A. At our school, we have many children as young as 3 years old.
Q. How many times a week do you recommend the students train?
A. Beginner (White Belt) and Novice (Yellow and Orange Belts) should come to two classes per week. They can come more often if they wish, as long as they do not burn out. It does not matter if one week the student comes on Monday and Thursday, the following week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The intermediate and advanced students should come to classes three times a week. Students can come to as many classes per week as they want, for the same price.
Q. What is the student/teacher ratio?
A. The class size can vary from 8-25 students, but there are 3-5 (or more) Black Belt instructors for every class. The classes are broken down by belt level (see the Class Schedule) and the children are always well taken care of.
Q. Do you mix children and adults together?
A. No. Children have totally different needs than the adults. In fact, we have different curriculums for the children and adults. We do not treat children like adults and do not treat adults like children. Just for fun, once a month for an entire week, we let the children bring parents and friends to class with them. As for learning the material, it is done in class separately.
Q. Do you have teen classes?
A. Yes, we do. Our teen class is 11-15 years of age. There are children (11 and 12 years old) that come to the teen classes and there are teens (13-15 years of age) that come to the adult classes as well. Our teen classes are our transition class to further prepare these youngsters for the adult classes.
Q. If a student wishes to train in sparring or take up traditional weapons, does it cost extra?
A. No. There are no extra charges for these classes, just the purchase of the equipment, which we have here at the Western New York Karate Center. (See the Class Schedule for more information.)
Q. Do you cancel your regular classes when you have a belt exam (belt grading or promotion), tournament prep-classes, or special seminars?
A. Classes are NEVER cancelled for belt grading. All belt exams are conducted on Saturday afternoons, after all the classes have been completed for the entire week. The same holds true for other special classes or seminars.
Q. Do you charge for belt grading?
A. There are no additional charges for stripes (or tips) on the belt, just for the actual belt. Each belt grading is only $35.00 per belt. This covers the time, belt, and certificate signed by the Master Instructor and the Senseis.
Q. Do the children receive a solid Black Belt?
A. At our school, a solid Black Belt represents an adult Black Belt. The children receive a junior Black Belt, and they then work on different junior Black Belt levels so that eventually they can start attending the adult classes. These classes are much more serious and demanding and need to be taken in order to earn the coveted adult Black Belt.
Q. Do you have discounts for additional family members?
A. Yes. First of all, we do not have 3 or 5 year Black Belt programs. We have 6 month and 12 month programs. You make a commitment for one of these programs and then next time you can sign up for 6 or 12 months, as you wish. You do not have to pay for the entire amount immediately, but should you choose to, you will receive a discount. For the first family member, child or adult, it is approximately $83.00 per month. For second and third family members a 50% discount is given per person. Should a fourth family member (or more) join, their membership is free. If a student is absent from 2 weeks up to 8 weeks, that period of time will be given back to you. You never lose that time.
Q. How do you train adults that have very busy schedules?
A. We have day and evening classes, Monday through Saturday. The classes are 45 minutes long and the schedule is very flexible. There are over 60 classes per week. (Please see the Class Schedule for more information.)
Q. Do I need to be in shape to start karate?
A. Not at all. That’s why we have adult beginner classes. The beauty of the martial arts is that you go at your own pace. The only person you are competing against is yourself. Some adults come in twice a week, others three times or more. Remember, we were all beginners (White Belts) at one time. “A Black Belt is a White Belt that didn’t quit. And a Master is a Black Belt that didn’t quit”.
Q. I’m 40, 50, or 65 years old. Am I too old to begin martial arts training?
A. Not at all. The style of karate that we teach is Isshin-Ryu. You can start lessons at any time and do it for the rest of your life.
Q. How do the students progress or change belts?
A. Most schools have 8, 10, or 12 steps to attain the Black Belt. Our school has 10 steps, including the White and Black Belts. On average, the student should change belts every three months. For the advanced students, it may take a bit longer. Normally it takes three and a half to five years to achieve a Black Belt status. Each of our belts receives three stripes (tips) before grading for the next belt. Every 4- week cycle we have a stripe evaluation week. As the students come to classes that particular week, we test them in within their own class, for their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd stripe. There is no charge for the stripes (tips) on the belt. For the 1st stripe, material covers mostly kicks, kicking combinations, and sparring techniques. For the 2nd stripe, it’s all self-defense techniques. With the higher belts, more self-defense techniques are learned. The 3rd stripe is red, unlike the other two stripes, which are black. A kata is required at this level. It is a form that is a dance like routine or an encyclopedia of self-defense techniques. There are different katas that need to be learned and memorized for every belt. Once the student receives their 3rd stripe, they will grade or test for their next belt. This is an exciting moment for everyone. It is a special day for this test or “recital”, if you will. All of our stripes and belt exams are cumulative. So, the students are constantly reviewing the old material in class, making the techniques stronger and sharper, while learning new material towards their next belt. If a person misses the stripe evaluation week or belt grading, we will test that individual when they return and are ready to take the test. As soon as you join the Western New York Karate Center, you will receive an age-appropriate curriculum that will show you all of the requirements necessary from the White Belt to the Masters level 5th degree Black Belt.
Q. What is sparring?
A. Sparring is the sport part of karate. In Japanese Karate, it is called Kumite. In Korean Tae Kwon-Do it is known as Olympic Sport. Just like any game or sport, sparring has rules. Students must wear safety equipment on their hands, feet, and head to practice techniques back and forth with one another. There are certain targets that they try to score to get points on their partner. It’s safe and a lot of fun. It’s a combination between the game of tag and chess. Children do not start sparring until the intermediate level (Green Belt) or about a year into their training. Adults begin at Yellow belt. Just like gym class at school, sparring is a fun part of the Martial Arts. The techniques are executed lightly and at close range. It is not hard or full contact. This is one of the many areas where true sportsmanship and respect are learned and shown to your classmates.
Q. Are students required to compete in tournaments in order to get promoted?
A. No. We do have many, many students who do compete in tournaments though. Children as well as adults can compete in forms (kata), sparring (kumite), traditional weapons, self-defense routines, musical creative patterns, etc. Usually the tournaments have age and belt appropriate divisions that students can compete in. We always post or announce the tournaments that are coming up in the Western New York area. Usually we hold tournament prep classes for students at no charge.
Q. What traditional weapons can students learn?
A. These are not originally weapons but farming tools that the Okinawan people used on their farms in their daily lives. Students can start learning the weapons (tools) at any belt level, but training is not a required to get the adult Black Belt. The weapons are for 2nd degree Black Belt and beyond. There is no charge for the classes, just for the equipment. We practice with these tools for the art, the tradition, and for tournament competition or demonstration. None of these tools are sharp. Usually the students start with the Bo (wooden staff) and progress to the other weapons later. There are many traditional weapons but the Okinawans mostly used five of them: bo, sai, nunchaku, tonfa and kama.
Q. What type of martial arts do you teach and what is the difference between Karate, Tae Kwon-Do, Kenpo, Kung Fu, etc…?
- Goju-ryu Karate (Okinawan) -Go-Ju - "hard/soft". It’s a very dynamic yet powerful style not only in self-defense but also making your body healthy and strong. This style affects students on the outside and the inside because of its dynamic tension breathing found in its form. Linear in form.
- Shorin-Ryu Karate (Okinawan) - "pine tree or pine forest". Linear and circular movements. Relies on quick and fast techniques.
- Shotokan Karate (Japanese) - Okinawan roots of Goju-ryu and Shorin-Ryu.
- Tae Kwon-Do (Korean) - "hand/foot way". Linear in nature and about 75% (or more) kicking.
- Jiu-Jitsu (Japanese) - joint lock techniques. Controlling your opponent without kicking and punching.
- Judo (Japanese) - mostly throwing, sweeping, and take down techniques.
- Arnis/Kali/Escrima (Phillipino) - stick, knife, and empty hand self-defense.
- American Kenpo (Japanese/Chinese roots) - "law of the fist". Circular and linear movements. There are over 550 self-defense techniques. Scientific art of self-defense. Based on the laws of nature (physics).
- Kung-Fu (Chinese) - circular in nature, based on the movements of animals.
- Isshin-Ryu Karate (Okinawan) - "one heart way". This is the main style, the nucleous at the Western New York Karate Center. It is a blend of Shorin-Ryu and Goju-Ryu. It’s a perfect blend of soft and hard, linear and circular movements. Unlike some systems that have 70% - 80% kicking or 90% use of hands, this form is well balanced between hands and feet. Perfect balance of upper and lower body (50-50). Further more, the stances are natural, more upright and realistic. In this style, the limbs (hands and feet) are never fully extended. When we kick and punch, we extend to only 95-97% extension, never 100% on the knees and elbows. The joints never take a beating. You never have to worry about arthritis or bursitis in your joints. That is why you can be 5, 15 or 50 years of age-start this style and pursuit this for the rest of your life. Also, when the other styles punch, they use a twisting type of action, which allows for the two bones (the ulna and radius) to twist and overlap making the punch and wrist weak and less secure. Our punch is very natural, straight up and down (just like shaking hands) with the thumb on top of the fist. Putting the thumb on top raises cords on the wrist, which makes it more stable. The thumb on top also adds speed to the techniques and helps prevent the thumb from catching on the opponents clothing. The Isshin-Ryu fist enables the bones of the hand, wrist, and forearm to line up in a perfectly straight geometry when striking.
Most styles use the ulna or the radius (the bones of the forearm) for their blocks. This is used in their defense movements. We do not use the bones for blocks. Between the two bones on the outside of the forearm is all muscle. We use these muscles for the defense movements. Bones hurt, they are brittle and can easily break and take a long time to heal. Developing and using muscle is more beneficial than using bones because it prevents undue stress on the joints. Furthermore, this style has an incredible amount of self-defense. We teach hands on, realistic self-defense. It may vary from single techniques such as defending against punches, kicks, grabs, chokes, and locks to ground self-defense, defense against sticks and knives; joint lock techniques, controlling techniques, take downs, sweeps, and multiple attackers. Also, we teach, circle of self-defense, standing, sitting, advance ground self-defense, front, side and back defense plus much, much more. This is geared toward the junior or adult Black Belt. In Okinawa, they call Isshin-Ryu the “Masters Style of Karate”. The system is practical, direct, realistic, and efficient- perfectly balanced, all the way around.