mr_obvious

Some of the kids (5th Kyu and above) who train in the Advanced / Adult class, from time-to-time are assigned pushups or timeout for off-nominal behavior. I wouldn't necessarily consider either "punishment," but rather a form of corrective conditioning, lol.

My response is prolly more rhetorical, since I've strength trained before / longer than formal MA classes. Anyway, my $0.02 is that is certainly helps, but isn't necessarily a silver bullet. Something I've started doing at the end of every gym session -- knockout 1-2 set(s) at about 60% of my working capacity, focusing on speed and explosivity. The goal is to develop more fast-twitch fiber, something I used to careless about before getting serious into MA. Admittedly, speed isn't inherent to my build, so I've got a lot of work to do in this department

38lbs is a solid chunk, I'm sure you can feel it. I'm down about 60lbs from 8 months ago. Several surgeries and an auto wreck in 2008 got me pretty bad outta shape. I'm still pretty banged up, but clawed and scratched my way back to 90% of my former ability.

If it's bad -- see a doctor. If it's mild, take it easy for a couple weeks, alternate ice / heat and see if it clears on its own. If not, after a couple weeks -- see a doctor. If you do the latter, you might try Ibuprofen for it's anti-inflammatory properties.

It's really hard to build muscle / strength without the solid protein found in meat; which is a paramount to maximizing MA training. The body can metabolize from other sources, but very inefficiently. At least 4oz of lean protein a day can go a long way. More, if you train really hard or lift heavy. Other than that.......plenty of water, veggies, fiber, and maintaining good vitamin / mineral balance (especially Potassium) are helpful. Some of the foods I throw in the mix -- sweet potatoes, broccoli, banana, carrots, jasmine rice, salmon, tilapia, sirloin beef, chicken breast, turkey breast, coffee, chocolate, green tea, red wine (2x per week, believe it!) Conversely, I've seen the occasional "freak" who eats like crap, drinks hard liquor most every night, and somehow manage to achieve highly ambitious athletic abilities. So it all boils down to finding the right balance for each individual, but proper fueling never hurts!

.....and also an effective total-body cardio workout

I agree. Probably most of us take bits and pieces of others styles, and incorporate into our own Frankenstein.

Chiros can do more than just adjusting joints. Mine also does traction, hot / cold therapy (which I also do myself), Ultrasound and has a massage therapist on staff They can also order MRIs (uncover hidden damage), and if necessary, farm you out to Sports Medicine, Orthopedic and Pain Management specialists. I've recently sustained upper back & neck trauma. Without the help of the aforementioned professionals, I'd still be lying around all day....fat, sore and not doing MAs. Go see a doctor, lol.

Just another perspective to consider, for what it's worth..... Some people don't need any more incentive than self-improvement. Admittedly, I operate under an off-nominal paradigm. 1) I have nothing to prove. 2) I have enough personal stressors in my life, that worrying about rank, promotions, testing, etc just aren't on the radar. I train hard and strive to learn -- because I want to. Whatever color cloth Sensei wants me to wear around my waist is more for his convenience, not mine. Case-in-point, some of the advanced belts who pop into class sporadically, were perhaps at one point highly competent....but here in the "now" haven't maintained. It doesn't make them any less of a Dan rank, it just goes to show -- rank isn't always indicative of capability.

Maximum coolness! The benefits of Martial Arts training are diverse and many.

Inversion table, stretching, Chiropractic and Martial Arts can be your friend

It was a good article, but I'd have to take it in context. There are times when, for whatever reason, I may be unable or unwilling to access the conceptual "Supra State." Say for instance, chatting with friends at the local coffee joint, trying to wake up. Aside from being bleery-eyed, my local spot is in a somewhat affluent and low-crime area. Not exactly the sort of place which invokes an elevated DefCon; admittedly I would need a little more time to react. As opposed to stopping for gas somewhere in a shady part of town -- the sensitivty and awareness factors naturally go up...... Then there's the part of the article which advises disregarding any possible criminal or legal implications. Obviously have to size up every situation, but I've always been taught for every application of force (justified or otherwise) there's a lawsuit. I would muuuuuch rather suffer a black eye, broken nose or other trivial injury demonstrating my part as the attackee, than wind up defending my actions in court. And a lot of the scumbags who are aggressors out there will find a way to sue, or call on "Civil Rights" groups to litigate on their behalf. Even a successful defense can cost the average person dearly. Also, in many jurisdictions the law makes little distinction between the application of Martial Ability, and other weapons such as guns, knives, asps, baseball bats, axes, etc. Best overall to make sure your actions could be viewed by a third party as "defensive," non-excessive (having the "Off Switch," and timing flip it), and however contrary to what we're trained -- "reactive."

Concur, I think. I've put in a lot of work at the gym in the past 15 years; done a lot of experimenting with technique and nutrition. I've had people actually ask me how I've built the mass I have, while pushing (relatively) light weights. It's all in the form; and addressing both fast and slow twitch muscle fibers. Most of these guys are what I call "Ego Lifters," and true....legitimately can say they 'bench this' or 'curl that' but employ more bouncing and swinging than a circus trapeze artist. Then wonder why they can't build size..... 20 years down the line (if they keep training that way) they'll still be small, and crippled by joint problems or other consequences of poor lifting technique -- I'll still be kicking butt. Cliff's Notes: lift and fuel properly, strength and size will come. ....and yes, size and strength can be advantageous as applied to Martial Arts. Although it's certainly not the end-all, be-all factor.

Side kicks = no problem. Pushups = culprit better buy everyone dinner after class!!!

I mostly concur with the article. My $0.02 -- anybody who trains in any Martial Art, or any other self-improving discipline for that matter (weight training, running, cycling, etc) has my respect. The key is finding what gets your juices flowing, and training to be the best you can be at it. There's something to be said about humble and level-headed application of Martial Skill. Look at Mike Tyson, for example... That guy could have used some "character building" early in his boxing training. Instead, his trainers armed an already powerful individual, with the skill to level most other human beings with one blow. Look where it got him -- broke, beat up and incarcerated. Now add the skillset most MAs train with -- kicks, elbows, jointlocks, throws, etc... Making sure the head is firmly attached should, rightly, be part of the MA equation IMHO.

Maybe your recovery won't be complete until you return to the dojo... That said, you'll know when the time is right. Even if it means training on your own for a while, working on Kata...maybe having a couple friends work with you.

^^^ Probably some of the best advice you'll read. A lot of what I've learned has been from observing my classmates, averaging it and applying to my ability and build. I too got started (in formal classes anyway) about your age, and with some pretty profound back / neck problems. Be open and honest about your limitations to start with; if they accept you as a student, and most especially don't turn you away, then it's clear they're willing to work with you. Probably the biggest takeaway -- if you're seriously thinking about starting MA training, don't delay! The longer you wait = harder and harder it will be to start; it's not going to get any easier.

My best MA practice opportunities come in little snippets throughout the day. Like for instance, after taking a whiz and washing up -- most of us will be standing in front of a mirror. Perfect opportunity to spend a few extra seconds drilling "whatever" technique 2-3 times. I personally seem to get more benefit using this strategy, then putting aside a contiguous 30-minute chunk several times a week outside class. Just an idea...

...I am a little bit lighter.

180 degrees from what my Sensei teaches. At least the first paragraph.

This statement particularly resonates with me. It seems like the kids, especially, need more / constant reminding that we train at a dojo for "ability" and not belts. Maybe it's a "kid" thing, maybe it's a generational thing, I don't know. Then there's me, at the opposite end of the spectrum, trying to remain as unassuming as possible. If you're wearing a black belt, people expect you to be competent. Someone wearing a lighter color -- you never know what's inside

In the time I've been practicing, I've found cardio conditioning more profound on my MA training than weight training. Too bad I hate cardio, but looooove hitting the iron.

Me thinks any day that doesn't end with someone permanently injured, killed, deported, arrested (or otherwise involved with the legal system) or unemployed -- can't be too bad a day. I faced a charged situation at the gym a few weeks ago. A (I suspect) Schizophrenic guy flipped out when I walked in front of "his" bench, came running over, squared off at me, literally got nose-to-nose (which is technically assault in my state) spitting and yelling in my face. I would have been legally justified in crushing his jewels with my knee and clocking him with the 20's I was holding. I didn't, rather let the owner eject him from the premises with the threat of a trespassing charge if he turned up again. Situation terminated, no cops, no lawyers, no ambulance rides, no paperwork, etc, etc... Tying back to the OP -- if both of you can / have move(d) on, then learn from the encounter. One thing's for sure -- unless your significant other is also a Martial Artist, you can bet he won't do that again!!!

I share a lot of the sentiment already posted in this thread. Good stuff. Getting bored doing the same routine -- all the time -- is human nature. Maybe a break IS what you need. Besides giving the class a chance to move onto different material; you could return fresher, hungrier. Might just be the thing you need to push through the next level.

Strictly from a height perspective, IMHO, probably not worth it. However, bringing GH up to nominal levels during adolescence could ultimately prove advantageous over a lifetime, as nearly every physical characteristic could develop more robustly. I have a close family member who had similar issues when they were younger (wasn't diagnosed until recently), and now in mid-life is suffering with some serious health problems. She's taking GH's, and doing better; but the lungs, heart, and numerous neurological functions will never be "normal." The Endo doc is of the opinion "if only, sooner..." ....just my $0.02