bushido_man96

Congrats....power poster....master of the forum.....guru of the phonetic dojo.... Seriously. You info is always positive and informative, that I have seen. Good stuff.

Interesting question...never considered it before. I would hope that if they did, they would just not tell me. "Don't ask, don't tell." Really, though, it should not matter, as long as people mind their own business.

You could take hapkido, or jujitsu of some sort. Also, could try boxing....great hands AND great feet!!

This is a very good point that you make. Black belts need more in order to keep them interested. Our traditional classes are always the same thing, and even our kicking classes are open to all students, and it is always everyone working on the same thing. They are still good workouts, but I need a little more.

I agree; I feel that I get more power out of the moves in the Chun do kwan style than I did the ATA forms. However, I felt that some of the ATA forms flowed a little better from move to move. I also like how they advance with the kicks in the ATA forms. I know that they may not all be practical, but it is nice to get to do something besides side kick or a front kick.

Yes I know. I'd still like to see someone try and kick me off a horse, though, of any height. I'm not the greatest rider in the world, but I bet that it would be nigh-on impossible for anyone to unseat me with a flying kick. With today's saddles, sure. However, most of the modern saddles and the stirrups were not around at that time. Plus, add on the fact that you are wearing a lot of armor which was very very top heavy, and it might not be that hard. Now, just from jumping next to the horse, probably not. Coming off of a height, very possible. Aodhan Wow, my thread on forms systems turned into an eqestrian arguement

Yes I know. I'd still like to see someone try and kick me off a horse, though, of any height. I'm not the greatest rider in the world, but I bet that it would be nigh-on impossible for anyone to unseat me with a flying kick. With today's saddles, sure. However, most of the modern saddles and the stirrups were not around at that time. Plus, add on the fact that you are wearing a lot of armor which was very very top heavy, and it might not be that hard. Now, just from jumping next to the horse, probably not. Coming off of a height, very possible. Aodhan Actually, I think the Mongols invented stirrups.

If Koreo is one of your forms, it sounds like you are using some of the WTF system of forms.

Teens and young adults aren't "too old to listen" - you just have to know how to make them listen. Yes, they are rebellious by nature, but they can be kept in check. Here's something that's out of the typical TMA school style of thought, but beat them. seriously. There are few things more humbling than getting your butt kicked repeatedly by various people. Why? because you find out that regardless of how many people you beat, there are still those out there who can school you. Train them - but try to get them into competition. For those who aren't interested, then when they get to the sparring stages, make sure they have access to people they cannot beat. This is a very old school response. I, personally, like it. There are some students who need to be taken down a notch or two. You don't see as much of that as you used to, in traditional schools. Humbling someone now and again is necessary.

Good luck. There are things out there, but they are all style based...AAU for TKD, NASKA, and the like. Too many politics to make it happen. It is a very nice thought, though. Maybe you should try to set it up, and then talk to various oganizations to get them involved. It always starts with an idea.

Talk to the instructor. Tell him you want the pad drills back. Communicate with him, and tell him your needs.

Work with as many advanced students that are in your studio as you can. When you spar, work on scenarios with certain attacks, and prepare counters, and do drills like that. Practice, practice, practice.

The 3 section staff would be cool to see.

Go now. The sooner you get the feel for what a tournament is like, the better off you will be. Even if you don't do outstanding, you will get the feel of what it is like to get nervous, and deal with the "stress" of a tournament. That way, by the time you are higher rank, you can worry about your ring strategies, and not about what the tournament will be like.

Gee, this is kind of tough. There are two approaches you could take: 1. Scout out the style. Look on the internet, check out books, and find out what the styles' strong and weak points are. Are they grappling or kicking. Are the fighters flat footed, or do they have lots of footwork? Lots of questions can go here. This research can be somewhat reliable. 2. Scout the fighter you are going to fight. Let's say his a karate-ka. From what I hear, lots of karate-ka have really good hands when compared to someone like myself, a TKD guy. However, this can't be reliable info, as he may be an excellent kicker. If you did not scout him, but did scout his style, you may not have been prepared. Now, if you are talking about just the average street incident, then it is best to be well versed in your stuff, and be confident that you know what you can do. A great fighter can make his opponent play his game, instead of adapting to his opponent's game.

In our school, we try to relate to our students when and where to practice their arts. We tell them to use their heads, and think about what they are doing. By bragging about the MA they practice, they may bring unwanted attention upon themselves. Also, practicing with people outside of the school without experience can lead to injuries, and unwanted scorn from the head instructor.

I would show up in street clothes, with the black belt, white belt, and gi in a gym bag, and then ask the instructor and go from their. He may want to introduce you to the class, letting everyone else know that you are of rank in a different style. He may ask that his students show you the respect deserving of a black belt/instructor, and also suggest that they be supportive in your pursuit to expand your horizons.

For a totally different aspect, you could look into working with a high school or college wrestling team. Not exactly ground fighting, to be sure, but it might prove interesting and beneficial.

I saw that episoed on FitTV. I enjoyed it. The weapons styles made me think of medieval European styles, while the hand and foot techniques had an Eastern air to them. Is this coincidence, or evidence of how similiar fighting styles of the world really are?

Sounds like the confrontation was short and sweet. Just watching the opponent is very valuable. It is a good thing that the movement he made was not into his pockets for a weapon.

There are a lot of people who try to do things like that. They claim they are high rank, and want to come to your sparring class or something. They want to boost their egos. Nothing is more rewarding than watching them get drilled. Years ago, at my old school, there was a black belt there that quit. A few years later, he asked if he could come back in one night a week to spar with the instructor and a few black belts. The instructor knew him, and said ok. However, he just tried to bang on people; he got his bell rung, and did not come back.

Jersey Devil made some good points about the other striking arts. Some things that they could offer may be beneficial in other ways. For example, an olympic style of TKD might help with your footwork. Or Boxing as well. But, the ground work of BJJ or judo may be what you are after.

This is along the same lines of the McDojo arguments. Handing out belts like this is folly, and degrades the value of the martial arts. Here is a simple solution: Don't charge money for testings/rank promotions. I know, it sounds crazy, but there is at least one other guy that believes in it. John Graden, the former owner of USA Karate, has a book out called Black Belt Management. He makes his point there. His idea is to sell the tuition, instead of testings. Howerver, he does have his ways of making money.

I am glad to hear that you are gaining confidence in yourself. That is one of MA's best attributes. I'll admit, I like to do some showy things sometimes, but I also find the simple stuff just as important, and rewarding, when performed correctly.