Withers M.A.A.

Try swinging the bag around and move around it. When is swings try to stop the swing and make it go the opposite direction with a round house kick. This will help your footwork and can be more fun than just kicking the bag.

To be mentally fit to compete at a torn. you just need to relax. Just think of going to have fun. Have fun and that is how you can train your mind.

I would guess it is prob. just a coincidence. I could be wrong though. Pete

It's taken her 3 years to buy a uniform??? You can buy a student unform for $20.

You gotta be careful with tattoos because people get out of hand with them then look stupid when they have too many.

I don't buy anything but Macho sparring gear. It simply fits the best and last the longest of all the brands i've used over the years.

No brainer here... Bruce would win hands down. Bruce was a fighther and Jackie is an entertainer. Both were/are great at what they do/did. But in a fight Bruce would be victorious.

Try going to Krane.org

I haven't competed in 5 years now. Damn I'm getting old. LOL I will prob. wait till I turn 30 and then compete here and there.

What does buying hakama have to do with teaching yourself?

I have judges who show favoritism. I've been to so many torn. that because so and so is who he is he always wins. Even when he should have lost. But, anytime there is a sport or contest where people are judging other people there will always be some type of bias.

I don 't think they will because most people HATE the grappling part of submission fighting. People want to see stand up fighting with punching and kicking. Everyone I talk to about this topic says it would be great if they didn't wrestle. I agree because when i watch a video I fast forward a lot of the grappling.

I would personally love to see a program on ancient warriors like the Samurai and Ninja. I'm shocked there isn't more programs and books on them.

I understand what he was saying about semi autos jamming. My Baretta 9000S will not fire with Magtech Ammo. It will jam everytime. If it was a revolver I wouldn't have that problem. Don't get me wrong I only own semi-autos but they have more mechanic parts that can malfunction. But on the other side of the coin both my Sigs have thousands of rounds through them and I've never had a jam.

Martial_Artist I totally agree with that. Funny case in point. Maryland has the highest handgun crime rate in the country. Sad part is they do not issue a liscence to carry a firearm. In the state of Maryland you are NOT allowed to carry a firearm or use it to defend your life. You can only use it for target practice. So then how do they have the highest handgun crime rate you ask? Because the crimes being commited by handguns are ones that are usually illegal guns. If criminals know you aren't carrying it makes robbing you that much easier.

So how about the original topic???

17 years ago when I started my training I was with Fred Villaris. Back then the instruction was really good. The Villari chain grew like crazy and more schools popped up everywhere. The problem with that was some of the instructors were not really qualified or skilled enough to teach properly. This caused Villaris to have a bad reputation. The actual Shaolin Kempo system is very good and effective. It is def. a great style to learn. Just make sure the instructor is credible and has a lot of skill. Tell him what your goals are in the Martial Arts. If you want to be able to do jumping spin kicks and flip kicks then don't be afraid to tell him that. If he discourages you and says that isn't practical or that stuff is only good for the movies then you know the school isn't for you. One other complaint I had with Villaris was they sometimes hold you back. If I get a student who is willing to learn and trains hard I will teach him or her new techniques. With Villaris if you don't have a certain rank they will not teach that technique. Also, I teach white belts an axe kick but when I was in Villaris that was a kick reserved for blackbelts only. When I was a blue belt I was practicing that kick and I was reprimanded for it. Good luck and let us know.

A great way to set up an ax kick is with a shuffle. If you are kicking with your left leg try this. With the left leg forward you move the left foot about a half step backwards then quickly step forward with the right foot crossing in front of the left then shift your weight to your right foot and throw a left legged ax kick. This movement when done correctly causes your opponent to look down at you feet all while your leg goes over his or her head and into their face. So half step back, cross in front and kick. You'll also gain about 3 feet in distance moving forward when done correctly. Pete

Your fathers instructor couldn't train him anymore cause he was too advanced? That doesn't make sense. Then he said he would have to take private lessons. Maybe I misunderstood that but sounds pretty fishy to me.

You should enter a torn. because you want to have fun. that is the main reason behind competing. It is a good tool to test your skills in a "sport" environment against other opponents. Just go and have fun. It is a great motivational tool because you'll see people from various styles (if it's an open torn) and different skill levels. Seeing the higher ranks compete can be a great way to keep yourself motivated to train harder and give yourself some goals to attain. Pete

Did you ever buy a sword?

Recently tried watching Black Mask 2. What a terrible movie. There were monsters can crap. I made it about 15 minutes in and had to turn it off.

Are you still training there?

Many people never practice their techniques slowly. Sometimes this is the most helpful technique. It helps build muscle and muscle memory. Try this esp. with kicking techniques. Pete

I've never competed in it but use to always watch it. Very good torn. ARe you thinking about training for it?