KickChick

Funny I've always known them to be "Korean" push ups ... but that is only because our instructor thought that to be more appropriate for TKD. Just the other day I got an email from Furey about 'Hindu' push ups .... "I had a Palestinian from California write me a couple months ago, who said I should take the 'Hindu' off the term as it may be insensitive. Then, of all things, he went on to say that it would be like calling something 'Jew Squats.' , since when did a Palestinian care about the Jews? That's a new one on me. Putting a country or ethnic origin on an exercise gives credit where credit is due and makes it easier to remember. " _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-07-28 12:35 ]

Humility is a state of mind that comes from a realistic and relatively accurate knowledge of your abilities and limitations. Being humble amounts only to recognizing who you really are, followed by a sincere attempt to become what you can be.

You should see my bookmarks (I keep them cataloged on diskette they get so big!) I highly advise to bookmark your sites and tag them with a good desciption so you can refer to them later ... like I do, Folders: Breaks, Kicks, Styles, Schools, Organizations, Tournaments, Kata/Form, Articles, Combat, Fitness, etc. etc.

I prefer the hanging knee raise as opposed to the straight leg raise as I feel it puts way too much strain on one's lower back. You drive up into position with both knees and then extend your legs up and slowly lower. monkeygirl ... just watch the back on this one too ... (whether you are old or young you can put added stress on the back) As with any ab exercise done in the supine position, press the small of your back firmly against the floor or wedge a rolled up towel in the small of your back.

Some of my favs: http://www.karatebreaking.com/about.html http://www.breakingtechniques.com/ http://www.ironcrane.com/html/breaking.htm

Jack, Being a mum of 3 children ... I have clearly stressed to them that I will stand beside them 100% in whatever they want to do in their lives. I have shown them that the world is open to them and if I can make something happen for them if they so desire it .... I will try. (Not that I spoil them or anything!) All 3 of my children have taken different routes as far as extracurricular activities ... i.e. sports, arts, schooling. My daugher "quit" 3 yrs. ballet for taekwondo ... but did get her black belt. She quit taekwondo soon afterwards to go back to dance and joined a dance team for football and won a national cheerleading/dance championship in that! My older son quit taekwondo at gold belt to start playing football. He played for 5 years and won a football championship the last year. My 8 yr old is this week "stopping" taekwondo (putting it on hold for now) .... to foolow in his older brother's footsteps and to try football. He cannot do both! It is way to stressful for children on top of schoolwork and their "play time". Parents tend to either do too much or too little for their children .... you need to find a good middleground for them. As long as my children are happy with what they are achieving in their lives at the moment .... that is what counts. Just because I was a ballet dancer ...my daughter does not want the same dream as I did. I am a blackbelt in TKD .... my son chose football instead, and I cheered still at every game... as I will be doing shortly with my other son! (.... but he will go back to TKD!...cos' MOM SAYS SO! ) You are not a quitter Jack ... you are lucky that you "know" what you want ... and still young enough to work to achieve your goals! Do It! Your dad I am sure will give you his blessings! Another factor in your decision I am sure.... is your involvement here in the forum. It has changed my mind about certain things regarding my own martial arts experience. I believe I was a bit jaded before KF ... my eyes and my scope of learning has been broadened. I do believe I want, no I deserve more in my training. It is up to ones self to do that .... no one can do it for you! _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-07-27 14:07 ]

ditto on the rubber resistance tubing .... I do that! also running/jogging (vacations provide different scenery) Play sports .... tennis, swimming, water ski, volleyball ...just stay active! Even banana boating/tubing is work (getting on and off!) Kayaking/canoeing .... I try to use the gym if there is one available at/on (cruise ship, resort, hotel/motel).

Do squats and deadlifts to build your abs. These two exercises force your ab muscles to do a significant amount of work to maintain your posture (core strength) and will work that whole ab area. How about hanging knee raises? I think these are actually fun! Grasp chinup bar with overhand grip and hang at arns length with knees slightly bent. If you have elbow straps , hang from them. Without bending your legs anymore lift your knees as close to your chest as possible by rounding your back and curling your hips toward your rib cage bringing legs up. Pause. Then slowly lower your legs to the starting position. To work the obliques (sides of abs) when lifting knees bring them toward your left armpit until your lower legs are nearly parallel to floor. Pause, then return to starting position and then do otherside (legs to right armpit) .... this will be one rep. Back extensions are great for working the ab region too. You can twist side to side on these too to work the obliques. You'll need a back extension station to do these. Maybe your weight bench or universal has this. There are other ways to work your abs ... swissball/medicine ball ... weightliftng, machines.... .... be conscious of your abs when kicking and punching .... exhale forcibly at the top of a movement when you do techniques ... it forces your abs to work harder! When sitting or laying in bed .... suck em in and out ... hold for a certain count.

Oh I'll help you our BlueDragon .... I've got tons of usefuls little tip! Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth when doing crunches. It helps to align your head properly which helps reduce neck strain. Keep your weight workouts under 60 min ... after that your body starts producing more of a stress hormone 'cortisol; which can have a testosterone and muscle blocking effect.

Thanks for taking note of some of my points there Martial_Artist. You too also mentioned something also important (indirectly) .... and that is having the ability to execute those high kicks due to flexibility.... but one must also shoot for the ability to perform that high kick without the need of a warm up. Somany people practice kicks, especially high kicks, and can't use them right away without first warming up and stretching. If you want to increase the height of your kicks and to be able to reach that height with no warm-up, you need to develop the right kind of flexibility .... and that is dynamic flexibility. Dynamic flexibility is the ability to perform dynamic movements (kicking) with a full range of motion in the joints. To obtain this type of flexibility you need to perform those dynamic stretches we talk about so much about here! Simple leg raises in all directions. First develop the ability to move your limbs with moderate speed within a full range of motion in the joints. You should start at a lower extension (height) to avoid injury from any sudden contraction of rapidly stretched muscles. Do not “throw” your limbs; rather, “lead” or “lift” them, controlling the movement along the entire range. Then, after you have reached nearly your full range of motion, you can increase the velocity of the limb so the last few inches of its trajectory will be less controlled but the stretch will not be sudden. Do leg raises to the front, back, and sides. Make 12 repetitions in every set and do as many sets as you need to feel you have reached your current limit of flexibility. Martial_Artist, yes those slow controlled tension kicks to a 'hold' is an absolute way to develop leg strength (quads/hipflexors).... I find my muscles "shaking" afterwards and beads of sweat just poring out from every pore. I do this with my class (but I make some of the beginners cheat by 'holding' their leg with one hand first and then make them remove it to hold there until a certain count. "Your kicks, like your punches, are supposed to be your weapons.... always accessible and ready. You would not carry a gun disassembled, would you? You would not count on having the time to put it together while facing an attacker." _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-07-25 14:58 ]

Next week at our school is "Bring a Buddy Week" .... anyone want to be my buddy?? You can bring someone to train with you for the entire week and maybe it will strike an interest with them. I mean I guess in a way it's trying to evoke new memberships .... .... what do you think of the idea?

Welcome to KarateForums circa02 ! Stop by "introductions" and tell us more about you! ....I see you are from the Northeast too! I like many of BlueDragons's recommendations and also: Once Upon a Time in China and America Iron Monkey and Yes, Madam! (or released in UK, Police Assassins 2...for you female MA ...Yeoh and Rothrock ( pretty dated but its like Rush Hour in reverse)

.... to "gain weight one must take in food with fork" ... but yes, exercise too as I did suggest. The question posed was "How do I gain weight?" ... some people do have to eat more!

NO don't do it!!!! Not healthy Dee!!! For anyone that needs to GAIN weight (I hate you first of all....) but these are the basics (of course everyone is genetically different! Chances are "slimness runs in your family (.. and I hate you again!) 1. Eat consistently. Every day, have three hearty meals plus one to three additional snacks. Do NOT skip meals! You'll miss out on important calories that you need to accomplish your goals 2. Eat larger than normal portions. Instead of having one sandwich for lunch, have two. Eat three potatoes at dinner, instead of only two. Have a taller glass of milk, bigger bowl of cereal, larger piece of fruit. 3. Select higher calorie foods. Read food labels to determine which foods have more calories than an equally enjoyable counterpart. For example, cran-apple juice has more calories than does orange juice (170 vs 110 calories/8 ounces); granola has more calories than Cheerios (700 vs 100 calories/cup) corn more than green beans (140 vs 40 calories/cup). 4. Drink lots of juice and milk. Beverages are a simple way to increase your caloric intake. Instead of drinking water, drink calorie containing fluids. One high school soccer player gained 13 pounds over the summer by simply adding six glasses of cranapple juice (1,000 calories) to his standard daily diet. A baseball player made a weight gain drink by mixing 1 quart of 2%-milk with 4 packets of Instant Breakfast and 1/2 cup of powdered milk (1,000 calories total). He mixed it in the blender each morning, drink half at breakfast and the rest before bed. 5. Do strengthening exercises (weight lifting, push-ups) to build muscle to bulk-up instead of fatten up. Some underweight people are afraid exercise will result in weight loss rather than weight gain. ...remember that exercise tends to stimulate the appetite, you'll want to eat more. (Yes, exercise may temporarily "kill" your appetite right after a hard workout, but within a few hours, you'll get hungry.) Exercise also increases thirst... you'll easily be able to drink extra juices.

I can kick approx. my height (plus a couple of inches more because I tend to pivot upwards on my toes whan doing a high roundhouse) ... but remember my style is TKD and I have good flexibility (on both sides). But a good point was brought up -- equal proficiency on both the left and right sides should be developed, although many favor one side or the other. More attention should be devoted to training your weaker side. From a self-defense point ... you have to consider the situation where an injury might prevent you from using your better side. Also, it is scientifically proven that practicing on the less skillful side will improve the better one. _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-07-24 15:23 ]

So what is a safe body fat percentage? The body has to have a certain amount of fat called essential fat which exists in bone marrow, nerve tissue and various organs. Essential fat percentages for women are 10-12% and 2-4% for men. Therefore, athletes’ total body fat percentages tend to be in the 14-20% range for females and 6-13% for males. A fit individual may be in the 21-24% range for women and 14-17% for men. Excess body fat, which is stored in the ab area, poses a greater health risk than fat deposited in the lower bodyas I said. You have to lose body fat all over and most likely the last place it went on is the first place it will come off. But, there is no such thing as spot reduction. Unfortunately, spot reduction is a myth that is even perpetuated by the fitness industry. Many fitness publications continue to allow advertisers of various products and equipment to place ads that insinuate that if you use their equipment, you will have or develop great abs. People will generally try to find the easier route to anything. In this case the only way to take off abdominal fat is to create a situation where your body uses the stored fat as much as possible. Eat the right foods and increase your muscle mass to increase your metabolism. Just eating increases your metabolism. Just having more muscles increases your metabolism. Using your muscles for strength and cardiovascular training will also help use that fat.

Your diet should consist of no more than 30% fat. ... 27% fat is the ideal.percentage. Without consuming fat, your body actually stores fat.... your body stores what is in short supply for as long as it can. Remember one very important thing, 30% fat refers to the percentage calories from fat. One gram of fat provides 9 Calories of energy, compared to 4 provided by one gram of protein or carbohydrates. The three types of fats are saturated, unsaturated, and monounsaturated. The 30% dietary intake of fat would then consist of equal parts of each of these fat types. The percentage of calories from fat in a given food, can be calculated as follows: (Fat grams x 9) ÷ Total Calories * 100 = % Calories from fat. For example, a McDonald's Big Mac is 562 Calories, and contains 32 grams of fat. (32 * 9) ÷ 562 * 100 = 51.2% of Calories from fat. _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-07-24 13:11 ]

What seems to be the underlying "negativity" here is your school. Seems to me you are unhappy with the way of instruction. I understand your quandry Jack. But you can do it all ... fitness, spirituality and martial arts. There is no reason why. If you cannot find a school that "satisfies" your desire for learning you may need to check out other schools, maybe even another totally different ma other than TKD (but I would be unhappy to see you switch ) Join a gym (maybe boxing .... ), find a training partner. You want spiritual ... look into internal art workshops that may be offered (that's big here in the states as everyone is looking inward nowadays for something they are lacking on the 'outside'.... I don't know about there) You are young and have the ability to try whatever you so desire now. Focus on what is truly important to you ... now. I tell my kids to make a list .... write pros and cons down, making 2 columns .... I know it sounds pretty basic but seeing things in black & white before you sometimes helps you confront your the choices you need to make that will make you .... a beter you! Wish you luck kiddo! We all tend to lack motivation at times ... some more than others, but what you need to focus on is not wasting time feeling as you are (... we older folks know more about that as time becomes so very precious!) _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-07-24 09:10 ]

Tapout ... Welcome to KarateForums! Curious to find out more about your training in Sambo!

For years researchers have used a standard called the body-mass index to determine a person's fatness and health risk. I's a simple calculation of a person's weight to height ratio. A BMI between 25 and 30 indicates you're overweight: a BMI over 30 signifies obesity. But BMI has one big drawback--- it doesn't account for weight distribution. A 5'10", 220 lb. couch spud has the same BMI as most NFL running backs. Now researchers are using waist size - more specifically the ratio of your waist size to your hip size - to determine health risk and fatness. Here is why it is more useful than BMI. Fat that pushes your waist out in front is the most dangerous kind of fat you can have in your body. Exercise attacks ab fat so the more you have the less likely it is that you get a healthy amount of exercise. To figure your waist-hip ratio, measure your waist at the narrowest point and your hips at the widest (around your butt) Divide waist by hips. Your goal is to fall under 0.92 Mine is 0.78 /BMI of 21 http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-07-23 20:05 ] [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-07-23 20:07 ]

Water vs. Coke We all know that water is important, but have you ever really considered how important? BUT DID YOU KNOW .... 1. 5% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world pop.) 2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger. 3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%. 4. One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study. 5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue. 6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. 7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page. 8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day? and DID YOU KNOW..... 1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident. 2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days. 3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and .......Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china. 3. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola. 4. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion. 5. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes. 6. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy. 7. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. 8. Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield. DID YOU KNOW.... The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate), the commercial truck must use the Hazardous Material placards reserved for highly corrosive materials. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years! Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or coke with your fries?

Take advantage of his "lack of focus" and capitalize on it ... this will show him he's not "all that" .... {I'm sure your Sensei is well aware of his behaviour and I wonder why he hasn't been spoken to reagrding it .... does you school have a code of conduct or tenets it follows? )

I've got an awesome no-frills move to build those pecs! This "body weight fly" requires no weights and no bench! ... and its fun, besides you'll be cleaning house while you're at it! Get a couple of towels or slip on some socks on your hands (or knit gloves).... and find yourself a slippery floor. Spray some "dusting wax" on a wood floor , that oughtta do it. And instead of lying on a bench and lowering dumbbells as in a standard chest fly you are going to lower your body weight from a push up position. This is much harder than a pushup so you'll be getting bigger stronger muscles. (if you have back problems do it with knees on floor!) Towel Chest Fly: Hands on towels/socks on tile, hard wood or vinyl floor. Elbows slightly bent throughout the movement. Back flat, and feet hip width apart. Now the "move": Start with your hands close together. Slide them out to your sides to lower your body then return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 8-12 reps. .... WOW... look how shiny your floor is!!! _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-07-23 15:50 ]

I'm guessing Dbzhub that you are in your teens. (?) I will refer you to this site and this specific link that might help with your diet to develop you into that buff body! http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/ritter2.htm