All Questions
4
votes
3answers
173 views
Are championships against Aikido philosophy?
While I was in Brazil, I heard that there is no such thing and it's against the Aikido principles, but I don't remember more than that. In the UK, I heard about some guys that do it. Is there really ...
3
votes
1answer
93 views
Does anyone know a good source of information about Sambo on the web?
I've seen some videos of Sambo, but I've never seen real practice.
I've practiced some Aikido and BJJ. Looks like Sambo has some ground elements that might be similar to Jiu-Jitsu and some standing ...
3
votes
2answers
173 views
How can I improve my “bananeira” (hand-stand / walk head-down)?
This is a very common capoeira movement and I've seen similar things in some kung-fu styles.
I can do it for a couple of seconds (or 2,3 steps) for about two years now, but never managed to go past ...
5
votes
3answers
509 views
Why do different shapes of bokken exist?
Bokken are supposed to mimic/represent a katana for training purpose. There are suburi bokken which are heavier than normal to train muscles and develop power. But why are there different shapes of ...
4
votes
2answers
227 views
Is Tomari-Te a valid type of Okinawan (Ryukyu) Kempo?
George Dillman claims to teach Ryukyu (Okinawan) Kempo Tomari-te. The theory here is that there were three villages teaching Kempo: Naha, Shuri, and Tomari. I have heard that Tomari really did not ...
2
votes
2answers
200 views
Is stretching with a partner beneficial, dangerous, or both?
One thing I've seen practiced before are stretches involving a partner, particularly for the legs. I've seen mixed reviews of this practice in a variety of different locations, and wondered if someone ...
3
votes
1answer
364 views
Which kind of breath provides the most striking power?
Power is defined exactly like in the wiki article, and the units are also as in the wiki article:
The dimension of power is energy divided by time.
Breathing is largely composed, as far as my ...
3
votes
4answers
627 views
Is there one traditional way of tying your belt in aikido?
I came across this youtube video. Being a beginner in Aikido I was wondering, is this the traditional way of tying your belt? Are there other ways to do it? Does it matter how you tie it?
0
votes
1answer
168 views
Am I training enough for my Kempo black belt test? [closed]
I am currently training for my Kempo Black Belt test. I attend a 1 hour class once a week, and practice with other brown belts once a week for about 2 hours. Is that enough for preparation? My test is ...
1
vote
1answer
298 views
kicked in the sternum - tips on healing, time frame? any lingering danger?
I recently (a week ago) got side kicked with a heal in my Sternum pretty hard, it knocked me down (I weigh 215 lbs). Needless to say it was very painful and a week later it still kills if I try and ...
4
votes
4answers
295 views
I have very little toe flexibility - are there other front kicks I can use?
I have very limited mobility in my toe joints, to the extent that I can't pull my toes back the way you need to to perform a front kick, so currently the only forward kicks I know I can manage are axe ...
9
votes
5answers
4k views
How do I increase hip flexibility for round kicks?
In the process of doing a round kick, or roundhouse kick, you need to turn your kicking leg over, to be perpendicular with your body. When I do this I loose significant height on my kick and can ...
8
votes
2answers
230 views
Harnessing emotion during sparring
I find that sometimes when I'm sparring, particularly if I'm sparring someone around my own level of ability, I can get quite riled up - particularly if I take a heavy hit. This gives me a serious ...
5
votes
6answers
263 views
Controlling my emotions during sparring
I'm currently a yellow belt but I'm sparring with brown, red and black belts. Of course I'm not as good as they are so during sparring I get emotional and frustrated very quickly... I know it's silly ...
8
votes
1answer
316 views
Are there any Wing Chun Kungfu training dummy designs that are fit for use in a condo?
I'm looking to practice some with a training dummy at home. I live in a condo (apartment building), and am concerned with:
being able to mount it properly
noise absorption - minimal noise production
...
3
votes
1answer
108 views
How can I improve my precision when performing a split kick?
For my next grading, I'm planning to demonstrate a split-kick break, similar to the kick shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox46E-GNVQ8&feature=related
(In case the video becomes ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
What's the recommended way to deal with an injured hamstring while still practicing?
Periodically, we all experience a hamstring issue, such as a pulled, ripped or torn hamstring. In relation to my current issue (a pulled hamstring in the left leg), I would like to continue practicing ...
5
votes
1answer
148 views
What is the proper technique for holding a Century-style body shield for use in Taekwondo?
My family just won a Century body shield as part of a raffle to help raise money for our school's booster club. We don't often use a body shield in class (in fact, I only recall having used it in one ...
11
votes
2answers
593 views
How did the colour belt ranking system originate?
Many martial arts (karate, judo, jiujutsu, taekwondo, kung-fu, etc.) use some form of coloured belts to denote rank and level. How did this come about? Did the concept have common origin or did ...
7
votes
3answers
170 views
Demonstrations of Minimum Force
Frequently with newer students when we begin teaching them locks, we encounter the phenomena that when they don't get the lock to go on they will try to apply more force to make it work. This can be ...
6
votes
2answers
370 views
What qualifies a school or business as a legitimate martial arts system?
How can one find out if a Martial Art school is legit/registered? I took a style back in the 90's called Chung Moo Quan. The school eventually closed because of some investigations into it being a ...
4
votes
2answers
446 views
What are the differences between iaido and kendo?
I don't understand the differences between Iaido and Kendo. If I compare any other Japanese martial art, like Karatedo and Judo, the differences are obvious.
Why are there two different Japanese ...
3
votes
1answer
125 views
What are the primary differences between poomsae and hyungs?
At my Taekwondo school, we practice the traditional hyungs as created by General Choi. After reviewing several materials for WTF practitioners and reading books on the history of Taekwondo, I'm left ...
5
votes
1answer
188 views
What is Fudo Myo-o (concepts of mushin, fudoshin, and zanshin)?
stslavik in an answer related to Kenjutsu mentions the concepts of mushin, fudoshin, and zanshin as part of Fudo Myo-o. While I am somewhat familiar with all three, I am seeking a more in depth ...
7
votes
2answers
385 views
What are the key differences between kendo and kenjutsu?
I was wondering what are the key differences between kenjutsu and kendo?
I know that kendo is considered as an art of fighting where as the kenjutsu is the art of killing, or am I wrong here?
4
votes
4answers
307 views
What's this posture called, and does it signify something
In Tai-Chi, if I remember correctly, many stances and movements signify something , such as "push opponent away", "block a kick" etc. At least that's whatone of my trainers claimed.
In one of the ...
3
votes
1answer
235 views
How effective are different pricing structures for martial arts studios?
There are several ways for students to pay for martial arts lessons... per month, per lesson, and contracts. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these for both the student and school? ...
5
votes
1answer
201 views
What books of Escrima patterns that detail each step are available?
I know Escrima generally has minimal emphasis on forms, but that there are nevertheless some patterns associated with certain Escrima variants.
Many more popular/formalized martial arts have books ...
3
votes
1answer
183 views
Preventing jammed toe during judo randori
I have been practicing judo for about 6 months and I've found that I frequently manage to "jam" the big toe on my right foot during randori. Are there strengthening exercises that I can do for my big ...
9
votes
3answers
219 views
When doing Aikido practice why should the attacker adapt to the defender?
I'm an Aikido beginner and haven't had many classes yet, so I hope this is not a stupid question. My teacher recently said that when we practice with someone then the attacker should adapt to the ...
4
votes
0answers
126 views
Tanto Forms Reference
A long time ago I used to study fighting with a tanto, derived loosely from aikijujutsu. Recently I have found myself glancing through a lot of forms practice and analyzing the movements, and was ...
4
votes
0answers
111 views
What are the philosophical differences between the TKD Kwan?
My understanding is that after the unification of the various kwan under the Kukkiwon the basic library of techniques that each school employed became relatively uniform. I've seen firsthand, ...
3
votes
4answers
163 views
Adapting karate to stage combat
When doing stage combat, safety is a large part of it. All strikes do not hit or are exaggerated, and many of the more intense moves are controlled by the victim.
What would be a good approach to ...
7
votes
3answers
219 views
How effective is practicing a martial art strictly outside of a dojo for beginners?
My girlfriend has expressed interest in learning one of the martial arts I practice with me, but when she has come to a class she has been very self-concious about being new and inexperienced (I've ...
19
votes
5answers
301 views
How can I respectfully raise concerns about class difficulty level/teaching style at my club?
I practice Taekwondo regularly with the club at my university. There are three main instructors, one 3rd dan and two 1st dan (my belt level).
The club has a lot of black belts of varying degrees who ...
7
votes
2answers
133 views
Criteria for a Martial Art to be considered as an olympic sport?
The title pretty much explains it. What criteria have to be met for a martial art to be considered for inclusion in the Olympics.
I understand that there has to be some semblance of international ...
2
votes
2answers
315 views
Helmet for knife fighting sparring
Our club needs to pick a helmet for knife-fighting sparrings which would satisfy several conditions:
protect face and eyes from accidental stab (it's forbidden by rules to stab head or throat)
be ...
1
vote
2answers
180 views
What are the ankles good for, relative to stance work and mobility?
What are the ankles good for? What is their most efficient use? I posited, somewhere else, that they are good to absorb the energy generated from moving out of a stance.
In martial practice, how can ...
3
votes
2answers
73 views
What are some good sources to remind me of the order of Bassai kata?
When I was studying my underbelt katas I could always refer to Master Jhoon Rhee's books covering the kata. Those books are no substitute for learning how to perform the kata with my sensei, but ...
3
votes
1answer
487 views
What is misogi?
I have heard the word Misogi (禊) during Aikido, and read it on books.
Says that aikido is one thing, but also that misogi is the "extra training" in order to make aikido really works in a real ...
4
votes
3answers
280 views
Correct usage of the title “Master”?
Is it proper to refer to anyone who teaches classes at your school as Master, or is that title generally reserved just for the person who is the head of the dojo?
FWIW, to give it a little more ...
7
votes
5answers
360 views
How to overcome fear to jump?
I practice Taekwondo. My biggest hurdle at the moment is that I am afraid of falling down. For example, when I do a scissor kick, I was told to level my torso to kick higher. But I am afraid that I ...
9
votes
5answers
156 views
How helpful is it to film yourself during training and analyze videos after training?
While most of the gyms and dojos where I've trained so far had mirrors to help you work on your technique I think videos are underused. In my opinion, taking a video of e.g. a sparring session or ...
3
votes
4answers
187 views
How do I coach her mindset to better suit karate competitions?
My fiancé is practicing Karate in the style of Kanzen Ruy. She has a very good technique and strength, and was seen early as a promising practitioner. I have Kyokushin experience and support her in ...
10
votes
3answers
164 views
Are students with disabilities tested differently?
I don't use testing when I teach; I observe and promote when students are ready (hopefully avoiding various observer effects). That said, I judge individuals based on their individual capabilities and ...
3
votes
4answers
244 views
Value in Practicing Spinning Kicks
In hapkido we have a large number of kicking techniques, ranging from sweeps and kicks from the ground up to and including spinning kicks, skip kicks, jump techniques, etc.
My question here is in ...
6
votes
3answers
291 views
Pivoting for a kick
While in training, it is advised to pivot on your foot when going in for a kick (such as a side or round-house kick), so that your foot is facing as much in the opposite direction as possible. The ...
7
votes
3answers
468 views
What's the real difference between Ikkyo omote and Nikkyo omote?
In some variations, such as kata tori and gyaku hamni katatedori, ikkyo and nikkyo techniques are very similary, pretty much equal, but for the ending pin.
What is then, the real difference between, ...
1
vote
1answer
486 views
Which muscles do I use to stand? [closed]
Standing naturally is REALLY HARD. Farmers spend their days bent to the earth, techno-people spend their days sitting at a desk, etc. The body adapts, and deforms, and loses its natural efficiency. ...
11
votes
3answers
310 views
Training Body Reading Without Sparring
When I did rapier, with some emphasis on sparring as well as structured drills, one of the things you got very good at was reading the other person's tells. Some of which were things that could be ...
