Hwa Rang Warrior

Here's a video of a katana vs. a .50 caliber machine gun. The katana successfully slices 5 bullets before bullet number 6 destoys it (being destroyed in the process as well). While this feat is certainly impressive the odds of ever pulling it off it nothing more than movie magic. Besides, you'd still have the bullet fragments to contend with. Katana Video This video is kinda cool but (and military guys correct me if I'm wrong) but I think that bullet is designed to break apart as it goes through its target to cause more damage

The Katana can't cut through anything. There was an episode of myth busters where they tried to get one to cut through a gun barrel. Everytime they tried not cut.

You get over that real quick after he hits you. When your sparring you have to put yourself in a different mental state, your training to fight so the person your sparring is an opponent at that point in time, nothing more , nothing less.

Speaking from an average Joe point of view , how often would one come across this situation?? Also for those who have been trained in the military where taking a life is nesissary do you ever take a life when your training? Probably not (at least not on purpose) So although a military person might still be more prepared that first time would still be a shock

Speaking from an instructor point of view I wouldn't see a problem in this so long as you don't neglect your old and current techniques for new ones. There's nothing wrong with wanting more its that drive that will help you go farther in your art. I love to see students take an active role in their training by asking questions (intelligent ones) it shows me that they're not just going through the motions.

I would do what ever it took to save my life and base my actions on my attacker. If I feel that they are trying to kill me then I will do what I have to to survive. If that means ending there life because thats the only thing that will stop them then so be it. I'd like to think I could control a situation so it would never come to that but life is unpredictable and we as martial artists train to be prepared for anything. Its better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

My brother and I used to "fight" after watching kung fu movies. One day a did a spinning back kick that landed right in his stomach knocking the wind right out of him (at the time is was impressed with myself since I had no training). Not to mention the numerous times we kicked each other in the balls by accident.

when you go out dancing and you hip throw your partner instead of dipping her.

I guess that info would help, its a katana. I pratice with both a strait and curved blade. I'm learning to use the sword at my Tang Soo Do school but I suspect most of the moves I'm learning in the forms are taken from other styles

I have dated people from the school on 3 occasions and not one of them ended up well. They never became distrations but the first one eventually quit, the second one tried taking her aggressions out on me and then when she realized that wasn't smart she quit and the 3rd one and I don't really talk anymore and since she's in college she no longer trains at that school either. I hate to see a person quite especially because its partly because of me. I can't say that they never work because the owners of the school I belong to are husband and wife and they're fine. So I really think it depends on the people involved and the maturity levels.

I've been looking for some good exercises to strengthen the muscles required to swing a sword properly and make clean cuts. Any suggestions?

When I was a beginer I was taught to use a back stance. The more I spared the more my stance turned into a relaxed boxing stance. I try not to really fix my feet into a stance at all.

I've always been taught to kihap but I don't think I truly started to understand it until black belt level. I've never used it as a scare tactic but more as a gathering of energy and a reminder to breath forcefully when striking. One of my instructors told a class once that it takes a very long time to "master" kihap, one shouldn't simply just yell, they have to well up the breath and energy from their danjun as they strike. I'm starting to learn to kihap with out the actual yell as I train more. I definately think there is value in it so long as you do it properly and know why its being done.

Here's a drill I got from my instructor. Instead of a full blown sparring session tell them that they have to tap the back of their opponents shoulder. Start with one person only tapping and the other person only blocking. After they get the hang of it allow the exchane to go back and forth. Usually we start off with a round stationary and then start moving around like we're sparring after everyone gets the just of it. It makes for a pretty fun exchange and gives them a defined target instead of just letting them flail at each other. I hope this helps

Update: I slathered myself with tiger balm and stretched the living crap out of them last night and now most of the tightness and all the soreness is gone.

A little soreness with the tightness and yes it started with the deck building. Maybe I'm just getting old and my recovery time is longer than it used to be.

I snowboard in the winter, I was even an instructor at the local hill for a few years. I also love music , probably would be a singer in a rock bad if I felt I could make it. Watching movies and anime definately entertain me as well.

I stretch just about every day. Dynamic and static. Lately I've been having some extreme tightness in my hamstrings. I'm not losing a ton of flexablilty but I am having a discomfort, sometimes even just when walking. the only thing different from my routine lately has been helping my in laws build a deck which lent to some uncomfortable postures. Has any one else every experienced something like this?

Its amazing how a still can have some many things that are the same and still contain subtle differences

I suppose I should have done this first instead of jumping right in and posting in the forums. I've been training for about 14yrs in Tang Soo Do (World Tang Soo Do Assoc.). It's the only art I train full time in but I'm alway looking into other styles as well to add to my training and make me more rounded. I'm also an instructor and I've been doing that for at least I wanna say 6 years. The years keep flying by. As you'll notice I'll rarely mention my rank because I don't feel that its important only training is important to me. The best advice that I ever got was from my original instructor. He told me "Just train, train as hard as you can and rank will just take care of itself."

I've taken TSD for about 14 years and I definately think I would also do pretty when in a self defense situation. AS its been said (probably about a million times in these forums) effectiveness will be gained through proper training and is depended on instruction and your effort not nessicarily the style.

We have required Ho Sin Sul. five for each belt rank 10th gup - cho dan bo. 30 in total. Of coarse while teaching them we try to teach it with as many different senarios as possible to make them more realistic , as well as supplementing to answer "what if" questions.

I don't mean to be rude but how is it that your instructor has already taught you Wang Shu and Kong Sang Koon. I leard the the last one at my current rank of 3rd dan (and am still trying to master it) Wang shu I wouldn't learn until I've reached 5th dan (I have to get the invite for 4th and then master first). I know that each association is different but i know the complexity of these forms and at 1st dan level I don't think I would be able to master and perfect these the preceeding forms and learn the ones that came after. Maybe I'm just a slow learner.

I've seen the turtle used a lot in daoist references as well. Its been a while since I've studied that philosophy in depth but I think it has something to do with the thought that a daoist "goes with the flow" like water flowing off a turtles back. Since many martial arts carry this same philosophy I can see why it would come up frequently.