IcemanSK

I can recommend several places in the US, but I don't know of any in Australia. Maybe companies that print names & numbers on football jerseys. If they don't do it themselves, they may know who does.

I closed my school after nearly 10 years last summer because I went back to school & no longer had the time to devote to teaching well. My original master now teaches golf in a different part of the country. The founder of Chung Do Kwan stopped teaching & handed the system over to his students at some point. There are lots of reasons people stop teaching. One reason for many is that it's hard to make a living teaching. No matter how much we love it, it doesn't always pay the bills. In the case of the instructor who's student killed someone, it sounds like felt as if he bore some responsibility for the death of the other man.

That's very kind of you to say, sir.

I just wanted to say hello. I've been on these boards since 2005 & dip in & out , depending on what my schedule is like. I have run a school for the better part of the last 10 years, until I closed it in July because I went to grad school. I train when I can, but I miss training regularly & I miss teaching a great deal. I have trained more than 30 years in Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan, Western boxing, full-contact rules kickboxing (think 1980s PKA on ESPN), & enough Hapikido to appreciate folks who do it well. I've gained of valuable help folks here over the years.

Always good to have you around, John!!!

Welcome aboard!!!

Welcome to Karate Forums!! We're glad you're here.

Welcome to Karate Forums!!!

I don't think that's stupid. But I would say it's rare. Internal motivation to train is fantastic!!!

Well, this is just my opinion of course, but your sensei should have known what you were made of LONG before you tested for a black belt. I often wonder if there are instructors out there that never see their students...it sounds that way sometimes. Personally, and I told my students this often, "I know what you can do BETTER than you do." Some instructors feel, as the one's who have tested you seemed to, "I just need a quick check to see if they have 'X Dan' quality technique." Others feel that, to be a test, it need to also be a test of the student's will & fortitude over many hours &/or days. Most of the latter types of instructors would say, "I want to see if the student believes they can do it." There are also those who are a bit sadistic in their description of their enjoyment of watching a student struggle through a long test.

During years of hard training week after week, it's easy to want to give up, at times. Without mentioning full names, who did you look up to in your school or organization who motivated you to keep going when it was hard? For me, there have been MANY. But here's a few: My 1st master, who made me feel, no matter how much I struggled, that I could do anything. Jason, who was the 1st one in the the gym & the last one to leave every time the gym was open.

I would argue that consistency in training is preferable to long hours. If one is training for a fight in a 6 week training camp, the body can handle that. However, if a person intends long days of hard training for months/years, one becomes much more susceptible to injury & burnout. Consistency in training without fear of the taking occasional time off, is the best way to grow one's skillset.

The one I like is no longer available. It's called "Ultimate Flexibility" by Sang H. Kim It is still available in book form, though. Bill "Superfoot" Wallace has several good stretching videos on Youtube. Try looking up either on Youtube. My best to you.

The Japanese idea of Budo & the Korean Mudo are virtually identical. The Korean Mudo uses different stories wih Korean heroes to make their case, & some of the highlights of Mudo are slightly different (like a stronger emphasis on Filial piety in Mudo than is emphasised in Budo). Due to the history of colonization of Korea by Japan during the late 1800s to the 1940s, Korea likes to focus on it's connection to China, & ignore Japanese influence. The wounds were still fresh when GM LEE Won Kuk brought Shotokan to Korea. Even today in Judo competition, it still considered a HUGE victory when a Korean beats Japan in a match. It goes far beyond those 2 competitors on the mat.

Outstanding!!

Here's what I've understood from what I've gleaned from the Kukkiwon website & from a friend who was an American 7th Dan KKW who studied MA at an American college studying for a masters in MA, but did not finish (for reasons that had nothing to do with the college or MA). In Korea, continuing to train TKD past grade school is rare. Parents feel that, unless their child shows a lot of talent for TKD, there's no reason to continue. If a child continues training post elementary school, they intend to make TKD the way to get into college. Kukkiwon regulations say "Those who have majored in Taekwondo in their undergraduate studies (Taekwondo Department - Taekwondo Bachelor Degree), for two or three-years of college shall be given the 3rd Dan application eligibility. And graduates of a four-year university shall be given the 4th Dan application eligibility. However, Jump-up Dan will not be allowed for them." Training in college programs in Korea is more like a job than classes in subjects in college here in the US. One's day is regimented & training is all day 6 days a week. Starting from Poom rank in one's youth, it's completely logical that one could attain 2nd Dan by the time they began college. They do not have jobs other than to train & learn MA. They not only learn TKD, but Hapkido, Judo, & other Arts as well. These schools are highly competitive & the students are very talented athletes. The professors are among the finest Taekwondoin on the planet. In order to teach TKD in Korea, one would still need to take & pass the KKW instructor's course once attaining 4th Dan. For a Korean young person to sit for the instructor's course & not hve a TKD BA would be very rare. My friend who study MA in an American college (not Bridgeport) had already attained high Dan rank, so that was not his focus, & nothing else was promised to him. I hope that helps explain at least a bit of the intent of these programs.

These are all great examples of how MAists often develop a kinder, softer side. There is a saying "Better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in a war." The majority of us are not LEOs who face the high probability of using our skills that we learn on the mat. The idea of being "a warrior in a garden" helps us develop our highest best selves. You all are amazing group of people. I'm honored to be among you & to learn from you all.

It is a Korean Art, but I've not heard of this one before. I don't think it's TSD or TKD. Perhaps a hybrid. There are a lot of those among Korean Arts.

I had a similar situation a few years ago when I would get emotional during running that seemed only to be brought on by the training. I sought counseling & it helped alot. It might also be a physical cause, like an adrenaline dump. I would also agree with DWx on this one. Try something new. However, seeing a therapist &/or discussing it with your doctor might be good, as well. I wish you well. You're not alone.

I'm a TKD guy & wear much thinner uniforms now. But I remember the days of 12 & 14 oz uniforms. I agree with the above....compression shorts will help tremendously. I wear them even now & they make a world of difference.

I've not heard of this Art before. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/28/willie-nelson-black-belt_n_5230070.html

Whilst I know what you're getting at, high price tag doesn't always mean best quality. Beyond a certain point its also a case of diminishing returns. I'd agree that one's bought at sporting goods stores have their limits protectiveness. And to be fair, a dentist made mouthpiece does not guarantee 100% effectiveness, either. After going with a dentist-made guard 20 years ago, I'd never go back. Not just for protection, but for fit, as well. Thanks for helping clarify the limits.

Here are some from Tae Guek (5) Oh Jang.

Colleges in Korea are famous for degrees in martial arts. Yong In University, for example is well known for their graduates in not just TKD, but Hapkido & Judo, as well. In the last 20 years, where one went to college for one's degree in martial arts has basically become (essentially) a new Kwan affiliation, as a fraternity, of sorts.

I find irony in what he says as well. "These MA ideas are bad. But my ideas on faith are good." I've seen emotionally unhealthy MA & emotionally unhealthy church. This guy demonizing something else to make his ideas seem okay is an old trick. It grabs the attention of folks who have few experiences of the world & who don't think critically. It's sad.