battousai16

well, to that end, if you can confidently end a conflict by restraining somebody until the whole thing blows over, isn't that how you should end every conflict?

visit whatever schools are in your area and decide which fits you best. a good instructor in a good environment can make all of the difference in a world. you're best off with quality of instruction, even if the style isn't hypothetically tailored to you. oh, and i feel like i should add: weight and asthma aren't really that big an issue. as my old capoeira instructor used to say, "if you want a capoeira body, play capoeira!". or rather, don't worry about getting in shape to start training in a style. train in the style; it'll get you into shape. no sense putting it off:-)

The bottom line is, you ask the question: "How do you train someone in just a couple of workouts to be as good as they can possibly be as a martial artist when they might only refresh those skills you teach them on their own periodically?" The answer is: you don't. I don't care how good a teacher you are, or how good your style is; without a dedicated student willing to practice properly, one can't possibly be "as good as they can possibly be as a martial artist". Regardless of dubious unicorn or gorilla styles.

i think this really depends on the length of time you have. hour long classes have always made me uneasy, since it's difficult to get decent time stretching/warming up and spend any time on new material. when i was teaching classes, it was expected that students show up early, and more experienced students would lead stretches/warm ups in the back. anybody who couldn't make it early generally took time out of the beginning of class. it's probably unfair, but no one ever complained to me, and people were open to staying after to cover whatever they might have missed. i can see this as being a problem for anyone who doesn't have lots of space, though.

if i were a woman out to attack you and you restrained me, i would yell "rape" and "abuse" until someone intervened, and i assure you it wouldn't end very pretty for you.

i would say you are over reacting a little, actually. remember you're not just training for a belt. i would take the fact that he's not just passing you on as a compliment; that he's making sure you really get the techniques down, and absorb them. it's great that you're putting in so much time and effort. keep it up and you'll see the real rewards behind it.

i really never payed attention to the "don't hit girls" rule. maybe it's because i grew up bullied by my big sister. maybe i'm just "progressive". the bottom line is, if you feel threatened, you do what you need to do to feel safe. if a woman is out of control and causing a danger to me or anyone else, i'd treat her exactly the same as anyone else.

actually, i would say the first rule of any martial art is to think it through. you're tired. you're cutting through dark alleys with lots of bushes at night. you were in a well lit, public gymnasium, waiting for your mom who was coming to pick you up. if you're that worried about it, why not just wait it out?

i'm glad we're talking about this, just from the people who posted "i'd strike to the ribs and the solar plexus". it's important to keep in mind that if you're lying on your back, you're not going to have the same kind of power as you do on your feet. you don't have the kinetic energy that comes from pushing and pivoting off the ground; that's why you learn all of that foot work in the first place. if you don't know any grappling skills or small joint manipulation, and it's a life/death situation, your best bet is to "play dirty", something i imagine is especially handy against someone who's trained to grapple and doesn't have to worry about things like biting and eye gouging. i would say those are your best bets.

one thing i find helpful is to relax before i go to class. drink some water, read a book, listen to some music you enjoy. it puts me in a smiley mood when i go to train, which puts everyone else in a smiley mood, and it's much easier to stay smooth and relaxed. more than anything, it simply takes practice. it's easier for some people than it is for others.

i only played capoeira for a little over a year, but i found it to be one of the most valuable experiences during my time in the martial arts. the way they teach, at least here in madison, kind of throws you straight into the fire, so you get into good shape really fast, and you quickly get adjusted to getting in close. having to play in a small circle of people made sparring one on one seem like i had all of the room in the world to do whatever i wanted. you also have to think more in terms of set-up, instead of just throwing moves out until one connects. a lot of it isn't particularly practical, but if i got into a fight i certainly wouldn't mind having a capoeirista in my corner.

for what it's worth, i spent a few days in this system and i loved it. i can't speak for how old it is, but my teacher was very knowledgeable and down to earth, and stressed character development as much as anything. the style its self covered a wide range of fighting and it was probably the single cheapest school in the area. the only reason i stopped going is because it was really far away, and gas prices were creeping up. i don't know much about lineage, or even consistency from school to school, but if yours is anyone like mine i definitely suggest checking it out.

the two biggest strengths that capoeira gives you as far as practical self defense goes are a) it gets you in great shape pretty fast and gives you a lot of endurance. it's a good way to gain a lot of strength, balance, and agility really quickly. and b) when you jump into the roda, you're not in a bunch of pads and you're forced into very close quarters, and you have to keep moving. it dosen't have any of that "start, tag, stop" stuff that a lot of other styles tend to train with. therefor, you get used to being in really close to somebody, not really being able to escape since you're in a circle, and continuously moving. also, the fancy head spins and air kicks, although i suppose could be used in a real fight, are really more, as far as i can see, a way to taunt your sparring partner, and bring up energy. when you break it down it really is a lot of evasion and some basic kicks that, to the users advantage, haven't been seen as much as others before, so they seem to kind of come from nowhere.

i really hate chest protectors too, and only wear them when i have too. god do i hate them, except for one thing..... .....did you ever notice that everybody aims for the big, obvious dots on them? presenting such a luring target draws them in a bit more, and knowing exactly where they're going to strike helps in strategy building a great deal.

hm.... i feel a little foolish now reading everybody else, but i not only look straight down, i close my eyes, too. i don't bow to incredibly often, so when i do i like to show complete trust. unless, of course, i'm with someone i don't know and trust very well. then i look at their feet, which i think is a good enough indication of their intentions. i can't imagine anyone doing much with their feet stationary at shoulder width or narrower.

there's an old story about a young man who fought in a huge tournament, and effortlessly tore through the whole lot of his opponents. he went out to eat with his master to celebrate, and on the way there got robbed by a pick pocket. he noticed, and ran after him, pounced on him, and started to beat on him, when he recognized him as one of the competitors he beat before. however, this time the pickpocket lashed out and floored the champion easily, and ran off again. when the man went back to his master he asked how that could be possible, and the master said that the first time he fought the man it was for sport, the second time it was for his life. there was obviously more at stake the second time, and more came out from him. i'm paraphrasing that, but it's more or less how it goes. the point is, half of anything you do is mind set. if you approach him as though he's going to slaughter you in the blink of an eye, you don't have a prayer. i for one don't really know who this fellow is, but people keep throwing out clear, documented evidence of his weakness and short comings, and he seems beatable to me. perhaps not by me, mind you, but if my hats thrown in the wind, i'll do my best. underdog stories are always the best anyway

y'know the best rape defense i ever heard? i met a girl who got assaulted and dragged away and as the whole bit started, she said something to the end of going through her period or having an STD or something to that end, and asking if he'd let her go for oral sex instead. while he was lying prone on his back and bit or stomped or struck him, hard, right in the groing, and ran like mad and got help immediatly. i always thought it was fairly clever because, well, he's fairly defenseless at that point and she gave herself plenty of time to calm down and compose herself. she, however, had no MA training, and you do, from a teacher you know, trust, and resepect. i agree with glockmeister, why not talk to her? she'll most certainly have sound advice, additional techniques, or at the very least have a suggestion for a quality place to learn from. furthermore, if street self defense is your aim, it'll let her gauge your techniques from that standpoint, making sure things are proper for that situation, rather than someone who's there for the preservation of art or self discipline.

the added weight of the steel toe is going to effect the pivot of your base leg, not to mention the leg you're throwing out there. it sounds like knee strain waiting to happen. if i even had a sneaking suspiscion i was going to wind up in a fight, i would make sure my shoes were as close to what i train in as possible. that said, if you've been able to avoid confrontation with this fellow for so long, why start one now?

huh, i've never heard of that. i guess it makes sense, though.

man, the third one was mostly awsome because of the cartoonishly evil villians. that scene where they reveal their overly elaborate death conspiracy scheme (in true batman villain fashion) and trap danny in the dojo, only miyagi comes in at the last second and takes them all down is one of my favorites in cinema history. gets me every time...

i went through a big slump with hwa rang do, which i got out of by playing capoeira. it was different enough that it was like starting over, but similar enough that there was stuff to take back to hwa rang do and apply. that said, i've since quit hwa rang do, as that passion never fully rekindled, and politics got in the way. but i'd advise you to train in something totally different and see if nothing comes back. worst case scenario is you come back here in 10 years and post "guys, i used to be really into the martial arts, but i got bored and quit, but lately it's really been interesting me and i want to get back in"... which really isn't so bad. better than dragging your feet through something you don't want to do and resenting it the rest of your days. just so long as you don't ask if you're to old to jump back in....

that may be. i personally had a lot of problems and wish i'd started with wood. i didn't even think the wood ones moved like the foam ones, because follow through and the like was so off. maybe it's just me.

i don't really think your stance really matters so long as A) you're properly guarded B) you're relaxed and C) you can effectively transition into your basic stances when need be. aside from that, you can probably position yourself wherever and however you want. from the sound of it, i wouldn't call you wrong.

don't bother with foam, you'll just have to relearn everything when you start using wood and have to get used to the new weight, which is nowhere near the weight of the foam. and y'know, i've never hit myself in the groin, and i was practicing today, and i just don't really see how you do that. you'd really have to be messing it up pretty bad... you're far more apt to nail yourself in that painful bit on the elbow or the back of the head then the groin.

i can tell you what cds i don't like: those enhanced ones with dvd extras on the opposite side. those scratch like none other. god i hate those stupid things...