Shorin Ryuu

Studio 9 is around $80 and it is cheap yet extremely versatile (if the other one is outside of your price range).

I've never taken KSW. One of my instructors trained with a group for several months when he was on a temporary duty and he said that it was worthwhile. I don't know whether that is a reflection on the school or the style.

I wish I could make it to camp. I've never been there but everyone I've talked to says it is awesome. Yeah, Kyoshi Perry is perhaps one of the most humble yet skilled people I have seen/heard of. Not to mention kind and overly generous...

I was thinking about stuff more like the Cultural Revolution, and the Great Leap Forward (Plus the whole takeover in '49)

That is actually a common misconeption. We use roughly about 10% of our brain at any given time. That doesn't mean that the brain uses only a specific 10% and the 90% remains unused (if it did, it would probably degenerate as the body is horribly efficient that way...). What that means is that during this second I use 10% of my brain. A little later, I'm still using 10% of my brain, but a different 10% (with some necessary overlap for specific vital functions, etc.). Over your lifetime, you've probably used every section of your brain multiple, multiple times. It is referring to the number of active neurons at one time in your cranium, not location...sorry, I just thought it would be interesting if people knew that...

I've trained in Kobayashi Shorin Ryu and Matsumura Shorin Ryu. Both systems train in weapons from early on, as in white or yellow belt.

Well, if you knew the geography of Okinawa, you would know that metal was difficult to make and come by for the average person on Okinawan. The sai has always been (historical records and such) favored by the police and by royal bodyguards. Why? Because peasants and the like couldn't afford them. Why couldn't they? The simple answer is that there is no iron ore on Okinawa, iron had to be imported. It is for this reason that one of my instructors always told me he thought that policemen carried three sai was always a myth, because it was too expensive to have three for just one person...

We pay a little more than that, but the principle is the same. If it seems too expensive then it probably is.

I just did a little google search on Derren Brown... Exactly, that is was what I was trying to say.

I find the best kind of block is just not to be there. I'd do a body-change (tai sabaki) to get in close and hit them. If you like, when you do this, you can do a soft parry inside or outside. Either way would cause the opponent to unbalance if he put any sort of power into the backfist. If I did the body change to the inside, I'd use my left hand to soft parry out and turn into a grab. If I did the body change to the outside, I'd use my right hand to soft parry in to turn into a grab. In both cases, twist the hand and pull inwards to really unbalance him and use the other hand to strike simultaneously. Ask your sensei about tai sabaki if you are unfamiliar with it, but it is basically "working the angle", either through a step and pivot or a pivot and can involve a weight change. The step and weight change can be forwards or backwards, but almost always will involve stepping out at an angle (stepping to the side and forward simultaneously for example). It almost always involves a distance shift as well. Its harder to explain simply in text, so ask your instructor. I think tai sabaki is one of the "easiest" (as in quickest to learn the basics, not to master) way to get the most bang for your buck in terms of learning a new concept.

I wasn't saying that it didn't make sense for them to be made out of iron, I'm just saying that if they were too expensive to be common everyday implements.

Whatever you do...don't join some women's self-defense class...A lot of times they are designed and built around techniques that aren't too effective. They mean well... If you want self-defense, you may have to choose between a practical school and a flashy school. That stuff only works in tournaments and movies... I'd recommend Okinawan Karate (maybe Shorin Ryu ) but I am a bit biased. Another good bet would be jujitsu. Unfortunately, the case is that since you are a woman, a self-defense situation would involve defending against a larger (male probably) person who would close in on you. Therefore, something that gets you used to fighting close from the get-go would be good (Shorin Ryu does this as well, but it isn't as overt...).

I can tell you Shorin Ryu is highly effective for self-defense. I haven't taken jujitsu or wrestling, but since I've learned concepts rather than simply techniques, I can hold my own against them on the ground (although it is irritating not being able to hit them...). In fact, it is one of the more broad range arts, in my opinion. Realistic weaponry, you ask? Once again, it is learning concepts not techniques. Yes, I will never walk around the street with a nitonbo (similar to escrima stick), a sai or a nunchaku, but if I have the opportunity to use something with similar characteristics, then the training comes in handy. Self-Defense? I think Shorin Ryu (I've studied Shorinkan (Kobayashi) Shorin Ryu and Matsumura Shorin Ryu) offers a wide range of defensive and offensive manuevers (once again, not just techniques, but concepts). These include not only punch/block/kick, but pressure point and joint manipulations at the higher levels used in grappling and in-fighting situations, which is what Okinawan karate is designed for, so stick with your training and it will serve you well. Unfortunately, everything won't be able to be given to you all at once, so it just takes practice (proper practice, that is) and time. There is a constant learning curve, but it gets easier over time. There is nothing wrong with broadening your horizons and learning different things from other styles. I think you should get your foundation first and decide from there. Best of luck to you in your training and good luck!

Pardon my ignorance...who is Darren Brown?

I trained under Mark Staal who trained under Kyoshi Terry Gravelin from Michigan. I've also had the opportunity to train with (not regularly, unfortunately) Kyoshi Sean Riley in Colorado and at Kyoshi Doug Perry's dojo in North Carolina (the Mecca for Shorinkan in the US, in my opinion). Since Perry's the US director, Kyoshi Sean Riley suggested a friend and I train there for a week. It was phenomenal. We got about 8-9 hours of training a day. Plus hanging out with Kyoshi Perry was cool...he'd tell us war stories and martial arts training stories a lot...

I've talked to some Vietnamese and they said that they have no specific native martial art? Correct me if I'm wrong?

Sorry, I believe in chi, but I think some of what you said depends upon the faith of the believer/viewer.

Congrats...are you sure your instructor wasn't just testing you to see how you responded to failure?

Dim Mak is simply one type of pressure point and nerve manipulation. George Dillman does not believe it is possible to simply "tap" something and make it work. If you've read books or watched tapes, he mentions time and time again that you have to train your weapons so to speak (fingers, etc.) in order to use them properly. That being said, I believe the delayed death touch to merely be internal damage, whether it is to the organs or even a blood clot. In those days, medical science was not as advanced and you could easily die from a blood clot caused by Dim Mak technique. As far as pressure points go, I know they exist because they have been performed on me and on friends. Biologically speaking, the body is a huge switchboard, and exciting pressure points is one way to manipulate nerve impulses and body energy. You can strike them or rub them or even hold them. Pressure points doesn't simply mean pain, they could be used to unbalance or make joints and muscles vulnerable (Shaolin Chin'na for example or Okinawan versions of this). There is a definate method to them. I don't believe in the Chinese interpretation of it (this is a "fire" point and it melts the "metal" which cuts the "wood" or whatever), but I believe they interpreted it in terms they could understand. Aristotle was right when he said hot air rises, but not for the reason he stated, for example. It is very easy to cause unconsciousness (even death) using multiple pressure points and sufficient force (although much less than you'd think, it still requires some). But it is science, not magic.

I usually do some White Crane kata to really bring it out. I believe in it, but I'm still not sure what it is or what the actual reasons behind it are. I actually read an interesting book by Arakaki (forget what it was called, I borrowed it from my instructor) that said ki was simply gravity. It was a really interesting perspective.

As long as you train in concepts and principles rather than in techniques, you don't need to take too many styles. I for one take Okinawan karate and even though groundwork is not a main emphasis, my understanding of concepts rather than specific techniques leads me to hold my own against wrestlers and judoka. All the same, I am interested in finding an Internal Arts teacher, probably in Taiji, although I would welcome a Bagua or Xingyi instructor. I want it to help me understand better the internal aspects of my style.

Thanks for the info. You were able to explain it better than I, as that is similar to what I have read or people have explained to me elsewhere.

Jackie Chan!!!!! Jackie Chan!!!! I like him because he doesn't take himself too seriously. I liked Jet Li's movies better when he didn't take himself seriously (like Fong Sai Yuk, which could have easily been a Jackie Chan Movie or the once upon a time in china movies) except for Fist of Legend, I liked that one. But I think Jackie is the best, it is too bad he is getting older, but he's got my respect. Who will replace him, I wonder?

Yes, but I'm young in comparison to a lot of the older people in this board...(maybe old in comparison to the younger?).

64 degrees and sunny in Monterey, California!