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Great thread great stories!

Very helpful! Thank you !!

Congratulations !!! And I agree with Mal, cut and sew, it's the first step toward the next one!

It's hard to use Mike Tyson as a point of reference because there aren't too many individuals like him, ie very very fit and at only 5-10 a complete heavyweight. If you don't mind me asking what is the purpose of your question? Is it more about personal appearance or physical performance?

Nice

Congrats !!! Well deserved! By the way, I'm dying to know what Guird means...c'mon?!?! Pray tell?!?!?!!!

It's an interesting question that you asked. No wrong answer, just lots of good contemplation.

There are so many variables but I recommend basing your decision on the quality of the instructor and not the students. Most university dojo's have a high turnover with few students that spend a lot of time with an instructor. Just my .02

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!!

That's an interesting point. Indeed there is a difference between philosophy and style. As a student of JKD I am studying TKD as one of the many paths on my journey as a martial artist. In this regard I've studied in varying degrees - in addition to Muay Thai, BJJ, and Jun Fan which formed my base for many years - French Savate, Philipino Kali and Silat, Capoeira, and most recently TKD. Philosophically I believe, as you suggest, that one must be ready for anything and everything. I simply took issue with what I understood and believed to be your mischaracterization of TKD as something less than a martial art. Having studied a variety of arts I think incorporating TKD into my curriculum makes me stronger. At the same time, my TKD instructor is showing aspects of TKD that I never knew exist. I could see someone studying TKD for a lifetime, and nothing else, and become a well rounded and formidable martial artist in any range.

I think it's more a matter of RANGE. I have practiced a variety of arts and I can CONFIDENTLY say that TKD kicks are second to none. They are deceptive with many of the kicks starting off with similar body mechanics so they are not detectable until the last millisecond. And if executed properly can carry a devastating amount of power. Given all of that, if you are a high level TKD practitioner then why in the world would you go in punching range if you don't have to? I think many who watch TKD sparring really don't understand it, I believe the same applies to BJJ. Thank you Danielle for the article. I think it's helpful for TKD and non TKD practitioners. Very educational thank you!

SOLID !

Why? You're afraid of your enemies!! Not difficult to imagine, or to realize because confidence comforts the practitioner who has practiced diligently day in and day out. To take a journey, I must first decide to take that first step, and in taking that first step, I must decide to walk that mile, and in that, I must make a conscientious effort to put one foot in front of another, so on and so forth. That, to me, speaks about confidence in an overall viewpoint. We will fail, we will fault, we will stumble, we will fall!! But, what we do directly after that, speaks about courage and integrity. Will we get up, dust ourselves off, raise our heads, and strive forward in our moment of despair? If not, then, by all of the forces of nature, don't ever try in anything. However, if your make-up is to bolt rightward immediately after one has stubbed their toe without a pause, that too, speaks about the confidence that one's needed as a MAist. If you've practiced day in and day out with the fever that's needed to excel in any given MA, but you've not the confidence to apply what you've learned and practiced on the floor, then by all the rain that has fallen and will fall, take up some other endeavor that's more befitting to ones stature. One learns and practices for the purpose of one to defend, yet, when the chips fall, one doesn't have the confidence to execute; possibly because that unknown fear is too much to shy away from. Draw the shoulder back and strive forward effectively with what ones learnt and practiced as though their live depended on it...it just might. It just might!! Having all of the confidence in the world must be guarded so that one can, and will, avoid the negativity of all of the traps that will try to rob the MAist at the moment of truth. Cockiness and arrogance, to name just a few, should never accompany one on their journey because they rob one of what's pure and true. Confidence is just that, and it should be just that. Anything else negates everything learnt and practiced on the floor!! Mizu No Kokoro, and Tsuki No Kokoro are maxims found in many MA's. They speak about fruitful results, and not about things that are unfruitful. Mizu No Kokoro, Mind Like the Water, speaks about one keeping their minds settled, albeit, calm so much so that water, when look upon, is as though the water was like glass. The mind, like the water, is calm and undisturbed, unbendable to the forces that surround them. Tsuki No Kokoro, Mind Like the Moon, speaks about one keeping their minds clear, albeit, uncluttered so much so that the moon can be perfectly reflected off the calm water. But, like a cloudy night, a clear reflection is disturbed and prevented from perceiving clearly as it should be. Lacking either creates that pause, as a pause, defeat is birthed!! These concepts are where, for that very moment, is where effective applied knowledge is born and experienced, yet, it was birthed on the floor during practice, and given that exclamation point of confidence to study your opponent, study yourself, make a plan, and carry that plan out...no matter the outcome might or might not be. Experience, imho, only provides support to confidence; they're in concert of one another!! Experience and knowledge are things that are acquired in good time, and they're not to be rushed or mocked. Nonetheless, not placed upon a mantle as though they're more important that anything else learnt and practiced through confidence. But, imho, having the confidence to fit every single piece into their MA puzzle is needed before anything else can be. Pieces laid out meticulously and neatly before one in an orderly fashion will now need the practice in putting these pieces in their respective places, but in order to do that, having the confidence in picking up the first piece in tantamount, if not paramount to the MAist. "You will not survive the night, if you don't first have the confidence to face the darkness" ~ Dai-Soke Yoshinobu Takahashi ***warning: prepare to bob and weave! Playing devil's advocate so a sneaky overhand right is on the way! *** A solid post indeed!!! Buuuuut, PRACTICE builds CONFIDENCE, does it not? If so, why not pick practice? 'Tis the path that leads to both. No?

Totally right !!! I get the point of the question but at the same time I don't see how you can be a true martial artist without both confidence and practice. I simple can't think of a solid argument for picking one over the other. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut...if a gun was to my head and I had to pick one, I would pick PRACTICE because PRACTICE can build CONFIDENCE !

Bushido_man?

Awesome costume !!! While I don't feel qualified to correctly differentiate between a Ninja or a Samurai - I do completely agree with Krystian Tantaro "don't [mess] with this guy !!!"

Thank you for sharing!!! I could relate to many of those - except the ones requiring long hair!!!

The beautiful thing about sparring, regardless of the art that you study, is that you train how to hit AND and how to be hit. In other words, among other things you learn while sparring you condition your body to take and absorb impact. For instance, there are few things as numb to the world as the shins of a Muay Thai fighter. I know this from personal experience. In my opinion I think you train as you normally would - and if it's conditioning against strikes that you seek than I recommend increasing the frequency and intensity of your sparring - perhaps to competition level. As to drills that specifically train you for impact - I don't like them. For instance, I've seen Muay Thai guys roll glass coke bottles along their shins on a daily basis in order to reduce the sensitivity in the nerves in that area - while it might dull the pain I understand there are possible long term health risks to this type of exercise. As to a well placed shot to the liver - I've received a few of those and even at the peak of my form I can't think of anything to prepare you for it. Of course, my overall conditioning helped me on one occasion get back to my feet in time to salvage the round - this was on one occasion. On another, during a light sparring session in the school a light but perfectly placed shot to the liver brought me to my knees, and I stayed there for several minutes !!! Some things are hard to prepare for. In my humble opinion you train to be a martial artist, to endure the pain, but some pain is good, it can be a great motivator to train harder and fight smarter.

Beautiful post !

Sounds awful so sorry for your injury. There is a silver lining however, you can recover, it will be difficult, and perhaps in the long run you'll end up a better martial artist because of it. Get better and get back on the floor !!!

@guird: absolutely. There's an enormous difference between a WARRIOR's SPIRIT as opposed to a WARRIOR's MENTALITY imho. That's why I think Spartacus Maximus (see post above) hit the nail on the head. Great thread - this is a delineation that is all too often taken for granted.

Solid !!! I completely, entirely, and wholeheartedly agree!!! I think our biggest challenge today - in developed countries anyway - is overcoming complacency personally and professionally. Martial arts training develops skills and qualities that help us fight-on in a variety of ways. Great post Spartacus Maximus!!!

Great to hear !!!

Hello and welcome sir !!!

I think it's a fascinating question. In my humble opinion, and in an ideal scenario, a student chooses to train and the instructor inspires them to the point that the student wholeheartedly chooses to come back. This cycle repeats itself, relationships are forged, challenges are overcome, and through blood, sweat and tears, on any given day it is the student that's given every opportunity to inspire their instructor to teach him or her more. Does that make sense?