isshinryu5toforever

I'm not going to defend a 6 or 7-year-old black belt, but what about a black belt who is 12 or 13. Some kid that age have the tools to last if they get into it with an adult. When I say cry, I'm not saying literally crying necessarily, but complaining and whining. Fighting is not the only attribute a black belt must have. The ability to fight is just one of the attributes a black belt must have. You have to look at character and heart as well. What if you run into an 11-year-old kid who can withstand the rigors of an entire adult black belt test? I had to. I started when I was about 5 or 6. I had to go through all the bunkai, applications, written, oral, and physical tests an adult would have to for my black belt. Sometimes a kid comes along that can do it. I know a majority can't, but don't discredit every single person under the age of 16 that has a black belt around their waist.

As far as a 7-year-old being able to hold his own in a street fight, probably not. However, if he has the presence of mind to avoid, or talk his way out of, a street fight, isn't that just as valuble? I do think for a child to be a black belt he has to have the character and fortitude to be able to take a full on shot from his sensei and not cry about it. I have no problem with kids that get kicked accross the room, get up, shake it off, look at you, and go back at it. I have a problem with the kid who puts his mouthguard in, it doesn't fit right, and he cries. Those shouldn't be black belts. We can't make broad generalizations about black belts under the age of 16, I was one, but I know whever everyone is coming from. And as far as long tests go, I don't think the length of a belt test is the measure of a black belt. I have encountered people in the same style as me who have had 24 hour tests, while my test was considerable shorter sliding in somewhere around 7 hours. I have seen black belt tests last just long enough to get through the necessary stuff, 3-4 hours sometimes less. You can't judge the skill of a black belt on how long his test lasts.

Eden Prarie is not far from St. Paul. I drive an hour one way to get to my dojo. Eden Prarie is something like 20 minutes outside of St. Paul maybe less. I wouldn't be too concerned with that kind of drive if I were you. That is something that must be understood about the Twin Cities area. If you are looking for a specific martial art you will have to take what you can get. If you were looking for Isshin-Ryu Karate (my style) you would have to go to Turtle Lake, WI, as far as I know there is not another school any closer. If you don't want to go to St. Paul, give Dr. Warner a call like I mentioned before and see if he knows anyone else. If he does not, you should take what you can get even if it is in St. Paul.

he was probably referring to the closest school that is internationally registered with an organization. Many schools around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and my area are great, but they aren't registered with international organizations.

I say, bombard with e-mails from disgrunteled martial artists. Find people you know in Illinois to possibly go check him out. I have to say I'm one of the people that lost in this whole e-bay thing. I have just e-mailed him and his secretary. I might even see if some of the guys I know in Illinois know this man. They might be able to go check out what's going on. Here's wishing luck to us all.

Contact Grandmaster Dr. Terry Warner. He doesn't teach Kuk Sool Won, however if anyone would know an instructor he would be it. Here is his info. He's an extremely nice guy, just give the number a call. (651)777-0588 1998 Castle Road Maplewood, MN 55109 Maple Wood, MN Also, there are schools in places like North St. Paul and Edina that are called things like American Karate or other titles that may actually be Kuk Sool Won. Some of those names are just for selling the school to the public check it out. Hope it helps.

a stone is a measure of weight. By saying he ways abour 12 stone, he's saying he weighs about 170 lbs i think. If I'm not mistaken one stone is about 14 lbs.

If it's partially torn then chances are your recovery could be fairly quick. If it's a full tear that's when things get dicey. The recovery times take a lot longer and you could be looking at a lot more rehab. Don't try to accelerate your recovery. Just get your surgery, do your rehab, and you will be back to compete. Just have a little patience.

I think these events are a way to try and create some sort of family so to speak. I know that some dojos I have been to have shiais. They are large gatherings where they basically run a class and a few demos in front of the parents and have a small party afterwords. If you are really that uncomfortable going, then talk to your instructor. I think all these gatherings are meant for however is to allow all of the students to get to know each other on a more personal level, so they aren't simply people you train with, but possibly your friends. I know that I am friends with many of the people I train with, because we have made an effort to get to know each other outside of the martial arts world.

guys who are lead leg fighters tend to be stand taller, they keep their weight about 55/45 back front, so they can snap a kick out with their front leg quickly and effectively. They usually tend to be taller individuals with long legs. This is good for point fighting, and I have seen a few who possess a great amount of explosive power with their lead leg, but it's mostly for speed. It can have its advantages and disadvantages.

I would suggest trying to get faster and stronger. Run stairs, lots and lots of stairs. Up and down, up and down. they're a good excercise for building speed and leg strength as well as endurance. If heavyweights are overpowering you it's because you're a still target. You need to move around and use your speed advantage. If they're bigger and faster than you, then you better learn some good defensive moves.

The original title of the movie was Danny the Dog. The story is about a man regaining his humanity. I think the action sequences will tilt more toward a regular Jet Li movie, but the story will be tilted more toward Hero. I will definitely go see it.

at least get kicking shields, maybe a makiwara or two

The instructor has his reasons for pairing you up the way he does. You will learn some things from these lower ranked students, just as you will eventually learn things from higher ranked students. You have only been there a few times. Aikido is a very demanding martial art. It takes a very long time to get the hang of it, and to even be able to apply it. Since you are new to Aikido, just do what your sensei tells you to for the time being. Put doubts in the back of your mind, and eventually you will see what he has been doing.

The biggest difference with this and point sparring, is when you are point sparring someone they have to worry about your fist hitting their head. In olympic TKD they can concentrate on just the footwork of their oppenent. This adds to the difficulty of kicking someone else in the head. If you want to fight at a national qualifier for the olympics you better scout out your competition. If you're a welterweight, you may have the most difficult division. You'll be dealing with Steven Lopez and his brother Mark. This is a good step though for a kicker, because I can say it is difficult going from absolute full-contact matches where takedowns and sweeps are allowed, to Olympic style TKD. Just remember, the matches are continuous, there is no break for point. This is the one thing that I have seen some people have difficulty with. Some transition very easily, others have a little more trouble. Good luck.

shotokankid is 13 I believe, and he has his black belt. You two may be the youngest currently, but I don't know if you were the youngest when received. I'm 19, but I have had my black belt for 8 years. I was 5 when I started though.

The biggest problem with going for the knockout is that you have a high chance of not only being scored on, but being countered and possibly knocked out yourself. This is especially true with the feet as they are not as quick as the hands, and a very powerful kicker can kick right through your guard if you put your hands up. This is why they choose to avoid rather than block on many occasions. If you look at the way most of the knockouts have been set up this year it is with a surfing in cut kick into a jump spin back kick. This is a relatively "safe" way of going for the knockout. I see your point that most people don't go looking for the knockout, but that is because of it's difficulty. If you really think about it boxers rarely go into early rounds looking for the knockout. They play their game and wear their opponent down. They have 15 rounds to look for a knockout, in the first 5-8 both fighters are fairly fresh. A lot of knockouts come because one is tired and battered and the other is in better condition. In TKD they don't have 8 or 9 rounds to sit on, they have 3. In three rounds, at that level of competition, it is very difficult to knock someone out without and absolutely perfect and devestating kick. Martial artists that compete like this are used to getting kicked in the head. It happens to everyone, even the best, so in three rounds a knockout is unlikely unless you are able to get many head shots, which in itself is unlikely, or you hit that one grandslam which with how most advanced martial artists can move is also highly unlikely. When boxers use their hands they have a shorter runway to get to the face of their opponent. When you use your legs you have a very long runway, and a head shot is more visible. The likelyhood of landing a knockout kick is low also due to the fact that a kick that has to reach 6' in the air is fairly easy to see even though the kicker may be fast. Knockouts are easiest to attain when fatigue sets in, but at that level of competition, both athletes are so well conditioned it would take a lot more than 3 rounds to get them tired enough to walk into a knockout kick.

Most people try to win the match on points because kicking someone in the head is a difficult task. It is much harder than you'd think, and with that head gear and mouth guard in it is fairly difficult to knock someone out who has experience in the ring. This is why you don't see many spectacular knockouts. And even full contact matches usually end up going to decision where the points are tallied up, they simply aren't displayed on a screen like in TKD, same thing with boxing. They keep score, they just don't flash it on an electronic screen.

The ITF forms are not really close to karate forms. For one they use the sin wave motion in all of their forms. As for TKD being a separate entity from Karate, the basic principals of nearly every striking martial art are the same. You will have a reverse punch, a front kick, a side kick, a back kick, etc. in every style. I have seen the ATA forms, and guess what your 50/50 left side right side thing has been done for centuries in forms like Naihanchin. Also, if forms are to be applicable to a daily situation, it would make more sense to teach them using more hand techniques. Only very advanced and exceptionally talented practitioners are going to be able to successfully kick someone in the head in a street situation and disable them for the remainder of the fight. You can probably explain what every technique is supposed to do in a form, but I'd like to see it applied. I have seen the ATA forms, Taeguk forms, Palgwe forms, and ITF forms. I have also done Karate for going on 14 years now. I can tell you that each of the sets of TKD forms have their fair amount of differences from Karate. Of course certain things are going to be Shotokanesque, that is where the style is rooted. That would be like saying Kusanku shouldn't look Chinese, even though that's where the kata is rooted. Each set of forms has its own purpose. Although some may be easier to learn than others, this does not take away from their value. Koryo is something like 33 techniques long. It is very short, but if someone can show me Koryo and then explain every tecchnique and be able to apply it to a real life situation that is better than knowing my black belt kata Sunsu and not being able to apply a single thing. And as far as being able to teach the jump kick, them actually being able to use it is different. Every style teaches basic kicks from the beginning. Isshin-Ryu does 15 upper and 15 lower body excercises from the beginning. The way we teach, you do only those for the first 2 months of training and then the month leading up to your belt test you learn your kata. So, I don't see how ATA is any different from other school in that respect.

Each black belt test is different. It depends on the person. We're also not really allowed to talk about what goes on once those doors close.

There are quite a few tournaments in the Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan area. The Diamond Nationals are held in Minneapolis. I know there are a couple in Hurley, WI, a couple in the upper penninsula, some in Superior, WI, and some in Duluth, MN. I'm positive that there are several put on in Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay as well which would be much closer to Mike. If you're willing to drive a bit you can easily go to about a tournament a month in that area. They won't be massive, but they will be pretty good size and the competition is usually diverse because of the area covered.

You may need to train on your own and bide your time. I had to do that after my sensei moved. It doesn't make sense to make you begin at 5th kyu again and retest for each grade thereafter. I would understand a waiting period. I would try to discuss things out with the sensei. You could also have your sensei talk things over with him. It is a difficult thing moving from one school to another. Policies and rules are different.

Bollywood movies are fun. Most of them revolve around the same topics though and involve at least one wedding.

Those sound a lot like the 5 codes of Tang Soo Do. 1. Loyalty to Country 2. Obedience to Parents 3. Honor Friendships 4. No Retreat in Battle 5. In fighting, choose with sense and honor

You don't really want to get used to taking hits to the head. Because you never will. Head hits are more cumulative than conditioning. Learn to slip them more than take them. You and your doctor will have a much easier time of things if you do. The body hits though, absorbing those better will come with time.