sensei8

I've had an offer or two in the past and like yourself, I declined it as well and will again. Why? It's just not my cup of tea!

Solid post!

Sure, one would think so. But, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. Why? The summation of 'why' is to the summation of 'because'!

Just the other day, a brand new student, who was only 5 years old, came sheepishly walking up to me just before class was to start. Our eyes met for a few seconds and then this student looked away towards his mom, in which mom is trying to encourage him with gestures and her mouth silently moving, to ask me something. He mouths back, "OK Mom!" Then he looks at me again. "Yes. Can I help you young man?" I said. :::No answer::: "It's ok, whatever it is, it's ok?" I reassured him. "Well..." he starts. "I tied it all by myself!" he says while pointing at his belt "Did I do it right?" he asks me. "I didn't know if I was to make 4 knots or 5 knots. I forgot! Mom didn't know nothing!" He said back with such a firm look on his face. This young man had tied his belt one knot after another on top of each other knot, so much, that the ends of the belt were barely visable. One of my instructors ran over and fixed it for him real quick. I didn't outwardly laugh because that might've hurt the little fellow, I just gave him an approving smile. But, inside, I was rolling. When all said and done... "Ooohhhhh, it only needs one knot? Mmmmmmooooooommmmmm!!!!!" he exclaimed after smacking himself on his forehead. You just had to see it and hear it!

Great. But what's your exact point?

I guess a corporal had to be spanked once and the name just stuck.

He would have not had bad relations. US presidents of either accepted or rejected certian "gifts" from people-countries over time. It was just an example! Albeit a bad example!

That's funny. Imagine if he did...and while he was teaching...Secret Service right there and armed to the teeth. Who's going to spar with Obama during class?

Brian......WAY TO GO CHIEFS IN OT against the Steelers with a GREAT WIN with an OT final score of 27-24. Absolutely solid on both sides of the ball! I'm glad to see it man! GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A win no matter how boring and/or how ugly and/or how sloppy it might appear to be...and it was...a win is still a win. Cowboys win against the Redskins by a final score of 7-6 to increase their season to 7-3. Wwwwwwwhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!

HEHEHEHEHEHEEHEHEEE....it's early Christmas for the Cowboys...they will BEAT...ahem....MEET the Raiders on Thanksgiving day at home. Wait....I just remembered something...hold on....oh yeah....Raiders beat the Cowboys 31 - 10 in week 1 of exhibition season...hopefully history won't repeat itself. GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!

Congrats to the Colts and the Saints for being 9-0 this year! Maybe they'll be in the Super Bowl.

Cowboys VS Redskins....As long as Romo doesn't throw too many interceptions and he doesn't implode...Cowboys should win this! Although the Redskins are 0-4 on the road...nothing for sure until the fat lady sings. 31-14 :::praying::: PS: Brian, you and your Chief are going to have their work out for them at home....good luck! Chiefs are 0-4 at home and the Steelers are 2-2 on the road...again....GOOD LUCK MAN! GO COWBOYS!!!!!!

Being a visiting US President, I'm pretty sure it would've been bad for relations had Obama refused the belt from the Korean President. Obama was just being polite...........I hope!

Side kicks = no problem. Pushups = culprit better buy everyone dinner after class!!! ROFL...I second the dinner thing!

Hey, it's great to think about alot of things in the martial arts. Questions that are not asked are Ideas not Imagined and Creations not Fulfilled!! If Ford hadn't asked the questions along the lines that you're speaking about here, then we'd all be walking to our martial arts schools instead of driving to them!

You're right. Pressure points are risky, but, something is better than nothing to try. I've trained in pressure points my entire martial arts life, but, even then, I know that it might or might not work. That's when it's time for a new plan...quick! You mentioned that the hypoglossal is UNCOMFORTABLE and this is all I want for that milli-second for my attacker. I don't expect it to end the attack nor do I expect it to have my attacker wet his/her pants. I just want to distract my attacker just long enough for him/her to release or lessen the attack. A sneeze is quick and simple enough, but, boy, a sneeze can cause a pause. That's all I want....to cause a pause in my attackers plan...so I can have a turn.

Also, these "two friends" are NOT for first initial engagements, no, these "two friends" are there for whenever an attacker drops his/her guard and/or leaves an opening unattended. Then, my "two friends" while my attacker and I are grappling/wrestling, can reach in, around, behind, through to help me. Remember, ones a simple pinch to the skin just under the chin/jaw and the other is a simple grip to either side of the jaw, AND WITH THIS, my "two friends" are not finishers, no, they just redirect the engagement so that I can have the upperhand for just long enough, while my attacker is distracted, just enough for me to initiate my next counter-attack! My "two friends" have the ability to give my attacker a slight pause in their attack by giving my attacker something else to think about for a moment, kind of like the attacker going...."Hey, what gives and stop that!" When that happens, they forget about their initial attack by either lessen the attack or stopping it all together. Either way, I'm no longer fighting their fight, even if for a milli-second and that's all I want/need. Many techniques in the martial arts aren't designed to finish the attack, but, to simply change the current flow into something that will allow the finishing technique to occur. A feint or a jab, either one will cause a disruption in my attackers flow so that I'm no longer fighting their fight, but, I'm fighting my fight. This is what my "two friends" can do. Is it full proof? Well...nothing is....but it's a start. That's it. Simple, direct, and to the point!

Richard, I thank you were right from the start... slag did say.... What's my point? I've no point, I was just saying that you were right in what you said....earlier that is. Ok, I'm going to go back to my corner.

I've read The Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai and Bushido: The Soul of Japan and I'm thankful that I'm not a historian; but only a martial artist who enjoys history, rather fabled or not!

Yes, I too RESPECT both by Soke and Dai-Soke, but, they're only human and with that I don't place them on a pedestal at all. My comments were of respect for them and their knowledge/skill base. I don't worship them either, I save that for God! If I was a slice of bread....I'd like to be...I don't know...Raisin bread....it's yummy for my tummy! I keep wanting more and more! [shhhhhhh...don't tell my doctor....this will be our little secret...okie dokie!?]

Man oh man. What a night. But again, my picks were off again. I thought for sure Griffin was going to lose, but, nnnnooooooooooo! Here were my picks: Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin ...........................................Ortiz Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson ...............................Koscheck Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Luis Arthur Cane ...............Nogueira Dustin Hazelett vs. Karo Parisyan ..................................Parisyan Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni ........................................Baroni Marcus Davis vs. Ben Saunders .....................................Saunders Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann...................................Thiago Kendall Grove vs. Jake Rosholt ......................................Rosholt Brock Larson vs. Brian Foster ........................................Larson Caol Uno vs. Fabricio Camoes .......................................Camoes George Sotiropoulos vs. Jason Dent ...............................Dent But...... =Griffin defeated Ortiz....oh boy oh boy =Koscheck defeated Johnson...well...that's one correct pick =Nogueira defeated Cane...well...that's two correct picks =Hazelett VS Parisyan fight was cancelled...so that pick don't count =Sadollah defeated Baroni...the result didn't help me with my picks...oh boy =Saunders defeated Davis...well...that's three correct picks =Thiago defeated Volkmann...well...that's four correct picks =Grove defeated Rosholt...boy oh boy oh boy...boy oh =Foster defeated Larson....ouch...ouch...ouch...ouch =Uno VS Camoes...I'm still confused on this one...who won? Did Uno win due to the point deduction of Camoes? =Sotiropoulos defeated Dent...boy oh boy and oh boy...again! Well, I finished either 4 wins and 5/6 losses...I fell like the Dallas Cowboys...you win some and you lose some. Sheech.....4-6 records a little better than my picks were for 105

Absolutely! Because you used the word "and" in your statement above, BOTH must be in concert of each other...or that, whatever it is, will surely not survive. Thank you for this because I've been torn up inside recently over a situation within the Shindokan Hombu, but, now it's more clearer. Thanks Richard!

Without me getting all tied up in semantics, which I can from time to time. I'm a martial artist, first and formost and forever, but, I'm not a warrior! I'm a warrior, but, with God's help, it's in fighting the good fight of faith. I'm a warrior; Onward Christian Soldier!

For modern times, I guess...for example... *Gichin Funakoshi "thought of it" as far as Shotokan is concerned. *Jigoro Kano "thought of it" as far as Judo is concerned *General Choi Hong Hi "thought of it" as far as Tae Kwon Do is concerned *Bruce Lee "thought of it" as far as Jeet Kune Do is concerned *Morihei Ueshiba "thought of it" as far as Aikido is concerned But as far as the whole martial art thing is concerned!?!? "Who thought of it?" Well, tallgeese has a point... Tangible...meet the...untangible!