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Thanks for the advice. I may have hit a snag in getting off the ground with this but if I am able to do it, I will remember to go into it not focused on the instructor's level or years of experience. Like most of you said, if he is a good teacher and knows his stuff then not much else matters.

Seriously, their teacher likely told them that they should start teaching on the side while they work on their technique and form I was thinking it might be something like that because 2 of the instructors were at another school in the area. As for the aikido guy, not sure where he came from as aikido has not been available in my town. I'm not too worried about the fact that he is not higher than shodan, it's that he's only been doing martial arts for 9 years and the other 2 have 30+ years of experience even though they are also at the lower end of the black belt spectrum...However, as you said Bushido, he might be a great teacher and have the necessary knowledge up to his skill level.

Hello. I am looking into learning akido and had a question about the instructor. I have never met the guy nor do I have any experience with aikido. I know that in order to be a shodan, you must know and, I guess, master all the previous levels. He has been practicing since 2000... So I guess 2 questions: is 9 years long enough to gain shodan in aikido, and if it is, is it enough to begin teaching if he is the only aikido instructor at this dojo? Jiu-jitsu and judo are also taught there by different instructors. One is nidan and the other is also shodan. Thanks. Oh and it's "AIKIDO MOCHIZUKI" if that makes a difference.

Going to be 33 soon and thinking of doing either aikido or daito ryu aikijutsu..

I am wrong about his dan ranking. I recently found out he received shodan 3 years ago. As I don't know the average length of time to receive the higher dans, I don't know what he is but I would assume at least 2nd.

It's just kind of hard to do that when you are punching air. For me anyway. But I did practice that some at home. I did find that it's alot easier to do it slower. I think I've got the hang of it that way but in class when sensei counts off fast, it's alot harder to stay relaxed to that instant of contact. I'll get it one day though.

Well, I did ask my sensei to show me after class the other night. And it was more like what the female blue belt showed me. So I'm gonna do it that way and if someone tries to correct me, I will tell them that I'm only doing it the way sensei showed me.

That was kind of my thinking on it. I didn't want to say to my Sensei that I was shown 2 different ways to do the block because I didn't want them to be put on the spot for maybe not doing things correctly. After one has been studying ma for a few years, is it acceptable to be doing forms and techniques that might be a little different than what you were first taught by the sensei? As long as the basic movement is there? I figure that for at least the first 2 or 3 belts, techniques and things should be done like the sensei showed you. My Sensei has also told me though that for some things, you do whatever feels most comfortable.

Well, there are only 2 bb besides the sensei and neither of them was there last night but he does have a couple of browns. He might have had hte blue belt showing us so that she could keep sharp on the basics, I don't know. But he does have an official sempei that hurt his back at work but once he's able, he'll be back to class. His wife is playing that role now. She has a brown belt that has a white stripe. Don't know what that means.

Had a blue belt showing me and 2 other white belts some basic blocks and things in class last night. The one I'm having a hard time with is Soto ude uke. I thought I was doing it correcty but apparently I'm not. I'm not gonna try to explain how I was doing it versus how she said I should cos I don't thinkI could do it effectively. Anyway, after the class was over I asked another blue belt if he could demonstrate and he showed me a different way. His way was more like an uppercut. Twist so that my upper body is in line, drop my arm against my side and come forward and up like an uppercut. THe problem is that now I'm confused. Which way do I do it, his way or her way? Or shoudl I ask my sensei how he wants it done and then do it that way no matter how a senior student shows me how to do it? He's the sensei for a reason but I don't want a higher belt to think I'm just wasting their time when they are trying to show me something and I won't do it their way if it's different than what sensei shows me.

My sensei keeps telling me that I need to relax or I won't be able to do things correctly. I try but i find it difficult to do that. He says I should be relaxed in the technique, whatever it may be, until the point of impact and then tighten up. Like in Choku tsuki chudan for example. It's hard to wrap my head around doing that versus putting all your power into a punch from the start. Any suggestions on how I can learn to relax so that I can perform each technique correctly? Thanks

He doesn't seem to care. He has made some comments jokingly that the boyfriend needs to get her in line and things like that. I'll just ignore it so long as it doesn't disrupt the class. But if I was the sensei, I would tell them that they should be focusing on the karate while in class, not each other.

Had class again last night. It went pretty good. There is a beginner's class for little kids just before ours and they were still there when I got there. I'm glad I went with this school. Instead of making the kids stand there and not have any fun practising the moves, Sensei made a game out of it, the part I saw anyway. Which I'm sure some instructors wouldn't do. Basically the kids were all over the floor and sensei would call out one of their names and the others had to do a move in their direction. Just a basic kick or bunch but the kids were having a lot of fun. Laughing and running around trying to find the kid whose name had been called so they could do whatever they were supposed to. Anyway, it looked like a blast. Did heian shodan again toward the end of class with one other white belt and blue belt to help us learn the kata. I've gotten much better at it, I think anyway. Thanks youtube Anyway, I told the blue belt I had been practicing at home and she said she could tell that i had done it more than once. I want to ask Sensei what's required for the yellow belt test but since I've only just started I don't know if he would tell me it's too soon and not to worry about it yet or not. How far ahead do any of you start practicing for your next belt test?

We have a boyfriend/girlfriend couple in my class and I'd like to ask for opinions on something. I've noticed that before class starts they like to hang out in a corner and while they are not all over each other, they're not just talking either. It's not that I have a problem with what they are doing I just think that kind of stuff can wait until they are home or wherever. Just don't do it in the dojo. Sensei doesn't seem to care. I think they are at most around 20. Anybody else agree or am I just acting like some old fuddy-duddy? I'm only 30 by the way.

Good luck with the class. I've only had 3 classes so far but I really enjoy it and I really think I'm gonna like it. It's been a bit frustrating not being able to do certain things but I know that I will get them right. I practiced heian shodan for the first time in class and I found it difficult, but only because it's confusing with which way to step, how to turn, things like that. But I've been practicing at home and I'm able to do it better. It's not even close to being correct but I feel that I've got the movements more or less right. Now I just have to wait for sensei to correct me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your path as much as I'm enjoying mine, so far.

Club: Sei Shin Karate Do Affiliated with International Japanese Karate Association and Assosciation of Shotokan Karate(Quebec) Chateauguay, QC (near Montreal) Sensei Jean-Michel Lefebrve(I'm not sure what rank he is. I want to say 6th dan but I'm probably wrong.)

Yeah I know. Since I decided that I wanted to do ma, I've spent alot of time there. I've actually sorta learned how to do that first kata by watching videos of it so when I start to learn it in the class, I should be able to pick it up pretty easily. I hope anyway.

Well, I just started shotokan but right now I prefer the Japanese. That's mostly because I live in Quebec and the class is in French. I don't speak French. Sensei will give short explanations in English if he sees that I or some of the other English students didn't really get what he was saying, but I still think I'm missing some key points. I hope to be signing up soon for French lessons so that'll help. I'm slowly learning the Japanese terms so at least I have a better understanding of what he wants us to do. That, and he demonstrates what he wants with a student first before he has us do it. So far I've been able to mostly figure out what he wants by watching him.

thanks. Had my second class last night and am going to my third tonight. After this week though, I'll probably only be able to do 2 nights a week instead of 3. 2 classes a week seems ok to me. I'm definately going to have to find a way to work on my balance. Sensei had us go into mae geri but without completing the kick. Needless to say, I was quite wobbly on one leg but I did it today to try and had no problem. It might have been because it was the end of the class and my legs were tired. Don't know. Any suggestions on how to improve balance?

Well, I went to my first actual class last night. I really liked it. It's going to take some time to learn the terminology though. I've been looking on google trying to find what we did so that I can write correctly here. There are several people in the class but only about 4 white belts. So sensei had everyone start on some kind of punch or something that we, the white belts, couldn't have possibly done but he told us just to do the punch slowly and work on doing right instead of fast. So from what I can remember this what we, the new people, did. gedan-barai into jodan age-uke then jodan choku zuki. I think that's what it was. From gedan-barai, my left arm came up for the block in front of my face and then just a counterpunch to either jodan or chudan without moving forward. We also tried a kick I think it was some sort of side kick. And then we tried the kihon(?) kata with the yellow belts. That didn't go so well. With not having any idea how to do it or which way to pivot, trying to follow them was very confusing. All in all, I really enjoyed and I'm looking forward to the next class.

With how he was demonstrating with his son and the couple of things he did on me, I think it was just to show me what jujitsu can do. ANd that's how I took it not that this guy was deliberately trying to cause me pain. I think you nailed it. I've not really been able to put the reason I want to do martial arts into words before. I just knew that I wanted to do it.

I start shotokan next week but I'm doing it because it's something I've always wanted to do but never had the opportunity until now. I'm in a physical job that is the only exercise I get but it isn't very good for endurance, flexibility, and cardio. I'm also hoping karate will help with all that. But mainly, because it looks really fun.

Just wondering what some of you think about this video. And one of the comments in particular. The comment: "shotokan however, was developed for neither. shotokan was developed as a style to be taught to school children and all the lethal aspects of karate were taken out. it was designed to develope coordination, stregnth, health and other hallmarks of a fighter- but it wasnt designed for fighting. in that way, it´s like tai chi."

Good advice. Thanks. I think I'm gonna go with the shotokan. I may end up cross-training down the road. i just think that with the jujitsu, I'd spend more time worrying about if the technique is going to hurt or not rather than on what the teacher is saying. THanks for all the answers to my questions.

I definitely understand that. I know that in a real situation, an attacker is not going to stand a certain distance away so you can set up for a kick or a punch or whatever. I've never been a in a fight really but I've seen some and I know that it's usually just 2 people that end up wrestling on the ground because neither one really knows how to fight. I've gone 30 years without really needing to defend myself, I'm hoping I can go 30 more. But you're right, that kind of knowledge could definitely be useful.