joesteph

This isn't a political posting; it's about an article that appeared in today's (October 8, 2008) New York Times. It seems that Alexander Putin of Russia has released his own Judo video. The title is “Let’s Learn Judo With Vladimir Putin," and an excerpt from the article reads, "The judo video includes instructional tips from Mr. Putin, a black belt, and from Yasuhiro Yamashita, a former world champion, among others . . ."

When I saw this by Jim, Tallgeese, I wondered exactly what was meant, because when I think of a swarm, it's like a swarm of bees descending on you, stingers ramming home. This is why I brought up the guy I knew back in college (work your way to the center) and the idea of the best defense being a good offense, as I interpreted Jim's post. I don't expect to defeat multiple attackers, but to handle them. As Wa-No-Michi said: "Make quick your exit plans and expedite them as efficiently as possible."

This is obviously very important to you, Shoto, and you sound like a determined guy. You'll do it, that's for sure. _ _ _ _ _ _

I've felt that in the few times I've sparred with my instructor, she was "testing" me, perhaps gauging me, finding out what I would do against a more experienced fighter, seeing what I was capable of, even determining how much of her fighting ability I could handle.

I remember the movie Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe as Jim Braddock, who fought Max Baer, a man "credited" (a thing he hated) with killing a man in the ring. I had looked up Baer's fight in Wikipedia at the time of the movie, and the postings by Bristopen and Adonis made me look at Wikipedia again - http://en.wikipedia.org and enter Max Baer. Frankie Campbell was up against the ropes, taking a tremendous beating from Baer, but Campbell's manager never threw in the towel, nor did the referee simply stop the fight as a TKO. Campbell wound up in the hospital, didn't make it through the night, and an autopsy by a specialist stated that "Campbell's brain had been 'knocked completely loose from his skull.'" Bristopen and Adonis's evaluations may be right on the money.

I'd been thinking about getting this book, Josh, and when I saw your recommendation I just opened up another window online and ordered it from the Federation.

Before class with my sons, at the dojang: Ki Cho Hyung Il Bu Ki Cho Hyung E Bu Class with the boys, assisting the instructor, mostly working on takedowns with them. After class, with the next class's members watching: My first board break, done with the elbow, with my sons there to watch Dad do the final leg of testing for promotion. (Brought the board home as a souvenir.)

I'd said in other postings that my art, Soo Bahk Do, is really a striking art, although my instructor includes the joint locks and takedowns that come with greater knowledge than what's in the official books. She's also introduced a measure of grappling, which is a combination of how grappling has become more popular to combine with striking (witness the popularity of MMA), and there's always "just in case." That said, I've come to realize that the way to know this is really to spend a good amount of time emphasizing it. I think Bushido Man is right, if I may be permitted to paraphrase, to take some lumps but learn while being on the receiving end. I wonder if those who can beat you are actually willing to work with you, like a stronger chess player going over a game s/he won against a weaker player, pointing out errors and missed opportunities, even though this means the weaker player grows stronger. When I had to do on-the-knees grappling with a fellow student who outweighs me by fifty pounds, following what we were introduced to in terms of push-pull at the shoulders, the first two times he got me down to the canvas, but the third time something clicked and I used his own force--and bodyweight--to pull him into where I could turn him and get him down to the canvas. I won just one out of three, but it was worth it.

I remember a friend from when I was in college who had a black belt in karate (I don't know the style; people just said "karate" then), and he had said something I heard only from him: fight to be in the center. I didn't hear him speak of zoning, or speak in some way of having them be in one-another's way. He said that the one in the center has the advantage, but I knew little about karate at that time, so I didn't even know what to ask him to elaborate on this. Looking back, it almost sounds like the best defense is a good offense. Jim, are you referring to anything like what this fellow was saying?

You sound like a lucky guy in two ways, pegasi. The first is that you found a doctor who wasn't a specialist but who knew what to do, and the second is that you healed without an operation. Probably only one in a hundred could do what you did, so buy lottery tickets; you're likely the one who hits it big. I hope you're able to ease back into your martial arts routine with full recovery.

Welcome to Karate Forums DokanDojo! I visited Sweden back in 1998. Beautiful country. I especially enjoyed Stockholm.

Wow, Rateh, you sure know how to get kids to have fun! I don't know what you do for a living, but do you work with children?

Thanks, ps1! It is good to see different videos of the "same" move, and I've been able to bookmark where there are a number of Judo videos. I'm actually surprised at how there isn't that much bending down to execute the move; it's like studying physics applied to the martial arts.

As I understand it, there was a Korean government pressure to make all act as or become one as a "national unity" political move. I know that the Moo Duk Kwan actually sued all the way up to the Korean Supreme Court just to stay alive.

This video's link problem is that the dash before the end, TjqVY, came out as a single, combined line when posted, but it's two hyphens together: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=4j1w--TjqVY It's really a very good video.

Late last night: stretching exercises With my sons: Ki Cho Hyung Il Bu Ki Cho Hyung E Bu Ki Cho Hyung Sam Bu After they went to sleep: Repeated same as above, but added Pyung Ahn Cho Dan

In my art, Soo Bahk Do, there are certain amounts of time to be met at each belt level, and then testing may be done for the next belt level if the instructor believes the student is ready. However, someone coming from another art need not be held to the time schedule. I admit I haven't discussed this with my instructor, but someone could be coming from a closely-related art, Tang Soo Do. Skipping the disagreements that occurred in the past between the two, the regional examiner can work with the instructor in the dojang where the new student is practicing, in order to facilitate a smooth transition. I couldn't say about another Korean art, such as Tae Kwon Do, or an Okinawan/Japanese one, such as Isshinryu. I did find out that the Tae Kwon Do of Grandmaster Son has hyungs interpreted from the Pinan/Pyung Ahn series that Grandmaster Hwang Kee incorporated into Soo Bahk Do, and the basic katas of Isshinryu (so a fellow student who had studied Isshinryu when much younger told me) are very similar to the basic hyungs of my art. Related styles likely drink from the same well. I wonder if someone with a dan ranking in a related art would definitely be placed on a "fast track," while someone below dan ranking might or might not start from white belt. It could even be that it's not up to the chief instructor in the dojang, but someone higher up the food chain in the organization.

I wondered about names of students/parents being placed on the survey. A parent's name should appear; it may be difficult for a student who is a minor to put his/her name on a survey if a section asks about instructors. I believe a student should say where s/he feels individual strength or weakness, so that the survey gives a greater feeling of personal input, and that would be a separate page, where a name could be used without a problem.

What my instructor has done with the Little Tigers (starting at age four), going from one to the other: 1. have the hand-held square targets on end for them to jump over 2. set up the full-body length kicking targets as a tunnel 3. jump over a bong (bo) held low 4. do punches and kicks against a WaveMaster 5. finally to BOB, who's taken off the base, so they can box the "stranger's" ears My boys (age six) have participated in this, and once they get started, they really get into it. I think they like the tunnel and WaveMaster best in this course.

There was a teenager in my dojang who had the physical ability to really give a strong punch, and who would fire off a shot full blast . . . to tap the target. She wasn't punching through the target at all, not burying her fist into it, so her "power" was a "tap." This is fine for non-contact sparring, or practicing self-defense techniques (so that you don't take your partner's head off while s/he's standing there like a sitting duck to let you practice the technique), but it's not what you do if hitting BOB or a WaveMaster in the dojang, or an adversary in a real-life situation. Fortunately, our instructor was on top of things--and clear.

I use traditional boxing hands too, tkdo. I've found myself better guarded and better able to fire off punches. A free online copy of the great boxer Jack Demsey's 1950 book (don't worry about the year; he's a timeless champion) is available from a web site that calls itself Scribd, at: http://www.scribd.com/ When you get there, scroll down to Search and just put in Jack Demsey. You're able to read it online or download it for free. There are many other publications there, too. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

When Gina Carano fought Kelly Kobald, it looked to me like a stand-up fighter vs. a grappler, and each wanted to make the fight "her" fight. They each have to know the "other," that Carano had to work on what to do if it turned to grappling, and Kobald had to hone her striking ability, but it looked like Carano dominated that fight throughout--and it was a unanimous decision. I wonder if they'll change the women's rules to be five-minute rounds like the men, instead of three-minute rounds? When Arlovski fought Nelson, it looked like a bodybuilder vs. an overweight man. I'm sure Nelson wouldn't be in that ring without being a strong fighter, but I don't see how that excess weight doesn't tire him out. I was surprised to find that Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson vs. Ken "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Shamrock changed to Slice vs. a multi-colored hairstyled "Silverback" just tonight. I thought Slice would have made a more powerful showing, and his losing in fourteen seconds was as much a surprise to the winner as the loser. I know that Slice already had a cut over one eye, which I thought was his right eye when I saw them putting on the vaseline, but he was bleeding over his left eye at the end of the fight. Silverback didn't win because Slice had a cut, though; he won because he was pounding Slice into the canvas. That EliteXC show was really filled with MMA action.

I was thinking in terms of two (possibly a third--but not more) dan rankings in the martial arts, Jim, complementing one another, such as one focusing on striking and the other on grappling. I think that knowledge gained below dan ranking in other arts (usually related, such as another striking art and/or grappling art) might prove useful, too. I'm taking a break from the Elite XC bouts right now, having watched Gina Carano, who's more of a stand-up fighter (with wicked knee strikes when she's in close) against a grappler. Each tried to fight "her" fight, but there has to be knowledge of the "other way" in case the grappler takes down the striker, or the striker keeps on his/her feet. Gina won the bout--on her own terms, from what I saw. I can't argue against overkill in trying to master everything, but I believe knowing complements to one's main style/focus is essential. (I'm not going into an MMA ring, but I'm glad that my instructor in Soo Bahk Do brought in/introduced some grappling--self-defense not traditional to the art--as a "just in case.") Hmmm . . . Is the striking art most applicable to MMA Muay Thai, and the grappling art most applicable JiuJitsu? That would be a different discussion.

I like what Henderson had to say about the upcoming fight with Franklin: "It definitely will be exciting because we both like to stand and bang, and we both have knockout power." A good old-fashioned slug-fest is usually a crowd-pleaser!

From Tallgeese: I think this is true of wrist locks. As my instructor has had us go into them more, I've realized counters that the supposedly controlled opponent can utilize quickly, turning the tables on you, meaning to me that in a real-life situation, I'm not going to control through the wrist, I'm going to break it. From Taylor: I agree with Taylor, although perhaps the resistance-countering would be as the belt level goes higher, since lower belt students are learning to apply the lock properly in the first place. I myself have to "put on the brakes" with the wrist joint locks I've learned. As Taylor is referring to there being a struggle by the opponent against applying the lock on him/her, say, in this case, a wrist lock, an inexperienced student might try to force that lock along, instead of flowing into it, resulting in an injury. I'm interested in joint locks, especially since they can be so powerful; but the training problem with them is just that--that they can be so powerful!