Sasori_Te

I only noticed one web site that mentioned anything about a gyaku dachi. Here it is: http://www.kami-do.com/tekniqs/html/stances/gyakudachi.htm I've never heard of it. Nor have I ever stepped so low when transitioning between stances before.

Knife and gun techniques are risky manuevers. You are taking a chance no matter how adept you think you are. I know this is easy to say, but the best thing you can do is to stay away from situations that put you at greater risk. WolverineGuy was right on the money with what he said though. However, there are some other finer points that can also help here. For example, when your hands are up, try to position the foot on the side closest to the gun a little further toward the opponent. When you are about to move to take or control; the weapon. Twitch your fingers on the hand furthest from the assailant. Your brain is a funny mechanism. It can't help doing certain things. With this finger twitch the assailants eyes will automatically be drawn to the tiny movement. Try it for yourself if you don't believe me. You can know it's coming and it will still work. Then you must move yourself out of the line of fire as your close hand starts moving the gun away. Just a few little pointers. It's a lot more complicated than that but you shouldn't be trying to do these techniques without an instructor to teach you anyway.

Is this common in full contact styles in everyone else's experience? I've known several Shidokan stylists and none of them were ever constantly injured like EvilTed is talking about. It seems a bit unneccessary to me.

There are already comparisons in the comparaitive styles forum. However, since you asked, Goju Ryu is as complete an art as any other. However, just like any other art, it depends on the knowledge, skills and teaching ability of the instructor. It also depends a lot on how much effort you and your family put into learning. Martial arts are great, but they are hard work. Good luck to you and your family.

Thanks again. Let me give it some thought for something a little different and I'll get something else posted here.

I think I experienced one of these from someone else once when I was an orange belt. One minute everything was going great and the next minute my space was violated with a hook kick to the back of the head. At least that's what they told me it was when I got up.

One more thing. I also don't think that it 's fair to paint everyone with the same brush because a few people go nuts when they get angry. I find this to be the exception rather than the rule. Invariably, some psychologist or psychiatrist will write a book stating something that is their opinion which is supported by their research so that they can make a buck by discovering a new disorder. Sorry I'm starting to rant. I have 2 years worth of psychology classes under my belt. After abnormal psychology I couldn't take it anymore. I packed away my DSM III or IV ( Whatever, I don't remember what it is now ) and haven't looked back since.

Well, let's look at it from a different point of view. Holding in feelings of anger and aggression are the main stressors in our society today. If you watch television at all or read, I'm sure you've heard that a leading factor of many of today's most potentially deadly illnesses, i.e. hypertension, heart disease, strokes....etc. I would have to disagree with you and say that bottled up stress is potentially far more injurious than adrenaline. Not to mention, not everyone is an adrenaline junkie. However, everyone does feel anger and aggression on a daily basis and not dealing with it causes more stress than would ordinarily be warranted by going ahead and expressing these feelings. Again, I'm not saying that it's healthy to go on a rampage and shoot 50 people.

My question is this. When exactly did anger and aggressiveness become wrong in our society? We as a species would be nowhere near where we are right now without these traits. Ask any sociologist or anthropologist. I don't think you should go off on a shooting spree when you get angry, but I think that our natural anger and aggressive traits are necessary for our species to continue to thrive or even continue to exist.

Thanks again smr! See everyone! it can be done!

C'mon all you kata folks. Let's hear some of those techniques. (crickets chirping in the background)

Informer, I would be EXTREMELY suspect of anyone with credentials like that. You can't usually go from 3rd dan to 4th dan in under 3 to 5 years. From 3rd dan to 5th dan is the time you are learning the very fine points of a given art. I realize that I am generalizing based on my knowledge of some of the other "legitimate" arts that I'm more familiar with. You can't learn these fine points much less be at a master instructor level in 2 years.

If I got it right you are not asking for specifics but common injuries. In my experience with students it's usually repetitive motion type injuries from hyper-extending punches and kicks. This occurs with mainly lower ranks. In the upper ranks, I'd say sprains and strians of the fingers, toes. Occasional sparring injuries mainly to the ribs. The list goes on, but these are the most common ones that I have experienced. I, myself, have had a broken rib. A broken thumb (don't ask ) and various bumps and bruises.

I think that would be a good start. Finding someone with the knowledge is the trick.

I'm going to have to go with Kungfumaster and Monkeygirl on this one. Try it out for awhile and see if you like it. It does sound like you are in a more tournament oriented style, which is fine if that's what you want out of your training. I say this because of the photo albums you mentioned as well as the ISKF (International Sport Karate Federation). Good luck in your training.

Exactly Fireka. That is odd isn't it? *L* Don't feel bad White Warlock. I tried for months to look up this guys credentials. I wrote e-mails to all of the legitimate organizations that he claims certified his rank. The USJF is the only only one that responded with the shodan certification I mentioned earlier. All of the other organizations are non-existent as far as I can tell. I also wasn't able to find ANY information on any of the instructors that he mentioned except Phil Porter who was linked to his shodan in judo.

He also claimed a bunch of super human feats and heroics when He was in Vietnam. As a former soldier and veteran of the Gulf War, I find this just as disparaging as the martial arts claims. He's soiling the memory of the many Americans that have actually fought and died for their country. Sorry again, but this guy really pushes my buttons! These claims were in another local paper's interview with him. Please don't think that I'm slamming him from some personal vendetta. By all means look up his name on a Google search and see what others think about him as well.

I've seen several of these "New Age Indians" claiming to be holders of ancient American Indian martial arts. Invariably they are all piece - a - meal styles made up of various Asian techniques. Most of the time these are done poorly. It's funny that White Warlock mentioned the American Indian Fighting Arts Association and Ten No Kishi Dojo. I personally took it upon myself to investigate Mr. Reagan's background a few years ago when I first heard of him. I lived in Arizona at the time and saw an article with some of his self-proclaimed exploits. The highest rank that I could validate was a shodan in Judo certified by the USJF. Now pit this against his lineage that he claims: Soke Harley Swiftdeer Reagan's Lineage in the Martial Arts Judo Swiftdeer started learning Judo when he was 8 years old. In 1958, he received his 1st degree Black Belt in Judo from Ace Sugigari, through the Armed Forces Judo Association (AFJA). Later, the AFJA became the United States Judo Association (USJA), and Swiftdeer received his 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree Black Belts in Judo directly through the USJA and the United States Judo Federation (USJF) / Kodokan. He then received his 5th degree Black Belt in 1979 through the main Hombu in Tokyo, Japan, from Phillip Porter, through the USJA. Jiu-Jitsu In Jiu-Jitsu, Swiftdeer received his 1st degree Black Belt in 1959 from Ace Sugigari in Fort Worth, Texas. He then received his 2nd degree Black Belt from Tad Osaka in Kyoto, Japan in 1961-1962, and his 3rd and 4th degree Black Belts from Master Tadaharu Yamaguchi, 10th Dan, Supreme Master, Shorinji-Ryu Jiu-Jitsu. He received all his subsequent Jiu-Jitsu ranks through Master Tadaharu Yamaguchi and the Ten-No-Kishi Dojos Main Hombu, Osaka, Japan. Karate Swiftdeer received his 1st Black Belt in Karate from Kobayashi Sensei in Shotokan Karate. His 2nd Black Belt, in Shorei-Ryu-Kenpo, he received from Lowell K. Lum (Go Dan) through Nippon Kobudo Renmei. He also received Black Belts in Chito-Ryu directly from Master Chitose in Japan and in the USA. Swiftdeer received various Black Belts in Shorin-Ryu-Karate in Okinawa. The ranks came trough Lowell K. Lum, Wallace W. Reumann, Don Drager and Master Kobayashi (who also certified Robert Trias). The current Japanese Master in Shorei-Ryu-Kenpo and Shorinji-Ryu Jiu-Jitsu is Master Kobahashi, from Osaka, Japan. Aikido Swiftdeer received his 5th degree Black Belt in Aikido from Master Tohei in 1979, in Pasadena, California. Current Promotions Recently Swiftdeer has received his promotions in Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and Karate from the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame (WMAHF) through Dr. Moore. Soke Swiftdeer's current certification comes through the WMAHF Certification Branch of the International Society of Black Belt Examiners and The International Society of Sokeship Council, as well as through Ten-No-Kishi Dojos in Osaka, Japan. All his students are registered and belted through Ten-No-Kishi Dojos. The moral of the story boys and girls is Caveat Emptor! If I am mistaken about any of this and you have solid proof then I will gladly remove this post and issue a formal apology to Mr. Reagan and his organization. I would urge anyone to check out the quality and validity of their instruction before hand. I will list again the link to the dojo so that you can take a look for yourself: http://www.ten-no-kishi.com/index.htm I'm not sure if I should be posting this, so if I'm stepping over the limit I apologize in advance to all of the admin and moderators of this forum. This is just a personal pet peeve of mine that people represent martial arts this way.

It may be intimidating at first. Just get in there and go for it. Soon you'll realize it's just another class. No one's out to try and kill their training partners, I hope.

That's all there is to it Warlock. No magic and nothing fancy. It's just a kick done exceedingly well. I think Iron Arahat makes a good point too.

I can't helpl you. Sorry, but I don't believe that tournaments are capable of being non-biased enough to be fair, much less having the results be a determining factor in how good your style is. I don't stop my students from going to tournaments, the choice is theirs entirely. Good luck with yours.

Thanks smr. I believe that I understand what you are talking about. I've done a variation of this technique somewhere along the line. It does work pretty well. I found this on a Meibukan site: Gokui waza - This represents a certain technique that best fits a given situation. All battles have a different outcome, and are ended with different techniques. To perform Gokui waza, one must have a clear mind, absence of conscious thought.

I'm going to have to go with Shorin Ryu Sensei here. All of the organizations that I am familiar with are far to political in nature for me. I just want to continue learning and pass on my attained knowledge to my students. If I can do this without getting the Great GrandMaster's approval, for the bargain price of $300, for dan ranks, then so much the better. All of the organizations that I am familiar with have lined themselves up to make as much money as they can get away with.

I'm pretty sure that particular story,aging of the belt until it turns black, is a myth. In Okinawa the early practitioners simply wore there everyday clothes to practice in. This may or may not have included an obi. The obi and gi weren't standard equipment until Jigoro Kano did it in his Judo style. Everyone else picked up on it from him.

Were you able to study it as it is traditionally taught in India? If so, How far were you able to advance in the system?