Ideas of what I can do to keep advancing in TKD......

Go to class as much as possible, throw in some cardio and weight training a few times a week, and you've got a terrific combination of trianing! Good luck.

 

Im a 3rd dan black belt, so yes I am able to execute my forms on my own. I have created 3 of my own patterns, which allow for a great ammount of advanced techniques, which will help me. Come to think of it, there are a few people I am going to ask to train with sometimes. Thanks for the suggestion. I got my pads and what not, but no targets, I will look into that also.

Do you all think training HIT once a week is easy? Just because of the workout lasting only 30 minutes, and once a week? You are greatly mistaken, HIT is far more difficult and demanding than volume training. That is why it produces more results. And why people are reluctant to begin it. YODA can attest to this.

YODA, im not trying to be arrogant simplys stating facts. Infact, there was some recent research done which shows that HIT changes ones fiber type to type IIB(fast twitch) as one continues training HIT. In consequence, since fast twitch muscles are needed for explosive, powerful kicks, it is very good fo MA's.

 

The best training for martial arts is martial arts. A great teacher of mine once told us, if you want to block hard, block hard in your drills, kick hard - the same, punch - the same.

If you are 3rd dan, you should be starting to make your own path in the art. Training by yourself takes great discipline and is as much mental as physical. I follow the way of Zen practioners for solitary training, you make the time and stick to it.

I believe it is very important for higher ranks to learn to train themselves because of the discipline it develops and also the contemplation you can devote to your own technique and for developing your skills in Hyung/Poomse. It is in solitary training and contemplation that you can also discover many subtleties in technique.

Mas Oyama is famous for disappearing into the mountains for months on end for solitary training and there is no doubt of the inner strength and focus he developed in doing this.

Another great way to learn is to teach!

 

<rant>

Quote:

"Infact, there was some recent research done which shows that HIT changes ones fiber type to type IIB(fast twitch) as one continues training HIT."

Recent studies have also shown that the type of any given muscle fiber in a muscle is not "fixed". A muscle fiber can actually take on the role of any type of muscle fiber, depending on the activity he is undertaking. Weight training to "increase your fast twitches" is in no way beneficial.

Weight training once a week, is for someone who hasn't weight trained seriously before, enough to make some progress. But that progress will stop, even if you have some super duper program that you put all your faith in.

HIT training being a flawless scientific fact is obviously not true. Many people make excellent progress without using HIT, how do you explain that? Besides what you said about steroid, that shows you know nothing about steroids at all. KickChick knows her stuff, Yoda knows his stuff. Okey, so you read a webpage saying something is good. Does that make it true? Perhaps. Does that make it the best ever and give you the right to feel righteous about your training and demonstrate arrogance towards the people trying to discuss and help you? No way.

Just because its hard, doesnt mean its the best. Hell, I could probably put together some 30minute program thats twice as hard as HIT, but it probably wouldnt do you any good.

Also, you are very young and young people tend to be...easily influenced and very zealous about their beliefs. Two examples of that are in this thread, first the thing about HIT being the ultimate best and only needed weights program. The other is in the sig where you put all TKD schools down as being rip-offs.

Something valueable for you to learn on your own at home: Keep an open mind. Learn how to see both sides of the coin, practice arguing all sides of any case, regardless of your beliefs.
</rant>

For your sparring skills you need a partner. For almost anything you will need a partner.

What you can train at home:
Technique. In my school, you get a blackbelt when you know all the technique you are likely to learn (not including the black belt forms of course). Then you begin to perfect that technique and should have gotten it just about flawless somewhere around 4th dan. You say you know most of the advanced stuff, so obviously you don't follow that system. So pracitce the tecnnique you already know. Do it slow, do it fast, do it on moderate speeds. I find that practicing using different speeds helps my balance and technique, posture while performing and all the little things about kicks, where the hands are while kicking, and all that.

Stamina. TKD stamina is completely different from running stamina. You can teach a long distance runner, a sprinter, a hockey player, whatever, all the basics of tkd and then make them spar. None of them will last. Practice your stamina using a stopwatch and performing some technique you decide for a set amount of time doing it properly each and everytime, with power and speed.

Forms: You will never get the forms perfect, but that doesnt mean you should try to.

Well, its been too long a post already and I gotta go lift some non-beneficial weights. Wish I could just see the light and use the only thing that works, but thats life. We're not all blessed with the ultimate knowledge.

 

Look, we can go on at labatt all day and night, till the cows come home. The point is he doesnt want to go to a school and learn, for his own reasons, so lets just keep the martial art spirit and help him as best as we can. Of course to most of us it would seem the best place to practie is in the dojang. I believe that above all else myself. However this may not be suited to everyone... i dont think our job is to judge your decisions, i may have done that to people in the past but it doesnt help them, you make your decision and you stick with it...
So rather than give the guy a hard time about his choice, let him make his own mind up, over time, about what he has chosen to do. Giving advice and tips on what he is asking for doesnt hurt, does it? Its up to labatt to decide for himself, not for us to tell him what is right or wrong.

 

Actually, a year ago, I was training 3-6 times a week. With absolutely no progress at all, infact, I would get very sick, combined with my martial arts training. I only made gains when I first started training 3-6 times a week, as any beginner would. It took me 6 months to convince my self to do HIT training, yes 6 months! I was just like you guys. I have made astounding strength increases, it was amazing to see how much I could gain every workout, and progress has not stopped for over 8 months.
Deadlifts, Dips, Squats, Pull downs, are pretty much all I do, and im going to lower the volume and add even more rest days to my routine very soon, as progress will get slower if you don't add rest days. Rest is so vitaly important, It took me far too long to learn this


Mifune, that was an awesome post. I honestly believe that I am ready to start creating my own path in my martial art. After all I am a 3rd dan. I am very intrigued by your post, and will pm you.

Guys, thanks for the advice, Im going to see if I can train with a couple of people once in a while, sparr and what not, to keep myself in it.

One thing, I really think would massivly benefit me would be target practice, a puching bag and target kicking.

 

Doing weitht training 3-6 times a week + MA classes will make anybody sick. It's supposed to be 2-3 times a week, then rests in between.

It also depends what kind of work out you did. And if you didn't notice, the guy on that website is buff. You don't want that as a martial artist.

PL

 

What do you mean when you say, your own path in your Martial Art, by the way... ??

 

this would mean YOU were doing something wrong. don't blame the iron, baby!

3-6 times a week is NOT strength training. i imagine you were doing a bodybuilding split, which kind of kills your credibility.
and can we see some numbers? i might try HIT if i can see what kind of gains someone could make...
and more to the point, regardless of any scientific studies that favor HIT, no one will ever love you for doing it. it'd be like someone proving that raping children is good for you, well, it's still just WRONG!

bwahaha, "after all i am a 3rd dan." i enjoyed that. that doesn't mean you're an expert, my friend.

 

Thank you DJHalliB for that very well composed post of yours.
(at least "I" appreciate it )

....

... a better attitude.

... AMEN!!

 

Some advice

Labatt, sorry to see that things didn't go well with the previous school and I seem to recall that you are in an area without many clubs (?).
As a 3rd dan myself, I feel that this is a pretty crucial time for me, training wise. I feel pretty capable with the basics and have really begun seeing how some of the more advanced stuff fits in. I am also developing as an instructor. For me, all of this is developing under the tutelage of my master and within the confines of the school. Even though I have been involved in the martial arts for quite a while, I personally wouldn't recommend someone to go off alone just yet (or ever for that matter... the advice and support of our peers, juniors, and seniors is crucial in developing over our lifetime.)

In your situation, it seems that you want to develop on your own for a while, hopefully 'until' you find a more appropriate school. Here's what I would do in this case (and what I did between schools)
(1) Practice the forms at least a couple times weekly. If you rejoin a school, you won't have to waste time re-learning stuff you should know... plus if you want to test for 4 dan when the time comes, you need to be ready.

(2) get into a gym and work out, cardio and weights... practice your forms and shadow fighting in the multipurpose (or yoga/dance) room. Find the heavy bag and work it.

(3) Invest in a few appropriate loking videos to get some ideas and some new stuff to work on to alleviate boredom.

(4) Better yet, look for some seminars or other places to cross train... this is an ideal time for it.

(5) Look around for people in the area who train... regardless of style, and get together to share ideas and to SPAR.

(6) Keep a good, humble, open attitude and keep an eye open for a new place to train.

(Just my personal advice)

 

WHAT????? How could you possibly compare HIT with Raping Children??

Thanks Thomas, ya it is a crucial time, and I want to do the best I can.

 

you missed the whole joke labatt. just take up soccer, that'd make this easier.

 

Well done totality, you seemed to totally miss what he was asking and instead replace your reply with something based on split judgement and overwhelming prejudice.
The same goes for a few others that have replied.

And what ever happened to forgiving the the mistakes of the young? Sure we can all have a go, thats fun right? Its only just short of bullying. Oh and totality, he wasnt saying hes an expert, only a 3rd dan and within that system able to choose his own path.


I digress, im in the same shoes as Labatt, after my teacher closed his school around 6 months ago. Thx thomas for the informative post, im now looking into cross-training.

 

Re: Some advice

Which should take that long, I mean if you are commited you'll find a good school, or at least someone you can learn new things from and they are probably on your doorstop.

It amazes me that people say;

"I can't find a school"

This is the UK people! It's not as if it's the USA and people are spread all over the place. One school shuts down , get your butt to another.

I hate seeing people give up so easily. I rack up an average of 100 miles a week travelling to training alone. Of course people are going to say

"It's not my style" or "The arn't the greatest teacher in the world"

Who cares, get your ass to training and apply yourself while you look for classes elswhere.

P.s. Just because you are allowed to start your own way at 3rd Degree doesn't mean you CAN or SHOULD. A great student doesn't automatically make a great teacher.

 

Re: Re: Some advice

I have to comment on this... I loved the entire post but this is really good advice. Whether it is cross training or attending classes in some other style or even in a McDojo until something else comes along... it's still training. And you can keep up on your own stuff at home!

 

um...what're you talking about? sure, maybe he wasn't specifically here to discuss weightlifting concepts, but when he started to preach the gospel according to mentzer, i felt i needed to stop him before he corrupted some poor little children on the forum. overwhelming prejudice??? i told a bloody joke, no need to get so upset about it. you need to explain your reasoning a bit more than just a vague critique of my comments, or i shall have to inform you of your inability to make a point. and the statement "after all i am a 3rd dan" does seem awfully arrogant.

 

I wasnt making any point, far be it from me to base judgement on you as a person for comments made here.

Just reading through the entire thread, by the end i just felt that Labatt was having a hard time of it with alot of people "jumping on the band wagon".

Oh and "Or i shall have to inform you of your abilty to make a point" by saying that, isnt it already too late? Or maybe that was the point. Oh well.

Maybe it did seem slightly arrogant, but that was only some of the earlier posts. After that he did take it down a notch, but you just kept on, not content until you made him - at least in your eyes - appear foolish.


Labatt, i myself have a heavy kickbag, i recommend it if your going to train at home. Luckily i have a younger brother who is in the same shoes as me, so at least i have a training buddy. Which is something.
What im missing most is the variety of sparring. Sparring bigger, smaller, heavier etc opponents, and the rush of scoring a nice hit.
The only schools i can find involve a very tedius 35 mile round trip through the city

 

Another suggestion...

In a situation like Labatt and Helm are in... there is another idea which may not be as good, but...

You could start an informal club and get some people together who want to train (possibly even some friends from your former class)... You could run it as a sparring class... work drills and sparring and conditioning together. This would keep you in form... and if you are practicing your forms and such on the side, you will at least maintain your level and will probably get better at sparring (and you could move into different rules for sparring... like a "hands-only night" or "sweeps allowed" and so on... mix it up.)

Or, you could set up a club and begin teaching... but this would depend on your level and teaching ability... but you could run classes but not use a belt system or offer formal recognition.

At the very least, this would get you in a room with others who wnat to hit you and you could work on those skills...

 

I think you should continue to pratice. and maybe get a partner to help you