Sandhoppa

I'm sure the people around where you work will think differently Jules! lol not about your mom though

Master Jules called me Grasshoppa when I first started talking to him. He is also known as the Sandman in the club/bar that he bounces in. Master Jules is a legend to me as well as a cool guy and therefore I put together the "Sandman in training" type of nice name with Sandhoppa

Awesome!!! Glad I checked this forum today! Thanks for the heads up

Yeah I know I'm late on this one but WOOHOOO you deserve it Jules! Congratz

Sensei is hilarious and awesome all at the same time. He makes things so simple for us to understand. Movements, stances and even practical real life situations he makes it easy for us to understand and to apply. The people are helpful and friendly for the most part. Wish we had more training equipment though.

This is the truth! I also have another reason to train hard and consistently as soon as possible, gonna go and hang with Master Jules for a while over my spring break! Cant go there weak as a bunny and in this present condition I'm in!

You people are absoltely and positively right!!! We train on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays...How many days will Sandhoppa hit the mat?? TUESDAYS THURSDAYS AND SUNDAYS! Never really thought I would get this kind of support and encouragement but I think thats what MA is all about and MA is what this forum and you folks are about. Thanks again!

So I'm assuming you mean after you get your black belt that means you understand and have mastery of only the basics of the MA? I have a looong way to go! lol

My most hated exercise is what we call Wheelbarrows in the dojo. We partner up and have a partner hold our legs together as we crawl across the gym to the other side. Once we get to the wall we have to do 10 pushups. Hopefully it will get better as I get more conditioned.

suicide? even the name is scary. What are those in this case? I believe suicides are like shuttle runs. You start at one point and have to run maybe to a 20 foot mark, then back to the start point then to a 40 foot mark, then back to start point, etc etc. All as fast as you can sprint. Thats how we did it at least. The most leg burning and lung ripping sprint exercise Ive done!

Ah...good ole Chuck. Saw him kickin tail in Missing in Action 2: The Beginning not too long ago on tv. The good ole days. HIYA!

I must say this helped me out a great deal...thank you

All this is true. Let it begin.

Hey everyone, a slightly embarassing post here but try to bear with me. Winter term training began last Tuesday and before then I was absolutely eager to attend. And then Tuesday came and I think nerves got the better of me. You see, when I first started training in Goju ryu in September, I was pretty weak and it frustated me to no end that I could not get the first kata down. On top of that, the "warm up" exercising winded me like you wouldnt believe! While everyone else was all set to go, I'm nearly on the brink of passing out, literally. So I trained off and on throughout the fall semester, taking long breaks between training. So now I want to get back into the game and I really REALLY want to, I just feel held back sometimes because I'm nervous and apprehensive about not being up to par, not for the others but for myself. Fear of more frustation I think is the problem. Anyone have tips on being more motivated? Blah.

This might have come up before but I was thinking about supplements/vitamins. What do you guys take for vitamins, if any? And do you feel any difference through the day or during the workout/practice?

To train hard and persistently without giving up just because I cannot do something. That was my problem last year. Improve my health in conjunction with the MA training so that I will be effective on the mat during classes. That includes shedding this fat and toning my muscles up and increasing my endurance. Also to train with Master Jules as many times as I can

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

I have always been interested in the martial arts since I can remmber. I did a brief thing with Kim's Karate (when it was popular in the early 90s) but then had to drop out because my mother couldnt afford it anymore. Now at the end of my college career, I began doing Goju ryu because it was something I saw each night after work and decided to try it out. For fitness purposes as well as self defense. I wanted something to do to battle feelings of insecurity actually - hopefully thats not too deep for you guys but its helping alot. Plus its always good to know Master Jules, definitely someone to help in all areas of life.

Happy new year everyone! Goju student checkin in here as well! Practical studying under Sensei Leon Swain in College Park, MD and online studying through Sensei Master Jules Soon to be practical! woohoo

Jules! Good to see you around and as usual giving sage advice that many of us should hear, including myself. My practice begins again on January 10 and I have renewed my passion for it. Have been out of practice for a little while now but have been getting myself back into the exercise routine over the past several days. Hopefully I will get to the grading point soon.

I'm learning Goju ryu as well and I have only been doing it for a couple weeks also. I feel my sensei blends traditional okinawan culture as well as practical street wise sense and knowledge when we train. He helps us to understand the katas and the movements and what we do. It helps me a great deal. He is also always available outside the dojo to talk about anything and he is usually good at incorporating what i learn on the mat into real life situations.

I will definitely be needing to do more cardio - I will probably get more practical skills and tips on exercising and whatnot after I head up to NY with Master Jules. I will look into getting a jump rope for those times I cant do cardio in the gym, that should help somewhat.

Yeah congratulations Shawn, i have a long way to go until my yellow but I'm working on it. Good to know you will be around to teach others,

There is a kata that starts out with both hands in fists that go to your right side...I just saw it in class on thursday, is that what you are talking about shawn? Its different than the first kata you were speaking about at first

damn, must be pretty interesting to train learning how to knife fight lol