Black Belt Forums is officially two weeks old today I've been incredibly pleased with the way things have progressed so far. We have a fantastic group of people chatting here every day already and some of the discussions so far have been fantastic. I'd love to hear your thoughts on our community and hear suggestions as to how Black Belt Forums could be improved. It doesn't have to be a big thing. Sometimes a small change to a forum can it make it a more enjoyable and/or user friendly place to hang out. So if you have some time, please leave a suggestion as to how you things could be improved here or what changes you would like to see here Thanks, Kevin
a dojo listing section would be great. some folks that visit the forums might not have a school/dojo they are affiliated with and may be looking for one. plus if they are affiliated with one they could even encourage their dojomates to check out the forums.
Happy birthday! How about an "Instructors / Schools" category? You could have teaching tips, business tips and so on. And / Or a "Martial Arts Philosophy" category - Buddhism, Taoism, Bushido, etc.
I've been thinking of perhaps adding a links section or a directory of some kind. I'll look into it as it's something that people could find useful. Though, it takes a while for a directory of that kind to be established and thus prove useful to people. haha thanks. An instructors room is a good idea. There are a few instructors here already so I think it could be a great addition. I've added both room suggestions to the forum suggestion list for the moment
I hate to sound like a sook Kev but I think you have done a class job already!! Oh hoppee buffday my friend all my love respects and buffday hugs sent your wayXXxxXXxxXX
How about a DIY Training Gear Section? We've all had things we've had to improvise. From a workout and what works for you to a punching bag made out of carpet and duct tape (me). Heck or even a Gear Reviews section. jim
I think a general training gear section would be a good additionl. I'll add it to the forum suggestion list
Given the many humourous stories and or pictures that do the rounds on here, have you thought of a 'Just for Laughs' section. Where people can post things that are intended to be taken lightly and with a sense of humour. Could avoid some misunderstandings between members about what was only ment in good humour, etc....
I think the General Chat room covers that though. Creating a 'Just for Laughs' section would mean there were two places for off topic chat. I'm hoping to actually reduce the number of rooms here as most aren't used. At the very least re-organise everything on the home page so that it's easier to navigate to the main discussion rooms.
Is there a place to post stuff for a particular martial art if it is not on the lists you have created? For instance, Keysi Fighting Method (KFM) is not listed anywhere. Is there a general section for striking/self defense?
The general martial arts room can be used for most things. Alternatively, we could create a general room for striking, grappling etc and make all the other forums sub rooms (i.e. put less emphasis on them). That's one thing we could do. I'd prefer the forum list on the home page to be much smaller so that it was easier to browse. Most of the rooms aren't being used much anyway.
How about if you just showed the major categories on the home page, then link to the sub-cat pages? Or would that screw up the SEO?
I have changed things around a little. Each main category is now a discussion room. Previously, there were several rooms for striking arts. These still remain however you can also post in the parent room too for general striking related discussions. Check out to the home page to let me know what you think.
Honestly, Kev, looks sweet!! The name for the "All Topics" is kinda sorta off for me, but I know what it is for and use it all the time, but man the layout is nice, good job! Except.... What happened to the Tang Soo Do thread? I no can find.
Are you referring to this thread: https://www.blackbeltforums.com/threads/two-styles.1229/ Also, if there is enough demand for it, I can add a discussion room specifically for Tang So Doo members.
MattCMMA has been posting some great instructionals which made me think it would be a good idea to have an Instructionals section that when you click on it is then broken down into more specific fighting styles. That way no one would have to sift through all the threads in a section to find these little gems.