Syphax

The Basher?

You guys must of had a visit from Chuck Norris?? How did you know?

Both of us just have different philosophies. As long as what you are doing works for you, by all means, do it.

I agree with you here. One thing that I would say is similar to "fighting spirit," but not the same, would be what I call for lack of better terminology the "killer instinct." The ability to fight is trainable. However, the trait that some people have to just to go into a state of mind to totally ahnialate someone is totally different, and in my opinion, much harder to train. True. By definition, an "instinct" cannot be learned. That is just part of how a person is; you can develop your mind to have more of a "killer instinct" mentality, but it will take a great deal of time and you probably will never have the same core mental pattern as one who is born with that instinct.

You are in a different situation than the one I am referring to. If you were close friends previously, then there is no reason to stifle the friendship, as long as proper protocol is shown in the Dojang (Dojo). As a general rule, I believe it is best for an instructor not to get too personal with his or her students. There are exceptions though, such as your situation. No! You may not have a personal relationship with your father! As I typed above, there are exceptions to the general guideline. Yes, it does depend on the instructor's philosophy. I am not saying that any instructor that is personal with his or her students is flatly wrong. I am saying that I believe it is best for a instructor to act according to a student-teacher relationship that does not deeply involve personal lives. Always be friendly to your students though; as I said, be "personable" not "personal". We are saying the same thing.

One of our students kicked so fast that he ripped the fabric of space time and sent the entire Dojang hurtling through time. Thankfully, there was someone who could kick slow enough to counteract the effect and bring us all back home.

Yes, it is sickening. People should be able to control themselves. But, sadly, many choose not to. In the end, security may be necessary in some schools. But it shouldn't ever be.

Everyone is born with different gifts. I do believe that some people were born with a natural talent for fighting. However, I also believe that that exact same talent can be learned if you want it badly enough.

Me too. I want the Green Destiny.

My Sensei is almost my best friend. I tell him everything. I couldn't imagine not socalizing with him. I don't know what style you study, but in the traditional arts, there is a student-teacher relationship. We go by the idea of being "personable" not "personal".

Yes and no. Leadership has always been a part of the martial arts. However, many American systems have placed a higher emphasis on leadership than the traditional schools. I personally believe that learning to be a leader is a necessary part of the martial arts. I agree with you there. The mental training should be incorporated into the physical training. But keep in mind that the martial arts are mental. A school that teaches only the physical aspects is not teaching the martial arts. I have to disagree with you here. Leadership is simply a part of the arts, as I have said above. I know many instructors who emphasize leadership and are in no way lacking in physical skill. The two complement each other. Show me a leader who is concerned only with the physical skills and I will show you a follower. No! I am not sure where you learned that philosophy from, but forget that! It is about spiritual and mental growth just as much as physical progress. From Day 1, a student should be learning all the aspects of his/her art. Tae Kwon Do is a Korean artform. The Hwa Rang Dan emphasized a warrior-scholar attitude. To say that students should only train their bodies is to go against the philosophy of the very art you are trying to improve in. Please do not take disrespect from my comments, but I am a serious advocate of understanding the full meaning of the "Arts". Of the Five Pillars of Tang Soo Do, which stems from the same source that Tae Kwon Do does, only one is physical. The others are the History, Philosophy, Protocol, and Culture. You cannot study just one of them.

This is an effective way to train for actually defending oneself. Bottom line is when you are attacked on the street with your life at risks, you will not be using jump-spinning kicks. You won't be moving in deep stances. You use what works: elbows, knees, grappling, low kicks, and more boxing style punches. Here is where I disagree with the original poster. The Martial Arts, by definition, are an artform. While some of the moves used within katas may not be used in a practical situation (although some are), the Martial Arts are not just about self-defense. To be a true martial artist, you must understand the whole art, including the traditional katas. Now, if you just want to be able to defend yourself and are not interested in understanding the arts, I suggest kickboxing.

I understand your situation. I was, for a while, in a similar situation, until I found the Federation I am currently with. I couldn't be more pleased. Austin is a fairly popular area though; there has to be at least one quality TKD school. Why not both? Learning to be a leader is part of the martial arts and is something that should be taught along with other mental curriculum. Of course the physical training is important, but the martial arts are just as much, if not more, mental than physical. I think it depends on the rank of the students and their ages. For example, for a group of five year old yellow belts, 45 minutes is plenty and, for some, almost too much. I do agree though that for advanced classes, at least an hour is required. Good luck finding a school though. Let us know what comes of it!

I say yes, they can be very effective weapons. If used correctly, nunchakus are certainly lethal. However, I also say no, they are not too practical now since in the event of any attack, how likely are you to have a pair of nunchakus lying around? Staff and escrima are the most practical weapons in that respect.

That is a good approach. However, I would maybe say that practitioners remain practitioners. But, I do agree that masters can still be students, but some don't see themselves that way. Same concept. No matter who you are, you should always be a student. There will always be someone who has advanced farther along the path than you have. Find that person and learn from them. If you can't learn, you can't teach.

I see what you mean bushido_man. In the end, it is all the about the individual and their mentality. No particular art's system or outlook on progress is "wrong", as long as the students remain students.

Well, right now I am in training for my test so I spend a ridiculous amount of time training. 4:30 I am up and working out until around 5:30.

If you won't see any of these girls after the dance, why would you be looking for one of their numbers? Why not look for a local girl?

I have to agree with ninjanurse. Re-grading is probably the best option for you considering the amount of time you have been out of the arts. Not only will it help you to improve, but it will also reaffirm to the other students that you aren't just coasting back to your previous rank.

I don't have any problem with someone who has a drink every once in a while providing it doesn't negatively affect their performance. But if someone either drinks too frequently, or, for whatever reason, cannot drink alcohol and maintain optimal performance, then I do not think that person should drink. But, as many things come down to, it depends on the person, what they believe, and what they choose to do.

Elementary School: Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade Middle School 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade High School 9th Grade (Freshman) 10th Grade (Sophomore) 11th Grade (Junior) 12th Grade (Senior) There may be some other terminology for the grades, but this is the standard outline.

First of all, the legality of fighting at school makes the situation more complicated. As was posted before in this thread, if you are attacked in a public school and you fight back, you will be punished. And, depending on where you live, you may not fare too well in court. When I was a freshman, I was attacked at school by a guy who was just not having a good day. I did not strike back, but only blocked his attacks, because I decided he was not threatening my well-being in a classroom. Thank goodness I did. It turns out that if I had hit him, with martial arts training, I would have probably gone to a correctional facility. It is just the way it is. However, if someone attacks you, regardless of where you are, and they are imposing a serious threat on your well-being then by all means, do what is necessary to protect yourself. Block the attack, quickly disable them, and get out of that area.

The joy of dialects and Romanization.

Understand, I do get where you are coming from when you say you "don't want the situation to escalate." However, from what you have posted, I do not think that is a wise move. You have already indicated that he has been physically violent, verbally abusive, and has shown no response to your attempts to calm the situation. With those facts, I say that your life is precious and to take chances with it might not be wise. If nothing else, take a note that several people have given you the same advice: "Report the situation to the local authorities." If you don't, this situation can easily escalate, which is what you feared anyways. Except, in that scenario, you don't have the advantage of having reported to the police. Now of course I hope you can sort out matters with this person and he will let it go. But it is better to be safe than dead.

I will also have been watching my opponent/division so that I can be best prepared. I want to enter the fight already aware of my opponent(s) strengths, weaknesses, and how I will manipulate them to overcome the individual fighter. As far as the mental preparation right before a fight, I do two thing. I pray to God that I will be on top of my game and that I have an excellent attitude no matter what the end result is. After that, music helps to sharpen my focus. Just find what works for you.