IcemanSK

I only know the name & his face. What's his style like? I'm guessing really flashy, but I'd like details.

There's a picture of Olympic Gold medalists Juan Moreno wearing a new uniform & a very frayed belt. He's a young guy, but given his work ethic & accomplishments, it somehow looks good on him.

I like MA shoes. I wear them occasionally when I train w/ my Okinawan style group & when I box. But I can't bring myself to when I train in Taekwondo. I'm old school, I s'pose. The hard thing I've found with them is that they are not created equal. Some are very comfortable & some are just not! But its an individual thing. If you can find a place to try em on, do so. They're too expensive to not be comfy & not wear.

Mine was Chuck Norris. And specifically the movie "Forced Vengence." My dad & I watched that movie, & we walked over to the Taekwondo school & I signed up. A lot of good films came out in the early 80's that helped encourage me. Yeah, a lotta bad ones, too! I've seen most of em. Good ones & bad.

I used to train with a guy that had a belt like that 2 years after did his BB test. If it were anyone else I might say "he trained a lot," but this guy didn't like to sweat. I'm sure he beat it w/ a rock or something. I have belts I've worn for 20 years that are as black as the day I got em. And other that turned grey w/in a year. But none look like these "masters" belts.

Sorry you didn't know about the soft belt option, Brandon. Most people like them better. They're easier to keep tied & hand more naturally. I didn't know either until I read a thread on here last fall. I just ordered another belt from them last week. Since I joined a new organization, they require certain things on their belts. I was very happy to call them again.

My condolences.

Among the reasons listed, I would add the "grass is greener" syndrome I've seen in teenage BB's. It goes, "I got my BB in this art, what else is out there?" I left my 1st school when my instructor sold it. I went to meet the new guy & talk w/ him. One of the 1st things he said to me was, "Master X taught you the wrong way. I'm going to teach you the right way." Needless to say, I never went back. A Dale Carnegie grad, he was not. My 2nd instructor lied about his connection to an organization. (I found out years later after testing that my rank was invalid). His brother-in-law took over to try to run a legit school. Since I was a peer of the BIL, I needed to move on. The sad thing is BB is often touted as "the end-all of MA training." Its hard to motivate some folks to see past it.

Yup, we have both of those kicks. There's nothing like a good axe kick.

I just got a belt from Eosin-Panther about a month ago & it looks great. I took the recommendations of the folks on this board. All belts wear out in time. I think you'll get what you're looking for from Mr. Yi at Eosin-Panther.

Why bake em or put em in a sauna? I've gone to outdoor lumber yards in winter in Chicago (yes, in 10 feet of snow ) & gotten boards. I've even broken them when they're still cold. Just buy em & break em, y'all.

Laurie: In the school where I received my 1st Dan (& learned Koryo) all the students would watch the BB's do Koryo as a group. Until I was taught the form, I thought the 1st kick was a fake (because of the way it was done by the BB's). I have trouble w/ the balance w/ that technique, too. Hey, a question on the techniques where your feet are together & you bring your hands together after they are over your head....Do ya do it slow, or fast? I was taught that it was a 10 count from the overhead position to the connection at your waist. How were you all taught it?

In TKD circles, "roundhouse kick" is the normative term. "Round kick" is also used for the same kick.

Home depot will even cut em for ya. Yeah, they'll look at ya funny when ya say, "I want this cut in 1 foot sections." But, they'll do it.

Go with what fits you, my man. I know you're in the land of TKD there. But I'd encourage you to seek out what you really want to study.

Neil has it right on the $$ about checking around. Visit other schools, too. I'm originally from Elgin, IL, & I know there are a lot schools in the Woodridge/Bolingbrook/Napperville area. (Sorry, I can't recommend one, tho). Visit a few. It will help you develop good questions. Sounds like you're on the right track.

I think there was a time when it was dominated by Koreans, but I think a few other countries are balancing out the scales as far as training skills. Back in the day, it was different. In 1988 (after the Olympics) the Korean team did a US tour. In Illinois, they fought winners of a local tournament held a month before. As the introduced the 2 fighters in each weight class, the Koreans all had resumes of their fight careers as long as their arms. For a lot of the Americans, all they would say is, "A member of the Illinois State team. And a winner of the tournament last month." The Americans were so out classed. One Korean threw an Axe kick to the face of the American & literally pushed the guy's face to the ground! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. Amazing! However, like I said, training has changed around the world. TKD isn't a one country show, anymore.

I would imagine that a commercial school in the same area for a long time is rare. In my home town there's a guy who's had the same school (same spot) for 37 years! I know of few like it. I've trained at more than a few schools that have closed up shop. The one's that do well know MA & business, too. Heck, Ernie Reyes Sr. has an MBA! Ya gotta be more than just a good MAist.

When I was 17....it was a very good year. Happy Birthday. Ya can't say you're old until you've trained in MA at least THAT long.

I was purposefully vague about the effectiveness or show question. I just wondered what ya liked. I gotta go w/ a jump-spinning back kick. When done well, its a thing of beauty.

Congrats, Laurie!

If you could have just one, what would ya pick?

Congrats! And welcome to the fourum.

Jill: It might be a stretch, but you might contact G/M Brenda Sell (USCDKA.com). She's the only non-Asian Kukiwon 8th Dan. She might have some knowledge of early female Kukiwon history. It might be worth a try.

I've not gotten a gi embroidered by them, but I just received a belt they did for me. The embroidery is great. I'd imagine their work on gi's is just as good.