Aikidoka

Running and stretching.

Tai Chi solution: if its the knees, put your weight on one leg, lock out the other and put the heel on the ground in front of you. Lightly slap the back of the joint - this breaks up deposits which cause arthritis. May work elsewhere.

Interesting input Angus. Well formed arguments as usual.

Culture is no less present now than ever. Culture is something that all people learn during the process of socialisation. The reason that people seem less culture aware is because our cultures are far less distinct than a hundred years ago. Entire populations are no longer isolated enough to have a set of ethics and norms distinctly different from other populations. So our modern culture could now be divided not into national cultures but into continental cultures, and perhaps eventually all culture will merge seamlessly.

In the UK the percentage of people who own or carry guns is minute compared to the US. Most people here will never get to handle a firearm, apart from air guns and shotguns, so it's not such a big issue. I can't say that I worry about being mugged by a gunman, and I doubt that many British people do. However, I have used firearms in other countries, and they can be fun to learn to use. [ This Message was edited by: Aikidoka on 2001-12-22 07:21 ]

I thought it was karate. Oh well. I didn't realise we had so many Brits here. Mind you, we are sort of outnumbered! Did anyone else get snow today (Sat 22nd)? We did up here in N. Yorks. A bit off topic, but 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas ....'

Some good points. Maybe a non-classical martial artist would like to contest them? It would make an interesting debate to hear another standpoint.

All martial arts have an active side, because they are developing physical atributes such as timing, speed and precision. Likewise all martial arts have an artistic side because you are expressing yourself through the movements. The only exception I can think of might be something like cardio-kickboxing, where it is done purely for excersise, but you are still developing your ability to express yourself through movement.

Sorry, no idea! But I would like to know myself.

Sounds right to me, except its not put in a box, its a box made of paper. Of course, we may have got our info from the same place, that description fits Bruce Lee's in the 'Tao of Gung Fu'. Where's your info from?

The discussion is about the differences between the Korean art, Hapkido and the Japanese art, Aikido. If Hapkido is an art that includes grappling and is derived from Jujutsu in part, then how can it be the "opposite" of Judo? Please could you explain a bit more thoroughly Angus.

Interesting. Maybe Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon isn't so far fetched then - I will show this to my cynical friends who couldn't enjoy the film because the characters could 'fly'. Thanks for the information.

[ This Message was edited by: Aikidoka on 2001-12-17 11:14 ]

I would say a complete knowledge of your own ability and where your limits lie, and from this you can judge your opponents ability.

Hapkido is probably much more practical than most styles of aikido. Aikido is missing a lot of the atemi (striking) techniques from its ancestors. It takes a very long time for your aikido to become good enough for use on the street, but its still good fun training. Some styles of aikido are pretty much "pillow fighting" like TKD_McGee says but not all, some are real world styles, that have less philosophy and more practical technique, like Yoshinkan which is taught to Riot Police.

Cool.

Firstly, it's probably a myth anyway. Also it has more to do with Zen than it does with the martial arts. It is not intended as a method to benifit you, it benefits the person who does it. Remember, not everyone practises martial arts because they are worried about getting mugged. If they did, they'd buy a can of pepper spray and learn to use it. If someone is pointing a gun at you, you can forget martial arts. Martial arts are more than self defense. The second word is "arts" and to some people it is equally important as the martial aspect. Just because something seems meaningless to you does not mean that no one else can understand it. Try to keep an open mind. Sharing similar beliefs to Zen is not the same as pretending to be a Shaolin monk. Peace _________________ "Those who shun illusion for reality, who meditate on walls and the loss of self and other, on the unity of mortal and sage, and are undeterred by written holy words are in accord with the faculty of reason." Bodhidharma [ This Message was edited by: Aikidoka on 2001-12-13 11:15 ]

I was just wondering, what is board breaking supposed to develop? A lot of people ridicule it as a gimmick, or say it is of no use, but it must be designed to teach something. Is it just a power exercise? Is it conditioning? Does it teach correct striking technique?

According to the Japanese the best body shape for aikido is long torso, short legs (the Japanese body shape suprisingly!) but some of the best foreign aikidoka in the world are tall. Because aikido doesn't rely on strength you can do it whether you're young, old, short or tall. A woman who practises at my club is only 5'2" but has the most vicious gedan-ate, boy is she powerful! _________________ "Those who shun illusion for reality, who meditate on walls and the loss of self and other, on the unity of mortal and sage, and are undeterred by written holy words are in accord with the faculty of reason." Bodhidharma [ This Message was edited by: Aikidoka on 2001-12-07 02:51 ]

I am taking this info from a book written by the founder of Lee style T'ai Chi Ch'uan, so beware of bias. However: Wu style - the rarest existing style, only one school still practises it in Hong Kong. V. small movements, energy requirements minimal. Yang style - large, rythmic movements, more combat orientated, flows with varying fluctuations of light and heavy techniques. Lee style - also known as Yin and Yang style, perfectly balanced, oldest form of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, most popular. Hope that helps a bit moobrack, but as to which one is easiest to practise at home - no idea!

Taezee - I think I will have to practise a bit more before I become a Jedi! I don't think that chilling out is not beneficial, and most people should probably do more of it, all I am saying is that for some people meditation has a deeper purpose. By the way, that "long quote from a book" was by the monk who brought Zen to China (he had quite a lot to say about meditation!) and I think it's quite a good one. Legend says that when he reached the Shaolin Temple he sat and stared at a wall in meditation for nine years, waiting for someone of worth to come to him! Keep chilled, peace.

Wing Chun's Sil Lum Tao, because it's the only one I know! But I am learning a Seven Star Praying Mantis form at the moment.

Meditation is more than just chilling out. It is a way of focusing the mind, like focusing diffracted light to form of powerful laser. It increases the ability for concentration, stills mental chatter and relaxes the body. Eventually it leads (so it is claimed) to a profound understanding of the universe and are place within it. It is a way of learning that is beyond logic or rational thought, and as such can be said to be esoteric. Listening to music is not meditation; chilling out is trying to escape the world, meditiation is trying to understand it.

Before Buddhism and Bodhidharma (the last Patriarch of Dyana/Ch'an/Zen) came to China, bringing the eighteen basic movements that formed Shaolin Kung Fu, the ancient Taoists had developed their own martial arts from the study of nature and animals. They influenced the study of Kung Fu at the Shaolin temple, which resulted in the creation of such styles as Praying Mantis, White Crane and Black Tiger.

[ This Message was edited by: Aikidoka on 2001-12-03 08:24 ]