singularity6

I'm new to the area where I live - moved up in August, 2014. My wife and I started TKD in August, 2015. In April, 2016, we moved. Our instructors were there bright an early in the morning of moving day to help us. They didn't volunteer. They insisted! It's a small school, and it may have small school problems, but the sense of community in this school is amazing. So many members took us in as family members. We've had places to go for holidays, people to help with my cat when I travel, and overall, great company! It's my home away from home.

Yeah, I always wash, hang-dry and properly fold my uniform. Pressing usually isn't necessary, as I bet the wrinkles out before hanging it to dry (unless I'm testing, in which case I'll drag an iron over it.) I'll shower once per day through most of the year. Hot summer days get 2 showers. My nails are also always neatly cut. I also buzz my head once a week. Deodorant is good, but body sprays seem to smell like urinal bricks to me, so I avoid them. We have one guy who smells bad as soon as he hits the floor. I get what you mean about kids... Their uniforms are always interesting. Instructors will make them wash hands/feet, and will lecture about trimming nails. Usually more than a few times per kid.

Grappling is a significant part of our curriculum. I have tried some new shirts by Hanes that are a poly/rayon blend. They seem okay. They certainly dry faster than cotton! They're starting to pill after a month, however, so I suspect they won't last long.

I saw those, but they don't look right to me. [sarcasm]Also, if I recognized that someone was wearing those, I'd suspect they were looking for a fight. [\sarcasm]

I'm not an expert in grappling, but my brother was a wrestler in high school (and college, before he discovered alcohol.) His sheer muscle-mass worked against him, but he did stretch. I suspect it's pretty important for, if nothing else, preventing injury.

Excellent contributions, folks! Thanks! I think it's something I'm going to try. Unfortunately, I can't do them in the comfort of my home - not enough room. I'll have to make some extra time at school for it.

Isn't the guiding principle of Uechi Ryu Karate to make your body so hard that it'll shrug off any attack and demoralize your attacker? Violence is thought of as a last resort in that art.

Actually, I would like to change mine: If you're gonna be dumb, you've gotta be tough.

A normal martial artist will hone their craft. They will learn the techniques, forms and culture of their martial art (or even multiple arts.) They may even make great teachers. A great martial artist will make new connections in their craft. Perhaps they will create new ways of teaching difficult techniques. The best martial artist will make connections between the connections. They will break down the barriers between different martial arts and treat them all as one (think: Bruce Lee.) I'm pretty new at my Martial Arts journey, but I suspect I'm pretty normal.

I'm fairly certain that we don't bow properly in our school. Not much emphasis was put on bowing. Essentially, if someone needs to be excused, any attempt at bowing is accepted (and not necessarily expected.) We bow at the end of class, but again, it's pretty much learned by sight, not by instruction.

Really? Woah! Thanks, folks. I'm enjoying my time here. I really appreciate the fun and friendly forum. Such a thing is a rare beast to find in the wild interwebs of today!

Thank you kindly for the reply!

I've been wondering this, too. My wife and me will probably be moving into a house (from an apartment) within the next couple years. I would LOVE to have enough space to do some forms (on my own, or as a bonus, with my wife!) I was thinking 15x15 would be plenty for me to do my forms comfortably, and have some equipment along the sides. This idea of 4 tatami is quite interesting neat, but our stances are pretty deep, and I suspect I might run out of room when doing my forms on such a space.

That would be a neat experience. Does he take TKD students, too?

My vision is pretty bad: about -3 in each eye (moderate myopia) and a cylinder of about 2 in each eye (borderline-severe astigmatism.) Needless to say, I can't see anything without my glasses. I think they'd run about $150 or so. I use prescription sports goggles. They're not crazy expensive, and since we hit each other in the face, I've had to pop lenses back in a few times. But... I don't get cut (frames are plastic with rubber padding) and if they break, I won't have to worry about driving home!

I think a lot of modern hand conditioning happens on leather heavy bags. I suspect your bones are fairly well conditioned by now, so hitting a heavy without wraps/gloves is probably fairly safe. You'll get some toughness in your skin, but not nearly what you'd get from makiwara.

I starts working on balancing on one leg with my eyes closed. It's a lot harder than I anticipated! When bouncing this off my friend, he says "I fall all over the place when I do my forms with my eyes closed." Is this something you've tried? If so, do you practice it?

Does anyone use special base layer when they train? I tried some Reebok shirts/boxers that were polyester/poly-spandex blend, respectively. The shirts ended up stinking like bad BO within about 45 minutes. It would be nice to find something that wicks sweat away, and DOESN'T stink. Cotton is nice for regular everyday wear, but it gets too wet for me when I train. I've considered buying a couple merino wool shirts, but I'm not sure if they'd hold up to martial arts. Recommendations do not have to be cheap, but that would be a plus!

Every place where I practiced Martial Arts had strict policies about hygiene. Yet every place had some offender who had stinky uniforms, unkempt nails or dirty hands/feet. I am well aware that one can be stinky AFTER training (especially if someone is wearing polyester underclothes, as I've tried ONCE.) But these cases tend to be before training, too. Has this been consistent elsewhere?

I have some Carhartt rip-stop cargo pants. They're nice, heavy duty and gusseted... I can do a good chunk of my stretching routine in them, but not comfortably. Still, I wear them frequently! The Carhartts definitely look better on me; they're not as baggy. I'd say they're borderline tactical in look (especially the black) but not completely. The antiqued brass snaps keep them from looking full-on macho.

Make sure your fit - both mentally and physically. Strained muscles, joints, ligaments or tendons can set you back, as can a bruised ego. Martial arts requires patience in all aspects.

While I had a few bouts of martial arts training in my early- and mid-20's, both were short lived (but greatly enjoyed!) I didn't get serious in the martial arts until a couple years ago, when I was 36 years old. Within the first year, I had come to the full realization that my body wasn't ready for it. My upper-body strength has always been lacking, and I went from someone who walked and hiked miles per day, to someone who only walked and hiked maybe several times per summer. I was by no means fat, but I was out of shape. My shoulders were always loose - they would pop out very easily. I had near-contortionist mobility in my shoulders. This became a serious issue. When I was younger, a subluxation in my shoulder would hurt, and I'd have to be careful for a couple of days. Now, a similar event is debilitating for about a week, and sore for a couple more. Landing on the mat wrong when falling, arm bars, joint locks, even blocking a kick or punch would cause issues. So, I went to my physician and requested some Physical Therapy. The therapist suggested several rotator cuff exorcises (there are 4 muscles in the rotator cuff of your shoulder.) Well, I've been doing these, and I must say that there has been a substantial improvement. I may not ever have full stability in my shoulders, but I feel I can still participate in the sport, so long as I'm careful. As I've mentioned in another post, I've also had problems with straining a muscle high up in my right hip. A chiropractor put my pelvis back inline and I'm also seeing the physical therapist to ensure that I minimize damage and maximize my potential for class. So, what's the point of this post? I would highly recommend that anyone who joins a martial art for physical fitness at an older age, as I did, get checked out by a doctor first. Also, be very aware of injuries and strains. If you're repeatedly suffering from a similar injury, there could be something going on that a chiropractor or physical therapist can help with!

I've been in search of some pants I can wear around public and to work (without looking ridiculous) that provide some mobility. I'm not the type that wants to kick people in the head, either (besides, I'm not that flexible.) As I have a private office, I like to sometimes close the door and get stretching done, and it's great to not have to change clothes. Well, I finally found some that suffice! The Flex Fire Hose Cargo Pants from Duluth Trading Company look good, are well-made and provide me with complete mobility. They're fitting a bit on the loose side in the legs and crotch, albeit I had to go up 2 inches in the waist from what I normally wear (normally a 32" waist when I buy Levi's, Arizona or Docker's pants... 34" when I buy from Carhartt or Duluth.) These pants have a gusseted crotch, and have a bit of spandex blended in the fabric. I've frequently done my entire stretching routine while wearing these, and had no issues. In fact, since the fabric is a little more slippery than my heavy weight gi, I think I have more mobility in these pants when it's a bit warm out. No... I can't do the splits, so that's not been tested. An added benefit: I've since moved my wallet from my back pocket to one of the cargo pockets. Some folks consider cargo pants to be worn by younger people (I'm 38) but I don't care - I don't think I'll be going back to jeans for everyday wear!

I'll second this suggestion. I have a couple bokken from E-Bogu, and they're nice!

My aikido gi is from E-Bogu, and it's quite nice. It's a single-layer, so it wasn't terribly expensive. Overall, it's well-made and fits great (I'm 5'10", <190lb. A size 3 was perfect for me.)