With the increase in popularity of the martial arts more and more people are searching for a good martial arts school and a good instructor. There are many great gyms and instructors out there and unfortunately there are as many not so good. How do you tell the difference? What should you look for in a good instructor since the instructor in most cases is the school?
Most prospective students think that the most important thing to look for in an instructor is content knowledge. They want their instructor's martial arts to be dynamic, powerful and impressive in every way. This is obviously very important because there is nothing that looks worse than a black belt instructor who can't deliver the goods when it comes to content. So this quality is definitely high on the list of prerequisites.
However there are other things to look for that may ultimately be even more important to you. Here are some other important points to consider.
Does your master instructor have good people skills? This might not seem as important at first because after all you want to learn about the martial arts first and foremost and you're willing to put forth the effort no matter what. But the instructors who have great people skills are usually the ones who care about their students the most. Generally with this type of instructor your progress will be foremost in their minds and they will do their best to encourage you, give you appropriate feedback and ensure your success in their program.
The opposite type of instructor may well be very good at the martial arts but often seems arrogant, aloof and completely disinterested. It seems like they are more focused on trying to break your spirit for the purpose of showing you how bad you really are. This may or may not be true, and some people react very well to this type of hardcore training but most people donít do well in this environment. Instead, they need a healthy balance of tough love and positive encouragement. Which type of person are you?
What are your instructor's qualifications? Again I'm not just talking about their technical skill, although this is important. I'm also talking about other not so obvious qualifications they should have. So instead of just finding out what degree black belt they are, try to find out other things such as how long have they been practicing the martial arts, how long have they been teaching, how often do they go on courses to improve their own skills? Do they have CPR and First Aid qualifications?
Other important qualities include: Do they do background checks on their assistant instructors? Are they qualified to rank you once you get to black belt? Is their school a part of a larger organization that offers support and guidance to them?
These types of questions don't always give you the full picture of your instructor's ability in the martial arts and their level of teaching, but they do give you some idea as to how seriously they take themselves and their school.
What do your instructor's lessons look like? Does your instructor teach the same thing every lesson? Does your instructor seem disorganized and frazzled? Does each lesson flow from one activity to the next or is it disjointed and confusing? Some of these things are signs that your instructor doesn't know what they are doing.
Instead your lessons should be more like the following:
-- A high-energy and positive environment where the instructor leads by example and models the techniques or drills
-- Ample opportunity to practice the techniques and drills in different ways while giving constructive feedback
-- Lessons flows seamlessly from one technique to the next and one activity to the next
-- The instructor is well-organized and uses multiple teaching methods such as verbal, visual and experiential
-- Questions are asked and comments are made to help reinforce the content
-- Good discipline is maintained in the class so there are minimal interruptions and students are held accountable for their effort and focus.
Hopefully these ideas give you a better picture of what to look for in a good school and instructor. Good luck and best wishes on your journey in martial arts.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Choosing a Martial Arts School
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
What is Sport Karate?
In today's terminology, Sport Karate (or Sport Martial Arts) is the application of competitive martial arts in a sporting environment, and has been around for a few decades.
The two main categories/divisions of competition are Fighting and Forms, with this article focusing on the Fighting category. Part 2 will focus on the Forms category.
Within those two categories, there are various areas of competition ñ such as weapon forms, musical forms, team forms, team fighting, continuous fighting, and many more divisions (depending what sanction an athlete competes in). Sport Martial Arts is quickly evolving as competitors continue to push the envelope of what people are physically capable of doing. This not only has increased the level of competition, but also allows martial art athletes to be more innovative in their traditional and competitive training.
Fighting
MA athletes that compete in fighting have implemented new fighting techniques and moves that were previously only seen in boxing and other arts, along with training habits of professional mainstream sports players. This has heighten the level of fighting, and made the sport more exciting to watch and be apart of.
All of the various divisions at a Sport Karate tournament are broken up into age categories and levels of martial art experience to even out the competition. Age groups vary from event-to-event, but experience is usually the same. Less then 1 year is considered a beginner, 2 - 3 years is intermediate, 3 or more years is advanced and Black Belts are segregated from all other under belts (non-black belts).
Fighting division can be pictured as tennis matches, except they are not as lengthy. Matches are usually 2 to 3 minutes long and the winner is determined by either total points scored (first one to 5) or whoever is ahead in points when time runs out. Ties are sent into sudden death overtime ñ first person to score, wins. Keep in mind these rules do not apply to every Sport Karate sanction.
Typical matches are single elimination with no opportunity to fight again unless a competitor makes it to the quarterfinals (the loser, will compete for 3rd and 4th place). Winners of their respected division, as in Forms, sometimes have the opportunity to compete for an Overall Grand Champion against other division winners.
Will I get hurt? Well, you are fighting another person, so chances are youíll end up with a bruise or two at the end of a match. But Sport Martial Arts wouldnít have gained the popularity it currently has if athletes kept on getting injured. Almost all sanctions require the athletes to wear protective gear to prevent injury and judges are always close by to monitor the match. Think of a sanction as a league, there are different types and different levels. Be sure you know what the rules of a particular sanction are before you join to ensure it is the type of competition youíre looking for.
To see part 2 of this article, go to www.experiencemartialarts.com, click on "Learn More" and look in the "Sport Martial Arts" section.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Martial Arts Black Belt Promotion Test Invitation
Invite your friends and family to attend as your promote to the esteemed rank of Martial Arts Black Belt with this unique Martial Arts Black Belt Promotion Test Invitation. Customize it with your name, date and location of the black belt test. Suitable for karate, taekwondo, kung fu, judo etc. This custom black belt test invite features a digitally enhanced photograph of a martial arts black belt.
Most orders print and ship within 48 hours. Bulk rates do apply - the more you buy, the more you save. Every order is backed by Zazzle's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
- 5" x 7" (portrait) or 7" x 5" (landscape). Additional sizes available.
- High quality, full-color, full-bleed printing on both sides.
- 20 unique paper types and colors.
- Standard white envelope included.
- Premium Envelopments pocket folds, colored envelopes, and envelope liners available.
- Postage rate for this size invitation (up to 1 oz.) is $0.49.
- Printed in California.
A crisp professional paper with a smooth matte finish designed for vibrant full-color printing. 110lb cover-weight. 50% recycled content (10% post-consumer and 40% pre-consumer waste).
tagged with: black belt test, martial arts, black belt, karate, taekwondo, tae kwon do, kung fu, judo, tae kwan do, ju jitsu,black belt test invitations,invitations,invites, Sphere: Related Content
Training with Martial Arts Weapons - Karate Kung Fu Weaponry
There are opportunities in martial arts training to learn to use various martial arts weapons. Many martial arts schools, especially those that teach Japanese karate and Chinese kung fu styles have weaponry as part of their overall curriculum. Popular weapons from karate systems include the bo staff, kama, sai, sword, nunchaku and tonfa. Chinese kung fu styles have broadsword, 3 section staff, kwan do, whip chain, butterfly knives as well as their own versions of staff. Of course, there are many other types of weapons in martial arts but the above are the more common ones taught. Some of the more exotic weapons include the fan, rope dart and the hook swords. Martial arts weapons can be divided into short and long range. An example of a short range weapon would be a pair of sai. The bo staff would be a long range weapon because of the longer reach. Weapons can also be divided into bladed and non-bladed. Kamas and swords of course would be bladed weapons where staffs and nunchakus would be non-bladed. In most training situations with bladed weapons, the blades are not live. That is, the blades of swords and kamas are blunt rather than sharp. This adds to the safety aspect of martial arts weapons training. Weapons can also come in different weights from heavy traditional models down to ultra light weight versions for forms competition.
Martial arts weapons are considered as extensions of a martial artistís own body. For example, strikes with a weapon are really extended hand strikes. Blocks with weapons are modeled after traditional martial art blocking techniques. Therefore, it is important for martial arts students to be relatively proficient with martial arts techniques using their own bodies first before learning to use any martial arts weapon. This will help the students understand the applications behind each weapons technique much better. In most Japanese karate schools, weapons training wonít be offered until students reach an intermediate level such as green or blue belt. There are martial arts that are strictly weapons oriented. An example is Japanese kendo which is modeled after samarai sword fighting. Philipino arnis is stick fighting which was developed in the South Pacific islands.
There are many benefits in training with martial arts weapons. Because most weapons have some weight to them, their use will help develop muscle tone and strength. Performing forms or katas with weapons will also develop coordination. In todayís world, martial arts weapons may not be as practical as the days of the past when it was acceptable to carry weapons wherever one traveled. However, with some understanding of weapons techniques, a martial artist today can turn almost any household item such as an umbrella, cane or even a set of keys into weapons of self defense if required. Another important point that shouldnít be ignored is that most practitioners will claim that training with martial arts weapons is a lot of fun.
However, not all martial arts clubs and studios will teach weapons. Many tae kwon do schools for example do not include weapons in their overall training. This is not to say that Korean martial arts do not have weapons. The Korean martial art kuk sool won features the staff, sword and cane. So if a martial arts student wishes to learn the use of weapons, a school that includes them in their training should be sought after. Another alternative for students who are otherwise happy with their martial arts club that doesnít have weapons training is to get supplementary private instruction from instructors who can provide it.
Weapons training can open up a whole new dimension to overall martial arts training. Even advanced tai chi practitioners use swords in some of their forms. It doesnít matter if sometimes the swords are made entirely of wood either since the actual weapons techniques will still be used in the forms. For many martial arts competitors, weapons forms are their favorite divisions to compete in. From a spectator point of view, weapons forms can be very exciting to watch especially when weapons such as whip chains or kamas with strings are used since their presentations are so dynamic and even somewhat dangerous to the user. Such weapons have caused injuries to users when certain techniques were sloppy or mistimed. But like other aspects of martial arts, proficiency with a martial art weapon after much hard training can bring a high sense of satisfaction to a martial artist.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Custom Martial Arts 4th Degree Black Belt Keychain
The Custom Martial Arts 4th Degree Black Belt Keychain makes a unique gift idea for a black belt promotion test. Customize it with the name of your martial artist and the earned they earned a fourth degree black belt. This personalized martial arts key ring features a black belt design with four gold bars and a white background. Suitable for all martial arts including karate, taekwondo, kung fu, judo and ju jitsu.
Most orders print and ship within 48 hours. Bulk rates do apply - the more you buy, the more you save. Every order is backed by Zazzle's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
- Full-color, full-bleed printing
- Silver Colored Metal Charm & Ring
- UV Resistant and Waterproof
- Add Photos, Artwork and Text
- No minimum order
Diameter: 1.44 inches. Great for small bags and pockets.
Depth: .19 inches
Weight: .75 ounces
Tagged with: black belt, black belt gift, black belt test, martial arts, martial artist, karate, taekwondo, blackbelt, 4th degree, fourth degree, kung fu, judo, keychain, key ring, key chain, black belt keychain Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Three Steps to Picking a Martial Arts Gym
If you are most people, you are looking to get in a little better shape. What better way to do that than to start practicing martial arts. There are literally hundreds of different types of martial arts styles, and you want to make sure that you are getting a good deal on your lessons. Martial arts studios vary in quality, and unless you know what you are doing it might not get the best deal available. There are hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of martial arts instructors and their quality varies widely. Let's take a look at three different tips to keep in mind when shopping for a martial arts gym.
1. How long. This might not seem obvious at first, but the length of time that a martial arts gym has been in existence is more important than you would think? Why is that? Because many martial arts studios are like restaurants. People who open restaurants generally are good cooks, and maybe not the best business people. Just because you're an Olympic athlete doesn't mean you are a good business person. So what if a martial arts studio is brand new, the odds of its staying around for a long time, are fairly low. But if the martial arts studio has been around for a little while. You might be a lot safer, signing a long-term contract with them.
2. Instructor. Who is the instructor? Is he or she a well-known name? Is in a chain of martial arts dojos? The instructor makes all the difference. Finding a good instructor is like finding a nugget of gold. The good ones are hard to find, but when you find them, you should really stick to them. Ask the instructor or what his qualifications are and how long he's been practicing martial arts. A little legwork goes a long way.
3. Location. Is the martial arts studio close your house? Is it easy to access? What are the hours? Are the classes convenient to your schedule? Find out all this before hand. You don't want to be driving hours just to take a martial arts lesson here and there. While close is better, if a really good instructor is a little out-of-the-way, that might be a good way to go also.
Martial Arts Proud to be a Black Belt T-Shirt
Most orders print and ship within 48 hours. Bulk rates do apply - the more you buy, the more you save. Every order is backed by Zazzle's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
