bushido_man96

I tried to avoid it, but really couldn't. My wife and daughter were terribly interested, so I didn't have a lot of choice. I did get some reading done, though, and thankfully had to work that night. It wasn't on the radio....

I think they were on the set filming one of the Undisputed sequels, which are based on a prison fighting circuit or something like that. Abernethy had an interesting thread going on his website in regards to this video. One point brought up was that this concept may be more applicable to competition fighting than to self-defense. However, depending on the self-defense scenario, being able to know how to deliver a pre-emptive strike with minimal telegraphing would be beneficial. The strikes that came after, however, I'm not so sure I'd worry about the telegraphs. Keep blasting away, and use good mechanics to generate power. On a side note, watching these guys talk was quite cool.

As are mine. Like I mentioned, I'm not much of a Zen guy. I wouldn't even consider myself a dabbler in it. The only reading material I have on Zen is the book Chuck Norris wrote about his experiences. And, well, come on, Chuck Norris wrote it.

I also got to read a bit of a blurb on Shu-Ha-Ri in a footnote at the back of Shotokan Karate: A Precise History. It was a fairly brief explanation, but it did lend itself to many of the same aspects that Lee was talking about as well.

Congrats, honoluludesktop!

Well, I would go with both Naha and Shuri, but are they still styles anymore, as originally taught, or are they the base of the systems we have now? If someone could set up a timeline so I could visualize when each of the styles came into being, that would be really cool.

Welcome to KF, Luke!

Never too late! Go for it. You will never regret it.

As far as the "crane kick" goes, we taught that to our yellow belts (3rd gup) in the ATA, and all of our students learn that kick as a basic kick in orientation class. Minus standing on the stump, of course. For what its worth...hope that doesn't ruin the mysticism of the "crane kick" for anyone.

The tournament my school hosts yearly is just a forms and sparring event. Sometimes they do breaking, but it just depends. We have a local Karate school that hosts a yearly tournament, and this is what I've seen at it. The sparring is ok, but the freestyle weapons and forms, I don't get into so much. I think its great that those MAists are that athletic and fit, but like you, I don't think that is what its about.

Good enough for me!

5/5/2011 TTA one-steps in my gear. Stretch: seated straddle stretch reaching to left and right, butterfly, glute stretch, reverse hurdler stretch. 5/6/2011 SL 5x5B Squats: 140x5x5 Overhead press: 45x5x5 Dead lift: 90x5 5/10/2011 SL 5x5A Squats: 145x5x5 Bench press: 190x5x5 Barbell rows: 70x5x5 Abs Thera crunch: 30x15x3, 10x2 Smith crunch: 30x12x5

I don't think soldiers fight to lose, either. Self-preservation is kind of funny that way. A soldier is a member of a standing army/defense force. A soldier can be a warrior, and most likely is, if they voluntarily joined the defense force for their country's cause. The dictionary I have defined warrior as being experienced in or engaged in war; soldier. By your definition, if someone chooses never to fight then, are they a warrior? I don't believe so. Ali made the choice not to serve in the army; I don't believe that made him a warrior. Quite the contrary, actually, but that is my opinion. So, I'm not so sure the "choice" is what really makes the difference.

I'm not a Zen guy, but woulnd't formlessness be the duality of form, as opposed to emptiness, which would be more like void?

I am in a spot like this in my training right now, too. I think that your focus on delving into the applications of what you are wanting to teach is a great idea, and I think that this kind of divergence into that kind of a focus is allows the Arts to grow. My problem is I don't have a lot of options in my area, so I'm kind of stuck doing what we always do in class, and picking up training partners here and there to focus on different things. I think the biggest problem with curriculum is that teachers get so caught up in the curriculum that they are either scared to change, add, or subtract things because of a senior rank's response or getting dumped by an organization, or they don't change it because they feel married to the curriculum, and must preserve it. I'd say go follow your goals. I hope what happened to ps1 doesn't happen to you, but if it does, just put that memory in your back pocket, keep it with you, and when the time comes that a former student of yours comes to speak with you on a similar matter, you'll be more open-minded than those that were before you. ps1: man, that's a crappy deal there. You handled it very well, too. I can't imagine how you must have fealt getting lied to like that, especially the way they likely made you look like some sort of bad guy in the eyes of that girl who tested for her black belt. It seems some people have no shame.

I don't even recall what we did after I was awarded my black belt, to be honest with you. I think we just ended up having a dinner afterwards.

Back when I lived at home, many times we would go out as a group to eat after testings, often times with the guest judges along. One summer, we had a testing in the local park and did a BBQ afterwards. That was a good time for kids and adults both.

One thing that I have always enjoyed about kicking in TKD has been more the skill development involved with learning some of the kicks than necessarily the likelyhood that I would use them in self-defense. For example, when I tested for my 3rd dan at our organization HQ school, there were several people doing the flying side kick over three people hunkered down to the floor, but several of them were actually jumping to the side of where the people where, afraid they wouldn't clear them. I was weighing about 240-250 at the time, and I took pride in the fact that I jumped OVER the obstacles and broke the boards on the first go. I also did my other 4 breaks, all kicks, on the first go, as well, where not all the other black belt testers did. So, it can be a source of pride in technical development more than anything at times.

5/4/2011 Decided to give the Stronglifts 5x5 routine a try at the gym. Stronglifts 5x5 A Squats: 135x5x5 Bench press: 185x5x5 Barbell rows: 65x5x5 I've never done squats much, and even the light weight was a challenge, and my legs felt good. I had never done the barbell rows before, so I started out low. Abs: Thera crunch: 30x15x3, 10x2 Smith crunch: 30x12x2, 10x3 Bought a new 70 lb heavy bag from Hibbetts, so I hung it up and worked it over for a while. It hangs lower, so I was able to do low kicks on it. Did some focus work on my crosses.

Well, I don't know. I could probably land that kick in TKD class to the face, but we don't throw it there because we don't want to knock anyone out in class. Same with side kicks to the face. I've seen some clips of Karate tournaments, but I don't know that I've ever seen front kicks thrown to the face in those clips.

I'd call it a jumping front kick, just that the jump wasn't super high, but more for covering distance and gaining good momentum. A great kick, for sure. As far as that particular UFC being "great for Karate" goes, I'm not necessarily sold on that. If that's what it takes for it to be a great event for a specific style, then every UFC is a great one for BJJ. I'm not trying to bring down what Machida did here, and its well known that he touts his style as being more Shotokan than anything else. It is what it is; a knockout with a front kick. Great to see. Loved it myself, being a kicker and all. Its also great to see guys with a bit different style than what has become the standard in the competitions. But it takes both to make it great. I'd love to see someone get knocked out with a spinning hook kick to the head, and it may happen some day. But that doesn't necessarily mean that there will be a sudden jump to TKD schools to learn and use it in the UFC. It will just be what it is; another technique used in a full-contact fight to knock someone out. Anything like this that brings variety into the sport is great. I just won't make it more than it is.

I agree with you, brickshooter. There is no reason for a focused participant to be paired constantly with someone who doesn't want to be there. And if they don't care about their own training, you can bet they don't give a rat's tail about someone else's training. I know that's not what I pay for every month.

I'm not a Karate guy, but I thought the form did look very nice. Sharp, fast movements, contrasting with slow, deliberate body movements. Looks like a fun one to do. Nice job.

I think this sums it up right here. If you feel you should wait, then do so. However, it also sounds as if others do have faith in what you can do, and if you trust their judgement, then it is unlikely they would ask you to test if they felt you were not ready. We can be our own biggest critic, and this may by what you are bringing on yourself. With that said, there is nothing wrong with waiting another year if that is what you are comfortable with.

Ok, so how do you handle it when they see you perform, and it becomes obvious that you have had prior training, and they ask you again?I generally smirk, then say no again. Instructors generally get the hint and move on. From my own experience, the experienced instructors don't even ask. They know my style, background & experience based on my motion and understanding of instructions. Some even knew it from the way I bow which was interesting. As for owing a propaganda lecture because it was a free lesson? Pass. I'll move on. I'm the customer. If they want my business, they'll have to accomodate. Else, I'll give my business to their competitor. Ok, I'll go with that. As far as being the customer goes, you are right there. As far as keeping up the "no" answer goes, I guess if they eventually take the hint, then great. What I do respect of you here, at least what I gather from the way your posts read, is that you don't admit any previous training, nor do you bring up any "I do it this way because...." points of view. If you are going and trying to learn what they teach you, the way they teach you, and not bringing up what you've done before and why you do it that way, then I can respect that. But let me know if I am wrong on that point...