bushido_man96

5-14-2010 Mile jog in around 13:00. Then a good stretch. 5-17-2010 Mile jog, around 12:10, and then stretched the legs.

Making you spar and teaching you to spar and two different things. If all they are doing are telling you those 4 pointers you mentioned in your op, that's not teaching you to spar. That's telling you those 4 pointers. Teaching you to spar is drills, pad work, instructor's sparring students and kicking the student's butts until they can kick yours back. Teaching someone to spar is giving them combinations that work for their body type and letting them develop them. You can't just simply say "spar" and expect everyone to be good at it. Those with natural ability might develop it but most people will just flounder around like the blackbelts you described. If you want them to be better maybe you should start leading by example. I find nothing works better for getting people to keep their guard up than clocking them round the head with a kick or backfist or whatever. They learn fast that way. I could not agree with you more. I wish my school put more into it like that.

One can choose how he acts, and how he lives, and he treats and interacts with others. As opposed to worrying about whether people assume I am noble or not, I choose to try to live well, do the right things, make good decisions, and be a good father, husband, and worker. Now, not everyone thinks like this. There are those who try to work people over for whatever they can, steal, demean, and do other things to bring someone down, either to get themselves ahead, or, just because they like to hurt others. And, even more unfortunately, both of these groups have black belts among them. I'm sure that there are even some people who are viewed as "noble" that come from both of those groups. In the end, maybe its just semantics.

Are 'serious martial artists' the kind of demographic that's likely to attend a public karate demo? I would be willing to guess that it is more likely to attract those who don't have experience in the Martial Arts, and therefore become the new students. I'm willing to be that most "serious" Martial Artists that ever attend any type of demo show to watch, critique, and then talk about later amongst themselves, speaking of what they thought was junk, was good, or was just plain bull. I like all types of demos. And there is something to be said about demos as advertising. Yeah, they probably are off-the-wall, over-the-top types of performances, but it does speak to the capability that the school can develop, and if they can do all the fancy stuff, then I'd bet that their basics are good, too. My current school does demos that pretty much mirror a class of our, but in a downsized mode. We do basics, then a form or two, one-steps, sparring, and maybe some self-defense stuff that is Hapkido-based. Last, we break boards, each doing a different kind of break, with different amounts of boards.

I do think the "secrets" are not that, but more of what one has found works for him or her. It isn't keeping secrets, or that there are secrets that must be waited for. Its what works for one at the time, and how he/she makes them work. Like tallgeese, I think experts apply simple things at a high level of competency.

Thanks for everything you have done here, Heidi, and kudos!

Welcome to KF!

The problem with Taek Kyon is that you can't find anything concrete about it. I think Wang Kee and Gen. Choi both claim to have learned it, but they never say from who.

I am curious about these developments, as well. I started my career in the ATA, and like to see what's going on from time to time. Stick fighting would be fun, and the physical requirements are probably a good thing, as long as they aren't too outrageous. I'd like to see the MMA aspects of it as well. I remember when they started their Protech programs, and offered ground fighting based on BJJ as one of the programs. And, no, TKD wasn't really the first MMA.

I think more people would understand it than you think. How many parents are there of kids out there that Wrestle? Lots. How many of those kids' moms have likely Wrestled? Not many. But, I'll bet they find the time to talk with their kids about it. Sure, there are some who won't understand everything you talk about, but if you break it down into small doses, I think most people will get the picture. Now, I wouldn't just engage in the conversation just for the thrill of it. But, I think that a lot of people see and hear so much about the MAs these days that more will understand it than you might think.

I am not a big proponent of stepping forward with the back leg to deliver a punch in sparring. Sure, it will have power, but that step kind of telegraphs everything.

I see a lot of that, instructors not sparring in class. I think they should do so, but I think many times, they don't, to protect their ego.

I think Martial Arts sports are very effective, especially because they usually have a higher level of contact and resistance in their sparring. Olympic TKD and Boxing fight to knockout, Judo, BJJ, and Wrestling all are 100% resistive. This is very good training, even with the rule sets in place.

I think if I were you I would use the opportunity here to push the ones you have to spar regularly so they get better, and then they might be able to help you get better. Otherwise, see if you can spar some of the better fighters there.

I will if someone asks. I try not to talk about rank too much, but I'll discuss it if it comes up. I like to talk about it, especially with someone who is willing to listen.

I think you assume too much here. I don't recall anyone really saying they feel a black belt is lowly. It is no doubt an accomplishment. I just don't think a lot of people tie more into it than is there--to me, it is an indicator of skill or knowledge. Not much more than that. There are those who practice styles that don't use belts, and they don't have to worry about this issue. They know what they know, and it is enough; it doesn't have to be displayed around their waist. As for giving up a black belt, I don't consider that a big deal. You can have the belt...but you can't take the knowledge, and the time that has been put into the training. I think in the end, there are those who do or do not romanticize what the black belt truly is. I'd gladly wear a white belt and move to the back of the class. I have actually done this by taking another Martial Art that I have no experience in. I'm a white belt in there, and have no problem what so ever with being in the back of that class. I'd gladly go to the back of my TKD class, too. I'm not there to advertise, I'm there to learn. And if I get to learn more by being at the back of the class, then sign me up. And I don't have a bachelor's degree, either.

This quote doesn't hit home to me. For me, its the opposite that holds true.

Ah, I always enjoy this movie. Vikings and mystic enemies who really end up being just savage men. This movie is what I would refer to as a mini-epic. I love the characters, and the plot. Based on Michael Crichton's book Eaters of the Dead, and having read the book as well, I find them both enjoyable. Crichton's book is actually a revamped take on the Beowulf saga. Good time, indeed.

Welcome!

Welcome to KF!

5-9-10 Spent some time doing basic movements on my own, and some push-ups. Did some slow front kicks without setting the leg down, and that really felt good.

Why not judge training methods by the caliber of martial artists they produce, not their degree of adherence to old methods of the Japanese Karate Association? In my opinion sparring-heavy styles of karate have produced some impressive karateka... I think this is the key here.

Fighting is a form of expression as well.

The "real meaning" of practicing Martial Arts is going to be different to everyone. Many fighters do so because of the continuing chances to prove themselves. I don't call this ego; its putting your training to the test. There are many Martial Artists who practice forms or basics, and do little fighting of any kind....yet how is that "Martial?" Martial Sports are still Martial Arts....they just compete and put it on the line a lot more often.

Well, maybe not to you. But to the outside world it is. I really think that. It may be a ruse, but the noble classes have been fooling people for all of history. Nonetheless, it's never the nobility that makes themselves noble. They don't jump up on a pedastool. Other people put them there. Case in point. I had to draw blood from a 9 year-old, patient in the mental hospital yesterday. For a lab that is. He was afriad of the needle, but when I had stuck him and was collecting the blood, I praised him for being so brave in the face of it and said to him "You must have a Samurai spirit in you." He was a pudgy kid with some serious setbacks in his life, but he was very interested in that notion. He even asked of the blood in the tube if that was Samurai blood. I told him that it was indeed. Then I gave him four stickers with superheroes on them (For some reason that escapes me, the kids in the hospital love those and will do just about anything for them--including getting better!). He loved the notion of the Samurai. He loved the superheros on the stickers. I told him, "When you get older and out of here, you should think about martial arts, being you obviously have a Samurai spirit." He seemed to like that idea quite a lot. So, you see, your black belt (I think you told us you have 45 years in martial arts and run a dojo.) does put you in a noble class, whether you like it or not. You never said you were noble, but that kid would think you are. You'd be a living superhero to him, something worthy of being on a sticker. You can't come down to him from on high (which can save him) unless you are from on high. Does that make any sense at all? Although this is a nice story, in the end, I don't think it amounts to a nobility thing. You helped someone out, got them through something. That's a good thing. But, I don't think it has much to do with the Martial Artist being noble. As for the Samurai, it has been so romanticized throughout the generations that the only things you hear about are the good things they did, and likely with a bit of embelishment alongside. As for a definition of nobility, it was usually a higher rung of a caste system, and usually only born into. If you were born into nobility, then you likely stayed there. If you were born to a lower caste, you likely stayed there. In my opinion, the training in the Martial Arts trumps this idea, because you get better and rank higher through training and fighting. The Martial Arts give a way to move up, whereas the caste system usually didn't allow this as much.