KickChick

It is also useful to remember that very few of these martial arts are just one way or another and do not solely concentrate on fighting/combat ... they are all mixtures of certain elements in various degrees. "Sport" vs "Fighting Art" vs. "Exercise" vs. "Philosophy" ... these are usually NON-useful comparisons because people tend to be very strongly opinionated on this matter. Most people want to think their art is an ancient "fighting art" and can be applied on the street. Some styles truly are all four, and to some degree all styles contain all four elements. I don't think it is fair to call someone's style non-martial because it doesn't totally stress your idea of combat or fighting purpose. The martial arts that have changed and continue to change with the times. The term 'art' in martial art implies creativity and individual expression. All practitioners think their style is the best, some like to put down other styles. Some people like to play flag football, while others think it is whimpy and that the only real football is full-contact football. Some people like to play football, others like to play baseball or basketball. All the games are team sports that use a ball. Due to physical size, strength, age, etc. differences, people are more suited to certain martial art styles. Most people will never need to defend themselves, the question as to which is more effective is moot. The key factors are—does the style suit you, can you perform it, and do enjoy it. So Martial_Artist .... why don't you tell us what doesn't belong in the martial arts "category" of yours (besides TaeBo and Cardio Kickboxing, which are fairly obvious to all of us "martial artists") ...and maybe you can share you're martial art experience with us. What are your martial art credentials if I may ask? _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-06-12 15:06 ]

I've always equated belt color or rank with tenure (the amount of time the person has studied their particular martial art). I don't view it necessarily as the amount of skill a person has but if you have been taking the amount of classes necessary for you to rank black belt than I would imagine you would have the skill and ability of a black belt. (only in a perfect world I imagine )

We've covered lower back exercises and achieving lower back flexibility in these threads in the H & F forum .... http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=2695&forum=19&14 http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=885&forum=19&14 The importance of working both the back and ab muscles (core muscles) is explained already in these posts.

Well welcome to KarateForums Mr. Man! "Send in the reinforcements~~~" ... thanks for coming to the rescue ... looking forward to hearing your comments!

Not again! I agree with koreantiger81 ... You must decipher which style ITF/WTF you are referring to. Sport TKD (WTF) stresses that the purpose of performing a technique properly is so you may score more points than your opponent in competition. To win. Therefore, it is possible to achieve this purpose during sparring. Sport TKD gives value to the factors of power, accuracy, and strategy, and gives higher value to the use of more difficult techniques. It stresses that to execute a proper technique, you must have a resisting opponent. Because of the rules of sport sparring, it is possible to predict the actions of your opponent and to technically and psychologically manipulate and dominate your opponent. Traditional TKD (ITF) stresses that the purpose of performing a technique properly is so it may be used to strike with enough force to disable or possibly kill an opponent ... the philosophy of "one strike, one kill." This is why traditionalists say they cannot use their techniques in contact competition, because they cannot achieve this purpose during sparring. Instead, breaking is used to test the "lethality" of their techniques. I think all of us TKD stylists are getting pretty tired of being told that we cannot defend ourselves. I would like someone to come up to me and tell me that one face to face!! .... waiting for taezee to respond now!

you guys are too much! One of the great things about the martial arts is that you get to expose yourself to a cross-section of people. You also have to expose your classes to them differently (sell to them differently). Decide first who you want to target. Parent/Child families looking for a positive afterschool/summer activity that provides a goal oriented environment, self discipline and rewards good behavior. Females 16 and over who want to feel safe in the mall parking lot and are very conscious of their appearance and want the additional benefits of weightloss and higher self esteem. Males 24 and over who work too much, maybe slightly overweight. Want an escape from work and other daily pressures. Enjoys the exercise because he sits in front of a computer or in a car for most of the day. Male & Females 18-40 who are known as "young lions" very in shape and active, health conscious, probably runners as well. Some are DNK's (double income, no kids), wanting to add martial arts to their repertoire of lifestyle activities. OK so say these are your profiles now you need to find your distribution channels. This is part of the 4 P's of Marketing - Product, Price, Promotion and Placing (Distribution Channels) Where do those corporate types go to lunch? Where do they work? What do they do? Where do these women live and work? Where do all these kids go to school? What other activities do those "lions" do? The answers to these questions form your distribution channel and are potential ways to reach potential students without contacting them directly. That should give you some direction, based on what your target demographic is. Now for promotions. I've seen the technique of giving out free class cards to work very well! This sales tactic is called the "puppy dog" (named after the pet salesman who talks the parent into letting the kid have the puppy for free for a period of 2 weeks. If in 2 weeks they feel it is too much trouble or can't afford it then they can return it! I think it better to have it instead of a free class make it 2 freee weeks or a free month so they get a true idea what is done in class and get used to coming in on a regular basis. If you have a handful of friends/students.... put on a demo .... pass out fliers promoting, this is a great way to expose your school. Keep demo short so people don't lose interest. Demos are great because they get people talking. The spectators talk amongst themselves and friends of people in the demo talk about the person performing and possible how good of an instructor you are! How are your speaking skills. Do a demo at the schools. You may even be able to strengthen your case to giver the presentation if you emphasize that martial arts is a way to stop senseless school violence and bulliness and improves a students self esteem (a hot topic right about now!) For the corporate types do a business card drawing at local restaurants (I've seen them at Burger Kings/McDonalds too) Make a snazzy sign ontop of fishbowl or other presentable box. Submit your business card to win 2 weeks free or longer of classes. The real benefit here is that when drawing is over you will have a stack of contacts and possible email address. Don't spam them but follow up nicely. Put a few of your own in the box to "seed" it. In appreciation for using the restaurant, offer to do something nice for them like making it a designated place to come once or twice after a testing or demo. Bartering and networking is probably your biggest asset. Do you have a web site? Include the benfits of the ma, history of art, what class entails, corse times etc. If you haven't for whatever reason, you should do it! Include a link to email you directly. Post your site on search engines especiall dojo directories on the net. Also remember volunteer work for charity in your community is good PR. PR is free advertising basically. Get some students to collect money for charity. This past Saturday our school raied $12,000.00 for the American Diabetes Assoc. for their "Kicks for Kids" fund raiser. People sponsered each one of us by pledging a certain dollar amount per kick or a set $ amount. Most of us did 400 kicks in 10 minutes. We will get a nice photo in newspaper promoting our school and our efforts! Yikes ....I have gone on and on haven't I? Just remember to set a goal for yourself and be creative! Good Luck You may want to consider hooking up and joining with NAPMA http://www.napma.com/ _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-06-12 14:10 ]

Check out DJ remixes (dance/trance)like Louie DeVito (the new dance party is good!), DJ Encore and DJ Skribble....

Welcome to KarateForums SilverLink! Like the quote you have there !!

hmmm.... never thought about it in that way. But what happens when the photocopier breaksdown You go back to doing things the "old-fashioned" way ... but only in moderation!! Maybe you end up writing 50 letters a day by hand rather than all 250 in one day! Like I always say here .... "Moderation is key!"

Both of those suggestions are right on target for getting a good cardio workout utilizing the upper body while your ham string heals. When and if you do swim, the breast stroke and back stroke should allow you to get a cardiovascular workout using your arms instead of your legs. Combine some endurance work by doing some paddle sports too like canoeing or kayaking too! Once you experience the pain of an injured hamstring, you might want to educate yourself on ways to avoid that in the future. One simple way is to maintain flexibility and balance. Tight muscles can cause imbalances in your body that could lead to injuries. For example, if your quadriceps (front of the leg) are stronger than your hamstrings (back of the leg), you risk a strain or even a rupture of your hamstrings. Strengthening ALL of your muscle groups will reduce any muscle imbalances that may cause other muscles of your body to overcompensate for that weakness.

Most certainly there is! But I think the distinction is whether the MA style is "traditional" or for "sport". I believe the main differences are: (traditional ma vs. sport ma) The "art" seeks self-development and spiritual improvement, while "sport" seeks superiority over an opponent—winning. Thr "art" reflects Eastern values while "sport" reflects Western values. The "art" is process-oriented, sport is result-oriented. The "art" is formalized, "sport" is not. It was only somewhat recently that the martial arts evolved from a training tool for warriors for combat, into a method of spiritual and physical education (traditional ma), and then into the sport of sparring. This began with the transformation of Japanese Kendo from a method of large scale battlefield combat into a a safe personal combat between two people. Judo underwent a similar transformation where it evolved from combat techniques into a sport. To accomplish this transformation, both had to develop a way for two people to safely test their skills against each other. This was accomplished by making modifications to the fighting techniques and training methods and introducing sparring techniques. Japanese Karate also evolved from a lethal combat art into a sport for use by the general public by using these methods. This stress on the the sporting aspects of Karate influenced the developers of Tae kwon do, which was based upon Japanese Shotokan. There are styles of ma that have IMO a blend of the two, these styles vary in degree of traditional ma and sport according to the amount of influence each master had absorbed.

WHAT???? Please let me clarify! Traditional TKD reflects eastern values, while sport TKD reflects western values. Traditional TKD is based almost entirely on Japanese principles, concepts, and techniques. Its four core training methods, patterns, breaking, sparring and self-defense techniques, are Japanese in origin. Sport TKD did not develop the philosophies and concepts needed to supplant those that traditional TKD adopted from karate, so it is still perceived as a subset of the original TKD. Although some these early masters, such as General Choi, vehemently opposed the changes to "Koreanize" TKD by putting more emphasis on contact sparring rather than the practice of forms/patterns. The changes were implemented in 1963 with TKD's inclusion in the Korean National Sports Festival. In 1966, Choi formed the International Taekwondo Federation. This was the first of many international Taekwondo organizations. Disagreements about what Tae kwon do should become, led to a split between traditional TKD (the martial art) and the new competitive TKD (sport).

:grin: :up: Tyson Loses!!!! :up: :up: Hey Patrick --- I too picked Lewis to win in the 8th!!! $$$$$ S W E E T!!!!

You got that right Bon!! .... I have improved soooo much since now I know exactly what was inhibiting me to achieve the proper front/side split. The book makes you understand and really it makes sense ...(the points that he makes never really occur to you until you see it in writing and get down on the floor and work your stretch (with book in front of you!). If I had to kick cold in a given situation (attack), I can kick high without warming up (although I still think you should properly warmup before training).

yup .... that is correct.... now we all know where to send those chain letters!!! ...just kidding!!! I will close this thread out and hopefully MonkeyNinja will get ahold of his MonkeyGirl! (by pm of course!) _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-06-08 12:49 ]

Bobby I believe you brought this topic of "silk reelinghttp" up here ... http://www.karateforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=3104&forum=21 I will close this thread and we can continue the discussion here if anyone else has anything to contribute other than what has already been mentioned on this particular subject .... thanks!! _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-06-08 12:43 ]

Check out the styles in your area. Go see some classes of the different styles and see what interests you and what you think you would stick with. Many people change from one style to another. While this is common to do so, it is known that the first style is normally the one that leaves the base, the more profound "marks". Try to choose a style that suits your needs and at the same time offers you a kind of "challenge" to go on learning. A couple of things that are important parts to look at in the process of choosing a school: -The environment where you'll learn and train -The people that will be your partners -The instructor -The logistics of the school Find out if you are required to attend classes, find out about being late, find out what the policy is on school rules of behavior and etiquette. Find out how you are supposed to interact with the teacher and other students. There are many styles for all these things so make sure you find out. The easiest way is to ask these questions. The instructor is the person who is going to be guiding your development as a martial artist. You need to feel comfortable withhim or her, and feel secure in receiving instruction from them. If you have some unease or personality conflict with the instructor you might want to look elsewhere. As most martial arts involve vigorous physical activity and contact, injuries will occasionally occur. However, if injuries are common or serious, there is likely a problem in how training is supervised, and you will probably want to look elsewhere. It will be difficult to tell what the frequency/severity of injuries in the class is in one or two visits. Ask the instructor. If you are intending to spend a lot of time at the school you want it to be accessible, and convenient enough for you to get to after work. Another thing you want to be clear on is when you can go to the school and when classes are. Some schools are open almost all the time and have lots of classes. In some schools you can only come when an official class is being held. An open school is usually better for obvious reasons ... convenience, practice time, access to mats, etc. Don't worry about looking stupid or asking the "wrong" question. They are going to be teaching and training you- you want to get any concerns or considerations you have out before you commit to anything. There may be other questions you want to look at i.e. cost and method of payment and other specific questions you may have about an instructor, school, organization, or style you are looking at. Know the questions you want answered and you will find the perfect school for you! Good Luck & come back and let us know your decision! _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-06-07 16:00 ]

Ah.... read this article (very interesting!) There are two conspiracy theories as to whether which one wins or loses. Actually ... I believe conspiracy really means "the fight is being fixed for which fighter?" Check it out : http://go.msn.com/0000/5/23.asp?target=http%3A%2F%2Fmsn%2Eespn%2Ego%2Ecom%2Fboxing%2Fcolumns%2Fmisc%2F1391468%2Ehtml

LOL .... chili and beans might pose a "double" threat ... if ya catch my drift~~~~

Thought I would bring up this thread again and see if people here are still downloading their music. I just got a cable modem so downloading is so much quicker! I (as I have mentioned B4) mix some of my own music for my cardio classes and also for personal use. I came across this unique Bruce Lee rap... do a search on KaZaA if you have .... DJ Soni Bruce Lee (LMF vs. Dr Dre) _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-06-06 17:03 ]

Has anyone read John Gilbey's book "Secret Fighting Arts of the World" .... sounds like an interesting read. He claims to have traveled the world to find the world's most secretly guarded fighting techniques. What made me think of this was a thread that was posted in another forum about "leaping from treetop to treetop" as in that movie Crouching ....... Some of the legitimate techniques he describes are the Liverpool head butt, the Ganges groin grab, French Savate, and Mexican knife fighting. However, he also describes a Parisian who could project a belch ten feet in the open air and cause a man to faint. He describes a ninja who could take a full force blow across his forearm with a sharp sword without the skin being cut. The ninja could also stop another person's bleeding nose with a loud kiai. Another old master could silently leap to the roof of a house. Real or trickery???

oops yeah you did supply a link also Ti-Kwon-Leap (sorry) ... Yes, there's alot of whats in the book on there ... however if you want to print all that out you can.

Sorry to have disappointed you so .... was not my intention LOL ah ... like in the movie "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"??? um ..... "Where's my stand in?" you are called Ti-Kwon-Leap correct? _________________ KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-06-06 16:09 ]

This is the "flight-or-fight" response ...while the body is preparing itself to fight, the thought-processing areas of the brain, which in a few seconds must decide whether to run away or take action, After assessing the threat, the brain may decide it is minor and judge it an acceptable threat and embrace it, such as the fear you experience when making your first parachute jump. After a fearful experience, we have a feeling of relief and elation, so acceptable threats may actually be therapeutic. They allow the these thought processes of the brain to engage and give one the "rush" of fear without the accompanying danger. So in a self-defense situation, if you should feel cold, turn pale, get goose bumps, your pulse rate increases, and you begin to tremble, its not due to the fact that youre scared to death , it is the natural response of your body preparing to either ":flee or fight". I actually experienced this last month on my trip to Costa Rica. Although it wasn't before a fight, I did try zip lining from treetop to treetop in the rainforests there 250ft. up in the air. Truly a fear factor for me since I am deathly afraid of heights KarateForums Sensei 1st dan Tae Kwon Do (ITF) Cardio/Fitness Kickboxing Instr. [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-06-06 15:47 ]

To have a black belt (hopefully) denotes that yes you are proficient in your techniques. I guess you would possibly have the advantage over most inexperienced fighters.... an attacker out to just do you harm. The advantage of the black belt in a "combat situation" is they are prone to be more familiar with many different fighting styles and theories so may quickly evaluate their opponent's possible actions. If you understand your opponent’s tactics and motivations you will not let them lead you into a position of weakness, instead you will be able lead the opponent into defeat. The only way to understand the intricacies of tactical combat is to study all the martial philosophies and fighting arts, your own style. With a greater martial knowledge base to draw from, it is less likely that you will be surprised by an attacker. The combat tactics you employ will differ in any given situation. Like which person(s) has the weapon(s) and the type of weapon(s), how proficient are the persons with the weapons, the intent of the attacker (to threaten or to cause injury), how proficient you are with self-defense techniques (are you a black belt?), are other people nearby, and what are you defending (life or property).