monkeygirl

(I moved this over to Introductions so you can receive an even warmer welcome ) We always care!! Especially in the area of your Martial Arts training. Welcome to the forums!

Welcome to the forums!

Welcome to the forums!

Wow...I was hoping to get at least one! So much for that. Good job everyone.

Any place that looks like a hospital would freak me out. It just wouldn't feel like, well...home. A dojo should look like it's been used, so students won't be afraid to use it. On the other hand, you shouldn't fear disease every time you step on the mats My particular "thing" is that the bathroom MUST BE CLEAN! I run around in bare feet in the dojo all the time, I don't want my feet to stick to the bathroom floor. (we need a puking smily...would be appropriate )

On average, it takes about 3-4 years for people to get a black belt at my dojo. A lot of that has to do with commitment, ability, age, and physique. White belts get promoted to yellow belt within a month, sometimes two. At yellow belt, striping begins. 1st month: white stripe (blocks & kicks) 2nd month: black stripe (sparring & self-defense) 3rd month: red stripe (kata & one-steps) 4th month: belt test It goes like that through yellow, orange, green, blue, and usually purple belt. Then, at about red belt, most students have to wait an extra month before they test for their first stripe, so it goes 5-6 months through red and 2nd brown. At 1st brown, it takes about 4 months to get all of your stripes, at which point you would be technically ready to test for black belt. Kids (generally under age 14) go for a junior black belt. It usually takes 1-2 years to go from jr. to 1st dan. Adults skip Jr. black and go straight to the 1st dan. Personally, it took me about 2.5 years to get my 1st dan (amazingly, I got to skip Jr. black). That was because I did a lot of teaching, spending pretty much 6 days a week in the dojo for 2 years. On top of that, I participated in two summer camps which gave me double promotions. So there were a couple things here and there that advanced me a little faster.

Belts that look torn apart are a sign of hard work and looong training. My instructor has a black belt that is over 20 years old and in pretty raggy condition. It's pretty impressive. However, this isn't the belt he wears all the time...if he did, it would be a pile of dust by now! Also, I believe there is some symbolic significance to the fading of the belt...it gradually goes from black to white, and the martial artist is starting over again, to the beginning of a new journey? Not too clear on that.

Did I miss something? What's May 12th? About BKJ's question: I, too, would have the feeling that the classes are a bit expensive. Several people have said that it's a marketing ploy, but I tend to think that providing good, helpful service is more effective. My dojo always informs people of pricing. We tell them pretty much anything they want to know. As the others have said, go ahead and check out the classes. You may decide you don't like the quality of instruction, and aren't interested in his prices after all But, if nothing more, go to find out the prices.

By making this a thread instead of a PM, I assume you are opening it to the public In the future, you may want to extend an invitation for others to reply, just to make that clear. If you did indeed mean for only Heidi to read & respond, then Dober has a point; it should be a PM Yup. They're called "Dojo flies". Like a bar fly, dojo fly As Heidi said, this is probably a case of low self-esteem. I have dealt with this sort of situation before (upper belts feeling offended for being corrected by a lower belt), only it was a man Maybe this woman feels like she's struggling as it is? To have a lower belt correct her could have just added insult to injury. Personally, I know I would be slightly embarrassed if I were in her shoes. At the same time, though, that's no way for a colored belt to act. Respect must be shown to all students. Disregard the fact that they may be of lower rank, they are still people. If I were her instructor, and this had come to my attention, I would have a serious discussion with her about attitude. Apparently, this woman's attitude was enough to make you leave the dojo, which isn't fair to you. If you really like the dojo's training and atmosphere (excepting her, of course), don't let ONE PERSON force you out. Try discussing it with the instructor. It may seem tattle-tale-ish, but it's for your own good (and possibly the good of your fellow students). You're not trying to get her in trouble, you're trying to create change; improvement. Everyone could use in an improved atmosphere. I hope that information can help you. Since I don't know this woman personally and haven't seen her actions for myself, I can't be 100% accurate. You'll just have to take and apply what you can use.

Unless you're the type that likes to do things on your own, family involvement in MA is great!! At one point, my entire immediate family was in TKD. However, my dad had some arthritis problems that forced him to quit. Plus, he has to get up at 3 am every morning for work, so he kinda needed some more sleep. While it lasted, though, training with him was great. I'd get annoyed with him sometimes (that's just unavoidable), but it was good quality time As for classes a week: I attend class 3 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) nights a week, and teach on the same nights plus one more (Thursday). I would teach on yet one more night (Tuesday) but I have choir practice those nights. LALALAA

Yes, it's unfortunate that during training in class, we can't do a "no-holds barred" type of fighting on another person. This type of training would definitely be good preparation for a street fight, but then again...I don't want to go home with a massive headache. So, we have to be content with elbow striking on the big muay thai hand shields. While I may not practice your art, you MT guys have some awesome hand targets

Welcome to the forums! We have many practitioners of many styles, even some of the "unknown" ones

:lol: Fart jokes...classic....

If you have something to say in response to a thread, please reply to that message instead of starting a new topic. Please direct all futher discussion of this subject to the thread below (as I believe that's what it was in regards to): http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=6602

Welcome to the forums! Hope everything works out.

Um...is the Real Ultimate Power site SUPPOSED to sound like it was made by a 12-year-old? It's funny in spots but just plain stupid in others. ok that's a funny part. Be warned, though... a lot of the content on the page is pretty gross. Let's just say it's for "mature audiences only" in much the same way that South Park is.

*doh* Here's me, thinking I've never eaten Japanese...yet I've been to the House of Kobe twice! Guess I just never made the association. What are those little sprouts they give you called? With the brownish sauce on top of it...that stuff is pretty nasty after awhile. I'm fairly sure I've never had Korean or Vietnamese though.

The rather *ahem* anatomical comment has been edited, let's keep away from those, ok?

I thought about watching the Children of Dune, but I know nothing about the story. Plus, I really needed some sleep that night It looked pretty cool, though. Very Matrix-y.

My dad likes to play craps...one time he paid for an entire vacation with his winnings! That was actually when we were in Canada... he was at Casino Niagara.

I don't think I've ever had Korean or Japanese food...just Chinese. I wouldn't even know where to look, honestly!

ugh I've decided not to take the course after all...just too much for my schedule right now. Not only is it two nights a week (both of the nights that my TKD class are on, by the way), but I'd have to come in for extra practice several times a week for 8-9 weeks! Plus, we'd have to do a bunch of assigned reading. My schedule was hectic enough as it was. As much as I would have liked to complete the course, I just can't do it right now.

Generally speaking (in my area anyway), you're not going to find actual MA training for a 4-year-old. You might be able to find a school that does some sort of Lil' Dragons program. This is basically play time with a martial arts theme. Some schools get very involved with teaching techniques, Stranger-Danger awareness, a little self-defense, maybe some kata, even belts. It will probably be very toned down compared to adult training: no sparring, etc. But it's very fun...my school just does punching and kicking techniques and games (*ahem* drills). If the classes aren't high energy, there's something wrong with the instructor

Then I'll REALLY feel stupid when I only get two right

My swim test was last night, and um...well... I didn't fail! ...but I didn't exactly pass, either. The instructor told me to stick around for a few weeks and see if I improve. See, there was A LOT more swimming required than I had been previously told. Plus, I had never even heard of half the strokes they wanted us to do...so I was just doing them on the fly. I managed to do most of them, but there were two I couldn't complete. So, I have to practice for a couple weeks, and if I don't improve by then, I think I fail the course. I guess I should feel good since he didn't fail me, he thinks I have some promise. Time to cram!