karatekid1975

What about being a cop in a large city. They risk their lives every day.

My school does that. Eveyone who is 2nd gup/kyu or above is on a cleaning team (there's four teams). My team is cleaning this saturday, in fact. Each team cleans once per week, and what ever they can do during the week if they have time. The students who are not on a team help out when they can (like picking up trash outside or what have you). The ones who are on a team get credit for it. On the back of our attendence cards, there's a place to date and inital. This goes towards testing. If you don't clean, you don't test. Unless there is a valid reason that you can't or couldn't. So yea, I agree that it's a good idea. It keeps the school clean, the students learn to work together, and the instructors can worry about teaching, not cleaning.

Thanks Heidi

Hiya all. I found out I got this nervous thing about tests and demos/tournies LOL. I saw a thread on here somewhere about it, but I can't find it (help me here). Anyways, I did a demo for a friend who is opening a school. I didn't think I would even think twice or get nervous, but I did right before I did my form (one of two). The breaks were cool, because I was actually showing the kids how to hold, so I didn't think about it. But I stopped on my bo form. I was always told (again tonight by her) to never stop a form even if I screw up. This is a "habbit" I have. It's not good. But in class, I'm fine with this stuff. Any advice to get through this?

Why_Worry, good idea. My instructor's wife (a dear friend of mine) told me about one of her previous schools. If you didn't keep a journal, you couldn't test. You could write about anything, but you had to have a journal. I thought that was a cool idea.

LOL. I never heard of that, isshinryuwarrior, but that was pretty funny I learned a "code" the other day in dental assistant "class." If you know there is a patient waiting, the interns have this "code" to remind the girls at the front desk. It has to do with the machine that sanitizes the dental tools, but I can't remember for the life of me what it was LOL (I'm the rookie LOL). When the interns say this, the front desk people say "OK" then we get the next patient. I'll find out tomorrow.

My jujitsu instructor wants me to. I haven't done it yet. I have never kept a journal of any kind, so that will be interesting (I have lots to say about our first lesson on his front lawn though, that I should write down). I'd like to hear other replies, as well as you, though.

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. I have learned more from the martial arts than just physical stuff. My first art was Tang Soo Do. I really loved it. When I left New Jersey to move to New York, I was so close minded to Tang Soo Do. Some of you (the older members anyways) knew that from me posting on here also. My first TKD instructor kind of knew that. He told me when we first met to have an open mind. I did not listen. I was so close minded that I couldn't see what his art had to offer. I wanted my old style and I was expecting it. But when I didn't get it, I left. I found another TKD school that was similar to TSD. But the biggest thing I learned from going to that school was humility and modesty. Not because they taught it to me. It's because of the way the instructor and his students are. They do not say the student oath or tenets before or after class. So they do not "live by it," so to speak. There's no humility or modesty what so ever there. Nor is there any discipline and respect. The art part that he taught was pretty good (mixed with Judo). But there was no character building at all. There were huge egos there as well. In martial arts, I believe, egos shouldn't be there. Because there is always someone better than you. I got to red belt in that school, but I feel I did not earn it. They passed me for my red belt without me knowing my throws. I did my forms and self defense well, but they didn't have me spar or grapple at my test. And I forgot my one steps twice. I would have rather failed and did my test over right, than have passed for not knowing my requirements. I did learn a lot from this school, however. I was an assistant instructor there. I learned a lot about teaching. But even the kids had the "rank" had ego. Because of the color around my waist, I was treated like I wasn't "worthy." They would try to use their rank against me. Then I would tell them to respect your elders. They didn't know what I meant. These kids don't have any discipline or respect. It was really hard for me to try to teach them that when the master instructor doesn't teach it. The thing that I learned from all this dojang jumping was what I am REALLY looking for in a school. It's not the art, even though that could help, but that wouldn't be the important part. I originally started for self defense, but I now look for the discipline, respect and character building. The first TKD school had that. The amount of respect among the students and instructors is amazing. I'm not saying that going to the other school was a waste, because it wasn't. I did learn a lot. BUT what I want out of MA now is the character building. The self defense is just a bonus. So I went back to the old TKD school. I also look for a good instructor that knows how to properly teach these things. I learned that you can have a good art, but if the instructor goes about teaching it wrong, it will turn into a not so good art. The only gripe I have about this school is the price (little on the expensive side). But in this area, you get what you pay for. How I feel about this situation is that you can't really put a price on priceless knowledge. What you learn and how you learn it is the most important thing.

I got the "ok" to re-rest (in November). But it was because I "lapsed." I had a brain fart on my forms, and I did only 2 out of 5 breaks (two boards at each station). My instructor wasn't happy, but we both agreed that I didn't do well. I knew I blew it after I did my forms.

I guess this is where this goes ... LOL Anyways, I am testing for senior red (again) in November, and if I pass, I will get a thick black stripe on the right side of my belt. The three little ones on the left come off. But my belt got wet in the rain (actually EVEYTHING on me did LOL) at my last test from cleaning up outside. And now there is adhesive stuck to my belt (I took one of the stripes off to check it out). How do I remove adhesive? Thanks in advance.

LOL. That's a neat story Heidi. But Dinner is lunch? I never heard of that before. Mike says Dinner or supper?

Hehehehe. I say Soda. I work at a store, and people say "pop" and I still get confused. I am also doing an internship to be a dental assistant and one of my fellow interns said what you cookin for "supper." It's "dinner" dang it! LOL. My boyfriend says "supper." It drives me crazy LOL. I got used to saying "sub" though, because of where I work. Hoagie is ... um ... It's a sub form Wawa! Also a NJ thing hehehehe. Wawa coffee is so popular now (you NJ peoples know what I'm talking about ... even PA people heheheheh), I can find it here at Tops super markets ... WHOOOHOOO!!! And there's no Wawa's here in NY, but they want the coffee (I do too hehehehe). I feel the same way Heidi. I say "at" not "up." I still have my NJ accent once in a while, though. Brian goes crazy when it does come out LOL.

I agree Goju. My jujitsu instructor is also American. He is also my good friend's hubby. Do I think any less of him? No. Do I think any less of him because I'm the only one he is offically training now? No. Do I think less of him because is is teaching me for free and doesn't use "rank?" No. I know he is a 5th dan and he knows his stuff. That's all I care about. As long as I'm learning what he is teaching, that is all that matters to me.

My first in instructor wasn't Korean, wasn't American. But he is still holding the standard I look for in MA, even in TKD. Very strict on technique. Maybe that's my problem with MA now-a-days. All I have to say, Thanks Mr. B. Tang Soo!

Anyone? Or am I the odd ball ??? LOL

I agree, cheeks. I had a bit of a problem like that, also. I would do things the "old way" in my new art. Not because I was doing it on purpose (well most of the time), but because it was drilled in my head in TSD. And yes, I wasn't happy about being a white belt again. But after I got my yellow belt, I didn't really care what rank I was, as long as I was learning the right way.

Hehehehehe One of us did that. It was my turn to act like the unrulely student, and so I kicked the person next me LOL. This other guy acted like a kid that talked alot and he kept saying he needed to go to the bathroom (he actually said it in a kids voice). It was soooo funny.

Takeda Shingen, that's what happened to me. I "choked" on my test.

I'm a red belt in TKD (2nd gup/kyu). We don't use "rank" in Jujitsu (it's just for the experience) but I'm definitely equal to a white belt.

lapulid2 probably read our posts LOL. Yea, it can hurt. Be careful, dude.

I'm going to help a friend with her school, and I will be so siked to see our students like that, too. I actually can't wait!

Hey all. I stole this from another forum hehehehehe Anyways, when you changed from your first style to the 2nd one,what was the hardest part of the transition? What was the easiest? Here's my story ... When I went from Tang Soo Do to Taekwondo, the hardest for me was the sparring rules. I went from point sparring where hand contact to the head is allowed to full contact non-stop sparring where no hand contact was allowed to the head. Very weird. In TSD, we also applied Thai boxing into the mix of the way we sparred (in class), and take-downs were allowed. In TKD, no take-downs, and no check kicks, or shin blocks are allowed. But I still do shin blocks, and I got used to not using my hands (we do that stuff in self defense training, though). The easiest was the techniques and forms. I have always picked up stuff quickly in TSD, so it just continued in TKD. I already knew how to kick, punch, stance work, ect. The forms were a bit easier than TSD, but I found ways to improve them. The blocks were executed a bit different, but it didn't take me long to adjust. But I still do TSD techniques within my forms and I never lost my "TSD side kick or TSD round house" as my boyfriend says hehehehe. I don't do the "the quick 45 degree roundhouse" except in sparring. I still turn my hip all the way over, and I kick with the ball of my foot. I kick with my heal with side kicks (in our school they teach side kicks with the blade of the foot). But I was never corrected on it, so I keep doing it, ect. Anyways, what's your story?

It's ok Korean for Kiai is Kihap. Like you say (which I like) in your sig, just train Knowing the term is the bonus. The training is more important

Kiai is Japanese ... Sorry. I'm the same as Heidi. I still say stuff in Korean. My old TSD GM was Korean, so I learned a lot and it was drilled in my head. It's still habbit LOL.

I agree there, b3n. I shouldn't have tested myself, but I did. I knew I failed. Which didn't bother me. I knew I blew it. I was like "Ah, whatever. I can try again next time."