DWx

I doubt it would offer much advantage really over standard MA training. Beyond a basic understanding which a lay person could also pick up, how would knowledge of anatomy help? We talk already of vital or vulnerable spots in our general MA training, knowing the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone won't serve much purpose. And realistically how many people can hit a moving and unpredictable target with pinpoint accuracy every time? Now for when dealing with the situation after an altercation, medical training will absolutely come in handy. Manly for assessing and treating injuries (yours, your assailant's or any witness'), but also from the prior experience of dealing with people in stressful situations.

This is the crux of it. People are blending two different words Master the noun and master the adjective. The former meaning someone who is in charge of something and the latter meaning someone who has acquired a high skill level in something. They're not interchangeable. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/master

First of all welcome to the forums MissTup Excellent answer by Bob and I 100% agree with approaching the instructor and sitting down for a friendly, non-accusatory chat. Aside from the response re. belt testing things seem pretty normal at the school and even that, as impolite as it was, may just be down to him having a bad day etc. If you want to find out more and about how your child can develop faster, go to the instructor with an open mind and ask if there is anything you can do to help your son. Is there any extra practice you can do? And where are his weak areas? That said, no 8 year old will develop into Bruce Lee overnight, he's still a kid and most likely not ready for the serious disciplined training.

This is a good answer. I don't display these kinds of certificates if I receive them but I do keep them filed should I ever wish to show I've trained with that person. It's also a nice momento to have to look back on your training. But at the end of the day the piece of paper means little, it's the exchange of ideas that is the real value.

Welcome to the forum Charlotte

I don't want to sound like the voice of impending doom but I've seen first hand far too many relationships develop outside of marriages through a couple of people getting together to train on the side (nearly into the double figures). If you're going to do it, be very clear about where your boundaries are and be very open with your wife about it.

Sounds great From the outside at least it seems like there are a fair number of similarities with TKD which would make sense given the history and common root in Shotokan.

Congratulations Doomed Did you have to do a formal test or were you assessed in class? What next now you're at 7th kyu?

This would be me! We used to train at a high school that had an awful carpark that was on a hill and an absolute nightmare to negotiate. The car park was always packed with limited spaces left, I've had to go in to training before to request someone came out and parked my car for me!!

Great advice so far. Thanks for posting the vids too, not easy putting yourself out there for strangers to critique. To build on the advice already, I would say stop going forward all the time. In both of your fights you are pressing forward as soon as the ref says go. It is good to be offensive but its also good to sit back and let them come to you too. If you are going to press forward, be aware that they may try to pick you off so keep both legs and hands tight. It's also often its better to lead with a kick and then close the gap by following up with your hands rather than reaching for the punching and exposing your torso. A short term goal I would suggest would be to get yourself in front of a full mirror and practice shadow boxing some short combos. Nice and loose techniques techniques, maybe at half speed, so you're really relaxed. Think something like front kick - jab - cross - roundhouse or something as equally as simple. Then just pay real close attention to keeping everything (especially elbows and arms) in tight and covered. A long term goal I would work on would be developing a lead leg side kick which you can use like a boxers jab. Picking the front leg straight up and side kicking is a great defense against someone rushing in but it also makes for a good combo starter too. Best of luck for your next tournament

http://fightland.vice.com/blog/sumo-the-art-of-six-second-fighting I don't follow Sumo myself but thought this was a great overview of the sport and a good breakdown of the tactics and skills involved. Does anyone here follow the sport?

They are pretty comfy. Though I'd definitely want black or some other colour, white would just be a nightmare to keep clean.

Good thread idea Luther. You've already alluded to it a little, but could you outline and explain the various branches of TSD and the differences between them? I don't really know a whole lot about them.

Ahh OK. You can have spectators cheer? Coaches don't have to be ringside, just within earshot. Don't feel obliged to but you can always post your videos for us to look at. Also being a good sparrer is so much more than techniques. Most of it is footwork, positioning and ring craft. Watch some clips on YouTube of winning fighters in your style and watch the set ups and how they position themselves. JR137's advice is good. You have to stress test yourself and practice over and over again and learn to control the adrenaline dump.

I can totally relate. I spend most of my matches thinking I'm losing and that I need to win more points that I go offensive all the time. When I watch the videos back it's clear I could have relaxed a bit more and conserved some energy. Do you have a coach on the sideline feeding you info throughout the match? A good coach can make all the difference and I find I am so much more relaxed with one. Having someone to tell you to up it a gear or to back off makes a massive difference. Also, try not to fixate on the winning. Of course it will be your end goal but I find it more realistic to focus on little goals instead which lead up to that one goal. So for me I try to get someone to video my fights and then win or lose I sit down and watch them and make a point of saying to myself what I did well and one or two focus areas for next time. If in my next tournament I've addressed those weak points, I count it as a "win", then eventually you get to the point where you are winning matches.

JR 137 is spot on with the advice on static vs dynamic stretching. There have been a number of studies which show that you see improved strength and speed when stretching dynamically pre-workout rather than statically and that prior to training mobility of joints is more important than sitting down and stretching muscles. https://breakingmuscle.com/mobility-recovery/passive-stretching-can-make-you-weaker For improving flexibility you really need to be doing extra work at home anyway. 5-10 minutes in class a couple of days a week is not enough to have a meaningful impact. Really you should try for 30 mins everyday or every other day if possible.

First of all welcome to the forum WorldKarateka12345 My feeling would be to sit down and have a chat with your senior instructor about it. You can name names if you want or just be more generalized with it but make sure he knows how you're feeling and what you've experienced. Hopefully he'll then take the offenders to one side to discuss or if not, have a general discussion with the class about it. You've just got to carry on regardless and keep your own standard high.

We got told to wash our belts but be careful with how you do it. Firstly soak it in cold water in case of any residual dye. Thereafter wash in cold water only to stop the inner core from shrinking.

Looks very similar to the original Karate Kid movie except replace one weird kid with five weird kids. Seems like a fun movie and Phillip Rhee is awesome

Welcome Foxxy66

Tai Chi has plenty of combat applications. You just need a teacher who's willing to show them and drill them with you. I took a class at the local community college for a couple of years, mostly to accompany my mother there. Whilst most of the people were older, the teacher knew I was interested in the proper applications so took time to show me and work with me on them. Plenty of applications on YouTube:

I'm always amazed when I see someone who's been a BB for a year with an ancient belt. I always wonder (sometimes out loud) why they would repeatedly throw themselves on rocks to get their belt like that. They're incomplete in their totality as a MAist!! It's as though being a BB isn't enough of an accomplishment. They try to possess a position that they've not yet achieved through honest means. I'm only speculating. Imho! So you mean I shouldn't have dragged my belt behind my car for a week? Who'd have thought it?

Just throwing it out there but does everyone call their physician "Dr... ". How about university lecturers "Professor ..."? General / Major / Sergeant? Reverend? Pastor? Senator? Governor? President? Can go on and on... I think possibly we get all up in arms over titles because for most of us we don't do it in our day to day lives. In some countries, especially Asia, its very normal to use someone's title in everyday language. Sempai and kohai are terms that are ordinary on the school yard or in the workplace. Once upon a time in the Western countries it wasn't unusual to refer to a gentleman or senior as "Sir" or a lady as Ma'am" or even by that person's professional title. So why do we get so bothered by titles like "Master" or "Grandmaster"? These titles aren't for demanding respect, really just a job description and if sign up for a Martial Art that uses and believes in them, you shouldn't have an issue using them.

Sounds like the boys are doing really well Brian Especially Kendall. I've been watching some of his matches but I don't really understand the rules or what's happening. Your commentaries are really helpful but can you link to somewhere that has a basic run down of the rules and how these matches are scored?

Nicely done. The round kick is one of my favorite breaks to do. Here are some breaks from my 4th dan testing. I really botch the spin heel kick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wYR-mMZxU8 Not pictured was the flying side kick. Cool man! You know, taekwondo practitioners always have real nice kicks, looks good man. In karate (primarily what I do anyways) we focus on kicks maye half the time, I think it shows. So based in the fact that I saw you do the kick I did, is there a way to get your toes out if the way better. As I said we focus on the top of the foot, not ball for roundhouse, and for bouts breaks I always use shin which is more kickboxing really. If you watch my video you'll heare talking about it though, how hard it was off me to hit with the ball without hitting my toes! If I may chip in, a lot of it comes down to angle of the target in relation to you. With ball of the foot you have to be more of a 45 degree angle to the target and make a real point of turning your back foot and then your hip over. Otherwise you can't get the ball of the foot prominent enough. Need to end up in a position where the heel is higher than your toes. Instep kick is at less of an angle and more with the board directly in line with you.