bushido_man96

Congrats!

Welcome to KF, Kevin!

Welcome to the Forums!

Not much, lately. Work and family take lots of my free time. But, when I get around to it, I'll do forms, hang the heavy bag and work it over, sometimes I'll lay on my side and do different kicks in varying sets, reps, and combos, punch using dumbells, and different things like that. One thing you can do is grab a chair, and use it for balance to do slow kicks, kick over the back, do dips and elevated pushups on it, and all kinds of stuff.

8/24/2011 SL 5x5B Squats: warmup: 45x5x2, 135x5, 205x3, 225x2; work: 290x5x5 Overhead press: warmup: 45x5x2, 70x3, 90x2; work: 120x5x5 Dead lift: warmup: 135x5, 175x5, 210x5; work: 310x5 Assisted pull-ups: 10, 10, 9 Stretch: standing quads, toe touches, front/side kick on the bar, seated knee hugs, bis/tris. Forms: Naifanchix3; Poe Eunx3 8/25/2011 Range: 1:00 - 3:00. Qualified on KS C-Post, and shot 45 out of 50. Not too bad for me, but the farther back I got, the more everything got slapped to the left. Have to work on that. I also got asked by the Undersheriff to put together a basic takedown and cuffing class for the department. Whoo-hoo!

I was in the ATA. I began my MA career in the ATA. I also remember failing a black belt testing because I didn't break a board. Not all ATA schools are created equal. There are those out there that are not very good, and I will not deny that the philosophies of the ATA are what cause it to produce some schools that are questionable in nature. I will say this, though; my time in the ATA wasn't "easy, breezy, Martial Arts time." I worked hard, and earned each rank I tested for. I wasn't the best out there, that's for sure. But I worked hard, and took it seriously. Yes, there are the flashy kicks that TKD is known for. The flashiest I ever got to really was a jump 360 side kick, which is nothing compared to what is seen at XMA competitions today. Yeah, I do spinning kicks from time to time as well. But, there is a science to throwing and landing a good spinning kick. I will not deny that the exclusion of hand strikes to the head in TKD competitions is detrimental to the Martial Artist. It is very much so. That's why it is important for instructors to address this in class training time so that students can become accustomed to blocking head shots.

I think starting Kung Fu would be a great idea. I'm sure with the input from a good instructor, you can figure out how to work around your flat feet, and have a great deal of success. But, it won't happen if you don't give it a try. Good luck!

I will do that, Bob. I also wanted to thank you for all the kind words you said in the post, and thank you for posting the picture. I learned a great deal from you, and Tuite was a great experience. I've always done the joint manipulation stuff with the "cooperative" uke, and you've shown me a way to approach it with more aliveness. I am greatful for that. And there is no question that there were times when I was made uncomfortable during Tuite, and it was very revealing when that happened. So much good stuff to take in. I've also been polishing up on Naifanchi kata, too. You're welcome, Jeffrey. I plan to have an 8x10 framed and hung at the house. Absolutely, MP, and sorry for taking so long to get back to this. My computer at home went on the fritz, and I had been pretty busy at work. I demonstrated this with the stepping side kick first, and then with the round kick. In the stepping side kick, you are taking the back foot, and stepping it either up to the front foot, or past, however you would do it based on your style or situation. The way I've done side kicks lately, is you step up/together/past the lead foot, then chamber, then pivot the foot and thrust the kick out at the same time. With a pre-pivot, you have the pivot completed when you finish the step-up motion. So, when doing a step together side kick, the base foot is pointed in the opposite direction already, and then the kick is thrown. Now, what we derived from this way of kicking is that it tends to take the hip drive out of the side kick to an extent, relying more on the power in the muscles of the leg and butt to power the kick. To alleviate some of that loss of hip drive, you could step up into a partial pivot, where the foot might be at more of like a 45 degree angle, and then drive the hips from there, but you still don't have to do the complete pivot motion. The goal behind the pre-pivot is to save the knees in the end. After years and years of pivoting on that knee, it can start to wear out. What I've also seen happen a lot in class, especially with beginners, is that instead of using the pivot to bring the kick around or drive the hips out, instead what happens is they focus on the kicking leg so much and end up "dragging" the pivot foot along with the kick. So, you get the pivot happening as a result of the kick motion, and not the other way around. And any time the knee of the base leg is playing catch-up to the kicking leg, you are looking at developing a potential knee injury. So, for a round kick like this, I teach the students to start the kick by opening up the base leg foot a little bit, then have them start the kicking motion, and make sure they pivot to generate the kick, not kick and then drag the pivot. I do this with front kicks, round kicks, and crescent kicks. My instructor does his front kicks with the base foot pointing straight forward, and I can't fathom how he does it that way. He has also had some knee surgeries done, too, so that might answer that question. Pretty windy answer, but let me know if I need to clarify further. I hope that demonstrates what I'm talking about.

Many did start out that way. But, many grew to find other goals and had philosophies of their own. Funakoshi's intentions probably didn't completely match those of Itosu or Azato. I disagree. The goal of internal peace doesn't have to be present. One could argue that Karate has many "essences," and those have been and will continue to be molded and shaped by those who hold them. Not everyone holds the same "essence." I will not discoun the usefulness of past wisdom, but, I will say that change isn't always a bad thing. Being ready when walking down a back alley is important, wouldn't you agree? What good does "internal peace and betterment" do you if you can't defend yourself when your life depends on it? Again, I would not say the "true" reasons are internal struggle and self-betterment, but they are some reasons. Everyone has a different reason for themselves. Also keep in mind that although many of Funakoshi's students disliked tournaments, they continued to organize and hold them. The early university teams of Shotokan were very much in competition with each other, and used the tournament layout for their inter-collegiate matches.

I agree with sensei8 on this one, for the most part. I don't worry about "what these circuits do to Karate." Its those who practice Karate that do whatever is done to it. The Japanese who came to lead Shotokan after Funakoshi started the whole tournament thing, and it has grown from there. Its really been a natural progression. I think competitions have their place, and I also believe that competition is not for everyone. For those who do it, I think it becomes a great facet of enjoyment and accomplishment. To compete on a national level like that is something I was never able to do, so I think its a great accomplishment for those who can.

What do you mean by "decades ago" exactly? Hi mate, I was speaking specifically for Kyokushin. I think that training was more raw and full-on back in the 60's to the 90's, now its not as hardcore as it used to be, and only those training for tournaments will really get the full effect of conditioning and kumite (sparring). Conversely, nowdays we have a number of years (Idaresay even hundreds, but in the last 20-30 years and especially with the advent of cross-training and MMA) of refinement of what works for present day and what does not. Even specific kicks have been refined (such as high roundhouses). Taking the best of both worlds would be my optimal change. Hard training, with the techniques and know-how of present day. Hope that makes sense..... Yes, this makes sense. Thanks for clarifying for me. That would be a blessing for any Korean style, I'd say. Unless they all read a copy of "A Killing Art" first. When I start to hear about the "5000 year history of TKD," I mentally just shut down and wait for the talking to stop.

The use of forms is going to depend on the style/organizations outlook on forms. When I was in the ATA, the forms had no applications in the sense of bunkai, but did have some relative combinations that were applicable as they were done in the forms, for things such as sparring. For example, and back leg round kick, reverse side kick combination is a logical movement sequence for sparring in the ATA. However, the main goal of the ATA forms is that of technique development and advancement. As one progresses in the ATA, one sees the degree of difficulty in the techniques progress with each new form. The ITF forms I've been doing for the last 7-8 years don't really lend themselves to the same kind of technique advancement as those I did with the ATA. However, there are some areas in each of the forms that have some value in the bunkai style of applications setting. This isn't a stretch, seeing as many of the ITF forms have move sets similar to those coming from forms in Shotokan Karate. In Aikido, we don't do any kind of form/kata work. We do basic movement exercises, and then do technique work and applications. So, although Mr. Fink's article does a pretty good job on explaining the purpose of forms, I will debate the fact with him that not all MA styles incorporate forms training (Boxing, Wrestling, Aikido, BJJ, etc). So when it really comes down to it, what you are going to get out of forms training is going to be based on why your style does forms, and how much your instructor(s) know and are able to pass on to you (as with most things you learn in the MAs). Once you've exhausted your instructor's knowledge on forms, then you can start looking in other dircetions on your own, to see what else is out there.

I'm a bit late to the discussion here, but oh well. I've received certificates for each colored and black belt rank that I've achieved. I think it has become commonplace now for organizations to do this. Yes, problems do pop up when crossing organizations. I've been a victim of that myself, going from one TKD org to another. I didn't let it bother me, though, because although they don't have to recognize rank, they will eventually come to recognize skill and knowledge levels. I think in the end, what matters is if one feels comfortable and confident in what they have learned and achieved. If they do, then I don't think the need to be "officially recognized" by another organization is all that important.

I'd say the styles are very different. So much more use of hand techniques, and the tuite of the style really opened my eyes to how that stuff can be applied in sparring, and in self-defense.

I second what these two guys have already mentioned. Relax and breath. Success is where preparation meets opportunity. If you feel confident in your preparation, then this opportunity should take care of itself. Welcome aboard and good luck! Keep us posted as to the results.

These are the lifts I do right now. Squats, bench press, barbell rows, overhead press, and dead lift, with power clean thrown in, and dips and assisted pull-ups as well.

8/19/2011 Weekly stats: Weight: 250 lbs BF%: 31.4% BMI: 38 SL 5x5B Squats: warmup: 45x5x2, 135x5, 205x3, 225x2; work: 285x5,5,5,3,5 Not sure what happened on that fourth set. Overhead press: warmup: 45x5x2, 70x3, 90x2; work: 135x4,4,4,3,3 Time to deload on OHP. Dead lift: warmup: 135x5, 175x5, 210x5; work: 305x5 Assisted pull-ups: 9,9,8 Stretch: standing quads, front and side kick bar stretch, toe touches, tris/bis. 8/20/2011 Training with sensei8: 10 am - 4:30 pm. Upper body basics, Naifanchi kata & bunkia, tuite in sparring, blitz and avoiding the blitz. 8/21/2011 Training with sensei8: 10 am - 2 pm. Basics, some kicking discussions, one-step work with both styles, tuite series, kaki drills. For a more detailed account of our training time together, check out this thread: Shindokan and TKD get together! 8/22/2011 SL 5x5A Squats: warmup: 45x5x2, 135x5, 205x3, 225x2; work: 285x5x5 Nailed it this time. Also got a compliment for good form from another guy at the gym. Bench press: warmup: 45x5x2, 135x5, 155x3, 175x2; work: 225x5x5 Barbell rows: warmup: 75x5x2, 95x3, 105x2; work: 145x4,4,4,4,3 Power clean: 150x5 Dips: 7,6,6 Stretch: standing quads, front/side kick bar stretch, toe touches, seated knee hugs, kneeling quads, tris/bis.

Welcome to the Forums, Dwayne! I love the Medieval weaponry experience you've got there. Where did you get your training in them? I study it quite a bit, but mainly through reading, so I look forward to anything you have to offer on the subject.

Did you try to Google it? Might be able to find results there.

I don't worry about it too much. There isn't much point trying to change the minds of those who won't listen to you as it is. The main thing a TKD stylist can do is focus on his/her training, and being honest to oneself about what you are doing, and what your goals are. Those who train practically and effectively will be seen that way, and those who choose to go other routes, will probably continue to receive this kind of rhetoric.

It sounds like you are going to have a fun time working some of those ideas into your training. Its cool to take and modify and fit things together like that. Like a puzzle.

I'd say if the adjustments are still sound in nature, then it would be ok. But like ps1 mentions, if the throw is done "poorly," then it would probably be better just to wait and introduce it when the students have the skill to execute it and land properly. But, I'm no Judo guy, and like mentioned before, it may be wiser in this case to defer to your isntructor's experience.

On 8/20/2011 and 8/21/2011, sensei8 and I were able to meet and work out together, exchanging ideas, techniques, and training methods. We had a really good time, and I know I learned a lot in the process. On day one, I demonstrated some of our basic techniques that are part of our regular TKD classes, and how we generate power and move in general during class. Our stances, especially the front stances, are a bit longer than what Bob's stances were. The prep positions on some of the hand techniques we do in TKD were also longer. Bob's style was more compact, which I liked. After some exchange with basic hand techniques, I learned my first Karate kata with Bob showing me Naifanchi (or is it Naihanchi?) kata. I also showed Bob our Poe Eun hyung, which is similar to Naifanchi in that it is done in a "back to the wall" sort of way. Bob showed me several other kata, but Naifanchi we spent more time on. We then moved on to doing some of the bunkai applications from this kata, which was an interesting experience for me. I know I was having some trouble catching on, and Bob was very patient with me here. Bob also showed me how some of the tuite worked in sparring, along with the blitz, and avoiding a blitz. On day two, we started off with some Shindokan basics, and then did some TKD kicking basics. Discussion of working around physical limitations came up when discussing kicking, and we had a good exchange on what I call a "pre-pivot" set up when doing various kicks, which was a really good exchange on the pros and cons of each. I then showed Bob some of our white and orange belt TKD one-steps, and how I transition them into self-defense based scenarios. From here, Bob showed me some of how the Shindokan one-step process works, and we did some blocking drills with what I called "heavy hands" that Bob showed, and then worked into some tuite series, attempting a lock, countering, getting countered again, and so on. Really good stuff. Day 2 finished up by doing some kaki (pushing hands type) drills, and Bob really helped me along here in gaining an idea of how to use foot sweeps in facilitating some joint manipulations in different aspects. These two days were a great exchange of information, and its cool that on-line forums are what allowed Bob and I to get together to do some training and talk one-on-one about the different aspects of the Martial Arts that our styles bring us. I think I was the big winner here, though, because Bob was able to teach me soooo much more than I was able to teach him, with him having so much more experience than me, but I hope that I was able to impart some knowledge that will be as beneficial to Bob as his was to me. Overall, we had a great mini-seminar training session, and we have KarateForums.com (and BlackBeltMag.com, as we met there first), to thank for this meeting taking place.

I didn't like doing the kick that way when I first started, either. But, after doing it for a while, I find that I can really engage my hips along with the pivot to get good power out into the kick. I'm doing a thrusting kick, as opposed to a snapping side kick (which I've never really done, anyway). Maybe that will help you out some.

The Little Black Book of Violence by Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder. I just finished this book, and really enjoyed what I got out of it. Its geared toward expanding upon the nature of violence that most people don't think about before engaging; things like when you cross the line from self-defense into assault, and the likelyhood of going to jail after an altercation is broken up by the police; coming to the realization that you are or are not willing to take a life if need be; and dealing with the legal ramifications you may face after a physical confrontation, just to name a few. The book is broken up into three sections. The first is titled "Before Violence Occurs," and covers things such as awareness for avoiding places that are bad news, both obvious (like a rough bar) or the not-so-obvious (like parking garages, and other places where other people aren't likely to be around in big numbers). Also covered are the chest beating escalato game played by those wanting to egg on a fight, how to use words to aid in your defense (especially in developing witnesses), and surviving "the victim interview," just to name a few things. The second section is titled "During a Violent Encounter." This section is focused on the nitty-gritty. Talk has failed, or you have been outrigt attacked, and its go-time. Topics such as trying to stay out of jail, understanding how much force is the proper amount of force to use, defending against women (geared towards the men here), and realizing that you will get hurt in a fight, along with how the adrenal dump affects your stress level and motor skills during a confrontation. The third section is probably the most valuable section, and I say that because it is the part of a confrontation that is very rarely dealt with by many instructors, the "Aftermath of Violence." Knowing how to apply first aid (and applying it to your opponent if it is safe to do so), handling blows to your self-esteem (especially if you view yourself as a 'fighter' and end up on the losing end), dealing with psychological trauma and seeking help with things such as PTSD, understanding critical incident amnesia, seeking legal advise, and how to deal with the press if it becomes a factor. Kane and Wilder have done a very good job of putting together a book that isn't necessarily geared toward the Martial Artist in general, but to young men who see violence glorified in the press and in movies and think they know what violence is about. It may seem cliche to say that "every young man should read this book," but it really does have a lot of valuable information in it, and it brings to bear the reality of being involved in a violent encounter.