Aodhan

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=945887901&n=2 Theres the link to the three brick break I did. The red thing on my left hand is a bag glove, not a cast. Aodhan

Well, if nothing else the grizzly wrestling will prep you for fending off high school boys on dates. Aodhan

At your age, I would work more on technique and speed, and get the endurance up as much as you can. There will be plenty of time to work on the strength later. As you work on strength, many times the type of training you do will de-emphasize the training of the fast twitch fibers, which will in turn decrease your speed slightly. This is what gives the rise to the myth that muscle makes you slow. (If you want a refutation of that, look at the world class sprinters. Almost to a person, they are just this side of show quality builds). Work on the speed and endurance, at your age you won't be in too many situations where that won't work the best, then work on strength in a few years when your main growth spurt has finished. Aodhan

I use L-Glutamine and the effects are very noticeable What are those effects? And are there other things in the supplement besides the L-Glut? Aodhan

ROFL!! Aodhan

Excellent point. Additionally, for most organizations, the times set are MINIMUMS. The minimum time in rank for ATA to move from beginner to BB is I believe arouind 18 months. Much the same as the ITF. Minimum time between blackbelt ranks is years x rank (1st to 2nd 1 year, 2nd to 3rd 2 years, etc). Nowhere does it say that someone WILL be promoted that fast. I know of several people in the ATA that took 3-4 years to get their 1st degree, and others that have spent 2-5 years (more in some cases) between some of the black belt ranks. It's an individual determination. The standards are minimums, nothing says anyone has to promote to that schedule. Aodhan

Also, it sounds counter intuitive, but I sweat buckets as well, and I've found an underarmour type shirt that wicks it away from the skin helps keep me cooler. I generally lose 2-5 lbs during a typical workout from sweating and fluid loss. Aodhan

Ahem. Look at the first line of my first response. You're welcome. ::deep bow:: Seriously, I'm glad that's all it is, that is a fairly easy recovery regimen. Glad it's getting taken care of! Aodhan

Welcome, Storm. May you have an enjoyable time here and in MA. We're a pretty good group to hang with. Aodhan

Congrats, Sohan. Well deserved. Aodhan

What style? The ATA has several schools in the area (Taekwondo), and I know a couple of the instructors in the area. Aodhan Any Style, I'm looking at whatevers avalible in the area currently.Then just grab the phone book, visit a ton of schools, find out what style you like, then ask again and people here can probably steer you to a good school in a specific style. It's like a buffet. Sample everything once, then go back for more of what you like. Aodhan

What style? The ATA has several schools in the area (Taekwondo), and I know a couple of the instructors in the area. Aodhan

They are plastic, with a "seam" down the middle that has little nubs sticking out out that mesh together. I think they are harder to break than real boards, as they force you to strike the center zone. On a regular board, even if you hit off center you can still break if your holders are good. You can find the ones we use at Century ($69.99 a board retail, not sure wholesale), and Asian World has a version that I'm not fond of. Aodhan

A school that promotes solely on if your account is current. You know, "5,000 black belts served and counting!" It's a term of derision applied to schools that are perceived to be belt factories, that don't have or just pay lip service to actual physical requirements. Aodhan

Kez- I am a certified instructor in the ATA, and about a year or so from hopefully opening my own school. Here's some of the things I did and wish I had done 1 - Take business classes at the local college, or as part of a minor when you go. Make sure you include some marketing. There are a ton things to think about when planning where to open, such as access, foot traffic, local rent, average income in the area, etc etc. 2 - Talk to your instructor about your intentions, ask if you can help in the school. Learning how to order, budget, etc. is the most important thing in the school. Almost anyone can learn to teach, not everyone can learn the business part. 3 - Take advantage of every extra seminar you can afford to. The more exposure you have in the arts the better. 4 - Practice, practice, practice. Become smoooooth, like buttah. People will judge on appearances, so if you can't do it, but can teach it, many times people won't sign up. 5 - People laugh, but being able to say you were a state champion, or winner of X tournament 5 times, things of that nature really look good in a yellow pages ad. Compete. It's also a great way to learn 6 - Continuation of #2, when it comes time, again talk to your instructor. Some of my friends that opened schools did so initially as a partnership with their original instructor, and then had a buyout agreement over a few years. This also gives you someone to go to with situations you've never had. In short, train like mad, study like mad, save like mad. Aodhan

We break boards for rank testing from recommended BB on up. It is not required for colored belts, although a lot of schools require it on their own. We generally break (rebreakable boards of varying colors/ease) at least once a week for a few minutes in class. For new/young students, they break white boards (Pretty easy, you can just press down hard and it "breaks"), all the way up to black rebreakable (Equivalent to about 2, 2 1/2 one inch pine boards) for the older, more advanced ranks. I agree, if you require board breaks for testing, and you don't practice it, then you are doing a disservice to your students. It would be the same as saying "Well, you have to do your form, so we'll practice it once or twice the week before the test." Aodhan

See, that's what I'd like to go to. White-Yellow-Blue-Brown-Black, or something. If we Americans weren't so needy and always seeking a pat on the back, I'd go to white-brown-black. I don't know if it is so much about needing a 'pat on the back,' but more about haveing that many ranks to help with setting short term goals, and then establishing objectives to reach those short term goals. The rank systems make that a little easier to manage. All of the colored belt ranks add up to the long term goal of black belt. Also, if you have curriculum for each of the belts, then no matter how many you have, as long as something is being taught and learned, then it is beneficial. Exactly. Everyone always says "Oh, the rank doesn't matter as long as you have the knowledge", but everyone loves to bash the belt system. If I had a belt testing every month, people would absolutely SCREAM "McDojo!!". But, if I had 36 different belts and took 3 years to get to BB, what's the difference between 36 belts and 6 belts with 6 stripes each? Aodhan

Well, this wasn't really anything the ATA engineered. This is something my school owner did as a program in school only as part of her Master's preparation. Aodhan Yeah, I understood that. But, don't you imagine that is where the ATA comes up with some of it's ideas? It is great networking. Oh, absolutely. I was asked to be a board holder during my school owners testing for 7th degree at Worlds, and I got to meet SO many of the high ranks in the organization by doing so. I also got to meet Chuck Norris, and I had probably a good hour conversation with Mike Chat about XMA, marketing, why he chose the ATA to "ally" with, how to teach, etc. I have a HUGE respect for the man that I hadn't before. Not only is he an incredible MA, but he understands the business aspects of martial arts as well. Networking rocks! Aodhan

Huh. And nobody bashes ITF for stuff the way they bash the ATA. I took a look at the ITF site, and as near as I can tell, the ONLY difference between ITF requirements and ATA requirements is ATA time between 1st and 2nd is 14 months instead of 18. (You test for 2nd recommended at 12 months, then 2 months before you can test for decided). EVERYthing else is the same down the line. I also notice that the ITF is requiring attendance at instructor clinics to keep their instructor plaque, and they are developing specific programs for children, adults and seniors, all stuff the ATA does. Guess the grass isn't always browner on the other side... Aodhan

Warning signs: 1) Tons of white/orange/yellow belts running around, very few middle to high color belts and black belts. (Although, if this is a new school, that may not be true) 2) Mandatory 18+ month contracts with no escape clauses 3) Advancement PURELY on if you make it to 12 classes. You could suck your thumb during the test and still pass 4) Check the business with the BBB. See if they are a member of the BBB and/or chamber of commerce. The more legitimate schools will join these orgs. 5) Heavy emphasis on money over training. It's okay if good training costs a lot, but bad training at a high cost is a terrible waste. 6) Won't allow you to talk to current students or observe/take an intro class until you sign a contract. These are a few of the warning signs. If I may ask, what is worrying you about your current training school? What prompts you to ask the question? Aodhan

Well, this wasn't really anything the ATA engineered. This is something my school owner did as a program in school only as part of her Master's preparation. Aodhan

Think so? Try brushing your teeth with your opposite hand. I had to do that when I had tendon repair done on my right hand, and it's a lot more awkward than you might think. As was eating soup. Aodhan

I haven't had this problem, but I have seen it. Most of the time it is related to the chamber, and the knee doesn't get enough height to promote a high kick. For a lead leg front kick, I try to bring my knee up to my chest first. If your knee never makes it above belt level, then neither will your kick. If you are chambering above your belt, then it is either a flexibility problem, or possibly you are shifting your back foot around. Videotape yourself and take a look at it. Aodhan

Similar to Tom Callos' program (She got permission from him to use it as a model) Daily tasks: Form - 3 times Good deeds - 3 3 miles walking 150 pushups 150 situps Sparring - 3 2 minute rounds (Could be regular, shadow, etc.) 15 minutes meditation Yearly tasks: 1 self improvement/philosophy type book read per month Achieve 10 personal goals 1 day, 3 day and 9 day fast One community project Spend 1 day blind, mute or in a wheelchair Also, there were journaling requirements, but I didn't really journal all that much. I've never been much of a diary keeping type of person. Final was to design your own testing, it could be used as either two midterms or as a rank test if you were ready for a rank test. Unfortunately, I couldn't use it as a rank test as I have another 2 months in rank to go before I am eligible. Basically, it's a way to really advance yourself personally and as a martial artist. It's a lot of work and sacrifice, but it was very much worth it. I don't think without this as part of the preparation, I would have done as well as I did on my instructor certification camp. Aodhan

Well, since you don't say what the mechanism of injury was, it could be anything from a pinched nerve to a fracture. In any case, something like that that persists for a few days needs a doctor's attention. Get thee to a medical practitioner! Aodhan