DWx

The following post was removed in error. Sorry for any confusion.

Good question. When sizing up an opponent I'm looking for which side they favour forward, which techniques they favour from certain positions, how they like to counter, do they have any tells... IMO in a match you don't really have the time to spend feeling out your opponent and testing them with technqiues so you need to be picking these things up as you play our own game. The liklihood is that they will be watching you in the same way in any case so their style may change slightly as they pick up more on what you're doing and what you learnt during your first 30 secs wont be of much use anymore. A good fighter is constantly adjusting their tactics as they learn more about their opponent so sizing up should be a constant thing and not just something you do at the beginning. As JusticZero said, sizing up happens before they even step into the ring. At a competition or tournament always look at how they warm-up and what they did in previous matches as well as how they conduct themselves. Looking at how others from their school fight can also be of use too because that'll give you an indication of what to expect. More than anything else though, I think sizing up has to be an intuitive thing that you learn to do through experience...

Welcome Robin

I've seen the ITF use the word "tul" as well. I don't see the word poomse used with the ITF forms. Yeah in ITF we only ever use "pattern" or "tul". Rarely anything else. Not even "form".

That is a whole lot of situps! Better get started on them

2nd dan TKD, no ranking for Tai Chi but I would class myself as "beginner"

I would say its definitely a strength issue. Maybe working on some dynamic stretching and resistance stretching would help? One thing that has helped me loads with my side kick height is to place my leg on something in the kicking position (I use one of my shelves) and then try to grip the muscles and raise the leg slightly, only has to be about a cm. You can hold onto a chair or other support to start with but work up to where you can hold the kick unsupported. I guess it could be adapted to the front kick. Another good drill for leg strength is to slowly kick out at your max height and then hold. Using the muscles in the leg, slowly try to lift it a couple of cm and then lower back to your "max". Keep doing that without putting the leg down. Can also try to move the leg side to side instead. To improve height its not really enough just to work on strengthening the kick at the height you can already kick at; you have to try to work your muscles at a height that is uncomfortable for you otherwise improvement will be limited. Keep at it though, practice hard and I'm sure it'll improve

Poomse is only used for WTF style and their forms.

Totally agree with this. Big people who are in shape and can fight have the advantage of sheer mass and strength on their side. They can be beat but its so hard becuase they have the power advantage. Guys who are in the other category have the size advantage but not the ability to use it so well. TKD is suited to those of a more athletic physique so I'm not really the ideal build... My size gives me an advantage in the strength/power side of things but smaller, shorter people can move faster. Not really competed against that many other styles other than those that fight in a similar way (Kickboxing, some Karate etc.) and even then we're divided into weight classes so haven't much of an opportunity to test my size in that type of environment. As for fighting those of equal stature, I'd say yes. But only because I'm used to fighting lighter faster people at training so I've had to become lighter and faster too.

A good all-round drill that might help for remembering techniques and stances is just getting someone to call out moves to you and you do them. They can start by just calling out two or three moves during your session and then you can progress to more moves another training session. Its a great tool for remembering names/terminology, working on transitions between movements and just making sure you can react quickly. If its forms you're having trouble with, YouTube is brilliant as there are loads of videos on there. I agree with everyone else in slowing it down and not panicking. When you practice at home make sure you're not rushing things and do lots of to really get it embedded into your memory.

Is there a difference? I always understood that pattern and kata were essentially the same thing. Like using the word "form." A pattern to most "extreme" traditional Martial artists, is an insulting way of talking about a kata, because a pattern has no life, while kata needs life breathed into it. To me, it was all the same: kata=pattern=form=hyung, etc. In many TKD schools, the forms are referred to as patterns. We obviously don't use the term kata, simply because it is a Japanese term, but the Korean equivalent is the word hyung, and the English equivalent would be form or pattern. I have never heard of the exclusivity of any of the terms before. But hey, to each his own. Our school almost exclusively uses the term "pattern" or we sometimes use the Korean "tul" instead. Its the same thing to me, whatever word is used.

That's what usually happens for us. Blackbelt veterans (+40 yrs) will compete first, then they will judge the blackbelt seniors and then both groups will umpire the other divisions for the rest of the day.

I'm not in favour of it either. How do they have time to compete as well? Tournaments I usually attend, the director(s) are running aroundmaking sure everything is going ok and organising everyone.

Can't give you advice on the actual technique but for the jumping part, check out this thread for some tips on gaining height http://www.karateforums.com/jumping-higher-and-further-vt34124.html

Welcome Warren

To be honest, I think the whole "belt getting filthy and turning to black" is just a myth. Especially given the emphasis on hygeine in Eastern culture and in your typical dojo. My style uses striped belts. Always has, ever since it was "created". Is that not traditional? To me stripes make a lot more sense than having a greater number of coloured belts. Korean Culture and Japanese culture are to different things. Koreans have earned themselves the nickname (Atleast with TKD) the pretty art, They are always neat and clean how ever Karate at its fullest and in depth training is dirty and rugged. I have trained under students of Matayoshi Shinpo, and Taira Shinken. They have passed down the knowledge of their arts to their students, and then on. It is true when the belt began it was white, and then it turned to a filthy dirty color ( brownish black). Of course Green, and blue would never be the case. Alot of older hombu dojos originated on the beaches and in the woodland areas. With all due respect Traymond, I think you're wrong. Its not just the Koreans who like you to be clean and tidy. I don't study a Japanese style myself but I'm sure if you went to a dojo and expected to train in a sweat and bloodstained gi they would not allow it; why would a festering half-rotten belt be allowed instead? This article may be of some interest: http://www.24fightingchickens.com/2005/09/09/urban-legends-of-karate-belts/

To be honest, I think the whole "belt getting filthy and turning to black" is just a myth. Especially given the emphasis on hygeine in Eastern culture and in your typical dojo. My style uses striped belts. Always has, ever since it was "created". Is that not traditional? To me stripes make a lot more sense than having a greater number of coloured belts.

Similar way to bushido_man96, fingers straight and together. Instead of having the thumb towards the rest of the hand, there is a gap. I tend to think of it as pulling the thumb back into your wrist. Keeps the hand nice and flat. Have to be sure to pull the little finger in tight for knifehands, not good to have it hit your ring finger when you impact on something .

Thanks guys. The one in the first video worked well. I'd be interested in any others anyone has too. That sounds like it would be a good one Kuma, but I don't really have that much upper body strength to hang unassisted for any length of time. Plus I don't have access to a bar.

I want the pom-poms

Been doing a lot of upper body strength stuff lately (inc various weights). My back between my shoulder blades is really aching. Its to the point where I can't sit in my desk chair in my room anymore and end up sitting on the bed with my back against the wall. Even then I have to keep lying down because it aches so much. Any stretches I can do? I don't really know of many for back/shoulders apart from the standard arm across the body or arm behind you head.

I would have thought that flexibility would be lost only if you didn't stretch out properly after extended use. I use the bike at the gym as part of my warmup, quads and hamstring can feel pretty tight after that because you're not using the full extension of the leg to pedal. If you're only doing short trips I wouldn't bother stretching unless it specifically felt tight but for longer periods definately consider putting aside 5 mins to stretch out.

Congrats Fran.

Well then you probably know a lot more about the subject than I do. All I have is what I studied when I was younger.

Maybe I am mistaken then. I don't know. Its been a long time since I looked at anything like that so I will have to go dig out my old work when I'm next at home. Indeed Catechisms aren't scripture but they come from the Pope himself so surely that merits some weight behind them. They're also supposed to be an interpretation of the scripture/faith by the Vatican. As for the original debate you could also cite catechism #848.