Alan Armstrong

Honest responses to this topic is very much appreciated. As there is a very different perspective from inside out as opposed to the outside in view; just consider the place of residence, where you live. A wrestling suplex isn't a part of the Wing Chun system, as using excessive strength isn't very beneficial against a person that is alot physically stronger than oneself; whereas speed has the element of surprise, adds power and has maneuvering benefits. Wing Chun from inside the house, is very different than the outside appearance. Inside the Wing Chun house it is very plain and simple; excluding the weaponry room. As many martial art styles are watered down Wing Chun also falls victim to this, in that small hand held knives have been dropped from the system; as Wing Chun is part of the boat culture, where knives are an integral part of it. Take away the small knives in the Wing Chun system, then speed isn't as deadly as it once was. Wing Chun is an anti martial art style, that is incomplete without small knives, not intended for competitive sports or with a sports minded mentality. Flying fingers to the eye of the opponent takes on a new sense of seriousness or danger, if the same technique is done with a small pointed hand held knife. The house of Wing Chun is on a boat unlike many martial arts that are dry land situated. This is why Wing Chun as seen today is incomplete or lacking something, Wing Chun belongs in small cramped environments, with dim lighting in small crowded places, or unstable terrain such as on ice or on a boat.

Deep hip rotators, is something that becomes less used as we age. Doctors recommend patients that have stopped using there deep hip muscles to take up practicing Tai Chi. To access deep hip muscles, it is necessary to move slowly, this is why Tai Chi is recommend. Once you have learned where and what these muscles are used for, they can be used more effectively in your katas or forms and for kicking purposes. Ballet dancers practice their "Turn outs" utilizing these deep hip rotators, something that martial artists should do to perfect their kicking abilities and prevent degenerative injuries. Here is an introduction video on this topic.

Here are a few examples of Wing Chun

The previous experience you had should also tell you the value of demonstration for those who are learning for the first time. Utilizing your previous knowledge on the street is a good thing. Utilizing it while the instructor is trying to demonstrate a technique can be disrespectful and counterproductive to the class as a whole. I try to arrive to class with an empty cup, and let the instructors fill it. Not all techniques work on everyone, perhaps my self and the bald guy in the video, is doing more good, by not cooperating blindly, to techniques that are easily countered that belong on a road that leads nowhere.Show or demonstrate both sides attacking and defending, styles or CI's that don't teach both, only have 50% of my respect. Is your cup half full or half empty?

A person is more than their statistics, just look at Dolly Parton and how well she sings. Statistics is a tool to make believe a point, in one way or the other. Mayweather has been sucked in to a fight by McGregor. McGregor to fight with all the odds against him, under boxing rules, in USA and sponsored by Mayweather; by now Floyd must realize that Conor isn't a boxer but a lunatic, with a funny accent, that isn't intimidated by fame, money or past reputation. McGregor is young and hungry, whereas Mayweather is past his prime and dines out lavishly. McGregor has everything to gain with this fight and Mayweather has everything to loose that cannot be payed for with money.

From a Wing Chun point of view, many other styles look slow and unsure, with an element of chaos.

Back to the original issue of the TKD CI to knock my arm down, then to follow up with a technique. The CI did not expect my arm to pop back up; I was expected to keep my arm down as if once it goes down it stays down. Insects move limbs independently from each other, something I learned from my Wing Chun sifu. There are many avenues to take with this post, one other issue could be that students have prior knowledge from other martial art styles, that can raise contradiction issues, something that will become more evident, with the passing of time.

Had an idea to link Justin Archer AKA The Posture Guy. (I personally believe to have a good understanding of posture, is something well worth knowing, that can last a lifetime) Justin Archer isn't a martial artist as far as I know. He does however have many useful videos on YouTube regarding posture and health tips. To post many of his links here, it would be better to serve you all better with one link, therefore easier for you to choose the subjects that have more interest for you personally. Here is one of his video's just for starters.

Fasting is another way to loose unwanted body fat; something I do, but never compromise on drinking plenty of water. A person really needs to know their own limitations to be able to fast sensibly.

Was this TKD instructor trying to use you as a punching bag at the time, or just trying to demonstrate a technique? I don't know how this school worked, but when we teach one-steps (which this sounds like), we don't try to beat each other up. Block the attack, and proceed to apply the counter attacks to the proper open targets. Its a learning tool. I'm guessing that this instructor decided to not target a fully-powered crescent kick to your wrist to prove he could move it, so moved on to using a different student. Now, the discussion as to whether a crescent kick is an appropriate technique for blocking a punch is a viable technique is a different discussion for a different time. The idea in class though, when practicing with partners, is to not get hurt. Resistance at the point of demonstration can get people hurt. If you don't like the technique, or think it doesn't work, or whatever, then the more respectful way to approach the problem is to grab some private time with the instructor after class and talk it over then. But trying to show up an instructor usually doesn't end well. The instructor was trying to demonstrate a technique on me.Yes moved on to a second student to demonstrate on. My intent was never to embarrass the CI, in the TKD class, even if it is interpreted as such; just like the bald fellow in the video; my mentality is very much like his. Fine, demonstrate a technique on me, if it works then great, we learn something, but if it doesn't work on me, find someone else in the class that it works on or willing to humor the CI. Take downs are not allowed in TKD, I did a little move that caught the CI's foot in my hand, with a little twist of my wrist, the CI fell to the ground; I payed for that later with a side kick to my ribs Had another incident in a different school in JKD, when the CI was demonstrating wrist locks. As the student I was partnered up with couldn't do the technique on me to make it work. The CI showed him how to do it on me, but he had trouble making it work also, I explained that I have Aikido experience, finally the CI did the technique correctly. The CI was also teaching the local police, he invited me to train along side him but due to knee injuries, incurred in his class, I couldn't assist him. The JKD instructor was far stronger than myself, he didn't take offense to not being able to do a wrist lock on me, without difficulty. Actually it brought to the forefront one aspect of what JKD is about "Use what works and discard the rest"

Hey I'm 60 but don't feel a day over 59. Another suggestion on relaxing, or the lack of, for many is related to poor sleeping habits. Sleeping in some awkward positions can cause serious stiffness and alot of unnecessary tension. Sleeping on one's back with a low pillow behind the neck and another pillow behind the knees are preferable. A little relaxing type stretching out before sleeping is also advisable to release some unnecessary tension from the day.

Resisting to technical training, how about when earlier in the same class, another student hit me in the back of the neck with a hook kick, when he should have done a round house kick, as the CI asked. What the CI said about the incident "You need to protect yourself at all times"

I don't have any martial art ambitions, for fame, money, notoriety or rank; is that normal? I do like learning and sharing but ambitions; cannot think of having any at this present time; is that weird?

So were you being a punching bag or being demoed on so the other class could see what technique they were supposed to be doing? There's a difference, in most cases. One hard style I trained in one was kinda like the other, but there was a purpose. I'm not sure which you're talking about now in this illustration, as to what happened with you, not in the video. Regarding being a punching bag in karate.Before karate, living in a rough neighborhood, with tough friends and always bullies floating around, eventually constantly belonging to gangs and fighting in the streets with rival gangs, in the early 1970's. By time the late 1970,s came around, I joined karate. Being beaten up or fighting didn't bother me. The black belts in the club just took it that I can fight and had a killer instinct, that they understood and accepted. So as a white belt and onwards I was hanging out with all the black belts socially. As I was skinny and only 5'7" but an experienced street fighter and fearless. Sparring with me the higher belts could try out techniques that would send me flying or hit me full force with spinning hook kicks and punches, they were bigger, stronger, faster and more experienced. As I would still get up to take more punishment, I never backed down. The Sensei sold the dojo and that was the end of the club, that many students help to build, with free time. This is when my respect for black belts ended. In the short time of just till the club closed, I changed significantly. My sparring changed with it, my kicks and punches now contained emotional content; just like Bruce Lee preached. I floored my Sensei, to his surprise and the surprise of the other black belts in the club, I was at a green belt level by then. So to have or allow a TKD 4th degree black belt to knock my arm down, with a crescent kick, then to proceed with a technique, without me resisting; not likely. The head TKD instructor never once sparred with me! Reason being many of the black belts there were embarrassed, from sparring with me earlier, as I was a white belt in their style, sparring with them as if they were black belts in karate, like the old days for me but with EMOTIONAL CONTENT not anger.

In the video, it was just assumed that the assistant will be happy to fall victim to the wishes of another martial artist. My mindset is also "Never allow oneself to be a victim, no matter the circumstances" in or out of a dojo. Had enough of being a punching bag in karate, wasn't allowing it in TKD neither; unless under very special circumstances in self defense classes, given to the public; which I have gladly been playing the part as the bad guy.

Do martial artists need to be ambitious? Is it possible to be a successful martial artist without being ambitious? Founders of styles must be considered ambitious or perhaps not? How would your martial art skills be without it?

Have you fought outside of your chosen style? It could also be asked, have you ever fought outside of your comfort zone?

Often wondered what Wing Chun looks like from other disciplines. It seems to have become down graded over the years. The contemporary Wing Chun masters do differ from each other considerably, which I see as a healthy evolution and alternative, that shows they are all leaders and not followers. I have no affiliation with any one Wing Chun Chuan association, I am however connected to all of them, as they are all related through the basic fundamental fighting principles layed out to all of those that practice Wing Chun.

Principles and theories in martial arts. Are these helpful to your performance and personal development? Can your chosen style survive without them? Are they the foundation and or keystone to your martial art? How important are principles and theories in martial arts to you?

Good luck, have fun, try to refrain from using the term "Police brutality" while sparring, I can say due to experience, they don't see the funny side of saying it.

Regarding the link "consider" from TJ-Jitsu; had a chance to watch it. It looks like a misinformation tactic from the McGregor camp.

Liposuction, doesn't get any faster or direct than that.

The CI's and other higher belts in the TKD school made my time there, from there on, went from difficult to impossible for me to stay. I did however stick around long enough to understand and witness there internal issues, due to the low moral of the students and the CI's inabilities to adequately satisfy the students lack of self defense skills. As the CI's were sport orientated on an Olypic level and not on a street level, such as myself.

My not going along with the CI in a TKD clas was a quick judgement call at the time. As we have talked about none touch knockouts and students fall down no matter what the CI does for me is wrong. Two wrongs do not make a right, as in a technique that is in all likelihood ineffective and a none compliant student. Having taken Karate and Wing Chun, one hard style and one very fast, the TKD cresent kick opening move is asking for something more than an embarrassing moment; IMHO.

What if you could match your flexibility to your mobility? When out in the park doing some flexibility movements, I try to fool my nervous system to belive that being stiff, will put us in danger. What happens is my nervous system releases "Hormones or raise my whatever it does" that makes me more pliable and or flexible. Another trick I play on myself is to tell muscles to sleep or have a nap; it works for me. This is mind over matter stuff. Point being, playing a tug of wars with muscles, to make them more flexible, can actually get the opposite effect, than what is desired. Smiling can help flexibility more than frowning due to it takes less muscles to look happy than angry; this is why many fighters start smiling while fighting as it relaxes muscles to throw faster, better, higher, looser kicks or punches. That's the theory, if interested here is more of the same...