sensei8

There's nothing like a well made turkey sandwich...YUMMY!! = drolling

Welcome to KF!!!!!!

Once you no longer ask these type of questions!! It's normal, at the beginning of ones MA journey to ask these type of questions. Can I? Should I? Will I? Would I? Could I? After some time, the questions will still arrive but the context of the questions will change. Kumite until the wheels fall off and then some, but, there are NO absolutes when it comes to the martial arts.

Oh yeah, I'm not interested in the parents "teaching" because I want it done RIGHT!! Parents mean well when they take the role of "assistant instructor" at home or the parents show what they know, which might be good or bad, depending on if I'm constantly having to fix what the parents broke. I just want parents to be involved in their kids' martial arts. And if this just means that the parent(s) are there at the school to show their support, than that's fine with me. But, I just won't hold my breath for this miracle to surface for the reasons that I've already stated in my previous post.

I'm very glad to hear that you left that school/instructor!! No instructor should be yelling at their students. Beside you being a student, you're also a PAYING CUSTOMER and you shouldn't be subjected to that type of instruction/environment. This brings me to my favorite saying...NOT ALL BLACK BELT CAN TEACH!!

Solid post!!

Practice PATIENCE! Keep practicing correctly, listen to what your instructor says to you; and before long, you'll be scaring your hanging bag to death.

Yes, by all means, build up the core. Meanwhile, get a chest protector and the like that will protect your ribs. Oh yeah, becoming the worlds best blocker won't hurt either.

A grappling art, like say, BJJ.

A size 8 might fit you, but, you're going to have to hem UP the pants A LOT!! No, the reason that Tokon doesn't sell the white belt is more than likely that the white belt comes WITH the gi you'd be buying; this is industry wide. Besides, with all of your training, you'll be getting a smaller gi because you'll have lost the weight before you know it.

I echo Danielle's congrats and question to ya'.

I was taught/I teach those last two shutos as attacks. However, I've practiced and have seen varies Bunkai over the many years. I've never heard of the blind/in the dark theory, but, that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.

You say one dimensional as though it's a bad thing. How else can a conversation be started unless one asks a question? There, imho, are no such things as absolute, especially when it comes to the martial arts. Sorry...Bruce Lee quote warning... A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.~Bruce Lee

Very solid post sir!!

How to motivate yourself? Never be satisfied...at anything!! I can always do better!! How to gain confidence? I'm always looking for the edge, then when I find it, I jump off the edge!! How muscle memories makes your training effective? That's a tricky one there. Are my muscle memories good/bad? Bad muscle memories can be very difficult to correct across the board. Whereas, good muscle memories can be improved upon. But, that very thin line between bad or good muscle memories can be a defined line or a fuzzy line either way. The faster one can recognize the bad muscle memories AND THEN correct it, the better one will be off. It takes time and a keen experienced eye to spot the bad muscle memories, and sometimes, it comes from the least expected source. How to control yourself? Emotional content!! Mizu No Kokoro AND Tsuki No Kokoro!!

Thanks! The same to you, Patrick and KarateGeorge!!! For me, Thanksgiving gives me permission to eat and eat and eat....self control is saved for another day.....heheheheeheee

Welcome to KF!!!!!!!

Welcome to KF!!!!!!

Motivating parents to become more involved in their kids' martial arts isn't going to happen, no matter what pitch you use because parents will be involved ONLY if THEY want to. Sure, we instructors can get the parents involved during class, like holding a shield or a blocker or a focus pad but I still don't see the parents getting involved at home. Why? With some parents life/work comes first to them, and this means when they're not doing either, their resting/watching tv. Parents want US to teach, and in that, they use the excuse that whatever they do to help, it might contridict what we're teaching. I had a lot of parents that were involved because THEY WANTED TO, and in that, it wasn't anything that I said or did. I'd pitch one reason after another, but for those parents that didn't want to be involved in their kids training, well, I'd be meet with one excuse after another OR, they'd agree to in order to appease me in my presence, but just as soon as they're out the door, they're back to NOT helping at all. Now, I did require A parent/relative to attend every testing cycle, AND I also required A parent/relative to come inside the dojo to drop off/pick up their kid(s) at the beginning/end of class. Getting parents motivated to pay, is about all one can expect, yes, we can hope until the wheels fall off, and we can threaten them until the wheels fall off, we can pitch them all the positive reasons in the world until the wheels fall off, but in the long run, it's going to up to the parents if they want to become actively involved in thier kids training. It's not up to the instructor, it's not up to the kids, it's not up to any relatives, no, it's entirely up to the parents and to be honest with you, parents are selfish across the board. IMHO!!

In your opinion... When grappling, how viable are groin strikes?

Against a zombie, which would be more preferred? To assume the side control/back/mount position; aka, being on the top? OR... To assume the guard position; aka being on the bottom?

Congrats to your son on his promotion!! Way to be there for him mom; I bow to you in respect!!

Great replies thus far...thank you all...keep them coming. For me, it's the technique(s) that felled my opponent in the first place because it's vital for me to create any margin of seperation between my opponent and myself, no matter how insignigicant it might be. What technique(s) I use after I've felled my opponent is an inconsequential problem compared to the other issue; a threatening opponent. A prostrated opponent, for the time being, is less of a threat.

Great replies thus far...thank you all...keep them coming. For me, experience is a matter of paramount importance to the martial artist!!

Happy half birthday to you, happy half birthday to you, [sING IT WITH ME] happy half birthday to KF, happy half birthday to you....and many more!!