Zaine

You're right, he does seem too proud over a feat that doesn't seem that big. The winners body language tells me that he wanted the fight. Also in the way that alerts the loser right before the knockout kick that the fight is back on. This suggests a timed bout in which there are some rudimentary rules governing it. Might be a fight club?

I find this particular paragraph fascinating.

I have issues backing this claim. I don't think that a style can embody a certain life style. I think that, at the most, a style can embody some sort of discipline but that is up to the teacher to impart and/or the student to internalize. However, no style inherently implies some sort of living standard.

I don't think this is a good fight. This is a fight where a karate guy thought he could take on a guy who trained differently without researching the other style and training against it. Apparently the karate guy did challenge the other to a rematch in which he won after training against the other's style. In my opinion this fight doesn't display either of the skills gained from their systems adequately. I imagine that either could do better.

I also doubt that this man was an instructor. It might be a challenge but those are getting much rarer in modern dojos. Not to say tht they don't happen, but they get written off more. I'm trying to wrap my head around why this fight even took place.

Very true, more and more studies are starting to suggest at athletes throw away static stretching all together.

Good to hear.

Harkon and Dobbersky are right. Especially about the fact that it is the McDojo that hurts us the most.

I warm up more than static stretching. Usually a 5 minute walk is better than static stretching. Although dynamic stretching is a fantastic way to warm up and, at least for me, it's more effective.

A lot less than I should. I tend to train my mind more than my body.

Welcome to KF!

I find that "character building" often happens as a secondary perk in Martial Arts. Most either get into it as a way to stay fit or as a way to learn how to defend theirselves. I think it is those intrinsic factors listed that make the warrior effective but I hesitate to ascribe this to what is generally thought of as character building. I think that the character building that comes from Martial Arts is two fold. One relates to the character as disciplined Martial Artist, as the book speaks of and the other as molding the practitioner into a Human Being who strives to be respectful and good to others both outside and in the dojo.

Congrats!

That looks awesome. Not only does it add someone to running experience but, by running, you earn things that add components an additional game!

C25k is a fantastic program that helps those who do not run acclimate in an attempt to make it more enjoyable because you're not just thrusting your body into regular physical activity.

What do you mean by this? Where are you getting this info? As soon as they get hit, they either close there eyes or look down on the ground and start brawling. Thanks for the clarification. This is more or less true. We go our whole live with the basic notion that getting hit sucks and it isn't something that we want to deal with so when we are hit in the early months of Martial Art training we do tend to freeze up. It is usually in my dojo as well, but there are a few exceptions who, without prior experience in Martial Arts, didn't do this. We had a student one time who was fine with getting hit, but felt awkward hitting.

Cool stuff. This video really exhibit how, as you get higher in the ranks of karate, blocks become strikes, the redirection and then counters. This, I think, shows a great use of a lot of blocking techniques on top of striking.

While I agree that a good instructor is a great thing to have, you have to remember that not every style may fit your interest or your budget, especially at your age and, whereas it would be reasonable for me as an adult to drive an hour and a half away for a good school, you don't have that luxury.So yes, look for a great instructor but make sure that the system is something that you're interested in. Just because, (random example) there is a fantastic Aikido instructor doesn't mean that Aikido is something that you want to do.

Welcome to KF!

What do you mean by this? Where are you getting this info?

Laudable physicality. I don't like the form of some of their punches though.

Welcome to KF!

I would try. Stuff like this, I think, is inherently impossible for others to understand. What I chose to take away from this is hope. That there were teachers who hid their children and literally died protecting them is more than laudable and they set a kind of example that I think is more powerful than any gunman could ever hope to top.

I would put up with it depending on the extent of the personality. If they weren't good to students I think I would leave but otherwise I'm pretty good (or bad depending on how you look at it) at being able to not care who they are as long as I, or someone I care for, aren't affected. It all comes down to what you can put up with. This all being said, I think that as an instructor your attitude and what you do outside of the classroom is just as important as how you act inside the classroom and when an instructor doesn't act exemplary it tends to rub off on the students. When it all comes down to it what matters is what you're able to look over and put up with.

Congrats!