PrideampPoise

We have testing/promotions every three months. The only time I've seen anyone be promoted at another time was from white belt to yellow stripe. Those few times were because the student started right after a test and picked up the material to the point where they could test for yellow belt at the next scheduled test. After that, its three months between tests, period. Once we reach brown belt (I haven't yet, I just tested for brown stripe), we still test every three months, but I haven't seen anyone promoted to black belt with fewer than I think 5 or 6 stripes. So, from yellow to blue, blue to red, etc, takes 6 months. Stripe after 3, new belt after another 3. Seems to be a minimum year and a half from brown to black. My take is that if you are putting reasonable effort in, and are showing up, SBN will promote us each time through Black-Brown. At that point, it changes, as we have some Black-Brown belts with more than 10 stripes. Now, I should add that I haven't really seen anyone put "reasonable" effort in and not make reasonable progress. I'm not sure what would happen if a blue belt, for example, really was trying but just hadn't picked up the material and tested poorly. It seems that those who don't make progress really aren't putting the effort in, and invariably they bail.

Haven't been before. Last year's was my first chance, but I couldn't make it due to a family committment. I'm signed up for the three things red belts and below are eligible for... forms, techniques and sparring. I'm doing Goh Geup Hyung for my form. My techniques are Maek Chi Ki 12 and 14, and Maek Cha Ki 5. I'm also the "falling partner" for one of our brown belts, who is doing three techniques from Joo Mohk Maga Ki Bohn Soo and Joon Geup Sohn Mohk Soo. Brown belt and above can also compete in board breaking and staff or sword.

Oh lord no! That's Caddyshack 2. While some do think it was funny, it has a reputation among many as possibly the worst sequel of all time. The original had Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase (in a bigger role than he played in 2)

Here's a few I like. I've included the author/speaker when I know who it is. "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." -Thomas Jefferson (variation of the one posted by Cmon) The will to win is not as important as the will to prepare to win. ‘Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.’ Winston Churchill ‘It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.’ Vince Lombardi The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur. - Vince Lombardi ‘The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.’ Vincent Lombardi Sometimes, the road is less traveled for a reason. You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time - that should be enough for most purposes. Don't mess around with people who do crossword puzzles in ink. Character is what you do and how you act when no one is watching. And of course: Don't pee on an electric fence.

Well, its not a lot of fun when you find out later she's only 17 and her dad is a cop.

Ok, so its well past "the next couple of days", but I would be interested. The only issue I might have is with timing if its a "live" draft. But if its an automated draft where we pre-rank the players, or a draft done over multiple days where we check in on a message board, I could probably swing it.

Oakland A's, going back to the days of Reggie, Joe Rudi, Catfish, Blue Moon, Vida Blue, Campy Campaneris, and even Billy North.

Caddyshack. No question. Honorable mention: Animal House Vacation movies (except European Vacation) There's Something About Mary Airplane Bachelor Party Naked Gun movies

Depends on what kind of race it is I guess. When it comes to dating, the most important thing (imho) is to be yourself. Don't try to be something you are not. I guess if you are a jerk, you should be working on that, but if you are a nice guy, don't try to be the "bad boy". At best, you'll attract a girl who you aren't compatible with, and at worst, you'll miss out on the girl you would have really been happy with. The scantily dressed girl will get more "looks", but she'll also attract more creeps. Again, its all about being yourself. If you're a jeans and t-shirt girl, then be a jeans and t-shirt girl. The kind of guys who ignore those girls usually aren't the guys a jeans and t-shirt girl wants to hang out with anyway.

I think you guys are thinking of Billy Madison. Another classic, no doubt, but still a different movie. I guess my favorite part of Happy Gilmore would be the profanity-laced tirade he goes on when he misses a putt. We see most of it on a TV in the commissioner's office where its bleeped out, but it still cracks me up.

Just want to emphasize this. Warming up before stretching is important to reduce the chance of injury, and it also allows you stretch further.

Eh, doesn't bother me. Its not like she's going to start returning my calls anyway!

Ok, I get what you are saying Teiydo. I agree with the following from Mr. Ice: We have gone through periods where we spend more time on different aspects, depending on what our instructor sees as needing the most work. And there is so much... kicking, striking, falling, breathing/Ki, techniques, forms, sparring, weapons... Its hard to devote more than an average of 15-20 minutes per class on something. That's why practicing at home is so critical (not to say that you don't). But Taiji had a good suggestion. Speak to your instructor and let him/her know that you don't feel you are getting enough practice on your techniques. They can take that into consideration when conducting the class, and they may be able to offer suggestions on how to get more practice, or even spend some time with you outside of the regular class. KSW is one of those arts, however, that takes awhile before you really learn techniques that can be applied in practical situations. The first few sets are called "foundational" because they are meant to teach you certain movements as a base for learning the more practical application later.

Charging for stripes doesn't bother me in and of itself. We test every three months, and each colored belt has one stripe. So you get a white belt in the door, test for yellow stripe at your first test, then yellow belt at the next, etc. But there's only 5 colored belts below black. White, yellow, blue, red and brown. (Once you reach brown, you continue earning black stripes until you are promoted to black belt, which can be quite some time) I've been in a few schools lately that didn't look like they had stripes, but had so many different colored belts that they were using colors I couldn't identify! ("I'm a fuscia belt. Are you a muave belt?") I don't see how that can be assumed to be any better than a system with fewer belts but that uses stripes. I actually don't think you can really tell much just by looking at the number of belts/stripes the school uses, or what they charge for what. Yes, some things bring up red flags, but even that's not the end of the story. In the end, anybody who is sticking with it solely because they are motivated by a different colored belt or stripe is going to quit. On the other hand, being able to guage one's progress visually is important to some, particularly those who are starting out in the arts, and don't yet grasp what they are all about. Its one thing for an experienced Martial Artist to understand that your growth isn't truly measured by the color of your belt, but its quite another to expect a beginner to get that.

KK has some good questsions. Beyond that, I'd say that really it depends on what your goals are. If your goals are to (1) continue improving your conditioning and flexibility, and (2) get involved in the sport side of TKD, while learning a little true self defense along the way, then you probably are fine where you are. Martial Arts do not HAVE to be all about street fighting, or even traditional forms and meditation. If the school is fulfilling your needs, you don't need to go in search of something else. Its no different than if you found a gym or a dance class you really like... there's no right or wrong. You just have to be careful not to delude yourself into thinking you are getting something that you are not. On the other hand, if true self defense and "traditional" Martial Arts are more what you are interested in, then you might want to look around for another school. I wouldn't worry about not being in what you consider adequate condition to start at one of those schools. A good instructor does not expect you to be in great, or even good shape walking in off the street. They will only expect you to progress and work hard once you join. If you do decide to look around, make sure you talk to the instructor before you sign up at a new school. Tell him what you are looking to accomplish, and also tell him about your concerns, and see if he gives you answers you are comfortable with.

Will do. I'm signed up, so unless I'm befallen by some catastrophic calamity (like if my wife gets mad at me), I'll be there. I hear you on that. Fortunately, this one is only about an hour drive for me, which is probably the only way I would be able to work it out.

Once you have them, its tough to make them disappear. I got them when I was 16, and they still would flare up once in awhile for the next 3 years or so. Stretching the calf muscles helps. Also, building the muscles around the shin. Doctors often recommend sitting in a chair and "writing" the alphabet with your toes, which will work your shin muslces. Avoiding high impact excercises will help, as well as avoiding hard surfaces, like concrete. If you're overweight, losing some weight can help.

Probably Under Siege, but that's partly because I'm a battleship fan. Most of Seagal's movies kind of run together for me, similar to with Van Damme. Not that I don't like them, just that most of them don't stand out.

Sorry I can't help... we haven't had a visting instructor during the 1 1/2 years I've been training in KSW (unless it happened when I was on vacation or something, but I probably still would have heard about it).

Anyone going?

We have 3 classes per week, and probably work on techniques in two of them on average, for about about 15-20 minutes each. I have to admit, it seems odd to me to not practice them at all for two months. I assume that means you didn't learn a new technique during that time? How often do you test?

We only break boards at testing, and the kids are asked to do it as well, though until brown belt, its all kicks/strikes with the heel or palm. Under 13 uses balsa wood type boards that are only about a 1/4" thick, so I don't think there is much danger of broken bones, at least no more so than when they are playing on a playground. To me, the value is the same as in target kicking/striking, though there is an additional mental element it requires. Really, it is just a way to practice accuracy that provides immediate feedback that targets don't always provide. I don't think its "necessary", but it is a useful training tool, when kept in the proper perspective.

Ok, thanks. I was asking because we recently changed. We used to bow from the kneeling position, and bow to the flags and KSN (the picture) both before and after class. Now we bow from the standing position, and only bow to the BBs and whoever leads the class.

Based just on whose performances/movies I like as opposed to who is the "best" true martial artist: Actor- Bruce Lee, but I also really like Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan. Jet Li is ok, but a little dry. Actress- Zhang Ziyi (If I'm going to get my butt kicked, I pick her to do the kicking.... at least I'd have a nice view before I lost consciousness.) Kelly Hu is a close second.

There's a lot of things you can do. The idea, as others have mentioned, is to do both cardio and strength training. If you don't have weights, you can still do push-ups, dips, lunges, squats, etc. With some of those, you can use anything you can hold in your hands to add some resistance. If you really want to get creative, you can even fill some milk jugs with sand or water (make sure you seal it good!) and use those for curls, presses, etc. Plyometrics is another thing you can do that doesn't require any additional resistance. This is things like jumping straight up and down repeatedly, jumping from side to side, etc. The idea here is to train for explosive power, so we're talking about big jumps, not small ones like in jumping rope. For cardio, if you can't run because of the weather, there's still things you can do indoors. If you have enough room, you can jump rope. There's running in place, jumping jacks, things like that. If you have a VCR or DVD player, there's LOTS of excercise videos you can try. Tae Bo can give you a good workout, but there's also lots of other aerobic kickboxing type of things out there, as well as step aerobics, regular aerobics, etc. There might even be some TV shows on in your area that you can record and use. The key is finding something you can stick with until the weather improves.