atalaya

the aikido group that i used to train with would once a month do a workout at the local farmer's market (on a saturday). during the workout they would have a (i guess she was a secretary?) take down people's information who seemed interested and she would invite people out to a free month of training. this sparked interest in many people and made sure that they didn't have any preformed misconceptions about aikido. (it also brought in a wide variety of new people, many of whom stayed on)

in my ignorant view of things, it also depends on what kind of a stance your opponent takes. it is one thing to have opposite guards, same stance. it is a completely different thing to have opposite guards, different stances. if they have a short stance with a lot of weight on the back leg (cat, back, et cetera) and you are in a strong forward stance (forward leaning zenkutsudachi for example) then you might have the best luck switching stances with an attack to try to force them back. in matters of opening technique, not only which hand is leading, but what kind of stance and the distance matter immensely

another thought on being an instructor: don't take yourself too seriously. learn to admit your mistakes and move past them. of course you must always think in terms of how you can bring others up in the martial arts, but also be thinking to yourself "am I freaking this kid out?"

this does sound like quite the pickle. If i may, however, other goju organizations may be more in favor of supporting you. The old head may not even have much to do with other goju organizations because a) he named the school after himself, b) created additional katas and if what you've said about having limited contact with other goju groups is true, c) he may not have had much contact either. good luck, in any event.

once a good friend of mine asked me what he could do to help his son learn martial arts. The kid was there and acted interested so i turned to the kid and said "it won't be easy, but i think the best thing you can do is practice holding a perfect fist for as long as you can holding perfectly still until you can do it for five minutes." the kid turned to his dad and said "i think i'll do soccer instead." since then i have changed my approach to teaching kids.

i've heard that breaking a board is akin to breaking someone's rib in difficulty. what are the dimensions of a board to make that a fact?

perhaps in the future they will have some kind of "learn to dance" program that can be incorporated into kata. it would use the same basic functions as "smart board" technology where you can directly interface with a computer simply by pressing on the board.

for me that depends on whether or not you view them as having benefitted from your martial art. a martial arts school is supposed to help people (in my limited mind) from all walks of life enjoy confidence, strength and direction that comes from practicing a martial art. of course i would love to pass what i know to someone else, but if it doesn't make them a better person, what would be the point? i feel that the reason we should stay in contact with a student who might be straying should not be for a financial pursuit (although money certainly helps further the cause) it should be because we honestly care about them and want them to do what's best

if only there were some way to insure that the character of an individual was fitting for their rank. for example, a good-citizenship requirement, et cetera. it may be just that i am thinking of those teachers from before (the good ones anyway, as we all know that many teachers of the martial practice would advance based on prestige and wealth) who would refuse to advance or even teach students whose attitude was unbecoming a martial artist. in a western society, those intangible qualities or those qualities that we cannot quantify (that may be the most important ones), generally are not acceptable reasons for withholding rank.

okay, while the discussion wasn't originally about the validity of practicing kata/bunkai, i feel that the proper practice of kata can enhance a student's focus and help them to learn how to apply techniques in a realistic way. of course no one is going to attack you in an "I" format as many katas have or follow any set pattern for that matter, however, the practice of kata and bunkai (especially in small sets) can help improve reflexes and reaction time to give a fighter the unique ability of reacting to a threat without having to think about it. by repeating (an effective, applicable technique) over and over again in various speeds and starting from various distances a student can help overcome the initial rush of adrenaline that may actually hamper their response time.

i have to say coming from basically a karate background that to end a fight i had to hurt my opponent enough that he either realized the error of his ways (unlikely) or he was unable to continue attacking. this left some longer term effects on them and inhibited in some ways their daily lives. recently i've been practicing some grappling with a good friend who is an instructor in a different style and i have been able to put submissions and chokes into a practical application where my opponent doesn't have to be injured to give up and as a plus if i need him to move afterwards i don't have to carry him.

perform two consecutive archer's blocks in 90 degree shiko dachi (starting with right leg back and left hand down)as you move backward. once complete, slam right forearm against left palm as you slide forward into a neko achi dachi

something i love to do is throw "soft" blocks at my students and have them practice dodging them. Then i have the students practice various defensive and offensive techniques against the blocks. then i have them close their eyes and i throw them at them. this helps them use their hearing to try and anticipate an attack. then i have them stand in various parts of the room all facing away from me. they get five seconds once i start aiming at them to put their hands up and stop me from throwing a block at them. (this is not some mystical trick, they learn to hear strange footsteps, the way clothing moves and breathing for example). then i have a period where they start with backs to me and i attack them. sometimes to mix it up i give them a handicap- for example, they can't use their arm because it is broken or something like that. the best is when they get so good you wrap a towel around their heads and attack them. they can get pretty good at defending themselves even like that!

i think it's actually pretty common to practice bunkai for a kata- "practice kata on a body"- so it shouldn't be considered anything particularly special. instead we should view it as a necessary and obvious part of learning, not that we are a "few" who do it, but that we are a part of the larger whole. something that has helped me focus more on kata is to meditate before i do it and focus on each individual movement. you may also enjoy changing speeds as this can help a student focus on the minutiae.

at my school we have students line up against a wall and we throw various padded (styrofoam for example) objects. they try to kick/block/punch, et cetera incoming objects. then round two they aren't allowed to touch them so they have to dodge. in round three they close their eyes and (with plenty of room between each person) try to dodge, strike or block incoming objects. it's fun and pretty cool to watch. it helps decrease their response time and increase their reflexes as it improves their hand to eye coordination. (nothing mystic about this one- objects make noise as they're thrown, so does the gi of whoever is throwing it)

on an instructor knowing the history of his art. i think it is a key element. for example: one of the katas we use in goju ryu was made by a dancer. that background knowledge helps me understand the flow needed to perform the kata correctly. on a similar note; if a practitioner of kung fu knew that the art was used to help monks develop their physical bodies AND practice the concepts of buddhism, they may be able to better understand things like balance and spirituality and how they apply to their art. history can mean the difference between participating in a noble heritage and simply waving your arms around

just a few cents of my own to add-- of course you want to encourage your student to drink deeply of the martial experience, but part of that experience is waiting. patience is something that cannot be taught, only "learned." be careful not to give your student indigestion. a sensei friend of mine used to say that since Jesus was a pacifist, no one had EVER thrown a perfect punch. the path is conical: as you progress upward you must refine the techniques you had laid a foundation of and progress until all techniques are one.

deliberately harming someone during class (especially someone of lower rank). also-- lying to teacher will get you kicked out permanently.

i remember well the first day i took over as instructor of our karate group. my sensei (although he had become a pacifist) had graciously offered to observe me and give me tips as a kind of farewell gesture. right away he told me that i had made two huge mistakes. 1) i tried to over explain. i broke down each movement as i was learning them at my (more) advanced stage rather than teaching the basic part of the move 2) i made a small, but forgiveable error in my form. the reason my sensei pointed this out to me was that the other students (in addition to the usual problems that beginners have) had all adopted my problem. every one of them. if it were their only issue it wouldn't have been so noticeable. my advice: don't worry so much about how you explain something. break it down into the essential information and keep in mind that they will have decades to perfect their form as long as they get a good foundation. 2) practice each technique before class by yourself in front of a mirror (maybe even with an instructor there to offer advise) and make your form perfect. there is nothing worse than spoiling a perfect vessel by dipping a dirty finger in it.

wow! okay so i got something about these cats... (chinese, obviously) and one is saying to the other something about how he loves to hit him? then when the other cat jumps him he says something like "you are the ... most... something? " any good translation out there?

quite funny! surprisingly good find. mascots fighting back. oh the drama!

to be honest i have always wanted to teach. i have had several teaching positions, but the story of my taking on the role of martial arts instructor is a sad one. as i was nearing time for shinza my instructor upped and became a pacifist. as i was doing an internship i was familiar with all the teaching materials and practices and whatnot so i kept it up to the end of the school year (i was at the time senior student and assistant teacher at a branch of my martial art based in the high school i graduated from). i held a shinza towards summer time where i invited a 3rd dan to come out and make sure i was doing everything right. he gave me a huge confidence boost when he told me i was doing great. i even promoted a few of my students to middle kyu! everyone was so excited about the club they asked me to continue it for a while. i considered that they would have to travel to seattle to get classes in the same style and took it upon myself to try to pass the torch on to others. the saddest part of this story is the fact that although many of my students have shown great potential they have all quit and/or moved away until i myself have now been relocated without a serious student left to me. i still teach (just on saturdays now) but my hope of teaching someone the depth of goju ryu karate that has been shared with me is now a bitter, un-fulfilled dream.

i agree with you: kata is fantastic. when i was much younger than i am now, i used to think it was a boring waste of time and just a way of practicing when no one else was around. how wrong i was! if properly conducted, kata can help you tone muscles, reduce thinking/response time, refine mental discipline, heighten self awareness, and challenge problem solving/analytical functions of the brain. we should consider that there is a "soft" and "hard" aspect to everything- a punch has a strong (finish) and weak (transition) phase. a body has both bones and organs. a kata may be used for soft or hard purposes. (ie, sanchin kata!!!)

although it seems that "chivalry" may just be a pretty word for "weakness" or spineless sniveling and groveling to appeal to others, i believe that it is the height of strength. meekness is great power under complete control. when you give an opponent a "fair" fight it means that you are above petty manuevering and that you would rather bravely face your opponent at their best than take the coward's way out and wait til they're at their worst and risk becoming like them. on the same note- you should train so that you can always give your opponent a "fair"fight. "fair" is a ridiculous notion. for example for me to be in a "fair" fight with someone whose physical and mental state were not as developed as mine (the small percentage of the population that that represents) i would have to be on my knees and blindfolded for it to be "fair." i suppose i mean for them to be allowed their best shot. it may not be much of one, but i owe it to myself to let them take it. unless they're trying to kill me, in which case it is no longer a fight, it is just survival.

it sounds like quite the ordeal. hopefully you have come out of it with a better understanding of yourself and a determination to never be the condescending/abusive/argumentative type. during my time trying to pass what i had learned on to others i met with frequent separations- let me say that from the teacher's perspective it is frustrating to see potential and experience wasted by pride. some of my favorite students would leave because they didn't see the point of regular ab workouts for example (goju is biiig on abs). while i am not saying that you are in the wrong, i am saying that you should keep in touch with your former teachers (if you were close to them) and let them know that you are still practicing and honoring what they taught you. i wish i could thank my own instructors daily for sticking with me through my own trials- including pride (which still gets me!)