Isshinryu_heart

Welcome! A McDojo is a name for a chain dojo, or any dojo that is focused more on sucking students' money than teaching a martial art.

Don't let the kids see that you're nervous - they sense everything. As hard as that might seem, keep in mind that they look up to you and everything you do needs to be an example to them. Teaching does take a while to get used to, but eventually it will become second-nature to you. Just don't get discouraged if it seems difficult at first. If you have to make your own lesson plan, I suggest watching how the other instructors teach and take notes - that way when you are faced with a whole class to plan, you have a bunch of ideas already written down. This is what I did and when I began instructor training I found it extremely helpful. Everyone else on this thread has given great advice. Keep up the hard work and you will make a great instructor!

my favorite kick will probably always be the hook, usually i follow it up with a roundhouse with the same leg. However I am also a fan of the sideblade, especially when my sparring partner is too far away - I do a sort of crossover and kick before they know what's coming ^_^

Your Shotokan definitely helped! Your karate training will improve many different aspects of your life - this is the first of many times when you will notice that your reflexes are getting faster, your flexibility is increasing, your muscles are getting more toned, etc. The list goes on and on! Keep up the good work, and good luck in your tournament!

If you're just getting started with meditation, you should try it in a quiet spot without too many distractions. Just try to concentrate on your breathing - if a thought pops into your head don't dwell on it, just as you are exhaling try to imagine it leaving your body. This is very helpful if you are nervous or stressed, or like you said getting ready for a fight, imagine you are exhaling anything that is troubling you. This is really basic, but it does help! Also I would advise against meditating and not paying attention to surroundings while walking, as this could be hazardous.

One of the greatest aspects of karate is the fact that it is an individual effort. Your karate is never going to be exactly the same as anyone else's. When you begin to study any style, you are taught the basics. As you move up and progress in your training you are given more and more techniques and katas. However, the katas that you learn are only "patterns" - it is up to you to apply them to your own karate, in a way that fits your own body type and way of doing things. So eventually (I must add that this takes many years of experience) you are able to create your own karate, within the style that you study. However, just keep in mind that even after this is achieved, you should still have a mentor - someone to look up to, to help you through your training, and the only way you can do that is if you keep training. A good instructor will never force you to be a clone of him/herself. He/she will allow you to develop your karate in a way that best suits you, but will also keep you on track. Maybe it would benefit you to try another style of karate that suits you better. Not every style works for everyone. Hope this helps a little!

I just had a 2-day seminar with Sensei Chuck Merriman. He seemed very knowledgable about karate, and also a really interesting person. Even though he instructs in Goju-ryu and I study Isshinryu, I still learned a great deal from him. We did a comparison of Sanchin kata - the way it is taught in Isshinryu vs. Goju, which was very interesting. He also was at one time the US sparring team coach, so we worked a few drills that he used when he was coaching. I was wondering, has anyone here ever trained with him, and if so what did you think?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/noelle_nausea/tacky.jpg

hmm, in my dojo it is considered rude/improper to ask to be taught new information. If a student wants to work something new, he/she must show the instructor that they deserve to be taught it, but the instructor calls the shots.

All kyu and 1st dans wear solid white. at 2nd dan you get black pants with a white top. 3rd dan is black top with white pants. And at 4th dan I guess you can mix and match? We don't have any higher dans (besides my Sensei, who is 7th), so I'm not really sure. We all have to wear a certain kind of gi too. This never seemed strange to me but apparently it's not normal?

Ok...so there's this guy in my dojo who was a jr. brown belt when he was a kid but quit (at age 9 0r 10). A few months ago, he came back to train again (he's in his 20's now). My sensei made him start back at white belt, but he was given a little more kata since he already knew some of it. He did work really hard, made it to classes about 3 nights a week, and everything came easily to him (then again, he's one of those natural athletic types). Well last week we had testing and promotions, and he was testing (we all assumed for yellow belt). But when it was time for promotions, my sensei promoted him to 2nd kyu (the same rank as me). Now I'm happy for him and his accomplishments and all that, but Ive been training hard for 6 years. I worked really hard to achieve my rank (everything is much more difficult for me because of my medical conditions). I feel kind of cheated out, because he came back to the dojo for a few months (not more then 5 or 6 months) and is already the same rank as me. Of course, I respect my Sensei's decisions, and I would never try to second-guess him. I guess this sounds kind of selfish...but I barely know the guy and I'm going to test with him for black belt, and I really don't want to. There's a good chance that he will pass me in rank when we test for black belt, and I don't see how that's fair. It makes me feel insignificant.

my favorite is definitely chinto. Though I've yet to learn Sunsu...can't wait because it's the only true Isshinryu kata.

My sensei is a 7th dan in Isshinryu...he also holds 2 or 3 other shodans though I can't remember which styles.

In my dojo, the last class at night always cleans up. Every month we switch off which class has to do the major cleaning, so it's not so bad. If everyone does one thing, it gets done really quickly. Also, we don't make the white belts clean. Or rather, we don't let them clean. Once they get color on their belt is when they are expected to make an effort to the dojo.

the real problem that my school is starting to have is that we teach students starting at age 4, so by the time they turn 13, they've already been training for 9 years. We've added in intermediate belts for the kids - like the 4 year olds get a white belt, then a white belt with a yellow stripe, etc. But we are still getting to the point where kids are reaching brown belt by 9. In my opinion, 9 or 10 is still too young to test a kid for junior black belt, because the test is almost as hard as the adult shodan. But the problem is, how do you get those kids to stay interested if they know they won't advance in rank in 3-4 years?

My kiai sort of sounds like the word "high" or "higha", but the h is more of a cough There's this one woman in the adult class whose kiai is a really loud HUP...and there's a teenage girl who just squeaks really loud and high pitched...both are extremely funny especially if you knew the person who was doing it

Well traditionally, inner dojo practices were always kept inside the dojo. The old dojos were walled in (sometimes with spikes on the walls to really keep intruders out) No one was to discuss what really went on in the dojo to an outsider. This practice has gone on for centuries. The secrecy of black belt tests is a way to keep that tradition going today. Since black belt tests are arguably the most traditional aspect of a style, keeping them a secret preserves that tradition. As far as the closed doors, there is a separation between kyu ranks and people testing for black belts. This is also a traditional aspect of the test - for example, when someone is testing for black belt, they are not allowed to speak to any of the kyu ranks until the test is finished. Mainly, its because the black belt test is supposed to be an individual thing. Also, the job of the instructor is to do far more than prepare someone for a black belt test. Some things are obvious when you test - you know that you will be tested on them. You know that the test is going to be difficult, and you prepare for what you think you will need to know. Like I said before, testing for black belt is an individual thing. You shouldn't need to have someone tell you what you need to know, because in that effect, you would not be preparing for it yourself. (It's almost like cheating)Also, if every kyu rank knew exactly what goes on in a black belt test, it would take something away from the rank when it is achieved.

I find some of the posts on this topic to be kind of disturbing. It seems like people are saying that a person's physical skill is a measure of their dedication to the martial arts. I suffer from severe juvenile onset arthritis, as well as other medical problems, which makes it difficult for me to perform in certain aspects of my training. However the fact that I have physical limitations has absolutely nothing to do with my dedication to karate - I train 4-5 nights a week at the dojo and practice at least an hour every day at home. I train very hard because karate is not easy for me, so I need to work harder. But I will never be at the level of someone athletic not suffering from my condition. According to what some of you are saying, apparently I'm not worthy of a black belt. My dedication and love for martial arts means nothing...because my medical condition restricts my "physical skill"? Personally I find that kind of low...

Tournaments in my area are usually on Sundays, because people work on Saturdays. It's not a big deal for me religiously, I'm Catholic, but I just go to mass the night before.

At my school's karate camp, we do a countdown before every class for attendance. You basically count off down the lines. Well, it was the first night of camp, and I was excited. So the kid next to me said 69, and I blurted out "80!!!!" For the whole rest of camp, no one let me forget it. Whenever we did something that involved counting, they would ask me if I needed any help. I felt like such an idiot!

I havent tested for black belt yet, but in my school it's a 24 hour test. Sometime in the middle of the night you have to go on a 3 mile run, fight all the black belts, perform all the katas you know regular side and opposite side, and make up bunkai for them. That's the stuff that everyone knows is on the test, but I'm sure there are other things. Every time someone tests for black belt, the next morning their gis (usually white) are pretty much the same shade of brown as their belt. And somehow, this is something I look forward to.

So true (I'm a brown belt)

ive been working kusanku for the last year and 2 months

If a person is not a certified instructor then they should not be teaching classes. At my school the assistants are always supervised by a higher-ranking instructor, who makes sure they keep on track with what they are teaching. If the problem is in the higher-ranking instructors interpreting things wrong, then I suggest having leadership meetings where the instructors go over their curriculum and lesson plans.

If you want a style that realy focuses on kicks, Id say Tae kwon do - that's their specialty. However, beware of the McDojo.