monkeygirl

My school has this as well, but my school is not a McDojo. Part of the reason why we have this is for sparring gear. I know some people who have bought their gear off of eBay or some online discount store for "half as much as Century/Ikon charges". They charge that much because the gear is defective pieces of crap. The gear falls apart in no time. The other reason does have to do with income. Gear sales can be pretty "profitable". But most of that profit goes into the monthly rent. Basically, what I'm trying to say is this: when it comes to some of the smaller symptoms, one symptom doesn't define a McDojo. It's many small symptoms and a few big ones over time that will define it. I kinda find it hard to believe that there are THAT many McDojos out there. Part of that is because in my small community, there aren't enough people to make it "profitable". Rent is pretty high, (in my standards anyway) people are few, and they would never put up with $300 a month. However, maybe that's just my wishful thinking I do agree though, that karatekid's school sounds like a McDojang. When training can advance through nothing but money, that's very disheartening. Sometimes schools offer programs that have extra training. My school for example, had a "Karate Kamp" where kids came in for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, and on the 5th day they tested for their next stripe, while still getting to test in class. Basically, it puts them a month ahead in their training...for $75. However, 15 hours is pretty much a whole month's training. But $900 to get to 2nd black...just sounds fishy.

My style is also a hybrid of Tae Kwon Do (thus the name Modern-American TKD). Strong points: We're pretty well-rounded, I'd say. Our katas are nice and pretty, and our fighting is pretty good. Even though we make contact to head & body (one of the only schools in the area who do), there aren't too many injuries. However, I think the strongest point of my style is that it allows the freedom of choice. Each individual practitioner can specialize in fighting or in katas, or in self-defense, or whatever. Those who specialize will be very good in that area, but will most likely still be pretty proficient in the other areas, too. I'm so *sniffle* proud of our students!! Weak points: In fighting, there seems to be encouragement to rely heavily on kicks. Some people still use kicks & punches evenly, but most don't. I think this "encouragement" comes from point fighting: kick are worth 2 points and punches are worth 1, match usually ending with 5 points. Therefore the quickest way to win would be to land 3 kicks instead of 5 punches. Because of this, people tend to lack good counters: if someone comes in close, out of habit the fighter will try to kick instead of punching. OK, ok, so I may be talking more about myself than my school as a whole But I have seen a few students who have problems with this.

Hyung, poomse, kata They all mean the same thing: forms. I'm sure there are plenty of other words that mean this from different styles.

I think the only thing worse than corrupt judges are incompetent ones. I've had judges that must have been hit too hard a few times because they didn't really understand the rules... I've seen a judge who was constantly calling a back leg roundhouse kick for someone from his school, when the guy's feet NEVER EVEN LEFT THE FLOOR! I have, however, seen a blackbelt who gracefully kept herself out of judging because she knew she couldn't be impartial. I'm so sick of judges messing things up, whether for me or my peers. I do realize that judging can be difficult, because I've done it before. But there are some mistakes that are just plain silly. As far as being corrupt, it's extremely easy to score points for only one person, without "seeing the other person's points". If you're cheering for Fighter A, you look only at Fighter B's body, and every time something comes in..... "point!" This is all incredibly sad, but try not to forget the good judges!!!

While I don't own my own school, I can tell you a little. Your largest market is going to be in children. Therefore, (unless this will totally screw up your art's basis--never sacrifice art for business, that's what makes you a McDojo) try starting some kids' programs like lil' dragons/ninjas, or children's tae kwon do classes (if you happen to be tkd). The one thing you do NOT want to do is to market your school as "combat-oriented" because this is not kid-friendly. I know this sounds like I'm telling you to become a McDojo, but in order to keep your head above water, you need to be business-savvy. But then again, I don't see why doing things in a logical, smart and efficient manner business-wise makes you a McDojo. Just make sure that your training is as good as your marketing. Whether or not you do kids' classes, you'll want to be aware of the fact that "combat-oriented" classes are extremely intimidating. A family-friendly atmosphere works well. If you market yourself as "combat-oriented", you'll get a few bullies to come to class. However, once they've had their taste of the action and learned a few techniques, they'll most likely leave. You want students that will stay. I'm sure many more people will give you information that I can't (and someone in the near future will tell you that everything I've said is wrong ), so good luck!

Do the KF dance!! Grab a partner!! Now sing the song: "Karate Forums is back up today Everyone's posting saying 'hey'" *passes out from a fatal dose of corniness*

This is my brother's newest way of freaking himself out. He picked up an aikido book at Waldenbooks and came across this "unbendable arm thingy". I tried it and it didn't work...guess I don't have that much power of mind (but we already knew that, didn't we? ) However, he and benedictbm both got it to work quite well... So, sorry, but I can't give you any hints 'cause I can't do it yet, either!

re-reading my post...I didn't mean to imply that MA should be used to blow your nose with!

My school's basic style is Tae Kwon Do, (the term "modern-american" was something I coined for simplicity purposes; my style is not pure tkd, it is a mix of many different styles resulting in what my instructor likes. Whenever I told people this they said "that's not tkd"--and Modern-american is born!) anyway it's TKD, but it's a "Karate Studio", for exactly the purposes KickChick stated. Before I joined my studio, terms like "Tae Kwon Do" and other fancy long names would be quite intimidating. However, karate is a rather public-friendly term. I mean, it's not like there's ever been a "Tae Kwon Do Kid" movie. We explain to people that karate is a generic term. Think back to the days before you knew anything about MA. You probably called it all karate or kung fu, just like you would call any old tissue a Kleenex, regardless of whether or not it was Puffs. Once you knew more, you learned that karate is a style of its own and very different from kung fu/tkd/whatever. The point is, not many people know that right off the bat. Anyway, that may help to clear up the Karate business. Also, please try to remember that advertisement a McDojo does not make. Believe it or not, dojos DO require SOME money for rent, utilities, equipment, etc. Anyway, I don't know anything about Tiger Schullman.

Thank you for presenting your opinion, I hope you don't mind if I add my own thoughts and opinions to it. Obviously a large majority of the styles you mentioned began as actual martial arts. So what do you think has reduced them to "martial sports"? Furthermore, what makes a "martial art" instead of a "sport"? True, very much of it is sportlike, but a lot remains to the traditional style. Don't forget that a lot of what seems to be "sport" is for the sake of the student. Not jabbing somebody's eyes, so that they can see the next day. True, katas have been turned into a sporting event by tournaments, etc., but they do still have some value. High kicks showcase the practitioner's balance, flexibility, and also the strength to get their leg that high. If the person can have balance and strength during a difficult situation such as a high kick, and STILL be fast as lightning, I think they'd do A-OK in a real fight. A lot of other parts to katas are effective and do have good reason for being there. Those which don't, and are there to look nice...don't forget it's a martial ART. Art is supposed to flow and be pretty So, wouldn't the fact that techniques are being used more effectively MAKE something a martial sport? Through most sports, tradition is thrown to the wind to make way for what is efficient and practical. Take speed skating, for example: they wear new and improved outfits to improve aerodynamics and overall speed. Baseball players upgrade to aluminum bats. Football players learn the value of good padding (as well as non-leather helmets). Martial arts/sports have refined techniques over the years to be more effective, but in many styles tradition still reigns. This could become a very interesting topic of discussion, but it MUST BE KEPT CONSTRUCTIVE! No bashing each other's styles, please just limit it to facts and examples of what makes something a martial art/sport. Any flame wars and discussion will be locked. I'm interested to see what everyone thinks. Just remember, nobody ever said sport was inferior to art

I don't eat "healthy" per se, because I'm trying to gain some weight When I start to feel extremely guilty about what I've been eating, though, I like to grab some raw veggies, like baby carrots and cauliflower. Now that I have braces I can't really eat the carrots anymore Triscuit and graham crackers are pretty good. Especially chocolate graham crackers *defeats the purpose with her mighty Tootsie Roll sword* But seriously.... There's also this great stuff called "Nuvim" that I like to drink. My stomach can't really handle milk, so this is a good alternative. I think it has like 100% of Vitamin C, Potassium, Calcium, stuff like that in it. It has a milky texture and smells kinda funny, but tastes pretty good. It comes in Orange Tangerine and Strawberry Vanilla. I prefer the Tangerine myself

Yes, it's true...on February 15th, 2003, I can apply for my learner's permit I don't know if that's when I'll actually apply, due to weather conditions and such (I don't want to learn how to drive in 3 feet of snow), but it's the earliest that I can. I'll keep you guys posted on how the whole process goes...with EVERY boring detail j/k but I will keep you posted. In the meantime, what were your early driving experiences like? How was your driver's ed teacher? Did you pass the first time? When was your first wreck? Stuff like that. Feel free to elaborate.

It all really depends on how angry I am. As my brother says, I go into "Angry Tammy Mode" and then I'm all like WAAAHHHH!!!! Angry Tammy Mode/First Few Matches: my kicks can max out at about 7 Dog Tired/Few Matches later: 4 I don't want to sound egotistical or anything, but when I get going really well, I have very fast kicks. However, that takes a lot of effort and energy so I can only pull it off for a match or two. *such a wimp*

I don't really know what I want in a "man". I'm 15 and have that luxury However, based on what I've learned so far, I think I want someone who is intelligent (not to be confused with a Smart Aleck..oh no no), funny, caring but not overly sensitive to where he weeps at every moment. I want him to be my Knight in Shining Armor, yet I also want him to know when I can handle myself. Bascially, I want him to support me in what I do. I want him to be basically like me, but different. An exact-but-male clone of me would be frightening. Fights would never end because we would be equally stubborn! My ideal guy is romantic and not afraid to show his feelings -- yet is humble enough to refrain from slobbery Public Displays of Affection (blech--for that matter he better refrain from ANYTHING "slobbery") Physically, I don't really require anything, although I do prefer someone nice and tall. Which is pretty easy considering 5'4" is "tall" compared to me. I'd say that's about it! It sounds complex, but people are rarely simple. Oh yeah and he has to be a good cook

Ah, all sound very harsh but none can beat the way of the Iron Fly Swatter. Sensei Sean grabs the fly swatter, raises it high above his head, and begins to emit a sound that would make grown men cry. Flies simply drop at the sound. Sensei begins to hunt like this, all the while screaming "YOU HAVE TO HIT THE FLIES AS FAST AND HARD AS POSSIBLE, THAT WAY IF YOU MISS, THE SHOCKWAVE WILL KILL 'EM!!!!! BBBBOOOFFFWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" Such screaming and contortions of the body are truly brutal.... This is my brother's fault. At the time we only had one Lil' Dragon enrolled in the class, and she didn't show up...so we had half an hour alone with my brother. It was towards the end of the summer and the dojo was being bombarded by flies. Don't try this at home. It can be quite frightening, really

I'm sure there's tons out there, but the one I've been picking techniques from is: http://www.bjjfighter.com/techniques/gi/index.html They have some pretty good stuff from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Like I said, I'm sure there are plenty more...I'm interested to hear of some as well

I don't really know much about the Sai...you may want to ask SaiFightMS! However, I am particularly partial to the kama/kusarigama. (kusarigama have chains/cord to swing with, kama do not) Kamas are pretty nice weapons. They're shiny for tournaments, get some good speed, and (in my opinion) are pretty intuitive to learn. In my style the kamas don't have a lot of straight-in strikes, rather they are parries, cross-strikes, spins, etc. Disadvantage: kamas can be pretty heavy when compared to the lighter weight nunchaku and even bo staffs. And of course, if you get sharp ones, there's always that whole "stabbing yourself" thing...

1st dan!! :D (grinning like a fool because I just got it in late September)

Remember that martial arts are 90% mental and 10% physical. Keeping a positive and respectful attitude is very important. And you never know...your instructor may have delayed your grading simply to see your reaction. I'm not saying that's the reason, but keep it in mind.

Thanks to everyone who nominated and then voted for me! This is such a great honor.... I wonder if I can put this on my resume..? Congratulations to everyone who was nominated, and all of the winners as well!!! Being "Funniest Member of the Year", I feel like I should say something humorous here... but that's just not my style Thanks and congrats to all again!

*acts all cool like it doesn't bother her* .... the suspense.... ....is.... ....killing me!!!!!!!!!!! Just a little longer.....must.....hold on....... gasp! *passes out*

My first "submission" was probably at orange belt, about a year into my training. Orange belt self-defense was single-handed hair grabs. The defense involved a wristlock. However, this wasn't like a grappling match or anything, my partner just stood there while I tried to make him/her tap. I honestly don't remember the specific instance. I guess I just didn't think about it. Now that I've progressed through the ranks, though, I really wish I had kept track of that sort of stuff--sort of like a martial arts "baby book". Just like babies have first teeth, first words, first walking, etc., I wish I kept track of first belt, first sparring match, first tournament, and yes, first submission. I guess it's too late now

Last day of voting! Woo I'm excited!!

We stretch for 15 minutes tops, pretty much because we only have a 45-minute long class. However, if we teach a stretch/warmup that is new to the class, we'll take longer. We once spent over half of the class simply warming up. Sometimes we do cardio classes where we don't really do any "real" training. But I'm getting off subject. Depending on age and physique, a lot of people like to stretch before class. If I get the time, I like to, because of my freaky hips However, since I teach, I'm usually stretched out anyway. It's really the student's responsiblity to figure out the extent of stretching their body requires. If they know they need extra stretching, it's their responsiblity to make sure they get it. Students are strongly recommended to come early and stretch while the last class is ending. If we had more time to stretch it would be wonderful, but, sadly there just aren't enough hours in the day to have 4 classes, 1/2 hour stretching, AND still get a respectable amount of training in. Exercising after 10pm usually isn't a good idea

wee people Anyway, I didn't ask for much: Kung-Fu Fans from AWMA (even though I won't be able to use them 'cause apparently there is NO INFO ON KUNG FU FANS!!!!) That "You fight like a girl" T-Shirt from AWMA I think I asked for a Kama case Final Fantasy X for PS2 Some music And then I gave my clothing sizes (blatant hint) And I was really struggling to come up with that!! It's not like when I was 10 and wanted absolutely everything...