bushido_man96

That is a very enlightening post, ninjer, and I agree with some of the points that you make. This, I agree with. The combinations work to set up the opponent, and you transition from one to the next until you get one that you can stick. I have read about this as well, and I think it is one of the interesting aspects of ground fighting (although I don't get to do it much). In the article, there is mention of transitioning from one move to another if the first doesn't take, like you mention as well. I don't really think that the article is trying to break them up, just describe the three of them. John Machado contributed to the article....but I don't know much about him, other than sharing the name of Machado. When you say this here, do you mean they are not executed properly, or that they just aren't executed completely?

What it really comes down to is what the practitioner is training for. Most Judoka are training for their sport, while BJJers are training for theirs. I also firmly believe that if you give each of them some time, they can alter their game to be more balanced. I have heard many times that BJJ contains the entire Judo curriculum, and I believe this to be true. The thing is that each one has a different focus. BJJers work on the ground a lot more, trying to force a submission or choke. The Judokas work to throw for points, and then pin the arm, if I remember right. I honestly think that BJJ is what Judo has evolved into. Jigoro Kano studied Jiu-jitsu, and then stripped it down a bit to make the training methodology that he did for Judo. Now, the BJJ masters of Brazil have taken the Judo (or Jiu-jitsu) methodologies, and brought them into their own training methodologies, effectively forming a visible family tree of these three arts. If you think about it, we really got to see the evolution of an art form, and I think it is really cool to see.

I think that Kendo is the sword art you are thinking of.

I need to get something set up like that. That would be great. How many hours a day did he teach? I think he taught twice during the week and then again saturday morning. Figure 3 classes each night during the week, (kids, lower ranks, higher ranks) 1 hour each. Then the saturday class was intended for all instructors to be there from about 10-12 if I remember correctly Ah, thanks for sharing. I thought that maybe he taught something like 5 days a week. But, 3 classes per night, 3 nights a week could be a good set-up as well. Did he work any other jobs, as well?

I think you are right, ps1. In most Korean styles that use the red belt, it tends to be the belt before black (at least, in my experience).

I think that the nice thing about learning weapons is that they don't have to be ratcheted to a style in particular. My TKD school doesn't teach weapons, so I do SCA combat, and do a lot of research on Medieval Combat to supplement it.

Congratulations! May you have many more happy testings to come! Remember, they are all learning experiences, so glean what you can from them, and continue to work to make yourself better. Bruce Lee said once that "In every passionate pursuit, the pursuit is worth more than the goal." That is close, anyways. I'll double check and edit for the complete quote.

I agree. This can shape them up quick.

It is important for assistant instructors and head instructors to be on the same page as far as technique performance goes; i.e., everything should look pretty much the same, and not radically different. Everyone is different, so there will be some minor differences. However, the overall look and feel of the school should be consistent. Now, I do think that it is important for assistant instructors to have their own styles and ideas for classes. Give them a framework to go with, but allow them to be free enough to put their own twist on the class. That is the beauty of teaching. If you have certain things that you want them to teach at certain times, that is fine. But, let them do it their way from time to time. This is how we can all learn and grow.

4-25-07 From 4:15 - 5:30, I did kind of a hodge-podge workout. I started out doing some very slow, controlled kicking on the heavy bag. I would chamber for a side kick, and then kick slowly out, and push the last 6 inches or so of the kick on the bag, pushing back on the bag, and making sure to not lose my balance. I did this with front kicks as well, doing about 10 on each leg with each kick. Then, I did forms to really get warmed up. I did Chon Ji through Toi Gye hyungs...8 forms in all. After this, I worked on my hook kicks. I used the wall for balance, and threw out slow, tension kicks, focusing on keeping my leg high, and on technique. I did about 15 to 20 on each leg. I then spent some time throwing tension slow kicks again, without using the wall for balance, but I didn't do too many here. I did some side kicks and some back leg round kicks. My 1st degree friend and I finished up with some black belt basics, to get us good and tired. Taught Orientation from 5:30 - 6:00. Today, I focused mainly on front stances with the kids; walking in front stance with the legs spaced properly, front knee bent, proper body alignment, etc. I put obstacles on the floor that they had to straddle to keep the feet on two lines, and not one. I also got to teach Sparring Class from 6:00 - 7:00. Here is the intenerary: 1. Footwork/kicking floor drills. I held out target pads in front of the kids, and they had to do a side-step, and then shuffle in and kick the target. First they did round kicks, and then side kicks. We did this drill for about 10 minutes. Then we moved on to partner drills with chest protectors and all pads on. 2. Open stance, spin side kick counter. The attacking partner would do a back leg round kick, and the defender would counter on the initial movement with a spin side kick. I focused on making contact with the spin side kick, making sure to get the partner pushed away. The defender was also to land forward in fighting position, to prepare for follow-up technique. 3. Same drill as above, but added the follow-up technique; a back leg round kick. 4. Closed stance, side-step and then step up round counter. Attacker would come in with step-up front leg round kick. Defender would side-step forward and away from the kick (45 degrees) with the front leg, and then do a quick step-up round kick to the body, and then follow with punches. 5. Finished the last 5 minutes of the class with some round-robin sparring rounds, critique point techniques, etc. This was a fun class for me to teach. I had a good time, and got to work with my 1st degree buddy on some of the drills as well. Side note: my abs are VERY sore today!

Good points. Scheduling for the Martial Artist is very important. If you havd nothing else to dedicate your time to, then that is great for you. If you want to have a social life, and get out once in a while, you will want to be taking a look at your schedule.

I would check with your doctor to see what you can do to help yourself the most. At any rate, make sure to pace yourself when you train. If you re-injure yourself, you won't be training at all. Listen to your body, and give it the recovery time that it needs. It may require more recovery time than it has in the past.

I need to get something set up like that. That would be great. How many hours a day did he teach?

This article is very good and well written. In Japan, you'd be made fun of for wearing dirty clothes. http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2005/09/09/urban-legends-of-karate-belts/ Very nice. Humorous, too! That is a good read.

I think that this depends on your level of understanding of the art. Somewhere, someone started this whole thing, and who knows if he had someone teach it to him? Maybe they worked as a group to come up with it. It is hard to tell. However, through proper experimentation, and using practical approaches to ways that you can be attacked, and thus formulate practical defenses, could be a great way to learn what works and what does not. What someone else teaches you may not work for you, so you may need to explore what does and doesn't work for you.

That is a very interesting thought. I wonder what Itosu and Funakoshi would have thought about the "Jr. Black Belt."

I wonder how much today's Tae Kyon resembles what was 1000's of years ago. I want to think that it is a close proximity, but I don't know that I can. At any rate, the fact that it did exist, and what General Choi and GM Han learned must have had something to do with the characteristic kicking that fills TKD and TSD today.

I agree, I think that can help at times, too. Sometimes, I get so focused in on the target, that I don't think about how things are getting there. It just depends on my mindset at the time, I guess. I have this set. It is very nice, but I am a little disappointed with some of the applications. The book that I have by Anslow is nice for filling in some of the voids.

I think that I may need to get a size smaller chest protector, so that I can move in it better. I am not worried so much about taking a shot, because I can block pretty well. I just need to be able to move and attack, or I will be doing is defending.

I can't remember for certain, but I think that the unarmed combat techniques listed in the Muye Dobo Tongi are referred to as Kwon Bup. It may have been Su Bak, but I can't remember for sure. I'll have to check it out.

I agree. It is the same with TKD. During the occupation, many Koreans were educated in Japan, and thus got exposed to Japanese Karate (most likely Shotokan). In the Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do, General Choi mentions that he had training in Karate during his time in Japan, so there is bound to be similarities in the styles. I did read that Hwang Kee desinged the later forms that you mention: I read that he used moves depicted in the Muye Dobo Tongi, which is an ancient military text of Korea. Perhaps he did take some of the moves listed in this text, and put them in his new forms. I think that this is a great gesture, delving into Korea's military past. However, I don't know if it makes it more 'traditional' than TKD. I do know that there is also a Moo Duk Kwan branch of TKD as well. Again, not all TKD is sport oriented. I hardly ever compete in TKD, although I have before. There are just as many Karate stylists out there that are sport-oriented, because they enjoy it. It doesn't automatically make it more 'modernized,' in my opinion.

Ah, I can concur with you here. Since we don't do much Ho Sin Sul in class, I supplement it with my Combat Hapkido training, which works out very well.

If we do this side punch (we don't very often), I would do it from a sitting stance (horse stance), pulling the arm back to the ribs, and loading up the technique by lifting the foot of the side I am punching with slightly off the floor. Then, uncork the body like a slinky and step your body weight down, into the punch. The punch should land as the foot hits the floor. I hope that isn't too confusing. Marie curie had a good explanation. Remember that when working with the kids, being able to demonstrate the action as you talk will help them to relate to it better. They will try to copy you, but kids only do typically about half the effort. So, you must make everything bigger and more exaggerated when you demonstrate.

Lots of great replies so far. I think that some of the concepts that kata enthusiasts come up with for their bunkai are creative, and some of it can be useful. As many have said here, simple is better. Getting too flashy will be a bad thing. If it wasn't there to begin with, who cares? If it can cause practitioners to explore things more, and put different twists on things, it can help to expand their training. The main thing is to make sure that it stays reasonable. I think that Abernethey has gotten on the right track, by applying his bunkai teachings into what he has referred to as "Kata based sparring." In this scenario, you won't be bound by what move has to follow what. Instead, you take what is given you, and attempt to apply your defenses as you go. The bunkai practice will help to ingrain the muscle memory, so that you can then focus on what works better when the heat is on. Non-resisting opponents are the key to this part of the training. I will admit, I have done forms for 14 years, and have never done any bunkai. So, I have been looking into it. It makes me think more about my forms and training. I don't overlook the simple things, either. At times, a punch is just a punch, and a block is just a block. However, you can take these functional movements, and add to them, depending on what is available to you from the opponent.

That's a good question. I am not sure. I would guess pain-compliance, kind of going along the restraint route. I know that most pins in Wrestling don't tend to be painful, much like Judo, I would guess. Perhaps that is one of the results of competition techniques. However, you wouldn't see many pins in an MMA fight, unless one fighter was holding the other in a pin to try to work into something else. I am not for sure. Can anyone else chime on this question?