Kenpo afther a cold

[Manny]

Last night went Kenpo dojo afther several days of do nothing because a cold I got last week. Class was a little uneasy, it seems sensei got a little upset cause some folks don't get the long form one, the fact is we have not practiced a lot, maybe 4 or 5 times, I know the long form but another guys had mishaps with it.

Sensei talk us clear and let us know that it's our responsability to practice home and for the next examination we ned to know all, the techs,long form 1,the sets,etc,etc. Sensei feels two months is what is requiered to change from yellow to orange belt.

I did not show disconfort in class althoug I was a little upset because I think we have to practice more the forms and sets and even the techs inside dojang.

My job and family does not allow me to practice but in dojo, and I think the examinatios has to be till one's is fully prepared not before. Time is not the same issue to a teen who can train 5 times per week plus has some time to practice in home but a working man who has not time to practice afther classes.

For me a good time to practice and learning beetwen grades (belts) is about 5 or 6 months working out 3 times per week.

I really don't know the rush of sensei, I made my yellow blet last october.

Manny

 

[MJS]

Personally, I'm not really a fan of time limits. Usually when we see a time limit, its in the ideal situation, meaning, someone who is able to make it to class X number of times, etc. However, real life often takes a front seat and we can't always make it to class. Additionally, just because someone thinks they're ready, doesnt always mean thats the case. Sure, they may know the material, but do they really know it?

My advice...dont rush things. Go at YOUR pace. IMO, its better to take extra time if needed and be really sure about things, rather than rush to test.

 

[Jenny_in_Chico]

Manny, there is no shame in taking longer to test than your sensei suggests. Just be direct, and tell him. You can explain that you are highly motivated to get a strong foundation in the basics, because that will serve you better in the long run. "Body understanding" of the basics cannot be rushed. I tested in September for my yellow belt in kenpo, and although I know all my organge belt techniques and have developed my kata 6 (a kata which we design ourselves incorporating at least 6 orange techniques, plus transition moves demonstrating a thorough understanding of the basics) I am still not worried about when I will test. We don't rush belt promotions in my dojo.

 

[Manny]

Manny, there is no shame in taking longer to test than your sensei suggests. Just be direct, and tell him. You can explain that you are highly motivated to get a strong foundation in the basics, because that will serve you better in the long run. "Body understanding" of the basics cannot be rushed. I tested in September for my yellow belt in kenpo, and although I know all my organge belt techniques and have developed my kata 6 (a kata which we design ourselves incorporating at least 6 orange techniques, plus transition moves demonstrating a thorough understanding of the basics) I am still not worried about when I will test. We don't rush belt promotions in my dojo.

That's exactly the way I work it out in MA. There is no rush and it's preferible to be prepared and do a good test than a poor one.

Manny

 

[rhn_kenpo]

Manny, I'm in the same situation. Love kenpo and train as often as I can. But have a lot of family/work/civic responsibilities that take priority of my time. So there are times when I can only train 1x per week. If I were 25 again, things would be different.....but I'm not.

My school/instructor are fine letting me progress at my own pace. As I progress, the time between belts gets longer and longer. I want to advance on merit, not time, so it takes however long it takes.

Discuss this issue with your instructor and good luck.
R

 

[Gary Crawford]

Manny, I would try to overlook his sense of urgency. One of the things a good instructor does is teach you how to handle pressure, so don't let him get under your skin too much. Now, there is good reason for the extra pressure for this Kata. long 1 is the fundamentals that you absoltely need to learn to build a base on. Once you start learning a few more Katas, you will understand why. Spend as much time as you can on this,you'll be glad you did later. Best of luck to you!

 

[Carol]

Last night went Kenpo dojo afther several days of do nothing because a cold I got last week. Class was a little uneasy, it seems sensei got a little upset cause some folks don't get the long form one, the fact is we have not practiced a lot, maybe 4 or 5 times, I know the long form but another guys had mishaps with it.

Sensei talk us clear and let us know that it's our responsability to practice home and for the next examination we ned to know all, the techs,long form 1,the sets,etc,etc. Sensei feels two months is what is requiered to change from yellow to orange belt.

I did not show disconfort in class althoug I was a little upset because I think we have to practice more the forms and sets and even the techs inside dojang.

My job and family does not allow me to practice but in dojo, and I think the examinatios has to be till one's is fully prepared not before. Time is not the same issue to a teen who can train 5 times per week plus has some time to practice in home but a working man who has not time to practice afther classes.

For me a good time to practice and learning beetwen grades (belts) is about 5 or 6 months working out 3 times per week.

I really don't know the rush of sensei, I made my yellow blet last october.

Manny

Long 1 is not that easy to understand. My first private lesson in martial arts ever was to understand Long 1. There was so much that threw me off. Isolations? I had never heard that word used with regards to MA or fighting. What did it mean?

Remember, you have hired your Sensei, not vice-versa. If he is moving too fast, then you need to politely tell him about your concerns. Learning sloppy basics now will hurt your Kenpo forever. If your class is not becoming proficient with their basics, then that hurts the reputation of the instructor and the overall value of what you are learning.

Being a good student is not necessarily about being kind and obedient. Being a good student involves (respectfully) managing your instructor so you get the best possible training that you can get. The struggle is rarely between bad and good, the struggle is between excellence and mediocrity. Choose wisely. :asian:

 

[Manny]

Than you all guys. I really don't know what's the rush, sensei told us when he was young (I supose a teen) he trained every day and because of this he scalated in the belts ranking fast, however... he was a teen with nothing to do but study and do kenpo. I am a 42 years old guy who has to run a small bussines,take care of family and the only time I have to train and study kenpo is twice per week. I train 4 times per week, two nights TKD and two nights kenpo, so this is the time I got to do something that I really love.

I will continue doing kenpo at my own pass, if other classmates change belt that's ok, I would rather be a good yellow belt that a incopetent ornage or blue belt. In my experience I know that if put effort in kenpo maybe in 4 years from now I could be test for BB but that does not bother me, I am in kenpo to learn and having fun.

Manny

 

[seninoniwashi]

Yeah Manny,

Don't rush yourself and don't let your instructor either. You want to be sure you're building the foundation for what you're learning as solid as you can before you advance and start adding to it.

The last thing you want Manny is to test for a belt, get it and feel like you didn't deserve it or that you could have done ALOT better - I've been there before. I've had to tell an instructor a few times that I wasn't comfortable testing and that I'd like to hold on a bit.

Let us know what happens :ultracool