DWx

Take a trial session with both and see which you get along better with. Cost is relative. The master may charge more but is he supplying a better quality product (his teaching) which you are willing to pay for?

It's not uncommon. Usually it is because the insurance policy requires a specific level and standard of equipment. By buying through the instructor they can guarantee everyone is wearing the right type and quality. Also some organisations or tournament circuits require a certain style for uniformity.

Congrats IcemanSK, amazing achievement

I actually wrote about this quote as part of my paper for my last testing. I believe Funakoshi is speaking about Karate as a Do and training for both the mind and body. Do (道) from the Chinese Tao (道) is about perfect harmony between mind and body. Strong mind, strong body, leads to perfect harmony with the universe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao

I work away a lot too but find its great for visiting other schools and dropping in on old MA friends. I selectively try to make sure the hotels I stay in are within a half hour of a friendly dojang if I can.

Welcome liger

Dropping the weight in strikes isnt unique to ITF. Jack Dempsey did it using same principles: http://www.sugarboxing.com/jack-dempseys-guide-to-explosive-straight-punching/

Non-competes are really common in the industry I work in but realistically they are unenforceable because you still have a right to work. Unless you specifically target your former employer's customers then it's a different matter.. To be honest, if he left on good terms but didn't want to associate himself with the current school, then its just bad form to set up so close. If that wasnt the case and there is bad blood, quite frankly he can do whatever he wants wherever he wants.

At least in my experience its unusual to have any form of contract for assistant instructors unless they are full employees of the dojo and are being paid a wage. Perhaps naively so most instructors operate on honour and good will. But to be honest, most non-compete clauses (even in the normal world) aren't worth the paper they are written on. I think in most instances the only thing it would bar him from doing is actively seeking out and recruiting students specifically from the current school. He still has a right to train himself and to make a living.

Couple of years old but check out this thread for some more ideas: http://www.karateforums.com/diy-training-gear-vt45313.html

I do ITF Taekwondo and as a result sine wave. I've spoken about it in the past and why I continue to do it: http://www.karateforums.com/an-article-on-sine-wave-theory-vt47490.html It's not for everyone but I think it's important to emphasise that sine wave is not supposed to be independent of hip twist but should be applied in conjunction with. There are some people who will teach it only and nothing else but hip twist and rotation should also be a big part of the movement too.

Whilst that is certainly something the various founders like to claim, do we have any hard evidence for this? I would say that inspiration was taken from how Taekkyon looked but is there any direct lineage?

My own training is a supplement to my class training so it depends on what I want to improve there and what we've been working on in the week. At the moment I'm trying to raise my fitness levels again so 30 mins skipping or running or maybe some HIIT type work and then stretching.

Awesome, didn't even realise he was training in it.

There are always the X is better than Y, yet X isn't eligible yet due to a slight difference in age. But you have to draw the line somewhere. The drinking age is 21. What about a 19 year old who's fighting in a war, risking their life everyday? Have they not proven their maturity? Of course he/she has. Do we make an exception an put an asterisk on their ID card that says it's ok for them? No. The line has to be drawn somewhere. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just stating fact. If someone is 16 and is better than an 18 year old that is worthy of their rank, then they'll still be worthy (barring unforeseen circumstances) when they're technically old enough to hold the rank. If they can't wait 2 more years to officially obtain that rank, then maybe they really didn't deserve it after all. You have to draw a line somewhere. Their will always be people who are exceptional or make you question the rule and make it seem unfair. But the line has to be drawn IMO. If your rule is 18, it's 18. If it's 16, it's 16. I'm not a die-hard believer in the rules are always the rules, regardless of the situation, but if its a great rule 99% of the time, enforcing it that last 1% of the time shouldn't cause major turmoil. If a student quits because he/she can't wait another year or two, they'll find another reason not too long after you've made the exception. Or they'll point to that exception next time a rule is enforced. Or others will. I'm a middle school teacher, so I'm a bit biased. I see parents and students point to an exception made for very good reason, and think it should apply to their child who has a different circumstance and the exception does not apply. Is it necessary though to have an age requirement? Drinking age, driving age and so on are set by governments because they cannot possibly hope to assess the maturity and character of each individual due to the shear number of people applying and holding licenses. The advantage we have in martial arts training is that we will spend 100's of hours training with an individual before they test for blackbelt so one would hope we can say something about the individual person and attest to their character rather than look at them as another statistic. We can actually pass a judgement on their maturity. I say this every time this type of topic comes up... but it really comes down to what you think a blackbelt represents and which doors it opens. I personally find it uncomfortable that an individual can surpass the physical and emotional requirements we associate with blackbelt yet be held back and barred from progressing within the curriculum simply because they are too young. I probably should add to this that I was awarded my 1st dan aged 14 and now at 24 hold my 4th dan so this probably colours my view..

Those are some great exercises. You could also work up to pistol squats then add weight via a weight shirt or heavy backpack: http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/whats-preventing-you-from-doing-pistol-squats-how-to-progress-pistols

Congratulations Patrick, KF will only continue to get stronger and stronger

Looks great Brian

Example here: or here: ITF suggests a (loose) closed hand position to start with and the arms are a little higher but it's largely the same. Both Kukki- and ITF- are definitely different to this https://youtu.be/Y1wuVl7awb4 Interesting to hear there is similarity in Chuan Fa. Do you have a video? I guess the Chinese influence would have come in via Yoon Byung-in (Chang Moo Kwan) and Hwang Kee (Moo Duk Kwan).

Interesting question Slingblade01. Welcome to the forums. Whilst I don't know the answer to your question, I will say that the start position is very similar to that used for sonkal daebi makgi in ITF Taekwondo today. So maybe the common root goes back to at least to when Choi Hong Hi, Nam Tae Hi etc. were part of the Chung Do Kwan.

I said to Heidi earlier in the thread I thought it odd that competitors were split only by age and not by dan rank also and that competitors had to learn all poomse. ITF tournaments work a little differently in that the ages are split off but dan grades are all separate categories too: 1st dans vs 1st dans, 2nd vs 2nd and so on. You also have to perform your form from your grade. I wouldn't say it's uncommon to see the higher dan forms at our tournaments.

That's great Nidan, shows how much your students appreciate you.

Great topic. In some ways I regret this but in a lot of ways I don't.... For me the biggest sacrifice was a "normal" social life. Training 3 - 4 nights a week with evenings off spent doing school work. I made national squad at 17 which made it was so even less time was with school friends and this carried on into uni. No going out and drinking on a Friday night but training or working. But cant complain as my best friends are all training buddies and I've met some amazing people.

Yeah, I truly think that ship has sailed, it won't return to dock. But, at the same time, its nice to see what each organization has to offer.I think they are too diverse for that now. Almost completely different styles of martial arts now. Personally I'd love to have a unified ITF. Since the General's death it just seems to be getting more and more fractured and fragmented.

Welcome to the forum enjayed