bushido_man96

Ah, ok. Thanks!

Yes, Bob. Including eating breakfast....its the Martial Breakfast!!!!

Oooo....I think we all here can relate to this happening to us from time to time...I know I can. Yeah, that feeling of not being in control of what is going on is NOT a good feeling. Makes me feel so small and insignificant...

Cung Le was really good at setting up his spin back kicks. He usually led with a round kick, and then sat the round kick foot down in a position that facilitated a quicker spin.

Being serious is important in sparring. Being too aggressive can be an issue, especially when it comes down to no one is learning anything. I'd say if you feel the need to be a bit more defensive in sparring, especially to keep from being injured, then that's what you have to do. I'd also say that if the environment you train is such that you run a higher risk of being injured every day, then it may be prudent to find a different school to train in.

What is Mokuso?

This isn't uncommon, as I understand it. I've seen both, and I think either is acceptable. Most TKD styles start at 9th gup/kyu.

Just to clarify what you are saying here, do you only do it as a back leg kick, then? It is a powerful kick that way, for sure, but I always find it is just so much slower and more cumbersome to get around to execute. That could just be that I'm slow, too.

Yeah, I think you are right about that, Bob. Once that adrenaline rush hits, many don't know how to deal with it, and they get that tunnel vision, and focus on one task, which becomes fighting or fleeing.

A little reminder, sometimes is in order. But not to such an extent that the student would question whether it is wise to return to class or not. Control tends to become a factor from time to time, especially in some intermediate level students that get excited about the abilities they have developed, and may not realize they are a bit out of control.

Yes, he does, but like stated earlier, just because a Martial Artist does it, doesn't make it a Martial Art necessarily. I will not deny the athletic ability required to be able to do that stuff, though. Those guys are good.

This is a valid point. I think for many years it was just assumed that those who came to study the Martial Arts already knew how to get away or avoid things, so the teachers taught what they thought the students came for, the actual self-defense techiques; kicking, punching, joint manipulation, throws, takedowns, grappling, etc. Only relatively recently has the ideas of training avoidance and awareness come more into play, and those tend to follow more along the lines of what Reality Based instructors package into their systems, as opposed to what many more traditional based styles do, or even the sport styles like Boxing, Wrestling, MMA, etc do. The fact of the matter is that those things probably need to be addressed more often than the actually are, and could be dealt with in minor sessions of each class, or a few classes per week.

This is how our classes are in TKD. Its great for teaching, because you don't have to come up with many class ideas; its already laid out for you. The downside is that it doesn't allow for impromptu stuff and changing things up doesn't happen very often. Also, since we kind of follow that kihon/kata/kumite format, it tends to feel like we fall into a rut at times.

Rhadi Ferguson won't let the people he personally trains wear an ipod or anything. He says you need to be self motivated because music won't be there to motivate you when you need it. He feels this is true in all aspects of being successful. I tend to agree. I agree with this. I actually heard a fellow once complaining about not being able to lift (weights) to the music that was currently playing. And it was like he actually let it affect his lifting. I just couldn't understand that. I never really thought about it as a clock before, but I can see what you mean here. It would be interesting to see how it is used, and watch the movement flowing with the the rhythm.

8/3/2011 Aikido: 9-10 am. Finally made it back to a class! My 5 year old son came along, too, and he had a pretty good time, and got to do the throws at the end, as well. Stretch: seated straddle, left and right, cobra stretch, butterfly and back. Technique: worked on irimi, an entering technique, doing some partner stuff to work on movement and tai sabaki. Finished up with doing what they call a "buddy drop" type of throw from the irimi. SL 5x5A Squats: warmup: 45x5x2, 135x5, 205x3, 225x2; work: 255x5x5 Bench press: warmup: 45x5x2, 135x5, 155x3, 175x2; work: 210x5x5 Barbell rows: warmup: 75x5x2, 95x3, 105x2; work: 135x5x5 Power clean: 135x5 Stretch: front kick bar stretch, standing quads.

Agreed...step behind is the way we do it also. I do agree with you guys here. I think in general crossing the legs is not very sound tactically. Its a good way to get pushed over I think. Any step done needs to be done quickly, and with as little time spent crossed up as possible.

When I was in the ATA, we always did the step behind side kick, even in practice. In my current school, we do the kick the way you describe; set up is stepping in front instead of behind. But, we only do it this way in basics, and the reason for it is to really focus on using the hips to drive the kick out. It also forces you to really chamber the kicking leg up before kicking. When stepping behind, it is more possible to "drag" the kicking leg up, so that the kick has more of a line angling upwards from start to finish, as opposed to going straight out. When I spar and break boards, I do the step behind. It can be good to do both. However, I don't side kick a lot in sparring anyways.

Good question, I was wondering if this is what you mean, as well, Bob. I'm in the same boat as Danielle, here. However, from my readings and the like, I've seen some other possibilities in some of the moves in the forms. I have always fealt that the ATA forms flowed fairly well as being "literal." The moves are put together into combinations for the most part, and there are no bunkai style applications to the ATA form set.

I agree with your comment above, Bob, and wanted to bring attention to the section I highlighted in bold. Remember what it was that made that "feeling" of impending danger pop up, and make sure you can figure out a way to articulate it. This is where most people fail, I think. They get tangled in the adrenaline of the moment, and then when its over, don't think about how they will explain what happened, why they did what they did, and what lead them to believe that if they didn't act first, that they were going to be in danger. A few examples to illustrate: 1. "He called my momma a blankety-blank, so I busted his face!" This, is likely going to get you put in jail. Not a good way to justify striking someone. 2. "It was really loud in the bar, and I saw a friend of mine, so I hollered at him to get his attention. This other gentleman thought I was yelling at him, so he came over to me and started yelling at me. I apologized to him, and told him I was trying to get my friend's attention, but he wouldn't listen to me, and said 'you'd better hope your friend gets here soon.' I was backed against the wall, and he swithced his drink from his right hand to his left. I couldn't get away, so I took action and struck him first, because I was afraid he was going to hit me while I was cornered. After he fell down, I got away from him and then let the bouncers know what happened." Obviously, this is a much better articulation of why you fealt the need to strike someone in self-defense before the other person struck you. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean you won't end up with some kind of reprimand, but, it does paint you in a much better light, and shows indicators of why you took the initiative. After that, finding witnesses that can propogate your side of the events becomes beneficial, as well. But, my point is that if you get that "feeling," take some time to address the why's after the fact.

Your thinking of Chris Jericho, who is the man of 1,004 holds. I was waiting to see if you'd catch that. Although not a Wresltler, Kenny Rogers "knows when to hold 'em..."

I agree with Liver Punch here, and Master Pain above. This is all good advice. Wrestling, aside from being a great Martial Art, is great for conditioning. Running is something I never did, and looking back, probably should have. I have about zero stamina. As far as a general MMA gym training teens goes, you could probably find one if you live in the right area. Make sure it is focused training, though, and not just a bunch of guys who want to get together and slug on each other, a la Fight Club. I'd make sure you've got someone running the show, and has structured training sessions that include sparring.

The more I think about Parkour, the more I liken it to XMA. Although most XMA practitioners are ranked Martial Artists, I know that the majority of those who post here don't refer to XMA as a Martial Art in and of itself. With that in mind, I don't know that I could push Parkour over into being classified as a Martial Art, either. I guess I see it as "fancy running" more than anything else.

I've done my fair share of sticking my foot in my mouth from time to time, too. It happens to the best of us!

Let me guess, he hadn't been kind enough to teach you the combo breaker yet, had he?

Well, you never know what can happen. Maybe in time, you will accomplish that goal. Never say never!