torris

Being as I have 2 daughters in class with me, it was brought to my attention that when they start sparring, that they have "cups" (refraining from actually calling them cups, that fit specially for girls. As I understand it, it hurts girls/women there just as much as boys/men. That coming from one of our Sr. Female Instructors.

I must be lucky. I have 4 enrolled in my family. I pay $200/mo for all of us, and there was a $25/ea initial fee, but that covered the Gi also. And we didnt have to sign a contract. Now, we have other expenses that are soley ours, tournaments, belt exams, and gear for sparring, but all in all, not a bad investment. And we can go up to 4 (5 starting September) times a week. Plus, every Saturday we have Chili Cook, or BBQ, or something like that. Food is always a bonus.

I really liked "The Last Samurai". It was believeable, historically accurate, and did not suffer the common pitfalls that many MA movies suffer. That is just my opinion. Although some may argue that "The Last Samurai" was not MA.

Welcome Justin!

My Opinion is it really depends on the person. Proper training is very effective in the right person. Just like NOT everyone who goes into battle (say as infantry) survives battle, even though they are well trained, the same can be said about someone trained in MA. Just because you have trained, and have rank in your art, does not mean that in a street fight, you will win. How you employ the knowledge you have is as much importance as the knowledge itself.

Grrr no, deffinately not taekwondo. And just exactly WHAT is wrong with Tae Kwon Do? Hmmm?

Thanks for the help. I'll try some of these.

I liked Sidekicks. Alittle weak, but watching Chuck is cool anyway I can get it. And, Lone Wolf McQuade (OLD Chuck stuff, but still good.)

I think Bruce. Hands down, even as a senior citizen.... with a hand behind his back even...

well, okay, if it's kicks that we are referring to, then definately Jackie Chan.

Oh man, favorite MA Movie. Uhm, tough one. Gotta give kudos to Jackie Chan, his movies are hilarious. But, S. Seagal in The Glimmer Man, and Marked for Death.

uhm, Chuck Norris studies TKD. In fact, Allen Steen (Jhoon Rhey's 1st American BB) defeated Chuck Norris in 1966 for the IKC title. (Please, correct me if I am wrong) But, anyway, I like Chuck. He is a great role model for the Arts. I really don't like Van Damme, but his style is good. Jackie Chan is one of my tops, because his style, and he is so **** funny. But, my favorite movie star is S. Seagal. I am very impressed with his style.

Jackie Chan is good. Chuck is good. Maybe because I am from Texas, and I am biased, But I still watch reruns of Kung Fu, with David Carradine, and he was recently in Kill Bill, so I will add him to my list.

I like S. Seagal. His style is flamboyant. BTW, what style is he using anyway.

National Association of Professional Martial Artists or see what you can find here

Once again, as I stated before, it does seem that each style has its own biased opinion towards itself. While each style has it's own distinct attributes, I really don't believe that one is any less useable than the other. TKD emphasizes kicks, that does not make it ineffective. There are many greats that come from TKD. Chuck Norris, Allen Steen, Jhoon Rhey. Are they Bruce Lee? Certainly not. But I expect that any one of you would certainly think twice before facing them. TV aside, I have seen Chuck Norris fight, and he is very, very good. Every style is great in its own rite. Each style, when used properly, can be very effective in self defense. That is the rest of the story.....

Now I am student, but one day I will beat the teacher, then I will become Master, Muwhahahaha! Okay. All theatrics aside, I am but a lowly student.

Honestly, do you think that board breaking is simply put there for WOW! effect. It is as old as the art. I am almost certain even in my finite wisdom of the martial arts that there is some purpose to it and why it is part of belt ranking. I think it is proper technique myself. If you execute the technique properly, regardless of strength, you will break the board. I see children much much younger than I, and obviously less stronger than I, break boards. If it was all about muscle, I don't believe I would have trouble doing it. That's just MHO.

Hola!

Welcome!

I can see already that there is a "certain" bias toward TKD. I would think that probably Chuck Norris, and Allen Steen, and Jhoon Rhee would all dissagree that TKD has no self defense value. Maybe it's me that is biased about it. I would say that JJ and Aikido, as well as Kobuto, may should be in the list.

Uhm. As far as swords go.... In the United States, I believe it is ALREADY illegal in most states to carry a sword in public, isn't it?

I know in Texas, you can use up to and including lethal force to protect life and property. However, the law also indicates that you may only use reasonable force neccessary to stop the attack. Would a block and joint lock have stopped the escalation. Maybe so, maybe not. But, regardless, I agree with the others that you probably should not have verbally accepted the challenge. To continue to attempt to walk away would have been best. Block, and walk. Block, and walk. Block, Strike, and walk. Until he got the message.

I study a bit North of you. The Dojang is in Wylie, and we study Chung Do Kwon TKD. Very good school, and no contract to sign.

My youngest is 6. She is picking it up faster than her older siblings. However, she, like her siblings, seems to slack off a bit when it comes to at home praticing. She will only practice if I practice with her. That isnt terribly a problem, but I hope somewhere, that it actually "clicks" with her. At 6, she has the perfect headstart to go where ever she wants with this.