Zaine

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!

Great topic! I have always had a special place in my heart for the Pinans. Pinan Shodan was the first kata I ever learned and later on the Pinans became an introduction to crane. Pinan means peaceful mind because the idea (or so it is said) is that after the kata you were to have expended so much energy that you were at a state of having a peaceful mind (euphoria or enlightenment would fit here). There are two origins for this that seem to be prevalent. Both agree that it was introduced in the early 1900s. The first is that it was created by Anko Itosu. Many practitioners at the time assumed that it was a watered down advance kata meant to introduce children into karate. However, it was adopted by many systems in spite of the view and grew to what we know today. The second (and the one that I find more likely) is that it was introduced originally as a kata know as Chiang Nan by a nameless Chinese man. The kata became Channan, which then Itosu separated into 5 different kata. I like the second one better because it makes more sense (because of the crane techniques) and it seems to tell the full story. It's short, but it shows the diverse history that a single set of katas can have. Sources: http://www.iainabernethy.co.uk/article/brief-history-pinan-heian-katas http://web.archive.org/web/20090805102716/http://geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/9536/pyong_ahn.html Channan: Heart of the Heians

First off, welcome to KF! This is a controversial topic and many don't believe that this is a real thing. They may be right, they may be wrong. I will, however, attach a disclaimer to it: I have never seen a legitimate use of someone's psychic power (or chi/ki) used to disarm an opponent. Does that mean it doesn't exist? No, certainly not, it just means that I haven't seen enough to prove to me that it's something that one can accomplish. That being said, if you're interested on reading up on the subject I would suggest that you go to your local library or bookstore (probably would have better luck at your local big chain bookstore) and look in the sports section. If you don't find anything there, look in the new age section. Be careful about looking it up on the internet and finding people who will teach you how to use these techniques for just a easy payment of X amount of money. Most of all, use your judgement and talk to your instructor about it. I haven't know Goju Ryu to focus on chi/ki but that doesn't mean there aren't practitioners out there who do. Good luck on your search.

CredoTe hits the nail on the head, especially with the mention of using your core to move the bo. Get this down, and you will feel less awkward with the weapon in your hand. Confidence is key when you're using a weapon so I would definitely just keep practicing at it. The more you practice, the better the weapon will feel. Thanks for sharing!