k4karate

the topic of this thread is somewhat misleading. *let me clarify that i have no intention of starving myself.* i was taking into consideration that if it is possible to gain muscle and become lean (i read that in a martial arts biography about the little dragon himself)while going through starvation, i wanted to use that principle to become leaner myself by NOT starving myself but by drastically reducing my calorie intake to about half of what i normally consume, just till i see results. as the book states, fitness is about dicipline, if you reduce your normal fuel intake by half, yet you are physically pushing yourself fully, could that not give your body the dicipline required to achieve results that are extremly difficult to achieve, normally? keep in mind that i am a fit person already. JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW: This thread is a hypothetical question about one of the million things written about fat loss and muscle gain which make it into print everyday. There is no proof that such a method is safe or will result in fat loss or muscle gain. Please do not starve yourself!

I must say, i do not have alot of bodyfat. My bodyfat percentage came in at 16%, but i think it has to do with the amount of muscle on my legs. though, i could stand to lower it somewhat. I wanted to lower my calorie intake because it mainly comes from complex carbs, which i find takes longer to digest, therefore i tend to feel sluggish and slow after meals. i can't seem to motivate myself to train between school and work, so wouldn't cutting some complex carbs out help? PS. Atkins is not a option for me.....ever! Thanks!

rich67, thank you for your reply, and as i thought, it makes sense. the book was refering to starving for short term only. if i remember correctly, it was more about decipline than, gaining muscle. they went into it more specifically than i could remember to explain. but i do remember that the claim was made that muscle can be gained with no food intake. please remeber that this book was written by/with former students of Bruce, and i would never claim that Bruce said any of these things. however, as i am not too knowledgable about this topic, i wont do it. i have however reduced my cals somewhat, just not too greatly.

I was handed down a biography written about Bruce Lee from my brother's friend who studied Bjj for 10 years. A big chunk of the book was dedicated on the journals he kept while training. In it, there was mention of how Bruce use to starve while he trained, yet still gained muscle and obviously lost fat. Basically, it was contradicting the theory of "no food=no muscle". I want to try a variant of this. You see, I've just returned to university, I have very difficult classes this semester and i know i wont have time to cook as much or train as hard. i typically eat more when i'm stressed. i'm pretty fit (16% bodyfat), not over weight (as of yet) and i don't want to fall off my routine. i have a very healthy diet, i normally cook everything from scratch, whole grains only, lots of veggies, no medication of any kind, no sugar or processed foods or fast food ect. However, besides fish, i was raised vegetarian and i consume a high quantity of complex grains to feel satisfied. I've never had a problem gaining weight due to the high volume of complex-carbs because i have a very athletic lifestyle. I wouldn't stay on this plan for more than 3 months, i just want to lower my bodyfat a little so even if i do fall off my routine, i will have more muscle and less fat and thus, calories will burn a little better. but as i read through this health and fitness forum, cutting my cals drastically would mean weight gain. or does it?

Please add other vegetables to your diet. While cabbage is good for you, it will not provide enough nutrients for your system. However, since it is only for a week, it wont do any harm.

opps! didn't know i was pushing any buttons. i saw kazuya and luckyboxer pushing it back and forth, post after post, i thought i was putting a stop to that. PS whitewarlock, no, i didn't like what i heard, but i did except it. i have not posted any arguments "for" make-up in the dojo (in several weeks), that was kazuya and various others.

really? don't you think you are being a bit of a drama queen here? i already appologized in advance if you take offence, plus, that post was in no way even about me. i said your points were just as valid as the other forum member. i did not once say you were evil or your points were not valid, all i said was that the other persons opinions were just as valid as yours. but you do a good job of illustrating my point. you tend to take comments that don't agree with your opinion as personal attacks on yourself. how can your own opinion not hold up if you "THINK YOU ARE RIGHT"? you should think about replying to posts with an outlook of: "hey, i've got an idea about this issue and i firmly believe in it". not: " i think i am right". how do you "KNOW" you are right? thinking and knowing are two very different things. i'm sure that the people whom oppose your posts also "think" they are right. all i was trying to say in my last post to you was, yes you have some key points but so do those who oppose your veiws. there is no reason to get testy because someone decides to post an opinion you don't like. there are no villians OR victims here, apparently just the occassional drama queen.

hello, i'm the one that started this thread and thought it was over weeks ago. i'm amused to see that it has still gone on and i had absolutly no idea. i applaud your thoughts and comments. i just have to say this...please don't take extreme offense..."LUCKYBOXER": i have just read over your last few posts where you are trading arguments with ka**** i don't remember the spelling of her screen name. you really need to cool down and accept that she has a different opinion from you and that her voice is just as valid as yours. you seem to be picking apart her quotes in your posts so that some of the things she has written sound completely different from what was originally said. you also have a tone in your posts which signify that you are correct all the time and that she is definitely wrong, no comments about that. okay, "YOU" don't like the idea of make-up in the dojo. a forum is a place for disscussion, from all those who have an opinion. it's almost scary to think that a person who runs their own karate school cannot handle or accept the opinions of others and feels that they are right all the time. i know that if your read this post that you will make some smug comment about me, maybe even pick apart my post to help paint the "ignorant" image you probably have of me now but you should know that you cannot govern everyone, this forum is not run like a communist government. you don't have to prove that someone is 100% wrong. she had some valid points and yes, so did you. but you are in no way 100% right. ACCEPT it. your human.

i'm having trouble executing a solid set of push-ups during my warm-up. i can't get in any more than 3 female push-ups. my warm-up requires 25 military push-ups and 25 chinese push-ups (sometimes more). does anyone know which muscles are lagging to prevent the push-ups from happening? is there anyway to make them stronger? PS why so many push ups in karate warm-up?

after reading the pile up of posts, i think it is safe to say: the opinion of make-up in the dojo will vary. although it isn't a prefered look, if it is controlled, it can be tollerated. i don't wear too much, and my sensei has not approached me with any complaints. if and when i do, it will come off. thanks to all the peeps for your feedback. PS, in my 6th week of training, things are going well.

Luckyboxer stated.... there is a huge difference from an attractive woman working out in the Dojo, and a woman trying to attract others in the dojo. From my experience, and i have seen both, I find it hard to believe that someone would get a hard time just because they were attractive and were trying to fit in. Most likely as I have seen firsthand in the past, if someone is getting a hard time its because they are doing their own thing and creating a spectacle and pulling attention from what it should be on. I guess there is just too many selfish people in the world that are so worried about themselves that they cant bother themselves to think of others. It is entirely different to walk into an established group of people and expect them to adapt to you. i think your quote above states the proof to back up your hostility, Luckyboxer. you seem to think that there is only two ways to a situation. can't you open your mind for a minute and think, "there is a possible chance that k4karate has brushed paths with someone not so happy to be at the dojo." and as for my quote about how i "feel" that MOST students feel that i am vain, that's called self consciousness, i did NOT say that most students DO think i am vain but that i FEEL most students might think that. why? because i am a new student who has alot to prove to the others at my dojo. everyone, should feel some sort of self consciousness when they first join a dojo and start karate, maybe you didn't because you feel you have all the answers. there are 300 students at my dojo, and yes i feel that most of them are hard working, i NEVER once stated that MOST have an issue with me. there is a big difference in thinking something, and knowing something as a fact. yes, i do have areas where i would like to improve, and i want to change some aspects of my outlook and priorities, i felt that karate could help me work that process out. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ADMITTING THAT I AM NOT PERFECT AND WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE FOR THE BETTER. if you think that all students should be confident perfect human beings, maybe you should look at changing your outlook and priorities Luckyboxer. at least i can admit and accept my shortcomings. lastly, when you are saying that i don't ask enough questions, your right i don't...that's because i asked 1 simple question and got a snub from 2 of the girls i train with, they wouldn't even answer my question. if you read my other post, you would know this. i was defending a remark made that maybe i got that reaction because i socialize too much, which is obviously not the case at all.

okay, i'm going to clarify this one last time, you can believe me if you want or you can chose to believe otherwise. i've gotten this reaction from 2 other white belts who have also recently started, not the whole dojo, remember, i train with all newcomers. i rarely speak within the dojo, just my "hellos" and bows, "my name is", "i'm having trouble can you help me?" i don't know where cloud dragon got the idea that i was trying too hard to make friends, i really only speak when i'm having trouble or i'm spoken to by others. i assure you, i am not creating a spectacle or doing my own thing. if you read my first posting, this thread was about whether or not it is a good idea to keep my make-up on in class, NOT how can i make more friends and attract a mate at my dojo? Luckyboxer also goes on to say that i am rude. i started this thread because i wanted to be considerate and find out the proper ettiquette for adronment(in this case make-up) inside the dojo. however, Luckyboxer just illustrated some of the assumptions and stereotypes i have faced by these "snobby" students by calling me rude, inconsiderate, a non-serious student who wants to create a spectacle and expects everyone else to adapt to me. all i did was ask a simple question: "make-up, nay or yay?" you don't know any of these negative things to be true, but you assume it is because i wear make-up to class and a couple students like to be rude to me, therefore i am not a hard working student new to karate. to you i'm just another girl who chose the dojo to play the dating game or turn upside-down with my apparent unruly behaviour. isn't it fair to say that one of the first things you learn in karate is not to judge others, make assumptions or criticize others? and what makes you think that these students who give me a hard time are hard working, serious karate students?

i would like to know if this is true. as i've stated before, i am new to karate, so i don't know all of the rules. as for the "snobs", i was told by everyone i talked to (mostly senior belts) how warm and friendly the other people at my dojo were, but obviously there are a few bad apples which are an exception. i know one always has to deal with hostility everywhere, but is is difficult to concentrate on trianing hard when you know some of your classmates don't exactly want you there, especially when you are new. got any tips on staying alive? i would like to stay a full year at my dojo, i don't want to give up so quickly.

thank you for all your feedback, it has been very helpful. i would like to state again that my make-up is VERY light. even after a hard 2 hours of class, nothing is running, and i don't wear eye-liner or mascara, just a little face powder for work. i don't however understand why being well-groomed would signify that i am looking for a mate. as i stated before, my mother raised me to be very japanese, even old ladies put in a big effort to look nice at all times, and not for the purpose of looking for a mate. but this brings up an interesting subject, since i am studying karate in north america and not japan, should i change the way i look and dress at my dojo to respect the less fashionable north american values of dedication?

Sounds right to me, there is nothing wrong with looking nice going to class. The only people who would consider you a distraction should re-evaluate their priorities in the dojo. May I ask, why are you so concerned about what others think about your personal grooming habits? Who said something to you? Most peole won't be so concerned with a matter that is so far from martial arts training unless it is a matter of spite. hi, i just finished my forth class in go ju ryu, and my dojo does not have any manuels printed yet. i don't know alot of things so sometimes i have to ask about even the most basic things. i always wait till after class or in the change room before class. like just last week i asked; "how do i know when to address someone as sempai?" and the girl replied "it should be obvious." that's all she said and turned around. i was never told how to address other members of the dojo through belts. i would address them as sempai if i was introduced to them as sempai. it was a simple enough question, there was no reason to be smug. but it's just small things like that. i don't talk too much at the dojo, just my "hi" and small talk, so there isn't much certain students are judging me on besides my appearence.