Dobbersky

GUYS - DoctorQui & Tommy You live in Manchester UK and you not popped over to see me. I only Charge £30 membership & £25 a month for 2 lessons. but its up to you your choice

http://www.karatebyjesse.com/wkf-shitei-kata-removed-nagamine-jkf-bonus/ Seems like an excellent development giving EVERYONE the chance to compete

I was doing Muay Thai and it was a combination, which included a jumping spinning back round kick. We had "gradings" in the Gym I attended, I thought for weeks, I'll never get this correct! But on the grading I got it perfect. Another occasion was on learning an Ashihara kata, Kihon no kata sono no. I nearly gave up because I just couldn't get it right, told my sensei, who the next class did the bunkai, it clicked and not looked back since

Advise required How does one compete with a McDojo? I have a school that teaches "freestyle Martial arts" its like Freestyle Karate meets freestyle Jujitsu, which as far as I'm away doesn't have a syllabus past 1st Kyu. The Instructor makes me look anerxic. In his class the kids are always screaming and he's always shouting at them. I paid a visit to his class as he moved into the area I was in. He teaches "Self Defence" but you can gain a black belt in it. Its a non-contact style with no sparring in it. I've asked him if I could get an interclub between us but again he doesn't want his students to spar! My student base was quite healthy until hebegan training nearby, I remember he visited me introduced himself and as I have nothing to hide told him how mch I was charging as he was originally asking to train with me. He has undercut me per lesson in fees. He advised he's managed to get grants from govenment funding to pay for various things so making his school look quite posh with new mats, pads, etc. although I have been unable to get the same type funding. Now I practice a Full Contact style of Karate, work on bunkai and spar as per Sabaki rules. We teach a full syllabus upto 4th Dan and we don't take messing about by the students. I looked at other schools in the area and we are the only Full Contact School. So this is where I want to market my school. I'm planning a 50-man kumite to raise funds for new mats, also trying to get free publicity in the local press too. What are your thoughts, I don't really want to drop my standards or change my Gi's to "freestyle" gi's etc

Wouldn't SanChin be on the boarders of "internal" Forms OR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kybxNOlnl20 OR even Tensho Kata http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrIRrnrC7nc&feature=fvwrel

As promised but a little bit latter than stated http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2007/01/09/how-to-tell-a-mcdojo/

I remember reading an article on this same subject. I will check if I still have it somewhere

3 more Kyokushin film stars that although excellent martial artists looked quite clumsy when doing on camera fighting were Sonny Chiba, famous for "the Streetfighter trilogy" and the "Oyama trilogy" as well as around 50 films (some say he was Japan's answer to Bruce Lee) he was the sword maker in KillBill and the Yakusa boss in Tokyo Drift. Dolph Lungrid, out of Rocky 4 and various of his own movies And finally Sean Connery, yes he's a Kyokushin black belt

Sorry but it sounds like a typical McDOJO to me Me too! I think I may have talked this guy into trying out my own club Or you can both pop over to mine in Wythenshawe

Yeah, DWx, I agree some of the points do cover what is also found at bonefide schools. I found the article on the same subject fro 24 fighting chickens gives a different view, and another which I'll add tomorrow as I'm in my android now. I think that you CAN get some really good McDojos as long as you realize that you are in one. If it gives you a great work out etc then no reason why you can't co continue training there. Also, he more we work against Child Black belts, the less accepted they'll be eventually you won't see any

Sorry but it sounds like a typical McDOJO to me

OSU, Welcome to the Forum

I'm with you there. I got to get my knees sorted out, Think I've worn them away. So I feel your anguish OSU

I think this only happens in Tang Soo Do and related styles. In ITF TKD blackbelts have black edging around the bottom of their dobok and when you're 4th dan and up and an instructor you can have black stripes down the arms and legs. Yeah its definately a Korean Based Arts thing, seen it in Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, TaeKwon Do and Choi Kwan Do (although the CKD people love their "special Doboks too" seen a few other Korean based styles that I can't think of the name of that even have Cravates and Gold "Trim" around their Doboks. I wonder if it has anything to do with Korean Tradtional dress, anyone able to add?

Sorry to hijack this thread but this is awesome Proper Ole Skool

Just to add I think the ONLY way this CAN be feasible is if the school operates the "Ho" levels which I know is a bonefide grade in itself. It like an apprentice Grade or a partial grade. So you would get: Ik Kyu Shodan Ho Shodan Nidan Ho Nidan Sandan Ho Sandan

What is your criteria for issuing Blackbelts? There are a lot of schools now giving "FULL" blackbelts to kids as young as 8 years old so by the time they are 16 they're a fully fledged 3rd Dan Black Belt. I personally give Junior Blackbelts to anyone under 16 years old so it would be Junior 1st Dan - Blackbelt with 1 white stripe through the middle (some use the same belt for Shodan Ho) and Junior 2nd Dan - Blackbelt with 2 white stripes through the middle. At 16 they grade for Adult 1st Dan. I only accept students from 7 years upwards as I believe any younger take too much time to teach. Do you think that Child BlackBelts are the prodogy of McDojos? Below is the link to a webpage and one of the sections on McDojo's just for clarification. http://mcdojo-faq.tripod.com/ Warning signs and red flags of McDojos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are some schools that can be described as a full fledged 100% McDojo just from a few characteristics or descriptions, and then there are some schools that are alright but still exhibit some McDojo tendencies. What is important is to be able to tell the flaming McDojos from the modestly alright schools, and then obviously from the real non-McDojo schools. ******Red flags****** ---------------> If the school exhibits any of these, even just one, it is a 100% McDojo, without a doubt or question. <--------------- Kid black belts: the younger the black belt, the worse the school is. Belt Factory: If students are promoted quickly, such as reaching a new rank every two months, and/or reaching black belt in less than 3 years. Skill is usually superseded by the ability to pay for testing fees. Lack of sparring: the school rarely spars or never spars, for whatever reason. Point sparring: If the ONLY sparring that is done is "point" or "tournament" sparring, or is watered down with numerous rules such as no contact or light contact, no punching to the head, no catching, trips, throws, take downs, joint locks, grappling, hits to the back, legs, below the belt, etc… and the techniques encouraged are kicks, jump kicks, and spins. Instructor claims to be a high ranking master (such as 9th degree) and is under 50 ******Warning Signs******* Warning signs: Like the red flags, they identify McDojos. The difference is that just exhibiting one doesn't mean that the school is a 100% McDojo with as much confidence and assurance as the above red flags, but it is most likely a McDojo. If the school exhibits a couple of these traits it is a McDojo: Instead of focusing on sparring, the class is mostly divided into practicing kata/forms, one-steps, board breaks, etc.. The school or instructor promotes the idea that his school and/or style is the ultimate best in the world, or that cross training in another form of martial arts is 100% unnecessary. If the school or instructor forbids entering tournaments, or if tournaments are restricted to specific styles or associations. If the idea of take-downs or wrestling is never addressed, or if "anti-grappling" techniques are taught. If the test for belt advancement consists mostly or entirely of memorization and making your form & one-steps look pretty If board breaking has a heavy emphasis, or is taught to be an indicating to how well you would fight, or is used as a supplement to full contact fighting. If the school has too many belts, or made up belts (such as camouflage belts) If the school insists on long contracts and or uses collection agencies for late or missed payments. If there are expensive clubs that you must join in order to learn or participate in various clinics or seminars, such as the "black belt club", or "masters club" If the school owns an actual franchise, such as "Karate for Kids" or "Tiny Tigers" If the school uses a pitch book to get you to join or to convince you to sign your kids up If the self-defense techniques that are taught aren't at full speed or contact, or if the school is insistent only on one way of doing it If the equipment (gear/uniforms/weapons) costs too much and/or is only ordered through the organization If testing and monthly fees are excessive, for any reason If the instructor is a master, yet under 40. If the instructor's credentials seem sketchy or are non-existent. If the instructor proclaims to be a master of many arts, and is also extremely young. If the school advertises that the grandmaster of the style regularly teaches there If the school has many students, such as over 100, or if there are many black belts If once reaching black belt students are encouraged to go start their own school or consider teaching If ground-fighting is offered, it's exclusive to club members (which usually have a high fee) and/or not allowed until a high rank The instructor rarely works out with the students and has his assistants do most or all of the teaching If they teach weapons like the sai and nunchaku as a form of self-defense If they are a Chinese martial art and use karate belts If they glorify or try to imitate the Samurai or ninja.

Welcome to the Forum looking forward to reading your posts especially from a real Kempo point of view

I've heard of a few kickboxing schools that do have this system. They also have to grade for their white belts too.

I PRESUME most Kung Fu, Gung Fu or Quan Fa styles when it comes to fighting are very similar to San Shou or San Da. when it comes to the nitty gritty of the styles. the acrobatic forms are excellent but the fighting millimeters from the ground or hanging from the tops of Bamboo stalks are a bit unbelievable. but there's all sorts of myths not just in Chinese forms The ONE form I would love to learn is the Black Tiger Form

Better than this I have seen 15th and 17th Dan grades in some forms on Ninjitsu, not too sure on the time scales inbetween, I suppose its only the same as puting a "Ho" grade inbetween each Dan grade i.e. Shodan Ho Shodan Nidan Ho Nidan.............

ASK any ex-service personnel who has seen active service about "killing instinct" its something many have to live with once "developed" that the have to suppress. Technique is something that is there when the practitioner only uses theories to surmise what's going in where gaps in the actuality have become apparent

Solid post, my friend

Always have, it makes it easier to explain I can't work overtime on training nights

I understand your concerns but don't worry yourself about someone else's progression, concentrate on your own, you have enough to worry about with your own practice. Not if YOU take longer to get your Black Belt then in theory your technique should be crisper than those who didn't take as long.