karatekid1975

Thanks Kita. I hope I do as well as you did in sparring the last time I saw you. Hiedi, too. Both of you have been an inspiration (sp?) for me. We all have to go to Caki rollin (Kita knows what I'm talking about) next time all three of us are up here in snow country at the same time

Thanks all EEkkkkk I don't wanna think about my BB test yet LOL. Probationary BB is next ...... yipes I'm getting nervous. Anyways, thanks for the encouragement (sp?). I'll need it LOL.

Hiya

Hiya

Hiya

Hey

LOL. I hate to kihap (kiai) also. I also used to have a confidence problem. I did what glingglo said. I conditioned myself to be confident. An example is the fact that I hated to kihap. I hated drawling attention to myself. I kihap now, but I still hate it LOL. But it's not because of the same reason. WolverineGuy also had good advice. Start out by making eye contact with your classmates.

We do TKD MDK also. But we do Moo Duk Kwan forms (except for color belts). Do you do Moo Duk Kwan forms as well as ITF ones after BB?

Yep, that's the one

You know what? I did both. I went to a school that dropped me to white belt, then I went to a school that let me keep my rank. But read this http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=8549 That's my opinion I hope I don't offend anyone. But that's just me. Keep an open mind folks

Thanks Kita. Actually you were one of the people I thought of when I wrote this, because you went through the same thing after I did. You know where I am coming from. As a friend, you helped me through this. Moving from NJ to NY, you are the first person I talked to. You helped me alot. I wanna say thanks Now that I finally reached brown belt, I don't wanna give it up LOL. But yet, I have to move on. In two weeks I go for my red belt, and I will dedicate it to you *bows respectfully*

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. I wanted to discuss a topic that has come up here on KarateForums.com a few times. I wanted to talk a bit about starting over when you change styles. In my experience with this, I had mixed emotions about it. In Tang Soo Do, I was brand new to the martial arts. But we had other stylists join our school. What my instructor did was, if you were a black belt in your previous style and it was similar (as in TKD, Karate, or another TSD school), he would let you keep your rank. He would give you time to learn our requirements. If you were a color belt - you would start over, but you would be allowed to test faster than most until you reached your previous rank. If you did a grappling art previously, he would make you start over for the fact that it wasn't similar. When I moved to New York, I joined a WTF TKD school. I had to start over. This school being sport, I wasn't happy about it. I was, however, allowed to test faster than most. When I joined a TKD MDK school, which I did to learn more self defense, I was allowed to keep my rank. But at this school, I wanted to start over. My instructor knew I did TSD (which is similar to TKD MDK) and WTF TKD (I knew the sparring game) and he wanted me to keep my rank of blue belt. But, all of the requirements that I had to catch up on from white to blue were overwhelming to me. This school teaches more than the previous two put together, in my opinion. I was feeling "pressured." I talked to my instructor. I asked him if I could downgrade. He agreed, but he wouldn't let me go back to white belt. We agreed on green belt. Here's a quote I posted on a topic here at KarateForums.com: Here are two answers that I got on the topic which I totally agree with. The way I feel about rank now is the same as my TSD instructor felt. In my experience, if you change styles and you are a color belt, it is so much easier to start over in the new style. This way, you will be able to start from scratch, instead of "rushing and just learning the motions" to catch up. Start fresh and learn every technique properly. Forget about rank. If you are a BB, you should have the choice of keeping your rank or dropping it. BB's should have enough experience and "basic training" to make that decision on their own. But that, also, depends on your new instructor.

Judo type stuff. Joint locks, ground defenses, arm and leg bars, ground grappling, throws, chokes, ect. When we were practicing chokes last night, there this choke where you put your arm around the person's neck and basically squeeze the airway (pretty basic choke) ..... Anyways, this one kid (well, teenage kid) went to put his arm around my neck, and he didn't even choke me, and I tapped. He was a bit "ripe." Which is strange for this guy. He is usually clean.

Thanks Yes, dobok is the Korean word for Gi. We do grappling in my dojang. Thank goodness most of the guys don't stink. I think a few kids should wash their doboks more often Good thing they are in a seperate class.

My dobok has both elastic and tie. During grappling and/or throws class, I tie it, but other than that, I just let the elastic do it's job. It holds up pretty well during regular TKD classes.

I agree Jeff. I am very aggressive for a female, BUT it was because of MA. I used to be very "timid" and had something to prove (whatever that was). Now I know where I stand, and I say it "like it is" so to speak. MA did that for me. It gave me the confidence and self esteem I never had before. But yet, I have nothing to "prove" anymore. I know I can kick some butt, but I'm not out to do that. Maybe that's what guys find attractive in MA girls. I can stand up for myself, and I don't back down now. I go up against black belts that I know that can kick my butt, but I don't go down without a fight, and they know it. There are definitely MA'ist better than me, but I will give them a run for their money, so to speak. As far as my man and I sharing the same passion, yes that turns me on. I used to be a musician, and my ex tried to "can" that for me (tried to get me out of it). I loved music (still do) and he tried to rip away the one thing I loved. I dumped him Now my passion is martial arts. I found someone with the same passion. He wouldn't try to "rip" me away from it, because he knows where I am coming from. Not to mention that he looks good in a dobok hehehehehe

I have to agree there, equaninimus. Maybe that's why I like grappling a lot now. No rules (except no hitting the face for safty reasons), no gear, just plain fun hehehehehehe

I never said what I had to wear ... sorry. We wear the cloth things for arm and shin. We have chest protectors that I hate (too constrictive) and helmet (too sweaty). I like TKD, but the gear has to go LOL. In TSD, we wore hardly any gear. I liked that best

*does a nice high side kick for Jeff* How about that hehehehehe Just bustin on ya. But I do see your point I honestly think it's good technique and the dobok combined that attracts me to a MA guy (minus an ego if he has one). Ego turns me off. But someone with good technique (and knows his stuff), and is humble about it. That makes an attractive MA guy

Kata is my fav, too. I like sparring mind you, but not nearly as much as kata. I'm the type of person that doesn't just do the motions. I "dig" into the kata and find really cool stuff (bunkai)

I have my first dobok from Tang Soo Do, which I still use when I visit my old dojang in NJ It still fits (actually it's a little big, now). I also have all my certs and belts. And a video of me as a white belt ......EEEEKKKKK!!! The worse technique LOL.

We are (my man and I) both do TKD. But he does the sport version. My style TKD is mixed with judo-ish stuff (throws, grappling, ect). It's more self defense based. He actually wants me to show him stuff, and he has actually used it in his classes (standing/counter grappling stuff, and joint locks). He helps me with sparring. His school does do some self defense that he shows me, also. So we basically "trade" info back and forth.

Shin blocks are illegal in TKD, but I use them anyway

My first instructor had the most influence on me. Mr. B (he knows who I'm talking about ). Very strict on technique, but yet, he made classes fun. He helped me with my confidence. He was like my big brother. There wasn't an ounce of ego in his blood. All my instructors have some influence on me, but he was the one who most inspired me to do my best.