LLLEARNER

Joining ca be the test. Even white belts are not given to non-participants.

Happy birthday!! Eat some cake.

Mmmm. Guinness.

Awesome! If you ever get the chance I recommend a chance. The Marcello Garcia Academy is in the same area too.

Hello highkick.

I am sure there are dojos where full-time training takes place; however, since the ultimate goal of samurai does not really exist in an elected government like in a hereditary feudal system i am willing to bet that it is largely tradition and ceremony. There is a temple to the 47 Samurai of legend, it was a real event, that is more homage than the type of Buddhist temple I believe. A Buddhist monastery is for those that practice various aspect of Buddhism, Kung Fu included. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3000.html I am sure there are schools that would allow full-time training, but I am not sure it correlates to Shaolin Temple. Years ago I remember seeing a show on the history channel about the Ninja, that included a segment on a guy who moved to Japan to study, but he worked a real job to live and pay for training. It was not a temple per say, more of a dojo or specific master who agree to train him.

Police use Aikido techniques because that was what was integrated into their training curriculum because that is what was chosen decades ago. They also work well. Most of the time police are not going hands on with trained master level martial artists. They can be going against very experienced street fighters. They also like to go in a large enough force to overwhelm the suspect. You also deal with bureaucratic inertia when trying to change ingrained training systems. While I think all Police officers should learn BJJ and striking, most people (politicians) view it as UFC bloody mats. They want to see a softer, gentler way. The vast majority of police officers are given the exact amount of training, on any subject matter, that budgets and minimum training standards require. Many city councils (elected politicians who want to keep getting elected) do not want to ask for more taxes so they can train the police in more combat arts. Unless the Officer seeks additional training on their own they only ever receive the bare minimum.

I am by no means an expert. I see the connection you are making. Both groups dedicate themselves to fighting arts; but, while they dedicate their lives to the philosophy and training there are different goals. Samurai train to serve their feudal lord the Daimyo. In my mind this makes them more like European Knights. Shaolin Monks serve to pursue supreme wisdom. While Buddhism is not a religion I find it more closely like European Monks in the various orders of the Catholic Church. I know they are not exact copies of each other but one is a warrior class and the other a philosophical/religious/serving class. Just my .02 cents. You are permitted to get change back.

Just an update. I did make it to New York, and I did make it to class. I tried to get in with Marcello Garcia, but, he did not have a class appropriate for my skill level available. They recommended the Renzo Gracie Academy at 224 W 30th St. It was the last morning we were going to be in NY. So I got up at 0545 and walked the .6 mile and arrived about 40 min early. So after standing outside for approx 30 min I noticed that the proper door to use was not the obvious one, but the brass one. After signing the waiver and letting me use a house gi (it was clean) I joined class. After a brief warm up of light jogging, side-shuffling, shrimping, ukemi and push ups the white belts went to a separate room. This was a blast. The instructors were all top notch, attentive and genuinely wanted to teach. My only complaint which may not even be a real complaint as it seems normal in NY was the lack of air conditioning. I was sweating like a beast, and not just from the workout. But that was most places we went. Based on my experience I would recommend this school to anyone. If I had not been leaving in the early afternoon I would have tried to stay the whole day. They off BJJ, Muay Tai and a couple other disciplines. They charge a flat monthly rate for all the training you want.

Ha! That's not un-MA! At ASE Martial Arts Supply, we've had many ministers as customers. Aren't there two martial arts stereotypes, the aggressive guy and the humble guy? Cobra Kai and Mr. Miyagi? I think the latter is actually more common.I've known so many martial artists from all walks of life, that I don't think anything is really un-MA, so I'll just list a few things that I'm into. I'm a car guy. I love sports cars. I'm using the classic definition of "sports car" here. It should be small, light, and good handling. Most are 2-seaters and convertible is a plus. A Mustang is not a sport car. They have decent handling, but are too big and heavy. I love to drive, but don't wrench much. My wife and I own an electric bicycle store, so I spend a lot of time working on and riding bikes. Ebikes are great! I've been meaning to start a thread to tell you all about this, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I love to read, mostly sci-fi/fantasy. That goes back to when I was a kid. I've done plenty of geeky things. I did comics and Magic the Gathering (like Zaine mentioned), D&D, and video games. When I say "did", I mean obsessively. In my early 20s, I remember getting blood blisters from game controllers. Most of that was decades ago, but it's still me. Oh, and on the athletic side, I play a game called wallyball. Basically, it's volleyball played on a racquetball court. You string a net across the middle of the court and can hit off the walls (hence, wallyball). You usually play 2-on-2 to 3-on-3. You bump, set, and spike in a rhythm similar to beach volleyball, but faster, since the court is so much smaller. Wallyball is Awesome! In high school I used to put a wicked spin on it that confused the crap out of the other guys. It would drop long or shot when they went for the bump.

I am double majoring in Managerial Accounting and Accounting/Financial Analysis. I also intend on getting my Masters in Healthcare Management. I wish I had the time to read and inordinate amount of comic books. I also enjoy cooking.

I might look into that. BJJ looks fun.

I may be in NYC the middle of next week. I will be traveling on Tuesday, coming back Friday. I was wondering what might be going on MA-wise that I could see or do.

I do appreciate your input. It made me re-evaluate trying it on my own. I was hoping to find something I that I could do pretty independently due to time and geographic constraints. If I do hear of something I will defiantly look into it. I live in Central Maine. It is pretty rural. I drive 40 miles to work. There are not many options locally. The YMCA where my current Sensei rents space has been looking for a Tai Chi instructor for sometime without success. I was hoping with such a large aging population in this state it might be easier to find. There is not much of any ethnic population, at least in this part of the state. There are some ethnic groups due to a couple of restaurants. I do go to one of the local colleges. There is no instructor. They police may have been watching because it was cool, or that was just their hangout out spot.

Hello all, I know this is not the best way to learn, but I am considering adding tai chi to my exercise routine. However, there is no Sifu where I live and no facility to train. I was wondering if any dvds or books might help, and what they might be. I started Shotokan mixed with Judo and Jiu Jitsu in February and am really enjoying it. I am 38 and would be doing this with my 5 year old daughter. Well, trying anyway. Thank you much,

I have that same issue. Once she is there and doing things she has fun. Sometimes parents have to make the decision for them.

Congrats. Now stop celebrating and start working on the new material.

That sounds awesome. I take Karate with my daughter. It is worth it. I sometimes daydream about getting a job in Japan so I can study MA there.

My Sensei does not stripe adults until Brown. So my 5 year old out ranked me for a bit.

Congrats! Enjoy the flashy belt.

Very good write up Sensei8. It sounds like you should teach small business start-up.

I am in the same boat. Just started in feb. Just earned yellow. I am 38 work full time, school full time, and have a family. I just need to start in at the school gym. I almost had abs in my mid 20s. Maybe this will get those back.

I am in the same boat. Just started in feb. Just earned yellow. I am 38 work full time, school full time, and have a family. I just need to start in at the school gym.

But then, maybe I am unknowingly talking out my butt. I am only yellow belt.

That actually sounds fun. I would view it as a blend of tradition and future told in story format. We have: -intro (set the stage) -few basic details (some traditional dynamic seguences) -immediate struggle (2-3) that challenge the protagonist -then a lull as the real challenge builds (some more traditional sequences) -then the finale with where the protagonist barely defeats the antagonist using all his wits cunning (read as your most challenging and dynamic moves, both traditional and new) I would use some immediately recognizable sub-sequences, maybe just a couple of the more dynamic ones, and a couple of some more basic as well to sprinkle in. Look at some of the team kata in competition. They are really dramatic. Beyond that I would choose stuff I knew I could do well, but also stuff to challenge yourself. It has been my experience when a superior asks you to assess yourself, or create your own task, they want you to challenge yourself as well. Try to think of it as a movie, or story.