Mu Ryuk

I've been having some problems with my right ankle. I think I tore some ligaments and/or tendons on Tuesday. I talked to my doctor and my Instructor and they said I shouldn't train until I get an MRI done. The problem is, I had to get referred by my doctor to an orthopedic surgeon, to whom I go on Wednesday. Then he has to refer me for an MRI. Then I have to get an MRI done. Then I have to wait for the results. I do NOT want to get out of shape or gain weight. Does anyone know some good cardio I could do that will put minimal stress on my ankles and knees? I was thinking Aerodyne/Stationary Bike, but I'm not sure if that's safe. Tang Soo!

They're real. I'm sure there are ways to make them easier to break, though.

What? Never! *Looks around sneakily*

We all know Bruce Lee didn't break. Good for him, he's dead. BRUCE LEE IS NOT GOD. Sorry. I'm tired of people treating The Tao of Jeet Kune Do like it's holy scripture.

The midnight blue belt is strictly a traditional Tang Soo Do thing. The original belt system (Judo) used a black belt. Hwang Kee used midnight blue instead of black for two reasons; 1) Black represents death, and he didn't want that. 2) By that point, the black belt had become a sort of "symbol", and to non martial artists, black belt seemed like the end. Hwang Kee didn't want it to be seen that way, so he used a midnight blue belt instead.

. . .what?

Sam - ISKA is International Sport Karate Association. TheHidden - Congratulations! That's a great responsibilty, good luck! Are you qualified to judge/referee Kickboxing, sport Karate, or both?

Thanks for your replies, and if anyone has anything to add, thoughts, stories, etc, please do.

It's 11:30 P.M., and I find myself suddenly wanting to buy some t-shirts from Attackmode.tv, a website I had never heard of until just now. I want to buy these shirts because someone on Sherdog, someone I have never met, posted that one of his friends and fellow fighters, Santino DeFranco, a talented young fighter and good man who I have never heard of, had two aneurysms discovered in his brain during a medical check for "The Ultimate Fighter: Season Two". Attackmode.tv is sending all proceeds from the clothing they have in stock to help pay for Santino's bills. Why is this? I've never met this guy, and plenty of people have problems, some not as bad as his, some much worse. What is it that makes me want to help this guy? Somehow I don't think it would be the same if Santino wasn't a martial artist. I don't think it would be the same if I haven't known some of the struggles and joys he has gone through...the relentless training, the triumphant victories and the bitter defeats. Questioning of your own skill and always wondering how good you really are. Dealing with the bumps and bruises, the pain of having the wind knocked out of you, the feeling of having your legs kicked into numbness. All these things may seem insignificant to an "outsider". But the fact is, it draws us together. It's like a football team...the players are usually friends. They suffer together, and they triumph together. They sweat and bleed together, and sometimes it pays off. And other times they lose together, and somehow that brings them even closer. When you train with people, you develop a certain trust. You are trusting them not to hurt you. You are putting your safety and well-being in their hands. And at the same time, they are trusting you, and this creates a bond that not many can match. I have never trained with Santino DeFranco. I have never had to deal with the intensity of the training he goes through, the pain of the hits he deals with, the triumph of victory or bitterness of defeat that he has felt...at least not on the same level. But on some level, I know this man. On some level, I am this man. In some minute way, I am friends with this man, and want to help him. My fellow martial artists, I implore you; Cherish your training partners, your instructors, your students. Cherish those you do not know personally. Do your best to make them a part of your family. Because you never know when someone, somewhere might need you. Or when you might need them. Here is a link to the thread that inspired this: http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?t=261196

Thanks for the support everyone. Results and pictures in thread "Central Coast Open Results".

Hitting to any part of the thigh hurts. Personally, I think the side of the thigh is the worst.

Monday Breakfast - Cucumber, bell pepper, tomato Snack - Rice crackers with avocado Lunch - Veggie burger on whole wheat bun, lettuce and tomato Snack - Raw almonds Dinner - Whole wheat pasta, green salad Tuesday Breakfast - Brown rice with soy milk Snack - Carrot sticks, celery with almond butter Lunch - avocado and tomato open faced on whole wheat, celery sticks Snack - Tomato and avocado Dinner - Grilled Salmon with pesto sauce, green salad with avocado Wednesday Breakfast - Tomatoes, spinach, cucumber. Snack - Vegetable juice Lunch - Salad with romaine lettuce, cucumer, tomato, avocado Snack - Veggie Chips Dinner - Chicken breast, green salad, pita bread Thursday Breakfast - Broccoli, avocado, bell pepper Snack - Carrot sticks with hummus Lunch - Brown rice and mixed veggies Snack - Celery sticks with almond butter Dinner - Steak, mixed salad Friday Breakfast - Melon slices Snack - Avocado on whole wheat toast Lunch - Mixed veggies on pita bread Snack - Banana Dinner - Grilled salmon and vegetables, garden salad. Saturday Breakfast - Whole wheat toast with almond butter, cucumber slices Snack - Veggie juice Lunch - Pita bread with avocado, mixed greens and carrot sticks Snack - Celery sticks with almond butter Dinner - Vegetable curry over brown rice, green salad Sunday Breakfast - Whole wheat toast with avocado Snack - Raw almonds and celery Lunch - Spinach salad with grilled salmon Snack - Bell pepper, celery sticks and hummus Dinner - Whole wheat pasta, large green salad with tomato This is a basic week of the diet I'll be following. Again, remember, all lifting is light. I know there's not too much protein in this diet.

Pictures are up at https://www.photobucket.com/albums/v302/Tsypkin None of my form, sadly

Yeah. It's because most competitors are simply too lazy to pre-register. It's five minutes to fill out a form you're going to have to fill out anyway, and you save money. It's really stupid, but...that's the way things go.

I agree about the competitors...I don't like point sparring, and I don't like the perversion of traditional forms. I also hate the gymnastics. However, as far as organization goes, this tournament was very good, especially for a relatively small local tournament. Most are much more cramped, delayed and generally stressful.

May 14, 2005 Central Coast Open: Division K-22 15-17 Intermediate forms (Japanese/Korean/Okinawan/Tae Kwon Do) Default first place. Move on to Grands. Division F-6 Intermediate Boys 15-17 Point Sparring Took second out of three. The fight was tied one to one at the end of two minutes, the guy beat me in sudden death. I got the by first round, but I'm quite sure I would have beat the other guy. Grand Championships 15-17 Beginner/Intermediate Forms (All) Took Grand Championship. Myself and one girl tied, had to go again. I think my form was better the second time...she messed up twice and was only allowed one restart. I wish they had put us against the advanced/black belt category as well. I may have won on pure intensity...probably not, but I'd have liked to try. I'm sure I could have beat the advanced competitors (I've done it before), it's just the blackbelts I'd have trouble with. Overall, a good tournament. Took a long time, but ran smoothly. I was also pleased to have the chance to meet forum member Shorin Ryuu at the tournament....hopefully we'll get to train together. Win or lose, make 'em proud. AMERICAN KARATE TANG SOO DO MADE 'EM PROUD.

Just waiting to be picked up to go to the Third Annual Central Coast Open Karate Championships. Win or lose, make 'em proud! R.I.P. Ted Attebury - May 6, 2003. This one's for you, Sir.

Shorin Ryuu - I'll be there all day, competing and coaching, along with many members of my Dojang. Feel free to e-mail me, or we can set something up here. PM or e-mail me and I'll give you my cell phone number so we can get in contact.

Jarrett- I hope it is my future profession. I am only sixteen, and I do independent study, so thankfully I have a lot of time. I do intend to change my diet very seriously. I'm looking into supplements, but the only one I'm taking for sure is Glucosamine Chondroitin. My diet will be the same as that of Team Quest Fight Club...I'm going to talk to a nutrionist and get it planned out, I hope. Yes, my body can handle this. I only train slightly less than this now, and that's with a crap diet. Thanks for your input.

Boxing is a martial art. And a damn good one at that. I highly reccommend you take it.

On May 14 I have a tournament, after which I will take as much as a week off to let my knee and ankle have some recovery time. On May 23, I will begin the following training schedule. Advice, criticism and comments are welcome and appreciated. Monday 12:00 P.M. - Kickboxing 1:15 P.M. - Grappling Circuit 6:00 P.M. - Tang Soo Do 7:30 P.M. - Jump Rope Sprinting 8:00 P.M. - Tang Soo Do Tuesday 12:00 P.M. - Grappling Circuit 4:00 P.M. - Kickboxing 7:00 P.M. - Wrestling Wednesday 12:00 P.M. - Kickboxing 1:15 P.M. - Grappling Circuit 6:00 P.M. - Tang Soo Do 7:30 P.M. - Jump Rope Sprinting 8:00 P.M. - Tang Soo Do Thursday 12:00 P.M. - Grappling Circuit 4:00 P.M. - Boxing 7:00 P.M. - Wrestling Friday 12:00 P.M. - Boxing 1:15 P.M. - Grappling Circuit 2:00 P.M. - Jump Rope Sprinting Saturday 10:00 A.M. - Grappling Circuit 12:00 P.M. - Escrima 1:30 P.M. - Jump Rope Sprinting Sunday Off Note: The Grappling Circuit is a lightweight lifting program. It consists of: Bent over rows Upright rows Military Press Good mornings Split squat left Split squat right Squat to push press Straight legged dead lift Eight repetitions of each exercise without putting the bar down is one set. You do six sets with a one minute rest in between. This is designed for muscle endurance...basically, it's to make sure you punch as hard in the last round as you did in the first.

http://fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=89 This is a good read on the origin and meaning of belts.

How come it took everyone else a full paragraph?

In my opinion, you should do at home what you don't do or don't do often enough in the Dojo...if there's a particular drill that you did in class once and you felt you gained a lot from it, do it on your own. If there's something you've never done in class but you thought might be a good idea, try it on your own. And if there's some basic thing you work on ALL THE TIME in class, but you feel you can use that extra bit of work, try it on your own. Above all, make sure you enjoy what you do, because a self-training program won't last long without that...it's a lot easier to work hard when there are other people helping to motivate you...Sensei, classmates, etc. Good luck!

Looks like it's time to move on.