DWx

With respect pdbnb, haven't you only just started TKD? Maybe because it is so different Aikido might be a better option as you'll be less likely to confuse yourself.

Are we talking adults or children? I assume children... TBH I personally lean more to the Sgt Major side. Don't give them a chance to talk when you are talking and if they do, punish the entire class with push ups or something. Peer pressure works wonders.

I think it's hard in some respects to find an org that won't tell you what to teach or how to teach it. Most org's have their own standards to uphold and if you are a member of XYZ then you are representing their name and a certain level or way is expected. What is it you want from an org besides that? Insurance? Access to seminars/teachers etc? I myself don't know too much about TSD orgs but maybe someone else can point you in the right direction.

Spar as much as you can to get better. But if you're lacking in partners to practice with or can't get to the dojo regularly enough there are other things you can do to supplement your sparring. One of the easiest things you can improve on your own is your fitness. Sparring is a sprint not a marathon so mainly focus on high intensity short duration things. So skipping, sprints, HIIT bag training or exercise pyramids. Anything to get your heart rate going faster. Then you can mix this with a bit more endurance too: longer distance running, biking, swimming. Also under the fitness umbrella would be strength and flexibility and I'm sure you don't need anyone to tell you how to go about that. All this will make your current skill set faster and give that ability to do everything for longer without fatiguing so quickly. Then drill work. You need to be able to do things without thinking about how your going to do them. Make everything instinctual. Footwork drills and combination drills. Look at what you're already taught in class, work that then build upon it by using tools such as YouTube to see what successful fighters are doing themselves. Both shadow box and do work on the pads and bag. As a caveat I would say that there's not a whole lot you can do with guys like you described. You can try to give them a taste of their own medicine so to speak but IMHO that doesn't really resolve anything.

What kind of meals do you typically eat Lupin? I've heard good things about paleo but would struggle I think to come up with meals for myself. I have reduced my carbs down and upped the protein ratio but I find myself craving bread (of all things!). How do you think it fuels you for training too? As my other concern us being able to last those long training sessions without a steady sugar release from my pasta

I think this is a common thing. Especially for people who are taught from a young age to be non aggressive. Harlan hit the nail on the head IMHO. Especially on #2. Newbies especially don't seem to be able to trust themselves or trust you enough and they fear hurting someone. TBH martial artists are pretty unique in that we are crazy enough to invite people to punch us in the face and kick us in the gut and are willing to take the pain. In our classes I struggle must with getting younger females to hit me as they fear they might hurt me; no matter how many times you try to tell them you've been hit harder and survived. I don't know it's the best method but I try to get people used to hitting something. Heavy bag or pads. And then try to progress from there.

Good luck Fang! I'm sure you don't need me to tell you but remember to pull your toes back on that jumping front kick! Hard kick that is and you don't want to injure yourself.

What kind of pain? Joint or muscle? Sharp or dull? I would definitely follow mal103's advice first and get checked out by a doctor to see if there are any underlying issues first. Having said that, it is natural people tend to favour one leg over the other - usually the leg that corresponds to which hand they use. Because of that they use that leg more and it becomes a lot easier to kick with. Concentrate on stretching left and right equally but also pay particular attention to how you are kicking with your left. You probably don't have to think much about your right but any awkwardness in your left will cause you problems. Even if you kick slower and lower with your left focus on correct rotation of your hips and standing leg as that is something that often causes people problems. And don't try to kick too high with the left until you've 100% got that technique down.

There is nothing to stop a Wado practitioner from doing any Kata he wants, from any style. I think you are referring to "Shitei" (compulsory) Kata rounds? This is usually only the first round of events and what it means is that if you want to do Chinto or Seishan - you have to do it the Wado way. If you want to do say Kanku-dai or Jion it has to be done the Shoto way and so on and so forth. There is nothing however stopping a wado kuy doing Kanku-dai, but he has to do it the correct “Shotokan” way according to how the WKF prescribe. The remaining rounds tend to be "Tokui" or free kata rounds - ie you can do any kata you want from any style. The problem is it doesn’t really work imo. Fact is, if a wado guy does Seishan against a Shoto Jion– chances are that the judges will go for the Shoto Jion, because it looks nicer. What this has led to is athletes learning how to perform all of the flashy looking Kata from across the styles, and disgarding the more "basic" looking ones which kinda defeats the point. K. Ahh thank you. The Shitei Kata was what I was referring to although I didn't know you had a free choice also. Still seems to me as though if you want to do your favourite Kata you are restricted in what you can choose. To me, going out of your way to learn Chinto in the Wado way when you are a Shotokan Karateka means diluting your Shotokan identity. But then again I guess that's sport.

Sorry, like Brian says, for a definitive answer, it's probably best to ask the KUGB directly. Is this a retest then?

Almost every class and have done since I was a white belt. IMHO it's the best way to learn and develop better tactics and technique. They can coach you as you're sparring and you learn by doing.

We have to do the whole lot for each grading and TBH your current one matters less than you being able to perform your previous ones to your current level. If a black belt can't perform Chonji (what I would consider as a TKD Kihon kata) and look like a blackbelt, then there isn't any point evaluating any of their other forma

Law Enforcement? in the Military? Bouncer? Bodyguard? How about elite nannies for the rich and famous: https://www.parentdish.co.uk/2013/05/08/elite-norland-nannies-learn-martial-arts-to-foil-kidnap-threats-to-wealty-children Don't mess with Mary Poppins!

One of the things I've struggled to understand is how the WKF in these competitions go about comparing say a Wado Karateka to a Shotokan guy. It seems that competitors must be pigeonholed into their style. Maybe I'm thinking about it the wrong way but for instance #9 on the could be restrictive if they've cross trained or the fact that a competitor must do one of the kata that is deemed appropriate (by the WKF) for his/her style. But then again those are the rules of the game and if you want to play then you have to adhere to them.

I'm not so sure on the stretching beforehand either. What I tend to do is just to run the first couple of miles slower to ease everything out and then start going properly. Biggest problem for me at the minute is blisters. I've tried a couple of different shoes now and even went to get some properly fitted but still get horrible blisters. Any general last minute tips to help me get my sorry behind round the course? Thanks Brian Never again though!

Congrats on the weight loss I'm with you on the stretching. I always feel exhausted when I get back and never stretch off as well as I should. I started a proper programme back in October after years of messing around at 3 miles. Got my first 1/2 marathon this Sunday.

Congrats Looks like he's got a good lead leg.

It's kinda up to you if you think it's worth it and how much of your day you can give over to sitting in a car. FWIW I travel 30 mins to training from home (45 mins from work). But then once a fortnight I travel 2 hrs in each direction to train with another group of people.

What rules are you fighting under? Continuous or point stop? Do kicks score more than punches? You should be tailoring how you fight to the rules you're fighting under and for who you're facing. If it is a point stop competition, block counter is a bit riskier and IMHO a better strategy is to go on the offense and be first or you risk giving away points when you can't counter effectively enough. Likewise if kicks score higher it might be better to focus on them. I would suggest looking on YouTube for past matches from the same circuit. Can then see what kind of things are working and scoring. But don't sweat it too much and just enjoy it! Good luck

Congrats

This is the rule we go by. Also it very much depends on positioning and angle of attack. A knife hand would be awkward if I want to hit someone in the face when they're straight in front of me. However in answer to the original question I favour knifehands and palm heels.

Welcome John

TBH you might be better off getting a Century Wavemaster or a BOB. The corner stands I've seen aren't cheap and not exactly all that portable either. I hope you've got a van to haul it around in!

Congrats! I would hardly call your mistakes major ones for a 10th gup - pretty minor things really although they may not feel like it. Also if you realized your own mistakes then that's good and you'll know what to work on for next time. Don't sweat it and have fun learning Chon Ji

Congratulations Bob