bushido_man96

That's pretty cool! What did it cost to attend that event?

You are on track with what I mean, 100%. If I was asked to do that, I don't know if I could. I just don't think that much of the MA training that I have had has really helped me to develop all that much mentally and spiritually. Perhaps driving myself to push through difficulties and barriers, but that may be about the extent of it. And I wouldn't want to just quote a bunch of former masters about their ideals and philosphies, put them on paper, and then submit things I don't really believe in so that I could meet test requirments. I just couldn't do that. Well, I study a "Do;" two of them, actually. However, I just don't feel that either field is benefiting me in mind and spirit. I think that I could achieve mastery of myself without improving all 3 elements in the same amount. What is important to me is that I know where I stand on each of them.

Thanks, Ed. My feeling on the fear of death is two-way: 1. You fear death, but you use that fear to drive you. You control it somewhat. 2. You have overcome your fear of death. I think that if someone is thrown into a situation in which they have to survive, like a suprise attack or something like that which they have never experienced before, they will most likely be afraid, especially that they may die. However, I do believe that this fear can be used as motivation to survive, which in the end, helps the warrior to complete his mission. I think when you break it down like this, there are so many different personalities out there that make us up; not all of us will learn to not fear being killed. Some of us may have conquered that fear already. However, I do feel that one can fear death, and still fulfill the traits of a warrior.

8-8-08 At the park, I did some hand crawling on the monkey bars. Then, I tried to do some pull-ups. I got close, on a total of 5 spaced out reps. 8-9-08 Walk-around 20 minutes. About a mile.

To answer the post question, I don't think that everyone can do the splits. My mom, for example, has locked hips, from birthing 3 rather healthy boys. She could never side kick or round kick much over belt level. So, she developed quicker hands and the abilty to move inside quick. Worked well for her, too.

I don't see a problem with it. If it gets tangled in training, you may just have to deal with it, especially when it comes time to do clinch work. Other than that, the way you style your hair is part of who you are, so I wouldn't worry about it. You signed up for MA training; a hair cut shouldn't be mandatory, like enlisting.

Think you meant ninjanurse Just to add my two cents anyway.. I also agree that its probably better in many cases to fully rotate the foot so the foot is pointing away. It will open up the hips fully and for things like pushing kicks it helps you to drive the leg through. Although, like Bushido_man96 said, if the kick is lower than the hip it probably isn't that necessary to get the full rotation. Oops, my bad! But, yeah, I agree here.

Thanks, Josh. That information helps to elaborate further upon what I have read on the Moo Duk Kwan TKD/TSD connections. You also state that the Chang Moo Kwan was basically the evolution of the Kwon Bop Bu...right?

Have you looked into any of Iain Abernethy's work? He delves into katas quite a bit, and has done extensive research on the applications.

This is good advise here. I think often times we are too stuck on not wanting to look like the weeney in class, complaining too much about contact levels and whatnot. However, we all need to remember the adage: "check your ego at the door." By doing so, we can prolong our training time much more. We should all try to train hard, but also train smart. As above, give this guy a chance before speaking with the instructor. Some poeple don't know their own strength, and this could be a case of that. Its great to be able to see both sides here. Thanks for sharing your experiences, both of you.

Ok. Philospical time for bushido_man! Can you see the smoke? I can.....so here we go. Many styles of MA will tout the improvements in these 3 phases of your being. The physical improvements are obviously the ones that translate the most, and are more readily visible and noticeable. My question to all is to what extent have your received or sought out training to improve the other two areas; Mind and Spirit? Do you actively seek them out? Do you feel the need to get results in these two areas as well for your MA training to be fulfilling and acceptable? I'll stave an overly extensive answer for now, but will give a short "no" for the time being. What say you, oh KF community???

You make a good case for the rear naked choke, MMA_Jim.

I tend to agree with tallgeese here. I do think that mastering an art or system can take a lifetime; learning effective self-defense should not. So, in the end, your goals are what determine the route of your journey. If you would like to master Karate, then focus on it, and devote your life to it. If you feel it is one piece to the whole of your training, then branch out. However, I would caution for a bit of moderation here....I wouldn't want to really just take a piece here and a piece there and then put it all together. But, looking at a standup style, and perhaps a ground style, can help to even things out, and not spread yourself too thin.

Thanks for the response, ps1. With your response in mind, I pose these questions for you: Do you still carry the warrior mind set with you, ps1? Or do you leave it behind? Or is it really something that you can leave behind, once it is in you? Reading your statement above, do you feel that being a warrior has more to do with the situation that you are in as opposed to the mindset? Thanks ahead of time for your thoughts. I always appreciate them. I also want to note that I have the greatest respect for our sevice men and women. I applaud them all. I have always had respect for our soldiers. Now, I have been reading On Killing, by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, and I respect them even more.

I call it pop here in KS. Although I do know what soda is.

Michael Vick as #1. Who would have thought. It really shows how much being able to run on Madden is worth.

I don't really think so. I think that MMA fans are tired of his attitude. I could be wrong, though; after all, Trump is no dummy. He must know something I don't. However, Ortiz is expected to work on the "back end" of things, too. In this area, I think he could be very knowledgable. He could probably set up something that is entertaining, to say the least. As a fighter, though, I think his day is done.

I don't know for sure. If they were paying monthly, and had a schedule like that, I would probably work with them. However, I would want to stress consistent class participation for best results. However, I too have a life, and realize that this isn't always possible. In the end, we should do the MAs because we want to, and love it; not because an instructor tells us we should have to. At the same time, if you have inconsistent class attendance, then you can't expect to be invited to every test.

I wish you well and a quick recovery.

I think that there are all kinds of possiblities with leg kicks for TKD. We have the high kicks down. Even for a heavy guy, I have pretty good flexibility, and can do a 4 board round kick break at head level. I would like to practice some of the Karate style leg sweep set ups for use in the Combat Hapkido system. With the close quarters in that system, I think that they would work so well.

I think you are right, DWx...not many side snap kicks in TKD. If you only kick waist high or lower, then you don't really need to pivot as much. However, the higher you kick, the more you need to pivot the base leg foot to open the hips more. If you don't pivot the base foot heel around, then you will find yourself leaning your body in the direction the base foot is pointing. At this point, your body is not behind your kick, and you will lose stability and impact resiliance. Pivot your foot around all the way; I think you will find that it works better for you.

Not as long as you properly condition your hands and fingers. It isn't something that I would focus on, but it is a cool feat to see.

I honestly feel that the difference between sport arts and combat arts tend to be more related to the training methodology than anything else. I think that many would view JKD as a very combative style, but there is a guy who now competes in MMA competitions (his name escapes me now, but I will find it) and trains in JKD. Its all about adapting the training to suit your needs, I think.

I don't think that not fearing death is what it takes to be a warrior. I do think that having to deal with the fact that you could die doing what you do should be a part of it. I think that police and firemen could fall into that category. After all, a fireman has to go into a burning building at times; very good chance of death there. Police can be faced with the same dangers at times, too. A few of the officers around here have faced things like this; my dad has, as well. Speaking of Gladiators, especially in ancient Rome, one of the combatants was almost certain to die. That would probably make them both warriors.

That's a valid point to make, but at the same time, I wouldn't want to dance with a guy that big, either. Taking a knee might be a safer bet.