Newbie

[WadjalaWabbit]

Hi to all,
I've just started the home study course.I've read all the threads in this part of the forum and gotten some great advice,but like all good things,the more the better.So if anyone has any words of wisdom for a newbie it would be much appreciated.
A bit about me.I've had limited training in Judo(when i was really young) and boxing.I studied at an academy that taught a blend of TaeKwonDo with bits of BJJ and kick boxing for about 3 1/2 years and graded to brown/white stripe.My next grading was to be black belt.However I moved to a rural area well away from my dojang.So I havent trained anything for proberly 18 months,just gotten fat.
Now I'm keen to get back into it.I've noticed most of the blocks,kicks,punches are the same as what I've learnt already,just gotta get used to the new names,and any slight variations.
Aaron

[warrior-scholar]

Welcome!
I myself would love to help you in any way possible. What specifically do you have questions about? Training/Theory/Misc.
Just ask a question here in the forum or contact me personally.

[WadjalaWabbit]

Hi warrior-scholar,
.I find it easier for myself to learn 1 thing then move on to the next,using the former as a warm-up.This is what I've done with Blocking set#1 and Short form #1.I spent an hour or so for a few days just working Blocking set#1.Now (after my excercise warm-up)I warm-up with a couple sets of blocking set #1 before moving onto Short Form #1.Now I'm moving on to the tech's.I'm also doing a few sessions a week general conditioning(heavy bag,ect).I'm aware of overtraining,so not all practice is done with high intensity.Sometimes it's just really slow and soft,more just going through the motions,just to imprint the moves and foot work into my brain.Any advice or comments more than welcome.

[warrior-scholar]

Since you have advanced training in another style I would make a few suggestions as to how you might engage the belt material. Of course, you must become proficient (dare I say master) with the basics AS taught in the course materials before moving ahead too farwith experimentation.

Example: Perform the Blocking Set 1 from a fighting position, if possible with an opponent. Try to play with the order against various attacking combinations. For instance, just work against a Left Roundhouse punch-Right Front Kick combo by blocking with an extended outward-downward block combo. Play with the possibilities to determine where your hands can and cannot move towards during random attacks.

I would also be intentional about writing down similarities and differences between your original training and your kenpo training with regards to the particular techniques. So, think about the attacks in Yellow Belt and compare the neutralization phase of the Kenpo techs with those in your other system. This will help to clarify the theory behind both hopefully.

[pdavis]

The number one thing I would recommend is getting a partner, two if at all possible. Next, set a schedule and try to stick with it. This way, if you are not in the mood to train but one of your partners is... then you are going to train! Finally, just stick with it. It will be a long hard road especially at first and you may feel as if you aren't making the progress you would like. One of my instructors once told me that to become a black belt all I had to do was keep coming through the door. As long as I did that I would learn because I wouldn't have a choice. This advice works well for the dojo, but is a bit more difficult when training on your own.

[WadjalaWabbit]

The writing stuff down is a great idea,mate.I think this will help me big time.I'm really just putting an effort to learn the basics and get a real solid foundation to build my Kenpo on.I to,think this is very,very important.I found lots of students and teachers are way to quick and willing to advance people to their first belt,and this becomes a major flaw in their skills and tech later on.
I dont have a training partner as such,but I will be doing my self-defence tech with my 16 year old son.My work hours are 4am(up at 3am) till 11am(home at 12),so I do my training when most people are at work or school.This does not worry me,I trained a fair bit by myself even when I was going to training.
Thanks for the advice,guys.

[Lance C]

I'll add to the great advice, the use of a video camera and or mirrors. At the club we have highly refelctive glass partitions and windows in places that work like a mirror.

The video camera gives you a much better perspective that you can analyze later.

I only started using the video camera regularly when setting up lessons. It helped me stop repeating myself too much, and to see how the motion related to the lesson. This is a good way of self criticing.

*Sometimes you do not know how bad you suck. on the Flip Side of that, sometimes you gain confidense or pride in watching your good stuff.


*In sparring, the video after allows you to see so much more of what you failed to witness during the session.

Have good training,

-Lance

[WadjalaWabbit]

I had been thinking of videoing myself during practise,I think you just conviced me how much it will help my training.
I have a couple other things to ask,I'll just ask here save making another thread.I've noticed on some kenpo sites they use the titles Sifu,professor ect.What are the proper titles(if any)for a Kenpo instructor or high ranking Kenpoist.

[pdavis]

I'll echo the use of mirrors and video tape. For mirrors I went cheap (planning to upgrade eventually) and covered one of my training walls with 11 $6 1'X4' door mirrors from Wal-Mart. You can remove the mirrors from their cardboard and plastic frames in order to get them to butt up to each other. I taped the back side of the mirrors together with duck tape so they would stay as even and flush as possible, otherwise you get too much distortion between mirrors. I used the long portions of the removed frame to anchor the top and bottom of the mirrors to the wall (along with a bit of two way adhesive to keep the mirrors up while I attached the top trim). It looks fairly profesional when done well and you can cover a lot of area for very little money using this method.

Now, as far as the Sifu title is concerned. My uneducated guess is that this title is used predominantly in Kenpo forms that have maintained their Chinese heritage such as Wu Shen Pai Kenpo.

[Lance C]

I saw this before, just do not know where it started about titles for the black belts:

1st Black: Junior Instructor
2nd Black: Associate Instructor
3rd Black: Head Instructor
4th Black: Senior Instructor
5th Black: Associate Professor
6th Black: Professor
7th Black: Senior Professor
8th Black: Associate Master
9th Black: Master
10th Black: Senior Master

Special Rank: Senior Grand Master reserved for Ed Parker the Founder.

Generally Speaking anyone reaching the level of Black Belt is usual called Mr., Mrs, Miss or Ms. as a common respect of their knowledge.

I am not sure how it is practiced amongst Kenpo schools and what differences there could be.

Myself being in charge of a school usually get called "Lance" by my first name, most of my students trust and respect me and I trust and respect them, so usually we are on a first name basis. However I have been called "Coach" and "Boss" on regular occasion.

Generally speaking, I do not call someone by any title unless of course they have an actual title like doctor or police officer and they are on duty et.c.

I generate respect by being professional and by giving people respect back.

It has been a good practice for trust both ways in people's training, especially on a one on one environment to be fairly casual. Discussing things honestly comes feelings of being peers.

I have other rankings in arts, titles given such as Datu, Sifu et.c. while some of them simply mean group leader, teacher et.c. I would like to follow my own culture about it. Having decended purely from Europeans, the term for a person paid to teach something, I have fancied the term Maestro.

-Lance

[administrator]

I saw this before, just do not know where it started about titles for the black belts:

1st Black: Junior Instructor
2nd Black: Associate Instructor
3rd Black: Head Instructor
4th Black: Senior Instructor
5th Black: Associate Professor
6th Black: Professor
7th Black: Senior Professor
8th Black: Associate Master
9th Black: Master
10th Black: Senior Master

These titles were published in Ed Parker's Infinite Insights Into Kenpo Series. Depending on which school you visit, the use of Mr., etc., and other titles may be used. When in doubt, show respect by using the titles that Mr. Parker published. You will find the true instructors without an ego-trip use less formal titles.

Kevin Lamkin

[WadjalaWabbit]

Once again,thanks for all the tips and info.:)

[Lance C]

These titles were published in Ed Parker's Infinite Insights Into Kenpo Series. Depending on which school you visit, the use of Mr., etc., and other titles may be used. When in doubt, show respect by using the titles that Mr. Parker published. You will find the true instructors without an ego-trip use less formal titles.

Kevin Lamkin


And when outside the Kenpo system, no matter how much you feel you are feeding someone's ego, it's probably wise to use some ettiquette. Manners go far, even with self-important meglamaniacs whose titles only fall short of Emperor.

On the other hand, have you every seen the movie "The Last Dragon?" There's a title that resounds around the martial arts community "Sho'nuff" It's a sarcasm worth thinking about.

-Big Lance (adjective as a title?)

[warrior-scholar]

Is that Big Maestro or just Maestro?
:)

[Lance C]

Thank you for not calling me "Sho'nuff"

with a first name of Lance there has always been oddities in titles. My highschool teams were "the Lancers" and in some military they have Lance Corporal's and Lance Sergeants (Did not know I needed them?) In Kenpo the term lance means knife and there are many techniques with Cross in them (my last name) I always liked the name of the tech. named "Raining Lance" (Reigning Lance, Hail to the King!) but was always afraid of the title "Clipping the Lance" (sounds like a neutering to me!)

However fun it is to have a classic name like Lance, never every say my home is an arsenal, cause Lance is married to a battle-axe. (my wife is rather a nice person)

Plus there's all the times famous Lance's were made fun of in the media.

For now I will settle for the title: Super Happy Fun Lance. Makes me sound as fun as a Japanese Placinko slot machine.

-SHF Lance

[sgpaul1973]

Thank you for not calling me "Sho'nuff"
in some military they have Lance Corporal's and Lance Sergeants


-SHF Lance

With 4 years in the United States Marine Corps. and 6.5 years in the United States Army, did want to jump in and stated that it is the Marines that have "Lance Corporal", but in many years of interaction with forign military services, I've never heard of or encountered a Lance Sergeant. Lance Cororal's are E-3's in the Marines, which means its the 3rd enlisted rank (Equivalant to the Army's PFC). From Lance Corporal, a Marine is promoted to Corporal, then Sergeant (then Staff Sergeant, ect...) The Army has 2 ranks that are E-4. Corporal or Specialist. Same pay, same grade ,but as a Corporal, your an NCO and directly responsable for the soldiers your in charge of. As a Specialist, you can hold the same possition, but it is the Sergeant above you that is directly accountable since as a Specialist, your not an NCO.

Anyway, enough military trivia. I loved the humorous referances to names and technique titles. This post gave me a great laugh on a Monday morning. Everytime I hear 'Lance' in a technique name, medical procedure, or sporting event, I'm sure I'll contemplate alternate meanings. LOL....

-Paul

[Lance C]

Paul,

I suggest you look it up on the internet. There are many Lance Sgts listed.


-Lance

[Lance C]

How about the largest surgery procedure in the world?

Lansing Michigan.

-Lance

[sgpaul1973]

How about the largest surgery procedure in the world?

Lansing Michigan.

-Lance
LOL... Yes, quite the undertaking.

I hurt from the laughter