Sohan

Hmm, maybe I'm wrong about that. With respect, Sohan

Good post. I couldn't have said it better myself. With respect, Sohan

Congratulations on your "black belt", Jiffy! I concur with your sentiments. It's always helpful to keep an open mind on a forum like this. I have had my mind changed more than once when discussing topics here, and expect to again many times. With respect, Sohan

**Update** Good news! My classmate Richard told us last night that he is happy to report his PET scan and biopsy were NEGATIVE for cancer. He still faces surgery for the large mass in his lung (about the size of a small orange), but we know now it appears not to be cancerous. He is obviously relieved as we all are, and I have no doubt that your thoughts and prayers played a part. I am not a big religious guy, but I do believe in the power of prayer. Thanks again for all your support, KarateForums! With respect, Sohan

Good stuff. However, every time I hear that Black Peas song now, I think of this video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=tezOVXBWVOI With respect, Sohan

I sing in the shower, but stretching??? Um. No. With respect, Sohan

Many of my dojomates are also musicians. We have found that there are many parallels between MA training and developing musical skill. With respect, Sohan

Bushido, a very wise person once spoke to me about the value of being on a plateau. Oftentimes we feel that we are not progressing at our endeavors, and that we are simply remaining at the same level that we always have been. However, as long as we are giving an effort, we are always improving, whether we realize it or not. The plateau simply offers us an opportunity to assess where we are, and gives us a chance to refine those techniques and skills that may one day save our life. Everyone progresses at different rates, and even our own individual progression varies as well. Sometimes it requires more training, sometimes less, and sometimes its just better to forget MA for an evening, go out with your buddies, and have a good time. With respect, Sohan

Alcohol reduces your sensation of pain and it also reduces nervous stimulation, thus potentially allowing greater range of motion in stretching. The problem is you won't have a clue that you've stretched too far until the next day when you need help getting out of bed. Hmm. Not the smartest thing to do. With respect, Sohan

Depends on the art. If you study an art that involves many high kicks, joint manipulations, or grappling, flexibility is very important for self-defense. As far as the original poster's question, simple stretches like seated toe touches and modified hurdlers stretches do wonders for hamstring and lower back flexibility, but like anything else, they need to be performed regularly for benefit. You won't get good results from stretching only 2-3 times per week, rather you should stretch daily following a short warmup. I was only able to significantly increase my flexibility when I began stretching daily, and it made a huge difference. One other point, too many people don't hold their stretches long enough to derive proper benefit. Hold your stretches for a minimum of 30 seconds--60 seconds or more is better. We share our dojo with a gymnastics team and I have been fortunate to have gotten great tips on stretching from the coaches and girls at the club. With respect, Sohan

The only yelling I care for when sparring is that done by my opponent when I connect. But rather than a kiai, it is usually a "groan". With respect, Sohan

Patrick McCarthy is an amazing karate-ka with a very deep insight into the traditions of martial arts and if I remember correctly, he is the only non-japanese person to be recognized by the dai-nippon butokukai as "Hanshi" I have done some training with him, read his books, and attended seminars. He is very good at what he does. You can check out his site at http://www.koryu-uchinadi.com/ for more info. I have been to a McCarthy seminar and found him to be less amazing than you describe him. He was rude and overbearing with many of our members, and was verbally abusive and disrespectful when correcting technique issues. I was wholly unimpressed with him, as he was grossly obese and very egotistical, which was very disappointing as I had awaited our seminar with great anticipation. With respect, Sohan

Try Shudokan karate-do (not to be confused with Shotokan), if they have a dojo near you. It's not a very popular style, but utilizes the movement that you describe. With respect, Sohan

I wouldn't say that Chuck's win was an upset in the least. Rather, it would have been the upset of the year had he lost. I would say I was most surprised by Arlovski losing to Sylvia. I thought he was unbeatable the way he had been fighting recently and thought for sure he would avenge his loss in their second bout. With respect, Sohan

Nope. Looks like Chuck may fight Tito again. Personally, I would prefer him to fight Quinton Jackson, as he has only that loss remaining to avenge. Regardless, Tito should be in good shape for another KO by Chuck, considering he won't be in the ring very long with the geriatric Ken Shamrock, who predictably should be KO'd about 3 nanoseconds. Hope you guys pay for that fight by the minute, not the bout. If UFC and Pride can get their acts together someday, perhaps we can see Chuck and Wandy. I am not sure it would be that great a fight anyway, as Wandy is IMO highly overrated. I constantly hear from so-called fight experts about how much improved he is, but people forget how much Chuck has improved also. With respect, Sohan

Forest looked tough against Tito in their fight, and he was certainly in control against Bonnar in this one, though I would have liked a more dominating performance by him--perhaps a KO. But after watching both fights, I don't think Forest is ready for Chuck Liddell yet, IMO. Griffin has nothing to gain by fighting Bonnar again. I would like to see him build on the Ortiz bout and fight some more top fighters--fights like the Bonnar fight add little to his long term goal of being a champion. I enjoyed watching Hermes, myself. Now THAT was an entertaining fight. Also that Cong fellow looked like he might make some noise in the heavies. With respect, Sohan

Oh my goodness, I love this!! May I use this sometime? And may I respectfully add, after watching my kittens... 11. Unexpected maneuvers such as flying leaps, while sometimes a waste of movement, can win you the fight. 12. If you must fight, be sneaky, then strike fast, strike hard, and strike a lot 13. Sometimes, a fight can be won by making yourself look big and hissing a lot (or the human equivalent ) 14. When in doubt, beat your opponent into one of your buddies, then team up...or run away. 15. The most experienced fighter does not always win. 16. Sometimes, closing your eyes and flailing can beat a well thought-out plan. Great insights, sir! Those are great! With respect, Sohan

Congratulations!!! With respect, Sohan

Fruit-nut bread. They sell it at our local grocery and call it "Breakfast Bread". I can eat the whole loaf at one sitting. The bakers at Publix are evil, evil people. With respect, Sohan

Congratulations! With respect, Sohan

Some of the things that impress me most about Liddell are his chin, his footwork, amazingly accurate striking, and his ferocity. He is like an animal in that when he smells blood, he attacks without letup. I have seen too many UFC fighters who lack the killer instinct that Liddell has for seizing the moment and going in for the kill. You could see immediately at the beginning of the last flurry that Babalu simply couldn't match Chuck's power and accuracy. His punches were wild and had no effect on Chuck. Liddell backpedaled well counterpunching all the way until he landed the uppercut that sent Renato down. From then it was only a matter of time. Babalu was mad at Big John for the stoppage, but he didn't have a case. He wasn't defending himself and would have been very seriously hurt had the fight continued. I have always liked Renato, but he was clearly overmatched against Liddell. Chuck is very tough to fight in standup and you can't take him down, so how do you beat him? Pity that it appears Wandy won't get the chance to try. With respect, Sohan

Great post, TriangleMan. With respect, Sohan

Thanks everyone. We are very hopeful that Richard will pull through this 100%. He has good friends and family who care for him, and we will be there to support him as he faces this. I will let you know when I hear any news of his condition. With respect, Sohan

Here's a good source on the proper way to clinch: http://www.geocities.com/global_training_report/clinch.htm With respect, Sohan

Nice to have you back! With respect, Sohan