IcemanSK

This might be pre-mature, but in talks for starting a non-profit dojang under a GM. What wholesale companies have you had good (or not so good) experiences with? Quailty of service, quality of gear, etc. Thanks! Tom

Hey, thanks for looking, tho!

If this helps anyone, His wife's name is Donna & they have 2 grown children, Emily & Samuel.

Depends, what type of tournament? What rules? *can't believe I jumped into this arguement*

Both of the above gentlemen are right in their much more articulate detail. $1500.00 to the winner. What's the looser get? Medical bills, maybe. I could see how flatering it would be to be asked, but I think the potential risks outweigh the benefits.

I'm glad you don't think its too hard. Do you like it, tho?

I don't know you or your level of experience, nor do I know these guys or their level of experience. I would ask more questions of these guys if I were you. Like, Who sponsors this tournament? Who puts up the $$? Why choose me? Where is the tourney? What's your sense of these guys ? Do they appear to be decent guys? The way you described it sounds odd to me. I'll let others chime in.

Just relax (don't forget to breathe:) ) & show em whatcha got. You've both practiced, & poured over the material. You'll both be in my prayers for concentration & focus.

Every martial art school I've trained in there have been very capable women instructors. Only one was senoir instructor, however. Every successful women I've ever seen in the martial arts has worked twice as hard to prove themselves. Both as instructor & businesss person. As teachers of the martial arts, most women I've seen are better than a lot of men, because they pay attention to detail that men often miss. Because they need to focus on the technique & not rely on strength.

I just ordered a belt from Eosin-Panther. Just my name on one end & my style on the other (both in Korean). No stripes, or rank. I plan to wear it for a long time. Hopefully, my focus will always be on improving, not on my accomplishments.

Show em what ya got!

How incredibly cool is that?! Is there an update on this?

I have two. One is my 1st instructor, Master Yun Kil Kim. He made me think I could do anything. When you're a shy teenage boy, you need all the help you can get. The other was my kickboxing trainer, Kevin McClinton. He trained several World Champion boxers & kickboxers before I ever had heard of him. By the time I met him, he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I trained under him from 1994-1999. I've never sweat, been worked or laughed so much in my life. I was in the room the day he died. I miss him every day. My screen name is the ring name he gave me, Iceman, & the initials SK for Superkick, his ringname & name of the gym.

I think the reason I got caught up in it was the English word, master. Someone asked if it bothered me that a master electrician fixed my wall socket. The difference is, I've never met one who wants to be called, Master Smith. While I've comes to terms with it, (even in English) the Korean & Japanese words do sound more natural.

That's great, MasterH!

It goes right along with teaching MA. "Give me your arm. Grab me here."...etc. And the worst words in the Korean language....Hanna, Tul, Hanna, Tul." Ya know you're gonna be doin' a lotta kicks, punches, or whatever.

Laurie: Now, you're almost a BB girl. Ya gotta say it right. Ya shoulda said, "It's hard for me to explain it without showing you. So come here & give me your arm."

Let's get Orion to test it out:D

I would echo what's been said so far. But would add, don't feel like you have to memorize it in the next 5 minutes. Enjoy this time. Ask as many questions as you can about it. Keep doin' it until & fun, then do it because it's fun. Don't worry about that BB w/ the white stripe. You won't wear it forever. And, that one w/ the embroidery on it that ya want so bad, you will wear forever. Don't be in a hurry. It belongs to you already. Congratulations

My question was partially answered when I saw Kukiwon's Dan testing Article # 5 & 6. Since each applicant needs to be reccommended by the National Association (rather than individual instructors) it stands to reason that the national org. would want to test you first...When testing for higher rank than 1st Dan, anyway.

The reason I asked how long you'd been doing TSD was to see what your investment in it was. I see it from boths sides, because I once left tradition MA for kickboxing & boxing. (Although MT is certainly traditional in a lot of places, still). If your goal is purely self-defense &/or competition, rather than forms & belts, I'd go w/ MT. But depending on the school (as has been mentioned) there are a lot of religious aspects of MT, also.

Amen!

Nice job, Laurie I've been underestimated my whole life. As a 38 year old, I'm starting to appreciate it more. I was born with a slight case (comparitively) of Cerebral Palsy which gives me a small limp & an inability to do small movements w/ my right hand (eg. wiggle my fingers). Every school or gym I've been in I've been labeled "the guy to take it easy on." In a boxing gym, I dropped a guy who wanted to show how tough he was & picked me to spar. And my hook kick & spinning hook kick have surprised more than a few folks. I go by the words of that great philosopher, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace who said, "They might be younger, stronger & faster than you. But nobody has to be sneakier than you."

How long have you been doing TSD?

I run, stretch, do push-ups & Tricep dips, Ab work, & box. Usually not on the same day, tho.