LLLEARNER

I will be using white oak, so it is pretty heavy. After testing a few dowels, I have decided to make a pair out of regular 2x4 as a test at 1 1/4 in tapering down to 1 inch. I can modify my design from there.

Unfortunately, there is no supply store near me.

Next week my Sensei is going to do some weapons introductions beyond the hanbo we already use. I have some white oak just sitting around and a carpenter shop full of tools. It also happens to be school vacation week. I want to make some nunchaku. I have decided on octagonal tapered. I am having a hard time finding suggestions on the diameters of both the large and small ends. I was hoping someone here would be willing to share any suggestions. Plus any other advice. I think the correct length is from the middle of the palm to the end of the elbow, or a little beyond.

I am not sure what exists for wrestling competitions outside of schools.

Part of it might be psychological. I knew several people who work from home. Instead of going to work in their jammies, they showered and dressed for work. Others overdressed if they put on last week's underwear. For the ones that dressed, it was psychological, and they were more productive. For martial artists on youtube, it might be for the camera as well. If they are training with an uke at home it would help to have something to grab for a choke or throw. Or it could be them telling their brain they are in martial arts mode. I don't. I only have 1 gi, and I don't want to keep washing it multiple times a week or not wash it and leave it to grow funk. I am not being lazy, but efficient.

I like how you said "at my age" when your 29. I wish I could recover as fast as I did at 29. I would think that if you are at least mostly normal physically any of the 3 are good options. Judo might have more impact related aspects than the other two. Try the options you have close to you and make your choice based on the art, your goals and the school environment (including the instructor). I say close to you because the shorter the travel the more likely you are able to keep attending. I guess your choice would depend on what you want to do. Both Judo and BJJ have strong competition availabilities. I am not sure about wrestling outside of the school environment (middle school, high school, and college). Others here would probably better answer that question.

This is not intended as a service promotion, but Survey Monkey is free and easy to use for surveys. I have used it before, and have not financial or other interest in it. One aspect that might be interesting to study is the participation rates in contact sports (football, martial arts, boxing, wrestling, etc.) and the peoples' ability to handle a physical confrontation with a minimum use of force. I don't think there is much hard research on this topic and it is becoming more relevant in society today (ie. use of force in Law Enforcement or by civilians).

I was wondering where grappling tournaments are in Maine this year. I was hoping to do one this summer. I would like to keep it in the state just avoid the extra costs of hotel stays.

I agree.

I am not calling these New Year's resolutions, but rather year-long goals. Sensei asked us what our goals were this year. I determined to earn my green belt. I am yellow now and feel this is achievable with a fair amount of work. He uses a 7 belt ranking system (white, yellow, blue, green, brown and black). I also signed up for a 5k in April to get myself to the gym with specific goal-oriented motivation, rather than just the broad scope of losing weight or get into shape. I find those too vague and lack the motivation to work hard. I also convinced my daughter to do the kids run at the 5k. This is all in addition to and in support of the tournament series and 1 grappling competition I want to do this year.

I can understand being the adult white belt (now yellow).

I agree with buying a house to suit MA needs. Or any other for that matter. My basement will include a small dojo/workout area.

Perhaps so. Though that's an awful lot of terrible behavior you're proposing to engage in considering the sheer number of folks that harm each other on a regular basis. But leaving that aside, who are we to say that they didn't have cause? All of the fighting I have done in my life, and I can tell you my opponents thought they had cause plenty of times. I didn't agree, and perhaps society wouldn't either, but that is irrelevant to them at that moment. What is relevant is what sort of behavior YOU are willing to engage in on a regular basis. Or me for that matter. I know myself well enough to know that while I could live with harming another person if it happened, I would have to be provoked far beyond what is necessary to get me to engage physically with someone, in order to be willing to gouge an eye or certain other tactics. I need a scalable response, and most of those things are not. Keeping it playful, or sporting as the english would say, enables me to choose the level response based on the level of threat. As the old saying goes, if your only tool is a hammer... I agree with you. The level of aggression is equal to the level of response. "The level of aggression is equal to the level of response" sounds good on paper but not possible in reality.If a person throws a stone at me, then should I throw a stone back? If someone throws a stone at me, then that person has chosen to do harm to me, my response is to stop that person's intent from continuing, being open to use whatever force to make it possible, being a gentleman or not will have nothing to do with the methods I choose to use, that could include not to be violent or aggressive. So this is where an in-depth understanding of levels of force is very useful. Level of force is related to a combination of intent and likely outcome, not necessarily choice of weapons. For example, the standard used by most legal systems in developed western countries is I.M.O.P. Standing for Intent, Means, Opportunity, and Preclusion To take your example of someone throwing stones: Are they throwing stones to hit and harm you? or is it just some kids messing around. Those require 2 VERY different responses. Also Means, Are these actual stones that CAN harm you? Or are they just tennis balls that leave a bruise at the most. Different responses. Opportunity. Are you within range of these stones? And, Can you get OUT of range easily and safely? Different responses. Finally Preclusion. Are they throwing stones at you because you are somewhere you are not supposed to be? Are you breaking in to their house? Are you standing on the clearly marked stone throwing range? Different responses. Even the simplest example, when you add the complexity of the real world to it, becomes undeniably complex and requires more than a simple attack/response drill. A big thank you Tempest.If someone throws a stone at me: My reaction to it will depend on where I am situated, the country or territory or area, am I an intruder. Who is throwing the stone, children, teens or adults. To understand the apparent reason for the stone throwing, is this a riot or a street battle. Were the stones being thrown intended for me or not on a personal level, or just target practice. Am I responsible for the care and security of anyone with me, children, friends and family or VIP work related. Do I recognize any of the stone throwers, that might have a personal grudge against me. Would my aggresive or passive actions escalate or aggravate the situation or not. Could this be part of a bigger plan, such chasing them and getting caught in an ambush. First, safety comes to mind for myself and those with me. Secondly, assess the situation. Third, make a plan and implement it. This is similar to my job. I am sometimes in the position to be hit. My first goal is to decide whether this person can actually do me harm. My next is what level of harm. Then I can decided my response. Sometimes it is someone who intends me harm, others it is an older person with dementia and they are scared. Other times it is somewhere in the middle. My priorities are in this order. My safety. Staff safety. Patient safety. Visitor safety. Property safety. The only person I have a moral obligation to decide about safety is my self. Meaning I can morally decide to put myself in a more harmful position. I cannot morally do that to someone else. If one of my (I say my due to my protective nature) nurses decides to jump in and assist, she can decide. I cannot decide that for her. I also trust myself to evaluate the situation to determine the appropriate level of response, which is key. A dementia patient reaching in a choking manner is likely scared and disoriented as well as easily redirected. Someone committed to an assault is not so easily redirected and demands a different response.

I would have to respectfully disagree. Water does not seek the longest route. It seeks the easiest its nature is capable of. Water cannot climb until sufficient volume is present. It seeks the path of least resistance, changing direction as the environment dictates. Water cannot break through stone until sufficient time and movement occur. Even then a flowing river may bring weapons (flotsam and temperature) to help. Once sufficient volume, time, and movement occur the easiest route changes so water seeking an easier route changes direction. While I may differ in my view of water I do agree that practice/study is necessary. Practice/study is the easiest way to increase performance. Once sufficient practice/study have built up, the easiest route may alter (different training exercises), but the destination stays the same.

I think it would be due to what we see today. Bruce Lee probably saw it in his day as well. Too many schools teach it as a separate thing from kumite. They get locked in on the simplest bunkai if any at all and not use it as a tool to derive more complex lessons.

Especially in some rough schools. Those places are more like warzones that schools.

It depends on the situation. If it is sport, follow the rules. If it is a self-defense situation, follow the law. Use reasonable force to defend yourself. If a monkey stomp or eye squish is necessary and reasonable, then by all means do so.

Good for you!

Yup. At 41, believe it or not, I’m one of the younger adults at the dojo. When I was in my 20s during my first stint in karate, I’d have looked down on the dojo in a sense. I’d think “how am I going to get good sparring with a bunch of broken down old guys?” Not exactly that way, but more or less. I’ve learned far more in my going on 3 years there then I did in my 7 years of sparring at my former dojo. In my former dojo, we were a bunch of college aged guys who used to go at each other. The guys I spar with now sit back and wait. They let me bring the fight to them, and punish my mistakes. They’re not trying to out muscle me, blind me with speed, out kick me, nor anything else; they just stand there and pick me apart. They move minimally, yet they’re harder to hit than anyone I’ve sparred with previously. When I do connect, it’s like they got hit with the lesser of all evils; they’ll block/evade the important stuff and take a minor hit in a calculated way. The faster and harder I go, the more I just end up wearing myself down. It was like playing soccer with my stepfather when I was younger. He played one level below their top pro level in Peru. He’d have the ball, and I’d chase him around, running in circles while he seemingly stood still and chuckling at my brothers and I. Even when we were in our 20s and 30s. He wasn’t old and out of shape, he was just so skilled and smart that he didn’t need to waste energy and was in constant control of the game. The guys I spar now are the same way. Looking at it all, I’m the same way when sparring lower ranks and kids. I let them come at me, blocking what’s necessary, and target practicing the openings. I’m not swarming them and overwhelming them. There’s a yondan at the dojo who’s one of my favorite sparring partners and one of my favorite people to just be around. He looks like the stereotypical broken down old man that I used to think would be a waste of time sparring with. He’s in his early 60s, has had a few accidents that’ve lead to several neck and back surgeries. He genuinely moves like Quasimodo. Nothing I do is very effective. I get close, and he makes me carry his weight and punishes me. I keep my distance and he just tags me every time I try anything. I try to get him with speed and movement, and all he does is let me tire myself out. And no matter where I am, we both know he could sweep me at any moment. I call him the custodian because of that fact alone It’s pretty humbling when we both know the broken down old man can take me out whenever he feels like it. And not to pat myself on the back, but I’m not slouch by any means. The best part of the people in the dojo is that they’re always positive and constructive. They’re always telling me how to improve. There’s always a smile on their face and a “try this or that.” No one’s trying to keep secrets so they can stay at the top of the pecking order. It’s like everyone wants me (and everyone else) to be better than them. Even the 3 or 4 guys who are a few years younger than me. I am jealous. Wish I was at your dojo. It sounds like a great learning environment.

My experience is to watch out for the old guys. Old guys know how to do things very efficiently. I have noticed this in all disciplines. My father-in-law for instance has been a worker all his life, starting out on the family chicken farm, and eventually taking it over. He has always been very handy with motors, carpentry, electric, plumbing, etc. I always feel I have to work twice as fast as him to get the same amount done. He is simply more efficient. I like to watch "Forged in Fire" on the history channel. Many times you can see the old smiths seem to hardly move and the younger ones run their butts off to get the same work done. Experience and age breed efficiency. I would rather spar younger, stronger and faster people than old guys. a younger guy might hit harder, but an old (more experienced) guy will do more damage.

Unfortunately I work both sat and sun nights.

Wasn't this a thing in Judo? Europeans fighting for points and Japanese fighting for the clean Ippon.

I had trouble with balance, but that was probably affected by my MS. Flexibility is still an issue but has improved. The biggest thing though is probably time. Managing it with all my other responsibilities.

Solid post!Knowing oneself in knowing what one can do and the limitations we have. I don't recommend doing, this but I have done it, at times to build up a tolerance for it. For instance going without food for four days and only drinking water. As most people might panic after not eating for 24hrs. I know now that I can be without food for four days away from civilization to get food, before any noticeable effects start to take place. I had read once that after 4 days you do not feel the hunger as much. I tried it. It works.

Just don't be so hip that you fall and break it.