Slydermv

Awww well, let someone waste their money on a piece of paper that don't mean jack...

My girlfriend and I started at the same time... and usually we get paired up together for sparring. For the most part she gives me more trouble then most guys I spar against, even higher belts.... (she's got a deadly axe kick...) Think our overall record for sparring is about 20 wins for her, 2 for me... so yeah... chicks can defiantly hold their own... and if I didn't go at her she'd embarrass me. You should see when we get into domestic disputs... is like a 70's kung fu flick in my house... heh. Good way to get a guy fighting for all you ladies. Make him look like a chump in front of all his buddies at the dojang... he'll come after you then... the male ego is a fragile thing... remember that... heh.

Str33t guy is right. Experiance > Training... but... An average joe who knows even olympic style TKD has the advange over the average joe who knows jack.... Even if you can't use techniques (say the fight goes to the ground) you are still better conditioned and stronger then the other guy... all other things being equal....

Don't knock it. I learn more on the discovery channel then I did through 4 years of college. I could write a paper on the mating habits of elephants.... But in all seriousness... I'll give those XMA guys their props. They can do stuff I couldn't even imagine doing... and look at the form of their kicks.... they look great. I'm sure most people understand that doing 540 spinning heel kicks ain't gonna be feasable in a fight... so I'm sure these XMA guys could lay a pounding or at lease have the advantage with most average joes.... just like anyone else that trains hard does (and realizes the limitiations of their art).

My TKD is like this (which it WTF): White Yellow Orange Lt. Green Green Purple Brown Blue Red Dan Bo (Pre-Black) Black ...but there are 6 belt systems as well as the 10 belt that we have.

24, currently purple belt in Tae Kwon Do, testing for my brown this weekend... woo hoo!

I'm not an expert in the the topic but I think they are the same thing, just with different names because of the languages the come from. The are both fighting with wooden swords after all.... heh. As for differences in techniques or footwork or whatever, that would have to be answered by someone else. I've never done Kendo, and I'm only a rookie with Gumdo... The basic techniques we are taugh are on my masters website if someone needs them for comparison. https://www.masterseung.com go to the Thunder Bay section....

Well, I've always been intrested in the culture and philosophy of martial arts and I believe MA's promote a good outlook on life. (humbleness honour, integrity). Another big factor is the fitness aspect... and the fact I really enjoy it. (I've tried lifting weights, running, other sports, but MA's is the only one I've stuck with) The self defence aspects are nice, but minor, as I've never been in a life threating situation and doubt I will be. So yeah, mainly it's good for a workout and keeps my life balanced, which ain't always easy... heheh.

Well, in my Dojang we do Gum Do (Korean Wooden Swords) and Num Chuk's. In the dojang ran by my masters brother... in a different city... they do some staff work *forget the name at the moment* Hope that helps....

Well, in point sparring I'm known for my back kicks and jumping back kicks... course everyone in my school knows about this so I don't get to use em much anymore... but I still suprise people on occasion... Have to see how effective they are in april in a tourney I get to check out...

My master has two visiting 4th Dan's from Korea in town, and lady and a man. I got to spar the guy one day.... was really excited, cause I always like sparing and getting the crap kicked outta me. (best way to learn how to defend yourself heh.) The match started and I think I caught him off guard cause I smoked him right away in the chest with a front leg turning kick.... it made a nice noise too... and I was sooo proud cause this guy is lightening fast and I'm only a lowly purple belt (Heh... it was like shooting a jump shot in MJ face.) Course... he smiled after this and proceed to pick me apart and kick the crap outta me. Nothing to hurt me.... but I never realized how many holes I had in my defences... cause everything I tried to do... he side stepped, backstepped countered and made me look like a chump... It was a humbling experiance, but I still tried to get pair up with him when ever I get the chance...

No... not that I know of... but I have to agree... I should just worry about myself. I'd rather be an purple belt who can handle myself in comps at that level then a higher belt who isn't prepared. I'm also starting to understand that there are some politics at my Dojang... and it is a business afterall... But... I am getting what I want out of the school (a very good question to ask myself... thank you all!) so I guess it isn't all that bad. Plus... I think I'm gonna be involved in martial arts for many years to come now so I'm sure I'll get my share of some more traditional experiances in the future. But man do I have a long way to go... heh heh heh.

Well.... so far I've done about the same... gotten a belt every three months or so. I've been at purple (5 out of 10 belts)... well this is my fourth month. My master has testing at the end of every month for people he selects to test. (i.e. you don't necessicarily get to test every other month... only when you're selected) There are however people who test alot faster. I know of at least five or six people who started later then me... months later... and are now at the same or higher belt levels.... (One person is two belts higher for example... though she comes to over 5 classes a week usually... I do maybe 4).... hence the belt a month comment (it averages out pretty close to that... of course this gets my sensors up because... well as I see it... my forms, technique and overall attitude are better then these people... that and our school has been doing really well lately and it seems a bit of a belt factory.... people have actually turned down BB testing requests cause they thought it was too early) But again I guess I dhould worry more about myself and less about other people... heh As for the kid black belts.. there are allow to test at young ages yes... though they get a red strip at the end of there belt to signify they are still under age. (so yeah... we are WTF... my masters brother was a Canadian junior national coach for Olympic TKD one year.... and we are a clone of his school) *nods at the comments from both people* Thanks for the feedback.... I plan to try other arts but figure I gotta start somewhere... but I don't wanna be in a place where I'm gonna have to unlearn everything I've learnt either This dosen't seem to be the case so far. I really like the traditional side of the martial arts as well... but scheduals at this place are really flexable and I figure it's where I can get my best workout...

I've been surveying these boards for a while now and I've come to the conclusion for the past year and a half I've been training at a McDojang. Well at least I think it is. The tell tale signs of young and crappy black belts, and belt a month promotions are all there. For the most part our sparring is based on the sport side of the art and we do little in the form of work with the hands, joint locks... basically we practice kicking, have a demonstration team... etc. Now... I have a question... is this really that bad of a thing for me? Should I run like the wind out of this place and head somewhere else? I pose this question cause of this... I started training when I was 23, just out of university, smoking a pack a day (which I now quit...woo hoo!) and in real bad shape. This is my first experiance in martial arts, and I'm loving it. I train a little more seriously then most I think... giving it my all in class, etc. and I'm in better shape then I have been for a long time.... I've never been more flexable, and I've got leg speed I've never though possible for me... (and I'm only a purple belt...) I've also notice that my master seems to have noticed this and dosen't seem to promote me as fast as the rest of the students in the class even though I'm at their same skill level if not better. (Then again... I could be delusional and really suck... heh). I don't know if this is a money suck, or he sees that fact that I'm in not hurry for the BB and am actually there to train. There are a few pluses here, and the self defence portion... well I understand the fact that I'm not tossing kicks to the head in a real fight... and though my hand work prolly sucks, a few kicks to the knee of someone will prolly get me out of a bad situation quick. Course I tend to stay out of those types of situations. Anyways... from my reasoning, this is a good place for me to start, while increasing my flexibilty and stamina, I'm learning a few some good techniques in the process (As a teacher my master is really good...trained in Korea... for those of us in the school who pay attention). I'm a little scared to go to a more traditional school from what I've read until I'm in a lot better condition. I don't know.. am I deluding myself? Am I just justifiying staying... should I run like the wind? Any advice would be great, especially from someone who might have trained in more traditional places as well as more mainstream ones... I'm kinda torn at the moment.... Thanks.