wagnerk

Already bought my airmail stamps.

It really depends on the association/instructor and that goes for the majority of arts. I've trained in Shotokan associations/clubs that were sports orientated and not sports orientated (more self-defence orientated). Again it depends on the association/club/instructor. For example (sorry I'm delving into my experience again), I now do Tang Soo Do (it's very similar to Shotokan karate) yet the instructor that I train under teaches basic grappling, locks, throws, etc... That may not be common in other Tang Soo Do associations (a bit like what/how Iain Abernethy teaches karate). So you have associations that will only teach the "core" of the type of martial art that it is (eg karate as it's a kicking/striking art, they will only teach that) and you'll have associations that will teach a wide variety of skills - the "main" and "secondary" skill sets of that martial art style.

Thought that I already answered this, but I guess I'm wrong Shotokan (the listed below are the grading kata, but we were required to do the kata's for the previous grades as well): 10th Kyu: Taikyuku Shodan (up to first Kiai) 9th Kyu: Taikyuku Shodan 8th Kyu: Heian Shodan 7th Kyu: Heian Nidan 6th Kyu: Heian Sandan 5th Kyu: Heian Yondan 4th Kyu: Heidan Godan 3rd Kyu: Tekki Shodan 2nd Kyu: Bassai Dai 1st Kyu: Choice of Kanku Dai, Enpi, Jion, Jitte (plus one other as asked by examiner) 1st Dan: Choice of Kanku Dai, Enpi, Jion, Jiin, Gankaku, Hangetsu (plus one other as asked by examiner) The ones in bold are the ones that I choose as my grading kata. We also had to do Wankan which was the associations kata, however can't remember at which gradings we had to perform it.

Language... Coming from Japanese karate (Shotokan) and transferring to Korean karate (Tang Soo Do), the language is the only thing that's a pain

If you develop strong basics, you'll go far. To delve right in and learn the advanced stuff before getting the basics right, may look nice but in the long term be as much use as a chocolate teapot

When I first started out, it was to get my black belt. Now a days, it's really to be a better person than I am now

Quite a variety Welcome to KF

Please don't take it that all styles/associations/clubs are like this, because they ain't. I've practiced with groups that are like this but I'm trained with groups that aren't.

happy birthday mate

What should happen and what does happen can be two very different things. I know that even between Shotokan associations within the UK, some will accept your rank and others will accept your rank but will require you to retest within a year (then they will either award you a lower grade, the same grade or a higher grade). They won't "demote" you, but they won't recognise your higher grade if you don't meet their standards after the probation period (and their exam). That would be down to the new association that you've joined. Personally, I've moved around a lot (between Shotokan associations and different arts/styles), and while I have all my old certs and licence book, (apart from once, but that's when I moved from Shotokan to Freestyle) I've never been asked to produce it. But this is very much dependant on association you move/transfer to.

Cool

It depends... Right now any work I put into the club I do it for the love of it, eg advertising, domain name, banners, etc... My current club is non-profit, so anything that the club makes, gets put back into the club. So I don't charge. However if the club/association that I belonged to was a for profit club, and the job being asked was outside the realms of the martial arts and there was a cost associated with it, then maybe I'd see it differently.

Personally I would say that pull-ups along with Horizontal Pull-ups (or reverse push ups) is a great way of balancing out your muscles.

Try both and let us know how you get on

While I don't know Garry Harford personally, he does seem to have a good rep and the KUGB is one of the best Shotokan karate associations out there (there are a few good ones). His dojo is in Manchester M15 6HP, if that's anywhere near you. If I come across any more, I'll post them here

A couple of associations that I've belonged to in the past has them (well one of them actually introduced it after I left). To be honest, I'm in two minds about them. I've never had one of these pre-Dan/post-kyu ranks myself, so half of me says well why should there be one? The pre-dan is the kyu grades. But then you see a lot of people just quit after receiving their 1st Dan. I guess at the end of the day, it's whether this rank is there to assist the student, if it's just there for the club to generate revenue or in a more pragmatic view, a bit of both...

Just had a thought (and yes it did hurt, lol), have you considered an Open Degree? I know of one of the teachers in ICT at our place has an Open Degree - pretty sure there are more at our place. That way you can do modules in both ICT/Computing and Sport, if you don't do a Bachelors of Education (BEd). Then you can do the DTLLS, PGCE or one of the other QTS program routes. As for coaching courses, there is the BTEC Level 3 Self-Defence Instructor Certification, is that any good for you if you do want to do the Sports Degree?

If you're going to do the PTLLS you might as well continue thru to the DTLLS (as you get credit towards the DTLLS). Or there's the School Direct Training Programme or the School-centred initial teacher training (SCITT)

To my knowledge the OU doesn't deliver the BEd degree (but I could be mistaken as I'm part of the MCT faculty). And just to let you know that the OU won't be taking anymore people on their/our PGCE course - March 2014 is the last intake.

I've seen and heard of grading being done differently in various clubs, eg the grading spread over a couple/few days, there not being a formal grading (eg you're just assessed over the course of your training and you get awarded your next grade, then the standard grading). But to use the term "progressive grading", no...

If I didn't have anyone, I may have considered it. However having my family around me (my wife and son), I'd have to say no

It's great that you want to become a teacher, we need more good people in that field (I work in education myself - IT Services in primary/secondary and a Lecturer at the OU). Anyway there is more than one way to become a teacher: 1. Complete a BEd (depending on the University you can/may pick your subject)- this degree program cover the requirements to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) 2. The route you stated, do a degree program then do the PGCE to gain QTS (this is for the k12 sector, for those outside the UK) 3. Complete the Diploma to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) to gain Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status. This is the further education (post 16 year old education, for those outside the UK) version of the QTS but since 2012 holders of QTLS are recognised qualified teachers in schools http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/traininganddevelopment/qts/a00205922/qlts-guidance 4. Then you have various other routes. As for whether or not a KUGB coaching qualification is suitable, I can't say for sure, there is no recognised NGB for karate according to Sport England: http://www.sportengland.org/our-work/national-work/national-governing-bodies/sports-that-we-recognise/ so the best bet is to contact the OU.

Is there no way they would consider moving the dojo?

Yes, some associations are more specific, eg Mae Ren Geri Jodan Chudan (which would be a combination front kick head level then mid level).

Not really, however if I was going to do something different, it would be: 1. Start training younger. While I always wanted to study the martial arts, I never got a proper opportunity until I was 20 2. Enter international and world championships when I was younger. I entered a few national competitions but didn't have the finances or the time to enter the internationals or world ones However these are really one minor things, don't really regret anything