lordtariel

I'd probably say take Muay Thai or possibly join a MMA club.

Wooooo! 1000th post... didn't think I'd ever get here. I just hope people find at least some of them were relevant.

Candle actually... Close enough.

It's more powerful than God. It's more evil than the devil. The poor have it. The rich need it. If you eat it, you'll die. What is it?

I'd say it's got some down sides. If you use it in a confined area with lots of people, say on a train or in a hallway(happened to me in high school), it's going to effect everybody, possibly even yourself. Also, I've seen some people shrug off pepper spray. That being said, I've never actually had to use it myself. But it works just fine in some situations.

Be careful... you don't want to blow out the walls of the gym... Oh, very true!! What am I to do? Or go to Japan... cause all anime fans know that buildings repair themselves overnight in Tokyo despite the giant robots and energy blasts.

For some people it's about winning... for me it's about having fun competing with people I've never trained with before. I'd recommend getting involved in at least one so you know what they're about and you can decide if you want to continue with them. It's better to come in as a beginner and not know anything about tournaments than to come in later at a higher ranks and not know anything. Besides if you came in later and find you liked it... look at all the missed opportunity.

If you're doing sparring, make sure you finish your techniques strong. That's not to say you need to kiai after every hit, but just keep it sharp and pull back into guard rather than just keeping your arm out there. Also, make sure you're doing some combos... don't just throw one technique at a time. As for kata, it's pretty much all been stated already. It's all in the attitude and technique. Go out there with confidence, preform like you own that kata, even if you don't. And don't sacrifice technique for speed. A slow, strong kata will beat out a fast sloppy one any time. Above all else... relax and enjoy yourself. Meet people from other dojos and get to know them. It's always fun to compete or train with new people. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

School has always been a rough place. I'm glad you and your son are satisfied with the results of this though.

Hey, if you need to defend yourself, you defend yourself. Deal with the ramifications afterwards. I'd rather be worried about being brought up on assault charges than dealing with being seriously injured or just plain dead. Honestly though, with these kids coming in and causing problems, you'll have plenty of witnesses that could say they've been being unruly in case you need to deal with the law.

I use kicks when sparring, but usually I'll only throw a kick to put some distance between us or to maneuver my opponent into a better position. In a real fight, anything goes, so if a kick works, it works.

Sometimes I'll listen to music when I train. It's more likely that I will when doing strength training or bag work. I'll listen to mostly up-tempo stuff. There's a couple of older threads floating around here somewhere about this.

When I'm young I am tall, when I am old I am small. Blow on me and I'll die.

$61.75 a month, but that allows me to go to any class at any time that I want(classes 5 days a week), including Kobudo or Iaido. It also covers all testing fees and belt costs.

Be careful... you don't want to blow out the walls of the gym...

Gotta go with the original. I used to play Street Fighter 2(Original) at lunch break during school. Besides, can you think of a game series that had more adjectives in it's sequels?(Ultra Turbo Champion Alpha edition)

I'd say about three years if the person is attending class three times a week and practicing on their own, but that number is subject to change. Someone who practices 4 hours a day, five days a week and then trains at home is going to get his belt much faster than the guy who comes in twice every other week.

Once they know you mean business when it comes to disciplining unruly students, things will get better in a hurry. They're probably just pushing their boundaries to see what they can get away with. Keep consistent.

It sounds like fun, but it also sounds like you could get injured if you're not careful.

No mater what it's of, awareness is always a good thing. I agree that the "Broken Rhythm" concept is a good thing. There are times that you can use rhythm to bait someone though.

I'd just ignore them on the street. If you're really concerned about it, get some more friends to go with you. Is it the same group of kids that keep coming in and yelling? I'd consider asking a police officer to sit in the dojo. When they stick their head in to yell they'd get a bit of a surprise. Might be enough to get them to stop. Have you tried inviting them in to train? That's another option. It might through them for a loop if they're trying to be jerks and you instead invite them in. They'll either chicken out or better yet, join you and benefit from the martial arts.(That sounds a little peace-lovey I suppose, but whatever works)

Congratulations.

Alladin. I prefer traditional animation, but I also enjoyed cars.

My preference is the hanging heavy bag, but it's just a personal preference, not based on any deep reasons other than I don't like chasing a standing target around the room.

Judo is such that a small person can do quite well. Jigoro Kano(Judo's founder) was quite small(I believe he was only 5'2"). I also agree with what's been said here. You've invested all that time into your Karate. Hold out till you get your black belt.