tallgeese

I always get exctied when I see disaster movie trailers and I'm always let down. The effects and devistation are usally few and far between and people blunder around doing stupid things until they hit. I should learn my lession. That being said, I'll probibly check it out so I can ohh and ahh at the cgi chaos.

It is part of the charm I suppose.

I think you're correct ps1 and that is part of it's beauty. It's an art that continues to evolve. More should probibly try. It's also very easy to plug into what you're already good at to make you a more complete fighter. I'd also say that does it matter that it's movements have been borrowed from elsewhere. Humans have had thousands of years to learn how to hurrt each other. Some one, some where, has probibly done them all at one time or another. Take a look at how similar the small joint movments are from Japaneese jj to Chin-na and Hapkido. There are only so many ways to turn a hguman wrist to break it. Same goes with grappling arts too, they just haven't enjoyed the popularity of stand up arts until recently. Yes, the Gracies marketed it best. Good for them, they got us all rolling in the early 90's and most of us are better off for it. Yes, you could find all those movements in other, older systems, but the time it would take is huge comparted to the package that jj system will give it to you in. Why re-invent the wheel. Lot's of stand up systems have done the same. The brand I come out of is constantly stealing stuff and calling it research as well. As long as it fits into your operational directive and you become competant enough in it's performance to utilize it well, who cares where it came from. Lot's of systems now have even added ground fighting concepts to what they are doing, again, not a bad idea.

Depends. Mistakes get meade all the time during bb test. People get clocked sparring, simulations never go pretty, ect. What's more important is not stopping and improvising effective solutions as one goes. This is true on all belt test. It's the stopping or failure to perform anything that is problematic. As would be a clear inability to initiate an appropriate response. But not a simple mistake. As far as where that line is, it really depends on what each school values the most. That's what they'll want to see the most and done the best. Ceratin other secondary skills may not be weighed as heavily. I myself botched a kata (yeah, I did them at one time- very few, but I did them). And I mean bothced it on a black belt test. Like couldnt get past the opening moves, started over, did that sequence again and jumped right to the end few and bowed. I like to say that I finished the kata, my friends are quick to point out I started it and finished it, but did nt do it. Still, kata's not really highly valued in the systems I study so it wasn't factored in heavily. My performance in the other aspects outweighed it. So it just depends on what kind of weight you place on each thing, and which ones you make the mistake on.

Well, he's back already, kind of- yeah, crazy. His old side kick Bucky from WWII has taken over for him. Of course, Bucky had been held captive by the Soviets in stasis for the bulk of the Cold War so he's still dealing with some of the left over programming. And he picked up the almost standard issue cybernetic arm along the way. THe arm lets him use the shield even though he's never been subjected to the super soldier serum. And he carries a gun now. Yeah, go figure. Still, as odd as it sounds, the story line has been very good. The wirter has done a fantaastic job with it and it's been really well recieved I think by fans. Still, I'd never rule out a return of the original.

As to junior ranks coming into adult ranks I'd agree, they have to competency in at the least. We let them continue to wear their rank rahther than reassign them a colored belt. Then they work thru the adult ranks. We use a -do suffex for juniors and a -jutsu suffex for the adult side of things. Makes it easier to keep it straight.

If it's the same run I've heard of (more of a marvel guy) it sounds to be similar to "Knightfall" a few years back when Bruce stepped away from the mantel for a time (die to injury then). He is slated to be back in the cape if he isn't already. Of course, they might have something else planned as well. I personally don't see them ever doing away with Bruce wayne as Bats in their major continuity. Maybe some side books but not the main line. That being said, I said that Steve Rogers, Captain America, wouldn't stay dead for more than a month. I was wrong on that. In fact, marvel is saying that he's gone for as long out as they've planned which I think is around 2 years or so.

Congrats!

No, they shouldn't. I spoke out pretty hard against it in the other thread. I don't feel they have the capacity to fathom situatinos that an adult would be in when they would have need to employ ma's. At least they shouln't. They are also physically incapable of standing up with adults and throwing with them. Sparring, simulation training, all would be compromised by this factor. If you've got a kid that you're working with on instructional skills or such, then have him run warm ups or some such thing and get him off the mat. It's going to be a lose-lose situation for both sides in the long run.

Because we're odd animals, ma-ist that is. We train a bunch for stuff we hope never happens . I think that you have to really look at any situation that you might consider interveaning in. Lots of times you could simply make the situation worse. Even more often, you won't even know the whole context of the situation, thereby making any interferecne incomplete or one sided at best. Simple verbal accostments certainly wouldn't rise to my level of intervention. Not even the finger that got this whole thing going. There's no real correlation between being a juvenile jerk and a violent criminal or we'd have a lot more violent crime in the nation. Now a violent crime in progress, that might (and I stress might) rise to the occasion of intervention. Certainly, no crime agaisnt any property I'm aware of (except maybe my own ) would warrant my intervention. I say might on violent action just because there might not be enough informatin for me to become involved in the first place. Maybe both these guys are idiots and have been talking themselves into a fight over the course of the night. Of course, there are times that it would most certainly be warranted even on the face fo the action. Then anyone, not just ma-ist would have a duty to do something (even if it were simply calling the authorities). Those cases are probibly for most people, few and far between.

Fear and respect are two different things. Each has it's place. I'd say most of us probibly know that it's the ultimate end, and each of us would probibly like a good long run before we get there. That being said, we don't go sittting around in fear of doing anything just because that might be the outcome. You just have to respect those activities that you do that might bring it around quicker. I for one don't buy into the pre fated thing. That may or may not be the case, but I'm sure gonna fight like heck to try and prove some one wrong. Respect means that you manage the risk associated with your activites well. It does not mean that you don't do anything and mope about death. Fear itself isn't a bad thing either. It's an instictive mechanism built up over our development that alerts us to danger and preps us to fight. fear, when controlled and utilized properly is an assest to us. It's panic that kills us, not fear.

today- crossfit (modified): 20 min of- 5 should presses, 50 lb dumbbells 10 one leg squats (i h ad to cheat and use a wall to back u p to) 15 pull ups back/bis/shoulders 1 mile run

Yeah, but keep in mind that confrontation can lead to escaliation and escalation can lead to a fight. Now, when the police show up, it's not self defense, it's one guy who could have walked away but didn't. Now you're just as much an antagonist as the other and are far more likely to go to jail for some level of battery. That's just a lousy idea all around. I'm with the "who cares" crowd.

today 5, 2 min rounds of mitts. lead hand combo finish with a cross, add defense agaist punches at the front, go to knees as well, then mitt holder shoots at end of series and striker defends with sprawl and choke. 3, 2 min rounds limited engagement sparring. defense vs stright puches and hooks. add takedown to defensive options 20 instructional block and reps of defending vs. the triangle and armbar 3, 2 min rounds free roll 2,2 min rounds of free roll with strikes everyone had 5 min round robin vs. eveyone else. 1 min rounds, fresh opponont each minute. Everyone took center once, sparred once as an outside man in eveyone elses.

My opinion, you need 1) a sutiable base of knowledge on the subject 2) the ability to pass it on to others. One does not necissarly lead to the other. One can argure about the standards of your knowledge base, but I submit that if you are good at what you are teaching, and you are acutally honest about what you're teaching then your probibly going to be alright. Certifications and such can be useful but MAY not be mandintory. The abilty to pass it on can easily be measure by the success of ones students and how well they pick things up. If you've got both of these covered then there should be no problem "instructing". Now, if your passing out rank in a given system, you'd best have the approval of that systems governing body. Or at the very least your instructors approval of such actions.

I think John is correct, there will never be a stadardization of what a black belt means. Nor really, do I think, there should be. Not only does each art empahsise different standards, but from school to school these standards differ a bit. What some arts consider important (an example might mbe kata) others find no use for. Some people consider the ability to defend ones self at a high level key, while others would insist on the cultivation of self and such as well. No one's wrong. It's just a matter of where we each place importance. We will all have our opinions on what a bb should be capable of, that's fine. The better question is are you promoting based on that. Can your bb pass your litimis test. To heck with what anyone else thinks. By the way, I like the statement made ealier, that it shows on the floor. Couldn't agree more.

Yeah, it'll be awhile till he lives that one down . Makes me glad no one got video of me doing stupid stuff over the years

today- crossfit 20 min of: 5 pull ups 10 push ups 15 squats chest/tris

Yeasterday- light day 20 mins of double stick pattern work

I agree, good question. I think that it's anything used in the course of defense. I don't think if matters who uses it or what their background is, if you put a fist on some one it's an ma technique. Past that, we're talking about a level of proficiencey and practice. It's simply a matter of degrees between untrained and highly proficient in it's execution.

As do I. With all due respect, I don't think that a junior student has the life experiances to teach adults what they need to know in context with the situations adults might face. Nothing to do with ego, just a practical statement. again, if it's a matter of grooming the kid to work on instructional skills then it's just fine to use them in limited functions. But not in relation to skill building.

Agreed. Perhaps "counter balance" or "weight" is the wrong term to use. I think there is certain;ly more control with a bit out the back. Espically when making quick adjustments for parries and locks and such. I think there is a good arguement for it being easier to disarm. The trade off being that there is no oppertunity for joint poisition.

today- modified crossfit 20 min of as many rounds as possible: 1/4 run 15 pull ups 15 back extensions legs

Following up on the presentation of the knife, I was wondering what eveyones thoughts were on how to best grip the stick (hanbo, escrima, ect.) durning various segments of training. For instance, many of the artist who come out of Phillipino backgrounds I've trained with allow no or very little of the stick to protrude from the back of thier hands when gripped. This keeps the weapon from being more easily diarmed. Converstly, most Okinawan and Japaneese arts taht utilize the stick use some sort of counter-balancing length out the back of the fist. More than anything, this is used for gaining joint poisition and tuite-like manuvers and throws. In yet another field, most police DT programs, the collapasable baton i sused with just a bit of counter balance length but this is not used to lock and throw. So, how does everyone here do it? I vascallate between the postures really with no clear favorite. I strike more these days, so I utilize less of a locking lenght. However, I keep enough to be able to impliment it in striking as well as produce some locking manuvers if needs be (myprimary background). Anyone else?

Yeah, serious bummer.... Hope he turns out well.