Sorynn

Did anyone else have this problem? Because it works fine for me. The link did not work for me either. So, I just did a search under H@pkidoist and sparring and found his point of view.

We are in South Jersey (Cherry Hill area), East of Philadelphia about 5-10 miles.

I think the answer is "yes." I used to study Judo as a teen, and I am a beginner in Hapkido. We had to learn 5 throws for our first test. Each one had a Judo equivalent, except the hand placement was slightly different. We had to perform a shoulder throw (similar to ippon seinoge), hip throw (similar to ogoshi), sacrifice throw (similar to tomenage), major leg reap and leg sweep (do not remember the names in Japanesse). It may depend on the Kwan of the school, but I would guess many of the Judo throws you have learned have Yudo and Hapkido equivalents. Having said that... my instrutor has used me to demonstrate some of the more advanced throwing techniques to the class because I can breakfall relatively well. Some of those wrist throws and elbow hyperextensions will be entirely new to me when we get there.

I started studying Hapkido about 4 months ago, and I asked my instructor recently, "When do we get to spar?" I was told that he does not let students in the lower belts spar as it is too easy for us to get carried away and hurt each other. Eventually, we will do ground work (sounded similar to the mat work I did in Judo) and stand up sparing. I am interested to see how we will structure the stand up sparing for the safety of the students... It would be very easy to dislocate something if some of the techniques we are learning are done at full speed. Untill then, I think I will just stand-up spar a friend that is a BB in Tangsoodo and practice groundwork with my brother that is a wrestler. Of course, I will ask my instructor before doing that because we are in a traditional school and I need to ask him to spar. Take care. I hope more people can contribute to this thread because I am extremely interested to hear other peoples experiences. Cheers!

*nods* Those concepts make complete sense to me. Now, I just have to execute them. I do not understand this completely. I am trying to visualize it, and I understand using their feet as base points. If the place to point your body is the ending point of the technique, then it seems that you have to already know where the end point is to visualize the triangle. From my confused point of view, it seems that the main benefit of this visualization technique would be to have your entire body lined up properly by understanding the forces in use and the balance points. Am I close?? Thank you for the pointers, I appreciate the input.

Tangsooguy, I was hoping there was something I would read to speed up the learning curve. However, you seem to be verifying my gut feeling when you say, "practice, practice, practice." Cheers! I will more actively pay attention to the balance points of my partners and keeping relaxed. Thanks, Treebranch and ZR440.

How did you learn the level of power to put into joint manipulations? A better question may be... How did you safely learn to mantain the proper level of tension in joint manipulations without going overboard and injuring your training partners? Here is some background on my situation and why I am asking: I started studing Hapkido about 3.5 months ago, and we have started to learn joint manipulations (wrist, elbow, shoulder) from the ground and standing. The main concern that I have is in hurting my fellow students. While I am not a large person, being 5'9" and 190 lbs, I am fairly strong and athletic. Fearing that I would injure my training parnters, I have been tenative in holding pressure to the joints throughout the entire technique. This results in weak techniques. I am following my instructor's advice and slowly increasing the tension as I learn to control my body motions and learn the limits of my partners. I doubt there is a better way, but I was curious as to how other people have handled similar learning experiences.

Currently, we have between 3 to 5 people in each class. One of which is my wife, so I have a partner to train with at home. My instructor is 4th Dan with 20+ years of experience.

Mon, Wed and Friday mornings Warm-up then stretch - 10 minutes Weight training for 40-50 minutes, alternating upper and lower body. Cardio - 20 minutes Tues and Thurs mornings Warm-up then stretch - 25 minutes Neck and bodyweight exercises - 20 minutes Balance and technique - 20 minutes Saturday Warm-up then stretch - 25 mintues Balance and technique - 35 minutes

Steinie, What type of multivitamin? If you already have a pretty balanced diet, I do not think it really matters. If you look on the back at the vitamin content, most of them are about the same with some differences in the amount of trace minerals that they provide. I would buy a generic that was not that expensive. You may want to consider lifting weights twice a week 40 or 50 minutes each time to maintain the muscle and strength you currently possess. It would not be enough stress for additional muscle gain, but it will help you to keep from loosing what you have. Sorry about the veggie comment. For some reason I thought you only ate meat. I think I misread your original message. Good luck.

Warning: This is kind of long... Steinie, Does your college offer elective courses in nutrition and exercise science? If they do, I would recommend that you think about taking a few credits of those classes. You wanted to know what is a good way for you to get in shape. How intense are the tennis matches that you are playing with your girlfriend? Do they keep your heartrate elevated so you are receiving an areobic benefit? How long have you been playing tennis with her? How much extra time do you have that you could use to train? Did you enjoy weight training and do you have access to the facilities? I agree with Rick E and karatekid 1975, nutrition may be one of the biggest things that help you. I had a similar build to you (5'9", 205, muscular with a gut, when not exercising 5 month's ago), and here are a few things that have helped me: --Drink lots of water. I cut out all the sodas and limited my cofee, and now carry a water bottle with me everywhere. I often refill the bottled water containers a few times before buying a new one (saves some money). --Try to eat 5-6 small meals a day. This helps your body regulate your blood sugar levels and can help to keep your metabolism running at a more effectient rate. --Try to eat lean meat sources. Like karatekid said, those ribs are really fatty. Lean steak and lean ground beef can be good choices, but do not forget chicken and fish. Some fish like salmon contain fats that are actually good for you. --Take a multivitamin once a day. --Karatekid already said it, but vegetables can be your friend. Give them a chance, you may actually end up liking them --Make improving body composition (% body fat) your goal, more than loosing weight. One inexpensive way to track this is to weight yourself everymorning, and then meassure your waist. Remember, you may not loose weight, but that does not mean you are not loosing body fat. --Keep a journal and write down realistic goals (long-term then short-term) for yourself. Then you can track over time how you are doing. --Look at the long term. Most of us want results now, but six months is not really that far away. Small incrimental changes are more healthy for your body then large immediate changes, and the changes that happen over time are the ones that will stay with you. Five months into my program, I have lost 20 pounds and 4 inches from my waist. However, some weeks I do not see any progress on the scale or the tape meassure. Just keep up the work and know that you are making yourself a healthier, stronger person. I hope this helps you. You are on the right path, just try to have patience with your body. Cheers!

Lee, that is a great point! I failed to think about that when I first read the article. I agree with you completely. It is just as unfair to compare Mr. Lee's conditioning to a current elite martial artist, as it is to compare Babe Ruth's (laughable) conditioning to a modern elite baseball player. I just wonder how such a discrepancy of lower body to upper body strength is possible. That disrepancy makes me question the accuracy of the data in the paper, but I thought it was an interesting read anyway. Also, I did not focus on the attacks to Mr. Lee's character. He is not alive to defend himself, and the claims made against his character could be made against many other prominent people of the 60's, 70's or any time. The interesting part to me, was the physical data. Thanks for the input. Cheers!

Hello everyone. I just read this article and thought that others may find it interesting. http://www.myodynamics.com/articles/bruce.html

Mawashi, You can try looking for an instructor here: http://www.koreahapkidofederation.com/directory.php I hope you find an instructor that suits your needs. Cheers!

LOL I have used a similar strategy before... to break there hand by repeatedly hitting it with my face. Sorry I can not offer advice on the blocks and reflexes, as I am a novice. I would guess it just takes lots and lots of practice and sparring, starting at a slow speed and increasing the speed over time. Cheers!

You may have a broken hand. The 5th metacarpal (the bone going from the base of the pinki to the wrist) is often broken when a strike lands on the last knuckle. This happens so often, it is called a boxer's fracture. I broke it once, and the doctor had to rebreak my hand then set it in a cast so it would heal properly. I wish you the best on your recovery.

Kataman, I do think that a soft art or an art with many soft techniques, like Hapkido, Jujutsu and Aikido would be a good choice. However, I am biased, as I study Hapkido, currently; and I studied Judo & Jujutsu as a teenager. I do not think there is such a thing as a best style. What does the practitioner want from the art? Is the person interested in self defense? Do they want a traditional martial art? Is the person interested in understanding body mechanics and the flow of energy in a fight? If yes, then a soft art may be great for that person. Is the person interested in actively competing against others? Does the person have interests or goals that would be better served by another art? If yes, then that person should persue the art that will satisfy their goals. For example, years ago I loved to compete, so I boxed and fought in Judo tournaments. I think Hapkido is perfect for me now, but it was not a good fit for me then. There is not one reason for a person, regardless of gender, to study martial arts. So, there will never be one best martial art for all people. It is important for all people looking to start martial arts to understand why they are starting and to learn about the available arts and the instructors. This is just my humble opinion, so you can accept it or put in the circular file. That is your individual choice. Cheers!

I agree with those that said, "any art that she wants." I am a novice martial artist, but it seems that the best art is the one that a person enjoys, regardless of gender. I mean if a person has fun in the framework of the art, then they will practice it harder and on a more consistent and long-term basis, right? Personally, my wife started taking Hapkido with me 6 weeks ago. It works out great, as we both have a training partner at home. For her situation, Hapkido is a fantastic art: 1) It is a soft art. 2) She is learning a wide variety of skills and techniques, and our instructor will point out self defense applications that are specifically for her. 3) Learning to fall properly can save any person from serious injury. Especially someone that has osteoporosis (spelling?) in her family. 4) How often do non-martial arts women of 120 pounds get to make their 200 pound husbands tap out on a regular basis?

Wow, that is one big officer. Can he run? I used to spare a cop in the boxing ring. It was the only time I could imagine punching a cop repeatedly and not being in trouble.

Here is a helpful article on selecting a place to study martial arts. It helped me, when I was looking to restart, and I hope it helps you as well. http://www.usadojo.com/choosingschool.htm

Oh boy, I can relate to this 100-percent. You said that the achilles tendon is your problem area, right? How is your flexibility in the rest of the foot and ankle region? Here are a couple things I did in physical therapy after having a dislocated ankle: 1. Plantar Facia (large, flat connective tissue under the foot) stretch - Place the balls of your feet on a step and hang your bodyweight on the foot, so the heal is stretched downward. [edit: Hang all your weight on one foot at a time, as long as it is not too painful.] 2. Ankle rolling - roll your ankles clockwise and counterclockwise. 3. Stretching the calf - Just use the standard stretch where you lean against the wall and have one foot behind you flat on the ground. 4. Achille's tendon stretch - Start in the standard calf stretch with one foot behind you, then bend at the knee and push back on the [edit: ball of the back] foot. 5. Strengthen the small muscles in the area - You can do this by using an ankle balance enhancer or doing one legged squats or standing on one leg for the train ride home (this may make you feel and look silly). I wish you luck with your ankles, and am very interested in advice that other people may have for you. Cheers!

Class I find that my body needs a better warm-up then most people, so I try to get to class 30 minutes early and do the following: Skip rope - 2 rounds (skip 3 minutes, rest 1 minute, skip for 3 minutes) Static stretching - 8 minutes Dynamic stretching - 7 minutes Miscellaneous exerices for balance or practice technique - 5 minutes Also, I have only recently started to train, so I need all the flexibility and balance work I can get. Tournaments Back when I was competing in Judo, I would try to always carboload the night before the tournament and spend the morning visualizing my techniques and the opponent's potential actions. Cheers!

Have you ever seen one of those wooden bars with rope attached to it and a weight on the other end of the rope? By holding it out and rolling the bar till the weight comes all the way up, you can increase your forearm and grip strength. They are easy and inexensive to make. Remember to roll the bar clockwise and counter-clockwise to work different muscles groups. Cheers!

Ad, Have you experienced a recent growth spurt? If so, I wonder if the tendons and ligiments in your arm and hands may be tight and causing the pain. I had a similar experience with shin splints, when I was in my teens. I am not a doctor, and I do not know for certain that a person can get wrist pain after a growth spurt. However, I just wanted to throw the idea out there, in case anyone else know. Cheers

Hello everyone. I just joined the forums and thought I would post a little about myself. I studied Atemi-ryu jujutsu and judo [on and off] for about six or seven years and boxing for two years, but I stopped my studies at the age of 19, when I started playing rugby. I retired from rugby after ten years and several injuries and sugeries. So at the age of thirty I started to seriously consider a physical activity that I would enjoy and that I could continue throughout my life. I have always enjoyed contact activities, and the more I though of martial arts the more excited I became to start training again. There is not a Jujutsu dojo close to where I live. So, I started looking for an art that would build on some of the skills that I still remember. I wanted to practice a soft art and an art that has a strong traditional value system. I was fortunate to find a Hapkido dojang with an instructor that I am excited to learn from. My new journey started three weeks ago, but I am looking forward to it. [edited text]