bushido_man96

A very broad answer to the question "how different are the two?" is TSD is more like Shotokan Karate (deeper stances, more hand techniques) and TKD emphasizes kicking more. If it's ITF (Chang Hon style) TKD, there will be a bit less emphasis on kicking than Kukkiwon (WTF style) TKD would be. I'm speaking in broad terms, but this is usually the case. Whether the instructor is Korean or American does not matter as to the quality of instruction. Naturally, you want to choose a good instructor; ethnicity does not matter. My best in your search. This pretty well sums it up. Good post, Iceman! Personally, I would look into the school that has 6 days a week open as on option, because you will likely be able to work it into your schedule more flexibly, all other things being equal (school quality, course offerings, etc). Let us know what you decide, and keep us posted.

Here is a Kwonkicker video I watched, in which he gave advice on how to fight aggressive, non-stop opponents: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv4IXyhxtHs What are your thoughts? Did he sum it up well, or does anyone here have different advice based off your experiences? The point he gave on not turning away was solid. I think that is what someone is trying to accomplish by overwhelming another; get them moving backwards, turn away, and then really drill them. I like his insight on offensive and defensive counter-attacking, too. The deliniation he presents makes sense. I like going offensive better, as it would help to not allow the fighter to establish control. However, the defensive option, using a block or parry and evade, might give one an opportunity to "stop" the opponent, break up their momentum, and open them up for counter. I would probably use more of the "cover-up" option in class. Mainly because I'm not terribly mobile, and I don't mind taking a shot if it brings the others in close where I can start punching away on them. Of course, that is with our limited TKD rules, too. What do you think? Good advice? Anything different from others here? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I don't know if I can do 5, as I haven't seen a lot of Boxer's over the years, but here's a few: Ali's footwork and brashness. I'm not an Ali fan, nor of his attitude, but if you are going to step into the ring and beat up on and get beat up on by heavyweights, then you got to have some brash. Tyson's power. In his prime, he was scary. Holyfield's reach. That guy had some long arms, and was in awesome condition. Foreman's toughness and chin.

Good stuff! I'll bet that's a fun gym to train at! Those guys are serious!

Perhaps someday I'll be able to drop some dough on these titles. After all, I don't have any books on Kyokushin...must fix that issue!

This is the only one of the group I have read, so its really the only one I can recommend. But, I'm sure any one of them would be worth while reading.

Great work! It sucks having to fight through injuries and setbacks, like your appendix (yikes!), but time heals all wounds, and after all, that is one commodity we have, right? Keep up the good work, and keep us posted as you progress!

Thank you for the kind words, Bob! I am very proud of him. And not just for winning. That's great, but what I want the most out of him is working hard in practice (which he has been a source of ankst for me as of late... ), and then to go out onto the mat and give his all, win or lose. He hates losing, and still has a bit of an emotional setback when dealing with it, but that's ok, because I want him to feel that, too. I think he will learn so much from all of it, and make alot of great memories growing up, too. I think that I actually get more nervous than he does. If he gets nervous, he doesn't show it. Before his first match last week, I was feeling kind of a bad vibe, because he just didn't seem to be that jacked up for it. I asked if he was ready to go, and he was like, "yeah, I guess, whatever." But when he went out there, its like a switch flipped, and he was on. But, if he can keep that kind of emotional even keel going, then the boy will be so much better off than I ever was. I still get so nervous about things its not even funny. He doesn't seem to, and that's a great thing. Here are clips from his third tournament, at Hoisington: Match 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj8l6qk_g8o By this time, we are starting to see familiar faces. This was the same kid Kendall wrestled at Great Bend. But, Great Bend and Hoisington are only about 30 minutes away from each other, so it isn't unusual that the same kids made the trip. He started out taking a shot, which was great, but got kind of smothered and worked after it, which I think kind of deters him from taking shots. He told me he's worried about them sprawling. This kid has a habit of locking his hands quite a bit, and did that at the previous tournament, too, which does help Kendall a bit. He made a good switch from bottom, helping him gain some control and get some points. And he didn't reach back that time. He tried to run a half-Nelson before breaking the kid down, though, and it ended up getting him reversed. He started the 2nd period with a decent stand and switch, but got himself in a bad position, and got reversed again. But I think his bottom game is getting a bit better, and he is getting out and reversing more. He did a good job of getting back in control and pinning. Match 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2OYlCozGC8 Unfortunately, this is another match with another club mate. I don't like these matches, because I don't want it to cause friction with other kids and parents in the club, but the good thing is that there are 4 great kids wrestling in the same weight class at practice, and they do a great job of pushing each other and making each other better. Kendall is starting out on the right (redhead). He started out with another decent takedown, which I have been hounding to do more of. Shoot, and keep driving them legs! He is still trying to run the half before breaking down at times, which is where I would rather see him try to look for cradle options instead. He is getting better at getting heavy on his opponents, and we are working on scooping the head after getting them rolled over and losing the half. A good match. He almost had a pin there, but time ran out in the period. This kid did a good job of stopping his switch. Maybe we can learn another switch to change up against the club mates that know each other so well. Match 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbt7oYooCOU Little bit of hand fighting to start out, which gets him distracted, and he ends up standing straight up, which is doom in Wrestling. But he finally got to a leg, took him down from behind, and got a pin. Too much hand fighting... Match 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqyELr679yY And match 4. This was another round-robin format, and was cool to see him wrestle so many matches. Unfortunately, this is another teammate he has to wrestle. Our club sent 3 kids in the same weight bracket! Kendall is on the right. These two have been pushing each other in practice a lot, and it has been showing. They match up pretty well, and this kid has given Kendall fits in practice when he gets on top. But, they both like to tie up and hand-fight with each other, and try to grab the head. Kendall tried to block and shoot, and I think he might have got it if he would have went to his knee and drove like he should on a takedown. But, in an unorthodox way, he took him down by grabbing his head and throwing him to the ground, and then pouncing on him! I guess if it works, it works...This boy is pretty strong, and tough to keep on his back, which is good, as it makes Kendall work more to gain control, to tighten things up. Kendall got reversed, and kept base pretty well until the end of the period. He started the 2nd period with a great breakdown, but somehow got himself into a funny position and almost got reversed. On the restart, he got headlocked somewhat, but was able to drive through it to keep position, and control. He had a brief cradle opening in there, but he still doesn't see them well yet. I think at times he gets too high, and then gets reversed. Still a little reaching back that gets him in trouble, too. His stand-up is pretty good, but he stands straight up when finished, and needs to squat a bit and push his hip out more, to keep a good base and to escape. He is doing this better now. He almost had an escape on the last stand up, but instead, turned toward him, threw a headlock, and took him down, which sealed the match for him. This tournament was a great showing for our club, as we had three wrestlers in the bracket get medals. Three tournaments in, and so far, so good. He does seem to be improving in a few areas, and his confidence is going up, which is great. We've got a big one coming up in Salina soon, and that will be a good test for him.

The thing about the cradle, though, is that its a pinning combination in Wrestling. I think one might get more beneficial knee strikes off in the initial hold, as opposed as to where the hold is supposed to end up. I'm just trying to piece this together in my head, though, so I could be missing something.

I agree here, as well. Last night, after spending about 10 minutes of going over my new form, I just about have it down. That's a 4th dan form, supposedly a high-rank form, that I almost have memorized in two sessions I've spent learning it. On a similar note, I remember reading about GM H.U. Lee from the ATA talking about how he learned the first 16 Chang On patterns in four days and three nights time (which ones he learned would be up for debate, but a bit of digging could probably produce which ones he learned at that time, 1968). So, I tend to agree with you that learning forms is not really an issue. This is exactly my point with the partner-based concepts training, and probably was how kata training was orginally done. Great points! I do think when you get so many students into a class, then it probably did change the approach to teaching. And it is easy to observe a large group do basic technique at an instructor's count, roaming around fixing this and adjusting that. To the bold above, I think that has a lot to do with it. Technical proficiency gets tied a lot into the proper technique, how a side kick should look, the withdrawing hand turned all the way over, front stance with front knee bent, back leg locked, with everything looking "right." After all, these are the things sought in tournament formats, and probably even in a lot of testings. In my time in TKD, this has always been a predominant aspect of the training, getting the technique to what we considered "correct," and then improving it. There is an advantage to this, to be sure, but I don't think it should take precedence at the expense of viable self-defense and partner training. Nothing wrong with that at all. I don't think I would be opposed to doing only a handful of forms, if the proper self-defense applications were presented along with the training. If I recall, Funakoshi spent 7 years on one form (I think it was Naihanchi/Naifanchi/Tekki?). If I recall, didn't Itosu introduce Karate to Okinawan middle schools, and wasn't he the one who broke up the kata that is now the first 4 katas of Shotokan? And Funakoshi followed suit in introducing Karate to the public schools of Japan.

It may appear to lack integrity, but I'm of the opinion that it has likely happened more than a few times over the years in the Martial Arts world. How many faction splits can we count in the world of Shotokan Karate and TKD alone?

I concur!! So, you're saying that the change(s) were made before money seeped its way into the fray?!? I think the changes were made when the instructors began introducing the arts into schools.

I did too. I thought the fights were great, and I even saw a win by KO with a punch to the body!

Nice work!

Like I've mentioned earlier, in regards to evaluating one's position and abilities, and making a determination based on the information obtained.

I'm not sure it was changed due to money. It would have been done first by Itosu, if I remember correctly, and then by Funakoshi. I'm not sure either one of these individuals made a lot of money from their training.

Injuries can be avoided if the trainers are being smart about their training. In Aikido, they tend to create a lot of energy in the way they attack. Changing the attacks will change the energy provided, and also change the way the defenses work.

There was a time, however, that kata were not tied to rank. Kata were sought out based on the knowledge they held. The advent of the ranking system has changed that.

It seems wrong, because we only ever have other people promoting us. All I am saying is that at times, I think exceptions can be made. I don't think self-promotion necessarily lacks integrity.

Ok, I'm moving slow here, but time for some more clips, from his second tourney at Great Bend, KS. He had three matches, in a round-robin format. Match 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOIzdp9Girg He starts out nice and low, and then he just wants to attack the head, which I and the coaches have been working with him on. I have failed to mention that he is wearing the maroon singlet. He got himself in a bad spot, ended on bottom, and then started fleeing the mat, which I don't care for, but it did show he had some awareness of where he was at. He started a good switch, but reached back instead of to the legs, which got him in a bad position. The other kid did a good job of controlling him while on top, putting Kendall in a tough spot needing points. He started on top in the third period, and the kid got up, but Kendall used a headlock to get him to the ground, and finish it out there. Still don't like the headlocks. Match 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARxXmrOw-tM This match was against a fellow club member. Kendall is the red haired one. He started with a good sprawl and reversal, but allowed an escape. I just can't seem to get him to engage with the takedowns, and don't how to drill him out of it. He did stand up quick, but couldn't shake the hands off, and got taken back down. And in the 2nd period, we have a double leg takedown sighting! Probably turned the match around for him. He was able to work to pin from there. Match 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MmAPpC1Tnw Kendall had wrestled this kid before, and I knew he liked to throw headlocks, so I begged and pleaded with Kendall to avoid getting into a headlock battle with this kid. But he didn't. He did do a good job of getting around behind, and taking him down, avoiding getting flipped himself. He got into a bit of a shoving match with him in the 2nd period, and almost got flipped in the headlock, but managed to drive the kid down to his back instead, and was able to ride out for a pin.[/u]

Kote-gashi, "return the wrist" is probably the one I've liked the most. Get a good grip on the hand, and turn the palm where you want them to go. I've found that with some footwork, sweeps mix in with is well.

Yes, we are on the same page.I do agree that not all things are subject to self-promotion. But, there are instances where it can be a viable option.

I don't think kata is only a vessel for gaining belts, but you can't deny the correlation between the rank you are, and the kata you learn. I'm not saying it is right, wrong, or indifferent, but that the correlation does exist in many styles. Now, with that said, you mention all the applications that come out of the kata you learn. Which I think is a great thing. But, my train of thought here is that the time taken out for first learning the kata is time that could be applied towards learning the applications or the concepts behind them, drilling with a live partner, thus increasing the learning curve in acquiring self-defense skills.

I don't think O-Sensei watered anything down. He changed his approach to training over time, but during his time, he was a very formidable Martial Artist, with very good, sound technique. The problem I have seen in Aikido is the training concepts of the uke blending with the nage, and offering very little, if any resistance, in training. I think there are a lot of good concepts in the training, but learning to apply it effectively against a resisting opponent is not something seen in a lot of dojo.

Hi Bushido_man 96 Thank you how are you and what kind of karate style do you do? I used to Take Shotokan karate do and I was a green belt and know Im taking American Kenpo karate and im a orange belt working on getting my purple belt this year My Sifu Jesus Flores his a 9th degree and head instructor of Flores Bros Kenpo karate and he gives everybody to be in the swat team and to be in the black belt club Well 1st you have to be orange belt or higher and 6 months training and have a perfect attendance show great and positive attitude in class and you have to be recommended by your instructor then you will be part of the black belt club all the kids adult can joined as long as you meet all the requirements Once your in the Black Belt Club You can attend black Belt Club member classes receive a Black Belt Club Belt You can receive all discount on all items purchase also in the event or tournament you can get discount and No tuition as long as you remain BCC member My style is TKD. You mention no tuition. So, you do not pay any fees if you are a black belt club member? That doesn't sound quite right, but maybe I missed something. I agree that does sound like a bit of a marketing ploy. As an instructor, I don't think I'd be doing my job by only offering select members of the school special instruction. Maybe I'm not looking at the explanation properly, though.