Kieran-Lilith

The boy is nine years old. Kids that age can focus for more than half an hour. I'm not going to say I have the most experience teaching, because I don't. I do know that kids can do a lot more than you give them credit for if you set a higher standard. At nine, he should probably understand that what he learns can hurt people and he is responsible for his own actions. He should be expected to focus for longer because of the fact that he could unintenionally hurt someone. Regardless, though, if the kid doesn't really enjoy it, it's probably better for him if he stops rather than forces himself to keep going. People who force themselves to keep going have this nasty tendancy of developing a deep dislike of martial arts. I know several people like that, actually.

Naihanchi Shodan? I'm assuming you guys have the three Naihanchi kata (Shodan through Sandan). I'm also guessing you guys have the five Pinan kata (Shodan through Godan). Then, of course, there's ichikyu, nikyu, sankyu...the Wapak school has more, too. I've done ichikyu, nikyu, Pinan Shodan, sankyu, and Naihanchi Shodan, and I'm hoping/praying I get to do Pinan Nidan this month. I have a few other kata, but they're above my level and I don't perform them as well. I remember quite a bit of Pinan Nidan, actually, quite a bit of Pinan Sandan, Bokudan, Pinan Yondan...I've gone through those kata, and when I get taught them again I think I'll pick them up fairly quickly. How often do you guys have class?

We do the prearranged sparring, too. That's almost on a nightly basis. But sparring doesn't necessarily mean real life application. Is your attacker really going to be around your rank or size wearing a karate gi and obi, bow to you, and stop when a center judge shouts "Mate!"? I enjoy sparring, it's fun to do, but I like kata better.

Per class? We don't do a lot of sparring...mostly, we spar every last Thursday of the month, and we have a night devoted to kata mostly every last Tuesday of the month. If our katas are bad, though, we don't get to spar and we keep working kata. How often do you guys spar?

I've seen kids at my school on the night of the test panicking as they try to study their terms, learn techniques and learn their forms. I've seen some kids come testing night who don't even know their first kata, let alone their second. There's kids like that, and I do try to help them...to a point. I help where I can and with what I can, but some of the kids will fail anyways. Nine year olds are typically a bit better, but they are still young. Really, for some kids it will be things like this that determine whether or not they stay. I've watched kids get proud of themselves for coming to class, then fail the test. After they fail the test, quite a few leave. A few scream and say it isn't fair, then they leave. Even fewer stay if they fail.

Congrats! Were you prepared enough for it?

I think this is relevant to more than just you seniors, some of us sophomores are already looking around. It really is a difficult process, especially if you're unsure of exactly what you want to do. Then, once you think you know what you want to do, you can't find any place that would help you do what you want to do. It's crazy.

I suppose I should bring chocolate milk for the rest of us underaged people? But what if someone is lactose intolerant?

Congrats on the belt, but somehow more congrats on the baby.

A blonde, a brunette, and a redhead were going to be executed. The brunette was up first, and as the men prepared to shoot, she yelled "Hurricane!" and caused a panic. In the chaos, she escaped. The redhead was next, and as the men were ready to shoot, she yelled "Tornado!" and caused a panic. The the chaos, she escaped. The blonde watched this, and it was her turn. As the men were ready to shoot, she yelled "Fire!" and was shot.

Who's lil Jon? Is he a rapper or something?

Do we get cookies, too? Or ice cream? Sugar really is good for us, you know!

Hey, what about those of us that aren't of drinking age? What are you going to do, give us orange juice spiked with vodka? As for who I would like to meet, ShoreiSmurf, Sohan, SamuraiDave, Eugue_Ryu_Stylist, monkeygirl....the list goes on and on.

I so wish I could do that...I love school, but there are some occasions I would love to sleep without the teacher noticing. As for what I do....I can read something once and remember almost all of what it was about, though never the exact words. I can write something once and remember even more than just reading it. And I can hear things and remember them very well, almost word for word. So, in other words, I remember things very, very well. It comes in handy in high school, too, especially because I hate studying.

Normally there's some dissenting votes in a poll...it's interesting how that in this one, everybody has voted that they would remain with a teacher over an orginization. Kinda vaguely reminds me of the samurai loyalty thing. They served Japan, but before Japan came their daimyo. The first example off the top of my head is the 47 ronin.

There's a Zen koan my instructor shared with us the other day..."Everything that is, is, so that everything else that is, can be."

I have a few journals. One is for me to simply vent in whenever I start having a hard time. It makes me feel good, especially when I burn the paper that the problem is written on. Then again, maybe I just like flames. Another is for class to class of martial arts. It helps remind me what we did so I can remember it all and my impressions of whatever it was. Another is for notes about martial arts techniques, ideas, philosophies, and it's my class notebook that I write in when Sensei has us get them out. Then, occasionally, I'll have a notebook for just philosophies, ideas, etc. Really, most of them could all be one notebook, but I like having lots of different notebooks.

Out of my own curiousity, how old are you? The first time you teach, it will be horrible. You will hate it and be afraid of it, but you'll live. If you have the chance, what helps is going around classes and helping kids one by one. One of my own most memorable experiences teaching was during this past summer. The kids were learning how to walk on their knees, and one of them had a particular problem with it. I went on my knees, and I walked with him, every step that he took, I took with him. I showed him and explained to him how to do it better, how to prevent himself from getting mat burns on his feet, I went with him up and down the mats just for a little while until he had it. He got it because someone helped him, and then he went speeding around the mats with his dojo friends, all of them walking on their knees. Seeing kids get it because of something you did to help is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Now that I'm done rambling about my own experiences...Be patient with whoever it is you teach. I think you'll probably start with kids, though, because kids are easier to teach than adults. Make sure you know people's names. I know that sounds like common sense, but really, it's so much easier to teach a kid when you can kneel down and say "Soandso, you're doing really good, but I just want you to fix thisorthat for me." Kids are always more comfortable when you kneel down to their level. You aren't towering above them that way. I mean, if you think about when you were a little kid, didn't those big, nasty sixth graders scare you...just because they were sixth graders and towered over you? By kneeling down, you let them relax just a bit. Don't glare at them. Don't ever, ever scream at them. You will terrify them. Avoid using any harsh tones because they will notice and pick up on it. When I was little, and even now, if anyone was even the slightest bit angry or frustrated with me, and they projected it in their voice, I will hear it, and a lot of times, even now, I'll still almost shut down. The kids will latch onto that tone and that feeling and become so afraid that they'll nod at you, they'll do anything to make you think they understand because they think that if you think they understand, you will leave. So, no yelling/screaming/harsh tones/glaring. If push-ups are the punishment in your dojo, feel free to give them. I once had a little boy who I was trying to teach the second kata to. He stood in stance for a while, stopped, and started humming the Star Wars them song and dancing to it. Then the other kids started giggling. Don't let it go that far, it causes mayhem. The boy and the girl next to him (who had started to join in) did push-ups, the others decided to behave. Don't let the kids think you're a big softie who they can walk all over. That was one of my biggest mistakes. Umm....think about how your instructor(s) taught you. Pay attention now, while you have the chance. You won't get another opportunity like this one. Relax. Have fun. It won't start out pretty, but give yourself a bit of time. Work with kids one on one before class, it gives you experience. Just have some patience, and it will come. Note: I am not the best teacher in the entire bloody world, but the kids who I teach like me and learn because they aren't afraid of me....usually.

I'd always pick Sensei. I'd rather have the one who taught me than the orginization that he felt the need to break away from. After all, if he's choosing to break away, then something obviously happened, and I trust his judgement.

Shinto is the native religion of Japan. Here's a link to a page about it. Religous Tolerance is always a good site, and it's ususally very accurate. http://www.religioustolerance.org/shinto.htm And "only 15" isn't a limitation. I'm barely sixteen and I learn the MA with a passion. Just find a school, any school (excluding McDojos), and start learning.

The people in the kitchen have no choice but to trust me with knives...quite a few of them don't like it. In our down time, I'll sometimes grab a steak knife and go through the knife drills. Most people seem to think I'm a bit strange, but there's a few people there who street fight or who did MA a long while back, or who just know about weapons, and we have interesting conversations. Like today, I found out that two of my coworkers own katana-neither of them is in the MA, and neither ever has been.

Yup, today was a good day, comparitively. Now, the only bad thing is that I have to go to work. Advice to any teen without a job and looking: Never, EVER work in a kitchen. It's dangerous work for minimal pay.

You know, he lives out of country, and I'm willing to bet he knows more about all of this than I do. I'm supposing that's not necessarily a good thing, but I'll get it all worked out straight in my head sometime. On a random note, hi Craig. Yes, I do spend time on the internet. Can anyone tell by the post count?

I know there is still a Lima class. There's also the Wapak class (mine), the class out in Kansas, there was one in Delphos, there's one in Bellfontaine, there's one in England, and there might be one I'm missing, I'm not sure. Who was your sensei? If it was Sensei Shane Topp, he's at Wapak these days, and he's my teacher. If it was Sensei Kohler (sorry, can't remember the first name), then he's still in charge of the Lima crew. I can't think of who else would have been in charge back then. Sensei Dave, do you know?

Hmmm...first job, I'm guessing? I would go and learn tool names that are involved in bicycle repair, and I would make sure I had an idea of what all those tools do. If you don't know how to use a tool, ask. If you don't know what to do, ask. If you really feel lost on what you're supposed to do, ask. Really, if you get confused at all-ask. I work in a kitchen, and I had to learn a lot of things that go against my nature. I had to learn to be loud, I had to learn to give orders, I had to learn not to be clumsy, I had to learn to take burns/cuts/bruises in relative silence. It wouldn't do to disturb the customers, after all.