FAQ
Most commonly asked questions by parents and children
What will happen on my First Day
Being a new student some children find that they are sometimes a little nervous and scared. I usually tell them to just watch what all the others are doing, and then see if they can do it too.
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What Do I wear?
On the first day, usually the work out attire includes something loose fitting and comfortable for example, sweat pants and T-shirt. Your child will enter the dojo (training hall) and take his or her shoes off and wait with the other classmates to be lined up and bowed in. If your child wants to stay as a student then he or she will need to purchase a GI (uniform).
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Why do I bow?
Bowing (half bend at the waist facing the instructor) to your instructor is a show of respect and/or a form of a greeting, hello or good bye. This is a part of the oriental martial arts tradition and dojo etiquette. I always tell my students that, “when in doubt, bow.” A bow can be expressed when standing kneeling, or sitting on your heels. As the Black Belt instructor is usually referred to as a Sensei (teacher). For example I would be Sensei Covert using the last name as a form of respect. Sometimes since last names are very hard to pronounce, we use the first name for example, Sensei Jinjer.
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When Will I test for my first belt?
This is usually the most common question. Most children are anxious to do Hollywood karate like they saw on television and then instantly think they become a black belt. The martial arts take continued years of practice and understanding to achieve many levels. I try to explain to my students that what they see on t.v. are stunt people and actors. That yes there are famous karate stars like Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan that do their own stunts, but they too, started as a white belt.
Karate (empty-hand) techniques, throwing and grappling concepts take time to learn, remember, and execute. This does not take place at one time. Most new students never remember half of what they have learned after the first day. However, if they learn one or two things from that class, then requirements for their belt ranking have just started. I call it incremental progression, one step at a time. This is why belt ranking takes place in some systems with stripes and solid color ranks over a period of time. Each color belt represents time and skill level in the learning art.
Just because a student reaches black belt level does not mean their learning is finished. Now is when their true learning begins to start paying off and they progress to a deeper understanding and begin to internalize their techniques for proficiency. A student’s mental and physical focus will continue to grow as they teach and train in either the same style or other styles of martial arts, ascertaining either different levels of black belt. For example 1st degree black in Shotokan, 1st degree black in Judo, 2nd degree black in Shotokan, 3rd degree black in Shotokan.
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What is a stripe test?
Testing for belt levels varies from teacher to teacher and organization to organization. However, it is most common to be tested around the second or third month of training. The student will be required to follow the rules of the dojo, be attentive in class and learn the names and execution of the first Karate techniques. The instructor will observe attendance and if too many classes are missed it will be up to the Head Black Belt instructor’s discretion on deciding if the student is ready to test or not. The students are evaluated on components such as their ability to perform, attitude, knowing the differences between martial arts techniques, focus drills, and their attendance all determine the student’s stripe or belt color for their graduation.
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Why do I kiai? (key I)
The martial arts train a student to exhale while tightening the stomach muscles in addition to making a sound we call “isshh” when either receiving a technique or giving a technique. The yell does a number of things for the mind and body. It is a focusing of energy that adds power to the technique. When receiving a blow, the tightening of the stomach muscles help to protect the body. Tightening the stomach muscles can also help to transfer the power from the hips, into the punch. Yelling adds to self-defense in either scaring someone when attacked or maybe by getting the attention of others if not involved in an attack. Sometimes the martial arts refer to this term as the “fighting spirit.”
