KickChick

Welcome to KarateForums Hwa-rang! Might I assume you are a brown belt in TKD? Please introduce yourself in our Introductions Forum!

Welcome to KarateForums little_moo! I too still have much to learn!

ok..... it's been over 2 months now! (yes I'm resurrecting an old thread AGAIN) Check out the free photo web posting sites and get to it. Those of you newcomers ... if you have a home page, post the url to your profile for us! --Deb _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-04 13:37 ]

OMG!!! Just when I thought this thread had lost its 'steam' so to speak!

Patrick "I think" you should spend more time "not thinking" !

Welcome to KarateForums Piastre! ... they say accidents happen for a reason! Enjoy your stay here and look forward to your posting!

eh, sometimes my fingers are faster than my brain too .... proof eh? Good Luck! Some martial artists claim to be able to demonstrate the objective existence of ki by performing various feats, such as the unbendable arm, kneeling push, immovable body, finger circle, and fist wall. Supposedly it is ki that permits a person to accomplish the feats. However, there are alternative explanations within the scope of physics or psychology that may account for the effects, such as subtle changes in body positioning or biases and expectations in the participants. I believe (as many of us do I think) that the existence of ki is a kind of "energy" that flows within the body. Certain forms of exercise or concentration enable you to feel ki flowing through your body. (adrenaline I would call it)Traditional Chinese medicine bases some of its therapies on ki. These mostly anecdotal accounts of ki have not been substantiated by scientific experiments. Ki may exist as an objective phenomenon, but reliable evidence to support such a view is lacking.

....take a cue from Angus . Begin with making it a reality in your own mind first then proceed from there!

Hey no problem Jiggy... we were probably "surfing" side by side ... Yeah, it really is a nuisance having your toes seize up on you and your whole foot is just all contorted in pain. I've noticed it happening during the first couple minutes of class and then once I'm all warmed up it goes away. I think what you might be thinking of is the "quinine" in tonic water. I know that it was suggested for Atkin's diet followers because of the depletion of this mineral in the diet due to the lowering of carb intake.

I have noticed lately that I have been developing cramps in my legs and toes and stitches in my side during class. The cramps in my toes makes it so that I just stand there frozen in pain trying to bend my toes back to relieve the cramp. So I began to look for the answers to why this has been happening. Cramping may be caused by metabolic deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, or potassium. Diet should include plenty of vitamins B6, C, and D. Choose leafy greens, broccoli, sprouts, tomatoes, wheat germ, sesame seeds, almonds, and green peppers. For potassium, include bananas, seeds, beans, and legumes. For magnesium, include seafood, nuts, and molasses. Try fresh carrot juice, which contains calcium lactate. Here is a trick may athletes say works. Pinch the philtrum, the fleshy protrusion under your nose, over the top lip. Now won't I look funnier during class doing this! Here is a tip used by many professional and high school coaches who say it words. To help prevent dehydration and cramps during a work out, drink pickle juice instead of sports drinks. Yuk! There is scientific proof that it works, but coaches and athletes swear it works. For cramps in the feet or toes, point your toes upward and backward toward the knees, them release. For cramps in the calves or thighs, massage is best. For a cramp (stitch) in your side, regulate your breathing, striving for long, regular breaths of even intervals.

also..... Where to find a school in your area? Telephone yellow pages list commercial schools but they are not the only school in town. Like other types of businesses, what the advertising says about a school may or may not be correct. Quality instruction may be found for a reasonable price, high cost does not always mean high quality. Some places to look for instruction are: Word of mouth from friends, or acquaintances Bulletin boards in martial-arts supply stores, Asian bookstores, Oriental restaurants, or local colleges College courses Community or civic center programs YMCA/YWCA Classified ads in newspapers or local free papers found in racks outside food stores Road or store front signs Make a list of schools within your acceptable travel distance. Then make an appointment to watch both beginning and advanced classes at each one. If a school offers a free introductory class, take it. You must visit numerous schools to develop a short list of the ones you like. Then you must visit each of those schools many times to form a valid opinion. Classes vary from one to another: instructors have good days and bad days, (take it from me!) the head instructor may be on vacation, and different classes may have emphasis on different subject, such as weapons training, advanced kicks, or self-defense techniques. If you only visit one class, you will not know what a typical class is like. Again, good luck in your search!

Honestly I think it depends on the type of martial arts you train in, the level at which you train and how often. Also take into consideration age and physical fitness of the individual. I think the benefit of MA training far exceed the negative physical effects.... that being bruises, broken bones, bloody noses, muscle pulls, etc. etc. Sparring, board breaking, tournament/competitions increase the level of injuries one receives. I have yet to acquire an injury simply from class instruction or from personal training. Mainly bruises, bruised ribs and black & blues from sparring and board breaks. Oh....I once broke my toe when I rolled a wavemaster onto it and also when I jump sidekicked over some open folding chairs...(I won't tell you where that injury was but YEEOUCH!)

Happens to the best of us ... but at least you learned! ...also a Sade fan I assume??

Well ... what they may "seem" to be may not be as what you "seem" to think they are! hmm, make sense? Anyway, take a class at each of the schools in your area. You can't really form an opinion unless you give each a chance. Good Luck! Unfortunately, MA is big business ... but there are good schools/clubs out there that run their programs with the premise of offering quality instruction ... cost being relative.

Once Bruce Lee was accompanying Stirling Silliphant on a 3 mile run. Toward the end, Bruce said that they were now going to "shift gears" and do a couple of extra miles. The writer protested that he was 45 and couldn't do it. After 5 minutes running, Silliphant's head was pounding. "If I run anymore, I'll have a heart attack and die! he gasped. "Then DIE!" said Bruce. This made Silliphant so mad that he did the extra miles. Later while showering Bruce explained. If you put limits on yourself and what you can do, physical or anything, you might as well be dead. It will spread over into your work, your morality, your entire being. There are no limits, only plateaux. But you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you."

Better to be afraid to "die" rather than to be afraid to "live" .....

Yes Jiggy there are quite a few threads runing in the Philosophy forum on the nature of Ki/Chi ... Dbzhub you may want to add to the heated discussion. Pragmatists fall into two categories: the rational believer and the rational skeptic. The rational believer views ki as an not well understood energy generated within the human body that may be developed, controlled, and used. The rational skeptic views ki as a synergy of various psychological and physical effects within the human body that has no real existence as a separate force but is a useful concept that may be developed, controlled and used. Whether you believe in the physical existence of ki or not, a belief in its physical effects will give you increased power and confidence.

http://www.stadion.com/stretch.html ... speaking of such books, just finished this one and its one that will get you all working on those splits. I can do a forward split no problem but my side split needs work. _________________ ITF/TKD Black Belt (1st dan)/Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-02 17:11 ]

Thanks for the intro shotochem! You're gonna feel right at home here ... there are quite a few of us here that feel as you do regarding their training. Actually I too started out with my son just about 10 years ago ... same thing - he quit and I stayed! Old age??? You're still young hun! WAIT!!! talk about pains, strains, etc...... You've only just begun!

Yes exactly ... also be sure to explain to him that you do lift and tkd train ... this will give him some idea as to the possibility of any injuries incurred.

I know what you mean Jack. I work on preparing kick & punch drills for my classes ... sometimes I find some online and they are very hard to understand and find myself mimicking the moves in front of my computer (quite the sight!) but, anyway good start Jack! One thing to remember is when alternating kicks with left and right to be sure to land the foot after kicking in the proper position to set up for the next kick. Also try incorporating blocks & punches together with the kicks. This will help you find some good combos for sparring.

Jack ... have the knees checked out by a sport /orthopedic doctor. My daughter (same age as you) also experienced pain in knees. Come to find out that yes it was just "growing" pains with a combination or overuse (dancing and TKD) She uses a brace on occassion when they act up and he gave her a list of stretching exercises to do BEFORE doing sport-related activities. _________________ Tae Kwon Do Blk Belt 1st deg./Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-02 08:18 ]

Well I believe that depends whether you practice ITF or WTF TKD. The ITF considers itself a traditional martial art while WTF considers itself a progressive martial sport with the Olympics as its primary goal. The WTF emphasizes full-contact competition style sparring, which is why many people call WTF Taekwondo a sport rather than a martial art. Traditional Taekwondo seeks self-development and spiritual improvement, while sport Taekwondo seeks superiority over an opponent—winning.

Hey there shotochem ...first, let me welcome you to KarateForums (tell us a bit about yourself in "Introductions") ... and secondly, _________________ Tae Kwon Do Blk Belt 1st deg./Fitness Kickboxing Instructor (KarateForums Sensei) [ This Message was edited by: KickChick on 2002-01-02 08:00 ]

No, Sai never tried that ... actually I am afraid of heights! ... go figure ....