Ironberg

Fifteen and a half. Haven't regretted the decision.

I suffered a similar pain when I was messing around with a shopping cart full of groceries - no joke. I set my foot on the fmetal-foot of the cart, and began letting the cart move off (in my stupidity). About two feet down the road I started pulling the cart back with my leg. The pain wasn't as bad as it could have been thanks to previous experience in isometric stretching, but it did make me sore for a few days.

The best way to have power in the ax kick is to be loose and flexible. Power comes from the glutes, lower back, and to a small instance: hamstrings to avoid knee hyperextension. First off, how high are you expected to break this board? It is your head level, shoulder level, or are they setting the board between two cinder blocks? [EDIT: swooshfinn managed to complete his post before I did, hence the redundant info about height...]

Though there are some cheesy moves, I've grown to appreciate the last fight scene in "The One" where Jet Li faces himself.

Wussup!

Grr! Another dark period in history.

That reminds me... Tekken 5 will be out soon, won't it.

I liked that block too, until I realized that I was thinking too defensively. The only way to win is to think offensively - don't block for the sake of blocking if you want to arrive on top. Actually I'm reminded of a funny story of then I was less than a year in training. I used that very block on a guy who managed to confuse me as to whether he was going to lunge into a kick of punch me. He started a roundhouse and I brought my knee up. Up... up - WHAP. I smashed my knee into me elbow so hard I had to stop sparring.

You all are insane - I hope that's not just me.

What can you tell me about Taek Kyon. Can you give me any web-based sources about it's techniques and history. It looks like the original kicking art of Korea. However, that leads me to my next question: why do kicks seem to dominate korean arts. I'm trying to do alot of historical research on Tae Kwon Do, and other Korean arts. I'm looking for good leads of research and media.

My instructor is a big believer in "staying with the count" when we do kicking combos, etc. No matter how fatigued you may get, your focus will go up if you move as quickly as possible every time the instructor's mouth begins to open. This is especially benificial if the count is irregular - or slowely speeding up.

Here's a good example of "an oldie, but a goodie".

I'm finding it funny how the more joint injuries I recieve - the quicklier they heal. Third day of healing and I can see one of my ankle bones again! Yesterday, I helped a newwer guy by doing hand-sparring and head-locking drills. I can walk again at a steady pace.

So when will you reveal to us your true style?

Ironic - I know all those forms through Choong-Moo. Cool pictures stuff.

It helps if you can read Chinese lettering. I'm just an ignorant westerner, so all the fun was lost.

Virtua Figher 4: Evolution is the best one-on-one fighter on the planet. Other than that, Tekken will always have it's own edge. Streets of Rage also was fun back in the day.

I've tried getting my sister involved - but she's too obsessed with figureskating. My mother complains of her back... My fathers never has the time.

ditto

Doh! I thought there was something fishy, but I was afraid of my own ignorance as well.

I sprang my ankle yesterday doing a 360 side kick to the swinging bag. I miscalculated and struck it hard with the ball of my foot instead of my heel - causing my foot to bend forwards really far. Fortunately it could have been much worse. Though it's healing rapidly I'll miss out on sparring some new people tomorrow. Oh well, there's always next week. I've been icing it and slowely moving it. Alot of people tell you to leave the joint alone that has been hurt. With my experience, slowely streatching it back to painless range of motion seems to help a great deal. I can actually walk on it again 30 hours later without much of a limp thanks to my slow stretching. Any thoughts?

All I have to contribute is the fact that point fighting was something invented in the United States. In the Orient, sparring back in the day was always more sensitive to making the person a better fighter - not a sportsman. Do I despise point sparring - I do when I feel that it is limiting me somehow, shape or form. Evaluate yourself, and your motives with maturity.

May nothing go wrong!

Sorry! I guess I should have been more concise. "American Karate" is the style I practice. It has strong influence from Tae Kwon Do (it is different from "American Tae Kwon Do" which might have been fathered by Jhoon Re (sp)). American Karate is a mix of many traditional arts ranging from Karate to a bit of Juijutsu. It's kind of a poor man's traditional+mixed MA from that perspective, but it has strong principals that are founded primarily in TKD roots. The forms we practice are actually Korean Hyung - Chung Gi, Dan Gun, Whon Yo, Chung Moon. Does this help?