ninjanurse

I favor the Kama but I do like the Naginata which was not on the poll.

3 Ninjas!!!!!! Great movies-I think there are 3 now. Ernie Reyes Jr was in Red Sonja when he was abaout 8 years old-very good movie!

Laurie-It's OK to disagree. We just have different reference points that we are looking from. I think Master Kuek is being true to HIS precepts-especially "Have faith in your art and trust your instructors"-and that makes him closeminded. It depends on what you are looking for. I am happy that you realised now that you and him have different goals for yourself-it would have really sucked for you later .

Good advice Sai!

Since I was fortunate to learn bunkai along with each form I pass it along to my students after they have learned the pattern. It is especially useful when students are having a hard time understanding the movements and techniques-helps them to visualize wht they are doing. For higher ranking belts I make them tell me what the bunkai of a new form is, and sometimes have them make up a pattern of techniques with bunkai in pairs or groups. Overall I see a big difference in those who understand bunkai and those who don't-the difference between going through the motions and owning it.

Have you tried jamming inside, punch to midsection, pop out with a frontkick?

duck!

I was moved by the coverage of the event. I felt great pride in knowing that we had a hand in liberating the Iraqi's. As a veteran I can understand the actions of the soldier in placing the Stars and Stripes on the statue-even if only for a few moments. They earned it! Many of their friends died on their way to Baghdad. I also found it quite moving to see many Iraqi's carrying American Flags and waiving them to the cameras.

The minimum amount of force necessary to achieve your goal...

I have had a few over the years...don't have many complaints about any of them. I learned many things from each one. Judo: Had a female sensei who was very patient and loved to get right in there with the students. She made classes fun. Unfortunately she left only after a few months and I changed to TSD. TSD: Posssibly the greatest influence on me as a martial artist. He instilled a love of kata and lit my fire for martial arts. A large, quiet, and patient man who demanded discipline but never raised his voice. MDK: I only spent a few months with this school while I was in town for a summer. The instructor was tall and quiet...didn't talk much but his classes were fast paced and never boring. Shotokan: My sensei was a soft-spoken Hawaiian who spoke pigeon english and never frowned. He smiled all the time-even when he was chewing you out! This man instilled in me a belief that I could do anything I put my mind to and saw the Black Belt in me that I did not. He had great faith in his art and his students and I think that my teaching style was greatly influenced by him. He is a truly humble man. TKD: I have had 2 head instructors in the same school, and of course the master instructors who in my opionion are two of the greatest men I have ever met. Soft spoken and motivated to help all students in their association acheive their true potential in life as well as martial arts. My jouney to Black Belt in their system was a journey that has shaped my life and made me the person I am today. All of them stressed attention to detail in everything...only one of them ever yelled in class. They all talked the talk and walked the walk! JuJitsu: Soft spoken and patient. Always spoke well of others and often invited other Sensei's from different styles to share their knowledge with class. He always encouraged students to push themselves past their fears without making them feel embarrassed or stupid. TKD: Only been with this school for a month so don't have any definite opinions, just observations. The chief instructor is patient and reserved, very big on basics. The master instructor is soft-spoken and very traditional in his manner and speech. He seems to have a vision of where he wants his schools to go and I reckon he'll get there. He is patient and corrects as needed. After reading this I see that two things stand out that all of my past and present teachers shared...PATIENCE and a love of their art.

Welcome to the forums. I have enjoyed your posts!!!

Punk and alternative-mostly grunge.

How is this an argument against Judo because it is a sport and jujitsu is not? It is merely a statement regarding philosophy and has nothing to do with traditional versus sport. Could it be you are feeling defensive for some reason and are reading something into my statement that is not there? No offense is or was intended.

Besides "a standard curriculum",what else does he offer his students, i.e., thequality of instruction? What kind of martial artists has this guy produced? Are other students happpy? You may find that the school has A LOT more to offer than you think (not considering economics). I agree that you must stay within your means though so if $70 per month is too much for you look elsewhere. Some schools offer scholarships or give you a break if you help out around the school-it doesn't hurt to ask. I myself have paid over $100/month to train but it was worth every penny! The knowledge that I gained is priceless! And...I'd pay it all over again if I had to!

Good post Karate Woman. I agree-we aren't all wusses!!!!

WAAAAAASSSSS UUUUUUUPPPPPPPP! Welcome!!

Welcome!!!!!!

Other than kidding around (which I never take seriously) I have never run into any problems being a woman and never would have even thought of it as a problem if it hadn't been for this forum. You'll get respect if you earn it no matter what you sex is! In my opinion men who complain about being paired with a woman are very small minded and have not developed the maturity it takes to earn that respect.

Sparring drills help beginners with timing and speed..they can be changed and added to as you advance in skill. Repitition is the mother of skill!

Old TKD school: foam feet, hands, head, mouthguard, chest protector, cup for guys New TKD school: cloth shin/instep, forearm guards, head, mouthguard, chest protector, cups for guys and girls Black belts often spar without chest protectors when conducting classes or during tests.

Interested in mental training of Shotokan? Read Gichin Funakoshi's works.

In my experience (after 4 kids-all by c-section) you should let your body be the guide. I returned to training 6 weeks after and never had any problems. You may have just coincidentaly injured your ankle.

Contact that breaks bones is full contact. Now the question is..were they instructed to go full contact or was there lack of control either by the participants or the instructor running the class or both?

Usually hips and shoulders move together, inline with each other...but this is only my experience with boxing, not a professional statement.

Watch how the instructor intereacts with the students. Does he/she just stand up there and "bark orders" or do they go hands on and physically correct mistakes and demonstrate applications of techniques? If it is a childrens class is there a positive learning enviroment and are the kids having fun? How many classes does he/she teach per week? Sometimes you can get stuck with a different instructor than the one you thought you were going to have.