KickChick

You are not alone ... Check out the thread "Flexibility Determination" (page 2) ...you'll see why! "A GLUCOSAMINE-CHONDROITIN supplement for the healthy support of your body’s resilient, elastic tissues, particularly the ligaments, tendons and cartilage associated with healthy joint function. It is hard to imagine any other part of our body that over the course of a normal lifetime must endure more daily use and abuse than our joints - resulting in substantial wear and tear on these vital structures. Nevertheless, as we get older we seem to take for granted that our joints have already supported us through our entire lifetime and must continue to do so every day thereafter. It is therefore no wonder that as we age, we become more conscious of our joint’s gradual loss of resiliency and elasticity and the reduced ability of our joints to perform as they did in our youth. It only makes sense that we make some effort to both repay and contribute to that unwavering support. The ingredients in this product provide the most important essential building blocks for your body to naturally maintain healthy joint structure and function. The special ingredients in this formula help to rebuild and renew the vital cartilage in your joints that is naturally worn down as a result of the normal wear and tear of daily use. Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate are two primary ingredients required to rebuild, support and maintain the healthy properties of cartilage and connective tissue. Chondroitin Sulfate is also an essential component of healthy synovial fluid, which is the primary “shock absorbing” and lubricating system present in our joints. Not surprisingly, the benefits of these molecules extend beyond joint tissue and are also required for the unique structural properties of other “elastic” tissues in the body, such as arteries, veins and heart valves. By providing these two essential structural molecules together, their combined action offers complementary benefits not available when taking either Glucosamine or Chondroitin on their own." This is the info that came with my supplement and I am seeing some improvement in my "pops".

Oh the pressure! I'll try and offer some suggestions Thijssss . First of all, you are not used to high kicks and therefore neither are your muscles! You need to condition the required muscles before you can perform such kicks .. which means you need to learn to stretch properly and strengthen those muscles. When done correctly stretching with a partner can be more effective than stretching without one. The problem with using a partner, the partner doesn't feel what you feel, and so cannot respond as quickly to any discomfort you may feel during the stretch. This greatly increases your risk of injury. The exercise Gorgoths suggested is fine however please be sure that if you do, choose a partner that you trust to pay close attention to you while you stretch. Also the best time to stretch is when your muscles are warmed up,usually by performing some type of brief aerobic activity. If the weather is very cold, or if you are feeling very stiff, then you need to take extra care to warm-up before you stretch in order to reduce the risk of injuring yourself. You can find tons of posting on stretching in the Health & Fitness Forum (Fexibility Determination is one such thread).... Warm-up followed by a good Dynamic Stretching rountine is best you are going to be doing kicking drills. Here is a good exercise to work the hip flexors which is where you are experiencing an obvious muscle pull. -- Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Lift your right foot off the floor until the thigh is perpendicular to the floor. Keeping your thigh at this roughly 90-degree angle, straighten your leg as much as you can. It's fine if you don't get the working leg all the way straight. Pointers: • After you've straightened the right leg, hold at the top of the movement for a second or two before bending the knee again. • Power the movement with the quadriceps. As the quads work, the hamstring stretches naturally. • Don't round your lower back by letting your glute rise from the floor. I can't say enough about the latest book I've been reading "Stretching Scientifically" .... another Dynamic Stretching routine which is great for developing the strength in the legs and hips is to to alternate kicks (after warmup) ... start with 10 front kicks left and right leg (knee straight) then 10 side kicks lift leg out to the side toes pointed forward, left and right.... and then 10 back licks swinging leg up with knee straight and heel flexed, left and right. Gradually trying for my height with each kick. Do everyday and increase the number of kicks say, every 2 or 3 days. You will find that you will have more leg strength and flexibility. If you want the link to that book here it is .... http://www.stadion.com/stretch.html ok .... the pressure is off! Welcome to KarateForums Thijssss!!

Hi Gloi ... thanks for sharing the pics! So that's Gloi? ah yes dreamer those pints made my mouth water! (I'm on a beer-free diet until the weather warms up!) Sai ... somebody ran off with your pics ... your folder is empty!

Piastre give it a go .... see if it IS worth it. After your first class let us know how it went ... I believe there is a stigma attached to these new conditioning workouts such as pilates and power yoga (even fitness kickboxing!) for men. Give it a chance!

How often I hear that same response over and over again during sparring. We do tend to guard our middles more (at least I know I do having had some ribs realligned ) and Angus you are on target with your advice ...body blows can be blocked, maybe minimal pain for you! I bring my lead fist up along side my chin and other fist and forearm held tightly guarding my middle. I tend to stagger my position so as there is no direct confrontation to my middle.

Basically pilates improves alignment and breathing and increases efficiency of movement while improving muscle control and flexibility. The pilates exercises stretch and strengthen the muscles while opening the joints and releasing tension. You follow a specific breathing pattern for each exercise to direct energy to those areas while relaxing the rest of the body. I myself prefer pilates to yoga and find that the results obtained from pilates -->proper coordination, breathing and improved flexibility, would certainly benefit the martial artist

Yes I agree with you Phantasmatic ...oh, and Welcome to KarateForums Phantasmatic

aw... how sweet! Hey Sai ... click on my web page below and see mine!!! In Pics Gallery! _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-23 06:55 ]

...that was some good advice Singularity. Actually its between 0.7 and 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. So for me ... 130 lbs. I try to consume about 100 grams a day. Try and get your necessary protein from your diet (meat, fish, eggs and dairy) . For instance: 2 eggs have 12.5 grams of p, 8 oz of skim milk has 8.5 grams of p, 4 oz. of chicken has 26 grams of p. And if you can't get all of your proein in your diet on certain days or you're a vegetarian, look into protein shakes or bars to supplement ... powders have roughly 23 grams in one scoop. Many bars have protein levels up to 20 grams (read the labels!) If you are eating enough calories and carbs your dietary protein will be used for muscle. But if you lower your carb intake too much chances are that some of that protein will be converted into fuel, which is a very ineficient use of dietary protein. Fitness pros eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight due to their serious strength training and extensive amounts of cardio. If you feel you are putting serious demands on your body you may need to consume more protein.

sorry ... nothing to report here on my end ... I believe this case is closed ... thanks for sharing everyone .... I feel a little more closer to you all now

...actually this was brought up in class tonight. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, many martial arts studios report receiving calls from people who want to defend themselves in the event of an airline hijacking, including flight attendants and pilots. People want to protect themselves and conquer their fears ...more and more 'common' people are looking to the martial arts not only for physical fitness but also emotional wellness.

Lori .... I too am on a mission. I am right now getting ready for class ... I will keep my eyes open and report back. Now how would I approach.... is that a cup you're wearing ... or are you glad to see me .... wish me well

ok... now I've heard just about everything!! Read about this online and thought I would share.... what is the opinion of this forum? Leilani and James Akiyama dominate in amateur judo, winning tournaments all over the U.S. On Jan. 13th they both suffered a major defeat...not on the mat but in federal court. It seems they sued U.S. Judo and its two subsidiaries in 1997, alleging that mandatory bowing to inanimate objects such as the tatami equated to religious discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They stress judo's Shinto roots,in which the dojo,(the practice hall)was considered a holy place. Ruling that judo's mandatory bowing rituals do not violate the teens' religious beliefs, U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik dissolved a 1997 injunction that has allowed them to compete without the sport's traditional series of bows to the mat and competition hall. "I'm very pleased," said Jim Bregman, president of the U.S. Judo Association. "It's clear the bow in judo is simply a respectful act, like a handshake in wrestling. I think we should move forward and do judo on the mat and not in the courtroom." They Akiyama blame the mandatory bowing for the United States'relatively poor performances in international judo competitions. Many talented athletes are turned off by the rituals and choose other sports, they said. That's ridiculous, responded Bregman. "Medal production isn't the measure of judo's success. The measure of judo's success is how we train our children to behave and to strive to better themselves. The real benefit of judo is character development," said Bregman. "The number of people who object to bowing is minuscule," he said. "This is an extremely radical minority group." _________________ _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-21 09:33 ]

Hey...imagine THAT! Males DO have 'those' issues too. I was wondering when one of you guys were going to be "macho" enuff to share!

All the previous traits suggested are all very good qualities for a martial arts student to possess ... actually for every human being to possess for that matter! But I have found ...be it an older student or a child, the number 1 trait to possess is perseverence. It is just too easy for people nowadays to throw in the towel. Everyone is looking for immmediate results in everything they do. I've seen it with parents of child students. If Johnny isn't Bruce Lee by end of month or more disciplined by taking his martial arts class then they take him out without letting him "persevere". Statistics show that fewer than five percent of students who join as a white belt actually make it to black belt. Why? Because they do not have the perseverance to give themselves a chance to achieve black belt. There are many demands on your time and the study of martial arts will compete with these demands. A word to the older student: "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.-Confucius" _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-21 09:34 ]

ah...Name that Tune! starting another forum Joe?? That would be Kernkraft/Zombie Nation ... popular trance selection it is !

I usually mix my own CD/s for my fitness kickboxing classes ... a sample of one of the tunes is on my web site (LIT/Lipstick & Bruises ). I take suggestions usually from the class. I've used trance and dance music but the class has enjoyed a mix of G&R, U2, Kravitz, Aerosmith and Van Halen. _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-20 13:26 ]

Hosinsul is one of the four principles of (WTF)TKD. Although TKD is a "self defense" martial art, it focuses on high, spinning kicks which are not very suitable for real life (street) application. Hosinsul is a mixture of all kinds of techniques, including grappling/locks as well as depending against armed attackers etc. I am presently trying to find this in my area in order to train since ITF TKD does not offer this at our school. There are two sorts of self-defense (this is a BIG generalization): The hard or linear way and the soft or circular way. In the linear form one uses arms and legs to block a strike of the opponent. The advantage is that there is a direct counter-threat, which results in pain for the opponent. The disadvantage is that this method requires a lot of power and it may look extremely violent for outsiders. The circular form has a different view. Here you use the power and speed of the opponent to neutralise him/her using circular movements. The advantage is that you can neutralize your opponent without hurting him and that no strength is required. The disadvantage is that it takes a lot of skill and practice to come to the necessary level. You will most likely use a combination of both. I think if you read through some of the posts here on the forum... the majority does agree on crosstraining within the arts. Oh and welcome to KarateForums! _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-18 11:25 ]

....Depends

I suspect that Gorgoth is not studying "korean" martial arts just by the term "dragon" kicks, in which case he should take a look at the subjuect line of thread as it is in regards to tae kwon do. Where's the "fantasy" you are referring to taezee (I don't se it) maybe the ramblings of a young karate student so enthused and so mesmerized by his art that his exhuberance is superceeded by his knowledge or lack thereof. Go easy .... I too am wrong on many things here and would welocome those with much more experience than I to tell me "like it is". That is why we are all here.

um...taezee pullleeeze, weren't you the one who requested the joke telling Okay maybe this post was placed in the wrong forum ... but take a look at all the other "entertaining" threads. ALOT of which do not even pertain to MA. At least this is a topic I have personally seen cover in many other MA sites (those of course that at least offer women a place to voice their concerns & opinions) Now c'mon ... being a standup comedian I feel is much more entertaining than say .... an advice column .... and purely the question was asking advice seeking the commaraderie of the female members. thanks Patrick really I don't think it was mean't to be offensive or to offend ... unless you personally take it to be in which case keep moving on to the next thread. _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-18 04:29 ]

shhhhh ... hey girls gather round ....the boys are gone What shall we chat about next? Whats your martial arts fantasy? Hey the boys are back in town!!!!! J/K!!!! _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-17 19:57 ]

....sounds like all the making of another detergent commercial "Shout it out" KIAP !!! anyway, like you first posted Sai ... "you may regret this" ... but hey-- fact of life, its OK. I thought of moving this to H & F iamrushman ... but its really borderline I feel. Its a dojo and female issue ... and since we do not have a "female martial artist" Forum (which I don't feel is necessary) ... I think the members can cope with a "girlie" issue now and then. Take advantage of us female members ... we can enlighten you in many ways (now I didn;t mean that way!) Iamrushman you are truly a gentleman ...

...and who are you directing your comment too? If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen ... who's to say this isn't a "good" topic (just because it doesn't concern you?)

ah ha.... funny you should bring this up again because I took my own advice and started taking a glucosamine/chondroitin (supplement) just a 2 weeks ago because I have been noticing some popping in my hip as I was throwing my hook kicks and also after sitting at my desk for a long period, I would get up and I would be sorta all hunched over until I stretched out a bit like a muscle seize up. Well, I have to tell you this stuff is terrific. It takes 1/2 the time to stretch out in the morning... my muscle flexibility and the range of motion in my joints has improved immensely! Magic? hmmm.... maybe!PM me and i'll give you the web page to look into! Oh ... and Jack ... this is something that you can't get in your diet... so you need to supplement. _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-17 11:05 ]