bushido_man96

"Chopping down" does make sense. I may have to play with that idea as well. At my school, we have some bags that we can hang up, and they are pretty low to the ground; perfect for practicing that low Thai kick!

I think you hit the nail on the head there. Just by being recognized, TKD was able to work its way into the Games eventually. I think Karate has a chance eventually as well. However, it may have some competition with the upstart IFL. Those guys really have something going there.

That is great. Goal-setting is something that a lot of people don't do correctly, and knowing how to set your goals and manage the path to accomplishing them is very important, and useful for everyone.

This is some great advise. You will learn so much about yourself by competing. They are lessons that you just really can't learn in the classroom setting.

Technically, isn't bunkai the "interpretation of kata?" If so, can you really trian one without the other? Just a little technical question! However, baron, I can relate to what you are saying. After doing forms for so long, I would like to start doing more drilling exercises and self-defense work. That is why I am diving into my Combat Hapkido now. I still do love forms, though. I will continue to do them. However, TKD wears on my knees so bad nowadays.....

Hey, low kicks are great, too. If the rules that we spar under were different, there is a chance that my head kicks would always follow the leg kick that puts the opponent on the ground.

I think that if I was going to be affronted by more than one person, I would pick one, and go off on him until he went down, and then focus on the other. If you can get a real quick blast of techniques to going on one of them, it may surprise the other. Then, you can see how good of friends they really are. I don't know that this would work, but it is the best that my simple mind can come up with.

What you mention here are some of the things that make BJJ attractive to me. I would love to be able to train with this style. Like you say, ps1, as long as you tap when you feel it, you should stay pretty injury free. One question I do have is this: Do you ever have a problem with students who go into a technique too fast and too hard, causing an injury before the other student is able to tap?

Due to the nature of this topic, I think I will move it to the new Self Defense forum. Thanks.

The school does offer elective courses for the students to fill out the credit requirements, including business courses, criminal justice courses, and others. It is very possible to use later on. I think that often times MAs get too wound up in the time-in-rank that other students/teachers have. If it is just a belt, just a piece of cloth, then does the time in really enter into consideration? Personally, instead of asking how much time they have in rank, I would rather see how they handle a class, teach the curiculum, etc.

This is something that many people consider everyday when training. That is why many will not consider options like MMA or even Muay Thai, because of the higher level of risk involved. However, I do believe that the true risk lies in the competition rather than the training. Most of the training is done in a controlled, safe environment.

I kind of like the set-up your instructor has. It is very incentive laden and goal oriented, which is great for student retention.

Nice article. I, too, feel that the quarterstaff is one of the great weapons of civilization. It has truly stood the test of time. Although now it seems a bit much to be carrying one around, in the Medieval times, it was no big deal to see many a peasant walking the roads with their walking stick in hand.

Way to go!

I am of the opinion that the curvature of the blade doesn't make for that much of a strategic advantage. I think that the straight blades of Medieval Europe can be just as effective.

Lordtarial summed it up pretty well. However, in the right situation, mace can be very effective.

Best of luck to you! I am one of those people who doesn't like to stop, even when sick. I can stand the fact that I have to succumb to an illness. Stay focused, and you should do well!

I think that doing a backflip would be difficult! Its not a technique that I can do, that is for sure!

I kind of agree here. I met my wife at TKD classes, and it has been great. However, I recently read an article in TKD Times that talked about the negative affects of dating in-school. The article brought out several examples of how some schools fell apart. It can be a devastating thing, because when people get hurt, they like to get revenge.

Thanks for the information. That helps to clear it up some.

I prefer the heavy bag. I think it is better for conditioning training purposes.

I see. It sounds quite complex.

What is a round-off flash kick?

I think that you can avoid the spin if you envision your kick going on a continual upward angle, as opposed to straight across, on a flat plane. I don't know if that is the proper way to analyze the technique, but it could work.

What kind of different black belt clubs does your school offer?