Trailer_Ape

Your very first sentence is exactly what it means, to me - someone who is real tough..... behind a computer screen. A good rule to go by - if you wouldn't say to someone's face, don't type it, the internet ain't that anonymous and the world ain't all that big.

Yes I do. If I could not show respect for their school, I wouldn't go there in the first place. Plus it sdrves as a sign of peaceful intent - if you're trained in a combat art and walking into a place where people you don't know (and who don't know you) are gathered for the purpose of training a combat art, I think it helps show you are there for the "right" reason. One poster said bowing is uncommon in Western culture. I disagree, I think it is VERY common but it is just not as deliberate or formal, more casual and subtle. How many times have you and a stranger lock eyes, while in public and each of of give that little "nod" before looking away? Where I'm from, it happens all the time. That is a bow. You're acknowledging each other and each other's space.

I am not familiar with the incident you are talking about so it is entirely possible that there was some showboating I would have considered distasteful. However, keep in mind - without FANS, mma fighters would just be two unpaid combatants, in an empty field. I think it is important for (pro) fighters to remember this AND occasionally acknowledging the very folks who pay their mortgage seems appropriate to me.

Sorry if this should be somewhere else, but I didn't see any regional sections and I'd like to find out who I have near me as far as MA'ists. Kansas peeps, where ya at? I'm near Emporia (east of it)

The good: Increasing your odds of prevailing in a violent encounter. The bad: Falsely believing you have increased your odds of surviving a violent encounter. The ugly: The likelihood of injuries when training in a way that actually does increase your odds of prevailing in a violent encounter. (Just one ape's opinion)

Yes, there is an inappropriate age to start but it is measured on a clock not a calendar. Taking the kid directly to the dojo, from the hospital, is just extreme. They should have a few hours to go see their new home and maybe chug some milk first

Then how can bullying be explained away, as bigger children dominating smaller ones?Pretty much, but not always. Sometimes it is a matter of one having: more aggressive tendencies, more timidity, or just more tendency to force their will on others. However, I do not believe it is ever because of one having a natural ability to fight. Beyond physical ability and aggressiveness, I do not believe there is a natural ability to fight. The actual mechanics of fighting are learned through trial and error (either of the person learning or passed down from someone who has)

I was bullied quite a bit growing up. I had next to no instinctive abilities when it came to fighting. Looking back, neither did most of the kids I grew up with (including the ones who beat me up... they were just bigger and stronger.) Aggression may be instinctive, but it's not an ability. I am inclined to agree with you. While kids all have varying degrees of physical ability AND aggression, humans beings are simply not designed to battle each other. We differ from most of the other carnivores in the sense that the parts of our bodies that we want to use as weapons have to be developed. I think this carries over to our technical knowledge of fighting as well. While simple protective action (duck, cover your face, run away) might be ingrained, I have trouble believing we have any natural instincts in regards to intelligently damaging another human.

That last sentence -" is it proper....." To me, MA is an enigma. You get better and better and doing something you try harder and harder to avoid..... using you body to destroy someone else's As for the pros - cool job, amazing athletes, fantastic entertainment. Love watching 'em, have mad respect for their abilities and wish I could spend my life focussing on training BUT my training would encompass more (firearms, impact weapons, stealth, concealment, etc) which means I would probably never attain the level they do by only focussing on ONE ASPECT OF MA. I capitalized that because it sums up my take on the situation. I told my wife - if this salt shaker was MMA, this table and everything on it, including that salt shaker would be "Martial Arts". This is just one ape's opinion but (to me) MA is the perfection of self and, because perfect is for God alone, it is about the process not the (unattainable) goal. MA is about being an honorable warrior. It is your combat prowess as well as the way you interact with others, the way you address issues and obstacles in areas of your life that seem unrelated to fighting. Pro fighting is, well.... people being paid to fight each other.

The video of the prank, with the female pro, was amazing! I shared it with a couple friends. Good find! However, it does not sway my opinion. In fact, I wish that girl from the video was here. We could ask her - would you like a title fight with a male, in your weight class, who has a record comparable to yours? The same years of training as you? Think she would be interested? What if she had a career riding on that fight (pros kinda do, the more they lose, the less marketable they are). Obviously, I can not speak for her (inappropriate AND she might beat me up) but I'd guess she rather compete with women.

Hi Trailer_Ape, and welcome to the forum! You response resonated very well with me. I agree - it's hard to put a specific age limit on things. Starting out young has some serious advantages, but conditioning young can be quite dangerous. Thank you for the post! Appreciate the welcome! Sensei8 - You make an excellent point. Some parents have kids that "can do no wrong". Sadly, I believe these types hinder their childs development (especially in MA) by instilling a sense of entitlement in them from early on.

There is a rap artist (might be Hopsin, not sure) whose lyrics included "I'm not crazy, I'm just not like you" and that is how I see the situation - crazy? Nah. Outside the current social definition of "normal"? Oh yea, by a long shot

While I think a lot depends on the kid (maturity, respect, attention span) and the instructor (realistic age based expectations and activities that hold interest), I went with 6 for my daughter. I personally do not agree with awarding Dan rank to kids, but that is just my opinion. I feel MA encompasses so much more than fighting and it would be a rare case where I saw an adolescent that had the "whole package" While I believe in starting them young, I do not believe in starting body conditioning young. I would not expect my daughter (now 7) to do knuckle push ups on roofing shingles or repeatedly hit a makiwara. I do, however, expect my 16yr old son to do his bag work w/o gloves.

OMG that Video I just want to facepalm because of the comments. But some of the techniques could do some damage, but some are indeed unrealistic. We have some Pre-Arranged Sparring + Bunkai that feel unrealistic or wouldn't happen in a Self-Defense Situation. Albeit our Gyakusoku Kumite is teaching us various different skills that would be benefiting us for a self-defense situation. Be it Distance + Timing, Angles, Open + Close Hand Techniques etc. Every one of our 1st Kyu's and Black Belts are required to create our own Self-Defense Routines that are dubbed Kyogi (I've posted previously about it). So our 1st Kyu Seniors are required to come up with 25 Separate Routines from Seeiunchin Kata, and each one can be as short or as long as they want just with the one rule of at least 1 technique (or part thereof) has to be from the kata itself. Yea, the video made me (for a second) forget what the thread was about. I did not realize Ashida Kim was a GM, now. I had assumed he was a "Master" but had no idea. Then again, haven't paid much attention since I read "Secrets of the Ninja" at 12 yr old As silly as it was, I gotta say I like the whole adding a stomp to the simultaneous block/strike, in the beginning. He mentioned ripping off the genitals. Even with super ninja strength, kinda seems like this would be next to impossible, if your opponent was wearing pants lol As far as silly techniques, I wouldn't say silly so much as techniques that just didn't take real fight dynamics into consideration. Like using both hands to set a lock, when the opponent still has a hand in play, and not turning to distance yourself from his free hand. I believe traditional "one steps" are a good tool but rarely do I see folks pause and examine their vulnerabilities in the process. When I do, it is normally from instructors that have been in real scraps (normally L.E.) and I latch on to them like a knowledge sucking leach

I skimmed some pages, sorry if someone already pointed this out but... I have no idea how y'all carry a toddler, on your hip. I'm 180#, bench press over 250# and get exhausted trying to walk as far as a woman can with a kid on my hip. Yea, our bodies and muscular abilities are not the same and we really should not be expected to square off against each other. Now some straight BJJ matches, eh.... that might be a more level playing field.

Yes, sure have. Bill and Nadia Spivey were a husband/wife duo that taught a Japanese style of karate that I have no idea how to spell because I was 11 and never read any of the paperwork. It sounded like Cheecha Ryu? Just recently, when my (current) school changed their schedule to one that kinda clashed with mine, I took a couple trial classes at other places. One of them was a Shotokan school with a female instructor. I have no idea about her abilities, as a MA'ist or fighter, but she sure ran a tough class. I train Kajukenbo and left her dojo banged up. Gender doesn't create any preconceived notions with me. Nor will it keep me from training somewhere. Heck, it might even be better as they are likely to have a little more insight on the idea of being up against stronger opponents. Even now that I'm grown, I'll train under a female instructor.

My very first day of class, have no recollection. I know it was Judo at Clear Airforce Base in AK, I was 7 or 8. I am surprised I remember so much bout the techniques we learned there, I guess kids are still in a "absorbing" phase at that age. Had a bad experience there. Our instructor had always warned us about standing with our feet together because both could be swept at the same time. I noticed a friend doing it right before our sparring match started (one hand on lapel, one on elbow) and took advantage of it. Thing is - kids feet went darn near 12 O'clock and he went base of the skull first on the floor. He was fine (later) but I got chewed out pretty bad, instructor was threatening to bring his 13 old to class to show me what tough really is, all that. Getting chewed out doesn't bother me BUT having it happen when you're expecting praise for remembering instructions is kinda disheartening at 8 I didn't train again until I was 11 and in FL

I finally did learn that! For me, it wasn't MA movies, it was cop movies. I had been a cop too long to watch 'em without going "oh that's just ridiculous, he'd still be on admin leave from the last shooting. And I've yet to see him submit ONE use of force report!". Finally learned - ya want reality, it's outside. Ya want brain candy, grab the remote I like Iron Fist. Interesting characters. Especially how one can make you go from hating him to feeling sorry for him (Ward). Good show, but it is no "Badlands"

*New Guy Alert* I love that show! I think it is hilarious because, if you've trained at enough places, you've MET those people. While his characters are exaggerations of particular types, those types are scattered throughout the dojo's in real life. Apparently, the guy who plays Master Ken has a pretty solid MA background and made the show based on his experiences at various McDojos. I consider it to be the perfect spoof on a real world situation. I can't say I have a favorite episode (I've seen ALL of the ones on YouTube) but I definitely have a favorite character - BILLY