Zaine

Awesome to hear that you're healing quicker than expected! It's also great that you have such a supportive MA family, it really means a lot to know that you have a group of people who are just there for you.

Congrats! Well earned!

It has been my experience that the heavier gis have a better pop. It's also a lot more satisfying to hear as well. I don't think it is that useful during kumite. In kata, it helps to show the power you are using. In kumite you do that with your partner. This really depends on the person. It's hard to nail down an average gi weight preference without crunching those numbers. Gut feeling tells me that 12 oz is about average, it's what most of the people in my old dojo wore. I can't speak to this but I would imagine that there are a couple variables that come in to play here (i.e. manufacturer, how well the gi is kept, etc.) While doing a kata in a heavy weight gi can produce impressive sound and demonstrate the power you have put into a technique I don't think that it matters. A testing board isn't only looking at power and power alone will not cause you to pass a test. Does it help? Sure, it can. How much will it help? That really depends on the people on your board but in the long run I don't think that it is that important.

Congrats Alex! Good luck!

I really enjoy spears. My favorite has to be the long sword. Ever since I was a kid I loved European sword play.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

Wow, great stuff Bob. Thanks for sharing.

Happy Birthday! I hope it was a good one!

First off, welcome to KF! It's great to have you! I don't think that it is offensive but I would suggest that you slow it down. If you focus on what is in the future you fail to absorb what is in the now. Enjoy practicing and mastering the kata and techniques you are learning now. When the time comes, you will learn the new thing and you will have a deeper understanding of it because you took the time to understand the simpler things. It's like someone attempting to do calculus when they still struggle with algebra.

Congrats! Well deserved!

Yes we did! The techniques done at close range both with and without a sword are so similar. I would not be surprised to find out that Fiore had some knowledge of karate.

YES! Check out Schola Saint George! They're dedicated to practicing Fiore's manuscripts. I've started in their system and I am having so much fun doing it. It's a good system that teaches some great stuff. For me, it's very relatable to EMA and my instructor equates it to the fact that our bodies can only do a finite amount of things so there will be overlap. If you want more about Italian sword fighting you can check out the manuscripts of Fillipo Vadi.

I didn't fall in love with MA until after achieving 1st dan. I like it enough, sure, and I was committed to it but it wasn't until I moved away that I found the love for it. I noticed that I was thinking about it a lot and constantly practicing. I studied more of its philosophies and fell in love with it. I may have been a late bloomer in both MA and the love for it but I'm certainly glad that I never gave it up.

Solid post! As a teenager this was a concept that I struggled with. It's very easy to get a complex when you're on the journey to become a MAist. You may think things such as "I am better than them because I am X kyu/dan and I have a deeper understanding of my body." You start to size up people and that's detrimental to the process. It's just one of those things that you have to learn the hard way most times. Just another part of the journey.

Welcome to KF! It's good to have you here!

I'm happy that everything worked out well!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you! Congrats on your passing! The relax thing definitely comes in time as you become more confident and comfortable as a Martial Artist.

I agree with this. As a MA you should be humble and should have taken the parent aside (like in the office) and handled it that way. Saying "do you know who I am" just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That being said. The parent does need to be respectful of the instructors on the floor and any spectator needs to wait until after class to bring up any concerns that don't seem to be harming another student. I think that you handled it poorly in that what you said sounds like posturing and to an angry person that's threatening and (since they've already picked the fight option) it will only escalate the situation. In the end, I think that she should apologize to you but I also think that you should apologize to her for exploding. I know that may sound counter to what you think but remember that you are an example and clearing the air on both sides is never a bad thing.

Great interview! Thanks for sharing!

Welcome back!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you! First thing's first I would build a curriculum. That would help you focus the classes and also help your students grow. Then I would set a testing schedule. Commit to having the possibility of a test ever X times a year on Y days. This does not mean that you will always test on those days, it just means that if you have somebody who is ready to be tested, that will be the day that you do it. Now on to your first question. It's hard as an instructor to realize that we are actually learning when we teach. Try to keep a journal after every class and write down something that you learned that day. For example, if you learned a better way to explain some piece of Bunkai then you yourself have also learned. Otherwise try coming in early or staying late to do some solo training or, invite different students to that so that you can train.

Speak for yourself! Everybody learns at different paces. I totally agree - in fact, it's the difficulty or struggle that in my opinion helps develop the humility found in a true master! Great point!

Congrats!

Congrats and well deserved!

Hi kanie1972, welcome to KF! This is a difficult question because gis often differ in their sizes depending on the company. A size 3 in Century (as an example) may be a size 4 or 5 in Kamae. Most companies will have a size chart on their website or, in the case of Kamae, will have measurement selections. I have always been an advocate for tailoring to fit (if possible) with gis. It allows you to get something that is the closest to your size and then change it to your specification.