PrideampPoise

You've got to train for whatever reasons motivate you. When the alarm clock goes off and its freezing outside, what somebody else said you should do isn't going to get you out of bed and into the garage for your workout, or out on the street for your run. I personally don't care much about the competitions, but I don't think its necessarily bad to be motivated by that. As long as you represent your art with honor and integrity, its hard to say that's a problem. Of course, it could be that its not really the competitions that truly drive you, but you just haven't realized that yet. Either way, if you're only going to be gone for a year, you've got motivation to train. If you want to compete after you get back, you'll be able to do it faster if you actively train on your own for the year. It won't be easy, with the end goal so far away, but if its important to you.... Plus, you might learn a little something more about what you are REALLY after. Another option, as others have said, is to spend the year training in another art, if that is available to you.

I agree with the others. As unfortunate as your situation is, I would find another doctor or two and talk to them about your situation. Ideally one with some experience working with athletes. Just like every other profession, there are good doctors and bad ones, experienced and inexperienced. Your doctor may just be very cautious, or have no experience with those who try to resume MA type activities after this kind of surgery. Perhaps it is possible if done properly and with the right modifications. If after that it still turns out kicking is out of the question, find an art you enjoy that doesn't emphasize the kicking, or like somebody else said, doesn't have any kicking at all, like boxing. You also might be able to find an instructor in an art that will be ok with having you as a student even if you can't do most of the kicking portions. I know our instructor will make allowances for age and physical limitations, like bad backs or knees. Of course he wants you to try to work with it and improve it, but if you can't kick high, no problem. Do what you can.

Yeah, I'm not sure what exactly is being asked. I agree, you can't "give up" your rank in that you know what you know, whether you are wearing a colored belt or not. Would I agree to start as a white belt if I started in another style? Of course. In fact I would expect it. A different school in the same style (KSW in my case)? Sure, if that's what the instructor wanted. Since we have fairly standardized ranking criteria in KSW, I'm not sure how common that is, but if I respect an instructor enough to attend his class, I would respect his wishes with regard to the belt I wore. Would I choose not to study a new style because I would have to start as a white belt? No, if I want to learn something, I want to learn it. Not being able to wear a belt wouldn't change that (unless I needed the belt to hold up my pants).

Here's his imdb profile. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001866/ According to this, his last movie was in 1997, and he's 67 years old.

If his KK performance was anything like his Happy Days performance, I could agree with you. Again, some people have accents, some don't. In movies, some actors are asked to fake accents because its part of the character. Pat Morita was asked to do this in various roles, and sometimes, purely for comic relief, which is unfortunate. Mr. Miyagi, however, was not one of those unfortunate situations.

But Miyagi's accent was not used for comic relief. Just having an accent does not make one a racial stereotype. Of course there are Asian people in this country without accents. But of course there are also Asian people in this country with accents. Portraying either in a movie is not right or wrong in and of itself. Neither makes one a stereotype. Yes, the Arnold character from Happy Days is a different story, but Morita was not cast as comic relief for The Karate Kid. You've got some good points about Hollywood stereotypes in movies, its just that The KK is actually an example of signficant progress being made in that area. Especially when we consider that it was made about 20 years ago.

I don't think we can say whether he was justified or not. Everybody gets picked on at some point, but that's not always a good reason to open up a can on somebody. Depends on what exactly was happening, how, etc. That said, it is good to know that the initiator got what was coming to him.

Apparently, filming started in December. The link below has some photos (he's older, but hardly fat), and some info on the plot. Assuming its true, Adrian has passed away. Paulie is in the movie. Supposedly, its more about the character and story than about the boxing. Rocky pulls a George Foreman. http://i.1asphost.com/RockyFan/rocky6.html Rocky was by far the "best movie" of the bunch, with II being pretty good as well. III and IV had more action and boxing/training, so they are fun as well. V tried to be more like the original, but sadly, it failed in that regard, though the final street fight with Tommy Morrison is pretty cool. Hopefully they do better this time. I doubt it. That would be a tough one to get people to go see. I do remember Stallone saying that his original script for Rocky V had Rocky dying at the end, but then he "couldn't do it", and changed it.

Guy, 37.

I'm not going to contend the screenplay should have been nominated for an Oscar, that's for sure. But still, to me, that's a harsh assessment of the character. Miyagi is a war-hero who has been through terrible tragedies in his life, and he develops a bond with, and learns to trust, Daniel. This is not accomplished through stereo-typing. In fact, other than the fact that he's Japanese and knows Karate, I'm not sure what the racial stereotypes are. He has an accent and cultivates a Japanese garden, but surely we have not grown so PC as to say that's not realistic? If it is, I have some acquaintances that are going to be upset to find they are nothing but a racial stereotype. Actually, he avoids most of the racial stereotypes that were common at the time. Asian characters in American movies were frequently shown to be nothing more than comic relief, their accents or appearance providing something for others to make fun of. If they knew martial arts, they were quick to use it, and with lots of high-pitched screeches while they were doing it. The only time the movie actually uses race for humor was the beach scene, when the two yokels confront Mr. Miyagi and Daniel. But even then, the scene shows the stupidity of such actions, not the humor in them.

I think that the vast majority of non-MAs who use "wax on wax off" to make fun of the martial arts would have made fun of the arts anyway. On the other hand, I'm sure the way the movie portrayed the philosophy of martial arts piqued the interest of many potential martial artists. Really, people make fun of Bruce Lee's "monkey noises", but are we seriously going to say his movies were bad for martial arts because of that?

No, intense training is not a shortcut. And again, even in the move, Daniel was encouraged to seek balance. The healing stuff doesn't really work into the message either way. Its mainly a character device for Mr. Miyagi, and a plot device to get Daniel back in the ring after the injury. That's fair enough, though as Menjo points out, the original holds up pretty well against other movies of the time. Clearly the story did get to audiences in a way that is rare for movies that deal with martial arts. But you're right, everybody views it differently. I will say that 2nd and 3rd movies did fall victim to the cliches and stereotypes you mentioned, and in a progressively worse manner. The second was still good, imho, and had some different aspects than the first. The third was simply horrible, again, imho. I thought the fourth was actually a significant improvement over the third, but still nothing to really brag about.

I guess it can be viewed that way, but I don't think that was the intended message, or the message most got from the movie. Daniel put in a lot of hard work and showed a lot of perseverance to defeat cocky and arrogant opponents. Really, its the "Cobra Kai" that were taking the shortcut, learning nothing about the philosophies or "art" of Martial arts, and simply learning how to fight. True, the short time in which Daniel was able to progress isn't really consistent with that when you think about it, but the movie presents it in a way that shows he basically ate, drank and breathed karate for the period in which he trained. Certainly the message is that hard work and balance are the preferred route, and that shortcuts are not the answer. This was even stated several times when Daniel wanted to learn "more" stuff faster.

I definitely think it helped. Anything that promotes the positive aspects of martial arts is a good thing. Of course, not everybody will take the positive message, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be heard. You can lead a horse to water... As for the jokes, I agree with Shotochick. They're just lighthearted jokes. Can't let something like that bother you, especially when most people don't mean any offense, but are just trying to be funny.

My instructor recently returned from a trip to Korea where he was promoted to 5th dan in KSW. His impression was that the students he came across were more serious and respectful than the students here. He felt their focus was less on quantity and more on quality. In other words, they didn't know as much material as a similar belt level would here in the US, but they practiced what they knew more often. He also felt the conditioning of the students in Korea was better. Of course, he didn't tour the entire country, but these were his impressions from what he did see.

I assume Tkd5 means that in addition to the other material, the candidate should be able to defend themselves. Though I agree, that's a pretty subjective statement. I agree with him that the practical application of the art should be part of the requirement, but how exactly that is measured is wide open to interpretation. To answer the original question, I've been studying KSW for a little over 2 years and do not yet have my black belt. If I had to take a guess, I'd say it'll be another 1-2 years. But "Don't Call me Sir" has a very good point. Besides the style, teacher, etc, how quickly you can progress depends on how much time and effort the student puts in.

Good questions. Part of how you proceed depends on why you think your kids want to quit, and whether you think they really do enjoy it. I'd think that if it was tough to get them to go, but then they did fine once they were there, it would make sense to continue taking them. But if they aren't getting into it even when they are there, then maybe a break is in order. However, if it were me, I'd make it clear that while its fine to quit TKD because its not for you, they won't be quitting so they can play video games or just go hang out with friends. They'd be trying some other activity, and continue doing so, until they find something that IS right for them. And certainly that could eventually be a return to TKD. By going that route, perhaps you'll find out if they just needed a kick in the rump, or if they really would prefer to be doing some other activity, whether its baseball, soccer, dance, whatever.

Of course there's probably no "right" answer, but I personally wouldn't do the re-test. Your sensei that you respect has told you that you deserve the rank you have, so that should be all there is to it, imho. Since you respect him, his word should be good enough, just like it would be with any other student. On top of that, I assume you'll be testing at some point for further promotions, so that should also cover any previous material as well, correct? I'm personally a believer in the idea that the teacher makes the call about when somebody is ready to test or learn something new, not the student. That would go for a demotion or re-test in your case as well. If my teacher doesn't see the need for it, who am I to question him? I don't think we should get to caught up in belt colors, and should instead just focus on improving ourselves, letting our teacher decide about what belt we should have. While your case is not the typical "I want to get promoted faster" case, its still the same principle. Just focus on your own self-improvement and trust your teacher to make the call. (And tell him that's what you are doing) Imho, for what that's worth.

Sure, tiring yourself out just means you've worked out hard. Certainly it has benefits, but it doesn't mean you necessarily improved any of your techniques. I'm starting to read more martial art material, but I just read it out of general interest and to gain general knowledge. I try to limit my martial art training to what I'm actually learning in my dojang. I think that if I keep the two separated in that way, I'll limit the information overload problem.

The only thing the really sends up any kind of warning flag to me is if she has trouble kicking above the plastic base. They should not have her kicking that bag until that's no longer a problem. Other than that, she just needs to practice. In a group setting, an instructor can't catch it every time a student repeats a mistake. You said your daughter practices at home, which is great. Just have her take 5 or 10 minutes of her practice time and really concentrate on the form of her punches. Proper fist and proper wrist alignment. She can do "air" punches, and also very slow punches into any object. Just so she can get a feel of what the good alignment feels like, and the contact point on her fingers. But to answer the original question, I don't think there is a compatibility problem. Sure, she could hurt hand someday, but she can also hurt it on a playground, playing volleyball, or in a car door. I don't think she should drop something she enjoys doing out of fear of an injury, especially at 9.

Yeah, I already called my instructor to tell him I wouldn't be at class until next Wednesday at the earliest. I can walk a little better today, but I know it would be foolish to try and do anything yet. Still, I'm getting antsy...

Thanks... Mine is the same in that I have no idea what actually caused it. I've been working out everyday, and felt pretty much ok after Monday night's workout. Certainly no pain. Even Tuesday morning it was fine for awhile. Then it started bothering me as I was walking. Bizarre.

Went to the doctor today and was diagnosed with a groin pull. Started really bothering me yesterday, to the point where it was difficult to walk. Its not so bad walking around the house with no shoes on, but when walking outside, it hurts more. First 4-5 steps are fine, then it gradually gets worse. Before going to the doctor, I tried a few easy movements, like raising my knee/leg, which didn't seem to bother it. The doctor says nothing strenuous for a week, but I've heard they can last much longer than that. Anyone have any experience they can share? I'm really bummed about it, as I was very happy with my training recently. My stamina and flexibility were improving, and I feel I was making strides in all areas. Weight training was going well also. Now I've got at least a week of doing little or nothing. Hopefully not longer.

Lots of things can work, but really, if you want to fight under different rules, shouldn't you find competitions with different rules? This guy you describe who was bigger/stronger... I don't get how the fact that we was bigger/stronger justifies anyone intentionally breaking the rules just because he has that advantage. If you can't do it within the rules, take your beating and move on, or find another competition with another set of rules. Without the honor and valor "stuff", what's the point? Its not like this is a life or death situation. It's a competition where everyone agrees to a set of rules and nobody is forced to participate, or to lay their lives or their loved ones' lives on the line. I am hopeful that if your instructor knew you were intentionally breaking rules, he would let you know that is not acceptable. And I agree with Straight Blast, whacking somebody in the nose illegally is not a mind game.

I do not.