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Magical Day
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| DorkyNerky |
Posted on February 03 2010 01:54 AM
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Member
Location: USA
Posts: 10
Joined: 2010-01-07
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Hi everyone!
I found out about dyscalculia last year while doing some research on dyslexia and that day was uber magical. I couldn’t believe dyscalculia was a real thing that other people might also have it as well. It was a veryyyyyyyyyy special day ( cant remember exact date though. Hmmm…will have to look through my old journal entries)! Similar to the day that maybe one day someone will prove that unicorns are real (yes I still have hope on this).
So I was talking with my math teacher about having to take remedial math in college or take it in the summer as I dont have a passing/high enough score on both SAT/ACT and was feeling pretty much in the dump so I went to my next class which ironically was a computers related class & researched to find colleges that dont require Algebra and someone mentioned this forum in some post on wikianswers or something of the sort.
I couldn't stop smiling the rest of the day after reading so many posts and feeling (here it is that cheesy line you knew was going to come along sometime or another): I'm not dumb and there are other people like me. IM SPECIAL!!!!!! (<---- I just had to type that haha)
Seeing Numbers = official red alert freak out alarm going off
I've struggled and hated math ever since kindergarten it seems. Even when I know the answer like 4+4 I have this OCD paranoid feeling to double check on the calculator. I remember getting made fun of whenever I check 2-0 or 2+0 on the calculator along with counting on my fingers. One of my math teachers in an earlier grade would glare at me every time she caught me counting with my fingers during tests which made be even more nervous. Math tests/quizzes always mean extremely high levels of anxiety the day before, during the actual thing, and afterwards worrying about failing. I cannot ever remember going through any year of school where I didn't come home one day and just cry in frustration. Dont even get me started on Sudoku. I have a personal restraining order on myself to stay 10ft away from anyone holding that book or discussing the topic with someone else. Its like " i do not need to be humiliated for the billionth time." No, thank you. The only reason I remember my phone number is because it has stayed the same for years and my SSN because I had to type it into a bunch of college applications. I still dont know the street names/numbers of my town where I've lived for over 7 years and know/go places by landmarks. Cant read a map to save my life and then there are bank statements. I used to leave them unopened for weeks because I feel like someone wrote gibberish and I was supposed to decipher it. I'm like " why cant they just say that on Dec 23,2009 you took $100 out of bank account " instead of writing so many numbers all in one page. Cannot handle so many numbers all at once. I've gotten better at understanding bank statements (it took some time) but I always feel anxious opening them up still like its some kind of death sentence.
I've read a lot of stories on how people failed Algebra in college 3 times and then they were given an exemption by having to take a logics or some other class in replacement. Is that the only way? I understand it depends on the college I attend but cant I just show a official document and take a replacement class in the beginning without having to waste my time and money knowing I have a very good chance at failing? Maybe I'm lazy but if college classes are 2-3 hours long and then I'm forced to go to tutoring an extra 2 hours long +complete lengthy assignments on time along with keeping up and doing well in all my other classes where is the time to actually experience college or do other things ( i don’t think I could handle doing all that in one day)? I've taken SAT/ACT multiple times and my math scores have not proved but are a few points away from a passing grade & I really do not want to waste my time/money this summer taking remedial courses. I've asked my school psychologist and they have told me I cant do much now as I'm already a senior in H.S. meaning I must've had to pass some math courses in order to be classified as a senior. I did pass but that is it. I PASSED. I didn't get a good grade and barely got a passing grade. I would really like to get tested before I start college this fall because the thought of spending more horrifying depressing hours in a classroom attempting to understand numbers makes me not want to go to college at all. I’ve talked to bunch of school counselors and emailed various colleges and they told me to talk to the special ed dept if I choose to attend their college in the fall.
Ironically I took math this year to stay in the loop (I’m a fine example of short term memory at its best) and I actually managed to get a good grade for 1st semester. We didn’t have too much hw, every single problem like our hw was worked out in class, the test looked exactly like our review but numbers changed around, & we weren’t penalized for not getting the answer right on our hw. All this really helped along with everyday use of calculators on test/hw but I still don’t think that its just I’m just bad at math.
One of the things listed on this site’s symptoms list that I hadn’t seen anywhere before was dance steps/learning how to play a musical instrument. This completely makes sense now as I really like doing aerobics but can never stay in time with the moves even if the instructor is going super slow or has like 5 different hand moves while still moving with their feet. Also, learning to play the violin seemed exceptionally harder for me then rest of the kids in my class even though it was everyone’s first time learning as well.
I bet everyone who started reading my post is probably snoring and sleeping peacefully in front of the computer. Am wondering if anyone will even reply haha. Oh and I’m Aanika btw. Anyways Happy Groundhog Day!
If anyone wants to watch a inspirational teary excellent movie with exquisite acting on Dyslexia (was researching about dyslexia after this movie when I chanced upon Dyscalculia. O that blessed day!) then please rent/buy : Like Stars on Earth or the Hindi version is called “ Taare Zameen Par”.
I dream of a better tomorrow...
Where chicken can cross raods and not have their motives questioned. |
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| Kyla Dilla |
Posted on February 03 2010 07:47 AM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 185
Joined: 2006-08-20
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Hi Aanika and welcome to the forum 
Haha yup I've watched Taare Zameen Par, really awesome! My mother cried while watching it.. |
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| justfoundout |
Posted on February 03 2010 03:56 PM
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Member
Location: Texas USA
Posts: 6101
Joined: 2008-05-25
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2/3/10
Dear Dorky/Nerky,
Nice to meet you. I'll confess that I saw your post last night, before bedtime, but didn't have enough motivation left to read it. So, here I am, back again, and I'm glad that I waited until I was awake, because you made me laugh out loud at two spots in your post. ;-)
I really liked this part, where you said, " One of my math teachers in an earlier grade would glare at me every time she caught me counting with my fingers during tests which made be even more nervous." The thought that went through my mind was that that was like glaring at a person for, for example, chewing their food before swallowing it. Like, maybe that teacher would say to a student, "No, just put the food in your mouth and 'swallow'. Stop all that 'up and down' chewing movement." Isn't it amazing all the 'bad wrap' we've gotten all our lives from being dyscalculic? Somewhere along the line, I must have heard someone say not to 'count on your fingers'. It would have been so very long ago that I don't remember it. And, it probably wasn't said directly to me, or else I would surely have remembered that. But I learned 'early on' not to let it 'show' if I was going to count on my fingers. And then, once you got me 'warmed up' to laughter, the comment, regarding Sudoku, about having a "personal restraining order on myself to stay 10ft away from anyone holding that book or discussing the topic with someone else." also made me laugh. I've seen the book called Sudoku on a display case at Barnes and Noble, and opened it, just to see what everyone was talking about, but little squares that need to be filled out doesn't 'call to me', so I quickly shut the book and walked away. By what you've said, I made the right choice.
Okay, let's go to the subject of getting the math credits substituted. I'm sure that someone somewhere in the US has had a different experience from mine as regards what has to be done to get the math credits 'substituted'. I tell my own story because it's what actually happened to me and I know it to be true. There are a lot of colleges out there, and Texas isn't the only State in the Union, so there has to be some 'variations' on the theme. I just want people who come to the forum to know that there is 'hope', so I tell my story on getting to take Logic to replace my math credits.
The 'system' here in the US is set up to have a student make (what they call) a 'good faith effort' at passing math before they will consider allowing the student to substitute math credits. Also, the student will need to have documentation on file at the Disability Office in order to file a Request of having those math credits substituted. I've heard of some colleges allowing Computer credits to be used to substitute the math credits, but my college absolutely refused to accept Computer credits for this purpose. I'd even already taken (and passed with an A) a course in Digital Electronics, which included learning Boolean Algebra, but the college wouldn't accept this to replace my math credits either. It had to be Logic.
In a way, I was 'spared' being put through yet more frustration. And I'll explain this here, as it touches on what you were mentioning about all the hours that you may be facing, in your case. I hadn't known of the existence of dyscalculia or of the possibility of getting a diagnosis and having my math credits waived until the very end of that third time that I failed Elementary Algebra. This means that I failed it those three times without the benefit of any 'accommodations'. If the college had so chosen, it could have required me to re-take that math class a fourth time, but this time 'with accommodations'. That would have been more frustrating than I care to imagine.
You story will be a little different from mine. But I hope for you the happiness of getting all the education that you want or need to be able to have a productive and enjoyable career. Thanks for telling us your story. - jus'
Edited by justfoundout on February 03 2010 06:22 PM |
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| RottieWoman |
Posted on February 03 2010 05:59 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 3037
Joined: 2008-12-31
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welcome, DorkyNerky 
I was diagnosed at my university after continually failing remedial undergrad. math (into which I was placed as incoming student based on my math ACT scores). While I don't know if continually failing is the "only way" <to get assistance finally at an institution> my case unfortunately does ring similarly to others. Math LD is just not as recognized as dyslexia and that makes it very hard to find appropriate testing, teaching and accommodations. I did end up graduating after 6 years w/Bachelor or Arts in 2 majors - Sociology and Spanish. Soc. DID requires me to take Statistics course of which I understood NOTHING but near-retirement prof. was kind and my diagnosis allowed me to get accommodations.
Yup I still count on my fingers, and I was just explaining this to my ASL teacher as I count in ASL on my fingers, which makes the other signing party a bit more challenged with me as they try to figure out me counting or what number I am signing.
Many times I've come home from school and cried, or left Chemistry class, for example on pretense of using bathroom, and instead gone into a stairwell at the school and cried cause I was so confused. Coming home could also be relieving though too because I was extensively bullied - physically and emotionally during my pre-high school days.
I have no idea from music but yes, I do have great difficulty w/spatial orientation and sequencing, so things with steps like dancing, sports/martial arts I have great problems with. Of those I only enjoy martial arts as a "learning experience" so I have continued with that even though it takes me longer. I don't mind dancing with friends in an informal setting though. |
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| DorkyNerky |
Posted on February 05 2010 03:58 AM
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Member
Location: USA
Posts: 10
Joined: 2010-01-07
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Kyla- Hi and thank u 4 the welcome (+ first reply! yay!). One of my favorite movies ever and I've never cried for a full 2 hours while watching a movie in my life till this one came along 
Jus- Thank you for the well wishes. Nice to meet you too. AHA! I knew it was too long.Haha. I'm glad I can make you laugh I've learned to hide it as well from now on because before I never understood why any teacher would/could be so NOT understanding. I was curious at first since everyone talked about it so I peeked into the book at a glance while one of my friends was sitting down next to me doing it and at first I had the impression it was a fun cool puzzle game type of thing. When I saw it had NUMBERS + Square boxes where those NUMBERS had to add up to or w/e it is I literally scooted away from my friend and thought of numerous topics to talk so we could avoid talking about anything related to Sudoku (Sokudo, Suduko,....I cant even say that properly at times. it makes my brain hurt).
Ex: Yesterday i went in2 subway and mom was suggesting I get the $5 foot long and I was deciding on what to get but then after 5 seconds I had to ask my mom " a foot is 12 inches right?" I felt incredibly dumb and my mom looked alarmed I didn't know this (dont think she has gotten used to the idea that I may be a dyscalculic yet)
Reading so many of the stories here has really boosted my hopefullness.
I think I've used up all of my " Effort" when it comes to math. Yep! 0% left of it. but then i'm pretty sleep deprived and my lazyness is probably speaking on my behalf at the moment.
I was looking up general GRE tests and one the main points they test if students are ready for graduate work as listed on the website said " critical and analytical skills" which well made me shudder and I was thinking of getting a degree in psychology which involves reading bunch of graphs/charts which again im terrible with but I hope I can overcome that.
RW- Thank you. There are tons or organizations in the U.S.A. that you can call at any time for Dyslexia but none for Dyscalculi and they tell you lots of stuff and help you through it. I still cant believe there isn't any Dyscalculia foundation here. I have stayed away from Chemistry and dont plan to take it in college which if I'm required I will probably beg (haha not really but you know what i mean hopefully) my advisor to exempt me from it.
Omg u too? I know ASL a little bit as well but I have to say the number in my mind and then remember what the sign for it is and then sign it which makes me pretty slow. I remember coming home from freshmen year of high school algebra ( freshmen year was hard enough as it is since it was my first year in high school) and collapse in the couch in relief of being one day less from having to do it all over again. Then I would be reminded of the dreaded hw left to do and the frustration would begin once more. Its like some vicious never ending cycle. It has gotten better now but still its hard to forget those feelings.
Heehee I dance like crazy when no1 is watching or with my friends but like learning an actual choreography definitely takes time. I do aerobics sometimes still since I find it fun but I sort of do my own thing when I get lost. One time me and my friend took a ballroom dancing class and I was supposed to lead except she was sort of helping me and telling me which foot goes where but nevertheless we had a blast and it was a good learning experience.
I couldn't find the repy button for like 5 seconds before I realized I wasn't logged in. Me (in my mind): what is this? now i might have forgetability disability too?
I was wondering if anyone already made a thread naming it " You know you're dyscalculic when you...." sorta thing (its not to make anyone feel bad but just for reading some of the funny answers other people may have thought of that some of us didn't) and if so can anyone link me to it please. If not I think it would be fun to see what all the members come up with.
Okay I'll be shutting up now. *terrryyyuuuu* (imagine the computer shutting down noise)
I dream of a better tomorrow...
Where chicken can cross raods and not have their motives questioned. |
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| Kestrel6 |
Posted on February 06 2010 12:41 AM
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Member
Location: Houston TX
Posts: 448
Joined: 2009-08-26
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Welcome to the forum! FWIW, caprine unicorns do exist:
http://bestiary.c...n-goat.jpg
Blessed are the PURR in heart! |
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| RottieWoman |
Posted on February 06 2010 12:26 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 3037
Joined: 2008-12-31
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yup, DN, the numbers are very difficult for me. But I do tend to be very visual-kinesthetic learner, see in pictures-
Edited by RottieWoman on February 06 2010 12:27 PM |
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| Kyla Dilla |
Posted on February 06 2010 08:30 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 185
Joined: 2006-08-20
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DN, sorry for the extremely short reply. Injured my wrist.
Anyway..
Owh my, chemistry! Its like another language altogether. I can still cope with physics. I love physics, but I can't count! : ( But chemistry was hell. Learning chemistry was very frustrating.
I still count with my fingers. I learned the abacus when I was 10 (due to my mother being frustrated that I kept getting C's and D's for math) Before we were allowed to learn the abacus, we had to learn to count up to 99 with our fingers. It was the most amazing thing that happened to me, I could finally count with my fingers and it was okay! : D
Being a bit off topic here, one day I went to seek math help from one of the special ed teachers in my school (my school's special ed is more towards the blind and visually impaired, ) I was stuck at a calculation. what was 500/2. As I started to panic and grabbed for my calculator. she took my calculator away from me and started to show me how it can be done with my fingers alone : )
Edited by Kyla Dilla on February 06 2010 08:32 PM |
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| DorkyNerky |
Posted on February 11 2010 03:57 AM
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Member
Location: USA
Posts: 10
Joined: 2010-01-07
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NO way!!!! U jus totally made my day. T4S
Kyla- I cant believe how long my posts are. I'm seriously going to try very hard to shorten it this time. Hope you feel better soon! How did you injure your wrist though?
I've never taken physics but i dont know maybe I will like it but still sorta scared because I think its going to be like chemistry.
Abacuses were fun to play with but I could never get the hang of actually having enough patience to count them haha. Fingers are a blessing from the gods above
Whoa seriously? i need to learn that magic number stuff. I grab the calculator everytime I feel panic rising my chest like its my one and only savior.
Jus- I've tried to learn like chemical processes through pictures but just all the reactions and then in genetics different mutations confused me. I mean I was reading it but I didn't know what it meant even with the pic in the biology book.
I dream of a better tomorrow...
Where chicken can cross raods and not have their motives questioned. |
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| Kyla Dilla |
Posted on February 11 2010 04:35 AM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 185
Joined: 2006-08-20
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Hi DN
Nah long post are okay, no worries about it
I'm a martial artist. A few year's ago during sparring someone accidentally gave me a black belt blow to the wrist. My wrist has been injured before due to falling during basketball. This has something to do with dyscalculia. Because I was never good enough at learning the rules, somehow all I do is run around. And the ball was thrown at me, before I knew it, someone 1 foot taller came by and tried to take the ball, and pushed me in the process. I fell on my hands. Dyscalculia makes you do the darnest things haha xD
Haha in my school we had to take Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Additional Mathematics and General Mathematics (which we call Modern Math) as a package. ( A mix of calculus, algebra, statistic, trigo, geo..) In Malaysia highschool is only up to O Levels. And I did pretty bad in Chem and Additional Mathematics.
About the magical numbers, I'll see if I can find any websites for that. I sure helps during occasions that I don't have access to a calculator.
And about the abacus, I had a lot of fun flicking the beads around. Haha. My teacher wouldn't mind us doing that, she just wanted to us to be comfortable with the abacus. It was good to see how the calculations went. Hmm it roughly took me 5 months to learn the basics of abacus (I was pretty slow at it.) but it was a great milestone for me. Haha
Have a nice day everyone!
Edited by Kyla Dilla on February 11 2010 04:37 AM |
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| RottieWoman |
Posted on February 11 2010 09:10 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 3037
Joined: 2008-12-31
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hello again, DN! Glad to see more welcomes for you
Kyla, I enjoy the martial arts very much, what do you practice? |
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| argentnox |
Posted on February 11 2010 10:05 PM
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Member
Location: Chicagoland, IL
Posts: 41
Joined: 2009-08-31
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Welcome to our "joyous" world and the lack of understanding people have. However, we understand perfectly! I also check a calculate or count on my fingers for simple arithmetic, and I am still so embarrassed by it that even when I KNOW I am alone, I try to hide it. I still have to use a GPS to feel comfortable going to and from my college from my apartment. I tend to miss my street coming back to my own apartment! I simply cannot manage to figure out which street is mine. They all look the same!
People also all look the same. I know that people say individuals of a race different than their own all look alike, but members of my own race all look alike! I can pick out blaring things like body build (if someone is very thin, medium, or overweight), hair colour, extreme height differences, and gender. If a person is average, though, without any highly obvious features to set them apart, they all blend together. Males are especially difficult for me. I am in a smallish class of around 20 (that is the nice thing about the sciences...small class sizes as only those that really need it usually take it!), yet I cannot pick out the vast majority of my classmates from other students.
I love ballet and martial arts, and I ride horses, but I struggle with all of them because of the sequential issues. The dance steps elude me unless I practice them far more often than everyone else, and even then, they do not "stick" if I miss even one lesson. Doing kata in martial arts was an exercise in frustration, as well. Then riding horses is all about sequence... Posting (rising and falling) at the right time, counting steps up to a jump, etc. Yet because I love these things, I just struggle through the best I can.
8 + 1x = 0.04x IS the same as 8 + 1x = 0.4x, I swear it is! (And I had to check this 5 times to make sure I had written that [in]correctly!) |
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| internationalmama |
Posted on February 13 2010 10:58 AM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 87
Joined: 2008-10-24
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I just wanted to thank for the tip. I bought Taare Zameen Par und watched it with my family. We really enjoyed it!
But it makes us rethink our roll as parents and educators, but what is more important: coming from Bollywood the film has a great access in all eastern markets, where learning disabilities have still a long way to be understood. |
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| Kyla Dilla |
Posted on February 13 2010 01:45 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 185
Joined: 2006-08-20
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Hi RottieWoman
I do Traditional Taekwon-do under GTF. Don't really like the Olympic based WTF taekwon-do. What martial arts do you practice?
Hi argentnox
I really like your display picture Anyway, what type of martial arts do you practice? |
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| RottieWoman |
Posted on February 13 2010 04:15 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 3037
Joined: 2008-12-31
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Hi Kyla,
my college roommate took classes in Taekwon Do and I enjoyed watching her practice and move through the levels.
I do Tai Chi <trad. Yang style>and have tried Karate - many years ago - as well as Krav and Systema and have taken classes in Women's Self Defense. |
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| Kyla Dilla |
Posted on February 14 2010 01:57 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 185
Joined: 2006-08-20
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Hi Rottiewoman
Tai Chi! They have it every morning near my place, too bad I can't get myself to wake up early enough. I must be one of those teenagers that sleep all day.
Karate is really nice. Their forms are so beautiful.. Its nice you had the chance to try Krav. I just googled up on Systema, looks very interesting! |
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| RottieWoman |
Posted on February 14 2010 02:34 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 3037
Joined: 2008-12-31
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Hey Kyla,
what did you think of Krav? if you have tried-
am very interested in Kung Fu also |
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| Kyla Dilla |
Posted on February 14 2010 02:57 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 185
Joined: 2006-08-20
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Hi Rottiewoman
I have always been interested in Krav, however there's no classes at my country. I've watched a few videos on youtube regarding Krav and I have to say its actually very good and practical.
My friends do Kung Fu. I saw them train with their swords and spears and it was just WOW.
I am gonna try Silat soon though.
Hehe guess we can't do math, but we can certainly do martial arts, eh? |
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| RottieWoman |
Posted on February 14 2010 05:11 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 3037
Joined: 2008-12-31
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yeah I saw some Krav uTube videos too, they were cool. I've been to practice a bit in my area, there is one school.
My Tai Chi friend who has been practicing for many many years does Sword also<in Tai Chi>, I'm not anywhere near that. Have seen Kung Fu w/swords too and I would agree - very impressive.
Silat - gotta look that up.
Liked Systema but am more interested in Krav-
Capoiera is very intriguing- |
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