LLLEARNER

With my current brain damage, minimal but there, and the potential for more, I have a different perspective. Earning one sometime in the future would mean that I am in better physical shape and note just cardio or muscular, but in movement as well. The three plane movement helps my balance. The impact of future brain damage and recovery may be minimized. I enjoy the socialization. I don't socialize much. I get to learn new things. I find that with my Accounting and Finance education, I need something more philosophical in my life. I like that my daughter and I will have something to share. We have something that we can potentially have a lifetime to bond over. A side benefit of MS is that my brain may be so damaged that the zombies won't want it. I also find that the goals of having upcoming tournaments and gradings helps keep me motivated to eat healthier and exercise more. I have a hard time running if my goal is just to run.

I can understand a dojo having a specific uniform. The commercial aspect of it is to stand out as an organization. Cobra kai!! It looks more organized and professional to outsiders for recruitment. Demo teams can immediately be identified and make the dojo look good. MAists ultimately represent their dojo and Sensei. Also the gi has become ubiquitous in martial arts. I can imagine trying to appeal to potential customers/MAists. if we still wore what people trained in in the really early days. I have a dress code at work. They provide me with the clothes actually, but I have to maintain them and wear them in a specific way. In the end, we can train in whatever we want and find comfortable. Gis work better when grappling in involved because the fabric is designed for it. They also allow Sensei to know if someone is misbehaving at a tournament by making them stick out. For tournaments, they help ensure an even playing field. Judo sleeves are supposed to be certain lengths and widths. The NFL has strict rules about players uniforms and what is allowed on them. It is part of the sport.

Good for you. Having a lot of ranks seems like revenue generation. It also seems to be to many baby steps, especially when you factor in stripes. We use 6. White Yellow Blue Green Brown Black Adults are not striped until brown. And that is to visually see how close you are to test for black.

I am not sure of the origin of this quote... "Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young."

We use all white. Sensei does not like black due to fading, lint and dust.

Don't forget the obscene prices.

Its a good question, and one well worth considering. I follow a guy who talks extensively about weight training with the big barbell movements, one of the main ones being the squat. When asked about the necessity of stretching, he's fond of saying that if an athlete can perform a proper depth parallel squat, then the athlete is sufficiently flexible. With that said, I think it depends on what a particular practitioner wants to accomplish. If you like to do head kicks, but lack the natural flexibility to do so, then you'll have to spend some time stretching. But, I think as Martial Artists in general, we get stuck in the rut of thinking that static stretching is the only way to go. Getting the body good and warmed up, and then using dynamic stretching techniques that force you to move your body into the positions the activity demands will help the body to attain the necessary flexibility to perform the movement, over time. Now, when you think about the kind of combat military or law enforcement personnel will get into, developing flexibility isn't a major point of concern (I'm an LEO, and teach police defensive tactics, so I have experience here). The duty belt we wear severely limits the types of kicks we can do and how high we can do them. I'm not going to be kicking much over belt high, and most of the kicking I teach are front snapping kicks, front thrust kicks, and low round kicks. The basic idea is strike targets below the waist with the feet, and targets above the waist with the hands. Its simple and allows us to work to our duty belt to end the fights. So, with waist down kicking, flexibility isn't a major concern. Body armor is even more limiting.

I started by cutting down a 2x4 to 1 1/2 inch square at approx 15 inches long. You can get 2 segments from 1 length. When cutting the corners off it still leaves 1 1/2 square measured from side to side. 2x4s are cheap and you can use a shorter length if you are just testing grip width. The white oak I tried is heavy at 1 1/2. I am a total noob to nunchaku, but they seem like they would make a great heavy set for training or as an actual weapon. I understand that lighter ones are preferred for competition due to them being faster. I may be wrong on that. The weight can be altered by choosing a different wood. The spruce from the 2x4 is really light. Also, most people should be able to fit a range of diameters. This would also be a way to change the weight. Did you determine the dimensions of the nunchaku besed on your own dimensions, or did you use a "standard" size. I am thinking mainly on length of the nunchaku and also the cord between them. I used my own measurements. Standards seem to be up to about 12 inches mostly, with some reaching 13 inch. Also by doing straight I can cut them shorter later if I need to.

I started by cutting down a 2x4 to 1 1/2 inch square at approx 15 inches long. You can get 2 segments from 1 length. When cutting the corners off it still leaves 1 1/2 square measured from side to side. 2x4s are cheap and you can use a shorter length if you are just testing grip width. The white oak I tried is heavy at 1 1/2. I am a total noob to nunchaku, but they seem like they would make a great heavy set for training or as an actual weapon. I understand that lighter ones are preferred for competition due to them being faster. I may be wrong on that. The weight can be altered by choosing a different wood. The spruce from the 2x4 is really light. Also, most people should be able to fit a range of diameters. This would also be a way to change the weight.

What, you don’t have a lathe? Nope. No lathe. Maybe someday.

I have a Pro-Force super heavy weight. It is my only gi, so I do not have anything to compare it to. I have had it over 2 years now, and it has held up well. It is still white. Some people think it is new. I find it to be comfortable and durable.

Sorry about the time delay. I got hammered with school work, and extra kids around the house. Safety first. Don's stick your hands into moving blades!!! I cannot emphasize this enough. Turn tools off when making measurements and adjustments. Wear safety glasses and ear protection. The process is relatively simple. I decided to go with straight octagonal instead of tapered, because my band saw keeps throwing a pulley and I can just do the cuts on the table saw. I could taper on the table saw, but it is a bit more complicated. First I cut my stock to length. I went about an inch long at this point. With a 2x4 you can just cut one length and split it to get the two lengths needed. Then with the table saw I first cut it to various sizes to see what dimensions would work best for me. I found 1.5 inches was too big. Although, I still might make a set at the width because they really are a weapon. I think 1-1 1/8 would work for most people. Make sure the saw is off now! At this point tip your blade to 45 degrees away from the fence. Now, rest your square stock with the corner on the table, and the side resting on the blade. Then slide your fence to the other corner so it touches. This should move it closer to the blade, not further away. Turn the saw on. Then place the square stock on its side and run through like normal. This should just take the corner off at a 45. Check to see that the cut lands at 1/3 the width of 1 side. Depending on how tight you moved the fence against the corner you may have to snug it up a smidge to get the right cut. Rotate your stock 90 degrees to cut off the next corner, and so forth until all 4 corners have been removed. Now, you have an octagon. Now, since these are straight and not tapered we can drill holes for the ropes. If they were tapered I would do this before tapering when I still had square stock. This way I can still use the fence on the drill press at 90 degrees. It is simpler to get the holes centered this way. More to come in a bit. I will keep editing this post as I get more information.

I find that karate has motivated me to start running again. Even when I ran, I was never a runner. I even signed myself and daughter up for a 5k.

That helps a lot! Thanks. I hope to have the post up this weekend.

Iain Abernathy has some good information. I want to hit one of his seminars at some point.

My Sensei gives a basic explanation and description then corrects our performance.

I agree!! When it comes to building things, I've a green thumb; those skill sets are beyond me!! I have seen guys remove part of their thumbs. Count yourself lucky.

Thank you.

Thanks. But what I really meant was, specific principles for entering the fight once an attack has begun. We all know to avoid trouble in the first place. To be honest, if we need training for that, then we have a bigger problem that probably can't be fixed with training. I was thinking more about specific principles of body positioning, technique selection etc. If it necessary to throw hands then expect to get hit as well. Use of force is not pretty like the movies. It is fast, ugly and needs to be over as fast as possible. Prolonged contact increases the chance of getting hurt. Even if weapons are not initially involved, they can make an appearance. Other than that... Hands up, Protect your noggin and other vitals, Blade your body, Fight where you are strongest (most of the time). 2 principles to keep in mind... The principle of center. The closer an object is to your core the easier it is to control/the more strength you can apply. Conversely, the farther an object (think limb) is away from your opponent's core, the harder it is for them to control/less strength they can exert. The principle of balance. Know your base and how to work with it.

http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah28/LLLearner/Prototype%201.1_zpsqp33we3y.jpg

I can't help you because I haven't figured out how to do this as of yet. Maybe Patrick or one of the moderators could tell you how this works. I'm what you call technologically illiterate. I can do enough to barely scrap by. I am not technologically illiterate, just technologically self-taught.

Solid post!

Defending your family should be something every parent thinks about occasionally. A couple times I have come home at midnight and found doors open. The first time the dog had opened the sliding door and let himself out after they had gone to bed. The second time a garage door had been left open. Guess what I did. I also know where the fatal funnels and opportunities for crossfire/ambush are in the house. Fortunately, it is a small house with a simple design. Where I live I also concern myself with wayward wildlife. If I am in public with my 6 year old daughter I tend to rely on being aware of the surroundings and am a big fan of the early exit. If I am by myself or with other adults, I will intervene.

How do I post pictures?

I started my test pair today and kept losing a pulley on the band saw. Tomorrow, I hope to have them mostly done. I do have some pictures already and plan on doing a large post.