bushido_man96

I just don't think I would want to hold a record like that.

The knife has been one of mankind's most important tools. It has been around since likely the beginning, from the first time a piece of flint was sharpened up a bit, up to now, where we have tactical folders and larger fixed blades available to us. As long as there has been the need to hunt, the knife has likely existed. As long as there has been a need to fish, the knife has likely existed. Its the ultimate traditional tool, in my opinion. Mankind has always used one, and I don't think that will ever change.

That's rough, Bob. But, seeing that you overcame that, I can imagine that any testing afterwards wasn't nearly as much pressure.

I would have to get in close, and then stay there. To attack, I'd try to work an angle to get closer, instead of coming straight in. If someone that tall just goes on the attack, then I'd look for some blocking/countering opportunities to get closer.

Very cool. Giga Mac....where did that idea come from?

I agree with you here. It would be hard to do, and to be effective. I think that if something like this was attempted, you would end up seeing wars between organizations who claim real this or real that.

I would tend to agree with tallgeese. If you plan to train that long, then watching intensity levels and how tired the students get will be very important. Also, planning the classes will be important, as you will want to handle highly technical stuff early on, when the students are fresh, and work more on conditioning or whatnot toward the end. Could you do a class during the week, after 8:00 pm? That might be a better solution to one 4 hour class. Then, you can have two classes.

Ok, back to training. My neck problem didn't seem to go away with just rest, so I think I need more focused attention on it. So, if it hurts to train, and it hurts to not train, I decided to go with training.... 4-13-09 Weights Bench press: 225x6, 7 fail Row: 190x6, 7 fail Military press: 125x4, 5 fail I just can't seem to get over the hump here. Lat pull-down: 160x7, 8 fail Leg extensions: 145x12 Leg curls: 190x12 Machine curls: 60x6, 7 fail Triceps push-down: 180x5, 6 fail Decline crunches: 20, 10x22 lb ball Cardio Bike: 20 minutes Martial Arts Aikido: 9:50 - 10:00 We warmed up with technique work, doing Lapel grab Ikkyo, then cross-wrist grab Kotegaeshi, then cross-wrist grab Kokyunage. We did one on each side, then moved onto the next one, and did that for about 25 minutes. We worked on Aikitaisos (basic movements) for the next 15 minutes. This little spot helped me to gain some better understanding of some of the things we do in the classes, and I was glad we focused here a bit. For the last 30 minutes of our session, we spent 10 minutes focusing on each of the techniques listed above that are required for our testing.

I'm sure you can find some kind of planner on the internet, but if you got with a trainer or coach, and laid out some goals and objectives, they might be able to help you line out something specific to your needs. As for me, when I track my progress, I just get a little wire bound notebook, and write down what exercises I do, how many reps, sets, and what weight, and put the date at the top. Of course, you can fancier if you wanted to, and if you can run Xcell worth a hoot, you can probably design something pretty impressive. So I just take my little notebook and a pen to my workouts with me, and flip to the day before to see what I did with an exercise, and I'll make notes to myself if I need to go up or down in weight. Pretty simple.

Speaking of books, here are a few on the subject of stretching: Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Artists by Sang H. Kim. Stretching Scientifically: A Guide to Flexibility Training by Thomas Kurz. I have the Kim book, and it is informative. I don't have Kurz's book, but I have read some of his material, and I have heard good things about this book.[/url]

I saw Joe post an article where Joe Lewis blocked a lead leg side kick with a "pendulum" block, and then turned back into a cross to the body. It looked like it had some interesting applications, especially with spin kicking, since the body is already half-way turned.

If you look to the right resources, you can find some of the applications of TKD forms.

What, in your view, is the intended larger purpose for practicing katas?

I like most of the choices there, except for Croft; but, I never played them much....maybe she did have an impact. For Nintendo, I think I'd have Mario, MegaMan, Zelda, Samus Aran (sp?). For overall video gaming, I think I would have to go with Mario, Master Chief, Ryu, and I guess Sonic.

Cute.

Yeah, I think that they could do something more informative as opposed to comparative. Now, if they wanted to get into comparing actual battles in history of different cultures, then I am cool with that; it actually happened. But an Apache vs. a Samurai wouldn't be very adaptable, I don't believe.

That would be a good approach. I think that even though the game itself would violate any laws, you have to think about cerfew violations, if applicable, and how the game would look to passersby....they may view it a suspicious behavior, and call it in. If that did happen, and you followed JusticeZero's advise, then I think nothing bad would come of it.

Good show, WNM. I'd say we are on the same page there. I do like the term "block" when speaking in generalities for learning a form, as it simplifies things.

I'm not a throwing expert, but I think that the ones listed in the article kind of comprise a set of basics that allows one to build into other throws. Like Joe mentioned, you get an inner and an outer leg tripper, and the others give you variations on entries, depending on what is presented by the opponent. I think that they make a good starting point, and may be enough to be sufficient for self-defense purposes.

Thanks, Throwdown. The idea behind the drill is pretty basic, and once you understand the setup, you can really apply it to different techniques on both sides. Experiment, and see what you find...

That was a nice comparative video. Thanks for sharing it. I'll dig up that bit of information when I get a chance.

Nice usage of the bag to find your answers, Joe.

I agree with JusticeZero. I would only strip a rank if something very, very bad happened in a class, or wtih a student outside of class that reflected heavily on the school and myself. When stripping it, I don't know that you could keep it, but what you do is make an example of them in the class. That is where the lesson lies, I feel.

That was....brief.

Here you go: http://www.earthworks.com/martialart/canes/ And for a more European flavor: http://www.elite-fighters.com/library/rarebooks/fighting_cane/cane_fighting1.htm