delta1

"My style (any style) can beat your style (any other style)." Corallary: "my dad (Grand Poobah) can beat your dad (GM). "I'm the baddest thing behind a keyboard anywhere!" "Martial arts are only good for (fighting, health, self developement,...)." "Everyone should wake up and study the same style as me, you all learn martial arts for the same reasons I do, I am the way and you should follow my lead." "Grapplers can't strike." "Strikers can't keep it vertical if their opponent wants it horizontal." "The best fighter will win." And my favorite: "Just run away!"

Smart gal! 'Bout says it right! MA related: hamstring torn from knee to butt, loose teeth (once right after spending the better part of the afternoon in the dentist chair), knocked out and posssible concussion. Most of the rest were minor cuts, bruises, scrapes, jams, hyperextensions, ...

Being pumped up has nothing to do with qi. And music is generally a distraction when learning to channel energy. But if you must have noise to work out with, it should be calm, gentle, subtle for qi development. However, for a good killer workout... !!!!!

There are a lot of types of sparing, and all are bennificial in developing fighting skills. Sparing with hard contact is crucial to developing fighting skills, but every session doesn't have to be that way. And fighting full contact, without protection or some rules for safety, is not a good idea. The only way to learn to fight is to occasionally fight, but no one needs to learn how to get injured!

Some good points, and I agree with you as far as it goes. In AK we call this principle of all body motion going the same direction "Directional Harmony", and it is important. It is also important that your direction and structure has proper alignment. And of course timeing in every phase of your technique is critical. But consider this as another advantage to moving from the waist- your upper and lower body can move in opposite directions when necessary and still maintain structure, harmony and timeing, and power. Example: you right crane either the head, or outside and right crane his right upper arm, pulling your opponent down toward you as you deliver a right upward knee strike. The lower body strike is forward while the upper body rotation and pull is backward, in the opposite direction. This move has a lot of torque, which is a major power principle. It can make use of his forward momentum, which borrows his force to add to your strike. It also makes use of what we'd call opposing forces (we use the term a little differently), two forces going in opposite directions which enhance the power of each other. The main point here is that, if you move from the hips, with your waist and upper body rigidly locked into place, this type of movement is not possible. (edit: I have seen it done many times this way, but the practitioner must lean, which destroys ballance, and all power for the pull is in the arm. This uses opposing forces as Sauzin defines it- the motions fight each other instead of enhancing. Moving from the hips, I doubt this kind of move would work outside the dojo.) So moving from the waist not only keeps the body connected, it gives you a lot more versatility in useing the entire body to generate power. Moving from the waist is also a critical component of ballance- it helps you to not have to throw your body into a technique, instead allowing you to move into the technique with the same force but without over commiting . Your weight transfers evenly and smoothly, allowing you to maintain posture and alignment.

Here's what someone on another forum, where I lurk from time to time, wrote about good instructors: Just another interesting viewpoint.

Obviously, since sensei means "good teacher", a sensei must be...a good teacher! You guys have all listed some really good qualities and concepts for a good teacher. But in my mind, there is one thing that sets a really good teacher apart from the others who share these qualities. That is an overriding desire to give his students the tools necessary to be better than he is. Humility is a necessary attribute if the good instructor has this desire. So is a belief in what you are teaching- that it is right and bennificial. It implies that the students are his primary focus. It does not mean making them a clone of yourself, but setting them on the proper path. It doesn't mean that you make someone great, but that you give him the tools to become great. It means you sometimes let go, encourage them to learn from other sources when appropriate. It really means you forget the ego and the politics, get your butt on the matt and teach!

Some good points (except that I don't know how Shotokan teaches power generation). Most of the problems I've seen with using the hips for power generation is concentrating on moving from the hips. Turning the hips gives alignment and structure, and helps transfer power up from the legs. But movement should come from the waist, not the hips. The waist connects heaven and earth (upper and lower parts of the body) and all movement should originate in the waist, even in the external arts. The hips (and everything else) should follow the waist. I've heard several martial artists talk about moving from the tan tien, then watched them initiate their movement at the hips. This is a disconnect, which robs power no matter what style you are doing. If movement originates at the waist, shoulders and hips will move at the same time. Your stance and strike can solidify at the same time (in external styles) and you hit with the whole body, not just the arm.

A) how much do you pay monthly/per session? The TKD school I just signed on with is $30.00/mo. 2 classes/wk. and they work other skills as well. B) how much do you pay for advancing to new belts? Nothing. Testing, certificate, and the belt are covered in the monthly fee. C)Cost of 1stDan and above? I just went to a black belt test. A friend was testing in their system. The cost was the same- nothing. But they also do Modern Arnis, and if you want to go for advanced rank in that system it can get a little expensive. You not only have to pay for the test, you have to attend seminars to even qualify. But you can just learn it and not test. They don't test for the aiki and grappling, except where it occurs in the regular TKD (non traditional, obviously) test. In close fighting, grappling skills, flow (from the Arnis), and reasonable rates. I have to ask myself, is this really TKD?

Shorinryu Sensei, there is another possibility. Any one fool enough to be doing martial arts at fifty (and that includes me ) probably has led a lifestyle that included a lot of other things that might get you hurt. He could be dealing with old injuries, and they may or may not be apparent. One that he might not even be aware of is myofacial binding, which occurs with ANY trauma and is accumulative over your lifetime. It makes it physically impossible to relax. It can be treated by a good physical therapist that has been trained to treat it, but it is a litle expensive and can be very painful. But the health bennifits to getting this treated if it is a problem (every one has it to some extent) are incalculable. Just a thought.

Any time you manage to pin or hold your opponents head to the ground, face down or otherwise, you completely control him. I think you'd win.

Relaxation exercises and meditation might help. Basically, sit, stand,or recline. Try to clear your mind, then concentrate on different areas of your body and relax them. Alternately tense and relax your body so you get a feel for the difference. Inventory your body in detail, concentrate on both large and small muscle groups and relax them. Look for areas that hold tension. Relaxation works best when you allow it to happen, as opposed to forcing it. When you do these exercises, focus on breathing. Exhale and settle as you relax. Then, when you find yourself tense in a situation, exhale and settle and that will trigger the relaxation. It will take time and work, but he should get it. If that fails, get him drunk!

Keeping them seperate isn't a problem. To put them together, you will need to focus on and get a good understanding of the principles each uses. Learn to use principles instead of just moves, and it will come togethr. I've put Taiji and TKD together, just to prove a point to a friend. You can't get much different than that.

I suppose it can, especially if you "throw" your body parts into a technique. But it doesn't have to, and won't if you do it right. Are you saying Shorinyu Kempo doesn't square the hips in some moves or techniques, or just that you don't throw them? Those two seem to be key to most styles. But please, tell me you aren't one of those instructors who stands with his mouth next to a students ear and screams "Relax!!! You motherless... ," You just gotta love those guys!

It all fits together. The seeds of any principle are in any one other principle, and they all work together, though one usually is more in evidence at a particular time.

In American Kenpo, there are three primary methods of power generation: *Torque- any twisting motion of the body as you strike or move. *Backup Mass- proper alignment and momentum; getting your body behind the strike or move. *Mariage of Gravity- any time there is a settling or downward component to a strike or move. There are many concepts that also contribute to power; speed, hips, useing stance changes, bringing all components of a move together at the moment of impact, borrowed force, opposing forces, ... there is a long list. But all are used in conjunction with and to enhance or make possible one or more of the three major principles. In Taiji, of course, we make qi balls and throw them at our opponent! (Sorry, but I didn't think anybody would take me seriousely if I started talking about keeping channels of qi open, useing constant motion as opposed to static moves, rooting, kingship, etc.) I'll let you know after I do TKD as an actual practitioner for a while- ask again in about a year. What I've seen so far, they like to put a lot of hip onto moves. A lot of opposing forces (chamber one as the other strikes). Their self defenses use stance changes well. Actually, I think most of the power principles and concepts of AK can be found, or used, in TKD- especially when useing their fighting stance (which is somewhere between the AK neutral bow and a basic Hapkido stance). Modern Arnis- sticks and blades. What more can you say than that? Good topic, by the way!

In that case, I vote:

Aside from the good technical advice you've gotten here, you have to committ- both mentally and physically. Mentally is the most important, since without it the physical isn't likely to occur. It is commitment, the intention to do a thing, that gives momentum, enhances form, and allows you to bring all the technical details together. Commitment is essential to overcomeing hesitation and aprehension, both of which will destroy any technique. Another, seperate aspect of commitment is that, if you do make a mistake, that attitude encourages you to correct yourself and do it better next time. It's an attitude that both helps you throw yourself into the task physically, and encourages determination to do it and improve on it.

I had my own business for a while (not martial artsrelated). One of the things I found was that you can treat competition either as an enemy, or as a minor partner. The gurus of marketing say that the average person has to be hit with about five to seven ads before they get the message and start to think it might be a good idea to get a particular product or service. So you can look at the competitions flyers as free advertiseing for your own service. If the fifth time a prospect is hit with an add he happens to be right next door to you, you might just get a walk-in that someone else paid for. I wouldn't get too upset about a competitors flyers being in the same mall. Beter there where people can see a similar option close to where they do business any how than across town. I'd encourage other martial arts schools to leave as many flyers as close to you as possible.

I don't think the body weight of the practitioner has much to do with the size of the bag. I look at it more as what I want to get out of the workout. A heavier bag obviously gives you more resistance, but a lighter bag will give more of a moving target, changing both position and angle as it bounces and moves away from your strikes, then swings back at you. One gives more of a power workout, the other works dynamic angular relationships. Another thing to consider besides weight is dimensions. The standard bag offers more compact resistance, while the longer Muy Thai bag offers a longer target area and will give more with a hard strike.

Actually, that is probably your best option, for a lot of reasons. One, it sounds like the least intrusive on your family overall. Two, you can put it where you want it, and if you make a freestanding device, you can even move it. (Frees up space, and prevents killing the grass in one area.) But most important, you can hang it how you want it hung. Examples: Hung on a pulley system on cable stretched tightly between two stout poles. This allows the bag to move along the cable as you strike it, adding a new dimension to your workout. Further, it can be rigged to be controled by training partners to move randomly. You can also rig it to function as a stationary bag for the standard bag workout. When the bag is in the middle section of the run, the bounce gives still another variable to deal with. My own bag is mounted in my garage. I used a bent steel pipe, mounted on a grouted pedistal and anchored to a reinforced wall by U bolts so that it swings. It can be locked in place by cables and quick disconnect clips, or allowed to traverse while I work out. I use a fifty pound bag so that I get a lot of bounce and swing as I hit it any way, plus the traverse. Or I can lock the arm in place and rig the bag as a double end bag. Another advantage, since this is my garage/shop, is I can swing it against the wall and anchor it there to free up floor space. I can also detatch the bag and hang other training apparatus if I want. Really, if you are doing it yourself, your immagination is the limmit. Finances may be a factor, but you can often scrounge the materials you need. Almost everything I used to install mine was either scrounged or surplus (you know, those things you held on to for years because they might be useful one day? The day has arrived!). Good luck with your project, and let us know how it goes.

The school I just signed on with is a Freestyle TKD school. It is TKD based, but non traditional. Forms are the traditional forms- Tan Gun, Chon Gi, Yul Guk, et al. But some of the one steps have been droped or changed, others added. Another wrinkle they add is to do the one steps both from a challenge, then from a moving, resisting opponent. You are encouraged to change things as necessary, but stay with the original form of the move. You'e also required to combine moves to make a useable and effective technique. Same thing with their self defenses. They also incorporate ideas and moves from other styles, and encourage experience in other styles. They teach Modern Arnis as a second art, and integrate it into TKD to teach flow, as well as the moves. They also teach elements of Aikijutsu and grappling. The system is in parts of Central and Eastern WA, but I don't think it has spread any further. The founder of the system is sort of a local legend. He doesn't recomend this, but he learned his art by going into biker bars in the 60's and 70's and trying it out to see what really worked. I've talked with some of my seniors in AK, and they knew and trained with him. He's a very respected martial artist by them, as well as with most of the martial artists in this region, though they agree he used to be a little wild and crazy!

Thanks to all of you for the info so far. kt81, I assume by 'short' you mean your own height is lowered? What you describe sounds a lot like the yielding in many CMA's. Better watch out, you'll give TKD a rep as a 'soft' art! Actually, I've worked out enough with variouse TKD fighters that I think you can insert or even convert some soft moves in the system. If I didn't think that, I would not have signed up with a TKD class. But I have to admit, sometimes it will be a challenge. Fortunately, the instructors at this school agree with me. They've often picked my brain about Kenpo because it so successfully combines hard and soft. They also train Modern Arnis to add flow, which requires soft applications. And I really enjoy the FMA's. I'm looking forward to this experience.

As allways, we have to lok at the whole picture when we ask these questions. Immagine fighting in a very cold environment, where you are both dressed in heavy, bulky clothing. Ever see those pictues of Chinese troops in winter in the Korean 'Conflict'? Try throwing a good straight punch dressed like that. You couldn't get your elbow close to your side with straps, let alone keep it there through the early motion of a proper straight punch. But the large, looping strikes with plenty of body rotation are just the thing for effective fighting in this situation.

Yeah, that would be great. But unfortunately I've worked out with these guys for about 4 yrs now, so they know me. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide! I mean, I helped some of them prep for their black belt test. Now they'll be large and in charge. I may live to regret this . I went to a black belt test tonight (one of the guys I work out with), and one of the testers was a guy that I'd paired up with at a seminar about three years ago. It was an Aikijutsu seminar, so every one was just peacefully throwing each other, gently applying joint locks, all very calm and minimal effort stuff. We decided to see if this stuff would really work, as in against a full force assault. Not too surpriseing, it didn't work all that well, since neither of us had done much of this before. But once combat was joined, we both reverted to what we knew, and ended up plowing through a whole roomfull of very peacful and surprised martial artists, and I ended up stacked on my shoulders against the mirrors on the other side of the room. In a rural/semi-rural environment, all the martial artists tend to know each other. We also generally have a few stories to tell on each other as well.