Pacificshore

Like joining a dojo for the first time, you have a "feeling" out process. Get to know the instructor see what he or she has to offer, open your mind to learning, then make your decision on whether or not the instructor is the right person for you regrdless of their dan rank.

A buddy of mine asked me to invest in a training suit such as the RedMan with him. I know ther are others out there on the market and was wondering if any or you had an opportunity to use any of the training suits available out there and what are/were your opinions about the different ones. Thanks!

Like Blade13 suggested...EBay. I've seen swords offered on there, and not just swords from martial arts stores, but from sword dealers. Granted, not sure of their quality, but you could always ask questions before bidding. I've seen samurai swords designed by a Paul Chen, never heard of this designer, but by the look the prices his swords go for, they are neither cheap or too expensive.

Welcome ShotoTiger...aka:Melanie

How Do!! and Welcome

Well the Chinese Kenpo I had trained in years ago had the flavor of the Okinawan/Japanese katas. We had the Pinan katas, or Heians in Japanese. The only difference in our pinans were the stances. Example, in the Japanese Heian, you had a back stance, we had a cat stance and low at that. We had self defense sets, basic SD, open hand SD, closed hand SD, weapons SD, and so on. As I recalled, we conentrated equally on both kata and self defense. My instructor who was my college roommate was also a Marine Officer, so at times we had a little "boot" camp training The first M.A. I ever studied was Kajukenbo, but I wasn't in it long enough to learn much, although it is a form on Kenpo/Kempo, as is Parker's kenpo or any other Traditional Kenpo/Kempo school, the emphasis lies in self defense first and kata second!!!

Are you referring to Okinawan Kempo, Shorinji Kempo, Parker Kenpo, Traditional Kenpo/Kempo, or Kajukenbo? There are so many I'm sure the list can go on!

How many here have worked on developing your other senses, other than sight, when working out? And what were/are some of the excercises that you used to develop your other senses?

What I would suggest is that you look into the many different styles of martial arts in your area. Just because you can't kick well dose not mean that you have to only take TKD. Practically any martial art can teach you to kick!! What you want to do is look for a dojo that you feel comfortable in and with the instructor. If you have never trained, then everything you will learn will feel foreign, but don't quit and before you know it, it'll be second nature to ya

They say that when a partner taps out after applying a choke hold then you know you've done the technique correctly. Well that is the same as seeing your partner struggle for air, turn blue in the face, eyes roll up......those are all signs that you have executed the technique correctly. Release the hold save yourself and your partner some grief. Put those to sleep who wish to cause you real harm or harm to a loved one.......

Hi KM, Welcome BTW One of my favorite combos when in competition was the front leg sweep followed by a reverse punch to the ribs. Another was the lead leg double roundhouse, groin then head if open As far as for street self defense purposes, I focus on keeping my kicks low, and my hands high......and off we go with what may come!!

Not to beat a dead horse......but if ya wanna be a fighter then take up an art that simply focuses on fighting. If you want to develop mentally, physically, and spiritually then study any other form of karate/M.A. that offers more than one dimension. For some being one dimensional is fine, for others, training in the M.A. is a life long exploration. In the end whether you have 10 years of formal training under your belt in karate, or 6 months training in BJJ/Muay Thai, if all things are equal then the most determined person will prevail. But also remember this, things are not always equal in life and seldom rarely is.....you will never know what it is you face until your in the mix, ie multiple friends, weapons(guns, knives,etc.), your level of intoxication, and so on. Just food for thought Oh, in respects to Katas, IMO I think it is of value in your training as a martial artist!!!

Although I haven't taken TKD since my high school days, it was primarily the only M.A. school available at the time.

It's sounds good to put someone to sleep if they fail to tap on a choke hold, but seeing how you are new to Jujitsu and are still learning, best to release the hold especially if you know the kid was turning blue/purple in the face.

Keep your hands up at all times to protect yourself, footwork-forward, back, and lateral...this leads to timing and distance. Develop techniques that will set up your adversary such as a front leg sweep, fake back knuckle, etc. Then develop your "bread&butter" techniques for the score. Most successful touney fighters usually have no more than 3 main techniques that they use to score on their adversary.

If you bounce in a broken pattern and move forward and back, don't forget your lateral movement. Also if you move your lower half, then move your upper half with some bobbing & weaving

Here are some of the weapons in my system: Bo Sai Nunchuks Balisong There are also the tonfas and kamas

MG, As 3rd Dan suggested, timing/speed drills will help in developing your punching skills, same would go for kicks. I'm not a weight lifting expert, but weight work could help some. One of the things that I have found helpful over the years is learning how to stay relaxed and loose. If your are working on say your jab, keep your fist, arm, and shoulder relaxed. As you shoot your jab out at your target, start to tense your fist, arm and shoulder as it strikes the target. Have your focus point actually go beyond your target and not the target itself. This would be a visualization process. The same process would apply to the hook, straight, or roundhouse punch. You will find as you develop in your punching skills that speed can equal power!!!

G95, Take a look at http://www.bugei.com . They make samurai swords either to your specs or offer some of their own designs.

Magical Goose, If your talking jabs and hooks, then realize that a jab is more of a quick punch not really a power punch. It's like flicking your hand out and back, only now your hand is closed!! The hook punch I see as a power punch, but you have to develop a torquing motion with the upper and lower body. This motion places everything from your arm, shoulder, hip and leg behind the punch!! Hope this is of some help

how about full recoil of the kick as you execute it and full extension past your intended target!!

It was a pretty good documentary on martial arts, but I gotta say chi or no chi, and as much as I enjoy training, I wouldn't sit there and take an unabated shot to the chest, throat, or groin(Combat Ki portion).

My strong side is my right side. However, depending on what technique I choose to use, will depend on how I stand. For example, I can execute a spinning back kick stronger and faster with my left leg than my right leg. Fast back fist with my left than my right.

In a multiple attack situation it is always a good thing to leave yourself an avenue of escape, thus not having your back to a wall. Perhaps the only advantage to the wall is not having someone else come up from behind. Footwork is vital and so long as you have your footwork, you can continue to move to an area of safety, thus using one or more of the attackers as a shield/barrier against the others. Also, if you strike, strike the one that is closest to you or the one who initiates the first attack.

I prefer the wood octagon shaped chucks with paracord string. The chain ball bearing ones can be difficult to control because they have the tendency to spin on you if they hit any part of your body. Plus with the string ones, you can easily adjust the string to it's correct length, which provides better control of the chucks.