delta1

understand the difference in anger and righteous indignation. Anger is focused on yourself, someone has affronted you. It takes over your emotions and controls you. Righteous indignation is focused on the situation. What someone did or is doing is wrong , and needs to be corrected . Learn to look at things from this perspective and you can control the situation better than when your emotions run amok. But, having said that, there are some things, and people, that really make me angry!

I have a katana, wakizashi, and tanto that I won a few years ago. They look nice, and the price was definately right (free is allways right ),but I don't know how to use them properly. There is no one close around here that teaches Japanese sword arts. I am seriousely thinking, though, about sharpening up the katana and trying it out on the neighbors dog. Next time they put it out at 10:30PM and let it bark for an hour ...!!!

Why not do a general comparison of different styles? Show some similarities and differences in philosophy and approach. Maybe show the influence of Japanese arts on American culture and arts.

Dijita, welcome to the forum!

For readily available and effectively improvised techniques that work with a wide variety of weapons: Number one has to be sticks. But tommarker and JerryLove have a good point about flexable weapons, and they'd probably be a close second.

NEVER underestimate the power of The Dark Side!

Congratulations!

aes: Yes, if it's there. No, if you plan it. Maybe, if you try to set it up. I generally keep my kicks low, to his base mostly, until I have him where I want him. Then, the solar plex is about as high as I'll usually kick. Likewise, snap kicks until you've got him set. Then a thrust to finish him. And, don't forget your hands. You may be able to contour an early strike, complimenting the angles of his stance and guard. But this will probably be a roundhouse more than a straight kick. Unless he's in a back stance- that front leg is a perfect guide to the jewels! Take 'em!

Now THAT is what I'd call a cultural trait evident in a fight! And, you aren't going to sucker me in with all this peace and flowers crap! I used to run around with some Montanans, and they never failed to get me into more trouble than I really wanted to be in, even then! Have a good ...

FMA's- the sticks. But, the sticks represent edged weapons, as well as any improvised weapon you can pick up. The FMA's start you with weapons/sticks, then progress to empty hands using the same basic moves/techniques. American Kenpo- the highest evolution of AK is the knife. Opposite of FMA's, AK starts with empty hands, then substitutes the knife with the same basic empty hands moves. AK also does sticks and staff at upper colored belts. I've done pretty well against FMA types with knives, but I usually come out on the short end of the stick fights. Taiji does a full compliment of weapons. The sword forms are most popular. But I've seen knives and sticks used also, and they are a thing of beauty (in a morbid sort of sense).

Ha! You've all lost another one to The Dark Side!

Most seriouse FMA practitioners do full contact stick fighting, and they also do 'live stick' (unpadded stick fighting) with control. The Dog brothers are crazy because they do a lot of hard live stick. Their motto, "Higher consciousness through harder contact," pretty much summs up their attitude to the fighting arts. I've done stick fighting with some good FMA types. It is a lot of fun, but you will come away bruised and sore. Still, there is just something satisfying about getting in a good solid hit on someone with a stick! Of course, they got a lot of satisfaction at my expense most of the time! Try it, you'll like it (unlesss you have a few working brain cells!)!

Sounds nasty! I'd try steping back at an oblique, about 45' away from the kick. If he doesn't abort, hit the leg with a 45' back angled hammerfist/block, or leg check for a low kick, and force him to plant where you want him, then move in and jam/counter attack quick and hard. After you get the timeing down, you might try to move in immediately and jam. But that can be tough against an experienced kicker who can change things up in mid movement. My TKD class has a couple that are like that, one in particular (the senior instructor), and I generally move outside at 45' against him. His kicks tend to either hurt or move you, or both!

Trapping the lead foot is so natural a part of Kenpo that most of us don't even think about it! But I doubt you'll be able to lunge into him without dammaging your knee, as a knee check is an integral part of this trap. Your best defense against this technique is to stay mobile. Once he has you, defend and use your strength to pull out of it. Don't just stand there- if he rolls forward you are in a hurt. I like to step through behind into a twist, which puts some pressure on his traped knee and puts me to the side where I can control his near arm, while his far arm is inneffective. From there, I have a lot of options, depending on how he reacts and what I feel like doing to him.

Then either find a good instructor within driving distance and get private lessons, or don't do it. There are too many subtleties involved in the postures and transitions that will never be adequately addressed on a tape or in a book. As I said before, done wrong you will destroy your knees in short order. Also, it takes years of constant correction under a good instructor to even begin to be able to use Taiji effectively. I just can't see it happening without instruction. I started out trying to learn from tapes and books. It didn't work. Fortunately, I had the good sense to put it aside until an instructor moved into the general area fom Iowa. Hands on instruction made all the difference. I still use my books and tapes for reference and to get another perspective, but everything gets run by my instructor. By the way, the proper term is Instructor, untill told by Sifu-my Sigung- that she is advanced enough to rate the title Sifu. She was rated an instructor prior to comeing here. She also holds ranking in several other CMA's, and does Kali as well in a class I've worked out with and done full contact stick fighting with- they are all seriouse martial artists, no slackers in the bunch! And she still goes back to Iowa regularly for private instruction. So, if she needs instruction that much, I'd think that is a good sign that a begginer needs it even more. I've also known other senior martial artists who tried to learn Taiji from tapes and books. It has never worked for anyone I know of. Just last week, one of the instructors in my TKD class asked me about this- guess what the chief problem was... severe pain in the knees! If you can't find a good Taiji instructor, maybe try for another internal art. But, my advice is, don't try to do it on your own. If you do, remember that one of the chief concepts of the internal arts is living in your body. That means you listen attentively to everything your body feels (among other things). If (should read 'when') your knees start talking to you, pay attention and do what they tell you- "STOP", before you do some real dammage!

Nah, I think sano just got confused. But those are some good points on Aikido. Learn somethin' ever' time I come here! As to Hapkido, from what litttle I know of it, it seems to be fairly complete and effective as a system. I question their using high kicks in a fight, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to know how.

And I thought you Montanans were a wild and wooly bunch! I grew up mostly in New Mexico, and let me tell you that those boots were lethal! Same with large belt buckles. And the bars were mostly rated by the number of shootings in an average year. Good sport on a Friday night was shearing Beatnicks, later hippies. And football games were dull if no one got carried off the field, especially when they fought- I mean played- teams from Texas.

Good point. And, from a different perspective, there are techniques that allow you (or your opponent) to access weapons beneath bulky clothing while protecting the draw. They are very similar to techs for drawing from beneath light, loose fitting clothing worn in hot climates. A good thing to practice and understand. Another thing about bulky, heavy winter clothing- it restricts movement. It may limmit you somewhat to wider, more circular strikes as found in some northern CMA styles.

Boy, this thread is an eye opener! I thought it would take a lot longer for most styles to advance than what some of you are saying. American Kenpo- goes on your skill and understanding, but you won't find any decent school that will advance you to any rank before about three months, unless you've had prior experience and work your butt off. The higher you go, the longer it takes. At brown, there are three levels and it usually takes that many years or more before they'll test you for black. Freestyle TKD/Arnis- again, it takes longer as you move up. We test for white, and it generally takes about two months. White to yellow is 3-5 months. Brown to black is usually about two years, though I helped one extremely dedicated and tallented girl prepare for her black belt test (before I signed on as a student there) at about 15 months at brown. She almost didn't get it but the two areas I helped her with (yes, I'm bragging! ) pulled it out for her: technique formulations and sparing. Taijiquan-fa- no belts, no tests, and if you even think about time, you aren't doing Taiji. You 'advance' when you are told you are ready. Most of the schools I've worked out with around this region seem to take about 3-5 years to black for the average student (if there is such a thing as an average student getting black belt ).

What do running and throwing things have to do with war? You've never been in the military, have you? Most sports were originally done for military fitness and training.

Taiji (Tai Chi) is done by a lot of people, especially seniors, as a form of healthy exercise. Done just for health, you get less than 1/2 the health bennifits from it as doing it as a martial art. On the other hand, at 80 ... It is an internal form of martial art. Taking any of the Taiji styles will help improve any art you currently study, even grappling. But getting proficient in Taiji takes a long time, so I wouldn't give up my current studies if I were you. But find a school that teaches it as a martial art and check it out for yourself. Stay away from the healthy dancers until you are about 80 yourself, though. If you think other styles are bad for McDojos, you ain't seen nuthin' 'till you get some old hippy scamming a few bucks off the elderly and gullible. Not that all the health clubs are like that, but there are quite a few out there. Try it. Even the healthy stuff is fun if you find a good instructor. Maybe they can direct you to a good Taijiquan-fa (martial Taiji) class.

In class, grab his ghi at your target points for strikes. You get to practice targeting, while it is safer but still lets him know he's been had!

Spinning hook kicks are generally more effective as a sweep. The best defense is to either move outside the arc, or, better yet, move inside and attack his base (he only has 1/2 a base to begin with, so it is easy to take out). A simultaneouse assault on his exposed back is iceing on the cake! One thing to watch out for when moving in- the initial movement of the spinning back kick is the same as for the spinning hook. You need to get in as soon as you see the kick developing so you don't walk into a back kick. Another option is to move in at an oblique to the side away from the kick and attack his base from the side with kicks. You also may be able to trap his arm and manipulate him, or reach him with strikes at the same time. But a good spinner will abort and move away, so don't count on it. I prefer to get in, right up the middle- occupy his space and dominate him. It is a wonderful thing to have someones back, their ballance, and their space all at the same time! One of those moments to cherish!

Good observations. Did you ever study American Kenpo?

I guess, we do look good and smell sweet. Some people do think it is complicated, usually for a couple of reasons. One is that there is a lot of mental work involved. AK wants you to have a good understanding of the principles and concepts involved in what you are doing. Not everyone likes this aproach. The other reason is, in addition to offensive moves, a lot of basics, and forms and sets, there are a lot of techniques. Some people question why you might need four techniques for the same attack in some cases. And they rightly say that picking and running the correct technique in a real assault is not practical. This is more due to a misunderstanding of what techniques do for you, and how they are to be applied. There are multiple defenses for similar attacks because there are going to be subtle differences in every assault. If you pull up a technique and run it successfully, that is good. But they are meant to teach you to move and defend aggressively and instinctively under different assaults. You are not meant to pull the right technique from a list of 154 to >200 techniques (depending on the school/system) and run it as per the textbook. You are meant to be able to move effectively under varrying circumstances to take out an opponent. As I've said often here before, AK isn't for everyone. It has a unique training approach, which some flourish under and others don't do well with at all. And it isn't the only effective style out there. Everyone finds their own niche. I'm not a pureist- I enjoy training with other stylists. But AK will allways be my base (much to the disgust of my Taiji instructor). For me, there's nothing like it.