Traymond

So state laws differ, that I have found out the hard way, I seem to be a magnet for getting pulled over, but anyways. In my state you can carry a laminated piece of paper from your instructor signed by a police officer. Would this hold up in your state?

I went through that alot... one teacher told me to do a straight up front kick, so I did it for a few times and the finally I decided to mix it up and did a double kick, well the teacher grabbed my ankle and twisted me around so I "instinctively" kicked him in the face. Then he gets mad at me for defending myself so he wanted me to apologize, I told him that was impossible, and I left. I respected him until he disrespected me.

Yeah it does strengthen your grip tremendously. lol

Sounds good. I use to always get mad at myself for not being able to go to the dojo everday like I use to (At first I was averaging 3 days a week, now its daily) BUt finally a zen practitioner told me that the dojo your teacher owns is just a means of him taking your money to train, why do repetition that he charges you for when you can do it for free at your home everyday. So now I go daily like I want to, but I still train at home daily as well, because the quicker you get use to something for free the more quicker you can pay him to show your something new and not something you already know.

I am referring to Kihon and Kata and pushups and situps. But meditation allows you to be come mentally ready for any obstacle, and push your self to your limits and then daily try to push harder, that is one of the true essences of martial arts.

I prefer the angled kai myself because it has a slight characteristic of the Naginata when you do some of the movements. But its good that your experiementing after all all Bo's have the same characteristics.

I believe it is healthy for us all to have a differant aspect of respect otherwise we would end up being something like a mass production or robots respecting all the same people and disrespecting all the rest. I show a mutual respect to all people unless I am first disrespected but the Teachers and masters of martial arts always have a higher place in my terms of respect.

But do you have a preference of what weapons would have a greater chance of winning against the other?

Yeah. He asked me if I had anything bladed with me and I said yeah, im a martial artist on the way to practice, and he told me to show him, and yes much to his surprise he took a step back when I pulled a pair of sickles to him. I did not get in any trouble and their is no law restricting martial arts weapons but their is a law that says you cannot have concealed weapons, and he regarded those as concealed weapons. I would have been extremely mad if he confiscated them though, cause I had just bought them not to long ago.

I feel honored to have one of my posts set as sort of a base for this thread. Now what I meant as respecting teachers is not truly respecting the Man, I have had many teachers that I did not truly respect outside of the training hall. But I respected the martial artist for having done something that I have not done yet, whether it be that they have a higher rank or that they are running a school where they are taking money for it. Which I do not do. I respect all martial artists no matter what style or what differance in philosophy or martial arts training we have. I respect all martial artists for I believe we are all linked through martial arts no matter what. It takes certain people to be martial artists, it cannot be just any one that is a martial artists, which is why I show them all respect for we all go through the same training ( I say this in retrospect ). I am not sure about other people but I follow in Japanese tradition where the martial arts teacher has the highest regard in my mind.

They dont forget the Kata itself, they forget the differance between Oyo bunkai and just bunkai, and also it shows that even the head instructor must have humility.

I was using the word "expert" as an adjective for which the OED definition is "having knowledge or skill...". If you are teaching beginners you need the knowledge or skill to explain the techniques that your school prescribes to for their grade. If you are teaching second dans the nuances of Neiseshi kata, you need to have the knowledge and skill to first understand said nuances, and then to transmit them. Not so much an expert in karate as a whole, but at least expert in what you are teaching. There is a difference. That is what I was also referring to. Over time you may forget certain specifications of certain Kata, and then you would need to call on someone who else knows it. I have seen my sensei ask 1st dans certain specifications on kata, that he has forgot.

A while back I had a sparring accident...well the guy was mad at me and he came with a thrusting kick and "accidently" hit me in the hamstring ripping the tendon, around the hamstring. Well regardless to say I couldn't extend my leg as well after that, it took about four months before I had my hamstring back to full strenght again. I did calf raises, swam, jogged, elliptical, and leg raises for four months straight daily. And then I was back to full strength. But even on the colder months of the year I feel the pain shoot through my whole leg...and I still have choice words for that guy...

With a bo or a jo or escrims I prefer to use hardwood. It seems to help me alot with grip and its good for training strength. Nunchaku I prefer cord, because sometimes the links "clog" up. And I like ash for those bamboo are good as well, but bamboo can splinter if dropped, and stepping on a bamboo shard is not fun.

And remember to train daily at home if you can only do it only 1 hour a day, but try for two. The more repetition the more you will be able to retain mentally.

I have yet to find and expert Karate Instructor...even my own teachers are not experts, they are constantly referring to their teachers and calling them and inviting them to come and show us the 'real' techniques of the style. So in reality, I think when the Head instructor ok's it for you to go out and teach, then your finally able to say you can teach...IMO that is.

Hmmm I dont really think its going to far off topic because were are investigating differant possible encounters. Now since you mention Alcohol I agree with you on that part. But can't a crime directed to property eventually turn to a crime to a person?, and we do advances training once you are purple belt, we do heavy sparring without protection to stimulate how someone who is a criminal is trying to fight your for their get a way or some drug money, and its extremely hard (like you have said), they can have altered pain reception and altered mental conditions. So, it could be your neighbor who secretly Hates you, and he finally broke. and everything else below I totally agree with you on.

I like what your saying... Because I have seen 5th and 6th dan members who completely hated teaching, because they could never get with it. So I agree with you totally.

Ok lets try to stray away from what the media puts in our head. As I have worked with some criminologists for a while...I happened to be a paper pusher for them for about a year. But anyways. One: All crimes are not drug related two: All crimes are violent Three: crimes are not always done for money Four: crimes can be a subject of hate or racial crimes whether it be Spacial, sexual or racial crimes. Copper country michigan, a man had his throat cut while sitting in a wal mart parking lot, and his car stolen, the sole reason behind the whole thing. He needed to get to Canada. Drugs are not as criminally big as they use to be compared to hate crimes or just what some criminals refer to as "screwing around with people". Someone is on the run...they need a vehicle...they are not going for a crappy volkswagon that might break down on them half an hour later. Their is no way of us knowing whats gonna happen, and whose gonna do it...it could be your neighbor your best friend, whose just lost his mind and he is going on a rampage he kills you and steals your car...is he going to sell it for drugs or keep it? Crimes are done so sporatically now its always changing patterns.

My teacher's only problem with me teaching when I was a purple belt was that I was to hard on the students, now that I am nidan I have cooled down a bit, haha.

Lucas Valdesi Has a looooooong belt...just thought I would let people know...now thats just unnatural and stupid...haha

I love this weapon but I only know one form, and it looks like its a long range weapon but yet its not...its a short range weapon.

I've some qiang training...but never with a metal spear...always a wax wood bo and a flimsy bladed point haha. But I think Jet's Sword was a fantasy one I have never seen one like that in chinese martial arts before... My favorite sword would have to be Zatoichi's Cane sword...its amazing haha.

So...I was stopped a few years ago...got pulled over and I got a ticket...not for speeding like I got pulled over for though...but having a pair of Sai and kama in my back seat. I argued a bit that they were for martial arts and he finally believed me after I told him that those sai cost about 100 bux and the kama cost about 75, he finally let me keep them but he also allowed me to take with me a ticket for 125 dollars saying that I had unlicensed bladed weapons. I now carry a laminated piece of paper signed by my Four other sensei saying that they are for martial arts related practice and not to kill someone intentionally. So, I now have no more trouble with it... Has anyone else dealt with something like this before? And what was your outcome?

Oh yes I forgot about the chalk or Talc it does work very well I use it for weightlifting as well...you dont want a 200lb weight coming down on your chest...whuh. But with chalk it usually ends up in my eye...has that ever happened to anyone else before?