mr_obvious

Yep.... IRL, long hair will get you in trouble. Why do you think LEOs, military, etc., always wear short doos? Long hair gives your enemy a weapon against you. For me, it's a straight blade on the back and sides, #2 guard on top

I'd say listen to what this Shotokanka here says. Myself, I got lucky. I went looking for a style (shotokan which I love) and not a teacher. I got lucky with our association and dojo and senseis and BB's and everyone there of all belt levels who I love and they are equally as fond of me and adore me. I always say I never went looking for it, it came looking for me. like it was Fate. But I dont think just anyone can do what I did. You may find a style you like, but you might not like the senseis or his/her BB's. <...> Always choose by teacher, not material. Truer words rarely spoken. If you don't find a place you're "comfortable" training at, you won't stick with it. Also, if you get the choice wrong 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th time (etc...) don't be afraid to move on.

ROFL !!!!

Good thread! I would echo the above. Most pain we experience during training only last a few seconds, no biggie there. Tangible injuries on the other hand.....seriously bite. Do I fear an injury? Not really. I've had things broken before, know what it feels like, know my vulnerabilities and alter my style to mitigate further or re-injury of those areas. Conversely, MA training has been instrumental in rehab from prior injuries. So, IMHO, the benefit outweighs the risk.

^^ X3 How to train and condition is one of those subjects, ask 10 different people, get 10 different answers. So I say find out what you like to do, that you'll stick with, and can do with the resources available to you.

Maybe a really thick callus? Maybe...?

So, summarizing our consensus...... It comes down to individual commitment and ability, rather than some academic / theoretical / universal fitness statistic. Ja? A couple years ago, I'd regularly train in the 190-200bpm range for 18 mins, three times a week. I had some medical problems set me back almost two years since then; so I'm working on getting my mojo back I know I'm pushing it real close to the limit. For one, I have to actively force my breathing, passive respiration isn't enough. Two, if I miss a breath (like while wiping sweat or taking too long to swallow saliva, etc.)......that's pretty much the end, can't catch up oxygen wise, time to slow down. So it becomes more than just a cardio session, it's an outright exercise in focus and concentration. Pretty funny when I go see my GP lately though. They freak out at my idle heart rate around 45bpm....then see all the bruises on my arms and legs. Not the usual patient they see, I s'pose!

I guess one's definition of "in good enough shape" varies. I'd really like to sustain a max intensity run for 18 mins, then the balance of 30 mins with an inclined speed walk. But right now I'm struggling to go 10-12, plus walk. That's one of my goals for the next year. Don't know if I'll get there, but Im darn sure trying!!! Tying back to the OP -- I'd say get your diet squared away first, while slowly phasing in some resistance and cardio training. If funds are low, you might see if a Planet Fitness exists near you. They aren't the best gym out there, but for $10/month it's way better than any "home gym" option. One thing's for sure: fitness doesn't come without exertion!

Technically 190 is slightly above the theoretical maximum I should be able to achieve for my age. But when I do take it to that altitude, it most always feels like my lungs or legs give up before my heart (that sucker's like "let's go faster!!!")

You gotta get inventive! Back when I was a poor college student (and before my school built the awesome fitness facility it now has) I used to stack old magazines in a duffel bag for resistance training. Admittedly, I couldn't really tax the Trapezius and Quads that way, but did the trick for most everything else. Oh....and a cheap doorframe-mounted pullup bar too.

I dunno.... I guess taking it in context, it's a good concept; giving structure to the discipline-challenged amongst us. From a mechanical standpoint, I'm not a fan of doing a hundred reps of anything to failure once per week.....let alone three as the site proposes. IMHO, for lack of more sophisticated Anterior Upper and Core musculature training methods; having to rely solely on pushups to do the job -- I'd look to add ballast after consistently repping more than 15/set. Just $0.02 from the resident gym rat

I should say....it's kind of that way where I train, for the more experienced kids anyway (who train in the Adult class, BTW). However, a sad sign of the times.....the vast majority of the young'uns who train at my school, are beginners (8 kyu or lower). So neither them, nor their parents have been conditioned yet. Complicating matters, my school has a reputation for excruciatingly slow promotion rates. If you're there to train, who cares?!? So, of course, in these economic times.... I guess all that matters for kids is being able to say "I'm a belt in Karate!" to their friends at school. And when they don't get there fast enough, their parents feel like value for money isn't there, and switch to one of the area's belt factories. But in that window of time at my school, we hear the broken record "When can I [my child] test?!?" bleeding into the beginning of the adult class. *steps off soapbox*

^^^^ X2 Hard to tell by websites only, but if I had to.....I'd go with Kyokushin.

This, too, is something I try to focus on and develop.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/ Good resource.

Lupin and Montana: Your posts particularly resonate with me. Just to play Devil's Advocate -- going solely with a "Spontaneous Promotion" convention, there is the possibility for some hurt feelings. For instance, say student "X" and student "Y" both start at the same time, never miss a class, but..... Student "X" gets promoted before student "Y." Having a test is a defined line-in-the-sand. Student "X" and "Y" have to cross it to move on. That said, the adults at my school maintain a fairly lackadaisical attitude about the belt / rank / promotion thing; we're all there to train. Our school is a traditional testing school, but I think we'd all be ok with the "Spontaneous Promotion" concept. That said, having to test -- and be invited to test -- my only gripe is a lack of feedback from our instructors; what needs work in order to test. It's pretty much a "when you're ready, you're ready" mentality. The kids on the other hand...... I almost think the spontaneous promotion idea would be a good thing. Really frustrating hearing the "When can I test? Huh, huh? When can I test?!?" broken record. It got so bad, our instructors forbade students to ask. So then, instead their parents suck up the first 10 minutes of the adult class asking "When can my kid test? What to they need to do? What belt is next? Blah, blah, blah....."

I know what you mean. I had one before my two hour class last week. Got all kinked up again by the end of training. Ah well, I pay only $15 so I'm not all that aggrieved.

Well....I'm here in Florida, where last week was record-setting-cold, on an epic scale. For several days, our daytime high temp barely climbed above freezing. Northerners, don't laugh -- our Summers would kill you! Anyway......I couldn't bring myself to the gym, to the dojo, or even climb on my own treadmill. This week, we're back in the 70's and everything works as normal

That sucks.

Might I also suggest season ("Winter," more precisely) playing as a major factor...? Cold weather kills performance for a lot of people; myself included.

Dang, I feel ya. This time of year, with the colder temps....pretty much anything I do cardio or MA-related, reeeeeealy angers my left hip. Grrrrrrr!

It's certainly better than sitting on the couch; but not a replacement for cardio. Heh....anybody else like taching it up past 190bpm a few times a week?

I'd just be really chuffed if I'm still training, and still able to, come 2011.

Yes. On occasion. Which reminds me....... I need to make an appointment

It's all important. Doing only cardio....you're going to lose muscle, unless you follow a high-protein diet. Gots to do strength training, cardio and watch the diet.