Zaine

I agree. I wasn't sure if it appeared to be more suited to women because they would have carried them more often, as the men would usually have carried something more useful as a weapon, like a sword? But, it appears the fan may have been an item carried by men at times, as well.I believe this is true. I have to admit that my historical knowledge is mostly in Western history but I seem to remember something about this. Also, fans are an awesome weapon, no matter the gender.

I tend to recommend more than one year, but that's just me. The only detriment is that one system can mess with your technique in another so instead of jumping ahead in both you fall behind in both. After you find grounding in one system then I think it's okay to branch out and try other things. Waiting also gives you a chance to find out what best compliments the system that you choose.

Happy Birthday Noah!

I haven't seen it, but I'm a fan of Tommy Lee Jones and of course Robert De Niro. I don't watch a lot of TV but when I do it's usually stuff like Agents of Shield, Sleepy Hollow and Arrow.

Enthusiasm 100% every time!

I think, then, that a distinction should be made between what we might call (in a MA context) good and bad potential. Certainly I have come across many MAist that have had potential. They're fast learners, seem to get into the techniques quickly and generally have the physical side of MA down and yet they have a terrible attitude and they are not someone you would ever want to spend a lot of time with. They have little (if any) time for philosophy and character building and you they make your class miserable. Then you have those who come in ready to learn and to embrace every aspect of MA. The philosophical and physical side. They come to every class ready to learn and to help others learn. They may not get everything naturally like others but they have the desire to try and try again until they know every part of the technique backwards and forwards. Both examples have potential, but one lacks the qualities of a MAist. I also think this distinction separates the fighter and the MAist. We find both in schools all the time, but the MAist are generally the ones with staying power. So for me, character is preeminent in determining the right kind of potential. The kind of potential that I want to teach and want to watch grow.

I'm pretty general here, I just want to see a student who wants to learn the material. After that I can teach them anything else (such as respect and humbleness etc.).

Definitely, I would recommend picking up any of his books (although I might start with Essential Karate) regardless of what you practice.

Congrats!

Masutatsu Oyama (often called simply Mas Oyama) founded Kyokushin in Japan.

Trust your MA elders, they often know better than us when we are ready. There are times in a lot of our journeys when we get honored and we thought the whole time that we weren't at the level we should be. We're often too hard on ourselves, so rejoice in your victory! You earned it!

I don't think that's a thing that anybody could describe briefly. The differences between the various systems can be subtle or vastly different. For example, TKD has a lot more kicks than Shorin Ryu would.

That's pretty cool! It's always nice to have a small session with a Sensei, especially when you start out.

Welcome to KF!

Congrats Dani_001! It always feels good to move up!

Wastelander is right, it's better that you not throw yourself in the deep end here.

That's a really great way of viewing kata, solid post!

Welcome to KF!

Agreed. If you're using a weapon generally I think that the intention is to hurt the opponent.

It doesn't sound scamish to me. That's just the school's schedule. Some do it only twice a year, some have an opportunity every month. It probably is just easier for the Sensei to do it annually.

Welcome to KF!

Then you should talk to the Sensei about it privately. Remember, though, that they get the final say and that includes an impromptu changing of the rules to fit what they want.

It depends on the issue. Management: It's really not your business. If they do something that they feel is a good move for the business, then you should trust them. It's their business and they know more about it. Say they raise the prices. Some students might find that unfair but the Sensei has to pay the bills to keep the place open. He knows the numbers and what he needs to do. Wrong move: It depends. When it used to happen I just used to ask. "Hey, I thought it was this way?" Be polite and respectful, Senseis make mistakes too and are usually more than happy to correct it. If they're touchy about being asked in class like that, wait until after and ask them about it privately.

Firstly, welcome to KF! This is not necessarily true. I find that different styles of martial arts are popular depending on the area. So for example, where I live I see a lot more TKD schools than anything else. In other areas I have lived it has been kung fu, different types of karate etc.

You'll do great!