KickChick

Argh! Yes, these are awesome ...(something so simple that can be so grueling!) but oh so effective for developing leg strength & endurance and also firms up the ol' caboose We have been doing these in class as part of our "new" stretching" routine ... do your low (very low!) horsestance, and be sure to tilt the pelvis forward, hold in the abs and keep the back straight. Fold your arms in front of you as you do this for some added ... You can tell you have worked the legs properly when they begin to "shake" .... sometimes I find it difficult to drive home some nights from class! Very good tips from you all!

Who?? ...sorry Honestly Dee ... I wasn't very well acquainted with the name until I read the thread here on KF.... not too familiar with "sport" karate. Don't take it to heart that your friends aren't familiar with him....I now know who the "California Flash" is! .... and that is so awesome that he "personally" wrote to you! I do hope he beats this!

Actually resistance tubing works better Ironberg.... I find that ankle weights a far better for targeting hamstrings, knees , inner thighs and calves ... but these resistance tubing exercises can rehabilitate an ankle that is recovering from an injury or to increase the overall strength in your ankles. Sit on a firm chair or stand up. Loop one end of the tubing around the ball of the foot. Hold the other end of the tubing in your hand. Put your heel on the floor. Stretch the tubing by pushing down with your foot, the way you push on the gas pedal of a car. Switch feet. Sit on a firm chair or stand up. Loop one end of the tubing around the leg of a sturdy table. Loop the other end of the tubing around your foot. Stretch the tubing by pulling up with your foot (lifting up your foot), using your ankle, as if you were trying to pull the table toward you. (This motion is the opposite of trying to "step on the gas.") Switch feet. Sit on a firm chair or stand up. Loop one end of the tubing around the leg of a sturdy table. Loop the other end of the tubing around your foot. Stretch the tubing by moving your foot out to the side, away from the leg of the table. (switch legs) Sit on a firm chair or stand up. Loop one end of the tube around the leg of a sturdy table. Loop the other end of the tubing around one foot. Stretch the tubing by moving your foot to the middle, toward your other ankle. (switch legs)

Thanks BlueDragon for those links on the previous page..... I downloaded the popup remover .... and the adware remover. Hope they work! I've had the pop up one before (several in fact) but they were free trials. This one is actually free. The only thing that concerns me is the adware program..... Do I really need to read the whole tutorial on it ... or can it just find the stuff I have planted on my drive and then I can just remove it. I never mess around with my registry cos' I'm not that computer confident!

Refer back to this post http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=521&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=electro%20muscle%20abs to G95champ! No one ever said getting fit was easy, but there seems to be plenty of fitness "gadget" infomercials making you believe that it could easier. You have to use that Ab Roller about 250,000 times to burn just one pound of fat and Tony Little's Freestyle Gazelle, a low-impact aerobic exerciser supposedly burns up to 1,000 calories an hour(actually you'd have to run for an hour at a nine-minute-mile clip just to burn 685 calories!) The ab roller is no more effective than doing the traditional crunch or sit up and the "gazelle" no more effective than a brisk run!

Running!

Thanks Jack ... but as far as that one point ... (I guess I was being a bit selfish) --- that seems to work best with me---I'm a "slow-twitched" - type. People that seem to have a greater than average percentage of fast twitch or slow twitch muscle fibers contribute to this physique specific training myth. A person that has an above average amount of slow twitch muscle fibers will likely use "light" weights and high reps since they are usually not very strong and it would take longer than average for them to fatigue when weight training. These individuals are typically lean because slow twitch fibers don't hypertrophy enough and these types usually participate in endurance activities because they do well in them as a result of having more "fatigue-resistant fibers". The increased cardiovascular work leads to less body fat but most will see their high rep/light weight routines as the reason for their build. So those that have above average amount of fast twitch muscle fibers (on the other hand) will probably use heavy weights and low reps since they fatigue quickly when weight training. These types are likely to be muscle bound and strong because fast twitch muscle fibers have a greater potential to hypertrophy than slow twitch fibers. They usually perform weight training often and endurance exercise much less since they have more strong muscle fibers. This will contribute to less of a lean build and more of a "mass" build. So they will see their low rep/heavy weight routines are the reason for their muscle mass. Whether you use light weights with high reps or heavy weights with low reps, you will always be prone to develop the build that's predisposed by your genes. You cannot, by weight training ALONE, make your muscles "cut" or "bulk". Thai_kick: Can you explain this I'm rather curious as to how you came up with this one?

I personally have only tried doing blindfolded "breaks" ... never sparring or kata/forms. I would imagine escapes from grabs, sticking hands type drills, and ground fighting drills would work well with blindfold training..... (however in our TKD school we don't do these). I would think that it would develop your confidence level more .... if you can defend yourself blindfolded, then you should feel even more confidence in your technique when not blindfolded.

All good points! Cardio --->Endurance!!! It's true what Jack said... we never look at what we eat! A loss in energy and being tired so soon could be because your body lack the fuel to keep your energy levels sustained. A good complex carb before working out will keep you going. Also pace yourself! I know that's easy to say but we tend to put all our energy out at once ... learn to "pace" . Breathing is important also. Breathe through the nose out through the mouth in a good steady pace .... be conscious of your breathing.

There are alot of misconceptions regarding combining weight lifting and martial art training. Martial artists avoid weightlifting because they think they will loose their speed and flexibility due to bulking up. But in reality, only the genetically predisposed will posses the physiology needed to achieve these pro- body builder proportions. What results that you will get is in fact increased strength and endurance, as well as increased speed and flexibility. Increased strength is the major benefit of weight because it provides the optimum amount of resistance through a muscle's full range of motion and increasing muscle endurance. Speed improves with weight training also when using high speed repetitions. This trains your muscles to react quickly against resistance. Flexibility is also improved through weight training. A thorough static stretching routine performed after a thorough warm up is the very best for improving flexibility, but stretching after weight training provides much faster results. True, warmed up muscles are easier to stretch but exhausted muscles from weight training provide less resistance and you will see added gains in flexibility. Free weights are best for building overall power. They work the main muscle groups, but also the stabilizer muscles. This provides the martial artist greater overall body control and coordination for techniques found in martial arts. You shouldn't be concerned with getting the maximem results but getting optimal results from your weight training. If your goal is to improve muscle definition and also improve muscular endurance, then use low weight with high reps. If you want to increase body mass and increase power, then use heavier weights and lower reps. In response to Thai_kick and Hiya: Always visualize the muscles being worked. Concentrate your attention and avoid letting your mind wander. Mental concentration being an added benefit! Also the order of your weight training exercises is most important. The largest muscle groups should be worked first. If the smaller ones are worked first they drain the energy that is needed to move the large muscle groups. With the smaller muscles exhausted it is also more difficult to maintain proper form. Start with the quadriceps, then the hamstrings, calves, lats, trapezius, deltoids, pects, biceps, triceps, forearms, abs, and obliques. The abs and obliques should be last since they are the muscles primarily responsible for proper posture and for keeping stress from the lower back. There is no such thing as spot reducing. When muscles are exhausted, the body will break down fat to produce energy from anywhere in the body. So although this is not "cardio" .... weight lifting does burn fat!

Welcome (at last) to KarateForums aes! I have been enjoying your posts! 40 years "young" .... Happy Birthday in advance! Same thing here... it took the "Ninja Turtles" and signing my son up for TKD to finally get myself involved in the MA.... Don'tcha just wish though that you started earlier???

....BOTH!!!

You have to bear in mind that everyone's metabolism is different! There are three different ways that your body uses energy ...basal metabolic rate, energy expended during physical activity, and the thermic effect of food. These are the most accurate ways of determining how many calories your body requires each day. Like the site I listed .... they seem to be using the "quick & easy" way to attain how many calories you need with regards to how active you are. For sedentary people: Weight x 14 = estimated cal/day For moderately active people: Weight x 17 = estimated cal/day For active people: Weight x 20 = estimated cal/day

This "bouncy" is referred to by ITF practitioners as "knee spring" or an "up/down motion". The body moves in a "sine wave" resulting in the whole body being involved at the moment of impact, in blocking or attacking. Whether you believe it is correct or not is just your personal opinion. Here are my picks: (the "bouncy" version) ITU http://www.taekwondo.to/patterns.htm All 24 Diagrams of ITF-style Forms http://www.karate-kids.com/lesson.htm http://www.jenningscc.com/TaeKwonDo/Forms.htm http://www.geocities.com/sweetguy_tx/TaeKwonDo/TKDhome.html#GIF http://pacificcoast.net/~kelwest/home6.htm ITF Patterns: Essential Information and Patterns Menu http://www.itf-taekwondo.com/sub04.htm TKD Hyungs http://www.mindspring.com/~kmai/kmai_students_3.html Master Mac's Korean Martial Arts Forms Resource http://users.ev1.net/~D.McHenry/forms/ Tae Kwon do /Hapkido Internet Video Web Guide http://hoshinsulonline.tripod.ca/tkdvideo.htm ITF Black Belt Forms http://www.poffkarate.com/black_belt.htm The kicks of TKD http://www.angelfire.com/ma/ktkd/kick.html

Without a doubt there is a connection of mind over matter.... expecially so in the martial arts. Take for instance board breaking where focus and attention is required. This is where "visualization" comes into play, "to see the board break" ... and it will. To produce such power and technique requires a certain awareness of your physical abilities and mental concentration to follow through. "If you dream it you can do it!" ... Walt Disney

Laur .... first of all, congrats to you on your advancement to "senior" status and all that comes with it! See ... you did fine! Sometimes all that one needs to build their own self confidence in their ability is for someone else to acknowledge that ability and place a level their confidence in you.... as your instructor has done. You are coming into the full realization of all that you have been in training for! Sometimes it takes a while for it to all come together.... you start taking your training a bit more seriously, and you start to fine tune your technique .... but having someone else see this in you is sometimes the clincher! ...better to be maturing as a martial artist than a martial artist who is maturing!

I will point you into the direction of an excellant web site in which you can fill out a personal profile that can determine all sorts of different fitness and nuttritional info especially for "you". Go to http://www.fitwatch.com/ and then go to FitWatch Profile under the drag down under Home .... fill that out and then go here..... Under Nutrition (Quick Calcs) Total Calories Needs http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/tdcn.html This is a really neat site... have fun!

Keep a look out for this one. I was at a Halloween party the other night where one of the producers showed us all the coming attractions for this movie. All I can say is WOW.... (the "attacker" is that bacterial flesh eating disease --Streptococcal Gangrene--) http://www.girlposse.com/reviews/movies/cabin_fever.bmp Cabin Fever Directed by Eli Roth http://www.lightsoutentertainment.com/movies/film.php?filmID=523 About the Film Starring: Jordan Ladd, James DeBello, Rider Strong, Joey Kern, Cerina Vincent (This film was picked up by distributor Lions Gate Films while at Toronto. It is expected to be released sometime in summer 2003) College is finally over and five friends escape to a remote log cabin in the woods to enjoy some last days of decadence before entering the working world. Merriment and good times sour when a delirious stranger covered in bloody sores crashes their party. Shots are fired and the lunatic flees into the woods, but it’s too late for our five friends: contact was already made. Soon one member of the circle gets ill and her skin starts to bubble and burn as a trail of oozing sores ravages her flesh. The group’s compassion quickly turns to repulsion and terror as their friend deteriorates before their eyes. To protect themselves from further infection, they lock her in a shed. After watching the disease corrode her body, fear of contagion sets in and the companions turn on one another, realizing that any one of them could have it.

.... with Halloween approaching I thought we could all list our favorites! Here is a new one out that is supposed to be REAL scary ... here is the trailer http://www.ring-themovie.com/

Warner Bros. will produce a live-action,English-language remake of Japan's anime classic "Akira." Released in 1988, "Akira" was the brainchild of Katsuhiro Otomo, who directed the film and wrote the comic from which it stemmed. The remake will tell the story of a bike gang leader who must rescue his younger brother from his involvement in Akira, a secret government project. In the process, the biker must do battle with anti-government activists, greedy politicians and irresponsible scientists. Director Stephen Norrington, who has just wrapped superhero drama "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" "League," set in a version of Victorian-era England where fictional characters like Dr. Jekyll, Capt. Nemo and Allan Quartermain band together to fight crime for the queen, is scheduled for a summer 2003 release via Twentieth Century Fox. The makers will try to retain as many iconic elements of the anime as possible.

Just to let you know ....GTA: Vice City will have a ridiculous 7 disc soundtrack to go along with the game.The music is all from the 80's and is available as a box set. ... available on disc today 10/29 (7-disc set!) http://www.vicecityradio.com/

The size of a school and where it is located and its advertisingare not all signs of the school being a mcdojo. The "selling" of belts and passing students who aren't ready to advance are sure signs of such a school. It is the integrity of the teachers and students that qualify.....a dojo which doesn't have a good solid training curriculum, good instruction, and hard working students, does not have black belt integrity. Why limit it to size and area of school and from what type of a building it operates from and whether they are making a huge profit or not. Also be careful of such schools that claim to teach one thing and, in fact, teach something totally different from that which they claim. Any school which knowingly makes any false claims , is IMO a McDojo ... they are in fact making those claims to take your money. But do remember that martial arts is a business --- rent, utilities, teachers, org. dues, advertising, equipment etc etc. must be paid for.... anything above and beyond this is pure profit to the owner. You need to observe a class .... ask questions, talk to instructors & students.

I personally am not a competitive individual and am not involved in the ma for competition .... winning or losing. Seems whenever I consider competing ... there is not many in my division (slim pickings to say the least) Several of the women in my school just have to "show up" to get a trophy (that is for the local area comps).... now Atlantic City --- that's the place to compete around here! But I have to say it is great experience.... start small (local area school / organization comps).

Well, it could be something as simple as not stretching properly ... or incorrect technique ... landing forcibly on the heels when jumping or when running. Try to distribute your weight more evenly on your feet ..even placing a bit more weight on the ball of your feet more so than on the heel. Use a "spring-like" landing when landing a jump, bending your knees more. ... It could be a sign of something more serious if it just started happening so keep an eye on the "pain", when it happens, and it it does continue I would have it checked out immediately.

You're welcome aes! ...I can actually think of far better ways of being masochistic to yourself and including some physical benefits at least!