Withers M.A.A.

Bokken is correct. It is much more forgiven than a real sword. One wrong move with a real Samurai sword could cost you a thumb. With a bokken the same mistake would cause you to bruise.

If your toes are hurting when you're throwing roundhouse kicks it is because your body isn't in proper alignment. You need to curl your toes back when you throw this kick and hit with the instep part or your foot. This could also be cause from a lack of flexibility. Make sure to stretch out as much as possible to maximize your flexablity. Practice slow kicking to work on your form. Proper technique takes time to learn.

I teach and study Japanese Kenpo Karate. It is a good system because it is always evolving and progressing to meet the needs of the times.

I think what NHB events did was open other styles up into thinking of grappling. I think it is important to train in some type of grappling even as a karate practicioner. But, not to the extent that you take away from your roots. Grappling plays a very important role in any combat situation but I also feel I wouldn't want to take a fight directly to the ground. I think you are more voulnerable on the ground. If you're at a bar and get into a fight where limited space is available it would be way too difficult to execute a mount etc.

One of my old lifting partners had an injured shoulder which prevented him from doing many exercises. He used the Glucosamine supplement and said it worked for him. I personally never tried it but when he was taking it I did notice he was able to do more when we worked out. It may have been psychological but it did seem to work.

People think that JuiJitsu is better than karate because of the UFC. Well try rolling around on the street and see how that works for you. I'd rather kick someone in the stomach have them fold over and I'm on my way.

Do you mean a chain whip?

Well I've trained at both types of schools and I must say a clean dojo is the way to go. Many schools I've trained at smelled so bad (like smelly feet) it was just gross. Plus, being barefoot on nasty floors isn't good for the feet. LOL I see what you're saying about the "feel" of a dirty school. You feel as if the sweat, blood, and tears from fighters before you is instilled in the dojo almost like Samurai sword that his killed men in battle back in the day.

I would say join the class and try it out. Go at your own pace and I can bet you'll amaze yourself. At my school there was a parent who was over 350lbs. She was so inactive and she would bring her daughter to class and eat while class was going on. My instructor was always yelling at her telling her to take the cardio class. Well she finally gave in and started the class. She did EXTREMELY well and after a month or so was able to keep up with the rest of the class. She felt better about herself and started eating better and working out 2 days a week. I don't know how much weight she lost but it totally changed her life. Now she is still training and looks amazing. I mean she is still overweight but not grotesque as she once was and her self esteem has skyrocketed. You have nothing to lose but so much to gain.

It's a mythical animal that encompases all the animals combined.

I'd def. say John Valera. Even though he doesn't compete anymore he was always the best. Great attitude, very humble, and absolutely amazing to watch

Welcome to the forums. Hopefully your stay here will be long and prosperous. We have a great group of Martial Artists here who are always trying the help one another. I look forward to learning from you. Welcome, Pete

In theory it will BUT you can also VERY easily injure your elbows. The weights either in your hands or on your wrists will cause extra stress on your elbows and will cause hyperextensions and possible muscle or ligament damage. In other words don't do it unless you use the motions very slowly.

When I learned to do a back tuck (back flip) it took only 1 day to learn. Why? Well because I had a gymnastics instructor teach me. I learned to do it when I was 20 years old so it was tough to overcome the fear of falling. I would never have attempted it without proper help. I would say you should do the same. Go to a gymnastics school or hire an instructor to learn these moves CORRECTLY!!! I can't stress that enough. It is way too easy to get seriously injured because you did something wrong.

Start somewhere easy such as the staff. Then work upward from there. I'd stay away from Nunchaku until you have some control over another weapon. They are a very unforgiving weapon when you make a mistake.

The biggest factor in being a "blackbelt" is Maturity. If someone quits because they can't wait then that shows they lack patience which in turns shows they haven't learned anything from the Martial ARts.

It is a waste of time trying to teach yourself a Martial Art without proper instruction. There are just too many errors to be made without someone overlooking what you are doing. Save the money on the videos and join a dojo.

Many people believe this war is about oil. I hate seeing these college students with signs stating "No blood for oil" esp. since this isn't about frigen oil. Saddam needs to be taken out because he is too much of a threat to the rest of the world. Esp. if he has or is trying to make weapons of mass destruction. War is def. not good but in many cases it is the only solution. So to answer the topic I am for the war 100% and I support all our troops.

It's called a Kip-Up. It's really not that difficult. First practice it with using your hands. Put your hands behind your head, swing your legs back and then throw them up and out while arching your back and pushing with your hands until you can land on your feet. When you've mastered that you remove your hands from behind your head and use your shoulders. To learn you can put your hands on your knees and push there to get more leverage to get back on your feet.

I had all the material I needed for my blackbelt when I was about 15. My instructor would not test me until I was 18. He felt you needed to be an adult to truly be a blackbelt. At a younger age you can't understand the "true" meaning of the martial arts.

I've had girls use the "my boyfriend is a blackbelt" line a few times. Not the best situation. Some girls feel secure when they know their man can take care of himself and her of course.

When using throwing spike or knives the first th ing you need to know is you don't want the spike or knife to spin a million times. The key to these weapons is to have the spike or knife spin only once or twice in the air. With the spike you would old it in your hand like with your 4 fingers extended with the spike held in place with your thumb. You would hold the spike near your ear and thow it from there. You only want one or two rotations in the spike before it hits your target. Takes some practice but isn't too difficult.

The problem with dieting is you need to eat small meals more often. Many people go on diets and eat 2 meals a day. The problem is when your body doesn't have food coming in then it goes into starvation and starts storing calories. ie Fat. So this is counterproductive. Just be more cautious of what you eat. Stay away from Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds and eat Fresh City or something a bit healthier. Don't go crazy just be smart.

When you say you have to fight your partner I assume you mean spar? Or are you talking about full contact? What is up with that? As for touching the floor with your elbows the key is to relax your body as much as possible. make sure to breath and you should be ok.

Welcome... WE are always glad to help anyone we can. There are a ton of knowledgable people on this forum so any questions you have feel free to ask away. Pete