bushido_man96

I dunno about this one. That depends on what you're after. I know more about muay thai than my coach - my background was from a more traditional standpoint, where as his was purely competitive. However, because the time I spent learning tradition, he spent fighting, he is light years ahead of me, though I can hang with him. Even though we both fight, he was fighting way more because that was the sole motivation behind the gym he trained at. Since we both coach at the same school now, he will defer to me and another guy who had the same instructors as me on questions about tradition. I agree with you, elbows_and_knees. Knowing the history does not make a good instructor, it makes him a historian. I know a lot of details about a lot of styles and arts, but I can't teach them. I feel confident in my ability to instruct TKD, buy not in other styles. There are lots of historians out there that know about the history of war, both ancient and modern. However, that knowledge does not make them good warriors.

This is so right. There is a saying: "Those who can't do, teach."

The ATA does this. There are classes for each level (Corner, Center, Chief), and you must pass tests for each one, and you have to be a certain rank and age. When we score forms, there are three judges. One judge ONLY looks at kicks and stances. One judge ONLY looks at blocks and strikes, and the center judge looks at overall presentation, completeness, etc. Heh, it does make for some unusual scores on occasion. Competitor has excellent technique, and gets 9.8 and 9.7 from the side judges, and does an incomplete form, so the center judge gives them a 9.1. Same for sparring. One center judge, two corner judges. Any judge can call break, and when the center judge calls for scores, you indicate "No see", "No point", or 1 2 or 3 points and which competitor. Majority of judges must agree. So, if corner #1 sees 1 point for red, judgge #2 sees a point for white, and the center judge either didn't see it or calls no point, no point. 2 out of three must agree for it to be a point. We also balance it out. 1 point for kick or punch to the body. 2 points for kick to head or jump kick to body, 3 points for jump kick to head. Aodhan I am familiar with the ATA judging system. I was a 2nd degree in the ATA at one point, and a Level 1 judge. I like their system a lot, and feel that other styles should have a similar certification system like it.

The problem with that is that there are so many people that simply cannot develop such a mindset. I would drill them repeatedly, and also teach them how to "look" confident. Oftentimes, this is the best deterrent, as I think has been said here already. There are many times in the club where I have ended confrontations simply by approaching the combatants. I have been told that they didn't want me to mess them up, so they calmed down, and as a result, nobody had to leave the club. Last fall, ten people were getting ready to scrap by one of our bars. I was the only bouncer there that night, but instead of panicking, I jumped right in the middle of them. ALL 10 OF THEM STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. afterward, one of them asked me if I was crazy, cuz they all could've stomped me. I just smiled. confidence is a powerful thing. Criminals, bullies, etc all look for the same thing - an easy target. If you look like you will give them a fight, many will not bother you. Confidence can be taught to pretty much anyone. A killer's mindset cannot be. Those are both very good points, about confidence and "killer instinct." Some people advocate the use of "self-talk," where they will repeat a feeling, or reaction to something, over and over to themselves to try to get their mind into the set they want it. When the adrenaline flows, however, everything seems to change. Personnally, when my adrenaline runs, I don't like it. I don't like the feeling of the stress; I don't know why. I have a brother, however, who loves the stuff. He played football in high school and college. I asked him once about the hardest shot he ever took. He said it was a blind-side hit. He got slammed hard, and just bounced up and yelled for some more!! I personnally think his has a testosterone overload

I love Bruce Lee's work. In the Tao of JKD, there are a lot of ideas and strategies that are used from other styles, and some from his original. I think there are 5 aspects that are most popularly represented by JKD. A couple are the broken rhythym (?) and another has something to do with moving second, but striking first. Not sure, I must review. He mostly believed in non-stylized fighting principles, and most of his moves were simple and straigtforward. As far as ineffective??? No. It is effective. I do believe it is more of a philosophy of how to use the appropriate techniqes in the appropriate situation. From what I understand, Bruce did not want to name is art in the first place. By naming it, he claimed it established boundaries, which is not what he believed in. I think one of his close friends convinced him otherwise for marketing purposes.

In the ring, with rules, screw that. On the street, if I had to, I would kick his knees, gouge his eyes, or go for his throat. No way am I going to dance with a guy like that.

That is a good question. I have very little submission experience. Don't think I would even try. If you go to the ground, most like someone else is going to bail out their buddy. Maybe aikido would be good for multiples? The redirections maybe? Don't know, correct me if I have seen too many Segal movies.

I just watched a Pride Fighting program on FSN earlier this evening. Bob Sapp beat the snot out of some poor sap (no pun intended). How would you fight this guy? He took leg kicks, and walked through them. He took face punches, and smirked at the guy. Would you try to take him down? The other thing is this; he really doesn't seem to have a lot of formal training. In the K-1 matches I have seen, he just slugs away. He was listed at 6'5", 375, but I have heard 6'8", and 385. Just want to know what your opinions are.

I have done a spear thrust, with three fingers, through a very thin, I think one-half or three-quarters inch thick board. It was cool, even though the board was lame. Thought about trying it again. Ever done top-of-the-foot round kick breaks? I like those, too.

Sorry, but I am not a fan of forms like that. However she is very athletic. Not much different than the floor exercise that Olympic gymnasts do.

I originally started training to learn how to defend myself; I was bullied as a child. However, I grew to love the training and the exercise, and liked to push myself to improve. Now, I think about my familiy a lot, and what if, just out of the blue, something did happen? What would I do? Would I be able to protect my family? I think about that a lot. I love the arts, and will always have one to study, until my dying day.

This is a great thread. Sometimes the use of common sense is better than any technique you have practiced thousands of times. I will keep these rules in mind the next time I talk about self-defense. It isn't the techniqes so much, but the mindset that matters.

I like that idea. TKD sorely lacks a system for joint manipulation and self-defense.

I would like to get consistency into the judging of the tournaments. I would try to place an equal importance on forms and sparring for tournament competition. I kind of like the idea of accumulating points throughout a tournament season, and then competing for a nationally based title (kind of like the ATA's point system). I also believe in intstuctor certification. I am not so conerned about changing the rules of sparring, but changing how it is scored. More points for head kicks, one point for puches (if they are clean), and try to deamphisize round kicks and scoring with other kicks as well.

Congratulations on your accomplishments. If you don't get psyched out by black belts and dark uniforms, that is good. Many people have a psychological block when they see things like that, automatically thinking, "oh crap, these guys are better than me." However, you can't judge a book by its cover. Keep plugging away; maybe next time it will be two first places!!

I got side kicked in the face at a point tournament as a 1st degree in the ATA. I was fortunate, because it was the last point he needed to win, and when I got to the restroom, the blood flowed. It made me mad more than it hurt, and once I got kicked, I could feel that it was going to bleed. If the match wouldn't have been over with, then I would have had blood all over my uniform.

This is a good thing, but in the tournaments that I have been to, it does not happen. I think it is a good idea, because some people don't have the integrity that others do. I don't like to judge members from my school, because of what some people may say about the places they got. At one tournament, I ended up judging forms for my future wife . Incidentally, she did not place too well. But it worked out.

The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to have the heads of the organizations get together and come up with some standardizations. Instead of throwing people in to judge, make sure they have some level of competence or experience. Also, judges meetings prior to the tournament starting would help to clear things up as well. I know how you feel. I have been to some tournaments, and seen guys do their forms, and wonder how their instructors can show their faces in public. And I am not bragging, but I work hard on forms, and I do a pretty good job. Then, when the scoring comes in, I wonder how these guys got the scores they did!!! I think some judges just sleep.

Are you kidding me? Was that Ryu, throwing that fireball?

Gimme a freakin' break!!!! I don't know if I would want to laugh at this guy or knock him out. But, I guess if I approached him, he would know what I would want to do.

I was first exposed to the arts when my dad took me to class with him when I was probably around 4 or 5. Didn't know it then, but I was hooked.

I have to go with Bruce Lee here. Musashi is great, but Lee is a bit easier for me to understand and relate to. Mabye it has to do with the time frames in which they were written. And besides, Bruce Lee is still one of the greatest wealths of martial knowledge around. Even after 30+ years, he still impacts the martial arts world.

Teaching from a curriculum is OK, ie, forms systems, one-steps, self-defense techniques. I have never had a problem with testing requirements like these. Varied classes, however, I feel help to keep the interest of students, and prevents burn-out. At my school, we have "traditional" classes, and then "extra" classes. Some of the extra classes are for kicking and sparring, or self-defense exclusively. But the traditional classes, which are required about twice a week, are the same class each time: basics for warm-up (always the same), then forms, then one-steps, then sparring, if time allows. I have felt burned-out over the last 6 months, but I keep going to class. The monotonous "traditional" classes really wear on me sometimes.

Personally, I stay away from home study systems. I like to have books for references, but as far as attaining rank by video, well, I feel like that is the ultimate form of the McDojo.

Cut down on the number of classes you do per week. In the classes you do attend, do what you can to maintian your technique. Slow the techniqes down, and work on proper form and strength. If one knee is giving you problems, work with the other. My knees give me fits, but I notice it more with the stances than with kicking. Another thing: keep stretching. Even if you don't warm up, very light cold stretching will help maintain some flexibility.