bushido_man96

I'm glad that your friend was ok. That is crazy. It sounds like the core training that he did helped him out there. But being overwhelmed by numbers is tough to overcome, no matter how big, tough, or skilled one is.

Speed will help with power. So will building strength. Working on these two things will help build your power.

From the article: I think that this paragraph speaks volumes. I think it is important to be striking objects, like mitts, shields, the makiwara if one is available to you, and it is important to punch when motion is going on, too, i.e., the opponent is backing away. I point out this section, because what is said in bold is what I have seen of Bruce Lee's ideas on punching; move the weapon first. I like to punch the way that Abernethy describes, in italics, by generating everything from the ground up.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski....Fedor...Sub Josh Barnett vs. Gilbert Yvel....Yvel....KO Matt Lindland vs. Vitor Belfort....Lindland...Dec Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou...Sobral...Dec Chris Horodecki vs. Dan Lauzon...Horodecki...Dec Kirill Sidelnikov vs. Paul Buentello....Buentello...KO Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira....Nogueira....Sub Jay Hieron vs. Jason High....Hieron...KO Mark Hominick vs. L.C. Davis....Hominick...Sub Antonio Duarte vs. Albert Rios....Duarte....Sub Brett Cooper vs. Patrick Speight....Cooper...KO

Try punching with a vertical fist. See if that changes anything.

Thanks for the tips, John. I'll give those methods a try. We have several machines at our gym, so I have options. I'll give it a go.

1-14-09 Irimi tenkai: 10 each sidex2 Jog with the dog: about 20 minutes, walking and running. Then stretched. Back/shoulders Assisted pull-ups: plate 7x5, plate 6x4 Lat pull-downs: 130x7, 140x6, 150x4 Dumbell shoulder press: 40x10, 50x6, 55x4 Abs Cable crunches: 105x20, 15, 15 Cable trunk twist: 70x10, 10, 10 Cardio: rode bike for 15 minutes. Then stretched.

The Aikido club that I have been involved with has not done much weapons training as of yet. However, one of the higher up senseis did introduce us to some work with the bokken at a seminar. So, I think it might be a matter of coming across an instructor with the experience. Kuk Sool Won might be worth looking into, as well. Its kind of a mix of striking, joint locking, and kicking, and also uses various weapons systems. If Aikido is not available, Kuk Sool might be one to check on.

Tracing roots is something that is much simpler than what most practitioners would make of it. Who is/was your teacher? Who is/was his/her teacher? Who taught that person? And so on...that is tracing your roots, or your lineage, or whatever you want to refer to it as. Now, a lot of practitioners will cross train, or leave a style for one reason or other, and hook up with another instructor. Now, to say that one totally leaves behind the methods or instruction of a previous teacher for those of the new teacher is a bit of a stretch, in my mind. In some way, the influences of both or all of the instructors that one has had will maintain some influence on how you do what you do. Therefore, I think it can be easy to get wrapped up in several lines of lineage, but which would you claim? All of them.

Our school is part of an organization, so we just use the organization name, and then Taekwondo.

Today (1-13-09) I did my initial test, and got 21 push-ups in. So, that puts me at rank 3 for the under 40 age bracket. So, it looks like I'm supposed to jump to week 3. Next week, I'll get started.

Thank you John. I think I shall give it a try. If I am reading you right, then I should just do one set of bench press, 4-5 reps, the last to failure, correct? Then I should do the same with my back exercises, triceps, etc? One last question: do you ever recommend training in multiple sets, for any reason at all?

1-13-08 Prior to class, I did my initial test for the 100 push ups thread. I did 21. TKD class: 6:00 - 7:00. We did forms review tonight, and I did all the way up to my 3rd dan form, Yoo Sin. 15 forms in all. I felt strong throughout, too.

I didn't realize that the Martial Armor was worn underneath. It might be worth looking into.

Both guys seemed very quick. Each time one would make a feinting motion, it really seemed to draw a reaction out of the other. They bounced a lot, too. Overall, it was fun to watch.

Are you currently training in a Kyokushin dojo? If so, you should talk with your instructor, and see if he can get you lined up with some of the names that you have mentioned, or someone who knows them, or somewhere down the line. From there, you should be able to learn something about it. I hope you find what you are looking for. Good luck, and welcome to the Forums.

This is a good question. I wonder this myself. I think that it is necessary to have a reason behind the tradition, if you really are to consider holding on to it.

Next week (Championship weekend) Pittsburg Philidelphia

It looks like the reviews are fairly mixed there. I didn't read through all of them, but I didn't notice many that ended up at the 100 total. I'll give it a go, anyways.

tallgeese: Thanks for the replies. Our gym does have an assisted pull-up machine, but it feels like it doesn't allow for the full range...at the end position, my chin is still below the bar line. In the end, it sounds like I need a day in the gym to focus on my back more. As I am not great at pull-ups yet, do you recommend a method for me to focus on as a beginner: hands out, hands in, shoulder wide grip, or wider grip? 1-12-09 Chest/triceps Seated chest: 130x15, 170x10, 210x8, 270x2 Vertical butterfly: 100x12, 115x10, 130x6 Triceps push-down: 105x10, 120x6, 6 Biceps dumbell curls: 25x10, 30x6, 35x4 Abs Cable crunches: 105x20, 15, 15 Cable trunk twists: 70x10x3 Cardio: bike for around 15 minutes.

John: You have offered a lot of good information. Thank you for sharing it. When you mention the Training Log thread, I figure that my entries are probably some of them that you are alluding to, as I don't tend to make a lot gains in the weight room when it comes to strength training, and I am just beginning to get into some cardio work. My question for you is, what do you recommend I look at to bring my strength gains up more? I know that I haven't made signficant gains, and I would like to. I don't have a lot of time to spend in the gym, but I want to make my time worth while. Tallgeese speaks highly of crossfit, but I haven't looked into it yet. I am interested in both stength and muscular endurance. As for the cardio, at this point I am just trying to do sustained periods of training. Running sucks for me, but I do like the bike. Suggestions are always appreciated.

I agree. It just isn't always feasible to have an instructor at one's disposal, especially as rank and experience get higher and higher.

Nice save!...

No, I have not. Where can I track one down at? Are they readily available, or out of print?

Hey, Killer. For the most part, I just listed teaching guidelines that I have used or been taught over time. For the most part, though, I list the importance of being able to transition out of the stance easily and comfortably as being of prior importance.