Sohan

I think it's a good concept, I'm just surprised at how much personal info the users, especially the younger crowd, put out there. With all the creeps in this world, it's prudent to be a little more careful. Respectfully, Sohan

Staying home to catch it on cable. My wife is still mad at me for the USA beating Mexico 4 years ago (Guess where she's from...) I keep from sleeping on the couch by not mentioning it---TOO often. Respectfully, Sohan

There's some talk that "ethyl ester" products can damage the liver, so I'd be careful. It's suppose to absorb and uptake up to 40x faster than creatine monohydrate, and from the reactions I've seen, quite a few users are happy with the results. But I'm sticking to mono until I see more research. As far as cheating, that's just silly. Should we do nothing the old masters didn't do because of tradition? Every generation takes advantage of the technology provided to become bigger, stronger, faster. Should we not wear running shoes to hit the roads because they weren't available to Itosu in the 19th century? Creatine is generally harmless and occurs naturally in the body as a phosphogen metabolite. Stay hydrated and give it a rest on occasion and you'll be fine. I've taken creatine for over 10 years and had no ill effects. And it certainly gets results. Respectfully, Sohan

I also saw the site for Ben Martin's camp, which looks good as well. I've been reading his thread and I've really gotten fired up about this. Thank goodness I have an understanding wife who tolerates me. But you can't beat the price and I heard from my father who was there in the war that it is incredibly beautiful and the people are wonderful. Do you have websites for the places you mentioned? If not, I can search for them myself. Do you think a foreigner oriented camp is sufficient or are there other camps that would accept a Yank without using me as a mere punching bag? Thanks very much! Respectfully, Sohan

Ouch. I've got pretty strong hands but don't think I'd risk it with something like that. One bad break and you'll have a nasty case of arthritis when you get older. Respectfully, Sohan

I agree with pendakarshihan1 on the fact that she was very sharp and crisp and that we certainly shouldn't assume she can't fight. However, I personally don't care for musical kata nor the heavy emphasis on acrobatic gymnastics moves--most good MA practitioners would swat her down like a mosquito with some of those aerial tricks. But she is still very exciting to watch, and she certainly puts the ART in martial arts. Here's a video demonstration put together by Sandra Hess: Respectfully, Sohan

Yikes. That's odd. But funny. Respectfully, Sohan

It's like asking which is better for you, apples or oranges. They're both unique and useful. But Bruce Lee's book may be more approachable for the beginner. Respectfully, Sohan

I'm not from the UK but I think it's pretty funny. Describes my wife pretty well. Respectfully, Sohan

Knife hands. Takes many years to master. Respectfully, Sohan

A larch tree? Respectfully, Sohan

Getting my face pounded by a kid in my neighborhood who boxed. I previously thought he was a big wuss. I was in the gym for my first boxing lesson the following day. Respectfully, Sohan

If I never even came close to getting in a fight in my life, and I was 7 feet tall, 320 lbs with the quickness of a cat, I'd still practice MA. I just like it. Respectfully, Sohan

How is your training going? I posted a topic asking about training camps and I looked at the link for your camp. If you have a second I'd really appreciate hearing how your experience is going. Respectfully, Sohan

Are you still fighting on Friday? Respectfully, Sohan

Glad you enjoyed it. You'll find MT a great complement to your WC experience. Good luck with your future classes! Respectfully, Sohan

I go either, 360 or 180, depends on the situation. I am comfortable working righty or southpaw so the position doesn't bother me. I'm happy to throw a spinning elbow if the followup is right, or catch them coming in with a sidekick to the belly. You need to be quick on your feet to pull it off, though, and have good awareness of your opponent. Respectfully, Sohan

Grappling/BJJ/Judo is all awesome (and I wish that there was a good judo school around where I am, I would love to try it sometime), but if you are looking for self-defense skills, you should look past just grappling. Even though it will definately help you on the street, there are situations where you would be vastly better off if you had some experience in a fighting art, such as Karate, Muay Thai, Kung-Fu, etcetera. Preferably Karate . There are proabably just as many situations where you would be vastly better off with grappling experience..like if you got tackled and 99% of your karate/muay thai whatever didint work anymore since your on your back. The obvious answer is you need both..there are times and situations where each are useful and good to know. Right. Though I certainly didn't imply that one shouldn't study grappling nor that one is better off without grappling experience. I am saying that to be a complete self defense artist, you need to do more than just study grappling, just like nobody should count on just being a striker/kicker alone. I agree completely with you that both are essential. However, I would hardly say that I would find myself in a situation against grapplers where 99% of my striking skills wouldn't work. Skilled MT elbows, knees and fists can and have been quite punishing against grapplers. Hard to go for that arm bar when one is getting their nose and forehead beaten into a pulp. Respectfully, Sohan

That is certainly correct. Too many striking arts is too confusing to the body, plus you won't get the reps to make certain movements hardwired into your system. I think Bruce Lee said he was more concerned with the guy that had done 1 move 10,000 times as opposed to the guy that did 10,000 moves 1 time. Respectfully, Sohan

Starting young is smart. By the time you're in your 30's, you'll have established a pretty good MA career. Just keep it up and don't quit. Respectfully, Sohan

Funny stuff. Respectfully, Sohan

Protein powder. 2-3x times daily as a supplement. Quick and easy to use, need the extra protein because I work out A LOT. Vit's E, C, and Selenium. Antioxidant power, protects my cells against premature deterioration, and I'm less sore after workouts. Basic multivitamin. My insurance policy. Creatine. More power and mass--been using >10 years, very safe. Green tea--Not really a supplement, but I drink 3-5 cups every day for extra antioxidants and flavonoids. Respectfully, Sohan

Wow, that's strange. Eleven is too young to be grading a competition like that. Respectfully, Sohan

OK. So its always been my dream to study one of my martial arts in the locale from where it originated. #1 on my list would be to train in Thailand at a real Thai boxing camp. If anybody here has done it, or knows much about camps in Thailand, I'd appreciate a comment or two about this one that looks pretty good: http://www.phuket-muay-thai.com/ They seem to speak English well and the site looks informative and interesting. I have checked out how to get to Phuket and I can get a flight there from Bangkock fairly cheaply. I could train twice a day for a month with nice accomodations for around 500-700 bucks for the month. I would love to do this before I am too ancient and since I'm in the best shape of my life now I think it'd be a great time to take advantage of their cheap currency. Any thoughts on this? I greatly appreciate it! Respectfully, Sohan

I had mine hemmed pretty cheap, about 20-25 bucks. It's a small shop run by a nice Korean couple in Atlanta who liked me so much they tried to set me up with their daughter. She was pretty cute. My wife wouldn't go for it, though. Respectfully, Sohan