Belasko

In our school we start requiring breaking w/ our second test usually. The purpose for it is to demonstrate power in exhibitions/demonstrations and also to build confidence in the techniques. As was said before, if you are afraid to hit the board (which is common) then you will never break it because you won't follow the technique through to completion.

Sparring in and of itself does have a valid place in training to handle yourself on the street. It allows you to learn space control, try different combinations and variations thereof, and most importantly in my mind, to recognize an attack and learn how to effectively respond to it. I do agree that it is not perfect training for in a street fight. The only way to truly prepare for that is to be a bit stupid (my opinion) and go out and pick a fight with someone. There are also some styles that do have rules that make it more difficult d/t their rules. ATA is the one that I have experienced this with where they did not allow hand techniques to the head and no attacks to the back. In the style I practice both of these are often favored targets. But overall, without some type of freesparring, constant drilling on a single technique will only go so far unless it is done at full speed w/ no knowledge of what is coming.

Been watching to many movies Grasshopper

I've used it to help w/ balance and my forms. If you don't see where you are in relation to certain things in the room (door, mirrors, chairs, etc) you have to do the transition from one stance to the next very precisely so that you still end up facing the same way when you finish. It's amazing how far off you can end up from where you think you are.

I do know that the Korean military trains in it. I have also heard that the U.S. special forces are trained in it. However whenever you hear any military group trains in "only" one style your source it almost certainly wrong. They train in many styles, specifically what does work and get rid of the rest.

As a few have mentioned it depends on the school, how you are taught to use the techniques and most importantly in my mind, the actual ability of the student. A couple of the guys in my school helped put themselves through college as bouncers and they did use their skills learned in TKD (though not much kicking) and were effective. I know my instructor did the same thing in college and I have heard from other sources that one guy in particular was sent to the hospital w/ jaw broken on one side, shattered on the other and most his teeth missing. One punch, taken from the very first one step technique we teach our white belts. So basically, if you have the technique down, which take years, and produce the power TKD can be as effective as any other MA out there. After all, there is no superior style, only superior practitioners.

Check out this link that was in MA in polotics. A truly interesting legal view of how use of force situations are guided in the legal system. Plus it addressed a little bit on situations similar to what you bring up (without the knife though). http://www.useofforce.us/

Your description sounds a lot like the style I study, Chung Do Kwan TKD. From what I can put together there are 2 different CDK TKD styles out there. The one I'm in was an off shoot of WTF by Grandmaster Kim who started it in Arizona if I remember correctly. I'm not familiar w/ kiban but we do Pyong-an, Tae-guk, Kuk-mu forms plus others at the higher ranks. We don't necisarily have a heavy emphasis on self defense but we do have a heavy emphasis on practical application which can be applied to it. PM me if you have questions about it.

One other thing that was eluded to but I rarely, if ever hear expressed about street fight scenarios, they don't have a moral line of things they won't do. Or at the very least you can't expect them to. So for those that study martial arts styles that say "no hand techniques to the head, no kicking to the knee, etc." Be prepared, those are often the targets of choice. Great post.

Chung Do Kwan Alliance goes up to 9th dan. I've heard ATA go to 10th but I'm not entirely certain on that.

I've never been sick or hurt for a test thank goodness. However one of the guys in my dojang had messed his shoulder up earlier in the week while doing some jujitsu throughs at a MA camp one year (we both do TKD, not Jujitsu). He tested about 4 days after the injury and did all his sparring w/ his right arm tied to his torso. He even had to do 2:1 sparring that way. Finished both opponents in about 15 seconds. Truly impressive.

Just got back from the MN showing. SWEET MOVIE!!! The fight w/ Grievous was good but the one between Anakin and Obi-wan definately takes the cake. Have to go see it again!

I would recomend the Chung Do Kwan Alliance but I doubt that there are any people in Georgia to help w/ it. I know that they don't like you messing w/ the forms until you've ahieved the rank of master, but otherwise as far as teaching they don't have a fee that I'm aware of for starting a school, the annual membership is reasonable ($60) and test fees are relatively nominal. They start $20 for yellow and go up to $125 for Dan testing. The organization is headed by Grandmaster Kim out of Tucson AZ.

Took my login from the alias used in the Mack Bolan series, Mike Belasko. Always thought that it sounded like a pretty plain sounding name, yet at the same time a little mysterious. Perfect for not raising eyebrows when you don't want to.

My other interests are Photography, skiing, hunting, fishing, firearms, videogames (mostly 1st person shooters) and movies.

I graduated 3 yrs ago but the thing that I keep noticing is in regards to the old saying, "College/highschool are the best years of your life." I noticed early on, and continue to realize, whoever said that chose the wrong career. Once you are out of school you don't have homework, you get paid to do what you were paying someone to let you do the last several years, and everything does actually pertain to reality, not someones theory of reality that they have put in a book. So for those reasons, Congrats to all new grads in '05 and make the most of it

"Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" Releases tonight. For that reason I thought it would be interesting to see what everyones favorite Star Wars fight scene is. I'm also curious as to what peoples take on the the newest movie is once they have scene it. And yes, I have my ticket for the midnight showing tonight . Not missing it unless the whole theatre burns to the ground, god forbid that happen. Anyway, my favorite scene of the movies is a toss up of Obi-wan and Anakin vs. Maul or Luke vs. Vader in "Return of the Jedi". However I strongly suspect that Anakin vs. Obi-wan is about to move to first place.

Sounds like they're getting desperate. Wasn't that done in the first Delta Force movie w/ Norris? I'll have to see it though, but I'm a bit hesitant.

First one was pretty good. Little heavy on the blood and gore, but what do ya expect w/ a vamp. flick? The second one I have to agree the story line needed help, however the hand-to-hand fight scenes were pretty cool. Especially the one at the end right after he falls into the pool of blood then steps out completely dry and w/o any stains! Must use a ton of stainblocker. But just the way Snipes waded through the guards, very sweet . The third one I have some issues w/ though. Almost all the fight scenes are done to close up and the camera is constantly moving so you don't see any of the details of the fight, drives me nuts . Who knows though, maybe I just need to watch it a few more times.

I have to say that "best of the Best" was actually a pretty good flick. The second one slipped but wasn't bottom of the barrel. After that the series got REALLY bad. Especially the 4th one. The fake blood looked like it was using paintballs. I haven't seen that since the early 70's. Definately among the worst MA movies.

The only style you mentioned that I have seen in person is bagua. I don't know where you live but the person that I've met that practiced it lives in Philadelphia (if I remember correctly ). I can tell you that this style was very interesting and very detailed. This person however is one of the most dangerous people I've ever met. Part of that is that he is a master in this style, which is considered a circular, soft style. Plus he is a master in Chung Do Kwon TKD, which is primarily a linear, hard style. Together he has a truly impressive combination going for him. Getting back to the point though, he does teach in the town where he lives. If you live back East somewhere let me know & I'll find his name for you to look up his school.

In our class we don't actually shout. Our kiup is a forced exhalation from the diaphragm that often comes out sounding vaguely like an "I".

The move described sounds like the start of the form Shipsoo in our style. My Sabonihm has adapted it to a more practical movement where it mimics someone has grabbed your wrists and you roll them so that your hands and the attackers hands are in a sort of figure 4 and the rolling motion breaks their grip. Not entirely sure it's the same thing you're thinking of but if it is this is the closest I've heard to a practical application other than demonstration of breath and muscle tension control.

That would be the butterfly kick I was referring to. Basically a jump spin reverse or out to in crescent. Like you said, not usually too good for sparring. However if they aren't expecting it and you have LOTS of space (a must d/t it initially being slow) it can really set them up or take them out if they are completely caught off by it.

Don't have a list for the Japanese forms but here is the site to ISU's Tae Kwon Do page. It lists most the forms in the Korean terminology. http://www.isu.edu/stdorg/sports/tkd/