bushido_man96

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.

Best one yet!

3/23/2017 Wrestling Practice: 6:30 - 8:00 pm. I was Kendall's practice partner this night, and we worked on all varieties of takedowns, situational wrestling, top and bottom moves, etc. A good workout for this old man, for sure. That boy is getting strong, too. 3/28/2017 Department DT Training: 12:00 - 2:00 pm. Covered combatives and weapon retention in and out of the holster. 3/29/2017 Defensive Tactics Club: 1:30 - 2:30 pm. Covered Personal Defense Seminar (PDS) curriculum. At the end of the time, I had each of the students come up, demonstrate a technique, and teach it.

Bob, yes, I've got videos of everything. Just not on my phone for easy download. I've got a camera with SD cards we are storing everything on. The State tournament went very well for Kendall! And day one, he won his first two matches, both by pins. The second match was against someone he'd wrestled earlier in the season and pinned, and he pinned him again in the second period. This win put him into the semifinals, and it also guaranteed that he would at least place again this year. That was a huge accomplishment, as he had never accomplished that on day one. So, match three comes up, and he goes up against a really big, pretty physically mature, kid. Really tall and really strong. Kendall ended up losing this one, getting pinned in the first period. I think he tried to go for a throw too soon, instead of trying to lock up and wrestle a bit. But this kid was good, and he ended up taking 2nd place. So, day one is over, and its to the back side of the bracket. Day two starts, and Kendall has a really long wait before he wrestles. The benefit of losing your first match in the semifinals is that you end up quite a ways ahead on the back side of the bracket. He had to wait for two rounds on the back side to be finished before he knew who his opponent was. And, as fate would have it, he got pitted against the same kid from his district that he had beaten two times before, lost to in Hays, then beat in subs, and the beat him with a pin at districts. The kid had learned since then, and he was not going to be thrown again. But Kendall went out and wrestled a really clean match, and got points off escapes and reversals, and ended up winning the match 5-0. With this win, Kendall sealed the deal on his goal this year; go back to state and place higher. That win put him into the 3rd/4th place match. I was so very jacked up after he won that match, and so was he. The kid he was going to get paired up with looked like a pretty solid kid, and appeared to know what he was doing with tying up and getting control of his opponents, so I was expecting a tough match. But, it was all gravy then, because he had met his goal, but now wanted just a little bit more. So, after the 5th/6th place matches were finished, there was a break in the action to reset the mats and tables for the finals. They did a really cool thing they call the parade of champions, where the 5th/6th placers get to parade in, and then come shake hands with their opponents, then they bring in the 3rd/4th place matches to shake hands with their opponents, dismiss them, then bring in those wrestling in the championship matches, who get to be introduced by name and club, and meet and shake hands with their opponents, as well. Kendall got to be a part of it, so it was really cool for him. With all that fanfare out of the way, it was sit and wait for his match. They set it up so that the 3rd/4th place matches were on one side of the floor, and the 1st/2nd place matches were across from them on the other. They started at the lowest weight class and went up from there. But each one had a full mat, which is really nice for the competitors. Well, Kendall went out for his last match, and I was ready for a really drawn out challenge. But Kendall had a different plan. His plan was win it now, and he did just that! After some circling with this kid, who outweighed him by every bit of 10 lbs, Kendall moved in, put the headlock on him, threw him to the mat, and pinned him before time ran out in the first period! We were both so excited, he placed 3rd in the state tournament! He came off the mat, found me, and boy did we have a celebration! He did such a good job, and worked hard all season long, practicing usually 3 times a week, and usually multiple practices on the days he went, and it all paid off for him. It was a long two days, but a great weekend, and worth every minute spent there. As for his district rival, he ended up placing 6th, in his first year at the state tournament. He is also the only victory Kendall had that he didn't pin. And the two have become pretty good friends throughout the season. His parents are great people, and I enjoyed chatting with them during the season, too. And his coach is a guy I went to high school with, and is a great guy, as well. So, this just about sums up the season. We are planning on hitting a tournament in Nebraska this weekend, too, so I will post results afterwards.

Lots of good thoughts already mentioned here. The truth is, you won't know until you see what the instructor has to offer. He won't have the amount of experience that the 4th dan has. But, given a chance, he might have some very good experiences of his own to pass on to you. Will your growth be hindered? No, I don't think so. Will your progress by different? Likely, but that could happen by switching to another 4th dan, as well. What will hinder your progress, though, is not training at all. So, if it were me, I'd opt for the brown belt to teach me for a while.

I think this depends a lot on who is doing the teaching. Many of the eastern systems seem to invoke ideas of integrity, honor, respect, etc. Many of the western styles invoked the ideas behind chivalry. Most, however, came out of societies with class systems, and lets be honest, not everyone was treated equally. Whether it was always taught, it is hard to tell. However, I do think that most societies that trained its warriors trained them to have some form of respect for others. Except the people on the other team. And we all know what happens during the spoils of war. I think it is their responsibility. The parents is where it should start. Some parents don't do a good job, and some kids just don't learn. So we hope they pick it up in other places. Shared, not sole. Society should put forth good examples, and laws are established to determine what is right and what is wrong. Hopefully punishments are the deterrent to doing wrong. Again, shared, but not sole. At the end of the day, my job isn't to raise someone else's child. That being said, I feel like I've got a good moral compass, and if I can help by pointing those I teach in the right direction, lead by example, hold them accountable, then I should do that. I'm not sure what you mean by this. Once the age of reason is hit, accountability should be a thing. Parents assume some accountability with their children. Once they hit maturity, they need to be accountable for themselves. No. Although I'm sure he was a great guy, I'm also sure some of his thoughts, ideas, viewpoints, beliefs, etc, wouldn't match up with mine. Again, no. I think this will vary from person to person, based on their own life experiences and upbringing. I have a Christian upbringing, so my own morality is shaped by that. Martial Arts, in all honesty, is just a thing we do. It has no feelings, it has no conscience, it doesn't know right or wrong. It is those who practice and teach and learn the Martial Arts that add their own views and outlooks on life into what they teach. Most people are well-adjusted, and will teach in a well-adjusted manner, and it will usually perpetuate that way.

Mine was Gae Baek. I absolutely loved that form, and did it a lot. Since I've been in my current organization, it was probably my most successful form in competition, too.

Its good that you've explored and found a club that fits your needs. A lot of instructors lose sight of the fact that the journey belongs to the student, and not to them. Enjoy your new training environment!