Hi BillyMac, I have been in Tang Soo Do since 1979, Originally training under Grandmaster Jae Joon Kims middle son Saul Myong Kim. I tested under Grandmaster Kim up until fourth gup I think. Enjoy TSD it's a great Martial Art. Hopefully I will be testing for my Masters belt in December or the start of next year. our style is more defense oriented than sport but you can have a lot of fun learning and training and competing at any age. I have seen KIDS from the Ages of 5 to 50 or so in the classes I have taught. so at your age your still young. Tang Soo
Hey, Billymac, how did your testing go? I always loved testing... Big HI to everyone, life has gotten into my martial arts as of late... TANG SOO!!!
Hi Billymac, Welcome to MAP, Let us know how your grading went, what gup is green belt over there? Least you would have plenty of energetic youth around to motivate ya hey. I know what you mean by finding Tang Soo a good fit. I used to box and be very much into physical exercise, and for various reasons, Tang Soo is my new outlet for all of that.. Anyway enjoy the forum.
I got a problem and not sure how to handle this one I have a guy at work he's a real macho idiot he likes to pick on people and use his size to intimidate people. he goes about 325 to 350 lbs. the other day I was pulling a pallet of freight when he came up from behind me and tried to get me in a choke hold the minute I felt his arm start coming around my neck I spun and faced him which made it very hard to choke me out. I had his knee's open his groin and up threw his arms into the throat open. not knowing if he meant business or was just horsing around I decided to see what his next move was going to be but in the mean while I had given a couple suddel hits to the back of his knee and by modifying my stance when he first grabbed me made it very hard for him to take me down. I don't know this guy very well and he likes to bully. My question is this when does it come to the point that you have to stop him and I asked one of my bosses if I had dropped him would I have lost my job . he smiled and said that he would haven't seen a thing. but yes I would have been fired especially If he got hurt. I knew if I would have acted out at that peculiar minute I would have to have hurt this guy by taking his leg out and dumping him on his face or wrapping my legs trapping his and then doing a sit down which would have landed him on his butte probably breaking his tail bone. In a situation like this when do you act out and put a guy like this down cause I know when I do I am going to have to hurt him or seriously hurt him because of his big size and his big macho eagle and under these circumstances can you employer really fire you when your just protecting your self from being attacked. My biggest mistake was letting him get close enough to grab me in a head lock any way , but your not really looking for some one to grab you as your working I have no fear that I can defend my self the guy is young and stupid and don't think any thing can stop him causes he used that great bulk of weight on you any suggestions on this one I don't think talking the talk is going to stop him and now days walking the walk can get you fired or probably a big law suite any way. so any suggestions on how this could be handled would be greatly appreciated.
My first thought is if your at work and he is just mucking around being a big time punk, take him aside, out of the bosses view! and put the wind up him... Warn him in the most "friendliest" of ways, that its the LAST TIME he pulls a prank like that, or he will go down!!! Boss aint watching all the time, also there is a life outside of work, and he aint a fellow employee out there. Or just ignore and make a joke of him, sounds like he isnt the likeable kind of bloke anyways, most people will go along with until he gets sh..ty and gets himself sacked!! Just my thorts.
Thanks for the support. Green here is 6th Gup. I have not tested yet. Should be soon. I hope before the Holidays! My daughter has told me that for Christmas she will pay for my test as an early gift. My last test was an early Fathers day gift from her. Let me ask Y'all a question. How at my age of 39, can I get more flexable. I have been working on it and have noticed an improvent on how high I can do a front kick but am having a very hard time getting the side kicks and round house kicks any higher than say the abdomen on an average person. Any tips? My daughter is realy into Yoga and Pilates, she has said that either of those would help. Again, thanks for the support. Tang Soo!
I'm inclined to agree with yoga. More specifically, budokon. Get the beginners or the weight loss set. The newer stuff is pretty advanced stuff. I do the first section, which is only yoga, almost every day. I will be 36 in January, and I have actually increased my flexibility through just a quick 15 minute routine. Hope that helps a bit!
Must be grading season, going for my Blue belt this Friday.. As far as the flexibility goes, we do a fair bit of stretching before each training session, my flexibility has improved just from doing that 3 times a week. Doing your warm up stretches on your non training days might help. Another point.. side kicks and roundhouse kicks dont need to be any higher than the abdomen to be effective, So my Sabom tels me anyway. (I get in trouble for trying to kick to high) Hope this helps
... especially if you take your opponent to their knees first Well done, and good luck to all those grading. I'm afraid LIFE has got in the way of this year, and I've gotten virtually NO training in at all My cardio was never great, so I'd proably die going back to class now... let's see what the new year brings. I renewed my liceince as an incentive to get back and take the next steps. Heading on 46-yo next month, and without any training this year I'm guessing my flexibility is going downhill fast. I think I'm in a mess :bang:
I understand the concept that a rounhouse kick or side kick is very effective to the body. I guess that maybe I am being a little over zealous and maybe even a little jealous of the kids that have have been training for a long time and can kick that high. I guess good things come to those who srive and practice and have the patience. Live and learn. Thanks again for the help. Tang Soo!
LOL at head-kicks. If they can kick head height then it would be nice to get a good 'rising block' under their kick and see if they can hit a foot-or-so higher than head-height That's without even thinking about that lovely 'other' knee that you know is not going anywhere for a couple of seconds Speaking of flexibility - I find that I'm far worse on my left had side than my (dominant) right. It most be something about the hip connections, but I can't get anywhere near the same height on both sides.
I have thaught about the block and knee myself when he has kicked that high. Personaly I would never in a real situation try to kick to the head because you leave youself so open and kind of off balance. Still would be cool to be able to do it! Someday... Found out yesterday that I will not test untill Jan. 15th. Sa Bam Nim has said that his beginers kids class has gotten so big that it will take him the rest of the month to test them. Also because of the Holidays. I told him it was no big deal. gives me more time to fine tune and tweak. Also starten to learn Pyong E Dan, form number 5 for us. I think it is my favorite so far! For my test all I have to know is the first 3 forms, Sae Kae hyung Il Bu, E Bu and Sam Bu, and the one steps and self defense numbers 1 thru 5. I know the forms thru Pyong Cho Dan, started E Dan and know 1 thru 10 on the one-steps. Have been told that it is good to learn them early but not to try to jump to far ahead. I feel that if I can learn them, retain it and always improve, why not? Any thaughts? Tang Soo!
You'll be right Bong just like riding a bike, you mite suprise yourself what fitness you have retained.. Good luck with it next year. Billy sounds like youve learnt a fair bit in the short time youve been at it. Pyan ahn E dan is my highest form to except for a few internal hyungs we do (hsing il ro & another one ive forgotten the name) deffinately my favourite to. I'm looking forward to learning o'dan though next year. Spewn you have to wait till next year to grade, nice way to finish the year, anyway like you said, givs you plenty of time to polish up.
Learning for me wasn't so hard... learning and retaining everything is what takes the time.. being able to do all the things youve been taught thortlessly takes time (for me anyway)
Waiting for a test is not all bad, as you say you can work on what you are suppposed to be tested on. But I am sure you will do fine. As for learning the one-steps early, I would advise against spending to much time on them right now. Getting familiar with them is fine, so that when it comes time to actually learn them, you are able to do the basics, but you should really use this time right now to focus on perfecting the ones you know, and fully understanding their principles. Same goes with Hyungs. As I always like to say, don't be in a hurry on your journey that has no destination, just enjoy where you are currently. Tang Soo!
Perfection, or as perfect as I can be is what I am after. I often can point out the mistakes or missed steps before they are pointed out to me. I spent 40 miniutes of an hour long private lesson the other day on two moves that I wanted to get perfected. My Master could not believe that I had the patience and the will to do two moves over and over for that amount of time. We are hosting a local competition in March. It will be my first competition. I know that Tang Soo Do is not taught as a competitive sport like Tye Kwon Do but how can you not whant to do or be the best you can?
Perfection is the goal that all true martial artists aspire to, but I believe that tournaments arent helpful in the search of that goal. First off, sparring is not fighting in the least, sparring is a game of tag that martial artists play. Strength and proper technique rarely have anything to do in sparring, its all speed and timing. Now, both of these are great attributes to own, and you can develop them in sparring, but there are several issues with not training with power. I can take a good beating without slowing down, and I have a good amount of speed and power, and in real life I will take a shot in order to give a better shot, but in sparring, I would lose. So the way I train in real life is usually counter-productive to sparring. Also, the way forms are judged is usually OK, but sometimes judges give higher points to "showboats", guys who are screaming all the time and moving with tons of power and adrenaline but not a whole lot of technique. I do OK in the Hyungs section because I focus on perfecting technique and adding a bit of showmanship, but only a little. Anyway, my only actual bit of advice is that if you are seeking perfection, look a tournament more of as a test than a competition. There are to many random factors that affect you during a tournament, and if you just use it as an excuse to train harder than that is great. But if your goal is a trophy, and you get hung up on that, than you will be doing your training a dis-service. That all having been said, good luck and win!!!!
Took my test for Green belt last Saturday. Myself and two others tested. One for Brown belt and another for Cho Dan Bo, Blue belt. My test was two and a half hours long!! Master aslo held a class before the test that I participated in. All in all I was there from 10am till 5pm. What a day! The class was only an hour long but we did power kicks, jump kicks, power stikes... Our assitant insructor told me to take it easy and not tire myself out before the test. I told her that we are always expected to give 110% and why should today be any different. She loved my answere. I pasted the test with an overall 86%. Was told to work on my preparations more. ie: better chambering before a down block, soo do strike, ect... I am very happy with myself! I was very tired for the test. Probably did over do it in the class before. I also twisted my ankle sparring in the class so during my test it was killing me! But I did It! TANG SOO!!!
