bushido_man96

4-18-07 Conditioning Sledgehammers: 3x1:30, 1 min. rest Jump rope: 4x1 min. rounds. Worked on alternating feet, bringing knees up high at times, and keeping the feet low at times. It is coming along, I guess. Slowly. Punch outs on heavy bag: 3x30 sec, 1 min. rest Pull ups: I did 3, pulling between 1/4 and 1/2 the way up, and holding the position for a few seconds. It isn't much, but it feels like improvement. Orientation: taught from 5:30 - 6:00. Kicking Class: 6:00 - 7:00. We started with 15 minutes of stretching, and then got into forms. I did my form (Gae Baek) 4 times, working on technique targeting and stance placement, working for about 15 more minutes. Bag Work Step-up round kick: 10 each leg Switching back leg round kick: 10 each leg 360 degree spin round kick: 5 each leg Also worked on punching combinations, along with setting up with side steps. Clapper Target Work Back leg inside axe kick: 10 each leg Spin heel kick: 10 each leg[/u]

That is a cool work out idea, James. I always thought that chopping wood we be great to do as well. I just don't have any to chop. (It would be a great reason to by an axe, too! ) 4-17-07 I just did a general solo workout at home, while I was watching my son. Lying side leg raises: 3x20 Push ups: 14, 5 Push ups with 18 month old on back: 5, 10, 8 Diamond push ups: 5 Supermans (back hyperextensions): 20 Shadow boxing: 3x1 min. I worked on footwork mostly, but threw in a few punches and some kicks as well.

Well put, ps1. I notice the "sticking" problem of the side kick when I spar in class all the time. Even if you concentrate on ripping it back really quick, you still get that little bit of lag time from it. I think the success rate of a side kick goes up the lower you go down on the body (knees, upper leg, etc.). There again, however, will be more likely to happen in self-defense, but not in the ring. Just as a side note, do you think that side kicks to the upper leg would be legal in MMA competitions? Not that they would be as useful as the round kick, but would they be legal to do? Or would the risk to the knee be too great?

Your style looks to be WTF, until you mentioned Kwang Gae and Gae Baek, which are ITF style forms.

I think that TKD and Shotokan both have the same kicks, but TKD just focuses on them more, adding spinning variants, jumping variants, and then adding in both variants. It depends on the TKD person doing the teaching as to how much of the different kicking you do, how often it is trained. There are also a lot of competition-focused TKD schools out there, which tends to alter the teaching methodologies. TKD actually has some of its roots in Shotokan. If you do an ITF style of TKD, you may see some of the similarities between the two. As far as the self-defense aspect of any martial art goes, it usually depends on the instructor's knowledge and viewpoints to training self-defense. Hey, DancingSteve, thanks for throwing my old thread back up there!

This is what I have been taught as well.

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community. There is an ongoing concern as to what the practice of forms does for the martial arts. Some will say “forms are the essence of the style.” Some will say they are not. Some will say forms are simulated combat. Some will say they are merely exercise. I am not endeavoring to answer these questions. To do so would be to spark another string to a never ending discussion that, in the martial arts community, borders on the lines of discussing politics and religion. What my goals are in the writing of this article are to point out what forms practice does provide to the martial arts student. The concepts I intend to discuss herein should be easily found in the performance of all types of forms ranging from Tai Chi to Karate to Tang Soo Do. Forms can help improve two aspects of martial arts training: physical and mental. I will discuss the physical aspects first, as they are more easily discerned from forms practice and then I will move on to the mental aspects. Physical Aspects Physical aspects that can be developed through forms practice are sometimes easy to notice and sometimes more subtle. Included in the physical aspects developed through forms practice are strength, speed, coordination and timing. Strength is built through forms practice in both the upper and lower body. In the lower body, strength is developed through proper execution of stances. By varying degrees of knee bends and various distribution of body weight to each leg, stances help to develop strength in the legs, which also helps develop kicking power. Strong legs form a good base for physical fitness. Strength is built in the upper body through the dynamics of the striking and blocking techniques performed. It is true that many martial arts blocks and strikes use over-exaggerated movements, usually involving both arms in a pushing and pulling method, along with a twist of the hips and wrist or arm rotation, along with shoulder movement. What good is all of this movement? These exaggerated movements help to develop the muscles of the upper body, which will help to develop powerful punches, strikes and blocks for self defense, as well as strength for physical fitness. Through the development of this strength, and through repetitions of practice, the martial artist develops power and speed from these exaggerated movements. Coordination is another physical aspect developed through the practice of forms. Techniques help develop coordination in a couple of ways. Many times blocking and striking motions involve a strange angle, or the movement of both arms or the movement of an arm and a leg simultaneously. Movements like this bring up remarks like, “Why would one do a technique like this? It doesn’t make sense.” When a practitioner performs techniques like this, involving the use of more than one limb at a time, the practitioner develops the ability to coordinate different motions with different limbs at the same time. Whether pushing/pulling, or moving opposite directions to different targets, practicing these movements helps the martial artist improve body coordination. Improving body coordination by using complex movements as done in forms practice improves the body’s ability to perform simple, daily movements. These movements help to increase physical ability and overall athleticism. Another way forms practice can improve coordination is through technique combinations. Most forms consist of more than ten moves. If this is the case, then it is possible to run a series of techniques together. This can be done by doing two or more techniques in quick succession, by stepping while throwing a technique in a sequence and timing a technique to hit its target as the foot steps down and then flowing into the next technique. In forms practice, there are countless different combinations available to the student. The practice of the combinations in forms can assist the martial arts student in developing strategies for sparring and/or fighting. There are also stepping and transitional movements done in forms that help the student coordinate turning and stepping with the lower body while performing upper body techniques simultaneously. Coordination is also developed through the kicks in forms, helping students to learn a sense of balance and cooperation between upper and lower body. Through improved coordination, the practitioner gains a kinesthetic sense of what the body is doing and will help the body feel more comfortable when executing simple actions that are used every day. Improved coordination will also help in sparring and self defense. It is easy to see the improvement of upper and lower body coordination when one watches a beginner practice forms. The novice practitioner can often be seen stepping into a technique and then stopping and looking down at his feet upon completion of the technique, to make sure that his feet are set right and his weight is properly distributed in the correct stance. The experienced student does not have to look down at his stance, because he can “feel” if it is right or not, due to repetitive practice of his forms. A sense of timing can also be developed through forms practice. One aspect of timing is hand/foot timing, which is when the technique is held back until right before the foot sets down, as in a step forward or after delivering a kick. By holding back the technique until the instant before the foot lands, it allows the practitioner to get the hips and shoulders to twist into the technique, maximizing power on impact. Timing is also developed through the combination techniques, finishing the techniques quickly, while leaving enough of a pause between them to give the combination rhythm, and permitting the practitioner to give definition to the stance and facilitating transition into the next technique. Through the use of hand/foot timing and the execution of combinations, the form develops an overall timing and rhythm. Mental Aspects There are also a few mental aspects that are honed through forms practice. The first of these is memory. Through the repetitious execution of forms, the student develops the ability to memorize a set of moves, ranging anywhere from 18 moves upward to over 100 moves, depending on style. Apart from simply memorizing the techniques, the practitioner must also memorize what stance they are done in, which side of the body does the technique and where the target is. One can see that by learning and practicing a set of forms, the ability to memorize, retain, and recall information has been improved. Another type of memory developed is muscle memory. Through repetitive execution of technique via forms practice, the muscles begin to retain the mechanics involved with each technique. This sort of memory increases the efficiency with which the body acts. The second mental aspect developed through forms practice is focus. When practicing forms, it is important to concentrate on the task at hand. A student must be able to focus his internal energy into the execution of his techniques, applying the timing, speed, power and coordination required to execute good technique. Mind and body must work as one, and focus is the glue that holds the two together. This focus is facilitated by developing proper breathing, which accompanies the execution of each technique. Another aspect of focus was mentioned earlier, pertaining to the focus of targets for techniques. Without an actual, physical target in front of him, the student must focus and visualize where each technique is going to land. Conclusion The practice of forms in the martial arts can help develop and refine several physical and mental aspects that are important to the martial arts student. Physical abilities including strength and speed are developed along with timing and coordination. Important mental aspects, such as memorization and focus, are honed as well. There are many feelings and theories as to where forms came from, why they were designed and what they accomplish. I hope that this article has provided some insight as to what forms practice does offer the martial artist.

When someone has that much experience fighting, then mixing it up with them is not going to be fun. Trying to kick them in the head may get you put on your back. If he is going to attack you, then it will all be in close, so you will need to get him away from you as quickly as possible. Punching and clinching might work for you, so that you can land close range attacks. Then, as soon as you get him distracted or disoriented, you try to get away. Think self-protection before self-defense. Sometimes not fighting is the best thing you can do to defend yourself.

If you evade to the side of the heel, just make sure to stay close, and jam the lower leg with your arm. That will keep that hook kick from developing.

Hey, James, is the wood throw just....throwing pieces of wood? It sounds interesting, either way. 4-16-07 Chest and Triceps Chest Bench press: 195x8, 205x6, 215x4 Incline bench: 135x6, 145x4...this felt really heavy today, for some reason. Triceps Triceps push down: 90x8, 105x6, 105x6 Dumbell triceps press: 20x10, 25x8, 30x4 Bench dips: 3 sets of 10 Abs Decline abs: 3x20 Side raises: 3x25x25 lbs. Hanging knee raises: 3x12 Ab roller: 2x5 Conditioning Stairs: 3x45 sec, 1 min. rest Steppers: 3x30 sec, 1 min. rest Sledgehammers: 3x1:30, 1 min. rest Did Combat Hapkido from 3:30 - 4:30. From 5:15- 5:30, I worked on Footwork, trying to work ducks, slips, etc. into the mix with some punches. It was very different, and the punches don't feel the same as they do on the bag. Taught Orientation from 5:30 - 6:00. Three of the kids from the Orientation went into the regular class right afterwards. From 6:00 - 7:00, I taught Traditional Class. In tonight's class, it was all kids, and we did a lot of basics work, with 3 new students in the mix. The 3 new kids adapted well, and I think they will do great. They just have to keep their focus, and stay with it.

I had a similar incident happen when I was in the 8th grade. I tried wrestling, and I wasn't very good at it. During practice one day, I got rolled back onto another kid's leg, which ended up tearing up his knee. When I got home, I told my mom that I was quitting, because I wasn't any good at it, and I got this other kid hurt, who was probably better than I was. When my dad got home, he talked to me about it. The one part of the conversation that I still remember to this day is that he said "you've got to keep pluggin' away." So, I agreed to finish the season out, winning one match the whole way. But, I finished it. I keep those words in mind today. Great instructors come and go. You can almost always fall back on your parents.

Wow, there is a lot of certifications to go through there. That is quite a vast system. Thanks for sharing that information.

My mentors are my parents. My dad has taught me a lot about using common sense, and dealing with situations in general, fighting or otherwise. He has had a lot of fighting experience, and he is the one that got me started into the Martial Arts. My mother has taught me a lot as well. She is tough as well, and is never afraid to speak her mind. What you see is what you get with my parents, and I try to model myself the same way.

Great post. I would have to agree. I find that I compare myself to others in the class all the time. It helps me to keep pushing myself, to work hard, so that I can be my best. What is refreshing is that I know of a few of the students in the class that also look towards me in the same way, even though I compare myself to them. It reassures me, while at the same time pushes me to continue to improve.

It looks like the Chiefs are going to be trading Trent Green to Miami, and Will Shields retired.

Well, what can I say about this book? I am sure that many have already read it, so I will refrain from a large summary of what many consider a staple in any Martial Arts library. I will say a few things, though. In the intro, Gilbert L. Johnson says that the book "has no real ending...serves as a beginning." This statement exudes the amount of philosophy that Bruce exhibits throughout the book. There are some points in the book that stand out. Many times, Bruce alludes to "athletic performances" in speed, agility, balance, preperatory phases of movements, etc. It is obvious that he felt that Martial Artists were athletes, who did an athletic activity, and this was important for economical performance. His notes are very well researched, and he studied books on Western boxing and fencing to facilitate some of his style components. His last two sections are philosophical. He talks a lot about freeing the mind, and liberating oneself, in order to better oneself as a person, and not just as a Martial Artist. When it comes down to the ideas in the book, one can see that Bruce spent a lot of time studying and trying to improve himself through constant practice and study. He tried whatever there was, and kept what worked for him. Striking, kicking, in-fighting, and grappling...he covered it all. As far as books go, I really enjoy this one, having read it twice through. I highly recommend it, to gain insight, ideas, and to facilitate what it is that the Arts are to you.

First off, do you have someone to help you out? Just trying to learn on your own can be a chore, and having someone to work sparring and applications with will help your learning ten-fold. I have always had a soft-spot for the Quarterstaff. If not that, then the stick or knife. The knife may be the most practical.

When we test, the instructors are taking notes on our performances. They write down scores and some take personal notes. After the testing, the reports sheets are sent to the HQ, and then results are sent back. Basically, if you don't get a belt, then you didn't pass. However, the instructors will always offer feedback in class, when asked about performance, what needs work, etc.

I hear you, Lordtariel. I need more work on my push-ups as well. I can't do too many in a row. Thanks for the info, James.

No problem. In the past, I had heard of schools being considered full-time establishments, and clubs as part-time, but that could have just been a few instances.

A note on your goals: As long as you stay focused on your goals, then you should not have any trouble working towards them. The art that you study should not make you change your goals. If you plan to use them as a means to the end, then I think you won't have a problem. As for the style, I would recommend spending some time with each school, and perhaps share your goals with each of the instructors. They may be able to give you some insight as to what their goals as instructors are, and then you can see if you will be able to relate to them through your training. Best of luck to you.

That is a good point, ninjer. Thanks for your help on this thread. I appreciate it a lot.

Well done!

Thank you, James. That sounds like a good time!

The term "club" usually just refers it as a group of people interested in the same thing. It does not have any relation to whether they have a standing building or not.