bushido_man96

When I think of perseverance, I think of the work ethic that comes along with it. I think the two go hand in hand. One can't persevere if one doesn't have the will to put in the work. That's a merit all of its own. I don't the most talented person around; give me the person whose willing to work their butt off, and I'll know they can be molded.

Sorry for the delay here; update time. Kendall's middle school season is underway, and he is .500 right now, if I recall right. His first tournament, which they are referring to right now as "scrambles," because they aren't full-blown bracketed tournaments, was at home at our high school. Kendall had a mixed bag of competition. One, we were familiar with from last season, and is mentioned in previous posts. The story with him here is that he's a bigger, heavier kid, and has a tendency to throw headlocks. He did that to Kendall several times last season, and Kendall lost when he tried to play the headlock game with this kid. But, when he defended the headlock, and made this kid wrestle, then Kendall beat him. So, first meet up, this kid is in his bracket, along with two others. His first match went pretty easy, with a pin in the first period (he did a headlock, which I argued with him about, as its a dependency that is not good, and one he's fallen into more and more). As a result of the sloppy headlockyness of that match, he sprained his forearm or wrist or something, but wrestled on. His next match up was against "the headlocker," and I had told Kendall previously to avoid that situation. He didn't, though, and he got pinned early. His last match was against a monster of a kid that pretty much picked him straight up, dropped on his back, and worked for a pin. So first meet, 1-2 record. His second meet, which was last week from the time stamp of this post, he had three more opponents, one of which was the same..."the headlocker." Kendall and I discussed this opponent at length, and worked on some things to get around all that, and I told him that if he made this kid wrestle, then he could win. So, we get this kid first match up, and the tournament happens to be at his hometown, too. Well, Kendall was able to avoid the headlock, and got the match to the ground, and once he did that, low and behold, he was able to wrestle with the kid. Kendall ended up finishing with a pin in the first period. Second match up was against the opponent he had beaten the week before, and Kendall was able to sprawl on a shot and work for the pin in that match, too. The third match was against another kid that was pretty mature and athletic, and Kendall wrestled with him into the second period, but was eventually pinned. The kid was a pretty good athlete, and took good shots, and Kendall just didn't hit the sprawls well enough to defend them. So, finished that week 2-1, putting us at .500 so far, with two meets this week. Kenneth has really only gotten one more tournament in since my last update, due to weather issues. This past weekend, he had to wrestle the same opponent, best two out of three. His first match, he was doing ok, but when on top position, he reached over the top of the shoulders, and he got rolled into a pin. His second match was by far the best one, even though he lost, 4-0, through all three periods. We had worked on a duck-under as an additional takedown method, and he really worked on the tie-ups and getting inside ties to set it up. He fought hard off the bottom, avoiding getting turned, which I was very proud of, and finished the match on his feet at the end of the third period. I really felt like it was a match with things to build on, and I told him all that, even though he was upset with the loss. The third match, which we didn't need to have, but took anyways, to get some more mat time, didn't go as well. When he was in the process of tying up, Kenneth stood straight up, and the other kid just took him down with a headlock. Overall, I thought he did some good things to build on, and we had a pretty good week of practice, too.

The videos aren't available to watch.

What do you mean by "rival ITF" organization? I would think an ITF practitioner should be welcome to train in any ITF school.

By kicking, you leave yourself on a shaky base with only one leg, which is not much of a base at all. I'd rather have a solid base and land a solid punch, and still be able to sprawl and defend the takedown attempt.

I'm a fan of deflecting and countering as well. Blocking can be beneficial at times, as well as jamming, especially against someone who tends to be faster and more athletic. But making a living doing that can be rough. I like to try to deflect and work angles, giving myself a better position to attack from.

Thank you, everyone! I'm a bit belated in responding...I really appreciate you all!

Welcome back!

I know this one is old, but this grabbed my attention. I play Magic, the Gathering as well, and really enjoy the deck brewing/building aspects of the game. I only play EDH/Commander anymore, as I can't afford to try to play in any of the competitive formats. My kids play with me from time to time now, too, which is always fun.

Both sensei8 and tallgeese have offered great advise, and I agree with them completely. I also agree with what tallgeese mentioned about perhaps not having the option to step away for an extended break. A lot of this will depend on whether or not you have some kind of agreement or contractual obligation to your head instructor, and what that entails. If your rank and status at the school requires you to teach, then you'll probably not be able to avoid it long enough to step away. Like tallgeese mentioned, changing up the curriculum is a great idea. It will be helpful for both you and the students, getting everyone out of the regular routine. If your instructor allows you a considerable amount of flexibility in teaching your classes, then this is easier to accomplish. You might also talk to your instructor about switching your days/times that you teach, to perhaps give you a fresh set of students to work with. This can help out just as much, as every student responds to different teaching methods and approaches differently, and this applies to instructors getting to teach different groups of students. The other very important thing you have to do is make sure you make time for yourself to train. As practitioners get higher in rank, it gets easier to just get focused in on the grind of always teaching others, and you lose that love you had when you were the student, and forget what it was that drove you to be the dedicated student you were in your time. Find training time somewhere, and train what is fun for you, because you deserve it. I hope that helps, and please keep us posted.

Its good to see you back to class, and on the Forums, twistkick kid. Sorry to hear about your car accident, and glad that you've recovered. Its amazing what you tend to remember, isn't it? All those reps really pay off at times like that. Make sure to listen to your body, that way you don't go backwards when recovering!

Last week's tournament results: Kenneth, 1-2. Kendall, 2-0. I was hoping Kendall would have more competition, because it is the last KS Kids' tournament he can participate in until his middle school season is over, which just started this week. There are some goofy rules that our state high school athletic association has in place that really limits how much the kids can compete, which sucks, as there is no substitute for mat time. But, where Kendall is going to benefit greatly is having practice five days a week now for two hours per practice, as opposed to an hour and a half twice a week. As for Kendall's tournament performance this week, there really isn't much to tell. He pinned both opponents in the first period of each match, basically by quelling their takedown attempts and then getting them turned for the pin. With the second kid he wrestled, he just utterly physically controlled the kid. When he sprawled on his takedown, they ended up close to the boundary line (they were on a half-mat). Kendall saw this, and basically man-handled the kid back into the boundary before finishing off the pin. Kenneth's tournament was a different story. There were seven of them in an 8-man double elimination bracket, which is good for competition. He won his first match, against a girl who was bigger and taller than him, and really aggressive, too. It went the distance, and he won 12-6. I would love to have that girl in our mat room, because they would be great practice partners together. His second match, however, was against a kid he's wrestled before this year and last, and he's pretty tall and pretty good. The kid was able to pin Kenneth. Kenneth's third match was another loss by pin, and I really felt like he let himself get put into a bad position without having to. He basically let the kid come stuff his head down and force him to the mat. So, we are working on that now, and he's starting to understand how to work against it. Although I would have liked him to do better, and thought he could have, he is still showing improvement, and listens in practice, and that is a good thing.

"Punch'em in the face" is what I always say! But what happens when both fighters receive the same advice? Then he whom makes effective contact first, just might end up victories. Heh, great minds think alike...but after the concussion subsides....

12/31/2018 Wrestling: working more with Kenneth. Working on a takedown where you pop the arms when the other tries to lock up with you. Really focused on changing levels with the arm pop so the takedown doesn't turn into a dive. Its supposed to work well with someone who comes in aggressively, taking advantage of their aggressive nature. Also drilled stand-ups and switches, 5 on each side. 1/2/2019 The New Year! Broke it out teaching classes tonight. TKD Beginners Class: 5:30 - 6:30 pm. Really hammered on basics tonight, taking time to do some drills focusing on technique in between the floor drills. I think the kids had fun, experiencing some different partner activities and seeing what I was referring to. Hit forms at the end. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Basics, forms, one-steps, and sparring. For sparring, I had everyone switch to the opposite stance to start out, and also had them spar a match with one hand behind their back, and then a match from their knees. At the end of class, I worked with them on some self-defense drilling from the ground, using kicking techniques while lying down, and then standing up in base.

Daredevil is my #1. Especially the version in the Netflix series...which Disney is now going to kill. #2: Blade, played by Wesley Snipes. #3: Batman: he's got to get his props. #4: Leonardo was my favorite Ninja Turtle, but I have to go with all four... #5: Hawkeye has been great to watch as well.

I watched season 1, and I enjoyed it. It was fun seeing more of things from Johnny's point of view, and also seeing the juxtaposition of things between Daniel and Johnny now. What I didn't like is how everyone showed up with black belts in time for the tournament. But, I'll live with it.

I've seen that its on Netflix; I may have to give it a watch.

12/19/2018 Wrestling: working with Kenneth again on some basics. Really hammering the stand-up drill, starting from referee's position, and also starting from being flattened out and building a base. This is really showing up in his matches, too. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Basics, stretch, forms (Choong Jang), one-steps, and for sparring, I got to a three-for-all with the two young whipper-snappers. Tiring, for sure.

Tournament number two took place on Dec. 22. Kendall, unfortunately, woke up sick that morning, and had to scratch. Kenneth was good to go, though, so he did. His first match was a tough draw, probably the toughest kid in the bracket. Kenneth went all three periods, but lost, 6-2. He did a good job again on his standups, and also getting back to base. He has been fighting off the bottom really well, and now isn't getting pinned as much. He was able to get a few escapes, but wasn't able to work any takedowns or get into a dominant position to score any more points. Some of it is working on body positioning, and we've kept working on that. Match two was against a teammate of his, who also happens to be a baseball teammate. They wrestled each other tough, going the distance again, and Kenneth pulled out the victory. He was able to work more takedowns and score more points, but needs to clean up just a bit more, especially when it comes to breaking kids down from the top position. But improvements have been made, and we are building something solid. Match three was for 3rd/4th place, and he ran into a taller kid that leveraged him for a pin. All in all, though, another good tournament, and this one was our local tournament, so I was happy for him and his performance, and took home 4th place.

I agree that structural integrity is important in technical execution. Muscles provide the movement of the body, and thus the power. The skeletal system provides the support. However, I feel that the use of the term "bone power" can be misleading, leading one to believe that there is a difference between that and "muscle power." As mentioned earlier, bones themselves cannot provide any power. They provide the support. Speaking in terms of physics, power = work done or energy transferred per unit of time, or the time rate of doing work. Bruce Lee's one-inch punch was so devastating because of his explosive ability. His "locking" of the technique upon completion is what I believe you are referring to as "bone power." The same can be said of an extended side kick or a reverse punch in a form or a board break. I think I understand the point you are trying to make, I just don't like the terminology.

Congrats, JazzKicker!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Be sure to travel safe!

Welcome to KF! I admire your desire to train in the Martial Arts. You are definitely on the longer road, but that doesn't mean its a road that can't be travelled. I would recommend that whenever possible, seek out advise from an instructor, and work on the few things they give you. Best of luck in your journey!

Welcome to KF, and congrats on your recent promotion!

First tournament of the 18/19 season is in the books. Kendall had one opponent to wrestle, so they did three matches total. His first match, he went all three periods before finishing with a pin. He worked from tie-ups in the first period, but just couldn't get anything set up. In the second period, he started on bottom and got a point for an escape, but then the same tie-up game standing. He said the kid was strong, and he looked to outweigh Kendall by a bit. However, he wasn't very experienced. His opponent tried a takedown in the third period, and Kendall was able to take advantage of it and was able to smother the attempt, and then worked to the pin. In the other two matches, the finish was much quicker, as his opponent tried to be more aggressive, and Kendall was able to smother and turn him for pins. Kenneth had three matches, but one was a forfeit. His first match was against a baseball teammate of his from a nearby town. He got headlocked early and pinned. His second match, however, went much better, although it ended in another loss. He defended a taller opponent trying to tie up with him, and attempted some takedowns, but couldn't quite pull them off. What he did do really well was fight off the bottom. He made sure to base out really well, and then start working immediately into his stand-ups, one of which scored him an escape. We had spent some time working on this, and it was great to see improvement in this area. Now I just have to work with him on finishing the escapes and getting into good positions.