jaymac

I'm sure she still remembers some things. Working out together may be a great thing for both you and your mom. Try to keep in mind though, she may have forgotten some things, especially if she has been out for a long time. When you are able to afford classes, learn and practice what is shown to you by your head instructor.

I have been away from the forum for years. I was looking up something today, and the answer was found here, so I decided to activate my account. Exciting to see that the forums is still running.

That's too bad, really. Luckily, you don't train in a place like that. You also don't usually see people who are supposed to be testing for a black belt, behave this way in public. It is usually the beginner who has the tendency to brag about being in a martial art.

Honestly Rick, I believe you were dealing with someone who was truly telling you a big ol' lie! I do not believe for a minute that the individual in question had any true MA experience. I have come across several of these individuals in my own school. They show up for a trial membership and brag to have all kinds of MA background, and when they can't even learn a few basic moves their first night, they feel ashamed and do not come back. Now, I have had people who come in and do extremely well their first night and I will ask, "do you have prior experience in MA?" Usually I get a yes. They are usually very humble about their previous training. Now, I know that your incident took place in a restaurant, but I think that even that is way to McDojo to be McDojo. Just some attention seeking guy looking for friends to have something in common with, I am guessing.

I think I remember in one of your previous posts that you ask your sensei alot of questions. Maybe he is just feeling the need to directly look at you in hopes that he will answer any questions you may have before actually having to ask them.

My instructor teaches the Japanese for a good purpose. He said that when he was going to seminars lead by Japanese Black Belts, had he not learned the proper japanese terms in his own dojo, he would not have known what to do at these seminars. He said that he was one of a handful of Americans who did not feel "lost", at the seminar.

When I have a visible bruise and someone asks how it happened, I usually tell them, while I was training. Bruises happen. I don't mind, lets me know I was trying hard. However, when I have done something dumb like fall down the front steps and I have a visible bruise, I dont really want to share that one. I do, but I wish that dumb bruise had been hidden so noone could see. Darn it all!

Hey jaymac. I remember a certain someone telling me that I "deserved better" when I was asking for advice on a similar albeit more severe problem than what you are having. Has something happened since you tried to help me? The way you talked it seemed like your sensei was almost always there to teach? While some others are SO quick to tell people to look for another school I honestly do not think that is always the best or even a good option... at least it shouldnt have to be your only/first option if you want proper training. I see that you say that you think you probably couldnt talk to your sensei about the problem... probably not the way I did anyway since your instructor seems to be a bit more of an intimidating fella than mine is (and sad to say it, but I think sometimes a woman can get away with some things that a man might not be able to... though I think any student can talk to my Sensei freely as long as it is done in an appropriate way.) But maybe you just need to approach it differently than I did and do it less direct and just keep hinting to your sensei in some way that you "miss" (wrong word but you get the point) him being the main teacher. You might not wanna have a "sit down" with him, cus it seems that might not help you, but telling him in a polite way repeatedly might start to sink in to his head that he needs to get back to teaching class. I know, you are right, I don't know what is going on all of a sudden. I can't explain it myself. I at first thought it was just me - losing motivation to be there, but i am hearing others say the same thing. Makes me think it is the instructor losing motivation. Hope things change for him. He is losing students and that never used to be a problem at that school.

I feel that allowing young black belts to have the time to teach and gain experience is a good thing. After all, if instructors never trained assistants, then we would not continue to find good instructors. However, there is a method to doing this. An instructor should not just throw is young black belts "to the wolves," and hope they figure it out. They need to have them start out easy, like by leading warm-ups in a class supervised by the instructor himself. The instructor should also have some lessons with only the new assistants, teaching them how to teach, essentially. This way, they can be worked in gradually, and their confidence will grow more and more along the way. Something I do believe, however, is that the head instructor should not try to phase himself out of teaching "regular" classes, or "low rank" classes. I believe that he still needs to be involved in them, and be more than just a face of the school. Thanks for the help bushido. In fact, we do slowly phase in the newer black belts before allowing them to run a class. But the problem is the students and the parents are all complaining that they pay "him" to instruct, not young black belts. I can see there point. I also believe that they should get adequate time teaching, and they do, working one on one or in a small group with younger students. So when it comes time to teach the adult class, it should be the head instructor, not young teen black belts. It showed last night. Only 7 people showed up the the adult class. I have a feeling that he will catch on. Just hope it isn't before he loses his whole adult class.

I am beginning to feel the same way in my school. I think my instructor is great, but he is allowing too many young black belts run the class. He is so good at what he does, I just wish he would run the classes himself. I feel that I do an adequate job in teaching when I am supposed to, but that is because I had years of his instruction and watching and listening to how he handles things. Now there are many new, young black belts who are getting thrown in to teach - "just to gain the experience" and what I am seeing is alot of people leaving the school and hearing complaints on the outside of the school on how things are being handled. I want so badly to sit down and talk to him about this, but he REALLY isn't the kind of person who takes constructive criticsm without getting angry. I am afraid any approach would cause serious problems in my own training.

I hope the medications will work for him. I pray for you all. Keep your strength. Have they put him on the transplant list anyways?

Welcome! I also take Shotokan Karate. You will love chatting with everyone in here. It is definitely one of the nicest forums I have visited.

Yes, we do. I think alot of schools are different, but we are not affiliated with a governing organization like JKA. My instructor felt Kanku Dai was a more difficult kata, thus he does it after shodan.

I have a couple of comments to add. Most doctors commend anyone who exercises, no matter what it is that they do. I have yet to come across a doctor, including orthopaedic doctors who tell someone to give up martial arts because of a bad joint. As for being placed last in emergency room triage because of a karate injury, well this is just not true. I would believe that a karate injury, unless you were knocked unconcious, is probably not an emergency, hence triage. Those individuals who go to or are brought by ambulance to the ER are triaged as Level 1. Serious and life threatening, Heart attack, CVA, Multiple traumas, serious life threatening injuries/burns and needing immediate attention. Level 2. Situation that could become serious: abdominal pain, fevers > than 102 and sustaining without antipyretics, open fractures, chest pain. pt Level 3. Non-life threatening injuries- sprains, bruises, possible closed fractures, colds/flu. People who work in the ER's are usually understaffed, underpayed, overworked and try very hard to take care of everyone, including those people who could probably see their own physician the next day for their complaint.

"Violent drunk." Alcohol can change an individual's personality, life, and life of those affected by the alcohol abuse.

I think this looks like a good way to keep Black Belts serious about their training. What happens if someone does not do well. Is thier advancement delayed?

For Shodan, there are 9 kata we must have and perform adequately at the belt testing: The 5 Heian kata 2 Tekki kata Bassai Dai Kanku Sho We are taught 4 more kata at each Dan level, until all the kata have been learned.

Definitely go back to your instructor. I bet he/she will understand and just be glad to have you back. Good luck and keep us posted on your decision.

If you look him up on the internet, he has fought and won many times in sparring championships. I am sure he will be competitive in what he wants to try. He was a Martial Artist long before he was a power ranger.

I like the idea of testing BB every 3 - 6 months on the material they should know. It is a way to see if there is improvement and to keep them interested and motivated. I don't think I would consider "marking" their belt with a rank (other than their current dan stripe).

Really, who knows why some people quit. I knew a guy who quit from his training before black belt when he found out how much the cost of the exam was ----it was absurd by the way. I knew another guy who would not test for his Nidan rank because he was moving away and would not beable to continue his training. I asked him, why didn't you just take your exam? He said, I didn't want to make it seem like I was only wanting that rank and then quit. I could see his point, but thought he was very worthy of the rank. Maybe some people quit because they feel they are not ready for Shodan and are being tested anyways. Who knows. I do know that in U.S and Canada, there is no such thing as registering to the authorities when recieving a black belt. Also absurd.

My mother would watch boxing with me and say, "I just don't understand why someone would want to stand there and get punched." I grew tired of trying to explain it to her. I think that is the same perception carried by anyone who hasn't actually had the joy of being in this type of sport. They feel we go to the dojo and just hit each other. Unless they actually go and watch or participate, it is hard to change their opinions.

Listen, what I think you have here is a well rounded child who learned a life lesson. I think what she did, is exactly what many might do. Maybe the comment after the knockdown was a bit overboard, but she did not allow the boy to get the better part of her, and this is really what the whole thing was about, boy vs. girl. Had it been 2 girls or 2 boys sparring against each other, I think the whole sparring event may have been different. She defended herself, she was adequately disciplined by you, apologized, and life goes on. As for your instructor, he along with any non-competitors or judges, should not be allowed on competition floors. Spectators should be seated. No coaching from the sidelines is a rule that should be upheld.

Good replies. As others have said, do not teach him. In most dojo's /dojangs, it is one of the rules that what you have been taught, is not to be shown to any non-student outside the facility, for the exact reason you are saying. Your brother would use it to hurt others and not to just defend himself. In doing so, you could be expelled from the training facility indefinetely. Tell him, if he is interested in learning, take classes from a trained instructor.

You should do the demonstration. They can be alot of fun and it is a type of "positive advertisement" for the school and your instructor. Breaking boards, i believe is generally a very tiny percentage of what is taught at a school, but at a public demonstration, it is impressive to those who are watching. I don't believe it should be a focus of the demonstration, but it is a nice thing to end a good "show" with.