DWx

ITF also started up a Pro TKD which ran a few years ago. Full contact but with gloves. Idea was to turn it into a spectator sport much like boxing or MMA and attract new fans.

I can understand why people can be a bit funny about it. Either they think you're there to poach students or poach training ideas, or maybe they worry that you will show them up. As long as you are open as to your reasons for training with them and reassure them you won't do anything underhand, most don't have a problem with it.

Remember Danielle, this is all I do...full time, either as Kaicho and/or as CI of the Kyuodan Dojo!! I don't have another job outside of Shindokan. The Hombu class sizes for the 4-5 years is quite respectable, and it helps that the Hombu isn't in a small town...instead, it's located in the San Fernando Valley...1.8 million people call it home...260 square miles...just North of Hollywood, CA. At the Kyuodan Dojo, the 3 classes per day for the 5 days per week, my 4-5 year old classes were not as full as the Hombu is, however, still respectable in the range of 6-10 students per class. In understand it's a full time occupation for you Bob but at the Hombu do you hold the classes 5 pm to 10 pm for example? Or do you have some in the morning and during the day? Most people work 9 to 5 so do you get many people attending these classes during the day? Also are these classes structured differently or are you repeating the same lesson.

IMO, a 30 min class is a waste of time. You hardly get a chance to warm up, and it's over. Naw, a MINIMUM of 1.5 hours..2 is better. No...a 30 minute class with very young students, 4-5 years old/kindergarten ages, is ideal...or at least, it's been that way for me ever since 1977. Agreed 30 mins is plenty of time for 4-5 year olds. Now how many of these 30 min classes do you guys have? Or do the little kids just get dismissed earlier during normal class time? Well, our Hombu runs said classes 5 times a day...6 days a week, whereas, in my last dojo, I ran said classes 3 times a day...5 days a week. 5 times a day? What kind of hours are you operating? If you have day time classes (9 to 5), so you get many students attending those?

Is it physical ability? number of fights won? knowledge? attitude? What characteristics define a great martial artist from the average one?

Just from observation it seems like some martial arts value this much more than others. But does it really matter what your lineage is? In my style people seem less concerned about who you trained with in the past and are more concerned about who you're training with now and what you're doing now. So when does lineage matter? And to what extent does it matter?

Looks really great Lex. When's opening day?

Interesting responses so far guys! Era was a bad choice of words as I really meant martial artists of our generation. I'd like to think Ronda Rousey has had a big impact. She dominated women's UFC for the most part and has now shifted over to acting bringing martial arts for women into the public eye and making it cool. She's showing young girls that it's not just men and "manly" women who can learn to fight. I'd also agree with people like Iain Abernethy and Patrick McCarthy

Actually Olympic boxing ditched the headgear after 2012 as they deemed it safer for the fighters. (Headgear was leading to more sub-concussive blows). Interestingly enough in the new events without the headgear there seems to be far more cuts and scraps to the face.

Stretching every day shouldn't be a problem as long as you aren't forcing it too much. Some good kicking focused stretches here:

Belated Happy Birthday Devin, sounds like you had a nice day

More similar than you think. Taekwondo comes from Karate after all and Korea and Japan share a lot of cultural influences too. The movements aren't too dissimilar though Taekwondo has generally modified the movements found within Karate and made them is own and increased the focus on kicking techniques. Large sections of kata can be found within TKD forms and in general the teaching methodology follows the same format as the 3 Ks with a heavy emphasise on fundamentals, forms and sparring. As for Do, this idea of The Way is the same in Taekwondo as it is in Karate. Taekwondo written in Hanja is 跆拳道. The last character 道 is exactly the same as that used when writing Karate-Do 空手道 in Kanji. (Note that this is the same character used to represent Tao in Chinese, where this idea of The Way came from.) I suppose there is a slight difference in philosophy for Taekwondo as most styles try to reference the code of the Hwarang for a stronger link to Korean culture and history rather than Japanese. The Se Sok O Gye is as follows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwarang#Five_commandments For further reading would highly recommend some of the past discussions we've had in the Korean section : http://www.karateforums.com/japanese-infkuence-vt47507.html

That is to say: who, right now, is having the biggest impact on the Martial Arts world? A couple of decades ago we could have brought up names like Bruce Lee, Anko Itosu, Gichin Funakoshi, Jigoro Kano, Helio Gracie... But who right now will we look back on as being influential?

Honestly I think it is in part great marketing and the ability to sell themselves and create a brand. That's not to say they're not fantastic martial artists but they've capitalised on their popularity. There are plenty of others who have knowledge and skill but aren't so well known outside their own circle.

Congrats liger

I know its UK focused but this is a great overview of what you can expect as a martial arts instructor from average salary to recommended requirements : https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/martialartsinstructor.aspx As alternatives to a dojo owner, have you considered the following : - Law enforcement / security / military - Health and fitness trainer or personal trainer - Physical education teacher - Martial Arts journalist or writer - Martial Arts equipment supplier - stunt performer I'm sure there are a few other careers which would use the skillset too

Welcome LLLEARNER

Welcome sampionce

Say what you will about the ATA but it seems like they have some great programmes for prospective instructors and a great support network for new schools.

Great question! Thanks, Danielle! Instructors within Shindokan are chosen by the individual dojo's, alas, by the designated CI of those individual dojo's, and this takes place at Sankyu, and no sooner. Therefore, it's all OJT!! The Hombu does have remedial classes for designated instructors! It's held twice a year, usually in the 1st and 3rd quarter. These classes are 1 month in duration, and they're administered by the CI of the SKKA, which is currently our Kancho, Greg Forsythe, who's a Hachidan as well as Hanshi. All designated instructors within the SKKA network are welcomed to attend, however, they must remain in house at the Hombu for that full month that the classes are in session. If not, they receive a "Drop" on their Hard Card, but this is more clerical than administrative; said instructor is always welcomed back without questions. I choose my instructors, and I demand that my instructors attend the remedial classes at the Hombu every two years. I hold "Pep" classes with my instructors daily, and I hold "101" classes once every quarter. Bob, sounds like a great idea to get the instructors together, if only for knowledge sharing and discussion Are these lessons instruction in how to teach or purely correction of their own technique?

Interesting responses so far guys Even if you are doing OJT, do you break it down into different methods for explaining techniques to students and how they should go about correcting mistakes?

Links to the apps: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/coachs-eye-instant-video-analysis/id472006138?mt=8 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.techsmith.apps.coachseye.free I've not used Coach's Eye specifically but will take footage and play it back slow mo for students using VLC player on the PC. I usually just take the screen shots out and annotate them but Coach's Eye looks pretty good in that you can annotate the video. Might give it a go. Thanks for sharing JR 137

I don't know about ditching it in favour of Karate but Karate has made a couple of (failed) bids to have it included in the Olympics.

WHAT??? You must not be watching the Walking Dead then...when ammo runs low, grab your bow! lol I just started rewatching them all again actually maybe I should go take up archery lessons just in case

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/world-taekwondo-federation-to-change-name-because-of-wtf-acronym-a6787221.html Seems like this has been a long time coming.