sensei8

How much more deeper?? How deep are you right now?? Most Okinawan styles, as you know, have a much more upright stance than most Japanese styles; kind of akin to a natural default.

Pulling of ones hair might occur no matter if it's long or short, but of course, the shorter the hair, the least it'll be pulled. I always wear my hair very short. So, no worries there. I wear a long beard, but still, no worries there, either. You want to pull my hair, if I had any, as well as my beard?!? Then go for it, and I'll react accordingly to the situation appropriately. Hair is just one other thing to defend, and to be expected from time to time, and therefore, I'll not worry about it until the time to worry about it is here; not until there. To me, it's inconsequential to worry about my hair and/or my beard being grabbed, yanked, and/or pulled. I'll deal with it at that moment, and not until then. Besides, for me, escaping from those types of attacks are so very effortless!!

I suppose that I'm the silent one!! I've nothing to say to my opponent; it's just a distraction. One that I can do without. I allow my "work" to speak for itself. Imho, there's no good time to waste time by running my big fat mouth at the most inappropriate time(s). This to me is counterproductive to Mizu No Kokoro [Mind like the water] and Tsuki No Kokoro [Mind like the moon] whereas, distractions ebb against what these two principles speak towards. I've not the time, and/or the inclination to run my mouth while defending my family, friends, loved ones, and myself. It's just not my cup of tea!!

Body language and the understanding of it, speaks in volumes as to what's easily taken for granted. Many MAist forget the importance of body language. From recognizing those tale tale signs appropriately to those not so easily recognized signs that are often overlooked until it's to late. Reading the opponents body language effectively can save one from a myriad of situations. Intercepting ones proposed intentions can become quite tricky if one's not even a minimum of an idea as to what to look for. My understanding of body language is excellent, imho, and I suppose that that's what's to be expected after 5 decades of the MA.

Kind of wonder how your Tai Chi Sifu would receive this, if at all!? Not many, if any, instructors like being told, directly or indirectly, along the lines of your quote above.

Biting works too!! I believe that biting could be under the heading of a submission. Or a kindly knee to the groin could be under the same heading. Let's call it an option that's dependent on how good a position one is in. It can be done but it's effectiveness depends on how good your position is. I wholeheartedly concur!! Like in anything, position is everything.

Singularity6 wrote: Biting works too!! I believe that biting could be under the heading of a submission. Or a kindly knee to the groin could be under the same heading.

No one can expect more than that!!

Thanks for the support, everyone; means everything to me!! Gym workouts are going pretty great. Average's this week/6 days a week: StairMaster 45 minutes Levels 7-10 Heart Rate: 130 Calorie Burn: 450 Floors: 105 TreadMill 30 minutes Inclines: Start>2.0 for 6 minutes...then 8.0 for 6 minutes...then 15.0 for 6 minutes...then 8.0 for 6 minutes...then 2.0 for 6 minutes...then 5 minute Cool-Down for 5 minutes at 2.0...Speed at 3.5 at start...then 3.0 for the duration...then at Cool-Down at 3.5. Calorie Burn: 300 Heart Rate:120 Rowing 5000KM 30 Minutes Calorie Burn: 315 Tension: NONE [Rowing machine's at this new gym don't offer tension dials ] Biking 20 minutes 5 miles [Varying hills and such] Calorie Burn: 275 Free Weights/Weight Machines Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 1.5 hours Various Machines Various Free Weights Calorie Burn: 2000 Swimming NONE [This gym isn't equipped with a pool. Closest one is 30 minutes away ] Maintaining my strict diet still!! Today was a great day. From beside my gym workouts, I ran in my first organized run today, on the Fourth of July, before hitting the gym afterwards!! It was a 5K/10K run; which is approximately 3.1/6.2 miles. I completed the 5K run in just over 30 minutes...31:56 was my official time. Start time: 0730. There was quite a lot of runners, of all ages and experience!! The camaraderie was fantastic between the runners, sponsors, and spectators all around. Each 5K/10K finisher received a specially designed commemorative medal. My race number was: 1061...I don't know if that's an indication of how many runners participated, but there was a lot of them; a literal sea of runners!! I'm entered in 4 more organized runs this year. 2 in August, and 2 in September. I'll weigh myself at the end of July. Last weigh in June was 251.

Solid posts, Alex and Brian; I wholeheartedly concur with both of you!!

In the cop world, we call this Verbal Judo, trying to de-escalate a situation if at all possible. Brian and/or Alex, Is Verbal Judo taught in many, if all, Police Academies, and/or while on training patrol with an experienced training officer?? How's Verbal Judo taught?? If one can't be effective with Verbal Judo, does the cadet fail out of the academy?? Or is Verbal Judo something that one either has or doesn't have??

I don't have a spiritual bone in my body. The "keep living" moto is easy when nothing serious is happening. The choices you make when something bad happens will shape you as an individual, however. It's in these times that you learn the most about life, and about yourself. Solid post!! Akin to 7 times down...8 times up, I suppose. As it possibly might be in concert with the bold type above.

It just might turn out to be a very sound judgemental decision in the long run. Nothing ventured, is nothing gained...so...why not?! At least the offering of even the most modicum of MA lessons for its tourists might give them some sort of comfort, both law enforcement as well as the tourists. It's said that it is better to have learned something, than to have learned nothing. A applaud the efforts endlessly. The naysayers might speak about a many of negative things that would come out of this type of arrangement. Nonetheless, anything of a possibility doesn't come without some sort of difficulties. Then I say to the Japanese Police...teach on...and teach them well.

To the bold type above... Now...that's funny as all get out!!

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." ~ Robert Frost Why? It's better to have chosen, than to have not chosen at all. Personal choices? Yes!! Professional choices? Yes!! To many choices to speak about here, one not more profound than another, yet mostly assured, they were each important to my family and I. Most personal... When I was diagnosed with Afib October 4, 2016. Afib now gone, ever since my Cardio Inversion in January 2017. I made the choice to make the necessary changes in my life style; to have a much better and healthy life style. Bringing the bad to an end!! Birthing the new!! Watching my diet strictly, exercising, going to the gym, portions and not binging, and so on and so forth. I was a disaster...WAS!! NO MORE!! I've lost 70lbs thus far in my goal to lose 111lbs by October 2017!! Most professional... To accept, and resume, my previous duties and responsibilities. But to do that, I had to make some serious personal, as well as professional choices; not, for me, an easy task. Mainly because I'm, well, STUPID to the Nth degree. I've someone here at KF to thank for providing me with that doze of reality and truth. A truth that I refused to accept, at first, but quickly realized that this person at KF was absolutely correct in his assumptions. I was the proponent of propaganda towards a certain individual within our governing body, and towards that governing body itself. Bitterness, anger, hurt, resentfulness, and so on and so forth; these are ugly things to carry for as long as I carried them. NO MORE!! NO MORE!! NO MORE!!

If Karate is the core, and there's no grappling learned/taught in the core, to speak about, then I'd say that that Karateka would benefit quite a lot from leaning and incorporating BJJ/or any grappling style, i.e., Judo or wrestling. After all, it is better to be equipped, than to not be equipped at all...JUST IN CASE!! Not all fights end up on the ground, but the percentages will favor that you'll end up on the ground. If you've no grappling skills, and you're on the ground, well, you're in a world of boo-boo; not a good place to be at. So, yeah, learn BJJ/Judo/Wrestling/etc. AS WELL!! Why not!! Nothing to lose, but everything to gain, imho.

I suppose that Greg and I exchanged with one another on the floor at the harshest level because we wanted to forge ourselves to what the rigorous of actual contact would be in a real life and death situation. The reality of there being no patty-cake, no pulled punches, no give and takes, no gauging, no by the rules, and so on and so forth; just how it is in a real fight between two human beings that are heck bent on destroying one another for whatever the reason(s) might be. The harder we engaged with one another, the better, for us. Those bouts were another way of learning for us. I know I learned a lot from the manner of which Greg and I sparred with one another with such determined resolve. How to better understand what Dai-Soke was teaching us than to test it in as close to a real fight, and the way that Greg and I sparred with one another, it was akin to a real fight, except we were best of friends, on and off the floor. In the manner of how, for example, we "block" in Shindokan, is the furthest thing from "blocking". We RECEIVE the attack, akin to what a wide receiver does on the gridiron. The way we "block"/receive the attack takes many years to understand it and many additional years to be competent in it. We drill how to receive, but to drill on how to receive in live combat, well, that's a whole different animal. Drills are good for nothing if there's no substance behind them!! Talk about limitations, and after the introduction of any said drill, that's what one's left with: Limitations!! I don't want supposed abilities!! I want battle tested abilities. What can you and I really learn from one another if all's we ever do is the minimum, and never the maximum...and then some?! Not much, imho!! Oftentimes than not, our sparring methods, Greg and I, were described by onlookers as well as fellow MAists, as cold and barbaric. With which we'd gladly express our gratitude because that's exactly what we both were searching for...cold and barbaric...the more, the better.

My short answer.... Wear a white belt: if the student is officially learning a new style!! Visitor's are just that...VISITING!! In-House Students aren't visitors!! Be one or another, but not both...at the same time!!

For me, it's always been quality over quantity. Earning one black belt after another is the choice of the practitioner, and not me, in which I will respect their decision to earn multiple black belts. It's just not for me!! That's why, and it was my choice to do so, I've dedicated my MA life to one style, albeit, I've dabbled in a wide plethora of MA styles through cross-training because not one style of the MA is that complete across the board.

That's good news, imho. Thanks for sharing that, Danielle!! That temporary cease fire between those two organizations, if for only a moment, just might neutralize hostilities just enough to repair the bridge of separation as well as the much needed fence mending for the overall betterment of Korean MA; the future can be now, if they choose it to be so. "One Taekwondo, One World" can begin to make that a reality, and not a far-fetched idea; and it begins with meetings and mutual agreements between these two powerhouses continuing both near and far forward!!

No, I wouldn't have a tattoo on my face. Mike Tyson's tattoo on his face isn't intimidating.

If I might suggest the following... Perhaps the Tai Chi practitioner wasn't the best representative of Tai Chi, therefore, the MMA practitioner dominated. Having said that, neither of the styles, MMA and Tai Chi, in this encounter walk away with black-eyes!! Why? The styles are solid!! It's the practitioner that's not solid; the fault belongs to the practitioner, and not the style, imho. That MMA's practitioner's assumption and/or believe that Chinese martial arts is fake, while Japanese martial arts isn't, is, imho, that MMA's practitioner's opinion. While I respect his/her opinion, I don't subscribe to it. The MMA fighter wanting to derail MAists in China in the hopes of promoting MMA, to me, seems that his/her MA training would best serve the MMA practitioner to improve his/her betterment, imho!! Someone's always better than you, even if it's just for the moment!!

What is fake?? What's limited and what's not limited?? Opinions on either will vary just as the winds vary!! Perception is reality to THAT person alone!! Judgements as to what is real/fake are the property of the individual; not all Martial Artists will propose the same across the board, both as a group, as well as an individual. I've my own perception(s) as to what is/isn't real/fake MA, and what's limited and what's not limited, and if I might, I'd rather keep that to myself as to not cause ill will in my perception(s).

Yes, I too, have over trained!! Not a pretty thing; my body warned me, but did I listen to it?? NO!! Pride comes before the fall. Trying to lose 111 pounds by this October, I've over trained from time to time. I know better, but still, I injure myself by not listening to my body!!

Yes, absolutely!! HOWEVER, that Karate must be a challenge, and not play time!! Going through the ropes with very little challenge, offers very little. DO IT...TRAIN IT...but with an resolve!!