Budderfly

Put it this way - what if he were to REALLY attack you? Have you done the mental preparation to defend yourself against a loved one? Early in my martial arts life, my Sensei advised us all that the odds are greater to be attacked by someone you KNOW, and she'd found that there is often soul searching and a conscious decision involved before people know for sure they would defend themselves in such a situation. As for class, he's an opponent like any other, and I actually got MORE competitive when I used to spar and grapple my ex-husband, rather than less We just did a steet self defense demo and he was my partner. He had to mug me for my purse and he was yelling "Gimme your purse... where's the rest of it?". He acted out the part well and it even freaked me out a little cause he has never yelled at me this way before, even it it was a demo. I know though if a loved one were to attack me, I'd defend myself and restrain them (I have once in the past with one of my ex's). I don't really want to seriously hurt a person. I'm satisfied with a good hold until help arrives, but if need be I won't hold back. My body is too damn important to me. I made a decision a long tme ago that if I was attacked, they could have my material possesions (if that's what they were after), but they could never "have" me.

Can you study from a book? Possibly. Can you do it successfully? No.

The following transcript helps to paint a better picture of what a McDojo is: (this was sent to me awhile back from another martial artist) ******************************* A big sign greets the customers. It says "McDojo’s Over 99 Million Promotions Served!" Instructor: Welcome to McDojo’s! How may I promote you today? Customer: I would like a Black Belt, please. Super sized if possible… I've had a few too many hamburgers lately. Instructor: Would you like a stripe with that? Customer: Hmmm…sure…why not. I haven’t had one in a long time. Instructor: What about a title? Customer: Do you have any Grand Masters? Instructor: Why yes…hundreds in fact. That's our most popular title! Customer: Excellent. I will take one of those. How long will it take? Intructor: Well, it used to take a lifetime to prepare one of these, and only the most devoted could afford the sacrifice. But now we have them pre-packaged in almost every style. A few old holdouts wouldn’t give us their style's recipe. But we have some guys working on that right now. Customer: Well those three in the poster look good. I’ll take those, and don't skimp on the patches! I love pretty patches. Instructor: Ok sir…Coming right up. 5 minutes and 20 customers later... Instructor: Here you go sir. Customer: Umm…I think there is a mistake. I paid for a red stripe. That’s a white one. Instructor: The board of directors decided that the traditional red stripes reminds them too much of blood. They don’t want to project a bad image. Customer: But red is the color you have used since you opened so many years ago! Everyone I knew grew up on red stripes! It’s traditional to have them with the Grand Master Combo. Instructor: There’s nothing I can do sir…Oh sir, you owe us an extra fee for the stripe upgrade to white. Customer: Okay that’s it. Let me speak to whoever runs this place. Great Great Grand Master Pan Zie: I am the one you seek. What do you wish to know? Customer: Why can’t I get a red strip with my black belt? Great Great Grandmaster Pan Zie: Red was no longer cost effective for our traditional training paradigm. Customer: So you're saying red costs too much to make? Great Great Grandmaster Pan Zie: Your insights do you well, young Grasshopper. But you would do well to keep these secrets…secret. Customer: But you charge more for the white even though it costs less to make! Great Great Grandmaster Pan Zie: I am sorry…there are many more contracts and promotions I have to dispense. Customer: That’s it! I've had enough of you guys. I am going to take my business to Burger Kwon!

When I first started martial arts my feet took a beating. I has small blisters but I mostly developed dry skin from being barefoot on the mats. I have been using peppermint foot lotions daily to keep the feet moisturized and to prevent skin from peeling. I know that sounds gross, but when you're on those mats with everyone else and you're barefoot you gotta take care of your footsies. Guys can use lotions too on the feet. It's not just a girl thing. We have picked up the term (at our school) "Hobbit Feet" meaning, tough, calloused feet.

Tong Moo Do translates from korean to english as "Total Martial Art" We had this catchy slogan in an ad a few times: "Combining the martial arts of the past, to form the martial arts of the future"

A good point. If you ask them you're going to have a dozen little hands up in the air all wanting to play different things. Drills are a good way to keep them focused. Be proactive, all the time.

A girl at my school broke her ankle on Tuesday. We haven't had a major injury like that in years. Usually people would get a twisted or sprained ankle at the most and even that isn't often. Okay it's not my injury, but I felt bad for her. I've broken my ankle before and it sucks.

I rolled my ankle a little last Saturday then on Monday I fractured my big toe on the same foot. I have a demo this Friday too, so I hope I'm better then. I already took out the aerial moves out of my demo in fear of a rough landing making my foot worse.

WARNING!!! SPOLIERS AHEAD! . . . . . . . . . . . . I have a theory... I figured the little girl, Sati, who didn't have a program at the beginning of the third film turned into Trinity...or that Trinity turned into her. When she came in to the Matrix she didn't have a program, then after the big fight and the end scene with the Oracle she made the Sunrise/Sunset and said that it was for Neo. Obviously she had to get a program somewhere right? Anyway that's my guess....

It didn't get that, could you repeat it? Thank you I mean, when you first started in martial arts everything was new and exciting right? The simplest of drills got you pumped and your desire for more knowledge was prominently present. But after awhile, you start to get bored. You reach a point where what you thought were exciting drills are now just the same old exercises. You've reached your peak and now your in a stagnant position. You can try to change that by learning a new style that isn't similar, like Capoeira or Muay Thai, whatever suits your needs. Or take a break for awhile and see how you still feel afterwards. Or, maybe it is time to move on and try something completely different.

It looks like a good cardio workout, but it isn't something for me. I prefer more contact.

Martial Arts is a part of my life like breathing. I couldn't live without being a part of it somehow. My life would have something missing without it. My school is my family. I'll help them out however I can and I know they would do the same for me. I first went to get exercise and learn how to defend myself. Now I am closer to my Black Belt goal, I'm assisting the instructor with kids classes and I feel I am there to help pass the knowledge to other students. I have learnt so many habit building skills as well. It's really improved my life. This is a good question and I'd like to emphasize more, but I really need to sit down and marinate more on this.

I've sprained my ankle twice in the dojang about 12 years ago, when I used to show horses I shattered my talus bone in my ankle. I was in a jump course and when me and my horse took a large jump, he bucked mid-air and I got thrown off. I thought I was okay, nothing hurt yet until I tried to get up. Then the pain kicked in. I WISH I knew how to do a cat breakfall then. Might have saved my ankle. I was in a cast for 6 months, though I was walking unsupported after 2 months. Yet I still used the crutch cause I had to be nice and let things heal properly. I had my talus bone reconstructed and had pins put in. Over the next 2 years I had to go through 2 more reconstruction surgeries after that and then one more to take the pins out. It was a pain in the *. But I delt with it. Once that cast came off I was riding again. Now I'm 25 and I still have to be careful with it when I land or do certain moves. It is weaker than the other one and I am scared of breaking it again. I hate to hear the words "You can't do martial arts anymore". I have to wear ankle braces to keep the joints warm when I exercise. That way the joints are less likely to be injured.

The movie was 130 minutes long yet it felt like 60 minutes. Some things were explained, and some things I'm left confused. It just didn't seem like it was well thought out. It was, dare I say it, Lucas-Style (a movie wrote over a weekend). MATRIX: Awesome movie, left you hanging in a positive way. Good plot and wicked action. A good balance. MATRIX RELOADED: It couldn't surpass the first, but that's the way sequels go. Too much fighting and not enough plot, but it was still good enough to get away with it. MATRIX REVOLUTIONS: Too much Drama, felt rushed. Opinion is unsure at this point. The guns were kickass. I think I have to see it again to make my judgement on this one. I'm still marinating on the story and I don't know what to think about it.

maybe you've reached your plateau. Take a break from your current style and try a different one. Ask your instructor if there is something new you can learn. Teach new techniques. Something to get you excited abut the martial arts again.

they are framed and hung on my wall underneath the corresponding belt

mine are hung on my wall with the corresponding certificate underneath. I'm looking into a rack myself as my wall is getting cluttered.

she's wearing Bruce's yellow jumpsuit! lol

At Tong Moo Do, it takes five years to get your black belt, and that's if you don't fail any previous belt tests.

UPDATED LIST: 2 Wooden Tai Chi Swords 1 Padded Sword 1 5 foot Black Aluminium Staff (1/2" diam) 1 5 foot wooden staff (1" diam) 1 pair black nunchucks with metal chain 1 pair wooden nunchucks with metal chain 1 pair padded (heavy foam material) nunchucks with rope 1 pair of iron sai 1 pair of rattan escrima sticks 1 pair 16oz gloves (not really I weapon I guess but I recently bought them) 1 pair bag gloves

yup. The tiger's name was Cringer and he was a big * until he got "He-manified'

2-3 times a year. Christmas, New Years and birthdays usually.

we play fun games like various forms of tag, running, follow the leader, even games we played as kids. whatever gets the cardio up. Afterwards we stretch.

I played the x box game and finished it that night. As long as you keep pressing buttons and stay on the offence, you'll be fine. I'm not even a regular video game player.

Para Nue That "zoom, zoom, zoom" song from the Mazda commercials is actuallya Capoeira song The soundtrack form the Capoeira movie, "Only the Strong" has some good songs. It even featuers "Donovan's Mix"