bushido_man96

This is a good point. The round kick and the front kick are fairly basic kicks. Going high is definitely impressive, but it is still a basic kick.

I didn't say that they only knew one kata, but that they would practice one. I believe one story about Funakoshi goes that he was allowed to practice only the Naihanchi kata for his first 7 years of training?

I wonder why there aren't any Wrestling clubs around. I would love to see a Wrestling club in my area. Does anyone know of any area that has Wrestling clubs, put on by a rec organization or anything like that?

Is there a difference between these two? Are they two seperate stages of an incident? Does self-defense turn into a fight? Or do you consider "fighting" as something that is only done in a ring, or as a challenge match?

If you take some Martial Arts as "minor arts," what does that entail? Do you choose not to go to as many classes per week? Or do you not try to learn as much of the curriculum? I am just curious, because the wording is kind of confusing to me.

I disagree, kicking could be very useful in a fight, because to me not a lot of people are expecting you to kick in a fight when they encounter you.. I would prob use a low roundhouse, lots of power and low risk.. I agree. Kicking is a tool that should be considered, just as much as any other strike. You have to be wise about how you do it, though. Throwing head high kicks is tough to pull off, but that doesn't mean that it can't be done. However, low kicks are a great way to attack. The low round house that Throwdown mentioned, and also the front kick to the groin, or the kick to the shin, which Lee was a proponent of. You just have to pick your spots, and set it up.

That sounds like a good idea to me, BB of C. Seek out the source, and get the answers you need.

I'm in. Yeah!!! Another league to play in!!!!!

No big thing, DWx. I think the main difference between the Tai Chi movement coming from the core may have to do with the difference between an performing an individual Tai Chi form, and the two man work done in Judo randori, where you have to attempt to control yourself and another.

Here is a spot from The Book of Earth: This statement, I think, holds quite a bit of value still today. We can see this in the pursuit of cross training, or even seeking to understand what other styles of fighting aim to achieve, through reading and research.

I got 4, I think. Not so hot.

Hey, Sengra. Sorry it took so long to get back with ya, but I found those titles: Honestly, anything that you can find and read by Clements, regardless of the weapon focus, is top shelf. This guy researches hard, and knows his stuff. This guy has an SCA background as well as a Fencing background. A pretty good read, and has a very basic, understandable approach. This is a translation and interpretation of Salvator Fabris' book. Much more in-depth, but very good. Now, the Fencing style, even the more classical ones, aren't really my cup of tea, but these books are still enjoyable.

I may try to catch some of it. It is about the only way I get to catch any fights anymore.

Good show, humble monk!

I have had days like this before as well. Even when I don't want to, it always pays off when I go to class.

8-20-08 Ok, back on track a bit today. I went to the park with the little one, and did a bit of messing around. I hand-walked the monkey bars a few times, and did some shoulder shrug things where I sat down, grabbed above my head, and hoisted my body up in the sitting position three times. I was kind of suprised I could do this. Then, I took my fighting stance, and did some punching while standing the sand: Jab x 10 Cross x 10 Lead hook x 10 Rear uppercut x 10 Then I switched and did the other side. I really made sure to focus on my hip movement and foot rotation, and really started digging some holes with the balls of my feet. I finished up with some work on the not-so-heavy bag; about 15 minutes worth. I worked regular punching combos from each stance, and also did some work punching from a hands-down position, doing 10 jabs on each side, and then 10 uppercuts on each side. I also worked the elbows a little bit.

Ah, there ya go, James, goin' all kineseology on me! But, I do understand proprioception, and it is a good place to start. I also agree with all the others above so far. It is tough to pick just one thing. But, if we needed a foundation, the athletic stance is a good start, I think.

Congrats to all. I hope that I get a chance to catch some of the matches at nights.

Being open to questions and new ideas is important to advancement, especially if we claim to be always a student. I think when attending a different school, it is important to learn the new things, and evaluate them and compare them to what you have done in the past, and then work with each on your own. No one gets offended, students don't ask why that guy does things differently, and you enhance your experience in the Martial Arts.

The kata looked crisp and good. The bunkai looked like very interesting, as well. It looks like your hard work paid off.

I think the swing kick stretches and some static stretches with your leg up on the back of a chair, keeping the leg straight and stretching it out. From there, you can work on having someone pull the chair out from under your leg, and focus on keeping it locked straight and held up as high as you can for between 5 and 10 seconds per rep. And, while we're all plugging our workout ideas, I posted an article that may give you some more ideas to look at on your front kick: Front Kick Class.

Does the Kick Boxing really pose any style problems for you, or is it more along the lines of being a style that allows you to take the ways that you have learned to punch and kick and apply it to the Kick Boxing rule set?

Well, its hard to tell just by looking at them, but if I knew enough about them to tell this, I would tell him that I think he has an opportunity in Judo. However, I would not tell him that training in a different style would be a waste of time. I would just make sure he knew what his options were.

If you do it properly, that is what you are supposed to be doing in Push Hands. I'm not very good at it but trying to over power your opponent like a Judo contest will work against you if your opponent is any good at Push Hands. Takes a lot of time but eventually you learn to use their momentum against them. Judo isn't really a contest of trying to overpower someone. In essence, it is more like push-hands, but with the whole body. You attempt to break balance by leading the opponent one way, and then taking them another way. Especially with the really high-ranked Judoka, they are very attune to the movements you make, and can react accordingly.

What do you think the key to good body movement is, in regards to athletic performances, like the Martial Arts? Does it have to do with keeping the knees flexed? Is it having a good athletic stance? Is it staying light on the feet? What does everyone think?