GeoGiant

Welcome. Nice intro!

Nice! I know that she has provided me with some good advice & insight. Kudos to Ninjanurse!

I'm applying ice and elevating it! The reason I'm so hyped about going to this tournament is that my dojo is sponsoring it. My school doesn't typically go to tournaments but once a year my instructor has a tournament and donates all the money to our local woman's shelter. Aside from our Christmas gathering this tournament may be the only time everyone from my dojo gets together. My instructor is really excited to see how some us of measure up against some of the other schools. On top of it, my instructor has been pulling me aside and feeding me hints for the last few weeks. I appreciate the kind words and I'm not trying to be a baby but I am soooooooo disappointed.

Well its the day before my 2nd tournament.... and I'm hurt! I went to my mma class this morning, got hip tossed, and while landing the heal of my right foot banged the floor.... VERY hard. My healed turned kind of pale but i was able to continue. I went home and did some work around the yard then a few hours later it started to hurt. Right now its about 6 hours after the bang happened and I can't put ANY weight on my heal! I'm supposed to preform kata and kumite in 16 hours! I'm going to spend the rest of the night online trying to find some way to tape my foot so I can get through the kata. I suppose I will be sparring using hands only. I know this is a family friendly forum so I will spare everyone the long string of expletives that I would like to type. Man I can't believe this!

I'd be shocked if I were you. Granted my experience is only limited to only one dojo and a hand full of black belts, but I could never manhandle ANY of the BBs at my school. I’m no tough-guy but I’ve got a good reach, long legs and I’m willing to take a punch to give one. I’ve turned it up a notch a few times to see if I could handle what they had… very quickly the difference in rank was apparent. I have a lot to learn and I’m glad I’m surrounded by BBs that are qualified to teach me.

This is true. I have tried to get a few people that I know into it with NO luck.

A testosterone situation is what made me ask the question. My wife and I frequent a Mexican bar - restaurant that has fantastic food and great specials. This is one of the few places I go where I see 20 somethings. Well, i meet my wife & her friend at this place one night after class. Apparently my wife was telling her friend about me taking karate and when I arrived this friend was asking me a lot of questions - I love to talk about it when asked. At one point I look over her friend's shoulder and I notice a table of 3 younger guys eying me up. It became clear to me that these guys were listening to our conversation. As time went on I noticed they they were openly staring our way... at me. I change the subject to get the ladies to talk about something else. I reposition myself by showing the ladies some pictures on my phone. With my new position i can see them in a reflection but they can't see my face. I figured I'd position myself where one of them would have to approach me to get (what he perceived) as my attention or they would just stare at the back of my head until it got old... I guess it got old and they left. My wife and her friend had not noticed what was going on. When i got home i asked my wife not to mention my training in an environment like that because i don't know who listening... she looked at me and said, "who are you, Batman" After i explained she understood. I wasn't sure if others had enacted similar polices about advertising their training.

Is training something you discuss with others (non-martial artist) in casual conversation? Lets say you hurt your leg sparring and your limping the next day at work - do you tell people what happened or do you tell a white lie? I hate to say it but I tell a white lie just so I don't have to explain. It is easier to say I hurt myself running because there are no more questions. I only discuss training with the people I train with and my wife and I don't know if I have a reason why other than I don't want to advertise / explain why I train. Don't get me wrong, if someone expresses an interest first i will discuss, otherwise its something I keep to myself. How about you?

I wish I could say that I'm surprised.

Hu? Sorry if this is straying from the point. Its been a while since I've had a logic class but... I was taught if A = B & B = C, then A = C is a logical fallacy regardless of what A, B, or C are. Assuming A = C is incorrect reasoning.

Sorry, I forgot to add the word "all" before black belts. With the word "all" added, this is a fallacy. All black belts are not noble. I'm sure quite sure that I can find a BB that will lie, cheat & steal.

Ditto. I reflect on the decisions that I make and I'd like to think I weigh the consequences of my actions… which may or may not be realistic. True be told, I probably underestimate some consequences. I think I understand what I’m good, I try to work on things that need improvement, and I’ve accepted things that I cannot change.

Ok, one more thing and i will quit beating this dead horse Many people for a very long time thought the world was flat... & placebos have also produced results in a lab setting. i couldn't resist.

Wow this thread has gotten strange. After reading the responses I have to say that I agree with most. Assuming that someone is noble because of an achievement, whether that achievement is a black belt, college degree, etc, seems like a leap of faith. John has a black belt…. black belts are noble… therefore John is noble… this line of thinking is a very basic fallacy of logic. I warn anyone against assuming someone is noble based on anything other than an individuals actions.

For belts lower than black (thats me) it is supposed to be no contact to the head. We can pull kicks and punches but we can't make ANY contact. I would agree that light contact to the head should be assumed. For my own sake I intent to focus on the body so I stay out of trouble.

Welcome aboard!

This is a good point. I have buddy that has a bit of a spare tire while i do not. When we workout together my buddy has a stronger lower back and abs. This guy always does more sit-ups, leg lifts, and back extentions than i can do.... however my body fat percentage is lower so my abs can be seen while his are hidden.

That vid is a head scratcher. Some of the vids after it are hysterical!

My first tournament experience is listed a few threads below & it was horrible! That day ended with me being DQed for aggressive fighting. I’ve done my research into the rules and I’ve practiced NOT throwing punches to the head. I’m hoping to walk away with a smile on my face this time.

I should further clarify. If you present me with a claim, lets say a perpetual motion machine. I'm not going to immediately dismiss the idea and walk away. I'm going to ask you questions about your claim. If you refuse to answer questions or you refuse to provide information, then I'm going to dismiss your claim. I think you have the impression that I will say no, perpetual motions machines are impossible therefore I won't listen your claim. The idea of chi was presented to me. I looked at both sides of the debate and walked away skeptical of the idea. At this point I need "something else" for me to consider so that I can reformulate my opinion. I would follow the above criteria for any idea presented to me.

I hear ya but I looking at it like... if someone makes a claim then they should provide a reasonable justification for that claim. The idea of using chi, in my mind, is similar to spoon benders or psychics. Demonstrating a chi ko provides a cause (chi) and an effect (ko). We both seem to agree that the effect is not the result of chi. I’m taking the position that chi doesn’t exist based on the evidence. When you mentioned black holes, etc, those are concepts based on something other than just a statement of existence. Why would you be willing to give an idea the benefit of the doubt for no reason?

I'm not sure if we agree or disagree. With respect to chi ko's. I think its bunk. There are several ways to ko someone however I think the use of chi is not one of them. In my mind, I need more then someones belief in something to think its plausible. With respect to chi I never been presented with anything more than a belief.

Amen to that! Welcome Will!

Wow. Can't image the BB in my dojo acting like that. Can't image I'd want to go out socially with people that thought that I was below them.

I have to respectfully disagree with you. “I have to say that I'm not big into magical chi applications or no-touch ko's or anything along that vein, mainly because I don't think it's necessary for martial arts.” Necessity has nothing to do with it. No-touch ko’s can’t be explained by physics. As someone else said, we know how ko’s occur – head trauma. If someone is proposing a different cause n’ effect explanation for a ko I’m listening. “However, that doesn't mean that it's not a reality regardless of what science can prove. Just because I ... or any of you don't believe in something does that make it any less real if it happens to be true?” If its true then you should be able to provide proof or at least a theory for why, aside from magic powers. If someone claims to be able to cause a knockout by using chi then the onus is on them to prove their claim. Just because you believe its true, doesn’t mean that it is. “Of course the same can be said for false belief in something that is in fact not real. (Did I say that correctly ) Anyway, just because science can't prove something doesn't make it less factual.” Huh??? If something is factual then it is based on facts, a fact is verified information. “It makes it an unknown in our present. Modern science is still pretty much in it's toddler years if not it's infancy. If we knew everything about the human body we wouldn't have sickness and disease. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can refuse to buy into something and still keep an open mind to the possibilities. Science doesn't work without the belief in possibilities.” Huh??? The human body is evolving as is sickness and disease…. this is the reason why the doctor doesn’t give antibiotics unless its necessary. I have an open mind and the scientific theory is the best method for analysis. If you are going to present a topic like chi or anything else and you assume "x" is real, what are you basing that belief on? Please don't take my rebuttal as an attack because is not. I'm always looking for answers so if you can get me to look at something in a different way I'm more than willing to listen.