daeinwolf

I have four thus far. The Chaosphere on my left shoulder. A traditionally done medicine wheel on my left ankle, the chinese character for Raven on the bottom of my right forearm, and the chinese character for Wolf on my left. In the next month I am having the Yinyang and the eight heagrams done on my right shoulder. Eventually, I hope to have a complete body piece done. I have only one rule about my ink: Nothing that does not have spiritual importance to me. The traditionally done Medicine wheel hurt the worse, of course. When they take that little hammer and hit the needle/s into the skin...it hurt. Sastimos---Joshua

I agree with you there. The further we go, the more showy movies have to be. Many movies, I feel, lost all their potential because of the plot being underdeveloped. All of this goes on while the graphics blow you away. Sastimos---Joshua

Exactly Neil. Just as Star Wars was a modern day mythological epic, The Matrix hopes to be the same. The only difference is in SW's the main subject is Good vs. Evil. In The Matrix, it has the whole Destiny vs. Freewill conflict. Both have the "One man against the masses" theme. This is just a crack job at trying to explain it. Joseph Campbell did it better in his Masks of God series. Sastimos---Joshua

That is just it. If you are going to the movie just to get your visual jollies then, yes, you are probably going to feel like you have seen it before. The main purpose of the film was to elaborate on the philosophical overview of the Matrix, ie. Destiny vs. Freewill. When one looks at it from a philosophical stand point, the movie has whole new avenues of entertainment. As I said before, I loved the action...but the philosophical twists and cliff hangers caused me to lose a lot of sleep and dig out my old philosophy notes. lol. Just to let you guys know, I am off to see it again tonight. Sastimos---Joshua

That is very true Pao. But there are those few 5% who know the practical applications of Tai Chi Chuan. If you are lucky enough to find such a school, I say jump on it. Wing Chun might be good. It is very economical, practical, and does not require a great deal of size or strength. Sastimos---Joshua

I heard that Keanu Reeves gave a large chunk of his pay to the special effects and stun t coordinators in this movie, saying that he has enough money and that they earned every penny. Has anyone else heard this? Sastimos----Joshua

I used to be very aggressive in fighting and life in general. But now, I follow the idea that one should try to eliminate all emotional attachment(this is in reference to most people associating agression with anger) when fighting and training. Bruce Lee Now, if we are referring to aggression as being forceful and assertive, then fine. But it should never be about besting anyone(in sparring); rather, it should be about reaching a higher understanding of the innate physical and mental mechanics of the self. Shorin--I find that meditation can help move one past barriers that otherwise seem insurmountable. I am happy to see that someone else sees the value in it. Sastimos---Joshua

I have spoken with my instructor and he said basically the same thing. The stances are still somewhat awkward but they are becoming more comfortable. Thanks for the advice. Sastimos---Joshua

Yes we are going to be learing the various weapons. We have already practiced some hanbo, kusari fundo, and shinai. Thank you for you input and advice. I guess that is what I am going to have to do...just absorb everthing that I can and utilize what I find practical and efficient in my own "style". Thanks again. Sastimos----Joshua

Thank you ZR. Does anyone else have any tips or advice? Thanks and Sastimos---Joshua

I pay 33 dollars per month. This includes 2 hour classes 5 days a week. On Saturdays, we have the option of a 6 hour class if we can get up in time. So I say pretty cheap. I was paying 50 dollars a month for Wing Tsun lessons. Peace and Sastimos---Joshua

I can understand where you are coming from. But it still feels like I am leaving my body over extended and too rooted in certain kamae. One for instance is the Sanshin No Kata Chi. I understand that Sensei Hatsumi stated that the Sanshin were never meant for "real" combat applications, they were merely a means for the student to become familiar with this type of movement. But even the movement seems somewhat over exaggerated. I am not trying to put down the effectiveness of an art, because I am not some master of the MA...but it just does not feel right. I will ask my sensei about it and see what he says. Thanks and Sastimos---Joshua

In my Ninjutsu class, we train for about 2 hours every night. I practice at home for about an hour everyday, so that make 3 hours a day. On Saturdays, I normally practice about 5-6 hours straight. I do not find it terribly difficult, but right now it is summer. When classes kick back in for Fall semester....that will be a different story. Peace favor---Joshua

In my previous training (Wing Tsun & cross training) I have been taught that extending the body and locking one's body down into a set stance can be detrimental in a street fight with a skilled adversary. If one is locked down in a stance then it nulls certain movements, thus subtracting from your overall "game". Recently, I have started training in Ninjutsu (Togakure in Bujinkan). In this style there are some instances where one extends(in my own opinion, sometime over-extends) their body to achieve a certain strike. While I see the effectiveness in this, I cannot help but feel and see the (IMO)faults of this. I understand that the use of he various kamae and kata are integral in the beginning stages of the training, and eventually, will not be as pronounced once I learn to flow within the form. But this still feels off to me. If feels this way or has any advice for the above statement, please post. Thank you and Sastimos----Joshua

I saw it the day that it came out and loved it. The philosophical concepts that were inherent in the film blew my mind. It might take some thinking on, but they were awesome. Of course, the MA scenes were friggin awesome as well. Peace favor---JOshua

One of my favorites is to jam an opponent's kick. This gets really annoying after having it done to you two or three times. lol. Peace favor---Joshua

Thaing--It is a Burmese fighting style that I think Bando is a part of. I have seen Bando practiced and it seems fairly intense. Peace favor---Joshua

In my own training, I have found that the kata, if done correctly, can help to ingrain certain stances and postures into the instinct of the body...thus becoming almost muscle memory. In Peace---Joshua

I am inclined to agree with Jerry Love. I have trained in TKDand have seen how hard it can be on the body in the later years. Also, many of the TKD schools in my area focus primarily on the sport aspect of the art. If this is what yo are looking for then great...but it will not help you in a fight like a combat oriented art will. I have seen a 65 yr old Wushu practitioner move stronger and more smoothly than many practitioners in their early twenties. It all comes down to what you want. In the long run ,though, I think that Wushu would be less harsh on the body. In Peace---Joshua