parkerlineage

Sohan, I salute you. You are the kind of martial artist I aspire to one day become.

My favorite: Tornado kick to butterfly kick to front chicken kick. Times I've landed it in the 2 years since I've used it: Twice. But it's still fun to try. My most effective: Double roundhouse front leg, cut-kick (while front leg is up, bring rear leg around in a roundhouse), front hand backfist, back hand reverse punch. I land that frequently, and it's very difficult to defend against - or so I've been told.

"You wouldn't take a knife to a gun fight...why would you take karate?" - Master Richard Planas (who happens to also be a master in knife-fighting systems, so yes, he does know what he's talking about)

Hm... Assuming I've been to 90% of my classes, which is more or less accurate...I put in...about 1200 training hours, and 936 hours of teaching by the time I got my black belt. Of course, I took longer, 'cause I started as a kid.

That actually answers my question right there. I was debating, because I don't want people to get hurt, but then, if I think about it, getting punched in the face or side of the head hurts no matter what kind of headgear you're wearing, and I seriously doubt that an inch of foam will do you a whole heck of a lot of good when taking a heel-hook to the temple. I hear that most of the time, you're required to wear them because if you slip and fall backward, you won't kill yourself on the floor. Literally.

That was baaaaaaaaaaaad BLueDevil...but very funny...

I ask this with all due respect and curiosity, lostinseattle - what is your training background, and where have you learned your information on American Kenpo? I would beg to differ on that. GM Parker was a perfectionist, and therefore always saw room for improvement, none can deny that - but may I direct your attention to people such as Master Frank Trejo, with whom I have personally trained...my own instructor was Grand Champion several times in the Internationals, and virtually anywhere else he competes. SGM Ed Parker never called it American Kenpo (Ke"m"po was never even a question) - he always referred to it as Chinese Karate, or Chinese Kenpo. In addition, what he taught were the proper applications of motion, and linkages of the moves and principles that Master Huk Planas and others eventually - under Parker's direction - formed into the marketable art that is instructed today. It was only "separated" and linked because what Parker taught was hard to ensure quality in sub-schools, and unmarketable in a modern economy. Is your statement true? Yes. Is it offensive to me, even if not intended? Yes.

Amen!

Name: Parkerlineage Titles: (Most Recent) Third Place Overall Black Belt Heavyweight, Northern California, Southern Oregon Height: 6'6" Weight: 185 lbs Main Style: Chinese Karate Fav Technique: -self defense: Swordhand -sparring: Double Kick-drag -grappling: Ju-jitsu hip throw -weapons: Butterfly kick to triple stab (double dao)

Interesting...perhaps I like it... Nice to see he stuck with the traditional naming system...Locking Horns is nothing new, however.

Chinese broadsword, which is all I know, uses the side of the blade to parry if necessary, and other than that, relies on agility to not be where your opponent's blade is.

Yes, there is a lot of feuding, but no, we don't teach the same material. Essentially the same - possibly. But there are many differences. Frankly, though, it doesn't matter to me. I would say, if you have the chance, go for it, although the no-sparring worries me a bit.

I'm sorry, Zorbasan, but I humbly beg to differ with you on this point. As a black belt, when I watch - for example - a yellow belt/sash do a technique, I can see so many minute flaws that they cannot see, and would never be able to see in someone else. I would never trust anything that I learned from someone who had not had several years of experience in their art; misuse or misguided technique - even if taught with only positive intentions - can be very dangerous to all persons involved.

Thanks for the posts, guys...I'm trying some suggested stretches, and, as you said Karategirl, I'll just have to stay consistent.

Thanks for the feedback, guys! I thought of a converse, too - if I tell myself that I will do the pressure point effectively, will it be better than if I have question in my mind?

I've decided - I'm going to do the splits now. I've been close for the last...several years, but just never pushed the final six inches or so (which, relatively, isn't that far if you're 6'6"). I can do it forward and back, but not side to side. My question - what excersies/stretches should I do to finally reach my goal, and approximately how long will it be until my efforts come to fruition?

I suck at basketball. Thanks for the advice, guys...I've been taking it easy, but it twinged when I tripped coming down an escalator and I was worried it was going to go out. It's so weird, though...yesterday, I was really hyper, and I jumped up six steps from the ground, tripped, and caught myself with no problem...sigh...still taking it mostly easy, I suppose...

In the AK dojo where I train, we do sports and medium contact fighting, but in my dojo (that I will own in a few months...wow...like...eight weeks...) I want to do more full contact and incorporate the Eagle Claw and Jiu Jitsu I know. I think I want to use half-finger cloth gloves I found from Century, and probably the shin and instep cloth gear on the same page (below). What about headgear? Do I need it? What kind works best for what I've described? Pros and cons are nice...thank you all! http://www.centuryfitness.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10051&storeId=10051&categoryId=13628&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=13519&crumb=13501

Never thought of this before...but psychology has stimulated me to look at the MA in a new light, and I'm writing a paper called Pavlov's Wolves: Behaviorism and the Martial Arts...so... Is there by any chance some psychological aspect to pressure points? I'm confident and almost resolute that there is in terms of no-touch-knockout stuff, but could psychology as well as physiology have anything to do with the lack of effectivness of some pressure points on some people. For example: I'm not master at Eagle Claw (at least not yet, and not for a loooooooong while ), but I can bend some people at my Kenpo dojo to my every whim and have them whimpering and tapping, but others just look at me and go, "Yeah? When does it start?" Could this possibly have to do with these people's personalities (defiant and strong-willed) and the fact that they have told themselves that they will feel nothing?

My sensei was showing some grappling moves to our Summer Camp (Ages 5-12). He seemed cool with it, but I was worried! Little kids are mendable, yes, but they also have no cause and effect - I kept seeing some kids messing around, and one of them ending up with a strain or break, or choking out...ugh. I would say wait until at least 10-12. And even then, be very careful.

Well said. I don't wash my belt, and I would worry about wear on it if I did - I would think that regular washing may have negative effects on the life of the belt, or the condition of the seams. As for gi - always line dry, and use cold. I've never had any adverse effects from bleaching my white gi, but I haven't had one for years, and I just got a new one - I'll be careful with the bleach, then.

I've noticed this phenomenon over and over and over in my years...even just maybe..a year and a half ago, right after my black belt test, something inside my head just told me, "You're a black belt, and you've been doing this for 10+ years. You know this." Out of the blue, I was faster, stronger, and cleaner than I ever was before. The mind is weird that way.

Okay, if it makes you feel better, then.

Check around on this site...I've posted on it before.

When I edited the video on Vegas 6.0, from the time my right hand left my chamber for the first time to the point where my hands meet at the end was 3.96 seconds. Any distortion in time is due to your computer, or youtube, or your player. About 12 years. Thanks for the posts!