bushido_man96

That would actually be a lot of fun to watch.

I would guess that would be because the elbow movement would have been the beginning of the power generation. I think, anyways.

Congrats!

I think I've only ever placed first in sparring once, at an ATA tourney long ago and far away. I remember being totally gassed afterwards, too. I actually have it on video, but would need to convert it to DVD, then get it downloaded. Maybe eventually...

Yes, Danielle, that is what I am talking about. I used to start off southpaw, and then change throughout, but now I've gone back to starting orthodox, but do switch at times. If I do switch stances, and see my opponent switches because of it, I switch again, and start playing a game with them.

That would be the next move ,is it not ? and the stance is raised slowly with tension . here yahara sensei demonstrate it best ,this particular move first done 12 second into the kata ... It is one of my favourite katas ,so dynamic and invigorating and meaningful . The way I read it, and from looking at the picture, is where I drew my conclusion from. I'm not a Karate guy, so I was just trying to picture the move in my head. From what I saw in that kata, I thought it was later in the form, when he was in middle stances facing away from the camera, but they appeared to be higher than the pic he showed earlier.

I read an article some time ago on MA training and the kind of accidental contact that can happen in the dojo. The jist of the article was that when it happened, you essentially say "my bad," and move on. When the Martial Arts are no longer a contact sport, then they come pretty darn close to losing the Martial nature. When you get two bodies interacting in drills involving things like kicking, punching, locking, and throwing, stuff is going to happen. When it does, and if its accidental, apologize, and move on. No one learns anything when they spend time feeling bad about some accidental contact in a contact activity. And if the people you continue to train with continue to be lackadaisical, unispired, and just plain intrusive and obstructive to the training time that you are paying for, then I say just let them have what's coming to them. I imagine they will eventually shape up and train right, or leave. Either way, your problem gets solved.

Talk to your instructor about the contact levels that will be involved. Although I am unfamiliar with Shotokan tournaments, I don't believe that they have hard contact tournaments. That doesn't mean hard conact won't happen from time to time, but for the most part, I don't think you would be getting totally pummelled. Best of luck to you, and go in with an open mind. You will learn quite a bit in the experience.

Wow, man, that's a killer for sure! Its good to hear your recovery is going well, and your tasting training again. Keep us posted as you go along.

I don't think its "instructor ego" all the time. I think it may have more to do with the fact that a teacher has made up his mind about his teaching style, knows the type of students that will be attracted to and adhere to it, and is happy with that. Some instructors want to teach everyone, and some are more focused on those who are willing to learn what they teach, and like how they do it. Just a different thought on how to look at it. Those instructors may not see it as there loss.

Agreed. A nice balance of explanation, reps, and corrections is what a good instructor needs to get the most out of his/her classes.

Kata is a bit different though as you don't have the same repetitions being placed on your body you do when you're firing off techniques into the air. That's why I was always taught to never fully lock out a technique when training in the air. This is true. Doing one or two side kicks in a form is different than doing a set of 10 or 12 up and down the floor during basics.I've also "locked out" a lot of techniques over the years in basic and forms work, to build leg strength and to "show" the kick in testings and competitions. I've never hyperextended my knees during this kind of work, but the wear and tear does show over time. I try not to lock out completely, but this is done more easily with arm techniques than with kicks.

Nice find. Lots of stuff in there that go over my head, but the comparison of the punch to the mallett is pretty clear. I wonder what the differences in accuracy and measurements with today's equipment would be, if any? Thanks for sharing this.

Did you have any particular focus on the bagwork? Hands, feet, certain combinations? Or just working the bag to work it? 4/11/2011 Practiced crescent kick to hand slap to side kick form segment. Also took some leg kicks to the thighs, and then worked on checking low leg kicks. 4/12/2011 Weights: Push day: Bench press: 185x10, 195x6, 205x4 Incline bench: 135x10, 145x8, 155x5 Decline bench: 155x10, 165x8, 175x6 Dumbell bench: 50x10, 55x8, 60x6 Abs: Thera crunch: 30x15x3 Smith crunch: 30x12x3 Ab coaster: 30x10x3 4/13/2011 TKD: Pre-class: Stretched out, then did Yoo Sin 2 times, once was a walkthrough, and second was at speed. Se Jong once. Class: 6:00 - 7:00. Basics, forms review, including Yoo Sin again, and one-steps. Post-class: took some more kicks to the legs, and then checked leg kicks. I didn't feel connected in class tonight. It felt like I was having trouble hooking my upper and lower body together for any power. And about halfway through class, my base (legs) were gone. That was a crappy feeling.

This brings up a thought. Does anyone here ever throw a rear leg kick, then land it in front, and then go from the opposite stance?

These are great, guys. Thanks for posting them up. Great thread idea, too. I want to do some of my forms, and see how bad I really look on screen now, so when I do, I'll post them up, no matter how bad!

Just being in decent overall cardiovascular and physical shape will be a benefit to you.

Think of one wrist being grabbed, and you release it by pulling that wrist up into the middle block position as you use the down block position to strike the grabbing hand down and away.

Wow. So much going on here. 1. The kid. Talk to the sensei about him, and how working with him is affecting your training. If the kid is that big of a problem, and is disrespectful, then maybe its time to show him the door? 2. Kicking the kid in the head 5 times. Yeah, once is an accident, 2 is a trend, 3 is a streak...hard to say, because we weren't there, but you can see how it kind of looks. Now an adult goofing off like that, I can see tagging him in the head for being a dork in training. But a 10 year old, is a bit different. 3. Feeling bad. It will pass. I'm not going to say you should or you shouldn't feel bad, but don't let it affect anything else you do right now. The event is over, so let it be over.

If you're finding yourself better, then congrats. I'd just leave it at that. If you feel you are that much more dominant in TKD, then work on things you don't feel as comfortable with to make it challenging for yourself.

We do ball of the foot, too, like you, Danielle. I think it does make for better change of direction, especially with all the moving between stances.

You could try to imitate Lee, but then, it wouldn't be you, would it? Think about the things he mentions, analyze what you do, and then come to your own conclusions. As time goes on, and you gain experience, and re-analyze, your thoughts and ideas may change. That's pretty much how it works.I'm a big Bruce Lee fan, too, but don't too caught up in the Lee stigma. I wouldn't necessarily agree with all of his thoughts on everything, but all of his thoughts are worth evaluation.

Tallgeese brings up a good point. I remember seeing a video of Oyama in his later years, and he wasn't able to move all that well, and he was known to put his body through some very hard conditioning. It may have served him well while he was young, but when he got older, the affects showed up. Whether or not the training was the result of that, who can say for sure? But I would be willing to bet it had something to do with it. On the other end of the spectrum, when I was still in the ATA in my hometown, we had a guy who was a pro Boxer in the 40s and 50s come to our school and work out with us on the weekends. He had the biggest sledgehammer hands I'd ever seen, and the guy could still hit hard, and he was nearing 70 at the time, I think. He ran a dairy farm, and his hands were still in good shape. There is also a guy in our organization that doesn't break boards with his hands, because he is a doctor, and can't afford to have a training accident put him out of his job.

I doubt punching bag helps, unless you punch real hard... A nice canvas bag can help to condition the knuckles a bit, especially if you like to twist your punches at the end. I think you're right here. I don't ever really notice that Thai fighters have really disfigured shins, but you don't have to question the toughness of their shins.

I know how that goes. Between work and family time, its hard to devote that much time to MA training. I'm lucky if I can get 2 days a week into a class. Otherwise, I'm on my own at home.