IcemanSK

I've told the story of a former instructor who lied about credentials and gave bogus ones to me and others. That wasn't the extent of his "charm." During sparring, the unspoken was that your groin was fair game if he felt you were getting the best of him (or if he was bored). His groin was never fair game and was answered with a punch in the face (never legal in our style). He saved the largest degree of punishment in sparring for his wife. Found out years later (although I shouldn't have been surprised) that he gave her one-sided sparring classes at home without pads. A real jerk all around. I stayed there too long. I regret it to this day.

I've heard good things about Shureido, too. For awhile, genuine Shureido was hard to get shipped to the states. But that was a dozen years ago or more. I have to agree with sensei8 on EP's customer service. I ordered a belt for a friend a few weeks ago. They called me the day before they shipped to ensure that I was correct. Attention to detail is so important when doing custom work. Thanks also for the comparison between Eosin Panther and Kataaro.

Congratulations on the weight loss!! Soft core belts stay tied better than stiff core belts, in my experience. I don't know if that's issue with your belt or not.

Eosin Panther Personal preference; they supply what I/we need. When we eliminated outward rank identifiers, Eosin products exceeded our required parameters. I left Century MA Supplies after being with them ever since they opened. Between these two companies, I've only purchased from Eosin Panther. N/A Thank you for your response. I have always had great customer service response from Eosin Panther, also. On a unique order, they reached out several times to ensure that they got it right.

I've long been a fan/champion of Eosin Panther as a company and a product since someone here on Karate Forums recommended them to me in 2005. I have several of them and have bought them for students and friends. They really do amazing work. In the past few years, Kataaro has become another popular high-quality American made belt embroidery company like Eosin Panther. Which belt do you prefer? Why do prefer that belt? Has anyone purchased belts from both companies? If so, how does the quality compare? I don't work for either company. I know more about Eosin Panther, but the quality of Kataaro can't be denied either.

Welcome to KF, Pancor357; glad that you're here!! From what your OP speaks about, it's the dojo that's being disloyal to its Student Body. So, I'd speak to the CI!! If that doesn't pan out, then I'd start looking elsewhere. Good luck, and please let us know how things are going. First, Welcome Pancor357. I concur with sensei8, completely. If you're teaching yourself, the dojo is being disloyal to you. Put another way, if you're teaching yourself (and not being taught by chief instructor) who is there to be disloyal to?

I've trained in Kuki-TKD for most of my career. Back in the 80s, heavier weight duck canvas and other types of heavy dobok were very popular. With every kick or punch, the material would make a great pop sound. They even used to make KKW v-neck dobok in heavy canvas. Today, the thinking is lightweight (or even ultra lightweight) dobok marketed to fighters. How many of you have trained using both heavy and light styles? Which do you prefer to train in? How many of you have only tried one type or the other?

I've been training for 36 years. One thing I'm sure of is that the value is in embracing the suck. The best part is in the difficulty. The sweat. The struggle. The working through the confusion about a technique. The feeling of "I'm not sure I can keep doing this" in the middle of class, followed by the "I get so much out of being here" feeling as I leave.

I don't know of any demotions of rank that Kukkiwon has ordered, but I recall Illinois state Taekwondo association kicking people out and barring them from being a part of the organization in any way. The reasoning was justified. Two cases I'm aware of were both because they'd been found guilty in the courts of molesting children. I'm sure Kukkiwon would probably agree to strip folks like this if they were aware of it. But, I think stories like this would take up a lot of their time also. The WTF (sport body of Kukkiwon) did expel a fighter from Cuba for intentionally kicking a referee during a match at the Olympics, before the guy left the arena. I don't know if Kukkiwon ever stripped him of his rank.

My grandmaster defined a belt test as, "regular things done in class under stressful conditions." The concept of "stressful" is different for every student. I once had an adult student, who was quite successful in his career, experience a lot of anxiety if I even mentioned the idea of a belt test to him. Other students do their best work in the stress of a belt test. For some, a belt test might be a good distraction from the anxiety of a hospitalized family member, school exams, or other such stressors. For others, it might be unhelpful and even damaging to train or test during times such as these. The danger is when we put moral or value judgments on ourselves or others during these times. Saying "you must" or "you shouldn't" train/test is unhelpful. What is helpful during a stressful time is to ask oneself, "What will benefit me at this time and what are the consequences of my actions?" Missing a belt test or classes to be with family might be the better choice in the long run. Knowing how you react to stress is key. If one is in class, but their head is on family or school or other things that bring them anxiety, that may be dangerous. If completely a task of a test helps you focus, it might be a good thing.

This!

As a teen/young adult, I trained for a dozen years with a mouthpiece as an afterthought. I didn't care that one mouthpiece wasn't good enough to keep a kick from ruining my orthodontic work. I eventually got a dentist-made mouthpiece. They're worth every penny. I've had several over the last 20 years & never regretted the expense. Whether stand-up or grappling Art, you want to protect your teeth and gums.

I want to make grandiose claims based on great intentions for the new year. However, I finish up graduate school in May and am planning two non-MA careers at that point. So, my MA goals are humble ones. I know that I will continue to support my instructor and help her stay up-to-date on Kukkiwon/Chung Do Kwan info. I hope to return to regular training on my own and training at friend's dojang, as I can in the coming year. I take my training with me everywhere I go. I miss training and teaching regularly. It will happen again, but I have things I need to do first.

I talk about martial arts less over the years simply because most of the people that I talk with aren't interested in it on the level that I am. I also enjoy other things that aren't things most people enjoy. I don't talk about them openly, either. When I was a kid, my dad was a salesman. He couldn't stand sports, but he watched the sports segment on the news every night without fail. He did this because he knew most men used sports as their default conversation. I'm practical. I talk about myself only to the degree people want to know. Personally, I'm interested in what other people want to talk about.

I bow when I enter a school not my own out of respect for the space and out of tradition. How I'm treated when I'm there is up to those who are there. I don't view bowing as any more of a big deal than offering my hand in a handshake. When I was a teen, I idolized my instructors and clergy that I knew. I'm an adult now. I've learned that anyone can have a hidden agenda. My showing them respect doesn't alter that possibility. I try to show respect everyone I meet. I have no control over what they do with that act of kindness.