bushido_man96

Thanks for the links, sensei8. You can see the politics involved there.

MMA gets that "mixed" tag that you mention, Bob, but other styles, that aren't called "mixed" are just that. Take your style, for instance. With the combination of the striking and the tuite, wouldn't you say that it could be constituted as "mixed," as well?

I like this point of view. Its a good way of putting it into context.

Couldn't you view being pushed as an attack? This kind of surprised me, but I've been wrong before. I just feel that a push tends to be a lead-in to a more focused attack.

With sensei8's permission, I'd like to use this little quote to ask a question that likely pertains to many of us, when either sparring or rolling in class or in a competition. What do you do to "size up" an opponent when sparring/rolling? Do you take a certain amount of time, like the first 30 seconds of a match, to feel out your opponent? How do "feel them out?" Do you throw out some attacks to see how they react? Do you wait for them to attack, to see what they favor? I await your responses.

If it is the movie Taken, I imagine that the "style" used is more along the lines of military or LEO type combatives, like an RBSD set-up. That is what I see it being portrayed as. Now, it could be that they had some accomplished TMA stylists do the choreography for the movie, so its hard to say exactly. I think that when fighting arts are transcribed to a game setting, like for Tekken, then I think they try to take what things look like of the art from the outside, and tranlate it to the gameplay. With Hwaorang, for example, they did a good job of emphasizing the kicking aspect of TKD, and of even giving him an extensive arsenal of kicks, including 360 kicks, ax kicks, etc. With Eddie Gordo/Tiger (one of my favorites...), I think they did a good job of bringing out the spinning, circling, and hand stand movements of Capoeria, but I agree that the applications would likely leave a little to be desired. The character Paul Phoenix? was to be a mix of Karate and some Judo, and they did a nice job of giving him throws and counter-throws as an emphasis. But the problem comes down to having all these different characters that can really interact in only one way with different characters, so I think it becomes tough to really bring out the depth and applications of the styles at hand. Still, it is a fun game.

I'm glad you like it, Joe. When I first started teaching in the school I attend now, I had to start reciting the Korean terms so that I could learn them. You think when you hear them all the time, that you know them, but when you get up in front of that class, things change.

The thing is, we can't just respect anyone without knowing who they really are. With the way the media is today, it seems like people want to take more liberty in assuming what someone is like by seeing them on TV, or what they do in a 5 minute interview after a fight. Its isn't right. If you want to respect someone, then you take the time to get to know them, their principles, their likes and dislikes, etc. Not watch them in a pre- or post-fight interview. I don't see MMA as a McDojo draw at all. In fact, I think it would be tougher as a McDojo draw, because the skill set is so comprehensive that it would be more difficult to incorporate it at any level of success. I agree.

Yeah, it could be. If you don't eat, your blood sugar gets low, and that could cause your lightheadedness. 3-18-09 Cardio: 15 minutes on the bike. While I was on the bike, one of my old training buddies who is back in town for the week showed up to kick around. So, I cut my bike ride short to chat and work out a bit with him. We worked out for about 20 minutes, doing some Do-Kangs, and then started on some one-steps. It really sucked when this guy left, because he was that guy in class with me that really pushed me, and I pushed him. We really worked off of each other, and made sure to keep motivating each other and all that stuff. He should be in class tomorrow night, too.

That is a whole lot of situps! Better get started on them Yikes! That is a scary number!!!

Ankle weights could be helpful, but I have heard that they can wear on the knees if one is not careful. Use caution. Like DWx stated, it may be a strength issue. You can be able to do the splits, but if you don't have the muscles to hold the leg up, then your flexibility isn't being maximised. You might look into doing some weight training, using exercises like the squat, the leg extension, and leg curls to build the muscle up, as well as using DWx's and Joe's suggestions. Also, when doing a front kick, check the position of your base foot; I have to pivot my base foot in order to kick a good front kick out. If you leave the base foot pointing forward, then it doesn't allow you to open up your hips when you kick. Check that out, too.

They look like they have potential. In the DT seminar I hit a few weeks back, we were told to use elbows to set up getting to the Kimura. Putting these on would make the training that much better. Thanks for sharing this, Rusty.

I've seen the ITF use the word "tul" as well. I don't see the word poomse used with the ITF forms.

I agree that reading a book or watching a video isn't the most ideal circumstance under which to learn a move, but they can be valuable resources when you can't tap the knowledge of an instructor or senior student. With my limited time in Aikido, I have found that the reading that I have been doing on the subject can help me to work as best I can on the techniques that I have learned. Then, when I get into class, I can work on fixing up the little things. Otherwise, I'd never feel like I am making any progress.

Here's another question along the lines of this thread: if you do favor a certain side forward, is it because you want your power side back, or because you do a certain kick with the front leg, etc? I try to kick with my front leg, sometimes defensively, but offensively to, and then work in the back leg. So, I tend to lead with my right.

Very true. And a "win" can also be that you--and perhaps those with you, such as family members--can get away. This is true. In SD, I think it is important to replace "win" with "survive." Finding a route of escape is a way to survive.

Yes it is. We're really enjoying studying under him! That's pretty cool. From reading his articles, he seems like a very knowlegeable individual.

This is a good point, but not all SD is about striking; it may be about escape and running. I'm just playing a bit of devil's advocate.

I'm a 3rd dan in TKD, a brown belt in Combat Hapkido, and a white belt in Aikido.

Another way to approach it that is similar to DWx's idea, is to do a technique, form, or whatever, and say the name of it with each technique that you do when practicing it. That association will help it stick, too.

I find that kind of funny that you say that because when kickboxing became big in the 70's many traditional martial artists didn't like it and felt it was a fad as well. (Of course I also assume when you say traditional kickboxing you are referring to full contact kickboxing that was made big by guys like Joe Lewis, Chuck Norris and Bill Wallace, so if I'm making the wrong assumption please by all means let me know) Assuming that, I'm not saying I agree or disagree with you on the point I just think its funny. I've spent a good deal of time thinking on the subject actually, because the grandmaster of our system is Bill Wallace who blasted MMA last year in some of his columns in Black Belt magazine and caught a lot of flak for it. So I always find it a little amusing... Actually, Chuck Norris never competed in full contact bouts, as near as I remember. I recall the article that Wallace did on MMA. I actually started a thread on it in Black Belt Mag's forums. I was one of those that didn't really care for it, but that is neither here nor there. What I don't understand is what the big slam on MMA is. MMA has just as much to offer in training as other styles do. I think that some people feel that if the art doesn't have that "traditional feel" of wearing uniforms, bowing to instructors, that it can't be classified as a true Martial discipline. I don't think it is really a fad. I'm pretty sure that it will stick around in some form or another for a long time. Its already been over 10 years since the first UFC, and it was in existence in other countries before that; Vale Tudo, Pancrase, Jim Arvanitis' Pankration, and we can't leave out the old Pankration from ancient Greece. I also agree with tallgeese in that there really isn't anything new under the sun when it comes to hand-to-hand fighting; just new methods of training, improved training equipment, etc. Like tallgeese also mentions, when you take an approach to training with certain goals and ideas in mind, it can seem different when compared to what is out there. Creating one's own style may not seem coshere to most of us, but we should also remember that some guy with the last name Lee hodge-podged some stuff together, and it turned out pretty well....

Sit-ups will not take weight off your midsection, if that is what you mean. Contrary to what some companies will tell you, you can't spot-lose weight with diet and exercise. The weight comes off where it will, and we don't really get to choose. Now, what sit-ups will do is strengthen your abdominal muscles, so they will probably gain some size. But you won't see that six-pack if you have too much fat around it.

Ah, those pesky weddings....well, it only happens once (hopefully...). Just out of curiousity, Alex, do you still compete? 3-16-09 (Session 2) I was hoping that session 2 would include a DT session, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.... So, I settled for 25 minutes on the bike, and then a stretch.

Poomse is only used for WTF style and their forms. That is another word I forgot. Actually, the ATA refers to their forms as Poomse, too. In the end, they're all just another word for the same thing.

It sounds like a good time. Glad to see you enjoyed it.