Blackbeltblonde

LOL That's hystarical! ~BBB

It depends if your talking about endurance or technique.. or both. Endurance.. simply use a punching bag and do all the techniques you know.. then do them double time. For a total of at least an hour. Techniques.. Do everything you know slowly and in front of a mirror. I also discovered my technique got MUCH better when I started teaching. (It never ceases to amaze me how other people can screw something up so totally different.. ) Either way, both of those will help. ~BBB

I understand wanting to learn something new. At my school black simply means mastery of the basics. So, I'm teaching and furthing my training in Kalkinodo, but I really would love to do another system to broaden my horizons. ~BBB

When asked to teach other girls self defence techniques.. I refuse. And here's why... simply showing someone how to do something offers a sense of security that the person does not really have. I talked to a friend in NYC who was shown how to back kick a guy in the knee.. and when she got attacked.. did it.. wrong.. and missed... She was so upset! So, when someone asks for tips, the tip I give them is to do martial arts.. not join some 6 week course. The most dangerous students are the ones who know the techniques but don't have the muscle memory to pull it off, or the training to know when NOT to use something. ~BBB

I definately understand what you're saying. I always find it amusing because my whole family (except my mom) does it... Sooo I try explaining to people that their family does baseball and mine does Martial Arts.. it's the same thing.. a family event. no one gets it ~BBB

I think it would be sweet to learn how to use those fans well! ~BBB

Granted a boat oar is a little cumbersome.. but can you honestly say that you could withstand a couple blows from one? If the person using it knows HOW to use it correctly.. Heck yeah that thing is going to be effective! ~BBB

I honestly think allowing them to wear their earned black belt encourages community among systems. I do not believe one system is the absolute best in anything.. so allowing other black belts to come and add to your system.. or simply learn your system I think is a very good thing to do. Bottom line though.. They earned it just like you did in your system. Although, I do know black belts that insist on not wearing a belt for a while until they feel comfortable. ~BBB

WHOA! That's insane!... Someone had a lot of free time! ~BBB

So, I've been doing a lot of thinking and realized that when people find out I'm a black belt ther initial reaction depends on their gender. Girls: Oh that's cool, I used to take kickboxing.. Guys: I have a blackbelt too see! Got it at Walmart. OR I have a brown belt in the closet. are you SERIOUS?! No joke I can count on one hand the number of guys that HAVE NOT made that statement... Am I stepping on their manliness?? ~BBB

lol keep persuing.. girls like that.. (or the ones who are worth keeping do) Girls are insane.. guys are just weird and hard to read... ~BBB

So sad! How do parents not realize their child looks rediculace! Seriously! Make your kid do a few laps around the house!... I wonder if younger siblings are "skinnier" than older ones.. I know my brother and I used to make my younger brother run laps around the house when the parents were gone and he was misbehaving... or he was running from us ~BBB

I definately cannot do anything related to music other than play it on the radio.. but I do draw and paint. I used to be an art minor, but decided I didn't want to kill myself trying to graduate on time ~BBB

My system is a mixture of 6 different styles.. and I firmly believe that it makes it more street effective. Most of the time when styles are combined like that they have taken out what they believe is not as effective and replaced it with what they believe is better from another style. My vote is to go with that. ~BBB

It honestly depends on the gun. I've shot a glock and a sig. Both amazingly sweet guns, but like everyone else said kinda scary. I had a great instructor (my uncle) and he showed me all kindsa things.. the first being how to take it apart and clean it.. and put it back together. Honestly that helped the whole fear of the gun. ~BBB

Amen. I think I can handle myself against anyone empty handed. I KNOW I can handle anyone if you give me ANYTHING.. any sort of weapon and I know I will be fine no matter my attacker. But.. then again I'm a 5'9" girl.. ~BBB

Boat oar.... Long time ago Miamoto Musashi (sp?) used a boat oar widdled down to resemble a sword and fought and won a sword battle in something like 3 strikes and killed the guy.. and he was drunk. You should check out the story, it's pretty sweet. So effective?.. Heck yeah! ~BBB

Mine are with out a doubt Escrima sticks! Mainly because you can use them and apply it to any weapon, especially a bladed weapon. ~BBB

In my oppinion you can tell when someone "helps" their belt be aged. Personally I think there's quite a bit of honor and pride in belts that do it on their own. I will admit I washed mine so the starch would come out.. but that's the extent of mine. ~BBB

I've done all sortsa demos in schools and I currently teach at a college. Some really nice little demos for cause and effect (that are a little more on the light hearted side) "Bully" pushes you. (scenario) You subdue using fingers or joint lock. (Cause) He falls as fast as he can to the ground. (effect) A nice addition would be explaining how gravity assists in cause and effect. Example would be someone charging you and you do a nice little Heaven and Earth, or a simple side-step and re-directional throw. They always look nice and can have endless examples and questions and points attached to them. ~BBB

Totally agree. If you really want something different I would suggest an art that is heavy into weapons. That will improve your overall fighting ability for sure. Arnis is a nice weapons system. ~BBB

It depends for me I guess. My father was the head instructor most of the time (but there was a couple years of overlap where he was the side instructor) he has a 4th degree in Kalkinodo, 2nd in Karate-Do, 1st in Tae-Kwon Do, and bunch of training in all sorts of other systems. The main Side instructor has a 4th degree and a 1st in Judo.. (and I dunno if he has any others) ~BBB

Are you sure they weren't junior black belts? I know that in my school if you were under 14 or 15 you got a junior black belt. Just a thought. ~BBB

HAHA.. not only do I feel your pain.. being a girl I tend to not be nearly as strong as ANY of the guys. The biggest advantage I have is I inherently understand balance, and I'm smaller and more flexable. ~BBB

If you had to pick between those two I would go for Judo. Having trained in both (they are both great) but for the technical side of Wrestling Judo would serve you better. The Judo that I trained in we did do ground fighting, but I'm not sure how much of that was cross over.. but it was taught by the Judo instructor. Either way Judo is much closer using the whole body like wrestling. ~BBB