singularity6

I've been diagnosed ADHD (there is no ADD diagnosis in the DSMV... just ADHD with an additional descriptor.) For the most part, I have learned to cope with my plight (and my case isn't the most severe, either.) I can tell you that paying attention in class isn't bad if there are few distractions. The minute someone starts talking, it's all over for me. I can't listen to 2 voices at once and get anything out of it. Excessive motion will also throw me off. If there are people walking around the school (parents of students, other people using the facility, etc,) then I end up splitting my attention to them. Sparring isn't too much of an issue - getting knocked upside the head quickly changes your focus!

Welcome!

I suppose anything is possible, but people like Frederick Douglass are an exception to the rule. Knowledge is passed down from others... many folks work hard to develop something (science, math, martial arts, etc) and then different folks work hard at figuring out how to deliver the content in an efficient way. (Why reinvent the wheel?) Trying to teach oneself martial arts with limited instruction would require one to have a solid understanding on body mechanics and a fair amount of physical ability.

Having not really watched the Olympics in the past, I have no expectations. I do know that I'll probably watch Karate, and maybe Tae Kwon Do this time around!

The belt is a great option. Especially when one is going commando. Completely catches the opponent off-guard! In Hap Ki Do, we can train in the use of various-sized sticks. The cane is also very common (one weapon you can always carry!) as is the knife. When it comes to improvising anything else, I don't think there's much to it... Anything on a dinner table can be used to throw, smash or stab someone, but that'll likely be a one-time use scenario.

Both have their strengths and weaknesses. To me, point sparring is clearly superior when it comes to sport martial arts. Most of us don't want to get pounded or choked at all. I think point sparring also has advantages when it comes to teaching focus and strategy. You need to follow a set of rules, think on your feet and keep your cool all at the same time, and there is significant merit to that. Free sparring can be fun, and since you're not worried as much about points, you can explore various strategies. Fewer rules could also mean less to worry about. In our class, the only rules we have are "strike below above the belt, and use control." Strikes to the head, chokes/locks and throws (when mats are out) are all allowed.

Congrats, man!

My mom's a season ticket holder for the Detroit Tigers, and has been so for at least a decade. That's the only team I've even loosely followed, and it's only because of her. People usually get cranky when they realize I'm not much of a fan, and I tell them I've been to playoff games.

In all seriousness, there is a medical-grade superglue that uses solvents that won't irritate the skin, and has been used in place of stitches in numerous situations.

Welcome! My only experience in Upstate NY has been in Utica, where my friend lives, and I've visited a few times. I live in Michigan's UP, so we have an "Upstate" and a "Downstate" as well!

We must bow in/out of the classroom, we bow in before class starts, and out after it ends. In general, our uniforms are supposed to be white, but our master instructor lets a couple folks wear what they had from previous training (one girl has a black gi, for some reason... and we have someone who's very well versed in judo come in with his various judogis, one of which is blue.) Our master instructor primarily teaches at a different locations, and we have two 2nd dahns running my classes. Things feel a bit more relaxed when MI isn't there.

I watched that video a while ago, and felt that the science was rather poor: *The kicks were very dissimilar to one another. Taking different kicks from different different styles makes no sense. Either take different kicks from the same style, or similar kicks from different styles. *The tilting platform made no sense... To me, it just adds to the "TV-Science" silliness.

I don't think I could. I've had days where I hadn't eaten enough, and and went to class. Those were the days where I'd have some blood sugar crashes on those days.

Heh, no one has super glue?

You may want to specify that N >1 and E > 0 to ensure positive growth. A couple other cases could be interesting to observe: If 0 < N < 1 and E > 0, you'd have a decline to zero over time. If 0 < N < 1 and E < 0, you'd have positive growth, but this model only seems to apply with the high ups in government or major corporations.

To the bold: All the reasons why this would be my go-to kick if I ever needed to use my martial arts. To the italicized: You may not be breaking ribs too easy with this kick, but placement is key. Add a bit of thrust, and you'll easily knock someone over. To the underlined: Any technique has its risks. We are discussing the art of fighting, after all!

Just when I’m on a roll and think I’m onto the next big thing, you’ve got to go ahead and use logic. Thanks for crushing my dreams of being the next big inventor Heh, that gets me into trouble all the time at home!

I've not read his narrative, but I did read Booker T. Washington's biography, and was similarly moved.

It probably hasn't been done because women's bodies are so very different from one another. My brother had a similar issue, as a body builder. His shoulders would easily fill a men's XL shirt, but his waist was about a 34. He wanted form-fitting shirts, so he always bought larges and popped the buttons.

I'm not 100% on board with the "suck it up" mentality of martial arts, anymore. I know my body, and sometimes I don't need a doctor to tell me something's not right. I recall working a front stance in class, and it was about as deep as it would go. When my instructors told me to go further, I said it'll hurt my foot. They insisted, and said my flexibility will improve. Well, I felt something tear. This was months ago, and it still hasn't healed up. This is the same foot that already suffers from plantar fasciitis, and now another part that foot has pain. Needless to say, there are some mornings where I almost fall over with the first step getting out of bed because the pain is so bad (yes, I've been treating it.) My advice: Listen to your body.

People that inspired me who are no longer with us: Albert Einstein Stephen Hawking Isaac Newton Karl Gauss Bruce Lee Gichin Funakoshi Frank Zappa Those who are still alive: My parents Tenzin Gyatso (Dalai Lama) Pope Francis Barack Obama Devin Townsend Tom Waits Vegard Sverre Tveitan

Meijin will readily sell a uniform with mixed-sizes. While I don't know a lot about women's clothing, I do know that when I watch my wife buy clothes, I often wonder how women manage to shop for something that actually fits! I'd get a regular, well-made top that fits appropriately where it needs, then have the rest altered.

Our school is small enough to not have any! Our instructors are not afraid to ask people to train elsewhere, if needed.

Very good points. But consider this. Names are changed to protect the innocent lol. Cuthbert trains 3 times per week in class. His focus is on the outwardly extravagant jumping/flying/spinning kicks. Outside of class he watches YouTube videos of the 'teachers yourself the jumping spinning flying double 720 backflip kick in 5 minutes flat type. Yet his arms fly open every time he kicks, and his grasp of the more subtle aspects is non existent. Tarquin trains 2 per week, and is not great and the jumping spinning kicks. Nor does he particularly want to be, having quickly learned that he has too much body weight to focus on such high energy demanding techniques that are high risk anyway. Tarquin has figured that the basic principles and basic techniques themselves form an awesome set of skills. Tarquin can easily dominate Cuthbert in sparring because while Cuthbert is flying around, Tarquin has got the footwork and judgement to enable him to get in the best position. Tarquin prefers the simple kicks and strikes and joint manipulations and throws that he knows he can make work. Outside of class, Tarquin practices balance and strength and performs forms slowly, looking at the subtleties of each move or posture change, or quickly, to see how the more explosive shift of weight feels in terms of balance and momentum. Cuthbert is physically more fit and agile. Tarquin is more focused and grounded. So who is going to be the best martial artist in the future? Cuthbert or Tarquin? Yep. Quality.

I've heard these expressions in multiple settings. Some of them were completely butchered. My self defense instructor (PE credit in college) used to say "Hoos." Yeah, he was different.