AdamKralic

Practice. Do not move back but stay where you are until you can do the movements that a re required of you.

Is Boxing martial arts? I think so. Mike Tyson battled demons too yet he was an AMAZING fighter. Tyson is also very much trying a completely new mind set these days. I say "good on him" Is JCVD? idk. JCVD did however as others have mentioned win pro karate fights. He also has excellent form and excellent flexibility. His conditioning for what he does? Excellent. I will admit to loving several JCVD movies back in the day but find them unwatchable now. (except for the final scene boss fights...I will still watch those parts) Admit it...he's been pretty cool in the Expendable movies! So overall I think he's done alright for himself. Jet Li is awesome but his martial arts is Wu Shu. There are those that question the validity of a performing/theatrical martial arts. Not me. Not when you see the level of physical perfection that is achieved by it's practitioners. Just saying. But to the person that got me all "excited" about MA? Probably mostly Bruce Lee. He was the only one that I recognized. As a child my TV got three channels. One channel seemed to focus on soap operas all the time. The other seemed to run game shows and talk shows all the time. The third played endless 70s karate and 70's sci-fi movies. I left it on the third channel.

Easy to cover with the interlocking foam mats that were described earlier in thread...or rubberized ones. lots of options that would work better than laminate

Zach was talking up krav maga...but really I personally feel that is something one should learn at a bit older age for two reasons: 1. It's short...many places around here that seem quality say that one can learn krav maga in 6 months max. 2. It's very violent in a dirty combat way. I have no trouble with that as one needs to do what one needs to do in such situations...but a 13 year old does not need to be thinking about eye gouging imho. My son wants to go into some sort of law enforcement. CIA/FBI/Detective/Police/...heck we even discussed customs agent. (that's my vote...we live 10 minutes from O'Hare airport...they make really good money...he gets a gun that he likely will never have to use) Good news is that all of them require the same exact degree to dramatically increase your odds of getting the job. Bachelors in criminal justice. So Ju Jitsu to me seems a logical progression from karate. Which of course is not to say that he will not go back to karate at one point...I just want my son to be very well rounded. He's got a knack for the martial arts...why not?

If that guilt you into doing stuff for free bit works... I am going to try and guilt the tire guy into giving me new tires!!! Certainly an auto mechanic does car repair for the honor and joy of being an auto mechanic!

I loathe the idea that one is obligated to give without requiring something in return. Effort is not payment enough. Effort does not pay mortgages. Effort does not feed families. If you feel that a martial artist or any human being for that matter do not deserve payment for their knowledge/effort...you believe them to be a slave. I am a art director by trade. I cannot possibly tell you how many times family and friends have hit me up for a logo or a website or to doctor a photograph for them. Because it is art based I am supposed to do it for the love of the art I assume? It's insulting...and yet I have done it several times for family....because they are family. Still was insulted all the same though. You get what you pay for. Pay for nothing..you deserve...nothing.

Well if you have read my posts you know I have been a dedicated karate dad to my son Zach. Anyhoot...I have a good friend who is twelve years deep into JKD and also a personal trainer as well. Long story short...I make websites...he needed a website...viola. Been fun learning some basic JKD while getting a bit more fit...and my friend (who has done a few training sessions with my son and seen his videos) wants my son to consider a discipline outside of karate. Not JKD per se but Jiu Jitsu or boxing. (My friend has done a good bit of MMA at a fairly high level and is not a fan of the sport karate) Zach has the AKA Grands in January but after that we might just enroll him in a Jiu Jitsu class for a year or two. Do not know if he'll stay on karate national team or not...but I kinda feel that he needs the change of pace/goal just to keep the entire MA journey fresh and exciting for him. Anyone ever do something similar? Thoughts? Ideas?

He is doing sword sparring and regular sparring in a upcoming local. I'm excited as it was his call and a spur of the moment idea to add sword. He does fairly well in practice/class with it...so it'll be interesting to see that in a competition.

Are you coming skullsplitter? Bringing any young fighters with ya? What divisions? I'd gladly say hi and mine you for nuggets of knowledge if you had the time...

12-13 short AA Idk about team as the 14-15 year old is single A. I guess it will depend on who does the 16-17 spot

Hopefully he did. I think that he did...but I'll know in how he handles AKA Grands. I expect the competition there to be as good or even better as the American midwest has a lot of the good fighters in the country imho. Plus a lot more people would be willing to take a mini vacation in Chicago than would in Minneapolis perhaps. As far as contact goes...it was a lot in the next fight. But...Zach didn't have to get hit. So a lot of that is always on the person taking the shots.

I will pass on the words to zach...thx. He has a small local tournament in November and then another big one (Aka grands) in January so there's more Fun right around the corner!

Congrats!!!! 50 years!!!!

My son will be trying this for the first time at AKA Grands... Have you guys done any more since this thread was started?

There is contact. There will be injuries eventually. As a 12 year old boxer I gave a few bloody noses...but never thought I was close to knocking someone out. Now on the flip side I was actually very close to being knocked out once...but thankfully the other fighter was unaware of how much damage I sustained. Basically I got hit with a hook and my vision tunneled and went kind of grey...felt like I was in a kind of grey jello...and everything felt fuzzy. Then from the dead center of my vision the world returned to color...and that color sphere expanded outwards until everything was normal again. If it makes you feel better...I do not remember it being painful. Opposite really...everything was deadened. It's more painful to get hit and not be close to getting knocked out imho. Nose shots especially smart. The point of all that rambling is this...what happened to him....WILL happen to you. You could be the next Bruce Lee...it WILL still happen to you. Nobody is immune from damage. N O B O D Y. Sounds like he took it very well. No shame, drama, name calling that some immature fighters might display in the same circumstance. He taught you a lesson imho. Learn from his lesson. WHEN it happens to you...be like him.