joesteph

I think think that respect and humility are more related than fear and humility, but do you have something in mind relating the latter, Heidi?

She may have spoiled sparring in that dojo for other females who are there to "mix it up," in that after that episode the males would likely be inclined to shy away from sparring with them, or resort to what I call "token sparring," such as how one might spar with a much younger sparring partner.

I wonder if it's more of a feeling of apprehension than the actual feeling of pain that interferes with a martial artist's training. I think that WireFrame's observation is true, that we feel some measure of pain on a regular basis as we train, but as he's learned to live with it, so is the average martial artist expected to do as well or the art can't be practiced. Permanent damage!? And while doing an activity that we see as meaningful, as personally fulfilling. I see this not exactly as much a fear of pain as it is a dread of debilitation.

Welcome to the Forums! MMA and Muay Thai must really keep your fighting abilities sharp.

Hi Daniel! Welcome to the forums!

I wondered if KarateForums members teach or study along with students who do not have an interest in belt promotion, but are in regular training simply to gain martial arts knowledge. I don't mean the academic, but the actual forms and self-defense techniques. I bring this up because the end of this month marks two years of my martial arts training, and that I have adequate knowledge to continue to assist my teacher with my special needs children for the rest of the year. I have a limit to my martial arts abilities that concern kicking, and I am in a Korean martial art, therefore a martial art expecting proficient kicking ability. My performance for kicking to the torso, jump kicks for altitude, and spinning kicks is just passing. My arms are my true weapons. This is the way I was when I was in my thirties and studied Tae Kwon Do; now in my fifties and studying Soo Bahk Do, I haven't lost what I had in the past, but I have reached a ceiling. More of these kicks are to be introduced, and while I thank my teacher for accepting my efforts with what I've done so far, I believe there's a limit to what merit effort should receive, especially when a belt promotion is involved. Besides reviewing what I have been taught so that knowledge is not lost, I am interested in the forms that are to be learned at different belt levels. There are also self-defense techniques and sparring exercises. I am always interested in applications. These I can do satisfactorily, and believe I should be/would most enjoy doing as the focus of my training. So do you have students that you teach, or are in class with, who do not study for a promotion, likely don't study all that the next belt level entails, but study for the sake of martial arts knowledge?

Some one-to-one with your teacher is probably the best for advancement in your art, but a complement would be, whether or not it's your teacher, private training in something special that may not be part of the curriculum. You may be in a striking art, but you have an interest in takedowns. Or in joint locks. You may be in a grappling art, but have an interest in striking. Perhaps you want to improve your sparring, and the intensity of individual attention by private instruction is just the ticket. I think it should be remembered that practice is very important, and it may not be logical to have private instruction while performing numerous punches or kicks that can only be improved on by repetition. A small class setting with your teacher overseeing, perhaps with an assistant instructor participating with certain students who could use a bit of extra help, would likely be better than private lessons when it comes to certain aspects of training.

The second video, with the link posted by Kuma, has within it a kick to the lower shin that's emphasized as not being a rake/scrape, but a true kick, with your body dropping to add power to its impact. It looks fairly close, and if I had to use it, not being proficient in knife defense, I'd take the time it's supposed to give me to back away rapidly until I'm gone, distance as my friend. I wonder if it's equally or more effective against the knee? In JKD, the kick to the knee that I practiced was a side kick that drove down at an angle against the top of the knee, the idea being downward impact as greater damage impact.

Hi Fearun! Welcome to the forums!

You say you're bad in English, Lastbelt, but KO is fairly well understood as a knockout, and a TKO (technical knockout) only means you weren't unconscious, but hit practically that hard. If this were an actual fight, this is not a friend and you should call the police. A KO is a serious matter and deserves pressing charges. When it occurred may mean something; in my home state, NJ, you have thirty days to file a complaint with the police. If this were sparring and the KO was therefore unintentional, your friend lacks restraint. He either overreacted to a sparring situation as opposed to an actual fight, or he was showing off. Did he apologize? Did he bring you to a hospital to be checked out in case of a concussion?

Hi Eric! Welcome to the forums!

BTW, Tony, your video at has what looks to me like that same blind spot attack with an inside-to-outside crescent kick at 2:34 and slo-mo at 3:27. Great videos!

Watching it at 3:55 and in slo-mo at 4:52 does show what you're referring to about the blind spot, Tony. I feel I learned something watching it in action instead of just a kick to practice. I was introduced to it in a one-step sparring exercise to swat away a lunge punch (lots of luck in the real world); after performing the outside-to-inside kick, instead of placing the foot down, the exercise has the student chamber for a side kick, fired off to the midsection. It's also included in a form, followed by that same leg doing a stomp kick. Our assistant instructor told me he's used that kick to spar in non-contact tournaments, because the opponent just doesn't expect it. I mention non-contact because of your reference to the problem of having contact against bone. I've found that strong blocks are frowned on when doing my art's tournament sparring; just a movement by the one attacked seems to be the preferred response. In fairness to my teacher, though, she prefers crescent kicks, out-to-in and in-to-out, as axe kicks against the collar bone. When I do the one-step sparring exercise and the form, I'm permitted to do the out-to-in as an axe kick. The assistant instructor I referred to, above, has used the (unexpected) outside-to-inside against that target. Since it's non-contact, no one's actually injured.

Congratulations, Blade! We'll all be looking forward to insights from the February Member of the Month!

So it seems you won't be able to attend one of Iain Abernethy's seminars, Jeffrey, as I see that you yourself will be teaching. Well, it's a good reason, as you'll be sharing your MA knowledge. I've been in the martial arts for just the past two years, so I've attended only two seminars, the first one in Jeet Kune Do and the second in Soo Bahk Do. Since I'm a single parent, I have to look for what's nearby, as these two were. I really enjoyed them. I guess seminars re-invigorate interest in your own art (in my case SBD) or one that you've explored (JKD).

I just received an email today that says the following: A PDF is now available for download from my website that includes all the details of my seminars in Australia in March 2010! The PDF also contains a booking form so you can secure your places. Please follow the link below to download the PDF: http://www.iainabernethy.com/documents/Iain_Aber_Registration_Aus_2010.pdf

I don't know how this clause is worded, but it's likely not legally binding. You have the right of freedom of expression, and that would mean you can attend another martial arts school if that's what you want to do. Just because "the contract says so" does not mean it's legally binding if the clause is contrary to law. Such a clause can backfire on the school, in that it may mean that if you do attend another school, then the contract is breached, so the worst that can happen is expulsion--without paying for remaining lessons that have not been taken. It wouldn't retain students but lose them if they cross-train. My Soo Bahk Do teacher accepts training in another art, but requests the courtesy of being told about it. When I took self-defense JJ, it was on Saturdays, so no SBD lessons were missed. When I took Jeet Kune Do lessons, it was a late-night class during the week, meaning I missed no SBD time. That was her concern, that my main MA lessons, which are with her, wouldn't suffer. This is the right way that students are motivated and retained.

I've profited from Iain Abernethy's interpretations/demonstrations. If others have different interpretations, sharing insights is welcome.

Congratulations on your success, Ashland. I didn't know that you were supplementing your TKD training with MMA. Interesting--and a lot of hard work! BTW, as for the young girl, don't even pause to think about the progress of others. What I like about karate--and the martial arts overall--is that you progress at your own pace and "compete" with yourself.

Congratulations! You worked hard to earn it!

This video from National Geographic: http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/crane-style-kung-fu/26qhwaz2 focuses on the balance expertise of a Crane Style Kung Fu martial artist against throwing stars fired off to his torso. He's balanced on poles 2, 4, 6 and 8 feet tall, dodging the stars and having his center of balance read by lab equipment.

It sounds like a good start, Conrad. As you continue, I'm sure you'll reach a happy medium. Remember, too, that as you yourself move up the belt chain, there'll be lesser experienced, lesser trained students you'll be matched up with, and the rule of thumb is to take it easy with them. Just to dabble a bit in armchair psychology, do you feel (or have others noted) that you seem to be one person when performing the regimented exercises/drills, and another person when sparring? It happened with me (as my teacher pointed out which I'm grateful for) and I worked at correcting it.

In this video, the presenter refers to karate, but it's really about delivering a KO or TKO strike, and I think it's more likely to be the latter. The first minute isn't the best intro, but starting at 1:00, his explanation sounds feasible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTd-LYsv_uM&feature=related The boxer Frankie Campbell died as a result of Max Baer's blows to his head, the autopsy revealing brain damage. The fight should have been stopped and a TKO declared when Campbell was on the ropes.

I remember an Isshinryu black belt who called his left hand his sword and his right hand his hammer. At the time, I thought it was part of the Isshinryu philosophy, but now I wonder if he meant it was a personal conclusion regarding his fighting technique.

It's the logical thing to do as it's widely recognized as a legitimate sport. It's not only a revenue-maker for the state, but state regulations (such as the mandatory 90-day wait after a head trauma) protect the fighters. A good decision.