DWx

Depends what your definition of a processed chemicals is... A simple banana contains plenty of E numbers and chemicals like phenylalanine and glutamic acid. To top it off it's radioactive too. Fun fact: a BED or banana equivalent dose is an official unit of radiation. Not everything natural is good for you either.

Your welcome Rig Best of luck with it. (and thanks for the kind words, let us know if you're ever up for training )

Is it possible? Yes Is it probable? Not likely. Or at least not likely when it's legitimately. But it can happen as per Bob's example. If the person has done the time and pass the physical / theoretical exam legitimately then why don't they deserve your respect? Some people live and breathe the martial arts from an early age and can be both knowledgeable and physically competent enough to do it. Somewhat more common when the godan's parents or other family member is high ranked also and has been training them hard since day 1.

Last week before Christmas we always have team competitions. Depending on the size of the class we split off into 2 - 4 teams and then compete in forms, sparring, relay races, basketball and other stuff like push up challenges, who can hold a side kick the longest etc. Always have a kids party and the adults have a meal out. Then also have annual awards for different things.

Congratulations

Congrats quinteros1963

Congrats wagnerk Best of luck for the future

Sucks Aodhan Simplest way might just be to retest

I have a good friend who runs a business supplying sports club merchandise: http://home.brandmyclub.com/ He has a whole range of kit which instructors can choose from and add their logo to. The school then gets a portal on his website where students can log in, pick kit like tshirts, hoodies, bags etc. He then ships it directly to the customer and the instructor receives a commission based on what they've decided to retail the kit for. My school uses him. Hassles free and good quality stuff. (Btw I train over in Hinckley, 15 mins from you )

Spinning heel with one leg and then back kick with the other? Or both kicks with the same leg? If I was doing it I'd place emphasis on controlling the spinning hook so that you can get the prep position for the jump back kick right. It's easier to jump if your feet are closer together, about a shoulder width apart directly under your body. If you have to put the kicking leg down into a stance first, you still need control as that'll help you go straight into the spring back up. Plyometric work in particular will help with the jump. Good luck

I get to add a solid black stripe down the side of each pant leg. We call them the "go faster!" stripes!

Congrats Gareth! That's an unusual requirement?

Well said. It's sport not self defense. The goal of self defense is to survive; for a lightweight this might mean incapacitating the opponent long enough to run away. Bit different if we're going to lock 2 fighters in a cage and not let them out until the fight is done.

Congrats Dave

Welcome gamble759

Congrats Brian Onwards and upwards!

Well done DoctorQui Best of luck for your results!

Well to be fair you could quite easily get a 2nd hand tripod (if you even need one that is) and a 2nd hand mic off somewhere like eBay or Craigslist. Plenty a reasonable free open source software too.

Whatever the outcome, IMHO you certainly deserve your 4th dan Brian. Looked like good breaking to me.. If anything I think your board holders were holding a little loose. It is interesting to see what you had to do... I'm testing for mine in Feb so will be interesting to see how the criteria differs across organisations. Good luck for the result!

I work from home so I can live wherever is convenient for me. Recently I decided that its time to move again and this time I said to myself that is also time to move closer to a good dojo. So not that odd... Regarding the japanese instructor, I don't know why your experiences with some instructors were not positive but mine were all very very good. Last sensei I trained told me that he used to train in his childhood in Japan for 8 hours a day. I think that's a reason for very good technique and dedication that you cannot find in a european instructor, with all due respect... OK well that makes a little more sense. I have had some very very positive experiences with Japanese (and Korean as I study TKD) teachers but I have also had fantastic training from European instructors who train just as hard and to the same level. Race has little to do with it. I'm part Chinese but that's not going to make me brilliant at Wing Chun or any other Chinese martial art. Anyone can train hard and no nationality will make an individual more or less likely to be a great martial artist or a great teacher.

Well maybe you can answer some questions to help you see what you want? As a starting point, what's your budget? To make things simple, under $100, $300, $600, or more? (Does that money include tripod, separate microphone, software, lights etc. or do you have extra?)

What Danielle speaks here is solid. That's why I teach beyond my core style to my students. I teach them the Shindokan way, but in addition, I'll teach them said same technique from other styles that I've cross trained in via exchangements and such. One way is very limiting to any MAist, and to any style, imho. My learning style for quite along time was restrictive because I was learning only one style, then I started to learn TKD, and then, I started to learn from whichever style of the MA that I felt would increase my MA betterment. What I didn't like, I discarded. To this day, I'm still searching many other styles of the MA that will improve my MA betterment. That's great that you do that Bob Certainly gives your students a rounded experience. I also meant that even in say teaching a Shindokan side kick, it is good if instructors can teach this in different ways. So demonstrate the kick for the visual learners, talk about and discuss the kick for the linguistic learners, have students practice over and over again for kinesthetic and intrapersonal learners, group or partner work for the interpersonal learners etc. You are only teaching one kick and method but by incorporating all these into your teaching of the side kick, I think you eventually hit home with all styles of learning and each student has an opportunity to get that moment when it clicks.

In Gen. Choi's Encyclopedia, he talks about a round kick with the ball of the foot being used from the opponent's "flank." I think this is due to the way the ball of the foot is exposed when the toes are pulled back. By flank, I think he means being at an angle to the attacker, so that the ball of the foot contacts, and the toes do not. Just a thought. That is an important point. For ball of the foot, Gen Choi taught that you should never ever target something in front of you. Your target is off your centre line and more on the 45 degree angle to ensure a proper contact angle and save your toes! If your target is in front, you have to move or step first before kicking (as in Ge Baek move #33).

It's kinda like the bystander effect. I think it depends on the person watching whether they feel also intimidated by the bully or if they think they have the power, physically or verbally, to help. It is funny though what people will and won't do. A couple of years ago I spun my car into a ditch and nearly rolled it... the amount of people who just drove past and didn't stop to check if I was fine or needed any help - especially as I was a female alone miles from anywhere. After that I always stop and ask people if their ok if it's not immediately obvious that they are.

I agree. There are those who learn better visually, and those who learn better by being read to and then answering questions, and I'm sure there are a lot of layers in between. I think part of being an instructor is being able to learn to read yours students, and figuring out how they best learn, and adapting your curriculum to them so that they can learn. That said, with so many styles of learning, its important to be exposed to so many styles of teaching, which can be difficult. If you take the flip side of the coin here, that people can learn in different ways, and have trouble adjusting to different modalities of learning, then teachers that teach a certain way may have trouble adjusting their teaching style to accomodate certain students. This isn't a bad thing, and it shouldn't be viewed as a "its better or worse" thing. Its different. And the exposure to different ideas and ways of doing things is how we learn what our preferences are and how we choose to approach things. Great share, Alex. Thank you. It's all learning styles isn't it. I think there are 7 or so recognised styles and everyone falls into at least one (usually several) categories; linguistic, logical, visual, intrapersonal, interpersonal, musical, kinesthetic. According to this I'm 94% logical which I think reflects in the way I personally learn MA: http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-learning-styles-quiz What's everyone else's learning style? Whilst I agree it is very difficult, it would be great if instructors could try to teach a technique in a variety of ways so that it can click with a variety of students.