Azmyth

Hi, I'm a Blue Belt in Tae Kwon Do. I am testing for high rank blue next month, or should be. I am doing Double kicks, axe kick, hook kick, skipping kicks, reverse round house, and Won Hyo form. My Problem is.. I can do all the kicks great with my left leg, but my right leg is not so up to par. I feel it pull when I try to do the kicks with the same effort as my left and fall short on the quality of the kicks. I want to get my right leg up to speed with my left. I'm afraid once I start getting to jumping spinning kicks later on.. if my right leg is not worked out and at the same level as my left its going to be very difficult to do those kicks. What can I do to loosen up my right leg so that I can kick faster, and higher. I am 6'1" so I'm a tall guy. I can kick head height with most kicks on my left.. but barely can get shoulder height with my right. I wanna fix this. Thanks!

http://www.geocities.com/azmyth2k/S2010058.JPG help us put names to faces...

I attended the late class last night, it was sparring night. I am glad I decided to try a different class. The night class had only 3 kids in it.. and all of which their parents were also taking the class.. which meant the kids were not disruptive. There were only 8 people there and most were adults. I learned more, and felt like I was given more 1 on 1 attention, so I could work on what I need to work on. I still had to spar the instructor, which I wanted to spar someone else for a change, but everyone there was yellow belt and white belt except 2 people who forgot their gear. So next time I should be able to spar them. Also, the instructor actually went over what things I need to do in order to improve my sparring.. last night and kinda stopped and explained things rather than us just going at it. I enjoyed class last night to say the least.

Yeah, I like what I'm learning.. and at the pace we are learning. I really don't have a choice since its the only school within driving distance, his prices are fair, and I can attend as many classes a week as I like. our classes last 45 minutes. 15-20 min for stretching and the rest consists of going through the motions, and either forms or sparring depending on the day. I think I'm gonna try to go to the later classes... I think most of the adults go then.

Ok.. more detailed. the ranks... when i first took from this affiliation they had only solid colored belts with tags. you get 2 tags per rank. now they have a belt with a black stripe in between the solid belts.. so it would be white, white with 2 yellow tags... now its white, yellow, yellow with black stripe, and so on.. and yes it costs more because u have to pay a testing fee for this extra belt, and as far as I can tell it doubles the time. I'm Blue Belt.... Oh, and the kids are in ALL the classes... in my classes we range from white belt to black, and from 3 to 40 in age. I have sparred a 5 year old.. on my knees. I have been going there for about 8 months, and I started at green with a black stripe since I had been out of it for a while.. I just now tested for blue. I learn alot.. but I just feel like I could be learning more. anyway maybe that helps.

I feel as if stretching should be done on your own before class starts. Thats how I grew up doing martial arts. As far as the kids in the class go.. We don't spar, or anything.. its just that the kids are so disruptive that it makes the class stop and get interrupted. There are some times when one kid will make the rest of the class sit in a position that wears us down while they decided that acting up is more important than learning. It would be different if the kids were better mannered. Some of the kids are a joy to be around, but the few troublemakers that inhabit every class makes it miserable for those of us who do want to learn. When I said that people don't deserve their ranks.. I meant that if you know ur form, and you know the material.. and u are doing it to the best that you can do.. then I feel u deserve the rank. I'm not saying u should be able to do each kick perfect.. but u should know ur material. There are students I have seen who just don't care, and it shows in their forms and sparring... they take no inititive to get better.. they lag around and just mope. Thats what I meant... I myself have trouble doing certain kicks, but I do them to the best of my ability.. and I give it 100%.. and as long as u do that.. then u deserve it.

Hi all.. I'm studying ITF tae kwon do down in Ga. I think I have a rather good teacher... anyway I hope to be competing in some tourneys. Is it ok for students to go to tourneys without consent from the teacher at their own school? The only tourney's I have been to are school sanctioned meaning no other schools participate. But I wanna get out in the world and meet and compete against other schools and even other styles. Also.. I wanted to know if my school had any symptons of a mcdojo 1. black striped belts seperating the traditional solid color belts to add extra rank 2. 20 minutes of class is used stretching 3. no seperation between kids and adult classes, meaning 5 year olds are in my class there are also alot of ranks in my classes who I think do not have the material down well enough to have the rank. I dunno...

I meant after I get my black belt. I wouldn't dare teach now.. I don't know nearly enough. I have thought about once I get my black belt, teaching out of a church until I reach 2nd dan.

Hi, I haven't posted in a while... I'm a low rank blue belt in Tae Kwon Do. I have to go through high rank blue, low rank red, high rank red, reccomended black belt, and then black belt. I would like to open a small dojang in a town nearby where my school is, but in another town. The area I live in is so monopolized by only having one school within an hour radius. I would like to open options for people to choose. I know I have a ways to go.. but this is something I have thought about doing for a long time. I wanted to know about what u have to do in order to become an instructor.. what certification one would need.. if any. My teacher is the type that will not give out info, clearly.. since he is kind of in it for the money which sometimes I wish there was somewhere else I could go because of that. I'm learning alot.. but at a price. The classes are full of unruly kids who have no manners, who often times forget to wear their uniforms, who talk back to the instructor. Anyhoo.. I just would like to go on my own, and not be affiliated with this school. I want to either be independent or be a member of another affiliate. I intend to rent a small building, and start off with the very basic needed to gain some students. I will probably do this along with my normal job until I can see that I can support my family with the school alone. I just need to know how to get "certified" to teach. Our instructor doesn't allow for assistance in class.. but I have trained professional wrestlers.. (former pro wrestler) So I have exp. in teaching. I'm 22 right now.. but I would be older by the time I open this school... any help would be nice.

This time it was a different story. I actually thought I was doomed.... when I saw my opponent was a 3rd degree black belt who was actually better than the 2nd degree who stomped me the week before. I got my brand new sparring gear that day too. Anyway, I had been working on a strategy.. and it worked for the most part. I've noticed that hardly anyone in my classes gets in close and uses any punches. So i decided to be different from everyone else and use more punches, instead of just repeated kicks. Since everyone is so used to doing to kick trading game I think I through him off guard by rushing in close with punches and then following up with kicks. So this time.. I did ALOT better!!

Well, the ones who have belts who truly shouldn't are very young kids.. prolly 14 and under.. The black belt I sparred.. was going rather rough, but I was a quite bit taller than him so he could have been intimidated by my size and that I was older. I was also not holding back that much, since we were both about the same physical size. As for the reputability of the school.... its the only one within driving distance of me. Plus.. the school has been open since I can remember.. and I've seen some really good fighters come out of there. Sadly things change with the times.. and back then.. you didn't have parents complaining, because then it was more about training.. rather than a babysitter. I want kids to be able to do martial arts.. but sometimes I wish my school had an adult only class.. because 9 times out of 10.. their are like 3 unruly kids in there.. that make the rest of us lose training time by playing and not listening. I work hard, and I want to be the best I can be.. there are alot of good students in my school.. I just look at it this way.. the ones who show they have worked hard.. have my respect.. and the others.. I just don't pay them any attention.

He seemed to be going at it full force pretty much.. the head shot dazed me pretty badly... no helmet and it prolly would have either knocked me out or made me fall to the ground. I think the more I was getting through his defense the more aggressive he got.

I can understand that point... because I respect those who try hard and give it their all.. even though they still may not be able to do it correct. they are at least doing it to the best of their ability. The ones I'm talking about are the ones who could care less about getting any better, and the ones who do not even try in class.. they are just kind of their. Anyway, I will work on my stuff... Why was I getting so worked up anyway.. he was a black belt.. it just shows me that rank does mean something in my school.. because a black belt should be able to beat a green belt.

well.. I was senior rank green when I stopped.. the instructor let me keep rank and just worked me back to where I was. I hadn't gotten to boil my mouthpiece because he only just gave it to me right before we sparred. The reason I know it wasn't the kick.. was because it never touched my mouth.. so it had to do something with my gums and the mouthguard. I'm not sure how u explain this.. but at my school.. you have good high ranks.. and some high ranks that aren't as good. Like theres this one red belt kid who shouldn't even be yellow.. but the whole.. low curriculum thing comes into place, where if the instructor doesn't push them on through the parents complain as to why their kid isn't getting belts. Just sucks when u line up at class, to have a higher rank than u.. that can't even do a side kick as well as a white belt could thats properly trained. Anyway, the black belt I sparred is pretty much the best one I have seen so far at this school. You can tell he really takes his training serious.. and although he is young.. he has alot of respect. He probably told me he was sorry 100 times.. and we shook hands.. and it just showed alot of good sportsmanship. I wanna work on some things and give it another go at him. I came from another school where I was used to being the only "BIG person" in class.. and so most of the time I was pretty much the best at sparring in the school despite my low rank. anyway, thanks for all the positive input. I think now.. that this guys is a rapid kicker.. who throws kick after kick.. he also does alot of jumping kicks.

I am a senior rank green belt, and I have just come back to TKD only a few months ago.. after a long hiatus. Today was my first attempt at sparring again.. and I had to spar a 2nd degree black. He was about my size, only younger.. I am 22 he was prolly 17. I think I got kind of discouraged when he got a direct head shot with a round house kick on me... and my new mouth guard made my mouth bleed. Of course everyone looking thought I got the crap knocked out of me.. which he did get me good.. but not enough to bust my mouth.. the new mouth guard had a few sharp egdes and was stiff and it cut my gum from me biting it. As far as the contest went.. he pretty much got the best of me.. for the first half.. because i have the bad habit of looking down. Once he got me in the head that first time... I kinda had a lil come back. But I feel a bit discouraged.. thinking I'd be better than I actually was.. what can I do to improve my sparring outside of class..

Maybe I'm overreacting.. I did find a good price on some "non name brand" gear.. It wasn't macho, century or pro force stuff.. so that could be why. he gets all his stuff direct from century which all his gear is excellent.. I guess maybe I was trying to go the cheap route and might have also been getting what I pay for in cheap gear. He ordered the century classic kicks and punches. I already had a century head guard, and a pro force sparring vest. I think if he really wanted to take my money he would have made my buy all my safety stuff from him such as my cup, and shin guards and forearms guards.. and although he did say he could order those as well.. he didn't insist. I think he was just trying to insure I got good stuff.. and not get ripped. does 33.99 for a pair of century punches sound about right?

Our schools ranks are as follows.. white yellow yellow/black green green/black blue blue/black red red/black black with red stripe black I'm green and black... and I have been that for prolly 2 months now. I came back from a year hiatus from TKD so I was already that rank for about 4 months earlier. So now I am back at pretty much where I left off. How long is the usual training time between green and blue and is it wise that I go ahead on my own time and start working on won yo(sp) form? I know Tosan in and out.. and I wanna be a step ahead!!

I asked my instructor if we were allowed to use foam dipped sparring gear. He said yes.. but one catch.. I had to order it from him. Meaning I pay double.. That sucks.. but I guess thats how he stays in biz.

can anyone tell me where to find some really good, often crowded martial arts chat rooms?

my first tournament I noticed this.. and actually took gold because of it in my class in sparring. Our instructor no matter what rank.. taught us.. hands up at all times. The students from other schools, who didn't have their hands up were so easy to get through. They had no defense whatsoever. Of course our instructor was teaching us more self defense aspects than competition, but either way.. to me if whether its only sparring, or an actual fight.. keep those hands up. I defeated several opponents.. and never threw the first kick. I know alot of people say TKD is not a combative art.. and I agree for the most part. But its really along the way u learn, and how u use it. I would never go to a tournament with no hands up.. would u fight a real fight with no hands up?

I am 22 years old, and I'd just like to introduce myself first. Even though this is the wrong forum for that. Anyway, I'm from Ga, and I have just got the itch to try my hand at martial arts again. Probably about 6 or so years ago I was enrolled in a Tae Kwon Do and mixed arts class. I enjoyed the class, and I acheived a Green belt. Sadly the school closed down and I had to stop. The closest school was not close enough for me to be able to go to since I live in a small rural area. anyhow, I used to eat, sleep, and drink martial arts... all styles, in all areas. I'm getting that urge again. I love doing demos, and tourneys.. so I want to go back to school to learn both self defense and the sport side. I assume I will be going back to TKD since thats still the only thing close to me. I still have a rememberance of what I had learned years ago.. so would that help me get back to where I was faster? I want to start from scratch though.. to relearn everything I have forgotten. Any information, u can give me on tourneys and stuff related to TKD would be awesome. Thanks!!