ZR440

Anyone every use those 40lb bags? I was thinking of buying one just because I need something that I can take down after using. It seems like they would be a little too light and move around too much.

Buzz might be one of the best, unknown martial arts instructors in the USA. A nice guy in addition.

Breaking boards is a good way of checking your progress periodically. I had to perform a spinning side kick to a board last month at the end of our testing. My knee was crap after testing for about an hour and a half and the instructor knew it. I set up the board holder and I nailed that sucker (the board) perfectly. I don't think I really hit it that hard. Everyone said it was my technique that blew it apart. I agree. Well, maybe there was a little luck involved too, but...

Your doctor didn't tell you how to rehab it? Geez, it would seem that they would have put you on some kind of muscle strengthening exercises.

Don't expect any miracles. I've heard from some credible sources in the health profession that it doesn't work for everyone. But it's worth a shot. Sometimes rest is the best cure.

They are all getting to be the same. My workplace uses a little bit of everything and from my own experience between all of those, Dell has lousy tech support, Compaq uses cheaper parts, HP is starting to have problems now that they have merged, and Gateway is starting to use too much proprietary parts. All in all, I would probably buy Gateway although I'll probably build my next machine.

Yup, the purpose of a seminar is to learn, not compete.

One word for you. Vacation.

That Elisabeth was one sick individual. My grandfather was from Transylvania and I like to drink Bloody Mary's. It all makes sense now.

I'd be more afraid of the ghost of Vlad the Impaler tapping on my shoulder at night.

New report out today. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/04/health/main539230.shtml

Yup, them boys are masters of their instrument. It sure ain't Linkin Park or some other bubble gum rock band like the radio plays over and over and over again.

Hey, there's a surprising excuse for training in any MA that I haven't heard in a while. It's fun and can be enjoyed with the company of others! Maybe some other people can learn from that and lighten up a bit.

My style? Kuk Sool Won. It's not the most popular style in the world of martial arts. How to describe it? It can be compared to Hapkido, only I think we do a lot more forms. It's just a traditional hard-soft system that has hundreds of different striking, joint lock and pressure point techniques. It also incorporates many different weapons, focuses on breathing technique and keeps a person in pretty good shape. It's not a sporty style. It teaches you to make the first hit count and then control your opponent. That can result in taking the opponent to the ground, but only because our first move put them on the ground and the follow up keeps them there.

Most of the American hardwoods can be used for weapons, however ash and hickory will have better durability because of their shock resistance. Ash would be my first choice. It's what baseball bats are made of. Hickory is commonly used for making handles for axes, hammers, etc. There are other factors in picking the right material, but we're not building pianos.

My dislike for Gruden and Sapp has made me an Oakland fan. But what the hell do I know, I watch the Lions every year.

Pressure point tactics can be a great addition to any MA style, but to be effective takes a lot of practice. The art of applying pressure point techniques also was not intended to be purely hurtful. It can also be used as a healing method and is related to accupuncture. According to pressure point experts, there are certain times of the day where certain points can be more vunerable than others. Some strikes, and I use the term strikes because that is the commonmost form of delivery, might not affect the person for many hours later. Part of my training involves pressure point strikes and pinches. They are very effective if performed correctly, but that can only be done with proper instruction and lots of practice.

I forwarded the link to my friend who is a Chief Warrant Officer in the Army Special Forces, this is his response. "If you are looking for a way to expand your horizons or mental well being, by all means spend some cash so a dude can make his fortune teaching you something that has no practical value whatsoever in my mind. Its been called "Dodging the Bullet" for years. The problem I have with the practicality for the average person is this....when do you plan on being in a gun fight? And if you have a gun, why are you close enough to grappel with him anyways? Also, you can never predict where a bullet is going to go because of human error in directing the gun". - Brent

Sobriety Test An Alexander County Deputy pulled a car over on I-57 about 2 miles north of the Missouri State line. When the Deputy asked the driver why he was speeding, the driver answered that he was a magician and a juggler and he was on his way to Branson to do a show that night and didn't want to be late. The deputy told the driver he was fascinated by juggling, and if the driver would do a little juggling for him that he wouldn't give him a ticket. The driver told the deputy that he had sent all of his equipment on ahead and didn't have anything to juggle. The deputy told him that he had some flares in the trunk of his squad car and asked if he could juggle them. The juggler stated that he could, so the deputy got three flares, lit them and handed them to the man. While the man was doing his juggling act, a car pulled in behind the squad car, a drunk got out and watched the performance briefly, he then went over to the squad car, opened the rear door and got in. The deputy observed him doing this and went over to his squad car, opened the door and asked the drunk what he thought he was doing. The drunk replied, "Might as well take my a$$ on to jail, there's no way in h*ll I can pass that test!"

A common joke in Detroit metro area pokes fun at amount of pot-holes in the roads and the maintenance done to fix them. "What's black and orange and sleeps 4?" A Macomb county road patching truck.

Good advice. Got enough problems as it is. How did your husband like the Dream Theater DVD?

KickChick, I found a web link that describes what I have. It describes the diagnosis better than the doctor I went to. (In all fairness, he did advise the same rehabilitation guidelines.) http://lipscombclinic.com/sports/Articles/Injuries/Chondromalacia/chondromalacia.htm

Thanks. I also read a while ago that prolonged Jumpers Knee can eventually rip the tendon. Ugh. I thought I had this condition, but I also have the prickly needle sensation above the kneecap, so I am a little lost. Fortunately, my MA class hasn't started back up this year and the rest has helped more than anything.

What the .....?

I've been taking it for the past three or four months, but not sure if it helps. I still have crappy knees. KickChick, Do you know anything about the condition commonly known as Jumpers Knees? I read about it in a newspaper a month ago, but it didn't go into much detail.