SloMo

Welcome!

As a TKD instructor I tell all my students that no style is better than any other style. Everybody needs to find a style that fits them and that they enjoy and that ANY style will be effective if it is practiced and the student works at it. Now, how long has this guy been going to classes? He might just be getting over the "I am new to Martial Arts" energy and he'll calm down over time. If he's just being a jerk about it then you might want to simply ask him "Why is it necessary for you to put my style down to make yours sound better?" Or, as was suggested, invite him to visit one of your classes. But be careful, you might wind up giving him more ammo. As for the weapons thing, we do not allow our student to learn a weapon until they reach black belt. For us it's a question of responsibilty and focusing on the fundementals of TKD. I know different schools have different mentalities on this and that's cool. It's just the way we like to do things. I'm curious how he can be taking regular TKD and weapons and managing to progress so fast. At the lower belts you can maybe test once every three months but as you advance, the time gets longer between tests as you learn the more difficult techniques. Just because you get worked hard in class doens't mean that you are getting quality instruction. I can work out my students until they puke but I don't know what I would be teaching them if I did. In a nutshell. You seem happy with your style. Stick to it. If your neighbor wants to brag, let him. I think the true martial artist masters the "quiet confidence" that people can sense without having ever to say anything.

This is an interesting thread. In TKD, we do not award full black belts unless you are 16. However, there are kids who work there butts off from an early age. When that happens they test for their black belt and get awarded a Poom belt ( Basically a black and red belt ) They can even reach the different dan levels within the Poom belt. When they reach 16 they retake the BB test ( Although it is a shorter version than if an adult was taking it for the first time ) and get awarded their full Black Belt if they pass. I think this is a good compromise solution. To hold someone back simply because of age is ridiculous in my opinion. I also don't believe in basing it on whether or not they can beat someone up. It's a measure of skill, dedication and ability. I've seen kids who have more heart and ability than most adults. COuld they beat up an "average" adult? Probably not. Could they get away from the average adult? That is what we teach them to do at that age and we pray it never comes up. It comes down to your school's priorities. I am proud of all our Black Belts. I know they would never embarress the school and that they continue to learn and grow. Some schools do have McBelts. If those instructors can look at those students and not feel like they are cheating themselves and their art them it's shame on them.

Woo Hoo!! OK, for the record, luck had nothing to do with it. Fantastic news. Congrats!!! Mo

We have had some overweight students. A lot depends on why they are over weight. If it's simply bad eating habits and lack of exercise then it's not so bad. If it's a physical problem then it's more difficult because their physical size isn't going to change a great deal. It's tough for them to get over comparing themselves to oterh students. I tell them that there is no "perfect" student and we don't try to teach them to be perfect. We want them to be effective, which is different. We had a student who was about 6 months from testing for blackbelt who was over weight. For one class I brought in my diving belt with 10 lbs in it and made him wear it during class. Needless to say he was exhausted by the middle of class. I took off the belt and asked him how much easier it was. I talked to him after class and asked him to imagine how much easier the BB test would be if he could take off another 10 lbs. I guess it made hime realize how much his weight was effecting him. He managed to lose 15 lbs before the test! He'll always be a larger person, but he watches what he eats and is healthier. Have any of you noticed how many kids are over wieght these days? We're getting more and mroe of them lately.

Hey, Delta makes a great point. SO many people get stuck on the "style". In my opinion, just about any style, if taken seriously and worked at, can be effective. So it's more of a search for you to find a school that fits you. Check out the instructor, the other students, the place they meet, etc. When you find one you think might be good, See if you can take a couple of classes. ( Most of the better places shouldn't have a problem with you trying a class or two ) Then decide if it's something you would like to consider. As for weapons, different schools have different mentalities about it. Don't be in a rush to learn weapons. There is enough to worry about without throwing a weapon into the mix! But some schools introduce them earlier than others, which is fine. In a nutshell, shop around. When you feel comfortable at a place it'll be the right one. Good luck! P.S. When you check out a couple of places, come back here and let us know what you saw. We might be able to help with some questions to ask and things to look for. Mo

What makes your style different? What's special about it? How did it develop?

Ask all the stupid questions you want, I have tons of dumb answers! Welcome!

Welcome!

Great to see you! Did you study MA in Malaysia? You could lend some interesting perspective!

Welcome! Hope you find a good club!

Good Luck!!!! I have a feeling you're going to do great! Let us know!!!

Stretch, start now and keep doing it. If eelse you'll be amazed at how much you can increase your flexibilty in a short period of time. Plus, it's something you can keep doing after it's over. Since you are only going to go for a couple of weeks, I personally, wouldn't worry too much about the forms. Focus on the basic techniques and the exercises.

It is better to be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

Welcome! Don't feel bad, I was a blue belt for almost 8 years!

Hmm, tough choice. If one of my students came to me with that question I would tell them to test because who knows what's going to happen in a month? But I woudl understand if they want to wait and woudl respect that. If it was me however, I would wait. Red belt is a tough test in our school. It's soooo much easier to test when you have a buddy testing with you. And it's only a month. You're going to do the right thing no matter which you choose. Your friend should appreciate that this is a tough choice and respect what you choose. Good luck! Mo

I admit, it got my curiosity up

Welcome. it's nice to hear such enthusiasm!

Welcome!

good luck and be careful out there!

A good way of training your legs for jumping is to hop up and extend your legs straight in front of you while reaching for them with your fingertips. Sort of a modified jack knife position. The tricky part is that you do this really fast without stopping for a set period of time. Start with 30 second drills and work up to 1 minute. I don't agree with a blanket statement that jump kicks are impractical. I agree that most of the jump kicks are not the sort of thing I would use in a street fight. I'd probably take out someones knees if I had the chance. But I've seen jumping kicks used very effectively in sparring and on those ultimate fighting matches. Just my opinion

Man, that sucks. I woudl hope that the instructor could give his students some notice. A similar thing happened to me but my instructor found another school for us to attend. It was way across town so some of us couldn't switch but those if us that did are stiill there. My original instructor still comes in and teaches a class every now and then and for testing. I feel for you. I hope you can find a new place to go to soon! Mo

Hello and Welcome!

I'm a geek from way back! It's what I wound up doing for a living.

You felt bad because you are a decent person who doesn't like hurting other people! Nothing wrong with that in my book. I get mad at myself becuase I feel I should have enough control to not hurt somebody. But many a time, somebody does something unexpected and not protecting themselves properly and I wind up striking harder than I intended. Like I always tell the parents when they get nervous about their kid sparring. This is a "Martial" art. Mo