Zaine

I am going to agree with most here. Online MA isn't something a new student should embark on simply because you're going to make mistakes, as we all do, and you will have no one to point them out and critique. It's critical to have a class you can go to when you start. I do think, however, that learning a martial art online is an interesting way to do it and I think that it could work for some people. It would be very interesting to explore. If you do decide to start your journey online, I would very much appreciate it if you documented your process and shared it with us.

I disagree with you. You take the unique nature of your club for granted. I think your clubs attitude towards rank says a lot about your school, that your humble, have pure intentions, check your ego at the door- very cool..... But This is a different situation. It was a gathering of many schools where rank plays a big part. This I'm sure was shocking to a lot of these people. And it may have been done to teach a lesson in humility and to foster learning and focus everyone's attention on the lesson being taught, removing the distraction that may be accompanied with hierarchy. It is remarkable. And so is your school, perhaps more so because you adopted the concept full time. Solid post!

Bob hits the nail on the head. Kids classes are more about being having the children be active while learning some discipline. They're supposed to be fun while teaching them concepts like safety, the importance of staying active and (again) discipline. So play MA related games and have a great time. As for the kata, like Bob suggested, keep a 1 kata to rank ratio.

Really had to dig for this one. https://myspace.com/houseofdavidkarate/video/4th-form-koach-gadol/2519566 So a couple of things should be said about this. (1) Ignore the hebrew, the Sensei went through a change in his life and as such, changed the system over to a hebrew based one, it's still Seisan. (2) Sorry about the Myspace, it's really a mess. The video is of another student doing the kata as a learning tool for other students. It comes from Matsumura-Seito. Enjoy.

If there are reasons that you don't want to be at either then I would suggest a new dojo all together. However, given the two choices you presented, I would go with your original dojo. Problem students can be handled by bringing it to the attention of the Sensei. Big egos are going to be around regardless of where you go. However, a Sensei who is the problem probably will be less likely to change their attitude.

Cool article, thanks for sharing! I like the idea of doing this at seminars. It shows everyone that they are there to learn first and worry about rank never.

Congrats!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you! Congrats on the fresh start! I'm excited to hear about your progress!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you! Coincidentally, I was 17 when I got my BB in Shorin Ryu. As for the legitimacy, I think it is legitimate. I, just like you, put in the work and trained consistently and with fervor. Trust your Sensei, they know what they're doing and what you're doing as well.

Congrats! Well deserved indeed!

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

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

Good luck!

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

I don't know much about how you break into the fighting world. Bill "Superfoot" Wallace did because he was famous within the kickboxing world already. Joe Rogan was also well known as a celebrity personality and MA enthusiast when he signed on with UFC. I would suggest finding some amateur events that will hire you to do it first. Small events that you can use to help get your name out there. Also, start a podcast that is related to the MA that you would like to start promoting for and promote yourself like crazy.

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

Firstly, welcome to KF! That sounds intense! However, I wouldn't suggest it. Throwing 10000 punches won't necessarily increase your skill and as you get tired it may in fact hurt you. 10000 punches thrown incorrectly will only make it harder to relearn how to throw a proper punch. Instead, try to do 10 good punches 3 to 5 days a week on a bag, it will benefit you far more.

I would have done the exact same thing. Part of the reason that the time is required is so that you can find out the character of a person. Any BB is a representation of your school and, as such, letting someone come in a test for it is a risk. What if they go out and start a lot of fights? Also, it's a kick in the face to people who have been putting in the time at your school. Why does this guy get to come in and test for black belt? I think that you did the correct thing.

Welcome to KF! It's great to have you!

Great observation!

Great post Bob!

Congrats Archimoto! Well earned!

Solid post!

First let me say that the term "man up" is not going to be a good term to us (I would personally argue that everyone should strike it from their list of idioms). Second, I think that there needs to be two conversations with your sensei. One on the part of the woman requesting that she not fight your son and the other with you and your son requesting the same. Not everybody comes into MA wanting the same thing and if she doesn't want to get hit full strength then that's her business. I also think that you and your son should do some control drills so that he learns the appropriate amount of power to use while sparring. Lets be honest, sparring is a lot different from a confrontation on the street. In a sparring match, the object is to learn technique and what works, not to throw the most powerful punch and do the most damage to your opponent.

Absolutely! You can't let something like this get in the way of your life. MA is fantastic and many people have incorporated it to become a huge part of their lives but they usually make sure to make time for things such as family and responsibilities (i.e. work).