singularity6

Follow the golden rule (Treat others as you wish to be treated,) and you'll be fine. I find myself wanting to spout off from time to time when I see ignorant comments online. If I pause, take a deep breath and ask "what will I really accomplish?", I find myself not typing as much.

Poverty is a huge problem where I live (rural, economically stagnate.) Our master instructor has always said that all are welcome. If someone has a hard time paying our tuition (US$25/mo,) they can privately set something up with him. He says he will never turn someone away over money.

I'm still waiting for that "relaxation epiphany." My instructors always tell me I need to relax.

I teach full time and I'm married (no kids, yet.) It's been nice this semester... I've been able to make most of our classes (2 hour classes - including stretching/changing time) and also "train" outside from time to time. We do not have enough room in my apartment for forms, but I can do basic punches and kicks in place, as well as body-weight exercises and stretches. When time and weather permit, I've been taking 4+ mile hikes, and I've recently found a couple clearings where I'm able to practice my forms in the woods (mosquitoes and flies really help you train on focus, too!)

I think you would be well adviced to go over the Shotokan Katas again, because the Kukkiwon copied and pasted them as well. When I studied WTF Tae Kwon Do, I was given the option when testing to pay extra to be recognized by Kukkiwon. Some may question my ranks validity but At the time I didn't care and was broke so I didn't. I cared about what I was learning and "I" recognized it so what was the difference? Anyways I earned a green belt. If your referring to KKW forms as in WTF forms I can't imagine any similarities, but I'm not. 3rd dan either. I too am curious what your referring too. Never been the best with history, but I have practiced a pretty broad range of arts/systems. Thanks for mentioning the cost of the Kikkiwon. Our master instructor chose not to deal with them, either. He's teaching martial arts for 2 primary reasons: a) He loves it and is not trying to make money (I'm pretty sure he loses money each year.) b) He feels it's important to be able to defend yourself, if ever necessary. This is how he defines a black belt in our school (which takes 5 years, minimum) - "If you earn your black belt in my school, that means I'm confident that you'll be able to effectively defend yourself against a lone, unarmed attacker." I believe we are recognized by WTF, or WT, but I personally couldn't care less if we're Kikkiwon-certified.

I think you're missing something on this one... A keyboard warrior isn't exactly a title someone seeks. A hero isn't a title someone seeks but it happens.You're going even further in the wrong direction... "Keyboard Warrior" is a pejorative.

No, I don't. The crux of the matter here is: \I can go on... People tend to find elitism in whatever it is they do. People, in general are proud of their heritage. Martial arts are just another "thing" people will identify with. "My martial art is the best martial art" "My religion is the right religion" "My country is the best country" "My heavy metal is the best heavy metal" Ultimately, I feel we should all get along, regardless of race, creed, faith or whatever it is we practice (martial art, or not.) Unfortunately, that'll never happen.

I think you're missing something on this one... A keyboard warrior isn't exactly a title someone seeks.

My school uses the Palgwe forms. When participating in tournaments (typically with other TKD schools) we see a lot of Taegeuk and ITF forms. We tend to take a lot of trophies home, and I often wonder if it's because our forms stand out from the rest simply out of being different.

I don't think tough talk is required for a keyboard warrior. I've always interpreted the term as a very opinionated person who spends a lot of time sharing their thoughts online (social media, comments sections, forums, etc.) They may or may not be aggressive in their approach, but they do tend to be rather verbose.

Stance is definitely important. Our style tends to use fairly deep, linear stances for forms and for many of our basic techniques. In my opinion, it makes the forms look good, gives us a nice solid base, and really works the legs. When sparring, our fighting stance is a bit more natural. I visited my friend's school, and their front/back stances are not as deep. Their back stance is also a offset a bit (to allow for one to pull their front foot back faster, if needed.) As the narrator pointed out, each stance has its own strengths and weaknesses - they're 6 of one, half dozen of the other.

I'd suggest looking at your diet. I never thought I was a terrible eater, as I avoid fast food, eat a lot of fruits and veggies and almost nothing is fried or greasy. I recently started watching my carb intake, however, and weight started falling off. Pizza and pasta are great... I can eat a 12" pizza by myself fairly readily. When it comes to pasta, I'll boil nearly half a box of noodles and eat them all. Now I'm eating way less carbs, and I think I'm feeling better!

I do not think this issue is unique to martial arts. I ran into this all the time in academia, and pretty much at every job. Don't let it get to you. People suck, in general. Our school had a bit of a split. One of our instructors wanted to do things his way, so he left. The split was amicable.

Our house rules are pretty simple, really. Aim above the belt. No hand strikes to the head if you're not wearing gloves. Just about anything else goes (with Tae Kwon Do, and Hap Ki Do.) That being said, we really don't end up with too many injuries. Punches and kicks are all pulled. Any submissions are also pulled. Even though protective gear is almost never worn, no one really gets hurt.

Yeah, I might be working toward a torn meniscus, too. I've been getting a burning pain inside my left knee from time to time. Sometimes it's only when I "do something stupid." Other times it'll be bothering me even when I kneel to tie my shoe.

When I started, the side kick was the hardest kick for me to perform. Well, that's coming along. Round kicks are a real pain for me - the height isn't coming nearly as fast as I'd like. Thanks for the post!

I might try that, thanks!

If you're using Chrome, you can slow YouTube videos down through the settings (gear) button.

Living in an apartment with limited tools, and no place to put such things has put a tamper on me making anything. I do plan to make some wooden weapons (Bo, Jo, nunchucku, etc.) I think my biggest want is to make a self bow. I was thinking of cutting down a small ash tree from my friend's property, drying and shaping a bow out of it.

I'll give those a shot, thanks!

Is it just me, or has this thread taken on it's own life?

I have one of the heavy weight Meijin gis, and the drawstring has been binding - it twists up inside, making it hard to tighten and loosen. I've tried taking it out, flattening it (by rolling and by ironing.) That works for the first time I put it on, but then it goes back to twisting. I do not have the same problem with my middle weight uniform (Meijin Tropical.) I've also been tying it before washing to keep it from twisting up in the wash. Any one have a similar experience with their uniform? Suggestions?

Starting Tae Kwon Do in my mid-30's has proved to be a very interesting decision. I remember jumping all over the place when I was a kid, not having too much fear about landing weird or anything. Now I find a lot of apprehension when trying to do many of our jumping kicks in class. I'm okay with the front jump snap kicks (my right side is significantly better than my left, though.) I'm struggling to get my foot off the ground when it comes to our jumping side kicks, jumping reverse side kicks, and our tornado kicks. My rate of improvement with these techniques seems to be much slower than my other kicks. Anyone overcome this barrier?

I bought a pair of Century MA shoes. They felt like they were cheaply made, so I just returned them. Reviews for the Adidas shoes indicate they might not be all that great, as well. I decided to just get used to kicking on carpeting with bare feet.

I've visited some Shinyo-en Buddhist gatherings (called Winter Trainings) years ago. The words above remind me of the chants.