Scott_LIFE180

Greetings all, For the past few months I have been working on trying to drop some of my tonnage. Granted I'm just under 6' and right about 200lbs, I'm not way over weight but I'm dissatisfied with my body fat %. So in order to lose the body fat I've been running and doing weight training. I normally do a good ab routine followed by some weight training and then I'll run about 2 miles (or do half an hour on the eliptical machine). I do that pretty much daily. At the very least I run every day. I'm not losing weight however. I am pretty sure that I'm not working out hard enough to trade pound for pound fat for muscle so I'm not sure why I'm not dropping weight. I've read that some people do cardio before weight training, what are your thoughts on that idea?

Eagle, you may want to consider acupressure or acupuncture... sometimes those um less used practices help out.

If I couldn't have 100% of each I'd go with 50% of each. Endurance is part of both, speed is part of both, power is part of both, skill and fitness are very intertwined.

We requier that students (and the Leadership team) change before and after class and that the gi/uniform is folded a specific way. This is done primarily to keep the gi clean. In my Sr. Instructor's eyes and my own, a student with a big chocolate icecream stain on his nice white gi screams of a lax attitude within the school and is a poor reflection on the student as well as the instructor.

I would take part (preferably without the acting) but also question why we are doing this sort of training. Is it really important to learn how it may feel to gouge someones eye out? There are many other things that one can do instead of gouging out the eye. Face it, if you have the free hand, the range of motion and the skill to penetrate and possibly pluck out an eye, you have the free hand, the range of motion and the skill to deliver a strike to your opponents throat or the bridge of their nose. There is something to be said about self control here in my opinion. I'm no Army Ranger but with my 5 years that I put in with in the Corps we were taught to use an escalation of force. No need to shoot someone when a simple verbal command will suffice. The level in which you escalate a fight, even if you are the defender should be directly proportional to the threat you are facing. Leathal force for Leathal threats. It is all about your situation, one could list scenario after senario and debate endlessly. You will never use a technique like this in a competition, you will never use it in a ring/cage fight, the average person will never be in a situation where their only hope of survival is to pluck out or gouge the eye of their attacker. So why train for it? Instead focus on things that would be applicable to reasonable scenarios.

Ohh that "Grab the Rag" game sounds awesome! I'm thinking it could be used as an intro to sparing for young children. I'm thinking along the lines of teaching movment, blocking, speed of hand and eye/hand cordination. I'll have to talk to our Sr. Instructor about it.

I found that I learn a lot when I teach something to someone else. I have my way of understanding things, if I have to reword or demonstrate differently (without changing the technique or kata) then I have to adapt my line of thought and thus learn/relearn the technique or kata. To paraphrase something from Star Wars, 'A Jedi Knight learns more from their Padawan then their Padawan learns from them.'

3/10/09 Week 3 Day 1 10+12+7+7+19=55 This program is no joke, I'm really digging it, my arms... not so much haha this is good I'm going to keep going with it.

With young children having fun is very important! I dare say with 4-6 year olds the emphisis that the instructor places on fun is primary. You can teach kids 15 step katas/forms and have them retain them if they have a blast doing it. If these kids can remember every line of Kung Fu Panda, trust me they can memorize just about anything as long as they are having fun. Sensei Says is a great game and is fun to play with older (teen age/young adult) students in the group as well. Nothing brightens a young childs smile more than seeing a "big kid" get busted in Sensei Says when they don't, or even when they get busted as well. (Even if you have to tell your older students to screw up every once in a while)

The "spiderman" stuff looks really interesting and quite demanding. I would like to give it a try.

DWx, this is my life, I'm a Bible College student, so interpritation is a big thing. Respectfully, Scott

I am going to give this a try. I already know that doing push ups will be part of my testing in the future so I might as well get working on it all now!

My school does breaking as well. We start it quite early in the training, even those just beginning are taught how to break boards. We have started (in the past) with a 4"x10" board 3/4" thick using a palmhand strike. Yes this is considered a very easy break, but it instills additional confidence and boosts self esteem. I remember the first time I broke a board, I was on an emotional high for several days and was very excited. Our school's senior instructor has thought about putting breaking in the tests for every belt level and I personally agree with him on the issue.

I would strongly (yet respectfully) disagree with the interpritation of that verse (John 14:2) the context of the verse doesn't even remotly suggest that there are many ways to get to God/Heaven. The context is saying that Jesus will go and prepare a place for us with him in heaven. Now take into account that just 4 verses later Christ says "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father excpet through me." (NIV) I'm sorry but contextually that interpritation makes no sense. I'm not Catholic, and thus my knowledge is lacking, but to my understanding Catechisms are not scripture. I'm not saying that they have no merit, just that since they are not scripture, they should not be treated as such. I also do not believe that Christ would condone being disrespectful to other religions either. When Paul was in Athens he did not mock the Athenians for their many gods, but instead used their desire for spiritual truth to teach them about the one true God and what He had done for them. So, yes it is good to respect all religions, but resepct does not mean accepting them as true paths to God. Indeed as the 843rd Catechism said they can be used as preperation for receiving the truth (I believe the example of Paul's visit to Athens is a prime example of such). [edited for a typo]

I would have PMed this, but I have less than 25 posts, so I apologise in advance. Tweak9, I have a question for you concerning this view point. By "letting your belt hit the ground..." do you mean tosssing it on the ground after practice or say letting it come untied and it falls off or something to that effect? I feel that having respect for our uniforms is on par with showing respect of not only those who teach us, but for the school as well. At our school we teach the students to fold their uniforms after practice. (they can take them home and dry them out or do what they need to with them, but when the arrive and when they leave their uniforms are to be folded, this is done for a number of reasons) However we do not have changing rooms (they change in the bathrooms) and we do not have tables set up to fold uniforms on. (when we fold the uniforms the belt is wrapped around the gi in a specific way) Would you personally consider this as letting the belt hit the floor in a disrespectful fashion as they fold their uniforms on the floor?

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom -- Proverb of an Ancient King Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion -- Proverb of an Ancient King Whover loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid -- Proverb of an Ancient King A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger -- Proverb ofan Ancient King

Traymond, greetings. I would like to pose a few questions and thoughts to you. The first is, can you quote chapter and verse as to where it says we should honor all religions? Don't get me wrong, I know that we are to love everyone, but honoring their religion does not (at least in my mind without knowing the chapter and verse) seem like something Christ would say, or the apostles. However, can you learn about Zen philosiphy? Absolutly! If you want to study Zen I would have to ask what your personal definition of study is. Are you learning about Zen in hopes of improving your MA skills? Are you learning it to find truth? Are you just curious about what the Zen philosiphies teach? Speaking from a strictly Christian world viewpoint, all religions that seek truth, seek Christ. However in error they are. As Christ said "I am the way, the truth and the light. No man comes to the Father except through me." [ emphisis added ] So from a Christian world viewpoint, one could argue that all religions that seek truth have an element of Christianity in them. But here is the thing, you can't get there from here. In other words, you can't get to Truth by any other means, so why study a map that wont take you where you need to go? If you want to learn about other religions and cultures that is great. However it is important to remember that there is only one way to go. Now if you don't have a Christian world viewpoint, then the above is moot, but Christian to Christian it is quite valid.