bushido_man96

In my experience, the body pukes when something is wrong. Why would I want to train until something is wrong? Not my style. I hate puking.

Tension side kicks, or as my first ATA instructor called them, "concentration side kicks." What you do is do your side kick out slowly, then rechamber slowly, making the leg muscles fatigue throughout the course of the movement, thus building physical and mental strength. In my first days in the ATA, when you might say we did more "traditional" stuff, our classes would follow a fairly regular routine. Line-up, warmup and stretch, then do forms and one-steps. Then two lines down the center of the room, and do sparring. We would spar for a bit, then face each other, bow, and rotate, and do this for around 15 minutes. Then, we would go grab a spot on the wall to do concentration side kicks. We would use the wall for balance, and the instructor would call out "chamber," then hold it there for however long, then call out "execute," at which time we would kick out sloooowly (that is the key) to full extension, usually between a 3 and 5 second kick, and then hold it there until the instructor would call out "rechamber," and then, he would call out "return" to set the kicking leg down, or more often than not, call out "execute" to kick back out. Rinse and repeat for as much anguish as desired. Its a great leg conditioner, and great for side kicks. Ah, I miss the good ole days.... 10/1/2012 AM and PM rehab at home, 30 minutes each session. Worked on back kicks, standing with a footstool about a foot and a half tall behind me, working on getting the chamber up above the stool before kicking out.

I think its the lack of ground fighting that prevents the lulls. It is fun to watch. I wish Olympic TKD took more of a route like Kyokushin.

Nice. Side kick is tougher for me, so I don't do a lot of breaking with it. If I do, I keep it at about gut level. I can do it higher, to the head, but never have attempted a break at that level, let alone cap blocks. Its also great that you've practiced the kick so much that you can see what will play out when you execute it. I can kind of do that with my round kicks. And you're right, a little won't do. Lots of good practice.

I don't think there is anything wrong with not focusing on head kicks in a style. They aren't for everyone, and not everyone likes to do them. But, that shouldn't lend itself to a philosophy that higher kicks lose power over lower kicks, especially when its more a matter of personal preference than proven fact. That's all I was really getting at.

Ah, yes, extremely helpful. Especially if you have quite a few forms to keep memorized. I try to do that at times while driving at nights. It helps keep me awake.Good suggestion, darksoul.

I think your flow looked better in the second video; memorization and repetition are the two best ingredients to help flow, and I think you've made improvements there. The only other thing I can see is perhaps getting a bit more power in the linear movements, using kime like the others above have suggested will help there. Think of relaxed but tensed muscles striking out, and then tightening upon contact with your target. Maybe just a bit more hip engagement on such moves, as well, but otherwise, it appears to be coming along nicely.

I currently have to lay off training because of shoulder surgery. My arm still hurts after a month of recovery, and I don't do much with it at all. So, I've been taking a few days of the week doing some bag work with my left arm, or doing some kicking work from youtube videos. Yesterday I did just some sets of back kicks in the living room between reading chapters of a novel. I think next week, after starting work back up, I'll go to the gym and do some walk/running on the treadmill, or work on the bike. Little things just to keep me moving.

Congrats on the award, DoctorQui! Well deserved!

Watching the first video. Its quite a difference, how some of us would love to be able to spend that much time a day training, and how some, like the kids, do it to help their families.

Boss Fight....classic!

I enjoy it myself. Good fun all around!

Being in TKD for most of my career, I'm kind of acclimated to 9 or 10 belt systems. I think they are pretty decent belt systems, too, as I've been able to see through testings and tournaments how the progress tracks as the students keep moving up. I don't see anything wrong with belts systems with fewer than 9 belts, either. In the end, it really depends on the goals of the system or the instructor, and how they set up the advancement of the system. To me, its interesting how many Asian systems have the use of the belt systems, whereas many Westerns systems don't have one, but the skill levels are more readily identified in one's ability to compete with others, and the skill levels are revealed in that context. So, in regards to how many belts might be needed, the answer could be none. In the end, I think its up to the goals of the system.

Welcome to the KF Black Belt Club, Dobbersky!

That's kind of what I was thinking. I try not to get that far into it. I can't think of a time when I trained until I puked, but there have been a few times I thought I was on the verge of doing so. I made sure to stop then.

9/27/2012 AM - 30 minutes of rehab. Kwonkicker front kick tutorial. Back leg and Front leg kicks, stepping back leg kicks, shuffling front leg kicks, using both the bag and kicking without the bag - 20 minutes. Afternoon - 30 minutes of rehab. TKD Testing - 6:30 - 8:00. The instructor asked if I would be able to judge, as we had a girl testing for black belt. She did a really good job, and I could see that her technique had gotten so much better. There were several colored belts that tested as well, and everyone did a pretty good job. 9/28/2012 AM - PT at the clinic for an hour and 15 minutes. Afternoon - 30 min. at home. 9/29/2012 AM session - 30 minutes. 9/30/2012 AM rehab 30 min.

Good advise from everyone. I was told once that any kick you want to do jumping, you have to do it on the ground, first. That way, you study the foot work in the set up, and add the jump in when you get it down.

I think these are some good tips. I also think its important for any stand-up fighter to acquaint themselves with some basic ground moves, like some sweeps or reversals, and working from guard and passing it.

If it is true, I don't think it is disgraceful. There is too much other crap on TV anymore to call this disgraceful. I also kind of like the idea that if someone was trying to mug him, he was able to make them look and feel like fools. In my experience, bad things don't happen to bad people often enough.

I think the major issue for a Wrestler would be getting over the fact that being on your back is ok in BJJ, then just adapting to the different rule set using chokes and locks. I'd think it would be a great base to have, and BJJ could only make it better.

I really don't think things have changed that much over the course of human history. There have always been big guys with egos, and little guys with egos, and fighting has been around forever. I think that TV and MMA exposure just makes it appear like there is more of it now.

Can that philosophy be backed with proof, though? I routinely break 4 boards with head high round kicks, and I think that's pretty good power. I don't think I could break many more than that with a thigh level round kick. Its like anything else; if it isn't trained, then it can't be used. If it is going to be trained, it has to be done properly in terms of application and context.

Ok, catch up time. I'm such a procrastinator... 9/17/2012 AM rehab exercises for 25 minutes. Tension side kicks: sets 3, each leg, 10 sets. Setting leg down between each kick. Bag Work left jab: 10 lead left back fist: 10 lead left hook: 10 lead left uppercut: 10 left cross: 10 rear left hook: 10 rear left uppercut: 10 left upset knifehand strike: 10 left knifehand strike: 10 left hammerfist: 10 left upset hammerfist: 10 left ridgehand: 10 left upset ridgehand: 10 PM rehab: 25 minutes. 9/18/2012 AM physical therapy at clinic: 45 minutes. Started pulley work and adding in weight for resistance. PM: 30 minute rehab at home. 9/19/2012 AM rehab - 30 minutes. Bag Work left jab: 10 left cross: 10 left lead uppercut: 10 left lead hook: 10 left rear uppercut: 10 left rear hook: 10 PM rehab - 30 minutes. 9/20/2012 AM and PM home rehab - 30 minutes each. 9/21/2012 AM therapy session at clinic - 45 minutes. PM 30 minutes home rehab. 9/22/2012 Exercises broken up throughout the day. 9/23/2012 AM and PM home sessions - 30 minutes each. 9/24/2012 and 9/25/2012 AM therapy session at the clinic: 45 minutes. PM home session - 30 minutes; only 10 minutes on the 25th PM session; out of town and didn't have all my stuff with me, so I improvised a bit. 9/26/2012 AM and PM 30 minutes sessions. Floor Kicks: 3 sets of 10 side kicks, each leg.

I only got to see the one match. I got to see more Boxing than any of the other combat sports, which is ok, because I enjoy it, too. I'd love to see MMA make it back to the Olympics, though. I regards to the Judo match, I realize that part of the reason that I didn't see anything really clean was because of the skill level of each of the participants. So, its a kudos to them.

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