tommarker

That's the problem with first impressions, you only get to make one.

Are you speaking from experience?

i've heard good things about the Cold Steel waxwood cane, as well.

I watched a guy do 5, in a "Korean Tigers" sort of demo. I think he missed the end one, and the boards were what I'd call "kiddie boards" but the technique was pretty interesting.

That is a beautiful drive.

Yeah, but I'm young and single (for a bit longer) with money to burn!! You have no idea how many times I've considered buying a lathe in the last few years

Heed the voice of experience, lest it laugh at you later

"Core" Strength, as it is commonly referred to, is important for good living, not just martial arts. Consider that most people at some point in their lives endure lower back pain, and how little most people do to remedy it.

Ramy!!! Can I get an "AMEN!"

Broken little toe from kumite, and a sprained ankle (freak jump kick accident)

I too grow weary of the "McDojo" alarm going off. At times it seems that: McDojo = "Any school that does even the most minute thing differently than mine." Remember in high school when there had to be SOMETHING wrong with the people who dress differently, listen to different music, enjoy school, hate school, etc? (I had something here, but I decided it would hit too close to home for 50% of the board. Nevermind)

I'm not going to debate whether doing so is right or wrong, just being my usual pessimistic self. Look at the Chinese martial arts community. There are still plenty of masters out there who ain't talking. And I don't mean just to us white folk, but some of these family styles are secret for very traditional reasons. Just because we live in a relatively peaceful time doesn't mean that everyone is willing to give away survival secrets that have been handed down for generations. I imagine many Native Americans feel the same way. And yes, there's probably also a certain amount of European settler resentment as well. Also realize that Native Americans have spent generations trying to overcome the "Savage Red Man" stereotype and that teaching "secret scalping techniques of the Cherokee" isn't going to do much for that image. Yes, yes, yes there's more to martial arts than that. You know it, I know it, they know it. But the general public doesn't. I'm sorry you had a bad experience while learning Native American culture. There's a lot of people out there who (right or wrong) have a chip on their shoulder. Be patient and sincere, and you will learn what you want to learn.

I would imagine that those who know it keep it to themselves, family members, and a select few others. Personally, I don't blame them any more than I'd blame those who would "sell out" and teach it openly. The idea of learning such a thing indoors in an urban environment seems almost bizarre to me though.

Our Tang Soo Do association has official forms for the: Bong (Staff) Dangum (Dagger) Janggum (Sword) Jipangi (Cane)

My digital photography skill doesn't do the maker justice. The detail level is excellent. http://wackett.enc.org/~tmarker/sdf/nunchaku1.jpg http://wackett.enc.org/~tmarker/sdf/nunchakucase.jpg

The nunchaku were $65.00 (cocobolo is not a cheap wood, and other woods will cost more/less) The custom leather case was $40.00

For single board breaks, breaking is 99% mental. It seems intimidating, but it's really just getting over your own mental hesitation and unleashing your physical power. Most people posess enough upperbody strength to cut through a board like hot butter. It's just a matter of convincing yourself that this is true. This is one of the few reasons I believe breaking to be beneficial. It's also a reason to be wary, since it can build false confidence.

Koreantiger81, It sounds like you need a challenge of some sort, something to keep you interested. I disagree though that once you hit black belt you stop learning new techniques. Sure, you've been taught just about every kick possible, etc. After all, the body only moves in so many ways. But the applications of these movements is almost infinite. Rather than starting another art or crosstraining, why not look deeper at a specific aspect of TKD and improve your understanding (and your students) along the way? For example, TKD is stereotypically a "long range" art. How would you train differently to fight at much much closer range? Sure there might be some grappling involved, and you may want to start learning some hapkido or shuai chiao to supplement what you are working on, but I think TKD has a lot of potential in this area. Have you ever experimented with flexible weapons? Learning to use the bullwhip can be an eye opening experience when you see just how versatile it really is. I'm not against crosstraining or learning other arts, but I am against it just for the sake of "learning new techniques." You're a 4th Dan, and with that level of training, you have seen a lot of different things, and should be able to integrate new ideas into your own system, make it your own, and pass it on to others. Look beyond the rank requirements listed and find something that you can really be an EXPERT on. Something that when people in your association talk about it they say "if you really want to learn more about X, you should talk to KoreanTiger81." On the flip side, maybe you just need a vacation. Go out to the mountains, travel out west, see the world from another perspective. Good luck, friend. Tom

Should you decide to search for sai on ebay, you will find a lot of other crap you're not interested in. Try using the following search term: "sai -baba -incense -fong -Yue" you'll see plenty of sai there which are exactly the same as those sold by century and awma, except you are seeing the wholesale price

They are probably all stamped out of the same sweatshop, yes. It's just a matter of whether you get cheap black leather or cheap brown leather handles Seriously, they are charging almost $50.00, and it's almost certainly because the movie Daredevil made them so popular If you're already using a dojo brand, save your money and get something that will last a long time and that you'll be proud to use.

Today I received in the mail what will probably be the last pair of nunchaku I ever by for myself (unless I find someone selling a pair of Monadnock Police Nunchaku, but that's another story.) I bought a pair of custom made nunchaku from Crane Mountain. They are flat out beatiful. 12" Cocobolo, octagonal, with brass inserts and nicely strung. The grain lines are great, the weight is perfect, and they have that cinnamon-like smell you get with cocobolo. They also have a nice cloth-lined leather case. The AWMA and Century nunchaku, IMHO, have really gone downhill lately in terms of quality. Now it's all lightweight hollow sounding crap. I mean, sure they are $6, and you get what you pay for... I had one pair that i bought about 6 years ago that were perfect, but someone walked away with them in the last year at a clinic. I gave up on finding a good replacement. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for custom kobudo weapons, to check these guys out: http://www.crane-mountain.com/

slow down?

do you already own a pair of sai? If so, I say tolerate them for a few more months and save up for a pair of Shureido sai. Trust me, there is a difference in the feel, quality, and balance.

Good luck. Above all else, show how much you want to be there. I hate watching people who are just going through things as if they don't care.

I am Texas ignorant... how far away is Plano from Dallas/Ft Worth?