darksoul

Haha! Congrats!!!

guilty

^ this is so well said, it needed to be quoted.

That must have been a hell of a hit...

I've been thinking a lot about this recently and whether or not I should make a post about it. I'm still unsure, but here I am typing... so here goes. Since I've started training under Master Paquette, a few things have struck me about my previous dojos... those that were United Studios of Self Defense (USSD) and even the latest one who was USSD and severed ties with the "company." The style that I have been taught at USSD is... weak. Not SHAOLIN KEMPO, but USSD's version of Shaolin Kempo is weak. I was lucky that in my final steps to black belt I was with Master Chryssolor who, unlike the others in USSD, saw the problem and broke free of the corporate entity. He trained me well, but he still trained me in the USSD style. USSD throws the word Shaolin around to grab customers, but the style they teach (even though it is roughly base on Villari's Shaolin tyle) is watered down. For example - the bow is a standard bow, not a Shaolin salute. They bow to the American/Canadian flag, which, to me, is dumb - there is no need to bow to a piece of cloth. Many for the Defensive Maneuvers (or combinations) are simpler, and from my experience less effective. After only a few training sessions with my new Dojo, I feel I am a much better martial artist. I have to relearn things in a new fashion, but somehow, this is making me fall deeper in love with Shaolin Kempo while at the same time, realizing where USSD lacked. I would honestly recommend Shaolin Kempo as a martial art to anyone who is interested. I love it, I think it's powerful, balanced, effective, and fun... but I don't think I would recommend USSD as a means of learning it. USSD doesn't make bad martial artists, quite the contrary, but I don't think they make the best in Shaolin Kempo. If all there is available for Shaolin Kempo in your area is USSD, I would suggest it, but only if it's the only school teaching the style. By all means, do your best to find a non-franchised school, they will give you better training at a fraction of the price. Be weary of USSD and, if at all possible, avoid it. There are better choices out there and it will save you a lot of money. I hope this post is helpful to some.

Hail fellow countryman! Where from exactly?

Ouch... just... ouch...

Go go DoctorQui! You can do it!

It's hard with the time differences.

Yes, absolutely.

Men's -81kg Canada wins BRONZE! Women's -63kg

An update to this since my training routine has now changed. Wednesdays I do an hour in the afternoon. Sundays I do 3 hours in the morning. Both these sessions are with my dojo and Master. I also train 30mins to an hour twice more a week with my own students.

That was very impressive. Their synchronization was... well... amazing.

I understand what you're saying, but our defense techniques are if someone is pointing the gun directly at your chest or head, and as JusticeZero mentioned, the brain has its "lag." My most comfortable defense literally takes less than a second to execute. From the gun pointed at your chest, you perform a #9 or #10 block (9 being the left hand will come down on the inside of the elbow while the right hand comes up to the hand,) bending the arm and essentially making the gunman point the gun at his own face. (edit: you also move left or right to be out of the line of fire depending on which hand your are leading with) A quick kick to the groin (only after the gun has been pointed away from you) while your right hand (if executing the right handed - #9 block - move) moves to the barrel of the gun, open handed, pushing it towards the gunman's arm to remove it from his grasp. I've practiced this nearly 1000 times since learning it and, as I said, now takes less than a second to execute. It's extremely possible to defend from a gun pointed at your chest or head if he's within grasp. Is it advised? No. Edit: Obviously practicing it and doing it in a real situation are 2 different things, but still, I believe that if I needed to defend myself from such a situation, I would be able to.

Awesome I love them Even more now that I can wear the mix.

Broken fingers are excruciatingly painful. I'd let go for sure. A bite does not hurt nearly as much as a break. From what's been told to me (I've never broken anything) it's like being stabbed from within by a white-hot, constantly twisting knife.

Well thank you much! I wasn't aiming for it, just saw it and was oddly happy about it

Forgive me, but what do gun techniques entail? I'd imagine that if the gun is drawn and they are close enough for you to do any technique, then you're already screwed unless you can talk them out of it. They'll be able to pull the trigger much faster than you'll ever be able to defend against it. My gun technique is to hand over my phone, keys, purse.. whatever they want. I can always get another. Getting shot isn't worth it. There is a few where you can turn the gun against them, but again... VERY DANGEROUS. Giving everything over is always the best bet. The only time I would try to defend against a gun is if I knew I was going to get shot no matter what.

No, can't say I have. If those are truly the ideology of your group, I would suggest another group... what are you part of? Cobra Kai? lol

I just got a quick surge of excitement by noticing I got Orange belt in KarateForums?

It's not based on any real facts. Obviously it is a martial art. Why I think it's lame? It just never grabbed me. Never enjoyed watching it. Never enjoyed taking part in it. Just stupid personal bias towards it, which I know is unjust to the sport. It's like music, I guess. Some like one style, some hate another. I'll give you that one atleast you're honest about why you do not like it. So as someone said in another thread: We agree to disagree. Exactly! I do want to mention one thing though. If someone came up to me and said he was an Olympic wrestler, I would definitely have the highest respect for him and tell him so too. Just because I don't like something, doesn't mean it doesn't demand respect and admiration.

Guns... very very very dangerous weapons to defend against. I only started getting gun techniques at 2nd kyu. Scary stuff because if you execute the move wrong, you can get yourself, or a bystander shot.

Thanks! The embroidery will take a few weeks as they send it to China. Can't wait! I should have my new Arawaza Emerald gi by then too.

http://www.villariproshop.com/apparel/shaolin-brand-martial-arts-shoes.html <-- these are nice. Used to have a pair, now I just use cheap, lightweight sneakers. The lighter the better!

Congratulations on your medal! I was REALLY nervous at my first tournament. Funny thing is, I was about your age and about your rank when I went (I might have been Orange?) I ended up placing in both Kata and Sparring. My last one was last year. First tournament after a 10 year hiatus, was there as a 2nd Kyu (2nd brown) and ended up getting first in Weapons kata, and 3rd in Traditional Kata. I didn't place in sparring this time around