bushido_man96

Does it possibly refer to a front pushing kick, like the Thai version? Just a thought.

Good stuff.

WOW! Man, that really sucks, for a lack of any gentler terms. Drinking and driving...stupid. I am sorry for you and your instructor. I hope you guys can get things back on track soon. BTW, was the driver OK? Did you guys prosecute?

I didn't see this one. Try some demos. Those get attention.

Get your current students to bring in a friend, and if they sign up for so long, say 6 months or better, offer the one who brought them in a break on fees for 6 months, or something like that. Or, you could offer special introductory rates, with a uniform for free, and things like this. In the martial arts, one of the best forms of advertising is word of mouth. So, get out there and be seen!

A grappler could make a striker tap, whether he is a white belt or not. However, a white belt could knock out a black belt in jui-jitsu as well. Just because the system of grappling (BJJ, is suppose it is) takes 10 years to get to black belt does not mean that the skill of a black belt in another style is less. In my opinion, and this based on the fact that I have never been a good wrestler, it takes more time to develop the skill necessary to develop all of the joint locks, holds, traps, chokes, reversals, etc., then it does for strikers to develop their punches and kicking skills. This is just the nature of the beast. I could be wrong, but this is my experience. I have wrestled with people before, and they can pin me, tap me out, etc., but the fact of the matter is that when I have done this, it has been under the understanding that we can wrestle, and I can lose, but neither one is hurt in the end. Now, if I decided to strike, and make noses bleed, etc, it changes the way things look. Maybe it is my mistake that I never hit anybody hard or square with a strike or kick when grappling, but this has been my experiece. Just because a BJJer taps out a black belt, you can't read too much into it. The grappler says oh, lets grapple, and see who is better. Then change the game to striking, and see what goes.

I stand and applaud your efforts in deciphering this great work. Excellent, excellent job

I just finished reading Roy Kurban's book Kicking Techniques. The version I have is my dad's original, the third printing done in 1980. Seems so old, but it had good stuff in it. I like his philosophy on kicking, and how he tries to hide the motion of the kicking foot, and use what he calls offsetting balance, and all that stuff. Does anyone know anything about Mr. Kurban, and if he runs an organization, or if he just has his own schools? Let me know, and give me a run down if you enjoyed the book too.

Do you do head contact with the hands in your ATA sparring? We never did, because of the tournamnet rules.

Mine is a tough one but I would have to say....The Incredible Hulk for number 1. I just love the way he gets mad, and then look out! A very close #2 is Superman. Just as strong, but with more emotional control than Hulk. These two actually run very close in my book. Almost a tie. And a very high #3 for Batman: This guy deserves a ton of credit....NO super powers. Everything he has he owes to his martial training, and his resourcefulness. When all else fails for the super guys, Batman can still figure something out. Yeah, he has gadgets, but that is part of the resourcefulness aspect.

Spiderman.

I think he fought Chuck Liddel, and got beat pretty soundly.

I agree with you 100%. I always like the ATA forms, and still try to freshen up on them from time to time. I guess it was the TSD forms that they allow, and not the ATA forms. What did you think of the point sparring? Did you enjoy it? The adult student that went from our school enjoyed it, but he said he got blasted with some hard contact right off the bat, and it wasn't called, so he just went right after him. I like the idea of the head contact. My instructor said we were going to start doing more of it in class, but we haven't yet.

Replying to Traditional-Fist's post above: The points that you make are still generalizations, and unsafe ones I feel at that. I have never been a proponent of something like the "three hit knockdown guarantee;" I just don't feel that anyone can make a legitimate claim like that. Sure, you are talking about vital areas to strike, but things can change in a heartbeat in an encounter. And just because someone doesn't drop after 3 "perfect" hits, does not say anything about a fighter's skill, or lack thereof.

Is this the Korean long bow? I have heard that it is very ritualistic.

I think the answer to your question is in your own post. It is all about credibility. It is like going to college to get a degree. Or a mechanic. Your dad may be the best mechanic in the world, but he can't get a job in a garage without ASE certification (or something like that). The MA schools can still be opened without a certificate, but the fact that there are those out there that have them makes them look more qualified. It sucks, but it seems to be the way things are going.

Just practice your current forms with palm strikes replacing your regular hand strikes. Also, try bag work with palms. Quite an interesting experience. You have to alter your strike a little.

Did you see Shamrock's last fight? I think he is done. He had a good run, but it may be time to hang it up. He is still in great shape, but I was not impressed with his last fight.

I hear what you are saying, I had a kid in class tonight who just was not with it. It is tough, but you have to let them know what you expect of them. If you let the kids slack all of the time, you don't gain anything. And then there are the kids who work their butts off, but just aren't quite as good. But you reward them for their work. It helps to make the kids' class more fun, but sometimes you just have to grind it out of them. Personally, I am going to make sure the kids are ready if they plan on testing. If they are not, and look bad, and ill-prepared, then that reflects on me. I am going to give them their money's worth if at all possible.

Use fast, snapping techniques if you choose to kick. Don't leave anything out there for them to grab. Kicking high may induce them to shoot and take you down. Not a good idea either. If they shoot, try to side step and land some punches. And like elbows_and_knees said, sprawl.

Is that better? Yes, thanks. So, the difference between your opinion and mine is target area, essentially, right?

You are going to need to translate that for me, as my Japanese is a little, well, non-existent.

Huh, that's funny. I could have sworn I saw that somewhere. Oh, well, I have been wrong before.

congratulations!

I think what your were feeling was anger, not KI. I don't do any meditation, or internal contemplation, or anything like that, right now, but I do get to feeling like you described from time to time. When I get angry, I get hot, sweaty, my blood pressure rises, I grit my teeth, and feel like unloading everything I have into the nearest inanimate object. When I get done, I feel drained. I honestly think you felt anger, and not KI.