ninjanurse

Hi Liam! Sounds like you have the right idea. She should look at the dojos around and then think about what she's looking for. Most reputable schools will let you watch a class and may even let you try one. Of course, this forum is always a good place to talk to practioners of various styles and she should log on and start asking questions! Good luck to the both of you!

My guess is that you did not hurt her or you would remember exactly what kick it was. Being aware of your intesity and power are part of learning control and most martial artists would kick themselves in the butt for losing it (control) in a class sparring situation-escpecially in TKD where precision is the everything. Also, lower ranking or less experienced students learn better when they are challenged and/or get hit in the head a few times so I say go for it as long as you have the control! Even BB's can benefit from getting nailed once in a while...it keeps them on their toes, especially when it is a lower ranking student that does it. In her case I think she has put her ego ahead of her training and unless she changes that she will fall behind the learning curve. Maybe this could be an opportunity to help someone grow. Besides, maybe she won't be so cocky in class now !

I disagree here. I realize that you are making the assumption that Solar Kid has been allowed to "get away" with substandard performance but I do not think his sensei would act any differently otherwise when preparing a student for a test. Students can't be spoonfed. There has to be an expectation that they must practice and discover some things on their own. A pregrading evaluation is to identify a students weak areas and show him how to improve, not to hurry up and fix shoddy performance so the instructor looks good. I do agree, if is this is in fact the case, that it smells of French fries and he should re-evaluate the program.

The question posed here was about jump side kick not jump kicks in general. I agree that certain jumpng techniques can be practical and useful in a fight or sparring match. I use them all the time and usually they are quite effective-from a sparring standpoint. In a real fight I would have to say I might be a bit more selective about when to use them.

IMO there doesn't seem to be a practical application of a jump side kick in a street fight unless you are chasing after someone or entering the fight from a distance and the other guy isn't looking. It is a kick done to unbalance a horse rider (or other unsuspecting victim) or to attack someone on the other side of an obstacle (provided you can jump over it). The key to the kick is the hangtime after takeoff (the more time in the air the better) and timing (extension must coincide with the midpoint of your "flight-path". Of course accuracy is also important as with any kick but that comes with coordination of the other elements..and lots of practice.

Time to get quicker bud ! Seriously, Laurie is right. TKD stylists should be able to analyze their opponents and adjust accordingly...at the speed of light! TKD matches tend to change speed, flow, and direction very quickly and sometimes the quickest way to a point is a good old fashioned front kick!

When I studied Shotokan there were never any formal tests. Just as martialbrown said we were always being tested. I didn't even know when I was testing for my Black Belt-it just happened one day. To tell you the truth I never felt "worthy" of promotion-not to say that I didn't respect Sensei's decisions-I just felt that I could have worked a little bit harder. I think that is the key: Never be satisfied, strive for constant improvement, train hard. That's what teachers are looking for in their students and what keeps you growing as a martial artist. I know that you will do well at your test simply because you question yourself. You may not understand but you will eventually.

I haven't found a better forum out there yet! Let's hear it for another 3 1/2 years plus!!

Very nice! I recently had an "in the zone" experience at a test. It was not my first and hopefully not my last but this time it was different...and I can't explain why. I definitely went much farther into the zone than on previous occasions and it was brief....but very satisfying and exhilarating. Because of my experiences I take great joy as an instructor in helping my students achieve this level of performance as I know that it's impact on the mind and spirit is tremendous!

Welcome!!!

Welcome!!!

Welcome!!!

Pain is a great teacher....for both parties!

In a way I agree WW but I also feel that the integrity of the art must be preserved along the way. One thing that is equally important though is that those of us that are "old skool" have an obligation to our students to modify those aspects of training that have been proven to cause damage to our bodies in the long run. Modern technology and science can definitely contribute in this area. I think the Masters would agree.

Delta! I was hoping our young 13 year old would figure it out with just a few hints but alas you are as thourough and knowledgeable as usual. Besides, I was too lazy to write it all out!!!

Long-short; fast-slow; circular-straight; yin-yang; etc.... Now, look in the mirror....you are not only looking at your reflection you are looking at your opposite. All things have balance. Understand?

I agree!!!!

But it's so cute!!!

when you do headbutts,you NEVER use your forehead,it could do a lot of damage to you and also probably get you bruised or cut.Remember you have to headbutt with the top center of your head.Drive it into the nose and watch a red niagra falls. Personally, I don't recommend head-butting with the top center of your head. There are effective ways of using your head to inflict damage on your opponent that don't include cracking your skull open and getting a concussion! In addition leading with your head (such as in an attempt to head-butt a charging maniac) is never a good idea in a fight.

What is the difference between you and your reflection in the mirror? Have you serriously thought about what your teacher said? The reference could mean many different things in the martial arts so think about this in the context of your own style and sparring in particular and get back to us. Now to answer your question. When someone speaks to me of being balanced in sparring I think of a blend of hand and foot, of offense and defense, of forward motion and backward motion, of aggression and passivity, of fast versus slow, of emotion versus strategy. This kind of balance is an important part of sparring as it creates a unpredictable and ever changing game that you have control over and gives you better command of yourself. Now look in the mirror...

Hello and welcome!

Jab-cross Jab-cross-hook Jab-cross-hook-uppercut Jab-jab-hook Jab-jab-hook-knee Jab-jab-hook-knee-elbow See a pattern here? Just add till you have a drill of 3-4 techniques...do each one 3-4 times...then move on. You'll find that this is much easier for beginners to handle and advanced students should be able to refine these basics as they warm up. Good luck!

IMO the issue here is not rank. You would not be teaching TKD so you would not be acting as a BB. You would be teaching "cardio-karate" as a certified aerobics instructor and your experience in TKD will enhance your program.

Howdy!!!