foreveryoung001

You have made an accusation against your instructor, that he is holding you back simply because you have not spent enough time in grade. Have you spoken to him about this? Have you made your feelings known? I mean clearly known? Not just sighing, and giving him dirty looks, but sitting down with him and explaining your feelings? Have you asked him for his reasons why he thinks you are not ready to test? Have you asked him his reasons for the minimum time in grade in order to test? I do not necessarily agree with minimum time in grade, but their are different philosophies about testing, and before you give such a negative critique of your intructor, I would get to the bottom of his thoughts on this matter. If he will not answer, or if you can not live with his answer, then it could mean a couple of different things. One: If you are committed to training, but not whole heartedly to your instructor, then perhaps it is time to find an istructor who can earn your respect. Two: It might mean... and I am not trying to cut you down or start an argument, but it might mean, IMHO, that you may be to concerned with rank and not with your training. Just food for thought. I hope I didn't offend.

Oh you can get more creative than that..... go as yourself, but with some kind of mental incapacity that nobody knows about... it has no outward signs or symptoms, but deep in your spirit, you know that someday it will drive you insane................... well, at least put on a fake nose and glasses.

Welcome to the forum

Yeah, I'm dressing for Halloween. I figured I would put some clothes on before I take the kids out... I'd hate to go out naked.... well, my neighbors would probobly hate it more....

I agree that sparring will help teach all of those things. I don't know where the idea that sparring in the dojang is the same as street fighting or self-defense. Sparring is a part of training, it does help students to learn how to move, and to attack within a certain framework of rules, but any intructor, who is worth their weight, would never teach their students that sparring equates to self defense. Could you be better at defendign yourself if you have experience sparring? I'll answer with a qualified yes, simply for some of the reasons that you stated in your opening post. A side kick is a side kick, whether in sparring or in self defense... placement may change.... in sparring you may try to throw it higher because you know you have a certain level of safety, but sparring will help you learn range, and how to throw the technique with more speed, and more deceptively. That can all come in handy in a self defense situation, sparring should never replace defense training... but it can add to it. Just MHO.

Pretty cool.

Congradulations Patrick! It's a great forum.

I have judged at a few different tournaments, and I have never seen a Sanchin test done. I honestly don't know what my reaction would be. I am not that familiar with the whole process, but I think I might get the impression that either the instructor or the student was show-boating. Not being familiar with this practice, that is how it might appear to me... someone who is more familiar with it, might have a better understanding of the history and meaning behind it. Just MHO. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Flowers for everyone!!! pssst.... (*whisper mode on*) hey kicks, you're not gonna let 47MM get away with saying what he said, are you? psst... (*whisper mode still on*) Hey 47MM, can you believe Kicks said that? You're gonna do something about that aren't you? (*Whisper Mode Off*) Peace and Love!!!! Seriously though, this is what's cool about this forum. I've seen more good debate than actualy flaming and arguing....

Very cool link! It wasn't very clear, but I wonder how high up he lost his legs... at the shin, knee, thigh, etc... I'm just trying to picture how he accomplishes this. Is he in a wheel chair, does he use prosthetics? No matter what, I agree that this is very inspirational... I don't want to hear the words "I can't" come out of my students, or even my mouth, ever again. Thanks for the link.

It all depends on what MA your are studying, and what organization you would like to be ranked with. I have two Dan certificates. Only one is legitamate... It is my 1st Dan from the U.S. Chung Do Kwan Assoc, and I spent a few years of my life training to receive it. I tested in front of a Black Belt review board that included my Grand Master, who at the time was an 8th Dan in the WTF, and currently is the highest ranked non-korean in the WTF. Also on the board were two other master ranks, (In chung do kwan, that's 4th DAn and up) a third dan, and a second Dan. They put us through hell and back for two days... well for one day, the second day was much easier and was for families to come and see you go through the paces. There were times during my test I thought I would never be able to make it, and even if I did, I didn't think I would pass. I earned that rank and am very proud every time I put the belt on. My other Dan certificate was given to me by a friend/co-worker who was trying to start his own TKD association in Northern Michigan, and wanted to be able to say he already had another black belt certified underneath him. We worked out a couple of time, but nothing to serious, so he never got a good look at whether I really knew what I was doing, but it didn't stop him from giving me a certificate in his new organization... and this was for 2nd Dan. I turned him down, but he wanted me to keep the certificate, so I kept it and show it to my students to prove that anyone can get a rank... and that one didn't cost me a cent. In some organizations, you can test students up to one belt below you, so it would take a 2nd Dan to test you for 1st Dan. Other organizations make it 2 belts above you... I have seen a couple that will allow a 1st Dan to test someone up to 1st Dan, but I think this is very rare. In the long run, the Dan system is based on the school or organizations principles and philosophies and will vary from org. to org. In reality, the belts mean very little... they are a gauge that can serve the purpose of helping you determine how well you are doing within your own system, but some styles don't even use belts. Some only have white and black....This went on a lot longer than I intended..... uh sorry? but I hope this helped explain it.

Welcome to the forum

I think a lot of it comes down to how your school really oporates. I myself have been a 1st Dan for almost 16 years. I just haven't had the opportunity to test for anything higher in my style because of my location. I am currently running a school in my small town. I am up against several other schools with much higher ranks, but my school keeps growing... I believe it is because we are turing out a quality product. Are classes are tough, but fun. The kids are getting in shape, learning self defense, living up to a standard of expected behavior and respect, and they are enjoying themselves. I don't try to market my skills as better than the other instructors in the area... I consider a few of them friends, even though we have different philosophies and teaching styles. They may bad mouth me behind my back, "hey look at the little 1st degree black belt, trying to run a martial art school... isn't that cute?", but as I said, my classes are growing. I think it is like marketing any product. Restaurants will make claims that aren't true, soft drinks, beer comercials, car ads.... a smart consumer will evaluate each product for it's own merrits... I have to believe that a majority of people will do that with their MA education as well. Of course there will always be those that just go where it's cheapest, or closest, or even to who has the most certificates on the wall, but I tend to think that these students wouldn't truely be your bread and butter students. Turn out a quality product and word of mouth will be your best tool to combat the others.... Just MHO

I enjoy my morning workouts. When I miss them due to work schedules, I feel sluggish the rest of the day. I teach class in the evening, and those are fine, but I feel like I get the best out of my own workouts bright and early.

When I take breaks at work, I'll go out back and practice a form or tow, and a few different kicks. I've noticed, that over time, my body has adjusted to throwing the kicks with shoes. I usually wear a generic athletic shoe. In back of the building, we have black top and grass, and I split my time between the two. I'll work some late nights as well, and when I'm here alone, I'll work through some stuff in the studio, and I've found that carpet and athletic shoes are a difficult match for throwing just about any kick where you need to pivot your foot. Maybe I just haven't worked on it enough, but I don't even really notice a major difference anymore between a normal workout (bare foot in the classroom), and my practice in back of the station... I can't say the same for the carpet...

Imitators rarely surpass the original.

I may occaisionally take them running throught the snow for a few minutes, but I don't do anything to extreme.

Welcome to the Forum!

That's a good point. I could see how teaching students to be aware of the limitation of their clothing, as well as the situation they are in could be a good lesson. Tight jeans could make a world of difference..... I think I see a new lesson for my students.

I understand what you are saying. My point is that taking a tally of what you spend your time on is not the way to determine whether you are a "good" Christian. There are lots of people in churches all over the world who spend a lot of time in church, in church activeties, sunday school, etc... yet they do not know Jesus in their hearts. And vice-versa, there are those who have excepted Jesus, but do not spend much time in church, or studying the bible. I am not their judge, that is up to Jesus. Who am I to say that one person is a "better" Christian than another, and who is anyone to judge me and say that they question my Christianity? I know who I am in Christ, and that, to me is the most important thing. Time in bible study, fellowship with other Christians, and things like that are all good, but I believe it is against biblical teaching to base one's relationship with Christ on those things.

Its a still small voice within your spirit... much like a whisper that can overcome the mightiest storm... I shant get into the debate of God having an audible voice.

I enjoyed your post. As a fellow Christian, I would offer you this encouragment. Do not question the amount of time spent in MA practice, compared to bible study, or time in church, or anywhere else. Your connection to God, is based on where your heart is, not on what your are doing, or how much time you spend doing something. That is one thing a Sunday school teacher tried to teach my children, is that if they spend more time watching TV, then doing bible lessons, then they shouldn't call themselves true Christians. This goes against the very message of the bible, and the fact that God's love is all encompassing, and through Jesus, is all forgiving. Continue to keep your heart humble before God in everything you do, and I have no doubt that God will smile upon you. Be Blessed!

Do I detect a negative undertone?

Well, I would but God told me not to. Gotta listen to the big guy.

Oh that's easy. Mine is the best!!!! No, seriously......... Okay, maybe not. Let's see.... differences. In my style of TKD, I notice that a lot of other MAs are more graceful. Sparring seems to be sparring, but when I watch the forms competitions at the tournaments, I see a lot more grace, and flow. The Chung Do Kwan forms, half of which are the WTF forms, can seem very ridged, and choppy in comparison.