sensei8

I didn't know that swimming was listed as a martial arts; very interesting to me. Thanks for the info Ichi_Geki

Very Solid!!! She belongs to Shitoryu Shito-kai. For those who might not be aware of the "red belt" and the "blue belt" that's used by every participant at this international tournament isn't to indentify "rank" but it's to identify who's what in their respective Kumite/Kata Divisions. "Red" is known as AKA and the "Blue" is known as AO. For example, in Kumite Divisions, there are two competitors. These two competitors are indentified as one is the "blue" fighter and the other is the "red" fighter. Notice that the competitors in Kumite wore matching gloves, "red" or "blue", as well. These "blue"/"red" belts are similar as to what one would find in USA tournaments, but, one fighter would wear a "red" cloth tucked into the belt from the back, now, this is the "red" fighter. Why wear those belts during Kumite/Team Kumite and Kata/Team Kata and not their own black belts? Belts of grade aren't permitted. If one wears a belt of grade, then a competitor has violated the dress code and has 1 minute to correct the violation or be disqualified/disbarred. The "red" and the "blue" take away the focus on ones belt and rank because the Kata and the Kata performer are what's being judged. Each Team Kata is exclusively male, or exclusively female. The Individual Kata match consists of individual performance in separate male and female divisions. For example, "Red" and "Blue" will compete against one another in Kata. Both the "Red" and the "Blue" will do one of the required Kata for that round. First, the "Red" will execute the said Kata, then, the "Blue" will execute the same said Kata. Then, a whistle will sound twice, judges will render scores, and the competitor with the highest score moves on to the next round. Judges will have either a "red" or a "blue" flag. One would find this wearing of the "Red" and the "Blue" belts at many, if not all, international tournaments. Yes, the competitors wearing these "red"/"blue" belts are in fact...black belts!

B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez........................Penn Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo.........................Mir Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida.......................Florian Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce..............................Fitch Paul Buentello vs. Stefan Struve..................Buentello Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia..................Belcher Shane Nelson vs. Matt Wiman......................Wiman Johny Hendricks vs. Ricardo Funch...............Hendricks Rousimar Palhares vs. Lucio Linhares...........Palhares Damarques Johnson vs. Edgar Garcia..........Johnson Kevin Burns vs. T.J. Grant..........................Grant

Shoe Hand full of small rocks/dirt/sand

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!

Try to just relax and enjoy the tournament. When it's your turn to perform your Kata, just perform it at the tournament exactly as you've done many times before in front of your sensei/class mates. Make sure you breath because many don't. Keep your head up, your posture upright, and nice loud kiai's. When your name is called. Stand up, bow in to the ring, walk sharply, stop right in front of the judges in your ready stance, and introduce yourself, your style, name of the Kata you'll be performing, ask permission to begin, and be confident. About 26 seconds later you'll be done, then, after you bow at the end of the kata, remain still in your ready stance while the judges render their scores. Once the scores are presented, one of the judges will dismiss you, then bow again, turn sharply and exit the ring. Will you be scared? Yes. Will it be the end of the world? No. I'm sure that you'll do just fine. Your nerves will be shot, just like they were when you performed in front of your sensei and your fellow students. The atmosphere at a tournament is on a much larger scale then what your use to at the dojo, but, it's pretty much the same. Did I get nervious? Oh yeah, each and every time. Everyone has butterflies in their stomach I'd imagine for whatever their reasons are. But for me, I knew that it would be over in a blink of an eye and that I'd be ok. Relax, breath, don't over think everything, and have fun. Visit with friends and meet new friends. Who knows, you might even win a trophy and that's cool! Good luck!

Please check this link... http://www.newschannel10.com/global/story.asp?s=11622511

Congrats!

If my comment was hurtful and wrong, please forgive me. It was NOT my intent. I made light of your wording and this was wrong of me. Please, please forgive my stupidity. I was wrong. What I said was taken out of content, but, nonetheless....I was wrong. Please forgive me, please!

And if you do... then how in the world are you going to relate your experience to us?

Congrats!!!! You told your age?!?

Did anybody see Steven Seagal's new reality show on A&E called "Lawman" last night? I enjoyed it! For those who aren't aware of it.... http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-12-02-seagal02_ST_N.htm?csp=34

Didn't I say that my analogy was crude?

The drive-by media has latched onto this story and their sinking their teeth in deeper. That's all I've heard and seen all day on the radio and on the tv...Tiger Woods and his extra marital affairs. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Tiger Woods FINALLY admits to affairs. Here's the link... http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ap-tigerwoods&prov=ap&type=lgns AND.... http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93214?fp=1 He hasn't lost his sponsors...yet...because the sponsors are watching him closely to see how he handles the situations in private as well as in the public. Man....I don't think that it was really worth it? Now the focus won't be on the game/sport of golf but on Tiger's extra-marital affairs. People will still talk about his greatness on the links, but, will people talk about Tigers affairs before/during/after/while they're talking about Tigers greatness in the game of golf? Sheech!!!!!!!!

My list is very long, especially with all of the channels that are availible. One of my most favorite CHANNELS shows old TV shows from yesteryear with Gunsmoke, Adam-12, Hawaii Five-0, Starsky and Hutch, Andy Griffith, and Happy Days to name just a few!

Nearly isn't always! You're right....their not just going to "stand there"! Is the martial arts that useless? Why is a hit to the throat "nearly improbable"? Couldn't someone like, Fumio Demura, Mas Oyama, Hidetaka Nishiyama, GSP, Hirozoku Kanazawa, Cung Le, or Lyoto Machida or (you fill in the blank) find/create the opportunity to hit the throat? If not, then why even bother with anything concerning the martial arts? Especially, if the throat is nearly improbable. Doesn't anyone have the ability, the speed, the tenacity, and/or the veracity to pull off the improbable? Wouldn't it reason that if I can reach my opponents throat from the front with either one or both of my hands that I should be able to hit my opponents neck SHOULD the opportunity present itself? I'd like to think that there's some logic in my question/statement. One of my most favorite "off-buttons", Tuite 101, is a thumb/finger jab/poke to the throat...while their moving/ducking and the like. It's effective and I can do it at will 9 out of 10 times. How? I create the opportunity via feints and the like. What? No 10 out of 10...why? Nothing is guaranteed, therefore, I'm allowing a slight varible. Something bears being repeated....Nearly isn't always!

I want to emulate my Soke and my Dai-Soke across the board...still, but I'm not them...I'm me. I'm ok with that.

Spar spar spar spar spar spar spar spar....and then spar some more!

I admire Bruce Lee and many other notable figures throughout the history of the martial arts, but, I'm not them and they're not me, as a matter of fact, their not "you" and "you're" not them! "Fight Like..." is the usual tagline for a story about some martial artists way of fighting/grappling/etc. There's nothing wrong with these "How To" articles/stories/books at all. Anything and everything that can help/improve/etc of the skills/knowledge/etc and the like of the martial artist is important because absorbing what is useful and discarding what isn't is what it's all about. Having said that and while I admire their abilities and the like, I don't want to be "like" anybody. No, I just want to fight MY WAY and my way alone and be myself. Is that so bad? Is that so wrong?

Shortest distance between point A and point B IS A STRAIGHT LINE! Flapping arms and excessive sine wave destroys the power curve. Why? The STRIAGHT line is now elongated and no longer provides the SNAP/POP because the sharpness of the same course line has been interupted. STRAIGHT LINE....STRAIGHT LINE...STRAIGHT LINE!!!!!!!!!.... This can't be and it shouldn't be ignored! Again...regardless of whether it’s a thrust or strike, for any striking blow with foot or hand to be truly efficient the return course must also be the same. In other words when we send a punch, for example, with the elbow behind the fist we must take care that the elbow returns first with the fist following. This sounds obvious, but, it's frequently not done. A punch should not thrust out and return looking like an backfist. A side thrust kick should not thrust out and return as a snapping kick or, equally commonly, looking like a roundhouse kick. Don't ignore the obvious importance of how vital a STRAIGHT LINE is to a technique! Even a hook kick/punch must follow a straight line at THAT point that the straight line DOES exist. Being TOTALLY AWARE of the punch, for example, from its start to it's finish is required to understanding the punch. Drill the very point just after the punch contacts its target including the returning path UNTIL it is more understood. A snapping towel analogy is about as crude and is about as accurate as I can explain it to you.

Yes...Congrats to all!!!! Wow...Member of the Year! WOW! Thank you all for this honor! Totally unexpected and totally appreciated!

...and effectively!

Most org/feds/assoc support the sensei of that dojo. For example, the ATA headquarters will refer someone with a concern right back to that instructor. The ATA heaquarters won't calll that instructor and make any judegement one way or another. Someone who's been/in the ATA, please let me know if what I'm saying here is correct or not.

I thought my post you quoted explains my reasoning. Everything about any said technique is CRUCIAL. From the start to the end "it" must return as "it" left; flapping elbows are great if I'm trying to fly like a bird, but, not in a technique. The quickest way from point A to point B is a STRAIGHT LINE. Anything else is wasted motion and ineffective. What happens after impact is the beginning of the recoil/return of said technique. If after the impact is considered mute, then two things happen, imho. One: The technique is just a push! Two: My next technique isn't aided at all by the returning technique NOT returning. A technique birthed as a backfist, for example, MUST return AS a backfist the same way/course that it took to the previous target. Flapping, excessive sine waves, and the like aren't helping/aiding in the technique at all. To stop a technique prematurely only can arrest the power curve. But, if I've snapped my wet towel at you but I just let my arm drop which will prevent my arm/hand from returning to me on the same course, well...again...my wet towels going to just get you wet. Yet, if I do with the towel as I've explained in the post of mine that you've quoted, well...OUCH because that snapping towel is going to take a big bite RIGHT AFTER IMPACT!