General Chat & Info Board

nimblemarlin6 said:I’d love it if an experienced martial artist—maybe someone like Robin Palmer3 could weigh in here: How safe is the neck bridge exercise actually for older practitioners?

Every martial artist does the neck bridge.
It’s totally normal for young students to breeze through it while they’re still in their prime. But the years start adding up—so I’m wondering if older practitioners or martial artists run into health issues given all that accumulated strain from doing the neck bridge over time.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the move we routinely do in training: You’re balancing solely on your head and your feet. Your entire spine—especially the neck—is pushed into maximum extension. Then you rock your body back and forth on your head. Some people even let their nose touch the mat while their full body weight is pressing down on the cervical spine. To a layman—well, to someone like me—it honestly makes my skin crawl just watching how much stress that puts on the neck. I really want to know how safe this move is in the long run.

Here are those neck exercises and bridge holds I promised—my little crew, ages 6 to 8, are the ones putting them through the paces. Of course, kids find these movements way easier than the older lifters do—typical—but I wanted to show the groundwork they need to master before we move on to suplex-style takedowns. To them, it’s just a game—which is honestly great—but they're actually conquering that fear of being tossed backward, building balance, strengthening their necks, and fixing their coordination all at once.
p.s.
Honestly—these drills aren't exactly recommended for older beginners. Just a thought.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7PvZi4tmU0

Great job by the kids, they're playing at a major league level now.👍
p.s. I happened to catch your fight while passing through; respect to you.

Kenneth Kim37 said:I’m an 18-year-old girl, and I am seriously down for Taekwondo!
QUESTION IS: does anyone know a solid club downtown—somewhere good but won't break the bank (under $67)?
Also, can I train every single day? Not just looking for a hobby thing, but given my pathetic age... lol

AND SO I PRAY 😳 for your advice

If I'm not mistaken, there's a TKD club over on Main Street—though I doubt the dues are under $67; probably more like $250.

Robin Palmer3 said:Here are those neck exercises and bridge holds I promised—my little crew, ages 6 to 8, are the ones putting them through the paces. Of course, kids find these movements way easier than the older lifters do—typical—but I wanted to show the groundwork they need to master before we move on to suplex-style takedowns. To them, it’s just a game—which is honestly great—but they're actually conquering that fear of being tossed backward, building balance, strengthening their necks, and fixing their coordination all at once.
p.s.
Honestly—these drills aren't exactly recommended for older beginners. Just a thought.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7PvZi4tmU0

👍 Kids, huh. But if grown adults—take someone like Zachary Mendoza17 or myself, for instance—tried this, we’d probably end up with broken or injured necks. It’s a different world when you have a kid weighing 65 pounds versus a grown man at 200 pounds whose lower back has already started making clicking noises...🤷 Are there actually any decent neck exercises specifically for people like us? Something we could do at home? And what about if a kid has scoliosis? Should they still be doing headstands and things like that...🤷

hiddensailor14 said:👍 Kids, huh. But if grown adults—take someone like Zachary Mendoza17 or myself, for instance—tried this, we’d probably end up with broken or injured necks. It’s a different world when you have a kid weighing 65 pounds versus a grown man at 200 pounds whose lower back has already started making clicking noises...🤷 Are there actually any decent neck exercises specifically for people like us? Something we could do at home? And what about if a kid has scoliosis? Should they still be doing headstands and things like that...🤷

I'll put together a few videos of useful neck exercises for you guys—stuff you can actually do without worrying about ending up in the ER.

hiddensailor14 said:👍 Kids, huh. But if grown adults—take someone like Zachary Mendoza17 or myself, for instance—tried this, we’d probably end up with broken or injured necks. It’s a different world when you have a kid weighing 65 pounds versus a grown man at 200 pounds whose lower back has already started making clicking noises...🤷 Are there actually any decent neck exercises specifically for people like us? Something we could do at home? And what about if a kid has scoliosis? Should they still be doing headstands and things like that...🤷

Neck work should be a slow burn. In my experience, you start with a front bridge on the head from a kneeling position—then move to legs straight—then transition to the back with hands near the hips—then eventually a back bridge where you kick the legs up. Once you've nailed that, you move on to pirouettes, aging gracefully, etc... Basically, if you take it step-by-step and don't have old injuries hanging over your head, it's not risky.

New kickboxing club's opening up near Ilirska Street on Oct 10th (basically just moving to a better spot)... I'll hit you up with more details once I know everything else...

What’s the name of the club?
I’m looking into kickboxing, but it would be awesome if I could find some Muay Thai here in the Midwest. 😁

Not sure what we’re gonna call it yet.. it’s not your typical kickboxing, since we’re throwing elbows, doing ground and pound, and some Krav Maga stuff too..

Great, and at this rate, we’ll probably end up holding it on Ilirskaya Street...

hey guys,

anyone got the scoop on that Pantheon MMA gym over in Dugave?

when do they actually run training sessions?

My 4-year-old is basically a living Ninja Turtle—constantly practicing his moves everywhere he goes 🙂. We’re looking to get him into a real martial arts class, but we’ve hit a bit of a wall with age requirements. We’re based in Chicago. Does anyone have recommendations for a club (TKD, Karate, etc.) that actually takes kids this young? So far, our only lead for Taekwondo is Dan-Gun. Thanks in advance!

People say Dan-Gun is great for kids... But at four years old, maybe Judo would be a better call...?

Both of these clubs are big enough that they probably have daycare options too, so you should definitely ask...

http://www.judolika.com/

For sure, an activity like this in a proper environment will really help a little one progress... Personally, I think Judo—with its focus on technique over hitting and learning how to fall correctly—is a muuuuch better choice here than combat sports that involve striking...

👍

Dan Gun isn't the way to go. Better to hit up Kyokushin Karate instead of TKD. At least you'll actually learn something useful there... Clubs

lonecyclist3 said:People say Dan-Gun is great for kids... But at four years old, maybe Judo would be a better call...?

Both of these clubs are big enough that they probably have daycare options too, so you should definitely ask...

http://www.judolika.com/

For sure, an activity like this in a proper environment will really help a little one progress... Personally, I think Judo—with its focus on technique over hitting and learning how to fall correctly—is a muuuuch better choice here than combat sports that involve striking...

👍

you can tell the kid is more interested in striking than throws

personally, I think wrestling is better for kids than judo

@Sam Roberts - you're absolutely right, no doubt about it... 😬

The kid is obsessed with those ninja turtles... You know, that quasi-Japanese mystical skill vibe... 😬

Wrestling is great and all, but I'm not sure how many wrestling clubs there actually are for little ones... Now, for Judo clubs, I know they exist, and kids just love them! They're rolling around on the floor in their gi, running, stretching, learning how to fall on the mats... I'm not looking at this from a "which sport is technically better" standpoint, but rather which one is best for a 4-year-old...

If he's more into striking, why not Taekwondo or Tang Soo Do? If they have groups for kids that young, then that's awesome... It's rare to find really good groups with expert instructors... And later on, if he stays interested, who knows what he might decide to train in... When you're a kid, you just follow your heart... 😬

But for a start, I think Judo is the winner for a 4-year-old, wearing that "mystical white" gi, acting like it's the first "skill" a little ninja learns... Nudge-nudge, wink-wink... 😉

Cheers! 🙂

DoomsdayST, Jericho,

Thanks for taking the time to get back to me. That’s actually the crux of it—we’re looking for a gym that offers more than just daycare; we want actual striking technique, at least for now. We checked out Dan-Gun and really liked the sensei’s 🙂 approach with the kids, but honestly, the facility itself—specifically the training space 😢—is a bit of a dealbreaker.

@Chris Bailey93 - what’s the issue with the space...? From what I can see online, things look more than okay... 🤷

DoomsdayST,

I hope nobody holds this against me—but the humidity here is just brutal. It feels gross. In my opinion, it’s not exactly a healthy environment for training, but hey, that's just how I feel.

@Chris Bailey93 - hmmm... Don't get mad at me, but maybe it’s just the simple smell of a sweaty gym... 😬

People who aren't used to the "musky" scent of a local MMA gym or weight room often mistake it for dampness... Try hitting up some other clubs nearby to see if it's the same thing, then you'll know for sure... 😉

Actual mold and mildew have a totally different vibe... I know because I lived for years in an old house without proper insulation, so all those plastic joints on the exterior walls would sweat from condensation during the winter and grow mold everywhere... 😬

If we're talking about mold, then nope, the air definitely isn't healthy if it's full of spores... But if it's just sweat, hey, there's no winter chill here, and honestly, that's exactly what you want to smell in a gym... 👍