bushido_man96

I have heard of the lifts called negative lifts before, but in my experience they were done with the spotter controlling the weight on the way down, but still making the lifter resist the weight as it comes down, making it a slow and painful experience. I have even heard of doing an overload negative where the spotters will put on more the lifter's 1-rep max, and then do the negative reps that way. It makes it kind of a plateau breaker.

It was an ITF style tournament and apparently it was supposed to stop brawling... I like brawling... That kind of surprises me. I think ITF tourneys even allow head strikes, don't they? I think they should let them brawl. If they don't like it, then only score a good, clean shot. If they are just trading, though, just let them go until they make some space and then get a good shot in. But I would hate to see the body punches taken away.

I thought so, too. So, Patrick, did you pick up Bowe before or after yesterday's game? I had Osi Umenyoria in one of my fantasy leagues, but didn't start him yesterday. He had 6 freakin' sacks, too!!!

Congrats, Clash!!!

Being told not to block is just crazy to me. I know that movement is important, but sometimes, you just have to block. All of my students will be able to do this. What I can't understand is that if these other instructors are seeing them do this in class, why don't they pull them aside and work it out with them?

I think that they were just simple outside and inside forearm blocks. I haven't seen it in years, so I don't remember for certain, but I think those are them.

9-29-07 I tested today, and it went from 10:30 to 1:30. Testing always wears me down, and this was no exception.

This may be the case, but you can do both lifting and cardio, and get even more benefits.

What is nice about the out-of-class training is that you can take a move and start with it, then, after getting comfortable with it, you can start asking what if this? and what if that? happens, and then you can work out scenarios where you explore the usage of the technique in "chaos."

Sure, I can understand that. Just working with a Boxing trainer would help to improve hand speed, combinations, and things like that. Maybe not a lot of bobbing and weaving, but more slipping and blocking.

I really think it depends on the association, too. Some places won't allow students under black belt ranks to teach for purposes of experience. Some also think it may look unprofessional for those under black belt to be leading a class. I think that getting in the training hours is important, and can be done through class assitance as well.

I am not so sure that this is the case. I think that the flashier the uniform, then perhaps the more commercialism involved, but I have seen lots of good technicians wear flashy uniforms before.

Woo hoo!!! Chiefs win again, and I did not expect them to! The defense played well again, but Tomlinson did get off the snide, and rushed for well over 100 yards. Anywho, the Chiefs even their record, and I really thought that they could have started 0-4. Dwaye Bowe looked really good, and maybe the Chiefs have drafted a legitimate wide receive threat now to help out Tony Gonzalez and the passing game. LJ finally got over the 100 yard mark as well. Full of positives, this week.

Beginning a running program may help you out.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Forums!

Yeah, it is just like anything. You put your tools in your box, and you use them when you need them.

Ok, the test was on Saturday, 9-29-07. We got started at about 10:30, and since the A_Train asked so nicely, here are the details! I had to start by doing two sets of what are called Do-gans, which are essentially organized sets of Black Belt Basics. I had to do set 2, followed by set 3. My instructor had told me that I would probably have to do set 4, so while at the tail end of set 3, I started to think about set 4, and started to mix them together! However, it was only a few moves, and I recovered well and finished. After that mess up, but before finishing the set, my son in the crowed yelled out "Daddy" while I was still going, and it was quiet in the room. I was on the exam floor by myself, and all heard him. I had to smile while I finished up! Afterwards, the Grandmaster asked me: "Is he yours?" I told him yes, sir, and he replied: "Nothing wrong with having a cool dad" in his thickly Korean accented English. I thought that was cool. After the Do-gans, all the Black Belts did the one-steps. There are 31 one-steps in all, and we do them consecutively. This part of the test always makes me tired, and I was tired from the Do-gans before as well. On one, I did 3 body punches, and it should have been 2 to the body, 1 to the head. I told my testing partner about it, but since I knew my mistake, he said it was not a big deal. When finished here, the Black Belts got to go downstairs to stretch out and prepare a bit more while the colored belts tested. While stretching, I begin to see some of my rank practicing their board breaks, and some of theirs were different than mine. So I began asking around, and found out that the spin heel kick was a required break, and I had not anitipated that. So, I began to get nervous about board breaking. It turns out that my breaks have to be: spin side kick, jump front snap kick, spin heel kick, and flying side kick over three people. The breaking portion of the test was the part I was the most nervous about. About 30 minutes later, we came back upstairs to begin the forms segment of the testing. I did Gae-Baek hyung, and then Se-Jong hyung. I felt like my forms looked pretty darn good compared to some of the others that were testing, and I felt like my preparation had paid off. After forms, we moved into testing sparring. I felt like sparring went ok. I didn't get a lot of kicking combinations in like I wanted to. I ended up picking my spots with the kicks, but I blocked and defended well, and several times I crammed inside after blocking to deliver some solid punching combinations to my partners. I sparred twice, and after the first match, I could feel spots on my body that my partner had made good contact on; it was a good match! After the second match, I felt no such spots, I did get to punch that partner quite a bit more. One thing that I did notice watching some of the others spar was that it seemed like blocking had become a lost art form. I was just amazed at the kicks that were flying up head-level, that weren't even getting arms up to protect! It just kind of blew my mind. It is definitely something I will make sure the kids and adults of our school don't have a problem with. After sparring, the moment of truth arrived....board breaking! I get my boards, 2 per break, and start preparing. First, was the spin side kick, which I had not done for a break in years. I set it up, and got it first try, left leg. Then the jump front snap, which gave me a few fits at the last testing. Right leg, first try. Then, the spin heel, which I had never done as a break. I decided to do a step, then spin. Left leg, and I got it on the first try! I was so pumped after that! When it came time for the flying side kick over three people, I set the boards up, and didn't even take a practice run. I just went to the end of the room, took off, and smashed them on the first try as well! I didn't take a total count, but I think I was one of just a few people who got all of the board breaks on the first try. I was so jacked up, and I came away from this testing feeling better than I had come away from any other testing ever before. I won't know the official results for probably a week, but I think I passed. I will let you all know for sure when the results are official. Thanks for all your support!

Yeah, it is a stupid rule. I had heard that the WTF was working on some rule changes to make TKD more "exciting" with less stalling and clinching in the matches. I don't know if this rule is a result of that collaboration or not; I truly hope not. I would begin to do some checking if I were you, though. It could have been a special rule for that tournament, though.

I agree that knowing your enemy is a huge part of preparation for self protection. However submissions and chokes would be a very small part of the total picture(if a part at all). Knowing how to deal with(not just physically, but behaviorally) people who use weapons and fight in packs who want to sucker punch you and then stomp you while your laying on the ground, or the mugger who wants to hold you at knife/gun point, the rapist who wants your body or the trouble maker at the bar who wants to draw you into a ego battle so he has a reason to sucker punch you or hit you with a glass while your walking away is far, far more important and relevant than learning how to escape any submission hold or choke that you might see on the mat of a grappling school. Within the context of real world situations, the chance you will face a choke or submission is slim to none. Sure, a basic understanding or the positions and how to escape is useful and should be a part of training, but anything beyond that would be overkill imo. Certainly the positioning and control of your attacker is very important to understand and train. Also performing and defending against ground and pound style attacks. But submissions? Is the guy trying to beat your brains out with a baseball bat going to armbar you? Is the mugger holding you up with a knife going to double-leg and then guillotine? Is the rapist going to pass guard and go for a kimura? Is the punk at the bar who bumps into you going to shoot and look for a submission? What you are describing here are various scenarios, all of which may start like you say, but can lead in any number of directions. I know that you do a lot of scenario-based training, and I agree that it is important. I also think that grappling in general can add to the scenario-based attacks that you train, just as much as you would add punches, kicks, knees, gouges, etc. Remember that submissions can be turned into breaks very easily in most cases. It is simply a matter of going an inch farther in execution. I also agree that on the street you don't want to wrestle with anyone for too long; just the same as you don't want to dance with them any longer than you have to. But if you are using your grappling skills to get off of the ground, and you end up with a guy in an arm lock along the way, you can snap that arm, and the training has served you well.

I don't know if that would be a legitimate arguement or not. Muay Thai has been integrated fairly well into MMA competitions, and Muay Thai itself is a full-contact art.

I have The Complete Idiot's Guide to T'ai Chi & QiGong. I have yet to read it, but I have read other MA books from the Idiot's Guides library, and have found them to be fairly informative as far as basic information, history, and introductory technical fundamentals are concerned. This book is written by Bill Douglas.

In the system that I am in, 1st dans are required to teach orientations, and may assist with classes. At 2nd dan, some Black Belts may teach on a more regular basis. At 3rd dan, you become a Certified Instructor, and have more responsibility to teach classes, and can do so without assistance (if over the age of 18, I think). At 4th dan, we acquire the rank of Jr. Master, and at 5th dan the rank of Master.

John Saxon is his name. The gi show sounds like the colors were a bit overwhelming. There is so much available out there now, that options like that have become more commonplace. However, I think that gis like that are usually saved for competition, and not regular class wear. I guess if that is how they like to do it, then oh, well. Personally, I am kind of partial to my white gi right now. Welcome to the Forums!

No, you are not. After 3rd dan, there is no more recommended/decided rank declarations. It is basically a probationary period, where you learn another form, and then test again within another 6 months time. After completing the 3rd dan decided test, the student also gains instructor certification. So, it is kind of a weeding process, I guess.