Jack

Yes, Tai Chi may look "funny" but apparently it is a great internal art. I'd have no need to practice it in public when I can just go into the garden, anyway. I wasn't training in anything other than TKD previously, due to parents and money, (and their own greed ). But since I'm already being dubbed a "quitter" and the like, I doubt I will get any support and so will get a job to pay for my lessons.

Thanks for the reply. I am thinking of looking into Thai Boxing or Wing Chun, and a Tai Chi style - alongside the weightlifting and jogging.

I have an addiction to natural peanut butter, great since I'm on a bulking cycle (bodybuilding) and so I have to eat loads of it

No! Personally I think cosmetic surgery is pointless. There is nothing that you can't achieve with a bit of effort and hard work. The modern world is so excited about being able to do things and make improvements without any sweat or dedication, it annoys me. Like those abdominal machines, tummy tucks, liposuction. People talk about getting liposuction but don't even consider just getting off their couches and going for a jog and eating right? How pointless. You can get the body you want with some effort. The only exception being about the face - you can't really exercise it to be how you want it to look. Still, I would recomend getting used to the way you look and accepting it and moving on to feel good about yourself. If this rambled I'm sorry - I typed that all in under two minutes. ..and a deep breath..

Good point by Mike - stretching is very important! Also be sure to watch your diet and get plenty of water in you!

Ducks, anyone? Edit: Nevermind, that was monkeygirl not three60... oops! LOL

*Hides* I am 5'9", I would like to be a few inches taller, with 6' being perfect, and I do have several more years of growing left so it is possibly. I think we all have a certain genetic potential for height that varies person to person, but through proper diet, sleep, and activity, we will reach that genetic potential instead of limiting ourselves further by eating wrong.

Living the Martial Way - Forrest E. Morgan - 5 The art of strategy - (Art of war) - R.L. Wing - 4

This will take me a while (runs upstairs to get "Living the martial way" by Forrest E. Morgon) Ki exists, but there is nothing mysterious about it. It's simply the life force that all living things have. What's important to the warrior is the ability to coordinate his or her body and ki and focus those entitites during combat. Kiai means to concentrate or focus the life force. Aiki means blended life force or spirit. These are related concepts that involve focusing one's ki to crush or blend with and dominate an opponent's spirit. You can develope kiai and aiki by first finding Kokoro, the warrior's heart (indomitable spirit, mind over matter, pushing through the pain). Next to practice harageo, moving from your physical and spiritual centre (meditation with concentration of the hara). Develop the breathing power of Kokyu Chikara (coordinating your breath with movements and moving from your hara, using the correct muscles to execute a technique) and then apply kime, or focus (focus your entire being on achieving the objective, master the "spirit shout", and focus your spirit through the eyes). Finally, put these methods together and practice kata with utmost seriousness. Mushin, or "mind-no-mind", is the mental state that is the principle source of the traditional warrior's quick reactions, extra-ordinary perception, and steely calm. Learn to enter mushin by turning off your internal dialogue. Once again, the most important exercise to practice mushin is kata. Zanshin is alertness distilled to its essence. If you are developing kiai and mushin, zanshin will eventually follow on its own. However, you can focus its development by practicing alertness (in the street) and savouring each onset of zanshin as it occurs. Your goal is to achieve happo zanshin, or "eight-directional awareness" at will. Many martial artists debate whether the estoric skiills in warriorship are mystical or physical. To a real warrior, it doesn't matter why they work. The only thing that really counts is defeating the enemy. There, so as you can see Mushin is a state of having no conscious thoughts, and being able to react and practice without applying thought. Mushin is not an ends to itself, but a means to Zanshin. I highly recomend this book, entitled, "Living the martial way" written by Forest E. Morgan to any serious martial arts - you will find it full of useful information. Hope this helped!

LOL Kickchick, I'll bear that in mind. My favourites would have to be Chinese buffet, pizza, and icecream. But I save those for sundays.

Thanks, bud. I'm still dreading parting ways though, it's going to be tough.

kicker! Where have you been lately?

BlackI, thank you for the reply. (And welcome to Karateforums.com!) I am going to explain a part of my problem to my instructor, but I do not wish to go into detail with him since it would appear as if I am badmouthing him, the dojang, or the art which I definitely do not mean to. It is not a simple problem with routine and drills, it is the orientation that the school takes towards the Martial Arts (heavy emphasis on sparring and gradings, little emphasis on effective fighting or internal aspects) alongside the style of art (hard, linear) that do not appeal to me. These are drastic things that I feel would not be affected by talking to the instructor. In addition I do not feel like I can share everything on my mind with my instructor, which is probably a great cause for concern in itself. I have made up my mind to leave, but do not worry it is no hasty, easy decision - it has taken a lot of thought to come to this conclusion. Thanks for the reply.

I did not get that impression from the website, but I can see that so much content is included in the art that it would take a long time to become proficient in all areas, yes? Although I am after something of a change from the bold, "blocky"(hate to use that word again) movements of a Korean art.

Thanks for the replies again. ZR440 - Thank you for the recommendiation and the link, I've had a good look at it, and it does appear interesting. It seems to encompass all combat-parts of the martial arts as well as including meditation and physical conditioning. There is also a school nearby in the federation belonging to a 5th dan - definitely worth a visit I think. Thank you again. Kensai - It definitely is difficult to leave a dojo. I am dreading it already, lol. I have no decided what I want to do but I have a good idea of what I would like to do - something concerning an effective fighting art, but also an internal aspect. I am not interested in sport, tournament, or watered down training. I live in Norwich inside the UK, in Norfolk. As you have said, many of the internal Chinese styles would be a good choice for me to look furhter into. I must say Kensai I am impressed by the website for your dojo, however there are no schools belonging to your organization there. However, there are two Aikido schools I am aware of in my city - also worth a look into. I am most concerned with peacefully leaving the current dojang without too much "depression" ensuing. I can look for a school later on, but this is my current priority. Thanks for the replies. Keep them coming. PS. Patrick, I bet that makes you feel proud.

Deby, this site has greatly broadened my horizons. I may only be new to the Martial Arts but this site is responsible for a great deal of the knowledge I have obtained over the past 16 months. If it were not for the internet I would not be nearly as informed.

Deby - thank you for the advice and links, helpful as ever. KSN Doug - that is very much what I would like to do. Try out several different styles before deciding which is right for me and commiting to that. So to tell my instructor and schoolmates that Taekwondo has been enjoyable and a big part of my life, but that I want to go and try out other things to find what is right for me to follow.

If you sign up to https://www.fitday.com you can browse the extensive library of food and nutritional contents there - you could also use the full features of the site if you'd like to keep track of what you've eaten, how much exercise you've done etc. - it's a great piece of logging equipment. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/food.htm - a search engine on food products. And another website with information: http://www.ntwrks.com/~mikev/chart1.html That is all I could find, but if you need more I'll be sure to do a more indepth search for you! Hope that helps.

I did do, but I no longer have them. I will get back to you on this. Until then, keep checking those labels.

How would you go about it? I have decided after much thought to leave my Taekwondo dojang. The reasons for this is that it does not give me what I want from a martial art since it is a somewhat 'watered down' school that revolves around gradings and sparring, and not realistic self defence, or physical and mental improvement. I have decided to start up weightlifting and jogging since one of the main reasons I joined the Martial Arts in the first place was simply for exercise, which TKD gave me, but now I want so much more that my TKD dojang doesn't provide. I want a traditional school of some kind, with fast, to the point, efficient moves, tough training, but no pressure from frequent gradings - I was thinking if I could find a good Wing Chun school around here, I may be interested to look into that. (in my Taekwondo school we were going for a new belt every 3 months and the instructor allowed the teaching to revolve around what will impress the instructors, not what really works) I would also be interested in a style of Tai Chi, I happen to get stressed sometimes and felt that doing my Taekwondo forms slowly helped, but the moves are too 'blocky' for my liking (no offence to Taekwondo-ists, it's a personal dislike) and would like something more internal and relaxing to help me keep my mental sanity. I'm just after any ideas here on how to say bye to my Taekwondo dojang? I've known them all for about 16 months and saying bye to them will feel extremely difficult. but I feel it is the right thing to do. Thanks.

I havn't read those websites yet, but what I will say Bretty is when you're bench pressing, don't let your upper arms sink below a paralell-to-floor angle! This places a lot of stress on your shoulder and rotator cuff.

I know Tobias, I do not mean to cause offence, which I why I am planning to ask general, open ended questions about the style, and not put him through a twenty-question quiz.

Okay, so I have the email address to a Wing Chun sifu in my city. I am interested in Wing Chun and so would like to join a class, but I would like to know the school I would be joining is a good, quality one that teaches real Wing Chun, and not some watered down style. I would also like to check that the Sifu has good knowledge of his art. I am going to e-mail the Sifu to start talking to him, but I was wondering if some of the Wing Chun practitioners here could lend me some good questions to ask to check his knowledge/authenticity, and then perhaps judge his responses and give me their opinions. What are some signs to look for in an authentic wing chun sifu? And similarly - signs of a less-knowledgable sifu? And as a seperate question - how common is it for a wing chun school to be watered down or a McDojo? This is common with Karate and Taekwondo schools, but is it a common practice for Wing Chun? Thank you.

Metric system and Imperial system you mean? 2.2lbs to the kilo.

Here, read these websites... claiming that martial arts are evil, and chi and meditation are forms of worshipping the devil... http://www.bible-truths.org/tracts/martia~1.htm http://www.pastornet.net.au/response/articles/a00044.htm http://www.soundanalarm.com/Newsletters/Martial_Arts/MartialArts_Page.htm