joesteph

It sounds like something you'd do on the grounds of a college campus, not around town, Truestar. You may not mean any harm, but most people will not see it that way. If you're in the park and it's night in my hometown, you'd be breaking the law just by being there after dark, let alone in ninja outfits. If you did all dress up in ninja outfits, rather than karate gis/doboks, and assembled in the park together in the daytime, many would still think that you're "troublemakers." In my town, when young people hung out at this or that corner deli, an anti-loitering law went into effect; you could be inside the corner deli, but if a group were hanging out outside it, a police officer could tell them to move on. It was technically applicable to any group, any age, but who else was hanging out? From your postings in the forum, I'd say you're a good kid who just wants to have a good time with your friends without causing any trouble. But, in society, public actions are scrutinized and, whether fair or unfair, young people in particular are under the microscope. I'm not judging you. I'd say from Bushido Man's posting, he's not judging you either. But he does make a good point that your town may have a disorderly conduct law that you'll have to consider. You might have to wait until college, when whackiness is a college student's "right."

My instructor has begun (since starting me on a new hyung) emphasizing that, when performing combination moves (block, then strike), the first part of the move be in what she calls a sparring stance, meaning the stance is not a full front stance, but "almost" one by leg position (50-50 in weight distribution), then when the strike--say a middle punch to the solar plexus--occurs, the body moves into the front stance--and, yes, you can feel the power coming from the rear leg but through the rotating hip. The weight distribution you're referring to, Moriniuk, seems to be a shift by way of power coming from the rear to the front; it ends with the weight in the front, the body having shifted, if starting in front stance, perhaps from front to rear to front again, or if from the sparring stance, directly from rear to front. There's an internal movement; I would think 60-40 to 40-60 to 60-40 again. (I don't know if I'd go as far as using 70-30 to 30-70 to 70-30, but it's tempting.) But this power, and the weight shift you emphasize, seems to be greater when going by what Wa-No-Michi points out--the core. In Soo Bahk Do, the waist (but told it's the hip by instructors) is where power comes from; in the Sip Sam Seh, the second and tenth lines both refer to the waist as the center of action. When I see "waist," I think "core," for where power, or energy as power, emanates from. Your reference to the heavy door, Moriniuk, was an excellent off-the-dojang floor example. Wa-No-Michi, your post containing "center" with "core" agrees with certain Sip Sam Seh content that Grandmaster Hwang Kee's Soo Bahk Do emphasizes. I think that Wa-No-Michi's "center" and "core" fit within Moriniuk's weight distribution, which I interpret as a shift, or flow, like water (energy, power) flowing from front to rear to front again.

If using an ATM, you want to make sure no one is too close to you, too close behind you. If someone is behind you, you don't keep facing forward and try to hurry up, hoping nothing will happen; you turn to look right at him and see his reaction. If you don't like what you see, break off the withdrawal and walk away with every appearance of confidence, not fear.

The original BOB has a harder "skin," and I like the "skin" of the new BOB better, but extended sessions may mean it's a good idea to use gloves, especially with the uneven area of its (his?) face. When I used leather bag gloves and speedbagged BOB's face, I couldn't tell if the red that appeared on its face came from the red gloves or the plastic skin being rubbed off. (It's taken awhile, but the red that eventually came off was from the gloves.) When I switched to simple cloth hand guards, there was no problem. Also, if you speedbag BOB's face as much and as hard as I've done, you might find yourself with the same skinned knuckles on both hands that I wound up with when I didn't use gloves. You might feel that, with the new BOB, you don't need bag gloves even if doing a lot of punching, but if you skin your knuckles, you're set back in training as it just takes too much time for that area to heal for striking again. I started using cloth, and it works fine for me.

Does anyone in the forum still use the anti-theft device for cars, the Club? I do. Having a tire iron under your front seat can be interpreted as that you were looking for a confrontation, when you were actually trying to keep the guy(s) away from you in a situation involving your car. The Club is a legitimate anti-theft device, so there's nothing to explain about it being in the passenger compartment, is metal, and can be wielded with one hand or two.

I had this very feeling within the past few weeks, Bwesleyp, and first spoke with a fellow orange belt (we're new to Soo Bahk Do) as we were about to test for a stripe to be added--a "leg up" without a belt color change. I told him I felt that I need to be more proficient, and it's because of the time factor (single parent, schoolwork brought home as a teacher, etc.) to get in proper practice, as well as my personal abilities in this art. I told him that the highest belt I'm aiming for is green belt. I decided to speak privately with my instructor, but she felt I was doing fine; I'd had a promotion from white belt to orange belt after four months (passing a test), and I'm to receive the stripe on my orange belt from having just passed the testing series I've taken four months later. She felt that I'm improving, and it'll be another four months before testing for green belt. I gathered that with the lower belts, there can be more leeway in promotion, in that you're so far from dan level that it's like worrying why you can't do college work--and you're in grade school. The agreement, which I consider an honest one, is that if I don't feel ready to accept a higher belt color, or if she feels I need more time to develop my skills, the next test can be put off without any feeling of offense that others are moving up. I don't know your belt level, Bwesleyp. What might be considered to be mastered more strictly at a higher level might be par for the course for a lower belt. Just because a school is more traditional, that makes it neither better nor worse; it means only that it has a way of doing things that may or may not be profitable for the individual student. My personal belief, based on experience from past (years ago) and present, is that traditional can also be restrictive. Not let you observe a class? What's the national security secret? You will not steal treasured knowledge from observing one class, and it sounds like you informed the instructor at the second school what your concerns were about your present school. I used to do sales. He's doing a good job, playing the right "head game" to break you from your present school and become one of his students, one of his tuition-paying students. Remember that a school of martial arts is a business. Do not have anything more to do with him; he will speak with sincerity, even firmness of purpose, and retain eye contact at all times while he's doing business. Yes! Speak one-on-one with an instructor from your school who you feel will listen attentively and respond with knowledgeable answers. You will not be speaking with a stranger, and you will have given at least one of those who are your present instructors the opportunity to speak from his/her perspective. Good luck.

I just realized . . . They wanted to give something for protection, but didn't want to give something that would be weapon-like, such as pepper or tear gas spray. If you live on campus, then campus security can be alerted without your having sprayed anyone. Are there any campus rules about spray devices, DWx? I don't usually carry it, but I do have a combination tear gas-pepper spray, called Sabre. I'm sure there are a lot of them on the market; I got mine by Internet. I even practiced with it in my backyard, and realized that it's excellent in dealing with multiple attackers; you don't fire it like a gun, you spray two or three shots ahead of you, and they go wide enough to cover your adversaries. Then run, do not walk, to safety.

If it's the same as I'm thinking of, I had bought what I called a "screamer" for an uncle of mine, as he was a man who walked everywhere, but was now older and, due to a health condition, could not possibly call for help. My concern was that he'd fall or have a health issue and be unable to cry out. He's since passed away, but the device was really a two-handed one, meaning, if at night and concerned about being attacked, you're likely walking along with your key chain in your hand, and the "screamer" attached.

What I learned from Taiji that causes me to do hyungs differently from the past is the slower, more deliberate, speed that I use. In the past, it was to do the form fast and strong; now, it's to get it with balance and precision. Sometimes I've wondered if doing katas/hyungs quickly just masks errors; doing them more slowly points out errors in forms to you yourself, not even waiting for the instructor to catch them, and balance is tricky when movement is slowed--but it's also more controlled. You can always speed up as you grow more proficient, particularly with a new kata/hyung.

The moment, even the second, you step forward, your weight is shifting onto one leg, the supporting leg within the movement, until you reach 100%; while you're continuing the step, the weight is shifting into equal distribution; if you're going into another front stance, it will finalize with 60-40%. When I did Taiji, I found a heavy emphasis on balance/distribution of weight.

Uh, Tiger . . . Do you mean to say that you use a "live partner" for target practice?

My school is with the US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation, with the chief instructor (a fourth dan) certified by the USSBDMDK. There are tournaments held open only to Soo Bahk Do schools with certified instructors, and promotions are done after regional examiners grade the test-takers.

Unencyclopedia - http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/AAS - has your society listed. One section reads: Little is known about the founder of the A.A.S., other than that he is also a dedicated member of the A.O.H.S. (Art Of Hypocrisy Society). His more specific intentions on creating the A.A.S. remain somewhat unclear, but it is generally accepted that the society is created to raise awareness on the “Very Silly Nature” of Acronyms . . . Since you're a founding member, Moriniuk, maybe you can clear up who founded the organization, and update the Unencyclopedia entry.

Not a bad idea; reminds me of that Wing Chun (or is it now Wing Tsun?) dummy. There are different "arms" and a "leg" that are available, too. Right now isn't the financial time, though. Maybe down the road . . .

At home: Leg stretches Leg raises Ki Cho Hyungs (Il, E, Sam Bu) Pyung Ahn Cho Dan Chil Sung E Ro Class at night with my sons. Assigned to work with them one at a time on their learning Pyung Ahn Cho Dan. A good class.

I found this at a web site called "Martial Arts of Korea" - http://www.hapkiyoosool.com - under a section about ki: [T]he word "ki-hap" or "ki-ai" defines the harmony which is created during the yell, between the energies of the mind and body. Were you to try, you would find it quite difficult to focus your mind on anything other than the technique you are performing in association with the "ki-hap." This is good! It means that your whole 'being' is sub-consciously coordinating all of the activities and thoughts necessary to generate a maximum amount of power with that technique. (emphasis added) This seems to be a psychological interpretation of the kiai/kihap.

Moriniuk! You can't leave us hanging like this! Subtle and yet "it would rock the traditional karate world" is something you have to share.

I've read other postings by you, Bushido Man, that touch on what I would call Western thought vs. (friendly vs.; no butting heads) Eastern thought. I find that I can read, even appreciate, a certain amount of Eastern philosophy, but I'm really a Westerner. My study of philosophy, of Western thought, of a Westerner's mind-approach, has been far more satisfactory to me than Eastern. A friend from the past, with whom I used to do Taiji, was very open to Eastern thought, more from readings, though, than any visit; he'd never visited that part of the world. I guess that's why when we speak of ki/chi/tan tien/chi kung/feng shui, etc., I see them to a point (like ki/chi), but I have a limit on what my mind will accept. (I wonder if a "true" Eastern mind looks at the Western and reacts the same way; too foreign?) Is it our upbringing? Our society? Our experiences in life? I believe that, in many ways, we are the sum of our experiences, and those experiences that helped shape me were Western. How Westerners can think Eastern (and vice-versa), I don't have an answer for.

No problems so far, Bushido Man. There are two velcro straps, so that helps with stability, and so long as the striking motion is side-to-side, which is what the paddles are designed to take, they stay stable. I've even done "blocks" against them, as though they were an arm/fist, using a knife hand as I move my body away from the "punch," and they stay in place.

It's funny, but I didn't think of the back of the head as a head butt, and yet it is. I think that if you're grabbed from behind, it's almost a reflex.

It's interesting that you refer to the joints relaxing, Moriniuk. Do you feel that a concentration on the joints relaxes the muscles better? Your reference to shoulders makes me think of how, if the shoulders are "up," you can't relax; you'll be tense right through up the traps and into the neck. Thinking through the target aiding striking through the target. Interesting mind-body connection. I see this working well when firing one from the hip, Moriniuk, and I practice a "bow and arrow" kind of movement when punching within a hyung. My non-punching arm raises, my punching arm pulls back a bit from its waist/ribcage position, and I pull my non-punching arm back to my hip simultaneously with the punching arm shooting forward. The body does as you've described. I can feel the power. When in a high guard position, though, to punch from hands up, there's no bow-and-arrow that I do, although if it's a cross punch, the body still moves as you've described, with the exception that the heel isn't down; the ball of the foot maintains contact with the ground while the heel is up. I focused on punching, but with the variety of kicks, each with different demands on the body, I'd say this reference to any part of the structure breaking down reflects the complexity involved with kicking.

When it just comes from the throat, it can sound like a screech; not exactly very "martial." And someone with a higher voice can make it sound martial, just by where the kiai/kihap comes from. From the gut is on the mark, Bushido Man.

Sunday, October 12: AM: Leg stretches, sixty leg raises, shadow boxing on & off for several minutes--concentrating on footwork PM: Sparring with BOB: - long session of jabs, uppercuts, and hooks - palmheel, knife hand, ridge hand, and elbow strikes - knee strikes ag. BOB not as good as ag. WaveMaster BOB as focus for self-defense techniques Ki Cho Hyungs--Il, E, and Sam Bu Pyung Ahn Cho Dan First half of Chil Sung E Ro--3X Shadow boxing for a few minutes--concentrating on footwork

When I found this one on meditation, I thought of how we meditated for a moment at the start of class twenty years ago when I took TKD, and how we meditate now at the beginning and end of class in Soo Bahk Do. I've found that the meditation we do at the end of class is more beneficial to me than at the start. The beginning, I think, reminds me that I'm in class now, and that I have to (or am now free to) leave the excess baggage outside the dojang; not a bad thing to do. But when it's the end of class, I'm tired; I'm very tired. I sit for that couple of moments and just have my body relax. Breathing itself feels relaxing. My mind is open only to relaxation and my breathing. Nothing more. When we finish this short meditation, I feel glad that I went to class, that I worked hard in the dojang. Maybe that's what helps cause me to return.

Sorry, BB of C, but when I enter "Zinnadane," I only get results for "Zinedine." Can you explain Zinnadane?