Official TB Martial Artists Thread

[bachlover]

I started learning Shorinryu and Shudokan Karate in February, I just got my green belt last week. Every time I put my belt on I'm reminded of the scene in Horrible Bosses where Collin Farrell says to Jason Sudeikis "I'm a green belt!" as a threat, and Sudeikis gets this what the f*** are you talking about about? look on his face.

Similarly to Din of Win, I really enjoy karate a lot, more so than any other aspect of my life right now. Honing my coordination, learning new techniques in class, training my body and learning all the things I can do has made karate one of the most fulfilling educational experiences of my life, and the thought that I still have many years of learning to do is exciting.

During my childhood I never had opportunities to do almost anything that I think a regular kid was. My life was basically go to school, walk home, watch TV/play video games, go to sleep, repeat. That being what I knew, I didn't know that I had no opportunities to discover my own capabilities and build confidence, so I really over estimated how much confidence I had. In that way, practicing karate has been a really eye opening experience.

I appreciate my training all the more because I took a stab at karate when I was 17, motives all wrong, full of myself, afraid to spar for fear I would lose. Needless to say, with that attitude, I lasted around 6 months. 40 years later, with a whole different attitude, willing to learn from others and contribute what I can has opened up this absorbing activity that is probably going to add quality years to my life as well as entertain (& kick butt! )

 

[Gopherbassist]

Yeah, I've yet to meet anyone non-Korean pronounce it teh instead thai. Even white people who are black belts and the head instructors of tae kwon do school pronounce it wrong. How can that be?

It's probably for the same reason karate teachers say it car-ottie instead of karate, it's just the way people say it, so they go with the flow.

 

[bachlover]

After a little over 3 years ago I signed a contract to take me to a brown belt. I feel they've been rushing us through the last couple of belts in order to get us on yearly contracts. I'm seriously considering making a move to the Cdn. Wingchun Academy headquartered here in Calgary. I observed a cardio class today - really intense & challenging. I'll probably sit in on one of their skills/techniques classes the next couple of days. I'll be starting from scratch but it looks to me like it'll be worth it. The other place had a lot of hidden fees (sparring an extra 875/yr. for example). This one seems more transparent, has more classes/day, and looks like a better fit.

 

[tastybasslines]

After a little over 3 years ago I signed a contract to take me to a brown belt. I feel they've been rushing us through the last couple of belts in order to get us on yearly contracts. I'm seriously considering making a move to the Cdn. Wingchun Academy headquartered here in Calgary. I observed a cardio class today - really intense & challenging. I'll probably sit in on one of their skills/techniques classes the next couple of days. I'll be starting from scratch but it looks to me like it'll be worth it. The other place had a lot of hidden fees (sparring an extra 875/yr. for example). This one seems more transparent, has more classes/day, and looks like a better fit.

I know a 5 degree Win Chung Master and he is a ****** badass. He is about 50 now and been practicing for 40 years. I took for about 3 months from him and the techniques that I learned were to cause serious damage.

 

[icks]

Second year of Aikido, 4h/week. I love it!

I began martial arts last year, at the age of 32 and no one should considers too old to begin something.

 

[Ziltoid]

My fingers are pretty much ****ed. Every single joint is swollen/inflamed and hurting like a female-dog. Can barely close my fists right now. Didn't remember judo being such a finger buster.

 

[bachlover]

Sat in on a skills/techniques class for Wing Chun today. Much softer style, less emphasis on forms. Seems to be more aggressive than what I'm used to. The MO at the school I came from was withdraw/block/counter. Very 1st drill we worked on involved moving in on the opponent after the block. I like it - cheaper by around $400/yr. too. Think I'll start Nov. 1st - gives me a week or so of carrot cake/ice cream/baseball before it's time to commit to a semi healthier lifestyle.

 

[tastybasslines]

My fingers are pretty much ****ed. Every single joint is swollen/inflamed and hurting like a female-dog. Can barely close my fists right now. Didn't remember judo being such a finger buster.

We do some clinching and I get a lot less tweaks and jams/bendbacks when my nails are as short as possible.

 

[jim777]

I study Aikido now but also hold Dan ranking in ITF Tae-KwonDo. I am not really into the seriously damaging someone with a punch or kick angle of martial arts, and am really much happier in Aikido than I ever was in years of karate. Although, that said I very much enjoyed my time at the Seido Juku Honbu studying with Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura. If I still had the time to go to that school I would still be going. But after years of practice I would rather be able to completely disarm and immobilize someone if needed and know that due to my skill they'd be fine 30 minutes later. The desire (or need) to really harm someone has left me and I like that. I still can it just isn't the Aiki way.

 

[bachlover]

I study Aikido now but also hold Dan ranking in ITF Tae-KwonDo. I am not really into the seriously damaging someone with a punch or kick angle of martial arts, and am really much happier in Aikido than I ever was in years of karate. Although, that said I very much enjoyed my time at the Seido Juku Honbu studying with Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura. If I still had the time to go to that school I would still be going. But after years of practice I would rather be able to completely disarm and immobilize someone if needed and know that due to my skill they'd be fine 30 minutes later. The desire (or need) to really harm someone has left me and I like that. I still can it just isn't the Aiki way.

One of the advantages of carrying on with this training for an extended length of time is having the attitude change that seems to evolve with the knowledge. One of the reasons that I'm making the switch to a new style and don't mind starting from scratch is that belts don't mean as much as they did when I started. It's all about health benefits, keeping up the interest level, and enjoyment. I would expect that the more skilled one is the greater would be the ability to choose in a split second among several options what would be appropriate for any given response depending on the situation ("clapping" the ears or a quick 2 knuckle shot to the solar plexus to a belligerent drunk who has something to "prove" as opposed to kicking in his knee for example).

 

[GKon]

One thing I'd like to point out is just how similar the demands for one's martial arts training to take them to a higher level
of competency, speed, finesse etc is akin to the needs and demands of becoming a better bass player/musician.
It's an analogy I often use to my students that also play music.

When I teach them a new form and they are swinging their sword as fast as they can, with too much power, sacrificing
technique and compromising their effectiveness with the sword I tell them that TRYING to go fast doesn't' make you fast.
Knowing a technique/kata thoroughly well inside and out is what makes you fast. Similar to learning a new complicated
piece of music. If you try and shred it the first time out, it will likely sound like crap. You need to start off slow, take your
time with it, get to know the feel, the changes, the nuances to then build up speed and, over time, you can play it quickly
without TRYING to play it quickly.

katana=bass in this case

Speaking of which, two of my sword students came to my gig last night. It was a bit odd for me, as they have only seen the
Sensei side of me. Not that I hide at all who or what I am. I just am a bit different up on stage as opposed to the dojo.
The great part is that they were, in their own words, blown away by my and the bands performance. What I am really hoping
what will come of that is that they will put two and two together and see that the same dedication and focus that they give to
their budo/martial arts training will and can help them in all aspects of their life.

 

[bachlover]

After a little over 3 years ago I signed a contract to take me to a brown belt. I feel they've been rushing us through the last couple of belts in order to get us on yearly contracts. I'm seriously considering making a move to the Cdn. Wingchun Academy headquartered here in Calgary. I observed a cardio class today - really intense & challenging. I'll probably sit in on one of their skills/techniques classes the next couple of days. I'll be starting from scratch but it looks to me like it'll be worth it. The other place had a lot of hidden fees (sparring an extra 875/yr. for example). This one seems more transparent, has more classes/day, and looks like a better fit.

I was going to start Nov 1st. Dai Sihing sent me an email inviting me to train one week free starting next week. I'm starting to get a warm fuzzy feeling about this place!

 

[Ziltoid]

"First" (since comeback) competition is on march 14th

 

[Gopherbassist]

So I maybe got a date out of talking to a fellow Karateka. I guess that's kind of a fringe benefit of being a martial artist.

 

[Snakeman1066]

WuShu here.....mostly Chángquán and Wing Chun.....but have dabbled in many other forms including Savate, Kendo, Fencing, Single Stick, and Goju-Ryu

never really mastered any of them per se but more or less used what I learned to create a mélange of style that works for me, plus I frequently carry a cane...so I tend to favor that as an overall weapon

 

[Captain Chaos]

I stopped training almost a year ago. It just got too expensive and didn't have the time.