bushido_man96

This is a tough one. I just don't think there is really anything you can do, except wait.

I saw the ads, and this show looks good, too! Fighting in a tribal setting, the way these cultures still do it. It is going to be awesome, I think, I hope.

Wash on cold, dry in the dryer. No problems.

I am not so sure. The only way he would do that was through rules infractions, and if he were to compete (which I am convinced he would not) I do believe that he would do so within the spirit of the competition. I also believe that to be competitive he would have to spend some time getting a bit better at ground fighting. I think that he knew the advantages of ground fighting, but may have needed a bit more training in it to compete at this level.

Ch’ang Hon Taekwon-do Hae Sul Real Applications to the ITF Patterns by Stuart Paul Anslow is also a good read, but will be more beneficial, I believe, to someone with extensive experience with the forms of TKD in the Ch'ang On system.

"Do" does not equate philosophy, it only translates as "the way of", "path of" or "art of". Many martial arts contain the "do" aspect, it means is fight in the way of karate, the way of Tae Kwon etc. "Do" is also by no means a korean word, the korean masters took it from the Japanese arts. I think "do" in Korean actually is a suffix used to denote a province or island? You may choose to assimilate philosophy as part of the "Do" aspect but to say that without philosophy you do not have the art form is wrong IMO. You can offer people the spiritual aspect however it is up to them whether they choose to believe in it. I agree. I can live on the "TKD path" without adhering to a philosophical outlook propogated by one individual. I don't feel that my personal outlooks and ideas of how things should be are reflected from my Martial Arts training, but from my upbringing and life experiences. In the end, we all follow our own "path" in life; even those who don't study a Martial Art. This "Do" that I speak of doesn't have to be complex or terribly spiritual; it is to each his own. On the flip side, I don't feel that I should force my viewpoints and ideals on someone else to make them believe that "this is the way of TKD" or some other style. I can share my ideas with them, and then justify them to them, but if they don't choose to follow along, then that is ok. It doesn't make them any less of a Martial Artist, or a Taekwondoist.

Aaaaah, politics! You have to love the MA aspect of it!

It won't work that way for everyone, though. The bones in the hand are quite fragile compared to the bones of the head.

I know what you mean, there are many high rank color belts i know that kinda "demand" respect, and you can kinda tell. I don't like people that do that, you are supposed to respect those that are younger/lower rank than yourself too. I agree. Respect is recipricol.

I agree with you, and this is part of the reason that MMA tends to get ripped up by more "traditional" stylists. Sure, these guys talk and yack, and look a bit rougher than the average joe, but just because they don't bow back and forth, etc., doesn't mean that respect is non-existent. In fact, they probably have more respect for each other, and it is more what they feel inside themselves, about how good of fighters each are. In this situation, the MMA guys kind of avoid this situation, because if something doesn't work for them, they have the opportunities to put their ideas to the test in the ring. If it doesn't work, then there is no scenario like the one that you have mentioned before.

"Respect" should not be commanded or used as a crutch for not being able to explain oneself. Open-mindedness is a great thing, and is preached by so many Martial Artists as a principle, yet it seems that they don't want to follow their own advise.

Well, I don't have any secrets, really. But I would be more than willing to swap information and ideas. I am always open to suggestions.

to be a teacher, as opposed to becoming a bill collector. well, I am a teacher, and my students pay and I don't chase money. And I don't have contracts. If you are worth it, paying isn't an issue. no card needed...... if you live in az and want lessons.... look me up!!! Well, I am a bit away from Arizona, (Kansas!!), but if I ever get that way, I will!!!

Well, if you are just a little sore, than yeah, go for it. I think that Daisho's information is good as well. I don't know much about protein shakes and recovery, etc., so I would go with his suggestions.

It could just be something that tourney wanted to do to be a bit different. That happens from time to time. It could be an experimentation as well, and they could be reporting the results of the test to the ITF as well.

Good response, Rick. What you say about politeness and respect is true. Great way to put it.

I truly think it depends more on what the master likes to focus on, as opposed to it being heavily laden in the art. I don't do any meditation or Ki focus, but still feel that I get the full benefits of TKD. The philosophy is a nice touch for those who are interested in that aspect, but I prefer not to really study it as much. I already have my own personal philosphies that serve me very well.

Another thing to consider is developing the leg strength needed to kick high. Being flexible is one thing, but having the strength to kick high is another. An exercise you can do is stand by a wall, and extend your leg to a full round or side kick position. Then, hold it there for about 5 seconds, and then pull it slowly back. Do this several times on each side; do the kick slowly. Next, while holding the leg out at extension, you begin pulsing the leg up and down several inches, working the muscle on the side of the leg that holds it in the air. Along with stretching, like sitting splits and side splits to both sides, your kicking should improve. Welcome aboard!

I disagree. I pay my dues via direct deposit, through a contract. Not a bid deal, really. If the Martial Arts are something that you are serious about, and will be devoting a significant amount of time to, then signing a contract is not a major concern. One of the main things that it does is allows the instructor to be a teacher, as opposed to becoming a bill collector.

Actually, I prefered Ken to Ryu. However, If I were to dress up as Ken, I would have to bleach my hair, and grow it out!

You have hit the nail on the head, Bearich. I share many of the sentiments that you have elaborated on here. Bingo. I agree. Being respectful has more to do with being a human being than a Martial Artist. I know some people in my school who really aren't great people, but are great Martial Artists. Now, I know that this statement will bring some friction, because many think that the two are the same, and this is just not the case. When you talk about fighting or making war, those are the things that count; not respect levels or morals. Again, I agree whole-heartedly. This is exactly what the Martial Arts were born out of. On a side note, not to get too off topic, when you look into the very root of the Martial Styles, you will find that they all had more in common than they had different, as far as techniques used and taught. It wasn't until after the advent of gunpowder to warfare, which changed how wars were fought, and the use of hand-to-hand combat became diminished, that the stylized differences began to emerge in the Martial Styles that we know and love today (in my opinion). Although I have taken liberties with the spots quoted above , I believe this is the heart of your arguement, and thus deserves addressing. I think that it may very well be the case. I touched on this idea a bit in my article titled Martial Arts Monogamy, and I think that it still holds true, to an extent. I think with the advent of styles like MMA and RBSD systems, however, that this kind of nievity is steadily on the decline, and the need to test things for what they really are is taking over. At least I hope so. Great post, bearich.

Well, that is good that it worked. How did you set it up?

This is exactly what I was thinking of.

If you think that you are too sore, then you may want to do one class a week for a few weeks, until your body gets more acclimated to the training, and then add in the second class. Otherwise, the info give by Daisho seems very sound to me. Welcome aboard!

I have those as well, and just picked up Advancing in TKD. It is not too bad. A little bit more spiritual than I like, but it is not bad.