Fox_NFLs_GG

I wasn't telling you what to do... Just throwing out ideas from experience... #1 it is your age. My whole perspective of the situation has just changed. You need to look at yourself a little be more and put things into prespective. It wasn't that long ago that you where one of those kids and still are. I know you don't like being told that, but that is how your instructor views you. You have not had the experience and reponsibilities that an adult has had. I was not respected as an Instuctor by the younger students until I was 16. I went from being one of them to being a big brother. I wasn't respected by the adults until I was around 19. Now Iam 23 and I don't feel disrespected by any one because I have my time in and still doing it. What it comes down to is life experience, you are just a kid or young adult if you prefer. It will come in time. One day you will look back and see everything in a different light. Maybe your instructor isn't as bad as you think he is. How much of it is you trying to prove yourself to others? How much of it is that you are trying to be older than what you are?

It isn't negative, you are offering something positive to prevent a negative. Plus it will help bring in new students during a dead time of the year. I have used this one and had good reaction to it. You have to use different stratigies for different times of the year.

OK, you need to put yourself in position where you do more instruction with the children. If he is lazy like you have described, he will let you take more classes because he will have to do less. You have to be the "Good Guy" which parents will learn to respect because you are the more understanding teacher. Try working with the kids more before class and install the positive side of the martial arts, they will want to be like you. Crack a few jokes and have fun with them. Be upbeat. If you the situation with the head instructor worsens, it is time to go out on your own. Start off as a club in a basement, a church, or a local school. Your goal isn't to steal his students, but it is likely that some of his students will follow you into your new adventure. Once you have a good base, It would be time to start looking for more of a permanent place to teach your style. Your goal as an instructor isn’t to put anybody out of business, but to offer a positive experience for students.

There could many reasons he is acting that way: Mid Life crisis, bored with himself, overworked, the home life isn't doing to well. But lets not jump to conclusions yet. Something in his life is carrying over into the dojo and he doesn't know that it is affecting the school? Maybe indirectly find what is going on, and address him as a concerned person and want to help him. If he is truelly like you have discribed and you can't get through to him, maybe he is in the wrong business. Maybe he should run for some short of political office, if he comes off as just a power hungry idiot. I am not there and haven't observed the situation. However it sounds like you are the good instructor with lesser rank. People respect you because you no matter your rank. You know that there is something wrong and it needs to be corrected. It is time to sit back and reflect to make your own choice for your future and the students future. No matter what anyone says you have to make the choice yourself and clear your own path. Do you give up? Do you go else where? Do you sit on your hand? Do you become the opposite instructor which gives the martial arts a good name and make a difference in the students lifes? Do you start your own school? If you become your own style instructor: Are you going to sit up a scaffolding system that nurtures the student’s progress and positive behavior? Are you going to create schemas in order to enforce the way of martial arts? Will you stand tall & proud, speak clearly, have that sparkle in your eye, and practice what you preach? Are you going to lighten the room with you presence day after day? If you quite: What does that show to others? Are you going to throw all that hard work away because of one man? What are you going to do next? I would say that this is a great learning experience for you. You are learning what not to do, and you can put yourself in a position to stop these things from happening to yourself in the future. As far as patterning yourself after another instructor, you need not do that. Become an individual by asking questions to yourself to make things better, come up with an educated guess, test that educated guess on multiple times in similar situations, if it works keep on doing it and making modifications along the way. Use the scientific method in the dojo to create the best suited classes and how to interact. It will take time to get used to thinking this way.

If it isn't legal, I would go for the same style handle because it doesn't limit the hand to one gripping postion like the other two that you posted. BTW, Iam sure that you can find a knife compariable that is cheaper than that one...

I personally would prefer this one because of the handle. I like having the blunt end up to hit with it first, then slash back and forth with the blade.

Any knife can be dangerous. My cousin was cut up pretty bad by some crack head with a butter knife. I would suggest that you should handle the knife before you buy it. Make sure that it is the right balance. I don't know how much you know about using a knife, but you have to find the one that feels right in your hand. Remember it is only self-defense.

most of the weight is on the back foot, minimal weight on front foot (If some one swept your front foot, it should move then return back into place). That is what I was told for kodudo. I thats what I do in my regular kata too. From this I believe that in my own use is to avoid a front foot attack... Perhaps throw a front snap kick.

"keep and gain interest in my school" Hmmmmm I was talking about kids. If there isn't something constantly special going on, most lose interest. In todays world Kids will not be happy with what they have. They live the American way, they want everything right now. If they don't get it they will leave and if you don't give them more they will leave. Point fighting, tournament classes, and other things out side of the regular routine tend to keep attendence high... Regular classes give them something to work for, but extra stuff to work for. Kids do not understand that they need to get better. The parents enforce a fast paced life, If you can go through the motions its good enough. If johnny is not learning learning a hundred new katas a week, it isn't good enough. I guess these extra classes are just appleasement to the parents. It helps keep the doors open. Period. I train traditionally, and have seperate classes with extra stuff such as point fighting.

step up with a sanchin strike, cresent step with the left foot. Then forward shoulder roll over right and springing up into a horse stance.

I am all for tradition, but as an instructor I need to have the sports aspect incoporated in order to keep and gain interest in my school. From day one I tell my students the difference real fighting and point fighting. Point fighting doesn't work on the street, however it is controlled fight that shows that they are able to control their techniques with distance and timing. Point fighting shows the Discpline of your students. However it should be taught seperate due to the confusion it causes.

NAPMA is decent but It isn't worth the money when enrollment drops. Your best bet is to try to keep your core students, without them your roof caves in. You need to build up kids classes to gain revenue. I would say focus advertisement towards Mother's who have daughters between 6-12 years old. You have remember the rules of advertisement: Hit them in the Mind (State something that makes them think) Hit them in the Heart (Something that hits hard emotionally) and hit them in the pocket book (Make an offer they can't refuse). Example: Is your Child Aware of http://www.linnylou.com/models/childrens/photos/wc-child-alexa-033.jpg Danger!? (Black box with white letters) Karate Teaches personal Safety (Stranger Alert or Whatever) Try a free trial course and recieve your first month 1/2 price!!! Contact INFO: This ad draws attention because it gives the appearence of a missing child flyer. Hits the parent in the heart along with the photo. Then It asks the question inwhich makes the parent think about their child. It gives a fact tat Karate or MA in general could help you child stay away from danger. Then draws interest into your school even further because you offer a deal.[/img]

Isn't controlling ones self a skill?

Your Best Advertisement is word of mouth. Thats right you have earned a good name for yourself. You don't cut down other instructors/schools, You are highly involved with yours students, You are there every step of the way. Parents and Students will brag you and your school up to friends, family, and strangers. You next best advertisement is getting a story in the local paper by doing something good in the community, like doing a half an hour self defense class at a local grade school. (Not chopping a piece of fruit of someones bare chest with a katana, infront of grade school kids) Atleast try to get into the newspaper every couple of months (Not every week because they will slam the door in your face once you walk into the building. Try rotating between lifestyles and the sports sections because lifestyles targets the mothers and the sports target the fathers.) BTW Make sure that you write up press releases to local newspapers, radio and TV to gain attention to events like fundraisers and tournaments. It is another good way of advertisement. Walk in parades, having students handing out flyers.

During the summer, Adult attendence and enrollments / re ups seem consistent year around. However kids seem to leave in a mass exodus during the summer months. No matter what you do, their parents are going to push them into baseball. However this is the time of the year, to advertise that Martial arts will give them the competitive advantage in sports and those same kids will return the day after there last game in July instead of waiting until september. Plus it will bring in an influx of new students, inwhich their parents want them to excell and karate will help them do that. In total you should only have a month and a half of down time.