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I train hapkido (currently a red belt, testing soon for hubae high red) and I frequently teach classes in the morning as well. I find that I usually end up sticking with a lot of standard stuff during the warmups I lead (laps, kicking drills, situps, pushups, stretches), and I'd like to mix it up a little bit. Most of the students I train with and teach are either at or nearly at the same level as me, and the lower ranks that come to the classes I teach are students I know pretty well so we're all comfortable with each other. I try to pay attention to what other instructors do during warmups that I find interesting or particularly challenging and different and throw it into my own classes every so often, but I still would like to add some more interesting drills to my teaching repertoire.
So my question for you all is - what are some of your favorite warmup drills or conditioning exercises? Some of my personal favorites are when we're doing laps, an instructor might randomly come at us with a foam bat to work on our reflexes, or tie our partner's hands together during certain drills to practice improvising variations on techniques, or sometimes our instructor might walk across our stomachs as we're doing leg raises (haven't had the chutzpah to try that one yet myself!).
Or do you have any variations on the standard pushups/situps that are more challenging?
Any other advice on keeping class interesting is also appreciated. I'm probably overly paranoid that people will get bored! I only teach once every few weeks and fill in for other instructors as needed, but still, I want my classes to be the best they can be!
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Update on my last post:
The Muay Thai classes allow girls in, too, and there are even a few ^^ . They just weren't listed on the website. I checked out the place today, and it seemed awesome -- I'll be starting out next week, since today I couldn't make it on time because I had to find the place which is in a city nearby. My father is incredibly worried about me and not very happy about the idea, but my mother says I should give it a try and doesn't worry all that much.
So, yay.
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Has anyone been in a Soto Deshi program? What did you think?
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Hello ladies! I'm new to this community (but not livejournal! This account is new, though). I have been lurking around for a while but yay first post. Also, this post has two parts: a rambly intro about myself and a relevant-post-is-relevant part.
( intro )
The post:
I really have been thinking about taking up Muay thai. Has anyone here had any experience in it? I will be calling the nearest school (which is 20 mins away by train + a bus ride) up tomorrow! I hope they take girls -- on their website, the students in photographs and on the profiles page are only boys/men, but that might be because most girls in my area aren't incredibly into it (which doesn't seem unlikely). I also plan on keeping it up at college, in a gym there. Keep your fingers crossed! I'll be incredibly sad if it's a boys-only thing.
Also, what equipment will I need? I mean, I know -- shorts, boxing gloves, etc but any specific things I should keep in mind when I have to get it? Any tips in general for a beginner?
Thank you!
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I thought I'd just make a quick post here since I had a question, but I guess I should introduce myself. I practice Tae Kwon Do and I recently got my blue belt, I can use a longstick very badly and nunchucks with a little more efficiency. I'm not really sure what else to say, so I'll go question-by-question I suppose.
I'm on my seventh belt and I'm still horrible with my posture. I've always had trouble with my posture, but now it's a little more apparent whenever I do my form. It makes my stances look awful (that might be because I have flat feet, too) and my kicks feel awkward. I make a conscious effort to stand up straight, but it starts to look silly because I feel like I'm sticking out my rear. Tips please? D:
I'm also wondering how I can increase my flexibility. I can kick fairly high, but I can't do the splits very far, even after I've worked out and loosened my muscles. I stretch before, during, and after the workout, but I don't get any more limber. I want to do splits/etc daily, but I'm afraid that if I push myself to far, I'll hurt my knees, which has happened before. How can I solve this?
I guess that's enough questions for one post.
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I passed my Shodan examination in Kendo today! :D
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Hey there. My name is Laura and I've been training in Wado Kai karate for a few years now. I got my brown belt a couple of months ago, and have been working very hard already in preperation for my black belt grading, which is still a long ways off.
Anyway, I thought I would say hi!
And if anyone is interested, I started a blog to chronicle my year leading up to my black belt. It's completely public, and more for myself but thought I'd share.
http://sensei-pretty.dreamwidth.org/profile
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I've been given the task of teaching the green belt kids at my school one day a week. The trouble is, I don't really know what to do with them for the main part of class. They're older, between nine and twelve, and have been in the school for at least three years so I can't just do things like "Sensei Says" all the time.
Personally, I thought I'd concentrate on katas since that's really the only thing I feel comfortable teaching in depth right now but how to make katas interesting? Any suggestions?
Any other general tips for the teaching of not so small children would be awesome too.
Thanks in advance!
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Hello;
Background: Female, 17. Have been involved in martial arts for the past few months - Taekwondo (since February) and Capoeira (just started a month ago). I passed my first Taekwondo grading a couple months ago, am now a white-yellow belt (which still makes me very much of a beginner).
I'm not having much trouble with Taekwondo - the moves I have learnt so far I've been able to carry out with consistent practice. It is Capoeira that I'm having quite a bit of trouble with. I've not been able to master a very basic move, the au (cartwheel). I suspect that it may be because I don't possess enough arm strength to support my own body weight, and because I'm overweight (5'', 130lbs). However, I have been doing my best to master the au for the past month, to no avail. It is quite crippling, in that I can't progress to the more advanced moves. Not to mention that it is quite discouraging not to be able to play in the roda yet.
Can anyone please give me some advice as to how to master the au? I'm currently working out and controlling my eating (to reduce body fat), as well as doing strength training to improve arm strength . That aside, I'm at quite a loss as to what I should do.
Thanks in advance, and I'm glad to have found this community.
Edit: Yes, it is a standard cartwheel (where both hands are used). Thanks for the responses so far.
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Hello ladies,
I'm 25 and currently taking shito ryu karate. I've taken tae kwon do for short periods of time before, but this will be my first time actually taking a class for an extended period of time. It's a small sort of community center type class that has students from 11 to 60.
Anyway I'm feeling a bit discouraged. I'm not bothered by being the lowest in rank, but the class is more geared to the higher belts. For instance, when we practice blocks and such they are always things I have never seen nor been taught. When we practice katas, they are usually advanced. I have learned only 1.5 katas thus far and am now learning Bassai Dai along with the higher belts.
I find myself watching vids on youtube to try and keep up with everyone else, but sometimes dread going to class because I constantly feel lost. Is there a book or video or something that can help me catch up?
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Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
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Come discuss female MMA with us! Were a new MMA community, and we want YOU!
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) mma_respect
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Thursday, April 16th, 2009
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Been trying different gis for BJJ and am not happy with most of them. I hate the pepto pink that gir gis come in and want one that fits closer. I am 5'10" and weigh 125, so nothing seems to fit right. Any suggestions and websites where to order would be appreciated. I hear of good gis, but cannot find them online! esp. a Keiko women's gi. Basically impossible to find. I wear a 1 in width and body for mens but a 2 or 3 in length, esp. for the top. drives me nuts!
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I don't really post alot on this site, but I find that I can get valuable insight and advice from you all. Your experiences and insights are very helpful.
Recently I have been diagnosed with having a stress fracture in my metatarsal. I'm being told that I have to wear a hard flat bottom shoe for 6 weeks. I have spoken with my dojo instructor, and have been assured that they will work with me, even though i have to wear a shoe-brace on the mat. I am grateful for that, since the next review is in 6 weeks.
My problem is I don't know how I'm going to do this. The shoe I have to wear puts my left foot an inch higher than my right foot. When i go barefoot, I’m looking at being lopsided. I have contemplated taking athletic tape and wrapping my foot so I can’t bend it, but I have no idea if that would work, so I’m asking for advice on how I can continue going to karate for the next 6 weeks. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would greatly appreciate some advice, thanks.
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Saturday, April 11th, 2009
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Just thought I would share this, because it really made my day as an instructor ... and kinda helped me remember WHY I teach.
For the warmup in the kids' (6-12 years old) class, we decided to do a new team building excercise, where each kid has to take turns, gather a pad or foam block, then after everyone on their team has one, build a structure that we have exampled. Anyway, this excercise took up some time, which was good, cause we had three new people taking class. I tend to let the other instructors pick groups of kids to take before I take my own. Of course, that meant I was stuck with the three new kids (who are just taking a free class), and two white belts (who, of course, had brought two of the new people). I was really hesitant, because I had taught the two white belts before - the boy is just crazy and not very respectful, and the girl hardly speaks. [Not the best of combinations.] The three new people were two boys just as obnoxious as the white belt, and a girl who was even quieter than the white belt girl. Yeah, insanity. So, anyway, I tried to keep them occupied, learning some of the basic kicks and punches, a new technique, how to get away (crossover coverout, if anyone knows that). It was CRAZY, as I was trying to have the white belts help me, and then some of the new kids were kicking too hard, so I was running back and forth trying to fix these kids. But anyway. I survived the class. Of those five kids, four came up to me and did a short bow (which is not very common in my school, because it's very informal) and thanked me for an excellent class. Two of the new kids wanted to sign up right away. The insane white belt boy wanted to know if it was possible for me to teach him again next week, and he wished he could come in more than just once a week, just so he could learn more from me. Even though it was a crazy class, it definitely made me remember why I love being an instructor, and reminded me that I really am changing lives - even if I go crazy in the process. :) Does anyone else have any 'defining' or 'reminding' (as mine was) moments as an instructor?
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Thursday, April 9th, 2009
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Do you guys have a specific place to shop for gear for women, like rash guards.Or do you just use men's gear?
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Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
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We had our first nunchucks lesson yesterday and were told to practice basic eights every day.
Of course I managed to forget if the wrist puts the energy into the spin when the nunchucks are going up or down.
Do you know what I mean? My English is as good as my memory :-\
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An update from this post: http://community.livejournal.com/girlfighters/458677.html
So this isn't really part 2, because I haven't been to sparring since. I managed to reinjure my knee (On an ax kick, of all things. How stupid is that?) two days before my green stripe test. It's just another sprain, but my muscular therepist thinks that my ACL is living on borrowed time (there's already a tiny tear), especiually if I stick with martial arts. Which I am.
Anyway, my knee gives out in the middle of forms class, and Master Kim, after I tell my partners that no, I won't be at sparring in the morning, says "You know what? Don't come to the test. I'm just going to pass you right here. I just wanted to show you off a little."
Seriously. He said that. And he said I was getting really good. Do you have any idea what that does to my confidence?
So my knee and I are on the outs. It's getting better, I'm getting a new knee brace that should help, and I was finally allowed to start kicking again last night. I've lost some strength and balance, but that should come back with a little work.
I also had a talk with one of the head instructors about my knee and my misgivings with sparring, and just being able to talk it out was really good. He gave me some good ideas on how to break it down into managable things (as opposed to "OMG SPARRING AHHHHHH") and between what you all said and what he said, I can work with that.
So thank you all, so much.
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I had eleven women show up tonight!!! ELEVEN!!!
it wasn't the 13 that had signed up but still, i'm impressed! it is officially the largest class that I've ever taught on my own.
They were all very enthusiastic about it and very good to work with. they were a bit chattier than guys are but they all listened to me better than most men do on their first night.
I really like the format of starting a group all together. we will be closing registration after next week so everyone can be at the same level for a while before opening enrollment up again.
I also asked them for some feed back since it is the first time that we have had an all women's class at the dojo. They all said they were really excited about it and are very comfortable with it being just women. the one woman, a cop, holds a blackbelt from the local McDojo that she got years ago and hasn't been back there. she kind of realized what an 18 month blackbelt was worth and quit there. she has come to our classes on and off in the past but with her erratic work schedule, she gave it up before. she gave me some really good feedback tonight and told me that an all women's class for beginners is what the community needs. (as they move up in rank, they will be expected to participate more and more in the mixed classes)
speaking of the mixed classes, I have two women that already said that they are considering coming to the thursday night class with the men. i will believe that when i see it but here's hoping.
now to the downside....
my mother did come. she was a little more mouthy than i would have liked her to be and she got bopped upside the head a few times to remind her that inside the dojo, she's not my mom, she's my student.
which also led in to a group discussion with the entire class of leaving the ouside world at the door of the dojo. (ie, taking off your street clothes/shoes and putting on your uniform, bowing at the entrance, etc) they all really seemed to latch onto the idea when i explained that out there, some of them would be in power positions over others (we have two cops in the class, various superiors/subordinates from work places, etc) but in the dojo, all the students are equals right now.
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I can't get to training as often as I'd like (or as I should), and I'm having problems getting motivated to practice on my own. I was thinking that if I had someone online to "report" to every day or every couple of days about what I had worked on, it might make me practice. Has anyone had success with something like that? Is anyone interested in being my partner (and I could be yours)? I was just thinking it could be a quick email thing, sending each other reminders and sending replies when we've done what we should.
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curious.
pleased.