CloudDragon

Arrg! AngelaG! I an usually the "big picture" person. Thanks for pointing that out.

Totally agree with you about the finishes of cheaper bo. I stripped mine down as soon as I got it and did the steel wool, sanding and tung oil, and with regular cleaning and rare sanding I have found that the finish is similar to the waxy finish that you speak of. I personally don't do alot of contact sparring (one or two classes a month) and I find that a $20 dollar bo will last about 2 or 3 years on average with my current one being the exception at 5 years.

Don't start MA because of tournaments. If you train regularly you might get into a different division because of weight loss. When you want to learn a new way of life and have a new passion, then start MA. The weight classes in a tournament won't mean anything. If you want trophies, just go get them made, joining a school and competing because of your weight class is not reason enough to dedicate the time and energy needed to excel in tournaments.

Like most of the above I feel that during warmups or sparring it helps to keep the energy flowing. If you work out with music it helps to keep a consistent tempo through it. Once it is time for instruction the music should go off. Century, and several other companies offer CD's that are tailored to specific needs. Some are slower for strength and toning, while others are faster for cardio work.

IMHO, it's like buying the Mercedes of equipment, sure a Chevette will get you there, but it just isn't the same... As far as exotic wood for contact training, I would rather break a $20 staff over a $100 staff any day, regardless of how long I had it.

In my opinion, an instructor has alot to look at when considering a student for a promotion. Ability: Is the student performing the techniques to their physical and mental ability? Is it realistic to expect a 300+lb person to do a flying side kick over 4 obstacles? Can you expect a 10 year old to break 3 boards with a reverse punch? Not that these are impossible, but is it realistic for that student? Attitude: Does the student come to class ready to learn or are they there to socialize? Do they respect their seniors, and juniors as well? And one last thing that many people overlook: Contribution: Does the student offer to help other students to their ability? This can be anything from helping to tie a belt to sweeping the floor, to answering questions about when classes are. Some instances the student will have a special talent that can help the school, such as photography. These are not all of the things that must be taken into account, but sometimes when people get promoted in some schools it is done with a holistic approach, the whole person is tested, not just techniques. Does this make for a great technician, IMHO, no, but it does help the person who is striving to be a good martial artist in the sense that a good matial artist must first be a good person.

Do plenty of deep squats and jump-ups, it's when you jump from a standing position and touch your knees to your chest. It will make it much easier to get the good height and balance that you need to do the kicks.

Your instructor has a notebook with the ATA required cirriculum. You should be able to buy one, some schools give it with the BBC package. Which ATA do you go to? I know that here in Poplar Bluff, if the instructor or you don't think you are ready, you don't test, that is why so many people pass in our school. That is the way it should be in any school.

You won't have to "give up" anything, you might have to wear another color belt for a while, but now it should be about knowledge, a belt is just decoration. Most schools won't make you start at the beginning. As people age, it is proven that an active lifestyle promotes continuing flexibility and overall general health, in other words if you stick with it, you should be able to maintain quite a bit of flexibility well into your "golden years".

I agree with ninjanurse, I love the power of the karate punches combined with the hard hitting TKD kicks. I'd say find a school that will let you "test in" to a belt level, not just give you a belt because of previous knowledge, that way you can learn the differences between the arts before taking the BB exam and that way you will be prepared to do well on the testing, as well as having a firm foundation in TKD.

I too have been using century products for years and I recommend the Muay Thai pads, they are vinyl, but in my school they have been used and abused by some pretty hard kicking and punching individuals for 3 years, with no signs of tears or broken stitching. Plus, with their replacement warranty you can't go wrong! As far as resources, start with what your son does in class and just practice at home, as he learns more you will be able to do different things with them.

Heaven forbid you get nippy! Hey, I thought it was hypervolemic hyponatremia that was caused by fluid overload without a psychotic contributor? Water intoxication can lead to hyponatremia, water intoxication refers to the other symptoms as well, as I'm sure you know hyponatremia can be caused by many different factors, not just fluid overload. I don't mean to start an arguement or split hairs, but I do enjoy responding to such a well thought, and eloquently stated post! ...CD grabs a tissue to wipe the brown stuff off his nose!

Acutally, Hyponatremia is a lack of sodium in the blood that can lead to cardiac arythmia that can cause arrest and then death. Anyone who is on a strenuous workout regimen is suseptible to this, but good nutrition and avoiding long sessions (i.e. marathons) without nourishment makes one less likely to succumb to this, Water intoxication is what most posts reflect here, it is when you dilute and unbalance fluid levels in the body. This causes elation, giddiness and decrease in motor dexterity. It is easily remidied by slightly increasing sodium intake and decreasing water intake. As far as water being poison, the body is +/- 70% water (depending on body fat) and water is hardly poison. Lesson to be learned, EVERYTHING in moderation!

There is an article about him in this months "Black Belt" magazine. In the first few paragraphs the author basically says that he made this whole art up on his own with some assistance from his uncle and father. From what I saw in the mag it was a ripoff of basic kenpo techniques. The guy is total bull and should be avoided like the plague.

I accept your challenge in foreveryoungs' stead and name my weapons as hand grenades at five feet and you may choose the time and place! Seriously though, dear john, don't sweat the promotion thing. If your school requires it, you will have to demonstrate some or all of your previous forms for black belt anyway so use this time to keep them sharp. If it doesn't, use the time to work on putting more power into the form, when you get to the point where you can hear your feet and fists flying through the air you should have enough power. Just remember, martial arts is a journey, not a race, enjoy your journey to black belt!

Beiner is right, weight is not a good measure of progress in a diet. As far a supplements, Get a multivitamin that has a good coverage of many different vitamins, note, cost does not play a big factor in this. Read the labels and you will find the generics offer the same stuff cheaper than other brands. I personally add ginseing and L-carotine for energy and fat metaboism. I also use other assorted vitamins like C and E to boost my immune system as I am in the medical field and can't seem to get away from sick people! Do some research and find out which supplements work for your specific goals, just remember go slow, not everything will work for you, add or change one or two things a month and see if there is any benefit from them and most of all be patient.

Don't forget to add vitamin supplements, especially if you have just started your diet. The body tends to go into a survival mode, thinking that you are in a stress mode and trying to store extra calories because of the calories and nutrients burned during workouts. It was just the thing that I needed to jumpstart my weight loss.

Good point delta1, I agree with you totally. AeroScout, Don't worry about not starting level C first as I'm sure you know the military is rather anal about "a place for everything and everything in it's place" just do well at level B and hopefully C will come in short order. As far as not finding a KravMaga school, I would suggest looking for the book "Krav Maga, How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault" It is well written and easy to learn from, if you can find some people to train with it should be pretty easy to learn. Krav Maga also has a 4 DVD set, my insrtuctor has seen them and was so impressed he got permission to do a seminar based on one of them. If you are around the end of next month I'll let you know how it went. What is Krav Maga close to? Hmm, well, it has elements of karate, jujitsu and judo. But it is truly a unique art. The closest thing by my opinion would be kenpo, but there is alot more emphasis on defense against armed persons in Krav Maga.

I like the step in and block the knee while elbow striking the head myself.

vitasama, whatever you are smokng, pass it over here. Fear is what lets your body know it is time to fight and summons the needed adrenal rush to come out alive. Don't try and over analyze things, in a REAL self-defense situation you don't hold back. You fight until your attacker stops, whether they are laying on the floor or running away. Fear is a natural human response, I have been a bouncer in bars, a casino security officer, and currently work on a psychiatric unit in a hospital and have had many occasions where I was required to fight to protect myself and others. If it wasn't for fear, my senses would have never been sharpened nor my responses quickened enough to respond to my attackers. Fear is good in a fight, it shows you are normal, if you don't fear fighting you are in trouble.

As a vet who has served in the middle east, let me say a few things. First, thank you for defending my freedom, I do appreciate it. Second, if you haven't done E&E training yet, pay close attention, the same goes for survival school, then expand your knowledge about orienteering and survival on your own. The training is good, but must be supplemented and practiced to keep it fresh. Second, buy a Beretta 92F or AR-15, whichever is your duty weapon, and join a practical shooting club in your area, military training is designed for marksmanship at distance and for squad and larger groups. Indiviual shooting skills are not stressed in line units as they are not as needed. (i.e. engagement sequences and the like) Remember, if you were in their shoes, would you run up to a downed aviator with a weapon and beat him into submission, or just stand off and use your AK as the controlling force? Learning how to shoot, move and reload under stress will help you to get out of bad situations. Third: If, god forbid, you should be captured and your hands and feet are your only weapons I would suggest that you have a thorough knowledge of Krav Maga or Kenpo. BJJ and other ground grappling styles while devistatingly effective do not allow for the engagement of multiple attackers as well as the "stand up" styles, and personally, if I want to get away from someone I don't want to be rolling around on the ground with him, especially because he will be calling his buddies for help. Don't get me wrong though, you must know groundfighting basics in order to have a response to a wide variety of situations, but don't focus soley on that, your mission should be to neutralize one or two people, aquire their weapons and quickly leave the containment area and secure transport to a safe location. Use the weapons to facilitate your escape, and return to friendly territory. My best wishes to you.

Shaolin monks trained for a good portion of the day, not like the 1-2 hours a day most classes in the US are.

It seems like when I read anything about abuse and martial arts, Tiger Kim's schools come up. I don't quite get it, if this guy is so bad, why are his schools still open? Any Tiger Kim's people out there that can enlighten me on this?

No, he was already a champion fighter by then.

I suggest reading his autobiography that was just re-released. It will address all of these questions and is a great read.