How to soften your form

[kuk sool won]

Empty you need to address the people in this forum individually, some people get bored of constant bag work or sparring and need another option to keep themselves inspired to continue their training - like forms. Maybe he is fond of forms? I still use forms as a training implimentations but that doesn't mean i train at a McDojo does it?

[Sandtiger]

EmptyneSs

I agree with you to a point. If I was only looking to study martial arts to be the baddest man on the planet than bag work and sparring might be the way to go. Let me try to explain why I am not particularly worried about doing forms.

I chose to study Kuk Sul Do for a number of reasons, the first of which was my wife and I adopted a little boy from Korea and wanted to get the whole family involved in a traditional Korean martial art to learn about the Korean culture.

Second, I have a daughter 8 1/2, one 6 1/2 and one 3 1/2 that are also taking classes. While I would like for them to learn to defend themselves I am not really interested in turning my 3 yr old into a lethal weapon. I am satisfied to have the family learning forms and techniques, discipline and just getting a good workout.

Third, We are also learning some Korean and get the opportunity to interact with many other Koreans, it is good for us and my son. We live in a fairly white area and are trying to include some aspects of my sons heritage in his life.

Fourth, I am getting an opportunity to teach others and share my love of martial arts. I am currently working as a part-time instructor teaching 3-6 yr olds the basics of martial arts. In turn, I get paid, lessons are free and I have no testing fees for the entire family.

I will provide you a little of my background so you might understand why I don't mind "the foreplay." I wrestled all through high school and competed at the State level my last three years, I also competed in the Freestlye wrestling nationals where I took 12th my sophmore year. I trained in Tae Kwon Do and Kempo prior to leaving for the military, the TKD was not my thing but my Kempo instructor was great. He used to compete in MMA turneys back before they were real popular, and would come in with the bruises and black eyes to show for it. I also competed in a few tourneys and enjoyed it. I spent 4 years in the miltary working on the Air Force EST team, the civilian equivalent is SWAT. We worked a lot on hand-to-hand combat and drilled in a very realistic manner.

After I left the military, I joined a judo club where I quickly found that the students were very dependent on their Gi, this was not my bag, I would prefer to not be dependent on what my opponent happens to be wearing. I also tried Kenjutsu for a while but the instructor was frequently absent and when he was there seemed to forget which side of the sword was up. Fast forward 5 years and I find myself taking Kuk Sul Do.

A little about my school. My instructor studied Kuk Sool Won for 12 years and had won numerous world championships in sparring, breaking and forms. He joined Yangs Kuk Sul Do federation about 4 years ago. Choon S Yang is the Grand Master of Kuk Sul Do. My instructor teaches a very traditional martial arts program. The school is very much focused on the traditional aspects but my instructor is willing to adapt his program to the needs of the students. Before I trained there sparring was an anomaly. He now has sparring class at least once or twice week out of the four adult classes per week instituted at my request. He has introduced a lot more bag work and is in the process of arranging periodic sparring sessions with a local BJJ club, again at my request. Is the school McDojoish possibly but not everyone in taking martial arts is seeking to compete in MMA tourneys, most of my classmates live in upper middle class neighborhoods and have jobs like (accountant, doctor, computer network engineer(that one is me)). Many of the students are middle aged and have many of the infirmities that go with middle age (read spare tire, break bones easily, etc).

I am nearly 32, 5'6" 162lbs with 5-7% body fat. I am not exactly a perfect fit for the average student at my school, I don't find a lot of competition in the sparring, I rarely find anyone who hangs with me during the conditioning with the exception of my instructor. I am at a stage in life where my family comes first and if I can just get a good workout I am happy.

So this is back to where I began. I need to work on softening my form. I will try some of the meditation and visualization techniques to improve the overall flow of my form. There are only so many times you can beat up a 50yr old 220lb woman before the sparring loses its appeal a bit.

[GranFire]

Sandtiger, you are a hoot!

[Sandtiger]

Thanks. I try my best.

[GranFire]

You got your plate full!

I find it pretty cool how you have the whole family involved. Around my neck of the woods I run into this *it's not feminine* attitude a lot. Steams me, because I am no *Butch* by anymeans...nor are any of our female members.

But the parents that do enrole their girls are pretty good about it.

[Sandtiger]

My wife really wanted the girls to take dance at first but I convinced her that martial arts can teach the balance and grace that dance does but add to it the ability to defend oneself. She decided to let them try it and they absolutely love it.

[EmptyneSs]

EmptyneSs

I agree with you to a point. If I was only looking to study martial arts to be the baddest man on the planet than bag work and sparring might be the way to go. Let me try to explain why I am not particularly worried about doing forms.

I chose to study Kuk Sul Do for a number of reasons, the first of which was my wife and I adopted a little boy from Korea and wanted to get the whole family involved in a traditional Korean martial art to learn about the Korean culture.

Second, I have a daughter 8 1/2, one 6 1/2 and one 3 1/2 that are also taking classes. While I would like for them to learn to defend themselves I am not really interested in turning my 3 yr old into a lethal weapon. I am satisfied to have the family learning forms and techniques, discipline and just getting a good workout.

Third, We are also learning some Korean and get the opportunity to interact with many other Koreans, it is good for us and my son. We live in a fairly white area and are trying to include some aspects of my sons heritage in his life.

Fourth, I am getting an opportunity to teach others and share my love of martial arts. I am currently working as a part-time instructor teaching 3-6 yr olds the basics of martial arts. In turn, I get paid, lessons are free and I have no testing fees for the entire family.

I will provide you a little of my background so you might understand why I don't mind "the foreplay." I wrestled all through high school and competed at the State level my last three years, I also competed in the Freestlye wrestling nationals where I took 12th my sophmore year. I trained in Tae Kwon Do and Kempo prior to leaving for the military, the TKD was not my thing but my Kempo instructor was great. He used to compete in MMA turneys back before they were real popular, and would come in with the bruises and black eyes to show for it. I also competed in a few tourneys and enjoyed it. I spent 4 years in the miltary working on the Air Force EST team, the civilian equivalent is SWAT. We worked a lot on hand-to-hand combat and drilled in a very realistic manner.

After I left the military, I joined a judo club where I quickly found that the students were very dependent on their Gi, this was not my bag, I would prefer to not be dependent on what my opponent happens to be wearing. I also tried Kenjutsu for a while but the instructor was frequently absent and when he was there seemed to forget which side of the sword was up. Fast forward 5 years and I find myself taking Kuk Sul Do.

A little about my school. My instructor studied Kuk Sool Won for 12 years and had won numerous world championships in sparring, breaking and forms. He joined Yangs Kuk Sul Do federation about 4 years ago. Choon S Yang is the Grand Master of Kuk Sul Do. My instructor teaches a very traditional martial arts program. The school is very much focused on the traditional aspects but my instructor is willing to adapt his program to the needs of the students. Before I trained there sparring was an anomaly. He now has sparring class at least once or twice week out of the four adult classes per week instituted at my request. He has introduced a lot more bag work and is in the process of arranging periodic sparring sessions with a local BJJ club, again at my request. Is the school McDojoish possibly but not everyone in taking martial arts is seeking to compete in MMA tourneys, most of my classmates live in upper middle class neighborhoods and have jobs like (accountant, doctor, computer network engineer(that one is me)). Many of the students are middle aged and have many of the infirmities that go with middle age (read spare tire, break bones easily, etc).

I am nearly 32, 5'6" 162lbs with 5-7% body fat. I am not exactly a perfect fit for the average student at my school, I don't find a lot of competition in the sparring, I rarely find anyone who hangs with me during the conditioning with the exception of my instructor. I am at a stage in life where my family comes first and if I can just get a good workout I am happy.

So this is back to where I began. I need to work on softening my form. I will try some of the meditation and visualization techniques to improve the overall flow of my form. There are only so many times you can beat up a 50yr old 220lb woman before the sparring loses its appeal a bit.

thats pretty cool, its great that you get so much from your training and that your family is involved as well. if you actually enjoy doing the forms, thats fine, i thought mabye your teacher was intentionally keeping you back or something....

however, in the end when you say you can only beat up a 220 lb women so many times lol, whats the deal with that? surely there are some better students to spar with? and just cause you are sparring someone of lesser skill, it doesnt mean you wont get a good workout. for example, you can play defense only with the 220 lb woman. let her chase you around and try to evade her strikes without hitting her. it will be good workout for both of you.

[GranFire]

LOL! Be carefull, letting yourself getting chased by a 50 yo woman might give you a greater workout than you bargained for!

However, forms have their own beauty, it's what puts the Art into Martial Arts.

And since it's a testing requirement for some of us...

Different strokes for different folks...

I love forms...though I am absolutely stumped on my freedsign...and tournament is in two weeks...might have to do without it!

[Sandtiger]

There are other opponents that are better at my school. There are about half a dozen men who aren't to bad but really don't pose much of a challenge, they generally train on the Tues/Thursday schedule, I am on the Mon/Wed, it just works best for the family that way. The woman I mentioned has bad knees, bad ankles(one now sprained due to a training accident while working with me last Wednesday), carpal tunnel in both wrists, shoulder and back problems to go with being overweight. Sadly she has the most spunk of the woman folk at my school, but you have to keep in mind each of her maladies when you work out with her. I forgot her bad hip which is what led to her sprained ankle.

I definitely get a workout when I do spar. Lately we have been doing primarily take down sparring. My last opponent was a 16 yr old kid who bragged to the class that no one could make him tap. He went on to add my name into the conversation, saying that there was nothing I could do to make him tap. He did add a cavet of if I broke some bones or joints that he might tap but it is unlikely. My instructor thought that to be a bit humorous since he knows my wrestling background. So when it came time to spar he paired the two of us. Now in the kids defense he is 6' 2" about 205lbs. so looking at my 5' 6" 162lbs I probably seem small. The match began, and in less the 10 seconds I have him in a typical side guard headlock. I crank for 10-15 secs and then just as he is about to tap I let him go. He is now thinking that he must have broken my grip and gets this big cheesy grin that evaporates quickly as I shift into a front choke. He was tapping so loud and fast that it sounded like River Dance in the dojang.

After a few matches like these most people are less willing to takedown spar with me. They don't enjoy losing so fast. So I take what opponents that are willing to spar. I find it difficult to not revert to being very competitive in these matches. That's why even though I am not the biggest fan of forms, I like to use them as a training tool in between practical application opportunities.

And of course as GranFire said it is a requirement for promotion being as this is a TMA style.

[GranFire]

LOL! Sandtiger, you have me rolling on the floor...cocky little snits...we had one of them...no takedown sparring, but a kid half my age and a bout a head taller to boot...all I wanted to do was kill the little bugger whenever we sparred...got banged up in the process, but I am not taking any of that jazz

[Garland]

LOL! Be carefull, letting yourself getting chased by a 50 yo woman might give you a greater workout than you bargained for!

I've thought bout picken up a sugar momma...maybe it's not such a good idea.


feelings get hurt when hips get broken.


I'm not talking about sparring either...although a bit like wrestling.

[EmptyneSs]

I've thought bout picken up a sugar momma...maybe it's not such a good idea.


feelings get hurt when hips get broken.


I'm not talking about sparring either...although a bit like wrestling.

one of my friends has a sugar momma, she is young though. i dont hang out with him anymore, but check it, this guy doesnt go to school or work. he sits in his room all day and night playing world of warcraft while his sugar momma works 2 jobs day and night. she buys him all his food, beer, and weed and takes him were he wants to go since she has a car and he doesnt. all he does in return is bang her in between playing warcraft.

[EmptyneSs]

btw, hanging out with 50 year old women is a good way to "soften your form" if you know what i mean. a 50 year old women would sink my boner into the ground

[Garland]

btw, hanging out with 50 year old women is a good way to "soften your form" if you know what i mean. a 50 year old women would sink my boner into the ground

I must just be more man than you...fat chicks, old women, midgets...all need love...and I ain't stingy!

[kuk sool won]

LOL! Sandtiger, you have me rolling on the floor...cocky little snits...we had one of them...no takedown sparring, but a kid half my age and a bout a head taller to boot...all I wanted to do was kill the little bugger whenever we sparred...got banged up in the process, but I am not taking any of that jazz

I had a similar problem though it was with a man maybe twice my age, i decided to train with him because he needed alittle help with his techniques. It turned to sparring and he constantly tried belittling my style, so, when it came round to free sparring it came as quite a shock to him when within the first 3 seconds i had landed 3 clean roundhouses...