bushido_man96

Thanks for the answers, ps1.

Well, Wallace had some good motivation to kick from his left side only; his right knee was tore to hell, and I don't think he could kick from that side. So, he made his weakness his strength. I do think that you can train both sides, while still having a favorite/dominant side. It just depends on what techniques you are working on. You may not throw a front leg side kick with both sides forward, but you might have a good right lead side kick, and a solid left rear front kick to rely on.

Although I am right handed, I fight southpaw most of the time. One of my instructors early on in my training made the statement that he liked to keep his strongest weapons closer to the opponent, so I kind of adopted that idea early on. Now that I have spent a lot of time fighting right side forward, I find it weird getting to the other side at times. If you switch in these situations, then like tallgeese explained, you end up letting the opponent dictate what you do. You should dictate what you do, and by training against others by keeping your comfortable side forward while they switch will let you work your game better. It'll help you learn what you can and should do from each of the stances an opponent can present, as well. This is going to depend on if you fight with rules or not. In my TKD sparring, we can't strike to the back or below the belt, and we can't punch to the face. So, if my opponent and I are in an open fighting position (I lead with right and he lead with left), then my lead leg is limited in kicking. My options are a round kick to the head, maybe a side kick to the body (rib area), or a lead leg twisting or hooking kick to the body or head, which are tough ones to throw, let alone set up. Now, the back leg here can round kick to the body or head, or front kick, on and on. You can see what I am getting at. Now, from a closed sparring position (both lead with the same side), the targets and attacks can change significantly. So, if rules are what bind you, then which side is forward in comparison to the opponent can dictate your game a bit. So, it is something that you have to prepare for. You should be able to develop your game from your comfortable side, regardless of what side your opponent presents. I agree with tallgeese here, but there is a safer way to get into the opposite stance. Instead of just switching for the sake of switching, switch as a result of a finished technique. For example, if you are in a closed position with the opponent, and throw a back leg round kick and land it in front as the result of a combination, then you have your opposite side forward, but got there as a result of your attacking sequence, and can then work from your other side, if you choose to. It occupies your opponent in a way that "just swithing" does not.

I hear ya, Kuma. With the interests that we tend to share here, it is tough at times to find those that we can talk about them with, outside of our own dojos/schools when we train. Being able to share like this is fantastic.

That's pretty cool. If he starts now, he can start saving for college, if you know what I mean...

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

Huh, that's quite a contrast to the WTF in that they tend to scream every time a technique is thrown, especially in sparring. In our school, we kihap a lot during basics. Sometimes, I'd rather not, but oh well.

6-2-09 Knuckle push-ups: 15, 15, 12, 12 = 54

Thanks for sharing this information, Bob. It appears that you have quite the organizational flow-chart. Not just a simple school, after all!

Although I don't hold to sensei8's strictness of adhering to the three K's of Karate, I do think that if you are going to participate in any kind of Martial Arts practice, then sparring at some level is going to be important in your advancement. You'd be surprised; your body is probably more resilient than you think. If you should ever have to defend yourself, you can bet that the attacker is trying to hurt you, so it is best to be exposed to some kind of sparring to prepare for this. You can do basics and katas all day long, but they don't prepare you for the action/interaction of self-defense, whereas sparring is a step in the right direction to achieving this.

Thanks for contributing thus far, guys. I agree about the Western thought process that has made this style what it is today. I also agree that it does have a base in an Eastern style. So, I'm sure that there is likely to be as many yes answers as there could be no, but I am interested in seeing what individual takes on the matter are.

I read you here. I'm vaguely familiar with the ginga, so I understand the circumstances of the movements you are discussing here, and when you state that your art is symmetrical. Thanks for the explanations here.

6-1-09 Weights Bench press: 235x6, 7 fail Row: 200x6, 7 fail Military press: 125x5, 6 fail Lat pull-down: 170x6, 7 fail Leg extensions: 175x10 Leg curls: 205x7, 8 fail Machine curls: 60x5, 6 fail Triceps push-downs: 180x6, 7 fail Cable trunk twists: 80x10, 10 Decline crunches: 22 lbs. x 12, 12 MA Workout Aikido: 8:40 - 9:15. We worked on Aikitaisos and the three techniques from our first testing requirments. With no class over the summer, working on our own will be a major thing in keeping up. Combat Hapkido: 9:20 - 10:00. My partner covered yellow and orange belt, while I covered red belt. Cardio Bike: 20 minutes between 90 and 100 rpms.

Welcome aboard, Joe!

Ok...I'm not sure what they will do with that, but we'll see...

Hehehehehehe..... Congrats, JusticeZero!

Well, well; I say, go Magic!

RIP

Cool. I think that is the only time I have seen Chewbacca look small...

Well done, Kez! Way to keep pushing through.

Well done!

Best of luck, Dobbersky!

Congrats, Alex! Do you think you'll hit another one in the near future?

Sounds like you had a good time, and did well, tg! Congrats!

Aye aye, stay on the ground, for now. In my school, the spin heel kick and the spin hook kick are two different kicks, the spin heel version being a straight-legged kick. Its important to not let the kick have to much arc, though, or you just drag it around. Its still a fairly tight kick. Try this: set up 2 folding chairs, back to back, maybe 2 feet apart. Now, lean on a wall for balance, and hold your leg out in a side kick position over one of the chairs. The difference here is that the base leg foot isn't at a 180 degree angle (point back at the wall); it should be at 90 degrees. Now, with your leg over the first chair, keep it straight and pull it over the second chair. Keep going back and forth, holding the body in that side kick position, and building that leg muscle.