cleung

I don't smoke but have met a few martial artists who do smoke. Let's just say that they do not seem to be the top competitors and endurance is not their forte. This is especially evident during tie breakers in forms competitions. It must be an really hard habit to break. I'm also a scuba diver and have also met divers who smoke too. Very weird.

It's okay to have a mild ache for the first 24 hours but if it persists more than that time frame, you overdid it.

Stretching should be done before and after. It is important to make sure that the body is warm with a light cardio warmup before any major stretching though.

I train with both light and heavy non-bladed weapons. One of them is the 3 section staff and I've hit myself on the head, face, elbows and knees many times. Training with real or heavy weapons is good for strength but also has the potential to increase injury. So whenever I'm trying out new moves, especially with the heavy weapons, I will wear a helmet, and pads for elbows and knees. I might look stupid but I really don't want any more bruises. As for blades, I've done some broadsword work but really don't think it is necessary to use sharp ones.

Just listen to your body. If things hurt and ache too much, you are overdoing it. This is especially the case with weights. You must rest at least 24 hours for specific body parts after doing intensive strength training.

I think having a new event with new rules is interesting but one thing you really have to ask yourself is how you are going to attract competitors away from already established circuits.

I've been competing since 1985 and have seen my share of unfair judging. I'm not sure if anything can be done. There have been attempts by many promoters but nothing significant really improves. I guess this is just part of the overall sport of martial arts that one must accept as a competitor.

Yes, this is sad news indeed. I met up with him at the last NASKA event in November at the Miami event. He was always one of the nicest judges and promoters to talk to. I wonder what will happen to the Bluegrass event (as well as the NASKA annual) now.

I've been competing in forms since 1985. I compete in some of the largest tournaments in North America. From all these years, I learned that it is showtime as soon as you enter the ring. Therefore, presentation is part of the entire performance at the events I compete in. If you take two competitors with similar technique, the one with the better presentation will probably win.

What do you folks think about Chinese staffs and 3 section staffs?

I've seen wushu folks doing whip chains and 3 section staff where they are on the ground with the weapon sweeping circles under them either in a back lying or side lying position. How do they do this without hurting their backs and/or hips?

For the strikes with a Chinese wushu staff slamming the floor, what is the best position for the left hand (holding the body of the staff as opposed to the end)? Should the fingers still be wrapped around the staff or should the it be an open palm over the top of the staff in order not to crush the fingers between the staff and the floor?

The Sports Martial Arts site has lots of video clips of good bo competitors.

I've always used open (self created) bo forms for weapons competition.

One can hire a bo expert on a private basis as well.

A competitor on the NASKA circuit by the name of Mark Bayne uses the kwan do as weapon of choice in his weapons forms division. He uses a traditional weight one too. I've seen some of the wushu people use the kwan do but with a very light wushu version.

I basically taught myself the bo staff for competition but I was already a black belt then. I was also fortunate to have lots of exposure to many great bo competitors on the tournament circuits over the years, including Mike Bernardo. Mike actually gave me a coaching session years down the road when we were part of a Canadian team. Although it took a few years, I ended up doing quite well with the bo in my weapons divisions. It wasn't the ideal way to learn a weapon as I look back but if one is an experienced martial artist already, then it is possible to learn a weapon on your own at first. Getting coaching from others who already know the weapon quite well would take the knowledge up another level.

I presently use the three section staff as my main weapon in weapon forms competition. It is one of the most challenging but rewarding weapons to use. I've seen some of the wushu competitors in China use it with absolutely stunning skill.

You can also diversify into weapons if you haven't yet already trained in them.

Those are good observations that you made. Many will not agree but there's actually some good benefits in competition. I've been competing for over 20 years and I still get something out of it. Good luck in your future competitions.

There's also power stretching which is very effective but they are tough exercises. These are stretches which involve active muscle contraction in the opposite direction at the same time. It's used quite commonly in physiotherapy and also disciplines like gymnastics and dance that require high flexibility.

HI anyway then.

Maybe she wasn't as interesting as you thought she would be. Otherwise she would have held your attention.

One doesn't have to be double jointed to do the splits. I'm not double jointed and I could do the splits (although one side better then the other). It takes a lot of work and one must maintain it.

That's great to hear that you found something you like. Good luck and have fun.