From Okinawa to Korea

[_Simon_]

It went great, thanks for asking. It was Kaicho’s class at his second dojo (not honbu). It’s about a 2.5 hour drive. I’m going to go to honbu sometime soon.

The World Seido Karate Organization in New York City

It was my first class with Kaicho (other than a mass workout), so I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know if he’d be a drill sergeant, hardass, etc.; if it would be a brutal workout physically, mentally, etc.

Kaicho’s a great guy. He’s very personable, has a great sense of humor, and gets people to work hard and focus with while keeping a smile on his face and everyone else’s. Or at least that’s how he was last night.

Here’s an example - we had to lay down on our back, hold our arms and legs off the floor, then lift our back off the floor and hold it. Everyone in the dojo had to count backwards from 10 in Japanese before we stopped. There were about 25 or 30 of us in class. I couldn’t get my back too far off the floor, so he stands right next to me and puts his foot under my back, with his heel on the floor and his toes pointed up. He’s laughing and saying “come on, I help you out!” Then it’s my turn to count, and of course I’ve never counted backwards in Japanese and butchered it 3 times before I got it right, and he’s laughing the entire time and saying “take your time and get it right.” We finish, and he quietly says to me “great job not giving up.”

He was like that with everyone. I’d imagine he’d be quite different if someone gave up, got disrespectful, etc. And he’s probably more intense during testing

It was a great experience. I did a one hour general class, which had every kyu rank (no yellow belts were there) and several 5th and 6th dans, and a half hour kumite class immediately afterwards with a lot of the same people.

Sorry for the side track

Ah wow... so jealous ;P. That sounds amazing, and yeah he truly seems like such an integrous, nice guy.

Have watched plenty of YouTube vids of him, yeah I love what he emphasises.

Yep I'd struggle too counting backwards in Japanese haha, so used to counting it normally... thanks for sharing, it's truly great to get an insight into what his classes are like.

Ah I went on that website and sent through a message asking if I could purchase some of the books in the Seido shop (as I couldn't put in the ship to Australia option), but I haven't heard back.. it was almost a month ago, but I reckon the contact form may not have worked, have had that happen before... I'll have to find a proper email address or something...

 

[JR 137]

Ah wow... so jealous ;P. That sounds amazing, and yeah he truly seems like such an integrous, nice guy.

Have watched plenty of YouTube vids of him, yeah I love what he emphasises.

Yep I'd struggle too counting backwards in Japanese haha, so used to counting it normally... thanks for sharing, it's truly great to get an insight into what his classes are like.

Ah I went on that website and sent through a message asking if I could purchase some of the books in the Seido shop (as I couldn't put in the ship to Australia option), but I haven't heard back.. it was almost a month ago, but I reckon the contact form may not have worked, have had that happen before... I'll have to find a proper email address or something...

Perhaps call or contact one of Sei Shihan Ino’s dojos? He’s the Australia branch chief...
Seido Juku Karate in Sydney is a traditional Japanese style of karate that provides physical fitness and self defence to men, women and children of all ages and abilities.
I’m pretty sure he’s got copies. Shipping from him would be significantly cheaper than from NYC. I’ve met him before. Very nice guy. And one hell of a karateka

 

[_Simon_]

Perhaps call or contact one of Sei Shihan Ino’s dojos? He’s the Australia branch chief...
Seido Juku Karate in Sydney is a traditional Japanese style of karate that provides physical fitness and self defence to men, women and children of all ages and abilities.
I’m pretty sure he’s got copies. Shipping from him would be significantly cheaper than from NYC. I’ve met him before. Very nice guy. And one hell of a karateka

Ah now THAT'S an idea haha.. I just sent them through a message to see if they're willing to post. Ah nice kata! I've already got Karate: Technique & Spirit, and keen on reading some of the others.. cheers for that!

Okay thread continue! XD

 

[Michele123]

Some days I come home from training just feeling awesome. I love a good workout and feeling in tune with and master over my body. That is all.


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[_Simon_]

Some days I come home from training just feeling awesome. I love a good workout and feeling in tune with and master over my body. That is all.


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[emoji120][emoji106]

 

[Michele123]

Some updates.

First, my four year-old passed his white belt test shortly after my last post. He was a bit squirrelly during the test and was reprimanded for it but our instructor told me afterwards that it was normal for his age bracket and his techniques were good. Since the white belt test and the first stripe for that age group only have a couple techniques difference, he will be testing again at the next school-wide testing. (White belt tests are generally more of a thing to get the student used to testing and are scheduled during a normal class session whenever the instructor deems the person ready. All other tests are school-wide, once every three-months).


Speaking of testing, it is just over two weeks away from the next test.

My 6 year-old will be testing for her first full-color belt. It has taken her almost a year to get to this point (very young children tend to move at a much slower rate, which is why there are incremental belts, or stripes, for them). I'm actually really impressed with the improvement I’ve seen in her over the last year. And, while I was a bit skeptical of the incremental belts (my old style never had this) I think it has actually been great. It allows children to get accustomed to testing and the pressure from it (my 6 year-old ran and hid at her first attempt at testing and had to wait until later to test). It also allows them to progress at an age-appropriate speed while giving promotions to encourage them yet not promoting them to regular ranks before they are ready.

My 4 year-old will be testing for his first stripe. I’m less convinced that he is ready. However, seeing that these first couple of incremental ranks are largely to ease the child into things and that I was similarly unconvinced for my 6 year-old when she was testing for this rank, I’m going to trust my instructor on this one.

And I have my tests. Since there is so much repetitive material between the next two ranks, my instructor was correct that I’ve been able to pick up both sets of material quickly. I am less confident of the second set of material of course (since I’ve been working on it for less time), but if I don’t pass the second rank test, as long as I pass the first one and begin the second, I’ll be able to re-do the second test before the next school-wide test. I’m mostly concerned about the board breaks (again) as I haven’t had a chance to even try them in class yet. I’m hoping I get a chance to so I don’t have to break them cold at the test since there are two breaks for the later rank this time. I do find it flattering when my instructor tells the black belts working with me to not pay attention to my rank but to critique me at a higher level than my rank warrants.

Anyhow, back to practicing. If anyone has a reliable method of convincing (or forcing) a four year old to practice with me, I’m all ears!


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[Michele123]

Testing is just a few days away! We’ve had lots of extra class sessions so people could practice. The last one my 6 & 4 year old couldn’t focus at all. I think they were responding to the high level of nervous energy. I hope that energy doesn’t mess with them during the actual test!

My instructor introduced me to something pretty cool at the last one. Taking a slow-motion video of your techniques to analyze them. Wow! It’s really a game changer with my practice. I even did it for my 6-year old and was pleasantly surprised at how good her form looked for some of her kicks.

Anyhow, I’m really excited about this idea because now when something doesn’t feel right I have an easier way of figuring out why. It’s really helpful with practicing my Chinning kick (which I have to break with). I have three board breaks. I have a Chinning Kick, front kick, and axe kick. The Chinning kick is the only one I’ve been struggling with. Unfortunately it comes first. If I don’t succeed with that one I fail the test and don’t even get to do the others. I feel pretty good about everything else though. There is always something to tweak and improve on of course, but the level of my techniques is (supposedly) right where it needs to be for these tests and the things I’m working on improving are needed for next time.


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[pdg]

What's a chinning kick?

 

[_Simon_]

Testing is just a few days away! We’ve had lots of extra class sessions so people could practice. The last one my 6 & 4 year old couldn’t focus at all. I think they were responding to the high level of nervous energy. I hope that energy doesn’t mess with them during the actual test!

My instructor introduced me to something pretty cool at the last one. Taking a slow-motion video of your techniques to analyze them. Wow! It’s really a game changer with my practice. I even did it for my 6-year old and was pleasantly surprised at how good her form looked for some of her kicks.

Anyhow, I’m really excited about this idea because now when something doesn’t feel right I have an easier way of figuring out why. It’s really helpful with practicing my Chinning kick (which I have to break with). I have three board breaks. I have a Chinning Kick, front kick, and axe kick. The Chinning kick is the only one I’ve been struggling with. Unfortunately it comes first. If I don’t succeed with that one I fail the test and don’t even get to do the others. I feel pretty good about everything else though. There is always something to tweak and improve on of course, but the level of my techniques is (supposedly) right where it needs to be for these tests and the things I’m working on improving are needed for next time.


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Best of luck for the test! Stay nice and loose and relaxed and do your best let us know how it goes

 

[Michele123]

What's a chinning kick?

I might be spelling it wrong but it is an upward kick that catches the person underneath the chin. To get that high, you jump off the back leg and kick with the front. It’s similar to a karate jump front kick but the motion is straight up on the kick.


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[dvcochran]

Testing is just a few days away! We’ve had lots of extra class sessions so people could practice. The last one my 6 & 4 year old couldn’t focus at all. I think they were responding to the high level of nervous energy. I hope that energy doesn’t mess with them during the actual test!

My instructor introduced me to something pretty cool at the last one. Taking a slow-motion video of your techniques to analyze them. Wow! It’s really a game changer with my practice. I even did it for my 6-year old and was pleasantly surprised at how good her form looked for some of her kicks.

Anyhow, I’m really excited about this idea because now when something doesn’t feel right I have an easier way of figuring out why. It’s really helpful with practicing my Chinning kick (which I have to break with). I have three board breaks. I have a Chinning Kick, front kick, and axe kick. The Chinning kick is the only one I’ve been struggling with. Unfortunately it comes first. If I don’t succeed with that one I fail the test and don’t even get to do the others. I feel pretty good about everything else though. There is always something to tweak and improve on of course, but the level of my techniques is (supposedly) right where it needs to be for these tests and the things I’m working on improving are needed for next time.


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Best of luck. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Dirty Dog]

My instructor introduced me to something pretty cool at the last one. Taking a slow-motion video of your techniques to analyze them. Wow! It’s really a game changer with my practice. I even did it for my 6-year old and was pleasantly surprised at how good her form looked for some of her kicks.

This really should be a common practice. I use Coach's Eye quite often. It's one thing to tell a student how to improve a technique. It's another to show them what they're doing wrong. I've told many a student "you're doing X" and been told "no I'm not" because they really don't think they are. It lets you slow mo, stop, move forward and backward, and draw on the screen. Very useful tool.

 

[Mitlov]

This really should be a common practice. I use Coach's Eye quite often. It's one thing to tell a student how to improve a technique. It's another to show them what they're doing wrong. I've told many a student "you're doing X" and been told "no I'm not" because they really don't think they are. It lets you slow mo, stop, move forward and backward, and draw on the screen. Very useful tool.

I've used Coach's Eye to check my form with barbell lifts. It's a fantastic tool.

 

[JR 137]

This really should be a common practice. I use Coach's Eye quite often. It's one thing to tell a student how to improve a technique. It's another to show them what they're doing wrong. I've told many a student "you're doing X" and been told "no I'm not" because they really don't think they are. It lets you slow mo, stop, move forward and backward, and draw on the screen. Very useful tool.

I was going to suggest the same app. Used it many times for myself and others. By far the best and easiest to use video app I’ve seen in this regard.

There may be better ones out there that pros use, but from a price and ease of use standpoint, I haven’t seen one.

 

[Michele123]

The little kid class had their test. My daughter (6) did an amazing job. It is incredible to me to see the progress she has made in less than a year. She earned her orange belt, the first full rank after white (for the real little kids the ranks are split into increments m. But they have to do everything the big kids for their full ranks).

My son (4) didn’t do as well. He did ok on most of his stuff but he had trouble being still during the in-between times and he completely forgot his pattern (only 8 moves). So he didn’t pass tonight. He will get a second chance to re-Test during class tomorrow night.

My test is in just an hour and I’ve never been so nervous for a test.


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[_Simon_]

The little kid class had their test. My daughter (6) did an amazing job. It is incredible to me to see the progress she has made in less than a year. She earned her orange belt, the first full rank after white (for the real little kids the ranks are split into increments m. But they have to do everything the big kids for their full ranks).

My son (4) didn’t do as well. He did ok on most of his stuff but he had trouble being still during the in-between times and he completely forgot his pattern (only 8 moves). So he didn’t pass tonight. He will get a second chance to re-Test during class tomorrow night.

My test is in just an hour and I’ve never been so nervous for a test.


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Well done to your daughter, that's fantastic!
And yeah that's good your other little one can retest, good chance to learn perseverance ay, hopefully he wasn't too upset.

Best of luck, you'll be fine! You're probably midway through it now anyways, but give it your all and stay relaxed, breathe deeply

 

[Michele123]

I forgot to add, my son (4) took his lack of passing like a champ. He was very disappointed but didn’t let it show until he got out of the gym and kind of fell into DH. DH gave him a big hug, then he came up to me for a big hug and then he had to hurry down to bow out. He was very sad and sort of crying when we talked afterwards but his biggest concern was that he didn’t want DD to get even further ahead of him. When I explained that he would get to try again tomorrow night, he visibly brightened. He was still disappointed but more ok with things.

————

I had my test a couple hours ago. I was a bundle of nerves all day. I was especially worried about the Chinning kick break I had to do for the blue belt. I couldn’t believe how nervous I felt. It was crazy. Yet, once the test began I felt unnaturally calm. It was so weird. It reminded me of my days in theater. Opening night. You prepared hard for this day but while waiting for the curtain to go up you are so nervous and excited and nervous. You wonder how things will go and try not to obsess. Instead, taking deep breaths you try to clear mind and not fixate on parts of the show to come. Finally it’s time and the curtain goes up. As if by magic, the nerves calm and your body & voice act on their own accord. All that practice paid off. The opening show goes without a hitch.

That’s basically how things were for me tonight. I couldn’t believe how nervous I felt from the time my kids’ test ended to the time mine started. Yet, once it started I no longer felt nervous. Everything went smoothly. I had no real mistakes (obviously there is always room for improvement but not as the test was concerned) for my 5th gup test and one for my 4th gup test. I basically flowed two moves together when there was supposed to be a slight pause between them.

My forms went off without a hitch. I even got all my stances correct. I was a little worried as I’d only learned the form for 4th gup three weeks ago today.

The breaking! So for 5th gup I had to do a Chinning kick break. Apparently I actually get a choice between a Chinning kick and an axe kick but they had forgotten to tell me this. Since I had an axe kick as part of my 4th gup Test, I went ahead and chose the Chinning kick for my 5th gup anyway. Even though that is the part I was most concerned about. I don’t know how other schools do it, but for breaking at tests, you do a practice kick to measure distance and board placement and stuff. The holder(s) will only hold onto one side of the board during this practice so the board can easily move and not break. After this they will hold both sides of the hoard and brace it. Well, somehow, when I did my practice Chinning kick, I managed to break the board and send part of it flying across the room (hitting a 2nd Dan on the head)! I was in shock that it broke so easily, and worried about hitting that 2nd Dan. Apparently that is a harder way to break a board so it counted as my break and the 2nd dan was very gracious about getting hit. Supposedly it is part of the hazards of being a black belt. My break for 4th gup was a front kick, turn, axe kick. I made sure not to use full power during the practice for that one. I nailed it my first try though. It always amazes me how easily the board breaks. I always think I gotta put a lot of force into it, but then it breaks so easily. Maybe because I’m trying so hard.

Anyhow, I’m very pleased with how the test went and feel really good about things. I’m especially pleased with myself for having not only succeeded with the Chinning kick break, but also for having broken it during the practice kick!


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[Dirty Dog]

Well, somehow, when I did my practice Chinning kick, I managed to break the board and send part of it flying across the room (hitting a 2nd Dan on the head)! I was in shock that it broke so easily, and worried about hitting that 2nd Dan. Apparently that is a harder way to break a board so it counted as my break

It's called a speed break. Basically, you strike with enough speed and power to break the target before it has a chance to move away from the impact.
Holding one edge makes it significantly more difficult. Holding no edge makes it even more difficult. Congratulations on a difficult break.

 

[_Simon_]

Dude! That's amazing, WELL DONE! Sounds like you nailed the grading, and your break went awesome. So cool that it broke on the practice run! Shows you knew the correct technique ay

That's really great how your 4 year old responded, of course he'll be upset but it's cool he was okay with trying again.

And it's funny that! How the nerves can really be playing up, then upon starting there's a real calm. Overthinking really spirals things!

Congrats Michele, super happy for ya

 

[mrt2]

The little kid class had their test. My daughter (6) did an amazing job. It is incredible to me to see the progress she has made in less than a year. She earned her orange belt, the first full rank after white (for the real little kids the ranks are split into increments m. But they have to do everything the big kids for their full ranks).

My son (4) didn’t do as well. He did ok on most of his stuff but he had trouble being still during the in-between times and he completely forgot his pattern (only 8 moves). So he didn’t pass tonight. He will get a second chance to re-Test during class tomorrow night.

My test is in just an hour and I’ve never been so nervous for a test.


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My school also has a little ninjas program, but honestly, I haven't seen a child under 6 and very few under age 8 that showed any kind of skill in TKD. 4 is kind of young for something like a TKD test. I know TKD allows children as young as 4 to train, but honestly, I don't think they are prepared physically or mentally. At 4, most kids are just beginning to learn to ride a bicycle. Most kids haven't learned to read yet, and don't even know how to write their own names yet. And, motor skills are still developing. This isn't a criticism of you, but if it were me, I think I would let my kids get through pre school and kindergarden before starting them out in a martial arts program.