bushido_man96

Cool, good luck to you and your children!

Do you set your leg down between kicks here? I assume this is with alternating legs, right? Are these done by spinning twice? IE, do one spin kick, then the other, setting down briefly between kicks? I assume this is without setting the foot down, right? The "pop up" is confusing to me here. Could you elaborate some more? Thanks, although it looks like I just made more work for you! I appreciate the reply!

I can give you two reasons for this: 1) it is a tournament rule 2) when you grab, you must do something with it (unbalance your opponent, follow with a jointlock, etc) otherwise it is your opponent that will use it against you. He can countergrab you much more easily than you grabbed him or worse turn your grab into a jointlock or he can punch you easily because you only have one hand left to block... This is what I would guess as well. You definitely want to 'pull' them a little to get the advantage out of your hold. In the street, this would be a good tactic. It is always beneficial to control a limb.

I have seen both of your scenarios, Sohan. It is the ebb and flow of the martial arts.

I apologize, Killer. I am not intending to make it sound like that, but the responses made are very common, and I believe that it leads to a common misconception of the martial arts, and I would just like to see this misconception shook off.

It sounds like you have some good things going there, eclectic fighter. Currently, I don't get to do any bunkai training, so I am trying to get to the point that I am. Eventually, I would like to move into kata-based sparring.

Ah, I see. Thanks, karate man, and welcome to the forums!

Hey, me too!

Hey, that sounds like fun! I have played racquetball in the past, and man, is it a tough game! Great exercise, though.

Depends on the laws of your state. Some states permit deadly force in response to a perceived danger to life or property, before any blows are thrown by the attacker. In any case the responsibility may end up being yours to prove that you acted prudently. I personally would prefer to gauge the situation on my own and strike when I determine the line has crossed, but in this litigious world, as martial artists we will always be held to a higher standard regardless of how justified we think we may be. With respect, Sohan Yeah, that is a good point, Sohan. Being able to guage the situation well enough to garner the action is very important, especially if you end up in court over it.

Distance is a factor I agree. If they close the distance, getting into your personal space - and are behaving agressively - well there you have it. You can defend yourself. If you feel threatened you are allowed to defend yourself afterall. It's just how far you go I think. This is a good statement. I agree that invading personal space is a definite sign of impending confrontation (unless it is your significant other ).

Thanks for sharing, Tom.

Oh, thanks!

Instead of waiting for us to pick up on clues we won't notice, you should just offer it for us!

Oh, that's a good one!

Samo Hung is one of my heros, because he shows that a fat guy can move!

I second the hamstring stretching suggestion. I would also recommend, when performing splits, always keep your back as straight as you can, arch backward if possible, and tilt your pelvis forward. I second these ideas as well.

Seriously, though, I hope you have a speedy recovery.

You may have to do some looking around, but there are some standing contraptions out there that will hold your boards for you, and it may be more effective than the vise, as it will hold on both ends, and maybe even in all four corners. Unfortunately, I don't have the slightest idea of where to look for them. If you are mechanically inclined, you may be able to design something like this as well. Unfortunately, I am not so inclined, so I just call up some friends, and buy them pizza if I hit their hands.

You could ditch it, and get a wavemaster hanging bag. They are very nice, and can be easier to transport if you ever need to move it.

Are you planning on participating?

Does anyone have any combinations that they like to use for Olympic style sparring, or drills for improving kicking and reaction times? I have been doing more kicking paddle work, but as I am kind of short, I have to cut a lot of angles. I want to use a spin hook/heel kick, but I need to speed up the timing. I like crescents as well, both inside and out. I have been trying a front leg round/front leg outer crescent, or the same combo starting off the back leg. What do you like, and what has been successful for you?

I believe what you are describing are primarily straight-legged kicks used for stretching the legs. The rising kick is a front stretch kick, and the vertical kick, I believe, is a side stretch kick. I could be wrong, and it could be that my style is devoid of these kicks as well. However, this is what they sound like to me.

Hey Scott James, How was korea? Our TSD school does backfist, but according to original TSD publications it IS a hammerfist. Next time we catch up (are you back from Korea) I'll show you my new copy of Hwang Kee's volume. Hey, I want a copy too!!!!

Thanks for the info. That helps to clarify things a little bit. It is kind of cool, there is more to the Korean styles out there than I realized, and I like to think that I am fairly knowledgable on the subject. If I ever get the chance, I would love to check out a TSD school, just to see what the similarities and differences between the two are. I do have one book on TSD so far, and I loved it. It has a system of forms, but it has been so long since I read it, that I don't remember which forms they are. I do know that one of the higer ranked forms is called the "Tiger" form.