojo, and then I took (and passed) the shodan exam three months after that. The Tae Kwon Do school (in college; we used the fencing gym as our training hall): That depended entirely on the practitioner. Tests were offered each semester, and you basically decided if you wanted to test, and if you wanted to double test. I had seen some people get their 1st degree black belts in 2 years, while others took 4 years of Tae Kwon Do, but had to leave due to graduation before getting their black belts. Most folks got theirs in 3.5 years, coming twice a week. Given that we were a college club, there really wasn't much of an opportunity to train any extra beyond the standard two classes a week, unless one was willing to spend some more $$$ and train at one of the two schools in the area. I took (and passed) the black belt exam after the first semester of my senior year. Previous dojo: Highly variable. Testing was offered every three months, and if you were ready, you could sign up. Some people got theirs in 2.5 years, others 5 years, etc. There really was no "typical" length, since each person went at his own pace. Current dojo: About 3 years, assuming that one attends at least two classes a week, but the students are encouraged to come at least four classes a week. The headquarters dojo is open 5 days a week, with separate beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes offered every day. The other two dojos offer Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday classes, with beginner and intermediate / advanced classes as well (only two classes a day). Students are given forms to fill out when the chief instructor thinks that they are ready. No form = no test. Period. Students who perform exceptionally well on tests, are consistently good in class, and fulfill all of their current requirements, and can demonstrate that they can perform the next belt's requirements are sometimes (though very infrequently) double promoted.

Just wondering what y'all consider to be the worst. My vote goes to "Gymkata," starring Kurt Thomas. The horrible acting (even for a martial arts flick), along with some of the most awful fight scenes (especially in the insane people's village), makes me want to puke.

IMHO, the only time a belt should be washed, is under two conditions: 1) The belt is brand new, and exceptionally stiff, and needs just a bit of breaking in. Some brands, such as Pine Tree, make excellent black belts, but are thick, stiff, and could use a single cycle in a gentle cold wash. This also helps remove excess dye that can come off and permanently embed itself in a gi. If that means that it loses a wee bit of its "blackness," then so be it. or 2) The belt has accumulated sweat / dirt, etc., that it's starting to stink. If a kid has to wash it just to give it the broken down look so that he can look more experienced, then I'd say that's rather disrespectful. Besides, as a kid, you're supposed to be growing, and that you're not going to keep your belt size for very long!

First, and most importantly, don't let frustration take over here. Some folks might not have developed the patience, etc., when it comes to partnering up with lower ranks. Secondly, at the risk of sounding like Mr. Miyagi, you should focus on the quality of your techniques, not the quantity. Someone with a good gyaku-tzuki (reverse punch) and uraken (backfist) is going to benefit tremendously from that technique in competition matches, and will score far more points with those techniques than someone using more of the fancier moves. Grab one of the black belts as a sparring partner. They should have decent patience, and experience, when it comes to sparring white belts, and will leave various openings for you, so that you can get accustomed to performing the appropriate techniques.

As much as I agree on the dislike of McDojos, is it really anyone's place to directly ruin them? After all, they're simply running a business, and have a right to exist. I really don't like the idea of badmouthing another dojo, since karma tends to have an odd way of biting one in the rear. I would much rather see the owners of decent dojos flourish to a point, where the positive aspects of their dojo inspires the students at the McDojos to simply leave and come on over. Something like this can certainly be done, without trying anything negative on the McDojos.

Should teaching be required for all advanced ranks? No. There are simply people who are not meant to be teachers, even though they demonstrate excellent skills. Some people have problems communicating with others in this way, while others might not have that certain kind of patience to succeed as a teacher. It's similar to a concert pianist who can play the most difficult of songs, and do so with magnificient levels of performance, but if he is asked to teach children how to play piano, might not have a clue as to what to do, or simply may not want to teach kids. This doesn't take away from the fact that he is a magnificient pianist, though. Should it be encouraged for all advanced ranks? Yes. There's really no harm in at least letting them try as long as they remember a few things about courtesy, and if they can't teach effectively, at least that's one less unanswered question. There will be some advanced students who have knacks for teaching that they never knew existed, and it's always a good thing to have more teachers that exhibit proficiency at teaching. There will also be others who will need some work in learning how to be a good teacher, and will develop along the way. Even if it turns out that someone's not good at teaching, at least he can serve as an example for the less advanced students, when it comes to demonstrating proper technique, etc. Generally, teaching is a good thing for both the students and teacher. The teacher can get a much better understanding of the basics that he is teaching, and will also be able to know what to look for. Furthermore, such teaching can keep the teacher sharp when it comes to the basics. Remember, there are going to be some advanced students who have neglected the basics over the course of time, and this may very well be a great way to keep 'em sharp.

Actually, you should ask your Sensei /Shihan what is recommended. Your instructor can point out the proper books that will give you the right sequence and techniques. This is very important. Even though all Goju Ryu dojos will perform the same core of katas, not all Goju Ryu dojos will perform the katas in the same way, as various techniques will differ slightly.

Apologies in advance, regarding the length of this post. I'm going to be gender-blind, and simply refer to things in one gender only. As in instructor, one should be familiar with his practice partners. This way, such things are simply avoided. If he has used certain individuals as such partners for demonstration purposes in the past, then there's a good level of trust, and for good reason! It's not easy to find reliable demo partners for the more potentially dangerous applications. Such partners should already be well-versed in exhibiting control, and also aware of what people's limits are (how far can they bend, twist, etc). Such partners are also never out "to prove themselves" to the rest of the class. If anything, their purpose is to help the class by serving as an example. I am not saying to avoid unfamiliar people entirely, when it comes to selecting demonstration partners. If the instructor did avoid such people, then he would find his pool of trusted tori / uke partners growing smaller and smaller by the day. They have to start somewhere, and it's generally wiser to break them in on the simpler, potentially less hazardous, ones. In doing so, an instructor can build up trust and confidence with the student, and progress onto the more difficult ones. Now, as for the rougher sparring partners, there are two types that might stir things up: 1) The inexperienced fighter without control: Fairly common, but at least they can be coached. Generally, it may be better to let such a person sit on the sidelines until he has gained more experience and control. By watching, and eventually following the examples set by his classmates, they get an idea of what is the right amount of contact, etc. 2) As previous posters stated, the guy who wants to show how powerful / tough he is: Thankfully, not too common, but they do pop up once in a long while. It's up to the instructor to drill the notion into his head (hopefully not literally), that control is one of the critical foundation pieces. Sometimes, after the first warning, the student gets the idea, and actually gets his act in gear, dropping the tough guy attitude. Sometimes, there will be the student who keeps trying to use excessive force, even after the first warning. At this point, ultimatums should have been issued, basically telling the guy that he's at your dojo to improve himself, and not to belittle his fellow students. Sometimes it's even necessary to tell him to cool off, and think it over for a while, before coming back to the dojo. Most of the time, such individuals do get the message, and then rebuild themselves after being torn down. Some of these folks go on to become good students, and even become good instructors, having conquered their own problems, and having familiarity with such situations. Unfortunately, there will be some individuals who just don't get it, even after warnings / ultimatums, and being told to cool off / come back later. At this point, something MUST be done, else this guy is going to chase away many of the other students (your loyal base, and... your paying customers). The instructor has to do something about the situation, as he sees fit. If I had to make such a decision, I'd simply tear up the student's contract, ask him to leave, and not come back. Now, there are going to be some folks here who say "you should have kicked his butt and taught him a lesson!" I don't necessarily disagree, and I know that some people do need that lesson, and at times, I've wanted nothing more than to do so, but there are some potential problems. You have to remember, in this day and age of litigation, and with some people being somewhat off their rockers, that a multitude of unpleasantries can occur from such a situation. 1) The vanquished student could possibly try to take you to court. While you'd probably win the lawsuit, that's time and money lost. Furthermore, you're at the mercy of a judge / jury, and given the contents of some of those juries, as well as certain judges, you'd rather not rest your fate in their hands. 2) The vanquished student could possibly plot all sorts of revenge. There's always the possibility of physical harm coming your way, and you never know how obsessed some people can get. Even if there's no physical harm done to you, your car could get keyed up, your tires slashed, your dojo vandalized, etc., not to mention the possibility of harm coming to your other students, your friends, and family.

Although it's more of a sword swinging flick, "Ninja Scroll" seems to be one of the most popular fighting ones. The animation is superb, even though it was done without the benefits of CGI. The big boss at the end, fights unarmed, and puts on an impressive display of martial arts, beating the crap out of the hero, but the hero still fights on, even resorting to unorthodox unarmed combative techiques, such as repeatedly head butting the bad guy on the bridge of the nose until the skull collapses. That has to be one of the best anime duels I've seen.

Kurazaki, You're going to be fine, even if you start at your current age of 25. With hard work and dedication, you can become an instructor in due time. This will take a good bit of patience, but this does not seem to be a problem for you. The flexibility will come with time, and with conditioning and stretching, you'll find yourself being capable of doing things you previously couldn't. As a bit of encouragement, I'll tell you this much: We have a dedicated gentleman who is over 4 decades your senior in the dojo, and is testing for his Shodan next month, and is on track to become one of the assistant instructors later on. If it's not too late for him, then it's certainly not too late for you. I think you're going to be just fine. Keep your dream alive, and don't worry about your age. Remember, with today's life expectancies climbing higher and higher, someone being 25 years old in this day and age, may as well have been the equivalent of a 20 year old just a few decades ago, so to put it in perspective, you're at the same age that they were before!

I have rather strong doubts about the authenticity of the story. Even if someone's training were from a "McDojo," if the guy had trained for 12 years, he would have to have at least some minimal level of discipline, and respect for others, even if he didn't understand their styles. Also, someone who had trained for 12 years, and I assume, competed, wouldn't be the type to change clothes on the dojo floor, especially in front of everyone else. Someone who would show that much disresepct would have been tossed from a school.

What brand of gi are you ordering? Many of them differ in terms of how they're cut. One might give you more shoulder room, etc. When you ask your fellow classmates about gi sizes, remember, brand X versus brand Y may use different sizing charts. Just as an example: http://www.dojowear.com/Sizes.htm In general, it's better to err on the side of caution. At least with a larger sized gi, you can shrink it with some hot water washing, and / or hemming.

Exactly. While there were some attempts in the US to push such garbage legislation through at various levels of local gov't, they never made it out of committee. The rest of my post is just a bit of humor to lighten the mood: Yikes! If she were capable of moving, she would be a dangerous weapon!

aefibird's statements ring true, and covered a good deal of practical caution that everyone should have. When you look for a school, do as previously stated, and observe a class or two, and even take a lesson or two. Almost all schools will allow you to take a couple of free lessons. It is important to realize, that good instructors come in all shapes and sizes, with different demeanors. Some are kind, others may be harda****, etc., but regardless of the demeanor, though, a good instructor that expects to be respected by the students, also respects the students. There is, after all, a difference between constructive criticism (even if it's somewhat harsh), and flat-out insulting on a continual basis.

I'm guessing that all of the impacts that the ankles, knees, and hips, take, when you perform your techniques, can take its toll on you, especially if you train on hardwood floors. Water training is easy on the joints, and gives a nice workout that helps with your muscle tone, without causing joint irritation, or aggravating existing irritation. At the risk of being slightly off topic, if the great Nolan Ryan ran in a swimming pool every day to maintain those amazing leg muscles, then he had to be doing something right, since he was still throwing 100 MPH fastballs in his 40's. With his pitching style, where he was constantly using his legs to propel himself (and the ball), and always impacting on the hard dirt of the pitcher's mound, I would think that all of the water training had to have at least some benefits when it came to keeping him healthy. He never had a serious leg injury throughout his pitching career.

I've seen a similar comparison, pretty much as P.A.L. described. In Okinawan Karate dojos, they've always lined up with the highest ranking student at the far right, with the lowest ranking student at the far left, and that when bowing, the right foot moves to the left. Feet are kept in heisoku dachi during the bow. In Japanese Karate dojos, it's the other way around, with highest ranking student on the left, and the left foot moving to the right foot when bowing, and the feet are kept in musubi dachi during the bow.

Where the martial artist lived previously doesn't necessarily have an impact on the quality of the teaching, but if someone were forced to deal with real-life encounters on a more frequent basis, he might indeed, have a better mental edge when it comes to dealing with such matters. Such an individual may also have a better insight when it comes to dealing with kids who are "off the streets," and might be able to better connect with them than someone who doesn't have the same amount of "street-wise." In the end, this could help him get a few more students that might not have felt comfortable at other schools. While such experience can give an edge to the instructor, it still does not override the teaching abilities overall. A teacher who is good at teaching, yet didn't come from "the streets," is certainly better than the bad teacher with a good amount of "street-wise."

Generally, every three months, testing is offered. At the lower ranks, it's expected that they'll test every three months, although once they get to brown belt, it may take longer than that. Basically, there are class hour requirements for each level, and as expected, the class hour requirements increase as you go up the ranks. Once class hour requirements are met, and once the senior instructors decide someone is ready to test, the student is given a testing form that they then fill out. This is done for each and every rank. Even if someone has attended the required number of class hours, they won't test unless the senior instructor(s) say so, although this is rather uncommon, and only done in cases where a student has had a difficult time learning some of the requirements and needs more time, or if a student has a bad attitude, either in, or out, of the dojo. If a student shows promise, has a good attitude, really knows the material, and can perform the standards well, then there are options to give private tests in between each 3 month period. Or, if a student has a good excuse for missing out on an exam time, then a private make-up test can be given.

On another note, you might also want to think about getting a couple of the "re-breakable" boards. These are easier on the knuckles, and can help ease someone into board breaking. While they'll eventually lose strength, and break too easily, at least you'll still get good use out of them.

Be SURE that you get soft pine wood. These should be about 1' x 1' squares, 3/4" thick. Once you get your squares of pine wood, keep them dry. If someone tries to sell you some scrap wood that they claim is like pine, don't buy it. The last time this happened, my old school ended up with significantly harder wood, and for the life of me, I was wondering why it was so hard to go through just two boards! If you want to practice, get a couple of concrete cinder blocks as well (for holding the breaking materials, not for breaking!). Should be fairly cheap. I encourage you to do this with supervision, though. Start out with an easier break, such as using the elbow, and break with the grain of the wood, not against it. When you are using your hands to break boards, start out with an easier break, such as a hammer fist or the firm, fleshy part of your palm (below your pinky finger). Once you're confident with this, then you can try using your regular seiken.

Best defense: Avoidance The old saying of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure." While most folks here could defeat their opponents in a fight, is it really worth risking injury to one's self? When you fight someone, it's certainly possible you could dislocate, or even break, your fingers and knuckles, even if you're one who "toughened up your hands" with various training techniques. Do you really want to waste 6-8 weeks of time, recovering from such injuries? Of course, most folks would win, as I stated previously, but think about it this way: the losing bully and his buddies (all of whom will eagerly line up in court to provide character witnesses) could sue you, asserting that you, the "crazed kung fu guy" went berzerk and attacked him. Even though you'll most likely win in court, is it worth wasting all of that time and $$$? Many of you have families. Is it worth making another enemy that could have been avoided? Walk away. If they spew insults at you, so be it. You're most likely not going to see such individuals again, anyways, so who cares what they think? Wounded pride isn't a pleasant thing, but in the end, does it matter? It's more important to be the bigger man, by simply stepping aside and defusing a situation. There does, however, come a point where enough is enough. If they simply aren't going let you go without a fight, then by all means, fight with conviction! If it means going to court afterwards, big deal... It's better to be judged by 12, than carried by six.

With your body build, I'm assuming that you have a low center of gravity. Jiu-jitsu would be a great match for you, and with your wrestling background, one would think that you would be very comfortable with it, indeed. With Jiu-jitsu, you would be focused on grappling, locks, and throws, and at the later ranks, incorporating strikes. I do realize that you want more of a striking style, and if you are truly looking for one, your best choice would be to find a dojo that trains in both Jiu-jitsu as well as a striking art, such as Karate, etc. There are also various types of Okinawan Karate that incorporate more grappling / throwing / locking than their Japanese counterparts, which may also be to your liking.