bushido_man96

If you stop the pivot half-way between 90 and 180, you will not notice the over-commitiment quite so much. Just something to keep in mind for sparring.

You are right about that. I understand where you are coming from.

I have also heard of it being called dan-tien, I think that is right. The center of gravity, right below the navel, maybe???

Come to think of it your right. Youd think that with people punching and throwing kicks at each other there would be serious injuries all the time; but in the time ive been training Ive only seen one really bad injury and that was on this guys knee. (the guy just got out of surgery just a few weeks earlier and being the highly inteligent person he was decided hed join a new Karate school.) I wonder why that works out that way? I think the reason is that fighters do not put their joints at serious risk in their events. Other than the joint locks of MMA and grappling events, the joints are not usually attacked. And when they are attacked, it is with the goal of submission in mind, and not breaking. In all of the MMA that I have seen, I have only seen one break, and that was because someone did not tap out, and the hold kept being pressed. Then the fight was stopped. In football, baseball, etc., the stress is put on the joints with the highest range of motion; i.e., running in football and baseball (knees), pitching and throwing in baseball (elbows), and the list can go on. Typically, the more range of motion and the more speed a joint can produce, the less stable it is. When a football player gets taken out at the knees, and you gasp for air as you see them bend in funky directions, you see just how unstable that joint is. More stable joints are the shoulder and hip. Also, in fighting, the muscle of the upper leg is a target; not usually the knee (not regarding self-defense here). In football, in order to stop a fast runner, you need to stop the legs. It is much more productive to tackle a runner at the legs (knees) than from the shoulders. Hence, more injuries, in my opinion.

Ok. A classic AFL match-up; one of the best. Chiefs. Raiders. Old time AFL-West match. Even when these teams are bad, this game is always tough. Will it be an offensive explosion? Will it be a defensive war of attrition? Is there a better rivalry in all of the sports world? Cast your vote now!! The good news is that Trent Green comes back this week. Likely, it will be the Larry Johnson show, so that Green can get his feet back under him. I am willing to be that Green will take off down field just once, to prove that he has not wavered, and will still give his all to win. The bad news is that there are still a few defensive injuries, including LB Derrick Johnson. The offensive line still has some holes in it as well. But it doesn't matter. None of it does. All that matters is that it is the classic Chiefs-Raiders dog fight, and the pride of the AFC West is at stake.

Wow! It sounds like you have an awesome training environment! I envy you greatly!

Great article, Laurie. Even though I have just now read it, I can tell that your preserverance is great.

This is a very interesting concept; one I had never really thought of. Thanks for the article!

Yeah, I know you have to be well versed in stand-up and ground fighting in MMA competitions. But usually, it is a mix of Thai, BJJ, or wrestling or judo and boxing, or things like that. I think it is kind of cool that TKD was used by these guys as their base stand-up style. Although, I am sure they have done some boxing and Thai as well.

He sounds like a very good instructor.

all of which are pretty much extinct now. muay boran is an attempt to try and recreate what's left of the various styles. yes, they would have. 1. as stated earlier, the forms are now pretty much extinct. 2. muay thai was created to GET AWAY from traditional stuff - many of the techniques were too hard to pull off in fights and were considered useless. I would add, that this movement by Muay Thai is very similar to what Jigoro Kano did when he stripped down traditional Juijitsu to create Judo.

That is a very well-written article on a very interesting topic. Very informative.

Good article. Integrity and trust are important aspects of good training partners.

I almost never get to watch my classmates compete, because I am busy judging all dang day!

Welcome to KF! What you should do is get a list of the schools in your area, and then go visit and talk with each of them. See what the class structures are like, what the philosophies are, and any other questions that you may have (like the family class question). Best of luck to you, and I hope you find what you are looking for.

Welcome to KF, badclams!

Welcome to KF! Cathal may have some info on schools in Ontario for you. Try dropping him a PM.

That is cool information. Thanks for sharing. It kind of has a parallel to the philosophies behind the ATA belt system.

Yes, thanks a lot guys. Hey, kamasandsais, that was something that you knew that I did not!! Oh, buy the way, Kez, I may have to move to the UK to test!! Just kidding!

Many times, it is to see if the brown belt is willing to put in the time to wait to get the black belt. I have seen many students taper off or just quit after getting their black belt, thinking they have reached the pinnacle. If a student has to put in one year between brown and black, then you can tell if they are in it for the long haul. Also, they have to show maturity to handle the pressure of being an example in class, and helping out, and learning how to teach in some instances.

I may work on them this weekend with my brother as well. He has a knack for these things.

BTW, thanks for the welcome. You are welcome! It's always good to see new faces.

Very good advise; I second this. It will start to click a little if she knows she is affecting others, and not just her. Excellent point! Progress, albeit slow, is progress!

Good suggestions, obiwansbane.

Welcome to KarateForums, AT! Joining the martial arts will probably help get you started with losing weight, but one thing you will want to consider is altering your diet as well. I am 5'7", and weigh 245. If I can do it, you can too. Get in there, and give it all you have, and try to keep motivated, and you will see great results. Best of luck on your journey!