bushido_man96

Very cool.

Here, I would argue the level of practicality of each of the weapons. Staff, sure, because one might find a stick lying around in varying lengths; brooms, rakes, etc. Maybe knowing the eku would be beneficial here as well, with the extra weight on one end. Sai or kama, I wouldn't be so sure. Nor nuchaku. Now, if someone wants to spend time learning weapons like that, I think it is great. I've spent plenty of time learning weapons with not much modern practicality (sword and shield come to mind) just for the fun of it. But, when it comes to managing your time for serious self-defense training, then you might need to pick and choose what you focus on more stringently.

Our school runs on a scale, starting at $30, and getting up to $100 for 1st dan.

That sounds like a great tool to use, cathal. I'd love to see it in action. 8-18-09 During class tonight, there were a few times I got to work with kids. The first was in one-steps, and I worked with him on getting into his stances with techniques stepping forward and back, and on targeting his attacks to the nose. The second was with a young gal in sparring. I helped her to keep her body bladed so she didn't offer too many targets, working a bit of angles and countering in combinations.

When I first teach it, I like to break it down into 4 parts: chamber, execute, rechamber, return. Usually, I'll let them balance with a wall, so they can focus on the kick components, and I also slow it down, so they get some muscle work in. I focus on the chamber and rechamber being in the same position, and making sure that the foot is engaged for the proper striking tool to be presented. It pretty much starts out as a kick from the knee at this point, but as they get the motions down, you can get to engage the hips in the kick as you go. Now, to shamelessly plug some of my own work, I did an article on doing an entire class on the front kick alone: Front Kick Class

I'm kind of with tg on this one, but, I do see that it is more important, especially today, to watch what you say. I told a female student of mine one time that the more like a guy she could spar, the better she would be at beating other females. By saying that, I had hoped to get more power, speed, and aggressiveness out of her. Whether it was right or wrong, I don't know. I didn't think much of it at the time, nor do I really now. I haven't used the expression in a while, but it might pop up sometime again. In the end, I can see where a valuable lesson can be learned, and moms usually teach pretty good lessons.

You might have some kind of bug or something. That could be part of the soreness. Or.....it could be that you are getting older....I've noticed that after turning 30, things feel sore for a bit longer.

That's easy enough to say, but it is important to spend time working with each of the blocks in various situations, so that one can find which works better, when.

I think it is going to depend on the type of TKD school that you get. If you get to one that is more WTF based, and especially focused on competition, then you won't see quite as many similarities. If you get into one that is ITF based, or not even affliated with an organization, or perhaps some of the Soo Bak Do/Tang Soo Do schools, then you might see some more similarites between the two. They won't be the same, but there is likely to be some similarities.

Good point, Killer.

JusticeZero and tallgeese are making good points. When faced with a situation like that, the upmost thing in mind should be to survive. In this, one has to think for him/herself, and not about setting up punishments for the one attacking. That's a quick way to put oneself behind the 8-ball really quick, when one may not have time to make up for it.

Boy, where to start with more replies...this is really a good topic for discussion. I agree with ShoriKid on this matter. All of the stuff that I have learned as far as ethics goes has not been from my MA training, but from home, from my parents, from religious beliefs, etc. Not many people sign up for even TMAs thinking to themselves that they need some moral guidance. Nine times out of ten it is the draw of physical activity and self-defense/fighting.

I have seen that version of the round kick before, in some of my older TKD books. If you do a lot of front kicking, it is a good way to throw in a different kick. Although it isn't the same as the big chamber "traditional" round kick, you can still get some good hip snap into that kick. Throw into a bag a few times, and you can feel it.

Good luck; that is a lot of material to do. Let us know how it turns out for you.

Congrats, Brenda!!!

That's reasonable, if the weakest person is close enough to get to. Most likely, they are in the back, or flanked by a few protectors. So, you kind of have to take what's given you.

I hope that I get to see her fight. My parents have Showtime back home, so perhaps I'll be around if she makes into StrikeForce.

That's not a circumstance that I have ever seen or faced, but I don't think it is something that shouldn't be considered. People can change, if they want to, and I think that second chances are important. But, it is something that must be considered seriously at the same time, too.

I agree with Patrick. I have some hobbies that are tougher to explain to adults, too. I used to play Magic a lot, but only have gotten away from it because it gets pricey. I also still love to build with my Legos, and it is now something that me and my son can do together. So in the end, I think Patrick is right. It shows up in lots of places, in some form or another.

I like the idea of doing the kicks slow, but also, do the with muscle tension. Really tighten the muscles and go through the entire kicking motion slowly. That will help ingrain the movements in your muscles and your brain. Finishing with fast kicks, like Kuma mentioned, is a good idea, too.

I second push-ups and dips for the triceps. Can't beat the dips. For the lats, you could do what I've heard called Australian pull-ups, where you lie under a bar, straighten your body out so you are holding the bar and body is planked at an angle, and then pull your chest up to the bar. Also, if you can't do pull-ups yet (like me), do assited pull-ups where you hang from a lower bar, like above, prop your feet out in front or on a bench, and do pull-ups from there.

8-14-09 Assisted pull-ups: 10, 8 max sets Crunches: 4x25 Lat pull-down: 110x15x3 Sit-ups: 30, 20 Dumbell rows: 30x10x3...should go up. 1/2 sit-ups: 30, 20 Dumbell curls: 20x10x3...go up. Barbell curls: 60x10x3...go up. 1 mile bike ride with the dog. 8-17-09 Combat Hapkido: 9:00 am - 10:00. Worked all the way through the red belt material, focusing on ending in good positions to hold for cuffing and restraining. Warm-up: 1/2 mile on elliptical, 5 minutes stretch. Crunches: 4x25 Bench press: 165x10, 175x8, 185x6, 195x4, 215x2, 235x1 Double crunches: 25 Sit-ups: 40, 15 1/2 sit-ups: 25 Push-ups: 31, drop to knees to 35; 23, drop to knees to 30 Military press (with bar): 55x15x3 Dips: 7, 6 max sets Elliptical: 1.5 miles

I agree with cathal here. Different philosophies in training will cause there to be different time frames in testing and aquiring rank. I think that some are too fast, and I think that some are too slow. In the end, it depends on the type/quality of experience and training that one is receiving. As for the judging problems, those seem to pop up at many tournaments, especially those that aren't really sanctioned by some kind of competitive body. I do agree that adults should judge adults, for sure. I am also of the idea that black belts should do the judging. Not many black belts would appreciate being judged by lower ranks, much as adults would not want to be judged by children.

A lead leg round kick is going to be tougher to get to head level. Its going to require some good flexibility not only in the legs, but in the trunk area, too. Kicking high like this, especially with the front leg, will really engage the oblique muscles, so that is an area to focus on, as well. Not that it can't be done, but it may be a lot of specialized training to acquire the ability.

I think one tends to see more "slapping" when it comes to sparring that revolves around light contact and earning a break for point. I think the "tag" game begets the "slaps." When all a strike has to do to garner a point is touch the body, then I think that is when we start seeing the slaps come into play.