ninjanurse

Old Shotokan Style: White embroidery for shodan, gold for nidan and up-no stripes. Current TKD school: New stripe for each confirmed Dan rank (each Dan is broken down into novice, intermediate, and advanced so you get a new belt every 4th test)

Yes, anyone.

I'm sure you'll do fine. Good luck!

"Pull" IS an integral part of the technique not just a by-product and proper balance between the two maximizes power. The physics of impact is irrelevant in regards to the generation of the technique-in my opinion it is only a result of one action and the beginning of another. In addition, a proper stance utilizes "push" and "pull" of many large and small muscle groups to maintain balance on impact. Even the act of breathing demonstrates this principle of "equal & opposite" reaction and implies an integration of systems that creates balance and effects change.

TKD McGee, I agree with your instructor...up to a point. It takes several years and many hours of daily stretching and training to achieve and maintain the flexibility needed to kick with full power at a moments notice. Therefore, in theory, a student should have achieved this level by the time they take their BB test. To expect a beginner or intermediate student to kick "cold' is not practical in todays dojo but to expect an advanced student to do so part of your obligation to teach them true self-defense and encourage self-discipline. You as an instructor are obligated to know your students true limits as well as thier perceived limits and push them to grow in those areas both physically and mentally.

All good advice...may I add just one point? The height of your kick is dictated by the height of your chamber, i.e, you will kick as high as your knee is pointed-so the goal is to develop the muscle strength and flexibility needed to chamber the kick as well as execute it. Dynamic stretching is the key to this development and there are many good articles on the net about this. Simply stated, you must stretch while in full extension and contraction thereby isometrically working the proper muscle groups for each chamber and subsequent kick.

My vote is for traditional jujitsu. No muss, no fuss...gets straight to the point! A good compliment to anyones self-defense repitoire.

It also helps to bring your brain along with you.

Every action has an opposite and equal reaction. It is a matter of physics really. The left hip "pushes" while the right hip "pulls", and vice versa. While this is a very simplified explanation it should create a mental picture for you.

DMD! "always a white belt and never a black belt" : a very nice piece of philosophy!

Alas, at my current school, the master instructor (who is Chinese) is so intent on being "american" that hardly any Korean is used in class . I'm not complaining about his patriotism but I do miss the language. I do occasionally bark out something in Korean while I'm teaching so I use it as a lesson in history. I'm all for tradition and "old skool" !

White: Basic Form Orange: Taeguek ll Jang Yellow: Taueguek Ee Jang Green: Taeguek Sam Jang Purple: Taeguek Sar Jang Blue: Taeguek O Jang Brown: Taeguek Yuk Jang Red: Taeguek Chil Jang/ Koon Shu 1 (bo) Sr. Red: Taeguek Pal Jang/ Lien Bu Chuen 1st Degree Black: Koryo/Kuem Gang/Koon Shu 2(bo)/Pao Chuen 2nd DegreeBlack: Taebaek/Loong Fu Chuen/Kung Li Chuen 3rd Degree Black: Pyong Won Junior Ranks (under 12) have an additional belt (sr. Brown) and all forms are one behind until that level :

Generally speaking, once you reach 3rd dan, the emphasis is on personal development of your art and self, i.e., teaching skills and accomplishments, development of new combinations and self defense techniques utilizing previous curriculum, research and article submmission, promotion of your style, and of course continuing your quest for the perfect punch. Some systems add forms and elements of other styles at this level but remember that there is always room for improvement.

This certainly is a subject that has many angles to it. Personally, I feel that hard work and dedication are the only ways to achieve mastery over the ego and learn the humility that a true "master" possesses. To simply be a prodigy (in the physical sense) does not allow for this kind of character development. On the other hand, there are those martial artists out there (and I have met a few in my travels) that have a special ability to acheive this level seemingly without effort. There is an "understanding" that martial artists come to in their journey and maybe some sooner than others but I still believe that it is the effort and dedication that separates the true masters from the rest of the crowd-regardless of age. Who are we to say what is in a mans (or womens) heart?

Welcome!!!

All dojangs have their good and bad, just as we all have our own likes and dislikes-it truely is subjective. I hesitate to use the term "bad" as you can always find the good in a bad situation and use it to your advantage, hence I can say that there are things that I can use to my advantage where I train.

HA HA KSN!! Your eveil plan is as mine....I have a daughter who is 5' tall and weighs 87 pounds. She is 16 years old and a BB in TKD. Although she has never been in a fight at school and is a sweet person, the bullies at school are afraid of her and do not mess with her or her friends because "she knows karate". She and I think it is amusing as we know it is not her physical skills that matter but the kind of person she is. Ah, the ignorance of the general public is to our advantage!

Having been through many styles and many curriculum changes I can say that some are good and some are not. This is not to say however that change isn't good. Change is good. It is what keeps us growing.

My thoughts exacly Shorinryu. A good sensei should be looking at the person in addition to the techniques required for each belt level...they know a good student when they see one regardless of what he/she thinks about themself.

Desire. All the rest can be developed as long as the student has a true desire to learn.

You hit it right on the head!

At this risk of stirring the pot (although that is not my intention here) I have a few thoughts on this matter which all come from deeply personal experience. As a health care professional (sounds official huh!) I have talked to and treated all sorts of people with varying physical and mental health problems, and I have family members with varying physical and mental health issues as well. The one thing that I have learned after all these years is that you can't make people accountable for their own health-it DOES have to be a personal choice. This is not to say that all people have the control over their lives to do so or that simply being accountable for their health will cure them, but, we all have the capacity to take control of our lives and do what ever is necessary to help our bodies become healthy-even if that means we choose to take medicine to help us do that or seek counseling to overcome whatever barriers we have to doing so. To go along with this...some people choose to be unhealthy and their lifestyles create disease within their bodies which they then have no control over what-so-ever. In many cases, once the damage is done...it's done! In addition, taking a back-seat when it comes to healthcare seems to be a disturbing trend in our society which creates stereotypes that wrongly categorize those that choose to be healthy and struggle with physical and mental illness. And lastly, not everyone has attained that level of self-awareness (as defined by Maslow's Heierarcy of needs) that allows them to realize that it is they who are in control of their own destiny.

I am in the Finger Lakes between Penn Yan and Watkins Glen. I was not raised here though, only transplanted 5 years ago...originally I am from the West Coast. Presently I train in Penn Yan and Canandaigua.

Alas...back in the good old days we thought kicking the heavy bag for hours was the only way to train. Now we all have arthritis in our hips and knees and eat ibuprofen like candy! Listen to the advice given here young Grasshopper....be kind to your legs now or you will pay later!! Dynamic stretching is the key to strengthening and lengthening the muscles, ligaments, and tendons used in kicking. There are several good articles on the internet about this that are well worth the time to read.