Zaine

Whereas I am not a Goju Ryu practitioner, I believe the answer to you questions is that times change. We're in a different world than the founders of most of our respective systems and with that sometimes techniques need to get added and subtracted from our core practices. That's just my two cents.

If someone asks I will let them know, but I don't go around letting people know unsolicited, that's just asking for a problem. I will practice in publicly accessible areas every now and again, but only if no one else is around. Other than that it's my backyard.

Good luck!

Generally it contains: Bo Nunchaku Sai Kama Tonfa Eku Not necessarily in that order, a lot of Okinawan karate that practices kobudo as well contains these weapons. However, more specialized schools that I have run into have commonly contained: Sansetsukon (three-section staff) Nunti-bo (Spear) Tinbei (Shield) Surujin (Weighted rope) Kuwa (Hoe) Tekko (A variation on what we would recognize as a brass knuckle) Again, not necessarily in that order. Usually never a katana or any type of sword.

Welcome to KF! Oddly I can find nothing on this kata on the internet. Is it called something else as well?

When you get a BA in Culinary Arts you are essentially getting a business degree so I imagine that this would be similar.

Fantastic advice! I agree 100%, contact the authorities and avoid confrontation with this guy.

I wouldn't mind have a BA in MA, just for the novelty if nothing else! I know many colleges hold various classes, so I imagine the study tract would be to take a lot of the different classes, mixing Kung Fu with Karate. I wonder if you could use it in place of a degree for something related like physical education where some jobs might require it.

Congrats hammer!

Always a pleasure.

That awkward point when all of your rank progressions are political? I hate that as well. Huh? I don't quite understand the question. I have found that with a lot of organizations, there becomes a point where ranking up is a political gesture, or an honorary one. This is due to a lot of reasons, but my Sensei ran into it and hated it. He was promoted to rokudan because the ones who ran the organization felt that he was due for a promotion. He certainly had the skill but he wasn't happy about it.

While I don't agree with kids having black belts, I absolutely understand the reason for some of the better schools doing so. It's an ego thing, kids want to advance in rank and know that they are progressing as much as adults do.

No Taikyoku? Why not?

Wagnerk nails it. I would add that most instructors are okay with communicating with you before you join. So if you're interested in Shotokan, email a couple of the schools in your area and ask what they're about, whether they are more self-defense oriented or if they focus on going to tournaments a little more. Remember, regardless of what their answer is, you can still learn some great self-defense and traditional karate from a tournament focused school. Just because they're "sporty" doesn't mean that they don't know what they're talking about.

It is not. However, some instructors who don't do it may have a place that they can recommend. I started at 9th kyu. Is that the best time to start? Who knows, it's just the time that I started. I am a proponent of starting earlier in your martial arts career however and being that I love weapons I believe that it's something that every martial artist should at the very least dabble in. http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/1996-75/current/pdf/1996-75.pdf It seems that "nunchakus or kung-fu sticks or other similar device" are banned under the "Prohibited hand weapons" section, but I saw nothing else about martial arts weapons. Make sure to read over it more carefully than I did though.

http://www.amazon.com/Takashi-KARATE-280cm-Master-Black/dp/B00BLM93WM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396024875&sr=8-2&keywords=silk+black+belts The all powerful Amazon has some posted.

That awkward point when all of your rank progressions are political? I hate that as well.

What if the owner is an amazing business manager/marketing guy but a so-so martial artist? If he's able to hire people who are outstanding martial artists and manage the work environment to let the talents of his people shine while he concentrated on keeping the place running smoothly for them, wouldn't that be better? I agree, I think that it would be a better arrangement. I think that overall our conceptions of what a mcdojo is can be pretty black and white. Just because you sign a contract doesn't make your dojo a mcdojo. One may pay a lot of money to train but that doesn't make their dojo a mcdojo. While these things may be red flags, they don't necessarily mean that the place is a mcdojo. All in all it's hard for us to say that this-or-that thing will necessarily mean that the dojo is a mcdojo because we can't be aware of all of the circumstances or reasons. Remember that some places make you sign contracts to protect you from them as much as it is to protect them from you. If I had to pick on thing that would define a mcdojo, it would be a mass allowance of students to progress to black belt quickly even though they lack the skill to hold the rank.

My favorite way to teach a kata is step by step. Do the steps a few times, then introduce the next part until completion.

Language. My teacher started not using Japanese names for things and then switched to using them.

The Maria thing is pretty off-putting. Congrats on your new dojo though! I hope that this one works out many times better than your last!

Welcome to KF!

Reaction time is definitely a huge issue for me. Hopefully it will improve. It will! It just takes time an practice! Before you know it you will have blocked or dodged a strike without even thinking about it.

This is great advice! mal103 is absolutely right, every dojo is different. One might not do any cardio or strength aside from the actual practice itself at all! Some might require a mile run before every class! A lot of us here supplement our training with cardio and strength training outside the class room. Do you have to be in shape? Not necessarily. However, as you progress, you will start to be more fit and you may have the desire to supplement to help your progression.

AdamKralic hits the nail on the head, don't go toe to toe with the guy. Stay on his outside and keep moving. This also depends on the judge. Again, I would look for good technique, as I stated above. However, make sure that you're intense. As a judge, I want to know that you believe in what you're doing. This doesn't necessarily mean screaming at the top of your lungs for a kiai, but if that helps you the go for it! However, do the kata as it is mean to. If your bassai is anything like the way I learned passai, then there are parts that are calculated and slow, and parts that are fast and intense so you should use that to your advantage. Again, make sure to practice this kata a lot! Remember that you're putting on a show for the judge to be impressed with, sell it with your technique and knowledge!