bushido_man96

Thank you, Bob. One of the nice things that the ATA does is they are always thinking of ways to improve and add to the student experience. When I was in the ATA, for instance, the World Championships only involved sparring at the finals at the end of the tournament year. Now, they've branched it so that an individual can win a world championship in forms, weapons, or sparring. That's one change I've seen, of many. Sometimes, I think they change or add things that they don't need to, but, on the other hand, they have lots of people constantly coming up with ideas, which at times will lead to some that not everyone likes. But they don't stagnate, that's for sure.

Thanks for this article, Alex. Its good to have some idea of what one could expect transitioning to an art like BJJ after spending time in Eastern styles. I'm in favor of the laid back type of atmosphere, and would like to see more of it, myself. Your explanation of what to expect while training in regards to the intensity levels, and the goal of rolling is very insightful, as well.

Great article, ps1. Very nicely laid out, explained, and I like the video demonstrations, too.

Interesting fact. I think that wearing the headgear, although perhaps preventing a knockout, probably leads to concussions just because they get hit in the head more over a longer period of time.

Those are interesting ways to get to the back. Nice position at the end, too. The part in the middle where you had the leg wrapped and then went to work around the head looked really ackward. I wondered about that, if it was some kind of stylistic change to make the form "their own" or something to that affect. Nice idea for the thread, too. I only have a few videos of myself I can think of off hand. Here is one where I was trying to expound with DWx on some different ways of executing the side kick, and why I like one way better than another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFLHyCKGMGQ&list=UUYp41FDmb5wXCSMe_HkoEJw Here are a couple from my last testing. Sparring: (I was tired and out of shape, so probably doesn't look the greatest): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD7WSCcX3SE&list=UUYp41FDmb5wXCSMe_HkoEJw Board breaking: (I really botched the spin heel kick): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wYR-mMZxU8&list=UUYp41FDmb5wXCSMe_HkoEJw And here's one of my getting choked out by Royce Gracie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7I0yotu_Zo&list=UUYp41FDmb5wXCSMe_HkoEJw

When you say C-stepping, I think of a few things: 1, you use it as a change of direction, dragging the back leg in the form of a C to follow an opponent or change direction and keep you front foot forward and stay focused on your opponent...or... 2, when you walk from stance to stance, your foot moves like a C, coming in towards the foot that is planted as it passes by, and then circles back out to its normal position when it sets down. Am I anywhere close?

Thanks for the info, tallgeese. I do like what I've done with Krav on the disarms, both hand gun and long gun. They are all close-quarters, so you are already in there when it starts. I just need to spend some more time with them is all. GRACIE also offers some interesting weapons retention, especially in the holster, that Krav doesn't have (or I haven't seen). I'm not familiar with the PPCT rentions or disarms. 7/28/2014 TKD Class: Taught, 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Basics, forms, one-steps, and some sparring. 8/4/2014 I was filtering through my MA notebook, and found some old "forms workouts" I put together years ago for working on belt-specific requirements when I was in the ATA. So, I'm going to try an experiment. I'm basically going to start myself over, and run myself on 2 month testing cycles, doing these workouts I put together years ago, but I'll do my current forms instead of the ATA forms. I have them set up for 6 days of the week, and should cover about 30 minutes per workout. Monday White Belt Form Workout: Front kicks: #1,2,3,4 front kicks from front stance, doing as a floor drill. Blocks and strikes: from sitting stance, a) high blocks; b) middle blocks; c) down blocks; d) knife hand strikes; e) middle punches; I did alternating hands, 30 total of each. Chon Ji hyung, 2 times, then stretched. TKD Class: Taught, 6:00 - 7:10 pm. Worked basics, reviewed forms from white belt to blue belt, then Gae Baek, one-steps from white belt up, then had them do some round-robin sparring. I had two high blue belts, one low blue belt, and two 2nd degrees in class tonight, so was able to really move along. I even hopped in with them on one-steps. 8/5/2014 Tuesday White Belt Form Workout: Side kicks: #1,2,3,4 from sitting stance, as a floor drill. Around 5-8 minutes. Front kicks: from natural ready position, alternatint front kicks to a target pad I attached to my standing bag, doing 20 per set, 4 sets, as high as I could, as fast as I could. Also sprinkled in some of my rehab exercises. Chon Ji hyung a couple of times, and stretched.

Putting on mass is going to be directly related to how much calories you take in. If you up the caloric intake, along with lifting, then you will add some size. If you don't up your calories, then you will probably not put on as much mass, but along with that, you won't gain as much strength, either.

Refence the bold above, I agree. As a Martial Artist grows and matures, what they are seeking often changes. This article would be great for rehashing at differen points in an MAist's career.

I think one of the advantages that Wrestling has is that its so offensive minded. Wrestlers don't train from their back, because you can't win from there. And although that can hurt them at times, especially when one tries to belly out after a takedown, which gives the opponent their back. Not a good strategy, but given a little training time, a Wrestler can learn some nuances that allow them to work from their back, and get back to the dominant position. I think the overall training mindset of the Wrestler is very advantageous for them.

Thank you, Danielle. I do think the ATA tries to do the best job it can in preparing its black belts to teach. Some of it is over-marketed, but a lot of their concepts and principles are right on target. The thing with personal approach/individual contact is to make sure its not too much, and not too little. The key is to be appropriate, which most people are, anyway. As an instructor when I correct technique, using appropriate contact to get a punch in the right place, or a kick chamber positioned properly, etc, helps really register it with the student. What's important is that no physical contact should last more than a second or two, really. It sounds to me like things are a bit over-regulated for you over there, Danielle, and its too bad it has gotten that way.

Its great to be able to get together with a few of the people that you know you can really get to expounding on the Martial Arts. Its easy to get carried away, too. An instructor has to constantly check himself with the audience he is speaking with, and make sure he isn't going over too many heads. Save the real good stuff for those that will appreciate it.

Solid post!! React to ANYTHING!! That's should be the jewel of the MA, any MA, imho!! When working off specific attacks for specific defenses, this can happen often in Hapkido or Aikido classes (the one's I've been involved in, anyway). Uke gets confused or loses track of what is being focused on. Its quite humorous. I often visualize Jim Carrey saying "you attacked me wrong!" On a side note, having principle-based responses are very helpful to minimizing these funny moments.

Kids, between 45 minutes and an hour, if you can do a focused kids class. Adults, hour to hour and a half. I like to go hour and a half anymore, to get in all the segments of the class. Kids younger than 8, really only need about 30 minutes.

What is this course you are doing? Sounds very interesting. I was also curious if you had a system you use for handgun or long gun disarm/retention for your department. Do you have one system you use for DT, or a few things pulled from different places to round it all out? I agree, weights are great for squats. But everyone is afraid of them. But the same people who are afraid to squat due to back and knees have no qualms with putting 300 or 400 lbs on just their elbows. Kudos to you for doing all that squatting! I'm trying to get myself back into it, as well. I can see the importance here. But, I also see how it can be important to burn out once in a while; just not that regularly.

I've never made any style transitions, but I have done TKD in one facet or another for over 20 years. Right now, I do more of an Olympic style of sparring, whereas before I did the ATA point system of sparring. Within the TKD styles of sparring, you can see lots of different methods. In point systems, you can see more lead leg kicking, without putting the foot down. In Olympic style, you see more rear leg kicking and combinations and counters, because there is no stopping to call points. Some will be counter fighters, and others more offensive. You just never know what you are going to get. I'm not sure if that helped you out at all, but I'd be willing to try to answer any other questions you'd have.

I wish i still kept many of my old belts. Alas I was young and didn't think of keeping them. But hey what can I do, lesson learnt! I'd have to do some digging to see if I still have all of mine. I did keep the certificates, though. Most of them, I keep in clear page holders in a notebook. The bigger ones I have framed.

Great article. Very thorough, and a great guide. Happy Birthday, Danielle!

Congrats!

So it is your national association then for all styles? That was my question, as well. How many different styles can you test for, and how does that affect the judges that sit on the panels?

Congrats! Very well deserved!

Happens a lot i find. When it is the same style people decide to train in at 2 different dojo's baffles me and i don't know why they do it. If I went to train in another style of karate then i would check with my sensei first, then I would tell the head of the other school of my training in the other style. But if it is a different martial art, I would still tell the owner of that school so that they are aware My question is, why? I think its the student's choice as to what they consume as a customer, isn't it? As an instructor, I really don't think I have the right to know which stores they shop at, or if they learn Martial Arts elsewhere. My only job is to mark their progression through the style I teach them, and make sure they are doing things the way we do them in our gym. That's really my only job as an instructor. If they have the time to devote to training multiple styles, then kudos to them. Take advantage of it, because it won't always be there.

I think the only way is if I just fall apart physically, and can't do them anymore. Even if that ever happened, I would still keep coming here to fulfill my Martial Arts needs.

Well, if you have lots of wall space, you could frame each certificate for each belt, and mount the belt below each frame. But that would take quite a bit of wall space. You could also minimize that, and just have all the belts hanging below the certificate of your current rank, having the lowest rank belt at the bottom, leading up to your current rank, with your current rank certificate above them.

I concur with Brian. In that, I've never really like the line-up protocol because the lower ranks can be overlooked in the back row, and I do understand why the protocol is what it is. I can see the use in both ways. The way we do it, the low ranks in the back get to watch the higher ranks go first in basics, so the lower ranks can then either mimic or reference how the higher ranks do the techniques. But on the way back down the floor, the lower ranks go first, so they have to take what they've seen and apply it accordingly on the way back. So they only get a reference going one way. I do like the idea of lower ranks having a reference going both ways.