JWLuiza

Don't forget overhead: Rent, Insurance, Advertising, Maintanance

For JJJ (not BJJ) there are many two man kata you can practice by yourself and focus on the footwork... However if you are talking BJJ... I got nuthin

Rather than give you advice I will try to write from my own experience. I used to go up to the older guys and other not-so-hard-core "part timers", as I called them, and correct every little thing they did and try to lecture them about how much better they would be if they trained more often and put in more effort. I saw everything from my own perspective. I thought that I knew better than they did about everything, even though they were 20 years older than me. After all, I was the little hot-shot black belt sent by God to show them all how it is done. So, today, if I walk into a karate class, and there is some young punk in there who thinks that I am not giving enough effort, and that he should try and help me, I'm probably going to politely, as nicely as possible, make it clear to him that I did not hire him as my instructor, and that when I want his help, I will let him know. Oh no. Rob, I'm that obnoxioius guy in class. One of my New Years Resolutions is to quell this urge.

Rank, rank, rank exactly. I've seen 3rd, 4th, and even higher dans that cant' perform or teach likse 1st and 2nd dans at my school...

How much: About 4x going rate in the area (but included 8 private lessons a week... but I never really needed private lessons) It sounded as if they taught mostly through private lessons. I would say around $100 month is average around the DC area. I thought the instructor I worked with was very knowledgable. He was charismatic and moved well (made me feel rusty). In terms of what I don't like... Hmmm. Well, the price is prohibitive and I didn't get a good feel for the school culture... I would have preferred a group class as my trial lesson. And yes the instructor was aware of Mattera/Villari etc. But whatever. I gained some respect for the art, but also had some stereotypes strengthened.

I visited the USSD in NOVA and did think the prices excessive, however, the instructor I worked with had a very good working knowledge of his art, butu I'm also not an expert in Kenpo or Kung Fu. Very n ice office and computer system.... Man I wonder how much he makes?!? Around here $100/month is the average (Bjj/TSD) or even cheaper (Judo, rec center karate)

Heck, with only a few months, as long as they make you sweat: Krav Maga, Muy Thai, anything. Just keep checking places out. Do trial classes. Trial classes = free workout! Tell them you are looking to get in shape and see what they provide. You should be proud of yourself for being proactive about your physique/health. SOme of my best memories and friends are from my MA experience. Good luck. If you come to a school in the DC area, I'll help you out!

Assuming similar ethics, body size, and skill any match is a toss up. Body size and athleticism always helps. In terms of a bigger opponent the following conditions will help: bodily harm to weak areas (throat, etc) and ability to not play the other persons game. There is no one martial art (how many times do we have to hear this?) that will prepare you for every opponent, but a MMA who is well rounded would be able to deal with many situations.

Hmmm I have two white Tokaido uniforms (12 oz) that are great, but the size 6.5 is being retired for my new size 7. I think my cousin is going to get my 6.5 if he wants it (he does ryu te karate). I have a size 6.5 black Tokaido top that is my all time favorite top. It's my secret weapon when I do kata. I generally get good snap due to technique, but it is a little short (maybe I'll get a size 7 black when I pass my next test) I have a two Pro Force Super Heavy Weights. One is a TSD uniform (top has black trim) and the other is a black. So I have 3 heavies that go through rotation. I also have a 12 oz Pro Force black that is a summer outside gi (black).. 4.5 gis going to 3.5 once I ship one out to my Coz. Wow, i need to train more!

Yeah, I bought a Tokaido and it is "HEAVY". A cotton belt doesn't feel right anymore!

Shureido makes rank belts...

Lol. I shave summers cause of cycling... But don't do BJJ yet.

Man, you guys have a strange definition of partying To party def: (v) to have fun in a social gathering. Throwdown def: (v) get your karate on.

Here is mine: I was 13 when I tested for the first time in TSD. During my Taegot 1 (Taikyoku 1) puberty decided to raise the octave of my kiai to the point of a five year old girl. Being a scrawny 13 yo boy I was so upset! Somehow I managed to skip 8th kyu and went right to 7th kyu (Red). Thanks to Laurie for the idea since she was talking about farting in another thread... I'll save more stories for later (like how I got hazed once I got my black belt because I cried like a baby when I passed!)

No spandex tight shorts?

you are welcome. I was trying to get the op to clear up the distinction as well. You and I are on the same page. Rank is a marker and a political one at that.

In that case you are not giving up your rank--You are not ASSUMING equivalent rank in another school/style. No one can ever take what you know, but belts in class are to help the teaching process. But gheinisch is correct, wearing the white belt is deemed appropo at another school/style. Generally when I go to new TSD places they let me wear my rank, however.

I do TSD and Jujitsu at the same time and find them to be complimentary. Movement principles are related, but... well the above poster was right, you will feel like a white belt again.

I think he might be talking about doing open "flashy" style tournaments. Is that correct? Generally Koryu martial arts are not tournamnet oriented.

TSD here, not TKD, but a nice backfist to the face to stepping in side kick. I'm 6'7" so if they think they can get away from my back fist the side kick will kill em and if they move at an angle I can turn the kick into either a round kick or a hook kick. If they move in, I pull the kick back fast and aim a left at either their head or under their guard.

No problem. At my school we teach the following: Pinan 1-5 Kibon 4 (I don't know what happened to 1-3) Naihanchi 1-3 (I don't know 3) And the following BB forms: Bassai Dai and Sho (Know Dai well, can pull Sho after reviewing) Kanku Dai and Sho (Got both down) chinte (got it) Chinto (every see a 6'7" guy do a side kick from the single leg stance?!) Shihoken/Sa Bang Kwon (Got my BB with that history of that form is cloudy)) Jion (Really rusty on that one) Hangetsu (Love it) Lohai (Fun form with some one leg stances) Ship Soo (AKA Jitte, fun form to learn sweeping techs in sparing) Empi (Everyone learns that form as soon as they get their black belt!) Kae-Bek (the one korean TSD form I know that isn't Japanese based) Tenshi (Weird form from the 1970s) Plus I have picked up: Nijyushiho Meikyo (Which, I just found out is a shotokan version of Lohai!??!) Gojushiho Dai Jiin (rusty) Hwa-rang (Ok, i don't remember that one anymore) My best kata is Nijushiho (AKA Niseishi), I'm drilling Unsu, and I am revisiting Naihanchi 1. LOL. So I hope you have EZpass for the tolls to MD

Laurie, You and your bf should come down in April to the DC area and check our tournament out. Get your form-geek on. I'll teach you a TSD or Shotkan form if you want as well if you'll teach me a korean one (Right now the only korean form I know is Kae-bek..) The funny thing is I can get the gerneral pattern of shotokan derived forms in a day and have it memorized... Korean? Forget about it!

Wow! I inspired a thread! Who hoo! Anyway: Do you stand a chance with an open form? Of course! But remember as one of your elder colleagues said (in paraphrase) "It IS about the performance" not your understanding of the form. However, your understanding can bring about performance. Key things I think about (as a black belt I've only placed first a few times and 2nd/3rd a few others, so take my advice with a grain of salt) are syncopation and delayed hands. In TSD/Shotokan style forms the quicker and snappier your hand techniques, the better, so I wait till my transition to my stance is 85% complete or so and then launch my strikes blocks, etc. as fast as possible so the 100% of the hand technique finishes at the same time as the last 15% of my stance. I also noticed it helped generate hip power. Syncopation for me was done by thinking of my forms from a judo/jujitsu perspective. For example, Pinan 4 the Backfist side kick combination is a modified hip throw , so figuring what is leading up to that combo and if certain moves are part of that set or not lead me to changing the timing of certain moves. IMHO, I think japanese/okinawan kata lend themselves more to this deeper translation than do korean forms.

In some schools you get a provisional belt and have to retest in 6 months or so.

I'm sorry if I made it seem like I came up with this idea, that practice is older than me!!!