bushido_man96

Yep, I go through the same things as well from time to time. We know what we would say to someone else, but we are never as likely to tell ourselves the same thing, and it always helps to hear it from someone else. It makes you feel good when you know that someone else cares.

The way that I relate to any activity is that the level of fun and excitement that it gives has a direct correlation to the risk factor involved. MA can be pretty high on the scale, but I don't think you see nearly as many serious injuries in the world of MA as you do in sports like professional football or baseball.

Reference this thread that ps1 mentioned: http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=29198 The MMA discussion starts on page 2, and goes through to page 3.

Yeah, you have an interesting concept there. Many people think that there is a sixth sense: intuition. This could be similar to what you are relating to as the "gut feeling."

I can understand how you feel about the mixed classes, Kez. Ours are mixed now a well, and in class tonight there were 2 adults, including me, and 3 kids; and it was sparring/kicking class. The important thing is to find creative ways to still learn and improve from working with the younger ones. As for your instructor's comments, they are kind of out of line, but sometimes with instructors, it comes down to tough love. Don't let it discourage you; isn't that what studying the arts is about? Preservering and overcoming yourself. You NEVER fail until you STOP trying.

Nice article. Your experiences are very easy to relate to!

Great article, and points relevant to all! It all starts with the basics, and we when we all get older, and can't move as fast, jump as high, or spar as long, we will still be able to perform the basic moves.

Very interesting article. I have never seen the "zone" broken down and explained like this. A very well-written approach, and I like it very much!

Nice arcticle. I enjoyed it very much. Some of it really hits home.

Another bad time is while stretching. Incidentally, I have learned to make it a point not to ever eat anything for an hour or two before I go to class.

I raise my arms in victory!!!!!

Welcome to KF, kain!

Ah, so maybe I should feel so bad then?

Hah hah hah.....I have the ultimate weapon. I'll eat leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, and make it a turkey and cheese sandwich. I will then FART, and I WILL THEN BE THE SUPREME VICTOR!!!!!!!! (Just ask my wife, family, friends, and even animals, they will all agree!)

That is cool!

1st, 2nd, and 3rd dan ranks all have a recommended and then a decided rank to them. Once I get to 4th dan, there is no other rec/decided thing. However, I am not very excited about this at all. The 4th dan testing probably goes for around $500 or $600.

Good info, thanks very much.

Bah! Bearich made some good stabs at this scenario (pardon the pun!); however, this is always difficult, when you face a weapon. The first concern should be controlling the weapon arm, and getting into position to do that. Also, get it in your head that you will get cut.

I think you are right about the wrestling and boxing, not having rank, and not producing the sizing up by other students. You just get in there and drill, and spar, and get experience.

Ok, think about how many hours a week you spend trying to to shape her, compared to how many hours a week she spends doing whatever she wants. You have a yeowman's task ahead of you, and it is going to take some time. One thing you may do to make it hit home is instead of telling her to do push-ups, tell her to leave for the night. Maybe that will make things hit home. Welcome to KF, by the way!

That's great, Havoc88! However, I can't do pullups!

Yeah, but if you do it at home, in your house, you should be ok.

Welcome to KF, kember! It could be related to a lack of muscle strength, or flexibility, or both. I would try to get it looked at by a specialist, to see what they recommend.

You could try doing push-ups with arms in close, using more tricep than chest. I think that long-armed people will naturally have a tougher time doing them than short-armed people.

In your first class, you can expect to be learning basic hand techniques and some basic kicks, and also some stances. It may seem like slow-going, but you will be putting things together in no time. You will not likely be thrown around too much, unless you get into Hapkido or Judo or something like that. The year contract would be ok, if you can get a clause in there that will get you out in case you don't like it. Otherwise, you could opt to just pay him monthly until you think it is right for you. Many schools and clubs have pretty flexible schedules, and you should be able to make at least a few classes a week. Some classes won't start until later in the evening as well, which could work with your time allotment. Good luck to you, and I hope you find what you are looking for!