ZR440

My intake exceeded the allowable limit for maximum benefits this past weekend. Another Cheers quote from the Frasier episode a few weeks ago when they all met at Cliff's retirement party. "Hey Norm, what's going down?" "My blood alcohol level." as he grabs a new beer. "Suds, do your thing!"

I am feeling a little empty now after watching for nine years. At least there will be a few movies in the future.

DITTO!

Chris T: My figure of 5+ years is derived from the testimony of those who have achieved that rank. And my actual quote was training 2-5 hours/week. That is normal for the average person who has other commitments in life. My advice is don't rush it. Have fun.

Two years for black belt? Maybe if you live at the dojo. Reasonable expectations for the normal person who trains around 2-5 hours in class per week....5+ years. I would rather take additional time to absorb the material because a person has the tendancy to forget the basics while learning new forms and techiniques at an accelerated pace. My instructor will not substitute quantity for quality for that reason.

I (at age 32) was just promoted to blue belt last night and now find it more addictive after two years of training. You might not advance as quick as other arts, but you might find it more gratifying after being promoted. I haven't trained in weapons yet. Have enough material to worry about for now.

I've been on it for the past three months and seem to feel better after workouts. Recovery time is quicker. I don't know if it will cure the clicking aspect. Weight training might be better suited for that kind of problem.

Nice assortment, Mr Withers. I was going to list my Heritage Stealth .40 semi-auto and Browning BAR .30-06 as my favorite weapons because you don't even have to fire them off to scare the poo out of someone.

So you live in Korea. Good. Stay there.

I do the most un-graceful backflips every winter. Need to move south during those months.

Whoa, Monkeygirl. You have some valid points. Most higher colored belts should and do have the ability to "assist" lower belts in some aspects of MA. However, it is the direct responsibility of the school instructor to provide proper training as required or expected by his art and his superiors. His/her decision to delegate teaching duties to assistants should be not be based upon the philosophy of "I'm the big cheese and I'm just going to sit back and watch my assistants" (Supervision requires participation is my credo), rather, the assistants should reflect the abilities and work ethic of the head instructor. And even if the assistants are skilled enough, that doesn't mean they can teach effectively. That comes with experience. Years of experience. I bet any high ranking instructor will tell you they learn more and more about teaching as the years go by. These interpersonal skills aren't easy to develop, but are critical for effective communication in anything you do in life. So, Monkeygirl, if you have reached this point in this boring lecture, by the time you have a few years under your black belt you will be better prepared to help instruct the class. Don't rush it.

Making women believe I'm the only guy they need to know.

I just tested last night for blue belt (in KSW) with all my other classmates. Our instructor lets us know about three weeks in advance of tests, which usually occur every two months. That's because our class in held at a college and some of the students are...students. We might have one test during the summer also. I have been denied advancement before. Sure I was disappointed, but I knew I kinda stunk. The instructor let me know before promotions that I needed more work in a particular area. It's not cruel to fail someone, it's good quality assurance that will reflect the instructors expectations and requirements.

I'm glad. One little foot sweep or snap kick to the machine gunners knee and they would fall like a wet sack of you know what.

That video clip is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. I hope it's just for cardio workout purposes.

And those spiney fans don't need to be jammed into someone to be effective. Folded up they are used to slap pressure points. They don't look like much of a weapon, but you don't want to get hit by one either.

Where did you get that at?

Why try to invent something that was developed 1000 years ago and has been reliable ever since? That would be like re-inventing the wheel.

My biggest gripe about KSW is that I can't start practicing weapons until I am brown-black belt. I understand the philosophy behind the restriction, but I don't totally agree with it.

Tobias: Too bad the KSW demo didn't appeal to you. Watching the masters is usually the final show and usually the most entertaining, for obvious reasons. Sounds like you watched the group forms with a some people using sticks for added show. These really aren't offensive attack forms. They combine many different moves within the KSW system in order to understand how one might use the basic fundementals as a whole (block, punch, kick, counter-block). It's not that different than any other MA system. The pre-arranged sparring was just a individual demonstration of what self defense techiniques they like to use. The flying attacker is just to impress the judges. One thing to remember about KSW is that it is based on fast hands, soft feet, clear mind, sharp eyes, all in circular based moves to control the opponent. It is not intended to be a smash mouth art. Don't get me wrong, we can fight with the best of them, otherwise KSW wouldn't be recognized as an official governing body of Korean MA. Beyond the fighting techniques there is the physical well being concepts of KSW, which is equally important according to the grandmaster. I hope you this clears up any questions you had.

Hey Blade, Here's a web site of the Kuntaw class offered at a college near me. I posted this once before, but you might not have seen it. Check out the instructors personal web site at the top of the page by clicking on his name. Who knows, he might be there at the camp you are going to. http://www.nmc.edu/~smith7/welcome.htm

Close is good enough for the Korean language. Some books spell a word that reflects how it is pronounced. Too many dialects are present in that part of the globe.

Yes, it's never-ending. I'm testing for my blue belt in two weeks. Who's your instructor? Did your class attend the Mid-West Masters Expo in Detroit recently?

Welcome, new Korean MA students. Tessone, nice to see another KSW member here. Hope you enjoy what that content-rich system has to offer. I know I'll never get bored with it.

Hey Blade, Let me know if you observe anyone that practices Kuntaw. I am thinking of cross training with that style if I can find the time, but I'd like an outside opinion on how they compare with other PMA before I commit myself (to another style, that is).