bushido_man96

I can see your point here, and I think that it is important to take every threat seriously. But, at the same time, if you take this little 4 foot tall guy, and break his arm in 4 places, rendering it useless, then you might have trouble with a jury trial. I'm not saying that you would be wrong, but that if you can consider your actions to a degree, then you can save yourself a lot of trouble. I agree, and this is the point that I am getting at. Now, if the guy has a knife, and refuses to give up, then you may be forced to break his arm in 4 places; it may be more justifiable in this case. But, if he doesn't have a weapon, then the way it looks, and what you have to say when you go to the stand, can make a difference.

Thank, akedm. In the end, it will depend on what the 'goal' of the sparring that each school does. This will reflect what is legal and what isn't. Like TG also mentions, being able to integrate all of the tools together is also important. When looking into Self-Defense, the skill development may be quite a bit different than that of, say, Olympic TKD sparring. I think that one can spend time doing both, but it is important to know and understand the differentiations.

Maybe it was all the stereotyping that bothered me....

That might work out well. A little break would allow some of that energy to return, too.

4-18-09 MA workout Defensive Tactics: 9:00 - 10:00. This was another of the DT seminars that the Criminal Justice proffessor at the college is putting on monthly. We worked on ground fighting again, and we covered the kimura from guard, the reversal for when the kumura is defended, then we did a top-side kimura and an Americana. After some work on these, we did more of an active rolling drill where our partner would make us work for one, and if we didn't get it, we worked for the reverse or othewise. It was really fun, and I think I am really getting the hang of the kimura. Its too bad that I didn't get more time in, but the first 20 minutes went to some stretching, and more yapping than I would have liked, but oh well. Aikido: 10:00 - 12:00. We did a mock testing in class to prepare for the testing this week. So, I got to do some falls and rolls with the 2nd kyu we have testing; that was a good time. It only takes about one time to fall wrong, and then I had it pretty well figured out. He has a TON of techniques to do, both from standing and kneeling position. We had two 3rd kyu girls go next, and then I got to do my testing requirements. I felt pretty good, and got a few things to work on, but other than that, I think I'll be ready to go.

4-17-09 Weights Bench press: 225x7, 8 fail Row: 190x7, 8 fail Military press: 125x4, 5 fail Lat pull-down: 160x7, 8 fail Leg extensions: 160x8, 9 fail Leg curls: 175x12 Curls: 60x5, 6 fail Triceps push-down: 180x6, 7 fail Decline crunches: 22 lb ball, 2 sets of 10 Cardio Bike for 25 minutes, then stretch.

It is a good exercise, and I have been trying to do more of them. Its been sporadic at best for me lately, so I'm going to try to get my routine going again.

I'm no expert in this field, but I was wondering if you perhaps have had a chance to talk to any kineisiologists about this? They might have some advise for you.

Good for you, nacal.

I'll second this advise here. Make sure to look into whatever is available to you. Go for what you think will be most beneficial to you, and which you will likely enjoy the most. If it isn't fun for you, then it may not be worth doing. Good luck, and welcome to the Forums.

Some argue that the Macedonian King Alexander the Great, was in some part responsible for the introduction of a "codified" fighting system into India after his troops conquered northern India c. 325 bc. So The India thing could have been preceded by ancient Greece in theory at least. Either way, I think it is important to bear in mind that most civilization had a fully developed "indigenous" system of fighting. WNM I have heard this proposal as well. I think that this one has more merit than the Bodhidarma myth does. There hasn't been any proof that Bodhidarma actually even practiced a Martial Art. There was also a time when Kalarpyattu was being touted as the "Mother of the Martial Arts," but there isn't enough evidence out there to confirm that, either. I believe it was documented as one of several combat arts being utilized at that time period. I think that the reality is that most cultures have had to fight during their histories, and therefore, would have developed some form of fighting to defend themselves with. The idea that different concepts could cross into other cultures is very feasible. But I wouldn't be ready to throw in the whole lot of the MAs with the Bodhidarma theory.

Sometimes, kids and adults get mixed into the same classes. Our classes have been that way for some time, now. I think that kids can learn well from having adults around.

I used to be junk when it came to joint manipulation. My footwork was always crap, and I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. I always would think, "why not just punch 'em?" But now that I have put more time and effort, more focused time and effort, into DT, Combat Hapkido, and now Aikido, more and more doors are opening up for me.

I'll second that Wrestling option. Even if there isn't a club around, there is likely a high school team or a college team nearby, and if you talk with the coaches, they may be able to work something out for you.

If you feel comfortable with your TKD striking, and then you feel comfortable with picking up a bit of Judo, then you might even consider taking the skills to someone who has combined and used both in the past, and ask them for some advise on how to integrate the two. That way, you can take what little bit of Judo you pick up, and figure out how to mesh it with the striking. Having the advise from someone who has transitioned the two together will help to point you in the right direction.

Nope. However, when the song does come on, its hard not to break out a few moves...

The first example has an advantage of being able to utilize the strategy from either an open or a closed off sparring stance in relation to the opponent. You'll also notice that the defender steps off-line, to soften the blow of the kick, which will make the absorption more effective. This first example also only utilizes one arm to trap the kick, leaving the other to bring the pain. In the last Strikeforce fight, I saw this strategy used effectively at least twice. Taejoon Lee's second example ends up using both hands to tie up the kick. You also have to worry about fishing the cross-side arm under the knee; I'm not saying it couldn't work, but there seems to be a lot going on there. You also tie up both of your arms, instead of having one of them free. The third example looks much like the second, but if the kick is done higher, then it appears that it would be easier to fish that arm under. Again, your wrap up both hands, but in this case, with the head being the target, it may be easier to trap from underneath than from over the top. In the fourth, I would definitely try to have a hand up to block that kick, but that is just me. If you are going to take the kick, just as well try to grab it, too. Those high takedowns can be brutal on the kicker, too. I do like some of the ideas shown here, and I think that working on trapping kicks like this is a good idea. Finding one that works and training it will be beneficial, for sure. This is one thing that we don't train a lot on; most of what we do is countering a kick with a kick, as opposed to catching or trapping it.

Sounds good. Congrats on the break. Keep up the good work, and keep your goals in sight.

Yes, enjoy it, John. You've earned it.

That's pretty cool. Kick your butt, and carry a tune while doing it!

I agree with that approach, DWx. Its just another shot in a line that you should be aiming to drop the attacker with.

Good analogies there, tg. I concur. It just bothered me that they didn't test both swords from both cultures in the same way. The two weapons aren't that different, and their usage wasn't, either. I will look into the Warriors show.

Yes, Kuma, kudos to you! I have not had the opportunity to use force like that yet. Around here, they tend to teach more of a knee into the common peroneal down there, and it usually comes with the hands on already. I told my DT partner, though, that I would likely just use the kick at the range, as opposed to getting close, first. Bastich, kicking skill needs to be developed, just like any other skill (like the hands) if you wish to be effective at it. I don't think that one has to be a high kicker to be an effective kicker, though. So don't assume that because you are not flexible that you can't be a good kicker. Now with that out of the way, the thing about kicking is that it tends to be trickier to do mainly because of the distance involved; you will likely be a bit further out than arms reach when kicking, but not always. We tend to have a more natural feel for the range of our arms than we do for the range of our legs, so it takes a bit of extra time to develop that sense of range with our legs, so that we can be effective with them. Get a partner, and try to work some drills with your kicks, where ever you feel comfortable; low, mid, or hi. Get the feel for where you can kick from, and then experiment with using hand strikes to set up kicks, and kicks to set up hand strikes. Then, work it into your sparring. Like all things, it will come with time.

I agree. And even though it is its sport nature that allows this to be true, the same can be said of both BJJ and Judo; both of which, I think, tend to garner the "traditional" title.

Unfortunately, factions tend to oppose each other at times. Rivalry is something that will always exist in the human race. Its good to see that you are enjoying your transition over to BJJ. It appears that you have found a good school, with a good bunch of students to work with. Keep at it, and keep up posted on how it goes.