bushido_man96

That is an interesting story. Thanks for sharing, Baron (good to see ya, too!).

My mom had her surgey on the 6th, and it went well. She spent two days in ICU to recover, and then moved up onto the surgical recovery floor. She felt good, talked good, and got to walk around some today, and didn't have any problems. The biggest worry the doc had was that the tumor was setting right on top of the part of the brain that controls the right leg function. However, that has all turned out ok, and they think she should be able to go home this Wednesday. All in all, things have gone very well. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, everyone. I really appreciate it, and it means a great deal to me.

I agree. I didn't want to lead in too much, in case lordtariel was lurking about, wanting to read the books. On my first read, I picked up on that pretty quick, I think, once I learned of the Baratheon banner. So did I. I was so disappointed. He was my favorite character, too. Incidentally, why do you think the story begins with Bran? Why begin by looking at an execution being told through the eyes of a 7 year old?

No, but I don't necessarily take every piece of advise that all of my instructors have given me, either. His viewpoints and my viewpoints on the Martial Arts are not the same. I like to think that I am a good person. However, MA did not make me that way. I am because of the way I was raised and taught. The reason that there is only about a 5% chance that any one of us will ever get into a fight in our lives is because of this: we are raised so. It isn't because 95% of the population are Martial Artists. The fact of the matter is that most people know better. Why train all that time for a fight that I may never get into? Because when or if it does happen, I want to survive. To me, the investment is worth it. I work in a Detention Facility, and have met the people who are coniving; the people that you can't trust; the people you don't want to turn your back on. I have met part of the 5%. There is a reason why I am doing my job, and they are not, and it isn't because of the Martial Arts. I am not saying that I have not learned anything else from my Martial Art experiences; far from it. However, I just feel that learning how to defend oneself (the Martial part of the arts) is important. I am also not saying that I would not want to learn Martial Arts from you, Rick (I also respect you, very much). I am just stating what my feelings on the ideas behind the Martial Arts are, from my viewpoint.

My wife got a smoothie machine recently, and has been playing with it as well. She has used some guava juice in some of the mixtures, and has liked it. You can also use sherbert as well.

Sorry to hear that, Kerry. I hope things work out for the little guy. He will be in my thoughts and prayers.

One of the hardest things about teaching is learning to think on your feet. Sometimes, you will get students who don't understand what you are saying to them, although it may be clear to you. You have to be able to change your approach in an instant, so that you can reach the other students as well. This comes with time and practice. As for the ones who want to go to the bathroom, or get drinks; just don't let them! Make them stay and work. They will get the picture. One thing that can help you is having a class planner. Write down what you want to work on that day, for how long, and what methods and drills you want to do. This gets easier with time, as well. Good luck to you, Kez! I am sure you will be just fine! Remember: Teaching is learning; learning is teaching!

I would just make sure that you find a stud in the ceiling to attach the hook to. Then, you should be fine. I think it is a great idea, and it will give you a functional stretch, as well. Something you can add to the exersice is holding your leg up in the stretch, and then releasing the the rope, and forcing your muscles to hold the leg up as high as you can on your own. Then relax, stretch, and repeat.

Good deal. What is nice about the machine is that you can get a vague numerical quantity to follow your progress with.

Anywhere from 3 to 5 reps is what I have read.

Cool. Checking out dojos for the fun would be a good time, if I lived in a more populated area.

You can change your sleep schedule; you just have to force yourself. I went from working a job that went from 7 am to 3:30 pm, to a job that I work from 11 pm to 7 am. You can change, but you may have to force yourself to lay there. Lay down at 10, and wake up at 8; then, don't take a nap during the day, and try to exercise. You will wear yourself down, and end up getting on track eventually.

I agree. Your flexibility will not suffer, as long as you continue to stretch. Lifting weights with your legs will not impair your flexibility, either, as long as you stretch. With that in mind, you may want to alternate between both, so that you get your body a different routine going, forestalling stagnation.

Most TKD sparring is relegated to stand-up fighting. That is why the sparring has evolved the way that it has; hands down, lots of round kicks.

Try a google search of your area. That may help you come up with something.

That is rough, but you can learn from it. Part of the reason behind testing is to put pressure on you, to see how you perform under it. This will help you to focus more, now, and will eventually lead you over the hump. It may take 2 tries, or 10 tries. But you have to keep trying. Stay positive, and smile while you are in class. You will be fine. Keep working hard.

Just remember to take some deep breaths, and try to move around a little bit and stay loose. The nerves can help some; you just have to channel that energy the right way. Good luck!

Karate is, above all, a fighting style. When you get down to it, you should be learning how to defend yourself with any martial art that you study. Personal betterment is a good thing, in my opinion. However, I don't think that it is the centerpiece for learning any martial art. Personal betterment and perfection of character is the role of parents in society; it should not fall on the martial arts instructors of the world. I do believe that it is the job of the instructor to make sure that what he teaches doesn't get used to oppress others. I think responsibility is important when teaching anything, including the Martial Arts. When the MAs first came into being, they were used for war. Since that time, the importance of the person over the warrior has replaced what many deem to be Karate's centerpiece. Have you noticed that it is in the East where most of these changes have taken place? You don't see this trend with Western fighting styles...they tend to move more towards the sporting aspects, the competitive aspects. However, we still live in a violent world, and being able to defend oneself is still important. And I feel that is what learning a fighting style/art/system is about.

Perhaps he learned a lesson out of the ordeal as well. He can keep plugging away, but he will have to re-earn his chances.

I don't know exactly what to tell you about all of that. You should ask your instructor these questions, and see what he comes up with. As for the chi explanation, I dunno.

Lets take this example and delve just a little deeper into it, so you're saying something like say the opening movemet of pinian shodan/heian nidan according to Iain Abernethy is a good interpertation? (simultaneuous up block and middle block, arm cross, and front hand punch) Last time I checked he had that sequence as a three-step grapple sequence that was very much like a standing americana/keylock! I dare you to go out and apply that on someone and you will see that it is much more complicated to apply than just simply using the exact same hand positions you do in your kata and apply them as an easier meaning. It may be more difficult to perform, however, with practice in application, you can make it work. It may not be the same as others, but with time and practice, it may be applicable. Actually, I think that many of these types of techniques have been around for a very long time. Hellenic wrestling and Pankration surely used some forms of these takedowns, and the there are Medieval European manuscripts of wrestling techniques used in combat, as well. They may not have included the "technical" perfection required to get a point in Judo competitions, etc, however, they may have been there.

If you can't find another school to attend, then you may just remain at the one you are at, just to keep training. Who knows, maybe someone else will show up there, and you can work out together on off days. As for the rank thing, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you have to start over at white belt, so what? You will still have your knowledge, and you will most likely move fairly quickly, depending on your skill level. Even if you don't move any more quickly, your skill will show through in your actions, not the belt that you wear.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome to KarateForums!

Just be yourself! You have been you for so long, why change it? I know that it may sound silly, but it is really the best approach you can take. Just remember all of your courtesies, and things should be fine. I am glad that you are getting the opportunity to meet your idol. Enjoy yourself, and just try to stay relaxed.