Hudson

Thanks, I am rather new to martial arts. I have taken 2 years of TKD, a year of kickboxing, and am now starting a style of Kung Fu.

Heh, I suppose I hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks for the post.

It seems to me that there are many "impractical" stances being taught today. Stances that would be incredibly hard to fight from. For example, one stance a friend showed me had one leg almost kneeling and the other behind him with the calf parallel to the ground, and he had almost no movement and was hard pressed to keep the stance. My thoughts is that these are taught to strengthen the body rather then to be used in sparring or fighting. Stances that place all the weight on one leg, that keep the hands in ways that are hard to block with, what is the point to them? I think they're best left for competition. Any thoughts?

Sorry to hear about that. I tore my ACL and Meniscus and after a year I was able to go back to normal. After your surgery just make sure you get a good rehabilitation program and you should be fine.

In different styles/training halls (Since I can't say dojo to cover every style), what sort of uniforms do you wear? I know this may seem like a dumb question since the gi is looked upon as the quintessential MA uniform, but I know that kung fu schools sometimes wear the frog button kung fu uniforms or dress in loose street clothes. A lot of the "Ulitmate Warrior" training halls that stress street fighting tend to go without the uniform. So... what kind of uniform do you wear, and what is the importance of the uniform to you? PS: To this date, I have not seen a single training hall wearing those Shaolin Monk robes I see in the movies... anyone have any insight into why? Are they purely movie uniforms?

I was targeting the side thrust kick more with this post - I realized when I woke up this morning I had left it open to confusion. Sorry. Thanks for the posts though, it's definately helpful.

As much as I try, I cannot get a huge amount of power out of my side kick. I've taken TKD and now study a style of Kung Fu, and my side kicks aren't weak, but I've got three problems with them: 1. They're too slow. In sparring, when theres an opening, I lose it before I can connect with a kick. 2. They're not powerful enough. This may be related to not having the speed to generate the power. 3. I can't throw them high. I'm not the most flexible person in the world, but I can't get them above waist level. And in case you're about to give me one, I do not need a lecture on the usefulness of high kicks. I like flashy moves. And a kick to the head is a devestating blow. So, anyone know how to get a good side kick? Any thoughts would help.

Lifting weights can be the most helpful thing to a martial artist. But you have to lift SMART! If you lift for any reason other than your martial arts, you may get some unwanted changes. Weight training to look good or to bulk up is not a good idea for the martial artist. Train for the muscles you use in your techniques. Train for endurance. You don't have to go to failure like in bodybuilding, because your goal is to build dense, hard muscle, that will not restrict movement and give you great speed and power. Also, bodyweight exercises are always a plus. I love pushups. Handstand pushups, fingertip pushups, one-legged squats. Sit-ups. Theres no way you'll get bulky from bodyweight. Also, incorporate some isometrics into your training. Isometrics do not add much bulk and can give you a lot of core strength. They will give you a great amount of strength and speed which will result in powerful strikes. Just remember, when weight training for martial arts, think martial arts, think about function. Oh, and keep with regular cardio and stretching!

Milk is great for you. Not only does it taste good, but it has a good amount of protein in it and of course the obvious calcium benefits. Like the other posters commented, if you're worried about fat content, switch to 1% or skim-milk.