koreantiger81

"i just want to protect myself and put someone down easy" It doesn't matter what you take, as long as you work hard in the art that you're in..

Yes, it is his life....How can you compare "having a drink" and smoking as not really a big difference???

Yes, I know Grand Masters have personal lives. I'm an instructor and I used to smoke myself. My growth in Tae kwon Do halted and went downhill, upon getting addicted to cigarettes. I quit now, because I just couldn't grow physically and mentally in my Tae kwon do training while being a prisoner of Nicotine. In addition it was not setting a good example for my students. Although I was a smoker, I feel uneasy that my Grand Master is a hypocrite. He believes in promoting "physical health", and "mental well-being". [ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-06-23 00:31 ]

don't be discouraged rodan. Everyone has their limitations. Not all martial artists can do high flying kicks. Work with what you have. I believe you can still be a good figther without using the sidekick. You still have the front kick, round house kick, and reverse round house kick. I have won matches just by using the front kick. It all comes down to how well you know how to use your kicks..good luck

nah..i washed my white belt before and it curled up. [ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-06-27 06:28 ]

huh?

yeah..i'm with Withers.. HOwever, the inside thigh does have a pressure point, and so does the inside calf. If you hit those points, it'll hurt! I would only punch at these points if i was put in a headlock.

martial arts is another way of "expressing" myself. It gives me satisfaction that I can do kicks and punches that I never thought I could do before.

yes, you should relax. You should bounce lightly and comfortably, when you're in your sparring position. As Bruce Lee said, "BE LIKE WATER."

What is your purpose in training in two different arts? Do you want to reach that higher level of spirituality or mental state you can achieve in martial arts??? Do you want to become a better fighter? I believe to reach that higher level of spiritually or mental state in martial arts, you must stick to one style. For me, i cross train in order to become a better fighter. I train in various martial arts systems. Achieving my black-belt in each system of martial arts is not my goal. I'm more interested in learning techniques that work for me. I believe there is no perfect martial art for one particular person. If you want to become a better fighting through cross-training, you must pick and choose the techniques that seem to work best for you. NOt all techniques work for everyone. Also, some techniques in different systems contradict each other. Some systems have their own theory on how to throw a side kick. I throw it whatever way works best for me. I am my own martial art....

Yes, frequent stretching is important. Your legs can get stiff right away! I don't recommend that you "stretch intensly every day for at least 10-15 minutes." One day, you should stretch hard, and every second other day, you should stretch lightly. I'm not a fitness expert of a doctor, but this is what I do for each stretching work-out. 1. Do light and gentle ballistic stretching for 2-5min.(Bouncing into a stretched position.) 2. Go for a run or Throw kicks for 10-20minutes. Get your muscles hot! 3. Do Static stretching. Make sure you hold each stretch for 20 seconds. I find that some martial artists stretch too intensely before warming up their muscles. This causes excessive strain and tear on your muscles. You should only stretch lightly if your muscles are cold. To get a more intense stretch, make your muscles hot. (This is very important!!!) By warming up your muscles, your muscles become more elastic. Make sure you hold each stretch for at least 20 seconds; in order, to get the full effects of stretching. I also prefer static stretching rather than ballistic stretching. Be careful when doing ballistic stretching. If you bounce too much or too quickly, you can easily pull a muscle. Be gentle. Good luck!

I don't like to use a punching bag. It restricts your range of motion. A punching bag sits in one position! Clearly, an opponent won't stand still! If you want to hit something, then find a partner to hold up a thick shield. The partner then can move forward, backward, side; therefore, creating a more realistic work-out. HOwever, I prefer shadow boxing [ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-06-18 16:20 ]

i burn more calories in the same amount of time when using the elliptical trainner. In 10 minutes, I burn 200 calories using the elliptical trainner. On the stair climber, I burn 150 calories. ON the bike, I burn 100 calories in 10 minutes. I like the elliptical trainner!

REst in peace, general choi. YOu've impacted so many lives, including mine.

yeah...I like the idea, but I don't think a few self defense lessons to defend against a threatening object, will do the trick...Remember it can take a lifetime to learn a martial art...I like the idea or air marshalls..

I practice both the W.T.F and I.T.F style of TAe kwon do. I can say the I.T.F is a martial art, but i wonder if the W.T.F is really a martial art. The W.T.F seems more like a sport to me. I believe the W.T.F is quite limited. Spectacular moves with the feet are wanted, therefore "rules" have been made so that punches are not used as often. When you're on the street, you have to incorporate punches! I find the W.T.F has promoted it more as a competitive sport, rather than promoting it more as a self-defense system. in the W.T.F, it's true that you can learn coordination, speed, power, timing, and distance which is important for a fight; however, self-defense is only restricted with using kicks. I wonder if the hwa rang warriors only used kicks while trying to unite the 3 kingdoms or korea. I highly doubt it! I'm sure they used punches! On the otherhand, the I.T.F system is more of a self-defense system. PUnches are encouraged in the I.T.F and you learn joint-lock techniques. Therefore in my view, W.T.F is a martial sport, and the I.T.F a martial art. [ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-06-12 12:47 ]

I was at an open style tournament the other day. Hapkido, taekwondo, karate, and kyungfu all competed in the same forms division. This didn't make sense to me. HOw can they all compete in the same division doing different forms? Also, the judges were not all kyungfu, hapkido, taekwondo, and karate stylists. How can a Taekwon do judge, be the judge of a kyungfu form??? I know judges look at power, speed, rhythm, stances, and sharpness....Being a taekwondoist, I have no idea if a kyungfu form is sharp or not. sigh..I'm confused.!~ [ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-06-10 06:28 ]

I was at the tournament for both days... owthathurts !! There were like 4 asian girls wearing red uniforms..T.T... And iron Arahat! There were a lot of blonde guys that looked like you..!..So I couldn't spot any of you guys! too bad...Anyway, how did you guys do? [ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-06-09 02:17 ]

good luck everyone!

so when? where? are we going to meet? why don't we just set a time? 12pm on saturday, at the front stage table???? Perhaps someone could announce it over the mike!?

Yeah..I know what you mean.. I dont' believe in the traditional reverse punch, since you don't get enough rotation. I don't believe in having your back foot flat on the ground and your full body facing while you do the punch. Sure it may be quick, but it won't give you your maximum distance with your punch. Instead, to throw a more effective back punch, twist your whole body until you're on your side. (Make sure you twist on the balls of your foot with your back leg.) By twisting your body more into your punch, you get more distance. (perhaps one inch or two)

TKD_MCGEe "TKD is for sport and hobby mostly. It is not for self defense," I agree with Hiya that Tae kwon do can be used for self-defense. It also does depend on the system of tae kwon do as some systems concentrate soley on Kicking (w.t.f) while others concentrate on having a balance of kicks and punches.(I.T.F). The I.T.F does also include joint lock techniques..I guess it depends on the school.. Yes, Tae kwon do does have a lot of fancy kicks which may not be practical to use on the street. I wouldn't do a high kick to the face if a guy is 6 feet tall. It's too risky to fall down and get grappled to the ground. (IN tournaments, i would kick to the face, since the rules do not permit grappling.) So what's the purpose of all these high fancy aerial kicks in Tae kwon do? Is it just for show? just for fun? Partly yes, but like hiya said, "if you can kick high well, then you can kick low very well". Doing all these fancy kicks does have a purpose..It helps you develop flexibility, coordination, control. It helps you understand distance, speed, power. so doing fancy kicks is not at all useful! Just know when and not to use them.

Hmm..YOu want to be the best?you're a fan of kicks? You will only use kicks instead of punches in a fight? Good luck! I'm sorry but I think you'll be at a great disadvantage if you only use kicks in a fight. There are 3 zones in fighting. There's the kicking zone, punching zone, and the grappling zone. What will you do when your opponent gets too close to you so that you can't kick? You're toast if you commit yourself to do only kicks! To be the best, you need to be able to fight in all 3 zones(kicking, punching, grappling). You cannot always keep your opponent in your kicking zone, like a goalie cannot block all shots. Don't forget about your Kyungfu skills. Although there are many different types of Tae kwon do styles out there, the two main ones are the I.T.F and the W.T.F. I recommend you do I.T.F, since the I.T.F allows you to score with your kicks and HANDS. I wouldn't recommend doing a separate martial art for kicks or punches. (kyungfu for punching, and W.T.F for kicking. ) By doing W.T.F, you would have to discipline yourself and develop the habit not to punch to the face. Why do W.T.F? Do I.T.F so you can kick and punch at the same time. This is just my suggestion. [ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-05-31 15:58 ]

I simultaneously train under two masters. (I.t.F and W.T.F) My two masters have no clue of my training in each other's style. Why am i hesistate to reveal my trainning to my two masters? I've been rejected enrollment in a martial arts school in the past, because I was already a member of a different martial arts school. I guess they are afraid that I will expose their techniques to another system or school.There seems to be a lot of competition between martial arts schools. While shopping for a martial arts school, I've met quite a few masters diss other masters and their styles, so that I would enroll in their school. Some master's seem to be so narrowminded! What do you guys think? And for you instructors out there, how would you feel if your student trainned under two masters? How would you feel if your student trainned under two masters? Would it matter if their masters were of the same or complete different style? [ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-05-30 03:26 ]

I am in the process of creating my own form/pattern. I was wondering if anyone could actually steal my creation and use it in their system or even modify my form, without facing any legal issues. I discovered that forms originally created by the International Tae Kwon Do Federation are modified and used in other systems of Tae kwon do. Doesn't General Choi Hong hi have copy rights to his forms? [ This Message was edited by: koreantiger81 on 2002-05-28 18:09 ]