Think of the inward block as a hammerfist at the inbound puch, striking with the inside of the forearm about 1.5-2" below the wristbone, at no more than a 45 degree angle (I prefer 30 degrees), while stepping into a fighting horse for maximum hip rotation. It begins by cocking the fist by your ear with your palm facing your attacker and (as you shift into the fighting stance) it extends out rotating clockwise until your palm faces you. The primary target is your opponent's radial nerve.
A new beginning for me in Tracy's Kenpo...
- Thread starter Flying Crane
- Start date
OP
OP
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
I had my third class with Mr. Sumner's group last night. I am enjoying it a lot, I think he and his assistant instructor are very good teachers and I am quite happy at this point that I decided to study with him.
He is making me wear my black belt. I was hoping to fly under the radar with a white belt again, but it's not to be. So there are 3 or 4 brown belts in the group, people who have studied with him for several years, and suddenly I show up and outrank them. I hate having attention drawn to myself. Oh well. They have all been very friendly, and I am grateful for that. Seems like a good group of people.
My poor wife has some big, nasty bruises on her forearms from the defensive drills we practiced last night. I'm giving her some Dit Da Jow, and having her ice them, she's OK and is being a trooper about it, but they are pretty ugly. So far she is enjoying the training, I think it is too early for her to develop a strong opinion just yet, but she is willing to keep it up.
He is making me wear my black belt. I was hoping to fly under the radar with a white belt again, but it's not to be. So there are 3 or 4 brown belts in the group, people who have studied with him for several years, and suddenly I show up and outrank them. I hate having attention drawn to myself. Oh well. They have all been very friendly, and I am grateful for that. Seems like a good group of people.
My poor wife has some big, nasty bruises on her forearms from the defensive drills we practiced last night. I'm giving her some Dit Da Jow, and having her ice them, she's OK and is being a trooper about it, but they are pretty ugly. So far she is enjoying the training, I think it is too early for her to develop a strong opinion just yet, but she is willing to keep it up.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Sorry to hear about your wife and I understand a bit about the wanting to fly under the radar but all in all it sounds good.
I am glad to hear you are enjoying it.
If your worthy of wearing a black belt then you should. It appears that Mr. Sumner feels you are and I think that's what matters. I'm sure you'll do great and earn the respect of your fellow students. Good luck.
KenpoDave
2nd Black Belt
Yeah, funny thing about that. I did that once. It is easy to slip into the mindset of "this is easy white belt stuff, and I'm really a black, so I'll just take it easy for a while until we get to "my level."" You work "back up to your level."
Now, I'm not at all suggesting that this would be your mindset, especially given the effort you are putting in just to be there, but wearing the black belt puts a heap of responsibility on you. This way, you don't get to "work back up to your level." You are starting there! It's a new school to you, so although you are not expected to be a Tracy's/Ted Sumner black belt, you have to be one in every other aspect.
You have to train a little harder, show a little more respect, and, with humility, you have to represent everything that went into that belt around your waist.
Once you're in the club, you're in the club.
jdinca
Master Black Belt
Nothing like a little pressure, huh?
I'm sure you move better than you give yourself credit for. Sorry to hear about your wife. I'm sure she'll find some way to pay your back...
OP
OP
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Yeah, I know, I know. It's sometimes a tough club to be in.
Here's the truth of the matter. I earned my blackbelt at the green young age of 16, and in a fairly quick amount of time compared to others. My instructors felt it was appropriate, and felt I was ready for it, and at that time I did too.
In retrospect, I have sometimes questioned that decision. Was I too young? Was it too fast? I don't really know, and I don't mean to cast my instructors in a poor light because they are good people and gave me what they had and I have tremendous respect for them.
But I sometimes wonder if there was a lot to learn that I might have missed. So when I decided to take classes with Mr. Sumner, I was excited that he is held in such high regard in the Tracy world, and he is someone who REALLY REALLY knows the stuff, and i can see that is true even after just three classes with his group. Ted is tremendous, over and above others who deserve a lot of respect as good and talented kenpoists and instructors in their own right. I can see why he is really a teacher of teachers.
I was excited by this prospect that I had a chance to retread and retrain and start over and fill in any of the holes that might be in my earlier training. So I really felt (feel) like I am starting over, and that is also how he is teaching me, so it's exactly what I was hoping for. Along with this, in my own head I felt like I was willing to put my blackbelt aside until I retrained, and maybe was more deserving of it. That is why I put on a new white belt, and he called me out on it (good naturedly of course), so I put on the old black.
So that is the mental and emotional process that I have been going thru with regard to this.
Granted, in the last 18 years or so I have trained with some wonderful teachers in other arts. I guess I feel that given my range of training I kind of made up for any deficiencies and perhaps deserve the rank in a more abstract way. But I wanted to make sure my kenpo is strong, so that my rank that I hold IN KENPO, is deserved, regardless of any accomplishments I have in other arts.
So there ya go.
Thanks everyone for your support and good thoughts on this. I am really enjoying the whole thing.
KenpoDave
2nd Black Belt
I definitely understand your position. But I will tell you this...if there are any gaps in your training, Ted will find them and fill them in. He is one of those rare individuals (a teacher of teachers, as you say) who is less concerned about the stripes on your belt than he is with whether or not know the material.
In other words, he will be as thorough with you as if you did wear the white belt, but will expect more from you because of the black. And rightfully so. And because you have to wear it, you now have to expect more from yourself. Basically, you guys have double teamed the learning curve of getting you "up to speed" so to speak, by front loading it.
In other words, he will be as thorough with you as if you did wear the white belt, but will expect more from you because of the black. And rightfully so. And because you have to wear it, you now have to expect more from yourself. Basically, you guys have double teamed the learning curve of getting you "up to speed" so to speak, by front loading it.
OP
OP
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Hi Dave,
It goes well, I've worked thru Yellow and Orange so far, and kata short and long 1 and 2, and short 3. Definitely different from how I did it in the past, and I am seeing things that I didn't know before. Feeling better about much of it. Yellow was all new to me anyway, it wasnt' part of the curriculum when I went thru it. I like training with Ted, he's a good guy, I like his approach and attitude, and the other students are good people too. The drive is a pain in the rear, in commute traffic, but it usually only takes an hour or so to get there. It's just an irritating hour, that's all.
I haven't met Rick or Kathy Nelson. What is their position with Ted? Students of his? Are they off teaching elsewhere?
OP
OP
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
My wife tested for, and passed her yellow belt test this evening. WOO HOOO!
On the drive home, she even suggested that maybe sometimes we could drive down twice a week, and train some more. I didn't want to push that issue earlier, and make her feel like it was becoming a burden, but I had been thinking that a bit myself. But now she mentioned that she might like to do it, so it's good!
On the drive home, she even suggested that maybe sometimes we could drive down twice a week, and train some more. I didn't want to push that issue earlier, and make her feel like it was becoming a burden, but I had been thinking that a bit myself. But now she mentioned that she might like to do it, so it's good!
jdinca
Master Black Belt
My wife tested for, and passed her yellow belt test this evening. WOO HOOO!
On the drive home, she even suggested that maybe sometimes we could drive down twice a week, and train some more. I didn't want to push that issue earlier, and make her feel like it was becoming a burden, but I had been thinking that a bit myself. But now she mentioned that she might like to do it, so it's good!
That's great! It's nice to have not just by in, but participation from your spouse.
Rick was at the seniors seminar at San Jose last April.
I met Rick and Kathy at Mr Tracy's school in KY many years ago. We learned the Tiger and Crane together (I'd already known 2 versions of it). As a sidenote, Mr Tracy taught us to use the "eye of the phoenix" (4 strikes before the spins) rather than the crane's beak which is done on the K22.--just something different.
Jim
I met Rick and Kathy at Mr Tracy's school in KY many years ago. We learned the Tiger and Crane together (I'd already known 2 versions of it). As a sidenote, Mr Tracy taught us to use the "eye of the phoenix" (4 strikes before the spins) rather than the crane's beak which is done on the K22.--just something different.
Jim
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
My wife tested for, and passed her yellow belt test this evening. WOO HOOO!
On the drive home, she even suggested that maybe sometimes we could drive down twice a week, and train some more. I didn't want to push that issue earlier, and make her feel like it was becoming a burden, but I had been thinking that a bit myself. But now she mentioned that she might like to do it, so it's good!
That's great, Congratulations
Now she is hooked and you got it made.
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