bushido_man96

Well, this wasn't really anything the ATA engineered. This is something my school owner did as a program in school only as part of her Master's preparation. Aodhan Yeah, I understood that. But, don't you imagine that is where the ATA comes up with some of it's ideas? It is great networking.

Welcome to the forums.

I know it is early, but I found out this week that I will be eligible to test for my 3rd dan in April of 2007. I am excited, because I can now see it in the distance. I will have to test for 3rd recommended first, and then I can test for 3rd decided between 2 to 6 months after that. I am excited, and can't wait!

You make a good point here. I think the problem is that so much physical improvement has taken place between white and black belt that one thinks he is not impoving anymore. What the student needs to realize is that the improvements are going to come in more subtle ways, like improved timing, better stamina in sparring and forms, and the development of fighting strategies, and things like this. These little things tend to slip through the cracks, I feel. It is important for the instructors to help the students realize these subtleties, so they can continue to improve on them, and show them how to realize them, so they can be proud of them.

I agree.

Hey, Sohan, I hear you. I ran a school for a couple of years, and knowing what I do now, I would do it differently. But for right now, I am more than happy being a student, and getting the opportunity to teach a limited number of classes to help out my instructor. I am greatful for the experiences that I got running the school, both good and bad. In the future, I will be better prepared, and a better instructor.

Of course, in a one off situation its helpful to use english. But if i decided to dedicate myself to a korean style i would expect to use the korean terminology and using it would most likely make the techniques easier to talk about. I think thats what most of the other posters are getting at. I agree with you here. However, I don't think tradition is lost just because a teacher wants to teach in English. Yeah, we want to use the Japanese/Korean titles of forms and such, but the English language commonly adopts words like this into use, so to me, it is not a big deal. I agree. The english langauge is always adding words. If you looked "karate" is probably in the english dictionary. In my school we use mostly english, though for lining up we sometimes use korean. And for kata as well as a few basic terms, we use japanese (dojo, gi, obi, uke, etc). Our style isnt exclusivly japanese or korean, hence the mixture. I do like it that most people on the forums use english words for techniques. I find it confusing if they use japanese or korean, and while I do enjoy learning more of each language, I dont know the names of every technique in both. -.-The way you describe it is the way I used to do it our ATA school. The school I am in now uses more Korean terminology. However, common words like dojang, and chareot, kyung-ne, and there Japanese counterparts, will always be standards in the martial arts communities.

Happy birthday, Shotokan-kez. Hope you have many more!

We in TKD (at least the TKD I have done) keep our eyes down, as it is a sign that you don't trust them when you bow and look in Korea (I guess). So, when we bow, we look down, to show humility.

You may have hit it, DCMS. I have kind of big hips anyway, and even if I did lose some weight, I would still be a little wide (girthy, I guess you could say). I got the good chamber, and when I do the form for testing or demo, I don't try to cheat to get a higher kick. I pop it waist level, and stick it for a second, then pull it back. Technique is always first and foremost for me.

Of course, in a one off situation its helpful to use english. But if i decided to dedicate myself to a korean style i would expect to use the korean terminology and using it would most likely make the techniques easier to talk about. I think thats what most of the other posters are getting at. I agree with you here. However, I don't think tradition is lost just because a teacher wants to teach in English. Yeah, we want to use the Japanese/Korean titles of forms and such, but the English language commonly adopts words like this into use, so to me, it is not a big deal.

No, just my idea. Not sure, exactly, just and edgumicated guess. Drop Sohan a PM, I am sure he knows why it is like that, and how to correct it.

Yeah, but you get to start spinning, ducking, jumping, turning, twisting, flipping, and all of that other stuff to go along with the techniques now. I love watching the movie Only the Strong, seeing how they flow in the drills. Yeah, the movie is kind of corny, but the choreography is great.

We can all thank Funakoshi and Kano for the advances that they made in spreading the martial arts to the public.

Yeah, my instructor has some of those THICK ones. I think they are made that way so students can work on contact drills with the instructor. Definitly don't want one of those. Once I get my protector on, it feels ok. Then, I try to spin, or do an axe kick, and I get caught.

You are getting closer to what I am saying. Also, Killer Miller, I understand about karate guys communicating to each other. I know my Korean for my TKD, and use it in class, but if I were to talk to you, or work out with you, I would use English, and not expect you to understand my Korean terminology. When I post, I usually talk about techniques in English, therefore no one has to wonder what it is I am talking about.

Wow, Fisher. Thems a lot of spin-offs.

I have seen things like this before, and I just thought it was how the muscles kind of overlapped, or something. Heck, I would love to have a crooked one, as opposed to the spare tire I am carrying around!

Thanks, Aodhan, I'll check it out. When I do back leg front kicks, I can get the knee up, and the kick is decent. It just doesn't want to get up on the front leg kick. When I go to kick, it feels like my body wants to lurch forward as the kick goes, but I don't allow it, so as not to sacrifice technique.

That sounds very interesting, Aodhan. What I like about the ATA is the constant improvement and refinement that is made in the organization.

Are you sure about not having ground fighting in Shotokan? There are a couple of threads about Shotokan's close quarters combat and ground fighting. Perhaps it has more to do with individual instructors than anything else, but some of the other posters have pointed out that Shotokan does contain some of these elements.

I don't like watching the Olympic TKD stylists go at it. You can't tell if it is a kicking contest or a yelling contest. They yell on every move, and I think the yelling just comes from the throat, and not from the gut, like a good kihap/kiai should.

I agree this is a fundamental problem. I also agree with your other quote, about the instructor trying to establish if the student reaching black belt is their only goal. If our instructor finds out that the student wants to test to black belt and then quit, he won't test them. He feels like they are missing the point, and he will not give a black belt to someone who wants to quit. It makes some parents upset sometimes, but they don't realize that he is saving them money on a testing that wouldn't mean anything after the child quits.

Good idea, especially if they wind up hurting themselves. Yeah, and it gives them time to build their confidence, too.

Nope, it is bent, because I am in the back stance. Don't know what the deal is.