hedkikr

As I was "coming up", @ 5 kyu, I was asked to assist. I'd help new students & assist w/ grading. I was allowed to take over a club @ a community center as a new BB & have been teaching there ever since (14 yrs). Now I require all intermediate students to occasionally, under my direction, monitor & assist younger students. They don't teach but are sowing the seeds for leadership. Once a student reaches BB, I'll allow them to teach a few new skills under my supervision as well as lead the intermediate/advanced class in practice of skills I determine. I then teach the beginners. >I disagree w/ instructors who immediately "shuffle" their nubees off to their advanced students - too boring? This is when the nubees need the most & best instruction to prevent mistakes from turning into bad technique. Intermediate/advanced students have the foundation & therefore need less scrutiny. I can correct them later during the Int/Adv class. After @ least a year of increasing responsibility & instructro training, the BB can teach on their own. Their skill as an instructor will be obvious during testing. If all is up to snuff, they get the go-ahead to launch their own club if they choose.

Kami... At this time, I primarily teach but I train w/ my chief Instructor, Eric Tomlinson, whenever I can (he's in St. Louis). I also try to get in once a week @ Fumio Demura's dojo during lunch.

It should be no longer than mid-thigh or your jacket. Anything longer looks silly. Growing kids will still be able to wear them until their next test. The greatest problem is young BB who expect to wear the same belt into adulthood so the sensei gets one to reach mid-shin. Now whenever they kick, the belt flies up. This could be addressed by instituting a Jr. BB. Stiff belts will loosen up w/ practice. Anyone who washes or otherwise artificially "breaks-in" a belt is faking the hard work.

Jax... Shukokai is an organization, not a style. You're correct in stating Tani-ha Shito-ryu as a style (or version) Good to see other Shukokai people.

Fouls: Any excessive contact (EC) can be either a warning, 1/2 point to your opponent, full point to your opponent or disqualification. The first foul for EC doesn't necessarily have to be a warning. It can be whatever the Referee deems is appropriate based on your opponent's ability to continue fighting. So EC can progress as follow: W - 1/2 pt - 1 pt - DC...or W - 1 pt - DC...or 1 pt - DC...or DC. Other fouls include Jogai (stepping out of bounds), Mubobi (turning your back/undefendable), attacks to legs, running away/stalling, discourteous speech/behavior to opponent/officials & mabe others I've forgotten. These fouls will also accumulate as EC. If you are knocked down, you have 10 seconds to regain your feet or forfeit the match (opponent may be DC'd). If you tecnically "win" the match due to opponents DC, you may be allowed to fight in the next round or prohibitted. If so, you renounce/forfeit that match. That's about all I can remember. Good luck.

Hi... I'm new to this forum but have posted on 2 other forums. They're both down @ this time so, like the addict that I am, I found my daily fix here. I'm old school but try to keep an open mind. At times, I'll get sarcastic but I'm not trying to be mean - just making a point. Maybe I'll even make you laugh. I have no tolerance for McDojo & their kind because MA has been the cornerstone my life for 28 years. Fakers w/ fantastic claims are an insult to our heritage. I'm not a keyboard warrior...I fight only in extreme circumstances & have survived to talk about it. I'm not a Tuff-guy but I'm not a dojo-fighter only. I'm a practitioner & instructor for Shito-ryu Shukokai USA. Questions...comments...I field all inquiries. Glad to meet you, happy to be here.

OK...video BB course is worthless because you need real interaction. If you're asking if you can learn MA in a setting other than a commercial school, the answer is yes. There may be someone out there w/ a solid MA history & skills to match teaching out of his garage or basement. But it would be a rare thing. As in anything, check the lineage & don't be fooled by unsubstiantiated claims.