response 1 of 39:

Jun 29 12:25 UTC 1996

I do the school's Rec&Ed aerobics, 1 hour twice a week.  I'm seriously
thinking (once again) about doing some martial arts, either as a replacement
or in addition.

What kind of workout is a martial arts class?  How much aerobic activity,
muscle development, etc?  Would I want to have a day off between like weight
lifting, or not?

response 3 of 39:

Jun 30 19:41 UTC 1996

I have been taking TaeKwonDo for a few months now I should be an orange belt
but was in a car wreck and was unable to test yesterday. I am not athletically
inclined; in fact I hated gym class growing up. I especially hated team
sports... I'd mess up and the other kids would treat me like I had a disease
(winning a basketball game in 6th grade is equivalent to the cure of cancer).
Instead of building my self esteem, it served to squash it. 

I took karate for my PE credit in college. The style was Okinawan goju-ryu,
which is not very commonly taught. My instructor was the only one in my city
to teach it. I really liked it, even though the workouts were so hard I wanted
to die. I had this class for 1 1/2 hours twice a week, but lost over 10 pounds
that smester wiothout eating any less! And you knoew how bad college students
eat... all junk!

I didn't go back for any more physical activity after that, and the pounds
I lost crept back on. I decide to go to a regualr school and learn TaeKwonDo
(i didn't care which style, the teacher I had before had since closed his
school). Work and school had been stressing me out badly., I tried the
aerobics tapes, treadmill, weights and all that and no matter how much I'd
sweat or how sore I got, the pounds would not budge and I just wasn't getting
results. So I just poicked a school from the phone book. I'm so glad I
deiceded to learn it!

It gives me confidence when I learn new movmeents that I didn't think I could
learn.  Trust me, you will seat like a pig. Even if you only do it 2 hours
a week, you'll see results (i've lost more nches instead of pounds, but the
pounds I have lost are staying off). By the time class is over my whole head
is wet from sweating (lovely). It teaches me respect.. I find mysaelf saying
"yes sir" and "yes ma'am" a lot more than I ever did, since it becomes
habit... the instructor is called "sir". Best of all I know I can handle it
if someone messes with me. Karate teaches you mental discipline to work things
out before jumping in and fightiung. But, if you have no option but to fight,
you can. It's a secret weapon.. to look at me you can't tell I am a yellow
belt. But if you try to attack me on the street, you'll find out. Quick. 

response 5 of 39:

Jul 5 14:10 UTC 1996

As long as none of them have the last name "Hopson".  I mean, I trust James
Hopson in being a black belt in two martial arts - I just don't trust him
very far.  
        With my Tae Kwon Do - long ago as it was, under older ranks I am just
slightly higher in rank than ... damn.  I forgot who I was talking about.
        Personally - when something has a traditional background, I try to
stick to the actual tradition.  Which is why, when I berserk - I refuse to
retreat.  Some situations however, will make me force the frenzy to stop
(noting that I'm about to attack a friend, i.e.) or pump my adrenalin faster.
Usually, I try to stay out of fights - especially picking them, but there are
some things that offend me so much, and I've already told the people who do
them that, that lightmy short fuse - I truly don't care if they are joking.

response 7 of 39:

Jul 6 13:32 UTC 1996

Cool.
And stuff.

response 9 of 39:

Jul 11 09:01 UTC 1996

Go to the phone book.  Figure out what you want ot get out of it. Then talk
to people you know who are knowledgable on the subject and get suggestions.

response 11 of 39:

Jul 11 12:21 UTC 1996

Luckily, I still have an A2/Ypsi Phonebook not just a Saline/A2 one . . .

response 13 of 39:

Jul 12 12:46 UTC 1996

Well, if I do go back to Winona State for another year, I know they have a
Tai Chi (sp?) course.

response 15 of 39:

Jul 13 03:51 UTC 1996

Prices are something you should get early on when you check out a school.
There are some that are really expensive, then there are some that arereally
inexpensive. Price does not equate to quality of instruction ! A reasonable
price is about 50 to 75 $ per month for at least 3 classes a week.
Out of curiosity beeswing, what does your 600$ fee cover in terms of classes,
testing, etc. ? (If you don't mind my asking)

response 17 of 39:

Jul 13 13:06 UTC 1996

Mercy is for the weak . . . and the living.  >;-)

response 19 of 39:

Aug 12 22:51 UTC 1996

Well, I signed up at Asian Martial Arts Studio here in Ann Arbor.  Too early
to pick fights with off-duty cops, though.

response 21 of 39:

Aug 14 11:00 UTC 1996

karate.  So far it seems interesting, although I'm just picking up the basics
at this point.

response 23 of 39:

Aug 22 22:55 UTC 1996

Well, it's interesting.  I've been to four classes.  The workout is not quite
as hard as real aerobics, but the instructors will tend to spend the whole
class working on one move.  So it's a very heavy workout for a specific set
of muscles, which will take some getting used to.

As a side note, I ran into an old (elementary school) friend at the dojo, a
guy I hadn't seen in probably 12 years.