coastguard

wierd, a jump spinning back kick is one of my better kicks, i enjoy it a lot, on the other hand, i have all kinds of problems with spinning hooks and wheel kicks, i can throw them but not quickly and they look incredibly ugly.

I'm actually riding a desk inside the beltway... Washington DC traffic stinks!

This is a video of a fellow coastie getting pepper sprayed... while humorous, this does demonstrate how effective such a simple, commonly carried weapon can be... Each Law Enforcement qualified coastie has to get pepper sprayed once, resist for 20 seconds without drawing their weapon and finally draw their weapon and retain control of it. Enjoy! Tang Soo! http://www.compfused.com/downloads/11yuiqc/pepperspray.wmv

i agree, practice at home, often and it'll help out so much for when you do get to class...

i agree, i think you're being ripped off, but then it depends on what you think is important to you... i've heard of schools charging large 1st dan test fees to compensate a master's flight from Korea, that sort of thing. Is your fee going towards travel costs so other instructors can participate? even so, i wouldn't pay $500 for a test.

My eldest son was getting picked on and beaten in our own backyard (housing development type living where 10 houses shared a common backyard area) on a daily basis so I took him in to a local Tang Soo Do school. I watched for about a month, it looked like fun so I gave it a whirl. 4 years later, my son no longer trains (wanted to do other things, stopped after he attained 2nd gup) but i'm hooked. Tang Soo!

I currently only have one, names of wife and children done in a frog and lillypad type scene on my left bicep. no idea what i want next, just know that i'm itching for something new....

why? listen, you want a good empty hand foundation in your art prior to learning weapon handling of any type. i'm just not sure why you would want to step outside your art, whatever it is and try and learn something else.... more details might help me understand what you're trying to do but i can't imagine anyone would be willing to train you exclusively on a specific weapon without any experience and your continued participation in another martial art. I wouldn't even bother trying anything via tape. I suggest you relax, learn well what you're being taught in your style right now and wait... good things come to those who wait...

oh no! link's dead! hook a fella up!

Howdy ya'll, been thinking about a MA themed tattoo of late, feel the need to get inked again. anyone care to share what they have?

come on matt, i think you have all the info you need to make your decision, wear your head gear and train hard. Take care and good luck!

how's the training going? keeping your spirits up, visualize success...

now i'm paying 57 per month for 2 one and a half hour training sessions per week.

along with TangSooDo guy, i highly recommend WTSDA schools, although i'm no longer affiliated with them, Grandmaster Shin has a real quality organization and Philly's a great area for Tang Soo Do.

whether or not you wear head gear is up to you... if you're not sure, its better to err on the side of caution. if you don't feel comfortable without, put it on.

nope, nothing crazy, just wearing you down for a few hours with every technique under the sun, then forms when you're good and exhausted and then you got the tar beaten out of you... all around a good time!

that's probably wise.... most of the time this saves hurt feelings and the afore mentioned consequences of failing a student. the last thing you need is litigation because someone failed a test.

haven't paid anything for the past 2 years since i was teaching, but... i just moved so who knows now? need to find a school!

Krav Maga is a fighting style developed by a member of the Israeli military to train their special forces type units in hand to hand combat. its supposed to be pretty intense... check it out - https://www.kravmaga.com.

my thoughts are that teaching doesn't help you become a better fighter, but it certainly helps you become a better martial artist. I figure part of being a proficient martial artist is sharing your knowledge with others, passing it down to the next generation so to speak. Plus, teaching helps you cement what you know and makes you self analyze everything you teach... i taught at my old school, for about 2 full years and i miss it more than anything else.

cho dan is first degree black belt

the test went pretty well, harder than I expected though. definitely felt pushed. I was disappointed with the last three forms I did, bong hyung il bu, e bu and gan dam hyung (two staff forms and knife form)... i was really out of gas at that point but i pushed though as best i could.. heck, after all the stories I've heard from some of the school's black belts about coming out of a Dan test with broken legs, dislocated shoulders, etc, i was just happy I came out relatively uninjured (just a broken toe). It was cool though, a real good experience.

I'm a Tang Soo Do practitioner, been studying for close to 4 years now and I just received my first Dan.

thank you much, yes i did indeed pass, it was a heck of a test!

3.5 years.... just took my test this weekend.