bushido_man96

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.

You can probably find some tutorial stuff on YouTube, or Google Video, or places like that. It would be best to find someone that is experienced with them, and could work with you one on one.

Here is a past thread on the subject that may help to answer your question: http://www.karateforums.com/black-belt-equivalent-vt30331.html Welcome to the Forums!

Well done! (Cute trick, too!)

Years ago, I think my dad did Chung do kwan style. I went to some of the classes with him at the time, but don't recall much. When he sparred, he said that his targets included hands to the head, groin shots, and sweeps. I would have enjoyed that.

I am not for sure how the judges would go there, but my guess is that they took some aggresiveness into account, and the placement of your kicks. Of course, that is just a guess. Good job.

That's great to hear, Kez. As has been mentioned, the best thing you can do is just keep pushing yourself, so that you get the most benefit that you can. Keep up the good work, Kez!

i doubt very much that guy uses a sledgehammer very much in his life and probly doesnt know how to use it very well. if you get a construction worker who knows how to use a hammer and he's a martial artist i tend to think the hammer would generate more force. if not why do we even have sledgehammers to begin with? we would just punch things into place. I think that some of this gets into comparing apples to oranges, as well. They aren't used to do the same things. While a punch may be able to travel faster, the sledgehammer will have more mass behind it. Also, the likelihood of the sledgehammer traveling a straight line is unlikely....they usually go from up to down in a circular path. It is kind of along the same lines of the car crash comparison.

That is kind of cute! The things that kids do, huh?

Lots of good stuff, guys. Keep it coming! Bearich, you make some very good "cover your butt" points. Like I said, I don't know why I thought of this scenario, but by viewing all of the above posts, there are several other scenarios that I didn't think of that could happen. In your post, bearich, you mention a few things that someone "can't" sue you for. I think that you could be sued for them, they just may not be able to make a good enough case to win. I know, its just a technicality, but it still ends up getting your name in a mix that you really don't want to be in. I guess we can all hope that most of the students that sign up for the martial arts maintain the integrity to not follow through with such an act. However, it is also the responsibility of the instructors to know what they are teaching, what they are not teaching, and the integrity to relate this information to their students.

That's cool, James. What level of contact/padding were you doing these sparring matches at? I am interested to know, for equipment purposes.

Most people will tell you that the heavier, the better. Heavier uniforms also hold up better for grappling, if that is what you do.