bushido_man96

I'd go with ninjanurse here. I guess it depends on if you want that national rank recognition, or if you need it for some competition or something. Either way, I'd say its your decision to make, not your friends. If they don't like it, see if you can discuss it with them to get their feelings as to why, and see if you can get them to understand why you are seeking to do it this way. In the end, perhaps you'll just agree to disagree.

I think if someone is old enough to be seriously studying the MAs, then age, rank, etc shouldn't be a concern. Start a bo kata the same day they start white belt form. I don't think that weapons should be retained soley as "advanced studies" in the Martial Arts. Weapons and empty hand should merge seemlessly.

JusticeZero makes lots of good points, so I can't add to much. The felt pen and T-shirt training is as good an idea as any to get a feel for what you can and shouldn't do with a knife. I won't fault you for carrying one; many people do, as it is a very useful tool. For many, that's all it ever really is. As for trying to find a kata to get comfortable with a knife goes....I wouldn't seek out a kata as my first choice. I'd try to find someone who know some Escrima/Arnis, or some other stick/knife based style, and train that way. You'll get into partner work, which is where you really learn how to use a weapon.

So the Marlins have signed Jose Reyes today, and are still courting Pujols. Will they get him, too?

Boy, after 4 desolate weeks, the Chiefs finally get a prayer answered, in the form of a hail mary pass, and finally get back in the win collum. Palko finally managed a game fairly well, but the offense still seem inept at times. Patrick, your Dolphins are starting to roll along nicely. I'm happy for you. It seems playing the Chiefs was a springboard for them after all. How is everyone else feeling about the season so far?

Welcome to KF, Mark! Glad to have you.

Congrats brickshooter!

The mind and body can do amazing things. Really cool.

11/15/2011 TKD class: 6:00 - 7:00. Basics, stretch, forms, one-steps, sparring. I spaced out the time between techniques in my form a bit, and it felt much cleaner upon finishing. My instructor also gave me some pointers on some U-shaped punching and kicking sections in the form to clean it up a bit, and give a bit more power. 11/16/2011 Deffley 5x5B Dead lift: warmup: 135x5, 175x5, 210x5; work: 370x5x3 Push presses: warmup: 45x5x2, 65x3, 75x2; work: 120x5x5 11/17/2011 Range Night Qualification, with pistol, patrol rifle, and shotgun. Shot 50/50 with pistol (first perfect score ever!), 18/20 on rifle, and 10/10 with shotgun. Overall, a pretty good night. But any night spent throwing lead is a good night...

JusticeZero and DWx both make valid points. When there are as many TKD schools out there as there are, there tend to be bad ones that slip through. Instuctors like to make money, and send out others that aren't ready to teach, and quality starts slipping. However, there are good ones out there, just like with any style. If you do your research, you can find the good ones. Thanks for the kind words, Bob. I appreciate them.

Thanks, GS. I was hoping I wasn't getting too graphic with it.

Totally agree, if as you get better you can use the speed bag for kicking too!!! Like Van Damme in Bloodsport.

My point is that the two begin to reciprocate.

Coming up through TKD, I was taught to punch this way in order to develop power through the body mechanics with the hip movement, and being taught the "equal and opposite reaction" to go along with the punching hand. I'm not saying its right, but that's how I was told when coming up.

I agree with you here. However, when the Boxing punch began, there was no padding; bare knuckles were used. So, I think they tried to do as much damage with a single strike, as well. The arms were kept up for protection from the other puncher, as well. The Boxer has straight-line punches, too. The jab and the straight punch, and the cross are straight-line punches. If done properly, none of these punches have a windup, either. As for power, Boxer's will still generate power in the hips and drive the punch from the floor; they just don't straighten the back leg, keeping a more maneuverable stance. There is still a lot of power in a rear cross. Yes, it was an ancient game in the Olympics, however, even when hand padding was worn, the leather was oftentimes studded. I don't think bout duration was any key aspect of the games at those times. However, the crowd did enjoy the blood and violence of it all, and it wasn't uncommon for one to die from trauma in those games.

A speed bag can help to develop some rhythm and hand-eye coordination, along with providing a nice workout. I always enjoyed it. Welcome to the Forums!

I have to respectfully disagree with you. I'm on the same page with tallgeese in that the MAs, first and foremost, should be preparing you for self-defense. As an instructor, I'd rather have a student tell me he was able to successfully defend himself in an attack as opposed to seeing them win a tournament sparring division. I think that good self-defense should be a part of every MA out there, and I think most of them, even the sport-oriented ones, do a decent job of preparing their students.

I see where you are coming from here. However, I think that knowledge is basically things you learn from another source; whether its being taught in school by a teacher (or MA school/MA teacher), reading books, or otherwise researching a topic. Experience, on the other hand, is gained when one attempts to apply the knowledge one has gained. Experiences can be good or bad, positive or negative, right or wrong. Either way, experienced is gained, adjustments made, and then knowledge is re-applied in the next situation. Then one gains more experience.

Another half-year ticked off. Still going strong! Good job, Patrick!

11/14/2011 Deffley 5x5 Squats: warmup: 45x5x2, 135x5, 205x3, 225x2; work: 290x3x5 Bench press: warmup: 45x5x2, 135x5, 155x3, 175x2; work: 245x5,5,4,4,2 Barbell rows: 75x5x2, 95x3, 105x2; work: 155x5x5 Seated good mornings: 105x3x12 Hip thrusts: 3x8 Stretch: standing/kneeling quads, seiza, rev. hurdler, butterfly and glutes, seated knee hugs and back twists, toe touches, chest/tris/bis.

You may not want to do anything like this, but you have to remember that there is another guy in the fight, too, and he might want to. So it would be a good thing to learn a bit about it, like MasterPain mentions in his post.

I think you make a good point here. At some point, it needs to be addressed, and I think most people don't either assume others address it to themselves in some brief way, just by accepting their own mortality, or don't know how, or want, to address it in their classes. I think once an instructor starts talking about self-defense, he/she needs to discuss why we defend ourselves. Most likely, its because someone wants to hurt us, maybe bad enough to kill us. Then start the addressing from there. I've heard and seen written many times from Martial Artists the thoughts or ideas that they would kill if they had to. I think to myself, "Really?" I want to break that discussion down with them at times. Say to them, "Imagine yourself killing someone in self-defense. Don't just say it. See that scenario play out in you head. See yourself crushing someone's throat, and imagine the sound it makes. Grab some fruit and squish it with your two hands, and imagine that is your hand on someone's throat, because they were trying to kill you. Now flip it, and imagine those things happening to you. Because that is what a killer wants to do to you, either with his hands, or a weapon." Now at that point, we've got a much more interesting conversation going on. Maybe I got a bit off track there, but I think it meshes with the overall concept of the thread here. I think to maximize training effiency, we have to get to this point. Now, once you get to training, you don't want your students to "lose" in training. We have to have them keep fighting until the criteria of the scenario is met in which they "win," which would equate to "living." But that's another thread, I guess.

I agree with the others here as well. It is bullying, and it doesn't just go away. Action should be taken.

Experience, to me, would be what is gained when applying the knowledge you learn. The nice thing about experience is that it comes from successes and failure. It can come from within or without the training halls, as well. Knowledge is what you gain through learning, I guess. More or less, what you are taught by peers and teachers. I think it would usually come from a structured learning setting, but I suppose could come otherwise, like the "school of hard knocks." Rank is simply a denotation of seniority amongst peers, whether that is decided by tests that display a knowledge level achieved, or through something like an election process, or simply through the veneration of age, as some cultures place high value on. I think knowledge and experience really kind of integrate with each other. You use your knowledge when you encounter tasks to perform, and your experience builds from what you learn via the results. Then, you evaluate your experience, and gain knowledge from it. Rank can be more of a visual decoration, and is not always indicative of one's experiences or knowledge. Does that all make sense?

Yeah, you are right, Bob. I guess things could be worse for me!