Rateh

My doctors recommendation is 7 and a half hours a night. So you would be right on the money.

Completely depends on the school. Some schools do well at teaching basics to kids as young as 3. Others do much better at only working with adults. Most schools are somewhere between the two ranges. Whichever school you choose, make sure that the classes are divided into smaller age groups, and that what is being taught is age appropriate for your child. No classes for 3-6 year olds, no classes with 8 year olds and adults training together, etc.

All of my certificates are in the closet. Never framed one. Not sure where I would hang one if I did. Then again, I don't have anything hanging on my walls at home, so maybe I'm just not a "put stuff on the wall" type of gal.

As someone with lots of personal experience with mood disorders, it sounds like you are in the middle of a manic episode. Also, drinking caffeine can make any mood disorder worse, especially an anxiety disorder. My recommendation is to stop drinking so much caffeine, and most importantly, see a psychiatrist. I know many people don't like to see a doctor for this kind of stuff, but it can make a huge difference in your quality of life.

I'm 5'3". I train to defend myself, not stand toe to toe with someone. Should I be attacked, I plan on causing as much damage as possible in as little time as possible, then running away. I am not training to stand there and fight someone. It's easy to say that you should be able to fight anyone of any size, when you are bigger than I am. A person could easily be more than a foot taller than me and more than twice my weight, in good shape. Trying to stand toe to toe against them would be a very unintelligent idea. In other words, I feel that weight classes are necessary in sporting. I also feel that smaller people should be able to defend themselves against bigger people, but not in a toe to toe match.

We do not do any sort of conditioning. We break plastic boards regularly in class, and wooden ones at testing. The wooden boards are regular pine wood, no drying/kiln/etc. We break with feet only for students 14 and under, hands and feet for students 15 and up.

As someone who was afraid of sparring, who took years of regular sparring (i mean a 1 hour sparring class once a week) to get over that fear, I think that easing into sparring is the best. For me it wasn't so much the getting hit (although if you asked me at the time, I probably would have told you otherwise), as the not knowing what to do. I was just overwhelmed with the arms and legs coming at me. I think sparring in slow motion, as well as going over how to defend/counter the most common attacks, would help.

I have never heard of the term "kick fighting". Though, up until recently, I trained at schools that did "open" style tournament fighting. Which is general point fighting. So I'm a bit new as to the exact rules of WTF sparring, (the style used for Olympics) as far as points values and warnings and the like. But I do know that there is no punching to the head, just kicking to the head (including the neck and face), and punching and kicking to the body. In order for it to count, there must be a "trembling shock". Contact for young children is generally lighter, and for adults it is full contact. It is much easier to get points through kicking, because of the power requirement. Also, you get warnings for not attacking. It is not a stop for points type of fighting either, they are counted as the fight goes on, and displayed for everyone to see (only tournament I have been to thus far had big tv screens for it). During training, we train to move very quickly from one place to another, bouncing and sliding mostly. If you place your foot solid on the ground after moving, then you will not be able to immediately kick. There is like a 1/8th of a second pause. But that is enough, during a match. Just last night I was working with the adults on sliding back (so right foot back, slide back and land a stance distance back with still having right leg back), and then immediately firing a right leg roundhouse kick. We also worked the same, but with turning back kicks. A large part of our training is dedicated to kicking with excellent technique, power, speed, and accuracy. As a result, the students are way better at kicking then any previous school I have been to, although other schools were a little better technically. We are very clear that sparring and self defense training are NOT the same thing in our school. Sparring is for sport, and not required to advance. Self defense training is much more serious, and involves a much greater variety of techniques (mostly strikes, knees, throws, locks, chokes, etc). We also incorporate boxing into the curriculum so that our students know how to punch correctly and hit targets properly.

As a wtf taekwondo practitioner, we ALWAYS bounce at our school for sparring. The reason being, that wtf style sparring is all about footwork and kicking. Bouncing helps keep you light on your feet so you can react and counter quicker. When practicing self defense, takedowns, boxing techniques, etc...we NEVER bounce.

We used to have the belts attached to the wall with handles. Like the handles for a cabinet that are [ shaped. Put two about a foot to 18 inches apart, and fed the belt around it. Kept em looking nice.

Here's one: pad holder starts out with pad against their chest, ready to hold it out for a right leg roundhouse kick. Kicker should start with right leg back, standing too close to kick the target. Pad holder puts target out for right leg roundhouse. Kicker immediately slides back, then throws a right leg roundhouse kick. Pad holder then holds for a turn back kick (they should do this as quickly as possible). Kicker immediately throws a turn back kick as soon as they land their roundhouse kick. Two versions: in the first one, the kicker steps forward after the roundhouse kick; this means that the pad holder must slide back a small step when they hold up for the turn back kick. In the second version, the kicker places their foot back behind them after throwing the roundhouse kick, this means that the turn back kick is then from the same leg.

When I started at my current school, the "adult" class was called the "family" class. Children, even younger ones, were allowed to train in this class with their parents. When I implemented the changes to the curriculum and programs 4 months ago, I eliminated this, and made the program for ages 13 and up. Now, I would love to make it for 18 and up only, but we don't have enough adults to justify a class like that. We DO have students under 13 training in the class though. There are three ways that they could get there. 1) they are 12 years old and are very mature for their age. 2) they are at least 10 years old, have a sibling or parent taking the class, and are mature enough to take it with their parent or sibling. 3) they were grandfathered in. We currently have 2 students who were grandfathered in who should really be training in the kids class, unfortunately we cant force them into the kids class when they signed up with the understanding that they could train together as a family. I try to pair them up with their parents as much as possible.

So today, I could tell right away with the first class that the kids were way hyped up for Halloween. As a result, I decided to run classes consisting mostly of exercises that build strength and endurance, in fun ways. So for the 5-7 year olds low ranks class, we were doing animal crawls & walks down the floor. Simple ones of course...bear crawl, duck walk, duck feet, pigeon toed, frankensteins, etc. All of these have "fun" sounding names. Then we get to lunges. Apparently "lunge" does not sound like a fun enough name, because as we were finishing them, one of the little boys (he just moved from the 3-4 year old class last month) says we should name them "army crawls". I smiled and went with it, no point in reminding him that we already do "army crawls". Right then another 5 year old boy, just joined last month, says that they look like "marching" and showed an exaggerated marching movement with lunges. Now I have a new name for "lunges"..army marches!

Thanks to everyone! In response to stance sparring. There is no striking in stance sparring, rather, the students "lock" into their stances, thus unbalancing their opponent.

I teach 6 classes a day 4 days a week, and then 3 classes on Fridays. This week in the 3-4 year olds class, we are focusing on learning to punch in a horse stance, on Monday we introduced the topic, and today we did the following: - run around the room 5 times while counting out "1 ma'am", etc - practice jumping jacks for 10 seconds - practice jumping and switching feet for 10 seconds each - perform basic stretches - practice half push-ups, reverse curl-ups, and jumps for 10 seconds each - practice high blocks from ready stance (10 total) - practice front kicks from kicking stance (5 each side) - sat down and discussed punching (why do we learn it, and how to make a proper fist) - play a game where they run around the room, and on "stop" they must jump into a horse stance with hands back and a loud kihap (this gives me the opportunity to correct their stances in a "fun" way) - do a drill where they run across the room, spin in a circle thats on the ground, jump into a horse stance, perform five punches (self counted), and sit down with legs crossed and hands on knees (this develops their ability to follow step by step directions) - run around the room for 1 more minute - sit down, and test one at a time on their ability to stand in a horse stance and punch 10 times (students must punch correctly, with back hand on the waist, fists tight, to pass this test) - play a game of ninja-ninja-black ninja to help them with listening skills and confidence (like duck-duck-goose, except the students say any color of ninja for duck "green ninja, blue ninja, purple ninja, BLACK ninja" etc.) - we call all of these "drills" and the last one a "fun drill", the word game is never used in class Yes, they are not learning forms. Yes, they are not sparring. Yes, they are not learning the best way to strike someone in the nose. But they are learning...how to sit still, how to follow directions, how to participate in a group environment, how to perform basic punching, kicking, and stances, how to perform stretches, how to perform basic fitness exercises, and how to enjoy themselves while getting healthier. Each class we focus on "trying your best" and discuss it often. Additionally the students are expected to follow the rules of the class, for example: sitting with legs crossed and hands on knees, raising their hand to speak, bowing onto and off of the mat, answering with "yes ma'am", etc. When students fail to follow the rules, they are gently reminded. Students who consistently break the rules have a personal discussion with myself or another instructor. All students must be evaluated before joining the program, and anyone who does not pass the evaluation is not allowed to join. Next week, I'll post one of my 5-7 year old classes!

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. Most styles of martial arts use stances as an integral part of their training. In most cases, this training consists of repetitions down the floor, either with or without hand techniques, or as part of forms practice. I prefer to use other methods, in addition to the two listed above, to train and perfect stances. Below are examples of five different drills that can be used to strengthen ones stances. These drills were written for instructors, however if you have a training partner you can do many of them with your partner. Although front stance is used as an example, these drills can be used with most traditional stances. Drill #1: Stop the Stances Equipment needed: one belt Number of partners: one Student A will turn their belt around while student B grabs onto the ends. Student A will then step into a strong front stance and student B will pull tight on the belt to try and get student A out of their stance. Once student A has a solid, rooted stance, then student B will loosen up on their pull a bit while student A steps forward into a new stance. Once student A is in their new stance student B will tighten the reigns again. Continue the drill until the students have gone all the way across the floor, then switch roles. The purpose of this drill is to help students lock into a strong rooted stance. Drill #2: Stances Under the Belt Equipment needed: one belt Number of partners: two Student A will be performing the stances. Students B and C will stretch a belt tight between them, just above the level that student A's head should be when they are in a strong front stance. Student A will then get in a front stance between the two students, under the belt (so that student B is in front, student A is in the middle in a front stance, followed by student C in the back). As student A steps forward into their front stances, student B and C will step forward with the belt, keeping it tight between them. The goal for student A is to keep their head level, without bending at the waist, so that their head never touches the belt. The purpose of this drill is to help the students keep their head level as they transition from stance to stance. You can substitute a bo staff for the belt. Drill #3: Shove Over Equipment needed: mat Number of partners: one instructor The student will stand in the middle of the mat and get in the best stance that they can. The instructor will then "shove" the student where they think they are vulnerable, to see if they can knock them off balance, or even to the ground. If the student falls or is knocked off balance, the instructor will then correct that student's stance and shove them again. Continue until the student's stance is strong enough that they do not fall or get knocked off balance. This drill is an excellent student-instructor drill for teaching correct stances as they get immediate feedback and correction. Drill #4: Stance Sparring Equipment needed: none Number of partners: one Students will pair off like regular sparring, but without gear. Student A will get into any traditional stance. Student B will then get into a traditional stance, and in so doing try to knock student A over. Student A will then change their stance, trying to knock student B over. Continue until someone has fallen. Students must transition correctly between stances, no standing up then going into a new stance. The purpose of this drill is to teach strong transitions and solid stances. It also helps students to learn to use their hips effectively. Drill #5: North, South, East, West Equipment needed: none Partners needed: one instructor Students will spread out on the mat. The instructor will call out a stance, and a cardinal direction (north, south, east or west). The student will then get into that stance, facing that direction. (With north always being toward the front of the room). When the instructor calls out the next stance and direction, the students must transition correctly into that direction. Now, there is often more than one correct way to transition (for example, going 180 degrees you may cross your legs then turn, or you may put one foot to the other, then the other foot out). This makes it more fun, as people end up facing the same way, in the same stance, with different feet in front, so now they are going to be transitioning completely differently for the next command. The purpose of this drill is to help students learn how to transition and end with their feet in the correct positions. This is often difficult for beginner students. These are just five drills that can be used to develop stances. I hope that they help make your stance training more interesting. Good luck and good stances.

For low ranks (white, yellow, and purple) we block forms, sparring drills, boxing drills, and self defense. Basic kicks, kick combinations, board breaking, fitness, and stretching are by rank. For upper belts (orange, green, senior green, blue, senior blue, and brown) we block forms, sparring drills, advanced kicks, boxing drills, self defense, and board breaking. Fitness and stretching are by rank. The three ranks before black belt (senior brown, red, and senior red) review ALL of the material taught in the low rank blocks and upper belt blocks. I'm currently working on blocking lower black belt ranks. Our students have improved greatly since we have revamped the curriculum. All of the students can do the drills together without having to break up groups. The only time we break into groups is for new white belts their first few weeks. Also, the low ranks and upper belts train in the same class for adults, so we have the upper belts train longer each class.

I'm at the dojang 25 hours a week, mostly teaching. My instructor jokingly told one of our parents last night "she loves martial arts so much, when we get a bigger school, I'll build her a house on top so she can live at the school". When I'm at my day job, I'm thinking about taekwondo. When I'm trying to sleep at night, I'm thinking about taekwondo. 16 years now, still going strong.

IMHO its our jobs as instructors to motivate our students.

Personally, I think that it is very bad advice to tell people to just get over depression. You wouldn't tell someone to handle their diabetes without medication, or their heart condition. Depression is a real medical illness, not just a feeling of sadness.

That makes sense up to a point. But I'm not going to limit my students abilities based on what I can personally do. Some students are going to be faster than me, some have stronger arms, some be able to do more sit-ups, some have greater stamina, etc. That's why I believe in pushing students to do there personal best, not my personal best.

My current school, most students wear a t-shirt. I have trained at 6 other schools. Sometimes most people wore them, sometimes almost no one wore them. Never once have I felt that wearing a t-shirt made me too hot, that it wasn't fair that not everyone wore them, or anything of the sort. Its just clothes. For every activity in life some people wear more and some less.

Training with a t-shirt underneath really feels nothing like wearing a coat. It is not hot or anything. At my school almost everyone, males, females, children, train with a t-shirt underneath. Maybe 90% of the student body, perhaps more.

Our oldest student just turned 69. He trains 2-3 times a week, works hard, and is a great student. Two of his children also train, as well as three of his grandchildren.

Realize that different areas charge different amounts. I know of no school in my area that charges under $99 a month. And no school that does not do a contract. Yes, there are places in the world, even places in the U.S. that charge very low per month. But to say "don't go to a school that charges more than X amount" greatly limits the schools available. Like I said, in my area, NO commercial schools charge lower than $99 a month, and none of them do so without a contract. If you want to train for less, and no contract, you would have to train at a fitness center. This means very limited class times, and generally all ranks and sometimes even all ages lumped together. So my advice, do not use price as a major determining factor, unless the place is more expensive than you can afford.