bushido_man96

There are plenty of streetfighters out there that can do what your friend has done. They just don't name it a style. They just call it fighting. You don't have to have stylized training to be a good fighter. Fighting can make you a good fighter. However, ordering a black belt and calling yourself one, sounds kind of shady to me. This kind of goes down the line of the McDojo arguement.

If you are that concerned about the food that you fix for your kids, check out some internet sites to find some lower fat/calorie foods that are similar to what they eat. My wife does this often, and the food is good, too. Do you do cardio work every day? If you don't, starting that may help to increase your weight loss. It's all about managing your ins and outs.

Thanks, Baron. Have fun with them new gloves!!

Well done on your promotion! May I ask you what Black Belt stances are?

Good post, James. Very good points, indeed.

Just an addition to my earlier post: Most Koreans who practice/compete with TKD aren't going to be the same size as the TKD guy in the show.

Glad to hear your training is going well bushido_man96, its these little improvements that make it all worth while. Thanks, cross.

How was this? I would like to see it (I am an old Turtle fan!) Last night, I watched Rocky Balboa. I really enjoyed this movie. Rocky is a great success story. If you ever need inspiration, all you have to do is watch a Rocky movie!

By that logic wouldnt criminals and foreign armed forces know that many trained law enforcement, armed forces etc will stop shooting when they hear the word "cease fire" thus giving them an advantage... Not likely. Very good point.

No problem. I figured that was what you were getting at!

3-26-07 Chest and triceps today. Chest: Bench press: 185x8, 205x6, 215x4 Incline bench: 135x8, 145x5, 155x4 I noticed an improvement here. Cable Crossovers: 50x10, 60x6, 70x4 Triceps: Dip machine: 177x10, 186x8, 196x8 Next week, I will up the weight here. Bench dips: 3x10 Abs: Decline abs: 3x20 Side raises: 3x25x25 lbs. Added reps to each set here. Hanging knee raises: 3x12 Did Combat Hapkido from 3:45 - 5:15. Then, I taught Orientation from 5:30 - 6:00. I had Traditional Class from 6:00 - 7:00. Tonight in class, I found a new level in basics. I worked my arms so hard, and it felt very good. They still ache today! Sparring at the end of class was better today as well. I did well sparring the 6'3" 1st dan; I was able to get in close and jam him up. I was surprised that when I fought the 4th dan, that I was able to do the same thing. I fought really well against him, and I usually don't. I took a different attitude this night, and I felt very good about it. I will continue to do the same.

Everyone experiences this in some point of their training. It is called the plateau. You gain, gain, gain, and then it seems like the body tops out. Now, you have to just keep plugging away. It will take longer to notice some gains, but they will still come, only in smaller increments. One thing that can help to break the plateau is to change up some of your training routines, yet still keep the same goals in mind. That will help get your body out of the rut you may have worked it into by doing the same routine for a long period of time. Loren Christensen says: "You can't do the same thing everyday and expect different results. Do something different!"

I prefer to use the terminology "stretching to discomfort, as opposed to pain." It should be uncomfortable, but not painful, to stretch.

I enjoy doing this as well. Also, using the cable crossover machine in the gym can let you work punches, backfists, etc., in much the same manner.

I don't know that I agree with that. If I wanted to protect myself, I'd carry a pistol.Well, I think part of reality is being in the know about the weapons that are availble for the time that you live in. Today, conceal and carry is a big thing, and that, in itself, is a bit of reality.

Wow, that was cool. How old was that kid? 8 or 9, maybe? Nice.

I think that the effectiveness of any style will be related to how the instructors present the information to the students. If they teach a self-defense oriented way, then I am sure it can be. But to look at a style on paper and wonder if it is effective, that is hard to know.

You make an interesting point, BB of C, however, I don't think the style you train in, even from a young age, has an affect on how tall you will be and what build you come with. However, I do feel that the art you study may determine how your body develops in relation to power, speed, and muscularity.

I think that there are good points here. The dancing motions kept the art disguised, so that they could practice it together. The practitioners are even called "players." The style does includen elbow strikes, headbutts, along with various hand strikes, aside from the kicking and handstanding. There are two derivations of Caporiea; Regional, which is supposed to be the more traditional of the two, and Angola, which is a bit more showy. As with any fighting art, the practicality of its applications will apply more to the ability of the instructor as opposed to the make-up of the art itself. So, it really depends on how you train. As you have stated, I think that there is some practicality to the art, or it would not have survived as it did.

I saw a few movies this weekend. First was Eragon. I have read the first two books, so I was highly disappointed in the movie. Brom's character was sorely undeveloped. He mentored Eragon much more in the book, and you learn more about Brom's past, which is quite significant. They developed Eragon way too fast, and Saphira as well. I think they have missed Roran entirely. In the book, Murtagh was a sword wielder, and they missed him as well. The romance between Arya and Eragon is misleading, too. Overall, I was disappointed, and am not really looking forward to seeing the second. Then, I watched Man of the Year, with Robin Williams. This movie was much more involved than I thought it would be, but I rather enjoyed it. Williams is so talented, that even if you don't like the subject of the movie, you can still enjoy him. In this movie, he got to be a serious person and a comedian at the same time. I would recommend this one.

Well, I don't say that it can't happen, I just don't rely on it to happen. I suppose if you can develop that much power, it can work. However, I know of some experienced fighters, and I just don't know how much it actually happens like that.

Very cool. I would drive across the state for that, for sure.

Ok, I have some home improvement updates.... My wife just finished painting the kitchen, for the most part. It looks very nice, I must say. She spent more time stripping wallpaper than painting, though. We have assembled the frame of the bookcase that is going into our son's room, and have put the first coat of paint on it. One more coat, and then I can work on the shelving. I was enjoying this project, until I managed to DUMP HALF OF THE CAN OF PAINT ON MY HAND, SHOES, AND FLOOR! After that, I pretty much lost all interest and patience in working on it that night. Next, my wife says we need to strip and re-stain our deck. That will be a good time. Right now, the weather is really pleasant. I just want to make sure we don't get a spring blizzard or something before we start that project.

I agree, James Bullock. So, Wallace actually had a seminar in KANSAS??? I didn't know about it!! That would have been great? Where exactly is Columbus?

I think its fairly trivial. Jim Wagner has said some other interesting things in regards to self defence like: “When I hit someone with my fist, the last thing I worry about is injury. I can get it fixed later at the hospital.” His way of rationalising the use of closed fisted techniques to the head. Interesting. I know that Wagner has his own views on things, as we all do. It sounded kind of interesting, though. In his classes, he uses the terminology "cease fire."