markusan

Master Jules, as there is no muscle to tense at the front of the throat I am curious to know what your punch felt like when it landed, did it collapse the trachea and the larynx with no effect, or did they somehow resist. As you would know when the concrete blocks do not break, your hand usually does....was it like that? or did the throat somehow cushion the blow?

The bit about the poke in the chest is true, but it has to be one helluva poke. When you learn CPR you are taught never to do it to someone who's heart is beating because it could cause it to stop. But it takes a significant depression of the chest to do that. In the same way a powerful punch to the heart can upset the heart's rythm. But it is the physical pressure doing the damage, nothing else.

I like to think of the punch as vertical or horizontal or any angle in between depending on the target. So a horizontal punch is good for the nose, the top and bottom lip, just below the cheek bone or the eye socket on the fist side of the face. Vertical punch is good for the sternum, a little off vertical is good for depression where the shoulder meets the chest. I like vertical punches for the ribs too. I like a vertical or slightly off vertical punch if I am punching with full force becaue the two bones of the forearm are more parallel and feel stronger. It also seems easier on the wrist. By the way I don't recommended punching to the mouth with either vertical or horizontal because of the risk of blood transfer and diseases like hepC. I'm not convinced that a clompletely horizontal hard punch is a good idea but maybe that's worth another forum topic.

I was under the impression that kung fu was a generic chinese expression for fighting method, and did not specifically describe any particular style. I thought it was more like the expression martial arts.

I am curious as someone not living in the U.S. but in a country where liability is an issue. Some of you say martial arts would not work in U.S schools because of the risk of being sued. What about your wrestling, grid iron etc. surely students in those sports would be just as or more likely to suffer injuries.

I sweep the dojang before and after training and mop down when it needs it. Students usually volunteer their help once they see me start. For me it's habit, the first Karate dojo I trained in years ago, the white belts cleaned the floor with towels as a warm-up. I don't do it in respect for the dojang. I do it so we don't have to train in a pig sty.

In Australia TKD is taught in some schools particularly in New South Wales, it's most populated State. It is taught by one of the bigger MA organisations headed by and ex teacher. There is a full blown inter school competition. I guess it's easier to sell to the education system because it is an Olympic sport. There is a push on right now to expand the teaching and competition through other teaching organisations interstate. So it is very possible. And it is improving the overall standard of students and teaching.

I agree with Shorinryu Sensei, and I think its nice to get some common sense into the discussion. I tell my classes often that if they think I'm teaching them something that doesn't work, I want to know about it. Either in class or, if they are not confident enough to do that, in private after class. Over the years I have had thousands of questions. Many I could reassure by demonstration, but many caused me to rethink what I was doing. Instructors more than anyone should be open to learning. Either that or they should be able to justify what they're doing without taking offence.

Black at our dojang is only for black belts and only for those who are willng to go hard. Wearing black carries an edge of implied challenge.

I started doing martial arts in 1973, probably because of Bruce Lee too. He was a little guy like me but was untouchable and unbelievably fit. Now I don't even think about why I do it. I just love it and could not imagine life without it. And...I'm 48 and I can still do the pushups and the crunches and free spar with the best of the kids. And I like hanging out with my own kids (both black belts) and my younger students, it keeps me feeling like a teenager.

One of my old shotokan teachers gave me a bit of insight into kata. He'd studied okinawan karate for many years. He said next time you do anything, like cooking or gardening or making something in the workshop, watch your hands very carefully. That's it, just watch your hands carefully. It showed me that it's not so much the kata but the attitude. I think some kata flow or progress better than others, and it is easier to maintain that focus through the kata.

If you don't break your first board, but you break your next one, surely it has improved your technique. We set ourselves challenges breaking boards. like one person holds the board and drops it and the other tries to break it in mid air. It takes a bit of doing. Timing, speed technique.

You might find your mums and dads a bit reluctant to send little johnny along to your classes after watching full contact at the Olympics. Look at the bad press boxing's had over the years.

I agree. I like the belt system because it is a sign of achievement and also because it gives students a short to medium term goal. It's also good for the instructor to give some idea of the student's experience. Belts are a great motivational tool.

classes are an hour and a half Standard every training night: joint mobility exercises, head to toe, doubles as body awareness. Jogging round the dojang forward sideways and reverse, watching footwork as they turn, environment awareness(so they don't run each other over)Knee lift running, heel lift running. Stop each two laps and drop for push ups or situps. Stretching with emphasis on order, especially legs and back, and technique. Horse riding stance high section punching with kiup to raise energy levels. Breathing exercises, bamboo breathing while punching. Partner kicking techniques, and sparring blocking techniques. Sparring(every session except maybe just before grading) Basics..blocking, hand strikes, kick combos. Varies on the night. One step, self defence, locks, situation awareness, partner exercises eg finding the correct sparring distance, blocking variations etc. Footwork drills, boxing drills, kick shield and target pad work with partners, defence against knife and weapons. We also have a relationship with a karate/bujutsu school and we have guest instructor segments on locks, self defence, bunkai and return the favor with kicks etc. Warm down and stretch (just as or more important to stretch at the end of class, especially hip flexors and quads, as kicking shortens these muscles, and eventually gives you hip and back probs.) Short relaxation and breathing exercise. Optional Sparring after class for advanced students.

Inverted turning kicks do strange things to my hips and jumping side kick from the standing position. But then, I'm gettin' old.

Many of the replies posted here appear to approach TKD as one style. Where I'm from there are two very different styles of TKD and any number of variations. The two main styles have two different sets of patterns. The sport TKD practitioners fight with their hands down and concentrate more on multiple kick combinations and little or no hand work. It's a specialised style designed for competition in that style. The other style of TKD, the style I practise, is very similar to karate and includes a good range of one step and self defence. Like many martial arts we are willing to learn from other m-as and include techniques that work into our style. When we teach hyungs we also teach the meaning of the movements though we do not call it bunkai. But we treat it as an essential part of teaching and practicing the patterns. This extends to variations in interpretation of the moves, e.g one particular move I teach to lower level students as a choke, at a higher level it becomes a double inside knifehand to the pressure points at the base of the scull. So don't believe everything you hear/read about TKD. At some dojangs they teach more than just flashy kicks. If their is a hole in our style it is in the lack of groundfighting and grappling. But we do pretty well in allstyles competition stand-up sparring. If you find a good school it will not only show you how to do the flashy kicks but also how to set them up so you have less chance of getting decked in the process. Like in any style you would never throw a spinning back or even a high section turning kick without some preceding feint. Oh, and I've sparred a number of the sport TKD people, as well as lots of Karateka friends, and if they get you with one of those fancy kick combinations I assure you you'll feel it. P.S. TKD kicks are incredibly hard on the lower back, groin, hip rotators, so even though you're young and fit, warm up thoroughly first and remember the three Ss...stretch, stretch and stretch.

I am part of an organisation that does not use contracts but none of our instructors are full time or rely on it as our sole means of income. I can understand how an instructor who relies on his teaching to make a living would prefer to have people on contracts. He or she still have to pay their rent and power whether you decide to have a month off or not. I think it's becoming more a fact of life and I don't think it automatically brands the school as a McDojo. It also gives you another reason to be consistent in your training. I know some nights I need all the incentives I can muster to venture out into the cold fo a hard night's training. All that said, a contract is a two way street and should not just be in favor of the school. It should give you guarantees too, for example if you are not genuinely happy with the standard of instruction you should be released from the contract. As with gyms, the schools which do require contracts should offer high standard facilities and equipment. As Cloud Dragon said, make sure you like and respect the instructor. I think a common thread to many of the discussions on this site is that the most important aspect of learning any martial art is the quality of the teacher.

I'd like to add to kyle san's observation, that the vast majority of people might think martial arts are stupid and a waste of time, but that never stopped me either. And, I'll say it again to anyone who's listening, meditation has nothing to do with religion. It is a tool. Religious people can use it maybe to deepen their spirituality, though I'm not quite sure what that means. Non religious people can use it to learn more about themselves, to think more clearly and perhaps see the world a bit more objectively.

That's a tough question Cloud Dragon. For me it certainly acts as a stress reliever. It works on many levels. For example if you have a particular reaction to a situation, like anger, fear etc. you use the meditation to explore that emotion, find out where it comes from and why(which is usually some trauma or other experience in your past). It's often hiding somewhere in some corner of your mind and just needs a bit of light thrown on it to make it surface. Recognising it and sitting quietely with it seems to weaken its hold on you and eventually it disappears altogether. By doing this quite systematically over time I believe you start to think more clearly, less affected by emotional triggers. But that's just one aspect, and one type of meditation. Another I use regularly is insight meditation, or vippashna. With this you merely sit quietly, and when you drop into the meditative state you pose yourself a question that you want answered and explore it. The answer doesn't always come straight away, but it almost always comes. You know how sometimes you have a problem and the answer springs into your head when you least expect it, like when you're out walking or running. Well this is just a more systematic and deliberate way of doing that. And most important, in the deeper meditative states you experience quite a rare feeling of peace, and the more you practice the easier it is to get there, and to maintain that feeling in everyday life. It makes you realise that a lot of the thoughts that rise in your mind every second of the day are fairly baseless, so you tend to take yourself less seriously.

Sounds pretty professional to me, kbgirl, I'd add maybe calf stretches and glute/rotators early in the stretch routine to free up the top and bottom of the hamstrings. From what I've read, splits at the end of class are going to do more for your long term flexibility, splits at the start of class are going to help your kicks during class.

What do you consider a correct army pushup? We do ours on the two punching knuckles, fists shoulder width apart, elbows in tight to the sides chest almost to the floor (gi touches) fast up and slower down. I'd like to know what type of pushup works the biceps?

I agree ice. Ice for up to 20 minutes as soon after doing the damage as possible. then keep icing it as often as you can for the next 24 or 48 hours. Only alternate hot and cold after about 48 hours to clear any bruising. I know people who swear by Arnica ointment, but I haven't found it to be very effective. You might want to think why you keep injuring that thumb. It could be a technique problem.

if you want to build up the number of push-ups you can do the trick is to do lots of sets. If you can only do one good pushup, do it ten times during the day. Then next day try two, but do 2, ten times during the day. Do them during the ad breaks while your watching tv whenever, but do them every day and every now and then add one more.

We do a short five minute meditation session at the end of class after the physical warm down. I take the students through a quick PMR (progressive muscle relaxation) exercise and a mindful breathing exercise. I use the process to teach students to relax, and to practice mindfullness, and also incorporate breathing exercises. No change of mind state, there's not enough time. It also means that the younger kids are less hyped up when they head home. It's just like a bit of quiet time. I think that, in the same way that you practice a physical technique like punching, you can practice a mental technique. It's not "deep". It is practical. I meditate for an hour or so a day privately and attend sesshin when I can. Again it's not deep or spiritual. It's just training, like at the dojang. And I find it makes life a lot easier.