darksoul

I just wanted to say that you may not be aware of one thing - relearning something properly after you've practiced it poorly is much more difficult than learning it the first time. I know this from experience. I got my black belt from one Kempo school and then moved and got into a new dojo. Same style. I have to relearn nearly everything from white to black. They are not new techniques either. They are the same techniques I learned, done differently. Breaking the habits from my previous dojo is much, much, much harder than learning the techniques the first time. Please keep this in mind.

When I get it back from embroidery it will!

I'm lucky in this respect. Despite a decade's absence, I can still kick well above my head. That being said, I stretch every day before I train.

Lame, childish, foolish, and absurd comment. Put him in a cage with a gorilla I say. Tape if for PPV. Profit!

Training without an instructor is a BAAAAAAAAAAAAD idea. I'd say check out this post for all the answers: chinese martial arts help PLEASE.

Sooooo well said.

Welcome! What sort of Tai Chi do you practice?

8/14 - Private lesson with my white belt student. Calisthenics (20minutes), Combo 6 review, first Kempo review, Half-moon review, 8 point blocking review. Not a tough day for me in the least, but he broke a sweat

EDIT: ^exactly what I was going to say.

8/8 - Hour and a half class - 20 minutes of 30 second squats (15 seconds down, 15 seconds up) - Forms: specifically relearning the froms with Master Paquette's Nuances. Pinan 1, 2, 4, Kata 1. 8/9 - 5km jog, pushups, situps, crunches. 8/11 - 8 - 10 - plum tree blocking with dynamic tension. Kata 1, 5, 6, Pinan 1, 2, 4 with new changes dynamic tension, then full force regular. 8/12 - 3 hour class - More form modification/relearning - Pinan 3, Kata 6, Stature of the Crane. Block training with focus on using back muscles, not arms. Combination and Kempo training. Review of new black belt materials - Monkey, Drunken and Tiger kempos.

Oh yeah, and the sides of that cup just smash against your pelvis... ugh...

Hmm... in my experience, you should have general business insurance with a detailed waiver that outlines that injuries sustained in the dojo are not the fault of the dojo or its instructors. Depends on the location of your dojo and country/province/state laws.

Stark Named her after the Stark family of Game of Thrones since she's part gray wolf.

That was what I was thinking too. A kempo scissor kick should be done with the ball of the foot, not the toes. You have to make sure you "pull your toes back," so to speak, so even if the pad is angled wrong, you will not hit with your toes.

Funny thing about that is I train one day of the week in my boots. Yes, they are heavy, ridiculously so, but once I put on my sneakers for regular training, my feet are fast as lightning and I have much more precision with them. Since my boots are my "everyday shoes," it's one of the reason I train with them. If I get into an altercation, I want to be able to kick as if I was barefoot. Also, great for leg muscles. No chicken legs on this guy

This is exactly the point I've been trying to make. It's bigotry, plain and simple.

Awesome I've always been interested in Hapkido, maybe I can stop by one day and train with you guys. I train at Shaolin Kempo Karate in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. We currently train in Parc Maisonneuve during the sunny summer days and at Parc Morgan on Ste-Catherine and Morgan on rainy summer days. PM me if you're interested in coming out and doing a class with us. I can talk to Master Paquette and we can figure out a day.

Since Kempo is a mixed style (Chinese and Japanese) and was created by an American, everything is in English. Since my master is also a Master of Tai Chi Wu, we get some Chinese terms in there at times. On my embroidered black belt (once it finally arrives) I have Shaolin Kempo written in Chinese on it - 少林拳法 While I am a full supporter of using Japanese terms in a traditional karate environment, I know that teaching in a language everyone knows is simpler and tends to avoid mistakes. Granted, now I'm re-learning all the English terms of Kempo in French since I live in a French province. It's fun

That is actually a more fitting prize for the winner. Very much in the spirit of the prizes for Hell's Kitchen.

Why thank you! My dog decided she wanted to be part of the picture too as you can see

I still stand by my opinion that, short of drug abuse/alcoholism, "alternative" lifestyles should not be a factor. If they are a good and knowledgeable instructor, what they do outside the dojo should not matter. That is unless it is being brought into the dojo in a disruptive/problematic way.

Well our thoughts are with you!

Really? What brand shoe? Funny enough, it's a no-name brand from Zellers (Canadian version of Target.) They look almost exactly like the Villari shoes.

You can try to tape your toes. I know a few guys who do that. Otherwise, shop around. I have wide feet too but was able to find shoes that fit me well.

Brilliant! lol