bushido_man96

I don't teach it. I don't really focus much on it. Its an eastern thing, and I'm a westerner, so I tend to stick to more western approaches.

I understand that. Come here and vent. We'll pick you up.

I'd be less inclined to ask my doctor what they think, but I would be inclined to ask them if they can look at my back using x-rays, MRIs, etc, to see if they can figure out what the problem is, and see if there is a way to treat it.

I think you can Box for as long as you want to. The most important thing is to monitor the sparring so that you aren't taking too much to the head. I'm not sure how much the average gym will spar, but I'm guessing the bulk of your training time will be spent drilling and working the bags, with some focused sparring thrown in. I think it would be a ton of fun, and you should enjoy it.

For me, learning the bunkai unlocked the kata, unlocked the intensity needed, unlocked the intent for movements I didn't understand and it gave the understanding of why this stance with this strike, why a certain timing is necessary. Without bunkai, it's strictly a blind performance. It's essential for me. Kata is one of those situations where it's way more than meets the eye. The only way IMO to perform it well (not necessarily for aesthetics) is to understand the application. I see what your saying here, I really do. What I'm trying to help others understand is that there are some systems out there in which applications aren't taught with the forms. The ATA forms were designed as teaching tools for the techniques assigned to each level, and thus, each form gets a bit more difficult physically. They weren't built from a self-defense application aspect first. So for me, trying to discover ways of training applications is a bit of a different adventure.

Probably a lot, if I do them really crappy. If I'm doing the kinds of kicks that I want to use to hurt someone in self-defense, probably not quite as many.

What is coming out on concussive injuries?I've seen some articles come out fairly recently regarding this. I'll try to find some. At my dojo we do pretty significant body, arm and leg conditioning. You can't condition the head. The more you "condition" the head, the more susceptible to concussions. Yes, very true. I think cheesefrysamurai is leaning towards the CTE studies that have come out more recently, especially those related to heavy contact in the NFL, and how those repeated concussive events affect those later on in life. Its been quite the conversation in the National Football League.

Thank you, everyone, for all the kind words. I'm glad that I was able to reach so many of you in a positive light, and my goal is to continue to do so. There are so many great contributors at this community; its why I keep coming back. I hope this keeps up for another 10 years!

Congrats, twistkick kid!

I think what needs to come under consideration is how effective the chose weapon is. A weapon, by itself, is just an item collecting dust if it isn't used. Now, on the same hand, if any random guy just picks up a sword and starts to swing it, that doesn't make him a Martial Artist. Once he starts to put study into application of the weapon, countering other weapons and such, then we are starting to get somewhere.

That's really tough to deal with. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Most importantly, keep your head up, and try to stay as positive as you can.

Thank you to all of you! I really appreciate all the kind words. This is really humbling, and I can't thank you all enough!

I'm not a fan of the staredowns, or the weigh-in process very much at all. I do see the value in it, and when it comes to stepping into a cage with another trained fighter to get beat on, then I see where this becomes a part of it.

That's a pretty cool thing! Congrats to you, and I'm sure its well-deserved!

American Kickboxing was great to watch. It still is, if you've got some skilled competitors. By not having the leg kicks, you got more of a "long range" fight, where the side kicks, hook kicks, and all that were utilized more. Not unlike Olympic TKD, where you get lots of kicking because hand techniques are devalued or nullified due to rules restrictions and protective equipment. When you bring in the low kicks, it tends to bring the range of the fight closer, especially when you can clinch like you can in Muay Thai. Whether its underrated or not, I don't know. It really has lost some of its popularity, mainly because MMA has really taken over as the style of fighting. What it ends up being more about is what is popular, what people are willing to pay to watch, thus what is worth promoting.

Thank you, Patrick, and thank you to everyone that is and has been a part of this great community. You all make it what it is, a very special place to me. Over the course of time I've spent here, I've received more help and support than I can recount or even attempt to give the credit it deserves. That's just how great this community is. Again, a big thank-you to all of you! This was a great surprise, and it really made my day!

I agree. It sounds like you don't have much to hold you at your current dojo that is in accordance with what your goals are. Make the switch. If you are looking at competing seriously over the course of the next few years, then do so.One never knows the course that their journey will take over time. Perhaps you'll go on to compete a lot, and then, when competition fades, you'll move back to wanting to do something more along the lines of kata and self-defense. Or, perhaps you'll want to mentor the next generation of young competitors, and end up taking on more of a coaching aspect. Either way, its your journey to take. Go compete. Have fun. Learn and grow. You'll eventually come to another fork in the road of this journey of yours. When that happens, come back and tell us about it again. And be amazed at the difference in discussion we might have.

The Chiefs managed to get everything to go there way in week 17. Pulling out the division title is a big plus, especially in the hopes of getting Justin Houston healthy. Hopefully, with an extra week to prepare, Andy Reid can make something magical happen.

Welcome to KF!

Welcome to KF, redwan!

Welcome to KF! And thank you for your service.

Danielle brings up a good point. Instead of being soley stuck on the idea of losing "weight," think more along the lines of changing your body composition. If your overall body fat percentage is decreasing, but the weight isn't coming off quite as fast as you'd like, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. And it will take a lot of time, too, just like any other journey. But keep at it, and you'll get there!

Welcome to KF! It sounds like you've got some great experiences to draw from, and you should find it very enjoyable here.

I'd be willing to guess that you are seeing a difference in the talent level. With the WKF being the body one needs to work with should Karate go Olympic, those athletes that aspire to that goal are probably already gravitating towards it. I could be wrong, but I think the same thing has kind of been seen in AAU Judo and AAU TKD.

They do look a lot more difficult. It appears that they were designed for skill development or demonstration purposes. Perhaps for Olympic level poomsae competitions.