monkeygirl

...Why are 10th dans depressing? Did I miss something?

I believe some of the idea behind Drunken Boxing is that you look harmless. You look drunk, and would be "easy" in a fight. If you actually ARE drunk, it's going to impair your judgement and you will probably forget your Drunking Boxing skills. Also, martial arts usually advocate having a healthy body...and constantly being drunk would make your liver beg for mercy. Even in the Jackie Chan movie, he learned that being drunk while doing Drunken Boxing was very dangerous

I was 12 when I started (although two months after I joined I turned 13). Like Mike said, I wish I had started even earlier.

Hrm...perhaps the kata is just performed differently between two styles? Let me explain: There is a blackbelt at my dojo who first earned a black belt in TKD in Korea. I've seen him perform Gae Bek from his original style, and it's very different from the Kae Bek of my style. So much so that I couldn't even find a similarity. This could be because my dojo doesn't do things in a very traditional manner, but still, we don't alter katas that much. But who knows? Anyway, now you can see why I believed Gae Bek and Kae Bek to be two completely seperate forms.

Wow this is one of those situations where my ignorance of foreign terms really shows!

good one!

My style actually mixes the usage of korean terminology with english terms. So we have things like "open hand picture frame blocks" but we also have names that I can't spell...

Good luck with your combination! Hope it works out well for you.

Who says it isn't a challenge with people like Deb and Ken around? This is pretty tough for me...

Metallica is the closest I come to hardcore.

good point Sai

I wasn't suggesting that it be used by itself. I merely said it because I have used it before to find information. Not everyone is familiar with all of KF's functions. But I do understand what you meant, KickChick. Just trying to clarify my end of it

There's something to be said for sudden movements, when cops tell people not to move. But c'mon...how close were they? If they're across the room when he stands up into a "Kung fu stance" that's pretty ridiculous. It's not like he's Ryu and is going to shoot Hadoken at them If police want to start talking about excessive force from martial artists, what about excessive force from the cops? This is very disheartening information.

It seems rather ridiculous to me. I saw the show as well, and it claims to be good for self-defense. But, if I understand correctly, these moves take a while to "charge up" and you have to concentrate. So, how is that going to work on the street? "Hold on a minute let me start sounding like static". I just question it's practicality. If someone can prove me wrong, please do. I don't really know much about it, that's just the first impression I got from it.

Don't forget the KarateForums Search function; it works very well for finding old posts and reading up on info.

The palm is naturally the hardest part of the hand. I say naturally, because the knuckles can be hardened and conditioned through training. In this way, palm striking is better for self-defense because it hurts you less. In addition to the areas that KickChick mentioned, the palm strike is also good for hitting upward on the nose. This can break your opponent's nose, but I've also heard that it is lethal (causing the nose bones to stab the brain).

Wow and I thought $80 for a weekend Bujutsu seminar was steep... But then again I'm a tightwad.

A little weight lifting can be good. Start out slow, and try to get a gym teacher/trainer or knowledgeable person to help you set a schedule for yourself, in addition to the suggestions made here. You'll probably want a good mixture of upper body and lower body workouts. Working out can be very fun and beneficial. I wish I had the time/money/transportation to do it.

My black belt kata has a few rising blocks in it...I imagine things like blocking axe kicks, weapons strikes, etc. Also, visualizing things differently each time you practice can make each practice unique. You may even find that you "discover" something about the kata this way. A training method I like to use with kids in order to sharpen technique: Have a friend/instructor who knows your kata well use a blocker (foam bat) or similar object. (If they're really daring, they could use nothing but themselves) Go through your kata slowly, step-by-step, using each move in its application. If you are doing a side block, have your partner swing at you and MAKE YOU BLOCK!! Oftentimes this will make blocking harder, sharper, faster. Of course, you are a blackbelt adult and should already have these qualities There are also some times when a student does a motion without really knowing what it's used for, and that's exactly what it becomes -- nothing more than a motion. Using this "applied kata" technique, the kata takes on a deeper meaning. It's also pretty fun to do. P.S. I'm typing this at 11 PM and I'm pretty tired, sorry if it's kind of rambling.

Willing to switch schools for love? Sounds like pretty strong feelings to me. Wait 'til after your test (good luck, by the way!), then tell him how you feel. I find it hard to believe that withholding such strong feelings for so long can be healthy. I know it's nearly made me sick a few times... Good luck in whatever you do!!!

Oops, forgot to pay attention to this thread. Let's see...I believe my forms are pretty close to ITF forms. My spelling is mostly phonetic on these, since I've rarely seen them written: Yellow Belt: Chung-ji (White belts do the first half of this form) Orange Belt: Toe-San Green: Pinyon 2 (advanced form 2) Blue: Yol-Guk Purple: Pinyon 4 Red: Pinyon 5 2nd Brown: Ha-wang (I think it's supposed to be spelled hwaorang) 1st Brown: Chung-Mu 1st Black: K-Beck That's it for open-hand forms.

Nice analogy! I like that one.

Good luck!

Good news! I just got my new Social Security Card Apparently, a birth certificate and shot record were good enough <--- thanking the Lord It'll come in the mail next week, shortly after which I'll take the test So happy

That seems rather ridiculous to me. Sort of like something I heard about: A robber broke into a man's house in England. The man grabbed a shotgun and threatened the robber with it. I don't remember whether or not he used it, but I do remember something else: People aren't allowed to defend themselves against robbery because it is too much of a danger to robbers. I know I probably got some details wrong, but doesn't it sound like they're trying to protect the criminals here??? The entire point of having MA as self-defense is that an attacker doesn't know you have it. It's an element of surprise. Would you tell a robber that you have Pepper Spray before attempting to use it? No, because the robber would then know to defend against it. Sure, you shouldn't kill your attacker, only disarm. Reasonable force should be used...it's the difference between shooting someone in the kneecap, or in the head. But (in rare instances) sometimes you just can't avoid it. It's a life or death situation, I'd rather have life. I sincerely hope that your story is just a rumor, SoulAssassin...otherwise, we live in a sad, sad place.