Manabimasho1

I would never try any of those. What does that have to do with being a youth black belt? Ok then you're not on the same page as me. I am sorry and appologize for being upset at your before comments. I am not an adult who gets upset at the Dojos that give out Black Belts for the purpose of it being a Black Belt. But to a child /Teen/ some adults having a Black Belt gives them a huge sense of security they sometimes let it go to thier head and that is what I worry about. I am glad you would never go after the crazed guy in the Club, I used to purposaly look for fights and go into Tough Man contests untill I had a Family. And I speak from experience of seeing my actions years ago and seeing others. A Black Belt is a sign of power. I teach others how to stay alive and defend thierself but I also teach them when not to do something and I am passionate about keeping Martial Artists happy, proud, and peacefull. I just don't see it much these days. I have taken on journeys of peace and cerenity.

No I only laugh at those who teach to strip and disarm pistols and upon doing so they are pointing the barrel of the pistol at thier body through 1/2 the move. I think you are understanding what I am getting to. If you live in a non-violent area and there are dojos that give out BB's to kids then whatever. But I actualy see kids and adults think that because they have a year or so in MA or boxing that they can defend in the clubs vs multiple attackers and they fight instead of letting the bouncers and security boot em all out. I am just against non realistic moves and ideas vs the real world Call me insaine, but I believe in keeping the Marital Laws and Sciences in Martial Arts....by the way. Martial = Warfare/Combat to those of you who don't know. I will stop replying because I am not trying to have an arguement I just am very very disappointed at the Masters, Grandmasters, and Dojos when I see children with Black Belts and bragging on thier so-called skills. that was not intended at you either- We have a 16 year old in our Childrens class she is going to do a Demonstration at the Hall of Fame for W.H.F.S.C. in Orlando Florida, we don't coragraph or do fake stuff and She throws full sized adults around. I know that years of learning = Skill. I just get upset at those with no clue and who freeze up thinking they are Bruce Lee.

Yes i know of Master HiroKazu Kanazawa, why didn't you just post that =p . Anyways I think you are being to mean and arrogant to hear my words because here and the other forums your quoting me and then misinterputting it. I don't have a problem with children learning M.A. I don't have a Problem with Black Belts, I do have a problem with anyone who has lil knowledge or skill and believes they can take out the 300 pound thug on the streets who is weilding a colt 45. and has back up friends near by. I have over 13 year martial arts experience and I practice daily how to strip a knife, how to take out multiple attackers, what to do in dangerous situations and I can say that even though I can take out a bigger person in seconds I will walk away and run from a crazed gunman who starts blasting shots for fun at me. I guess im coming off to strong but I am saying that you may be skilled in sparring, in fighting an unarmed person, but this is not the movies, don't think you're going to happly walk down gang central and defend yourself against 15 people.

Due to people attacking me on other forums post and here they have turned it into a display of kiddy stuff. I am not here to upset anyone I am trying to speak out against improper training. Yes my last statement was harsh, but did you read the next sentence? The forums are about protecting and saving lives, and someone keeps misreading and misinterrputing what I am saying. It is not about the belt, at the Hall of Fame most masters will yell at you if your Belt hits the ground or is improperly tied, I think it has come down to a small form of Idolism. I don't care about the Belt, or the papers, or the certificates, or trophies, but do some people when they get these things they think it makes them a warrior of the streets, I have seen alot of Martial Artists get hurt because they thought they could defend thierself.

Someone tell this Kid that Kanazawa is a City in Japan, and my Grandmaster's training and teaching experiences are as old as your Master. The point is kids are getting hurt due to improper training on the streets and I see adults too doing this- I just want the nonsense and greed for money to stop influencing Masters/Instructors/Grandmasters to give out BB's to those that have yet to earn them. I earned my BB through 9 hours of Drills, blood, sweat, tears, and pain I am not saying everyone should got through our Testing ways, I am saying that I see too many adults and kids run off and get hurt or killed due to thier belief that they have enough skill to end or stop a fight. Try living in a bad area - peace talks are a sign of weakness and I have witnessed so many sucker punches from people who talk thier way out of it, or try to atleast.

My sensei is almost 60, and has trained under people such as Kanazawa. What a pity that has been your experience with youth black belts! I trained since I was 8, and had 4 years of perfect attendance. That's coming to class every session. I currently come to my dojo for 9 hou rs of class (not counting extra practice; just class hours) a week. I never get into fights, and I avoid telling people of my martial arts experience, unless asked. My dojo has had only 2 junior black belts (under 16) since it's start in 1981, myself being the only current one. Our other junior black belt had 3 years perfect attendance. So your 15-16 now as you said in other posts you started when you were 8 and you do 9 hours a week with perfect addendance let me break out the calculator.... So you have 9 hours a week = 36 hours a month. which makes 460 hours a year and you started at 8 and got your black belt at 14 and your 16 about now or are going to be so that is 8 years of training at 3,660 hours of learning which is great for you and I am glad your dedicated. So you are telling me that after teaching a child for 3,660 hours they have achieved rights to begginning Mastership, they have achieved the Nofear dump and that you think that Children should be given BB's. I teach the children at my class and as everyone who reads this knows if a child under the age of 12 is in class they are only partly paying attention, it's hard for them and it's not thier fault. The comments you made about who your master was taught under means nothing to me due to his students disreguard for the safety of others. I can asure you our style and Grandmaster outweighs your claims but I won't brag, go to our website if all you care about is papers and reconizations by Emperors and Temples.

Wow, you have a problem with young martial artists. What's wrong with a young MA dedicating themselves and earning a rank. I agree that 11 is pretty young for a black belt, but a black belt is just a strip of cloth. You can buy one from a MA distributer. A black belt is more of a mental mindset than it is a piece of black cloth. You can achieve this mindset early on. In your other post about young martial artists in "So, how old is everyone here" you say that young black belts have more of a chance of getting themselves killed or hurt by a false sense of pride and in this one, you're talking about an "average joe on the street" and "beat any lower ranking belt in a sparring contest" and "seriously hurt an unarmed bigger oppenant" A black belt should understand that the untimate aim of martial arts in to not have to use them. Rather than try to defend yourself against a robber who wants your money, just give him your money. A black belt should be peaceful and learn to solve things without force (like the example above) If a black belt isn't peaceful, (s)he doesn't deserve it. As IsshinRyu5toforever's signature says, the ultimate aim of a warrior is to lay down his weapons. First off let me say that the Belt is an achievement you get for becoming good at your martial arts or self defense and signifies the road ahead to Master! So what you are saying is it's ok to give skilless students this idea that they can properly defend thierself.......and this is not a pride thing about a belt! I am very concerned for the kids getting false ideas. You speak about having a peacefull mindset, that comes only after learning and knowing you can beat your oppenant and after you fear them no more. But for an 11 year old to think they know how to affectively defend theirself and not fear a kidnapper is a false sense of hope. I love to hear people talk about how Martial Arts aim is learning how to be peacefull in bad situations. It is well stated in Eastern Zen that One must know war before one can achieve peace. He who Kills the Tiger now knows what Life is worth. .....For some reason too many schools are skipping that training of fear control and trying to skip to becoming a monk of Peace. I don't have a problem with Dedicated martial artists, or Kids, I have a problem seening a 15 or 16 year old who has a 2-5 th degree Black Belt who runs and hides all day and gets depressed due to bullies at High School and comes in with a Gun. Notice how many people read this forum and how many actualy responded! Either they agree with me or know that if they protest me it will get them laughed at. Please Instructors teach your kids properly!

In my opinon you are asking all the wrong questions. The worse thing you can ever ever ever do is open a Dojo with less then 50 students and not have another way to support yourself. I would seriously advise you to spend your money in a resteraunt or few houses to rent out or something. What most people don't understand is that if you have 30 students who pay $40 a month and you are open 3 days out of a week that gives you $1600 a Month which is NOTHING....you will usualy be paying out $100 insurance $300-400 electric bill if its considered a commercial property. $100 a month for miselanious stuff like brooms, t-shirts, patches, certificates, lightbulbs, training equipement and so on. You will also have Rent if you rented the building which is gonna be about $300-2000 per building space if you total that up you end up making NOTHING per month. Our Grandmaster has had 200 students in a month at a time and he only came out making $1500 after paying the bills.....But he has alot of other stuff on the side that he does. That is why you see the Chain Dojos out there Someone with Money bought up places and started training people. That kind of Walmart or McDojo style leads to students who learn little and can't defend thierself, and rich or well off masters. Seriously add up your finances and think about working at the dojo 3 days a week no more! Because to work everyday or weekday and make nothing would be insaine. Get some kind of money maker on your side. I am already a Landlord and Instructor with my Grandmasters Dojos I won't make my own but take over his much later on. My wife is in College for Nurse Anestists and has 5 years more of schooling, by the time she is out it is a 6 figure income. I will be ok........but I feel bad for those who love to teach and have much to show and can't find the money support. Another great tip, Get about 2 other Black Belts to join you in your quest open an agreement that all of you open A Dojo, A student who learns from 3 masters will be more flexiable then one who learns from just one. BTW> Good luck

Ok I know that this post will upset alot of people and the replies will be mixed and varied, but I just have to set an example on this one. The style I teach does not give Black Belts to any student under 18. We do not give BB out to anyone who can't pass our BB Test We feel that a BB should be able to handle a bigger oppenant. In our BB test it is ran like a Military Drill, and one part of the test for BB 1st degree is to fight a person coming at you with a knife, baseball bat, and then two unarmed persons. You must get them to tap 2 times in a row and this is done over n over n over till you pass. Our system is way to hard for the average person and I admit it's not for the faint of heart.....but even I have respect for anyone with a BB in another other style or system. But I refused to acknowledge a 17 year old or younger with a BB. With that being said..........don't complain and quote me because its clear what I said.....but in your school what do you feel a BB should do to earn thier BB in a street fight or competition. Just reply with what your schools vitures and rules and ideas are on about the Black Belts there........thank you everyone because I seem to deffinatly be on page 301 when others are on page 12..... I wrote this because I have seen an Alarming number of kids under 15 claiming they have a BB in thier school.......search the forums you will see them. If your school is about the basics of M.A. Then shouldn't a BB be able to execute those moves properly to the average joe on the street? If your school is about sport and sparring rules. Ok good then shouldn't your BB be able to beat any lower ranking belt in a sparring contest? If your school is aimed at RL self defense and protetion Ok then shouldn't your BB be able to fend off 2 or more attackers and atleast seriously hurt an unarmed bigger oppenant. Yeah so why are all these 15 year olds getting Black Belts, I read one girl who was age 11 and got hers!!!!!!! Unless thier area is over ran by the Oompa Lumpas and the average 10 year old is the mugger on the streets then why is this happening? Please tell me I am not the only hardcore Dedicated Martial Artist here!!!

I got mine at 13, I'm 14 now, and about 3 months away from 15. HOLY CRAP who were your masters!!!!!!! And how old were they!!! Like 20 or something!! When your actualy able to defend yourself in real situations and much older you will understand why everyone complains bout BB children and kids....its a huge false sense of pride that gets them badly hurt, killed, and has Martial Arts laughed at by the society of today.

=p ummm you are a little kid don't be upset every adult wishes they could be one the older you get. Embrase it and enjoy it. I am 27 and have so much grey hair I play Moses in the Church Plays! I like having it because in my cultral traditions its a sign of having great wisdom which I will acredit to all the stress, and bad situations I have both gotten into and learned from And im still here ......haha

That's because most people are wearing ill-fitting gis, or over-tight pants, and the things hang-up on the kneejoint. I prefer loose-fitting pants or stretch pants. NO NO not what i mean lol...........They do this in Habit when sparring in tight jeans, lose jeans, hip huggers, shorts even, jogging pants, under armor spandix suits, That is what I mean lol......Yeah its a given that if they didn't get thier pants hemmed or sewed then I can see pulling them up or tugging but they do it in class so often when sparring outside for fun in everyday wear they do it. MY grandmaster pointed it out to me because he noticed it and for some reason it is usualy 3 tugs that are quick, I have actualy seen a guys fingers heading for thier thigh area and lunged at them and they tug fast 3 times instead of blocking or sidestepping. As I said I swear I have seen sooooo many do it in shorts too! Now that you know I am complaining about it don't say im full of it. go out sparr and watch for it....it is nuts.

I am an Instructor for my Grandmasters Dojo. I just thought I should share this story because to me it's rare and unbelievable. This Master whoI will call Mark owns a Dojo in North Carolina under our system started doing stuff about 6 years ago that one would consider to be very dishonourable to our system and Grandmaster. The MasterMark was sharing his Dojo with some of his students and made one of them a Instructor at his Dojo who I will call Eddy (Long story short) Basicaly over the next 5 years that Instructor Eddy came to our Grandmaster himself and got ranked up. But the 6th degree MasterMark at his school became upset over it for some reason and booted out Eddy who was ranked up under our Grandmaster. Eddy who was booted out was at the time a 2nd degree Black Belt and in our system for about 6 years and came up to Ohio to our Grandmaster and worked with him, Eddy then ran back to North Carolina and found a 5th degree black belt in another system and partnered up with that guy. Ok i Hope your not confussed.....Ok so now we have in North Carolina over 100 miles apart Master Mark a 6th degree, and Eddy a 2nd degree assistant to another Master in another school, Master Mark didn't like Eddy being in his state and went to Eddys school and literaly Passed out flyers saying that Eddy was kicked out of our system which was untrue and Eddy came back to our Grandmaster with this news. Master Mark was made to appologize to Eddy in front of a school with the Grandmaster there---things died down some....untill.....Master Mark the 6th degree in our system all of a sudden ends up changing his Entire school around to teaching Ninjitsu and somehow Mark got certified LOL. Master Mark got a 3rd BB in Ninjitsu and started teaching the biggest bunch of Powerranger type moves to his students moving away from our fast and furious flowing techniques. Our Grandmaster took it has an insult and at a Meeting asked questions. Mark just replied he was going to teach 2 styles, or Grandmaster said well ok whatever..... Our system and style is in an organization called World Head of Family Sokeship Council and Master Mark came to some of the annual demos and award meetings with some of his "new students of Ninjitsu". I was there at the Hall of Fame Awards, for the W.H.F.S.C. and these students of Master Mark began stealing Silverware and Towels, money from unguarded registers and more! Our Grandmaster was there and informed and he tore into the kids, The kids replied that Master Mark was ACTUALY teaching them how to steal!!!!!! Needless to say Master Mark got his strike 2 and was threatened by being kicked out of our system and the W.H.F.S.C. all together. Ok I hope I have not lost anyone yet lol.............6 months later the president of W.H.F.S.C. calls our Grandmaster will some news that I still don't know to this day but apperently somehow Master Mark called up the President and threatened him and did something else. Well......... Master Mark is now being booted from our system totaly, and the W.H.F.S.C. And was asked to not teach our system anymore.....right now Master Mark is allowed to come to this Meeting of the W.H.F.S.C. one last time after that he is banned, so I am waiting for a huge fight to break out over this LOL the bad thing is ESPN2 has agreed to cover this conference and its in 3 months so I am afraid that Master Mark will be upset and say something on TV lol *(((Disclaimer -- I have worked and meet with Steven Hayes and my Grandmaster has countless pictures with him In no way do I try to upset those who study Ninjitsu. What Mark was teaching in my opinon was nothing like Steven Hayes or Robet Bussey's type of Ninjitsu....Mark was literaly teaching extremely goofy stuff and it's the kind of stuff that one would hopefully never do in public for fear of being laughed at tremdeously.)))

I am an Instructor for Grandmaster Casarez, the G.Master to my system of course and we work together often. One week he had to have leg surgery and left the Instructors and Assistant Instructors in charge for 2 weeks and I and another had keys to the Dojo. The students wanted to practice 4 days out of a week or more and expressed how they would do everyday if they could. I agreed to open up every day for 5 hours a day and I brought in my Speedbag and some training stuff and promised if anyone showed up we would go over stuff. At first everyone almost popped in for the next 3 days. After that it slowed down. In the last week almost noone came in so During our normal days I announced we were shutting that down and going back to the orginal days of opening. I told the Grandmaster of this and he said it didn't suprise him. He told me he used to have other classes and people would start to miss 1 day out of a week, then 2, then they seemed to only go when they could. If you make it known that for only 2-3 days of the week that your Dojo is open people will come and train, But if its open all the time they don't for some reason. So for this reason we only have 3 days of class 6-10 Tuesdays Thrusdays and Saturdays 6-9 I am at everyone but I could and would train every day if Grandmaster would allow us.

I have been saving up a few thousand for a massive tat that is going on my Back. I have a picture it has two dragons on each side facing each other and down the middle has in English words our styles system and at the very bottom two Tigers facing each other as if to attack. I personaly think the Japanese/Chinese symbols are over-raided because everyone sees a symbol and thinks the person is in Martial Arts. If you can read it you would know. I ran into a guy at Kings Island who had a very unique tatto of tiny Chinese letters around both his wrists all the way around. I asked him if he was a Martial Artists he said "No the symbols say Never again Never forgive" He then told me his brother was abused by police and shackled up and beaten to death in which they tried to sue and never won. If you think that makes no sense I also ran into a girl who had a nice Tat in Japanese down her thigh she was a Brown Belt in a neighboring karate dojo and I asked her about it. It was symbolizing her love for her boyfriend by telling a short story of how they meet" She is now broken up with him and I have heard he lie and say it meant Karate or something like that............ I guess I don't see why people tattoo thier style if they are proud of it when others can't understand or read it. And now a days people Tatto they love God in Hebrew and Tatto their childenrens name in Chinese.....don't believe me ask a tattoo shop.

This is a joke right?..... I know 125 pound women that can break more bricks then me with just a headbutt and I look like a professional Wrestler. And the girl probably can't bench press 80 pounds. I guess this is for fun but even so it would be solely based on power and not speed or skill or accuracy, or flow of movement. So does a Midget whos 35 have about the same score as a child who is overweight by 100 pounds...........do the math ..HAHA

Strange for them to say that when the Shaolin Monks travel doing miracles nearly everyday. I witnessed them taking razor sharp swords and pressing them against thier bare chest and the monks pushed and walked into the sword, It bent back like a hulla hoop. After I seen that they pulled out a huge chinese broadsword they then stuck it into a 5 inch pine board and it split the board completely, then they stood back and tossed it another 5inch pine board and it went through the board completely then they sliced a tomatoe by just dropping the tomato to the blade, they had tons of people in the crowd touch the sword and alot of people cut their fingers and the point was very sharp. After this I though no way will they do it again.....but they did one monk sticks the sword up to the same monks bare chest and then 4 other monks all push hard into the guy making it 5 people push the sword the guy of course was scooting back but he was leaning totaly into the sword and it was freaking nuts. Just when I seen it all the guy with the sword into his chest lowers it to his navel and he pushes hard into the 5 monks holding the sword and again it bends back into a huula hoop with the pointy part nearly touching the handle. That was just one of the many things I seen and after that I was convinced about Chi and Ki.....Noone can tell me differently because I found a teacher of Qi Gong and I have learned some really neat tricks in just under 2 years. Yes this stuff takes time and you build chi by a combination of Mediation, exercise, and Iron Body type actions.. Ki or Chi comes from the stomach then out into the throat, and you are suppose to try to visualize it stopping there and learn to push it out into your arms and legs through a hypnotism like Kata. I have done some crazy stuff with it and the guy im learning from refuses to brag or show me stuff other then what I work on but he amazes me with stuff I see him do when he doesn't realize im watching. I believe Ki is some form of universal energy that all things have both non living and living, man made and natural. For some reason Living things have this energy more and once you learn to do a meditation where you are almost in visions and day dreams when you come out you see foggy auras sometimes over trees, children and people and I swear I can almost feel stuff like im breathing with a person or feel thier heart beat.

I am sorry you are so upset, try to understand your friend is in a better place, Try speaking to him or her on a daily basis you don't have to at thier grave. If you do this you may not miss them as much and you can sometimes feel thier presence or get strange concidences that happen that could be a sign from them saying hello. There is always church to guide you through your faith or nonfaith

OMG lol That reminds of something but its too long to explain haha..... You might not know a thing about Martial Arts if ... You think a Finger Lock is another term for a Bad Marriage. You think executing a Hammer Fist is something triple X Rated! You think getting into a Mounted position is gonna get you Lucky! You think the StarWarsKid was a great warrior! You think SideStepping is a Will Smith Dance Move. You wear your Groin Cup Upside down (LOL some of you probably did) You think Rolling a Punch involves some Rolling Papers! You think an Adrinaline Dump involves alot of Toilet Paper! Your Washing your Belt in the Laundry (if your doing it stop it now!) Billy Blanks is your number one hero!

MonkeygoPooOnyou- The ulitmate Self defense and you don't want to see thier special move!

Why did the Chicken Cross the Road? He ran to the McDojos to become a Black Beck!

=p hehe I was a white belt in this system of Karateforums when I started just 3-4 days ago...IM a yellow belt already! Karateforums is a McDojos lol

Im sorry I didn't mean to offend you or other TKD students or Hapkido I do appologize, I need to work on my virtues alittle more like Bushido. But I still get upset when I see someone get thier freaking 4th degree black belt in 4-5 years of being in a MA when I spend nearly 9 getting my 1st degree. Although I earned it with blood, sweat and tears literaly. To me it's not about the Belt I could care less about that, It's about how they misinform people and rank them up and leave them dry. Some of the TKD super McDojo's around my area should be sued for misrepresentation or something like that. But I am just speaking out of experience of the 3 TKD schools in my area and thier students. I don't claim to know all TKD students

Well wow I was way off ...see our style uses a Military style Structure and every dojo we work with that uses the word Structure speaks of the set up of the Dojo. When you all are saying structure = position and technique....why don't you call it Form LOL. Ok in my cases and working with other schools structure is the following. How the class room is set up who is Leader and head over the system. Rules of conduct Bow, Stances, Exercises, unique things they do. The Ranking system how it is set up and colors of the belt. Is the sytem External or Internal or both. Is there any tactics, phylosical ideas, or believes they incorprate. Basicaly that is all Structure of the style. What alot of you are describing as your idea of structure seems to be ones Form. A form is the position and how you flow, or perform a technique, kata, move, throw, or stance. Maybe every single master , grandmaster and student in my area are off but That is the definations there....if someone told me I had bad "structure" on my fighting stance or throws I would think they were nuts and speaking about possiably my girth, weight, height, lol.