bushido_man96

Basically, its a Japanese organization handing out certs of "authentic" Japanese learning in these arts, and won't include arts outside of Japan. Not a surprise to me that TKD isn't listed there, or Hapkido, or Muay Thai, etc. However, we can teach someone what we know, as opposed to 2 levels below what we know.....

Others have mentioned "forceful exhalations" in place of kiai/kihap. I think that if you can get the student to start out with doing just forceful exhalations, then you might be on the road to gaining a full yell. After all, its the same thing, one is just more audible.

That is the way that I would look at the quote, furry_Homeboy; metaphoric, at the very least. Good explanation as well, Joe.

So, they are the same...thanks.

Unless you want to. Yes, there is that! I agree. Nothing bad happens if you wash the belt. You don't lose anything as far as experience or knowlege. Neither is there enough accurate information out there that states that "you don't wash your belt because it is tradition."

True, we all do. But.. if you have to fight out in the real world to defend yourself or a loved one, and if you are lucky enough to have a chance take a stance - your favorite side will come out quickly and there would be nothing you could do to change that. It's hard wired from your survival training in the dojo. Your body knows. One - No, not all of us practice symmetrical arts. These include Capoeira, Kali, and probably some others; Boxing, Karate, Gungfu, TKD are not at all symmetrical no matter how much people talk about 'training both sides'. Two, because I do practice a symmetrical art, if I do default to a side under stress, it will only be for a second; I cannot -not- switch sides and such. My 'on guard SD ready stance' is a 50/50 straight on position with my weight lightly shifting back and forth. I understand what you are stating here, JusticeZero. But, is it likely that once self-defense mode kicks in, would your body move into position to do a technique with your dominant side first?

Congrats, Kuma!

yeah that would be cool Here is what I found. In The Taegeuk Cipher, the author describes the influence of Quan Fa (which translates to Korean as Kwon Bop). Yoon Pyung In grew up in the area of Changchun in Manchuria. He was said to have trained under a Mongolian instructor in an art referred to as "Joo An Pa" (Quan Fa), which was a Northern Chinese style. When Yoon returned to Korea, he called his style "Kwon Bop" and the schools of his lineage, which included the YMCA Kwon Bop Bu, the Chang Moo Kwan, the Kang Duk Won, all featured some Quan Fa forms, including Long and Short Fist forms, a staff form, and some "sticky hands" drills and sweeping and grabbing methods. So, my question is, is Quan Fa/Chuan Fa similar, just different ways to say the same thing, or two very different things?

That's awesome. Legos just keep getting better and better.

Thanks for the confirmation, tg. I thought Blair was the name, too, but wasn't as sure on that one.

Some kids are shy, so it just takes time for them to come out of their shell. We spend most of our adult lives trying to get our kids to keep quiet whenever we are inside, to use the "inside voice," and then we take them to Karate class, and try to convince them that it is ok to yell inside. So, it can be a chore convincing some of the shyer ones.

I think the SPEAR system works off of developing this kind of flinch response, and using it in defense. Can anyone clarify this for me?

You're welcome. Besides, your only as young as you feel, right?

Thanks for mentioning it. I'll be hitting a Barnes & Noble this weekend, so I'll look for it.

No problem, Patrick. I think that any time Bruce Lee becomes a topic of discussion, "the best" is something that tends to come to mind, too. I just thought I would try a different tack.

Man, that could not have felt good. Good job on the 2nd degree to use his surroundings to his advantage, though. A good lesson for the future, perhaps?

Has he actually witnessed this happen with belts, or only heard about it? Other than that, most of what you have posted seem to be more opinions or preferences, as opposed to being hard and fast rules of conduct. That is how I interpret it, anyways.

A fine statement, isshinryu5toforever.

...sorry, I had to cut myself off before finishing all that I wanted to say above. I do think that there are still many practitioners out there that are listening to what the old masters taught, and are striving to carry on their teachings. I will also state that now MMA has been around for a short while, we have seen some of the big names of from competition retiring, yet still carrying on a legacy of their own, and I don't feel that they reach out soley to the competitors. Also, there are several competitors out there that do have a traditional background, and I don't think that they have completely abandoned the knowledge that they have acquired from their years of study.

I just read this one for the first time, and I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it with us. However, I don't share the feelings towards the MMA. I don't think that it has hurt the traditional styles all that much.

That's a good point. Perhaps De La Hoya should fight a few more times...

Thanks for posting it up here, Patrick. They should get a commission off of you.

Cool. I never got to play any of the Prime installments, although I was a fan of the original Metroid.

I can see where a pre-test could have merit. It just depends on what you like to do as a teacher and instructor. A pre-test could be looked at as just a segment of the test that is to come, and if you don't do well during the pre-test, then you can work harder, and show up for the next one. Either way, I think its good, either way you do it.

Joe posted this article in a different thread, but the thread discusses side-stepping as done by C.S. Kim of Tang Soo Do. I felt it pertinent to the coversation going on here. Enjoy, and thanks again, Joe!