bushido_man96

10-24-08 Push-ups: 3x20 Floor Kicks Side kick: 3x12 each side Round kick: 3x12 each side Hook kick: 3x12 each side Aikitaisos Irimi: 10 each side Tenkan: 10 each side Shomen: 10 each side

Those are good points, Joe. Its easier if you are familiar with who you are sparring with. If it is someone knew, then you have to rely on your own skills for long enough to figure out some tendencies. I know there are some guys at the school that I can try new things with, and there are others that I have a layout for, and try to stick to it. Its the fun part of sparring, really.

Too small for me, thats for sure.

They don't have to be wearing a uniform to impersonate an officer. It can be done in many ways, and using false badges can cover it, as well as rigging a vehicle for flashing lights. The LT. was probably from a small department, and knew who his officers were. Funny stuff, pulling over a high ranking officer as a prank. Now, the jokes on them. :lol:

I was disappointed too. It was nice to see free bouts on TV. We'll have to see if something else comes along.

Our school has a setup like that, with the minimum 6 months. I think that it can be a turnoff for some people. I don't have a problem with offering them month to month when they are just starting. When people are unsure, I'd rather let them make the choice, so that they don't feel pressured. If they feel pressured, then they may not try it.

I remember these as exercises from Revolution of Kicking videos. I've used the chair a bit, as a kind of warmup before hitting the WaveMaster, but maybe I should also do these floor exercises as well. I don't do a hook kick yet, but I am doing the side and roundhouse kicks. Yeah, the Revolution of Kicking videos reminded me of them. I had done them before, but not for some time. They are good exercises, and can help you with the technique without worrying about having to balance and stand at first. You can also work combinations while lying down between the three kicks. With the new approach I am taking to my sparring strategy, working the kicks like this will help me out. 10-23-08 TKD class: 6:00 - 7:00. I focused on my side kicks again tonight, working on the chamber position. Sparring was so-so tonight. I didn't feel like I was getting much, and footwork was junk. The guy I sparred felt like I did ok, though, so maybe I am just not seeing it the same way. I was leaning back some, which I wasn't trying to do, but get tired, and don't move so well. I'll have to work on this as well.

I haven't heard of it before, but there are a lot of different school and affiliation names out there. I'd ask about some lineage or the like, and you might be able to see where it came from. The instructors should be more than happy to share this information with you.

Sleep is different for everyone. Some require more, and some can go on less. When you function on less sleep, things can start to slip on you. You have to focus more on less. I'd say if you can get 8, take it every time.

We have a green belt student in our school that is a runner. He has pretty good conditioning, but he tires himself out by tensing all the time. He keeps his shoulders tense, and it slows his punches and restricts his techniques. There is a difference between being relaxed and loose, and being limp. Don't be limp. Think of it this way. When you hold the TV remote up to turn the channel, you aren't tensing your shoulder completely to hold it up. You relax the shoulder. Punching should be the same way. Use your power and focus the technique at the right time, at the end. Bruce Lee was big on this concept. If the agonist muscles fight the antagonistic muscles, then the body won't move efficiently. You will slow yourself down, and tire yourself more.

Thanks for the clarification, tallgeese. I wasn't for sure if tendons and ligaments were really trainable or not. As for what pro athletes do, aside from rehab, they may have to have surgery to repair them. Baseball players, and more pro QBs nowadays, are having Tommy John surgery on their elbows. They tend to come back stronger afterwards.

10-22-08 Push-ups: 20, 20, 10 Kicks on the floor Side kick: 3x10 each side Round kick: 3x10 each side Hook kick: 3x10 each side

Cool. You could also use the StrongArm as a limb that you are stepping inside or outside of, checking, and then counter attacking. Really nice for working on angles.

Just out of curiosity, when you return to the Philippines, why not check into some Arnis/Escrima styles? I would love to do one, and they are very directly applicable to self-defense.

Both, really. Its easy to jam a spin kick, and easy to block, because if it is thrown as a stand alone technique, even if someone is super fast, it still has that body movement that telegraphs it. Sure, you can minimize that with training, but the nature of the beast here dictates that there will be some give-away motion.

Nice work, Joe. Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. Very nice.

Moriniuk, in the fitness tests you're referring to, suppose the individual cannot do jump kicks. Let's say the reason is because of the knees. The person can do a "hop forward" and then kick to cover the distance. I know a dan member whose knees were both operated on, so while he's permitted to do karate, he isn't permitted to practice or perform jump kicks. It really is a case of "doctor's orders." Anything on this? I'd say test them based on their abilities, not their inabilities. Find some way to substitute the requirement, and then make them perform it. It shouldn't be easier, but different.

Experience can play a major role. I swear, kids can smell fear, and they know when you feel nevous or are inexperienced. Also, being in a class with other kids, and away from the parents, who may expect too much, helps with kids learning as well.

I think practicing striking practice will help this. Let them start out slow at first, and then gradually pick up the pace as they are able to control the distance and speed. Have one partner just stand and present a target, and let the other practice the techniques, and see how they need to adjust. Eventually, they'll figure out their spots. Congrats on your first student!

Thanks for the advise on the hook, tallgeese. I'll put it to use. In Wrestling, we referred to your "out" matches as round robins. Thanks for the push-up tip as well, Shiv. I have been trying to do more of them at home lately. 10-21-08 TKD class: 6:00 - 7:00. We did upper body basics with no rest today. That was kind of tiring. The instructor we had tonight also likes to walk around and check things out as we stay holding a position. Nice for the legs, and it helps me to push myself harder. I focused on my side kicks in basics today, working on getting more turn and thrust into them. Its helping. After class was over, I hit my instructor up about that 4-direction throw (Shio nage) that I was having trouble with on Monday morning. He helped me get it squared away. Apparently, I wasn't staying connected at the center, to my opponent's center, by basically getting hip-to-hip close. It made a noticible difference.

The thing about tendons and ligaments is that I don't think that they are trainable tissues. I don't think you can make them stronger, with training or supplements. I could be wrong, but that was the impression that I was under. I took those supplements for a time, but I am not sure that they helped. I don't take them now, and feel ok.

The above advise is good. I too feel that if you have the right instructor, that TKD can be a very good self-defense art. You have to look at the instructor's methods. Is he a tournament guy? If so, he may focus more on sparring. That doesn't mean he wouldn't spend any time on self-defense. Your best bet is to visit a class, and see what it entails. Also, you should ask about class schedules, because the instructor may have specialized classes on sparring and self-defense.

Spinning kicks usually require a set-up, or work better as a counter. Throwing one by itself as an offensive manuever is really difficult to land.

I think part of it comes from being able to throw the kick high, and in relative close proximity to the opponent. I have seen this kick thrown within punching range.

Is that a newer cartoon?