bushido_man96

However, don't lean back too far intentionally; this will cause you to take power away from your kick. As you kick high, you body should lean back naturally. Some will have more lean than others; it just depends on your body style. Another way to help open the hips up is to make sure that you pivot completely on your base foot. What I teach is to make the heel of the base foot point at the target you are kicking at. This opens the hips, and doesn't restrict the kick.

That is a good deal. Keep up the hard work!

Get your hips under, and then straighten you legs forcefully as you throw. That should help.

The ability to impart the knowledge that they have on people of different abilities and skill levels, as well as levels of understanding, is important. Having good technique and demonstration skills is important as well, along with a good amount of experience.

DWx is right. WTF sparring rules are supposed to have some new implementations to help with the pace of the matches. There can be some good ones, too. Many of the guys are counter fighters, so no one likes to lead off. Too much of a point game.

This is one name that I don't recognize. I am not sure of what it is about.

Agreed. A good kata workout, even will proper and controlled breathing, will make you a little winded as you are exerting your body in small bursts at a time over an extended period of time. But I certainly don't think you should be fatigued/tired after every since one (i.e.--you only do one and you're tired). I see. However, even after one, I am winded. I recover fairly quickly, though.

I am not sure how many miles I drive a day. Maybe around 20, but not sure. I'll have to set the tripometer sometime, I guess. Right now, I drive a 1999 Ford Ranger extended cab.

Man, that is awesome. Sounds like you've got skills!

Interesting. Do they have different requirements for different age groups?

11-8-07 Traditional TKD Class: 6:00 - 7:00. Good overall class tonight. My right leg was a bit tight, so I took it easy on the kicks as far as height goes. However, after class, I managed to tear up my left leg really good. It still hurts right now. One of my buddies was working on a jump 360 degree axe kick that he likes to do for board breaking. I was giving him some suggestions on it, and then demonstrated it...on my left leg, because my right one was tight, and I didn't want to pull it. Well, I ended up ripping up my left leg really well. I iced it for a while, but it is still tight. Going to have to work on training around this injury, it appears!

You mean, you are still running, right now???

Getting over the lack of motivation is going to be the major thing for you. You are just going to have to work through it mentally. Try using visualization to see in you mind how you want to do certain techniques. Then, you practice them to make them look that way. As for improving technique, make sure to work with your instructor on this. Ask him for suggestions, but just a few at a time, and work on them...lots. It will all take time. Same with flexibility, balance, etc. Take a few stretches, and do them. Find a few balancing exercises, and do them. As for general physical fitness, do simple things like push-ups and crunches, squats, lunges, etc. If it ever becomes a possibility, get to a gym, and ask a trainer to help you get started in lifting weights. The two things you are going to need the most are hard work and dedication. There is no magic pill. Good luck, and dive in!

Well, to be honest with you, you are probably in better physical shape than I am, too. I think that physical conditioning is important, but there are other aspects to think about as well, such as the teaching abilities of the instructors and black belts. Hopefully, they don't get too crazy with the physical requirements. Do you know how these requirements compare to military requirements?

If the stretching causes serious pain, then you shouldn't do it until you are healed. However, that doesn't mean that you can't work on something else, like punching combinations and the like. That is what I mean by train around your injuries. Try to avoid training the injured area if you can, and work on something else.

I don't quite agree with this statement. You can generate a good amount of force throughout a kata without getting tired after every one. The key is to relax your body until the last moment before impact, relaxing those muscles until the next move, and utilizing the proper "breathing timing" as Killer Mike refers to it. I work on controling my breathing when doing forms all the time, but I still find myself winded after a hard forms workout. I think that you will be at least a bit tired after putting all you have into a form.

Yeah, that is kind of crazy reasoning. It kind of sounds like a close-minded way to look at it. It shouldn't matter what they wear; especially if you can benefit from what they know.

That is a good point, Rainbow Warrior. When you are running side by side at the same speed, it seems hard to get ahead. So it is at times with training partners. That is why having a variation of skill levels is good for everyone.

Sometimes, during the traditional classes, I like to get up and do the forms with the lower ranks, to get some review and some extra workouts. It also lets some of the other high colored belts know that it is ok to get up and review material with the lower ranks in class. Nothing like a good refresher now and then to keep you honest!

A very nice article. Unfortunately, I think you are correct in the fact that MA and self-defense aren't always looked at in the same light, although they should be. Very well put. I think that this point holds true.

Fighting multiple opponents always = bad deal for you. Best defense: have friends.

Good to see your training is going well, especially with the running. Do the black belts still do mid term testings? They did when I was in, but I don't know if they still do or not. When did Soon Ho train with Shaolin monks? I would be interested in seeing some of his backgrounds. I actually got to attend a seminar class with Soon Ho Lee when he as still the Chief Master. I got to work out in this class at the Rocky Mountain Workout, in '94, I believe. It was fun, and a good workout. I got a hell of a sweat going, and we worked out in the open mountain air. Thin air is hard to breath in for a flatlander like me!

Get to a doctor about your knees. They may need some work done on them. Then, find a way to supplement your training so that it doesn't stress your knees so much. Talk to your instructor about this, and he should be able to help you out. The key to success in the Martial Arts isn't training through your injuries; it is in training around your injuries.

In general, the judo gi fits more loosely. The sleeves are larger at the openings, there is more room around the shoulders and chest, and the jacket is usually longer. However, for general practice, they are practically interchangable. A Judogi just gives better grips to the opponent. That is probably because of the standard grip used in initiating most Judo matches, right ps1? I know that they tend to grab a lapel and a sleeve at just above the elbow. In BJJ, one would not seem to spend much time grabbing just one area of the gi, but all kinds of different areas, so it all has to be tough.

Good article. I think that most of the time, the physical preparedness is going to be there, especially if you are a serious competitor. Therefore, after achieving the physical training needed to survive the competitions, the mental training and conditioning is very important.