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Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers are listed by author below

Trish Bare Grounds

Hello! My name's Mary and I practise kung fu in Paris. I'm doing a lot of training and hardly eat any meat. I eat a bit of cheese and that's about it for animal products. How does an essentially vegetarian diet affect your stamina and the building of muscle tissue? Cheers for taking the time to answer and hope it can be of some use to others. Read the answer

Hanho

Hi, my name is Mike Smith from Las Vegas, NV and I've trained in TKD for 7 years and will be taking Jui-Juitsu soon. I have the book Combat Strategy and really enjoy it's reading. But is Junsado just a philosophy or is it a style of fighting too. Can a School call itself a Junsado school if it teaches these philosophies. I don't believe in any one style for good self-defense. Is that what Junsado is? Read the answer

Loren W. Christensen

Dear Mr. Christensen, Recently I heard that doing deadlifts and squats are very good for developing legs and lower back to handle the stress of kicking. In the past I have just done bodyweight squats. If I add deadlifts and squats, for developing kicking speed and power (I don't care about getting "big" muscles) should I do high reps and low weight or low reps and higher weight. I just want to be in good condition to avoid injury and thought these two exercises may help pretty well. Your insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Matt Read the answer

Dear Mr. Christensen: I train in MA 3 days workouts lasting about 1 1/2 hours since I utilize the jump rope as my warmup, these sessions are also my ONLY cardio work. How many days weekly should I weight train for size and strength without worrying about overtraining? Thanks for your input. Read the answer

Dear Mr. Christensen: In your book, Fighters Fact Book, you talked about how your daughter and senior brown belt had a 16-week training program. I was wondering if you could give me some ideas on how to come up with such a program as I am nearing my black belt test. Thank you for you time, Chelsea Read the answer

Dear Mr. Christensen: Solo Training is a great; no Awesome book !! How should I train at home for counter attacks to the push kick (mostly open stance front leg)? My teacher had suggested that the black belts in my class use this to counter my offensive sidekick. (It has presented more of a challenge than my brown belt level can comprehend). Any help would be greatly appreciated. By the way, I just ordered your book Fighting Power. I hope this well make my side kick even more effective. Good luck and keep writing. Jim Hard Read the answer

i have a big problem. i am on a mission to find a sport i'll be good at. i'm not fast but i have some strength. i weigh in at 120 pounds and i am only twelve. every sport i have tried -- basketball, soccer, football- my teammates have made fun of me. it seems i am doomed to not being good at any sport. i want to make sure that judo is the right sport for me. i dont want to be made fun of again, and i'll even go to the lengths of getting a private tutor. What can i do? Marc Read the answer

Sang H. Kim

Hello Master Sang H Kim, My name is Sohail from Scotland. I have most of your DVDs. You have done great work. First i want to say to all the students here the complete Taekwondo DVD is essential for every one doing Martial Arts. I want to ask how can we feel ki in body? If someone uses ki force in breaking, will he hit the target with the same force as the person without ki concept? Is it true people say ki and techniques together have different results as compared to only techniques alone. Thanks in advance. Sohail, Scotland Read the answer

Dear Sang H. Kim, How do you build strength in your legs, also balance for demonstration and control? (I.e) Hold your leg far out above your head for a side kick or high roundhouse without losing stability or balance or simple having no problem being mobile with your legs. I am in Tae Kwon Do and am almost at a full split, but are there any exercises that help develope pure strength in your legs. Thanks in Advance.Michael DiPalermo Read the answer

Dear Mr. Kim, I find myself having difficulty with following your instructions in the book Ultimate Flexibility. I don't know exactly what i perform in "Y stretch" and "Crossed Legged Side Bend" . I need more specific descriptions to do these stretch . Yours sincerely, H. T. Kwon (p.s. I am very impressed with the book, it's really great work ) Read the answer

Hi Sang H. Kim, My Name is Sohail From Scotland I am blue belt in taekwondo I have got your Complete Taekwondo Kicking DVD and Aero Kicks DVD as well. Thanks it's really helpful and great. I want to ask the folowing questions. 1 Whenever I do turing kick my knee cross the target. Can you help me how can i avoid this so my knee don't cross the target? And during the side kick my knee drops. Can you tell me reason for that? 2 I need to break the brick with my knuckle. Can can please help tell me which is the best way of conditioning the knuckles? 3 What is the good exercises to achieve the muscle control? Thanks Sohail Read the answer

Dear Mr. Kim, I do not have a sparring partner. Do you think I should enroll in a school to get some type of practice in. If so , what type of school or style should I look for that can help with my Junsado? Kenny Read the answer

Dear Mr. Kim, I just received and saw your recent DVD Ultimate Flexibility (I also own your excellente book Ultimate Flexibility and others), and I have a doubt regarding the workouts you suggest (beginner, moderate and intense). Is it necessary to perform any warm-up before the workouts? Since the workouts have some dynamic and/or joint exercises in the beginning I became with this doubt. If yes, what warm-up you suggest before each exercise taking into account that is a Streching Specific Workout and no previous exercise has been done. Thanks in advance for your attention, Best regards, Miguel Durao Read the answer

Master Kim, I was looking at your Knife Defense DVD Set on your website and I have a couple of questions: First, the techniques look really impressive and I am just wondering if they are easy to apply in a short time for the average person? Second, can the techniques utilized in these DVD's be used against club or empty hand attacks as well (pardon my ignorance....I don't know if these skills are transferrable to empty hand or stick attacks)? I really enjoy reading all of your articles on your website and in the news letter I receive and I am really impressed with the two DVD's I have from Turtle Press (Top 100 Scoring and Complete Kicking). Thank you for your time and consideration. Matt Read the answer

I just received an issue of Impact, what a great news letter. I hope I continue to receive it. Master Kims book on Martial Arts over 40 has been a great help in my sparring. I have a question for the Author: I am 53 years old and am currently a Red Belt in Taekwondo. Can I still achieve flexibility in my hips, without causing hip problems later in life? My front kick is well over my head, but my side kicks are only waist high. Hugh from MO Read the answer

Hello Sir, I have been training and teaching in Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan going on now ten years. Thanks to turtlepress I have had the honor of learning and being enlightened by your passion for Tae Kwon Do. You have truly inspired me. My question is in regards to your teaching. I have heard you are retired from this part of your life. Is this true or do you still teach select students or offer seminars. If the case is true and you no longer teach then is there a student of yours that now teachs your system of Tae Kwon Do. Videos, DVD"s and Books only offer so much it would be a true honor to train face to face. Thank you very much for your time sir! Christopher Adams Read the answer

Dear Sir, I have been practising the art of Hapkido for just under two years. I am 29 years old and this is the first martial art that I have practised. If I am being honest I initially got involved in Hapkido for all the wrong reasons, acting macho, wanting to show off to friends. This quickly changed as I became passionate about the art and it began to change my outlook on life. I have recently purchased your book 'The Art of Harmony' 2nd edition and even though I have read it start to finish on many occasions I still like to read a few pages each day. I have great difficulty though switching off, when I try to meditate or just relax I end up having a thousand different thoughts going through my head or I concentrate too much on preventing these thoughts and dont relax fully. I have managed to relax fully on a few occasions and get lost in the moment, which has been a wonderful experience. I would like to achieve this on more than a few occasions, have you any advice on how I could achieve this? Yours Respectfully Steven Scott Read the answer

Dear Master Kim, I am a 44 year-old cho dan student in Tae Kwon Do. I work out consistently in the dojang and at home (weights, NordicTrac, running), and have achieved a reasonably high level of ability and fitness for my age. A nagging problem that has exacerbated recently is upper-body rigidity. Sah Bum Nim reminds me constantly that my punches during forms (pyung ahn, cholgi, and black-belt level WTF) are being "pushed" and that they tend to rise as if I'm skiing. Also my elbow is traveling away from my body as I punch. He believes the source of my problem is that my shoulders are not sufficiently relaxed. Do you know of drills, exercises or techniques I can employ to solve this problem? If I "focus" on relaxing, I tend to tense up more! Thank you for your help. Bob, NY Read the answer

Dear Master Kim; I think I own every one of your videos and I enjoy each one tremendously. I am a Brown belt and I regularly compete with Black belts. I am tall and big and have found that the side kick has worked well for me, but is limiting in terms of combinations and initial striking techniques. Would you suggest I abandon it as an offensive weapon (it is great for defense) or is there a way to use it like the push kick on on your various videos? Read the answer

I am a keen martial artist but when i am sparring i feel as if my reactions aren't quick enough to block some of the attacks. i would be grateful if you could recommend some ways for me to improve my reactions. Thank you, Dave Price, England Read the answer

I am an experienced martial artist and I intend to pass my knowledge on to my 5 year old son. I have never taught someone of that age (let alone my own son), I am seeking some advice on some reference material that I can use to make this as fun for he and I as possible. Thank you, Dave Ruhl Read the answer

Hi my name is Richard Nieves. I love martial arts. I'm having difficulty with flexibility and speed. I'm 29 years old and I have heavy legs, strong but heavy. I'm 5ft 9 and my weight is 215lbs. I'm wondering, do you think I can reach to do a split at some point? Kamsa- hamnida, Sabunim, Richard Nieves Read the answer

My name is Daniel and I would like to ask you for some advice on how to improve kicking with my weaker leg. I can execute well balanced kicks with my stronger leg but I can't seem to do so with the other leg. Thank you. Yours sincerely, Daniel Read the answer

If you were asked to name the best qualities of a martial artist, that is, qualities you would want in your own students, what would they be and why? J. Noner Read the answer

I was wondering if you could provide any advice and exercises to help with balance. I find myself having difficulty with my kicking and not only the more advanced kicks, spin kicks, etc, but also the fundamental kicks as well. I am 38 years old and have been training in TKD for 4 years now. This balance problem along with my limited flexibility is making my advancement difficult. Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide. Matt Odishoo, CT Read the answer

I was wondering if there was any books or videos that I could get to get more practice and training in Kyuk'pa (breaking techniques). Or maybe some tips. I am a 19 yrs old Cho-dan (first degree) black belt (Kukkiwon). I train in TKD, JUDO, and some Aikido & Jujitsu. David Tran Read the answer

Do you have any advice on the balance of strength and flexibility in kicking? I train in Tae Kwon Do and work hard on strength and flexibility training to improve my kicks.When I practice my kicking, I kick well above my head, but I am afraid that I lose much power when kicking at that level. I work hard on my strength training to solve this problem, but it seems to affect my flexibility! PLEASE HELP ME! James Garza, AZ Read the answer

What is your personal vision of martial arts in the near and distant future? What is the responsibility of a martial artist in relationship to your vision? Matt Pasquinilli, GA Read the answer

First of all I would like to tell you that I recently ordered your Kyoroogi book and Teaching, the Way of the Master book, and I am really impressed with your tips, philosophy, and expertise. I am currently a 3rd dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do (W.T.F.) and have been an instructor for over 12 years. I have only recently been using Visualization techniques for myself, and would very much like to start having my students practice this also at the end of each class. My question to you is this: How do you get everyone to do this in a group atmosphere? Especially in my children's class, because they do not understand the concept as easily as adults. Any tips you could offer me would be greatly appreciated. Jim Ginter, MN Read the answer

Is there any advice you can give me in regards to breaking bricks? In less than two weeks, I will be testing for my second degree black belt and one of the things I have to do is break two bricks. I plan on doing a hammer strike. I've been conditioning my hand for almost three months now and have noticed the tissue build up on my hand. I've been practicing the break lately, but I am not having much luck. I've tried at least 6 different bricks. I did break one, which surprised me because it seemed so easy. The other bricks I feel I am striking as hard as the one I broke, but my hand just stops and my arm vibrates all the way up to my shoulder. When I strike the brick my hand doesn't really hurt anymore, so I feel I conditioned it pretty well. I feel like I'm striking with much power and mentally I feel like I can break them, so I don't know what I am doing wrong. Renee Verg Read the answer

What is your opinion of weight training for the martial arts that I train in: iaido, kobudo jo, and wado ryu karate; also, do you have any specific diet recommendations as far as foods that are useful for a body practicing martial arts? C. S. Ramsey Read the answer

How can you recover from a serious training injury and what is the best way to prevent getting reinjured? Jason Phelps, Sandy, UT Read the answer

How can I improve my flexibility for kicking? I am a 42 year old red belt in taekwondo. Dianne Carson, San Diego Read the answer

dear master sang kim, i have been watching most of your TKD dvds as well as your book on TKD, and there is something that puzzles me a lot which is the use and effectiveness of sidekick in sparring. from what i have read or noticed, sidekick is not used very often in sparring. my big question is WHY? i see sidekick has the same kind of impact as a back kick and yet it can be executed as quick as a back kick with the advantage of keeping your opponent in sight instead of turning away and lose sight of your opponent. i often feel a lot more confident in using a sidekick rather than a backkick because i can keep my eye on my oppoent and i can target far better than a back kick. from your book, it mentioned that it is difficult to score with using sidekick. why is that? by the way, i am also a big fan of bruce lee, and apparantly bruce lee used a lot of sidekicks in combats and it can be an extremely powerful kick. i am just hoping with your extreme knowledge, skills and experience with TDK, you can shed some light on the reasons of why or how sidekick is not an ideal kick in sparring. i thank you in advance for your time and effort and i look forward to your reply. Jeannie Read the answer

Dr. Jacob Jordan

I have tried using visualization in my workouts, but it doesn't seem to work. What am I doing wrong? Juan Morales, Miami, FL Read the answer

Dr. Art Brisacher

Sometimes I feel like I am stuck and I don't make any progress. This is very discouraging and I feel like I will never learn some techniques that other people learn really easily. How can I make faster progress? Blake Gibson, Rockport, ME Read the answer

Ted Weimann

I was wondering if you could help me with 'push-ups'. I am a 33 year old male, but am having a terrible time doing push-ups. Although I practise everyday, I cannot seem to get past more than half a dozen proper ones. Could you offer me any advice? Also, which muscle is used for push-ups? Thank you, Mike Selby British Columbia, Canada Read the answer

I am unsure about the full mechanics of the left jab/straight punch. I just finished Ted Weimann's book, "Warrior Speed." I would definitely call it excellent and useful, except for this area. While working my way through the pages, I used some of his suggestions in my Krav Maga classes and my instructors were very complimentary about my, "sudden improvements." To me, it is very clear the man really knows what he's saying. However, he's a bit vague about the simple left strike. Does it come up from the floor like the right cross? How can I increased the power (I know it's primarily a speed, not power move) when using it in combination? Thanks. Regina Hayes Read the answer

I am a sixteen year old male and have been doing martial arts for 3 years. I have done kung fu and have now moved on to taekwondo and am enjoying it greatly. I have purchased Warrior Speed and found it very useful but I find it very hard to come up with a good training plan to increse speed and muscular strength. I have a reasonable knowledge about human anatomy and would be very grateful if you could use your knowledge to make a routine. Thank you for your time, Peter, England Read the answer

I'm planning to do some weight training to increase my speed and power. I will shortly be acquiring a few books and videos to make sure I do it right and safely but this question has been bothering me for a while. Can i ever be as strong as a power lifter or body builder without looking so bulky and freakishly over the top . Can I expect to be as strong as a man say weighing 300 pounds of muscles without getting so heavier, slow and inflexible using weight lifting techniques of martial artists. Tahreif Hylton Read the answer

Aaron Hoopes

Hey, I just had a question on the breathing. I read of how it can preserve moisture and all but when I do try this I find I do not receive enough air to keep going and to breath I need to breath out my mouth to get more air. Any advice? Read the answer