KickChick

I agree with TKD_McGee. I use free weights together with resistance band and of course, fitness kickboxing. Jab and punching the heavy bag continuously (at different intervals) during my 60 minute workout is a great workout for the arms. So much so in fact that I have had to reduce the weight of my gloves because I am starting to bulk up a bit much around the shoulders. The additional weight of the gloves at the end of your arms is something you really feel in your arms and shoulders. And kicker's advice ...it is the lever principle at work. The farther you place a weight, like gloves or weights, from the pivot or fulcrum ... in this case the shoulder joint, the more force it takes to move it.

I posted quite a few push up variations in General MA forum (upper body strength)... What SaiFightsMS is referring to is SBT (stability ball training) which was used primarily for rehab purposes but is becoming increasingly ppopular for developing core muscle strength. Studies have also shown SBT to help improve overall strength and most importantly) to help athletes break past plateaus. With SBT-combined exercises such as bench presses, leg presses, squats and lunges, you would see improved weight loads, regardless of where you are now. This SBT process works because the instability of the ball has an impact on the stabilizers of any joint used in movement. A great example is doing a push-up on the ball with hands on the ball and feet on the floor. This movement recruits a much greater number of muscles and stabilizers than doing a push-up on the floor This translates into improved strength and balance... and also the ability to increase the number of floor push-ups. You can also do flexibility exercises on the stability ball. These are better than than traditional stretching because the ball provides gentle and easy flexion or extension movement. This SB movement helps all muscles become fully engaged in the stretch. Stretches can be done with the ball or on top of it. Beginners need to be careful since balancing on the ball can be an issue ... but end result IS improved balance! _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-02-05 09:28 ]

....good excuse as any to party eh??? Good work everyone! .... now that's a goal Patrick!

well, everybody is in agreement here that the side kick derives its power from a hip thrust. The way to ensure you can do a side kick properly is to use a heavy kicking bag. (When you sidekick a bag there are 2 possible good outcomes... one being that when the bag goes flying to the ceiling which is the minimal damage you can do by pushing your opponent to the ground. The superior way is to cause the target area of your bag to bounce back causing the bottom of the bag to lift up which comes when you do the sidekick with a decent snap/hip thrust/retraction of leg. The bag does not go flying up because you have sent your energy horizontally which is the effect you should have on an opponent. By doing it in this way they will be winded and be knocked to the ground, as opposed to flying back and getting up.

Make sure you warm up and stretch first when trying flips because it really takes it out on your knees. Remember for martial arts purposes land with your knees slightly bent. Don't land in straight leg position as in gymnastics! Its one thing to learn how to fight but another to use your body to get out of the way....which is where flips come in handy...The kicks may lack any practicality in a fight but at least you will have the speed and power.

Hey Nat ... how's it goin? Yes, long time no hear from! Glad you stopped by to inform us of the news! Good Luck ... check back soon!

ah... hence the nickname spinninggumby ... might I assume you have great flexibility? True, it doesn't mean you have the ability to kick high ... in a real fight though you don't have the chance to stretch before. You cannot take time out to do so ..."listen can you wait 5 or 10 while I stretch out, we then can commence the fight ok?" That is why the book I mentioned was so cool to read. It prepares you to throw high kicks with absolutely no warm up ... yes, through dynamic stretching.

Humility is a quality of all serious TKD students. Although practicing TKD does boost self-confidence, this should not show a false sense of superiority to students especially if one has attained black belt. On the contrary, a good student should be humble and considerate. TKD practitioners have the highest regard for the morality and ethics of TKD... maybe in other styles which aren't as traditional, you will find this disregard. You get back what you give.... just remember that for the future!

As part of the TKD student creed ...."Respectful of my elders, Tae kwon do, dojang, instructor, higher-rank students, fellow students, and my opponents". This is a promise to your art, school, instructor but more importantly to yourself.

Welcome to KarateForums myosim .... is this a similar case or THE case? I was trying to find what came of this whole situation and whether it was in fact resolved. This can become an increasingly more prevalent situation in these times. Curious to see if anyone else has had similar situations occur in their dojo.

... what I mean't was ... "touche" (sp? too-shay) hence the knight in shining armor comment....I loved your response ...youre always there to the rescue, so my question was really "where have you seen???... miss reading your "fiesty" kickass posts!

But some of us don't do our "fighting" in the street ... and yes it does look good and packs a wallop to the side of the head!

We've had very similar situation at our school too KSN Doug and I am in total agreement with you on your thoughts on the subject. I have to laugh (wasn't very funny at moment though!) _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-02-01 08:45 ]

A couplle of years ago there was a highly publicized case here in the Northeast USA involving a 12 yr old boy who had HIV and USA Bushidokan who refused to train the boy because he was a "direct threat" to other students in training. The case involved whether or not this boy was being discriminated against, being protected by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). HIV is an example of a physical impairment under the ADA. To read full details (I hate to read lengthy posts verbatim) ... go to http://classweb.gmu.edu/jkozlows/2000NOV.htm Read the particulars of "COMBAT KARATE CLASS ILLUSTRATES ADA "DIRECT THREAT" EXCEPTION" the case of Montalvo vs. Radcliff ... and then let's see your views. I am opposed of motifying the training program for all because of one individual. I do agree on private instruction in this case. As far as testing for HIV ... precautionary measures should always be in place ... but if a known individual is tested positive solely on their own and has supplied that info to the instructor ... he should investigate the legal implications of his actions.

exactly SaifightsMS .... the simpler the better...(well, unlness youre handy in the tool shed) .. and I can't see investing in expensive equip that can do the work of simple devices.

TAEZEE a TKD knight in shining armor ... where have you been street fighting man ???

In eastern philosophy, the concept of trinity (heaven, earth, and people) signifies the harmony of the universe. The parts of the uniform (jacket, pants, and belt) form a trinity. The jacket symbolizes heaven; the pants symbolize earth, and the belt symbolizes the "person" that ties it all together. The colors of the belt also form a trinity. If you think of a human being as a trinity (consisting of a head, the body, and the extremities) then the body is at the center of a human being, and the waist is at the center of the body. Tying the belt around the waist signifies the desire to organize ones self and to unite the human trinity. The belt helps students develop their ki/chi (inner energy) through the process of collecting and dispersing energy within their bodies. As the student puts on the belt, it encircles the waist two times and then the two ends meet at the center of the waist (tanjon) where they are tied in a triangular shaped (trinity) knot that denotes the oneness of a person. The tanjon, considered the source of ki/life force/vital energy, is a point about three inches below the navel and deep inside the body and is thought to be the center of the self. As a practical matter, it the approximate center of balance of the body. Part of the knot usually touches the body in front of the tanjon, reminding the wearer of his or her personal source of ki or power. Thus, while putting on the belt, the student encircles and collects all energy from without and within into the tanjon and locks it there with a knot so he or she can disperse the energy freely throughout the body to achieve power, harmony, order, and enlightenment while practicing in my case, TKD. _________________ 1st dan Black Belt Tae Kwon Do (ITF)/ CardioKickbox/Fitness Instructor [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-03-19 09:01 ]

Because of the different organizations within Taekwondo , choosing a dojang may be complicated, especially for prospective students. But compared to most martial arts, TKD is remarkably unified and well-structured. In roughly the same amount of time it took Taekkyon to become TKD and split into two styles, Shaolin Kung-fu evolved into as many as 1,500 different styles. Students must research the different organizations and choose one that best fits their needs and to be sure that there is an accrediting body that oversees the functioning of the school. In the U.S. this is customary. Our school was affiliated with the USTA. The USTA had an international branch, the International Taekwondo Alliance (ITA), to serve its schools outside the United States. With the increased expansion of its international schools, in 2000 the USTA changed its emphasis to being an international rather than a national organization. It dropped its USTA designation and is now officially known as the ITA. The ITA is an independent rank accrediting body that operates separately from, but oversees, the functioning of its individual Taekwondo Plus centers, ITA academies, and clubs. It provides licensing, certification, and curriculum development services to instructors and students and develops guidelines, rank positions, standards, and instructional curriculum for its academies

No need to diss style here. We each need to respect and appreciate one anothers style of martial art or in this case organizations. The ITF considers itself a traditional martial art while WTF considers itself a progressive martial sport with the Olympics as its primary goal. The traditionally oriented ITF uses the "Chonji" forms/hyungs originally established by General Choi Hong Hi. The WTF originally used "Palgue" colored belt forms. There was one form for each of the eight-trigram patterns, called "gwe" (four of the eight gwe are shown on the Korean flag). Later, a new series of eight color belt forms called "Taeguk" was developed (named after Eum-Yang symbol on the Korean flag). While the Taeguk forms are now the standard in the WTF, many schools also teach the Palgue forms. ITF kicks are characterized by a wide trajectory with maximum reach (the classical or traditional technique). WTF kicks are are oriented toward sparring. The foot trajectory is as short as possible...there is no 'wave'. The WTF emphasizes full-contact competition style sparring, which is why many people call WTF Taekwondo a sport rather than a martial art. As far as competition goes, in the WTF, participants are not allowed to attack the face with hand techniques, to attack below the waist, or to grapple. Otherwise, they use full contact techniques. They use a scoring system that emphasizes the real delivered power of the technique. Both organizations require competitors to wear protective equipment while training and competing. Although different in their TKD philosophies, the two associations have several similarities. Due to their common origins, both place a heavy emphasis on graceful, but powerful, kicking techniques, and both use wood breaking as a test of both concentration and technique. Some differences between traditional Tae kwon-do and sport TKD are as follows: Traditional TKD seeks self-development and spiritual improvement, while sport TKD seeks superiority over an opponent... to WIN! Traditional TKD reflects Eastern values while sport TKD reflects Western values. Traditional TKD is process-oriented, sport TKD is result-oriented. Traditional TKD is formalized, sport TKD is not. Might I also add that there is also ATA. The American Taekwondo Association (ATA) is a major Taekwondo organization in the United States. Haeng Ung Lee founded the ATA in 1969. It was smaller than the ITF but had many similarities to the ITF. In the 1970s, the ATA created its own system of closed, member only tournaments where control, variety of technique, and sportsmanship were emphasized over winning, using a style of sparring similar to the point style of Karate. There are many Taekwondo organizations throughout the world, but the ITF, WTF, and ATA have the most members. _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-31 06:37 ]

.... so might I continue our discussion on the necessity of a belt here? One would need to have such a "dan/degree" would one not in order to instruct? So hmmm I'm confused. How many people would take instruction from someone without a belt, from someone they do not know. The would-be student cannot tell exactly what "skill" is yet because they have not studied the style. If I were studying a trade I would after all my hard work and effort be granted a certification ... a personal attainment and accomplishment if anything of my skill. To be hired I would then need this certification to prove I've mastered all the material. One does not get a black belt if they are not truly skilled up to a certain point in their style. It's like educational degrees --an associates degree...then bachelors, masters, doctors etc. At least that is how I view it.

both actually! ...

ah yes... the ever famous Bruce Lee quote ... it has been "coined" many times here on the forum ... I remember when I was a no belt ....how I longed to finally get my white belt (and it wasn't because my pants were falling down!)

Quote "I'm all for kicking things up another notch so I'll give it a go! I'll try anything once....and if I like....I'll try it again!!!" Not when it comes to my health & well being ... please don't take me seriously on this .. I do have a minor heart condition so I do have to be careful. What I take now is fine ... yes, stacking is dangerous ... and the crashing is the worse I am told!

Hi chh and Welcome to KarateForums glad you stumbled upon us and hope we can help you out here! It is great that you have reached the point where you have started to train in karate and aside from that also working out at home which is important. You need to work on your cardio endurance cos your going to need it as you advance as a student ... it only gets more and more difficult to sustain training. I noticed when I was on a lower carb diet (not higher) that I got the same side effects that you mentioned. Do make sure 1 hour prior to workout that you do take in a form of carb to sustain your workout together with at least 8 oz. of water. Do not eat before training cos you will surely throw up! Do make sure you are getting the proper amount of protein too in your diet... together with the carbs. (read the posts in Health & Fitness) Breathing is very important! Incorrect breathing can make you dizzy (lack of oxygen). You need to learn to breathe correctly from the diaphragm. Learn when to inhale and exhale on techniques. (sometimes you can hear the "swoosh" of students breathing while doing technique....making the breathing audible reminds you to breathe!) Work on your cardio endurance and you will eventually notice an improvement. _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-30 11:32 ]

..... or you can take a good-quality cardiokickbox class (which incorporates both anaerobic and aerobic conditioning)... at least mine does. There are many threads in the Health & Fitness forum that praise the benefits and necessity of both aerobic & anaerobic conditioning for the martial artist