bushido_man96

I have this book: http://www.amazon.com/Boxing-American-Martial-Week-Course/dp/1880336820/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323752795&sr=1-1 I enjoyed it, and thought it rather helpful.

Well done, Bob. Well deserved.

Ah, yes, he was. Great minds think alike, eh guys?

Some things to look at is seeing how the school's black belts and other high ranks perform. Does their technique look good, crisp, powerful? Also, does the school work actively on self-defense? Is the instructor a stickler for technique? Some things like that might help you along your way. Welcome to the Forums, as well.

I agree. That said, I will say this much about sitting in seiza; it sucks. I hate it. There is a picture on the website of the Aikido club I went to that shows a row of people sitting in seiza at a seminar. I'm on the far end, but I'm sitting up taller than anyone else in the picture, and I'm not a tall person. I just can't sit really low in seiza, like the others can. Nor can I set there for any extended period of time. So, if Mas Oyama, being a bigger guy, adjusted his seiza to sit more comfortably, then I can understand why. Because sitting in seiza sucks.

I agree. Do this. Learning forms in segments has always been the way I have done it, and it works better than anything, for me, anyways.

Wow! What a freak deal. I hope he recovers, and they can reconnect that somehow. I check the pic, too. I've seen some pretty nasty stuff so far just being in law enforcement. That one ranks right up there.

Taking up BJJ would not "corrupt" your TKD knowledge or skill at all. If anything, you'll begin to figure out where and how you can mingle the two together. I'm in the same boat you are, being a TKD practitioner, with no ability to fight on the ground. I've spent some time at a DT club that does considerable ground work, but not enough to get too good at anything, yet. One of the problems I have is time management, much like yourself. Work full-time (rotating shift work, no less), family/kids who do sports, etc, makes it all tough. What I would do, is by a datebook or calendar that you can carry with you for, say, two weeks. Write down everything you do in your day in the time slots appropriate in the datebook. At the end of two weeks, look at what all you do, see what you can cut out, and then see when you can work in your new BJJ time. Let us know how it all goes.

This brings up an interesting point in regards to which can you do, both being viable answers, and which should you do. Everyone is wired a bit differently, so everyone will have a different tendency. The scenario could be broken down to elaborate on each of the different options, and which is the best based on different critirea. As an instructor, I think I would definitely tell my students that the goal is to get away, not be a hero.

Here is a clip of the fight that happened at the end of the Cincinati vs. Xavier college basketball game the other night. The game was called a few seconds early due to this fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgbvdFW5qoQ&feature=related Here it is. The chaos of combat. Not romanticized in any way. Any thoughts, comments, etc. Lets open this up. For me, I can see how easy it is to get dropped to the ground. What you don't see in this clip is that the guy that fell to the floor got kicked in the head while he was down there, too. Bad stuff all around. The post game interviews were somewhat enlightening, as well. I don't necessarily condone what the players said, but it gives an idea of how a person's background effects the way they view violence.

I agree with you Groinstrike, about the side kicks. Lining up a target in front of you for a side kick can be quite the trick; the kick takes a lot of body movement to set up. But kicking someone to the side or behind you, doesn't require as much shifting. I also agree that The Pricess Bride is a great movie!

One thing the ATA has become good at over the years is marketing their product. Watch out for this. The ATA does some good things, but I think often times the instructors get caught up in "the ATA way" and don't branch from it. The Tiny Tigers program, if the instructor is good at having the kid's attention, can be a great program. As mentioned before, building discipline, character, etc should be the fore of the program, and the techniques aren't always going to be sharp coming from kids this young. In time, they should develop, and you should see improvement. The "Karate For Kids" program should focus more on kids age 7-13, I believe. However, things have changed a lot since I was in the ATA, and I'm not sure I'd go back to it. The ATA does run on two month testing cycles, and it is only a 9 belt system. However, I'm not sure if the Tigers do a different system then the regular belts, or not. With all that said, don't be surprised to see young kids walking around in an ATA school with a black belt on. It happens a lot there. If this gives you a wierd feeling, then you may want to find a different school later on for your child.

Thanks, tallgeese. Of all the lifts so far, that one has come the farthest, and has been the most fun. 12/9/2011 Deffley C Squat: warmup: 45x5, 135x5, 225x3, 245x2; work: 295x3x5 Overhead press: warmup: 45x5, 75x5, 95x3, 115x2; work: 140x5x5 Seated good mornings: 110x3x12 Hip thrusts: 3x8 Glute-ham raises: 5x3 (OUCH!) Stretch: standing quads, front/twist/side kick bar stretches, toe touches, chest/tris/bis. 12/12/2011 Deffley 3x5A Squat: warmup: 45x5, 135x5, 225x3, 245x2; work: 300x3x5 Bench press: warmup: 45x5, 135x5, 155x3, 185x2; work: 220x3x5 Barbell rows: warmup: 75x5, 95x5, 115x3, 135x2; work: 155x3x5

Good job to everyone! Well done!

KC is going to end up the same way.

I think you make a good point here. There is nothing wrong with wanting to avoid any kind of need for confrontation for as long as can be possible. In fact, most of us well-balance human beings don't really have any desire to seriously hurt anyone. This is a good thing. There is something to be said to learning how not to fight, just as much as learning how to fight. I do think, that when the time comes, its important to understand force levels, necessary levels, and justification of use of force. What is important in training is recognizing the type of danger one is in, and then applying force in an adequate manner. With that in mind, it is never good to underapply the amount of force necessary to stay safe. I think thats where the rub lies, too. It can be tough to discern at times, and when the adrenaline sets in, things can appear much different in that time than they are. In the end, getting home safe is the key. But you are right in alluding to the idea that it doesn't mean someone has to die in the process.

12/7/2011 Deffley 5x5B Dead lift: warmup: 135x5, 175x5, 210x5; work: 315x3, 375x5x3 Push press: warmup: 45x5x2, 65x3, 85x2; work: 130x5x5 I think my goal of a 400 lb dead lift should be doable by the end of the year.

Oh, I see. That's cool. Perhaps it will spread more now.

Wow. That just happened...

Different Karate stylists tend to have varying opinions on what bunkai is, and how it is interpretted. There are books on the subject, as well as youtube videos; just search Karate Bunkai. Also, a fellow by the name of Iain Abernethy has a website you could take a look at, although is views on bunkai tend to be different than most others: http://shop.iainabernethy.com/acatalog/DVDs_UK.html?gclid=CPe0o4TD8awCFeQCQAodIXvWIg

Interesting find here. The website doesn't really lend too much. I'd like to know more about what the founder did previously.

I don't disagree. But, its coming to the point finding the jumping outer crescent kick is needed. I'm not saying it can't ever happen, but is surely rarer than the single leg takedown.

11/18/2011 Deffley 5x5C Squats: warmup: 45x5x2, 135x5, 205x3, 225x2; work: 290x3x5 Overhead press: warmup: 45x5x2, 70x5, 90x3, 100x2; work: 150x5,4,4,2,3 Seated goodmornings: 110x3x12 Hip thrusts: 3x8 Stretch: standing/kneeling quads, seated toe touches and back twists, chest/tris/bis. 11/28/2011 Deffley 5x5A Squats: warmup: 45x5, 135x5, 225x3, 245x2; work: 290x3x5 Bench press: warmup: 45x5, 135x5, 155x3, 185x2; work: 220x5x5 (deloaded) Barbell rows: warmup: 75x5, 95x5, 115x3, 135x2; work: 155x5x5 Stretch: standing/kneeling quads, seiza, butterfly and glute stretch, reverse hurdler, front/twist/side kick bar stretch, toe touches, chest/tris/bis. 11/30/2011 Deffley 5x5B Dead lift: warmup: 135x5, 175x5, 210x5; work: 315x3, 370x5x3 Push press: warmup: 45x5x2, 65x3, 85x2; work: 125x5x5 I've set a goal for myself to hit a 1RM of 400lbs on dead lift by the end of the year. 12/6/2011 Forms Naifanchi x3 Yoo Sin x3

I think its a good expression. I don't think overly out of place in the use of the word death, which some might kind of wonder about. But after all, this is the Martial Arts, and working hard in training pays off when the time comes.

I don't think its an instructor's job to try to recruit everyone into learning self-defense. Its not a bad marketing ploy, though, and there is nothing wrong with trying to convince others of the value of a knowledge of self-defense. Some people would like to train anyone and everyone. Some only want to train those who want to train. Either is ok.