KickChick

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him! The morals of this story are: 1) Not everyone who drops doodoo on you is your enemy. 2) Not everyone who gets you out of doodoo is your friend. 3) And when you're in deep doodoo, keep your mouth shut

Welcome to you avril333 ... my children were also involved in martial art, which got me where I am today!

John No not there that year Laurie ... maybe this year (?)

... when you're young you do alot of things you may regret! ... there may be one (maybe) that might ... but I don't know .... eh

.. know the feeling! ... but I'd rather be 43 than 18 ... ANY DAY!!!!

thank U Mike C .... hey I tried !..................................................................................

no need to worry about KC ... she's been knocked down but she'll always ..... always come out kicking!!

... sorry but you'll probably be pleased when you find out the end result of it.

Hey if you answer "YES" .... post your suspended split pic in album!!

Good site for the Christian Martial Artist ... lots of links and many, many opinions! http://www.pastornet.net.au/response/topics/ma.htm

Oh I know! .... I just had visions of people trying to do this without prior conditioning so I thought I just might mention how to work up to doing a suspended split. People just hate it when I do a regular front split . I don't want to be despised (although there are those out there!) so (shhhhh) Yes I can ... on a good day!

I posted a few here http://www.4kicks.com/default.asp ... basically an excellant site for class ideas also for "the littlest of dragons": http://home.thezone.net/~sdowney/teachinglittledragons.htm

What kchenault is referring to are suspended splits. When you acheieve the ability to lift yourself off the floor while sitting in a split you are proving that you have enough strength to do a suspended split. You really shouldn't start off learning this skill with chairs. Try beginning with two books and then maybe yoga blocks/exercise steppers. At least you will be able to use your hands for support. Eventually you can try placing chairs together, doing a handstand between them, and then lowering your legs onto the chairs. They really serve no real application for martial arts other than to strengthen the legs and there are better and safer ways to achieve this goal. The suspended split with toes pointing forward stresses abductors.... with toes pointed upward --- stresses your hamstrings and you will find you can't do these if you don't have good outside rotation of your hip joints.

Actually it is a toss up for me. Honestly I would compete more if there were more competitors in my division. My experience due to this has been less than challenging..... and honestly I am not the competitive sort as far as sparring but love to "showoff" with performing forms and breaking. Atlantic City tournaments are the best (get to have the daylights beaten out of you plus get to socialize afterwards ) There is a NY tournament I plan on trying to get to in June only due to the fact that Cynthia Rothrock, Vincent Lyn, Richard Norton, and Don 'the dragon' Wilson will be appearing there. As far as seminars ....if more were available in my area I jump at the chance. I recently went to a kubotan tactics and confined area survival training seminar. So both lend themselves to expanding your ma experience.

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience. One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" "How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. "I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today." Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor." Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know. Now, Plumb asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. He also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory - he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety. Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. As you go through this week, this month, this new year .... recognize people who pack your parachutes.

Good for you Laur!! and TSD your very first "love" I see the change in you "sig".... ok ... (KSNDoug I'm gonna tease again...) I'll share another excerpt of my article).... "Moo-Duk-Kwan, was founded by Grandmaster Hwang Kee in 1945 also in Seoul. Moo Duk Kwan stands for "a brotherhood and school of stopping inner and outer conflict and developing virtue according to the way of the worthy hand." Some have shortened this to "Art of the knife hand." Moo Duk Kwan's signature technique was the roundhouse kick. The style used was originally called Hwa Soo Do. But later Grandmaster Kee decided to incorporate Tang Soo Do into the Hwa Soo Do. Now Moo Duk Kwan calls their art Soo Bak Do. It is said that Ji Do Kwan/Moo Duk Kwan became the largest of the kwans in Korea during the late 1950's. In fact, Grandmaster Hwang Kee estimated that in 1960, these two kwans constituted 70 per cent of the Taekwondo/Tang Soo Do/ Kong Soo Do/Tae Soo Do population. Modern Tang Soo Do is heavily indebted to Grandmaster Kee."

In TKD you learn the form and memorize the sequence of "movements" and correct performance of each move. Once a suitable "standard" is reached and the student feels comfortable with the pattern they are encouraged to examine it. When performing a pattern as a whole then single techniques become combinations and within patterns it can be found that techniques are used for other purposes within a combination than they may be used on their own (such as you are referring to taebot). A student can spend many years performing a pattern and still find new aspects of it to study. Such as in Do San the final "movement" being a knifehand which can be used as a takedown. Most schools instruct in this manner and others do not ... there are multiple interpretations to TKD forms depending on what style ... so you cannot consider me wrong. But all in all Chon gi still (IMO ... although you believe I am wrong, I respectfully refrain) is a very simple patterns and those that follow progress in difficulty as the students ability increases and generally forms the basis of grading and instruction criteria.

I knew I saw the name of this gym somewhere! http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=66700&highlight=#66700

Welcome to KarateForums ... ...also post over in Introductions so that you can introduce yourself to our other Non-MT members!

Chon gi is all blocks and middle punches ... back & low stances and no kicking. I guess I can kind of understand what you are saying ... but I hear ya on Ju Che!

Chon gi is all blocks and middle punches ... back & low stances and no kicking. I guess I can kind of understand what you are saying ... but

Have you ever hit the inside of your elbow in just the right spot and felt a tingling or prickly kind of dull pain? It doesn't really hurt as much as it feels weird. Would you believe I have a "funny bone" injury?? Breaking class was tonight, and thought that I would try and be creative with a break technique. Elbow strike breaks have always been done primarily with the forearm... driving the force of the forearm forward towards the board. I thought I would like to try and do a speed break (single 1-in board)by doing a turning back elbow strike (as if striking to the jaw bone) and hitting with the tricep portion of the arm. Did the break but afterwards an incredible shooting pain down the length of my arm to my 4th and 5th finger. The "funny bone" is not a bone. Straighten your right arm with palm facing up. Feel the inside bone of your elbow. That's the ulnar. The large, center bone of the elbow is the humerus. The channel that runs between them is called the medial condyle of the humerus. Rather, this "funny bone" is really the ulnar nerve. Running down that channel, encased in a tunnel of muscle, ligament and bone is the ulnar nerve. The ulnar nerve runs down the side of the neck, through the armpit, down the arm and into the hand. It supplies movement to the small muscles in the hand, and feeling to part of the arm, pinky and half the ring finger.The bone in the upper arm is called the "humerus." Because "humerus" sounds like "humorous," people began calling it the funny bone. When the ulnar nerve is struck, it creates the pins and needles sensation that people find "funny." Well I still have no feeling in my 4th and 5th fingers and probably a bruise and swelling ... but this numbness is tough when typing! I just thought this bit of info was interesting.... I never really knew what caused that tingling, "pins-and-needles" sensation (which by the way is called Tinel's Sign. There's nothing that can be done to stop it .... you just have to grimace and wait until the sensation goes away, usually within a minute..... but not when you use your "funny bone" to break wood!

Actually I try to avoid snacking but when I do I try to choose a protein snack or shake since it takes longer for protein to break down so your craving is satisfied and your tummy feels full. Some good ones are a 3oz. can of chicken/tuna (14-18 grams protein, 70 cal.), two string cheeses (14 gr. protein 160 cal) ... I try to eat only when I am hungry (not out of boredom) because your body is then least likely to store the food you eat as fat. I also read an article that if you must "snack" on a cookie or chips it is best to eat them with your lunch instead of in between meals.

Well I won't be doing Moon Moo until I reach 4th dan! I have seen it and it looks just as difficult to master as the form I am currently doing which is Yoo Sin (with 68 movements ... Moon Moo having 61) Chon ji with 19 movements is a piece of cake... and probably the least favorite of mine because it is so plain. My favorite so far is Ge Baek (considering I had to learn that form and Po Eun almost 5 weeks before I could test for my 2nd dan) ... does seem surprising but even Yoo Sin may come in close once I get it! I researched what the "movements" mean traditionally ie. setting up to draw your sword by your hip etc etc. Fascinating when you know why the movements were selected and for what fighting purpose... I actually have come to enjoy forms. It's a showcase for your martial art talent.