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ebay.com, awma.com... check there's lots of martial arts stores online.

i think the timeframes should be set on an individual level. you can't expect someone who weighs 450 pounds, stands at a whopping 5'2, to be confident and skilled enough to test for black compared to a 6 feet, 165 pound, former basketball, and soccer player.

360 headbutt

word laurie.

in tkd 5th dan and up is "master" 8th dan and up is "grand master" and i've seen some spar. sparred some myself. being a master doesn't make you superman. it means you're experienced. and wise. not unstoppable, or in possession of magical skills...

any brand, any style. but please specify. maybe add why you like it so much? [/b]

run.

my friend had problems with his hips, get an MRI at the hospital. just to check. ALWAYS WARM UP BEFORE STRETCHING!!! and do most of your stretching AFTER you do your martial arts training. and relaaaax. and breeeaaaaathe. breathing is one of the most important parts of stretching.

do both. you should be in plenty good shape to train in martial arts. just stretch a lot. i hope you enjoy your training. remember that that's the most important thing. that you like what you're doing. it's not the old samurai times when you put on a karate gi to protect your village, now it's about having a good time and learning about a really really cool culture.

tkd is great. it's more of a team sport than any other martial art.

i hate sparring to trance and boring techno. gimmi something i can really jam to, like classic rock. maybe some late 90's alternative. just something cool that makes you feel good. not something that gets you all depressed and heavy.

i think instead of talking to the instructor, you should talk to the students. i think that's a huge mistake that people make. the instructor might be cool, but who are you going to form a bigger friendship with? and those are the people you're going to be working with the most. if they're not enjoying themselves, or if they don't seem to be excited to come to class to learn, move on to a different school. it's all about the atmosphere and the vibe you get from the students. i once met an instructor in california, who was extremely skilled, but his students all matched his skill by a level of rudeness i've never seen in a martial arts school. very unwelcoming to new students, they were all snobs, and that alone made me want to train somewhere else. so yah... not like you're planning on going outside and doing urban warfare with tkd. go where you have the most fun. that's what'll keep you coming back. right?

jump back kick. or 360 back kick. anything in the path of my back kick, i will destroy.

what does it matter how long anyways? just practice. the belt isn't what makes you good. it's like asking "how long is it going to take for me to be able to kick like that guy?" pointless to answer. but... i think it takes at least 4 years to learn how to do the basics. stances, endurance, manners (very important), patience, and 4 years to learn that after 4 years you can't really say how much better you've become. only how much better you want to get, and that goal should take you a lifetime.

ninjas are totally awesome.

any others?

on the street, there are no rules. if i got into a serious street fight, if it was 1 on 1... which it rarely will be, i would never kick higher than the knee, anything above the knee to the groin i'd use my knees, and i would bite and elbow mostly. don't think i'd throw a punch unless it went to the ground and i was on top. then i'd bite some more. seriously. and i'd pull hair if there was hair to pull. and i'd slap the ears as much as possible. what's the point in trying to do something fancy and cool on the street if you can't walk away from it? tkd isn't supposed to be a combat sport. that's why we're called "taekwondo players" not "fighters"

yeah. i'm learning how to grapple.

use one of those corner stands. it's like an iron... contraption that sits flush with the corner on the ground, and has a pole like a basketball post, and holds your bag. doesn't hang from the ceiling.

i'm thinking of getting an adi-champ uniform. but i like the way the tekno uniforms look.

i thought v-necks were considered doboks too. my mistake. but yah, shureido doesn't make any tkd v-necks. i guess i should have been more specific. we use both cross over and v-neck. it's up to the person. i like both.

and i agree, proforce uniforms are pretty sweet. sorry i forgot to put that on the poll.

keep doing them. that's all the practice you'll need. how do you think the old school guys did it back in korea? repetition.

shureido doesn't make taekwondo uniforms

awesome.