IcemanSK

Only you know your body & your confidence level in your own abilities. But, if you're asking others what you should do, my guess is you've made up your mind to do it, but are wondering if it's a good idea. I get that. I'm 48, have trained for a long time & still wonder if doing "X" event is a good idea. I can't answer your question for you. Talk with your sensei & get her/his opinion. Talk with your significant other & discuss it with them. They have a better idea than we do of your ability & desire. All my best to you.

I think someone would do well if they developed one. The person who developed Canemasters in the US markets it (in part) to seniors who use a cane, but it's more of an exercise program, rather than SD for them. It's still useful, but hardly interchangeable. It's very frustrating for me to see the difference betwen how it's marketed & its actual use.

Not corny at all. Noting one's own struggles as motivation to continue is great. And more than likely, you are an inspiration to those around you.

My understanding about why BJJ is that way (from you bold) is because Helio Gracie was small man he found more success on the ground than standing with his mostly bigger classmates & family members. Am I correct that he developed BJJ from his strengths on the ground? Help me understand those origins.

I have a few favorites. Marvin Hagler, Julio Cesar Chavez, & Mickey Ward. As for women's boxers: Chris Kruez & Bridgett Riley. Holly Holm sure has talent as well.

I go back to Chicago wrestling in the 70s (Dick the Bruiser, The Crusher & The Gagnes), & WCCW out of Dallas in the 80s (Kerry Von Erich & The Freebirds). I was a huge fan of the Legion of Doom. Either age, maturity or the rise of MMA (or all of the above) I just stopped watching. It became less interesting to me. Some of my buddies still love it & still go to matches (even travel to do so). But it just doesn't have the same appeal to me.

I have to agree. I like the way fight quest was done better. I liked the fact that both guys on Fight Quest had some MA training. The one guy on Human Weapon was an MMA fighter, but the other was a football player with zero experience. While he was an athlete & very flexible for a big guy, he struggled with fluid movements of an MAist. In fact, both Jason Chambers of Human Weapon & Jimmy Smith of Fight Quest (now commentator for Belator) fought one another in MMA. Smith won by submission.

In the US, all you need, really is liability insurance to cover any problems. In fact, you really don't need that; but it would be really stupid. There are more than a few schools where the "instructor" is barely trained at all in any Art. They don't last long, but there's little to keep the guy from taking money, packing up & opening up a school in another town. It doesn't happen often, but occasionally.

To the OP. Just before I closed my dojang in July 2015, I had 2 siblings that played with 1st Dan testing for 2 years, but were never serious about doing it. Life got in the way & their interest was winding down. They would, however, show up to class & train. When I informed my students that I was closed my school, I got a very angry & half-informed email from these students (who were both adults: 19 & 21, btw) telling me that her kids had "earned their BBs" & she was furious with me for not testing them for them. I never responded to her email, as they were adults & responsible for their own lives. They had plenty of opportunities to prepare for a test, but did not show interest in it. When the dojang closed, I referred them to other schools in town & told them that I'd go with them & explain my curriculum to the new potential instructors. I ran into one of them a few weeks ago who told me that they still had not checked out other schools. I was not surprised by that. I explained to them that life at another school will be different & there would be no guarantees of anything that they'd done up to this point would count there. Earning it under me would look different than it would be elsewhere. I once had a poom BB from another dojang in town whose instructor never sent in for his Kukkiwon certificate that they paid dearly for. I told his mother how to ensure that they received it from their former master. They did so & received it. However, the child immediately hounded me to test for 2nd Poom. He couldn't remember any of his poomsae & was nowhere near ready to test. He was used to not earning it. He & his mom didn't like that I wasn't interested in having a 2nd Poom that hadn't earned the rank under me. I was working just to get him up to speed as a 1st Poom in my school. Sometimes I felt that if I'd have put a higher price tag on everything folks would have taken it more seriously. When they go elsewhere they will see the value that they had under me. Both in quality of instruction & price of class.

I'd say that even if you love it, that probably isn't enough. You have to learn to be resilient in the face of students & parents who will question your business practices, teaching tactics, etc., as well as the ups & downs of running a business. One puts their heart & soul into teaching, yet students leave. They don't all hold your Art with the same reverence as you do. Yet, you have to continue to love your Art enough for yourself & for them. You have to be loyal to your students, & hope they return the respect. Loving for oneself is not enough when one teaches. You have to love it for your students, also. It may sound as if I'm disillusioned with teaching after running a school for 10 years. I assure you that I am not. But I did get my eyes opened & much more appreciative of my instructors that I've had over the years. It is not an easy business to be in. It takes perseverance to weather a lot of storms. I was much stronger than I ever thought I was, or needed to be as a teacher.

My grandmaster wrote a book for students 35-ish years ago that is updated every few years. It has the curriculum up to first Poom/Dan in it. We use it as a guideline for belt testing. Senior Instructors also have an SOP mannual by which to run our dojang. We can add to the curriculum in our schools, but we cannot subtract from the two books we use. Both bookare very helpful & detailed.

When you walk into a dojo/dojang of a different style (even within the same Art) it's possible to be asked to not wear that rank. I've had the opposite situation happen to me. I had a late friend who was the #2 man in his system of Karate. He asked me (as a TKD guy) to come & teach his kids how to kick. He asked me to wear a gi w/ his style's patches, but also, my style's BB. I did as he asked, but always felt odd about that. I realize that, as a guest instructor, I might confuse his students. I joined them in kata, but always felt odd that I was not a BB in his style, yet he treated me as one of his own. I was honored, but it never felt comfortable. In TKD, more often than not, whatever belt has been earned elsewhere is worn by the transfer student, however testing doesn't happen until an understanding of "how things are done" at that particular dojang. As a Kukki-TKD guy, if I went to an ATA or an ITF school, I may not be received as openly. I have to be aware of that possibility.

How about "When Taekwondo Strikes" by Jhoon Rhee?!? I searched for & bought that one a few years ago, too. It has quite the kitsch-factor to it. Say what you want about GM Rhee, an actor he is not.

I've gone back & watched both Fight Quest & Human Weapon on Youtube. As similar as both shows are, I thought Fight Quest was done better.

I'd be willing to bet that, since the popularity of TKD in the 80s & 90s, that your Art has been called TKD by unknowing folks more than a time or two.

This place in the US does amazing belts & will embroider anything on them, but I'd bet shipping would be exprensive. Perhaps it's worth an email to find out, however. EosinPanther.com

Well said!

Their first fight was a circus before the fight. This promises to be the same. Are you interesting in another fight from these two? Why or why not?

I don't see the value in allowing an axe kick to a downed opponent.

I have a few. Taekwondo-based films. "Best of the Best," & "Spin Kick have great stories to go wth the MA. I also really like the fighting in Billy Jack. For the time, they went outside the box of what was done to add excitement to the fight scenes.

Welcome back! There are a lot of folks here who have great ideas.

No, I've seen Rocky 4. ASpartan life while training is one thing. That is altogether different. I've trained at altitude & enjoy it, but I need a community around me.

This.

That happens less often now than in the 70s & 80s. More often now it's "martial arts" or "Taekwondo". Things have changed since the 1988 Olympics. And even more have changed since MMA has become popular & many MMA fans have come to view tradition MA of any sort as "less than" BJJ or "MMA."

At the end of the day. Yes.