Poll: Do you know self defense?

[Plazmatic]

It's a pretty simple question.
I used to do Tae-Kwon-Do. I was a red-belt two-stripe.

Red belt two stripe? What does that mean?
When I did tae kwon do, I reached blue belt. I'd happily go back and finish the training.
But what do you mean 'two stripe'? Like, red belt with a black stripe? We always called that 'black tag'.

its a second degree red belt to be more specific (or a first degree, I cant remember) I was a second degree black belt when I got out, but it was so INCREDIBLY easy that I had doubts that this was true tae kwon do ( even though the guy was freaking korean, and was a ninth degree) Im pretty sure It used to be harder at that place, since its impossible to not pass the test to the next belt, but some how the older members of a decade ago had a hard time passing.

 

[Kermi]

It's a pretty simple question.
I used to do Tae-Kwon-Do. I was a red-belt two-stripe.

Red belt two stripe? What does that mean?
When I did tae kwon do, I reached blue belt. I'd happily go back and finish the training.
But what do you mean 'two stripe'? Like, red belt with a black stripe? We always called that 'black tag'.

There are different versions of TaeKwon-Do, the GTF (Global TaeKwon-Do Federation), a sort of branched off school from after General Choi died, WTF (World TaeKwon-Do Federation), the original version created by General Choi, and ITF (International TaeKwon-Do Federation), created by General Choi after WTF because he did not want the government running everything.

As far as I know, WTF and GTF students have to earn their stripes seperately whereas ITF students consider it a step between belts. Feel free to correct me If I am wrong.

OT: I am currently a black belt, first degree in ITF.

I've now completely forgotten what my school was based under. I know it wasn't GTF because I've never heard of it before. Is ITF the one the Olympics use? Because I trained under the other system, WTF. I had a friend who trained under the ITF system and it seemed like her school was more geared towards fitness and tournaments than self defence. I'm not saying she couldn't have defended herself with what she learned, I'm just saying that wasn't the primary focus.
Frankly I think her school was somewhat dodgy. Her instructor didn't seem to report to any kind of higher authority and he kept on making his students all kinds of outrageous promises that he never fulfilled, like arranging exchange programs where his students would be able to train in Korea for 3 months or something like that.

Please note the above is not an indictment of all ITF-based schools... I just remembered all that and kind of started rambling.

Anyway, yeah. Our progression was White > Yellow > Blue Stripe > Blue > Red Stripe > Red > 1 black stripe > 2 black stripes > 3 black stripes > Bo Dan > 1st Dan Black > and so on... up to 9th dan I think.

I know other schools have purple, brown, orange etc. but I'm not familiar with those.

Each step, even if we were only adding a stripe, was considered a seperate grade and you had to perform and pass your grading to be permitted to add the stripe.

 

[Aureli]

I don't know any martial arts, but I do know enough techniques in order to protect myself in a variety of situations.

 

[Feralcentaur]

Why yes sir to that question and I DO have marvellous recipie for griled cheese! (hint it involves ham) Pretty much all I know is how to go phsycotic cave man, yeah that's pretty much my fighting style; mashing, smashing punching and knocking.

 

[warprincenataku]

I am a 5th Dan in Gendai Ninjutsu.

 

[irrelevantnugget]

Just started third year of capoeira, I can take care of myself quite well methinks. Never get into fights anyway, though

 

[smeghead25]

A shot to the knee-cap does a rather unsurprisingly good job of discouraging aggression. Hence why I always carry my 226, only got to use it twice on human targets though.

Edit: They were both against armed robbers, both court cases decided in my favor. Duty to retreat my ass, retreat in a fucking body bag more like it.

You sound like you regret only being able to have shot two people?

Your awfully fast to judge others based on how little you know about that poster or the situations described.

And I can find his Biography where?

From reading what he said and particularly the way he said it, I was inclined to form the opinion that he "regrets only being able to have shot two people".

But you are right, judgements should only be made when all possible imformation is present. I'll make sure that I spend days researching every different point of view before I even consider forming my own opinion on a matter.

If you don't understand why judging someone as a psycho based on a few vague lines of text is a bad thing, I guess I can't help you.

Forming an opinion based on info present is different from assuming things you don't know with inadequate information with witch to do so. Just an example, based on this conversation I could assume that your an overly judgmental prick, but common sense dictates I don't really know that do I?

Its not a question of not being allowed to have an opinion, its a matter of reasonable discussion.

I will specifically point this bit out:

"]

...only got to use it twice on human targets though.

If it wasn't meant to sound regretful, maybe he should have written it differently or edited it at some point? Otherwise, all we know of this person is that they seem to be regretful of not getting to use it on more human targets. I will point out however that I am fully in support of shooting bankrobbers. So regret not getting to shoot more of them all you want.

 

[Romidude]

Five years of Karate, never really got anywhere with it.

 

[BabySinclair]

I know to keep alert and avoid dangerous situations if at all possible (Self Defense 101)

Outside of that I've spent time learning Tae-Kwon-Do, Aikido, Rengen (Old school German wrestling), American wrestling, and Karate to various degrees, most for only a short time. Add in the sword, staff, and dagger training and I have a solid ground work which is more than most and my high pain tolerance and I think I'll be fine.

 

[Feralcentaur]

Five years of Karate, never really got anywhere with it.

Five years and you got nowhere at all? You must have learned one block or kick or something!

 

[Romidude]

Five years of Karate, never really got anywhere with it.

Five years and you got nowhere at all? You must have learned one block or kick or something!

Well, I learned lots of things and I can still do them, I just didn't make it anywhere.

 

[Blindswordmaster]

Four years of Karate earned me my black belt. I've also studied other martial arts on my own. I'll never start a fight, but fuck with me and I will fuck your shit up.

 

[commandersqwigly]

Third degree black belt in Tae-Kwon-do.

 

[Tanto-chan]

I took a hybrid martial arts class for about 14 years. not a black belt but was two belts away.

 

[Elephant Walker19]

White belt in TKD,but I'll kick anyone of your asses,just send me a PM saying the time and place.

 

[WOPR]

it's required at our school to take a course of self-defense your sophomore year in PE

 

[Aureli]

I don't know any martial arts, but I do know enough techniques in order to protect myself in a variety of situations.

 

[RelexCryo]

The Nike Defense is all you'll ever need.

It's nice to have the option to run away, but you don't always have that option. It is better to have both kung-fu and running shoes on your side. You don't have to pick just one, and violence is sometimes the only option.

 

[Yostbeef]

I choose the third option "I've got a great recipe for grilled cheese..."

Yes my fist is mighty but not quite as mighty as my grilled cheese.

Well I've got the munchies,guess what I'm about to do?

 

[RootbeerJello]

I took karate from ages 8-12 I think. Through black belt. I'm not exactly in practice, but it gave me good reflexes and a hell of a punch, and between black belt training and snowboarding I've developed something of a pain tolerance. So basically, I like to think I could maybe do some damage to an unarmed opponent around my size who isn't a god damn career fighter.

EDIT: Oh yeah, there's also the fact that I kick hard enough to use in a legitimate fight. Don't see that very often.