tommarker

Ok, that was mean... sorry. Hana, Tul, Set, Net, Taseot, Yaseot, Ilgop, Yodol, Ahop, Yol.

한 나 둘 셋 넷 다 섯 여섯 일 곱 여덟 아 홉 열

good luck, and drink lots of water in the days beforehand. dehydration can wreck your performance in a test. of course, if you take it too far, it's embarassing to need to pee halfway thru a test

I like it in a short fast sort of context, but I understand your concern... I mean you do a couple thousand reps over the years, and you get used to punching in a certain way. We had a 4th Dan in Isshinryu join our club, and she had no problem switching over to the rotating first. She seems to like both for different reasons, but believes that the vertical fist is more structurally sound. Since she is an orthopaedic surgeon, I tend to believe her

rule of thumb... you can't do much with that. should have been rule of wrist laws are often passed as a way to pacify idiots. Most nunchaku laws come from the 70s, a time when bruce lee was tearing people up with them, and it probably was a popular weapon for some time afterwards (although most people probably managed to hurt themselves more than others) The same thing applies to switchblades, which are no more dangerous than regular knives or butterfly knives. Nothing more than "feel good" measures that only the good guys obey anyways.

I'd rather bust someone with the heavy glass ashtray than let them square off against me with a pool cue

What??? You must be getting soft in your old age! Next thing you know, you'll be encouraging guys to wear a cup!

the non-rotating vertical fist is an element of many chinese styles as well. there's an old article discussing the differences between the verticle fist of I-ryu and the rotating punch of other arts. Another old Journal of Asian Martial Arts article. I'll look it up when I get home. Just think of it as another part of your toolbox. Isshin-ryu's roots are a little hazy, I agree (and sympathize, as a Tang Soo Do practicioner) but it comes down to what you're looking for. If you want something effective, I think Isshin ryu is a great base. If you want something that is "forged in the spirit of our ancestors" or other such things, maybe you'd want to look somewhere else. Also keep in mind that the Isshinryu of today has had a great deal more influence that just Shimabuku. All of the other instructors over the years have added their expertise and experience to the system as well... the system has matured over the years. As for the other stuff, well, politics can cloud everything and people always end up with hurt feelings when they are not given the power they think they deserve. It's a tough question, but on some level, if their stuff works, who cares?

i've seen it done with kids where they are rewarded for knowing class commands or their teacher's name or something.. and they do the same with a patch here and there. something to build them up on the way to orange belt. I've never seen it TESTED for though.

Does every breaking thread have to turn into a debate on the merits of breaking? I mean, can't we just accept that this is one of those facets of training that you can't convince people's opinions to sway on? So if you're anti-breaking, why not just ignore this topic and start something on one of your favorite aspects of training for the rest of us to tear apart? I do a lot of 1-2 board breaks, but i prefer speed breaks. Even those aren't really that tough, since I can just take a stack and break them with no prep. hammerfist, ridge hand, chop, fist, elbow, knee, head and then switch sides Once your white belts see you demolish wood in this manner, it becomes a little less intimidating. And to me, breaking is more about building confidence than anything else.

torris, thanks for sharing, that is an awesome link!

In Murakami's book "Saijutsu" he tells a very colorful anecdote about Tawada fighting against an opponent wielding a bo. The advantage of the sai is the ability to trap the bo within its tines, or use the blade to bash the heck out of the bo weilder's hands. I think a person using the sai would have be extremely fearless and have no second thoughts about entering into incoming strikes. Not a good plan when you don't know what you're doing, as most people would instinctively go backwards. A beginner with the sai would end up with either one or both sai stuck in their posterior.

http://www.mark-1.co.uk/Professionals/images/hardware/browning.jpg

Get a pullup bar You'll get strong, and build a heck of a grip too.

if you hold one section in each end, and it is in a shape different than a non-jointed staff, then you are taking advantage of its flexible properties

there is a gumdo club at our school... great teacher.. students seem to do a lot more tae kwon do than gumdo.

Our "demo team" is pretty much the same as Shorinryu Sensei's. When we got out and do things, we just pull people out at random to demonstrate their level of ability. I think it's a lot more effective for recruiting to let people see the HUGE jump you make in 6 months (watching a white belt and a green belt do the same techniques) than have a 3rd dan come out and do fancy stuff that they won't get to do for 15 more years We do go to 1-2 tournaments a year, and we compete in the creativity division. Anyone is welcome to join that group, but it tends to only be the really hardcore group since we train on our own, etc.

yeah... the whole "do you want karate?" thing seemed a bit fabricated. I don't doubt that he roughed a guy up, but how much of it is fact, and how much of it is just good reading, I don't know...

i think you should grow out your hair

Just remember that the signs are based on the Lunar year. I was born in early 1977, which at first looks like I was born under the snake sign... however, I'm a Dragon. The year didn't switch until February 18.

fungicide

can we drop this crap now?

Ebola, what country do you live in? In most places, carrying nunchaku on your person for self-defense is illegal. I just want to make sure you fully understand that risk before you decide to carry them. Situations may dictate that you need to disobey the law, but that is not for me to decide.

TURTLE POWER, BABY!!

relax. you know everything you need to know, and nothing you get in the next 2 weeks will really help. are you good at visualizing things? close your eyes and try to see yourself. picture yourself doing the forms, having solid stances, crisp technique, good spirit. it will be challenging at times, that is the point. endure everything that comes your way and treat all crazy occurences as "mini-tests." it'll be over before you know it, and you'll be telling junior rank... "ahhhh, you've got it so easy! back in y day....."