bushido_man96

Just go out there and do your thing. You know what is right and wrong, good or bad, what needs fixed and what doesn't. You are probably also acquainted with each of the junior grades, their skill levels and abilities, etc. Just have faith in yourself, and you are going to be just fine. Have fun, and enjoy this next step in the MA journey!

If a parent asks, answer them honestly. That's all an instructor can do. If the parent doesn't like it, then they have a choice to make. Is their child in it for belts, or to learn? That is one nice thing about Wrestling; no belts; you go practice, learn, then show it out on the mat. Congrats on making the testing list!

Welcome to KF!

Welcome!

Welcome to KF, Scott! I look forward to hearing you share your experiences with us.

Here's an interesting Silat video I came across in my Facebook feed: Dan Inosanto and Paul deThouars. There are some very interesting movements going on there.

Yep, that's why I do bare-knuckle (well, recently I've taken to wearing hand wraps, I consider it impolite to bleed on punching bags that don't belong to me) heavy bag work at the sports centre nearby once or twice a week. I'm still trying to think of more ways to harden my knuckles themselves (heavy bag only helps to get technique right). The knuckles will harden some with the heavy bag work. You could look into some makiwara training, or some smaller hanging sand bags to build them up, as well.

That makes sense. Thank you.

I have never been a member of a school that did any extensive types of body conditioning for board breaking. I think working pads and bags can help build the body up over time, and it is a gradual process. I just don't think many people are interested in it like they were in the past.

Thats cool. I'll bet he would be a great guy to meet.

Its a pretty cut-and-dried article, with nothing really earth-shattering in it. My advice would be to listen to your body when you exercise. If its screaming at you to take a breather, then do it. If you are just a bit tired, but feel you can push through, then do it. Being a little sore is no big deal. Just make sure you aren't injuring yourself. I do recommend a book by Sang H. Kim, Martial Arts After 40. Its a good read that I will have to go through again her in a few years.

12/12/2013 20 minutes on elliptical, doing periods of higher intensity than I am used to. 2 minutes of walking on curve treadmill, then stretch.

I appreciate seeing it done slowly, in order to pick out the movements a little bit. Thanks for sharing it with us. I'm guessing by the title of the thread that it is a section of one of your forms?

It looks to me like they are doing high-intensity one-steps. I don't see any semblence of a guard, really. I do like the idea of the continuous striking until the threat is down. There are some very unorthodox movements in there, too, like the first individual's upward swinging blocking movement. I'm not saying I don't think it would work, but its a very strange motion to me.

Turns, lifted feet, stances, etc. could all imply potential kicks. The most obvious example is in the kata Naihanchi--I think it's called Chulgi in TKD, if that helps? There are sections where you do sweeping motions with the feet that, in addition to legitimately working as foot sweeps, can be the chamber position for shovel kicks. My style also makes liberal use of cat stances throughout our other forms, which take your weight off the lead leg, which frees it up to kick or sweep. Absolutely... Also, I don't know if Kobayashi still includes Rohai in its curriculum, but that's another kata that has some implied kicks. Chulgi isn't a pattern that we do. I do have a form that has the foot sweep motions in it, though, and I have been taught Naifanchi Shodan by sensei8. I'm interested in what the "shovel kick" is. I'm not familiar with that term.

You too Danielle, are worthy of your 4th Dan when you test!! Good luck in Feb!! Yes, good luck! And please do let us know what you did for the testing. I'm interested in knowing what we do differently. Thank you!

That's great! I say go for it. If nothing else, it will gear you towards that preparation.

It would be nice if it worked like this all the time, but it doesn't always. Sometimes, the parents will come and ask, as is their right, when things concern their children. If a parent would have questions for me, I wouldn't have a problem with answering them. After all, if their children are in the class, then the parent really is the consumer. So, its important that they be informed if and when they ask. I won't allow them to sway my decision, but I wouldn't have an issue with explaining my decisions with them. I agree...Asking is one thing, but questioning my final decision isn't!! If I'm trusted to teach them, then I should be trusted to grade them as well!! Private counsels are to help them, both parents as well as students, and I will help them so that they know what has to be worked/improved on, but new parents and the like seem to think that they can judge my judgement and this isn't going to happen; not in my dojo/Hombu!! I agree. Hopefully, parents will realize that they really aren't within their domain when they come to us as teachers, but at times, they are blinded, because of their natural bias for their children. Its just another opportunity for us to share our knowledge, and let them know that we made our decision because we really do care. I think we are seeing eye-to-eye on this one, Bob.

You've done some reading you say, so that's good. Now, do some legwork, and get out there and take a look at the different schools available to you. Each instructor has a different teaching style and focus, so you need to watch their classes and talk to them and ask them questions in regards to what you are seeking out. That will be much easier than the rest of us trying to guide you towards your goals through our own experiences. Best of luck to you, and let us know what you decide. And welcome to KarateForums.com!

Absolutely! As for "operators" and "warriors", I most certainly am both: I'm a computer Operating Keyboard Warrior! Clickety clack! In other words... CredoTe <=== Nerd!!!

I could definitely see the WTF in that guy. Hands down low, the kihaps, and pretty good footwork. However, that might have been different with ropes around him. A nice spin back kick, right to the chin.

His kicks did look kind of snappy, instead of being for power, but overall, I thought he used them well. The TKD stylist used his front leg for kicks really well, and his footwork kept him out of a lot of trouble. I could tell that his hands weren't nearly on par with the Thai fighter's, and I could also tell he didn't want to be standing anywhere close to the Thai stylist. His second fall down was more a result of the kick being off, as opposed to the strike by the Thai stylist, but that happens when you start jumping around and people jam you. On a side note, this was the first full contact fight that I had seen a TKDer use consecutive kicks with some degree of success. But, perhaps a few well placed single kicks with more power would have served him better. My two cents. Thanks for sharing it.

Haha, yes, I think that throws people off, sometimes. In our kata, the only kicks that are explicitly used (performed the way you would in application) are front snap kicks, back kicks, and one inside crescent kick. All other kicks--side kicks, shovel/oblique kicks, roundhouse kicks, etc.--are implied, meaning the forms tell you that you could do them there, but do not have you perform them completely. Its interesting to me that you say they are "implied." How so? Is it by the use of chamber motions that are not extended when doing the form? Or is it through some other subtle motions?

Good point. Training with the gloves on all the time, and hitting at the head, when it comes time for self-defense, this will probably be a natural reaction. That's when the broken hands can happen, because they don't adjust to hitting differently with the hand. Just a thought.

I'm not sure punching a candle really develops power, though. Punching bags will develop power, because of the resistance you get. I think that may have a lot to do with the power a Boxer is able to generate. They are constantly punching bags, punching focus mitts, and are moving while doing it. The makiwara is a great tool, but it doesn't move, so it only teaches how to transition power while you are stationary. I think that could be part of how Boxer's develop their power, as well.