The White Stripes kick butt. :bang:
Martial Arts...HiiiiiiiiiiiiYA
- Thread starter Aquabella
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
The White Stripes kick butt. :bang:
OP
Aquabella
Guest
Oh yeah baby...I'm so white I *glow*
I'm taking the 'Shorin ji ryu' style of karate and I'm having a blast. I'll make sure I keep what everyone is saying about high kicks in mind for when they let me start to spar. *sigh* I have to be a yellow belt before I can start. The 'axe kick' makes more sense now too, thanks scuberd.
I do learn specific self defense moves already though. Man, are they wicked! It's all about leverage...so cool. My partner for that class was a fairly big black belt dude and he didn't let me off easy. My wrists were quite bruised the next day. I still whipped his 'attacker' butt though. You know, if I had daughters, they would be in karate as preschoolers. Mandatory. My sons are loving it too.
I thought there would be some other kung fuers around here...active people tend to be well, active I guess
I'm taking the 'Shorin ji ryu' style of karate and I'm having a blast. I'll make sure I keep what everyone is saying about high kicks in mind for when they let me start to spar. *sigh* I have to be a yellow belt before I can start. The 'axe kick' makes more sense now too, thanks scuberd.
I do learn specific self defense moves already though. Man, are they wicked! It's all about leverage...so cool. My partner for that class was a fairly big black belt dude and he didn't let me off easy. My wrists were quite bruised the next day. I still whipped his 'attacker' butt though. You know, if I had daughters, they would be in karate as preschoolers. Mandatory. My sons are loving it too.
I thought there would be some other kung fuers around here...active people tend to be well, active I guess
Jersey
Contributor
Aquabella:
I was involved in martial arts through college. The focus & discipline required helped me get through school & more. To flexibility - start warm, cold muscle damage easily; no bouncing! - stretch, hold, release, repeat, use a partner to help.
As for 'sparring' or 'free play' - woman generally have less upper body strength, therefore punches are less effective. Our advantage - longer legs, greater flexibility. Your legs should be longer then most mens arm, increasing your reach. But balance is compromised when kicking. As the only chick in the class, the guys were gentle until they got 'kicked' around a little. It is a great confidence booster for women. Just watch out if you have long hair - my sensei was a former boxer/streetfighter/martial artist who would resort to unconvential moves such as hair pulling. All's fair in self defense!
Hi Don - I don't agree our bodies 'revolt' if we take care of them. Aging is natural, disease is not. I think we are seeing many older folks in excellent health - diving, all over the golf courses, running marathons....
Jersey
I was involved in martial arts through college. The focus & discipline required helped me get through school & more. To flexibility - start warm, cold muscle damage easily; no bouncing! - stretch, hold, release, repeat, use a partner to help.
As for 'sparring' or 'free play' - woman generally have less upper body strength, therefore punches are less effective. Our advantage - longer legs, greater flexibility. Your legs should be longer then most mens arm, increasing your reach. But balance is compromised when kicking. As the only chick in the class, the guys were gentle until they got 'kicked' around a little. It is a great confidence booster for women. Just watch out if you have long hair - my sensei was a former boxer/streetfighter/martial artist who would resort to unconvential moves such as hair pulling. All's fair in self defense!
Hi Don - I don't agree our bodies 'revolt' if we take care of them. Aging is natural, disease is not. I think we are seeing many older folks in excellent health - diving, all over the golf courses, running marathons....
Jersey
Jersey
Good morning....
I painted a fairly generic scenario regarding how our bodies react to some of the requirements of some styles.. My comments are based on many years of observing / teaching students as well as several decades of personal experience in a number of different styles. I am making an assumption that the use of the term "revolt" was what you disagree with. Perhaps a better description would be to state that as we age, the body's physical ability begins to deteriorate.
I agree with you on those that take care of themselves will have an advantage, that is the case in any physical activity. To focus on the issue of flexibility,unfortunately, the students that might be starting this type of activity later in life will have lost some of the elastisity in their muscles, thus limiting the range of motion within that particular muscle group. Basic fact about the physiological makeup of the body. For those with the discipline to maintain a consistant stretching program, those will be the individuals that will be able to maintain the ability to perform the higher kicks. The individual results would be impressive as long as the student keeps realistic expectations about their progress.
There are exceptions to every situation and we can't forget about how basic genetics enter into the equation. My experience is that many of the older students have wisdom that compensates for any lack of physical ability and as such are able to fair as well if not better than their younger counterparts. To bring this "full-circle" those students that are older and have taken care of themselves have not only wisdom that age brings but also the physical attributes that make those individuals very impressive (or if you are facing them in the ring at a tournament, more of a challenge)
Speaking from personal experience only... it is not my intention to start a "war" just to state some obsevations. Plus, when something is part of your life for so long, there comes with it a "passion" for discussing with others that have similiar experiences.
If you would like to discuss this in detail, feel free to pm me. Good thing this is in the non-diving section of the board or this would be one hijacked thread.
Best Regards
Don
P.S. One of my toughest sparring partners when I was younger was a female. This particular individual would actually intimidate many of the other guys in class, bigger guys. She hit / kicked with so much force...It was hilarious to see how the other guys would react to her. They would make assumptions about her being "a girl" and I would shake my head and sit back and watch the antics. She would take as well as she gave. In our "model mugger / rape prevention" classes some of these women would strike with so much force, they actually knocked out of of my instructors. And he was covered in a suit specifically constructed to take the force of full power hits.
Good morning....
I painted a fairly generic scenario regarding how our bodies react to some of the requirements of some styles.. My comments are based on many years of observing / teaching students as well as several decades of personal experience in a number of different styles. I am making an assumption that the use of the term "revolt" was what you disagree with. Perhaps a better description would be to state that as we age, the body's physical ability begins to deteriorate.
I agree with you on those that take care of themselves will have an advantage, that is the case in any physical activity. To focus on the issue of flexibility,unfortunately, the students that might be starting this type of activity later in life will have lost some of the elastisity in their muscles, thus limiting the range of motion within that particular muscle group. Basic fact about the physiological makeup of the body. For those with the discipline to maintain a consistant stretching program, those will be the individuals that will be able to maintain the ability to perform the higher kicks. The individual results would be impressive as long as the student keeps realistic expectations about their progress.
There are exceptions to every situation and we can't forget about how basic genetics enter into the equation. My experience is that many of the older students have wisdom that compensates for any lack of physical ability and as such are able to fair as well if not better than their younger counterparts. To bring this "full-circle" those students that are older and have taken care of themselves have not only wisdom that age brings but also the physical attributes that make those individuals very impressive (or if you are facing them in the ring at a tournament, more of a challenge)
Speaking from personal experience only... it is not my intention to start a "war" just to state some obsevations. Plus, when something is part of your life for so long, there comes with it a "passion" for discussing with others that have similiar experiences.
If you would like to discuss this in detail, feel free to pm me. Good thing this is in the non-diving section of the board or this would be one hijacked thread.
Best Regards
Don
P.S. One of my toughest sparring partners when I was younger was a female. This particular individual would actually intimidate many of the other guys in class, bigger guys. She hit / kicked with so much force...It was hilarious to see how the other guys would react to her. They would make assumptions about her being "a girl" and I would shake my head and sit back and watch the antics. She would take as well as she gave. In our "model mugger / rape prevention" classes some of these women would strike with so much force, they actually knocked out of of my instructors. And he was covered in a suit specifically constructed to take the force of full power hits.
OP
Aquabella
Guest
I wondered why all the other woman wore their hair in a bun like do and not just a ponytail like me. That would explain it. Geez that would p*ss me off, watch out for the adrenaline kicks after that! Thanks for the tips on stretching Jersey.
I wanted to ask you about that Don. You don't look like you're very old, have you noticed a change in your own abilities? When you say "later in life" do you mean over 30? Have you observed a decline in flexibility in someone who stays active? What I mean is...if I was became very flexible and continued to stretch and work out, would I lose some of that flexibility with time anyway?
Thanks for the inspiring post!
I wanted to ask you about that Don. You don't look like you're very old, have you noticed a change in your own abilities? When you say "later in life" do you mean over 30? Have you observed a decline in flexibility in someone who stays active? What I mean is...if I was became very flexible and continued to stretch and work out, would I lose some of that flexibility with time anyway?
Thanks for the inspiring post!
Aquabella
"You don't look like you're very old"
My wife tells me I'm the oldest 33 yr old she knows. I'm not sure how to take that comment at times??? ( I got started in this when I was 6, been with it ever since)
Change in my abilities??? Good question. I would say the answer would be a change in attitude. What I mean by that is I spent a lot of time in several styles that emphasized high kicks. When I became more "mature " I realized that my tournament days were going to come to an end so I started looking at systems based on realism. Training that is solely focused on self defense as opposed to some of the stuff being taught in certain styles. I was concerned that I was going to have a false sense of security if I didn't look for other styles to compliment the basic foundation. I am intentionally not mentioning styles because I believe that there is no one style that is better than the others. There are those that are better suited to my familiy and my goals but may not be towards yours.
I teach my daughters a little bit of the style that incorporates the higher kicks (good for their coordination) as well as some of the Filipino stuff I have learned (stick and knife). Never too earlier to teach my daughters how to take care of themselves in case some boy gets frisky with them.:mean: ... . Then, if there was anything left, the boy would have to deal with me... . My wife studies a rape prevention program we offered at our school which was developed out of the "Model Mugger" program. Very intense and the most realistic program I have ever been involved with. It is as close to an actual "encounter" (attempted rape) that is possible without putting the student (women) on the street looking for trouble. Watching the students become empowered always conjures up thoughts that "here is a group of women that could take on a group of Marines and come out on top." It is really remarkable what these women can accomplish.
I listed some of the "stuff" we do but again, your goals may be different. This addresses your initial question about a change in my abilities. When sparring either doing a free-flow drill (free for all with sticks where there are no patterns and just about anything goes) or putting on the pads, I have become more calculating than when I was younger. The change again is related to the mental elements more so than the physical.
Regarding your stretching program the key is to be consistant, as with anything. You don't need to be able to do the splits in a week (that's great if you can) but to be consistant, that is the key. There will be weeks, maybe months that you will feel that you are making no progress whatsoever. Don't give up, stay with it. It isn't always going to be easy ( but that is what develops the "indomitable spirit" you will hear about) This activity will begin to forge a mental strength that will only grow and will be transferrable to every activity you are involved in.
I have noticed that sometimes it takes me longer to stretch to accomplish what I was able to at an earlier age, maybe that's just me. Not knowing how active you were prior, I can't say how you will do. My belief is that if you truly want to be able to accomplish something, you will be able to find a way to make it happen. Don't compare yourself to others in your class that have been involved longer in this. Look at them and tell yourself you respect where they are at but want to be better doing... (fill in the blank). Look to them for input, use what is useful and disgard the rest.
How is that for a long answer to your question?
Best Regards
Don
"You don't look like you're very old"
My wife tells me I'm the oldest 33 yr old she knows. I'm not sure how to take that comment at times??? ( I got started in this when I was 6, been with it ever since)
Change in my abilities??? Good question. I would say the answer would be a change in attitude. What I mean by that is I spent a lot of time in several styles that emphasized high kicks. When I became more "mature
" I realized that my tournament days were going to come to an end so I started looking at systems based on realism. Training that is solely focused on self defense as opposed to some of the stuff being taught in certain styles. I was concerned that I was going to have a false sense of security if I didn't look for other styles to compliment the basic foundation. I am intentionally not mentioning styles because I believe that there is no one style that is better than the others. There are those that are better suited to my familiy and my goals but may not be towards yours. I teach my daughters a little bit of the style that incorporates the higher kicks (good for their coordination) as well as some of the Filipino stuff I have learned (stick and knife). Never too earlier to teach my daughters how to take care of themselves in case some boy gets frisky with them.:mean: ...
. Then, if there was anything left, the boy would have to deal with me... . My wife studies a rape prevention program we offered at our school which was developed out of the "Model Mugger" program. Very intense and the most realistic program I have ever been involved with. It is as close to an actual "encounter" (attempted rape) that is possible without putting the student (women) on the street looking for trouble. Watching the students become empowered always conjures up thoughts that "here is a group of women that could take on a group of Marines and come out on top." It is really remarkable what these women can accomplish. I listed some of the "stuff" we do but again, your goals may be different. This addresses your initial question about a change in my abilities. When sparring either doing a free-flow drill (free for all with sticks where there are no patterns and just about anything goes) or putting on the pads, I have become more calculating than when I was younger. The change again is related to the mental elements more so than the physical.
Regarding your stretching program the key is to be consistant, as with anything. You don't need to be able to do the splits in a week (that's great if you can) but to be consistant, that is the key. There will be weeks, maybe months that you will feel that you are making no progress whatsoever. Don't give up, stay with it. It isn't always going to be easy ( but that is what develops the "indomitable spirit" you will hear about) This activity will begin to forge a mental strength that will only grow and will be transferrable to every activity you are involved in.
I have noticed that sometimes it takes me longer to stretch to accomplish what I was able to at an earlier age, maybe that's just me. Not knowing how active you were prior, I can't say how you will do. My belief is that if you truly want to be able to accomplish something, you will be able to find a way to make it happen. Don't compare yourself to others in your class that have been involved longer in this. Look at them and tell yourself you respect where they are at but want to be better doing... (fill in the blank). Look to them for input, use what is useful and disgard the rest.
How is that for a long answer to your question?
Best Regards
Don
Jersey
Contributor
Aquabella - that could be why the hair is up! It also gets in your eyes when you sweat. They will go for hair to rile you up as well -martial arts are as much about mental control as physical abilities. As Don mentions, the 'spirit' will serve you in many areas of your life. Good luck & keep us posted on your progress.
Don - I did not mean to engage & yes, the word 'revolt' as what I took askance to. Sorry if it came off as an attempt to flame. I agree physiology & aging cells are what they are! Ain't it a shame youth is wasted on the young? I had some bad years, letting myself go (typical desk jockey stuff), but decided about 3-4 yrs ago to "tune up". Today I am in better physical & mental shape then I ever have been. Lost weight, resumed lots of activities, much more focused then my youth & a much better diet.
Your wife's prevention program sounds excellant - more are needed to provide women w/ confidence in their abilities. I attended a very urban school w/ a serious rape problem 2 of my 4 yrs (obviously not publicized, bad for admissions). It was this potential threat that drew me to martial arts.
LOL - I didn't kick any of your guys did I? I'm 5'6", go about 160, size 9-10, very solid smooth muscle. The guys in my classes (instructors excluded) were all 6' plus, bodybuilders - all bulk, no flex, & slow. Couldn't get a leg 2 feet off the floor! Here I come - ex-dancer & runner. Very unassuming physically, legs like lightning. I miss it. I have got to go back.
Have a great day! Jersey
Don - I did not mean to engage & yes, the word 'revolt' as what I took askance to. Sorry if it came off as an attempt to flame. I agree physiology & aging cells are what they are! Ain't it a shame youth is wasted on the young? I had some bad years, letting myself go (typical desk jockey stuff), but decided about 3-4 yrs ago to "tune up". Today I am in better physical & mental shape then I ever have been. Lost weight, resumed lots of activities, much more focused then my youth & a much better diet.
Your wife's prevention program sounds excellant - more are needed to provide women w/ confidence in their abilities. I attended a very urban school w/ a serious rape problem 2 of my 4 yrs (obviously not publicized, bad for admissions). It was this potential threat that drew me to martial arts.
LOL - I didn't kick any of your guys did I? I'm 5'6", go about 160, size 9-10, very solid smooth muscle. The guys in my classes (instructors excluded) were all 6' plus, bodybuilders - all bulk, no flex, & slow.
Couldn't get a leg 2 feet off the floor! Here I come - ex-dancer & runner. Very unassuming physically, legs like lightning. I miss it. I have got to go back.Have a great day! Jersey
Similar threads
