Allright everyone,
I figure that in an effort to combine this internet banter with perhaps some real learning opportunities I wanted to create a regional thread so that folks could possibly get together from time to time.
So here is a TEXAS thread. Anyone who wants to post up or talk with each other from the same region…please use this thread. Perhaps from this we can continue onto doing meetups and consistent training sessions.
You still training with Jim?
I’m in San Antonio. What are you training in, Vankuen?
[QUOTE=Water Dragon;969474]You still training with Jim?[/QUOTE]
No. I was there for a while but decided it wasn’t a good fit for me given the primary focus was on the olympics.
I switched to another MMA place in town but have taken a hiatus because of (1) MONEY and (2) to focus on finishing my last couple semesters of my undergrad.
I continue training of course, but for now its maintenance of all the stuff I’ve done over the years.
[QUOTE=zhugeliang;969499]I’m in San Antonio. What are you training in, Vankuen?[/QUOTE]
You name it I’ve probably got experience in it. Right now its primarily wing chun, muay thai, and BJJ / Submission wrestling.
I’ve had years of experience with various traditional gung fu though, amongst other things. But I found that when fighting the above mentioned styles are the most effective (for me).
kinda in a slump myself, the family & new house taking up all my time.
it’ll be a good 6 months to a year before i fully adjust to the new schedule, but at least the house should be somewhat squared away this week so i can at least get back to Gold’s.
I’ll probably end up doing muay thai long term.
The a-hole to friend ratio at the mma gym is just too high.
would love to be doing judo with water dragon, but i’m having trouble overcoming the fear of the absolute certainty that i’m going to end up injured by training there. 
EDIT: ps - phet’s got a 10th planet guy teaching bjj at the muay thai gym now. really nice guy from the 1 time i talked to him. from hawaii.
[QUOTE=Pork Chop;969559]kinda in a slump myself, the family & new house taking up all my time.
it’ll be a good 6 months to a year before i fully adjust to the new schedule, but at least the house should be somewhat squared away this week so i can at least get back to Gold’s.
I’ll probably end up doing muay thai long term.
The a-hole to friend ratio at the mma gym is just too high.
would love to be doing judo with water dragon, but i’m having trouble overcoming the fear of the absolute certainty that i’m going to end up injured by training there.
EDIT: ps - phet’s got a 10th planet guy teaching bjj at the muay thai gym now. really nice guy from the 1 time i talked to him. from hawaii.[/QUOTE]
REALLLY? Those 10th planet guys cause a lot of ruckus in the JJ circles. They’re like the new age guys vs. the traditional BJJ’ers.
They’ve got all these screwed up names for their techniques…they made the high guard or “rubber guard” a household word. But whatever works man…whatever works. I like the rubber guard personally, but wouldn’t base an entire strategy on it.
Phet probably thinks I’ll never train with him long term again, its just that I can’t drive aaaalll the way over there with the schedule I have. I go to school on that side of town, and work, but I have to go back to and forth because my schedule and household obligations. Just won’t work for me right now. I pop in from time to time though to do the rounds so to speak. He always has a different group of folks everytime I go there.
I’m still real close with the core group of guys that have been training there this year but my training time has really tanked since my kid got here.
I’ll go for a few weeks, then have a bad weekend with the kid, and spend the next few weeks recuperating.
I hear you on the time commitment thing.
If i do muay thai, the time commitment is huge - coz i still have to hit gold’s gym as often as possible, so i’m working out 3+ hours on my workout days.
I just don’t have that kinda time to invest anymore.
Gotta register for my masters classes tonight, so the little free time i may get from adjusting to my schedule or settling into my house will soon be disappearing as well.
EDIT: check the new website for info on the bjj http://vongphet.weebly.com/
Not trying to take away from the guy in the vid, but that twister setup looked like it was a demo. Either that or the guy that was sub’d wasn’t giving any resistance. The twister seems to be a popular 10th gen move as well.
Better looking website now too.
old guys
[QUOTE=Vankuen;969468]Allright everyone,
I figure that in an effort to combine this internet banter with perhaps some real learning opportunities I wanted to create a regional thread so that folks could possibly get together from time to time.
So here is a TEXAS thread. Anyone who wants to post up or talk with each other from the same region…please use this thread. Perhaps from this we can continue onto doing meetups and consistent training sessions.[/QUOTE]
Ya’ll let old taiji guys in here or just young’un’s???
Our CMA is just a bit lighter weight…
A bit less likely to get hurt tho…
It’s a free for all. I have no preference on style. Just labels imo. This is just for people in a closer regional setting to talk and get together…discuss things relative to our location like training and shows and stuch.
I studied Yang Tai Chi while I was stationed in Florida, but must admit have forgotten much of the sequences.
What part of Texas are you in?
Texas guy’s’n gals
[QUOTE=Vankuen;969635]It’s a free for all. I have no preference on style. Just labels imo. This is just for people in a closer regional setting to talk and get together…discuss things relative to our location like training and shows and stuch.
I studied Yang Tai Chi while I was stationed in Florida, but must admit have forgotten much of the sequences.
What part of Texas are you in?[/QUOTE]
Hello Van;
I’m in Sugar Land, just s/w of Houston if you’ve not been here. Always had an interest and desire for some CMA but didn’t get around to it until I was 56. So taiji suits me just fine. I did take a short 4 week course in push hands from a local monk and found it to be very similar to sparring. I am certified to teach beginners the 24 and plan to teach beginners someday, but have no specific plans as yet.
Thanks for the thread!
been doing the 24 since i was 16 so yah, you’re more than welcome 
i have friends in sugar land
my folks live in friendswood so i’m down there from time to time
van - i’ve only seen a little of the bjj guy and only know that he’s cool personality wise.
a couple of the guys from the gym that are also on the site are pro mma and they vouch for him, so i defer to them.
I plan on going back to the mat in January. Right now, I’m starting to get back in shape. Just got back on the weights and started training the 13 precious things (Shuai Chiao stance set that is closer to yoga than anything else.
I’d be down in training some stuff once or twice a week. I’ve been sick for a few years, and I’m just starting to get back in shape. I want to work on conditioning, from both a western and eastern point of view. (read lots of painful, nasty Chinese ****. Arm banging, shin conditioning, etc.) I have a lot of good stuff in that area from my time training with both Miguel Torres and Mas Judt. I have a big fat toolbox of stuff thanks to them, and it’d be nice to have a partner to work on things with.
Skip, I did Tai Chi for about ten years doing William C.C. Chen’s stuff. It was about ten years ago, but I wouldn’t mind some push hands if you’re ever around San Antonio.
WD-
hey man, did you get your house yet?
Mine’s i-10 near UTSA blvd
always welcome to come over and hang, movers come wednesday and house-warming party should be soon.
i plan on starting my gym-building process with kettle bells and maybe a bag
eventually i want a squat rack, a bench, an elliptical crosstrainer, and maybe some mats.
push hands
[QUOTE=Water Dragon;969678]Skip, I did Tai Chi for about ten years doing William C.C. Chen’s stuff. It was about ten years ago, but I wouldn’t mind some push hands if you’re ever around San Antonio.[/QUOTE]
Thanks WD;
But I’m going to have to take a whole lot more of it (someday) before I try it out of class. Being thrown by a young monk in good shape kinda opened my eyes - this is no lite sparring, he only knows the real thing… Right now I’m concentrating on learning the 32 before competing in Dallas next summer, I’m about 1/2 way thru so far… Then next year I will concentrate on improving the 32 enough to certify as an instructor, which will also help me in the next year’s competition.
That sounds quite interesting…I was thinking of taking of Tai Chi again as something for later on down the line. Not trying to imply it’s only for the older generations…its just that I’d like to continue practicing the other stuff now while I still can.
Anyone know of a any legitimate Tai Chi instructors in SA? Someone who knows the martial version and not the “exercise” version?
[QUOTE=Vankuen;969782]
Anyone know of a any legitimate Tai Chi instructors in SA? Someone who knows the martial version and not the “exercise” version?[/QUOTE]
raises hand and blushes
good idea
[QUOTE=Vankuen;969782]That sounds quite interesting…I was thinking of taking of Tai Chi again as something for later on down the line. Not trying to imply it’s only for the older generations…its just that I’d like to continue practicing the other stuff now while I still can.
Anyone know of a any legitimate Tai Chi instructors in SA? Someone who knows the martial version and not the “exercise” version?[/QUOTE]
Actually, the ones who start younger - and particularly when they have been in kung fu awhile - progress much faster than those of us who start later “when we have time to get around to it”. The guys and gals who do both in their 20’s and 30’s seem to shift more towards taiji in their 40’s. Their sword forms look more like kung fu than taiji and they just come naturally to push hands thru chin na.
For us old ones, all we can do is just skim the surface a little bit with the few years we have left to us on the planet… but… 90% of all taiji students start after the age of 50, and most of them after 60, including China. The thing for old folks is that you never get bored, there’s always something new to learn…
[QUOTE=Water Dragon;969802]raises hand and blushes[/QUOTE]
dude we gotta work taiji sometime
i did a lot of that when i was in high school
the forms were competition stuff, but we did a ton of push hands