bushido_man96

I would like to see that. He looks rather tall to me, what do you think? Does he study karate or TKD?

One way to remotivate yourself is to completley change your training, like your classes. If you have to, take a week off. Then climb back into it. Or, take a week away from classes, and work out your own way. As for black belt students, you have to shake things up for them as well. Try things like controlled sparring with different rules, give mini teaching seminars, and stuff like that.

I think they said it was Mishima style karate, made up by the Mishima family in the game. Totally fictitious style.

I have not seen this fight. The last fight I saw him in was a UFC, and he did lose. Can't remember exactly who to, but thought it was Liddel. I remember Ken trying to throw a round kick, falling down, and then getting jumped on, and that ended it. He really didn't show that he had much in that match.

It looks to me like he is a head hunter, and likes to flail a lot of his punches. Maybe if you could bob and weave under his hands, and land some good body shots, and then work up high, he could be taken down. Don't know though. Did you see him pile drive that guy? WoW!

It really depends on the situation that you are put into. If you are in a learning environment, then it can be a positive experience. If it is in an elevated form of competition, then it can be negative. Just depends on what the instructor is trying to accomplish.

Sounds like a nice experience. Any time you get to learn something new from a different source, it is a great experience. Sometimes even learning the same things in a new way is great, too.

I am not familiar with this term....could be the same as floor drills? I am familiar with floor drills, its just putting combination together and working down the floor. Let me know.

Congrats, Aodhan! By the way, I hear you on the Delta Airlines stuff. My wife and I flew Delta to Jamaica for our wedding. The trip there was ok, but coming back.....oh, what a mess!

I would do some cardiovascular training, and try to supplement some anaerobic training as well. That will allow you to go into short bursts of speed during your sparring. Also, enconomy of movement is important as well. Make sure you aren't throwing wasted techniques that don't have a chance at landing.

Glad to hear you found the perfect place to further your training. Try the Shamelessly Unofficial Taekwondo Hyungs page for those forms. They are in a printable format, and you can get clarification from your new friends at the school. Good luck!

Kansas just passed a conceal and carry law for guns. You have to go through an 8 hour training course, and there are restrictions as to where you can carry, but the law is there now. I have had interesting talks with people about the passing of this law. I ask some people and they say, "I don't like it. You just make it legal for criminals to carry the guns now." And I reply, "I think it is a great law, for those of us who want to do the training and carry. And when you talk about making it legal for criminals to carry now, I say this. The people who want to carry them, are going to carry them anyways, regardless if it is legal or not, or if they don't go through the training." I think this allows the honest individual to get himself caught up on even ground, so to speak.

Are you a cop?

You make a good point here. The affordability and availability of the simple stick to use as a weapon has been documented in practically every culture that has ever existed. The staff truly has a rich history.

I am in an interesting scenario when it comes to this subject. I was prevously a member of the ATA. The ATA has a very stringent instructor certification program. In order to become an instructor in the ATA, you have to go to their certification camp. This is a week long camp in which all of the trainees are put into groups with fourth and fifth degree certified instructors. In these groups, they go over various class teaching strategies, ideas behind different learning techniques, how to put a class together to flow smoothly from one concept to another, how to break down the segements of a testing cycle, and so on. It is very intensive, and a very complete system. During the week, each trainee also has to demonstrate that he or she knows all of the curricula that the ATA requires for testings. When they are issued their Instructor Certifications, they have been through the ringer. Before a trainee can even go to the camp, they must log around 1800 class hours of assisting in teaching. Now, in my current organization, after you pass your 3rd dan testing, you are issued an Instructor Certification. This testing is no different than any other physical testing in the organization. However, we all have to take a pre-test in which we go through all of the forms and one-steps and physical requirements up to our level. Which has the better program? Which produces better instructors? You cannot tell, because inevitably one could probably find good and bad instructors in any organization, regardless of the certification process involved. But, when you find out what the protocols of different instructor certifications are, it can lead you to assume what level of competence the instructor has (although I try never to assume anything ).

Very nice

Does it possibly refer to a front pushing kick, like the Thai version? Just a thought.

Good stuff.

WOW! Man, that really sucks, for a lack of any gentler terms. Drinking and driving...stupid. I am sorry for you and your instructor. I hope you guys can get things back on track soon. BTW, was the driver OK? Did you guys prosecute?

I didn't see this one. Try some demos. Those get attention.

Get your current students to bring in a friend, and if they sign up for so long, say 6 months or better, offer the one who brought them in a break on fees for 6 months, or something like that. Or, you could offer special introductory rates, with a uniform for free, and things like this. In the martial arts, one of the best forms of advertising is word of mouth. So, get out there and be seen!

A grappler could make a striker tap, whether he is a white belt or not. However, a white belt could knock out a black belt in jui-jitsu as well. Just because the system of grappling (BJJ, is suppose it is) takes 10 years to get to black belt does not mean that the skill of a black belt in another style is less. In my opinion, and this based on the fact that I have never been a good wrestler, it takes more time to develop the skill necessary to develop all of the joint locks, holds, traps, chokes, reversals, etc., then it does for strikers to develop their punches and kicking skills. This is just the nature of the beast. I could be wrong, but this is my experience. I have wrestled with people before, and they can pin me, tap me out, etc., but the fact of the matter is that when I have done this, it has been under the understanding that we can wrestle, and I can lose, but neither one is hurt in the end. Now, if I decided to strike, and make noses bleed, etc, it changes the way things look. Maybe it is my mistake that I never hit anybody hard or square with a strike or kick when grappling, but this has been my experiece. Just because a BJJer taps out a black belt, you can't read too much into it. The grappler says oh, lets grapple, and see who is better. Then change the game to striking, and see what goes.

I stand and applaud your efforts in deciphering this great work. Excellent, excellent job

I just finished reading Roy Kurban's book Kicking Techniques. The version I have is my dad's original, the third printing done in 1980. Seems so old, but it had good stuff in it. I like his philosophy on kicking, and how he tries to hide the motion of the kicking foot, and use what he calls offsetting balance, and all that stuff. Does anyone know anything about Mr. Kurban, and if he runs an organization, or if he just has his own schools? Let me know, and give me a run down if you enjoyed the book too.

Do you do head contact with the hands in your ATA sparring? We never did, because of the tournamnet rules.