Red J

Thanks Patrick. BTW, the white belt looks good with the NYY logo. You're color coordinated!

You should never walk out of any self-respecting dojo and feel like you have just bought a car. Advice - If you have 3 days to opt out then do it. You can always sign again if you want.

I believe the blood bank will tell you to avoid serious exercise for a few hours.

Green Hornet was before KungFu. Bruce Lee planted the seed for the KungFu series but it was determined that America was not ready for a leading Asian man. Asians were regulated to stereotypes, which Bruce Lee vowed to change, which he did when he returned to the states. (AMC ran a pretty good documentory last year and there was also a biographical movie that was produced in the early 90s that was entertaining as well. The movie had some historical accuracy with the Ed Parker tournament but it also had some creative license as well.) I just purchased the original KungFu pilot (for four dollars at a North Carolina flee market) that has that bar scene in it. I couldn't wait to watch it again. I used to love watching that show with "Young Grasshopper" when I was a kid. Thanks for the sharing.

I'm no doctor...so maybe you need to see one. Ice and advil cure most of my woes...Especially ice when it starts to feel better. Many people stop treatment when they feel relief, but it is important to see it through. Good luck.

Try to avoid becoming predictable. It keeps everybody honest and on their toes.

I resemble that remark!

Yeah, but so does martial arts. Its all about choices. Swimming is considered a low impact exercise as compared to jumping rope meaning less stress on your knees, ankles, and feet. Ironberg makes a good point. IMO you should do both and reap the benefits of well balanced cross-training. Now since you first posted, what have you been doing?

Have you tried contacting Finnish companies and representing them in the US? Just trying to work the angles here and exploit your international expertise. Good luck.

This doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Adults and five year olds? How is that beneficial to you or the five-year-old? And if the instructor is making the entire class sit, including the adults, when the kids act up, give me a break. If you want serious training then you need to find a place that can provide it. My two cents....

Asics wrestling for me.

ditto

Yikes! ESA, train hard...and wash your gi.

one....two....three....crunch....three.... Now applying my answer from the Warlock's question to the original question of how long does it take to gain competence in an art, I would answer three....

Doctor...

This has some merit. You need to meet some people. Make a goal to talk to three new women a day. Even if all you do is say hi and walk away. The more you interact with people the easier it becomes. Whatever you do, do not use any of the advice from this thread that I dug up from the archives... http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=4835 Good luck.

Great work equaninimus! Wherever you go, you should never feel like you are buying a car. People that have "the only way" clearly should be avoided. Good luck.

We have a simular combination for brown belts which is front - back - side. It is in the required form, and is one of my sensei's favorite warm-up drills that we do in the advanced class.

Some people briuse easy and some don't. I've taken some shots and have had some serious pain but no bruising. Bruising is not the best barometer. I stick to the basic sparring and blocking drills with physical conditioning through exercise and calistenics. As far as full contact head shots, I would rather not experience too many of them. Full contact to the head is risky. Unless you are a pro or serious amatuer, I would limit my exposure of the full contact head shot. Personally, my eggs are scrambled enough. I feel that controlled contact, with people that have skill and emotional control, can accomplish much of what you are looking for.

Do both. You have a good situation for some cross training. Mix it up for variety. I would guess that jump rope may burn more calories (I don't know if it is significantly more). Once you get cranking and get bored of the routine, get a bike and some running shoes and try your hand at a triathalon.

Good one!

There is a big difference between a healthy respect and fear. Sometimes immature students have fear when actually it is the vulnerablilty the Warlock speaks of. However, this dissapates with maturity and confidence. I would not go to an instructor who uses fear and intimidation to gain respect. People who do this generally do not have respect for themselves or others. It's like the leader who has to remind his people that he is the leader. Well, if you need to remind people, then are you really a leader? Instructors who treat people fairly, consistently, and with respect are the people who are respected by their students and community. No one likes a bully.

His article came right to mind as well. If it really is a problem, have a chat with the head instructor to get some feedback. See what he says and go from there. Chances are if this guy cussed you he probably has ticked off many people. Your talk may be the excuse your instructor needs to straighten him out. Good luck.

How about a steel caged lumberjack loser leave town...... It sounds a little far fetched for serious fighters but this scenario may be the kind of thinking that has started the paint ball craze. Every weekend guys line up to pay and play in team format in fields across the world for the thrill of competition.

Red J refers to my red jeep. I picked the dragon avatar somewhere on google because I liked it.