krunchyfrogg

In my dojo, all of the breaking (that I've seen in the past year) is done with concrete blocks holding the boards or bricks. I have not advanced enough to try it (I'm a green belt), but I look forward to trying it one day.

How do I avoid pain in my knees and feet? I feel the pain on both the bottom and top of my foot (The top of my foot, the part on the groub hurts from the pressure, and the bottom of my foot cramps up). TIA

I don't know what's funnier, these lists, or actualy having done some of this stuff!

http://www.realultimatepower.net

I remember reading about a Hwai'ian martial art somewhere. What's the name of this art? I'm planning on going to Hawai'i, and hopefully I'll find the time to attend a class and see what it's like while out there! TIA

I like the article, I like what it's saying, but the author should really have an editor look at it before passing it along.

Seems like the point of this topic is that you two should talk about this in person rather than on KF. :rolleyes:

Sometimes it seems like simple things forgotten make such a huge difference. For instance, tonight I was sparring like crap, but my Sensei told me I was too heavy on my feet, and to shift my weight onto the balls of my feet. He also told me to stay in a better kiba-dachi (horse stance), and the next spar was immensly more productive for me.

So, what's the best time to drink these sport drinks? Before or after a strenuous class?

So you can go every day? And follow lessons? Or train in the dojo on your own?? I pay 160€ for 4 months, 3 lessons a week (80min/lesson) , Shaolin KF. Sorry for the confusion. There are classes offered 5 days a week, and you're welcome to attend each of those. The only people who can train in the dojo alone are Brown Belts and above, as they are the only people who have a key to the place.

Thanks for the advice everybody. I haven't started any training yet, but assuming I have a choice (I believe I do, but I try to trust my Senseis' reasoning without questions), I'll choose the bo.

$65/month, go as often as you'd like.

How much do you pay when you advance a belt in your dojo?

Kata without bunkai is exactly what many people are complaining about when they don't like kata. If you don't know why you're doing what you're doing, you're basically just dancing a set of moves.

Strange title to a post in this forum, I know. I'm asking for an interesting reason though. The NY Mets have a Jaanese player who just started in the American Major Leagues this year. His name is Kazuo Matsui. Anytime a player comes to bat, the home baseball team plays a short clip of a song or musical piece, usually to "set the mood" for the player. It's a clip of the players' choice. Anyway, I'd like to know where Kazuo Matsui's music is from. It's undeniably asian in nature, and I thought there was a chance that it comes from a martial arts movie.

Hi. In my dojo, you start getting (minor) weapons training when you earn a green belt, which I just did last week. I have a choice between the nunchaku, bo, or katana. I am seeking advice on which to choose. I don't have a particular preference, but being a practical person, I'd like to spend my training time on something I might actually need to use one day. This pretty much eliminates the katana, as I'll never ever weild one in a real fight. So, nunchaku or bo. Which is more "sensible." Which is more dangerous (to both the weilder and defender)? Which is easier to learn to use properly?

I had to demonstrate everything I had learned up to that point, both physically and orally. This includes mostly terminology and 6 katas. The terminology was in front of the Sensei, and the kata was done at the Shiai (although it was known that I was able to do these before the Shiai). Probably paying a lot of extra money !! Nope. I paid for one belt grading, the same price that everyone else who was promoted paid. It was $30, and checking with other local dojos, that wasn't expensive at all. Thanks! It's actually from a Monty Python skit. When I first got access to the internet, the name "crunchy frog" was taken on hotmail, so I changed a few of the letters around. The name has stuck since.

Are there any sites that will help one learn to meditate better? Sometimes we open and close a class with a short meditation, but I feel like there's a lot more I could get out of learning how to meditate for a longer period of time.

Last night, I passed my test and earned my Green Belt! In 9 months, I've gone from White, skipped Yellow and gone straight to Green Belt! I'm only the second person in my dojo's 24 year history to get a "double ranking!" I know it just gets more challenging from here, as more is expected from me now that I'm a higher belt, but I'm very happy that I made it and I look forward to the challenges that will face me. Osu!

Good luck!

LoL!!!

Congrats! I go for my belt 6/5 (3 days!!!). Curious, what made you join TSK?

Don't get me wrong, I do not go around looking for trouble. As a matter of fact, the only time I almost got into a fight (it was about a month ago), I ended up talking the guy out of it (he was high on coke and drunk). I didn't threaten him at all, I just said something to the effect of "do you really want to get into trouble here in public? Those security guards will kick all of us out, and our friends too. Let's just forget this whole thing ever happened." Again, I never go out looking for trouble, nor do I have any misconceptions that I could kick anybody's butt. I just know that, if I were to be attacked, that I'd be better prepared than I would be 9 months ago. Period, end. Anyway, I came back to this site today to edit my post, as I didn't think it got my point across the way I wanted (too late to edit now!). I was going to take out the "people take note of me" comment, and replace it with "I don't get ignored" or something to that effect. I used to walk around with slumped shoulders, with no confidence in myself at all.

Thanks. During one of my Sensei's speaches to the class, he talked about how students tend to grow, then hit a plateau, then start growing again. I think I'm getting off of my plateau, and getting better. It's not just sparring, but I'm getting a lot better with Ippon Kumite. My moves seem to have more of a flow to them than they did, even a week ago!

This is funny. This Saturday, I'm going to advance from White belt to Green belt (my school usually goes White-Yellow-Green, and only holds Shiai's every 6 months), something that has only been done one other time in my dojo's 24 year history. So, there's a little test handed out, listing the things you need to know before you advance, and the Sensei just makes sure you know your stuff (it's mostly for the kids, I'm 28 years old). Anyway, on the White - Yellow test, it asks you to list a few ways your life has changed since joining the martial arts. Anyway, I can honestly say that the martial arts (in my 9 months of training) really has made me into a better person. I am in better shape, I know I'd be much better off handling myself if I were to get into a fight than I was before. I have much more confidence in myself, and I don't take things from people that I used to (I used to be a pushover, and didn't stand up for myself the way I should have). I have more of a presence around me now. I walk into a room, and people take note of me.