Martial art goals

[JP3]

I new very fit guy has just joined( personal trainer) and we got into a pull up competition on a beam in the dojo, I could do 12 he could do 18 so I'm back on the pull up bar to get my total up to 20

Jobo, you are a competitive dude, that's for certain! Good on you for that. New super-fit guy comes around, it doesn't effect me at all, other than to let the other guy know he's doing it well. If I was doing 12, and he's doing 18, I'd maybe try to get it to 15 but I'd be finding out what he didn't do well and take advantage of that.

On the hip flexibility, do you stretch at home? Do anything other than what you do at the gym?

 

[jobo]

Jobo, you are a competitive dude, that's for certain! Good on you for that. New super-fit guy comes around, it doesn't effect me at all, other than to let the other guy know he's doing it well. If I was doing 12, and he's doing 18, I'd maybe try to get it to 15 but I'd be finding out what he didn't do well and take advantage of that.

On the hip flexibility, do you stretch at home? Do anything other than what you do at the gym?

yes i stretch near enough every day, id put it down to old age if it wasn't for the. Fact that im more bendy now than I ever have been since,childhood and I wasn't very bending even then. But still woe full . My hips work fine back and front but won't goside ways very much at all. So for instance , I go to do a side kick using a chair for balance. I can cock my hip up so that the kick would be at tummy height, but as I extend the leg it gets dragged and I mean dragged rather than fall, downwards to just above the knee. With a front kick, I raise my thigh so its parallel to the ground and my lower leg won't move at all more than a few inches and both my hamstring and quads are locked tight.its like the two muscles are fighting each other,

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

What if you come up with a specific blending of two different concepts, and to your mind, no one has done that before? The essence of invention, the pairing of ideas previously unpaired. Would that be sufficient for you to gain this feeling of accomplishment?

You can publish a survey paper and that will be your contribution.

- My friend publishes a book "The similarity and difference between Shuai Chiao and Judo". That book covers a lot of information.
- You can also write a book, "M ways to obtain single leg and N ways to finish it afterward". That book may only cover one technique, but it can go into a lot of detail.

 

[JP3]

So for instance , I go to do a side kick using a chair for balance. I can cock my hip up so that the kick would be at tummy height, but as I extend the leg it gets dragged and I mean dragged rather than fall, downwards to just above the knee. With a front kick, I raise my thigh so its parallel to the ground and my lower leg won't move at all more than a few inches and both my hamstring and quads are locked tight.its like the two muscles are fighting each other,

Sounds like you're right, they are "fighting" each other. I had some major flexibility issues back in the TKD days. It is doable to get over/around/through them, but it's not fun and it's definitely not fast. Harder too, as you're experiencing, increasing your flexibility when older.

Tons of good books out there on the subject, the one I've always preferred and referred others towards was Bill "Superfoot" Wallace's book, Dynamic Stretching & Kicking. I've no idea if you can lay hands/eyes on a copy, but there's tons of good info out there.

List of the Best Stretching & Flexibility Books - Black Belt Wiki

The thing that I personally did which made the most difference in lateral hip flexibility was... watch TV in a stretched position. I'd just sit on the floor, in as much of a V-sit as I could manage (in the beginning not much), and slowly, over days and weeks, my feet (straight legs and trying (key word, trying) not to have any tension other than the stretching tension being in my leg muscles... slowly move my feet apart. It became a habit, and I'd end up sitting that way, studying, etc. Took a couple years but I got to a full ide split and to about 4, maybe 6 inches from the full middle split.

But, you may not want to even put out that effort and time-demand. I put it away myself about 15 years ago. I "can" still do head kicks, but I don't really want or need to.

 

[JR 137]

Life happens. Maybe he's off somewhere talking about the good guy he met while teaching at that place,and showing folks the karate kata you showed to him and which he now has installed in his personal system. That's a neat thought, eh!

Here's where I come from on learning "new" stuff....

While learning actively on the mat, in training or listening to instructors, empty your cup. Clear your mind of things from the past and be in the moment, trying to get what you can from the person in front of you who is offering to help you learn a new and/or different thing. It is different, so may not jive with what you've been taught int he past. That is OK.

When considering passively, allow the mind's incredible power to consider how one technique(s) or style(s) might work with another. The subconscious mind is one heck of a problem-solver. Give it the job of blending Tai Chi and Sambo... WC and Savate... Kendo and Western Sabre... Greco-Roman and BJJ.... whatever. Sleep and dreaming... subconscious processing and analytics. It's surprising.

Then, when the idea pops up, get back on the mat, tell a trusted person what you're thinking about, and play with it, expirementation at its best.

I wasn't being close-minded when I visited the local Aikido dojo. What I saw in that dojo... just wasn't what I consider to be combative/street effective/whatever else you want to call it. That's not an attack on Aikido, just on the Aikido I saw there.

If and when I have the time and money to pick up a new art, I've got my heart set on Judo.

Then again, the way my brain works... I figure I'll ask myself why I'm starting something different when there's still work to be done in my current art. There's always more refining, analysis, depth of study, and so on. I'll probably ask myself why I'm starting something different when I haven't perfected what I'm still studying. I know I'll never perfect karate, but if I split my free time between two different arts, I'll be further away from that than if I put all my effort into one art.

I know there's many counters to my mindset. I agree with a some of them. But my brain works a certain way, especially when push comes to shove.

 

[Balrog]

how old is to old to do more?

I plan to train up till noon on the day of my funeral.

We have a gentleman in the ATA who will be inducted as a Master in June. He is either 96 or 97, I've lost track. And he'll run your wheels into the ground!

 

[Headhunter]

I think that's great! Putting that goal out there, the achieving the 3rd dan, is something that I think everyone really ought to do. Set a goal, make it the "Target" and do what's necessary to strive to reach it. The individual's target might not be yours, i.e. 3rd dan, it might just be to reach black belt... it might be to get crazy high rank and create an organization. The goal, and the pursuit of same, are "the thing."

Judo is crazy good fun. Great workout, applicable to real world scrapes in the very limited possibility that you'd need it, comradeship and colleague-generation relationship forming... I've very rarely been involved in as tightly-knit and caring bunch of people as a judo school. I think it's because of all the hugging, and that is not a joke, though ti seems like it should be.

I've actually gotten into bjj now...well I've done 1 session anyway but I'm planning on training it once or twice a week. Maybe that's not enough to progress quickly but I've got my other training commitments and really I don't plan on being an expert grappler or competing in tournaments. I doubt I'll ever even get a belt in it. I'm just doing as something fun to learn

 

[geezer]

I'm just doing as something fun to learn...

The best reason of all IMO!

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

The best reason of all IMO!

Another good reason is to feel good and feel young. When you are 80 years old and you can still swing your leg over your head, you may feel that you are 20 years younger.

 

[JR 137]

Another good reason is to feel good and feel young. When you are 80 years old and you can still swing your leg over your head, you may feel that you are 20 years younger.

I couldn't swing my leg over my head when I was 20. Not even when I was 10.

 

[geezer]

A When you are 80 years old and you can still swing your leg over your head, you may feel that you are 20 years younger.

No, I'd just feel extreme pain!

 

[JP3]

I wasn't being close-minded when I visited the local Aikido dojo. What I saw in that dojo... just wasn't what I consider to be combative/street effective/whatever else you want to call it. That's not an attack on Aikido, just on the Aikido I saw there.

If and when I have the time and money to pick up a new art, I've got my heart set on Judo.

Then again, the way my brain works... I figure I'll ask myself why I'm starting something different when there's still work to be done in my current art. There's always more refining, analysis, depth of study, and so on. I'll probably ask myself why I'm starting something different when I haven't perfected what I'm still studying. I know I'll never perfect karate, but if I split my free time between two different arts, I'll be further away from that than if I put all my effort into one art.

I know there's many counters to my mindset. I agree with a some of them. But my brain works a certain way, especially when push comes to shove.

I can understand that. Judo is great, and you may consider it, rather than "leaving" karate, simply taking a sabbatical, taking a vacation, to go do judo for a year or two, then return to karate later on. Nothing wrong with that either.

I didn't get from the above that you'd visited an aikido school at all. Too bad about the experience, there's a Huge scope of variables in aikido programs.. huge continuum of the vague thing we call "effectiveness" out there.

 

[JP3]

I plan to train up till noon on the day of my funeral.

We have a gentleman in the ATA who will be inducted as a Master in June. He is either 96 or 97, I've lost track. And he'll run your wheels into the ground!

Who is that? I may know him, or at least know of him. ATA back in the day here.

 

[jobo]

Sounds like you're right, they are "fighting" each other. I had some major flexibility issues back in the TKD days. It is doable to get over/around/through them, but it's not fun and it's definitely not fast. Harder too, as you're experiencing, increasing your flexibility when older.

Tons of good books out there on the subject, the one I've always preferred and referred others towards was Bill "Superfoot" Wallace's book, Dynamic Stretching & Kicking. I've no idea if you can lay hands/eyes on a copy, but there's tons of good info out there.

List of the Best Stretching & Flexibility Books - Black Belt Wiki

The thing that I personally did which made the most difference in lateral hip flexibility was... watch TV in a stretched position. I'd just sit on the floor, in as much of a V-sit as I could manage (in the beginning not much), and slowly, over days and weeks, my feet (straight legs and trying (key word, trying) not to have any tension other than the stretching tension being in my leg muscles... slowly move my feet apart. It became a habit, and I'd end up sitting that way, studying, etc. Took a couple years but I got to a full ide split and to about 4, maybe 6 inches from the full middle split.

But, you may not want to even put out that effort and time-demand. I put it away myself about 15 years ago. I "can" still do head kicks, but I don't really want or need to.

I'm committed to it, I just don't like being no good at things,
I keep hurting myself by tieing rope to my leg and pulling.

a lot of the books and vids and start at a point far in advance of what I can do. It's get in this position and......when I cant get near it. I watch a super foot vid, it started, put you hip like this. If I could do that i wouldn't be bothering to stretch.

made a bit of a break though to day though. I found that if i ,dig my fingers really hard in to my hamstring muscle it releases a bit and i can go a bit,further. Though I suspect it will hurt tomorrow

 

[Balrog]

Who is that? I may know him, or at least know of him. ATA back in the day here.

Dr. Harlan Van Over. Quite a guy. And I got his age wrong. He's a spring chicken of only 95.

 

[JP3]

I'm committed to it, I just don't like being no good at things,
I keep hurting myself by tieing rope to my leg and pulling.

a lot of the books and vids and start at a point far in advance of what I can do. It's get in this position and......when I cant get near it. I watch a super foot vid, it started, put you hip like this. If I could do that i wouldn't be bothering to stretch.

made a bit of a break though to day though. I found that if i ,dig my fingers really hard in to my hamstring muscle it releases a bit and i can go a bit,further. Though I suspect it will hurt tomorrow

You might try partner-stretching with a yoga instructor... which sounds like a joke but isn't. You might pick up some private lessons, specifically indicate what you are wanting to work on, and go frm there. It seems like a Lot of NFL players, and I mean Linemen, are going into yoga for this specific reason.

 

[JP3]

Dr. Harlan Van Over. Quite a guy. And I got his age wrong. He's a spring chicken of only 95.

No, I never met him, though I met his instructor I think one time at World nationals back in the late 80's, I just read a bit about the guy online, seems like a guy to meet and know!

 

[Balrog]

No, I never met him, though I met his instructor I think one time at World nationals back in the late 80's, I just read a bit about the guy online, seems like a guy to meet and know!

You know how when folks get together, they always talk about how they got into Taekwondo? His version is really interesting. He was a pilot in WW2 and survived. Went to college and med school on the VA bill and became a doctor. Had a long career and retired. He needed something to do, so he started Taekwondo.

He's a character!