PrideampPoise

Exactly, unlike Math, for example, there is no "right" answer. Studying liberal arts is more a matter of learning about what's out there and coming up with your own ways of developing and applying it.

We all have our own philosophy on how we view the world and ourselves as a part of it. Much (though not all) of the influence on Bruce's views came from Eastern and Greek philosophers of the past, as opposed to those espousing "modern psycho-babble".

Definitely contrary to the spirit of what our school promotes. Do your instructors promote the intentional breaking of rules in competitions?

We actually had an 8 session knife fighting class at our school, and I agree with most here... if the other guy has a knife and you don't, run, if at all possible. If you can't run, find some other kind of weapon. If that's not an option, the only thing that seemed to give any chance is to grab or neutralize the knife hand at the wrist. But that is extremely difficult to do, especially when the other person knows that's what you are going to try to do. If you're lucky, maybe his knife isn't real sharp (which makes a huge difference).

Looks like I was the only one from these boards, krzychicano. On the turnout, good question. The SF State gym isn't all that large for a college gym, but it was full in the morning, when the kids were competing. If I had to guess at total numbers of competitors, I'd guess anywhere from 300-500, kids and adults included. Sorry for such a wide range, but it was hard to tell for sure. Thanks, that's what I'm taking from it. (and of course, I always need more practice...) Probably, but its hard to judge how each school's competitors really did, as opposed to how many competitors they had. Some of the divisions, had few competitors, so if you could bring anyone, your school would earn points. That's not to take anything away from anyone, its just that I don't know how large Master Suh's school is, and how many competitors he actually brought to the tournament. They could have done very well, just not had a big number of competitors. With everybody wearing identical uniforms, its hard to tell! Funny you mention him, as I found out after the tournament that Master Suh is my instructor's teacher.

One good thing about a contract is that it gets the student to commit to a certain time period. They are less likely to give up in the early days if they are paying for it anyway. Of course that's not the kind of committment we would really expect out of a martial artist, but it takes some people time to fully realize what they are getting and really make that true committment. If they never do, then they are going to quit anyway, contract or not. I wouldn't let the contract itself scare you, but I would ask what happens if you move, or if you were injured and couldn't train for a month or more. Would you get a refund? If you were injured, would he add extra time to the backend of the contract? Ideally, those things are actually written into the contract, but just because they aren't, it doesn't mean the instructor won't live up to his word.

In the "talk to teachers" section, I would specifically say to let the instructor know what you are looking for and ask him if his school sounds right for you and WHY. If you don't know what you are looking for, or even if you do, ask the instructor what benefits you can expect to get from studying under him. His answers should sound interesting to you... if they don't, it might not be a good match. Also, be wary of an instructor who doesn't emphasize that you will need to work hard to acheive those benefits, or who makes promises that don't seem realistic, like guaranteed promotions. I was looking at website for a local MA school, and under the FAQs it said "Will I get hurt?". The answer was "No! Our instructors are trained blah blah blah." How can anyone promise you won't get hurt doing any kind of physical activity? Major red flag to me. Just some suggestions...

For techniques, we select three from a given set or sets. The sets that we can choose from are determined by our belt level. We perform the techniques with a partner. The only requirement for the partner is that they must be of the same belt level or lower. The sets that I could choose from are Maek Chi Ki and Maek Cha Ki, which involve blocking/catching a punch, and then following with a specific strike or kick to a specific pressure point, delivered at a specific angle. We perform our three chosen techniques, and then are given scores by three judges, who are all BB's. The scores are added together to determine placing. If there's a tie, each is asked to peform their techniques again, then the judges choose between the two.

I'm not sure I agree with this. One can learn the mental aspects of the arts just as one can learn the physical aspects. Sure, some walk in off the street with the right mental attitude, and for the right reasons. Just as some walk in off the street with the physical ability to execute advanced techniques and movements. But some also walk in without strength in either or both of those areas. A good teacher will help them improve in both of those. I agree there are some basics that you have to adhere to from day 1 both physically and mentally. But beyond that, if a BB hasn't advanced mentally or in attitude in the x number of years they took to reach that level, I think that either something hasn't worked, or they were the exception rather than the rule. In my limited experience, I've already seen changes in some of our students attitude-wise in the months since they've joined. Sure, some with attitude issues* fell by the wayside, but some really do develop mentally as they also progress physically. Just like you can't expect somebody on day 1 to execute advanced physical techniques, you also cannot expect them to exhibit the same committment and attitude of a multi-year practioner. *When I say attitude issues, I don't mean somebody who is disruptive... that should not be tolerated.

All in all, it went very well, thanks. I didn't place in techniques or forms. My techniques weren't crisp enough. I also lack the height and flexibility to do the high kicks that I think looked better in Maek Cha Ki. Can't do anything about the height portion, but I do continue to work on the flexibility, which is slowly coming along. In forms, I honestly thought I did well enough to place, but one of the three judges didn't agree, as he gave me the lowest score out of any of the competitors and I missed a tie for 4th by 1/10 of a point. The only glaring difference I could see between me and all of the others in my group is that I performed the form faster than they did. I spoke with SBN about this a few days later, asking if I should slow my pace down, but he said no. He said my form is very good, and that I shouldn't let one judge dictate any changes in my style. So, as it always is, the solution is to work harder. Sparring was interesting. Due to the divisions being broken up by gender (unlike forms and techniques) and also due to some of the forms/techniques competitors not participating in sparring, there were only three competitors in my division. My first, and as it turns out only, sparring opponent had about a foot height advantage, and I wasn't able to overcome it. I actually jumped out on him early, but he figured out how to keep me at a distance and I then couldn't get inside on him to score points before I got "tagged". I lost by 1 or 2 points. He then sparred the third in our group, and defeated him. I thought I would then spar that gentlemen for 2nd place, but that wasn't how it worked. Since I was eliminated first, I was awarded third. I was also the falling partner for one of our brown belts in techniques, and he placed third, so I was happy about that. All in all, it was a good learning experience, and it was definitely fun to watch the other competitions and see the Masters' demonstrations. And our school placed 2nd in the overall standings, so that was nice as well. Here's the link to the results as posted at the KSW website. Just the BB's and team results are posted. http://www.kuksoolwon.com/results_2005_SF.htm

First off, as most of us probably do, we sign waivers when we sign-up, saying we won't sue if we get hurt. Well, every once in awhile, when two students aren't practicing their techniques with enough intensity, he'll say something like "Go ahead... twist it. He signed the paper!"

Well, I don't train in a style like that, but some more "mellow" music that I enjoy are the soundtracks to The Last Samurai and Last of the Mohicans.

Haven't seen any signs of it in our dojang. Good questions, TSDforChrist. I'll bite. On #1... As a practical matter, I haven't been in a situation like that. My first study was in TKD in college, and there was no choice to make (I believe he was Italian). KSW schools are few and far between out here, so when I took that up, again, not much choice. But as a hypothetical, I have to honestly say that if I had that choice initially, the instructor being Korean *might* have had an influence on my inititial perception. However, I'm confident that I would have taken the time to speak with each, and that ultimately, the nationality would not have played a role in it. My current instructor is from Afghanistan, and I have the utmost respect for him. So going forward, I'm pretty sure nationality would have no impact on me, even at a subconcious level. On #2, I'd say basically, see #1. If it were my first foray into the arts, the instructor being Oriental might have a small impact on my initial perception. But again, in the end, I don't think it would have mattered. Now, I'm sure it wouldn't matter.

Kuk Sool Won: White Yellow Stripe Yellow Blue Stripe Blue Red Stripe Red Brown Stripe Brown (considered "brown belt" if you have 0 or 1 stripe) Black-Brown (Brown with 2+ stripes) Black Should be the same in all KSW schools.

All together, I pay $108 per month for Kuk Sool Won. That includes the quarterly testing, which I averaged out to get the per month figure. It doesn't include any voluntary seminars or tournaments. Our first uniform is included in that price. Any other equipment, like sparring gear for example, we pay extra for. If we buy it through the school, we pay only the school's cost. (sometimes they can get a better price than we can as individuals) One thing to consider that I haven't seen others mention is the location. In higher rent areas costs are going to be higher, so it figures that schools will have to charge more (on average).

Welcome!

Since I switched to diet (and usually caffeine free), I can't drink the sodas with sugar anymore. It tastes as bad to me as diet used to.

One good indication is how your clothes are fitting. If they aren't any more snug in the waist or hip, then you probably haven't gained much fat, and a lot of it could be muscle. Also, your weight can fluctuate by as much as a few pounds depending on how hydrated you are that day. And even further, I know when I go to the doctor, they just have me take my shoes off before weighing me. Depending on what I'm wearing, and how long its been since I ate, etc, that can cause some fluctuation as well. The doctor ususally isn't concerned about a few lbs one way or the other. Again, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting. You also might want to consider getting a scale for home. That way you can weight yourself in a more controlled situation and have a better way of comparing your weights. (The scale might not be exactly accurate, but as long as its consistent, you can spot trends up or down)

I do think that is a valid point. We have a few students at our school like this. One in particular is one of the better students in class (currently a blue belt), but this person clearly doesn't like being put "on the spot" in front of a big crowd. We do test every three months, and I think that testing has more benefits than drawbacks. But at the same time, I don't think the promotion should be based solely on how that student performed in the test. For example, if a student works very hard in class, and clearly has learned the material, but then doesn't do all that well on the test because the "freeze up", I believe they should still be promoted, especially at the lower ranks. We have been told that how we conduct ourselves in class will have an impact on whether we are promoted. On the other hand, I don't think students should be excused from the test simply because they don't like it. The only way to get better at something is to do it, and it seems most grow more comfortable with performing in front of others if they continue to try. Definitely helps with self-confidence and can be applied to other areas of life. Here's what our tests include (sorry if this is too much detail): They are every three months on a Saturday. The dates are set at the beginning of the year. We have separate sessions for children and adults. We always do: "Air" Kicking/Striking. Usually 10 of each with each leg/hand, done in rapid succession. Breathing/Ki exercises. Forms. From 1st form through the last form we know. Sometimes we do it once in front of everybody. If the class is small enough, we do each form 4 times at the same time. Once you finish your last form for the 4th time, you continue to perform that one until the last person is finished. Technically, however, you are not being graded after that 4th performance of your last form. Techniques. Start with the first set and continue through the last we know. Our instructor will call out the number of the technique we are to perform, and we are expected to execute it instantly. We usually do 3-5 techniques per set. Sometimes, we are asked to go through the entire set rapidly, without the falling portion, before he calls out the numbers. When the numbers are called, we are usually required to execute the entire technique, which usually includes a lock, takedown and finishing strike. If its too crowded, however, we sometimes are not all required to do the falling portion in each set. Once we get to our last techniques, we either continue to perform those, or are asked to remain at attention while the higher ranks complete their techniques. Board breaking. We execute the breaks as required by the KSW association. Men use pine boards from Home Depot, and the women and children use boards made of some kind of less dense wood, and that is also thinner. Brown and Black-Brown belts do their staff spinning. Things we sometimes do, but not in each test: "Air" sparring. Sparring without gear or contact. Rotate through 6-8 partners. Execute a kick or kicks one at a time. Once we were asked to name the kick in Korean first. Falling... front falls, back falls, cart wheels, etc. That's what I can remember right now. Promotions are done at a later date, ususally two weeks later. For that we do some demonstrations and have a pot luck.

Congrats to both of you and your wives! So far, I haven't been able to get my wife to give it a try. But my son is 6 and I think I'll be starting him soon, so maybe that will help...

Its very possible. You have to be very careful about eating more. If you eat too much, or aren't doing enough to actually build strength, you can just get fat. As others have said, you probably want to incorporate a weight lifting routine. I would eat a little more than you had been before, but wouldn't go crazy with it until you see if you are getting results. Don't look at this as a quick fix, but instead as a permanent change you are making to your training routine. Be patient and find what works for you.

I agree that he could probably do it everyday, or just about (remember that marathon runners have been training for years), but I'm just saying it would be better to (1), actually work up from 5 miles instead of just running 5 miles all the time, and (2), do sprint training instead on some days because he is not training only for endurance. Thanks, I'll look into it. In the mean time, my educated but certainly not expert opinion is that he should not train the same parts daily.

Do you have any further info on that? I don't claim to be an expert, but I have read quite a bit on training, and I still don't see much about top bodybuilders or powerlifters advocating training the same bodyparts everyday, and these guys are usually even 'roided up.

Here's the thing, Mtal... If you really are concerned with just the black belt itself, you just need to find a school that "promises" a black belt in a year, or year and a half. They are out there. Or you can simply ask the black belts at a given school how long it took them to get there. (Of course, they may try to explain that you shouldn't study just to get a belt...) If what you meant was what arts/systems can you study that teach you practical techniques quickly, regardless of how they award belts, then you should probably ask people to focus on that, because that is a valid question, imho.

If you have a credit card you can purchase it on line. If not, perhaps you know someone who could purchase it for you and you could pay them the cash? (Of course, if you can find it for an equal or better price at a bookstore, there is no need). Another thing to think about is that some arts teach the sword as part of the regular curriculum. That's not to say you should take up an art just because you want to learn the sword part, but its just something to think about.