bushido_man96

Solo Training, and Solo Training 2, are two great books to look into by Loren Christensen. Lots of good tips for working out alone.

On the sword issue, if there aren't any Eastern sword classes around, you might check to see if there are any ARMA study groups in your area. It would be worth checking out.

10-14-09 Taught TKD again tonight. Basics mostly, but we went a bit faster than before, to get them moving more and thinking less about what they are doing. Also focuses on one-steps.

From what I understand, varicose veins are just unsightly. I don't know that they cause any medical issues, though. They just tend to be really visible, and they may cause brusing easier, or rupter easier being closer to the skin. You'd have to look into that, though, to be sure.

You're welcome. I hope it gets better for you soon.

The TAZERs are a nice force option to have. Better than the OC anyday, as far as I'm concerned. 10-12-09 Evening Aikido class: 7:30 - 9:30. Opened with stretches and Aikitaisos, then focused on rolls and breakfalls. Technique work was fun tonight, focusing on rolling out of the techniques properly, along with the normal focuses. 1. Katatekosatori Kokyunage (cross wrist grab, timing throw), focusing on backroll out for uke. 2. Katatetori Kaitenage (wrist grab rotary throw), forward roll focus. 3. Working on the assumption that the Kaitenage doesn't set up right, or the uke stands up early to counter it, nage went into Katatetori Sankyo (wrist grab, "third teaching"), into throw. 4. Then, uke in Sankyo (centerlock) counters into Gokyo, which is a straight arm bar/elbow lock, into a takedown and pin. So, we got to do a nice progression of stuff, seeing the openings for counters, and counter-counters, etc. Good stuff. 10-13-09 TAZER draws: 10 reps, weak side release, strong side draw, drop step right. Bike: 30 minutes, then stretch legs for 5 minutes. 10-14-09 TAZER draws: 5 reps, same as above. Lying leg press: 160x20x3 Assisted pull-ups: 15, 10, 10, max sets. TKD class: 6:00 - 7:00. Taught class tonight.

Bringing back our side kick discussion, I've been thinking about the body motions in Yoo Sin hyung, when doing the inside crescent kick into the palm, followed by the side kick with the same leg, without setting the foot down. This is a tricky part of the form for me, as getting the kick to the hand, and then the side kick out, tends to be quite a challenge. It appears to me that this motion requires the side kick to fall into the side piercing kick category, which is odd for me anyways. Thoughts on this?

Not all ATA schools are likely to require contracts. Many larger ones may, but there are likely to be some club-level ATA dojangs out there that don't. You may also speak to them about going without a contract. They may be willing to work with you. My old ATA instructor went to using contracts, mainly because of the EFT billing format. He didn't want to be a bill collector; he wanted to worry about teaching. So, its easier on instructors, especially if they have loads of students. Ask about the contract info and what it pretains to, before shutting off the idea of the contract right away.

A wise man once said "You learn more by losing than you could ever learn by winning." Yeah...but, Vince Lombardi also said something to the effect of "...winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing..."

In the TKD school I attend now, my instructor calls them "drops." I had never heard them referred to as that until I came to this school. They were just called axe kicks. So now, I use both terminology.

I do the same way. In English, even. I don't think that explaining that it is a front kick to the side, when in a backstance, becomes all that necessary, for the main reason that it just makes sense for a front leg front kick from a back stance to be done that way.

Ah, Lee's backflip kick...only he and Guile can do that, I think...

It would be nice if more Wrestling coaches really described it like that. But even if they don't, I think that many of them appreciate what it is that they are learning, and what it can do for them.

This is just brutal. So many instances of aggravated assault/battery. A lot of people get down on MMA, but this is far worse.

Then the parents shouldn't be letting them watch TUF, if that is how they feel about it. Again, something that starts at home. In fighting like that, these guys try to get each other off balance mentally as well as physically, and this is one way of doing it; trashing them. Trash talking is a lot older than just this MMA inception, as well. Its been around for quite some time.

It is still a good question, and a good topic for discussion. There are a few ways that it could be looked at: 1. from our MA viewpoint. We all agree that MA study is a lifelong endeavour, so competing as long as possible can fall into part of that. 2. from the fan/business viewpoing. MMA is big business, and the big wigs want the fans to watch, so they go with the hot fighters, or the stand-out up-and-comers that the fans like to watch. So, from that end, those who are hanging on might not get the matches they want, but will still try to work for them.

Very nice. Good advice to follow for daily life.

Every situation is different, but in most cases, I just don't think I could go with something like this, as an instructor myself. And getting to 2nd dan and teaching at that age, I wouldn't feel comfortable with that, either.

I agree...check out some classes personally.

Its time to hang it up when the fighter says its time. Perhaps he likes the competition, even if he doesn't win a lot anymore. Who cares? If he is happy, and he isn't in any danger by competing, then let them go as long as they want.

This has more to do with the values, or lack thereof, of what the kid learns at home, than what the kid learned at an MMA school. Wrestling gets on just fine at the high school level, and MMA could too, given the right setup and rules enforcements. Isolating and incident like this, and blaming it on MMA is like islolating a criminal carrying a gun, and then taking away the right to carry firearms for the general public. What happens it that the public is in greater danger then, because they have to jump through hoops to carry legally, where a criminal is going to carry regardless. Restricting an activity like this kind of falls along the same lines, in my mind.

Well, you don't have to take it away from them....but you could tell them that they can't wear it....two different things, but it might get the desired effect.

Thanks for the information, ninjasan. Its good to hear it from someone with the experiences of it, and how it looks from their end. Very helpful for us all.

Yeah, good luck; sounds kind of nasty. Hearing the term "clot" just doesn't sound good at all. Keep us posted on what you learn.

10-9-09 Squats: 40 Push-ups: 30 Crunches: 40 10-10-09 Push-ups: 30, 15 Crunches (legs up): 25 10-11-09 TAZER draws: 10 reps...weak side release, strong side draw, drop-step with right leg to bladed stance. 10-12-09 Bench press: 155x10, 165x8, 175x6, 185x4, 205x2 Squats: 1 minute sets between each of the above bench press sets, 4 sets Bench press: 165x10, 175x8, 185x6, 205x4, 225x2 Assisted pull-ups: 12, max set Bike: 3 minutes Military press: 1 minute, 15 lbs, approx. 40 reps Barbell curl: 80x10 Dumbell triceps extension: 45x20, 55x10