Mr.Man

I was just wondering if anyone knows of any websites that show how to do gojuryu kata. Anything would be helpful thanks

I understand very well what you are talking about Steve. I have been taking TKD for 2 yrs now and I'm pretty sick of it. I feel like I am not being taught much anymore and therefore really not going anywhere. The way our dojang is run seems to be geared towards kids. Nobody is really challenged much and 90% of the classtime is focused on the lower belts. Then when I see the kids who won't even make an effort to stretch or warm-up like the rest of us getting their next belt when they can't even do one technique properly, it makes me feel like it's all a big joke. My wife and I are starting at a different club and different art now. I feel bad because I like the instructor as a person and he counts on us to help in class BUT........ I pay the same dues as everyone else and I feel that I'm not getting my money's worth anymore. Besides that I just plain feel that what we learn is just simply useless as far as practical self-defense so I have to move on. Good Luck

You would have to lift weights very hard and seriously before you would get a bodybuilders type body. Not to mention steroids. I would lift weights anyway if you want strength. You would be surprised at how much strength you can gain and your muscles may get a little bigger but not a lot. Try doing kata or forms with light weights.

Thank you for your comments, I am really looking forward to starting. I have been in another art for 2 yrs and I am very dissapointed in the instruction and what I feel I am learning in my current club. I was impressed with what I saw at the Goju club in the art and the instructor. He seemed to challenge everyone nomatter what belt and I need that. Any comments on what you particularly like about Goju Ryu or similar art?

I am considering signing up my family and I with a Goju Ryu club. Any comments on the different Okinawan arts? I am looking for a complete art with good self defense. What do you think about Goju Ryu vs other arts ?

Thank you guys so much for your impute. Goju-ryu sounds very much like what I am looking for. I don't mind the traditional stuff, as a matter of fact I like to experience the whole art as long as some practical self-defence is taught with it. I like that it deals with being upclose too. The TKD class I am in now has basically no self-defense no matter what they say and what they call self-defense is incredibly useless. My wife takes the class too and even though we both have fun, I don't feel that she could use very much of what we have been taught outside the ring in a real situation. So thanks again and I 'll tell you how we like the class arter we take a few.

Hi, I am currently in tae kwon do and I am completely fed up with it. I feel like I could have learned the same in one month that I have learned in two years! What I am most interested in is pure self defense (not sport).The problem for me is that there is not many martial arts to choose from where I live. There is a goju-ryu dojo available that looks pretty cool and I was wondering about opinions on it's self defense and just opinions in general on goju-ryu. Thank you

These are all very helpful, thank you everyone. I have seen it done many different ways. I know landing that heel is always going to be a solid hit but do any of you feel that there is a difference in power and speed between a straight leg vs. a hooked leg ? I am still very slow but so far it is easier to do with a hook but it seems to me that if I could gain some speed, and actually pull it off the right way a straight leg would deliver a more solid hit. Any thoughts ?

Very helpful Nijanurse, thank you very much. I'm sure with the help of my instructor I will get it down, I'm just anxious to learn it because I love that kick!

I don't know anyone who doesn't think it's cool to get their next belt. Even 2nd, 3rd dan BB. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your accomplishments. If you truly feel that it is not necessary, not humble or just stupid to wear the stripes then you wouldn't wear the BB either. You would just wear the white belt and show people what they need to know about you.

I am trying to learn how to do the wheel kick but can't seem to do it very well. I am just learning this kick so any suggestions would be great. Should the kicking leg be staight or bent ? How do I gain speed, start and finish the kick ? Thanks for any help.

"If ya have one weak link in a chain, it'll break!..............summed up very well I think Karatekid but i guess not everybody likes to check their chain untill it breaks.

I am not an advanced student in my art nor do I ever claim to be but I can see that the forms are not useless. If I remember correctly, isn't the martial arts about mind, body and spirit. Even I could tell from the beginning that there was a connection with the forms and the other aspects of my art that they were connected. I could feel it. I did not feel like if my forms were perfect I would be the best fighter. I know I must be weird but I like doing my forms. To me, it's calming and just makes me feel connected with my art. Maybe for those who hate doing their kata you can try seeing it in a different light and not try to figure out how it will make you a better fighter but just let it be what it is ( a part of your art )

I have been told by several people that I should enter a few tournaments because they are a very good experience as far as learning to use what I've learned in class. I think it would be a lot of fun but I disagree with them for the most part. In tournaments you are very limited on what moves you can use and I think it can "train your mind" or get you used to using only a few moves in a combat situation. Of course it would be great experience for the moves that you can use but I just don't see the importance of tournament sparring as far as using what I've learned in class. Agree?.........Disagree? I am mainly referring to TKD tournaments but if anybody thinks this should be moved to General.........be my guest.

Train like you fight, fight like you train.......... I can understand this maybe when you are more advanced but when you are still learning, the form and acuracy seem pretty important while at the same time to really learn to use the blocks correctly I feel I need to "train like I fight". This is my frustration. I think G95champ said it pretty well relating it to learning to write

I am in TKD and I'm talking about the basic blocks. When I spar, I use my hands to block everything because you have to react fast and the blocking techniques just don't come to mind that fast. I block very well with my hands but I want to learn the (whole art) and do things right. It sounds like I just need to give myself more time and keep learning.

I have been learning martial arts for about five months now and I was wondering, in a real self-defense situation do you think you would use the blocking techniques like you learn in class. I feel like I wouldn't because things happen fast. It seems to me that in order to use them effectively, you need repetitive practice with someone comeing at you to do real damage and you use a particular technique over and over. Am I just not patient enough? Does this come in time?

You probably just didn't drink enough water or maybe had too much sugar like ckdstudent said ( maybe soda pop or something) but asthma can also make you feel like that. It's possible to have a slight case of it that you only notice when you exercise. If it happens now and then and maybe you hear something when you exhale hard, you need an inhaler to use before class. It will help a lot if you do have asthma.

In reply to the origional post, I think we all know, even if you have only been in a class for a few months (like me) that having a higher ranking belt doesn't mean you can woop on all lower belts. Like it was mentioned earlier, your belt just shows what you've learned not your skill. I must admit though, I get a kick out of getting my next belt and I'm in my mid 30's but I also know what it does and does not represent. As far as the respect thing goes, I respect everyone in the dojo and show proper respect to all upper belts, I haven't regretted it yet nor have I been disrespected yet.

You know Kick Chick in my Do Jang we aren't allowed to use the word can't. I think that Sai FightsMS hit the nail on the head when he said it was more of a mental battle. Whatever is making you doubt yourself, you need to kick it to the curb. You have 16 lesson still, tell yourself you can and will. Firt choose it, then use it.

I think that most people who don't take TKD and think that is is not good for self defence must have seen the local Mc Dojo or be in it. I must admit though, that if all you train for is point sparring then that's all you will know and if you haven't mastered your own art then it's very easy to misjudge others due to sheer ignorance!

I mean ckdstudent, sorry!

I think that martial art training couldn't hurt but I agree with ctkstudent on sealing off the pilots from the passengers. One of the highjackers main objectives is to gain control of the plane, if they can't do that then why bother in the fist place.

Hello everyone, I love reading all your posts and thought I better get signed up so that I can give my two cents too. It seems like some people like to pick on TKD, which is what I am learning so the reinforcements are here.