bushido_man96

My brother was out to eat with a friend of his one time, and the waitress asked how he wanted his steak. He replied: "Just run it through a warm room..."Yack!

One thing you may want to ask a new student is what it is they hope to gain from Martial Arts. Then, you can let them know whether or not you can fulfill that need.

Keep in mind that much spirituality has a basis in superstition.

2-12-08 Defensive Tactics: 10:00 - 11:20. We worked on odds and ends today, exploring wrist lock takedowns, block/pass/pin drills, and things like that.

I don't agree here. There are many different ways to absorb the content of Martial Arts. Kata is one way. Applications and drills are another.

I think that science has been around for longer than 100 years. Scientific study has gone on for much longer than this. You just have to take in context with the technology that was available at the time that various discoveries were made. Martial Arts movements are based on scientific movement for the most part. Even the older styles.

Well, I suppose you would have to ask them to find out for sure. Many of the WTF schools have their training based specifically on the Olympic style of competition. However, the ITF is not the same way, and has a different method of sparring. They allow hand contact to the head, if I understand correct. There are more TKD styles out there than you might think there are. My school does not focus on the Olympic training as much. We focus a lot on basics and forms. We do spar, in the Olympic style. Although the WKF is not the topic of this discussion, it does present a good example, because what they are doing now is what the WTF did to get into the Olympics. It is true that they may not get in, but if TKD ever gets dropped, it opens the door for someone else to move in. You could look up the rules and regulations for WKF competition; I have seen a link somewhere before. There was also a thread in the Karate Forum discussing it, and some of the posts addressed the differences in the way the forms are done. It could be done.

I think that what Norris is trying to do with the WCL is bring back what he and the dream team of the '60s - '70s competed in, as far as rules go. It was really America's first experiment in the full contact venue, and I think he is bringing it back, because he enjoyed it so much.

I think I remember having a discussion about Shaolin Kempo Karate on another forum, and it was kind of weird because Shaolin Kempo would denote a Chinese derivation, where as Karate is Japanese/Okinawan. The name seems to be an oxymoron. However, that doesn't mean that you won't receive good training at the school.

If it were me that was treated this way, I would just bide my time, and make sure I get the chance to pay him back. What all members of the Martial Arts should keep in mind is that the respect/rank ideal only goes as far as the doors of the dojo. When you go out into the world, there isn't anyone out there that owes you any respect for anything. In such a case as you explained, the sempai would get no respect from me outside of the school, and the respect that he got from me in the school would be nothing more than superficial.

I agree here. Rank is an indicator of knowledge and tenure. However, I do agree that lower ranks should be respected like high ranks are.

Good ideas. Jay has a good idea, too. In Loren Christensen's book Solo Training 2 he covers quite a few exercises that grapplers can do with a heavy bag on their own. You may look into it; he as some good suggestions.

I think that the main issue is that, given genetics, ones muscles can only get so big (natrually). However, there is less of a limit on the amount of body fat that can be stored.

Welcome to KF! Do you still spend time at blackbeltmag.com? I am over there at times as well.

Welcome to KF!

Obviously you didn't appreciate the American football analogy...we all know what REAL football is but we choose to ignore it This is kind of a tough analogy to make, I think. It is easy to take a 32 team league, and then define who is the champion. However, when you think of how many Martial Artists there are in the world, and then how many black belts there are compared to that number, you are dealing with seriously different stats.

When I was a colored belt, I was still trying to really refine my technique. I can't think of anything that I was trying to figure out that I just gave up on because "I would figure it out at a higher rank." I tried this hard the whole time.

I think that a lot of people answer this question differently when they are approaching the rank of black belt than they do after they have been a black belt for some time. To me, it is kind of an indication of longevity. It shows that I have stuck it out for quite some time now. Many people think that earning the black belt is just the beginning. I kind of adhere to this philosophy a little bit. I don't like seeing people who's only goal is to earn their black belt, and then they quit. There is so much more afterwards. However, I do believe that once you obtain your black belt, there starts to become less and less that an instructor can show you, and more and more that you can learn for yourself. I am not saying that you should ditch your instructor after achieving 1st dan, or that you should no longer listen to your instructor. I do think that more free thinking should begin at this stage, and you as a student begins to truly make your Martial Art your own. I guess this what they mean when they say that it is "the beginning."

2-11-08 Defensive Tactics: 10:00 - 11:20. We worked on outside wrist lock takedowns today. We did several different approaches, and got a lot of reps in, which is important (for me, anyways). We also worked on a bit of the hammer lock. Bag work: step together round kicks, Olympic style - 2x20, right leg only (left hamstring is slightly pulled right now).

The best information that I can give you is to listen to your body. If something doesn't work for you, try to alter it a bit to make it work. If joints start to hurt, see what you can do to fix it. Take your time, and don't rush things. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!

Welcome to the Forums!

That is a good one, and a bit different from what has already been mentioned. Enjoying what you are doing definitely helps.

If the difference in price was not that drastic, say $10, then I would have no problem with it, especially with it being on hand. However, when the difference gets too high, I would find other alternatives.

I am not sure how much difference there is between Olympic Boxing and professional Boxing. However, I imagine that many of those fighters were Golden Gloves Boxers before being Olympians, so I imagine the transition wasn't that much of a problem. I do know that Olympic Boxing uses a point system, with white patches on the gloves the have to hit target areas to score. However, the target areas remain the same. As for your WKF question, I would say yes. If you want to compete, then it will be by their rules. Just like any tournament that you enter.

Here is how I see it... If he joins humbly as a white belt, and does not bring up the fact that he has studied other styles and holds high ranks, then he probably doesn't care how the other students view him. He is probably more concerned with learning and training than he is about how he is viewed by others. I imagine that in one way or another, he will gain/earn the respect of the sempais. Remember, it is difficult to force someone to respect another. Respect is best when it is earned, not demanded.