monkeygirl

Uh....I'm a martial artist.... I like to lift weights.... Does this mean I'm a freak? ....Oh wait, we already knew that! Anyway, I enjoy lifting weights (tasks are always much more fun when you can imagine the benefits), but also kind of have to, because of some physical difficulties. I have too much flexibility, so my ligaments just go all loosey goosey...I have to build muscle to hold all my parts together! However, I haven't gone to the gym since September...I have had absolutely NO time to be there, and no form of transportation, either. Life stinks when you can't drive But when I went, I did enjoy lifting weights--the feeling of accomplishment as weights were increased, the increased strength and muscle size...not to mention finally being able to gain some weight! I just really wish I could go on a more regular basis

I'm not going to pore over all 8 pages of material here, so I may be just repeating what someone has already said. I don't believe that katas are a waste of time. Katas improve power, speed, flexibility, and memory capabilities. Power in kata can be a crucial step to having power and agression in fighting. Sometimes, katas are the only thing that keeps a school from being just a Fight Club. Besides which, katas have given me quite a few pretty trophies

Welcome to the forums!! As far as your Kenpo goes: Best of Luck and Least of Injuries!!!

I find that using a lot of hip momentum helps get an axe kick up high. You can still bring up your chamber (having your leg bent) into your chest, but it's going to be more fluid and "by the way I'm bending my leg". Trying to bring your leg straight up into your chest and then kick, totally throws off your momentum. For another thing it will also make you lose power... I may have misunderstood and you may already be throwing your axe kicks this way, and if you do, good for you! If you don't, try this technique. Hope that helps!

I was thinking about bidding, but then there was that whole "no fighting back" clause..... Somewhere on eBay somebody is selling an airplane...

Being a small person myself, I can tell you that trying to get in range right away or block kicks can be next to impossible, and even dangerous. What I find to be most effective: MESS WITH HIS MIND!! MUAHAHAHAA!!! Here's some tips Try to stay just out of his range. This way you have more time to see his speedy and powerful kicks coming. As you see him come in for the attack (by the sounds of it, he usually makes the first move), SIDESTEP. Don't just go back and forth like a tennis match. If you're standing sideways in a fighting stance, you'll be going sideways in relation to HIM, but this will actually be more like walking backwards or forwards. When sidestepping, you generally want to step towards his back. This is because there are much fewer techniques for him to counter with when you're close to his back than his front. From there (You need to be quick about it), you can use a roundhouse kick to his chest, backfist strike to his head, anything you can get. Perhaps even a spinning back hook kick/wheel kick. You can either throw a single strike, or put together a quick combination. Combos are best After that strike, you want to retreat back out of his range, but don't just back up. Throw some retreating strikes like a fade-away back kick or a retreating jump side kick. You may not be familiar with these, but I think you will get the idea. Hope that helps!

I hold a blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do (just recently actually, I got it September 21st). I'm not the strongest person in the world, but that's not the point. I can't presume to judge your "common aquaintance", Azim, because I don't know him, and I've never seen his training. However, in response to your very first post on this thread, blackbelts from the USA can do quite a bit I like to believe I can do those flashy TKD kicks pretty well and can show off a bit. Flash isn't everything, though, and all of the blackbelts that I personally know can defend themselves quite well. Keep in mind that there are several different federations of Tae Kwon Do--WTF, ITF--some schools (like mine, for example) are not affiliated with these federations and are pretty much independent. BTW my school is pretty close to ITF and we're a member of NAPMA, so we're not just loners out in the boonies

Hm... I suppose this is one case where a "Vs." is allowable since it's a REAL matchup Just as long as there is no bickering afterwards! *takes a motherly tone*

When my brother warms up my class It's not so much that he makes us work hard ( ), it's just this ONE exercise...not even sure what they're called. You squat down, jump from there and tuck your knees into your chest in the air. Seems kinda fun on the first 3, but after that you're just like OWWWWWW!! I have weak thighs I also dislike sparring benedictbm he wishes....

That was the funniest day in our Demo Team's history, I think... It took us about half an hour to recover...I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Much funnier to have been there, but I think you guys can get the basic gist

Ai-yai-yai....One student in our school had just been promoted to BlackBelt Club, a class on Friday nights for talented students...they get to use weapons, etc. He was about 7 years old, and a leadership team member was teaching how to use and spin nunchaku. The poor little guy had to go to the bathroom, but he was so excited that he didn't bother to tell anybody, and voila! The mats have some strange puddle, and I'm left to mop it up while trying to keep the kid from being embarassed.

Last weekend at my dojo's Halloween Sleepover, I was laying down on my sleeping bag, quietly talking with a friend. Then I heard one of the 4-year-olds loudly whispering "I gotta go pottyyyy!!!!" Horrified, I quickly jumped up to handle the situation. Pee on the mats is NOT something we need As I jumped up and began to go to the little boy, I heard my brother say "I'll take care of it". Hearing this, I figured I would just lay back down and resume my conversation...not so. My Mind was saying "Hey, Body, let's go lay back down." My Body said "NO! MUAHAHA!!" and I promptly fell flat on my face This all happened (from hearing the little boy, to falling down) in about 2 seconds, so it pretty much looked like i jumped up and then immediately fell down... My friend and I were rolling around laughing for about 5 minutes ....and they give me bladed weapons???

I think I would mix my style of Tae Kwon Do with WuShu and BJJ. This may seem like a strange mixture but I'll tell you why: 1. Tae Kwon Do - because I can't imagine life without this... 2. WuShu - to amplify the artistic beauty of TKD...I've wanted to study WuShu for quite a while now. 3. BJJ - to improve the self-defense of TKD...we don't have a very extensive ground fighting system. So basically, I want to still practice my style but with a few added "extras" to make it even better Sid Vicious - kudos to you for creating a calm, constructive post happy posting, guys!

Another thing to remember.....BREATHE! If you're holding your breath during your workout, you're holding up your cardiovascular system and depriving your muscles of crucial oxygen. It seems so simple yet so many forget... Take your time and let it come naturally. Only you can really know your body and the way you feel. There is a difference between being out of shape and having something physically wrong with you. Only you can decide whether or not this is just something you have to work at, or something you need to seek medical help for. ...hope I didn't freak you out too much there

Well, little brothers are a different matter entirely...not necessarily your "friend" ..... I'm kidding, of course...

Wow...I can't even imagine what a BJJ match would be like... Congrats on simply having the courage to do it! Stick with it and you'll do great!

This is a pretty tough situation...I'd like to say I'd walk away, but if they were ticked off enough to come after me, I'm not sure I'd want to turn my back on them. It seems to me that there are so many variables, each affecting your decision and reaction, that it's something you have to deal with as it happens...no real preparation for it. In hindsight it would seem easy to decide, but something tells me it's not. Speaking of hindsight, van_damme, what did you do? You said you encountered this yesterday.

Do you spend a lot of time (such as at work) in front of a computer screen? Then you could be experiencing eye strain, which could make your eyes hurt at any time. Even if you don't spend that much time in front of a monitor, perhaps there are other things that could cause eye strain...at any rate, you may want to try this. This is a simple exercise for relieving eye strain, and also for preventing it. Rub your palms together rapidly, creating friction and heat. Get them to a good warm temperature. Now, cupping your hands slightly, place your palms over your closed eyes, overlapping your fingers at your forehead. Hold them there for about 30 seconds, MAKING SURE YOU DO NOT APPLY ANY PRESSURE! All you're using is the heat from your hands to relax your eyes. Try this before you meditate (or sleep) next, and hopefully it will help. If not, you may want to pay a visit to the optometrist

Hrm..... I'm having the opposite problem. Fave food is mashed potatoes...hands down, that's simple Fave color is a little harder...that would probably be either: blue, really rich, deep green, or really rich, deep purple.

You have made some good points, BUT THEY'RE WRONG!!! just kidding.... For one thing I'm not 1st kyu anymore, I'm 1st dan In April 2003, I will have officially been teaching for more than half as long as I've been training. In other words, I've spent more time in the MA with teaching than not teaching. Anyway, my point has always been, how can someone just magically become a good teacher after 10 years? Even that person will probably find the transition from learning to teaching very awkward. Possibly even more so because they have done nothing but learn for 10 years. I think that you must practice teaching to become an instructor, just like you must practice belt requirements to become a black belt. I am by no means the greatest instructor in the world, and I'm probably just barely a good one. But I'll never be anything better unless I practice. Not going to get into too much detail because I might get a bit angry However, I would appreciate it if you didn't accuse my instructor of having bad judgement...he himself has been involved in martial arts for over 25 years, so I definitely think HE knows what's he's doing

One tip for determining a McDojo: All McDojo's are pricey in their own way. They overcharge for belts, monthly payments, probably even charge for private lessons, may even charge you an absence fee on top of monthly payments if you don't come to class. So all McDojo's are expensive, but not all expensive schools are McDojo's! There's a lot more to it, but that's one aspect.

Actually, this needs to be in "Health, Training & Fitness" Someone will move it right away By the way, I noticed this is your first post...take a trip over to the "introductions" forum and introduce yourself!

We also have a Little Dragons program, but it is for 3 & 4 year olds. The 5 & 6 year olds have a Little Ninjas program, and then at about 7 or 8 we start them in Tae Kwon Do. Little Dragons & Ninjas are really just play time, and as they get older it gets more difficult and TKD-oriented. This means that they won't start progressing through the belts until they're 7 or 8. This holds off the blackbelt until they're about 13, because we have a Jr. Black Belt. We keep it interesting by using colorful stripes and "in-between belts". In between belts are half-white, half-whatever color. There are quite a few changes happen between 3 and 8 years old! I don't think it's fair to limit a child's potential because of what might POSSIBLY happen in a worst-case scenario. Stuff happens (I should know ...dodgeball among our class of young children is a bad idea when the violent child is around...learned that last week. ) and as Angus said early on in this post, sometimes adults use their abilities on others! As long as there are programs suited to that age, martial arts can be great for 3 year olds. It helps them to improve their attention span as it's developing, as well as coordination. We have two 8-year-old purple belts (6th out of 11 belts for the kiddies) who started when they were 3 or 4 in Little Dragons. One is actually on the Leadership and Demonstration teams. These kids have made it work so far, but by the time they're 9 or 10 they'll be jr. blackbelts. 10 year old blackbelts are something we try to avoid, but it's hard. I really hate to see 8 year old black belts, especially because of tournaments. I went to a tournament in Harrisburg where one of my friends was competing in a "14 and under" category for blackbelts. This is put up in the concept that there WON'T BE MANY UNDER TWELVE. But alas, my 14-y-o friend had two 7-or-8 year old little boys and a 14-y-o girl as his competition. I'm sure that in their own right these 8-y-o's were incredible. But they were not equally judged. My friend was actually beaten by one of these 8-y-o's in open-hand katas! (In weapons he dropped his bo and didn't place, but that was his own fault) IMO, my friend was incomparably better, but the judges went "Awww little boy, you get a 10." When it came down to SPARRING, though, my friend was put in with the 15+ division. It was an unbelievable situation. *whew!* Sorry about the long-windedness but I kinda just woke up

Ah but there is that commercial with the woman who loves football...making sure they would get Packers games too, I believe?

Alas, very bad typers should stay away from the martial arts as well. October 19th has been declared National Martial Arts day. This was typed up in our October Newsletter and given out to the students in the kids' classes. Last night, as I was printing out more for the adult classes, I realized something: Apparently October 19th is also National MARITAL Arts Day! *sigh* all the children went home with newsletters saying so....can't wait to feel the backlash from THAT one!