hobbitbob

At the university TKD club, we pay...NOTHING!. It's a university sports club, and therefore included in fees. At the Shorinjiryu Dojo, we pay $65.00/month.

I came across this quote, whose source I don't recall, on another forum: At the level of Shodan, one is finally accepted into the school as a beginner, and is no longer merely a guest.

Had a situation like that with one of the female students in our University club. THis girl has great technique, could knock a horse through a wall with one of her punches or c=kicks, but seems related to Harry the Hamster from another thread when it comes to Kiai. Several of us discussed the theoy behind Kiai with her (i.e. Kiaijutsu, NOT simply "screaming your lungs out." ). This helped.

Caught but the tail of that story..... Anyway, for those quick to bash WTF's Walking stnace, there is a tradition in Okinawan Karate to use upright stances.

Perhaps Aikido.

Must add Elmar Schmeissar's books to the list of "great Shotokan Books."

I would have to disagree that the prospect of olymic inclusion elevates Karate. As far as Kata competition goes, the Katas are beginning to be practiced in a stiff, robotic way. Go to http://www.usankf.org where there are videos of Bassai Dai (Shi-to-ryu version) and Kanku-Dai (Shotokan version). These are mostly within the parameters for good Kata performance for these styles, but picture a Goju or a Wado kata being done this way! Ick!

A friend of mine in Seattle who switched to the Hayashi-Ha style of Shi-to (maybe it won't be edited now!)ryu from Goju, due to commute time, told me about a young lady (early 20s) at ther old school who would always come to class heavily made up, and liked to flash her "implants" for the instructors to see. She didn't last long, from what I gathered. It seems sweating (at least in the Karate way) wasn't on her agenda.

Its an interesting question, because my Wado gradings took place at summer camps, where the panel was composed of 5-7 dans. For TKD, my panel was a KKW8, KKW7, and 2 KKW4s, and the friend of mine who payed $800.00 had a panel of three KKW4s only, so it doesn't seem to correspond to rank of examiners.

I was talking to a friend who just tested for 1st dan in TKD at a "commercial (not a McDojo)" school,a dn he mentioned that he paid over $800.00 (US) fro Kukiwon certification, test fees, etc... I also recently tsted to 1st dan with WTF, adn my test was $200.00 (US). Thinking back, I recall US WAdo-Kai Shodan adn Nidan testings were around $150.00, though this was in teh mid and late 80s. I understand tha Shodan through the ISKF (Mr. Okazaki) is around $300.00, and through Mr. Nishiyama (ITKF/AAKF) is about 100.00. What have members of the forum paid in test fees? Do your schools charge an additional test fee for kyu/gup promomtions? One school in Seattel that shall remain nameless (Traditional Japanese Dojo, but very involved with teh USA-NKF and the "Olympic Karate" movement) charged $100.00, the equivalent to a month's training fees, for Kyu testing.

The traditional weapons arts of Japan suggest that their practitioners gaze slightly downward so that they are more sensitive to changes in their opponent's movements by peripheral vision, rather than concentrating too hard on the opponent and missing things. I'm not sure I would wish to try that in class sparring, though!

Hmm. In the US definately the McDojo version of TKD (Your check cleard, little timmy can have his 8th Dan, wont that make the other 2d graders jealous!). On the west coast , Shotokan (Mr. Nishiyama's Organization) and Shito-Ryu are faily prevalent. IN teh Rocky Mountain reagion, Shotokan, Wado-Ryu,and Goju-Ryu. On the East Coast, Shotokan ( Mr. Okazaki's organization) and the Okinanwan styles seem to be popular.

My problems with "olympic TKD" are the following: The element of winning is overemphasized. IT ceases to be a way of life. Egos become more important than techniques. It becomes too easy to train only in techniqes that quicly score, and avoid the "whole art." Olympic TKD is NOT a "lifelong" art. It is not something one can practice until one keels over dead at 90. Look at what happened to Judo on inclusion into the olympics in teh '60s. It is rarely taught as a martial art anymore. Now its essentially "jacket wresting." The WKF's efforts to include Karate into the Olympics (which fortunately seem to be failing!) have me as frustrated!

When you do a form, how do you know what echnique you are doing? I hat to flog the expired equine, but the block and punch that is evident on the surface may not be the whole of the form.

A new (to our club) student who had trainied at a McDojo said to me, one night after class when we were working on self defence stuff, after I had talked about the utility of a shin/instep roundhouse kick to the back of teh thigh or knee, "But I thought you were always supposed to kick to the head." Hmmm. I explained to the lass the importance of targeting and of knowing which parts of the human body are vulnerable to which weapons, then I wnet home and wondered how her previous instructor could face himself in teh mirror each moning!

I find that front leg kicks out of kumite dachi are good training for bboth balance and explosivity. Kickchick, I also love the slow extension kicks (I have always called them "wall drills," though often one does them in line. Raymenusa, yes, most yudansha have "done" basics. Basics are the heart of the martial arts. Without basics, there is no karate. You are NEVER too advanced to practice basics!

In the older TKD schools (i.e.: instructors trained before 1975 or so) there seems to be little difference. Since then, many TKD schools seem to emphasize what to a Japanese Karateka would be considered poor technique (bouncing up and down between techniques (i.e; "sine-wave"), poor stances, little to no targeting of techniques (from a new student Thursday who had studied elsewhere : "But I though all kicks were supposed to be to the head?"), poor guard, lack of defensive techniques, lack of consistancy in basic techniqu, etc... I wonder how much of this is the result of twenty or so years of commercial "kuhrotty" schools that used the TKD forms and point sparring technique, and used the ability of mom's cheque to clear as criteria for grading?

Short term goal: Continue assisting with the instruction at my Uni TKD club. Long term goal: Continue training all my life and hope to never think of myself as a "master."

Uke does litereally translate as "to receive." Food for thought...what does this do for applications of "blocks" which is how the word uke has been romanized form teh Japanes term in Karate? Also, as far as "hyung", "poomse," and "tul," what is the difference? Is there a specific difference in meaning implied in each word?

Agian, it depends on the individual. Most nstructors who emigrated to the US pre-1975 teach traditional, self defense oriented TKD. Many who came later have modifed the art for the kiddies and it is now "take one's dough." Self defense applications are hidden in the Forms. at the junior student level (i.e.: less than 5 years or so of training) one doesn't have the "eyes" to "see" the techniques in there. also, may "two year wonder" black belts who teach may not have adequately mastered the basics and are therefore unable to teach self defense applications. Again, my two pence. Robert. P.S.: Rayna...love your signiature!

But, and I am coming from a background in "traditional" Karate here, I have always felt that to wear the dark piece of cloth implies a certain seriousness of effort,and an awareness of the distance one still ahs to go in study. It does not imply that you know everything. Granted, I have little to no trouble with 16 year old 1st or 2d dans. What bothers me is when someone 18 or under has been ranked above 3d dan. To me, this is a sign that their instructor was more concerend with mom' spurse than the student's ability! That is not to say that godd karateka can't come out of a McDojo. I have met several who spent their "formative years" in a McDojo and lived to tell about it, so to speak. A close friend of mine taught for a McDojo for a while, and has some interesting stories to tell.

I guess I am stuck in the mould of :Black Belt as serious student, not as expert.

As another school year starts and another year begins for my University TKD club, I am steeling myself for the influx of 18 year olds who have been "black belts" since they were 10. Many of tehm choose not to stay and train with us, since we value basic technique over flash. I wonder though, how does the membership of this forum feel about the issue of children as blackbelts? Should age be a criteria?

I find everyone's stories fascinating. Here's my boring one. In Karachi, Pakistan there was one english language program on state run TV at night in teh '70s. One of those was "Kung-FU" (one of the others,"Emergency"I blame for my 16 years as a paramedic! ). I was, therefore, most interested in the "martial arts" whatever those may have been. Flash forward to the early 1980s when, at aged 14, I had finally convinced my family to allow me to try "kuhrotty." After a few desultory month at a McDojo, I found the Japan Karate Centre (Wado-Ryu), and was hooked!

In my personal opinion (after a skull fracture in Ippon Kumite (dont ask!)), I think that Headgear, cup, and mouthguard should be mandatory.