bushido_man96

On the street, you usually don't have the time to strategize like you do in the ring. Therefore, you don't have the setup time for the combinations that you might use in ring fighting. Usually lower kicks work more efficiently on the street than higher kicks, but it depends on your own skill level, too.

I have done practices on breaking techniques using paper as the material. It is not as easy as one might think, either. Another step up from the paper would be to use styrofoam pieces. They make a nice pop, and the kids like to pop them. It gets them more used to penetrating the target, and the sound of the break.

Congrats!

Typically, endurance work is going to have to be longer duration, middle to high intensity work. Things like jogging/running, swimming, etc. You can do lots of forms reps, too. Basically, it is about sustaining a work load over a period of time.

That sounds like a great setup. Welcome to the Forums!

Doing something more specific to kicking might help to improve your kicks and flexibility. Do wall kicks, to hold your balance and keep your leg extended to build the muscles would be good. You can also stand next to the wall, and do side kicks, hold them out, and then raise the leg up and down to build the muscles. When you get really good, try them without the wall.

Man, that is rough. Talk to the doctor about your options, and get some second opinions as well. Do some research and see what you can come up with. I think that you could still do your Karate training, but you may have to lay off of the sparring for some time.

12-31-07 Went back to the gym today, and did a very general workout. Not too much, I hope. Squats: 2x10x135 lbs. I never do squats, so these killed me today. Bench press: 3x10x135 lbs. Decline abs: 3x10 Barbell curls: 3x10x50 lbs. Triceps press: 3x10x40 lbs. Solo workout: 9:45 - 10:00. Chon ji Hyung x 2 Wall back kicks: 10 each leg.

I think that the Olympic-style equipment is just better in the long run. It does take up more space, but it is usually heavier duty equipment, and will give long life. Also, the barbells are the standard 45 lbs. in weight, and are nicer for lifting, I think. You can use the same bar for bench, squat, clean, etc.

If you feel comfortable beginning your cross-training now, then I would do so. The nice thing about Boxing or Muay Thai is that there won't be any curriculum to worry about. You will get some good conditioning, and lots of technique work. High repitition training that will help you out, I think.

Ah, tai-sabaki. The more I read about it, the more interested I get in it. We get into in TKD, but in some different ways than other styles do it, like Aikido and Karate. However, the more I learn, the more I put together and make things happen a little bit. All research, I guess.

Not so! From the day you start, you are preparing. Enjoy the journey.

I agree with your thoughts here. You are right about Hapkido descending from Daito Ryu, as well. Intercepting the arm at the wrist or above is where you want to be on a club swing.

12-28-07 Stretched out for 25 minutes, and then I worked on Chon Ji hyung a few times. It isn't much, but it got me moving around.

The most effective techniques and styles usually arent entertaining. I'd rather something be effective and boring that showy and useless. On a side note, I am a BJJ fighter, and some jiu jitsu matches are like watching grass grow There is truth in what you say. I think that matches for Wrestling and BJJ are harder to watch, unless you can really understand the nuances of what is going on down on the ground there. Once you can understand what every little thing going on causes, it is much easier to appreciate.

It is hard for me to give a very good review of this book, because I have no knowledge or experience with Sanchin Kata. However, I think that this book is very well written, and the subject matter is explored to its fullest extent. Wilder explores everything from a history of the Sanchin Kata to the ways that people learn, and how those learning experiences have changed Sanchin Kata in so many ways. He discusses, in detail, the bringing together of the "three difficulties" beginning with the architecture of the body, starting with the feet and working meticulously up the body to each other section; up the shins and to the thighs, the hips, the back, the neck and the head, and out to the shoulders, arms, and fists. He also moves into chapters on breathing, getting into the state of zanshin, Iron Shirt, and many other concepts that fall into the study and integration of this kata. Wilder has put out a great book here, and I enjoyed it a lot, even with a lack of knowledge of Karate and Sanchin Kata, despite general knowledge. A nice addition that Wilder has are the "Test It" sections of each of his chapters that give students physical feedback from partners that allow them to guage their training. I recommend this book for any Martial Artist in general. And if you practice the Sanchin Kata, then it will definitely give you a focus on the kata that will keep you training for years.

Blocking bats with the hands does seem not right. From what I have learned about club type weapons is to get inside the trajectory of the swing, and stop the momentum at the opponent's hands. That, or just get away, or find a ranged weapon.

And also the target! It’s a balancing act I guess. All to do with good technique - being able to deliver as much Kinetic energy (using the correct force) as quickly as possible, whilst not putting yourself in a position where you are vulnerable to being hit. Movement is key. You guys may be closer to each other's ideas than you realize. We could talk about it all day, but if we actually got together and could "see" what each is saying, you might be pretty close together. Or, it could be the opposite, I guess. However, there is often something lost in the translation.

That really does sound like quite a bit of fun, Zanshin. Those training sessions would be a blast.

There are many practitioners that would argue that most Martial Arts contain both internal and external elements. It just depends on the focus that you choose to give your training.

This book gives a general overview of the focal points of unarmed combat training of the elite forces of the world. It opens with the chapters on essentials of unarmed combat training, and goes into the Martial Heritage of unarmed combat as well, and the simplistic training used for special forces. The book then goes into chapters on blocking and striking with body tools, using chokes, headlocks, breaking free of holds, and chapters against various weapons, and then multiple opponents. A very straightforward setup, the book also has side bars throughout that discuss various special forces Martial Arts from other countries, including Israel and Korea. The book uses photos and drawings to elaborate on various techniques and scenarios. One thing that is noticeable is the similarity that appears in many of the combinations that are trained in. Different attacks are dealt with in many similar ways, in order to attain high degrees of proficiency in the shorter amount of time that combat soldiers have available for training. I thought that this book was very insightful and informative, although some of the general MA information that was presented was a bit generalized, and in some cases, I felt, a bit off (Boddiharma makes an appearance in the book early on). Overall, I think it is a good book, giving a unique look to the Combat Arts of the military.

I think that he has an interest in cooking as well. A regular Renaissance man.

It really depends on the school. I have seen many Karate schools that seem to average around 4 years. I have seen some TKD schools that average a bit over 2 years. BJJ schools average around 10 years. Boxing, Wrestling, and Muay Thai do not have rank, so it is not an issue with schools such as those.

I think that it looks pretty good. Kind of like The Karate Kid fight against the odds storyline, only in a more raw format (which I don't mind at all). Looks like there will be some style in there as well, which will make for good movie fights. Thanks for the vid, NightOwl! Hehe, you and I were thinking the same thing, DWx! I didn't read your post before I replied, but we are seeing some of the same things! Cool!

Welcome aboard! Ed has some good advise on cross-training. Let it sink in, and things will come to you in time.