Bretty101

Krav maga is the fighting methods taught to the israeli army. They don't wear funny colour belts they us it to fight. It's mainly defences against arab knife attacks and striking people with a weapon (gun), knees and elbows. It's really nasty stuff designed to be taught to toops in a few days. (my house mate used to be an israeli para trooper) This idea has been taken on as every one has jumped on the KM bandwagon. People from other martial arts (usually Ju-jutsu) claim to teach KM but really it's just another way to take your money. How can you have a grading system in a martial art designed to be simple and effective and taught in a few days? 5years to get a black belt? In your style of krav Maga do you learn how to hit people with a rifle? Bretty

Who told you that? Last weekend i watched 6 black belts que up and break (both) their fists punching bricks at a tournament. They all broke with their first hand then went and did the other hand then after breaking that added another brick. It was so funny people who punch bricks are so stupid!! They were all qued up with the medics putting ice on their hands. The swelling was amazing. One guys fingers were all over the place as he'd really bust up the bones in his hand. (Metacarpusles?) I used to punch bricks when i was younger and knew better and my hands are in a right mess. Don't do it what is the point? This is the main reason i will never take my next dan grade as i refuse to solid things anymore. I work for a living and i'll miss my hands when there gone. Arthritis to look forward to. Bretty

Whenever i spar a low grade i always use my weak or new techniques. Yeah i get hit a little more often but it makes things more interesting. and eventually i'll have 2 awesome sides as opposed to just the one Bretty

...errr...yeah Bretty

Looks good to me! Would be very helpful when learning the basic moves of a new pattern. But you'd need an instructor to help you fine tune everything. And all the patterns are the same as the ones i do (ITF). Bretty

I have done all of the above with my Taekwondo training. My instructor is very open minded and encourages us to do other martial arts, steal bits and incorporate them in our training. My Style (ITF) has set sparring (1 step), self Defence and advanced sparring which allows us to use any moves we like (with partners consent). We also have jui-jutsu instructors, free fighters and self defence instructors visit our club regularly to give us seminars. As far as i'm aware the majority of taekwondo clubs in the UK do this. As for these moves being 'formally' taught they are not really. They appear breifly in our katas with quite unrealistic postures and applications and now and again appear in our line work. But primarily we're stand up long range fighters. (though not ignorant to the fact that close quarter fighting is often the most deadliest). I'm suprised more people have not replied similarly to me. Cheers! Bretty

Yeah as said legs wode back super-straight! Best to keep your back straight by looking up straight in front of you rather then staring at the floor and trying to bash your hed on it. Lower your chin to the floor not your forehead. That just looks stupid! Bretty

Without adding any more lible... I found creatine is great for helping me bulk up and achieving a pump when doing intensive weight training. I find I retain a lot of water, when i take it I can gain upto 14lbs (mainly water). This weight is quickly lost when i stop taking it. Psycologicaly it feels great and i grow loads but is it really that great or am i just retaining water? As far as i know creatine is devised from and founds in many natural food sources. At what dose a natural supplement becomes dangerous who knows? Bretty

Bretty

I can do it, don't like PNF stretching due to the strain it puts against the knee joint. The only time i do PNF is using a leg stretcher or pushing against a partner where my knees can be supported. It sounds silly now but if you do these stretches regularly you are going to stretch your ligaments and loosen your knee joints, then your just asking for an injury. Look after your knees!! Don't mean to go on about it, you can get away with doing 'dangerous' stretches but in the long run it's not good. Bretty

Moon-moo is the best pattern. wicked. my second favourite must be kwang-gae (SP?). Having seen it done by 9 people in a 3x3 formation (tapilatu family?) to music with the corners of the square and person in the middle doing things at different time. Hard to explain but looked wicken. Po-eun another good pattern when done well, max power!! Bretty

Boiled eggs- Fill you up quick and full of protein. Boil 20 at the start of the week and you got easy snacks for the rest. And for variety sometimes with the yoke sometimes without. Bretty

What i do... to get enough food each day i usually do a massive meal with loads of rice at the weekend. and with the loads left over I put it in tubs and carry a tube with me each day to eat whenever i'm hungry. It's just a case of preparation. I eat rice and pasta to give me energy and bulk. and take protein supplements for growth. I'm quite undecided about creatine, I've found it pumps me up and fills my muscles, but to me it just seems to add water. It get a big weights gain and loose definition. I recently stopped taking creatine and have lost about 8lbs of water and feel better and lighter for it. My advice is to keep it simple it's easy to start taking all sorts of (expensive) supplements when a good full diet would be enough. Bretty

I used to have trouble with my back as i was growing up. I think it was a combination of my body adjusting to my growing weight and parts of my body growing at different rates. I'm guessing in kickboxing you do millions of sit ups but very few back extensions. I think it's important to get a balance to avoid injury. I suggest you take it easy and consider doing some back work when you are recovered. Good luck and hope it's not too serious. Bretty

I could do with loadsa help with my footwork too. Espesially changing from my side-on (kicking) stance to my more square-on punching stance, as well as moving while changing stance and lunging into an attacking range. Help!?!

I spent just over 4 years as a 1st dan before taking my 2nd dan last year. It took me 4 years to achieve the standard set by the 2nd dans before me. I've trained with some excellent ones which i didn't deserve to share a grade with. Bretty

Heavy weights. Nothing gets the endorphines going quite like it. Bretty

How much are they? £$£$£$£? Bretty

WTF guys do the whole lightening rear leg thing the best. Scary But then they don't need to worry about having a raised guard of punching. It's all a compromise. I was enlightened to the power and possible speed of a rear leg kick by taking up Thai boxing. I broke 2 ribs in my first lesson. It's all about compromising one and the other, more tools to your armoury. Bretty

The criteria to pass a TKD grading are: COURTESY, INTEGRITY, PERSERVERENCE, SELF CONTROL and INDOMITABLE SPIRIT not ability. Hence even disabled or over weight people can do it. Usually they make it up in other ways, hence perserverence. Though i really hate seeing a poor BB, Usually they call themselves masters (a.k.a a has been). I personally think a black belt should be an elitest and not every one should be able to achieve it. Bretty

Can't really tell from the website. Any half decent school will let you have you first lesson or 2 free so you can see for yourslef. Just go and have a go and see for yourself. Bretty

If i'm points sparring i like the Bill Wallace (very) 'Side-on' stance. If i'm full contact and using my hands to go for a knockout i'm very square. I currently trying to continually flick between the 2. Bretty

I was given one to use by a doctor when i was rehabilitating after injury. Managed to break my leg, dislocate my shoulder and break my collar bone in a 6 month period so used the EMS system to train my muscles while i was inactive. Can't really say if it helped, i managed to lose nearly 30 pounds of weight (muscle) over that period. I can't see you really getting the satisfaction of a good work out either. Bretty

Body Building won't develope coordination and reflexes as well as martial arts. But i love it!! I've got really into my weight training recently, it's done me so much good. I can't see any reason not to do weights except for the weight gain. I do heavy squats and deadlifts and can still do the splits (in fact Tom Platz the guy with the biggest legs i've ever seen can do the splits). Weights are great, It's just an excuse! Bretty

Flexibility gives you a greater range of motion (potential to kick high) Strength gives you the ability to attain, reach and/or sustain this height. You want FLEXIBILITY in you hip ADductor (inner thighs), Gluteus Maximus (but) and Hamstrings. The aductor restricts your legs spreading, and the gluteus and hamstrings resist your front leg raise at different angles. You want STRENGTH in your Gluteus, hip ABductors and Hip flexors. (type any of those muscle groups into google search engine and you'll find lots of picture and or exercises) You DON'T want loose or flexble JOINTS you want flexible MUSCLES. Look after your ligaments always warm up! Bretty