Kicks

Been there, done that. Not impressed. Looked unrealistic, what of it I could see. It was too dark and too 'flashy'. I'm not looking for Hollywood. I'd like to know techniques that develope good eye-hand coordination and that coukld be put in to a demostration at my school's belt test. [at each belt test the black belts are asked to get up and demostrait either a form, a break, or free style sparring]. Since we don't emphises weapons (we only use them in Hapkido) I'd like to do something different and do a sai demostration other than 'block bo, strike neck'.

TSDMGK_K40 wrote "No need to get defensive, " No problem, I'm sorry if my post sounded 'defensive'. I enjoy having dialogs with folks on this forum. It's one of the better groups of people I've had to pleasure to communicate with via forum. In my explaination I was just trying to be more concise. As I explained in a previous post, I have gone through this discussion many times with other people. I get all kinds of emails from people who visit my website and challenge me and my son on our rankings. I get 'hate mail' to say it mildly. So yesterday I took my time-line off the website. The school we attend exceeds Kukkiwon's time requirements for dan promotions. They just wave the age standard only for those they feel are worthy. This is the system we got involved in long ago; way before we knew that other styles and systems would have any objections to. Added: TSDMGK_K40 wrote "In my math, 1993 starting at white belt to 2003 (the link you posted) testing for 4th dan is 10 years, but obviously I missed something somewhere." We started in Jan 1993 and made 4th in June 2004 (not 2003). That's a full 11.5 years.

TSDMGK_K40: check your math. it takes 11.5 years, and I think that's too quick, but that's the system we're involved in. It breaks down like this: 2.5 years to 1st dan wait 2 yeas test for 2nd dan. Running Total = 4.5 yrs wait 3 years to test for 3rd dan. Running Total = 7.5 yrs wait 4 years to test for 4th dan. Running total = 11.5 yrs wait 5 years to test for 5th dan (Master). Running total = 16.5 yrs. And that's only if you pass every test (each black belt advancement consist of 4 different test held 2 months apart), get your class hours in, get your teaching time in, and show you possess the tenents of TKD. This is actually longer than Kukkiwon requirements for Dan promotions. We have been actively involved in TKD since Jan 1993 and were just promoted to 4th dan in June 2004 (11.5 yrs), usually attending 3 - 4 classes a week (5 during test periods) and never skipping or failing a test. can I lay this to rest now?

Python, pretty cool. Do you also use the sai? I'm been looking for sai videos on the web and have only found a couple with sai katas. I'd like to find a video that shows you how to do that that flashy flipping stuff.

Our dojang my son and I are not considered masters. A lot of the other schools around here do consider 4 dan a master, but not us. The reason is that it takes until you are a 5th dan to have gone through the entire program twice. Once learning it and then again teaching it. So by then you are required to have mastered all the requirements for all the ranks.

Is that to get that James Dean look?

I have a double edged knife in my truck, and hope I never have to use it. Take yesterday for example, my son and are in the car going to teach a class for a friend of mine. I had a pair of sai on the back seat. We are both in our TKD uniforms and wearing our black belts. I come to an overpass and a guy in a truck in front of me is stopped and calling to a girl walking up the other side of the bridge. He's trying to pick up on her or something. As soon as he sees me pull up behind him he flips me the finger. I just follow the rule of "avoid violent behavior". My life was not threatened, and the finger didn't cause me any physical injury. So I just smiled. I got an even bigger laugh when he got fed up with trying to pickup on this girl and sped off.

We don't emphise weapons at the TKD dojang I go to, so I have a limited collection of weapons. They are: 1 Pair Octagonal Nunchaku with chain, large 2 Pairs Round Nunchaku with chain 1 Pair Octagonal Nunchaku with cord, small 1 Pair Foam Nunchaku with cord 1 fan 1 pair of sai Looking to buy a pair of Shureido sai and 6" Bo do guns count? BTW..are you with the ATF?

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If I were to change styles I'd expect to start over. I have a BB in TKD, but if I were to start taking Karate I would want to start at white belt because I don't know the karate katas and the differences in techniques. AS a black belt you are expected to not only know your art, but also be able to teach it. I don't think I would be able to teach karate unless I went through the program. But then again, maybe I'm not giving myself enough credit?

This is my list of websites with video links: Karate videos, forms, weapons, kumite videos http://www.uechi-ryu.com/videos/tc_videos.html Shotokan Karate videos http://www.unh.edu/shotokan/kata.html Karate http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/023/eng/index.html Eli & Mary's Tae Kwon Do Page with their tournament videos http://www.theboghs.com/tkd/index.shtml TKD Olympic trials sparring videos http://www.sc-tkd.com/video.htm TKD forms videos http://www.natkd.com/tkd_forms.htm Hapkido videos http://www.natkd.com/hapkido_techniques.htm

I mentioned the tournaments just to round off his/our expierence. But yes, he has competed in open tournaments where any style is invited. The annual tournament our dojang sponsors is open to all styles. We've had Kartae and Kung Fu students participate. It's makes for an exciting tournament. I enjoy seeing the different forms and seeing how the judges are going to score a hard style versus a soft style. Remember "...what a 4th Dan black belt represents..." could be different from one style to another, one system to another, one opinion to another. If there is a universal written rule encompassing all styles and systems, and accepted by all, then that is what we should all be measured. Until I know of such, I will not judge another's style or beliefs. I will respect your art and encourage your practice.

My son is 5'4", 107lbs (buff) and wears a size 3 adidas adichamp uniform. He says it fits him well, but I think that it going to the bottom of his heel is close to too long. It might right for you. I'm 5'11" 170 and wear a size 4.

Ah yes, by the Sonic on Veterans? ...yep. That's what it is this month. I haven't seen Master Moon for decades. How is he? ...retired in '97. Living in TX. Might be coming for the 5th dan promotions in December. How is the wood on the floor? ...new floor put on top. The old dowls kept poping out. Swing by and introduce yourself on Wed or Fri nights. I'm usually there (I teach at 5:30 on Fri and stay for "Fight Night" afterwards. Black Belt class is 7:45 Wed.

It's not so. He's 16, not 15. I think the school we attend promotes quickly, but they do follow WFT standards as far as time goes, if not age. He obtained 4th no quicker than an adult would, and is the youngest fro the school to be promoted that high. Many people would argue that minors shouldn't even wear a black belt so I know his rank shocks people. But I have no say. We love the school and it's people. Its a family and we want to stay. That means we accept the rules. And the rules are that when the Master Instructors say that you are ready to test, then you test. And trust me..they don't make it easy. I don't want to feel like I have to build a case for him, but I also don't want you to think him unworthy. I've seen him exceed many of the adults (me included) in his knowledge and ability. He has learned and mastered all 98 sparring combinations, 98 Hapkido combinations, 20 one-steps, broken all 14 board breaks, and learned about 40 forms (Chang-Hon, the TaeGuek, and the Palgwe family of forms and then some), and written a thesis at each black belt advancement. He is an instructor and helps me teach Hapkido, Olympic Sparring, and Self-Defense seminars at other schools and businesses too. He is a many times State Champion in forms and Olympic sparring and a National Champion in Olympic sparring. I tell, you..the kid knows his stuff and it's practical application. And what's scary..his younger sister is better than he was at her age! I've seen this age debate many, many times. I get hate mail from my website from people who think we 'bought' our belts, I get people who want me to fly to where they live to prove our worth. I hopeing I don't have to deal with that here. This place have been very good to me, so far. You can view our 4th dan test at http://www.livaudaisnet.com/mafit/test/mafit4dan.htm

Is that a challenge? OK, step outside! I attend, and am an instructor, at Moon College Tae Kwon Do in Metairie. See link on my webpage at http://www.livaudaisnet.com/mafit/mafit.htm We do WTF style and are members of the USTU and AAU. How about you?

If you're unsure about a punch to the throat, try a ridgehand (opposite of a knife hand). If he throws a right hand punch, parry it downward with your left hand and ridgehand him to the throat with your right hand. I was once hit with a knifehand strike to the throat during an Olympic style TKD match (this is NOT a legal strike). I dropped to my knees gasping for air. After my 8 count I got up and beat this guy. However, within minutes after the fight my neck was swelling. Saliva wouldn't go down, I was drolling all over. I couldn't eat and drinking caused pain. I lost my voice for several days. When it came back it was garggled. The doctor's exam showed I had damaged to the vocal chord. I ended up having to go to speech therapy to relearn how to talk. I'm better now, and I didn't die. Warning: Do you want to be this guy's friend? There's a chance that if you beat him he'll accept you and want to be your friend. That's what happened to me in the 7th grade. I kept getting picked on by a small gang. When I finally had enough and took out several of them all of a sudden they wanted me to stay after school and play football, or join the basketball team and hang out with them. I didn't want any part of that kind of friendship. I switched schools the next year.

My wife and I started shortly after my two boys started. One was 4 and one was 6. The younger is now a 4th dan. The older one has been in and out a few times and is still a 1st dan. My wife left at red belt. My daughter started at age 4 and is now a 2nd dan. Read all about it here: http://www.livaudaisnet.com/mafit/mafit.htm

Like science? math? language? etc..

Dog, element of Fire find your's here: http://chinese.astrology.com/elements.html

Most of the TKD schools I am familiar with have one steps. Mine, and a few others, incorporate Hapkido as a major part of the program.

As promised in my previous post: http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040829/capt.olytae11408291649.greece_olympics_taekwondo_olytae114.jpg Dae Sung Moon, left, from Korea, lands a kick to the head of Alexandros Nikolaidis, from Greece, that ended their men's over 80kg taekwondo gold medal match at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Moon won the gold medal with a technical knockout. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Well, the 2004 Olympics are over. Did anybody see the finals of the TKD heavy weight division? Those were good fights. The women were aggresive and the men's ended in a TKO in the first round! I'll post the photo as soon as I find it on the web somewhere. So, no matter what country you're from, support your Olympic athelets, even if you don't practice TKD. They are doing their best to represent your country and we should all be proud of their efforts. See you in Beijing in 2008!

Here's a nice back kick from the 2004 Olympics, almost as good as mine (just joking) http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040829/capt.olytae10408291328.greece_olympics_taekwondo_olytae104.jpg

Keep an open mind grasshopper. Don't get hung up on "that's not how we did it at my other dojang". Good luck, and enjoy.