G95champ

I would get to know the person a bit before sparring. Some guys are pure hard core and others are just looking for someone to take to court. Be careful.

I tend to say Shotokan instead of Karate no reason.

Sticks and Stones. I live by this I teach this and it kills me to see people get mad over name calling.

Welcome

Welcome

Reading this messageboard

The Cookie man is back. I was wondering where you went. Welcome back.

For the Streets we use what we call a traffic light syste. I have posted this before. Anyway it has 3 levals red, greem, and yellow. Each light color reflects your state of being ready. Green - is the lowerst this is how you are at home with you friends and family. In other words not a high chance of being jumped. Yellow - This is how you are at say a public event. Such as a HS sports event. You are basically safe but at any time things could go wrong. You are aware of people and things arround you. Just like at a HS sports game if things are getting out of control you know because the tempor of the crowds change. Yellow is a state of being ready. Not jumpy but you know something could go wrong at any moment. This is what I stress my students to try and be at any time they are outside their homes. (school, store, etc) Red - This is the highest stage. Only used when someone has made a statement or threat against you. You know someone is going to jump you because they have said so. Or this could also be a situation like walking in a dark parking lot. The chances of being jumped are much higher. No one can stay in this phase for long because you are on edge. As far as sparring and watching attacks. Everyone has pattrens they fall into. We all have certin combos we like and dislike. Within a few mins of sparring with anyone you can pick up on a lot of these. Keep in mind there is only so many things the human body can do. I teach my kids to see the whole picture. Don't just focuse on the first attack but know what counters can follow it. Such as if they throw a round kick. Chacnes are they will not follow with a reverse punch because the motion don't allow it to flow quickly. So know what they did and realize what they can do off of that. The key to all of this is PRACTICE....

Are you refering to a sparring situation? Or being jumped on the street?

Welcome to KF

Blackbelt is all I ever read but I have not gotten it in over a year.

Natural Fighters - I don't know. But you can't teach a person to be tuff. So if your tuff then thats bound to make you a better fighter.

Squat kicks

With that much distance running you are not going to get big. You burn to much of the muscle you are building that way. If you are going to run do like only a mile or half mile up hill.

Make a lot of posts at KF. That Keyboard does wonders..... LOL

The ability to change is important. Low stance - people say you can't move. Well IMO that is not true. You just have to work it and know how to move. However do or would I say fight in it. NOPE.... Can it be used to give you an advantage? YEAH. So don't just say its useless. Its like high kicks. I hate them and won't use them in real life but I still try and learn them and don't pass them off as a wast of time. Stand Up Stance - Well is this means just standing in one place you better stick to the low one. I assume you are talking about any sort of freestyle stance with the legs bent and moving. Anytime you stand still you become a better target so the idea with any stance is to move. Freestyle stances are more natural but that don't mean they are better. Bottom line is you have to do what works best for you at the time and place when you are called on to use it. Lets say you get in a fight while in a Coal Mine. That low stance will help then. LOL. Like Gereral Patton said. "A answer applied with vigor now is better than the correct answer applied 10 mins. later."

Welcome and congrats on making your first belt.

Well we sort of did the same thign when I was in HS. Me a afew of my friends got to gether and went full contact. It was great till I busted Jeremy's ribs and and he broke another guys nose. Boys will be boys but sooner or later one of you will get hurt. So please be careful.

Well that comes back to the age old question of what is right. TKD will say throw a round kick this way. Kickboxers will say throw it this way and still yet Karate people will throw it another much less the differances in each given art from dojo ot dojo. Is there a right way? IMO if it works its right. LOL I do agree you need someone to show you rather than do it yourself. However like I said if you already have training in one art it is more likely you can pick up a book and pick up a lot of the charateristics of another art.

With MA today the term black belt is so watered down. I mean they are some who really worked and deserve theirs and the are others who well..... I think if you have trained you can. Because all MA is up to Dan leval is reps. Do this block do this punch over and over and over. So to say I can watch a movie or read a book and be a black belt no. However if I have trained for years in one are and watch film and read about another art I would say you can pick up on the differances really quick. I do not think you can learn from film or books the first time. YOu must be taught by a person but once you have a understanding of how things work then you can learn.

Your lucky. Things to keep in mind. 1. Always keep moving. You don't have to be dancing like you are when your sparring but do be in one place because it allows others to come in and hit you. 2. I don't care what anyone says if you can put you back to a wall so no one can get behind you do it. (this is only if you are already in a fight) 3. Take out the leader as you did. 4. Eyes, Groin, Knees, Throat, and any sort of breaks are you first targets. I am glad you are ok.

Yeah we have done most of the Heian kata with the bo from time to time. We don't teach weapons but we do have a few laying arround. I am not expert with them but I find that I can apply the simple strikes to the Heian kata's and make a pretty good looking kata. I have also done this with a sword.

Hello and welcome to KF.

Just keep going it takes 14 days for the body to get in shape and 2 days for it to get out of it.

Well the comming thing is the loss of flexability. I hear Basketball players say it all the time. Weight lifting will mess my shot up. Yeah It really hurt Jordan. Anyhow IMO its just an excuse. It takes a special person to live in the weightroom and do other things. I mean heck its hard work. Your talking about an hour or more a day 3 or more times a week. MA will train 3 times a week for a few hrs each session. It basically comes down to a lack of time. I have a hard time getting my football team in durring the summer and they realize if they don't life we won't win as much. So for a MA to do it for no other reason than just self development is unlikely. Again the comming outlook is MA don't like to life because ti takes away from our flexability just as it hurts a basketball players shot.