bushido_man96

Sounds like a good class. Keep up the good work, and keep the reps coming!

The grappler has all these tools at their disposal, as well. And as mentioned earlier, throws don't happen slowly, and often the grab is going to be using a body lock, or more than just a wrist grab. With Wrestlers, you have to think about more than just the grab that is coming. If they are a good shooter, then they are going to likely change level and hit you hard and fast, and the next thing you know you've been dumped on your back. If a Greco-Roman stylists gets ahold of you, get ready to go for a five-point ride, which will likely hurt very much. There is a lot that goes into it, for sure.

I used to have a training partner outside of class. We would spend two days a week, around an hour per session, and it was some of the best training ever. It is a great way to train, if you can manage it.

That was great! Thanks for the laugh!

This isn't the "end," just another milestone! Good luck to you and your son and keep up the good work!

Most of mine will center around more DT training... 1. Provide at least 10 training opportunities for my department and surrounding agencies for Defensive Tactics. This gives me two months out of the year for leeway on any unforeseen circumstances that might arise in life or work. I think I have a schedule laid out, and may have a location locked down, as well. I just have to implement it. 2. Re-certify in GRACIE for the department. 3. Hit another DT certification course, or hit one of the Aikido seminars that happen here in town. I don't have any TKD testings in site any time soon, so I think this will work for me this year.

Ok, lets move to the orange belt group. In my current association, the TTA, we have two of each colored belt rank until brown, so we have low orange and hi orange. We will refer to it as 8th gup here, as well. ATA orange belt form, Songham 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdsWJLOI8hU&index=1&list=PL82A89568D2E49FDC This form has 23 moves, and the form moves along the floor in the shape of a rectangle. It adds a new kicking technique, the round kick, the back stance, the double forearm block, the outer forearm block, and a twin low block. Considerably more turns, as well. TTA lo orange belt form, Dan Gun: 21 moves, the back stance, double knife hand blocks, and the "square block" as I would call it. We do the square block from the hips, without the crossing motion, but in the ATA, that block was done in much later forms, with the crossed arms chamber motion. Here's a version with a bit less bounce, but still something different with the hand techniques: Pal Gwe 2: 26 moves, and adds the front kick, along with some other double blocking. There is also a section through the middle that does not repeat. And, I forgot about the Tae Gueks! I will go edit my first post to include Tae Guek 1. Tae Guek 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSzJwkLpRzY 23 moves. Mostly walking stances, lots of inside blocks, and front kicks.

I like the idea of the tags, and years ago in my ATA school, we did that. One tag for the basics required for the rank, one for the form, and one for the one-steps. I think its very helpful for an instructor, allowing him or her to see at a glance who needs work with what. Here's a very basic example that comes from one of the schools in our association. Before testing for green belt, the students have to do a back stance with the front foot forward on a very regular basis, without being told to correct it. That's three ranks in for us. I think its a good one, to, and easy to gage. I'm sure its not his only criteria, but you can see what I mean with this example. Nidan Melbourne, thanks for those examples. That's along the lines I was thinking of.

That's interesting. I think Reebok will probably be paying some of the purse, so if the fighters do choose to do that, they might get docked some of the purse. But that's just me speculating. I'm not sure if their contracts have something in there on this kind of situation or not. I'm sure some attorneys are really busy about it right now, though.It sounded to me like Reebok will be providing what they wear in the ring, as well. If that's the case, they'd have to wear another pair under the tights they have on, or just change out there. But I doubt that happens. At any rate, I'm sure this stirs things up between Dana White and the fighters.

You make very good points, and I agree. This perception that you talk about is something that I think needs to change. If not, then perhaps the jury should consist of self-defense experts and former fighters then? Someone who actually understands what happens in conflict, and not untrained civilians that get some bad ideas and concepts from movies and such.

I agree with you here. I do think its something that happens to us gradually, so we don't notice it so much, until its pointed out to us. Its good to be conscious of what we do, and why, and to relate that to those we teach.

12/2/2014 Wrestling: with both my boys! Worked on double leg takedowns, stand-ups from the bottom position, trying to hit the little parts of the technique, and breakdowns from the top position. Then I did a few push-ups and some stretching. Maybe about 30 minutes of work in all. 12/3/2014 Solo workout: Leg swings, front stretch kicks, sideways front stretch kicks, side stretch kicks, and stretch kicks to the back, 10 of each on each side. Some push-ups, some lunges, and some squats.

The sine wave didn't always exist, so some of General Choi's early students didn't experience it. I'm not sure when it really took off, but there is some literature out there that talks a lot about it, and how there were different levels of the sine wave throughout the evolution of TKD.

I like Chon Ji being about as simple as you can get. For beginners with sub-6 month training I think it's a nice basis for learning forms as you can take away 2 stances, 2 blocks and 1 attack from it. Maybe you could have introduced a front kick but I probably wouldn't have included a high kick like is seen in Songham 1. That is a little too much I think for people you are just introducing to balance and using their feet for things other than walking and running. But then again I'm a stickler for being technically correct right from the start. The front kick and side kick in Songham 1 don't have to be high section. Most black belts that demonstrate it, though, will likely be doing high kicks. I agree. Interestingly enough, we have an "extra form" called Bo Chung that we do at high orange belt level, and it looks a lot like Taikyoku Shodan. The only difference is that after the first three punches, we turn into back stance and middle block, followed by back leg front kick, land in front stance and punch with the right hand, then repeat to the other side. I will keep that clip handy for that segment... I agree that the side kick is awkward. However, I do like the idea of teaching it before a round kick, that way the student doesn't try to cheat by doing a round kick. But even then, with Songham 1, you have two stances (front and middle stances), two strikes (knife hand strike and punch), and two kicks (front kick and side kick). So, it stays pretty basic. Yes, very simple footwork, very basic.

You are right, they are worlds apart. Mainly, because TKD has evolved away from its Japanese roots to try to create its own identity. If you are looking for an application to the series in Songham 1, starting with the inner forearm block, its a side-on block that comes from the turn, because the attack would come from behind. Then, the side kick and knife hand strike finish. If you want to follow that line of thinking, that is. You also have to keep in mind that ATA forms weren't designed with any kind of hae sul or bunkai in mind. They were designed to allow the student to practice the moves that fall into the curriculum of the belt rank. That is one thing that the ATA did well in designing their forms; they made each form a bit more complex than the next, and you can see the advancement in technique development. Chon Ji, the way it is shown, has all the bounce movement because of the sine wave. They also changed the way some hand movements are chambered and delivered. However, I don't use sine wave, and most of my hand movements are done more like Karate hand movements, although some will differ. You are rights, TKD and TSD are very young styles. Most of the older Korean GMs that ended up starting these young Korean arts had come up through Shotokan or some other form of Karate in the Japanese universities that they attended during the Japanese occupation of Korea. They also wanted to re-create a national identity after the occupation, so their style of Karate began to change. So yes, there are differences in some of the moves. This was a very nice form, Kanku Dai. But I don't think it is a white belt level form.

Congrats, Canadian77!

I am curious as to what kind of standards or guidelines others use in regards to knowing if a student is ready to test for the next rank. Lets start at white belt, for example. What do you want to see before you move someone into testing for the next grade? Front stances formed properly with front knee bent and back leg straight on all of them? Do you look for a certain level of power to be present? Or do you just use the eyeball test to tell you if someone is ready to test or not? I guess what I am asking is if you use some set markers of improvement that you can see in techniques, or do you use an eyeball type of test that lets you see that someone is ready?

You make good points in regards to the kid here. I stay away from the bickering that happens online in stories like that.But, the instructor is also responsible to a degree of the child being in this position. I'd like to see clips of the kid, just to see how he looks doing technique and forms. I would also be curious to know how many kids this age this instructor has promoted to black belt rank.

Not sure what you mean here. He should be looking the way he is blocking. Its what I did in the past. The second clip is Chon Ji done with sine wave. That is a hallmark of the ITF way of doing the forms, and some out there are more exaggerated than that. In our style, we don't do the sine wave. Here is a better example of how we do it in our school: We do it with a bit more quickness, though, and focus on power through the hips.What are your concerns with the Pal Gwe form?

I am in very good company!

Yep, it gets easier as your body adjusts.

I am familiar with two different form sets of TKD; the ATA, where I attained a 2nd degree rank, and my current TTA, which uses the Chang On system of forms, or part of it, anyways. But I have had just a dabbling of experience with the WTF set of forms, and my dad years ago did TKD with the old Pal Gwe forms. So what I thought I would do was throw some links in here of the different forms sets, by the rank I know them as, and do a bit of comparing and see if we can generate discussion. So, lets begin at white belt: ATA Songham 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOoAQxFsdlE 18 moves, but in a straight line. Also includes two kicking techniques. TTA/ITF Chon Ji: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pXfgBadTvI 19 moves, in a + pattern. No kicks. I like the development of the blocking and turning in Chon Ji, but don't care for the lack of kicks. The ATA form introduces two kicks into their first form. ATA lacks sine wave, and although I do Chon Ji now, I don't use sine wave. Pal Gwe 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pXfgBadTvI 20 moves, with lots of inside to outside blocks, which is a block I don't see a lot of. They also have an upset knife hand strike, which isn't seen until higher forms in the other two form sets. Tae Guek 1: 20 moves, lots of "walking" stances, but with some kicks and turns.

Here's a post I saw on Facebook via Totally Taekwondo Magazine: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/403303/Ninja-Alec-Cross-Britain-s-young-black-belt-fighter He's 6 years old, and he started at 4 and a half, the article notes. I'm not sure if he should be labeled as a "fighter," but maybe he competes. I am curious if any of our UK members are familiar with the school or the instructor or not. I noticed the belt system that they used, and the colored belt curriculum matches ours. The black belt curriculum is different, though. In our school, we have different program we run for kids aged 5-7. Once they hit 7 or 8, we discuss moving them into the regular classes, so their journey towards black belt wouldn't start until then. The other thing that concerns me is the 8 weeks between each belt rank, which I admit is a concern I've had about our TKD school, as well. We usually test about every two months, but our instructor has called off our latest testing to give the students more time to prepare. If it was something I could change personally, I'd move to a three-month testing cycle at the least. I feel like that would free up more time in class to hit other subject matters, as well. At any rate, I thought this article was pertinent to this discussion, and thought I would drop it in here for some more discussion.

The UFC has announced a sponsorship with Reebok, which includes laying out an outfitting policy for its athletes: http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/448913/UFC-announces-sponsorship-with-Reebook-outfitting-policy-for-athletes It appears, as part of this deal, that athletes will no longer be able to represent their own sponsors in fights. Any thoughts on this? I can see some pros and cons, but I think it really short-changes the sponsors the fighters have at this point, and I also think it might affect the individual marketability of some of the fighters, as well.

These are all good points. And even by considering the scenario given earlier with these points, I don't see that the man should have been criminally charged.