jmy77

26 and getting old fast! I'm to young to be house hunting with my fiance' !!!

I have read a few posts in this forum about teenagers becoming blackbelts and they all seem to say that it is shocking that a dojo would let a kid the age of 15 or 16 become a blackbelt. I could not disgree more. There is nothing shocking about it. I recently found out that the two shodans who instruct at my school are 16 and 17. To be blunt - everyone in the class was floored to find this out. Why was eveyone floored, you ask. Becuse these two men (they are by no means immature highschoolers) act and carry themselves with the maturity, diginity and respect of a person twice their age. I feel, a person should not be judged by the number of years they have been on earth but by the person they are, this includes becoming a blackbelt.

I, in no way, meant to insinuate that you are not a hard worker. Sorry if i did. Believe me I know about those last inches. Before I got a desk job I was 180lbs of twisted steel (toot! toot!) My weight shot up to 215! The six pack was looooonnnnngggg gone! I am down to 200lbs but can't get past that barrier. For me though, at 26 I don't feel the need to be 180lbs at 10% body fat, 200 at 17% is okay, just wanna drop to about 15% and I'd be content. Truth is I'd rather bust my hump then play games with these "supplements"? There are just too many unknowns. And I just found that statement in the website particularly amusing...

"That means you pay only $134.91 (plus shipping and handling) and receive four bottles, an entire 8-week supply of Lean System 7, for the price of three (and SAVE $44.97)!! To take advantage of this incredible, limited-time offer, click here now! " In the words of Frank Romano... "HOLY CRAP!" ONLY $134.91 for an 8 week cycle!!! This webiste reads like a Matt Furey Marketing job! Save your money! Don't mess with nature! Leave Your metabolism alone!!!! What are the long term effects of artifically pumping up your metabolism? You wanna lose bodyfat - burn more calories than you take in! Yeah, it's hard to burn fat, to have 6-pack abs and 10% body fat - but that is why it such an accomplishment.

Treadmills are fine but they will never replace pounding the pavement. You can get a good workout from a treadmill, a very good workout in fact. But it my preference to hit the asphalt. Here's why. With a treadmill - your running surface is moving. You put your foot down and the belt pulls it back for you. Yes you still have to control your weight, but you are only getting half the workout. Where as on the street, when your foot hits the ground - well the ground isn't going anywhere! You not only have to control your weight - you have to push your weight forward. Essentially, instead of keeping up with a belt you have push your self along. A benefit of a tread mill is that there is no slacking. The belt moves at what ever speed you set it at and if you don't keep up you will be laying on your face at the bottom of the machine. SO you can get a good workout from a treadmill - but don't think it will replace running on the ground.

"Cheers for your help guys, i guess it seems like something i'll just have to live with!" BULLCRAP! This is not something you have to learn to live with. It is however something only you can learn to control (notice I did not say overcome). Intimidation = fear - you allow yourself to be intimidated by allowing your fear to control you. Now, fear is natural, fear is important, fear (when in check) keeps you safe. Anyone who says they have no fear is either F.O.S. or mentally unbalanced. Someone suggeseted that you plan, anticipate what you would do, while this may work for that person it may not work for you, I know it would not work for me because when I start thinking about the potential for fight or I start planning I start to get amped (you know, blood starts flowing harder, muscles tense up, get a buzzed feeling in your head, etc.) And being amped may make that situation worse. Ex. Say the guy stops and asks for the time – in my mind I am preparing for him to pull a knife or try to blind side me with a strike – I would initially react very poorly. What I find works for me when I start to get that uneasy feeling associated with intimidation is to take a few very deep breathes, relax my hands and shoulders, try to clear my mind, remind myself that this person has not done anything (yet) that I should be wary of them, remind myself that if necessary I can handle myself and always stay conscious of my environment. Fear is mental. It’s is something you need to work on. You have to find your own way. But never, ever succumb, never let any emotion control you – you must master your body and mind. Kensai’s idea of desensitizing yourself is probably the most effective but I agree, it’s also not best thing to do. As always, just my opinion.

MTF, forms (katas) are not ment to be used in an actual situation. I think anyone who tries to perform a kata in a street fight would end up getting very seriuosly injured. In my school, yes we practice forms but it is get you used to applying strikes in a series, a fluid motion. As my sensei said "think of forms as legos. The lego blocks are your srikes and you can build them into any form." It's just another training tool. You do forms. Essentially, any combination of strikes can be considered a form. In my school we also spend atleast a quater of the class doing "No-mind" drills. Which is free sparring. At low ranks it is very controlled, to get you used to applying what you know (you react and strike per what comes naturally for you, not in some predetermined form.) To say what makes an art effective depends on the person and the situation. Effective in a ring - the art would have to have quality ground techniques, in the street the art (IMHO) has to have fast strikes with minimal or better yet, no "set up" needed to end it as fast as possible. Also, it would have to do with how the art is taught. Are you just learning forms? Or are you learning how to apply the tools that are practiced within the form? Do you pratice in the regard that you intend to use the art? Ofcourse, just my opinion.

My father is a retired NYC police officer. He informed that most martial arts weapons are considered lethal and therefore if a person pulls nunchuks (sic), tonfa, 3 section staff or any of the long list of martial arts weapons that they are to be considered a threat too your life (equivalent to pulling a gun) - giving the officer the right to shoot. The premise is that if some one pulls such a weapon they know how to use it. As we know you don't make nice with these weapons. As far as that you have to identify that you train in MA and that you can severely hurt the person - I have my doubts. He may have said that b/c it is easier to defend yourself in a court of law that you gave fair warning. [/b][/i]

I was looking around on the web and came across this site on Frank Gotch. Pretty interesting read. http://www.frankgotch.com/biography.html Catch Guy, you seem to know a lot about catch. How long have you been training in Catch wrestling? Have you competed against people of other styles (i.e. jj, bjj, judo) what are advantages and disadvantages compared to those styles? How do you feel Catch applies to potential real life situations (would you be able to end a confrontation with your skills in catch wrestling?) As you can tell I am quite interested in it. There are many JJ schools and BJJ schools around me on Long Island (NY) but all (BJJ) are upwards of $140/month and everyone seems to be taking some sort of JJ. Thanks.

BKJ, One more point i would like to make is that you will have to develope the support muscles first. With push ups its you shoulder and back. If they can not handle holding you in a push up position they will be strained more so then your pecs (this will also happen b/c your pecs are weak and they compensating). Once your support muscles are strong enough to hold good position you will feel it more in your pecs. Though, you will probably always feel it in you shoulders. I do 300 pushups in sets of 50 3x a week and I feel it in my shoulders, upper back, and biceps as well as my chest. Don't get discouraged! You are on the right track!

Hard work builds character. - Joe Tkach (My Grandfather)

As far as I know the only that will heal it is time. What i like to do with bruises is push on them.... Make'em hurt, you will become tolerant of the pain. I'm not saying go run on it or bang against it - ie. don't do anything that will make it worse, just take your fingers and push on the bruise lightly at first, then harder as you become more tolerant. If there is more damage then just a bruise and you push it, it will hurt like hell and you should get it checked out by a doctor. If hurts just a little more than normal, keep working it. Hey, it's not for everyone but it works for me.

So, you tried something once - it hurt and now you're gonna quit? You're sore - so what! It comes with the territory. Take it easy at first - if you have never exercised before, you pretty much just shocked the hell out of your system. Soon that soreness will pass. Personally, I love waking up sore because it tells me I worked hard. No one can answer you're question "should I even bother trying..." that's up to you! Do you have the mettle to overcome the inconvenience of being uncomfortable? How bad do you want to take MA? How do you feel about yourself right now? These are things you gotta ask yourself... If you decide that your personal drive, your fortitude, your mettle is stronger than mere physical discomfort (after all pain IS temporary) and you work past these beginning stages, you will find yourself much happier and more confident. There is nothing you can not do. You may have to work harder than others, but there is no obstacle that you can not over come! (anyone who will tell you different is too weak to try.) It's all up to you. Look yourself in the mirror, (ask yourself) what are you made of? Are you a quitter? or are do you have the courage to over come, are you a warrior?

Look closely at the picture. (The stance and punch are similar to a thrust punch from a half moon stance in the kenpo I am learning.) The power is generated from torque originated in the hips, so in essence you throwing the strike with your whole body into it. This can be devastating. As far as using it in a situation - you could make your first strike b/c most people make the mistake of looking you in the eyes and therefore will not see it until to late. If your opponent is a skilled fighter you would use with in a combination of strikes, say after a palm to the face. One problem I see with the stance is the non striking hand is down. Is this because the strike is thrown after a low block? We are taught to always keep you head/throat guarded when striking, so my non-striking arm would be up. Just my 2 cents.

Here's a bodyweight cycle that has worked for me... pushups/crunches/pull-ups/chair dips then rest. start easy say: 3 sets of 15/20/3/5 and progress. There is a Navy SEAL pre-BUD/S program that is what i started with at first and i found the progression to be perfect and i was personally shocked with the results. http://www.snipeweb.com/snipe/prebudsworkout.htm

I know i'm a little late but here is my offereing, it really depends on the situation as to how to deal with a striker. there are limitless questions and unknowns. If you want some points, here are a few basics: A) Always keep your hands up. B) Keep your chin down. C) Do NOT look your opponent in the eyes - that is the easy way to decieve. Keep your eyes in the middle of your opponent's chest. When he/she throws a punch the first thing to move is the shoulder. From the shoulder the elbow will tell where the punch is going, high/low/in side/out side. ** That's where its gets tricky - if the person is a skilled striker they can change the direction of the punch in mid-throw. So in short: Hands Up, Chin Down, Look at the Chest, the Shoulder will tell where the punch comes from, the elbow where it's going. Remember - Defense is natural!

Renzo's school is more than I can afford. Good idea about the Cecchine forums. Will do. Thanks, Catch.

Thanks. I got the impression that Cecchine was more of a path to persue than Furey. Though Furey is master marketer Cecchine seems to trained in Catch for much longer than Furey. I have only come across one gym in NYC (which is far from home) that teaches catch and even that is only once per week or so. It truely has become the unconventional art (as opposed to JJ, BJJ and Judo) No time for spell check, typing on the fly, excuse any errors.

I recommend kenpo but, only because that is waht I am learning and I am therefore biased. When checking a kenpo (or any) school ask to sit in on class (I got a free month before I joined.) Also ask the instructors about other styles and see what they have to say. My sensei is (and all my instructors are) very respectful of other styles and when I brought up jui jitsu they informed that it is incorporated in this style of kenpo (we start rolling at blue stripe.) Also - ask/check the lineage of the instructors. If they can't/won't say and you can't find anything on the web - be wary. Just remember ask as many questions as you can. If they become irratated I would wonder about the quality of their instruction.

Thank you for the input, Maestro. I ordered a copy with an intro by Sam Griffith. I roder a paperback which was cheap so if i don't like it i can get the cleary translation. On a side note i am also diving into Machiavelli.

Here is a link to a site that i came across when i was looking to join a school. http://www.usadojo.com/choosingschool.htm It poses some very good questions and gives you an idea of what to consider.

Ironberg, Here is an exercise I used to do for forearms, it worked for me. Take a short bar (a stripped dumbel) Tie a rope around the middle, secure it with tape. Hold the bar with rope tied to it straight out in front of you at chest high while standing up. Cut the rope where it touches the floor. Get a weight (start light ~5lbs) tie to the bottom of the rope. Hold the bar out in front of you and turn the bar with your hands (keeping it paralell to the floor) reeling the weight up. when the weight gets to the top, unroll it. That's one rep. do as many as you can. enjoy!

I have a question (more of a statement). It's something I asked myself a while back when I was on creatine and protein.... What ever happened to just working hard and eating right? The human body is an incredible thing. It comes with all of the functions and tools needed to become whatever you want it to. If you eat a lot, exercise more. If your argument is you want better results and your are supplementing your exercise regime, well, to that I say you are lazy and don't want to take you workouts to the next level. This is of course my opinion. When I wrestled I ate small meals many times a day and stayed away from junk food and coke and Pepsi and the like and I never felt so good in my Life. When I stopped (wrestling) some of my friends got me into weightlifting and supplements to enhance my workouts. Well I put on solid weight, was never so strong but I didn't come close to that natural high, the natural energy I had when I wrestled. I took ripped fuel - which made me an edgy person for some reason, I tried creatine which made me very edgy and protein which made my have to go to the bathroom a lot ! I am back to working hard. And I am away from the weights. I am no where near the shape I was in when I was wrestling (nor do I feel the need to be 10% bodyfat) and I am not nearly as strong as my peak with the weights. But I feel great. Sorry, I ramble sometimes... kind of stream of conscious... anyway I ask - what ever happen to old fashioned hard work... Like dzedo (that's grandfather in Slovak) used to say, "Hard work builds character."

Does anyone have a recommendation on which translation of this work they feel is best? There are a few out there and I want to get the one that is closest to a direct translation and not some garbage about what the translator felt was being expressed. I prefer to draw my own conclusions. Thank you for your help.

Kickchic, If you want to have a little fun with your class try group push-ups. We used to do this in wrestling and whichever group lasted the longest got out of sprints. Separate your students into groups by size/weight. No group smaller than 3. When you have your groups separated, have them stand in a circle facing the same direction. Tell them to get down in a low push up position so that their chest is resting on the ground. At this point their shoulders should be on top of the next persons feet. Here is where the fun begins! Have them put their feet on upper back (between the shoulder blades) of the person behind them and the person in front of them puts his/her feet on their upper back. You may have to help them place their feet. Then, you guessed it - PUSH UP! When set up right the only body part touching the ground will be hands. You may also hear an ample amount of moaning, griping and groaning. But hey, you don’t have to like, you just have to do it. From here you can have them push up and hold, go halfway down and hold and so on. When you have them push up it is best to have them hold it for a moment so that weaker links in the ring can have time to get to the full up position. To make this a little clearer: You have Jeff, Joe and John all about the same weight. They stand in a circle facing the same direction. They get down into a low push-up position. Jeff puts his feet on John's back, John puts his feet on Joe's back and Joe puts his feet on Jeff's back. Feet should be between the shoulder blades. Then, keeping the body straight (no bent knees or body arcing) push up and hold. Enjoy! When they are strong in the full up position you can have them "walk" in a circle or do whatever creative variation you can think of.