bushido_man96

Yeah, I know what you mean. A lot of rear-leg kickers will put more weight on their front leg, so they can fire off of the back faster. I like to use my hands as well, so I stay pretty balanced, I guess.

Very well done!

Thats for sure. Unfortunatly most schools that preach awareness rarely do anything to enhance it within the students. I think that it is something that I would mention more often, and spend time with, if I could, in the class setting. One thing is for sure; I keep it in mind a lot more now with my line of work.

That backpack may offer extra protection for attacks to your back as well. Something to think about. It is important to practice from time to time in scenarios where you are wearing clothes like you have listed. That way, you will know what you can and cannot do. Get together with some friends, and do some role-playing with it. See what you learn.

I've never heard. I know a couple police officers and I'll try to remember to ask them. That's interesting. I personally don't see the difference, but I'm not the law.I think it's because you can cause significantly more damage with a kick than with a punch. I don't think that can actually stick. I have never heard of it before. It may just be somebody talking without really knowing the situation.

Best advise: Go see a doctor. Have them examine it, or get a physiologists to look at it. They will know a lot better than we can guess. For the time being, rotate ice and warm compresses.

I have a few issues of Dragon Times, and I enjoyed them a lot. You say they are the predecessor of Classical Fighting Arts? That sounds great.

Very nice!

Congratulations!

This is where we differ in opinions. I don't view the jab, jab, cross, jab, uppercut as a kata, but as a drill. I agree with the muscle-memory ingraining aspect, but I don't think that it makes the drill a kata.

I may have to look into these publications. I am always looking for more to read (even though it drives the wife slightly bats ).

I wonder if maybe you feel this way because in the beginning, you had to think harder about how to do things. Now that you have advanced, and things come more easily to you, you mistake it for not working as hard. In fact, you just have smaller, less noticible things to concentrate on, and that could be the difference. Just a thought!

Deeper stances=increased stability while decreasing mobility. Taller stances=increased mobility while decreasing stability. In the end, you have to find your happy medium. Just curious, how long is everybody's stance when they fight? Mine isn't much different than a little longer than average step forward.

Good stuff! Where do you get all of these?

That is great! I'll have to remember that one.

I agree, Ed. That is very cool.

You hit the nail on the head there. Awareness is what will be the most useful tool you have.

You are welcome! I tried, and was surprised there wasn't more around there, for such a populace area.

Thanks for checking, Johh. I am in Hays, KS, Ellis County. Not much out here.

In the interview that I saw, one boxer was making the comment that there were a few boxers he knew that "couldn't cut it boxing" and moved on to MMA. He made some very snide comments about them becoming MMA fighters as well. He also downgraded the talent of the MMA in same breath, kind of.

Funny thing...the school I attend pretty much teaches a back stance as the sparring stance, but I don't use it. It is too uncomfortable for me, and I take a more naturally balanced position, like a boxer would. The back stance can be ok, though, because it keeps the body sideways and as a smaller target. Also, the front leg should only have about 30% body weight on it, making it easy to move. But, as I said, I would not fight from that stance, either. Even in point fighting. Not to say others can't with success. Just not me.

This may be so, but he used it in the sense of working in the most efficient manner possible, and I really feel that Lee felt that forms were not very efficient when it came to learning how to fight/defend one-self. Achieving a level of "mastery" is, in my opinion, one of the most ambiguous things in the Martial Arts. It is so because it is nearly impossible to put a timetable on such an accomplishment. Many times, masters appear to be so in the eyes of others, as opposed to themselves, unless they have a really big ego problem. How do you know when you have mastered the basics? What exactly are the basics? Is mastering the basics the only requirement for achieving mastery? Or, does it simply mean that you have mastered the basics, and that it is now time to move on? I think the last statement there may sum it up the best, but I don't know. I am not a master, I can say that, though.

My point with the Pinan katas are that they were created with a purpose. And they can still be valid to train in today, like Shorin Ryuu mentions, with training basic techniques. However, as can be noted in other styles, there are ways that can result in successful training away from forms training. I guess, if you want to call everything that you do for muscle memory purposes a kata, then that is fine. I don't look at it that way. You could say the same for any floor drill you do with basics, any bag combination drills, etc. In the end, to me, they aren't katas. They are drills. You make good points about what Bruce Lee said, though. He was quite outspoken.

It sounds like you were the victim of the "touchless knockout!" That is a tough break. I'll bet the expression on the white belt's face was priceless!

I also get Black Belt Magazine and Taekwondo Times. I enjoy both publications. I read each from cover to cover. BBMag is monthly, whereas TKD Times is bi-monthly. I have also heard of a UK publication called Traditional Karate. I don't know if you can get here in the states or not, though. The Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do organization used to put out a magazine as well, however, I haven't gotten one in a while, and don't know if they do anymore. There is also a magazine titled Grappling, I think, if you that is a subject you would like to read up on.