General Questions??

[Corporal Hicks]

I'm puzzled about a few concepts of Martial Arts and training and stuff, instead of me bombarding the forum with loads of threads I'm going to ask them all in one (just to make it easier!).

1) Is it necessary to train every day or almost every other day when praticising a kicking art like Tae Kwon Do to keep your legs supple and maintain your ability to kick and perform correctly? If you only trained once a week, say in your class, does your ability to kick detoriate or is it best to train more than in the lesson?

2) At what stage did you consider yourself a "Martial Artist""? When did it dawn on you if you like, if it did?"

3) Was the orgin of most Martial Artist begin from some sort of medicine? But it was reversed for the purpose of offence and defensive?

4) For something to become muscluar response, on average how many times much you do it for it to become just a respone? 100.000 times or what? Or just till you "feel" it

 

[bignick]

1) train as much as you can handle...but don't over do it...if you're only practicing once a week for taekwondo you're gonna get stiff and your flexibility may not detoriate but it probably won't improve...also, there's no rule that says you can't practice outside of class

2) this is gonna be different for a lot of people...but, if you're seriously practicing martial arts...you're a martial artist...no matter your level

3) people have been fighting since the beginning of time, martial arts are a refinement and evolution of this...although a lot of martial arts have close ties to medicine since most old instructors needed to know medicine to help injured students

4) never stop...otherwise you'll lose whatever you've gained

 

[AnimEdge]

I like to train so i try to as much as i can

I consider some one a MA once they get there first non-white belt, it shows dedication i think

I dunno how it goes into medicine but i allways wanted to learn herbal medicine
I agree even once you "Feel" it as a responce if you stop it will becomse a non responce again

 

[TigerWoman]

1) Is it necessary to train every day or almost every other day when praticising a kicking art like Tae Kwon Do to keep your legs supple and maintain your ability to kick and perform correctly? If you only trained once a week, say in your class, does your ability to kick detoriate or is it best to train more than in the lesson

At first I trained 3 times a week because of soreness. Then I slowly added one more day at a time. Then I got into double classes, noon and then again with my kids, teens, at night. Then I taught/led kickboxing high energy classes. And I went to Sat. kickboxing when my instructor taught it and that was even harder-rag time after. But usually kept 2 for rebuilding muscle and regenerating.(Thurs. & Sun.) My instructor doesn't give hard workouts all the time so a technique exercise wasn't as demanding or even plain sparring. The more time you put into it the better you are, but without an instructor teaching you what you need most days(what sometimes we can't see that we need), its hurting you, cause all you can do is workout and review, hopefully correctly. :idunno: You need more class time.

2) At what stage did you consider yourself a "Martial Artist""? When did it dawn on you if you like, if it did?"

Somewhere around blue belt, two years, I felt more capable so therefore, considered myself committed to it for a lifetime.

3) Was the origin of most Martial Artist begin from some sort of medicine? But it was reversed for the purpose of offence and defensive?

It began for me as a family activity and exercise. It has never been my main objective to use it for self defense, its just an extra. I do it for personal growth and health and would like to give it to others with teaching.

4) For something to become muscluar response, on average how many times much you do it for it to become just a response? 100.000 times or what? Or just till you "feel" it

It takes repetition to ingrain a technique for it to become a natural response but if you did a bad technique 10,000 times it would still be bad and probably useless and it would be very difficult to undo if you wanted later to relearn it. You need an instructor to oversee you and correct, show the technique so you do it correctly at first and slowly speed it up. Even then you can fall into bad habits which an instructor can change before it is too late. I did the combination jump back/jump spin heel/hook practically every day for two years. I didn't realize it was ingrained until during a tournament, I was sparring another woman and I did the combination. Her son yelled out at that moment, you're killing her. I was able to stop the spin heel with just a tap to her head but it shook me up that I did that so naturally. If you saw it, in the heavyweight class TKD Olympics, it was decided by the spin heel to the head. And the guy wasn't even knocked out, just not able to go on. The brain is pretty fragile and it doesn't take much even with headgear on. So, practice with an instructor to be sure your repetition isn't really hurting your training. TW

 

[terryl965]

1) 1st it depend on age us older Maers need to do some type of exercise everyday or the soreness will stay and for everyday I lay off it takes me 3 day to get back the one day I loss.
2) Your a serious Ma the moment you step on the Gojaang Floor otherwise you would be on the sidelines watching
3) since the age of time, people have been fighting
4)The best way to tell is with time, some people can train there muscle quicker than others, it really depends on your body and mind. Once they become one with each other then it become second nature.
Just a tidbit everybody learns in different ways so you will get houndreds of so call ways to trian your body, my best way of telling you is experience for ypourself consult a personal traineror your doctor they maybe able to help more than I.... GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

[SMP]

1. depends on how proficient you want to be. more practice helps but you have to listen to your body.

2. For me it was when the goal became less important than the journey.

3. views differ

4. beyond "until you feel it" - it is at the point that you dont feel it.

Great questions - Corporal

 

[Disco]

1) Is it necessary to train every day
No it's not necessary, but some sort of training should be done. Even if it's only mental.

2) At what stage did you consider yourself a "Martial Artist""?
The real question should be, at what stage do other's consider you a Martial Artist. As some have already offered their viewpoints, mine differs greatly. I have seen way to many go thru training and advance to the Black Belt level, only to fade away into the sunset. You become a true Martial Artist, when it becomes a part of your inner being. It becomes a part of who you are and one continues to learn/train thruout their entire life.

3) Was the orgin of most Martial Artist begin from some sort of medicine? But it was reversed for the purpose of offence and defensive?
Man learned to harm long before he learned to heal.

4) For something to become muscluar response, on average how many times much you do it?
The old saying was, "practice a technique 1,000 times, not 1,000 techniques 1 time". :asian:

 

[sifu nick]

To mainly toss out an answer to the first question..... if I take off one day of strecthing it kills me let alone doing it just once a week.

 

[kenpo tiger]

2. For me it was when the goal became less important than the journey.

That says it all.

 

[bignick]

Corporal, is there something specific in your training you've been wondering about? Or just in general