karatekid1975

I plan on it, Red J Happy "04" all.

Our belts are plain (no embroidery), but at 2nd dan we have the choice of getting something on our belts. Most of the second dans chose not to. But one does have it and it's gold-ish.

I think my instructor grades up to 3rd dan (he's a 5th). Any higher has to be tested by the GM. I could be wrong, though.

My instructor doesn't care. We have a student that wears a uniform from a different school. Logo on the back is different. We don't wear patches, but he does. He trains somewhere else when he is in college. Then he comes back home and back to our dojang (where he started). A lot of people (mostly college kids, though) do that at my dojang, so my instructor has no problem with it.

Sorry. Let me use the correct word .... he didn't WANT me to cross train, but I took up Judo just before I left there. So, yea, I did both for a while.

I do it all that time. When I was in a TSD dojang, I'd visit other TSD dojangs, plus other arts. I'd ask them if I could train for a day or so. I never got an attitude from any of them. I actually found another school to train at while my school was closed (for holidays). It was a "sister school," but the instructor was very nice. Now I occasionally visit other schools. I trained at a shotokan dojo for two months (about a year ago). I did Judo for a month. My school was mixed with Judo-ish stuff so I stopped. There's one of my boyfriends instructors that keeps bugging me to train at his school. I will soon, because I have friends there, and the instructor is my bud Once I train there, I'll prolly train there once a month or so (Right Heidi ).

One of my old instructors said that. I didn't agree with him. I wanted more self defense and more ground game, but he wouldn't let me cross train I left soon there after. My instructor now doesn't care if we cross train. I wanted to take Judo at one point, and he said go for it. The only problem was that our style is mixed with some Judo type stuff, and I would have gotten confused. Anyways, cross training is good. Just make sure that the art you cross train in, isn't similar. It may get confusing. A striking art and a grappling art are a good pair.

Hey. Welcome to KF.

One of my students at the YMCA has Cystic Fibrosis and a feeding tube. You would never know it. This kid is even small for his age, but man is he good. He is one of my best students. I also have a kid with autism. He doesn't know direction very well (when I teach him forms), but he tries really hard, and that's what matters.

LOL. Pretty funny, Monkeygirl. I just remembered once when my instructor was showing the class something, and I was the "dummy." I am always messing with him. He picks on me, too. It's all out of fun. He has a good sense of humor. Anyways, the combo was a take down/joint lock combo. He took me down, then applied an elbow lock. I just looked up at him grinning. He just looked back at me and said, "What?" I said, "I didn't tap out." THAT was stupid I ate my words. He did it again. OUCH!! I tapped out really fast. The class laughed at us

Hiya Tracy. I started when I was 24. Age means nothing. I am also a woman, and every school I been in (training or visiting) had almost equal amounts of both genders. Oh and welcome to KF

I agree. I learned Heian Nidan (pyung ahn ee dan in Korean) and it took me very long time. Heian shodan was easy for me, for some odd reason, but heian nidan was a pain to learn. The bunkai was even harder. So I broke it down in bits. Worked on little peices of it, then I put it back together and it made more sense. Then I had to learn Heian sandan. That form was easy for me also, but I still did the same thing.

I agree, TJS. Some TKD schools don't teach that stuff (my reason for leaving one school). I feel fortunate enough that my TKD school DOES teach takedowns, throws, grappling (standing and ground), ect. It's very rare for this area to have a TKD school that isn't sport. Then again, the TKD I do is a "hybrid style" LOL. We attend one tourny a year (GM's tourny). That's it. I like it this way, because I don't like the sparring rules in WTF tournies (too many and unrealistic). We still use them (rules) in class, but sometimes they are more "relaxed" so to speak. When we grapple, there are no rules, except for no strikes to the face for saftey reasons.

Me I'll prolly work on my forms later to burn off Christmas dinner LOL Happy Holidays, everyone

Schools use the word "karate" for recognition, like Mad said. TSD (which I have studied) is nicknamed Korean Karate. I donno why, but it does have roots from karate. My TKD instructor also would shoot you if you called our style "karate." I got yelled at a few times for doing that LOL.

I agree there, Heidi I am now an instructor for the YMCA TKD program, and I love it. I wouldn't quit for nothing. I just did testing (no one higher than green at the "Y"), and all of them did really well, and they were so excited (I am also "picky" when it comes to testing .... even for my rank, because my instructor is). I feel proud because I taught them this stuff over an eight week program. After they had a "not so good" instructor from last session. They loved it and I loved it. I'm soooo looking forward to next session

Nice to meet you I did Shotokan for a while with a friend. The school was too far or otherwise I would have stuck with it. I really liked it. She is now a 5th kyu and I still keep in contact with her. She is doing really well. Anyways, I'll move this to the "Intro" forum, so you would get more welcomes Welcome to KF

For my school it's every three months, till just before black (1st kyu). It takes that rank anywhere from 5 to 9 months. And you learn nothing new after the first three months at that rank. It kinda "weeds out" the people that are in it for rank. THEN you have to pass a pre-black belt test. We call it a "mock test." If you don't, it's another three months. You can make it every three months IF you meet the requirements AND the master instructor INVITES you to test. You can also choose not to test if you feel you are not ready (like I have twice). I am also being advanced faster because of my experience, BUT I have to feel (or BE) ready to test. It also depends on the school, instructor, org. Our school has a very tuff testing policy for black belt ( little more "at ease" with color belts).

It depends on rank. We have to know basics (kicks, blocks, hand techs, ect), forms, breakfalls, rolls, joint locks, one steps, sweeps, throws, standing grappling, sparring (at green and up), grappling, and breaking. The higher you are in the ranks, the harder the stuff is to know. That's for color belts. Black belts get to learn the fun stuff (weapons, weapons defenses, ect) on top of learning the really hard stuff (similar to above).

Welcome to KF

Hiya and welcome

Hiya and welcome to KF

Welcome, and check out our Korean arts forum

Summer!!!! I love summer. I'm a beach bum. I love the sun Next summer I'm not looking forward to, though. I'll be testing for black belt *gulp* I hate winter. I hate being cold. I'm a wimp when it comes to the cold Anything under 60 degrees is too stinkin cold.

I agree. My instructor will test us if HE thinks we are ready. But if WE think we are not, he doesn't force us. I've done it twice (declined testing) since I been at this dojang. My instructor had no problem with it. Maybe you should talk with your instructor. He may have a valid reason for his actions. Then again, maybe not. It's better to sit down with him, before you make any drastic moves.