bushido_man96

isshinryu5toforever is right on the money. So what if they do things a bit differently? Its an opportunity to learn something new along with what you already know. In the end, its not the rank, but the knowledge that you take with you that will count for more than anything. I went from a 2nd dan in one TKD organization to being a white belt in another; totally different forms, one-steps, and training styles. In the end, I haven't lost anything, but gained a whole bunch. Its all time I would have spent training anyways, so its for the best.

There are lots of good points here, and all of them are viable ways to look at the black belt rank. Sparring is but one way to judge a level of proficiency. A good sparrer may not be good at defending himself, and a poor sparrer may have what it takes to wipe up on the street. Age can play a factor in performance, as well. In the end, the body of knowledge as a whole should be a determining factor when considering black belt rank. Can the person teach the information? Can they perform it adequately? Best of all, can you count on what you are taught to work for you? All of these can come under consideration.

I agree with WNM here. Don't worry about your detractors, or what they might think. It is your journey to take, so do it your way. Check back with the school, and if it has changed, then look around other areas, and see what is available. Best of luck to you!

Washing belts isn't a very big deal, really. Here is a good article on the "not washing belts" condundrum: http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2005/09/09/urban-legends-of-karate-belts/

Wow. What a sight!

So what of the styles that don't use rank to show any indication of skill level? At what point would the "traditionalist" reference them to being ready to look into another style?

I hear what you say here, but even the Olympic committee has been teetering on whether or not TKD should come back to the next Olympics, because the matches don't draw a lot of attention. I think that some significant rules change would be able to revitalize TKD's sport side.

Wow. That's just mean...

Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida ...........................Machida.......KO Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra....................................Hughes........KO Dan Miller vs. Chael Sonnen..................................Miller...........Sub Sean Sherk vs. Frankie Edgar................................Sherk..........Sub Drew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam................ Foupa-Pokam..KO Brock Larson vs. Chris Wilson................................Larson.........Sub Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Brandon Wolff.......................Yoshida......KO Tim Hague vs. Patrick Barry...................................Barry.........Dec Phillipe Nover vs. Kyle Bradley...............................Nover.........Dec Andre Gusmao vs. Krzysztof Soszynski...................Soszynski...KO George Roop vs. David Kaplan...............................Kaplan........KO

Congrats, Patrick, and great job on running the show here. Its always a great place to come and contribute.

I haven't got through them all yet, but it was cool to see the Shredder at number 39. I followed the Turtles through the cartoons, and had a few comics. Reading these little bios, I am learning a bit that I didn't know about the comic villians. Cool reading.

Man, those truckers should not be on that road. Unreal. I'll bet the officers out there stay busy with traffic.

It sounds to me like they are reaching for some accredited advertising. Anymore, customers like to see that kind of thing, even if they have no idea what they are looking at. Like Chris Farley said in Tommy Boy, it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

5-19-09 I wasn't teaching a class or even for an extended period of time, but after class, a student approached me about one of her one-steps, and I helped her address a few things in it. I explained to her that one of the unfortunate circumstances of self-defense is that of close proximity, so she needed to make sure that she used her stance and footwork to get into a good position to use her techniques. She was doing a rising x-block to divert a punch, after which she twists into an arm/shoulder lock, and follows with a front kick. Along with proper hand position, I worked with her on getting into a good back stance, getting the feet placed properly and comfortably, with the weight back a bit, but the hips still in good position, allowing for the flow of the technique. I guess it all starts with good stance, eh?

I agree. It is unfortunate, but as much as we want to reach out and influence those that we teach, in the end, it truly is up to the individual to make the right choices.

I don't know, you tell me. Can he teach it TO THE LEVEL he's attained? NO! Why? If he's only attainded Shodan in Shotokan then, by the by-laws of the JKA, John Doe can only advance his Shotokan students up to the rank of Ikkyu. After Ikkyu, that student would have to find a Sandan to promote this student to Shodan, yet, John Doe is certifying to Shodan in Shotokan under the Toma Banner of Seido, yet, the certs SAY...SHOTOKAN SHODAN. Now that you bring this up, I see what you are saying. Typically, at the testings that I have been involved with, the judges sitting on the panel must be at least 2 dan ranks above the highest rank that is being tested for. So, at least two 3rd dans should be present to test/promote to 1st dan, and so on.

5-19-09 TKD class: 6:00 - 7:30. Good, tiring class. I worked on some of the breath timing stuff some more, and I am learning as I go along. We did testing sparring at the end of class, which is with no pads, and the idea is to limit the contact level, and show good offense, defense, and footwork. I used some side-cutting, and I felt really good about some of the things I was able to do. Perhaps its a prelude of things to come. 5-20-09 Weights Safety squats: 225x10, 245x5, 5 TKD Testing: 6:00 - 8:00. We opened with a bit of a demo, and then got into the testing. Testings are starting to pick up a bit, which is nice to see. For the most part, testing went well, but there were a few more hiccups than we are used to seeing at testing. I think that some of the students got a little extra nervous. One of them is ultra-nervous anyways, and another was testing for her 1st dan, so she was a bit worked up. She pushed through it, though, even after rolling her ankle while doing some forms. We also had 5 white belts test this go-around, which is nice to see, especially if they stick with it. At the end of testing, our instructor had the black belts do some board breaking, as we still had some really sappy boards left to get rid of. I did 3 of them with my back leg round kick, and this time, I dusted them on the first try. After testing was done, the instructor said he wanted to see how much the sappy ones weighed in comparison to the ones that were a bit fresher from the lumber yard. We had some of each, and I weighed the two stacks, and the stack I broke was a pound heavier than the other stack; 5.5 lbs compared to about 6.5 lbs on the stack I broke. For what its worth, I felt pretty good about the break. It did sting a bit, and still stings a bit, but felt better than missing...

It depends on one's view point. I prefer to think that I had been learning from day 1, and that every lesson up the that black belt point is just as important as those that come after it. Nor do I feel that rank in one art has any relevance on the ability to attain skill and advancement in another art.

Well, its just another belt, right? I think it should depend on the organization involved (if there is one), and what the practitioner feels he/she should wear.

When do our basics, stepping into front stance and punching, many of our students will stomp, and I don't understand why. Then, when there is a stomp technique in a form, it isn't emphasized nearly as much as stepping punches are. This is a mis-comunication in proper technique, and I have tried to address it when I get to teach. It isn't the stomp that is necessary, but the step adds to the momentum of the punch. Either way, this is cool history of a great Martial Art. I love to read about the origins and evolution of Boxing. Thanks for these contributions, guys. I also feel that it is important to use the mechanics together, from the ground up through the arms, including the hips, to get the power into the technique.

We do some double forearm blocking in our forms and in basics, but we don't do them in our one-steps at all.

That's too bad. But, perhaps he did not have the time to dedicate, with the teaching of his own students? Or not...who knows?

Haha! I just placed my order! Can't wait!!!! :D:D

The morning slot might be your best option. I'd get some suggestions from interested parties, and see if it would work for them.

5-18-09 Push-ups 28, 20, 15 with hands on blocks. I thought I would start week 5 over, on the second column, but after the first set, and an attempt at the second, there was no way I was going to get through it. It doesn't seem like I have made the kinds of gains I would have hoped with this program. I don't know if I'll go back to column one of week 5, or keep trying at column two yet. We'll see. 5-19-09 Weights Bench press: 235x5, 6 fail Row: 200x5, 6 fail Military press: 125x6, 7 fail Lat pull-down: 170x5, 6 fail Curl: 60x5, 6 fail Triceps push-down: 180x6, 7 fail Cable trunk twists: 80x10, 10 Knee lifts: 15, 12