spinninggumby

Yea I think that running or any type of aerobic exercise for extended periods of time is a great way for weight loss. Just remember to stretch thoroughly before and afterwards! Aerobic exercise is the best way to burn fat (as well as lose weight, since not much muscle-building is stressed). Most of your diet should include lots and lots of fiber (i.e. from fruit and veggies and oatmeal). The best type of aerobic exercise (as in most strenuous and the one that works your whole body the most) is cross-country skiing, but if you don't want to go through the effort of renting equipment and driving up to the slopes every day, a Nordic Track or some type of machine which utilizes your whole body will do (but it may be a bit boring). Maybe you can watch TV while you do it :smile: Good luck

Yea Patrick just needs to hold more posting competitions on KarateForums Survivor. My rank increased by almost a whole belt within two days :razz:

I usually wear those light Adidas TKD shoes which are like $60 but I think they are a worthy investment. Training without shoes is actually easier because you can pivot and you have more grip and traction I suppose so I guess it just depends on how you look at it. Foot positioning for kicks and certain traditional drills and techniques and forms may be best performed barefoot but when street training it's good to be kind of realistic and wear your street shoes (even preferable over martial arts shoes). Also, if you can move and kick fast and well with the extra weight of those 10 pound combat boots, think of how much faster you will be when you take them off, LOL.

About a year ago I was doing those dynamic stretch kick thingies and I hit myself in the side of the head with my knee but i didn't think much of it until the next class when we were sparring and I realized that the side of my head was bleeding profusely near the ear. I thought that someone hit me real hard until I remembered what happened the day before and realized I had reopened a cut or bruise or whatever it was. Not really funny I guess, but embarrassing nonetheless.

The belt is so very important to me. If I didn't have one my loose-fitting m/a pants would be down around my ankles in no time.

I am 5'8-5'9 and 125-130 lbs I used to think and worry that I was too skinny but I think I've come to grips with it now, if I wasn't so light I might not have such a fun time with all those acrobatic and fancy flowery spin kicks and stuff that I love (you know, that stuff that will get you beat up on the street

I just feel that the only way you can justify violence is if you feel that if you don't react or do something, then you or the people you care about may lose their lives or become injured or maimed, etc. Doesn't matter what else is at stake if this is not the case, not honor, not ego, not tradition, not out of chivalry, morals, sudden emotional outbreak, sudden urge to defend your girlfriend/friend/familymember's honor or earn their respect, etc. I dunno

Wow big pic. Coolio Jack

Nice Obviously I would think that something is good here if I have the need to keep coming back hehehehehe

Women are not any more 'sacred' than men IMHO. I will protect myself and whomever I love, and in the midst of the situation it is also very very important to not misuse or utilize your deadly force into overhaul. I don't remember where I heard it before, but in a way killing someone in self-defense is wrong to defend your own life because that means you are assuming that your life is more precious than theirs (very very very open to debate, but I understand this point of view very well) I will open doors and be 'chivalrous' for anyone, regardless if you are a man or a woman, boy or girl. :smile:

Hmmm okie doke coolio hehe

The purpose of martial arts IMHO is to defend yourself or your loved ones only as a last resort. Insults or offensive remarks are not grounds for shoving the bridge of their nose in with a well-placed palm strike. It takes more restraint, confidence, strength, and a deeper understanding of the martial arts to walk away from a fight and try to make avoiding conflict altogether the ultimate goal. All true combative martial arts (redundant term maybe?) should be used only if your life is in danger, or your loved one(s)' life is in danger. You shouldn't beat someone up to save face or justify/feed/replace/sew up your ego :smile:

I saw it about a week or two ago. It was pretty entertaining but not so good if you are looking for good martial arts action but if you like enhanced fighting scenes via special effects and cool computer stuff then you will like it (I like both so it doesn't really matter ) One thing though the movie was so loud and there was always this high-pitched screaming and screeching sounds that the bad guys always made (think those raptor thingies in Jurassic Park except they are 10 times louder and they are in a human-type form except with resident evil zombie tendencies). But it was fun and brainless nonetheless, a great way to enjoy a hard day after work or school Argh what's up with that, Donnie Yen got to look cool for like all of 5 seconds as Snowman (the Asian bloodpack member) before he gets eaten. Oh well I guess it was enough that he got to choreograph the whole thing.

A chef!! Come live in my house! I can't cook worth beans and I fail at Top Ramen (only once in a while). Anyways I am in school and going for a major in athletic training or sports medicine. I used to work at Mrs. Field's Cookies and we got all the free grub we wanted but the 1st day I took home more than I sold! hehehehe Anyways um too bad our store didn't do too well because it was at the opposite end of the mall where the food court was (and all the hungry people were). But anyways I spent about 8 months working front desk at a law office but I didn't like it too much so I went back to skoolio and then it was coolio. LOL

Hi hi hi :smile: What a modest person you are. We need more people like you in this world! BTW it would be cool to also see ur posts on other sections outside of the Karate category. I enjoy reading the input of others. Welcome. [ This Message was edited by: spinninggumby on 2002-03-31 22:20 ]

Oh ok gotcha Just had to ask cuz I love the TV series

I'd say that the vast majority of people who start martial arts are not in the greatest shape. This doesn't matter! If you had already were close to or had reached your capability or potential in strength, endurance, stamina, reflexes, speed, flexibility, confidence, morals, etc. there would be little need to take martial arts classes! hehe I think that 14 is a great age to start. Just take it seriously but also remember to have fun and enjoy your training, you have to challenge yourself and still remain interested at the same time so that you will keep going back to class or to your training regimen(s). Everybody has potential and few ever realize it. You will surprise yourself over and over again as you show faith and commitment to whatever you put your mind to. BTW I love cheesy stuff like this but I love it even more because it is very true hehe

Hello KP Welcome to the forums. Yeah it's always great to train with people that you enjoy hanging around so that they can motivate you, whether it be family or friends. My biggest problem is that I don't really hang out or talk to the people I train with. I dunno most of my friends are snowboarders or car buffs LOL so sometimes it is harder for me to enjoy doing stuff with them on an activity-based type of level. Anyways hope u like it here :smile:

Hi Kenshi Just a coincidence that your name almost spells 'Kenshin' as in 'Rirouni Kenshin', right? hehe Welcome

Obviously no one would consider Tae-Bo a new or different or innovative form of martial arts but its effectiveness as a good workout depends on how hard someone pushes himself/herself and whether or not he or she is just going through the movements or really trying to put 100% behind each movement so that the muscles and the body will fully benefit from increased endurance, stamina, flexibility, strength, etc. The good thing is that you can go at your own pace and take it easy until you feel like you are more comfortable with going either faster or throwing those moves with more energy or force or commitment and just when your body is more used to the motions. Throwing a decent high kick once every two seconds and following the beat isn't that easy! haha The effectiveness (in terms of fitness of course) of Tae Bo will always depend on how hard-core you are willing to go.

This is probably either a topic that has already been brought up before or something that people probably didn't think was significant to bring up in the first place but anyways hehe. Is it good to train when you have a mild sickness such as the flu or a cold for about a week? Most of us would not want to remain stagnate and like a human vegetable just to wait for ourselves to heal since as martial artists we naturally want and feel like moving around and using up some energy! LOL My instructor has expressed his disapproval at sick students participating in classes since this would provide a sort of uh undesired 'sharing-the-wealth- effect, and that I could probably understand. But I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts as to how much should you train (full capacity, almost full capacity? etc.) when you are feeling under the weather. Is it okay and good to train to full capacity even if you feel up to it and able despite your condition? Could training while sick actually be beneficial in terms of strengthening and putting your body through hard work in a time when your body is somewhat weakened? Anyways, discuss away, :razz:

I used to be into the whole self-defense and street fighting aspect but now I've kinda strayed away from that portion of m/a now. However I still think that in terms of self-defense, the real skill and discipline shows when your primary goal is to minimize both the damage done to yourself and the damage done to your opponent in any given situation. You fail as a martial artist if you go too overboard, and you fail if you are not able to protect yourself. This line is kind of hard to negotiate :smile:

Hey there Drunken Master Hope u enjoy ur stay here hehe

Ya I agree, you need the assistance of a competent or qualified professional instructor so that you can get a sturdy foundation in the basics and general understanding. The time it takes to achieve this will depend on your primary purpose(s) for learning a martial art and also the specific art that you are studying. However, after you know the principles and understand what works the best for your body and what kind of training your body best responds to (becuz everyone is different), lotsa times I find that I always do my best and most focused (as well as the most rewarding) training when I am by myself. However due to my main purposes for practicing martial art (health, pleasure, escape, expression, etc. and not self-defense), this may work better for me than somebody who is training for self-defense (in which practice in a group setting or with a partner is absolutely crucial and necessary). :smile: I think that videos and books are an excellent supplement to a strong and sturdy foundation.

Sounds very interesting and mystical (but probably just out of my own ignorance ) hehe But glad to have a ninja on our forums. Booyah! hehehehe