Bretty101

Go Schumy!! I'm from Silverstone home of British motor racing! I'm not suprised if not many people know who MS is on this american dominated forum. I suspect he is more of a household name in Europe. I certainly didn't realise he did Judo. Bretty

hi, My experience with Creatine has been much the same as Rich67, I gain loads of weight with creatine and get proper massive, but i feel most of it is water. This i lose quickly when i stop taking it. I can't say how much it improves my performance? but you definately notice your muscles 'pump' up when you use it. if thats a good thing? I do find i grow too quick and get nasty stretch marks. As for side effects this can get a bit controversial, only problem i have is i need to drink about 3 litres of water a day to stop dehydration/headaches. Bretty

Excellent. I went from TKD to Muay Thai. A real eye opener!! I really recommend it!! I don't know what style of TKD you've come from semi or full contact? I found the transition tricky but great fun. Being a points fighter I'm used to fighting very side on (reduced target) and kicking very much off my lead leg. I also never worried about fighting up close (elbow/knee range) or kicks to the thighs which are fantastic!! Fighting more square on I found tricky but it all falls into place with the boxing skills. I always found the rear leg roundhouse a bit slow but once you get the power behind it you realise it's a real devastating and effective kick. The conditioning is a bit tough but necessary if your gonna take it seriously. The best thing i ever did MT and IMO the most effective martial art for taking to the street!!! Give it a go, If your style of 'TKD' is like mine you can steal bits of MT and apply them to your TKD. Bretty

The power of the internet, Mr Google educates me once again... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Ray_Leonard_vs._Thomas_Hearns Bretty

I'm not sure who Sugar Ray Leonard is?! But I thought the Bolo was like a long Hook punch round the back of the guard and with your head right down so your punching am is almost above your own head. Bretty

These a knee ligaments, click the link: http://www.orthoassociates.com/knee_lig.htm I'm really lucky to have never had any problems with my knees. My knee joints are lose from doing dangerous stretching exercises when i was younger (thanks to a bad instructor!!!) but i just go steady on them now. I sympathise with you guys with injured knees, you miss 'em when they're gone! Bretty

You a nutter!! I guess doing weight lifting you can develop a high pain threshold. I used to love the pain of lifting weights, it gives me a massive release of endorphines. I wouldn't describe the pain as being the same as the throbbing pain when you get hit in the mouth or the pain you get when winded or caught in the groin. I found gaining muscle really supported my joints and posture and was a lot more comfortable because of that. I'd describe that as a pain releif but i still feel pain. Bretty

This forum can get very anti-ankle weight. Which is a shame because If used correctly they are perfectly safe. ANKLE WEIGHTS ARE THE QUICKEST WAY TO DEVELOPE KICKING STRENGTH. getting ankle weights was the best thing I ever did and they cost next to nothing. DO NOT... 1)...kick at full speed ever when wearing them 1/2 and 1/4 speed kicks are a great work out, even slower if you can and try and pause with the kick at it's maximum height and hold it there for half a second. 2) ...Lock out your kicks I prefer to do my ankle weight work all with a straight leg anyway, concentrating on my hip flexor and hip aBductor muscles. moving my leg (straight) to the front foot vertical and (leg straight) out to the sides foot horizontal. I would really not recommend ankle weights for ballistic exercises, the weight will generally cause injury due to hyper-extension. but slow motion controlled exercises are fine. Slow motion exercises are a real killer and can greatly improve your strength and coordination. Look after your knees!! I can hold my foot 12" above my head for over a minute wearing 4kg (~6lbs) of weight on each ankle. They are my favourite method of training and my best kept secret. Bretty

CloudDragon, I'm agreeing with you. My arguement is what difference does it make if a club is a Mcdojo or not?! I'm my club we have a 'beginners' class (1hr) with 200 students followed by a 'senior' class (1hr) of 150 students. We teach each as one big group. To some people this screams Mcdojo!! but using what logic? We are a large university club, the instructors don't make huge sums of money. That is 2 master instructors and 3 assistant instructors (myself included). But if we did what difference does it make? We have some dedicated students of a really high standard, and some not so dedicated of a poorer standard. The same as when I used to train at a 'traditional' TKD club. The instructor used to just break even to subsidise him and his families training. No way was it a Mcdojo yet the standards were the same, Some really dedicated students of a high standard and some not so good. So i totally agree with the statement...

The summer before last i was unemployed and managed to spend just over an hour in the gym every day lifting heavy weights (8-20rep, to failure). I managed to gain nearly 40lbs of muscle in a relatively short time. I felt great, I could hit the bag incredible hard and the power I could generate was fantastic. I did lose a little flexibility in my back and felt restricted when twisting into my blocks and punches, however this was negligible and probably down to me growing out of my suit top . I didn't lose any flexibility in my legs and always maintained the splits, dispite doing very heavy deadlifts and squats. I also found all my niggly (annoying little) injuries went away and my body felt nice and toned. My posture improved considerably and my knee and shoulder joints (which tend to dislocate very easily) tightened up. I'd recommend heavy weights to anyone, the buzz, endorphines and work out all feel so good. I can't think of a single draw back other then the increased weight reducing your speed. (look at the size of Tyson he's massive and still so fast!!!) Unfortunatle I got a desk job and have been unable to maintain my gains. I'm way down to a more manageble size now. Get Massiiive!!! Bretty

I've never been to sure about yoga and Pilates, My friend does Yoga and claims the breathing exercises are really good. My problem is I have ligament hyper-laxity syndrome and consider many of the postures I have seen to be very dangerous for active sports people. Stretches which put side strain or torsions on the knees are really bad and can result in stretched ligaments, this can make the joint loose and incredibly vulnerable to injury. No for me thanks! Bretty

IMO training at the club twice a week is about right. But i would supplement this with: Stretching, 2x30minutes a week. Press-ups and sit ups, 2x25minutes a week. Ankle weights /kicking drills, 2x30minutes a week. and maybe 2x3-5mile jogs a week. I'll pick 2 of the above exercises and do them on the evenings i'm not at the club. Bretty

CloudDragon, I think you summed up the term Mcdojo in one there!!! Mcdojo is without doubt associated with high enrollment and high income (£$£$'s). How this reflects on the standard of the instructor or students is arguable and I think thats what people are getting at. Bretty

The term McDojo is a ridiculous one!!! Am I pointing out the obvious here: The term McDojo is analogous to McDonalds, meaning a franchise, a brand name and system which anyone can buy into. Surely any club which is part of an organisation/system (brand name) is part of a franchise? How this has any reflection on the instructor or quality of the teaching is beyond me? Bretty Wouldn't it be nice to have your own McDonalds: http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/company/asp/ci_frinf.asp

I'm with Jon13 on this one. I really believe if your gonna do a million situps a week you gotta strengthen your back to! The exercse Jon13 described is a really good one. If you concentrate on just one exercise and don't train the antagonistic muscles your just gonna have an imbalance and put more strain on your joints. I'm not sure how 'important' back strength is in martial arts, I guess it depends what art you do. For the grappling arts I would imagine its very important. I do a lot of weight lifting and really like the support the extra muscle gives me in the back and my postures better to. I do dead lifts and rowing/lat work. all good! Bretty

I kinda see what your saying here. but this is why I think ITF taekwondo is such a good martial art. ITF is so open and such a good base. It lets you steal bits from other styles and apply them to ITF!!! for example: As part of my self defence and one-step sparring I use wrist locks and take downs (BJJ, Aikido), as part of my sparring I can punch and kick from any angle (kung fu, karate, kick/thai/boxing, WTF). Yet this is all part of my ITF training. I wouldn't say i was really into cross training or a freestylist. I'm a well rounded loyal ITF exponent. Bretty

MichaganTKD, If i can comfortably make a transition between traditional forms and sparring surely then I am "forcing my body and mind to practice two separate, not complimentary, methodologies" Same as practicing full power destruction techniques and semi-contact sparring. I agree that if you always train to pull all you techniques like ITF sparring you will find it difficult fighting full contact. But theres no reason why with practice you can't do both. Bretty

But unlike religion, with martial arts you can pick and choose the best bits and use what works best for you. I've never found the politics an issue. I guess this all comes down to the instructors. I wouldn't say my instructors were "no-names" if your honest, open and respectfull I can't see the problem. I always say to the (WTF) instructor I'm from an ITF background but want to develope a mean back kick, some super quick 45degree kicks and some footwork. These compliment rather then conflict my current style. I steal the best bits from both ITF and WTF, there is a time and place for it all. I also use thai boxing and boxing and use it all as a 'freestyle' fighter. (I generally compete in ITF tournaments.) I really wish I had the time to learn them both simultaneously! Check out Hank meijers, I believe he started out in ITF then went onto become WTF world champion. What have you got to lose? Bretty

I hit someone really hard last week with a reverse punch and ever since I've had pins and needles in my little finger and the one next to it?! It's quite worrying as it's not getting any better. It feels like I've hit my funny bone and my hand has gone funny. Except I haven't caught my funny bone. I'm pretty sure my wrist didn't bend on impact. Could it be a trapped nerve in my wrist? Has anyone else ever had this? Help! Bretty

If you want something aerobic it's probably better to avoid the more tradition martial arts. These often involve a lot of standing still as complex stances and hand positions are explained. I'd recommend kickboxing or boxing when you can get stuck into the pads and sparring fairly quickly. Bretty

Go absolutely psycho!! Shouting and really hyper, this generally makes them hesitate. Don't shout at them as this builds adrenaline in your opponent, shout at yourself like your nuts. Alot of attackers will think twice. If it all goes wrong, I'd try and keep moving round so your only fighting them one at a time and totally mess up the first guy you can get your hands on (as previously mentioned). I was attacked last year by 3 men. I punched the smallest guy (he had a bottle) into the biggest guy and outrun the third! Bretty

So do you land the block/strike then let your arms and legs spring to their relaxed positions? Or do you hold the position? I hold the position, Not over tense or rigid but not completely relaxed. Bretty

When was the last time you... A) Hit something (or someone) as hard as you could? B) Hit something (or someone) as fast as you could? Be honest! (Someone attempted to mug me today and I did both of the above at the same time. It's got me thinking, I really should practice it more in the club) Keep it real! Bretty

When you say "Pretty" and "dance" are you refering to springy bouncey blocks or the solid ones? I'm from a shotokan background and have always believed in being solid and strong. One shot one kill. I don't think patterns are designed to represent life threatening situations or really use much common sense. Self defence and sparring are far more realistic. I see patterns as an exercise for power and coordination, not a dance or something pretty. one shot one kill - back to the roots! Bretty

Well I'm 23 now and still learning all the time. I hope to peak within the next 5 years then settle into coaching and instructing. I've been training 12 years, If you'd asked me this question ten years ago my reply probably would have been the same. No plans to 'do' other styles though I'm always open minded to stealing bits and applying them to my style. I love what i do and still enjoy every minute! Bretty Q. Who's the best martial artist? A. The one having the most fun!!!