bushido_man96

Keeping the kids from looking around to others during training is a trick. Especially during forms. Sometimes, singling them out is the only way to get them to know they don't have to look around. It sounds like she is doing a great job!

I think a training day with Stuart Anslow or Iain Abernethy would be fun.

Welcome to KF, and welcome to the Martial Arts journey!

I think training has changed over time based on what kind of research and equipment is available. Over time, many stylists have figured out that if you take too many hard shots to the head, you don't really end up extending your training time. After all, the best ability is availability. Contrary to popular belief, a focus on strength training can be quite beneficial to Martial Arts training.

Great information, Bob. Learning to run a small business can be quite challenging. This is a great run-down!

Congrats, man!

I think that happy medium is to teach a base set of techniques, and then you teach the principles with which to apply them. I'll use my Krav training as an example. We learn combatives in the form of straight punching, palm heel strikes, hammer fists, and front kicks, then we learn outside/inside defense. So we take our combatives, and apply them to the principle of 360 degrees of defense, using the outside or inside principles. With gun defenses, we use a set of principles that are designed to get the gun off line, control it, attack, and then take the gun away. From here, we train with the combatives to this end as much as possible. The goal is that under stress, you get the desired results, regardless of what it looked like. If the principles are followed, you'll be pretty close, and should be safe.

It could be that the thought process behind body hardening is that it isn't as necessary now as it might have been. That, and the fact that we've learned so much about training that we know that to have an effective punch, it isn't necessary to train that way. Its also important to look at what people do for a living, as well. We've got a high ranked black belt in our organization that doesn't do board breaks with his hands. He's a doctor, and he kind of needs those hands to make his living. He doesn't really gain anything by trying to punch boards with his hands, so he uses elbow strikes instead. Body hardening might be fun training for some people, but I really don't know that it is necessary training anymore.

I will say this, things have slowed down for me considerably. I haven't been to TKD class in months. I did recently complete a defensive tactics recert for work, and hope to be doing more of that soon. Life is catching up with me.

Welcome to KF! It sounds like you are doing some good work there in CO. Glad to have you here!

I wouldn't think a teacher would think it smart to knock out students, but some folks probably get fooled into thinking its some kind of "old school" training or some such thing. I'd not be willing to assume the liability when knocking out a student for a demonstration. Too much could go wrong.

By principles, are you stating methodologies of training, or the spiritual aspects of training?

All training styles have their drawbacks. Full contact is nice, but you can't train full contact all the time, for safety reasons. Light contact is fun, but you can get a false sense of what works and what doesn't. I don't know how many times I've thrown a head-level spinning heel kick that I've pulled so as not to clean someone out, but they do an immediate counter anyway and show no respect for the kick. Its tough to "spar" with RBSD methods, because most people like their eyes where they are, and don't appreciate getting kicked in the pills on a regular basis. Judo and BJJ are excellent examples of styles that have modified training aspects that have allowed for more full-speed and resistive randori and rolling training. Folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman Wrestling are this way, too. So, each way of training has pros and cons that they bring to the table. Everyone has one they enjoy more than the others.

These are some good questions. I'll take them one at a time. I don't think mine is either. We do have a competition aspect, but it isn't a focus of our school. We focus a lot on forms and one-steps, so I wouldn't call it an RBSD style, either. I'd say ours is a "traditional" style. Now, do I like this situation? That's a different question to answer at a different time, I think. I'm not quite sure from which angle you are driving at this question, so I'll do my best, and you can clarify later on if you like. I think I can divide my reality and sports aspects of the MAs that I do. I know that when I teach and train Krav as a defensive tactics system for law enforcement, that I'm not going to be teaching or training any kind of competition kicks one might see in TKD competitions. No spinning kicks, no jumping kick, etc. Heck, hardly even any round kicks. The only one I would teach is a low level, angled round kick to the leg, if that. I'm also very aware that some techniques that I use when I spar in TKD class, I will either have to modify or just throw out for when it comes to self-defense usage. No. Its my job as the student to research what a teacher teaches and decide if I want to subject myself to that environment as a student. Would I like the teacher to do this? Yes, I would. I'd love to see more self-defense focused training. But the teacher has his ways, and I'm the student, so I have to go along with what he teaches, or seek out a different instructor. I don't think so. The only way it interferes is by taking time away I'd rather spend on self-defense. I don't feel let down, because I know what to expect when I go to class. I've learned to seek out training in other places to try to fill in the holes.

Sometimes being able to pitch in and help out with everyday things can help to take the mind away from that, if for just a little while. It probably helps her more than we know.

Thank you for this run-down, guird. Great information! Let us know how you get on with training!

There is a reason for weight classes in competition. Mostly for safety reasons. Are their too many? Probably. But in competitions where all (hopefully) of the participants are highly trained, and highly athletic, the weight classes are essential. Like anything, moderation is a good thing. Always training with someone your same weight can make you stagnant in other areas, like dealing with someone stronger than you, or someone smaller and faster than you. So, it has its advantages and disadvantages.

I think this is a very cool way for you to award your daughter. I will pray for her as well. Tell her to keep up the good fight!

I agree, it can be, but it can be managed, too. The instructor needs to be able to step in if something terribly errant is being explained by the assistant. If the assistant is doing a good job, then the instructor can sit back and let them go on for as long as they are doing well. There should come a point, though, when the new instructor is allowed to take care of the class, and then any issues can be dealt with afterwards, between chief and assistant. This will help build confidence, and still provide a learning experience.

I try not to stereotype on anything when I hear of this federation or that association, but at times, this is hard to keep from doing. I was part of the ATA for quite some time, so I've seen both sides of this equation. If I am speaking with an instructor or student, I'll ask if they are affiliated with any federation or association, and if they are not, I'm good with that. I like to ask, because then when they are talking about something like technique, or sparring, or forms, if I know what association they are from, then I might have some framework within which I can understand what they are talking about. If they aren't affiliated, then I like to ask about how their techniques or forms or other procedures vary from what I've done, do, or seen done by others. It really just makes for great discussion for me.

Welcome to KF, Josh!

Welcome aboard!

One thing is for sure, I need to try to get into better shape! My body had gone way down hill over the past year.

I agree. I'm out of town from time to time and it's nothing for a purple or brown belt student to teach. Think about it, a purple belt for us is 4-5 years on the mat. That should be more than enough time to understand the fundamentals and teach them. Plus, it's good experience. I think that having lower ranked students begin to fill in some teaching roles can be a boon to their learning curve when it comes to teaching. Especially higher ranked students, like those of the brown/red belt levels in some of the more traditional styles. If they wait until black belt and have no experience teaching, its really tough to throw them into the fire with no teaching experience. Knowing the material and teaching the material are two different things entirely. Senior colored belts can benefit from putting classes through the basics and warm-ups, and an adult senior rank assisting in teaching kids classes (especially lower ranks) are great teaching experiences, too. Doing this also helps the instructors to figure out who look like good teaching candidates, and who might need some more polishing.

Thank you, everyone!