Sohan

1. Be loyal to your master. You never know where he may lead you. 2. Sometimes a well-timed growl can work wonders to make the other guy back down. 3. Your territory is yours. You have the right to protect it. 4. Always show appreciation for your master's teachings. 5. Effort always makes up for a lack of talent. 6. Flashy technique is great to watch, but speed and strength win fights. 7. If you're small, you need to make up for it in ferocity. 8. Always be alert. Danger is everywhere you least expect it. 9. You have a responsibility to protect those you love first, and you must be willing to die to do so. 10. Some take longer than others to learn; but EVERYONE can learn given sufficient time and patience. With respect, Sohan

I swam in Colorado. 1500 free, 200 and 400 IM, and 200 fly. Oh, and the relays. First competitive meet I was 5 years old. I was going to practice in my second year of college, and just all of a sudden couldn't stand the smell of cholorine any more. 17 years total. I also occasionally swam 100 breaststroke, 100 back, things like that on a fill in basis. Aodhan Nice. I swam from '76-84, and my best strokes were fly and breast. I held a MS state record in 100 yd breast at 12, but lost at state and a year later got beat by a kid that never should have beaten me, so I lost interest and got serious about butterfly. My worst stroke as a kid was backstroke, which as a masters swimmer now is by far my best stroke. For some reason I've finally got it--last summer I finally broke a minute with a 59.3 at 100 yards backstroke at age 38. It's not much if I were college age, but it's nice against the other guys my age, I suppose. Our team record, unfortunately, is the Masters world record in meters and US record in yards, so I don't even have a shot at the TEAM record. But it's still fun to swim. I'm even thinking about attending the Worlds at Stanford this year since I have a qualifying time. BTW, wasn't Amy Van Dyken from Colorado? Did you ever happen to run into her? With respect, Sohan

Send me some! With respect, Sohan

It's a shame there's so much animosity between those two cultures when they both have such rich histories. Hopefully this won't always be the case. With respect, Sohan

Yes, I did, around Izmir. It was quite nice. I would enjoy going back someday because the people were so friendly and warm. Good food, too. With respect, Sohan

Yep. Many of our kata in Shorin ryu are the same or similar, ie Bassai/Passai form. I studied Tang Soo Do about 16 years ago and enjoyed it. It was nice to have that background when I began Shorinryu. With respect, Sohan

Oh. My. Goodness. With respect, Sohan

WOW!!!!! 35 years is a LLLOOOONNNNGGGG time. That is longer than I have been alive. Just Playing.. Nope, he's just a kid. Try 39 or 40. That's when things start to hurt... With respect, Sohan Uhm.... I AM 39. I started competing in swimming at 4 years old, and been competing all my life since. Longest competitive hiatus, 6 months. (Had a schwannoma removed from the elbow). Aodhan That's what I get for trying to do 5 things at once. I thought I had read you say you were 35 in another post, but obviously I was mistaken! A fellow swimmer, huh? Nice. Where'd you swim? (Sorry for hijack) With respect, Sohan

WOW!!!!! 35 years is a LLLOOOONNNNGGGG time. That is longer than I have been alive. Just Playing.. Nope, he's just a kid. Try 39 or 40. That's when things start to hurt... With respect, Sohan

Actually, your situation isn't as challenging as you think. Consider the way the old masters taught. Many were working class who worked long hours, but they taught individual students at odd hours with only 1-3 students at a time. They often only taught those they felt had the potential to pass on their art. Perhaps you can start with one or two people you know that are earnest about TKD and would like to learn for a nominal fee. They could approach working with you on an informal yet enduring basis by establishing a mentor relationship. It really wouldn't take but a few hours a week and it would benefit you in the long run. You could provide belt promotions with your instructors backing. Your quality of instruction and reputation in the community will make up for any lack of affiliation. With a little creativity you can have a school without having a school. Don't think of it as a large organization but rather think of it like our forefathers did, one student at a time. With respect, Sohan

The only thing I've mastered is the ability to make amazing Italian lasagna. I'm quite proud of this skill, though my wife refuses to call me Master for it. With respect, Sohan

I do. 20 mins in the AM, 20 mins at night. I sleep like a baby and can think much more clearly with much better focus. I enjoy doing puzzles after meditation because my mind has become still and pure and the solutions seem extremely obvious. There are different methods of meditation that work for different people. I practice Soto Zen meditation, where you sit in zazen and seek to still the mind by being aware without acting upon any thoughts. There are other methods, of course. With respect, Sohan

I am no longer with my home dojo. I still have an instructor and I work out with the people that are also former members of my home dojo, but this afterschool program is my own personal adventure. Heather Perhaps its time for you to begin training some adults on your own with an eye for making some of them future instructors. Won't help you today, but it will pay off in the future--surely you can train someone to be a basic assistant (not necessarily a teacher) in around a year or so. Would your home dojo support you if you decided to do this? With 75 students, you must be able to recruit some adults or even better, teens, through those connections. With respect, Sohan

If this is a recent development, there must be something you've changed that has caused it. If you can't think of anything, see a physician, preferably one with a sportsmed specialty. It could be something non-exercise related as well, so a check-up could be in order. Pain after running isn't normal, especially at your age. With respect, Sohan

I'm with Aodhan. Unless you've changed dramatically the type of running surface you frequent (ie trails to concrete), it's likely your shoes. You're awfully young to experience knee and back pain from running. See what you might have changed in your exercise and running routine recently and you may discover your solution. With respect, Sohan

Unless you hire an instructor, or clone yourself, the best option is likely to break the class up into different time segments, say, one at 2:30 and another at 3:30. Of course, this means that the second group has to find something else to do until 3:30, but I really see no better option. If you can actually teach 75 kids at once with quality, you deserve a major award and a good therapy session. How far are you from your home dojo? Can't you enlist a Jr BB or even some Brown or Green belts? With respect, Sohan

I have also on occasion used my wife's chili as a weapon of minor destruction. It can be deadly in the wrong hands--but in a reeaally good way... With respect, Sohan

It seems the consensus here is that an instructor-led program is vastly superior to online, video, or book learning because of the hands on ability to correct faults in technique. I am in agreement with this, though I think that the more advanced one is in MA the easier it is to benefit meaningfully from non-personal instruction. With respect, Sohan

I agree, that's a good site. With respect, Sohan

Bent Leg Barbell Deadlift (don't confuse with straight legged lift): http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBDeadlift.html With respect, Sohan

---Get a solid warmup of the muscles you are stretching before you begin. Warm muscles stretch much easier. ---Hold your stretches longer. At least a minute, more is even better if you have time. ---Never push a stretch to the point of pain. You risk tearing the muscle fibers. ---Use a combination of static and ballistic stretches. Learn how to do PNF stretching and get a partner to help you, or do it solo. ---Get a good book on stretching and learn. Here is a great link to Michael Alter's book, Sport Stretch: http://books.google.com/books?id=89FUREpWL_oC&dq=sport+stretch+book&oi=print&pg=PP8&ots=TxOqHKp0J6&sig=-o7D4TrXRuyy60jGbCCgbnOu5W0&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fsourceid%3Dnavclient%26ie%3DUTF-8%26rls%3DHPIC,HPIC:2006-13,HPIC:en%26q%3Dsport%2Bstretch%2Bbook&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=1 With respect, Sohan

Welcome! What part of Turkey are you from? I did a tour there a few years back as part of a trip to Greece. Respectfully, Sohan

You need a mix of heavier weight/lower reps and moderate weight/higher reps. Try cutting your reps and work up to 3 sets of 5 with a weight you can perform for a 7 rep max. Give yourself plenty of rest between sets, at least 3, and perhaps even 5 minutes. I used to take extraordinarily long rest breaks, on average 9 minutes, but it worked for me in benching over 400 as a teen without drugs. This is something often neglected in strength training. You have guys taking 2 to 3 minute rest breaks and wondering why they can't bench very much. To stay warm, massage your chest, shoulders and tris between sets. Short rests are great for muscle pump and hypertrophy, but if you want to bench 300 someday, take your time. Also, if you want to bench bigger, then bench press and don't waste time and energy on a lot of supplemental movements. Stick to basics. I had periods where all I did was bench and do some pulldowns and rows for balance. My best bench was done on this program, and my physique was very strong. Benching your weight is OK (and it's admirable the improvement you've made), but you can continue to do better. 1.5 to 2 times your bodyweight is what you should shoot for and you can do it this way. With respect, Sohan

I'd agree with the last part. But the good morning is such a difficult exercise for most people to perform correctly, and even correctly performed the shearing forces to the vertebrae are extremely high (high risk for rupture), that I could never in good conscience recommend it as a training exercise. Deadlifts can be performed more safely and are, IMO, much more effective. With respect, Sohan

Best of luck to you. With respect, Sohan