Kenpo man

I agree... I was taught that every block is a strike, and every strike is a block. ... But there are many other possibilities that a simple block/strike will set you up to be able to perform. It is kind of like footwork, where if you do not have the most basic building blocks there and are not performing them correctly to begin with, you will never be able to perform the "hidden" techniques that are available to you through the "Setup" when attempting to perform these types of techniques.

Smores are grahm crackers, chocolate, and marshmellows made into a sandwich. You need to stick the marshmellows on a stick, then get them kinda gooey over an open fire (Microwave for you kiddies at home), then it on the grahm cracker with the thin chocolate bar on it already, then top it off with the other grahm cracker. The reason they are called smores, is because when you eat one, you will want some-more (smore) of them.

I am the same, an Introvert. I do not like gatherings of most any kind. ... But the other weekend my Sifu was holding a bachelor party for one of the black belts, and I was invited even though I did not really know any of them, nor my Sifu very well yet. Well, I decided it would be best to go and meet these people outside of the Dojo, so I could bond with them in a different atmosphere. IT WAS GREAT! I had a good time, and got to see these people and sifu at their most deviant, or worst way possible... By watching them (And them watching me) do things with some female strippers that I will not mention in this forum. All I can say is WOOOO HOOOOO! It was a great time I will remember for the rest of my life.

Well, if I were you I would pick a MA that I liked and wanted to train in. There are a few web sites out there that will list them all and explain what their strengths and weaknesses are. Decide what you want to get out of the MA's and then go looking for a school around your area that teaches it. Personally, I find it much better to look for a good instructor, rather than a certain type of MA. These can be hard to find to be sure, as there are many, many McDojo's out there. First and foremost, you need to find a school close to you though. If I understand your question, you want to know that if you studied one type of martial art a while ago, would it have changed with the times. It all depends on the style you chose back then. Most traditional styles do not ever really change, as far as the katas and such... But a lot of MA's will add some other MA's techniques into theirs, to better round out their own art for practicality. Moslty grappling, ground fighting, and close in stuff like this. If you have been practicing some type of martial art on your own, without any prior guidance, you will be suprised at how much you ahve probably been learning wrong. Kicks, punches and Blocks are pretty much the same with all MA's, but the techniques and katas are not. Just go into whatever school you choose with an open mind, clean slate, and you will do just fine. I hope this helps bud.

Full contact sparring! Does this mean you do not use gloves or padded protection of any kind (Other than a cup) while sparring, and that you go all out? Or does it mean that you wear your padded protection, but go all out? Thanks for answering my stupid question folks.

The problem with getting the first puch in, is that if you throw the first punch, you just started the fight. Even if you both are standing there toe to toe getting ready to fight (Which rarely happens in a "Real" fight) you may get the first one in, but that in no way means that you win, or the fight is over. While point sparring and regular sparring are good ways to practice, and get in shape, this in no way prepares you for the "mental" aspect of being in a "Street fight"! Also, almost everyone has "Tells" when they go to throw something... Especially people who are trained in martial arts, as they tend to do the same thing the same way every time. Street fighters do not, and they are much more mentally capable of inflicting some serious physical damage on you, than you are on them. You must be mentally and physically "Ruthless" to be a good street fighter! Martial arts does not teach you this! ... Street fighting does!

Ohh, and one more thing, If you are not prepared to inflict hurendous physical damage to someone, then DO NOT STREET FIGHT! Sparring will NOT prepare you mentally to do this type of physical damage to another human being... STREET FIGHTING WILL!

The whole truth is that in a "Real" fight on the street there are NO rules. This means that the guy you are fighting may do some pretty nasty things to you. If you do not have a strong mind, as well as strong emotions, not to mention good fighting skills, you will more than likely lose to an experienced street fighter. If you think someone is just going to stand there "Toe to Toe" with you, you are very sadly mistaken. If you think that someone is going to wait until you are ready, you are very sadly mistaken. I have seen some very hurendous things in street fights. I have actually watched people take a finger and pop out another persons eye ball right out of it's socket. It was hanging there by the "Strings". I have seen people intentionally break arms, legs, fingers, noses, and ankles. My personal favorite is the neck punch. Get hit hard in the neck "Once", and then tell me you are still gonna be able to fight anything! Then you have the whole other side of this. Just because you win a street fight with one person, does not mean that his brothers or friends are not going to be ganging up on you, waiting for you next time, or come looking for you. Have you ever actually seen someone get hit over the head with a base ball bat at full force? I have seen it happen two times, and let me tell you here and now, it is NOT something you want to witness first hand! The act itself is pretty freaky, but witnessing the cunvulsions the victim went through will bring tears to your eyes. The single most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to NOT brag about knowing martial arts of any kind to anyone. Remember this too... When your friends know how good you are at martial arts, looking at it through the eyes of a non martial artist, they will brag about you to others and the word WILL get out. The next thing you should do is NOT fight unless it is absolutely necessary to you or your families survival... And even then, fight like your life depends on it, as it probably will! Just my two cents.

Ed Parker's American Kenpo. My Sifu does not affiliate himself under any of the current organizations though. He is a "True" Ed Parker practioner, as in all about the "Why" just as much as the "How". He is the most intense, dedicated and knowledgeable Sifu and person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, let alone study martial arts under. His name is Sifu Greg Medford, and I believe he studied under the Tracey bros sometime in the past, or someone who studied under them. EDIT: Ohh, and before this, I studied under a man named Mike Wall, and he taught ryu te ren me Karate under a true master named Taika Oyata... Whom I actually had the pleasure of meeting for a weekend seminar at Mikes school once.

Became good at martial arts? Did you stop taking crap from people and start to get into fights more often than any other time in your life? Did your ego grow to epidemic proportions due to being good at your martial art? Thank you for your time.

First, you need to get one of them newer style floor bags ($200.00). Then you can practice your kicks and punches with actual resistance to strengthen your wrists and such. In my opinion, if you are not in shape, you can not be practicing in a way that will show any long term physical results, other than just knowing the techniques and or katas. You can't possibly kick or punch for any length of time without it, in my opinion. In my opinion, you should be doing some cardio workouts at least 3 times per week, preferably 5. This is numeral uno in order to maintain stamina and longevity while training and sparing. Try doing what we do at my Dojo a few nights per week... 30 minute cardio workout: 3 minutes - jump rope 1 minute - crunches 3 minutes - bag work (Punching only) 1 minute - sitting with back arched slightly backwards & doing punches to left and right while turning your torso. 3 minutes - Jump rope 1 minute - Atomic sit up's 3 minutes - bag work (Kicking only) 1 minute - Crunches 3 minutes - jump rope 1 minute - sitting cross punches again 3 minutes - bag work (Punches and Kicks) 1 minute - atomic sit up's 3 minutes - jump rope 3 minutes - bag work (Jumping kicks and punches) Then check your heart rate and make sure you are at around 35 - 40 beats per 30 secs (Depending on your age). If you are not getting your heart rate this high, you are not working hard enough! You can also jog or just do one or more of these things for 30 minutes for a good cardio workout. Then I would just practice all the stuff you are not good at yet, or the obscure stuff that you do not get to see much at the dogo. I hope this helps you out.

I am sorry if this has been asked already. I mean if you switch styles, do you just forget all the other training you had in your original style, and learn the new one right over the original one in your brain? How could you possibly have two or more styles ingrained in your head to the point they are both reflexes? I am ONLY talking about your traditional styles, NOT about kickboxing/Mui Tie/Krav Maga/ Brazilian Ju Jitsu, and all that combat/sport fighting stuff... As we all know that these styles compliment eachother, and do not take away, or get in the way of the others when combined. As far as I know anyway... LOl! Thank you for your time.

It sounds to me like YOU may be the problem here. If you had a falling out with your old teacher, and are now going to cause a problem by going into a new school with this kind of attitude, the problem is more than likely YOUR ego. Look within yourself for the root cause of both of your problems, before you go causing yourself and others more problems. This is just my two cents on your post, and I could very well be wrong, so please do not take this as a poke or an insulting response. Good luck to you!

Ok, first off you sound old enough to NOT be completely dependant on your parents to not only take you to classes, but pay for them, if they will not. Second, it also sounds like you are going to have to find a different school to study at. Hopefully you have one close enough to you that is the same discipline you were studying before. If not, you will have no other choice but to find a different dicipline to learn. Third, over coming this obstacle will define who you become later on in life. If you give up now, you will regret it later in life (Because you said it is your "Passion" now.), and it will also set a very bad presidence for you to cultivate throughout your life. Giving up is very easy to do, gets you nowhere in life, and if you give up this time it will make it that much easier to give up on something important to you next time. ... Like a child, a career, a degree, a wife, a mastery in martial arts, and so on, and so on, and so on. Fourth, just by you coming here and asking our advice shows that you are already thinking for yourself, and are trying to find ways to make your "Passion" live on as long as you possibly can. Not to mention still practicing at home. I do not know if this is the hardest thing you have had to overcome in your life to date, but you MUST do whatever it takes to make it work out possitively for you now. Fifth, Take it from me, I got a late possitve start in life due to giving up at a very young age and doing drugs instead. It was not until I went through a divorce that I decided to go to school and make a career for myself (Age 27)... And it was not until very recently (Age 37) that I finally realized that drugs are not as "Cool" as a way of life as I had once thought. Now I am not only monetarally able to do just about anything I want to do, I am also physically able to live out a couple of long lost dreams of mine... Earning a black belt in martial arts (5-6 years to go), and owning my very own Harley (Have it now). Just think of how much I could have accomplished in my life by now, if I had not given up on "Real" life way back when (Age 12). Sixth, no matter what you decide to do, remember this one thing for the rest of your life... "Showing up is 90% of the game of life." - Keanu Reeves: "The Replacements" Sorry for the preachey post bud, but I just wanted to try to get you to see how important it is to NOT give up on your dreams, EVER! Take care, and good luck to you man!

I would just give him what he wanted, unless it was my girl friend or my *. Lol! If the guy was obviously going to try to shoot me, and he was close enough to me so I could grab the gun, I would be confident enough to grab the gun while he is still holding it, force the gun to point up, then I would pull the trigger until all the bullets were spent. Then the gun becomes nothing more than a real bad stick or throwing object. At this point I would kick the ever lovin poop out of this moron... Or run away screeming as loud as I can. On another note, if someone tried to force me to drive them somewhere by gunpoint, I would hand them the keys and tell them they could have my car, but I would NOT be going with them. If they persist, I would tell them that they would have to shoot me right then and there then. This is because I would rather be shot in a place where I could possibly get help right away, or at least have my body be found soon, rather than in some desert months later. Not to mention that the odds of someone hearing me get shot there would be much better than in a desert, or somewhere of his choosing. I have thought about this many times, and this is the best thing to do in this situation in my humble opinion.