Rateh

To answer question #2 first. Ask your instructor. Different instructors have different preferences on this, and its best to ask the instructor what they would like you to do. Some instructors, such as myself, would prefer that you focus on being a student in class, and let them do the job of keeping your child on task. Others would welcome your help. So speak to your instructor. On question #1. I see that you have only been training for 2 weeks, and that the class is an hour long. Based on this information, I am not surprised that he is having some difficulties in paying attention. Most kids his age have a hard time focusing for an entire hour, but if you give it some time he will grow into it. One important thing though is, what are the ages of the other students? If the class is not being taught with a 7 year old in mind, he will always have some difficulty focusing in the class. My current instructor teaches classes with ages 8+. Most of the students 8-10 years old end up loosing focus during some parts of class, because she teaches the classes as though all of the students are at least 13. The 8-10 year olds get lost in the long explanations and the big words. That's why most schools separate kids and adults into separate classes.

Speaking as someone with personal experience (though not with schizophrenia specifically), there is no such thing as staying stable. There is only being stable for a period of time. If your going to keep someone in a psychiatric ward because they might relapse, your going to have to keep them there forever. Yes it is true that medications do not work quickly, some can take months to take full effect. All the more reason for the doctors to have figured out that the person was not schizophrenic. The person would not have been showing any signs of schizophrenia long before the medications fully kicked in, unless of course they were simply sedating the person 24/7, or pumping them so full of drugs that they might as well have been sedated. Then they wouldn't know one way or the other if the person was schizophrenic because they wouldn't have the chance to show any signs, positive or negative.

Welcome to the forums!

Welcome!

I think that doctors should realize that just because someone has a diagnosis doesn't mean it is correct. I used to work at a center for developmentally disabled adults. Whenever I would worked with a new person I would read their "book" which had all of their history in it, including any diagnosis's. Many of them were diagnosed with multiple mental disorders. I had one old man, who was diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder. The most explosive he got was stomping his foot, shaking his fist, and making the kind of threats a confused five year old would make, intermixed with a few swear words. Hardly something I would find threatening. Sometimes it was almost humorous. The point is, I highly doubt he had intermittent explosive disorder. Just because it was written on his chart, didn't mean that he had it. People should be taken at face value. I used their charts as a general guild. If they displayed odd behaviors, then I would use their diagnosis's to figure out why, otherwise, who knows if they are true? If the people weren't displaying any behaviors that signified that they had schizophrenia, the doctors should have figured out that they didn't have it, not just assumed that they did because their chart said so.

At 13 in the ATA, a junior student is elegible for the junior trainee instructor rank (or they were when I was still in it). I think the age requirement for full instructor is 18, and week long attendance at the ATA instructor certification camp in Little Rock, AR. Before going to the cert camp, a trainee instructor (after reaching age 18, I think) has to accumulate 1800 hours of supervised instrcution or assisting signed off by a certified instructor, along with making a demo tape to send to ATA headquarters demonstrating the ability to implement the 10 class management skills into the training session. The trainee also has to write a thesis of at least 10 pages, I believe, on a Martial Arts related topic, and send it to ATA HQ, as well, to be read and kept on file at ATA HQ. Wow, that's a lot different than what I had heard they are doing recently. I've never been with the ATA but I have looked into their instructor training program before. Right now I do not know what the ages are, but I do know that it is 300 hours of supervised instruction or assisting, certification camps are held all over the country and are a few hours long, no tape is sent to HQ, and no thesis is required. That is such a huge difference, I wonder why they made the change?

Well, if you do choose Doshinkan, I looked it up, and apparently there are about 25 dojos in the USA and one of them is in Seattle. I know nothing about the style other than what this website says, I just googled. http://www.doshinkan.com/dojos/seattle.htm Good luck and welcome!

I imagined myself as a third person watching on...

First off, I strongly believe that students instructing is an essential part of their training. By teaching others they greatly increase their own skill and knowledge. I've learned a lot more by teaching than I have by simply training. Here's the problem. I believe that many student teachers are taken advantage of. Student teachers should be mentored and monitored, it should be understood that they are teaching for their benefit. So that they can learn and grow more. Too many times I see head instructors place student teachers in positions of responsibility. Putting them in charge of classes and other students, not so that they can learn, but so that the head instructor has less work! Why are student teachers running classes? IMHO this is the head instructors job, and any instructors they are paying to do so. I think that placing student teachers in charge of classes, or having them teach more than train, is taking advantage of them. We must remember why they are teachers in the first place. To learn, not to do our jobs. I know that may seem a bit harsh, but requiring students to pay to teach your classes in order to advance, doesn't that seem wrong? And yet it is done all over the country, world probably. Instead, I believe that students should teach small portions and groups in their classes, under direct supervision, with the only goal being to evaluate their understanding of the techniques, and their teaching ability. And afterword to be mentored by their instructor, receiving personal instruction on how they did, and on the material that they taught so that they can do it better the next time. They are not teaching in place of their instructor so that he or she can run off and do something else, but as part of the learning process. Opinions?

I've used the machines before and I just generally prefer a person. For the same reason I go into the pharmacy to pick up my prescription rather than using the drive through, or talk to someone in person rather than making a phone call. I like to work with people over machines, face to face, not over phones or through windows.

My instructor is probably around 6 foot tall and much stronger than me (shes female but shes tall and muscular). I'm only 5'3". She far outclasses me in size, strength, and skill. If she wasn't doing well I think I'd be more likely to get in the way than anything else, and make it harder on her because she would have to feel like she would need to protect me as well as herself. If she was in a fight I would immediately find help.

About nine months ago I made a list of beginner lesson ideas. They are basically general topics around which an entire lesson could be devised. I don't know if this is the kind of thing you are looking for as far as subjects, but here goes...(I'm sure some of it is style specific so it won't necessarily translate into your style, you will have to decide that) Centering Balance & Posture with Stances Balance & Posture in General Three Parts of a Kick Two Parts of a Strike or Block Basic Striking Surfaces and Positions for Hands Basic Striking Surfaces and Positions for Feet Use of Hips for Power with Kicks Use of Hips for Power with Stances and Hand Techniques Kiahs Intensity & Control Focus & Concentration Distancing in General Closing and Gaining Distance Defenses Against Straight in Attacks Defenses Against Circular Attacks Keeping Your Body Close to Theirs (Necessary in many of our Self Defense Techniques) Coordination & Agility Flowing One Technique into the Next Speed & Reaction Teamwork Perseverance & Determination Confidence & Courage Memory (Tips and Tricks to Memorizing) Staying Loose As far as specific drills and games, I have tons, too many to just list out. I also love to just make them up on the spot. Tell me what you want a drill for, a topic or subject, and I'll see what ones I can come up with. Oh, you will also need to tell me what ages the drill is for.

Congratulations!

I started martial arts when I was 12 years old. And I have to say that martial arts has had a huge impact in my confidence. When I started, and for the first few years I couldn't look people in the eye. I always stared at the ground when I walked. I whispered my kiah. Now I look everyone in the eye when I talk to them. I look up and around when walking. I talk confidently and loudly in groups. My brother and I were best friends growing up. We were very alike. Now he is hugely introverted, avoids people, hardly leaves the house. I see in him how I used to be, how I could still be, and know what a difference martial arts has made for me in my life.

I don't compete because at this point in my life I have no interest in martial arts competition. I have other things I am focusing on right now, both in my life in general, and in my martial arts. I did not vote because none of the answers quite fits. It is to expensive but that's not why I don't do it. I like to travel. I have gone to a few tournaments in the past and I liked it. I know about tournaments. I take classes at other dojangs besides my own. My instructor pushing or not pushing competition does not determine whether or not I compete.

We are taught to turn our heads prior to each turn in the form. Also the commands to start a form are given in korean, their english translation is "attention, bow, ready, (instructor yells out the name of the form and students reply with "yes ma'am/sir"), look, begin". When the instructor yells "look" the students sharply turn their heads in the direction of the first move, so the head turn is part of the beginning commands to start your form. There are also forms where you are supposed to look in directions other than the direction you are going to move, then look the direction you are going to move. Usually it is looking left, right, then forward, then move.

My instructor was lecturing us in the red & black belt class just this last week about good and good enough. About giving your whole self, and just meeting the minimum requirements. She said you can go through your testing year, just meeting the bare minimums expected of you. Going to your classes, taking your pre-tests. Passing, but not putting your heart into it. And when September comes around, and you get your black belt tied around your waist, you will know in your heart that you did not give of your whole self. Or you could go through your testing year putting everything you have into it. Expecting more of yourself than your instructors expect of you. Meeting and exceeding everything put before you. And come September when you get your black belt tied around your waist, you will know in your heart that you gave of your whole self, that you put everything on the table, good and bad. And if you made little mistake here or there, at least you will know that you gave your all, and what a great feeling that will be.

Hmm... You know, thinking on it, I do use English words incorrectly too. Like the other day I was practicing lethal self defense with some black belts, and I told one of the teenage girls that she forgot to "lethal" me when she threw me down... I guess with what we do to our own language, it can't be so bad to add an "s" or "ing" here and there when using a foreign one.

Welcome to the forums!

I often find myself, and others that I speak with, adding english endings to non-english words. For example adding an "s" to the end of a korean or japanese word to make it plural. I even add "ing" to words to make them verbs, like "kiahing". So I would like to ask.... Do you think this trend is common in martial arts schools? How common? Is it inappropriate to use english endings? Should we learn the Japanese/Korean/Chinese ones? Just what ARE the correct endings?

Is the class so large that your own instructor isn't already aware of your strengths as well as your weaknesses? I'm keenly aware of my students across the board because I work with them on a nearly daily basis. So much so that I can tell if my students have practiced or not; and in that, I make my students accountable. I too would have to imagine that your current instructor is keenly aware of you more than you might think. While I'd like to believe that, I doubt it is true. There are probably close to 100 students in the school, and I only see her probably twice a month. I really doubt she knows exactly where I am in my training right now. It'd be nice if all instructors always knew where all of their students stood, but in my opinion that simply isn't the case. I have trained at 6 different schools, some schools having multiple instructors. Maybe it is the number of students the instructors had, maybe it was the fact that there was multiple instructors so the instructor deciding on rank testing didn't see the students as often, I don't know. But not all of my instructors always knew where I was in my training. I learned early on to take responsibility for myself and know where I stood. I wonder if other people have had similar experiences?

I definitely prefer to know. I like plenty of time to prepare and know I am ready. Then I can be confident going into it that I know what I am doing. I've found that instructors don't always know what you know as well as they think they do. So a last minute test could leave you not being prepared. Because they THINK you have something down well but you don't. I've had more than one instructor overestimate me in that regard. In the system I currently train under you have to earn 6 stripes on your belt, each representing a different area of the curriculum, before you can be asked to test. If you have all 6 stripes, then the head instructor will put you up for testing, if you have good behavior (and if your under 18 you are not failing a class in school). Once you are put up for testing you must pass a pre-test. If you pass the pre-test THEN you are allowed to test. With all of this, its not unheard of to have a student fail their pre-test and so not be allowed to test.

When working with adults I introduce them to new techniques by demonstrating the technique and explaining some of the main technical details of the technique, step by step. Then I run them through repetitions until they understand the general motions and can do them smoothly on command. After that I start helping them gain power, speed, balance etc by demonstrations and explanations, and of course lots of repetitions and drills. I make sure they understand how correct technique and body positioning will help them achieve the best results. I am a very detail oriented instructor and correct all students constantly throughout all drills. Of course I also praise their hard work, improvements, and skill. I do not, however, give them little white lies. I will never say "perfect", nor will I tell a student that their technique is excellent just because they tried hard, I will compliment their effort, or tell them that they are improving. You can always find SOMETHING to praise them on, but I will never tell them that their technique is better than it is, I am always honest. With kids I start with a quick demonstration and step by step explanation with them following along, followed by repetitions until they understand the motions. Sometimes they need to do many repetitions following along before they are ready to try on their own. I try to use creative drills with and without equipment to enforce correct technique and teach speed, balance, power, etc. I keep technical explanations short and age appropriate to the students. I try and use phrases that would make sense to them. Just like adults I use constant correction and praise, though with kids I have to correct and praise behavior as well. I expect kids and adults who are testing for the same rank to meet the same minimum standards, so I train the kids with this in mind. How much or little explanations, demonstrations, repetitions, corrections, etc I do is completely dependent on the students. I plan my classes ahead of time, but for each drill I use my own intuition to decide what is right for the students at that moment. Many techniques I break down into smaller pieces and teach them independently or building on each other. Then I combine them into a greater whole after the students understand the basic parts. The younger the student, the more of a chance I'll start off by teaching the technique in pieces (my youngest students are 3). Other techniques I break into different types and teach the easiest one first (for example: teach front leg roundhouse kick before back leg roundhouse kick).

Also if you are going to argue that size is an issue, then you are going to count a lot of women out of black belts too. At not quite 5'3" I was shorter than 75% of the students at the middle school I worked at, which was 11-14 year old students. If kids under 14 are counted out because of size, then I would never be big enough to earn a black belt.

Our floor is padded but its not puzzle mats. Its long mats about 5 or 6 feet wide stretching out the length of the floor and taped together at the seams. The tape is obviously made for that purpose as it is the same texture and color as the mat and is a strong adhesive with no peeling. Besides this, I have trained on hard wood floor, carpet, and puzzle mats. This is my favorite training floor. There is no risk of toes getting caught between mats. And the floor is plenty solid. But its much nicer on bare feet then hard wood, and its great for falling and grappling.