My utter disdain for traditional martial arts grows by leaps & bounds...

[Snake Plissken]

I'm neither here nor there with it. Hard to crucify an ignorant 10 year old and her naive parents. Of course her instructor(s) should have heads removed from their assess.

Her dad owns the dojo, but according to the article he brought in outsider instructors to grade her.
So I will agree about the kid's nativity, but her father and his cronies should have that cranialrectal surgery you were discussing

[TheMightyMcClaw]

I'd like to point out that once you have a black belt in one style of karate, it's not that hard to get a second one. Hell, I got a red belt in Tang Soo Do virtually by accident.

[Permalost]

I'd like to point out that once you have a black belt in one style of karate, it's not that hard to get a second one. Hell, I got a red belt in Tang Soo Do virtually by accident.

Yeah, I took a college martial arts class that was tang soo do, and we learned the first 3 forms. Later on, I learned they're basically the same as shotokan (which makes sense).

[maofas]

No, but look at the tread title. Unfortunately, crap MA like this gives TMA a bad name.
That being said, I'm sure that little girl worked very hard for a long time (in the perspective of her 11 years) and deserves recognition for what she has done, but earned black belts in 4 styles AT ONCE at 11 YEARS OLD? And too many people out there think that's what karate is supposed to be like.

I can't tell you how many unhappy parents I have when they realize that their little future superstar is not going to get an 11th degree black belt in a month and a half, and that they are going to be challenged and expected to do things right before they are given the chance to try to advance - which BTW is not guaranteed.

So yeah, as a traditional martial artist and instructor, it does kind of get my panties in a bunch.

You know I must understand this perspective. Maybe I've evolved or maybe I'm just defeatist, I don't know, but I don't think Karate's name is something that can be salvaged anymore. All that's left is to practice it how you believe is the right way and the people who want to do it, for real, will go to your school instead of the place with the 11 year-old black belts down block. Hopefully.

I just don't think it's classy to spam post a young kid's name so this thread pops up when anyone searches her name. Now if you guys did that to her instructor or better yet his school's name....

[Hedgehogey]

I would just like to point out that hopefully, Samantha Knopfer, searches Google for her name, "Samantha Knopfer" in 7 years and realizes that she, Samantha Knopfer, is not the badass that her daddy told her she was. And Samantha Knopfer, if you are reading this in the year 2018, I hope you have realized the error of your ways.

So future, Samantha Knopfer... if you would like to make amends with Bullshido for your shenanigans, please feel free to BUMP this thread with nekked pictures of your now-legal self.

Samantha Knopfer. Samantha Knopfer. Samantha Knopfer.

You're not helping us by acting like a fucking neckbeard.

[ADM]

Meh, for an 11 year old she's a lot better than most 11 year olds that I see. And as already suggested, she MAY be a child black belt rank.

Which we'll all agree isn't the same as an adult black belt rank (no matter how you look at it).

This is clearly a hype up by the people reporting on it, and the people who look at this and go "WO'H!!!" have no fucking clue, so who cares.

And for those commenting on her 'form' in her Kata ... seriously who gives a fuck, it's Kata.

[Vieux Normand]

I'd like to point out that once you have a black belt in one style of karate, it's not that hard to get a second one.

Yep...first Isshin-Ryu, then Kyokushin.

Should be a breeze.

[crappler]

In that order.

[Iron_Stance]

hmmm i wonder if she'll realize when she gets older what it means to get a blackbelt...

[Gidi]

Meh, for an 11 year old she's a lot better than most 11 year olds that I see. And as already suggested, she MAY be a child black belt rank.

I disagree.
I see plenty of the kids her age, or even younger that practice and compete in judo at my dojo, and I guarantee you they will kick her ass.

Giving a child Fake Accolades for a non-achievement is not good parenting/teaching!

[Lebell]

there's also some canadian mullet boy, wayne something something.

http://waynedalglish.tripod.com/

[ChenPengFi]

there's also some canadian mullet boy, wayne something something.

http://waynedalglish.tripod.com/

Team Paul Mitchell sponsors a kid with a mullet?! WTF?

[Jazz.w92]

I disagree.
I see plenty of the kids her age, or even younger that practice and compete in judo at my dojo, and I guarantee you they will kick her ass.

Giving a child Fake Accolades for a non-achievement is not good parenting/teaching!

Agreed. In the dojo I was at at her age, just about everyone would have been able to look at her and see she was not BB material. Giving a kid like that 4 BBs is like saying well done, you've mastered the things you've learned so far. Which clearly isn't true. Dojos (REAL dojos) should only grade to levels appropriate for the individuals effort AND skill level.

If this hadn't been hyped up like this and she hadn't been made responsible for teaching other peoples' kids I would say 'who cares' too but now everyone is looking at that and thinking it's a reflection of karate dojos everywhere. This kind of thing is the reason kids and parents come into dojos expecting to keep grading based on just memorising the order of moves in a few katas. And whats even more annoying is when those kids grow up and come into real dojos thinking they're hot shit! (though admittedly, it is always very fun and entertaining to bring them back down to reality...)



Also:

What...in the holy hell...is this? I'm thinking demon possession.

But I must admit that unlike the girl in the OP he does seem to be pretty skilled, especially for his age


Oh and forgive my ignorance but..."Musical forms"? What is this? I don't even....

[RWaggs]

I'm only 30, so maybe someone who's older and has practiced MA for a long time can give me insight on this. Were these types of Korean/Japanese themed daycare McDojos prevalent back in the 70s and 80s (or before), or is this a more modern phenomenon?

When I was in Kindergarten (1986), my mom briefly enrolled me in a strip mall dojo called "Family Karate Center", which of course would set off all sorts of alarm bells now. However, kids trained with adults, Sensei worked us out hard, I had to do knuckle pushups anytime I talked out of turn, he would whack my legs and core with a shinai during kata and every class ended with sparring, even for the kids. I was young, so I don't remember if it was point sparring or full contact, but I do remember people getting hurt from time to time.

So, did I get lucky, or have things just gotten softer in the modern era?

[Lebell]

I got my first k.o. round the age of 10, sparring kk karate.
whats the name, yoko geri (?) to zhe jaw did the trick.