bushido_man96

I understand where you are coming from, Bob. It makes you wonder when the weight of the other bricks starts to be the result of breaking. At any rate, there still has to be some good power transfer to keep the break going. I think it tends to rank up there with creative forms and other XMA types of skill. Fun to watch, requires some athleticism/skill, yet still a bit displaced from the Martial part of the Martial Arts.

I think it is a good motivational idea. Its another way to push people once they think they've reached a pinnacle.

I think you have a point here. I think much of it comes down to the personal preferences of who teaches you, and how you develop. My TKD instructor does mention the "blind" techniques that we use in sparring at times. In my ATA school, we learned to turn and ID the target first, before executing the kick. In forms, though, we are supposed to turn and look before moving to the next technique. I think the difference comes in the emphasis placed on the head turn. Some will really snap their head to look at the next target, really emphasizing. For others, its just a casual look in the direction the next technique is going.

I used to think about things like that a lot, but now, if I miss a class, I don't sweat it. I go when I can, and remember that the reason I do it is because I enjoy doing it, not because I have to do it. Now, there is another side of me that balances this out, by constantly reminding me that someone else is training, and getting better, and what if I meet him at work some day? I also have a family, and do shift work, so I'm not always on a set schedule. So, things pop up, and classes can take the back burner at times.

Thanks for the advice, tallgeese. I like the combat stance, but others around me see it differently. I'll try to stick with it. 6-28-10 Jogged mile in 12:11, and did 1.28 miles in 15 minutes. Stretch. Aikido: 10 am to noon. All weapons work, which was good fun. Jo and bokken forms, and jo pair work.

I don't think conditioning is all that necessary for the hammer fist strike. That part of the hand is more pad than bone, so conditioning it would be tougher. The elbow you could condition similar to the way you do your knuckles, but don't overdo it. Also, make sure not to use the actual tip of the elbow, but that section of bone just a few inches below it. Good luck for the upcoming test!

There is fighting in the movie, and the duel scene does lend quite a bit of Martial prowess to the fighter, both physically, and how he mentally defeated the oppononet. He essentially rope-a-doped that guy. And even though the fights are with weapons, I still view them as Martial Arts types, that's why I throw this in here. I don't like to get wrapped into the old punch and kick types all the time.

I also enjoyed Lone Wolf McQuade when I was a kid.

I'm not too wild on seeing it right now. Maybe when it makes it to rentals, I will, if the kids want to. I don't know why they didn't call it "The Kung Fu Kid." Nevermind, I know why.

I enjoyed shooting the rifle, too. Not all the guys on the department carry one, though, which is ok, because it left one for me. I'm really surprised that the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) hasn't made the jump to patrol rifle as part of the basic. Right now they do pistol and shotgun, but the shotgun is just referred to as "familiarization," as qualifying with it isn't a requirement to graduate. I'm guessing it has to do with the cost of getting rifles... Out of curiosity, when shooting rifle and shotgun, do you take more of a "hunter's" stance when shooting, or the more-frontal "combat" stance? At the academy, we trained the combat stance for shotgun, which was essentially the same as our pistol stance, with weight forward on the bals of the feet, shoulders foward of the butt. I was using the combat stance, because I had little experience with the shotgun, and I shot pretty well with it. I did the same with the rifle. But, we've got some guys who have hunted for years on the department who like the hunter's tance, and they don't like change much, either, from what I can tell, and were trying to push that on me. One of the guys, though, that had taken the patrol rifle class, did use the combat stance, and recommened it to me. Personally, I'm leaning toward the combat stance.

I am really enjoying the responses here, guys. Its nice to see this old thread pop up. When the semester starts back up at the college, I'll be able to get back to the DT classes, in which they do some BJJ, but none with gi...just regular gym clothes. I really wish we had a dedicated school or MMA gym around my area for it, but, I have to make due.

We are taught to grind the elbows in the DT sessions that I've had for LEO training. But, for the most part, LEOs aren't interested in ettiquette, they are interested in surviving and going home at the end of the shift, and not all of them have the time to dedicate to a weekly BJJ session. However, on the other hand, I do see what the more experienced hands here are saying about learning technique instead, and how the elbow grinding won't work on a moderatly skilled opponent. So, good to know the elbows, but also good to train without using them. After all, I don't think "elbow grinding" is going to be a skill that diminishes terribly if you don't use it often.

I think this is what it comes down to. I know a lot of people claim that by learning an art, it is necessary to learn the terminology in that art's native language, in order to "appreciate" the art or style. I think it is a mularky excuse, because you are not even learning a very small percentage of an overall language. What we end up doing is using a "spot" word here and there to name a form, a technique, or some other concept that could likely have an English counterpart. The names of forms, being proper nouns, can get around this issue. However, I think that at the end of the day, things could be simplified if we used the word "kick" instead of "chagi" or "geri." That way, you don't end up with people looking silly "chagi-ing" or "geri-ing" all the time.

I think sparring is a very important part of learning self-defense. It teaches you to move and react in real time to a person moving and reacting to you in real time. There are some important things to learn through sparring.

Welcome to KF!

Welcome to KF, Ev.

I'll bet grappling in near-darkness was an interesting time. I had things going great...running was good, getting more Aikido time in, and at least one TKD class a week...then, I get sick. Now climbing a flight of stairs takes the wind out of me. 6-22-10 Range today; qualified with the shotgun and rifle. First time qualifying with the rifle, so I was pleased.

I think sport is ok. There is a lot of negativity toward sport Martial Art, but there has to be a way to up the ante and increase training levels and contact levels. Sport is the way to do this. It is a necessary training aspect in order to get better at the budo aspect. They should go hand in hand.

Fun vid. I'd like to see some targets in there, to see if they really know where their kicks are going.

I don't like to hear the word kiai or kihap when I hear a yell. It would be like using "yell" in English. Doesn't make sense.

Knowing in advance just compounds my nerves. I'd like to try the other way once or twice, to see how I react.

Some very interesting insights....

Welcome! Thanks for your service, and enjoy your time. See you when you get back!

Welcome to KF!

Not many to choose from where I am. Besides, I concern myself more with my own training and progress than that of the GM or organization. I'm in it for me, for the most part.