joesteph

I used to take both of them, Tiger, when I was weight-training, because of my knees. I feel they were a big help. Now that I no longer weight-train but do karate, I don't have the knee concerns as much as before, so I've stopped taking them. I've found my knees are okay. Everybody's different, of course, so I needed them when working out with weights. Your case is likely different and yet related. Give them a try, at least for a month, in order to see what they do for you.

It was some years ago, before my boys were born (and they're seven now), that I got out of my car at night and a guy was calling to me. At first I thought it was someone asking me something, but then with his foul language and mannerisms I realized he was a drunk. I walked over to my steps, with him still spouting, and I gave him the "Uh-huh, yeah, right" bit as I got up to about the third or fourth step. He did walk over to me, and I was ready, being on the "high ground," to kick him right down the stairs. His mouth stayed foul, and I responded with something sarcastic like, "Wow, I'm afraid!" He looked at me, then looked away, and went on his drunken way, cursing either at me or the Man in the Moon, I have no idea. I believe that if I had argued with him, maybe even stood there on the same street level, then there would have been a fight. As it turned out, I was ready, but he disappeared into the night. I'd never seen him before; I've never seen him since. More than one member who posted has referred to alcohol, and I'm in agreement.

In my Korean art, Soo Bahk Do, it's called Ho Sin Sool, but it's the same concept, that of self-defense techniques in given situations, particularly if grabbed. There's also one-step sparring, which often involves block-punch and even block-punch-kick combinations. My instructor makes certain to include a variety, meaning with takedowns and joint locks, for well-roundedness. (She's even brought in a bit of grappling.) A lot depends on the instructor, Kaster; there's just no getting away from that. What the lesson is for the class, what the drills/exercises are, they all come from the lesson plans of the instructor. Does your instructor emphasize hand techniques? Self-defense? If not, ask about them. Instructors want to know what their students are interested in or concerned about. Now I will say that when we spar, despite the many hand techniques my instructor spends class time on, the students themselves tend to rely on kicking. I remember one class that was conducted by my instructor's teacher, who called out "No right leg kicks" because she just felt too many students were relying on that leg while sparring. I am certain that there are self-defense techniques, not just sports/tournament ones, which you can use in TKD, but they have to be emphasized in order to attain a measure of proficiency. DWx refers "a 60/40 split towards hands," and I'm sure she's right. If you have a concern, examine what you're taught/what's emphasized by your instructor, and what's done in the dojang when sparring with fellow students. And keep your hands up to guard your face. I've actually "speedbagged" two sparring partners, annoying my instructor because we're not supposed to be boxing, but I told her when alone that it's their own fault, that they leave their faces wide open. Interestingly, the last adult class I had was dominated by blocks and punches, two different but related ways, with a rhythm occurring as we went back-and-forth in pairs.

Moriniuk, in the fitness tests you're referring to, suppose the individual cannot do jump kicks. Let's say the reason is because of the knees. The person can do a "hop forward" and then kick to cover the distance. I know a dan member whose knees were both operated on, so while he's permitted to do karate, he isn't permitted to practice or perform jump kicks. It really is a case of "doctor's orders." Anything on this?

In Amsterdam, I think everybody takes the canal ride. I remember seeing how the houses, so many of them well over a hundred years old, lining the canal, with the winches at the top to bring in or take out furniture from the street level. The museums for Rembrandt and van Gogh were really enjoyable, and visiting the Anne Frank house, going through the "bookcase" and up the steep stairs to the "annexe" as it's called was both historical and emotional. The railway system was excellent, and visiting the countryside, stopping off at a village where some women wore the traditional clothing, was a nice contrast to the city. I stayed in Rotterdam, but saw the old building that was the post office (and I think doubled as city hall in the past) that the Germans bombed all around during WWII, but never hit. I was glad something from Rotterdam's past was preserved. Really an enjoyable stay.

I love it, Prostar. The parents are now "doing karate" with their children. Do you give each a white belt as they get dizzy blowing up the balloons? Keep the balloon off the floor--but no hands allowed. There must be a lot of "screaming" with excitement as the children get into it. The kids keep asking for the balloon thing again? Well, the key word here is "kids," so it's expected.

I watched the Jet Li tribute at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRjMFsw_qHM and saw the fist position at the end. Compare it with the jab demonstrated by a boxer at this URL: http://www.expertvillage.com/video/787_boxing-jab.htm It looks the same to me. Jet Li didn't use a jab, though, but the same boxer demonstrates a right cross that seems to be with that same fist position on impact: http://www.expertvillage.com/video/788_boxing-right-cross.htm To me, what Jet Li does that causes the death of the man he strikes would seem to be more by Hollywood; however, I don't recall seeing a boxer twist his fist this much as in the two demos I've found. I think the only way it can even be done is with a great twist of the hips.

My instructor likes to have us line up along a gold line at one end of the dojang's wooden floor and then, according to what belts we are, do a set of moves that she calls out in Korean. It can be crowded sometimes, even though she staggers us rather well, and it's occurred where she's said something to my group (orange belts) but then when she went on to the green belts, I lost what she'd said. She's very patient about this, about repeating. After dealing with that situation, she has everybody doing something in this or that place in the dojang, with the help of a dan member assisting in checking or instructing.

At home: Leg stretches Bag paddle/WaveMaster: - kicks - Basic self-defense block-strike moves Ki Cho Hyungs (Il, E, Sam Bu) Pyung Ahn Cho Dan Chil Sung E Ro Hyung (first half) Class at night with my sons: - worked with my boys and the other children, manning a "station" for kicking and punching hand-held targets

I wonder if, because it doesn't cross in front of the body, it isn't as easily seen being executed. I'd say that when I've used it in sparring, it's tended to cause my sparring partner to pause, just not expecting that kick, since it's just not emphasized in the dojang--and yet it can land on someone's collar bone just as easily as its mirror kick. We spar non-contact, and that kick moving past the face of my opponent has registered a hint of surprise.

I practice with a WaveMaster too, Bobby, especially since my kicks against "air" are inferior to when I can hit a solid target, and I've added an item I got through AWMA--a "bag paddle." It has two velcro straps to hold it in place on a WaveMaster, and the double-paddle clacks when you strike it with crescent kicks (inside-outside, outside-inside), roundhouses if you want to try for precision (along with power against the WaveMaster), spinning back kicks, and hook kicks. The last two kicks I admit I have to work on, but the first ones I've been practicing. I've also done hand techniques using it, these from one-step sparring exercises that involve a sideways block before striking the target (the WaveMaster) offensively. There are other attachments like the bag paddle, to simulate an arm or arms, as well as a leg--sort of like a Wing Chun dummy, but then you're getting into a bigger investment. I'm happy with the bag paddle (clapper) right now. Why not check it out on the Internet if you've got a spare moment?

A physiotherapist sounds like someone a doctor would send you to, Shiv, as they do the therapy sessions themselves. But you live in the Netherlands, which I've visited, and your health standards/availability of medical care is right up there. I'm sure you can find an orthopedic (sports medicine) doctor. The doctor you're seeing now can recommend a physiotherapist or suggest an orthopedic doctor that she feels would be able to help you if more than what she does is needed.

This is what I do for my high school students when I give assignments, Shiv. They like it because they can plan ahead and budget their time, doing as you suggest; do some of it ahead of time, then finish up when it's due. My sons, David and Patrick, are in first grade, so they're given something each day--but nothing is announced ahead of time. What adds to their homework is reviewing at home. To me, reviewing at home should be the homework at such a young age/lower grade.

I'll bet you've improved in making and keeping a tight fist and straight wrist. These are martial arts benefits. As for calluses, they are the "tough" build-up of skin that can form on areas of the body (hands and feet), but they serve no martial arts purpose. The most heavily-callused hands, with a loose fist and/or wrist, will not produce a stronger punch and can invite injury.

The parachutists in the article landed at the foothills of Mt. Everest. MotionXL. where did you land when jumping from the helicopter? (A friend of mine has visited Switzerland twice, so I wondered if he'd be familiar with where you were in the Alps.) When paragliding, wasn't it trickier to land, since you're moving horizontally?

I find I have better balance, too, in that the motion is related to the turning of the body like the roundhouse and side kicks that I practice. What breaks from them is that, with me, it's more of a "throw" of the body into the kick from the rear leg; when the assistant instructor was demonstrating how he felt the inside-outside was more powerful for him, he had a wonderful "twist" in his hips to put power into that kick. I've found it easier for me to throw the outside-inside, then back to inside-outside, rather than start with inside-outside and then do outside-inside.

Ki Cho Hyungs (Il, E, Sam Bu) Pyung Ahn Cho Dan Chil Sung E Ro Hyung (first half) Basic block-strike combos

I hope the back injury is more regarding the muscles than the spine. I've found that even the finest, toughest physical specimen has the hardest time recovering from a back injury. It's not like you can compensate/work around it, like many other injuries. Did it occur during training? Often when we hear an athlete was injured, that's where it happened.

Welcome to the forum. Do you go by MotionXL or Lee?

Robert, are you looking for calluses on your knuckles as a way of toughening your hands? Do you see calluses as preventing injury to your own hands? Are you seeing calluses as putting more power into your punch? Tough, uninjured, powerful . . . These are fine goals, but calluses aren't the way to achieve them. Whenever any punching is done, the fist must be tight. Hitting any object, heavy bag, makiwara board, or your adversary's jaw, you've got to have a tight fist or you'll injure your own hand while throwing an ineffective punch. Most martial artists will keep a tight fist, a strait wrist, and concentrate on impacting with the first two knuckles. Some can keep a tight fist and hit with the middle, ring finger, and little finger knuckles all together without injury, but none that I know of uses the little finger knuckle as the "lead" for impact. If hitting a heavy bag, and perhaps doing different punches (horizontal fist, vertical fist, backfist, spinning backfist, even punching as rapidly as possible), you want to protect your hands with some kind of hand covering. One of the worst things that can happen when practicing punching is to skin your knuckles. I found this out when I used BOB's face for "speedbagging" punches repeatedly, and had no hand protection. My knuckles were skinned on both hands, and I couldn't practice punches without reopening the wounds, so that cost me practice time. Calluses on your knuckles aren't functional. A tight fist, correct hand impact, and correct method of delivery (punching "through" the target, putting the proper twist of the body into each punch) will give you the hands you want--and need--as a martial artist.

I'm not sure what you mean by "overstretch" it, Shiv. It sounds like "hyperextend" to me, which is going beyond straightening the elbow, past the straightened point, which causes elbow damage. When I did weight-training, I was careful not to "lock out" my elbows, but have the smallest bend before the straightest point. That protected them. If I went past that straightened point, past lock out, I knew I'd be damaging the joint. When doing a martial art, locking the elbow at the climax of a punch or at the apex of a block, like a low block against a kick, puts a "snapping" motion into the move which causes elbow damage. You have to do the same as the weight-trainer; just short of locking out, stop the arm, and never hyperextend. You did the right thing by going to the doctor, but if you're repeatedly redamaging the area, it can't heal. And joints are notorious for taking their time when it comes to healing. Many people use an elbow wrap, one you can pull up your arm, as a support to help the joint when having to use it strenuously, as in the martial arts. Did you return to the doctor? If it's been months, it should have been re-examined a while ago. It's possible that the area has an inflammation, and a prescription can be of help. BTW, when you do pushups, do you lock out at the top of each pushup? Don't. That slight bend you leave in the elbow applies here, too. Hope it improves.

I didn't find Dempsey Rolls on the Internet, MotionXL. Does it refer to his bob and weave? As for him being a smaller man, this comes from p. 2 in his book: Cowboy Jess was heavyweight champion of the world, and he was a giant. Moreover, he was a perfectly proportioned giant. . . . He towered six feet, six inches and a quarter. He weighed 245 pounds. In comparison I shaped up like an infant or a dwarf although I nudged past six feet and scaled 180 pounds. . . . Before I fought Willard, my manager-Jack (Doc) Kearns-already had nicknamed me "Jack the Giant-Killer" because I had belted out such big fellows as Carl Morris and Fred Fulton. They were big men all right, but neither had appeared such an awesome giant as Willard did that sweltering afternoon. . . . Since this is not a story of my life, I'll refrain from boring you with details of the fight. I'll wrap it up in a hurry; I'll merely recall that I sent Jess crashing to the canvas six or seven times in the first round and gave him such a battering in the third session that Jess was unable to come out for the fourth round. As Willard sat helplessly on his stool in the corner, his handlers threw in the towel just after the bell had rung to start the fourth. I won the world heavyweight championship on a technical knockout.

Thank you, kind sir. At the movie's end, there's a warning by the leader of the Foot Ninja. She cautions that an enemy of the past will return. A sequel?! My boys would love another TMNT movie--and so would I.

Welcome to the forum, Daniel. There are a lot of good people here and always something to talk about.

Hey! Nice! Happy Birthday to him. How old is your son, Bushido Man? Shows what I know about Aidido . . . I didn't even think of a punch in association with this art. I always think of redirects and joint locks. Would the "downward strike" be a knife hand?