bushido_man96

When I spar in class, I have noticed that when I want to kick someone in the head, I am automatically pulling my kicks, so as not to hurt someone. Not that I don't have good control....it seems to me that I have trained to control everything so much that it has actually hurt me. Are there others that have this problem? Is it just me? I have gotten to the point where I am making head contact now, and people are definetly noticing. I think too much control (ie light contact styles) are a detriment to themselves, and to the art and what it hopes to achieve in the end. After all, you fight like you train, right? What do you all think?

I notice a lot of post about the Olympic style TKD. I agree, there are not many more traditional style TKD schools out there. The one I go to is not very Olympic oriented. We do a lot of basics, forms, one-steps, and maybe 10-15 minutes of sparring per class. I think having some harder contact sparring would be a good thing (without protection).

Anything new is worth learning. I think you will be pleased with the way the kicks are taught, and the speed drills that some schools do. It is also good for timing, reaction time, and countering abilities (if it is at least somewhat Olympic style). Hapkido would be better for holds, locks, etc.

Just an update. Been noticing some good things. I am trying to be more mobile, and it is paying off. I have also noticed that some guys don't like getting close to a big guy throwing a spin hook kick. I did some round robins the other day, and on my 3rd fight, my feet went dead and I got my head kicked about 3 times, not to mention the body shots. That torqued me off. Got to keep the big body moving. Keep the good stuff comin'. You all have been a big help.

Ok. I have a 2nd degree black belt in two differnent TKD associations. The first is the ATA, who has their own system, the Songahm forms. The second (and my current system) is the TTA, which does the Chun do kwan style forms. For those that may have the experience of both, which do you like better? If you have only experienced one, what do you like about it? I like the ATA system because it seems to have a technique advancement system to it. It also has more kicking. I like the Chun do kwan style, because it seems to be more oriented towards power. However, this could be more related to the stage in my training that I am at. There it is....lots of info, lots of questions. Tell me your style, and what you like about your forms. (Karate or other style forms always welcome.)

I understand, I would be offended too. And I have a lot of appreciation for all martial styles, new, old, eastern, and western. Most of these guys are right, no need to get too worked up over it. You have to ignore the idiots, and there are a lot of them.

You are never too old to learn something new. That's and old cliche, I know, but it is true. At 15 here is what you got going for you. Young enough to still train and improve your strength, flexibility, stamina, etc. You are mature enough to learn the physical and mental concepts involved in TKD. You are also old enough that you should be able to get around any age requirments that might exist for certain ranks in your organization. Out of curiosity, which association are you affiliated with? When I had my own school, I had a 57 year old student start out at white belt.

I own a copy of Authentic Tang Soo Do, by Chun Sik Kim and Joe Goss. What do you suppose the differences are? Can you tell me if these names are familiar to you. This book is well put together, and a great read.

A good instructor should be able to do several different things. Teaching is an obvious one. An instructor should be able to aptly demonstrate techniques for demonstration purposes. One does not have to kick high to kick proper. An good instructor has to be able to relate to all different kinds of people. Kids, adults, and even older adults and those with disabilities. Everyone learns differently. An instructor must have good teaching methods, and be able to alter them when the situation arises. An instructor has to be able to help everyone "get it". Good instructors have to be able to think on their feet.

Aodhan, where is your ATA school located?

One of the major downfalls of a young black belt is that they tend to burn out. I hate to see potentially great young carreers peter out due to boredom.

The sparring has definitely changed. With all the safety epuipment and rules and overcautiousness, it has allowed the genre to open up more to children and women, who would usually be opposed to harder contact with no padding. I remember the good old days...two lines down the middle of the floor, facing each other, no pads, no refs, low ranks getting pummled by high ranks, and on and on. Oh yeah, there was also that concrete Armory floor. Good times.

My instructor tries to get the idea across to the students that 1st dan is not the only goal, and that if they quit after they achieve it, then they can't really go around saying that they are black belts; they could say that they were black belts.

Sometimes when I think about the time I have in-rank, I think, "man, I could be a 4th degree by now." Oh, well. No big deal. I just keep on pluggin'.

Don't chase. Good idea. What if they find out I am not chasing, and they don't chase me?

Own it and read it. Others that are recommended are Master of Defense: The Works of George Silver, The Codex Wallerstein, and Medieval Swordsmanship.

This is one way that I look at forms. They are a set of moves and stances strung together to help build coordination and skill. Sure, some of the techniques will never be used, like and x-block, but doing these techniques causes you to coordinate different parts of your body in different ways, helping with skill development. As for the x-block, it could be used if you are using both hands to redirect a punch to your face, and then turning your hands to grab and wrap the opponent up. It is just not used in the complete technical application that is used in the form.

Thanks for the info, all. I have some books on BJJ and one on small circle jujutsu; I think I shall start reviewing them.

Those days were called the "golden age of karate." The sparring was with little padding, and usually had pretty good contact. Some of those gusy got hurt. Even with lots of control, when you are competing, you get excited, and the contact level is elevated. Safety equipment has come a long way since those days. That is also a factor.

I don't like the extreme forms, with back flips, jumping split kicks, and goofy looking monkey rolls. These forms are only a display of acrobatic and athletic ability. I don't care much for musical forms, either. And for those who don't like forms, that is fine with me. I like to see why people do or do not enjoy them.

try holds rather than locks, they are easier to apply and can make it easier to move your advesary around quickly. I use the rear naked choke and both the full and half nelson all the time, as well as some other holds. Thanks, elbows_and_knees, that is a good point. I didn't think to differentiate between holds and locks, but you make a good distingquishment. I'll keep that in mind.

I would let it slide. If they let you walk away, then I say you did alright. Let him run his mouth. The best thing you can do is look at him and his buddy with confidence, as if to say nonverbally that if they want some more, that they can come get it. Remember, you never know who you may be setting an example for.

I am hoping to get a job as a jailor here in a few weeks (Interview this Tuesday). For legal reasons, I am not going to be able to attack resisting inmates with my fists. I am going to have to brush up on my joint locking skills. In the street, I prefer to fight with my hands, if they are free. I kind of like the Kenpo guy's interpretation. If somebody grabs me somewhere, I am going to punch them first, and then maybe punch them again, and if they still haven't let go, I will either try a joint lock, or punch them again. Joint locking has its uses, as I am sure to find out shortly, but I am not going to stand there and get my face handed back to me because I am trying to work some guy into an arm bar.

It is refreshing to see so many positive comments about forms and forms practice. Sparring gets so much attention, it seems like our forms go by the wayside. I know that when I get older, and slower, and have less reaction time and athletic ability than I have now, that forms will still be there waiting for me.

I think that this definition is misleading. The medieval Europeans had martial systems as well. The western world has a serious misconception that advanced fighting systems came only from the far east. This is not true. I have been studying western martial history for some time now. In looking in some of the old manuals, one can see many similarities between judo or jujutsu and the "wrestling tricks" that masters-at-arms taught there soldiers. The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe is a very informative study of these western martial practices. An excellent web site to check out is https://www.thearma.org. Check them out and have your eyes opened. yeah, definitely. boxing, wrestling, sword fighting, sword and stick, joint locking resembling jjj, archery, horseback riding, etc. This just isn't what the mainstream envisions when "martial arts" are mentioned. look into espada y daga, for example. Heck, look at kali. Notice the spanish names of many of the techniques? spaniards put their spin on kali when they invaded the philipines. Yes, this is true as well. I love to study the history of any and all martial systems, and I think they all deserve their dues.