Spartacus Maximus

Kuro Obi is one of my favourites and I saw it in its original version when it came out. One of the actors is a good acquaintances of my instructor.

It is normal when a person's body is not accustomed to or in the process of adapting itself to a level of activity that is more physically demanding than before. It also happens when people try to do to much too soon. Besides that it depends on the individual's level of fitness, general health, age and a whole lot of factors that only the person concerned can tell. In my current dojo, there have been students who threw up, collapsed from exhaustion and one even blacked out before the end of the warm up preceding the regular 2hours of training. This includes me when I first joined two years ago. With much pushing from my instructor and months of overall aches and soreness I enventually was able to keep up. I still find it tough but now I can manage without feeling sick or dizzy.

I have a saying from a wise man from a long time ago that goes like this: The wise and experienced has no use for the opinions of fools and the ignorant. The potential benefits children and youth can gain from martial arts are many. As far as aggression is concerned, it is neither good or bad. What counts is when, where and how it is channelled. Martial arts as well as competitive sports teach children to put agression to constructive use. If one were to judge by that physical aspect alone, it could also be said that Rugby, Hockey or other such sports teach kids to be aggressive. Regardless of the activity usually the children are enjoying themselves as children do and one look at the adults on the sidelines often proves that the children are not the ones showing aggressivity. Case in point: karate/hockey/soccer moms/dads

Among all the RBSD systems that exist WENDO is probably the only one exclusively intended for women. After an acquaintance decided to attend one of these courses, I decided to do a bit of research on it. The goal was to find if this system had anything different to offer than all the other similar courses. Unfortunately, all I could conclude was that it was no different than all other systems. The only difference was that the entire system is based around a very anti-male philosophy and attitude. Men and even boys(children) are completely forbidden to even observe. Besides being women, the founders and a majority of so-called instructors have little to no background in MA, law enforcement or anything else that may be of any use. According to the available information, the content of the course is nearly all based on physical techniques with only a very brief explanation if any at all. The rest of the courses focus on discussions more akin to therapy than meaningful, direct topics on violence. It claims to prepare women to deal with violence, but only feeds the victim mentality, anti-male attitude(ie: all men are potential rapists etc) and a very dangerous false sense of security. It uses many of the same buzz words to promote itself and seems popular on school campuses and the like. I wonder if anyone else has any information or experiences with this system. Any ideas

In my area even a 8cm blade or blade-like object will get you arrested and probably jailed if found on your person. Firearms require a permit deliverable after a long application, training seminar and purpose justification process. They are very difficult to purchase and very few ordinary citizens have them. Carrying anything is just too risky and not worth the potential hassles as even loose tools such as a saw or screwdriver will be considered suspicious. Knives are sometimes used, but it is usually types of common kitchen varieties and carrying any kind of weapon knife is very rare. With the strict weapon laws here it is more sensible to grab something nearby than carrying something.

The options of possible courses of action depend on how receptive the angry drunk was to dialogue and attempts to calm him down. There really is nothing else to do if the drunk stays angry or refuses to listen. When that is the case, the best and only solution is to leave and let him burn himself out. Everyone knows that trying to reason with a drunk is nearly impossible. If the drunk is receptive to talking down and not yet so soused as to remove the last shred of sense, then I would try to isolate him by taking him as far away as possible from the target of his belligerence. I may even sit down with him and occupy him and offer to listen to HIM. Let him talk about what made him angry or whatever else he feels the need to ramble on about. This has work great for me on a few occasions.

It is possible that your instructors age could have something to do with the drop off. In general it is difficult for most people to accept the idea of being taught by an instructor as young as 20. It is an age where a person is still inexperienced in life and likely still growing and learning themselves. Most adults at 20 years old are just starting in life and have yet to find their place. At twenty I was in my first year of post secondary school and had no idea where I was going. Not knowing anything else about your instructor and your dojo means that it can be almost anything. Location? Expenses? Dojo atmosphere? So many things..

I admit I was momentarily perplexed by this unexpected and unexplained change. I thought it was some sort of site security thing or that the forum had been hacked.

I have never personally seen it, but I have heard about it often enough to believe that it is one of the popular disciplinary actions used with youths or children. The reason it works is the same as giving the belts in the first place. If rank and grading were less important than actual skill level, taking away a belt or rank would have no effect as a punishment. In most cases I heard, demotion was the intermediate punishment. Serious offenses would result in the culprit being expelled immediately with one chance to return with an apology. In some less common cases the apology had to be written and signed. Immediate and final expulsion was for very serious things such as anything involving the law.

I believe that most people are reasonable once they realize that something was done for a sensible reason. Leaving was probably the right thing to do, especially if the drunken incident made the party no longer enjoyable. if people still think ill of you for removing yourself and your family from an unpleasant atmosphere, they have the problem. It is perfectly acceptable and understandable to leave when a party no longer feels like a party. More so if said party is suddenly disrupted by one or two fools unable to control themselves and their indulgment

If I did any weapons training I would focus on things commonly found anywhere. Sticks or stick-like objects can be found anywhere whether in rural or urban environments and they can be easily discarded. Pens, pencils are another example of objects that can be used as a defensive weapon. There really is no need to carry a weapon if one is confident in one's judgement, defense skills and knowledge of the potential of everyday objects. With a weapon, sooner or later the question of motives will arise. Who has ever heard of someone being asked to justify carrying a pen, a pencil or other items of everyday use? At the end of the day, judgement is the best defense and prevention against finding oneself in such an extreme situation that would require a weapon of any sort.

She is already in a very limited niche of interest. Obviously her popularity, whatever it may be, is limited to the narrow circle of MMA fans. I doubt she is even vaguely recognized by the average citizen who probably is not a fan of hers or even expresses interest for her sport. Although it could have something to do with her PR, it does seem very odd that only Walmart would refuse to sell a sport fighter's book when two of the largest bookstore chains are selling it. Strange indeed....

The only thing I would have added would have been to call the police especially once the drunken man decided to take the car. Sometimes it can be very difficult to protect everyone. Afterall this is different from a regular angry drunk situation because everyone involved is family and the problem individual is at home. Nothing is as morally and emotionally taxing as trying to do something for someone who will not or cannot understand that it is for their own good. A moment of bitterness and anger from family or friends for a just action is better than a lifetime of grief and sadness because of inaction.

Usually the disconnection hits after about a half hour to 45 minutes. It can happen sooner if I am doing something more intense such as punch, block or kick repetitions and concentrated sets of a single kata. About 2 years ago I used to shutdown after only 20 minutes of intense activity, which is the pre-training warm up before starting anything else at my dojo. I have somewhat improved but breathing the correct way(abdominal/diaphragm) is still a conscious effort. It really seems as if I have reached a point of stagnation as far as stamina and power etc... As far as I know I do not have and never had any kind of physical conditions or sickness that might interfere with my activity level. In fact, I feel weaker and lethargic if I spend a single day without doing any sort of training or practising. on days like that I have trouble going to sleep, and when I do it is interrupted by nightmares or I wake up with painful cramps or soreness, which go away after a day or two of my usual activity.

On average I train 8-10 hours in a week. Two years ago I had a very bad stamina problem and would struggle to train intensively for more than 20minutes. Although I have improved this to some degree, I still get sudden drops in energy and stamina causing what I can only describe as a disconnect between my mind and my limbs. I start to feel light-headed and my limbs feel very heavy. At that point I can no longer maintain my balance, my concentration or my techniques at the same level. I have the impression that I have become weaker, but I this does not seem to be the real reason I struggle. Any ideas?

Maybe you are on to something here. It does smell an awful lot like a publicity stunt. It would not be the first time someone has purposely had something banned to create demand. On the other hand, publications are usually controversial for their content or perceived message rather than what the author does to get their jollies

Avoiding violence whenever it is feasible is always the best solution. There is no merit to remaining in a place or situation where one's well being is compromised. I would hesitate to call anyone who fails to understand that my friend. There was only one right choice in the situation and Sensei8 did that. The drunk man was incredibly lucky not to get into more trouble. Getting into a car and driving intoxicated could have cost him a lot more. Usually when a person has little or no control of emotions and tends to act on impulse, it becomes the centre or that person's character. The more attempts made to repress it or hide it are made, the more likely it is to surface. Intoxication just makes the deeper issues worse and it seems that the man in question has many more serious issues that ought to be dealt with. Sobering up will help but it will not change him.

Having 12 kyu grades also sounds very odd to me. Ten kyu grades appears to be the most common for karate across all styles. With each kyu grade designated by a different belt colour it sounds like a business gimmick or an effort to motivate those who need a push. The first dojo I trained in had gradings for all ranks twice a year plus evaluations every 3 months where expected improvements were pointed out. On Okinawa most dojos have grading once or maybe twice a year and nobody ever takes an exam until told to do so with the sensei's approval. For shodan and above it is entirely up to the sensei to judge advancement. If 12 kyu grades sounds unusual or fishy, and 10 is the average, in my actual dojo there are only 3 kyu grades. Minimum training (5-7days a week) for 3 kyu is 8months. 2nd kyu is 10 and 1st is 10. Shodan is no earlier than 12 months after 1st kyu. I was never given any notice before being tested, nor was I informed of the results until the end of the day's regular session. If students are expected to be ready all the time and consider that they are constantly evaluated for the slightest improvement, there is no need to prepare for a test and grading becomes nothing more than the formal recognition of their level by the instructor.

There was a time many years ago when my living environment made me consider carrying something to defend myself with. To fit my low budget and minimize the kind of trouble I could expect from the authorities, I got creative. I cannot say exactly what I carried but here is something to consider when looking for a defensive device: 1. Cheap to make, easily and readily disposable/destroyed 2.light, compact and easy to carry and produce/access 3. Unassuming appearance, does not look like a weapon. Creativity is your friend. You could also learn how to use common items found almost anywhere as a weapon. This is far from a be idea and there are a few great books on the subject. there is no need to carry anything if you know what you are likely to find and how to use it.

I have never ever heard or met anyone who would claim with a straight face that any kind of flipping or other acrobatics were either practical or applicable as a"bunkai". There is absolutely NO Way! Applied karate is meant to put the attacker down, fast and hard. There is never time for any showboating and attempting anything of the sort is nothing short of suicide. Attack and defense must be one and it must end within 3 moves or less. If a proposed application does not conform to that, all it is good for is the next promotional demo or cheap chopsocky movie

I like the way this discussion is going. So far there has been input from karate and taekwondo and JKD and Thai boxing. I am still hoping for somebody to share something from lesser known systems. It also seems that many responsibilities responded from within a sporting competition context bound by a given at of rules. This is very interesting as it is different from what I am learning. As all martial arts systems were not originally intended for sport but for self protection, I would like to stay within that context.

Unfortunately this is typical of the average person raised with today's modern consumer mentality. People want instant results for minimal effort or none at all. Most people quit when they cease to be entertained and realize that they lack the dedication and patience to continue.

At least as far as karate and its derivatives, which include taekwondo, it appears that many of the kicking techniques are variations developed from an original 2 or 3. This may have been done for the purpose of competition and sporting reasons. For example, a roundhouse kick can be considered a variation of a front kick. The difference is in the angle but the in-out action is the same. A side kick has the same base movement as a stomping kick except the angle is slightly higher. Dwx also touched on an important training principle. Many practise to kick high but only a few realize that it is an exercise. Training to kick high improves balance and develops the flexibility and leg dexterity to execute more powerful kicks at lower angles.

Going by the information I found as well as several lectures and conversations with my instructor, until very recently the difference between the okinawan systems were few and not as obvious as they may seem today. I suspect that in general, okinawan karate systems in their original form would share the same idea about the use of kicks. As I know there is an undeniable link of influence from Chinese systems imported to Okinawa, I am very curious as to what those systems teach about kicks. I also hope someone will share ideas from the lesser known systems that may not originate in East Asia.

Kicking is found in practically every form of unarmed martial arts system. Each system has its own set of kicking techniques and each one has a unique way of applying them their strategy. I propose to discuss and compare the ways and strategy of kicking in different systems. In Okinawan karate, there are five techniques taught: front kick, roundhouse, side kick, stomping kick. The roundhouse and back kick are recent additions(last century) and were seldom used in confrontations. Though the leg is powerful it is slower than the hands. Kicking also momentarily compromises balance and can be risky. Therefore kicks have a secondary role. Their purpose is to disrupt, destabilize and create openings to strike with the hands. The hand strike is usually aimed at the same target as the kick. The target areas are low and can include anywhere between the lower ribs and the feet. To summarize: Number of kicks used/practised: 5, originally 2 or 3 Targets: usually low, from the lower ribs downwards Strategy: kick to disrupt and created openings to strike Role: kicking is secondary. A kick is always immediately followed by a hand strike, often to the same target. How are kicks considered in the system you practise?