SevenStar

okay, I see what you're getting at. I still think it can apply though. If you look up the definition for martial, one of the definitions is warlike. If you looke up warlike, one of the definitions is "equipped to fight" another one is "useful in war" The styles you mentioned can fit those definitions.

Nah, seriously I just don't wear that stuff. Where I work, the dress code is business casual, and that's what I wear to work, out to dinner, etc. - baggy dress slacks or khakis, button down club shirts, polo shirts and t shirts, some type of leather shoe - timberland, bass, etc. which have good traction. If I'm just going to the store or somewhere more laid back, It's sneakers, very baggy jogging pants or elastic waist karate pants I still have from my TMA days - like XXL and XXXL, and baggy t shirts and tank tops....I don't own any of the items G95 mentioned. I need to change that though - I think it's weird that I don't own a pair of jeans... I'm gonna have to buy some soon.

When I was in CMA, we had a demo team. Any rank of student was allowed on it, but you had to try out, in a sense. the practices were on a separate day from normal classes.

How did you guess?

LOL, I'm a definite exception. I don't wear sandles, boots, jeans or dress shoes.

I've got similar stories - I've broken people's bones before. I've never not had presence of mind though. I think that is one of the areas that full contact type training helps with.

bowing to eachother on public? because of a t-shirt? I've never experienced that. Sounds like something you'd see on tv... Also, I don't think there's a "brotherhood" I think that, just like all other things, you have people you like and people you don't. I've trained at, visited,etc. other schools and met some really cool people. Then, at the same schools, I've met people whom I can't stand.

I've been "attacked" by a baby goat. Strong sucker too. At the time, I was in high school, working at a local tv repair shop part time. We had to repair a TV that belonged to some woman deep in the sticks... She lived on a huge farmland type area and had no neighbors for miles. When we got there, I heard a dog barking and expected I'd probably run into him, so I wasn't too worried. I got out of the truck and my partner went to the woman's door. I was opening the back to get some tools out, and when I shut the door and turned around, "WHAM!" I get slammed against the truck. A goat had slammed two of its hooved into my chest and was staring me in the face. After I got over the "WTF?" factor, I pushed him off, which I guess made it mad, cuz it charged. I was able to get out of the way, and it's owner then called it. The woman told me that goats determine whether or not you are friend or foe by smelling your breath, and it was just checking me. Afterwards, I guess it was in a playful mood, cuz it would run up to me, butt my leg lightly, then charge and do it again.

yeah, what they said. Unless you're gonna be living in a monestary, you won't be devoting ALL day, to MA, and heck, even if you were living in one, you still wouldn't be spending all day doing it.

Do you train thai kickboxing or american?

It's definitely not a power issue. check your form.

I think you're on the right track, but some of your reasons are wrong: 1. correct. 2. Depends on the person - I can kick head height at any given time with no warm up. 3. depends on the person. I never wear tight clothes. 4. has some validity to it. 5 A good head kicker can kick to the head pretty rapidly. It's not THAT slow. The main reason, IMO, which you didn't state is that your balance is compromised. with your leg that high in the air, you are off balance and easy to take down. Also, even though the kick itself may be fast, the recovery time is slower.

stances should be transitory and not static. For that reason, I don't have a single favorite stance.

boxers are touted as having the most competent hands in the world - heck, it's what they do. Just like you don't want to out kick a kicker, you don't want to try and outbox a boxer.

I personally think the body scissors is a joke. A fully grown man used to the pain of grappling likely wouldn't submit to a body scissors. The pic you posted is a good one though - it's not a body scissors - it's a reverse triangle - a variation of the triangle choke.

should I change my name to eightstar now?

In a point tourney, maybe. In full contact sports, there are plenty of injuries that can happen. Between bjj, judo and MT, I've seen broken collarbones, broken ribs, broken fingers, concussions, torn muscles...the list goes on.

Good post. Just one thing: Where have you seen a thai boxing venue that allowed a hip throw? All I've ever seen allowed are sweeping type throws and some pickups - nothing where you load the person onto your body.

ANY exercise done improperly can hurt you. however, if you don't want to do them, do crunches. There are plenty of variations of the crunch you can do.