JazzKicker

I guess the OP was "one and done". Anyway, despite decades of martial arts training, more on than off, but mostly off in the last few years (my 50's!) I haven't had a disciplined stretching routine. That is, I know I should stretch most every day, but I haven't. Once I got away from the Korean arts and lots of kicking, I didn't feel like I needed it that much. Well, that's changed. I've started stretching every day as part of my morning routine, and it feels great to loosen up and energize my body for the day. Fortunately, though I was inconsistent I didn't let things go too much, and my body has it's muscle memory. The trick will be not overdoing it when my mind thinks it can do something I used to do, before I'm ready!

Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Art-Untold-History-Kwon/dp/1550228250/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236803755&sr=1-1 My hat is off to Alex Gillis and the magnificent work he has done in putting this book together. In an effort to understand what TKD rose out of, Gillis sought interviews with many of the movers and shakers of early TKD; men like General Choi, Hong-Hi himself, Nam Tae-Hi, Jhoon Rhee, Min-Hi Rhee, Tae Eun Lee (WTF), Jung-Hwa Choi, the General’s son, as well as the General’s daughters, Hee Jin Choi (WTF), and many others, including various personal assistants to General Choi over the years. Gillis himself is a practitioner of both ITF and WTF TKD, so he has knowledge of both sides of the story. I also feel that he presents the information in a very neutral tone. Along with much research, he has opened up the world that TKD grew out of; from Korea’s independence from Japan and its roots in Karate, to the “invention” of its roots in Taek Kyon and the “connection” to the Hwarang warriors, to its use in the politics of a fledging country. Gillis tells of several accounts of TKD masters involved in covert government operations, with TKD in the midst of it. The link between TKD and the Korean CIA is discussed as well. He also talks about Choi and Kim Un-Yong quite a bit, and the rivalry of the ITF and WTF, and Kim’s drive to the Olympics, as well as Kim’s rise and fall through the ranks of the IOC. Gillis also talks of Choi’s constant suspicions and mistrust, and how he drove away many of his masters, and his eventual rise to prominence in North Korea. With stories that sound so cloack-and-dagger as to resemble a Robert Ludlum novel, the book constantly engages the reader in the chapters of TKD’s history. I cannot possibly do justice in completely highlighting the information in this book, so I won’t continue to ramble much longer. Now, thanks to the work that Gillis has done, TKD practitioners have a reference source of where the art truly comes from, without the noticeable ITF or WTF slants of other publications. We can finally see the true history of TKD, and hopefully gone now are the exaggerated claims of “5000 year histories” of future TKD texts. In my opinion, this book should be required reading for ALL TKD practitioners. Old post, I know, but I saw your recco of this book in a more recent post, and wanted to say thanks! I've read much of the excerpts online, and it's a colorful and engaging read. I was a TSD guy back in the day, and heard the bogus "2000 year old art" stories, too. Eventually the more modern, accurate history came out, but I never read so much detail or about the behind the scenes politics and intrigue. It really depicts a struggling country, with suffering people. It dispels romantic notions of virtue and mysticism with the reality of violence and political corruption. The military aspect explains why traditional training seemed so rigid and disciplined.

Unless your attendance has been spotty before that, or you've otherwise had problems at the school, I would say it's nonsense, and you should go to a different school. There's plenty of choices in central NJ. If you want to stick with Ryu Kyu Kempo and Edison is not too far for you, go to Mark Kline's "State of the Art Karate Institute". He's an old friend from college, and an international grandmaster, very knowledgeable.

Think of it as an introduction. Give a 1 day course that inspires people, they'll come back for more.

"You should see the Other guy!"

Prof. Cheng Man Ch'ing was considered to be a pioneer of Yang style Tai chi C'huan in the US. I'm not big on Chinese martial arts beyond Tai Chi, but I know there's a considerable Kung Fu history that is overlooked by this list.

NJ which ironically is the worse place to start a business. I don't know if it's the worst, I got a lot of support from the Small Business Development center when I had a go at an engineering business years ago, but it depends on what town you're in. A friend of mine did have a rough time with zoning and permitting when he tried to open a club in a nearby township. He moved to a better spot in his own township, then expanded to a bigger space.

Yes, everything has an end. It sounds like you reached your end with them, and had you not, it would have ended anyway. I've not read it myself, but if you've heard of "The Four Agreements", a couple of them speak to your concerns- Don't Make Assumptions, and, Don't Take Anything Personally. Things change. I've been through clubs folding, sometimes a lingering death, sometimes a sudden one. Organizations are made of people, and they retire, die, or just quit. I've lost interest or changed directions and tried to come back, only to find, "you can't swim in the same river twice". It's hard to know what to do, when what you've always done isn't an option anymore. The nice thing about the martial arts is, it becomes part of you. Your skills and knowledge are not dependent on an organization.

A good friend of mine, and one-time Sensei, has been "occupationally exposed" to being in real fights. Long ago, early in his career, he told me about being in a fight and pulling his kicks! This was a side effect of traditional, light or no contact Tang Soo Do training that he had to unlearn for the real world. You might try boxing again- it's full-contact, after all.

^ This! ^ It's what's so inconsistent about traditional styles. You are taught and practice forms to perfection, then put on sparring gear and do something completely different. Nobody does a traditional high block or front stance when they spar. Conversely, lots of kicks, at least in Korean styles, never show up in forms. I don't overthink it, though. I like practicing forms.

Wow, in Internet time that's like one million years! Keep up the good work, and I'll try not to give you more

You can certainly improve your flexibility, but at an older age, it will take longer. It's easier to get injured and take longer to heal, so you have to be patient. I would encourage you to realistically look at your needs. I was more flexible in my 30's than now in my 50's, but I can still do head-level kicks. I don't do a lot of them, though, nor much jumping and spinning. I did that in my 30's, and a side-effect I didn't appreciate was I had back pain. Besides, those flashy kicks are more for exercise and agility than practicality.

Congrats on healing up and not making it worse (at least, after you wised up ) Your exercise data is great. What it suggests to me, though, is if your goal is to lose weight, that you increase the intensity a bit (to 6-700 cals/hr) and do some cardio. The other aspect, and from my experience, the more effective one in weight loss, is to work on diet. Doesn't mean you have to go on a diet, but being mindful of what, and when, you eat, can save you more calories than a trip to the gym.

Congrats, Swede! BTW Patrick, I think you meant January...since I was the honoree' of Dec.

I haven't been an instructor for a long time, never was a full-time one though I did undertake to be a personal trainer/specialist in martial arts conditioning. I decided I'd rather stay in the field I went to college for. However, I have a couple of friends who are full-time instructors, one in the boxing/MMA world, the other a karate guy who also does seminars internationally, and videos. I'm sure neither could care less whether the business world, etc. thinks they have a real job! I saw a recent post on Linked In about a guy helping a homeless man he kept seeing in Florida. The homeless person had had some kind of problem, ended up on the street but looking for work- even had a resume. On it, it indicated he was a 2nd Dan Tang Soo Do black belt, and had been self-employed as an instructor/trainer for several years. The view of many of the commentors was, they applauded trying to help the guy, etc. but none had anything favorable to say about his being an instructor. In fact, one even suggested his background was sketchy, and might be an indication he been in jail or had a substance problem. My point is, I don't think being a full-time martial artist is compatible with the corporate world!

Fitbits and the like are popular for running, etc. I've been using a Garmin Forerunner for that and general walking around. I found it very useful, so I thought I'd try wearing it for some solo practice, throwing kicks, doing forms. It confirmed with actual data what I expected, that I was getting an aerobic workout, though not quite as strenuous as my typical jogging pace. I think it's a useful tool for tracking your effort, and pushing you to train harder. I wouldn't recommend wearing one for sparring, of course!

I learned in my 20's, when I transitioned from college into a career, that it was easier to just stay in shape than to take time off, then come back. If you stick with it, as you age you'll be able to continue training at a pretty consistent high level. I did that into my 30's with TSD. Then, more because of opportunity and interest, I transitioned into Hapkido, picked up some Tai Chi. I got away from a more rigid style into more fluid movement. Interestingly, back pain that had bothered me (too much upright, high kicking) went away. In my 40's I got into MMA and JKD, and was probably in the best shape of my life. I learned about sports science and strength training. I didn't plan it this way, but for a middle-aged person it turned out to be the best approach But I was taking a beating, I remember asking my buddies, "Do you think we'll be doing this in our 50's?" Turns out, no, people faded away (myself included) and it's more a young man's game now. For my solo practice, the traditional stuff still works- but I pick & choose what I do- not many jump spin kicks!

There was a book title years ago, "Feel the Fear and do it Anyway". That's pretty much it. You may feel pretty wigged out emotionally, but your body does what it's trained to do, and you get through it. You did, and you got First place! I've always found the anxiety is worse before I get into it- once I'm in it, it melts away. I wish I could say Performance anxiety goes away, or that if you overcome it in one area of life, it diminishes in others. I'm also a jazz musician, and going to a jam session, playing with people I've never played with before, picking a song we all know (no knowing what I'm going to play ahead of time!), and playing well in front of an audience- yeah, THAT makes me nervous. But when you get through it and it comes out OK- that's a very rewarding feeling.

Thank you all, I'm surprised and humbled. My contributions are really a reflection of the thought provoking questions and curiosity of the community here.

Congrats on the accomplishment! Which organization? I remember my 3rd dan test, though it was nearly 25 years ago. It was quite a challenge, and they didn't tell you right away if you passed. I remember afterwards saying something like, "I don't care if I didn't pass, I'm never doing that again!"

Ask a friend to join you! It will make the training more fun, and easier with a partner your own size. As the only adult, once you progress to a certain point after a few months, it will probably get frustrating.

As they day, consult your doctor before undertaking an exercise program. Tai Chi might be a great art to try, especially if you can find a class that does the combative applications, more than just learning a form. I learned some Tai Chi in my 30's, before I really "needed" it, but I stuck with it as an addition to my practice.

I think you should give a man a fish first, to see if he likes it, before you waste time teaching him how to fish. In that same vein, people should have some taste for the combative arts, realize that they're going to get hit, thrown, etc.

The training purpose of repetition is twofold. One is simply conditioning exercise. The other is to ingrain technique into your subconscious, so you can do it without thinking. But you have to learn good form, or you'll be instilling bad habits. In the boxing example, sure, throwing a lot of punches could work, partly because boxing is scored by how many you land! But if you don't learn to keep your hands up between punches, you'll get knocked out. And if you don't learn to move efficiently, you'll get tired from that strategy, too.

I trained at a boxing club for a while that is in an former (golf) driving range building. Strange layout, long skinny building with an overgrown backyard.