delta1

Ed Parker was a BIG man. The amazing thing is, his style (American Kenpo) works well for any size person. It is meant to be tailored to the individual and adapted to deal with the opponent. If you are looking for an art that suits big people, you could try American Kenpo. But I'll warn you, it can be hard on the big guys ego when some 5' 4" petite little bombshell hammers you down. Like I said, it works for all sizes. AK is also a ballanced art in that it has soft and hard, uses all natural weapons and trains at all ranges. We have a lot of kicks, but tend to keep 'em low. And it is geared to the Western mind. We remember our Chinese (primarily) roots, but it is an American art. We train in schools, and our instructors are usually called instructors (Go figure). Most AK folks don't get much into the 'spiritual' side of things, but some of us do a little. It interests me only in researching developement of the arts. Chi is nothing more than energy, and I also study Taiji, so I've been exposed to it there. But not much in AK. Our weapons training is geared more to what you'd see on the streets, and usually isn't introduced untill intermediate or advancedlevels. Most arts can be adapted to larger people, and you don't have to get involved with the spiritual stuff with most schools. TKD works well for larger people, though some have trouble with the high kicks. Arnis is better suited for smaller people, but I've seen some good large frame Arnisidores. Arnis is a weapons based art as well, though everything transfers to empty hands also. Wing Chun and Jeet Kun Do are very adaptable. You shouldn't have much trouble finding a style and school that will work for you. But a lot will depend on the instructor if there needs to be a lot of modifications. Well, this rambled a little. But I wish you luck in your search.

If any one is looking for the perfect training for a full out, anything goes fight to the death, you're in for a rude awakening. Ain't no such animal, unless you're willing to regularly engage in a full out, anything goes fight to the death. Even in "full contact" training, we all use control so we don't seriously injure each other. There are various methods to train to fight, but each has some compromise. For example, I have boxing gloves and can hit full force with them. But we wear protective gear, and the gloves themselves can teach you bad habbits. They also limmit your hand strikes and techniques to punches only, pretty much. Another example is the Arnisidores I work out with. They use sticks, and sometimes the seniors spar with unpadded sticks. But they wear full head and face protection, and they use a LOT of control. They raise some nasty welts, but don't break anything. And their blocks go to the sticks. But in reality those blocks go to the hand or arm and are capable of breaking bones. Most of us use padded sticks or no contact. Even in contact sparing we don't throw potentially crippling shots like kicks to the knees. Doesn't mean we don't know they aren't there. Sparing is good to learn timeing, teach you to pick openings, developes reaction time, and teaches you to react to the unexpected. Also teaches range and control. And if your target is 1/16th inch in front of his nose, and that's where you 'hit', then you havn't trained to miss. You were accurate. There are a lot of bennifits to sparing, no matter what the level of contact or intensity. And there are better ways to train to punch through something or someone than to bash your partners face in. The big difference in how much dammage you do in any fight, from sparing or playing, angry skirmeshis, fights for domminance, fights to dissuade or control someone, or an all out fight for survival, is simple. Intent. You have to understand what it is, that willingness and desire to do seriouse harm to another person when necessary. And you have to have it. If you have intent, you will throw your strikes for maximum effect in the serious fight. If your intent is to match a lesser level of threat, you will use control- a real plus if you land in court. Without intent, it doesn't matter how many people you've whipped up in your school, you're just another grease spot on the sidewalk when it's over. But my guess is the guy that has spared a lot, as opposed to spending a lot of time recovering from the last class room brawl, will be able to use his intent to better effect.

Try American Kenpo! (We're all going to recomend what we do, so I thought I'd get that out of the way first ). Seriously, what is it you want out of martial arts? What do you want it to do for you? Sport- point sparing (no contact) to UFC (lots of contact)? Show or entertainment? Self defense? Health and fitness? Spiritual development? Weapons? If you want street self defense, American Kenpo is hard to beat. But if you are looking for spiritual developement, you might do better in something like Aikido. Tai Chi Chuan is healthy, but won't build a lot of muscles. Grappling would do that best. Tae Kwon Do is probably best for point sparing tournaments, and ..., you probably get the picture. By the way, there are lots of other arts that will do any of these jobs well- just some examples here to make a point. Give it some thought and let us know what it is you expect to gain most from martial arts. You'll probably get a lot of good help here, but they'll need some info to go on. Good luck, and welcome aboard!

I've posted this here before, but here goes again... I don't like throwing hard punches at the wall. Too much chance of injuring the wall. And, if you have a problem with control anyway, the odds are increased of dammage. Dancing around a dummy or a heavy bag (as was suggested) is a good idea. Another good way is to hang strips of paper or tennis balls, anything light, by chord or string. Hang them around a room or patio at different heights and intervals. Practice moving around and punching at them full force, but try to only tap them. With paper you can try to just let the wind from your punch move them. One thing, when you are sparing, most schools don't expect a begginer to get as close with their punches as a higher rank. You might want to back off a little and work more on technique an recognizing openings. You don't have to back off too much, just to the point you feel you have good control. As you get better, land them closer.

Ohhhh yeah! Yes, yes, yes!!! But, one thought..."Without contact, there's no reality!" I like continuous light contact, 'full' (sort of) contact, slow sparing, restricted (works handicaped, hands or feet only, particular techniques- you get the idea), and the option to take it to the ground. And I love to spar other styles. Without application, what's the point?

http://www.dogbrothers.com/index.htm Try these guys. They are the real deal, and you never know what you'll find on their web site.

The IKKA is a good organization, and its member schools would have to meet their standards to remain in good standing. You can check the IKKA website at: http://ikka.us/ As for spoting a McDojo, there are a few signs: AK is a reality based style. First and foremost, they should spar. There are a lot of types of sparing- slow sparing, no contact continuous, moderate and 'full' contact. They should do all these periodically, though contact may be restricted to higher belts. Drills- any good school drills its basics, and does it often. There are also sensitivity and fighting drills. Look at the atitude of the instructors and students. Are they respectful, both to each other and to people outside their style. Only a McDojo has to tear down another style to make theirselves look good. Not to be confused with pointing out weaknesses in a style. But if they are truly objectively loking at understanding what someone else does, they will also point out the strengths, and analize how they deal with strengths and take advantage of weaknesses. Even as a begginer you should be able to spot the difference in honest annalysis and bashing. Watch them move. No on expects lower belts to move profficiently, but higher belts should move notably better, even to an untrained eye. There's a saying that a black belt walking down the street should look like a Marine on roller blades. You'll know. There are a lot of other things to look for, and a lot of other opinions as to what constitutes a McDojo. But those are some I'd concentrate on. As for the other schools, maybe if you list their associations here some of the forum members in those styles can tell you about them. Take your time in deciding. This is potentially a big investment for you (possibly the rest of yur life), so a little time now is well worth while. Again, good luck!

Wasted movement is a frill- things like chambering before a strike or a block that goes way too far out. And, as f.t.g.u pointed out, a lot of flourish when a simple punch would have worked. Too little movement is also a frill- like posing in a stance. Ineffective or dangerous moves are frills- high kicks come to mind here (though if set up properly some of you may find them effective). Bobbing, weaving, twisting or jumping around without regard to proper body mechanics, allignment and ballance are frills. I guess I'd define frills as those movements which reduce your efficiency in destroying or controling an opponent. I did like Kamidake's take on it, though!

I study American Kenpo, so I'll answer your questions if I can. Ed parker was, and is still, regarded as one of the top martial artists by most of his peers. He trained with, and trained, some of the best of a variety of styles. His base was Chuan Fa, under Prof. Chow. What Mr. Parker did was to take the principals from a lot of arts and catalog them. He discarded any moves that were ineffective, did away with wasted motion, and worked out a complete style based on proven principals. He took a lot from other styles, and added some of his own. He also devised a unique method of teaching movement and principals with his techniques. AK was designed as a practical, effective martial art geared to the Western mind, though based on Chinese martial arts primarily. As for those who say Ed Parker was a phoney, I suppose any one who is successful at anything will have their detractors. But no one who knew Mr. Parker, or who saw him move, would call him that. I'd say if you want to know who is the phoney here, there's an easy way to tell. Consider that those who disparage the works of a man regarded by many experts to be a genious are probably also telling you how they learn respect and honor where they train. It may be taught there, but in their case it didn't take. If you are considering which school to attend, I'd say try them all for yourself. See which suits you best. Which instructor seems more competant, which style you think you'll enjoy learning. And see which school practices what they teach both martially and character wise. Pick the school best suited to you. But don't let the prejudices and misinformed judgement of others sway you. It is your time and money you will be investing here. See for yourself, then decide. Good luck, whatever path you take.

Ballance! You have four primary natural weapons. What's the point in halving your arsenal? But if I had to choose between the two, I'd go with hands. Kicks are primarily long range weapons. Punches work at all ranges except long.

They can believe what they want, but you are correct. Taiji is a martial art.

Fair enough. We'll just have to disagree, at least untill one of us is enlightened. In the grand scheme of things it isn't that important any how (at least to me, not being a Taoist). So, as far as this discussion, I yield to your deeper understanding.

A devout a-hole! I'm only interested in Taoism as it relates to my arts. My understanding is admittedly limmited, but comes from reading sources like Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming and Waysun Liao, among others. Is this a philosophy or a religion for you? I'm willing to yield to a better understanding of The Way, though I may have questions. For example, are you saying that space isn't physical, or that the Taoists don't think it is physical? Or that it doesn't concern them? Or have I missed your point entirely, as any of these would be incorrect in my understanding. The main point of my post here originally was to suggest to anyone interested in really learning about Qi that they go to a qualified instructor and learn it firsthand. We can discuss the details of Taoist thinking all we want, but I'll stand by that point as otherwise discussing the existance of Qi and what it does is pointless.

I'll abstain from voting. The existance of chi can not be decided by a poll. Your results would be irrelevant, since most people have never experienced it, and most who have (including me) would not be qualified to give you a definative answer. My advice would be to find a good instructor and study Quigong. You can then decide for yourself if it exists. That shouldn't take you too long. But you could then spend the rest of your life deciding how to vote in your poll.

That was well said Rick.

This may be true. However, space, like time, is physical. So, according to Taoist philosophy, its existence is dependant on chi. Chi is the force that drives this seeking for ballance. And these polar opposites are a manifestation of yin and yang. Basically what you say here is true, except that it is an aspect of chi. A magnet may pull a metal bar uphill. Remove the magnet and if the weight of the bar is sufficient to overcome the coefficient of friction, it will slide back downhill to a state of rest. Both force conditions are a manifestation of chi. Taijiquan, or Tai Chi Chuan, is Grand Terminus Boxing (fighting). It is a style developed from and based on Taoism. Tai Chi is a major part of this philosophy, and refers to the force that drives yin and yang. The taiji in Taijiquan refers to these grand nexus principles.

Chi is the eternal power that both binds and moves the universe. It is inherent in everything, as without it nothing would exist, including empty space. Chi includes, and seeks ballance between, constructive/regenerative and destructive/degenerative forces. Chi seeks ballance, therefore both nature and physics seek ballance. Chi is life force, original, ultimate, or intrinsic energy. Tai chi is the supreme ultimate, or grand terminus. It is the force that seperates yin and yang (opposites). Yin chi and yang chi are forces that are in flux but seeking a stable state of ballance or harmony. As one ascends, the other descends, As one ends, the other begins. These forces are inherent in all living things as well as the laws of physics which govern all matter. So, there you have a thumbnail sketch of the roots of Taost philosophy and CHI. It relates to the martial arts in every aspect, starting with the psycological interplay leading up to conflict through to resolution of confict. The ebb and flow of combat is the struggle for ascendancy of one and the descendancy of the other. It is the search for peace through the use of violence. Even the moves are based on this philosophy. Opening and closing your center line as you move is yin and yang. Movement itself is your basic chi converted to jing and applied to the opponent (along with a dose of li). The chi usually refered to in martial arts is a higher, or more developed energy. It relates to the mind and control of chi, or energy. The highest manifestation of chi is shen, or spirit. There you have it. You expected maybe feelings? If you want to feel your chi, go to a knowlegable instructor and learn some basic Chi Gung (Quigong). Reading about it on the net, you'll get more out of the philosophy as it relates to the roots of your art(s). You can't experience it in print.

You are talking about jing, which is a manifestation of chi but not the same thing.

If I'm working out or training with someone else, I wear a cup. Accidental contact happens, even when just practicing techniques. Also, when/if we spar, I don't want to waste time running to the changing area to put on a cup. I wear a t-shirt under my ghi top, even in the hot weather. Most of the people I work out with do. It is comfortable, and usually you have the option to take off the ghi top when doing really strenuous or active stuf like sparing or grappling. With grappling, it saves the ties that you allways forget to undo if you leave your top on as well.

Remain calm and centered (yeah, right!) Well, at least try not to panick and freeze. Avoid his attacks, control the weapon, destroy the man. Try to kep my hands higher, backs of arms toward the weapon, and move. As for what specifically I'd do- other than foul my pants, I don't know. You can train for it, but you can't preplan it. Holding a knife does make a fighter faster. He doesn't have to generate nearly as much power,so his movements can be quicker and more erratic. Harder to grab until he commits. And until you control the weapon, relative size and strength don't matter (except possibly reach). One thing for sure, I wouldn't hold back. Deadly force is the rule. I want him completely incapacitated (deadly force doesn't mean you have to kill him, just that you could). Use any dirty trick or weapons at hand. Ex: if I did crap in my pants, I'd reach in and throw a handful in his face! If it is a serious knife fight and your opponent is at all competent, you'll probably get cut. Flick the blood at his eyes if you can. Besides temporarily disrupting his vision, most people cringe at having someone elses blood in their eyes. Also, I've been told there are chemicals released into your blood under severe stress (and this qualifies) which have a psychological effect on others if they smell it. If you must bleed, use it! This probably isn't what you were looking for. But a good BM is about the only part of the script I can write. Other than that it's just application of principles, concepts, ideas and training. Sorry.

Bruce Lee was a part of an era when martial arts was exploding world wide. After WW II a lot of cultural barriers were broken down, many people displaced, and the advances in travel and communication took interaction in the martial arts community to an unprecidented level. Men like Prof. Remy Presas were able to use their skills and genious to bring arts together and establish new arts like Modern Arnis. Bruce Lee was influenced by many of the great martial artists of that time, as he developed his skill as a martial artist and his philosophy of Jeet Kun Do. The movie industry, which also was exploding throughout that era, was one vehicle for exchange of ideas in the martial arts. I've heard stories about how Bruce learned a lot of his kicking skills working with Chuck Norris. Another great person who he worked with both in the movie industry and trained with for a while was Ed Parker. I've heard stories from senior Kenpoists about working out with Bruce Lee. He was very human, though a great martial artist and somewhat larger than life. He did not win all his fights, which does not diminish his stature as a martial artist. In fact, it increases that stature in my mind as to say otherwise would make him a god- and where's the greatnes in a god whipping mere mortals? Bruce Lee was a stand out figure in a singularly outstanding era. But he was only one of many. There were greater minds, better martial artists and more charismatic personalities at that time. But no one combined all these elements quite like Bruce Lee. And there will not be another Bruce Lee, if for no other reason than that it is not possible to relive that era. 3:20 AM guys, and that is as philisophical as I get. Have a good day!

Side kicks are extremely effective, snaping or thrusting. And it is the only kick you can do with full extension from in close. Sparing with a mixed group last week and one TKD Blk Blt kept nailing me with it. I was eating up any of the others I got in close on. But this guy kept launching me half way across the gymn with that kick from stand up grappling range. #@^* frustratin'!

American Kenpo women kick butt- then assign someone else to take names! Seriously, from what you say you want, AK is about as good as you'll get. *Effective- was designed for the American streets. *Practical- no wasted movement. No impractical moves. Combat/defense oriented. *Versatile- meant to be adapted to fit the practitioner and adjusted for the opponent. *Good to watch- AK flows. Has both hard and soft. Moves are fluid, yet extremely dynamic. *Trains understanding and application of principles of power. Especially good for smaller practitioners. Trains you to let your stances and your opponent do the work instead of relying on just muscle power. If there are American Kenpo schools in your area, I'd advise that you seriously check them out. Beware that we have our bad players, just like the rest. If you find one, drop me a PM and I'll try to find out about them, if you like. Other arts that may work for you (in no particular order, and not an exhaustive list by any means): Hapkido, Silat, PMA (Arnis, Kali, Escrima), Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) or almost any of the Chinese Martial Arts, and most of the other Kenpo/Kempo styles (there are several). Good luck in your search.

Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, You're not wrong, you're just thinking like an engineer! You are overcomplicating this. My original advice was to speak in general terms. It might be good to point briefly to some of the concerns you've raised- acknowlege their existance and point out that they are beyond the scope of this assignment. Acknowlege that your figures and examples are hypothetical and meant for illustrative purposes, and that they do not take into consideration all the parameters. This isn't a doctoral thesis, just a school assignment. He can do it, man! He can do it!

There are several styles of Kenpo- Chinese (a misnomer common in the West), Japanese, Okinawan, and American. And these are divided further into many schools or associations. But most (at least the ones I've heard of) share a common origin and so have certain things in common. Kenpo trains as a mostly stand up fighting art, though many do teach ground fighting as well. It trains at all fighting ranges, including stand up grappling. It is a ballanced art, training equally the hard moves of karate and the soft moves typical of CMA. Different schools have different philosophies on weapons. American Kenpo, which is my base, mostly trains with weapons you will likely encounter on the street. I don't know about other styles, but AK trains heavily in understanding the principles behind what you are doing. A good example of the usefulness of this is that a lot of the principles in AK's stand up grappling apply directly to ground fighting. But you must recognize them, be able to evaluate them and modify their use in order to make the transition in your training. Kenpo is generally well known as a dynamic, flowing art- mobile, with solid defense and devastating offense, and no wasted motion. Your question was general in nature, so this is a pretty general response. If you want more specific info, ask and I'll answer if I can.