AikiGuy

I have used quite a few weapons so I definitely have some opinions here. My favorite weapon depends on how you define "favorite". So I will answer the question a few different ways. The weapon I like the most: Nunchaku. It's fast and very flashy. It also takes a lot of practice and control to use properly so I take great pride in being able to wield it. My most preferred weapon in a fight: Spear or Bo. Long enough to be used very defensively as well as offensively. Can counter most hand held weapons. The weapon I would most like to train with: Sansetsukan. Very cool weapon here. it can be used as a single unit or as multiple weapons at once. I didn't realize this before but I probably like it because it's a combination of the first two weapons I mentioned. Again, very cool.

I can see the point of those who are saying that some exceptional students might actually deserve a BB sooner than most. But I think that's only true for some things like basic technique, form, athleticism, and adaptability. But there's more to being a BB and some of those things only come with age and maturity. What about physical strength, judgment, ability to defend others, ability to teach others (including adults), and an understanding of the legal ramifications of one's actions? One could argue that an exceptional 14 year old might have some of these, but a 7 year old could never have even half of these qualities. This is why I could never award a small child a BB.

A bit of a generalization I think. Sure some Karate/TKD schools don't have great weapons programs but that could be said of any style. It really depends on the dojo and the instructor. My Karate instructor was actually quite good at teaching Kobudo. In fact I have done weapons sparring against formally trained Kendo students and held my own. I'd say the training worked. I understand being against buying the protective sword gear. Those outfits can be several hundred dollars when you get everything. But also check if your son's dojo does padded weapons or would possibly consider it. My school did this and the only gear needed was a sparring helmet with a face mask/shield, a cup, and a foam sword. I have a different opinion of "fake" padded weapons than you do. I think they allow the user to freely explore movements without fear of serious injury, which will allow them to learn faster and be more comfortable when they finally pick up a real weapon. I taught my son with padded weapons when he was younger and he did pretty well. Also, don't get too hung up on weapons that are closer to the body. If your son is not a big guy, a longer range weapon may be exactly what he needs as an equalizer when facing an opponent with a height / reach advantage. And of course, make sure to get your son's opinion on the choice too. He will put much more effort into training if he has an interest in his weapon. Spear sounds great if he/you want something familiar that will build on his bo skills. Especially since your wife has experience. Even if she fills in to help him only a few times, it would be helpful. Plus it could become a cool family activity for all of you. But if the goal is to expand his range of abilities, then the sword or tonfa are both good choices imo to give him some variety. Of course, your safety concerns about the sword are valid. But if he is getting close to black belt and has some experience handling weapons, he should be ready as long as his instructor seems competent and is big on safety. Just my thoughts. Good luck in your choice. I would be interested in knowing what the final choice is.

I leaned how to respond to to recoil by striking a heavy bag in my basement. Of course this was after learning basic strikes / movements in class and passing my chucks kata test. Without those basics, it would have been plain dangerous. BTW, even then I still used padded plastic chucks at first. And yes I did hit myself a lot. Safety first, right?

I agree with mal103. Definitely share your goals with your current instructor before proceeding. He may have some basic knowledge you can use to get started even if your dojo does not teach weaponry. Or he may be able to recommend a good school. But mostly, let him/her know out of respect. It looks sneaky and sometimes disrespectful to sign up at a second dojo without the approval of your first one, depending on the instructor/dojo. Karate schools sometimes teach traditional weaponry (Kobudo) including the nunchaku so you might check there for lessons. Another option is to get a book or instructional video to learn the basics before going too far into the training. You may decide you would prefer another weapon more, especially since the nunchaku is a very difficult weapon to wield properly. After learning and teaching nunchaku, I think it's definitely one of the hardest hand-held weapons to use. Good luck in your training. Let me know if you have any more questions.

First time back in a long while. Glad to see the place is still going strong. Anyway, my belt has the name of the two styles practiced in my dojo written in kanji, one on each end. The yellow lettering really makes it stand out.

I took about 7 years for my Shodan spread out over 14 years. I probably wasted at least a year re-learning things after taking very long breaks from training, some of them several years at a time. It was well worth it though. In fact I would have preferred to take another year but I did not have a choice.

I tend to explain things repeatedly to avoid these types of arguments so I don't get this much. Although if/when it does happen, the first thing I do with a loud or disrespectful student is to tell him in a very calm voice to lower his tone or something similar. I insist on keeping things calm and civil and I will not even entertain the idea of a disrespectful or heated debate in my class. If the student continues, I cut him off and repeat the request for him to calm down and tell him that it's the only way we can talk about it. I would never give him an answer until he asks in an acceptable way. This is a great way to show the rest of the class how questions should be asked and it prevents other students from doing things the wrong way in the future. Of course as others have already stated, I find that showing the technique the proper way on the non-believer always stops the questions right away. When he/she tries his idea on me and I stop it in seconds, it speaks volumes.

This is a great idea. Another idea you can try is to simply require a minimum amount of sparring time as a test requirement. My instructor had a minimum of 15 or maybe 30 minutes of documented sparring practice for lower kyu ranks and it would increase as your rank went up. We had forms that would be filled in and signed by an instructor after any sparring session. This was standard for us but it could be an informal thing documented (or simply witnessed) by you or another instructor for those who would normally avoid it. Just let the student know that most students do a certain amount of sparring to go from one rank to the next and he or she needs to shoot for that amount as a goal just like any other test requirement. If the student doesn't do enough, then he/she does not test yet.

If it's a long exhausting test with only you, I suggest you continue to do aerobic conditioning so you can go the distance. If you are already in good condition, you shouldn't have to do much, just enough to keep your endurance level where it is. If not, do as much as you can reasonably fit into your schedule. This can be at least as important as drilling the movements. No risk of injury there so not much downside unless you don't have the time. When I took my Shodan test, I was the only one testing and even though I ran for 30-45 minutes twice a week up to the test date, it was still exhausting and I wished I found time to do more. Of course, most high kyu and dan tests are designed to push you so maybe I would have felt drained regardless. Still, I would have felt better if I did a little more.

Like Harkon, I am a huge fan of the nunchaku. They are my fave weapon, really fun to use, and impressively flashy. Also, if you had to fight with them, most people would not know how to defend against them. However, since they are illegal in most situations, other than legitimate MA training, having the skill to use them is not the most useful (although I did fight off a knife wielding thug with them once). I actually have the opposite opinion as shinka about its use. I think they are great for offense due to the speed but not as good for defense since blocking with a flexible weapon is not as effective. Although I suppose the trapping ability of the weapon is useful but not as commonly used.

Foam for learning or practicing complex movements. I have several pairs of these in varying weights for solo practice (lighter) and for sparring (heavier). But for more realistic training, I have wood ones. I have octagonal, round handled, wood for serious training and demos. Also, my dojo requires the real ones for most class activities.

I agree with all those supporting the overweight instructors. I have also gained some weight over the years and I can still do many things I used to but certainly not all of them. And the ones I can still do are increasingly difficult even when I train regularly. For example, I still spar even with the younger guys but my bad knee keeps me from doing certain aerial moves. I was 145 when I started training and have been as heavy as 230 (mostly due to injuries and decreasing metabolism with age) and it makes very little difference in how I teach. Since I know how something is done (even if I don't perform it as well now), I can still explain it in great detail and coach a student until he gets it right. We need to keep in mind that most of our bodies will start to fail us before our minds do. And the mind is where the knowledge is kept.

Hello all. I'm back after almost a 2 year absence. Glad to see this place is still going strong. For those I remember, it will be nice to talk to you all again. For new members, I hope to have many interesting discussions with you.

It's not you, it's the tests. Some levels really are noticeably more difficult than others in some styles. In my style Green (6th kyu) and Purple (4th kyu) seemed to have more new stuff to learn than other tests. I was told it would take a bit longer because of the additional requirements (new strikes, pins, escapes, etc) and also because these levels were sort of a checkpoint where they look for more subtle things like improved balance, control, aim, etc. Either or both may be the case at your school and it would be quite normal. I don't know how common this is but I'll toss it out anyway. The way I dealt with this was by really drilling the heck out of one or two of my problem movements (at home and during any open mat time in class) until I had it down. Then I at least had something to show off to Sensei when I went back to class. I found this easier than learning half a dozen advanced techniques and then trying to perfect them simultaneously. The smallest amount of progress could sometimes keep me going for a while. Of course there's lots of other good advice in this thread too. I'm just giving you another option to choose from. Good luck in your training.