storyteller

Sorry if this is a repeat, but I need a judo gi that can strike a balance between affordability and quality. I'm doing Hapkido but with some judo throws tossed in, so the instructors recommend a double weave judo gi. I'm about 5'3", female and very muscular, if any or those factors inform fit. Oh, I'd also really like this gi to last a long time and with any luck, eventually be used in judo practice as well. Thanks!

I know this has been kicked around for a while, but here's my take on it: I taught TSD in college and the toughest thing about it was getting a bunch of girls (and I am a girl, remember) to accept the idea that yelling out loud and in a somewhat scary way is okay. The best we ever managed to do was to take everyone, from the third degrees all the way down to the noobs in sweats and t-shirts, put them in a circle and go around yelling one at a time. We did it in quick succession so that there was no time for people to chuckle at themselves or each other, and after a few trips around the circle, everyone's kihaps got louder...after that, it was never much of an issue.

Thanks, everyone. Perhaps I was being too sensitive about the issue...it's just tough to think of the possibility of his being an outsider when community can be so important in MA. But, if he wants to do it, I shouldn't dissuade him. And who knows, maybe no one will care at all!

So, due in part to these tough economic times, my dojang is on the hunt for new students. As such, I put out a note to all my work friends asking if any of them would be interested. Several responded, one of whom is a guy in his mid-20s, fit, smart, interested in learning new things who happens to be gay. I am a very, very liberal-minded person and as such, I see no problem with having gay male (or female, for that matter) martial arts students, but it's been my experience that though MA takes all kinds, some of those kinds can be very, very conservative on these (and other) topics, even within really liberal communities like mine (North Side, Chicago). I've only been going to this school for a few months, so I don't know everyone well enough to just know how they would react, and I would never, EVER want to put my friend in a situation that could make him uncomfortable, or worse. What do you think? Have him try it out? Ask an instructor for an opinion beforehand? Oh, BTW, he is in a relationship and is not prone to flirting inappropriately or anything ridiculous like that but he's very obviously gay. Also, please note that while I respect all opinions, I'm not really looking for any religious or politically motivated responses which address the morality of his life rather than the situation at hand. Thank you.

There is no hard and fast rule for testing. My GF is testing after 2 months and a week (or something like that) but she takes 2 hour classes 3-4 days per week and we train before class every day, so she's picking it up quickly. I'm thinking their average time is probably about 3-4 months at 2-3 classes per week.

Hey all, it's been about a million years since I posted anything, so I'm really sorry if this has been posted recently: Which forms are part of your curriculum? I ask because I had studied both ITF and WTF as a kid, then studied TSD/Shotokan forms in college and the (TKD) school I've just joined does them all. That's Gen. Choi's, Palgwe, Tae Guek and TSD series. There are 7 forms required for their white to yellow belt test alone. I had never heard of learning this many forms per level before. Personally, I'm pretty stoked about it because forms have always been my strong suit, but still, wow...does anyone else learn this many?

Thanks, all! I appreciate the advice.

475lb leg press, two 15 rep sets 5 sec. rest in-between...I'm a 5'3" girl, btw....

I used to take classes in Haidong Gumdo in Illinois and I know there were several other schools around the midwest, but I also know that Koryo Gumdo seems to have far more schools... Any reason for the particular interest in Haidong (other than the obvious fact that the uniforms look much cooler)?

My old dojang allowed us to choose what we put on our belts (within reason). On my first dan belt, I chose to put my name, tae kwon do, 1st dan and my testing date (all these things are traditional for that school) but instead of gold lettering I chose red and blue for the Korean flag and had all my lettering in Korean. I also asked not to have my stripes put on because I disliked being judged at tournaments solely by the number of stripes on my belt. My second dan is just a plain black belt....I like that even better...feels old school...

I like awma.com (Asian World Martial Arts) not the cheapest site, but one of the better selections of high quality weapons. I've never been a big Century fan where weapons are concerned. In my experience, they often break easily and just plain aren't worth the price. Regards--

Hi all, Sorry if this has been posted before, but I'm new to the boards, so bear with me. Recently, my car was broken into while I was moving houses and very nearly all my martial arts stuff was stolen. I had a big bag with all my sparring gear, my embroidered first and second dan belts, a bunch of smaller weapons (nunchaku, sai, kamas) two of my TKD dobaks and my favorite gi as well. Luckily, an instructor friend of mine helped me replace the sparring stuff and managed to snag a cheap black belt, too, but now I still have to account for the rest. I'm looking for a black Wakocu uniform and belt. I know there are better brands, but I have an odd body type and of everything I've owned, that's fit best. If anyone could point me to a website that sells them, I'd be grateful. Thanks! ps--sorry for the long post...

I'm one of those sad cases of martial artists who went from perfect training/fighting form to carrying around a bit of a spare tire due to lack of training and lack of free time. Now that I'm graduating college and am likely to have the opportunity to begin taking classes again, I'd like to get back in shape a bit before I jump back in. I was wondering if anyone out here in karateforumsland would be able to offer me some training suggestions (weight training, endurance training, cardio, etc.) to help me get back into decent physical condition without overwhelming me right off and making me want to quit? Many thanks.