OldRookie

I guess I am one of the lucky ones...as with Black Dragon & others my Dojang stresses self defense techniques more than forms & point sparring. We don't have a cookie cutter formula to how our training advances. Some nights we may work over & over on Aikido based locks & then add eye gouges,groin strikes, kicks to the knee..whatever works. We practice low kicks & fighting "dirty" to save your neck on the street. To quote our Chief Instructor Mr. Roby, "One of the coolest sounds you will ever hear is a bone breaking!" With our sparring--if we have a tournament getting close,sure- we will work pretty heavy on point sparring but we do not train to just pad up & win trophies. Most of our sparring classes we work a wide variety of techniques, different levels of contact and do practice sweeps,takedowns, defense against weapons & multiple attackers and we get to punch to the head--and we do have students "No change" after testing from time to time.

This thread started back in Jan 2002?.....Might as well keep it going. I have only competed twice this year but have another CTF tourney coming up at the end of Sept in Memphis,Tn that I will try to make. A few weeks back I competed in a open tournament & it was pretty cool with all the different styles that were there. The Weapons forms competition was outstanding.

Practice--practice--practice....that's all I got..sorry. There's no quick fix that I have found yet-

Dragonslist.com has a scant bit of info on white eyebrow & other lesser & also well known Kung Fu styles.

Sight- I was at an open tourney in Bryant Arkansas a couple of weeks ago & saw some camo belts also?....Kinda cool but then again..kinda goofy looking. I think they put them in with the regular green belts.

Testing for my Brown on Saturday!..Our belts are white,yellow,green,purple,blue,brown,red, & black. We have seniors of each colored belt that has a black stripe running horizontally down the length...So-I am now a senior blue testing for brown & then hopefully before the end of the year I will test for senior brown. I have been training for just 19 months now.

IMHO-stretching is very helpful in MA & I try to stretch every day...Of course I am one of the "Geezers" at my dojang so I have that "use it or lose it" thing working against me. I can't just drop down to full splits cold.-- ALWAYS warm up 1st before you start to stretch (your hamstrings will thank you for it..)

Anyone tried this product?... I find it very hard to believe even a fraction of what they advertise but I can't help but wonder...Hmmm-faster reflexes & reaction time from an over the counter supplement... Smells like "snake oil" to me!

Kick_azz I can't say from my own experience-just what I have read & heard but Hwa Rang Do sounds great for self defense. If had the chance (-& a dojang for it) I would like to take up Hwa Rang Do OR Hapkido as they seem more combat oriented.

3 nights a week & try for that elusive 4th night on those rare times the we aren't running kids all over for their activities. I also work out at home in my "Fortress of Solitude"--otherwise known as the garage...

Just gotta do it! I slacked off yest. & last night so-- I'll have to work on the wavebag pretty heavy,do my tonfa form a couple of dozens times, and then probably collapse in a sweaty heap while trying to decide if I want the Cadbury egg or the chocolate bunny...

KickChick, I kind'a had the same "Cheesy" feely after seeing the commercials....troubled teens (that just happen to all look like models..) building relationships & learning to trust one another as they study martial arts-{{{..yawn......}}} Dawson's Creek with a few lame fights & "training" thrown in= . Russell Wong stars as the ex-cop Sifu with the checkered past......you think that sounds bad?!--my kids were watching The Karate Kid on the tube tonight,talk about cheesy!

Laurie-I gotta go with you on this. At my Dojang one steps are learned by lower ranking colored belts & are part of testing, but....as a tool for self defense,Nahhh......just my opinion of course. I personally think sparring helps to a greater degree & its fun! Unfortunately, in the "real world" I don't think the attacker will have pads on Or help you up after he/she clocks you!

2 boards with a palm heel when I was a Sr. yellow belt. My instructor held & I was afraid I had put his eye out the way the pieces flew back in his face. We did our breaks at the end of class one night & it was a great confidence booster for everyone.....yes-I still have those boards!

Well-I have finally decided to get my feet wet at a CTF tourney in Little Rock,Ar next month. My stances still need fine tuning on my forms but I am really looking foreward to sparring. I am {{{groan..}}} 43 now & just curious how many of my fellow "Mature" MA still spar in tournaments..?

Here we are----A brand new year-full of promise & good things to come and---wait a minute...whats that big,black cloud on the horizon?...Income taxes!!!

Yeah-I'm a day early...just wanted to post this before I forget. Hope everyone on KF.com has a safe & happy new year. Don't drink & drive--Get a designated driver if you plan to drink-you know the drill.....We all want to see you back @ the dojo/dojang/club/YMCA ect. with all your parts working in 2003!......(I will be at my little corner of Texas Wed night,sipping a cold Shiner Bock)

Ditto on all replies---Very effective. I accidently broke a friend's nose in close in class one Saturday. For a change we were working on grappling & as he grabbed me I turned into him swinging my left arm up & out of his grasp. Unfortunately-my elbow came down & just clipped the bridge of his nose. I heard it pop,the blood started to flow & I felt pretty bad. I am about 4 inches taller & 50 lbs heavier so I felt guilty. But-I barely felt the contact so just imagine if you are trying to ram that elbow into some dirtbags face.... Also,great to use against kicks. I love to drop my elbows down on shins in sparring. They may get their kick in-but they pay for it !

......all that time I wasted cursing ATT for the slow,crappy dial up connection! Glad your back online patrick !

I just blew out 43 candles on the 23rd of Nov.---KickChick I'm with you on the stretching-at my age I figure I need it every,single day to stay flexible & it has really helped. No major injuries---yet... {{I am testing for Purple Belt on Sat}}

<>!! Personally I would go with low kicks,the old thumb to the eye, and hand strikes to the throat,groin..(hands if in close of course). It would all depend on a lot of variables;the location,lighting,distance,number of attackers,is he armed...( I hear Iron Shirt training somehow does not stop bullets.. ). Also-if you have ever watched K-1 or Mui Thai fights, ever see a guy get clocked by the old "slow back leg round kick" we have all been told not to use 'cause you can see those turning kicks from a mile away?.. I have seen several K.O.'s from round kicks to the head. If you have the opportunity & the ability to use a high kick-why not?...

I gotta go with Iron on The Last Dragon--should have been named The Worst Dragon. I actually rented one that I thought would have supreme suckage but wasn't that bad-Shootfighter 2 with Bolo Yeung. The story was pretty farfetched but the acting wasn't bad & had a few kickazz fights.Needed a few more,but-for $2.29 rental, it was worth it.

Congrats MonkeyGirl! Sounds as if you guys really have it tough on testing...our upper levels colored belts;brown & red, do great deal of sparring & also have certain board breaks they have to complete. Really heavy on the sparring & on forms but no running! Good luck Radok on your upcoming test-I just received my green belt last month myself.

Kicking drills with ankle weights maybe....? I need to pick my speed up also. A brown belt @ my Dojang told me he just did stationary drills;round kicks,side kicks,ect. after warming up & stretching. He said he does 500 kicks a night.....think I'll try it but maybe not quite THAT many to start.

OK- OK, I give up.......I posted the pic in the right catagory but the title is wrong......I put up the 2nd pic of Gen . Choi with the correct date. -How many times am I gonna screw this up?........{{..ambels off to find dunce cap..}} Please delete the 1st pic that has the obviously wrong date in the title...Thanx..I really gotta start getting more sleep..