Rateh

Speaking from experience, most women, kids, and kids parents underestimate their ability to generate power. For the first 5 years in training I had no idea what power I was infact capable of (5'2" female with a small build). It wasn't till I went to a tournament that I realized my own potential. Now as an instructor and examiner I find myself in the position to tell students they need more power. When I tell them this usually they're responce is that they are too small/light to have power. What I and I'm sure the examiners are asking for isn't a universal "power", but rather more of the power she is capable of taking her size and build into account. Good luck!

yes it was, and I agree with your assessment

Rateh, I like what this poster said about that. They said that they feel bad for the students. It's the students that suffer. Let's say that you as a kyu rank do understand the technique, what about the feedback. What about giving feedback to student in a effective matter. what about coaching a student thru their goals. what about identifying a students goals and tailoring your feedback to fit their wants and desires. Understanding technique is only half the battle. and I'll just repeat myself here. You do not learn how to teach by being a student. IE getting a black belt. Many of you have gone to school, at least high school, if not college too. If you graduate from high school, does that qualify you to be a high school teacher? No, it certainly does not. And...... teaching, or the act of running a class does not qualify you either. Putting anyone in charge of the class besides a chief instructor, even for white belts is a disservice to the students and not the best choice for the instructor. as a customer of a karate club, students should demand more for their money than having a 7th kyu teach them their 10kyu techniques. I wouldn't let a 4th grader be in charge of my sons kindergarten class, and neither would you. And if any of you reading this post are in a club where this type of training is done I would seriously consider another place to train. I think we are on the same and different page. We both agree that teaching is a learned skill. However I think an advanced kyu rank is perfectly capable of learning the skill of teaching. I was a first kyu when I ran the beginner class. The fault wasn't being a first kyu, the fault was not being trained to instruct. If I HAD been trained to instruct, then imho there would be nothing at all wrong with a first kyu running a class if they understood the details of the technique and could teach the students appropriately.

Prior to earning my black belt I was in charge of beginner kids classes. This was students who had attended anywhere from their first day to 6 months. I was perfectly capable of teaching the beginner techniques correctly. I have an eye for details that helped me in my own training and in training others. So I disagree that kyu ranks cannot understand technique well enough to teach it

I agree that teaching DEFINITLY should be taught. I wasn't taught and I feel so bad for the first year of students that I had. I've been teaching the students coming up through the ranks how to teach, to hopefully not make them learn the hard way. And also because I think it's so wrong for an instructor to put someone in charge of a group or class without teaching them HOW to lead that group or class. I don't think it matters what rank an instructor is, so long as they know the details of there art, and can properly teach it in a way thats best for the students.

Interesting that it's at low-middle dan ranks that people become instructors. I was required to instruct at least 200 hours before I could test for 1st dan. Considering how much I love teaching now, I don't think I could handle a style that wouldn't let me teach classes as a 1st. Then again..we have no clear requirements for anything above 1st dan. Hence why I am still a 1st after 3 years. Basically I'll advance whenever my instructor feels like it...which will most likely be when the now brown belts test for their 1st.

The only variation of dodgeball we have ever played is the kids line up along the wall, when you say go you throw a nurf ball at them (harder or softer depending on rank, age, & size). If you hit them they have to sit against the wall behind you. As far as games that kids enjoy, dive rolls was always the favorite. We have a large blue mat (about 1-2 feet thick) and we stack up kicking sheilds in front of it. The kids run and dive roll, and we slowly increase the number of shields (usually start with 3) till they are all out. You get out by knocking over a shield, if you knock it over, you get a second try at that many, then if you knock it over again, your out.

How about the Owner/Head Instructor selling the school to his hightest rank student, then start teaching in his garage taking some of the students with him?

Lol, lava... Personally, I can kick above my head hight, but I would never try it in a street situation. Even in sparring usually do waist level kicks.

Well since sticks are the most common weapon around, I'd say yes it's definitely worth pursuing.

Omega Martial Arts is a small organization, its style is taekwondo based

Um....why didn't they just give her local anastesia (sp) if she was screaming from it?

In my experence it depends on how long they've been in. If they've been in long enough then the skin will start to fuse to them and it will hurt a bit to take them out, but not too bad. If they've been in just the right amount of time it shouldn't be an issue.

Apparently theres a new game on nentendo (ds?) that is called "brain training". It might be what you are looking for.

Hmm, I've never found small hands and feet to be an issue with me in MA.

I'm 5'2.75" tall. I have found that whenever I spar or grapple its a near guarantee that my partner will be taller then me. Which isn't so bad but I do like to be able to spar people closer to my own height. Only time that happens usually is when I'm teaching the kids class. Most of the kids 11-13 years old are taller then me, and some of the 9 & 10 year olds

It depends. My instructor just said hey your teaching these classes now, and by the way show up on friday to help judge testing.

Thats why you wear a cup silly

I prefer jab - reverse punch - stepping roundhouse kick simple yes, but simple is often the most effective.

Try going through your TKD forms with your fists held in a guarding position, like a Boxer. When you bring the reaction arm back for a block or strke, bring it to the on-guard position as opposed to the ribs. I think this is a good way to modify the training, to get your hands used to the position. Interesting. The new style I am training in is TKD based. But the forms and basics are modified to use a "natural block" with the opposite hand doing the technique. Though it does eventually go back to the hip. For instance for a stepping middle punch with the right hand, you bring the left hand into natural block, then execute the right punch while bringing the left hand back.

Thanks everyone. I'm really looking forward to doing more breaking in the future.

I voted for "it's just fun" but it's more then fun. I'm more at peace in the dojo/dojang then anywhere but my own house. If I'm having a bad day, I love to go train.

Well anyways, I've been training in MA for 10 years now. This summer I came up to utah to visit family for the whole summer, so I looked around and found a place to train at. I love it so much I'm going to move here permanently in November. So they are letting me keep my current rank, 1st degree, and I am testing up through their system. White belt is 11th Kup, and today I passed off my 8th Kup, and had to break a board. Might seem like a little thing, but I've only really broken a board once, and that was with a palm heel like 8-9 years ago when I was around 14 years old. Today I broke it with a side kick. The board wasn't very thick, but it was still lots of fun. It kind of exploded a bit in dust which was awsome, plus I didn't even feel my foot go through it. So anyways, I just wanted to tell ya'll because I really enjoyed it.

I was always taught that if your going to kick with your back leg, just make sure it's a second/third/etc part of a combination.

I train about an hour and a half twice a week, and practice about an hour and a half total at home during a week. I have lots of other concerns in my life and can't spend all my time doing MA.