DWx

Welcome Michael

Welcome Xuanlong

Welcome Jay

Welcome Brigitte

Welcome Gareth

Yes she or anyone else could return to that status with training; the blackbelt or any other qualification can't be taken away from you once you receive it and you could definitely get back to that level if you put the time and effort in. But in that stint off isn't the qualification of a reduced value compared to someone who is active? How can you call yourself something without being able to demonstrate the knowledge or skill of somebody who is that rank? I think it was one of your posts which gave me the idea for the topic, thanks What did you think about the question before/after reading everyone's posts?

Does anyone use any good apps (Android or iOS) as part of their training? Here's a few of the ones I use: MapMyRun - Uses your phone's gps to track your route and speed and gives you data on your average speed, distance, calories burnt etc. Can run other people's routes and "race" them and can share sessions via Facebook. Will also connect with equipment like heart rate monitors or sensor that monitors how many strides you're taking. Android iOS Fitness Buddy - Large catalogue of exercises divided into muscle groups with video and pictures to explain them. Also pre-programmed workouts for you to follow. Pretty good app for when you want some inspiration for your workout. Android iOS HIIT Interval Timer - Really basic version of a timer which I use for timing rounds and for interval training. Use this one because the timer is massive and I don't need it right in front of my face when training to see it. Also counts down the last 5 secs of each round for you Android iOS - can't find it in the iTunes store Anyone got any other good ones?

Yes, but nobody is taking away your mothers chemistry degree. When I come back to practicing I know I will be at the back of the class. I will be wearing my black belt, but I do not expect to be one of the club's black belts / instructors etc. I would hope that I have the time and smarts to 'warm-up' a little before my first class, but with different styles and instructors I'm not sure how far that will get me. I also know that when ever and where ever I end up I will have something to contribute to my new club and the smarts or ability to absorb even more. That'd be why I'd use the term "non-active" blackbelt . If you trained you could be reinstated to that rank but at this time you don't demonstrate the knowledge or skill of a blackbelt. If you are willing to stand at the back with the white belts and recognise that you aren't one of the club's blackbelts why would you need to wear your belt at all? You yourself know you used to be that rank, why do other people need to see it too? In a similar vein to a previous thread, would people value your opinion more if you were wearing the belt as opposed to wearing a white belt even if they knew of your prior training? (I'm not disagreeing with you or suggesting you shouldn't, just trying to provoke some discussion )

Great answers so far. TBH I'm of the opinion that yes you are still a blackbelt but as far as I'm concerned you're a "non-active" blackbelt. If you came back training you could be reinstated. To me, if you can no longer demonstrate the physical skills of a blackbelt and you can't remember things such as the kata or terminology and you couldn't sufficiently explain a technique or principle to someone else, then you aren't an active blackbelt anymore. Its a good analogy however for some professional qualifications you have to show that you remain up-to-date with things and are maintaining your skill level. For example, my mother's a chemistry graduate but because she hasn't been in the lab for 25+ years and hasn't had any training since graduating, no-one in their right mind would consider her for a lab position because she wouldn't be able to demonstrate competency. She has a chemistry degree but is not an active chemist. A blackbelt who hasn't been training and likewise wouldn't be shown to be competent would have to train to get back to that level.

If someone who was a 1st dan completely stopped training for a period of ~5 years or more, are they still a 1st dan now? Or are they a former 1st dan? What if they just started up in a different style? They were a TKD 1st dan but quit TKD and spent five years training in Shotokan (with no TKD practice), are they still a TKD blackbelt? Is rank for life or just while you are actively training?

heh "unity" is not the word for TKD. The politics is atrocious and we have tons of different organisations and sub-styles. We have so many chiefs it's difficult for us Indians to keep track of. Outsiders only tend to see the WTF/Olympic TKD so it appears we keep it together but in reality its not the case. WTF got in the Olympics because they wanted to be there and were proactive about it. Also helped that the Korean government were in support. But you can see what it did to TKD, what's in the Olympics is sport, not martial art. In answer to OP, I think its just evolution. If the instructor is changing little bits over time and incorporating other techniques, when their style is different enough from the parent style I think its only fair enough to call it something new.

What actually happened? Bit of an idiot to keep going like that, especially if he'd already injured himself due to not tapping. Congrats on the win

We have a whole session per week dedicated to just pad work. It is a great tool as people have already explained. But only as long as you are using them effectively (i.e. tallgeese's article). For me things like hanging bags, makiwaras, wall mounted bags are for developing good technique and power. Focus pads (+ training partner) are for developing tactics and ways of using your techniques against a moving target. Then board breaking you mentioned is for demonstrating raw power. I personally wouldn't use them as your school does to demonstrate an effective technique, I'd use board breaking for that. Personally I think pad work can hide a lot of small errors: incorrect attacking tool used, poor conditioning, pushing rather than striking etc. if you get those little bits wrong when trying to break, it'll be apparent straight away.

Better as in how? What do they offer that your Tang Soo Do club doesn't? I would be hesitant to change styles just because of price. Not all ATA schools are bad (there are good quality ones) but be wary if they've persuaded you mum to swap to them based on pricing alone.

Jamming is, basically, moving into an attacker while they are preparing to launch an attack so that they are unable to actually complete it. This applies to kicks (moving in as the chamber is occurring, or when they step into the kick) as well as strikes with the hands (trapping or blocking the hands as they chamber, draw back, or return to guard from a previous strike) but beyond that I'm afraid you would need to be a little more specific on what you would like to know. And then that is just my way of defining it, while others will have their own definitions and methods. This'd be my definition. Although I prefer to use the term "check" as in to stop or arrest the motion of suddenly or forcibly as "jam" to me means to press, push, or thrust violently, as into a confined space or against some object... but that's just semantics. Jamming a technique to me means stopping it before its been executed fully. So closing the distance as my opponent changes a kick so they can no longer get it out. Or intercepting a strike before it is finished. David66, are you interested in jamming a particular technique or type of technique (kicks vs punches for example)?

Congrats

Awesome

Congrats

I would be hesitant to do it. The styles are very similar but with enough differences that you'll get pretty confused, especially this early on in your training. Why's your mum so keen on sending you to the TKD classes?

Heh just make sure to tell people she socked you one

Not a doctor but what you've described seems pretty run of the mill hit to the nose. Probably not a break by the sounds of it. If it was there might be some crunching or movement when you touch it. Just keep icing it and take some anti-inflammatories to help with the swelling. If the swelling doesn't go down within a week or if you're concerned, go see a Doc. If you have trouble breathing, then definitely go see someone. TBH they won't be able to do much for you aside for putting it back into place and prescribing stronger painkillers but they can check for more serious problems and do surgery if necessary. See here: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/broken-nose/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Welcome

I'd think that is more about dictating that you are going to be moved by the returning energy than it is about moving your hand away before the arrows in the science class animation finish drawing. Action/reaction are instantaneous. For one, a "chambered" leg up position does not strike me as a "stable and balanced" position. If you want stable and balanced, put something else on the ground. Arguably, it is a "ready" position, just like your other stances. In that case the advice is just "make sure to return to a stance after you kick". In that case, i'm not completely clear why there is such a dispute about which stance to transition to after a technique. Second - are you saying that a hook kick should include a moment where after making contact, you suddenly extend your leg straight away from and past the target? The recoil you were discussing before was not "retract" but "rebound", and the two are very different ideas. I agree, recoil doesn't add to power. If anything, in some cases it will detract from the power you transfer if you start to pull the technique back before you've made proper contact. Impulse and reaction force are instantaneous things and happen at the point of impact, you can't add to them by pulling back. Contrary to this, my push kicks are an example of one of the kicks where I don't want to recoil. My push kicks (in comparison to striking kicks) are delivered with less impact at the point of contact, but more force over a distance. I am literally pushing the target. When I push a car or other heavy object, I don't smack it with my hands and watch it move, I have to drive with my legs and put my whole bodyweight behind it and sustain this over a distance. The same with my kicks.

Bets of luck Justice. Hope you and everyone else gets through it ok.

Actually I think it depends. Definitely do not fall onto the kicking leg but I wouldn't say rechambering is a must. You should be able to of course if you want to do multiple kicks on the same leg and you should retrieve your leg from the opponent so they can't grab it, but I wouldn't necessarily say you have to rechamber as such. Often some kicks naturally can lead into hand strikes and to rechamber wastes the momentum you've gain and slows the combination down. For example, a back leg roundhouse (even if you miss) nicely generates some momentum for you to strike with the back hand or you can carry on turning to do a spinning kick with the other leg. In situations like this, rechambering isn't as necessary.