bushido_man96

It sounds like you did the right thing. You don't want to overload yourself too much. Remember quality, not quantity. As for learning forms, it is all about repetition.

The thing about practicing slow is that it really doesn't do anything for your speed. I would think that you would have to practice speeding up at some point, in order to be able to deal with things at actual pace. Demonstrating in class is one thing. Going for real is very different.

6-27-07 Back/shoulders/biceps Assisted pull-ups: plate 12x10x3 sets. Dumbbell hang clean and press: 40x10x3 sets. Dumbbell shoulder press: 35x10, 40x8, 40x8 Incline dumbbell curl: 25x10, 25x8 Forearms Plate curl and catch: curling a 25 lb plate up, releasing and catching it with the other hand, alternating back and forth. 20x3 Dumbbell wrist curls: 2x20x20 lbs. Abs Swiss ball roll-outs: 2x10, hold for 5 seconds each. Trunk twists: 3x20x45 lbs. I worked on front kicks today. Early this morning, I did front leg front kick chambers; 2 sets of 10 on each leg. This afternoon, between some of the sets while lifting, I did 3 more sets of 10 reps, front leg front kick chambers on each leg. Then I did 2 sets of 10 front leg front kicks on each side, focusing on kicking forward, thrusting more than snapping the kick. I also did 1 set of 10 reps each leg of back leg front kick, thrusting. Taught Orientation from 5:20 - 6:00.

Yeah, I know. TKD didn't come along until 1955, and the kwans were mostly Shotokan re-designed. That is one of the things that I liked about the book. There was no effort to try to mold TKD into the ancient Korean military arts.

I don't think that you are too old. I would say go for the pro stuff, if you think you can get into it, and if it is what you want to do. If you do well on the pro circuit, then maybe you can look at getting into an MMA gym where you can learn some BJJ, and then work into MMA competitions. The sky is the limit, if you have the time and willingness to try.

I know, I am not a Karateka, but I thought I would chime in anyway! Playing off of french fri25's point, I would use a fairly short stance as well, to stay mobile. Generally speaking, the closer the feet are together (like around shoulder width wide, and apart), then the more mobile the stance is. However, stability is sacrificed. The lower and more spread out the stance is, the more stable it is, but at the expense of mobility. It really comes down to personal preference. If your footwork isn't particulary good, then you may want to just root yourself in a deep stance and let them have it, and let them come after you. If you can move well, maybe take a more mobile stance.

This is a good analogy. It is the same one I was thinking of earlier, and you beat me to it.

Im not sure i see your point. A wrestlers background is wrestling. How does that make them any better or worse than someone who has a background in something else? A martial arts background is not required to take up boxing. The same can be said for taking up MMA. This is the way it is going to go on from now on. Many stylists will claim that "rank means nothing" and that "belts are only for holding you pants up." But now that MMA gyms have come along, and will train people to fight, and fight well, minus all of the rank systems, philosophies, cultural tie-ins, etc, practitioners who have spent decades in traditional styles feel that they have been cheapened, or feel threatened. However, the trend is not going to change, so we should all learn what we can from it. By the way, ps1, you had an excellent post!

I agree with this sentiment. If it is possible, seperate yourself from him. If it is not, then find someone you can talk to about it, and see what you can do about it. Stay safe.

I think Bruce did walk with a bit of an air about him. Not cocky, but confident almost to the point. Hey, we all have faults.

Another option you could look at is letting them take you down, and then learn how to ground fight with them. You will get beat some, but it is the only way you are going to learn how to do it.

I think that one of the most important aspects of being able to teach are the ability to relate things to others in a manner that facilitates learning. Not everyone who knows something can do this with their knowledge. Also, experience helps to make someone qualified to teach. However, we can't all get first-hand experience, so we train under someone who already has the knowledge and/or experience, and trust them to show us the way.

This is a good point, and in many cases, is what we all perceive to be true.

I'm just trying to say that it's not the ONLY source of protein out there. A lot of people I know say that you need meat for protein. You can get it from tofu, beans, nuts, and veggies as well. If you're not vegan you can also get them from eggs, cheese and milk. We are omnivores, designed to be able to be on both sides of the fence. Ah, you make some good points above, lordtariel. I try to stay pretty open-minded, but when it comes to eating meat, it is something that I don't flex on much. I do like vegetables, and I do eat them. I don't intend to come across as a ravenous meat-eater with blood rolling out of the sides of my mouth. However, I do like to have some kind of meat at most every meal.

That is awesome, I think. Swithing the sparring up like that makes one think more, and it also makes one focus on his weaknesses. (Hey, we need to get that Song of Ice and Fire thread going again! )

The Muye Dobo Tongji is a very good read. There isn't much in it as far as TKD goes, but it is a good read on ancient Korean military arts. You can find it here: http://www.turtlepress.com/Muye_Dobo_Tongji_hard_cover_p/mdtjh.htm That is so cool, too! When I bought mine years ago, it was a soft cover, and I don't think they had the hard cover. Lucky for you!! This book should be just what you are looking for.

I would just go in with a blank slate, and an open mind. Don't worry too much about trying to anticipate anything. You will probably get a lot of target drills and conditioning, and more basic kicks than advanced stuff. Tell them about your experience, and they may do something a little different with you than they would with a beginner. Good luck and have fun with it!

Even being a TKDer, I do a lot of board breaking with the ball-of-the-foot round kick. I really wind it up, though. I do most of my sparring with the instep, but I land more with the middle of the foot area, as opposed to closer to the toes. Try that, and see if that changes anything for you. I find that kicking with the ball of the foot is heavily reliant on the angle of attack that you have. Many times, when sparring straight up, you don't have that angle, unless you get it with some footwork (which is a good idea, if you have the strategy to set it up).

Thanks for the replies, all. Yeah, that kid is pretty stout! My brother has pretty broad shoulders, though. I am the smallest (and oldest) of three boys, and I weigh in at 235-240, 5'7". My brother is about 5'10", and 240-250. As for mom, she is doing alright. She sleeps alot right now, and I guess that is ok. She is actually with my brother, enjoying the new grand-baby. I think it helps to keep her mind off of things right now.

I agree. It is kind of like the "liberation" that Bruce Lee talked about.

I think that Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell could get some nods as well, with their popularity right now. However, Couture is very deserving, and I think he is a great choice.

I think that the MMA fights in the UFC are top of the line. You see the three ranges of combat usually. Ground fighting tends to be a common theme, and the reason for that is because it is sucessful; Royce Gracie proved that years ago. I do believe that it is "Mixed." Even if you are just mixing two arts, it is still mixing. As far as ranges of combat goes, there are 3, standing, clinch, and ground. Kicking falls into the standing range. If fighters don't want to do highly advanced kicks, then that is their perogative. Most of the fighters will stick with the high-efficiency moves, like leg kicks, as opposed to head kicks. However, I have seen head kicks, with limited success. Here is one important point to understand: A FIGHTING STYLE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE "TRADITIONAL" TO BE CONSIDERED A FIGHTING STYLE. Long ago, when the first person picked up a stick to defend himself, he didn't instantly worry about his spiritual development and well-being; he worried about surviving. Many "traditional" stylists get caught up in the ideals that the "traditional" school imposes upon them, and then believe that it is the only way to learn. It is just not the case. The MMA competitions began as a tournament between styles, and has evolved into its current form over the years because of what makes the fighters successful. And if you think that MMA is not an old style, look up Pankration. It is very similar to this lost game of the ancient Olympics. A Pankration bout would have been much more brutal than an MMA competiton. However, they are very much related. I don't think that it is a requirement to have spent time in a "traditional" style or two in order to become an MMA fighter. MMA gyms are going to start popping up like boxing gyms have; this is the nature of the sport. Whether other stylists like it or not, this is the way that it is going to be. The traditional schools will still be around; they won't go anywhere. The MMA schools will grow right along with them.

I have done demos in the past, with board breaking involved. I don't mind it, but I never try to do anything to flashy, or anything that I haven't practiced. If you don't want to do it, then don't. In general, just doing the demo could be considered a bit of "showing off." In that case, you just as well go with it. However, if you don't agree with it, then don't do it, and don't worry too much about it.

Very nice. I have always been a fan of the 70s-80s models of Trans Ams. Smokey and the Bandit inspired, of course!

My brother and his wife had a baby boy last night, 6-25-07, at around 10:15 PM. He weighs 9 lbs. 12 oz, and is 22 inches long. Hooray!! It is my brother's 3rd child, and first boy.