bushido_man96

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.

I always try to! At 5'7" and 240, I really am not either! But surprisingly, I did it for a demo a while back, and nailed it. So, I am hoping it transfers!

I agree with the positioning and controling aspects of BJJ being useful for self-defense. If you get taken down, then it is important to know how to get back to your feet (not necessarily to continue to roll, though). The takedowns and throws of Judo and Wrestling would also be good knowledge, along with the takedown defenses of Wrestling. Greco-Roman Wrestling would be beneficial for the clinch-like upper body work that it used.

I disagree. These two were also exceptional athletes, and one of them was quite drunk. Sure, they fought like MMA stylists, but did you notice the undefended shots that one of the guys took? Hurting guys like this isn't going to be that easy to do. Neither got knocked out, but one of them definitely got the rougher end of the stick. I have seen "real" fights were two guys start swinging, and it doesn't end up much different than the result seen in this case.

9-27-07 From 6:00 - 7:30 tonight we had Testing at our school. We had demo before hand, and that was kind of fun, because our instructor had the local cable company come in to film a commercial that will run on TV here. It should be interesting to see how it turns out. So, I got a little bit of a workout in before the bulk of the testing got started. We had another relatively small testing, but we had one testing for 1st degree black, and he performed very well. He had been out for around a year with a knee injury, and has made a great comeback. His forms looked very sharp, and he sparred well and broke boards with no problems. He did well, and it was good to watch him succeed.

I will do that, A_Train.

That sounds like a great experience you had there, aerick911. I would also like to commend you for capping the experience off with a lot of class by talking with the student and helping him out. Right on! Respect is recipricol.

This is a good strategy, but it kind of circumvents the points in the original point of the post. In your case, the head kick isn't the same as a high kick. Good strategy, though.

Ref takes a point away for a low blow!!!! My username is bushido_man96, not bushido_woman96....

I would have to disagree with the Thai Boxing analogy here. That is mainly dependant on the culture. In Thailand especially, it is such a part of their culture that most of the people there can watch and appreciate it without experiencing it themselves. Boxing has the same cultural feeling here in the West, because it has been a part of the culture since the Middle Ages. Otherwise, you do make some good points.

That is a good insurance policy there. You really can't go wrong with the Sensei's instruction. And in the end, no one gets offended.

That is an interesting piece of history that I was not aware of. Thanks for sharing, ps1.

Even after earning First Dan, I still learn new forms and material. You think that you learn most of it, but then things get presented a bit differently, and it makes you think more. So, you have all of the techniques, but you just apply them differently. A lot of it has to do with further refinement of technique. There are always very minute things to work on, However, more of it has to do with being able to transfer your knowledge to others as well. The higher your rank, then the more people expect you to be able to represent your style via discussion and demonstration. Another, and perhaps the most important aspect, of attaining higher Dan ranks is the propogation of the style. As one raises in rank, he can begin to help promote and advance his style, analyze things that can be made better, and things like this. Time-in-rank helps with gaining this experience, and the more things you do (teach, compete, etc.) then the more experience you get.

Thanks, Clash.

I would agree with you. Those with experience in arts like Karate and TKD prior to their MMA careers don't just lose that knowledge. They retain it, adapt it, and add in the new concepts that they learn as well.

I would imagine that the system of punching has been mostly the same. It shouldn't be a major coincedence that the two styles of punching are similar. After all, there are only so many ways to throw a punch. I do know that Thai Boxing doesn't use the bobing and weaving that Western Boxing does, though, because of the kicking and knee strikes.

Well, the Chiefs get a win this week, while the Broncos and Chargers lose. Good for them, but it was still an ugly win. Deuce McAllister is out for the season in New Orleans, so does this make Reggie Bush the man? Also, the Packers look to be for real. I did not expect Favre to perform as well as he has so far. It is good to see him having fun!

I was doing well on mine, but I got tired of rearranging the stickers!

This weekend I am going to be testing for my 3rd Dan Decided belt. After this test, I won't have a testing for another 4 and a half years, I think. I have 4 board breaks to do, and this is my list: spin side kick, jump front snap kick, back leg round kick, knife hand strike, and flying side kick over 3 people. I also have to demonstrate whatever forms they want me to, along with all of the one-steps, and then sparring.

Congratulations!

I understand what you are saying here, and this is a good thing. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that not every aspiring artist gets to end up doing it for a living. Some do make it, and some don't. The Martial Arts can be the same, too.

In fact, this could very well be a group tactic that they are using against you. While you focus on talking one down (perhaps the one you perceive to be the leader) another may be gearing up for the surprise attack.

These two books are breakdowns of a Medieval fightbook authored by Sigmund Ringeck, a 15th century master of the Liechtenauer system of swordsmanship. The first title focuses soley on the use of the longsword without wearing armour, while the second work includes several other systems of combat of the age. The first book is very informative on the subject of the Medieval longsword combat, discussing the various guards used, the strikes, parrying, and other tactical uses of the blade, such as winding, traveling after, and how tactics such as these work off the bind. The second text goes into more detail on fighting with the longsword when wearing armour, which is a very indepth section of the book. The spear section is very interesting. I found the most interesting section to be the Wrestling section. Each text is the result of years of research and practice by the authors in recreating this system of swordsmanship. Each book contains the original text of the author (Ringeck) along with translations, and then follow illustrations of what the authors have worked out and deciphered from the text and original illustrative plates of the original work. The illustrations are very easy to follow, with footwork, hand position, and weapon positions all easy to identify. These works are a must have for the Western Martial enthusiast. Also included are appendices that help to locate accurate replica swords and armour for those interested. These books are great. They are both ARMA member books, and are great examples of what the Western Sword tradition has to offer. Whatever (mis)conceptions that one may have about sword fighting in Medieval Europe, reading these books will quickly illustrate what an integrated and efficient style of swordsmanship it truly is.

Run with a watch on, and do intervals. Run for 5 minutes, or something like that, and then kick it up a notch or two, and hold that pace for 1 minute, and then go back to your 5 minute pace. You can adjust the times here; I don't know didley about running, so the times may not be right, but you get the idea. Also, make sure to run the entire mile. As you get to where you can hold the faster pace longer, increase the time you spend on the faster pace. Eventually, the faster pace will be your new normal pace, and you can set an even higher interval. Here is a thread that you may find helpful: http://www.karateforums.com/the-running-thread-vt29274.html