DWx

Re. TV, I think this depends on the country. In the UK we get access to it all and both Judo and TKD receive plenty of coverage, even making the national news and the athletes get special features on them. Karate in 2020 would probably get equal attention in the UK. Then again we have 10 dedicated TV stations to the Olympics (without ads!) and can watch whatever we want online.

Thank you

Thanks for the replies guys. I was pretty irritable yesterday. I guess I take exception to the fact they emphasize the "when are you going to give up?" rather than "Are you going to give up?". It also seems to be a weekly question at the minute and like whatever answers I give aren't satisfactory to them.

I guess this is part rant but I thought others at KF might have had similar experiences... Does anyone ever feel like they have to justify their training to their friends and acquaintances? Today I got asked by a coworker "When are you going to give it [TKD] up?" What kind of question is that? Why would I give up doing something that I love, keeps me fit and healthy, and where I get to see all my extended family i.e. training partners nearly every day? This is not the first time coworkers have asked me this, and I suspect it might not be the last. They also ask me why I train so much, why I give up my evening and weekends to it. Sure I moan about nigging injuries, about not having time to do other (more boring) things because I'm at training. But giving up had never been an option for me. To give up something that's so integral to my life sounds crazy to me. I've been training 4 to 5 days a week, 52 weeks of the year, for the last 15 years and yet they think I could just walk away like it was nothing. I wouldn't know what to do with myself. No matter how many times I explain just what it is I get from TKD and the martial arts, it seems like they never get it or understand why I might want to spend time doing it. Does anyone else feel this? Funnily enough I got the same sort of attitude from friends in high school who just couldn't grasp why I preferred to go to the dojang over hanging out with them doing nothing. At the time I figured it was because we were all teenagers and they just hadn't figured out their interests in life. Now I just think that the majority of people are content to be boring, and be mediocre, just going through the same routine every day, spending their free time sat on their backsides watching TV. To me that's not living, that's just existing. Your hobby doesn't have to be martial arts or even a physical activity but everyone's got to have something they are passionate about right? Maybe this is why they can ask me when I'm to quit and give it all up. /Rant

Huge congratulations Brian. You're an integral part of KarateForums. Looking forward to the next 10

It just takes time.. Girls are at a disadvantage in that they mature later and will be slower to build muscle. Most girls I've trained seem to come into their own around 14 to 15.

Practice holding onto a chair and going through the motions slowly. Then build up to slowly without the chair. Then to fast. This video might also help (i know its TKD but the principals are the same):

Congrats Noah

I usually come out as INTP too But depending on the test sometimes it says INTJ as the J/P part of me seems to be more or less 50:50 which would make me an Architect in this test https://www.16personalities.com/intj-personality In this particular test though I did get INTP. My actual results were: Introvert: 62% Intuitive: 65% Thinking: 82% Prospecting: 51% I do find it quite interesting as I actually work in sales and more often than not the people who do well in this type of job are extroverts with sensing tendencies and I'm the opposite of that. I seem to do OK though

Warning! Long post! MBTI, or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, is a personality test individuals can take to indicate personality preferences. It is based on the theory that that there are four principal psychological functions by which humans experience the world – sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking – and that one of these four functions is dominant for a person most of the time. (Wikipedia article) http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/ On answering a series of questions, the MBTI test produces a 4 letter code which provides an indication of the individuals preferences and personality. See the 16 personality types here Admittedly this is probably sounding a little bit academic right now, but the reason I started this topic is to talk about MBTI types and how they may relate to our students. Now I'm not saying we should give all our students a questionnaire to fill-in but I do think having a general idea of preferences can be useful as we can adapt our teaching styles to suit individual needs. For example introverted (I) students will benefit from solo study and working things through on their own. Introverts may also seem less willing to engage in a group setting and may not readily ask for help so instructors should be aware that they may need to monitor them more closely to know when they are struggling. Extroverts (E) on the other hand will more likely be asking questions and will benefit more from group or partnered exercises though they can tend to take over an instructor's attention. Those students with sensing (S) preferences tend to prefer to rely heavily on their senses and the facts in front of them. They might need to be guided through practice or shown what the expected outcome is and tend to benefit from a highly structured environment with step by step activities. Students who lean towards sensing will benefit from hands-on activities, especially when they are clear about the end goal. Intuitive (N) students on the other hand will see the bigger picture more easily and will more likely prefer to discover things by themselves by trusting their feelings on how to proceed. They are more likely to benefit from open mat time and self study and the little details are less important. Thinkers (T) prefer to stop and analyse before making a decision. They tend to be more logical and like to have a plan before acting. Thinkers benefit from concrete and direct feedback and appreciate consistency. Feelers (F) on the other hand are more emotional and their decisions and actions are guided by how they might affect others. When correcting feelers it's important to offer positives also and avoid being too critical or confrontational. Judgers (J) are typically goal orientated and like to have plans. They like to know what is expected, value routine and can be uncomfortable with spontaneity or indecision. It's important that assessments (like gradings) for judgers have clear criteria that are known ahead of time. Perceivers (P) are more laid back and tend to be less stressed in chaotic situations. They also typically delay making a decision and can put things off meaning that they can require some flexibility. By having a general idea of the personality types of our students we can use this to help direct their learning and to structure classes to try to accommodate them. I think the traditional approach in martial arts has been one of an instructor standing at the front of the room leading the class in fundamentals and kata. Now this approach does work for some students (sensing preference?) however maybe other approaches would yield better results for some students. Maybe a group exercise would be better with students figuring out the answers themselves? Or a group discussion with an instructor simply demonstrating and answering questions etc. However I also think it's important to know our own types and preferences to see how this may or may not align with others in the training hall. So with that said, does anyone fancy taking a test and sharing what personality type they are? https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-tests

Great topic RJCKarate. The paperwork and courses required will differ by country and governing body. In the UK the bare minimum to be expected is a DBS check (criminal history check), insurance (usually supplied through the governing body) and a first aid certification. In our association we do have instructor training to teach people how to better structure classes and convey their knowledge to the class. Personally I have also gone on general sports coaching courses including courses specifically relating to teaching kids. With regards to the "not everyone can teach", I think this is true. Some people just do not have a natural ability to communicate and build a rapport with students. That said even if you have natural ability I still think you can be taught how to teach better; you can be shown how to hone your skills and become a better teacher. I highly recommend Lawrence A. Kane's book for instructor's looking to improve: Martial Arts Instruction: Applying Educational Theory and Communication Techniques In the Dojo https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Instruction-Educational-Communication/dp/159439024X

This is a great point. Earlier this year I went on a course about youth development with one of the Team GB strength & conditioning coaches. The take home message he really pushed is that we should aim to produce all-round athletes rather than just football players, or basketball players or martial artists. Gross motor skills are much more important to develop as a child than specific skills like kicking and punching. In fact he had a whole bunch of statistics showing that individuals were much more likely to dominate their sport if they had a wide skill base and participated in many sports as a kid and specialised in later life.

Great replies so far Our school is lucky in that we have a kids programme dedicated for the first couple of years a child trains with us. In these classe they are not really doing martial arts per se but are learning basic coordination, focus and all the other basic physical and mental skills ready to join the main classes. They do this through games and really basic pad drills and technique combinations. Instead of belts they earn badges for things like learning to side kick or getting the splits etc.

What age is the best (earliest?) for children to start training in martial arts? What are some of the prerequisites they should have? e.g. coordination or attention span Is it better to start in one type of discipline first such as striking or grappling, or can they start anywhere?

Sounds like the social worker is ill informed about martial arts. I guess they don't have any actual powers to stop him from training? If you think it's worth it, perhaps a good opportunity to educate them on the subject and invite them to join our watch a lesson and see the positive sides. Or send her one of the thousands of articles discussing the benefits of training in children.

Saw the following regarding Pokemon Go and the future of these types of apps for fitness. Interesting read: https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2016/07/19/health-matters-dynamic-digitals-getting-active-with-mobile-games/

Sounds like you have a working knowledge of physics and mechanics

I'm so sorry for your loss Bob. Thoughts go to their families and the whole of the student body.

With all due respect Bob, there is still a risk when taking an impact with your head. Broken knuckles, arms, feet etc. are nothing and you'll survive them. But if something should go wrong with a headbutt the consequences are significantly worse. Admittedly it was caused by a knee to the head, but if anyone saw Cyborg Santos' injury from Bellator at the weekend, shows how fragile your skull can be!

People will always try to take advantage. Common sense should still apply with this game, not go to rough areas, be mindful your phone is on display, etc.

Lucky! When are you going?

Thanks for the replies Bulltahr and sensei8. It's an idea my sister and I have been toying with for a while. We've always wanted to run an inter-schools friendly tournament but also wanted to run an event for spectators. My sister used to be the event medic for Fight Nights run at her university so we have a little experience but have only seen part of what goes on behind the scenes. As far specifics there are a few things we're debating; at the moment we're not sure the best way to reward the fighters. We wanted to have maybe 3 male fights in different weight classes then 2 female fights. We'd then also do King (and Queen) of the ring. We'd want the fighters to pay to enter but then have a prize for winning their fight and a prize pot for overall winner. Just not sure on the numbers and what would be reasonable to pay in and award for winning.

It just launched in the UK today. It would be a great marketing scheme (and money making scheme for Nintendo) if businesses could pay to have a pokestop or gym assigned to their location. My local church community hall is actually my local pokestop, saw quite a few kids gathering there earlier.

It's a good idea if you can devote the time to it. We don't hold private beginner lessons as our lessons are structured by belt anyway and we have a beginner 10th through to 8th kup class available.

I'm sure headbutts work in some situations, but there is an element of danger to yourself in using your head to hit something. Better to use your fists if available to you.