Truestar

It has been awhile since I've visited here. Just wondering how people are in respect to where they live and Hurricane Sandy, and if you were impacted by it in some way. Our area just received bad flooding only last year, so many people were nervous when Sandy got close. Every single school closed down Sunday night, and the county I work in was put in a state of emergency hours before the rain even hit. I went to work at midnight for my double shift, and got home around 1600 Monday. A long day, but no flooding or wind damage.

I knew there would be a topic on this, and I haven't been to this forum in a couple years. I love both Ip Man and Ip Man 2, for those of you who saw "Ip Man 3", yes it is a prequel. But I just read an article today in school that the 'third' Ip Man is a possibility, and will center around Donnie Yen as Ip Man, and his teachings to Bruce Lee. So hopefully we will see another movie with Yen in it. http://www.jaynestars.com/news/donnie-yen-to-film-ip-man-3-in-3d-featuring-bruce-lees-story/

From my experience with 9-12 year olds, I've had many of them question, doubt, appear bored or uninterested. At this point (leaning towards the 11-12) I think they are mature enough to start grasping what they can get from the Martial Arts. I told a student a week or so ago to understand that some days are going to be boring, some things she won't yet understand, some days are going to plain suck, but if she trusts me and gives everything she's got she will be much better off as a person and Martial Artist. This girl is 11, and in the past few months has taken leaps and bounds in her training. She's started taking things she hated, such as knuckle pushups, and is now requesting them during warmup. I've tried to explain to her what she can be, sport wise, self defense wise, and personable wise, and that if she lets me teach her she will get there. She's usually in her class by herself or with one other student, so that may be a reason as to why it was easy for her to start grasping the whole picture. Trying to explain that to a group of kids might be different. Show them black belt is something worth making it to, but to get there they have to take each day and learn from it and grow. A hard concept to get into young kids minds, but over a course of years, months, or maybe weeks it's something that hopefully starts getting through to them. Obviously the younger and less mature you get, the more difficult it gets. When digging into younger kids, under 9 years, a lot of it does rely on your energy, and sending that into the room and the kids.

I tend to look towards the leading arm. But that's how I was taught. I honestly don't see either way as being incorrect. Using the peripherals displays a 50/50 sight on both sides of your body, demonstrating the ability to see both targets at the same time, and let's face it, that's what the W-block is for.

I smiled when I read that, assuming the instructor wasn't being rude when he said that there is absolute truth to it. It's the defining line of a black belt. A black belt should not be for everyone. It doesn't matter how many classes you made, how hard you tried, or what you've paid. Black belt should be a set standard, and the standards shouldn't be lowered. I think this goes along with age and potential disabilities, whether they be physical or mental. The average person really shouldn't reach black belt. Those who reach that level need to stand out and meet good concrete standards. I'd rather sit a student at 1st kyu for the rest of their Martial Arts life than give them a black belt knowing they didn't truly meet my black belt standards. From a modern point of view this seems stretched or borderline rude, however speaking as traditionally as I can, I believe it's true. I recently started a new Martial Arts system. And with this system I got a chance to travel with my instructor to a nearby town to a Shotokan school that is a part of our organization. They have a mentally handicapped brown belt that I've seen at tournaments before. It's obvious this man has a mental issue. My instructor approached me to inform me of his handicap, he also stated that this man has before lost control and attacked other people. To what extent I didn't indulge in, but he told me to be prepared that if the guy has a mental breakdown to be prepared to witness or participate in taking him down. So let me ask you. Should this man ever reach black belt? I can tell you his bo staff performance is on par, nothing spectacular but nothing below average. He seems socially adequate, and apparently has had self control issues. I don't believe this man has ever taught anybody an aspect of the Martial Arts, but I may be wrong. Say this man finds himself in an altercation. What if he breaks down and can't defend himself? What if he truly unleashes his karate but in the process kills someone where that level of force wasn't suited? So while this man may sit at brown belt forever, I don't think I would give him a black belt. It's not his handicap, but his mental state. I realize what I just said seems completely out of whack. Let's assume he had no mental disability, yet all of the above still pertained. I will still hold this man at brown belt. It's all about standards. Whether it's Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, whatever it is there should be standards. They are standards that once existed, but in recent decades have died out. Say these standards were brought back to every single school in the US. You would see a hell of a lot less Martial Artists, and black belts. Those who you did see at black belt wouldn't be the average person. So while all in all at times it seems unfair, or harsh, or inhumane, hopefully I have given my insight on the issue without offending anybody. No where do I want you to think handicapped people can't be Martial Artists, but I do think they need to be set at standards, and when we bring black belt into the picture, especially then, standards shouldn't be lowered. My above story is factual, and just an example.

Our Tae Kwon DO school charges 80 for "1st kyu" and 100 for 1st Dan. USD. My new training charges nothing until black belt. Then the payment is choice, standard 100 for belt and fee, or more for nice belt, fee, and katana presentation. Obviously when I get ready to test I'll be saving more than 100 dollars for my new training.

To me that screams McDojo. A black belt should not be centered around a fee. If the money is the only thing holding someone from a test that instructor better get his/her head on straight and get that person tested. A black belt means much more than the ability to pay the fee.

I have no question on any of my teachers motives. And it all depends on your school, it's hard to know who's legitimate and who is holding back a student so they get more of the monthly fee. Both schools I currently train at do not require a fee for any tests until black belt, so that may offer a reason to why my judgment is a little different.

I think it's the teachers job to develop the student as they go through their training. If there's 12 techniques for the rank, really focus and develop each one so when the time comes they don't need to just sit at the rank. If I had 12 techniques to teach a student I would ensure they understand as many applications to it, the counters, to pros, cons, and levels of force with it. I would also have them play with it in different situations. Once they have a good understanding then move onto the new technique. The whole ripening deal should occur while learning, so once all 12 techniques are learned and learned well, they are ready to move on. Now, say you have someone a level below their 1st dan. They excel at the physical requirements, understand the mechanics and can apply them. Literally as close to perfect as they can, but they are a social wreck and have trouble mentally and emotionally. Then ripening would take "time". I think it also depends on what "time" it is. I was looking at an Aikido club in my area. I believe from 6th kyu to 5th kyu it's like 30 days of training and 60 days since the last test. That's kind of silly to set standards like that. If you are going to "ripen", it shouldn't be a concrete time frame, it should be to whoever is their primary instructor as far as discretion. I guess when I hear "time in grade" I think of these things where schools set solid times between tests or belts. This is the sign for money. Now, if your instructor thinks you aren't ready, then inquire and work on it. Assuming they aren't milking your wallet of course.

I think "time in grade" is all for money anyway. Forcing a person to sit at a rank is just silly. If they meet the physical requirements, and know the material and are able to pass it on, then holding anyone from rank for a time "issue" is business, not Martial Arts.

So a Sempai isn't necessarily just an assistant instructor, they're more like you said, protecting the the Sensei and the art they teach?

Ah, and we can dig deeper. I am going to assume some things here, which may be incorrect but I have a strong feeling that there's truth behind it. I'm going to assume traditionally whether it be China, Japan, Korea, wherever, that many years ago when an instructor trusted a student to start teaching that it was a great honor. I would assume that the instructor was putting trust into the Sempai that they know their material and are able to pass it on to others. I consider myself more of this attitude. My instructor asked me about it, we have a 20 hour teaching requirement before 1st Dan that can be split up whenever possible. Because the classes average an hour in length that's about 20 classes that can be spread throughout a few months or more. So my schools teaching requirement is not a demanding one. Now, when I approached the concept of being an assistant instructor my mind quickly degraded the school of thought "what am I getting out of it". Sounds too good to be true to some instructors but I did not expect anything out of my contributions, and I still don't. The "business" of the Martial Arts does not concern me, and I don't expect it to ever take a hold of me regardless of whether or not I start a school or club. However, my view and the life I live I consider to be more of a traditional outlook. Maybe this is due to the fact all I do is Martial Arts, I get out of school at 3 and go there until about 7-7:30 4 nights a week. During the summers I attend any adult day classes. I go to open floor Saturdays, and I agreed to teach the "beginner" class once a week at the YMCA. What I do is not a sport to me, it's my lifestyle. So that may have a large impact on my thoughts also. When student takes the role of Sempai (assistant instructor, etc.) I think they need to understand that they are being used as a channel for their Martial knowledge. If that AI evolves beyond completing their "rank requirement" (like myself) and ends up instructing for the persevering of the Martial Arts I would hope that they see a larger picture than not paying tuition, or getting paid. Those in my eyes are simply bonuses, bonuses that I don't expect, but gratefully accept. Now, if a student is simply making a rank requirement, that in itself says enough. They are doing something for their rank, period. Now if this is the path we're looking at, I would suppose you could go further in depth as in how demanding is the teaching requirement? 20 hours before 1st Dan in my school I believe is reasonable, maybe even slightly forgiving. The Martial Arts can be for everybody, black belt cannot. There's a an entire new conversation to that but that's how I figured I would close.

Just wondering to what variations people use to build up their forearm strength.

If I were to run my own school and required teaching time I would expect my students to teach with nothing in return. Now, as a school owner I wouldn't personally not give anything for teaching. 1) You're doing a requirement for a higher rank, that's honor in itself, 2) I would probably offer lower rates or some similar payment. Now, legally, if I were to ever hint that someone was looking to take action against me in any way for the discussion (volunteer, paid work whatever), I would immediately kick that student out of my school. That's just disrespectful. I was asked to instruct alongside my master instructor. We didn't discuss getting paid, getting gifts, lower rates or anything. He asked if I would help out, I said yes. A month later, I no longer pay any tuition for my classes. A good deal in my eyes.

I would love to start a Tae Kwon Do school and have it not affiliated with anyone and train my students and I to be Tae Kwon Do fighters, not TKD competitors. I think it could be a wake up call as to what it traditionally was.