hx35543

All these replies look pretty accurate to me. There are a lot of factors that go in to it. It starts with your muscle structure and if your muscles will be able to get in to heavy weights. At 165 lbs I was benching 345 lbs and leg presses over over 1100 lbs but I couldn't arm curl over 135 to save my life. I didn't get it either. It gets down to fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. Progresive resistance is how you get your strength up. But a training routine that works for your friend may not work for you for strength. To me, trying different routines to find the one that fits you is best. I've been lifting for almost 25 years and been through a lot of routines. Some helped some didn't. Nutrition also plays a big role. There are lot of things to consider and a lot of factors involved. Don't get discouraged and don't give up. And again, don't judge your self against others, everyone is unique. Bruce Lee wasn't big, but he was very strong for his size.

just a quick story. Me and a friend had been in seperate karate classes and would goof off and do some light sparring at school. It took one accidental hit to the groin. My friend runs to the bathroom and comes out with blood on his underwear. He was peeing blood. He went to the doctor and found that a blood vessel was ruptured. Nothing too serious, but scary none-the-less. He had kicked me with a side kick that I wasn't ready for and all I did was bring my foot up to catch my balance. It wasn't a hard kick, but just hard enough in the right spot. I got hit once from behind on my black belt test and never missed putting in my cup again.

I know there are plenty of us out there that have some sort of medical issue or problem and we train until we do something we shoudn't and pay for it after. You have to consciously stop yourself from getting to that point. It's not easy. You do get in to that zone and don't want to stop. In the end though, your the only one that's going to be paying for it.

Try ice to numb the pain. General thought when it comes to a pulled or strained muscle is ice then heat. With the back it's not so. Most times heat on the back can aggravate the problem. Being an avid weightlifter, I am no stranger to back problems. My problems started between L4 and L5 in my lower back. I didn't know at the time, but my sciatic would catch hell. This happened before I was even taking karate and had nothing to do with weightlifting. It culprit was the way I slept since I was a kid. One day at the gym, my back went out. Anyway, shortly after, I went to a chiropractor who straightened me out within a period of time. I still deal with back problems from time to time I guess from my days of lifting and being young and stupid. That's my story. My advice, once you heal from this, strengthen your core a little more to help prevent re-injury. But take your time. Let your back heal completely. Don't push it. I had always heard once you start having back problems, you always have back problems. It turned out true for me. I hope you have better luck.

Again, you have come across with some brilliant ideas. Some of which I kind of new but haven't done or haven't worked on in depth. Some of which I had hadn't even thought of. I am 42 and have been in this for about 6 years, which is way early for any martial artist. But I am dedicated to getting better and I am hard on myself when I feel I do poorly. And when I have to deal with injuries or aching joints, it drags me down. But I still try to remain focused. I know I will have to work and drill until what I do and how I move becomes "no mind", to quote an icon. Thank you for your collective wisdom. I will strive to be better and work harder. Again, THANK YOU.

There are those who are naturals at sparring. From seeing nearly invisible "tells" and being able to move, to those who can see the opening in your defenses and drop a bomb right in there with seemingly no effort. And then there is me. At my school there is no working on footwork drills. We just sparr once a weak and good luck. I have realized this and am trying to work on getting out of the way. But it is not easy. And I'm not sure if I'm doing it right or wrong for that matter. Now, I have only just started and it may be too early to tell. I have looked at videos and read books to get ideas. I guess what I'm asking is for a little help from the collective minds here. Maybe some ideas for drills that may have helped you or something that may have helped someone in my situation. And yes, I do train as much as possible away from class. Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

I have been a weightlifter/bodybuilder for more than twenty years. And yes, a good solid base and correct form are everything. Without good form you can increase your risk of injury tremendously and you won't make the gains you were expecting at all. Lifting has made me stronger and faster than a lot of the younger students in the class. Due to age and wear and tear on my body I can't lift like I used to though I still lift what I can when I can. One thing you can't forget about is flexibility. Even bodybuilders have to maintain their flexibility in order to be able to work the muscle through the full range of motion. As far as MA is concerned, trying to build strength without maintaining your flexibility will most definitely slow you down. And if your trying to train hard to build, either take it easy on your class days or use your class as cardio day. Your body needs rest and if you push it too hard it will push back and you will get no where with your training. Try working legs one day and right after go to your local football stadium and run up and down the bleachers. You will be tired in no time. I'll give you a good reason that goes along with MA just with front and side splits alone.I just recently injured my hip joint trying to get deeper into a side split. I forgot the basics. Muscle tissue is less dense than tendons and ligaments. So muscles will always get stronger quicker. My inner thigh muscles were getting stronger, over a period of time, enabling me to sink deeper into the split. But I forgot that, in that out stretched position, my tendons might not be strong enough to withstand that kind of strain. Needless to say, they weren't and I got hurt. So, to me, some form of strengthening is absolutely necessary. Strength goes hand in hand with MA as does flexibility.

While you guys are on the subject, I took a side kick to the ribs in sparring. Hard enough to bruise I believe. Week and a half still hurting but seemingly getting better. ( I HOPE )

CONGRATS.

fees for school I attend: 9 total belt ranks: $45 for each purple ( 2 stripes ) $55 green ( 3 stripes ) $65 red ( 3 stripes ) $350 1st dan $450 2nd dan increasing up to $2000 for 6th dan. Not entirely sure what it's all about.

Just tested for blackbelt this past weekend. Haven't been back to class because I bruised my heel on one of the breaks, but I did talk to my instructor and he told me I passed with a pretty good score. Hands down the most grueling experience of my life, but well worth it in the end.

I had a make-up belt test (couldn't make it for the formal test because of work) for my third red (First Gup). I stumbled a little and had what I would call a brain fart. But I managed to pass.

First off, don't diet. Change the way you eat. As weird as it sounds, it helps not to think of it as dieting. Eat healthier. Eating baked, broiled, or boiled instead of fried is a good start. Less simple sugars and empty calories from potato chips or soft drinks. Eating 5 or 6 small meals during the day also helps instead or three big ones. It helps keep away the hunger and keeps your metabolism on the move burning calories. And don't get hung up on the calorie issue so much that you feel you can't have that slice of pizza or Big Mac. The best thing you can do is keep your calories on a roller coaster. Don't stay at, say 1500 calories all the time. Stay there for a few days and then go to 1800 then 1600 then 1400. Or something like that. Keep your metabolism guessing. Staying at one caloric intake for too long can make you plateau and stop losing altogether. Stay strict during the week and fudge a little on the weekend. It won't hurt. Mr. Obvious is right. No such thing as SPOT REDUCTION. It doesn't work that way. Muscle burns fat. Bottom line. Not telling you to be a bodybuilder but the more you have the easier it is to lose fat. A combination of cardio and weight training is best. You can combine the two with circuit training. And, unfortunately, you won't take it off as quickly as you put it on.

I too feel your pain. Started TSD at 38. I have always been pretty flexible from stretching in the gym. But I never did high kicks or splits. I have gotten better. And please make sure you're warmed up before getting in to any serious stretching. I just tore something in my hamstring during warm-ups during class.

I was a little timid when sparring. Confrontation isn't my thing. In any fight situation your going to get hit. Become friends with it. Sparring will only help your reaction time to become better at blocking and avoiding. I'm an advanced student and I got clocked by a lower belt that telegraphed a high roundhouse to the side of my head. Just keep sparring. Confidence will come and fear will subside.

Recently I tore something in my hamstring. probably got tight and popped during alternating toe touches. Been dealing with it for about 2 months. Slowly getting better, but it still hurts. Makes it real hard to get a good stretch.

Avid weightlifter for better part of 20 years, stretched in every possible position. Turtle is right, they can all do some damage if done properly. Another important thing to remember is, warm up before you stretch. Trying to stretch a cold muscle can be really nasty. Just do a couple of light sets of whatever you're working and then get in to your stretching. You'll be able to get a better stretch with less risk of injury.

Actually a good massage, post workout, helps increase blood flow and provides nutrients to those muscles you just worked on.

In the word's of Peter Parker's (AKA-Spiderman) grandfather, " With great power comes great responsibility". There was a guy I knew, nice guy when I knew him, whose parents were some of the nicest people you could know. At some point they put him in the MAs, for what ever reason. Years later he repaid them by almost beating them too death and ended up in jail. What happened, I'm not sure. It seems to me that there are a lot of factors that come in to play when you grow as a MAist. I myself had a good life and a stable environment to grow up in. My parents taught me humility and respect and to have pride in what I do. I was also taught to realize that there are consequences to decision I make. In other words, the person I am has not changed because of the MAs. I do however believe in trying to better myself. I can always become a better person in all aspects. I took up bodybuilding because I enjoyed weight lifting and I got stronger in the process. As a side-effect, it also helped improve my self-esteem (which I didn't get a lot of from my parents). MAs is something I have always wanted to do only because it was interesting to me. The confidence in knowing that, in a fight, my chances of coming out on top is a plus. But the reality is that no matter how good I am, there is always someone " bigger and badder " than me. I don't boast about what I do. There will always be someone who will want to test you out. I feel no need to prove who I am or what I can do to anyone. To me, the drive and passion to better yourself in whatever you is admirable. But if the MAs is the means to just be better than everyone else and think that you can kick anybody's but, think again. It's just an invitation for trouble.

Truly an amazing feat. I believe at my school they would probably make adjustments as well. Congratulations.

I did something similar to that in high school. i didn't play football but i trained with the players. I had been lifting for years in school and thought it a good idea to try the boxes one. This consisted of a series of eight 2' tall boxes to which you jump and off as high as you can from one to the other and back. There and back was one "rep" of ten. You do this two or three times to build explosive power off the line. The pump was incredible (as I was a muscle-head early on) and the result was I almost fell down the stairs at school because I could barely walk from the extreme soreness. The point is, just because it's a good idea at the time, doesn't mean it's a bright one. Something like that you have to work into. Just because you can run a mile doesn't mean you can run the Boston Marathon. Good luck with the healing. You'll be alright. Just think about it a little harder the next time and learn from your mistake.

There is a phrase that sticks in my head that I read once, " It is not the destination, but the journey". There was more to it, but that was burned in almost instantly. To me it's not about the belts or the next test, it's what I learn in the process that counts. The belt is but a decoration. If you truly want to be in the MAs, I guess to me it shouldn't matter if there are two belts or twenty. I just enjoy the learning experience and know that I am a part something that's been taught for a long time.

I agree with the others. The situation was filled with emotion and at some point you felt some sort of action was necessary. Was it the right one, that 's for you to decide. But please don't beat yourself up over it. All you can hope to do is learn from it and move on. We all deal with situations in different ways and make a decision on a spur of the moment, right or wrong. Deal with it and move on. Sometimes it's easier said than done. I'd bet he thinks twice about getting in your face again.

I had just taken it as an insult. To think what he was taught in war time was any better than what we are taught in our training today. I do realize what he was taught had a certain goal in mind, but please don't tell me I can't accomplish the same task from what I know. To me it's arrogant and ignorant. As for me, I do enjoy the exercise and what knowledge I get from my training. And knowing I can protect myself and my family from harm when the time comes is a perk. To kill or be killed is not a situation I ever want to be in. To me it's like me telling you my art form is better than yours when both arts in the hands of, especially a master, will accomplish the same goal. I could run on, but I'm not. I'm just expressing a point and an opinion. Thanks for the feedback.

My boss is x-military, one of those wars. ( Me and history never got along) Maybe WW II or Vietnam. I don't know. Anyway, the point is, I was told by him that what we do in MAs is in so many words a sport or just exercise. I understand that what he was taught in the military was kill or be killed, live or die. By no way does it diminish what we learn in our perspective art forms to merely exercise. We may never and I pray never come to the situation of kill or be killed, but it doesn't mean that the practiced MAs here would be helpless as a baby. Just because we can't hurt or kill without reason, doesn't mean that we couldn't do it. I'd imagine what is taught in the military is specific to the task of the live or die (I'm not military so I don't know). I just don't think those who practice today are a bunch of ya-hoos just out for exercise or thrills.