joesteph

I loved the Harry Potter book series, and I've enjoyed the films. When the films were first being shown, I re-read the books, but I don't have the time I used to have to do that, and starting with the third movie, there've been some liberties taken. That's show biz! I find myself remembering what was in each book as I watch the film, anyway, and it's been fun watching these kids grow up onscreen. I remember the whole surprise at to who the Half-Blood Prince was, that "true" Potter fans who finished the book won't reveal the secret; you had to read it yourself to find out who it was. This will make for an excellent movie. Can't wait!

Is this more of a Western thing than an Eastern concern? Is it that Westerners are less patient and want to see measurements of progress, the colored belts, gloves, whatever accommodating our desire to hit the goal of, say, black belt? ("Are we there yet?" by adults.) In my own art, Soo Bahk Do, originally there were four colored belts: white, green, red, midnight blue. A system of adding one or two small colored stripes to a belt denoted where you were as you moved along. Then the orange belt was introduced between white and green, giving another gauge, especially with the lower belts. Was this a response to Western, particularly American, desires for promotion, for symbols of proficiency? I'm not going to say that I wasn't proud each time my boys earned a new stripe on their white belts, and it was a big deal when I earned a stripe on my orange belt just as the boys earned orange belts themselves after they put in a year of hard work, but there can be an "obi-do" mentality that just goes too far. With the boxers, I'd say that it's a marketing gimmick, but it's not unethical. It'll likely attract individuals who might never take up boxing if they didn't have this offered to them; so be it, as they'll likely not try turning pro and getting their brains bashed in. As for Savate, well, we're dealing with a history lesson here, that it's time-honored in that art (Viva la France!).

There are some belts being sold now that you wrap around once, but their length will be the same as the double-wrap. If a person is large and the attire is limited to fit the wearer, I think that an accommodation would be made by a reasonable instructor. Have you tried with just once around, Jim? Perhaps if you can show it to be neat, the instructor will just accept it as the sensible thing to do.

Perhaps it'll attract those who have taken kickboxing lessons--which are against air (cardio) or against heavy bags--and would like to try boxing, but the traditional gym isn't their style. They may even have once taken a martial art. I think that this attracts the "sparring" types, Tallgeese, the kind who enter MA tournaments that have strict rules for safety purposes; it isn't for the truly competitive boxer, who's in the ring trying to knock somebody unconscious and not get knocked out in the process, and so the problem of experienced boxers balking at the introduction of colored gloves and trunks, of being "measured" or "tested," doesn't come into play. But there are always newbees. Trainers have entire punching combinations that they expect their boxers to practice and know how to fire off instantly; there's one way to test for rank right there. Cardio-kickboxing, kickboxing against heavy bags, and now boxing rank not determined by your fight record but by what test you passed in a gym, and recognition for it like a martial artist--by a hierarchy of colors. Innovative? Knowing the market? Who's to say . . .

Leg raises Leg stretches Ki Cho Hyungs (Il, E, Sam Bu) Pyung Ahn Cho Dan Chil Sung E Ro Hyung (past first half) BOB: - jab, cross, uppercut, and hook punches - other hand strikes - elbow strikes - incorporating forearm strikes - One-step sparring exercises, striking BOB - Self-defense techniques, BOB as focal point

Welcome to Karate Forums, James! I multiplied 14 times 25 for US pounds, so you're a big guy. I'm assuming you've started at a dojo/dojang already, so I'd think that your instructor could get you what you need. I'm not tall, but with my build it's best to have one size gi/dobak, and the next size up for the belt. Let me ask you . . . Do you wash the belt? Many people don't, as it invites shrinkage. I've been successful with handwashing a belt, then letting it air dry, as the dryer will just shrink it. I did that when I took Tae Kwon Do in the past, and the belt stayed clean with virtually no shrinkage. (You could tell who put his or her belt in the dryer by the difficulty they had in tying it, the belt had shrunk so much.)

Rifles, with their twist that gave greater accuracy as well as distance, took more time to make, and were therefore more expensive. Lines of men firing huge lead bullets (which would swell up even larger on impact) were not so much in need of individual weapon accuracy as much as discipline of the soldiers. Your line fires a hail of bullets, then you coolly reload while the enemy line is firing right back at you (and didn't you make a great target with the colorful uniform you wore?). If you survived the enemy volley (the man on your right wasn't so lucky, but you don't think about it), then you returned fire in the manner a good soldier did--with the discipline of shoulder-to-shoulder, aiming at the enemy line, and firing on command. As I interpret, though, from earlier postings, we're dealing with martial arts as they apply to us in our daily lives. We seek to defend ourselves, and even have a government agency--the police--to fall back on. There are even laws to protect the rights of the criminal, that you don't kill the pickpocket (although you might have reacted immediately by a shot to his nose), but capture if possible and turn him over to the police. You might even be with your children, and two men accost you; you have to decide if you truly have the option of fighting, or if you have no option but to fight. In the latter case, no option, you might be justified in using greater force than if the children were not present. Perhaps it's a matter of situation ethics. What you should or shouldn't do, despite your martial arts training, may boil down to the situation presented.

A good observation, which leads logically to your approach: It just shows, Vladko, that it often all boils down to the instructor; a good instructor with motivated students can whip the martial arts world. What you've suggested might be right on the mark, or it may need to be more precise, as in how much emphasis for each part. It could even depend on how well the instructor knows the strengths and weaknesses of each student.

Actually, Vladko, it is an interesting experiment. Your friend has an idea, and the only way to have the theory proven--or disproven--is by putting it into practice. It's completely ethical; no one has to join his gym, and who can say if the younger set won't find it innovative and interpret it much the same as those in the martial arts think of belts? It's likely where your friend got the idea and, since you mentioned he'd been a kickboxer first, if you look in the AWMA catalog, there are pink boxing and bag gloves. Did he explain to you how the ranking system would operate? I do sympathize about the cost, as it's not just trunks but the gloves as well. Your friend has a creative idea, and since he's first, he'll likely get a number of inquiries, maybe even memberships, in the beginning. The test will be the challenge of retention. I wonder how "older" boxers (as in those with experience and who have their own gear) will react if told they have a new expense, and how they'll be ranked. Watch it catch on and revolutionize boxing!

As for Dr. Strange, I'm not familiar with him, but I found in Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Strange - the following: Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe, responsible for defending it from mystic threats. He is a master of the mystic arts, using his abilities to battle evil magicians and other supernatural villains. This looks like something special, a "Battle against the Dark Arts" (shades of Harry Potter!) adventure. I'll be looking forward to this one.

Leg raises Leg stretches Chair & floor exercises for roundhouse & side kicks (found chair exercises more of a challenge than floor ones) Ki Cho Hyungs (Il, E, Sam Bu) Pyung Ahn Cho Dan Chil Sung E Ro Hyung (past first half)

This makes sense. An art we haven't even heard of till now, but it has a bit of everything we've pressed should be taught/learned in order to have a well-rounded MA experience. Yep. Makes sense. Not to me, but it makes sense. Kaster, it's a cool style in my book, too.

Not to get off topic here, but even in non-contact m.a. tournaments, when you do reach black belt (aka: dan level) you will see light contact permitted among the dan members - and I've seen some really go at it sometimes. This is actually something I wouldn't mind at all, Tiger; if it's light contact, and it does go up a notch, it goes to moderate. I've spoken with my instructor, who has done contact, but our art is a non-contact one. It's great for my children, but I'd thought she'd have times when the teens and adults could at least do light contact. It may be that, as a certified instructor, she can't; it could also be that, since it's a small dojang, how many adult students would be interested (or, if minors, would have parental permission) for contact? I'm taking it more philosophically, now. I'm concentrating on being more proficient at my belt level, and I wouldn't be surprised if I skip the next test date. JiuJitsu is coming to my dojang next month, fitting in more with this thread, but I'm concentrating on bettering myself at Soo Bahk Do. I'm working on better blocking while sparring, and I'm not as aggressive in sparring offensively as I am when slamming away at BOB. I can honestly say that the benefit of having invested in a WaveMaster and BOB for home use has really paid off. Do you know what's the most fun for me at the dojang, Tiger? It's when I help out on Mondays and Wednesdays, not only with my own special needs children, but also with other special children. On the adult days, I like when we do sparring combinations (my instructor has a bagful of them) with a partner, and on Thursday, an adult white belt was brought to me immediately to work together. The way I see it, I'm still young (I'm only fifty-six ), so JiuJitsu, Taiji, and maybe even Aikido will still be there when I grow up. And at some point if I need to defend myself (some young buck looking for an older man as an easy mark), I'm ready to do so.

I wonder if the "outdoor gardens" were by local people or the city? They look well taken care of. If by the city, the thing could even be painted.

Not me, but David will be Spiderman and Patrick will be Superman. They can wear their costumes to school up to fourth grade, and they're in first, so that'll be a fun day for them.

What Tiger's written isn't often emphasized in our postings, but I remember a Chin Na video by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. In finger Chin Na, at least the one I used to practice, when someone reaches for you, you shoot out one hand and seize one or two of his fingers--that's all, one or two, usually the index and middle fingers. As you pull the seized fingers towards you, you seize his wrist with the other hand, and continue by stepping backwards and pulling the now bent-back fingers down to the floor. It brings whoever it is down there with his locked fingers. I imagine that, if you're good, you can have him go face down fast. You don't even have to break the fingers; he's on the floor and you've got a control lock on him. If his fingers do break, it's likely that he was resisting and did the damage to himself.

Very true. Once it's pointed out, as you did, James, we likely think of when we "switched gears" and it worked, or that we kick ourselves for making a mistake--which may actually have been that the opponent executed a transition and we got tripped up. Would you consider a move such as stance change, a switch of, say, from front left leg stance to front right leg stance, transition as you see it, or too simple a move to call it transition? My instructor has been having us doing this with some sparring combinations.

In a conversation with my instructor, I mentioned to her that I thought that persons with a background in dance had an advantage when starting karate; she agreed, but further suggested that a person with a background in gymnastics also had that advantage. Putting the "warrior" in "dragonwarrior"!

I think we're always going to look for a chink in the armor, and it's easier with someone whose game you already know than a guy who may have a card up his sleeve. When I spar with a lower belt or certain equal belts, I do try things I wouldn't try with a higher belt or another equal belt--yet. I've been working on that outside-inside crescent kick, and I used it against a higher belt in class last night, which likely surprised him, because I've stuck with front kicks and 45 degrees roundhouses whenever we fought. I'm more confident now in trying to use it whenever I can, no matter who, from the practice I've had. I have to decide if I'm going to work more on the inside-outside crescent or the side kick with the lower belts, so that I can give one of them more of a go with the higher belts. I'll still take advantage of a belt above white who isn't protecting his face, that I'll fire off some shots there as though a present were being given to me. A couple of times, though, I reminded a new white belt I sparred with yesterday to protect his face. I think that's a responsibility as a higher belt, since I was sparring with him at the time; taking him aside about his sparring would be something I'd prefer done by our instructor.

Next artwork in the Bushido household is going to be one of those stand-up drawings of the Hulk. Living room or dining room? Decisions . . . Decisions . . . I remember reading that Captain America was Marvel's way of "fighting the war," with the super-soldier following the comic book way. And didn't Captain America fight the Germans, whose Nazis called them Aryans and therefore superior? Blonski was given a serum but, as I interpreted it, it's through a military program run by unethical people who think they're a law unto themselves. It couldn't be the same serum; it has to be that it's an "updated" one, but the effects are out of control--not like what Captain America experienced.

When we did free sparring tonight, something clicked that reminds me of playing poker. You don't play the hand, you play the man. In sparring, if you've been at a dojo/dojang long enough (for me it's eight months), you pick certain things up about fellow students. Who's always kcking and never punching? Who uses his right leg exclusively? Who never, and I mean never, guards his face? Who can you throw punches to the face to and the guy is always startled, that he overreacts? And who (this is me) can't throw high kicks? (That's why I use my dukes to attack the upper body; my kicks go for the thighs and, because of my own height, the lower midsection of my opponent.) Does anybody else in the forum "know" who they're sparring against in the dojo/dojang, and so fight the "(wo)man" rather than the fists and feet?

At home: Leg raises Leg stretches Chil Sung E Ro Hyung (just past first half) Kicks: - floor exercises for roundhouse & side kicks - stretch kicks - front kicks - inside-outside & outside-inside crescents - roundhouses (with & w/o step) - roundhouses (MT-like) - side kicks (with & w/o step) - back kicks BOB: - one-step sparring Class at night: Concentration on sparring combinations and free sparring Review of Chil Sung E Ro Hyung (just past first half)

More became available about this when I received an email newsletter to Iain Abernethey's web site, and the availability of three online issues of Jessen magazine, free to download. The first issue has an article titled, "There Is Nothing 'Peaceful' About the Pinans!" and is by Iain Abernethey. The URL is: http://www.iainabernethy.com/Jissen_Magazine.asp and the article contains a quote by Funikoshi, who was very familiar with them: "Having mastered these five forms, one can be confident that he is able to defend himself competently . . ."

I received a newletter email from Iain Abernethey's web site, and it referred to an online magazine downloadable for free. The magazine is called Jessen, and there were three of them. The first issue has within it an interesting article on the kiai, titled "Kiai: The Fading Cry of the Martial Artist," by James Clubb. The article goes into translations, types of kiai, thoughts by the great samurai Mushashi (A Book of Five Rings), and a contemporary martial artist, Geoff Thompson. The URL is: http://www.iainabernethy.com/Jissen_Magazine.asp Interesting reading. And just one of the articles in that first issue.

If there's no contract, and if there are free lessons first (my instructor gives the first two weeks for free to make certain the student likes what karate's about), then there's no harm in giving it a try. The first month likely tells you a lot about continuing. It's best to show up with an index card (it fits right in your pocket and is nothing to be embarrassed about pulling out) of any questions that are on your mind, including the roots of the art. An instructor being evasive about anything is a red flag to me. I don't think we want to "condemn" this dojo before Kaster returns, but going to any martial arts school means watching a class, being given info without asking, feeling free to ask questions--and having them answered. The instructor is the best source for most questions/explanations, which is why I'm under the impression you spoke with a student, Kaster. It's best to return when the instructor is available; phone ahead of time, and you'll likely be able to watch a class as well.