Sorry it took so long for me to post here again. I've been having a lot of computer problems.
At the moment, I'm no longer taking lessons there. I had been taking lessons because of a deal they had where you could attend classes for free for a month. Now I'd actually have to pay for lessons, so I'm taking time off to save up. (I'm a college student. Textbooks come before karate. :cuss: )
Originally posted by Blindside
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No Amanda, you sound like a beginner.... 
Some other questions that may help clarify what you do:
Do you use Japanese terminology for the punches, blocks, stances, etc that you have learned?
Do the students and instructor all wear white gis (uniforms)?
Is the "plastic body armor" you describe cover the heads, hands, and feet, or does it also include the torso? (actually that won't help, it just lets me figure out what if this is typical or not)
Thanks,
Lamont
PS You know I thought it was strange when you posted your name as Amanda Sedai, then I looked at your profile and saw your reading habits (Wheel of Time), heh. 
I guess I'll step carefully around you....
-Some terms are in Japanese, with others it depends on the instructor. For example, one instructor might tell the students to practice the first kata, whereas another might refer to it by its Japanese name and then follow it with "the first kata" for those of us who have no idea what he just said.
-Gi aren't required but most people wear them. One instructor has a black one, the others wear white. I don't know if there's any reason behind that.
-I was kind of inaccurate in describing the sparring gear as plastic. It's a helmet, a chest plate, gloves and what look like shoes without soles. (Oh yeah, and a mouth guard. I know that because when one of the students said "Kia!" (sp?) before kicking, it flew out of her mouth and hit her opponent.
)
And yeah, it really is kind of pointless to learn karate when I can use balefire.
But hey, I'm Brown Ajah, and karate is something new to learn.
Rob, thanks for the forum link. I'll check it out.
Ryu, thanks. That site should help; I'll read it.
I probably sound like a clueless idiot. I ask my instructor about these kinds of things all the time but half the time I either forget the terms he uses (what's the word for karate where you fight with weapons in addition to the empty-handed style?) or I think of questions when I'm not in class. (Like now, I'm thinking I really ought to ask him about the "armor" I saw the students using. How come you usually don't see people wearing protective gear when they're doing karate? :samurai: )
