StrangeBacon

Maybe go easy on the double classes for a while then On a side note i pulled my rotator cuff quite badly a few weeks back, due to the time that took to heal my katas looked like slop for days

Since its a full body workout stick to nice big compound moves like squats (possibly the best exercise ever ) deadlifts, bench presses, pullups and rows (seated, one arm, bent over) keep the sets to about 2 and reps between 10-15 so you dont burn out and ache too much for your MA training. Personally i'd do the bench press with dumbbells as the core is required to stabilise the body, and do the squats in the smith machine, its just safer and you can shift alot more weight than with dumbells equalling more muscle recruitment, by the same token the dumbbells improve your grip so its a personal preference. The main thing to remember is to stretch dynamiclly before the workout (front and side leg lifts, trunk rotations ect) using the muscles you'll be focusing on in the main workout, and to stretch statically at the end to reduce the risk of delayed onset muscle soreness. You cant really go wrong with those exercises, just remember to start out light and dont rush to increase the weight too early as it'll only result in injury and hamper your progression. Hope this helps

I had one a few years back, i didnt think much of it at the time and it just cleared up by itself, maybe i got lucky, does it have a significant effect on your training? If it gets worse i'd go see a qualified doctor as its possible it could be something more, better safe than sorry. Hope this helps

I agree with alot of the responses in that if the attacker knows how to use the knife you better know how to run, and if worst came to worst take your belt off In response to the video, the strikes are sloppy and there isnt any control of the attackers knife hand, at one point he even leans into the attackers knife....

Is that one of those Treadwalls? If so you have a fantastic grip exercise right there. You can adjust the incline on those babies so you're just climbing with your hands. There's three of them, one straight up, one with a slight protrusion and the 3rd goes almost horizontal as if you're climbing up a stairwell using the roof

I like this idea, im sure some schools probably do it too

Thanks for the tips guys, Tallgeese, i've got a good background in strength training anyway so i'll definatly try the towel pullups we're fortunate enough to have an artifical rock climbing wall at our local gym so it seems like a good time to give that a go

I don't think this is a fair arguement to make for children not earning black belts. Its true that children are easily overpowered by adults. What you have to look at is what the child knows and can do as compared to other children his/her same age. The child vs. adult agrument isn't much different than making a professional MMA fighter vs. average adult black belt argument. The two are just too different to try to compare. But, does the inability for an average adult black belt to beat a professional MMA fighter mean that person isn't deserving of his/her rank? I don't believe so. Thoughts? As i said, it depends on the style taught and mainly on the individuals objectives, if that particular child wanted to fight in a competitive environment with rules i.e same age opponents then by all means prove their knowledge with the belt. However the thing that bugs me, i was observing a karate lesson recently at my local gym and two of the assistant instructors both maybe 13-15 were helping some of the students with kicking from zenkustu dachi, now i'd see nothing wrong with this apart from the fact that these two black belt instructors were not locking down into the stance and were both firing off kicks that pulled them off balance and caused them to wobble, now the kick in question was a mae geri, that along with the zenkutsu dachi is right up with the first stances and techniques most students learn and as such a black belt should be very familiar with them. To sum it up, i've no problem with a black belt who clearly knows the syllabus and can perform it to that level, but seeing a black belt unable to perform yellow belt techniques bugs me, it seems as though they've been given the belt simply because they've been there longer than anyone else.

Thanks again for the replys, the Bruce Lee workout looks pretty scary! I'll definatly grab a partner and give the knocking a try developing as a pair is always better than on your own! He's an absolute beast!!

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that you seem displeased with your style and the way its run anyway, i think to study and grow within a style there needs to be a certain amount of respect and love for it. And as regards the book, try and get out there and study a few more styles and try some other schools before settling down to write. Personally i see where you're coming from, im glad our school isnt a large organisation, money ruins a great deal of things, and if i were in your position i would probably do the same thing, getting a higher grade for promotional purposes and not to better yourself and earn the respect of your instructors i cant agree with. Hold back on the book for a while though and make it a belter

Our style has recently opened up lessons for juniors so that they can get in on the lessons and learn + grow with each other, that lasts till they're 16 and they can then attend the 16+ lessons which consist of contact sparring, bunkai and knife defense. Reason for the divide in age is due to the nature of the style and the focus on reality based combat, all the katas and wazas are there, even artistic weapons gradings such as sword but due to the world we live in today we have as i said a high focus on the reality based side and as such you cant grade without being able to perform those knife defense and bunkai drills against an adult attacker. Personally i like it this way, i get a better sense of my ability and hope that i would be able to handle myself if such a situation did arise, no offense to anyone but i cant see a 10-12 year old black belt being able to stop a grown man putting them into the back of a van and abducting them. I see the black belt as not only time in a Gi and knowledge of your art but as both mental and physical fortitude and the ability to truely hold your own against an attacker. Again it comes down to personal preference, our lessons would be unsuited to children, but on the other hand i went to the SENI recently and saw some increadible young martial artists, couldnt fault them, but as i said earlier i wouldnt put money on them in a street scenario. Dont let me put you off however the dojo has a great atmosphere and everyones very helpful and welcoming, just be prepared to give as good as you get

Wow talk about standards slipping! Sheesh!

Thanks for the answers guys, in regard to the knife defense its more about the impact of the attackers body on the forearms while using tonfa and cross blocks, by using twisting motions with the forearms you can create a scissor like effect thats rather painful for both parties but very effective the idea being to cut down on the pain of being the defender

In terms of the traditional Martial Arts try finding a school that does variations of Bunkai training which for those that may not know is breaking down forms or katas and using them against an opponent/s this not only teaches you the applications of what you're learning but also gets you used to the feeling of someone coming in to attack you as the techniques will have a reduced effectiveness if the attacker isnt committed to the attack. I grew up with the notion that i'd be eating mashed potato for the next few weeks if i didnt get SOMETHING in the way of the strike, which, above all else teaches spontaneity, you'll be surprised with what comes out if you practice for long enough!

Hey guys, did a search on this however it turned up too many results and im a little pressed for time so i hope you can forgive me if its been mentioned before, but i would be interested to see peoples various methods of conditioning the forearms so as to be more profficient in blocking and knife defense among other things. Any ideas?

Thanks for the replys guys, glad to be here

Hi Guys, My name's Ben and im from Worcestershire, UK, been reading the forum for a while and having been impressed with everything i've seen i thought, hey why not join! So here i am. I started out studying Bushido but due to the sensei in our dojo leaving for personal reasons, everyone in that particular dojo followed him, i had the choice to follow too and seeing the impact he has had on my life and instilling in me the strength to do what i never thought i was capable of, i of course went along with him. From then on he formed the Shinkido Martial Arts Academy with only 10 or so members and 8 black belts a few years back, since then we have been expanding, gathering new members and opening new dojos across the West Midlands. So there you are! Thats my story in a nutshell, hope i didnt take too much of your time and heres to many more years of training and progression!