Third Interview Questions

1. How can a competitor best prepare their Kata to look its sharpest at a competition?

2. How much motivation should one have to try and become one of the best?

3. What are some aspects of a good competitor?

4. How often are competitors well rounded in terms of fighting?

5. What is the normal mentality of a sparring competitor?

6. What is most important for a sparring team to beat the other competing teams?

7. What matters most for a Kata to earn a high score?

8. In your opinion which Kata is more competitive, Open or Traditional form?

9. What is the difference between Open and Traditional form?

10. About how much of the majority in top rated competitors are known for being great in more than one division type?

Self Reflection

1. Q. How do you think you are doing so far in your senior project and why?  AE, P, AP, CR, or NC

A. I think my Senior Project grade is at a P so far because I’ve been up to date on every assignment related to it, I’ve been doing every little thing I’m required to do, and I’ve been earning P’s on just about every component as well.

2. Q. What one thing do you think you have done well on and why?

A. The category I think I’m doing better in is my research because I usually make sure I stay caught up with the count of every article and it helps give me some information related to my topic.  Also presentations, although I’ve only done one so far, I did learn that I actually do have a lot to talk about from my topic.

3. Q. What is one thing you would like to improve on and why?

A. The one thing I think I can improve on is just making sure my presentations are organized better because even though I got a P on my 5-minute presentation, I was a bit nervous on whether I had enough information to make the time, but it turned out I did; so for the next presentations I can try to get a better grade.

My Black Belt Ceremony

Science Fair Proposal

1. If the center if mass in a stance is different, then the force of a kick will be affected.

2. Independent: Center of mass in stance

 Dependent: Force of the kick

 Control: My stance posture with my legs

3. My hypothesis connects to my EQ because in sparring for practice and for competition, anyone will have a different kicking force from one another due to the center of mass they have in their legs for the stance.

4. -I will practice throwing a few kicks, as if I were sparring someone towards a force plate from different types of stances.
-The force plate was suggested by Ms. Melogno, then I will record the data.
-I will then see how different the force of each kick was comparing the stances that have different Centers of mass.

5. It would be under the category of Physics. 

What I've Learned So Far

1. Q. What have you learned how to do since you started working on your senior project?

A. When I began Senior Project, I've learned to make more effective use of my footwork with effective kicks instead going in with punches because it helps create openings; and makes countering difficult against me.

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZYm1nm3i-o

3. Q. What research helped you to do this and how?

A. The one research that helped me was my book "The Ultimate Kick: The Wallace Method to Winning Karate" by Bill "Superfoot" Wallace because it opened my eyes to make some small adjustments to my current techniques.

Independent Component 1 Plan Approval

1. What I plan to do for my Independent study component is my Karate training and Competitions I partake in.

2. This plan will meet my 30 hours because I train every week, each class I train in is worth an hour and it helps me stay prepared for my other half of the plan which is competition.  As for competition it may not come very often but I will go for every chance I get.

3. This independent study relates to my Essential Question because as I said before, training helps me prepare for any competition I go to and the competitions give me the feel of being a real competitor.

Defining the Essential Question

1. My Essential Question is: “What is most important to competing as a top rated competitor in Martial Arts Tournaments?”

2. Words to define:

• ·         Top rated competitor-A competitor who has had more successful results than average at a Martial Arts Tournament.
• ·         Martial Arts-Various methods of unarmed combat and self-defense.

3. From the research I’ve looked through up to now, a few possible answers to my essential question are: Always concentrate on your division for a tournament, learn from your losses, to know your opponents, and to always have a strategy in mind because in a fight you shouldn’t think while fighting but instead have your timings set and prepare your counters towards their counter.

4. My most important source right now are my Competitor Profiles on Kyle Gray, Raymond Daniels, Shelly Allen, and Jason Tankson from Karate Tournament Central, author for all of them is Boice Lydell; they help me learn what those top rated competitors do at tournaments, how their attitude toward other competitors are, and some of their training styles.

Second Interview Questions

1. In your Martial Arts career, what tournament are you most proud of and why?

2. What areas did you compete in?

3. What do you currently do at these tournaments?

4. What disciplines are you specialized in?

5. What is your role in NASKA?

Presentation Reflection

1. Q. In what way did the first interview affect your presentation?

A. My first interview didn't affect my presentation too much, except for my answer to question 1, "I'm interested in studying Karate Competitions/Tournaments.  What can you tell me about it?".  My dad always helps find new ways to improve my sparring and I practice them before putting them in sparring.  The importance of practicing your skills is so you don't get hurt or get countered while attempting to use them, that's what led me to the focus I had for the 5 minute presentation.

2. Q. What you say stood out about your presentation performance and why?

A. The one thing that stood out in my presentation was my video visual for a small demonstration.  The audience seemed very wowed to see how well my sparring was and the fact I won the match really impressed them.  I do feel my training helps me get better and strategize more ways to score so I don't become too predictable.

3. Q. What was the most challenging to do and why?

A. The most challenging thing for me was seeing if I actually had enough to make good time in my presentation.  Preparing a presentation isn't very easy for me, but turns out I did make great timing with my procedure.  I actually knew a lot more of the subject that I could've done more than 5 minutes, but then I just would've been cut off.

Senior Project Presentation 1

Objective: Students will learn the dynamics of a point sparring match, in Sport Karate.

Procedure: 1. Introduce by asking the audience if any of them have been to a Karate Tournament and/or if they know how point systems work.

2. I will explain how the point systems work.

3. Call on a few students and check if they know how many points are earned for a kicking technique and for a hand technique.

4. Demonstrate the correct timing and spots for scoring with those regular techniques.

5. Demonstrate the correct timing and spots for advanced techniques (spinning kicks, difficult combinations etc.)

6. Call on a few students to check if they understand the timing of the techniques and spots of the body to hit when there’s an opening.

Check for Understanding: I will make sure the audience catches every technique that I demonstrate, then check what they saw and learned of how the point(s) are earned from them.  I will also be checking if they know what are the correct openings and timings for scoring.

Resources/Materials: I will be referring to one of my articles from my research about the point systems.  As for my materials, I will have my visual which will be a poster with little karate figures drawn sparring, each one throwing a different technique on the other; I’ll also have a small wooden mannequin to display a few techniques.

Literal: Facts I have learned from this is how point fighting matches are judged and the number of points each technique is worth.

Interpretive: The most important thing is to know the dynamics of judging divisions such as point fighting.  Also knowing great fighting tactics are important to raising chances on winning a point fighting match.

Applied: My goal at the end of the project is to know what it takes to become a top rated competitor and what judges really look for in other types of divisions.