Zaine

This is going to seem like a cop out but it's going to be as useful as you make it. I can see a lot of ways where Kyokushin would compliment Muay Thai and a lot of ways where it might become a detriment. It all comes down to your ability to find out which concepts would help and which ones would be more detrimental.

If Tokaido Yakudo has a chart use their chart. I generally go with the height chart for myself.

Happy Birthday!

A couple of factors go into it for me.1) What are others charging for similar services? 2) What's it going to cost me to keep my school running month to month (i.e. rent, paying any additional instructors if there are any, insurance etc.) From there I can set a price that will allow me keep my school running.

For me, it's about 5-10 minutes, so I'm a little lucky in that area

While I'm well versed in many kata's inside and outside of the Shindokan syllabus, I will teach said student any kata he/she prefers, providing I know it. In that, I prefer to teach a Shindokan kata because I'm a Shindokanist, and therefore, my dojo is a Shindokan dojo. Yes, I'm a traditionalist to the core, but I'm also eclectic as well. Nope. I offer everyone free introductory lessons. Besides, said student might like what's seen and what's offered in my dojo, in myself, and in my students. Nope. This said student has already done all that's required of said students sensei before contacting me, and while this sensei is a friend, my dojo is my dojo, and his/her dojo is his/her dojo; let's remember this. Nothing. What I decide is what I decide. That should be respected from ALL concerned in this matter. This is essentially my answer. My Sensei does similar, although when asked to teach a katana that his highest rank doesn't know he generally teaches them as well.

What did you end up choosing?

ROFL!! I know that must've been quite an embarrassment for him!! Only after he woke up.

I didn't take one! Which was unfortunate because we train outside and Arlington was freezing for almost all of those. One or two days was just pretty cold which was a nice break.

This sentiment basically takes the cake for me. Definitely check out your options though. I've come across a few "self defense" courses that have stuck around for years. Also, every once in a while a traditional martial arts instructor will teach a "self defense" series of a couple of classes as a way to get more students and those are always great to attend so that you can get a rough idea of the school. I would start looking out for those classes being that it's new years resolution time and a few schools will be doing seminars to get interest from the people whose resolutions line up with martial arts.

I always forget how many muscles I have when I take a lengthy break. Instructors are always more than happy to remind you though. They're such nice people.

I prefer rope as well for the same reason.

That seems as good as a suggestion as any. Other than that, make sure you don't keep it in extreme weather for too long.

We practice Anunku for the sai for the system that I learned.

Mentally I don't remember how I prepared for my first class. I was 12 so it didn't really sink in how important this journey would be to me later in life. I think I just wore regular cloths.

Shorin Ryu teaches empty hand and weapons and also I do a Western Martial Arts which, unlike the Eastern Martial Arts that I have taken, focus on weapons and not so much on empty hand.

I haven't framed any of mine. I know where my Black Belt Cert is in a closet but I have long since lost any of the kyu certs.

I really liked my Meijin Gi, it was worth every penny. I ended up losing it a few moves back and haven't had the disposable income for another. I miss it sorely.

For the Shorin Ryu I took (in order): Pinan Shodan Pinan Nidan Bo Shodan Seisan Wonsu Nihanchi Shodan Nihanchi Nidan Bo Nidan Anunku Nihanchi Sandan Anunku Sai Nunchaku Training Form Pai Sai Sho Pinan Sandan I think that's the correct order at least, I get fuzzy on some of it, but the grand total is 14.

I chose my style because the we knew the instructor and he was teaching it for free. After joining I liked that we sparred a lot because part of the motivation of me saying "yes" to going was I was getting beat up and I needed a way to defend myself. It evolved into so much more after that and now my favorite part is the philosophy that goes into Martial Arts. However, that wasn't really talked about in class so that was something I thought could have changed.

I don't really remember my first class. I do remember the first year, however. I remember struggling to understand and working hard to get it and feeling that joyous feeling when the Sensei looked at me and said something to the effect of "I can tell that you've been working on that because it looks good now." I loved my first year of Karate and you will too.

Chishi meaning the stick with a stone at the end? (Inelegant explanation I know).

Merry Christmas!

That's an awesome idea. Don't fancy gift shopping on Christmas eve though! We rarely have our Christmas on Christmas so we never shop on Christmas Eve. This year our shopping day will be the 28th.

We do something different. My father gets a generous bonus every Christmas and gives everyone $25 dollars for each person (i.e. I have $25 for my wife, my brother etc). We go out and buy the presents the day before (being that we're all anxious balls of curiosity, although we generally show everybody what we want them to buy us) and we wrap it that night (we are able to do this because we have Christmas when everyone can make it and that is rarely on the day of). After wrapping we make clues to where we are going to hide them and in the morning and every one goes on a scavenging hunt getting one present at a time, we open it as a family, and then get the second one. So the answer to the original question is that it depends on whose clue I grab first.