KickChick

DITTO! Same can be said for me Laur! ... and I am just a lowly black belt! I have also learned to NOT to say "I can't!" anymore ....

http://home.houston.rr.com/surrenderownz/auction.htm

... and I am one of those types of people that have trouble parking close enough to the curb! http://whitecollarboxing.com/video/parking.mpg This clip taken from "Shaolin Soccer" http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=62231#62231

http://www.kfccinema.com/reviews/comedy/shaolinsoccer/ShaolinCover.jpg Release date April 2003 Iam so looking forward to this film! A shaolin kung-fu practitioner is seeking a way to spread the word about his chosen art. He meets a down-on-his-luck lame ex-football player who trains him and his five brothers to play football. They form a team, and are soon entered in a prestigious tournament with a 1 million dollar prize. This is the best trailer for this film that is out there....(this is the one you see in the theaters! http://www.ifilm.com/ifilm/product/film_multimedia/0%2C4470%2C2451960%2C00.html The official Hong Kong site is here and the quality of the trailer is not so good. http://www.i-cable.com/heeheehaha/home.html

Seems we had another thread running on this same thing ... http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=62222#62222 I closed that one since there were more posts made to that one (although that one was posted a day earlier!) You boyz do shop for some unusual gadgets! I'm with submission as far as the "comfort" issue ... I just about manage with all the gear we are required to wear to move about effortlessly, but just for giggles it would be pretty neat to view some playbacks!

thread already started here.... http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5004&highlight= I am closing this one.

Hey Joe welcome back! Continue making that name for yourself!

As with any sport or profession .... there are those that are going to excel in their area and those well, that don't. Alot of the arguement here on the forums concerning being black belt. A black belt to some may ultimately be little more than a bragging right that holds their pants up. And as far as $ for belt grading, that too is a tough question to answer because sometimes that is included in the tuition. There are varying grading costs in the US as there probably is there.

Yes many people prefer to meditate with their eyes open in this way. Aside from anything else, keeping the eyes open helps you to stay awake. You can also try this if you plan on meditating before sleep. Focus on an object, anything from a spot on the wall to a blade of grass. After 5 mins. of just looking at the object, close your eyes and picture it. Try your best to focus it. This tests your mind's "eye, and how clear it is. If your eyes want to stay open, fine. Eventually they will want to close, and will do so of themselves. Might I suggest a "meditation CD" ... I downloaded off KaZaA Andrew Weil's Guided Mediation (I can email this mp3 if you'd like!) As far as the "eye pain" ... may just be eye strain as monkeygirl suggested go see a ... doctor preferably an "ophthalmologist".

As far as "awareness" on the street.... you first need to accept the fact that there are impending dangers and (that) it can happen to you. If you are properly trained in self defense it should make you more confident understanding of your options and capabilities with regards to defending yourself. Environmental awareness is a key factor in being a survivor, not a victim. Know where you are going, plan ahead and consider your options. Attackers are looking for people who appear weak, preoccupied, and unprepared. It's important to be assertive and feel like you're in control. Check your posture to see if you stand tall and appear confident. Self defense is a combination of: ATTITUDE Realizing that something can happen to you. So develop a plan now. AWARENESS Wherever you may be. be aware of your surroundings. ABILITY Develop conflict/resolution techniques to avoid confrontation. Develop physical techniques to avoid being harmed. ... and one thing I learned from my experience I posted about being robbed. I noticed my assailant "checking" me out ... but instead of thinking the worse, I gave him the benefit of a doubt .... DON'T DOUBT your feelings about a situation you may find yourself in. But also remember avoidance of dangerous situations is priority first. The same can be said in sparring situations.... Trust your instincts, be aware (use peripheral vision) .... Also see if your opponent favors a certain technique or telegraphs.

Welcome to KarateForums BlackDragon777 .... ! You have a very interesting martial arts training and we would love to share our philosophies with you as well as hear more about yours! As RedJ suggested ... do post in our other forums ... get acquainted with our topics (this forum is just for intros) I am sure you will enjoy our forum ... and feel that you can also provide us with some insight also in out Internal Arts forum regarding your philosophies and your development of chi power. Looking forward to your future posting!

ok ... fill in the "blank"! I'm sure many of us dread having to do a certain portion of our class whether it be sparring or certain drills. You can usually hear the moans & groans when the instructor mentions just what you'll be doing in class that day. I dread doing jumping side kicks to the heavy bag while jumping over obstacles (such as a row of folding chairs or stacked target shields) ... --actually I have 2 ... and doing alternate left and right jump roundhouses on 2 target shields held by partner going forward & backward across length of floor. This just kills my hips as I tend to over pivot my rounds and you really shouldn't when doing them this way (speed & endurance drill) That which does not kill us, makes us stronger supposedly....so because we do dread doing such drills we may need to work harder on trying to conquer our dislike in doing them.

1. Knuckle pushups. Keep the wrists straight and the weight on the first two knuckles. This is an excellent way to develop proper wrist alignment for closed fist strikes. 2. Kneeling on your hands and knees with your fingers pointing forward, rock your weight slowly forward to your finger tips and then back. This benefits both the wrists and the fingers. 3.Wrist Push ups are performed on the back of the hands, palms up. This improves both flexibility and strength. 4. Wrist twists, grabbing one hand with the other and twisting, using slow, steady pressure. The left arm is extended palm up. The right hand is placed palm up under the left hand. The fingers of the right hand grab the thumb side of the left hand and twist counter clockwise. Next, the left arm is extended palm down. The right hand is placed palm down on top of the left hand. The right hand grabs the left and twists clockwise. Repeat for the other arm. 5. Finger tip pushups. Cup the hands as if there is a tennis ball in the palm. Keep the fingers flexed in this fashion throughout the pushups. Do not let them lock straight. This is great for developing gripping strength. 6. Open and close the hands with the arms held out at full extension. Begin with the arms straight out in front parallel to the floor, palms down. Fully open the hands and then close them to a tight fist repeatedly at a rate of about once per second. Next, turn the palms up and continue to fully open and close the hands. Move the arms to straight up above the head, palms forward and then palms back. Move the arms to straight out to the sides, palms down and then palms up. This works the muscles and tendons of the forearm and builds a strong grip. 7. Dumbbell curls. The forearm is resting on support(table/bench) with the wrist extended out over the end. The wrist curls are performed slowly in both the palm up and palm down position. Heavy bag work is effective for hand conditioning. Use hand wraps and bag gloves to develop your wrist strength and alignment. ... progress to bare hand bag work to toughen the hands. Serious wrist sprains can result from advancing too quickly before proper strength and alignment are developed so make this transition slowly from gloves to bare hands

Here is a previous thread on Hand/Finger exercises..... http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4757

Shin splints is very common runners affliction and also for those who play sports that involve varying degrees of running such as soccer and lacrosse. Pain and soreness in the anterior compartment and difficulty in pointing the toes upwards are typical symptoms. If left untreated, the muscles (of the anterior compartment) become sore to the touch. Shin splints are the result of overuse and might be aggravated by odd running styles like excess pronation. Bad or worn shoes on unyielding surfaces... are an open invitation to shin splints. Here is a good site for you! http://www.meriter.com/living/library/sports/shoe.htm Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation are the typical reactions to shin splints. Sitting and extending the toes back to the knee and the then forward while pointing the toe will exercise these muscles and provide some strengthening. Using your foot to spell the alphabet is actually a serious exercise that strengthens those hard to exercise muscles. Massage of the tibialis muscles can relieve the tightness caused by excess pronation. A suggestion .... stopping the movements that cause the problem (pronation) and to be sure your sneakers have arch supports and strong heel counters..... and do stregthening exercises! Ease into a running routine.... This is what I do: ....start with a walk-jog routine. Pick a distance as a short term goal in the 1 to 3 mile range. Begin by jogging, relax and exhale fully to reduce the carbon dioxide buildup in your system. Slow to a walk when you need to but don't stop. Jog again when you catch your breath and keep up the walk-jog routine until your set distance is completed. Follow this routine every second day for the first 2 to 4 weeks, always trying to reduce the amount of time spent walking. You should be able to run your set distance within the first 4 weeks. If not, revise your goal downward. Eventually you should work up to running steady for 18 to 20 minutes to obtain the max cardio work out. At this point you should begin incorporating occasional sprints. The broken rhythm of running-sprinting also approximates the rhythm of sparring matches.

How well do you know this guy? You sure he is one? Could he have "bought" that belt? A victim of a Mcdojo (and how I hate to use that word ... but in this instance sure sounds like one)

"Tae Kwon Do" is a Korean martial art.... so I moved your post to this appropriate forum. I agree with ZR440 in that your question is way too general for discussion. I can tell you I am a second degree BB and female, blond, slender, rather fit .... but you will find all types of people with varying degrees of skill who are black belts in TKD and in other styles, here in US and worldwide. It just happens that TKD is very popular and with that you will find a plethora of controversy with regards to "obtaining a black belt" and the types of schools that "give them away". You might want to "familiarize" yourself with TKD by going through the threads here in the Korean Arts forum ... there are 2 disciplines of TKD also, -- sport and traditional. There is no descrimination in obtaining a bb in any style (and there shouldn't be) as long as you fulfill the requirements.

you guys are too funny. I must say we have several males here that are very understanding and accomodating to the wants and "needs" of their spouse. This is a subject that really hits close to home for me cos' I've "been there, done that"! You cannot be selfish when you have children, but most especially young children. They should come before anything that has to do with yourself ... so you should be "ready" to have children. But that is not to say that you should neglect your own needs and desires ....you just need to find a happy medium in which to satisfy them. This is where having an understanding spouse comes in. I gotta tell you, I've been blessed with an awesome husband and 3 fantastic kids. I may have mentioned this before..... but this is why there is such a low percentage of female martial artists over the age of say 30 --- and it is a shame! There are many women in my fitness kickbox class that manage to get out twice a week to workout with or without their kids (we have a room for the kids) ... but to many the discipline that tae kwon do requires is a bit scary to them ... (we have managed to convince a few of the women to check out a TKD class and hopefully they will continue but the odds are never that good). Stick it out KarateMom .... it will take time for him to see the benefits of your martial art training ... but I'm sure one day he will be as proud as my husband and kids are of me!

I read an article put out by NAPMA that the average ma tuition paid in the US is 65.00 per month. But you do have to consider just what that includes. If you belong to an organization/union .... are your memberships fees inluded or is that collected yearly. How about test/grading fees? Some schools tack that on to the monthly tuition making it seem rather costly but in reality boils down to the same cost if the test fee was collected prior to each grading. You also have to take into account how many classes you are entitled to per month. Our tuition is based on 2 x a week at 12 weeks for 179.00 (there are schools on our block that charge that much and more per month!) Our students are offered an upgrade to a Black Belt club level.... offering more classes in which they can attend if they so desire for a nominal increse in their monthly tuition.

Thai_kick, you will notice in this particular post (and in most of my posts) that I make very good use of (") .... so you are not like "most" martial artists ... well, we are not all muay thai fighters and many of us (non-muay thai practitioners) may need to crosstrain with a cardio endurance exercise such as running. So in effect ... you are not disputing the importance? Or do you still believe "running" belongs only to those who train in track & field? Y'know ... Bruce Lee viewed "running" as the "King of exercises" And I do believe it is a valid self defense proponent!

Welcome to KarateForums... will56! Yes, I was just going to ask that Red J ... I see your school teaches kickboxing also. Congrats to you on the first of hopefully many, many grades!

I was debating as to where to post this .... but thoughts on martial arts being showcased in Las Vegas et al. "Sigfried & Roy" -type shows... Will it benefit the martial arts or reduce it to a mere circus-type entertainment? This came across my desk at the agency this morning ... http://www.janugget.com/events/displayevent.cfm?EventID=30 OK so this is Shaolin ... but in Las Vegas??? An appropriate venue I believe would be an events center ... just my opinion.

We certainly do Doug ... my fav is Pepe's in New Haven and Roseland in Derby.... but I make an awesome homestyle myself! well, I am Italian!) Well, My fav color seems to be blue (although color to wear is "black" ... but I hate "black & blues ) ... So although I like the color "blue", I don't like my food "weirdly" colored ... like "blue" french fries! I guess I'm still getting over the experiences of my mom packing me up my sandwiches on St. Patty's Day made with "green" bread!

Then why train in the Martial arts? Should you be training in track and field? Okay, so "running" may not be a "technique" per se but a strong cardiovascular system may be the edge that differentiates between winning and loosing in a tournament or on the street. Endurance and stamina is developed through running and will prove to be invaluable in many self defense circumstances.... (as I know very well with having to chase after my purse snatcher last week!) I'm sure you'd like to think that all street confrontations will end quickly with some well executed strikes, but in reality this is not often the case. Your heart pounds and the adrenaline flows an you can exhaust yourself in a matter of seconds. Knowing that you have increased endurance can give you the psychological edge against your "opponent". So NO I'm not training in track & field! ... but as I can see from your response why cardio training is an area often neglected by "most" martial artists in their training routines, because it isn't evident to "some" just how it does directly benefit your art.

I caught this magician/illusionists tv show the other night and he does blow Copperfield and Blaine away! As they say in the media "Utterly captivating! A devilishly clever, magical showThe New York Post); Remarkable and entertaining(The New York Times); A splashy spectacle, engaging and eye-popping(The Daily News); Angel would eat David Copperfields liver with a nice Chianti and spit a bats head in David Blaines face (Time Out New York) And, on a recent appearance, Howard Stern called Criss Angel an amazing illusionistthe best I've ever seen! http://www.crissangel.com/ He also practiced martial arts and pyrotechnics . Another martial artist/magician: Jeff McBride http://www.yourmagic.com/artists/JeffMcBride.html "The fire marshal may get nervous when Jeff McBride comes to town. This Las Vegas-based magician combines illusion, martial arts, kabuki, costuming, shamanism and a lot of fire in his techno-tribal magic shows."