Ottman

Yeah Wolverine is the best comic book character ever IMHO. As for the gauntlets, I'm not sure what the actual name was, but I know they were used way back when. I actually saw them in some musem that was having an asian culture expo a few years ago, and they had a whole martial arts section with weapons and clothing. I'm not familiar with the name 'ashukos', so that may be what they're called, but I have heard of 'nekode', and they are different from what you're looking for. Sorry I can't help you any further. Good luck!

Well no, 'cus I can't think of anything I'd rather have been doing while training for my black belt. I guess I don't really think about the belt as a physical item either. You could take the actual belt away from me, but the experience I went through to get it is what really matters to me, and no one can ever take that away. Anything I did end up sacrificing in order to have such an experience couldn't ever equal its value.

Both jackie chan and chuck norris have been in Bruce Lee movies, and chuck trained with him for some time. Both these guys are serious MA, but Jackie Chan often claims that he isn't a MA, but just a performer. Wushu is a performance style of Kung Fu from what I've heard, so take it however you will. My favs: Into The Sun The Perfect Weapon Karate Kid Above The Law Enter the Dragon All my other favs are foreign.

How expensive do those run Bushido? I'm looking for a new katana, which is my preferred bladed weapon, but butterfly knives, wakizashi, and even ginsu knives are great too. Broad swords I'm not a fan of, but double edged daggers I have no problem with. Nothing longer than six inches for me if it has two edges.

they do exist (I don't know about the retractable ones) and if I'm not mistaken were originally meant to be used for scaling walls. Why? You trying to make a Wolverine costume?

Martial arts is a part of who I am, and was even before I started formal training. Getting my black belt was not a price that I paid, but a natural procession for me. I always knew I'd get it and any price I paid, or sacrifice I made didn't seem like one because I couldn't imagine not making those sacrifices, or paying those prices. On the contrary it would have been a terrible price and a devistating sacrifice to me to NOT have gotten my black belt.

defensive side, turn (roundhouse), or front kick.

Great thread! I'm really enjoying the discussion here. I have to say that as a MMA guy, it's not that I don't care about the traditional aspects of MA's nor do I think that focusing on one art is detrimental to becoming a great fighter (in fact just the opposite) but I do feel that if you close your mind to other styles and methods, you're just setting yourself up to get beaten by those other methods because you're not used to them, and can't identify them when they're being used against you. So even if you aren't going to use techniques from a different style, it's still beneficial to know what they are and become familiar with them.

Well TKD, (at least in my dojang) doesn't really get into the linear/circular debate. We are taught our techniques and are expected to carry them out as taught without a word on the linear/circular aspects of them. To be honest I like this method of training as it doesn't convolute the mind with such trivial details. We are being taught both linear and circular techniques, but as we aren't thinking about the specific intricacies of what makes linear techniques linear, and circular ones circular, we can therefore focus on mastering which techniques work better for us, within different situations, and eventually we inherently know when to use a linear technique over a circular one. Now I don't mean that understanding the concepts of linear and circular movement won't help you to develop your martial arts, but I don't think it is so important to differentiate between the two in attempt to make your martial arts more effective. If I got stuck thinking about whether to use a linear block or a circular one while a strike was coming at me, I'd just get hit. I think that trying to identify where to use each type of movement only puts a burden on your mind, when it should be empty and ready to react at the time of conflict. I only heard about linear and circular movement as it applies to MAs after I started studying JKD (I had already gotten a BB in TKD at the time.) While I could immediately identify where either type of motion took place in my TKD, it didn't really help me to refine my technique or strategy, as I had been refining it all along, just without using the language 'linear' and 'circular' to define what I was doing. Since learning about what is meant by the respective terms, I have tried on multiple occasions to incorporate it into my teaching, and I've found that only a few of my students can grasp the concepts fully enough to be of any help to them. The rest still learn techniques with both types of movement, but they never realize what is 'circular' and what is 'linear'. Even so, the dedicated students can execute their technique just as well as someone with a deep understanding of the details behind linear/circular motion. Perhaps I'm trying to introduce it too early, but if my students end up learning the concepts anyway, even if they don't have the words to explain it themselves, why overload their brains with so much information?

What was that?

Thanks for all the advice guys.

I understand where you're coming from. The politics involved in TKD are quite tiresome, and I surmise that they exist to the extent they do because of TKD's current mainstream popularity. As you mentioned, it very easy to market TKD at the moment, and where there is money, there is always politics. I didn't know, however, that you had to be Kukkiwon certified to compete internationally. I don't think that this is the case with the Olympics, and I'd find it hard to believe that the Kukkiwon can control every international TKD event. Perhaps they control the World Championships, and the qualifying tournies leading up to it, but I doubt that they're involved in every international TKD tourny. I'll try to find some more info on this. If you do plan on teaching, given the popularity of MMA right now, it wouldn't hurt to have BB's in multiple arts, but it looks like you have quite a lot of experience, and mixing TKD with Isshin Ryu, like I mentioned before, probably won't further your MMA experience too much. I'd mix either of these arts with BJJ, Judo, Aikido or Hapkido (or maybe wrestling) to get a broader spectrum of skills and techniques. There is an Isshin Ryu school near my TKD school and we get together to spar pretty frequently. There is certainly a difference in the strategies, and style that each art uses, but as I'm sure you've noticed in your experience with TKD, there isn't much more of a broadening of experience you can get by mixing these two arts.

This topic has come up before, and I always feel the need to clarify the rules of different types of TKD sparring so non TKD guys can understand what goes through the mind of a TKD Sport competitor. Point Sparring: Only light contact is allowed (no shocking force) Punches, backfist, ridghand are all legal hand techniques and are allowed to strike to the head only on the head gear area (no face contact) or the chest protector target and they score 1 point. Kicks are allowed to the same targets as hand techniques, but still must be light contact. 2 points for a kick to the body, 3 points for a kick to the head. You can see how even point style TKD sparring favors kicking, making competitors more wary of what their opponents feet are doing, and bringing the focus to a lower location on the body. Olympic sparring: Full contact is allowed and knockouts are allowed in adult black belt sparring. Kicks can land to the chest protector target area or to the head from the ears forward including the face. Punches are only allowed to the chest protector target and no other hand techniques are allowed. Strikes to the chest protector score 1 point, while kicks to the head score 2 points (again, no hand techniques to the head are allowed) and as someone mentioned, you need to strike with 'trembling force' for it to be considered a point. So TKD sport competitors are used to not having to worry about a knockout punch. Kicks are more easily blocked by stopping them low before they reach your head, so keeping the guard low is not necessarily detrimental while competing in TKD. Also a lot of TKD schools practice moving back out of range of an opponents kicks. The emphasis is on staying away, rather than moving in close. All this being said, I still can't stand that TKD sport guys don't keep their guard up, and I insist on my students keeping their hands up during class, even if we're just running or practicing foot work, but especially while sparring. I think it's rather lazy and even a little arrogant of TKD guys who think that the range and power of their kicks are magically going to save them from being punched in the head. In my experience, it rarely stops a determined opponent, and counterattacks, and traps are much more useful than trying to time every kick perfectly and then stay out of range. I'd rather draw someone in close for a sharp strike to the body, than go for the flashy, high, head kicks. This works much better in TKD competition (for me anyway) and I'd have been knocked out a number of times, if I didn't keep my hands up and guarding my head.

I agree with ninjanurse. There's really no reason to be formally ranked in TKD unless you plan on teaching, officiating or competing in major TKD tournaments that are sanctioned by big TKD orgs. I'm not sure how much more you would get out of TKD training considering your previous MA experience, and you have to think about the costs of training as well. Will it be worth the money just to get another belt? Again, if you seriously want to be involved in TKD organizations and major tournaments, then go for it, but if it's just for the 'peace of mind' (for lack of a better term) of actually having a TKD rank then I don't think it would be worth it for you.

Hey everyone, I was just asked to teach a couple BJJ classes per week at my MA school, and I was wondering if anyone knew some good group drills to do in class. My training was almost exclusively 1 on 1 with my instructor, or in a small group of about 4 people. Now I have to teach classes consiting of up to 12 people and I'm not sure how I'm gonna keep everyone involved, while still having time to give each student some individual attention. I'd like to hear about drills focusing on technique, as I won't have a problem with sparring and conditioning drills, but any advice will be a big help. Thanks.

Great vids guys. I'd love to know if there are more tournaments like this anywhere around the new england area. Anyone know? (Or know where I can find out?) The hapkido video looked like it had TKD mixed in. I didn't think they did so much striking in hapkido, but then my experience with it is limited to what my TKD instructor has incorporated into our self defense training. I'd really like to train at a real hapkido school, or aikido school for that matter.

In my TKD school it takes at least 3 years to reach BB (it took me 4 years). After that, the general rule is if you're a 1st dan, it takes at least 1 year before you'll be eligible for 2nd dan, then at second dan it takes 2 years to become eligible for 3rd dan, then 3 years, etc. Keep in mind that this rule only applies if you train regularly. There requirements for the number of classes you must attend, and there are a number of tests in between dan levels that must be completed as well. Master is considered 4th dan, so if you keep to the ideal schedule, it takes at least 9 years to reach 4th Dan. There are also age requirements for becoming a master, but I'm not sure what they are. Since my training has crossed a few different styles, and I took about a five year break from formalized TKD training (in a dojang with one instructor) after getting my first dan. I decided to study other MAs during this time, so my total MA experience amounts to about 11 1/2 years, but I'm only a second dan in TKD, and far from a master in any style. To contrast TKD with another art: BJJ on the other hand takes far longer just to reach BB. About 10 years by most standards I've heard. I'm not sure how the structure works after you get a BB in BJJ. I don't know what standards you'd have to meet to be considered a master in this art, but I'm sure it takes a lifetime. I must agree with the other posters that regardless of the structure and standards put in place by any organization, if you really want to be a master of anything, you need to dedicate your whole life to it. I think a real master is someone who can remain open minded enough to realize that they can never be perfect at what they do, and that the 'art' in what they do is having the discipline to keep moving forward towards perfection, even though they know they can never fully reach this goal. In my mind, it's more about mastering yourself than your activity. I guess this is an expansion on bruceflea's "There are no masters in life, only students." great quote.

Wow, apparently I was misinformed. Sorry about that. The information I have came from a USSSA official, so maybe they're turning back into the USTU, just lies and egoes.

I haven't heard (first hand) many people having a problem with martial arts training conflicting with religion. The few people I have heard preaching that MA's conflict with religion were priests or other religious officials, and never individual memebers of a congregation. Due to this experience, I chalk up the anti-MA 'philosophy' to these officials trying to make sure that their congregations don't abandon the church and substitute it with other spiritual disciplines which the MA's certainly offer. This tells me that these officials are totally misinformed about MA's, as I've never heard of any individual abandoning their religion and/or church to substitute it with an MA. In fact most people I've spoken to about the subject have told me that studying an MA has only reinforced their faith and religion, as they now have a better understanding of themselves, and therefore are more comfortable with their religion and their relationship with their respective deity. I actually know someone who is studying to be a nuerologist, and they have participated in research projects that study the effect of meditation, prayer, and other forms of deeply spiritual contemplation on immune system health. This research compared the deep prayer of Christian monks, with the meditation of Bhuddists and Shoalin monks, and found them to have almost exactly the same effect. So any arguments over why the meditation or prayer is being done are, IMHO, mere semantics. To be completely transparent, I am not religious at all, but I am very spiritual, and I encourage spirituality, regardless of which religion it takes a person to acheive spirituality. I think that if you can find emptiness and happiness, it matters not the path you took to get there, and these religions, and MA's for that matter, need to stop bickering over semantics, and start supporting one another a bit better, because the end all goals of all of these 'organizations' are extremely similar, if not exactly the same.

Thanks Red J. I'm wondering if there is an MA that specifically focuses on this type of training. I've heard rumors about Aiki-jutsu, but haven't been able to find anyone who teaches this style.

I've never heard of Kajukenbo before. What's it like?

Thanks for the post 'Fist. Actually throws and grappling techniques are not incorporated into traditional TKD. It is strictly a striking art in its original form. I am lucky enough to have an instructor with some Hapkido experience, and she has (thankfully) incorporated a number of Hapkido techniques into our self defense training. I had heard that Karate, especially Okinawan styles had a lot of grappling and takedown techniques, but I've been to a number of Karate schools, and I'm afraid that the majority of them are as you described: mediocre. It's a shame that so much has been lost in the pursuit of more marketable dojos.

Done! My Taekwondo school, and many others I know have already incorporated ground fighting into their training. .. I can avouch for that. My instructor has incorporated a whole bunch of Hapkido techniques into our TKD classes, and we started a BJJ class about 3 years ago. I didn't even know until recently that TKD doesn't have any of its own throws and locks. My instructor never mentioned that it was Hapkido we were learning in our self defense training. It was always just incorporated right into the TKD class. I found this out a few months ago, after 12 years at the school. I guess if you find the right instructor, these changes to the art aren't necessary.

Done! The TKD org I belong to (along with several others) has no connection to Korea except for some traditions. Wow, that was easy! .. You're right. The new USSSA org. replaced the USTU specifically to transfer control from Korean masters to American ones. The USTU used to control the olympic trials and decided who was to be on the American olympic team, but since USTU was run by the Kukkiwon (obviously a foreign org.) the US Olympic committee, (Or whatever they call themselves) upon finding this out, disallowed the USTU to preside over american olympic trials and planning. Now, as far as I hear, the USTU is completely defunct. The USSSA now presides over olympic TKD planning, and this was all made possible because of the efforts of some very dedicated american masters who were fed up with the koreans and the USTU in general. Amen to them!

I've been thinking a lot about the contrast between striking and grappling lately, and wanted to get some other's opinions on the topic. Having trained in TKD and other striking arts for the last 12 years, I know the strengths and weaknesses of striking. I added BJJ about two years ago, and I love it, but I couldn't imagine not having a striking background. I personally think that grappling arts and throwing arts (like Judo, Hapkido, and Aikido) offer better techniques to control a situation, and keep it from escalating into a very hostile, dangerous situation, but if all else fails, and you get into a situation where you need to strike hard and fast and then get outta there, grappling, IMHO, becomes a weakness. To remedy this, I train in both striking and grappling arts to make sure I have both skill sets. I'm beginning to wonder whether it's worth having just one or the other as opposed to both. These days you never know what an opponent's skills are, or where a confrontation will take you, and I feel that if you really are concerned with self defense, you have to have both striking and grappling skills, or else you're leaving yourself vulnerable. Anyone have any insight into this?