bushido_man96

Flexibility will help with kicking height, but only if the muscles in the leg are strong enough to hold the kicking leg up at the time. You need both to really make it work well. Also, just because you can't do the splits, doesn't mean that your dynamic flexibility isn't good enough to let you do high kicks.

I have seen some information on it before as well. I will see what I can dig up, too.

Good stuff! MA humor, allbeit dry!

Absolutely!!! Without a doubt, if you ever get to Kansas, or I get to DC, we will defenitely do that!

It sounds like a good idea. Start with the basics, and then just work from there.

Well, the only problem with that idea is that no-one goes into battle without their weapon already drawn. If the fight is impending, then both combatants are going to have the weapon out already...there is no "quick draw." Now, if it was a duel, and it were me in the duel, I would approach with the weapon already drawn. If the opponent chooses to wait to try to Iajitsu me, I really think that a trained swordsman, with the sword already out, is going to have the advantage. You can relate to the same disadvantages that LEOs have when trying to draw their weapon to defend against an already drawn knife. At 10 feet, or even at 20 feet, the advantage still goes to the person with their weapon already out.

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That sounds like a good start. Thank you very much.

Why do you have such an aversion to seeing a doctor? That is the one person who can probably help you the most in this situation.

Age can be a factor, along with genetics. You can still make gains, but they may take longer to come along than if you were younger. Just keep at it!

The muscles and bones of your forearms are pretty well set. I don't think that the muscle will cover the bone, but it may add to the shock absorption. Either way, you will benefit from it.

I think you nailed it there, Steve. However, I don't by the "if one missed it, then the other should catch it" school of thought. I have been in and seen too many tournaments where seated judges don't see a damn thing, regardless of where the alleged point took place. You are right about how they need to be looking for the points, though. You have to be in a "see everything, focus on nothing" state of mind to do it effectively. You also have to be confident when calling your points. If you are going to call it, call it, and be proud that you did, and make sure everyone heard you call it.

It would be interesting to see. I suck at chess, though. Maybe I could pick up a few pointers by watching!

It turned out to be a quality fight, so a re-match would probably be a good idea. With the revenue that it brought in, I am not surprised they want to air a re-match.

I always thought that the Golden Gloves program would be something that would be great to be a part of. However, boxing is skimpy in my area, so I have never really been exposed to it in a training manner. Have fun there, Tom!

Don't worry about it, if you did shotokan you'd be bored as heck with it by the time you're brown belt Haha, it does seem to make the rounds, doesn't it! I don't know, though. I have been doing some of the same forms for quite some time now, and I have always enjoyed forms work. If I ever move to another city, maybe Karate will be in the cards for me.

Try picking it up from videos! Then if you ever get to travel you can work on it with other people. I picked up Unsu that way (and Gojushiho Dai from a book.... and empi from a book). Ah, I suppose I could, but I don't know if I want to learn it that way. If I ever get really bored, maybe I will.

I can tell you now that you will get many mixed responses to this question. It is really going to depend on what your instructor knows, and how he applies it. Many Karate practitioners seek out different styles to supplement the groundfighting aspects of the martial arts.

It's not awkward when you do it. You should feel as though you have much more control of the opponent. Your head (specifically your cheek) rests on the chest of the opponent because the other option is to put it in his armpit (ewww) or behind him. Plus, it gives you even more leverage into your opponent. I'll get that video done either tonight or Monday. That will help. It's difficult to describe. You guys will probably recognize the positioning immediately once you see it. Cool, thanks, ps1.

How do you justify this statement? What makes you so sure that a Knight could not land a hit on a Samurai? A sword is a sword, no matter where you go in the world; even at that time. I think that you seriously misjudge the skill and ability of the Medieval European swordsman.

I don't know that I would ever throw a "traditional" style block to an attack, with the typical chamber of the arm prior to the motion, and then the static finish. The only way I would do this is if the attack was very telegraphed, and I knew I could set it up to do the damage. Mainly, I would attempt to keep my hands in a protective position, especially of my head, and attempt smaller blocks along with some movement, making sure to keep control of my limbs as much as possible. Unfortunatley, if someone is throwing a shot at you, then there is a good chance they already have taken the upper hand; not many people who want to attack you will wait for you to be prepared. Therefore, you may not have much time to block...best case, get your hits in as soon as you can.

Yeah, that is the same problem that I have...a little self-concious, I guess.

I have not noticed any problems of the like...however, I have yet to do a lot of extensive training in this set-up, either.

Hmmm, not sure what to think here...

They have been working very well so far. Our PD officers carry the ones that deploy, and they have worked well in difusing situations. I have the hand held one, and have yet to use it. Usually, if you just show it to them and snap it quick, they think twice about things.