bushido_man96

Hey, its just a belt, isn't it? After all, we always catch ourselves saying that "rank doesn't matter" or "a belt is just good for holding the pants up." So, what is the big deal, then????

Chuck would be fun to learn from. I have read a book by Roy Kurban, and I think he could teach me a thing or two about kicking, as well. Superfoot's would be a fun seminar to go to.

Now that I have had time to really think about it, I have to say Se Jong hyung. It is a brief form, but very powerful, for me, anyways. I really like doing this form.

You hit the nail on the head here, Z. Well said.

I have noticed from my experience in TKD, and in reading various sources on various Karate styles, that the side snap kick didn't really seem to make it into the TKD curriculum. Is this the same for TSD? Does anyone know why this might be? I thought that it was kind of curious.

That would be an interesting bit of history to own.

This is one of my favorite threads, from Comparative Styles and Cross Training: http://www.karateforums.com/european-knight-vs-japanese-samurai-vt22537.html It hasn't been active for a while, but every now and then I'll find a little bead of info to throw into it.

Hey, I did too, Patrick! I would like to see it, but I don't see myself going to the theater to catch it. Probably a renter.

They have fantasy MMA??? How does that work? I do: Fantasy Football (usually a couple of leagues). Fantasy Baseball Fantasy NASCAR In the past, I have done Fantasy Hockey and Fantasy Basketball. They were ok; I just drafted and then watched the tickers. But the above listed, I really try to stay with.

That is a bummer. Hopefully, it will come back around soon for you.

Looks like another upstart MMA division. They are putting out weekly fights, as well, which should get them popular with those who are trying to break into the sport.

I feel that as an instructor, it is my job to teach what I can as thoroughly as I can. I don't want to see a student get hurt when it counts, in self-defense, because I chose to hold something back from them. Even if they aren't one of the die-hard, go-for-broke students. They still deserve the best product that I can give them. I give what I can, and they do what they choose with it, as far as how hard they work on it on their own. As far as the old-school argument goes, it will go on forever. However, there are only some things that people are willing to do "old-school," and some things that they are not. Not many of us drive the old covered wagon any more. Not many of us write as many letters as we used to, with email available. I am not saying that old school is a thing of the past. What I am saying is that we don't have to wallow in how instructors did things 100 years ago in order to receive quality training.

I have read something about this in TKDTimes magazine. It seems like something that is geared more for the fitness aspect as opposed to more self-defense oriented training, but the instructor has put together quite the program.

As mentioned earlier, go ahead and compete. Even if you lose, it will give you an idea of what to expect, and then you can really focus your game and turn it up in the training department. You will also learn quite a bit from the experiences.

That was pretty funny.

I agree here. No one can take your accomplishments away from you; don't worry about what others may think about it. As long as you can be honest with yourself about it, then you are on track. As far as leaving a school goes, the bottom line is that if you feel that your training will be furthered in a more productive way at the new school, then you should be all for it. If it has more of what you want, then you should do it. After all, this is your journey. Make the most of it.

That sounds good. Keep at it, and you will get up there. I still feel tired after every class that I go to, and have been going for 14 years now. What kind of TKD school is it?

Every instructor has a different idea of what the black belt test should be like. Many want it to be something that the students work hard for, so that they know that they earned it. Some think that it is more along the lines of a natural progression, which is ok, too. The main thing is not to focus on your rank, but what it is you are learning in between ranks. I think that the point of diminishing returns that you address is related more to the physical aspect of the arts. Basically, after we have done a side kick for 8 years, there probably isn't much that is going to change with it in the 9th year. However, as we begin to level of physically, there are many other aspects to look into; strategy, tactics, ideas like de-escalation, and the list goes on and on. There is always something to pick up; it just may not be something new, physically.

I had not heard that. I am supposed to be receiving a book on Shotokan history sometime; perhaps it will have some information on the story.

This is the same theme that I have seen in Defensive Tactics training. Improve the position, get off, and get to a different tool if you have to, to end the encounter.

If this becomes a problem, then they should look into some prohibitions against stalling, which is what it sounds like to me.

So, if we all wanted to learn how to kick from any Martial Artist that we could choose, who would you like to teach you to kick?

Hitting a nerve point while blocking would be gravy, but for the most part, I worry about the block first. Hitting those really little points can be difficult at times, especially when the limb is mobile. Not that I don't think it can't be done; its just the primary goal when I block.

The one that comes to mind right now was passing my 3rd dan testing. I worked really hard up to it, focusing on my board breaks a lot. I was most worried about the flying side kick over 3 obstacles, mainly because I am a touch heavy, and don't jump well. But I nailed all of my board breaks on the first try each, and I cleared the side kick with no problem. I think I was the only one that didn't bounce on any of my boards at that testing, too.

Congrats to you, Patrick.