bushido_man96

Thanks, cathal.

Well, you need to up your calorie intake, I think. Also, maybe the amount of fat you get, to keep the weight on. Sohan would be better with this, as he can be a lot more exact. If you come eat with me for a month, I think you will gain some weight! Protein shakes may be able to help you out, too.

I am trying to build up to where I can do some decent sprint interval type training, to build up my explosiveness for TKD. Since my youngest is starting to get a little older, I would like to try to get back into competition. However, I have never been happy with my sparring ability, so I am trying to improve. I can usually place in forms, but I want to become a better fighter as well. I do some sprints twice a week, but they aren't very long yet. I am trying to build up to it. I also run stairs for 1 minute intervals on those days as well. Suggestions are helpful, if anyone wants to drop some!

You're welcome!

It seems odd that a 3rd dan would break away and create his own style, doesn't it? I would think that one would not do this until he had achieved a masters rank, or something similar. However, I could be wrong. I guess what I meant to say was that it doesn't seem odd for a 3rd dan to start his own school, but to break away and start his own association does.

So you are saying because he does a modified version for competition that it is mcdojoish?

Kez has good advise. I would add that if you can make sure that they can trust that you have good control, they may be more willing to open up on you. If they don't trust your control, yet, they won't step it up, for fear of you returning a hard shot because you are trying really hard. It will come in time. Just work really hard on your control, and see where that gets you. Best of luck to you!

I thought I could smell something....

This is the term that I have heard for it. I can do it, and it is not all arm strenght. Like anything, it is about technique. I'll see if I can give you a run down..... 1. Place hands beside your head, and roll back onto your shoulders. 2. Thrust your feet up and out, like at a 45 degree angle from the floor. 3. As you thrust your legs up and out, push with your arms and neck. Most of the momentum should come from your legs being thrown up, though. 4. Make sure to curl your legs back underneath you to stick the landing. That is it, in a nutshell. I got it first by practicing on a trampoline. That helps you get the motion down, without worrying about plopping on the floor. The first few times I tried it on the floor, I bounced a few times, but soon, I had it. It isn't really in the arms so much as it is in the neck and shoulders (for pushing). I have seen people do it without the use of the arms as well. Out of all of the people in our school, I was one of two who could do it, and I hardly pass off as the "athletic one." Hope this helps. Enjoy!

Oh, ok. Thanks, Carolyn. I don't have any pets at this time (my son is allergic). We did have several cats before, though. However, I have always considered myself a dog person. I would love to have a great big dog of some kind. Maybe a Dane, or a Shepard eventually.

Carolyn brings up a good point....ou may want to watch yourself in the next few sparring sessions..... . Just kidding! All should be well.

OK, another question or two about Bunkai. Do you tend to teach bunkai for each move in the form? Do you teach it transitioning from one move to the next, for every move, or just a few? About how much time do you spend on it in class, and how much time to ensure they have it down (i.e., two months worth of bunkai per form before testing)? I know that everyone will learn differently, and some faster than others. But if you have some guidelines that I could look into, that would be great. I was thinking along the lines of taking maybe a month to get the form down, and then spending the next few months focusing on the bunkai, to get the application process down, and be fluid with the movements. Thanks a bunch!

I am working on formulating my own curriculum, in case I want to have my own school again some day. I plan on including sparring. I have a few questions: 1. Do you have students work on sparring at white belt, or do you just drill with them? I have had students start after the 3rd rank, and my current school does it after white belt is passed. 2. What sparring techniques do you teach at white belt? I was thinking of keeping it real basic, mainly with getting the Olympic style round kick down, front and back leg, and using some footwork. 3. Can anyone help me out with drawing footwork and feinting footwork, if there is a difference? What do you guys think? I am going to work on Olympic and a non-Olympic style of sparring, but am looking for Olympic style drills. Any info will be greatly appreciated, regardless of style. Thanks in advance!

What's a budgie?

When asked if he wanted his pizza cut into 4 or 8 pieces, Yogi Berra replied: "Oh, 4, I can't eat 8."

Welcome to the Forums!

Hey there! Christmas is usually as big a deal for my family as Turkey Day is. I think it is just that Turkey Day comes first. Any time like this where the whole family gets together, is just a great time over all. During the hollidays, I tend to average about 3 big meals per holliday, and then the leftovers!!

Cool, thanks, Drag'n. I don't know why, but I always invisioned practitioners lined up, taking leg kicks to build up resitance. It may be from the Kickboxer movie, I guess. Sorry, I know better than that, now, though.

If it is hurting your groin, it is probably a matter of flexibility, or perhaps muscle strength, as opposed to technique. I would have to see the kick to help you, for sure.

Hmm, not sure what to tell ya. You can always work with the other hand, though!

Hey, that's cool. However, you may check into it before you cut your losses. It may not be too expensive, because many are just clubs under the umbrella of the university.

Please, call me John. And Warrior-Scholar has some of the most educated Tang Soo Do, Soo Bahk, and Moo Sa Do minds around. I like to pretend I'm one of em Cool. I'll try to remember to call you John. I call just about everyone by their usernames, because I see it all of the time. I am very interested in TSD, so I may ask you some questions about it from time to time.

I know that there are a lot of smaller TKD associations out there as well. The one I am in is one of them (TTA).

That is a good question; however, styles like muay Thai and boxing have been able to by-pass katas completely, and make very competent fighters soley through the use of drills and sparring. Newer styles like Krav Maga have also been successful without the use of forms training. This is true to an extent. However the statement was that to practice drills you needed to derive them from kata. Going solely by this line of thought, sloppy kata will lead to sloppy drills. However, you don't need the katas to derive the drills. The Eastern Arts are the ones responsible for the katas, and for the derivation of drills from them. Many Western fightings styles never used katas as drills. Boxing is one, wrestling is another, not to mention their weapons usage. However, I have seen a source that said that pankratiasts used a form of kata, but I have only seen this in one place. I'll concede that point. However, they have gone beyond the need to practice kata, and focus on drilling and application. MMA fighters, boxers, and grapplers don't spend time on forms. They get right into the meat and potatoes of fighting. They still dedicate the time needed to be successful. Maybe they don't spend that time on forms, but they get plenty of training time in. Let me make this one last comment on "realistic military fighting systems" that happen to make their way to the public. Sure the Russians might use Systema and the Isrealis might use Krav Maga, but how much time to you think they practice and focus on their hand-to-hand skills as opposed to say other skills like detecting possible hostilities, firearms, etc? I agree with you here. As I have said before, I enjoy my forms training. However, I don't feel that it should overshadow my self-defense training.

What is "Macdojoish" about it? Is it just because someone wants to compete, or because someone is willing to give a demonstration for show? I am having trouble understanding the definition here.