GeoGiant

I saw your Ravens avatar, but didn't think of Holmes and the time he had there. This is cool; we'll have something to talk about when football season rolls around. And Cassel had better weapons in New England. Give him another year with KC. Oh, when football starts I'm all over it. I have the NFL Ticket and I usually click the tv on at 10 am & it stays on until the late game wrap up show on ESPN. I have big hopes for Cassel this year. Last year was an odd year for him. New system and getting hurt in pre-season. Its hard to heal up during the regular season. This year, i expect to see a new guy.

Welcome back. I lurked on this board for a few months before joining. I remember your posts because of the Chiefs avatar. I started to peek at Chiefs games because I really liked Priest Holmes. I’m glad he had such a great career after leaving Baltimore. I still watch every Chiefs that doesn’t conflict with Baltimore… I have Matt Cassel as my fantasy football starter… I liked him better in New England.

I feel the same way about Honda. I have never owned anything with an engine that didn’t give me problems… except for Honda Motorcycles. I always bought my cycle used, by 3 to 5 years, and I always sold the cycle for exactly what I paid for it! I plan to make my next cycle the Honda Fury, which was just introduced this year.

Thanks Jim. That sounds simple and it should be something I'm able to do based on your description.

That's something I'm trying to work on right now, too. If I knew someone was going to try to move my arm to the right with their block, I'd just punch to the right to begin with. That is until my sensei told me that if I ever do that again while I'm being uki for him, he'll make me regret it. I've been taught enough painful little lessons by him that I don't want that, so now I always look directly where I want to punch and then punch right there ignoring everything they're supposed to do. I find that if I concentrate on that spot, my punches are more accurate and it's better training for them. I noticed that I started to hit people when I focused on punching to their chest. I guess some people get used to having the punch throw where they intend to block it.

Great article! Being a good uke is something that I work on. I work better with higher belts because I'm not famillar with what technique they are working through. My problem is that my punch will follow the block before it comes. This doesn't seem like it should be a problem, but it is if I don't stay focused. Your article should be text book reading for white belts.

Hyw riding is never fun – you are either in the slow lane stopping and starting as people get off & on the hyw or you are in the fast lane waiting for someone in the slow lane to pull out in front of you. I grew up in Baltimore riding the 695 / 495 expressway around Baltimore / DC… not a lot of fun! As a younger guy it didn’t bother me, now I don’t have the desire to ride on 4 and 6 lane hyws. Truth be told, from age 18 to 24 all I had was a motorcycle so I didn’t have much of a choice. Now that I live in Pennsylvania riding is a relaxing experience that just happens to save me $200 to $300 a month in gas. I live outside of a small city [maybe 50 to 60,000] and the traffic is in no way close the headache of Baltimore or DC but most of my riding is in the country. I can get on my cycle and ride for hours and not see a traffic light.

Washing wraps once a week seems like overkill. I wash mine once or twice a month. Make sure the velcro straps are sealed before washing otherwise the softer side of the velco seems to fall apart.

One of the black belts in my class asked me & my one-step defense partner what we would do in a self defense situation... without thinking i said it depends if i have time to grab a handful of dirt. I don't think he cared for my answer and i quickly blurted out groin shot, throat, or eyes. this was not a conversation that the entire class was listening to, nor was my answer intended for everyone to hear. On the ride home I thought what was wrong with my answer? If I'm involved in a situation where someone is forcing me to defend myself i think I would go for the sucker punch if i can get it. Is that wrong? If some guy is acting in an aggressive manner and decides to turn and look to the side, why shouldn't I take that opportunity to take a shot? If I get shoved down, why shouldn't I grab a handful of dirt, throw it at him and attack? Thoughts?

My opinion is sorta in line with JusticeZero. A lot of people experience bad situations through no fault of there own. When someone is trapped by circumstances that they can’t control it becomes a terribly frightening and helpless experience. Even when the source of that negative experience is removed it can leave a person emotionally and physically damaged, which can in turn cause the victim to seek out answers. I think when one learns to accept that there may not be an answer that will validate their question of “why” that person beings to heal. Martial arts may be your path to healing by showing you a way to accept the things that you can’t change [past] while providing you with the framework to identify the things you desire to change [future]. I may be a lot different than most because I don’t think that anything happens for a reason – everything is arbitrary. For me, accepting everything is arbitrary allows me to accept things for what they are. Either way – Good luck in everything you do because you deserve it [never let anyone tell you any different].

The Honda Sabre looks just like a HD Fatboy. I don't know how Honda didn't get sued over the body style. The dead give away between the 2 bikes is the taillight assembly & rims. I pealed all the stickers off the bike, changed the turn signal covers & polished the metal rims to chrome-ish type shine so most people don’t know what type of bike I have…. until I stop. I fell in love with a few softail fatboys but I haven’t made the jump… my bike is paid for & the idea of another payment makes me cringe. I’ve always liked all the aftermarket options that HD provides. What are you thinking of upgrading to? Still kicking – a Vespa doesn’t count.

I don't think there is anything else to explain. I think you will find a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum that are more than willing to provide advice or an explanation. How long have you been a student of karate?

Thanks again guys! Does anybody have any drills that they use to practice double leg takes downs? I'm a tall guy so 99% of the time I'm going to have to get low on a shorter opponent.

I'm not sure if your asking me but.... white - 5 stripes, usually a month between stripes & another month before belt test. yellow - 4 stripes, usually a month between stripes & another month before belt test. green - 4 stripes. I think once you get to green it takes 2 months between stripes. blue - 4 stripes brown [low] - not sure of the requirements but one-step defenses include knife attacks. I believe these one-steps are developed by the student and then approved by Sensei. brown [high] - not sure of the requirements but one-step defenses include stick attacks. I believe these one-steps are developed by the student and then approved by Sensei. black - ???

Thanks! i will try to find some google videos that show these techniques. Ahhhhh, I love the internet.

You can switch arm position after the drill starts - its on then! I think the idea of the drill is to get everyone used to working in close quarters where kicking and punching may not be an option. The drill gives me a better idea of where to put my feet and how to use my body to counteract anothers movements without going off balance. Against someone my own size or weight, I do okay but this bigger guy (who i like a lot) is killing me. After some recommendations i got here I think i will try to go after his legs.

In my dojo you start with a white belt and you need to obtain 5 stripes before you can test for your yellow belt. Stripe 1 - kata 1 Stripe 2 - kata 2 Stripe 3 - 5 one-step defenses Stripe 4 - kata 3 Stripe 5 - kata 4 After you get your required stripes, Sensei tells you when you will test for your next belt. Then after class, in front of 4 to 6 blacks belts & Sensei, you test for your yellow belt. You are expected to know all the proper terminology and be able to demonstrate all the forms (kata) along with the one-steps. Assuming you are able to demonstrate everything you get your next belt. In my dojo it takes about 6 to 7 months to get your yellow belt. Good luck!

When I occasionally get the hooks under him i never feel like he is off balance. If get the hooks and I try to put my leg behind his for a trip but I don't seem to be able to get the momentum to drive him back. Same situation, I tried turn to the side for a hip toss and ended up pulling most of the muscles in my lower back. Same situation, I tried to pull him forward with the idea of a chest to chest body slam (I know, I know) and he ended up landing on top of me. Any suggestions?

Anybody ride? What do you ride? How much do you ride? I have a 2003 Honda Sabre, 1100 cc. Its orange with darker orange ghost flames (factory paint). I have it set up a Mustang touring seat & backrest (mainly for the wife), Vance & Hines Long Shot pipes, Cobra floorboards (first bike without pegs), after-market grips, mirrors, turn signals, and taillight cover. I think I'm done with the upgrades. I usually ride to work 6 or more months out of the year. About the longest ride I take anymore is a 4 hour trip to the beach. A good year of riding for me is 5,000 miles.

Ok, let me try to explain this better. 2 people line up facing each other. Each person fully extends their arms so their arms are parallel with the floor and their hands are on the persons shoulders. The instructor yells go & each person trys to hook their arms under the other persons arms... almost like a hug position. Both people try not to let the other person take them down. Because the two people are so close to each other a take down seems to always happen. After people are on the ground, each struggles for a tactical advantage. That make sense?

Hello & welcome!

One of the black belts at my school has been offering a MMA class. So once or twice a week (its offered 2 times a week) I show up and workout. The class is so new that I'm one of the more advanced students... Ok, I'm not really advanced i just have more of the terminology memorized. Most of the drills we do are very basic and our focus more on strength, conditioning and endurance. One of the drills we do is 2 people stand and face each other with person A putting his hands on top of person B's shoulders & vice-versa. Then the instructor yells go and we try to hook our arms under the persons arms, go for the take down, then try to gain an advantage on the floor. No punches or kicks are thrown. The instructor stops the drill when both people reach a point where no tactical advantage is being gained (ie. interlocked on the floor) or someone taps out due to an arm bar or choke (those are the only things we have drilled on at this point). My issue is - I'm 6'4" (about 2 meters) & 185 lbs (about 13 stone) and I'm up against a guy that is 6' & 260 lbs. I have yet to find a way to gain a tactical advantage. Now common sense says that he will win every time, assuming we have a similar skill set. i never wrestled before so this idea of grappling is foreign to me however I would assume that there are methods for me to deal with my weight disadvantage... am I correct? Is anyone aware of a technique or move that I could use in the drill I previously explained to get behind this guy so i can choke him out (not literally)? Any wrestlers out there?

Good job John!

This is really mean & I wouldn't do it now... but... the old calling someone while your acting like your driving and in mid-conversation playing a car crash sound, screaming and then hanging up. I would call right back of course.

I would fall under the incredibly gullible category.