bushido_man96

It will be very difficult for many of us to be able to tell you if a place is a McDojo by looking at a website and a few pictures. The best thing you can do is visit, watch some classes, ask some questions, and then assess the place as best as you can. Hopefully, you find what you are looking for.

I hear the first part of the above quote a lot. If this is the case, then how long before the striking aspects are mastered, and one can move on? And what about Kung Fu? Is it the same with Kung Fu? The only issue that I have with this concept is this: What if you spend a few years learning to attack and defend as a striker, but then get attacked by a wrestler? You said that the style should be practiced hollisticaly, but when should that start? Is the wait really necessary?

I think from its inception, fighting itself was all-inclusive. Many of the styles that we observe today have become what they are after their use in warfare began to decrease. As, for lack of better western terms, the "bujutsu" began to be replaced by the "budo," styles individualized and picked certain things to maintain and pass down. Before this, a warrior wasn't told, "don't do that; it isn't in our style." Fighting was all-inclusive, and now, with MMA coming around, it is beginning to get back to that. Yes, I know that MMA has a rule-set, and therefore can never completely emulate a street encounter. However, not many styles in practice today can. You either add rules, and up the contact level, or you take away the rules, and decrease the contact levels. Finding a happy medium is difficult, and no one will ever decide on one. As far as the street fighters go...well, they do fight, like Martial artists do fight. When it comes down to it, on the street, whether you get beat by a street fighter or a Martial Artist, you still get beat. It doesn't really matter how you classify them or yourself.

Agreed, most often however they opt for far less technical trapping options and settle for basic versions of trapping like immobilizing the limb and using it has an anchor point for strikes etc. This has been my experience with it. In the system I work it in, we call it a "pin." We pin the limb, and then proceed to immobilize, etc.

That is awesome! Staying active is part of a healthy lifestyle, and I am suprised that more doctors don't take this viewpoint when addressing injuries.

Perhaps he thinks you may do well if you do compete, and therefore is asking you to do so. I can see why you do not want to. However, if it does not require anymore time than you already give, aside from taking the day to compete, then you may consider giving it a try. Who knows? You may enjoy it, and you might do well. One great thing about competitions is that they are great learning experiences. However, if you really fell strongly about not competing, then stand your ground, and let you instructor know your feelings.

I am sure it will be worth the wait, though. I kind of look forward to a reunion between Jaime and Tyrion. I wonder how that will go. And it appeared that perhaps Jaime had cut his ties with his sister? I also anticipate the new and improved "Mountain that Rides."

It is still going. It looks like it may end up being close to a 7 book series, with 4 of them completed. It is a great story. I recommend it.

For me, books have come in handy for getting forms down. I would get the gist of the form down in class, and then on my own, I would look to the book for reference, and then tidy it up when I got back to class.

Agreed. If you want to use a kick in this way, you have to make sure you have the space, or make the space via combination. The reason why low-level kicks work so well is because you can do them within clinching range. To kick someone in the stomach is going to have to require space, which may be hard to come by in a confrontation.

6-28-07 Alternating back leg round kicks, in uniform: 3x10 Bench dips: 10 Very isolated workouts. I just had a few minutes here and there, so I worked them in.

As much as you want to continue, you won't see different results doing the same things all the time. You need to change it up, to cause muscle confusion. You have done the same thing for so long that the muscles are adapted to it. They know what you are going to do, and how to do the lifts. Shock them by changing everything; the exercises, the number of reps and sets, all of it. Do this for 3 weeks or a month. Then get back onto your routine.

9. What are some of your training philospies? (spiritual, mental, etc.) 10. What are your training methodologies? (focus on traditional, self-defense, hands-on, etc) 11. Can I watch a class? (If they say no, don't even bother with them.)

There is some good advice here. However, if you are young and have LOTS of time on your hands, and really want to dive into all 3, then go for it. With Thai Boxing you will get a lot of drilling and work on bags and rounds. I think it would be fun, and BJJ would as well. I think if you do a ground style and a stand-up style at the same time, then you will be ok with learning the two of them. You won't get them confused. As for TKD, I am kind of partial to it, and if you want to have some technical work done while doing these other two, then you may enjoy it as well. While Thai boxing's techniques will be fairly numbered (which is a good thing), in TKD you will learn a plethora of techniques as you advance in rank. Best of luck to you, and enjoy your journey! Just the fact that you can consider taking 3 styles makes me jealous!

As far as finding anything to really fill in the gaps between the Muye Dobo Tongji and anything current on TKD, I think will be really hard to find, due to the Japanese occupation of Korea.

After thinking on this, I have come to a realization, albeit my own, so let me know if you think I am close or not. With the way that the UFC began, as a "style vs. style" format, it was exactly that. Then, it began to evolve into what it is with the observed success of ground fighting. Now, being where MMA is, and seeing where it came from, many stylists feel that the fighters have to come from some style or another. Think about Pankration. When it was an ancient Olympic game, it was taken for what it was. Why can't we just look at MMA like this? It is its own animal, whether we want it to be or not. It is, in a sense, modern day Pankration. However, since the Eastern styles have evolved into the budo that they have become, everyone that practices an Eastern Martial style has the misconception that every fighting style that ever did exist should have came from the same kind of roots. I just don't think this should be the case. MMA fighters are MMA fighters. Sure, some of them may also be Karateka, Judoka, TKDers, and BJJers. However, they are all MMA fighters as well. As I mentioned previously, I think as the years go by you will see less and less of the fighters' styles listed in the "Tale of the Tape," and will instead see the fighters' gym name listed. I hope this isn't just recycled, and I hope it isn't too confusing.

With this system, is there a stipe notification on the belts, or is it just notified in writing? Just wondering. I see how the system works, and I think it is a good idea.

I do know that there are some RBSD styles that adopt pieces of the trapping techniques from arts like Wing Chun. I have used some in my Combat Hapkido training as well. It is not as elaborate as is used in the Wing Chun system, though. It is the more basic elements that are used.

There are so many exercises that you can choose from. On the first day, do the ab roller. On another day, hang and do knee raises. Do the swiss ball as well. Mix and match, and do some weighted ab exercise, and plyometric ones as well. For plyo abs, have someone throw a medicine ball to you, and catch it as you come up. Then go down, come up, and throw it back. They throw, you catch, etc.

This may be the case. However, she said she was interested in history books. This book definitely fits the bill.

Well put. Plainly said, stuff happens. Many of us will be in situations like this as well. Even though we constantly train ourselves to be better, we will still find ourselves in moments of weakness. Then we learn from them.

I agree. I think that just keeping a running log of what they know, and what they have trouble with would be sufficient. But, to each his own.

I don't know. They live a few states away, so I won't be able to influence him very much. However, my brother did study TKD for a time, and he may find a place for him.

Wow, I guess I should start to re-read them. If it gets better the second time, I will really enjoy it! There was a lot going on, so a refresher should be a good idea. When is the next installment due out?

That sounds great! I hope it all goes well!