bushido_man96

Never had a broken wrist or broken one, not yet anyways. I'm sure when the adrenaline is coursing through the veins, it would be quite easy to break another's wrist with two hands, given the technique is applied properly.

Sounds like you're putting in a ton of work, Alex. Best of luck! We'll be pulling for you!

No, Bob, that doesn't mean that one isn't elite. There are different thoughts there. If I think of an elite athlete, I think of the great pros out there that get paid to play every day.But those are the players. There are other versions of elite, as well, like the coaches. There are a lot of coaches out there that weren't championship caliber players, but they have a different ability, to teach/coach, so where they aren't elite physically, they are elite in other avenues of the profession.

I agree. Kind of a within, without approach to training, I guess. Pushing yourself is important, but at times, someone else can push you harder than you allow yourself to push yourself (if that makes any sense).

I've been on the floor with you, Brian, and in that, you're solid across the board as a MAist, without a doubt!! I'm glad that you eventually began your MA journey, and I've your dad to thank for that!! Thank you, Bob. Your words mean a lot! Although now, if we shared the floor, it might be pretty ugly, the state I'm in right now. But in time, I'll be back. I remember as a kid watching Chuck Norris movies with my dad, talking about the different stuff he did, and my dad had a lot of general knowledge about other styles, where they came from and what their ideas and philosophies were. I was quite curious about it, and he really fueled my desire to learn it.

I guess it would be good idea as long as you teach him the right basics & techniques. Only risk is if you teach him bad technique, he will take too long to get it right later on ! It can be beneficial, if the child seems amenable to it. Being only 4, you'll have to see what he can do, and if he's willing to do it for any period of time. Some kids will run with it early on, and some have to warm up to it. Just play it by ear, and make it a game as opposed to a lesson.

Conditioning is an important aspect of training, but like has been mentioned, it should be a boon to your training, not hinder it. In just about any aspect of physical training, recovery is just as important. Adaptive training happens in a very simple cycle: apply a stressor to the body, the body recovers and adapts to the stressor, and then you apply the next stressor, which is just a bit more than previously. This stress-recovery-adaptation cycle is important, and if you stress to the point that recovery cannot occur before the next session, then you don't progress efficiently, and may start de-training as a result. Conditioning is important, but it has to be done the right way.

Congrats!

A belated happy birthday to you, Noah!

I'm currently starting with Daredevil Season 1 and working through them all again, preparing for The Defenders.

I'm a deputy sheriff.

Happy Easter to everyone!

Welcome to KF!

When Boxing was bare-knuckle, the body blow was used a lot more than the head shot. The advent of the boxing gloves brought about more head shots, and hence the sport developing the way it has. I agree with TJ's points. If one plans to punch on a bag without gloves, then its important to use control so as to get the hands used to the impact, and the wrists. Doing a bit of both would be optimal, I think.

Different things. Athletic ability is one thing, and a good work ethic to go along with it is another. Talent, training, and experience are the big three, I think.

I was really young, maybe 5 or 6 or 7 when I went early on. It was with my dad, who assisted with the class. I was so young, and really just kind of tagged along. I didn't even have a uniform. I did that for a little while, but I didn't seriously start up until I was in the 8th grade. I was nervous about it, and I was short and chubby kid, so a bit self-conscious, too. Over 20 years ago, now.

Welcome to KF!

I enjoyed Iron Fist quite a bit. And I've really enjoyed most of the Marvel Netflix series' and am looking forward to The Defenders and The Punisher. I did hear some negativity from some friends of mine about Iron Fist, and how they felt like the series didn't match with the comic much at all. They made it sound like the Iron Fist was much more powerful and such a better character than portrayed in the series. Personally, I don't know, but I do think that in The Defenders Danny will be developed even more, and become more powerful. Of the series, I think Daredevil has been my favorite, as well. I like the character, I like the fighting in it, and I enjoyed the extra characters with Electra, Kingpin, Punisher, and even Stick. I've really enjoyed the way they've developed The Hand as the bad guys, and we got to see more of what Madame Gao is capable of in Iron Fist. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they all get brought together.

4/4/2017 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 155x5, 155x5, 155x5. 4/5/2017 Defensive Tactics Club: 1:30 - 2:45 pm. Worked on various headlock defenses that we will be covering in our upcoming LEO DT training. 4/7/2017 Strength Training Press: 61x10, 61x10, 63x10. Deadlift: 95x5, 115x5, 135x5.

I see this so much in Wrestling. And it isn't just within the club here in town. At various tournaments, we will see folks that my kids have wreslted in the past, like when Kendall was 6, and they will stop and chat, ask how things are going, and we talk to them about how their kids are doing as well. And we congratulate each other on victories, and console each other in defeats. Its truly a great thing.

That's a good point you make, Alan. There are lots of different points of view on Martial Arts, different philosophies and ideals, etc. Each person, I believe, ends up making the art they study their own just based on their own set of ideals. It may be splitting hairs, but after enough people do this, we see the differences we have today.

My knees are in horrible shape after 20+ years of kicking in TKD. I think the cartilage in one of them might be gone, as it feels like it grinds quite a bit. When I move my lower leg back and forth, I can hear my knees talking to me. I don't think that's a good thing.

Ok, another update, probably the last tournament this season. Midwest Classic Nationals, in Kearney NE this past weekend, 4/1/17. So, this is a national tournament, pulling kids from several different states, and was a two-day event. On Saturday, the kids wrestled, and on Sunday, the high schoolers wrestled. I guess on day two, its a pretty big deal, as a lot of the Big Ten coaches will come scout the high school kids. It was a fun tournament to go to. Also, since it was a national tournament, they awarded All-American status back to 8th place, which Kendall made his goal. He had a 16 man bracket with a few byes, but he didn't get one of them. Kendall weighed in at 140 lbs, and the weight class he wrestled in was different from our Kansas one, and ranged from 125-160 lbs, which in KS the 160 lbers would have been a weight class above him. The wrestlers could also double-bracket if they chose to, and I think we had one do it, as Kendall's first match was against a kid weighting only 116 lbs. I figured this kid to be pretty athletic, and he moved around really well. He didn't want to tie up with Kendall, but Kendall locked him in, headlocked him, and pinned him in the first. Next match was against a heavyweight he wrestled earlier in the year, and it was more of the same: headlock, pin in the first. Third match was against a kid that looked like a really solid wrestler, and heavier than Kendall, too. Coaches and I also got onto him for the headlocks, but he said they were there, and he took them. Coaches said he wasn't likely going to get away with it again, but it probably paid off well for him. It was a bunch of kids he'd never seen before, and all they had seen of him so far was two headlocks. So by winning the first two matches, he guaranteed himself to place at least 6th, which was fantastic. Third match, he took a shot, which he doubled off and finished well, and then covered and pinned that kid! So, this put him in the finals, which was so exciting! Now, with that accomplished, something different. This tournament had a "true second" match, in which if the third place winner had not been beaten by the second place finisher, the two would wrestle off for 2nd and 3rd place. Kendall went into the finals match against a really good wrestler that didn't want to tie up. For some reason, Kendall felt the need to rush him late in the first period, and he got caught and pinned. So now, upset about that, his next opponent was against a kid we are familiar with that was in the finals at KS State in the heavyweight division. They squared off, and Kendall finished the match on his feet, going all 3 periods, but losing 5-0, and finishing in 3rd place. He was a bit upset with the turn of events, but we talked about it, and how he ended up placing 3rd in a national event and achieving All-American status wasn't too bad a weekend after all. When it was all said and done, he was proud of his achievements, but felt he could have done better. I wouldn't have it any other way.

You make some good points that I agree with. XMA gets a bad rap, due to its athletic nature and use of things like backflips and somersaults to make things look flashy. You hear a lot that they aren't "traditional." True, but I'd be willing to bet that they do some "traditional" forms, and probably perform them with superb technique. If someone wants to question the usefulness of the katas themselves, then that I can understand. As a short, overweight, older guy with bad knees, I don't see the need to fill a form with jumps and flips. Hurts too much. But a young kid that has the ability, I say have at it. Enjoy it while you're young. Now, Bruce Lee's art being "made for movies," I don't buy into that. He really put a lot of thought into what he was doing. He was, however, an entertainer, so he did do things that he knew would be entertaining in regards to the Martial Arts in his movies, but that isn't the same thing. In the end, people's opinions are their own, and just remember; they're allowed to be wrong.

For me, its always been both, in a way. Most of the drilling is done cooperatively, which enables both students the chance to learn and apply, and work out the kinks. Gradually, you add to the drill with increased resistance and variables, often brought in through some form of competition. In another sense, when doing forms or basics, I always used it as a competition, comparing myself to others in the class as we move alongside each other. I would challenge myself to try to kick higher, or faster, or punch with more power, or do a better front stance, than someone else in the room. So, I used it as competition in that sense. The others might not know, but they should be competing against me in order to push themselves, as well. Or at least that's what I think to myself. Now, when it comes to sparring, it goes both ways, as well. Sparring, but its very nature, is a competitive aspect of training. When we put the pads on and I line up against someone, I get competitive, and take the opportunity as such. Now, my level of competitiveness changes based on the rank/age/ability of who is across from me. Young athletic teenagers that are high rank? Yeah, I'll push myself against them. Children? No. Someone who likes to brag or talk some smack? Yeah, I'll use that as competitive motivation. So it depends. Some days, I don't compete with others, and just let things kind of flow. But the way I see it, competition is an important part of training, in the right respects.