Sasori_Te

Shorin Ryu Sensei you bring a funny story to mind talking about leopard print underwear. When I was starting the style that I was able to stick with for several years my training partner was a 17 year old kid named Freddie. Freddie was your typical country boy from a small town in Louisiana. He was also a little cocky as he had a 2nd dan in Kajukenbo Kenpo Karate. Anyway, I'm really making a short story long here, Freddie used to like to change in the back of the open dojo area after class was over. We all changed there because there was no changing room. However Freddie was the only one that ever changed into different pants before he left. He always wore these cheesy neon leopard print underwear to class and would look around to see if any of the older women were watching him while he changed. He provided me with much entertainment back in the day. Here's to you Freddie, may you rest in peace.

Very well put Shane. That is exactly what I was thinking.

Here's an intersting comment someone mentioned to me that will go along with this conversation nicely, young black belt: "You're only an orange belt. How come you're kata looks so much smoother and stronger than mine?" much older orange belt: "That's because it is." young black belt: "Why do you think that is?" much older orange belt: "Kid, I've been in this body nearly 3 times longer than you've been alive. I've got a pretty good feel for what it will and will not do." This was an actual conversation that I overheard at a dojo I was visiting. I thought it was hilarious. It does still hold true.

Well, to me it sounds like the difference between potential energy and kinetic energy. You are probably already doing this if you know about proper weight transfer while you're moving through a strike. Even if you don't know it by the way that I'm explaining it you may already be doing this. A lunge punch is an example of this. Sinking your weight in tai chi is another. It's simple physics: Force=Mass x Acceleration. From what you are descibing Arakaki is likely assuming that the speed will be there already and he's just talking about ways to add as much mass as possible to the strike.

You're not allowed to tell?? By whom and why not??

I agree with tbken about one thing. Everyone ultimately has their own style of martial arts. That's the way it's supposed to be. Having an instructor that understands this is something else all together. Starting your own tradition is a sticky topic. What are your reasons for wanting to do this?

Okay, that answers that question. Thank you. I'm now curious about the added teachings. What is different?

I doubt very seriously if you could ever penetrate the musculature enough to break this particular suture. It's also very strong on its own accord being that it is fibrous cartilage. Like everyone said it's a nice goal and a good visualization to use during the technique, but I don't think it's very probable.

I'm assuming that you are talking about the JET? It is rather large and it is still not capable of holding plasma or say anti matter for an indefinite amount of time as would be required for what you are suggesting. I'll quit hi-jacking this thread now.

DM ,sounds like an interesting discussion. It would depend entirely on whether or not you had a means to produce an extremely strong, stable electromagnetic field. Any particle with a charge (+ or -) can be contained by an electromagnetic field if it's strong enough. I'm totally discounting several key pieces here, such as how you would go about generating such a strong field and how you would keep it insuch a stable condition as would be required. Not to mention keeping the antimatter from having a violent reaction with other matter that may be contained with it. Matter of fact, the main concern with nuclear fusion is a stable containment field to hold in the reaction. Technically possible but physically, not so far.

Karateka were more concerned with building up the weapons that they might actually have to use to defeend themselves and their family or village. Having strong dense bones and a hard (note I didn't say bulky) musculature. No you probably don't need to go to the extremes that the old guys did to do what you want to do with your art. However in a real self-defense situation these measure might make some difference. It is a balance of risk for today's martial artisits. Do I want to train myself like that and possibly cause myself injury or do I want to risk having my techniques be less effective because I didn't train my body for them to be truly effective. That type of training had more to do with the warrior mentality than anything else as well as the necessity of hard body conditioning training because weapons weren't allowed. In short, no, you probably don't need to do that to yourself. Also, if you train CORRECTLY you minimize the chance of developing arthritis and other bone and joint realated disorders.

This too is what I am trying to get tbken to answer and he won't because I suspect that he doesn't know the first thing about any of the scientific laws that he throws around like they were gospel truth.

XMA is a Hollywood type tournament style. It takes the flashiest moves from a number of different styles and combines them into the most nauseating tournament martial arts that I have ever seen. I'm surprised that you haven't had a chance to see the Discovery channel special.

Please tell me and everyone else thaiboxerken, which realities of physics rule our objective universe????

I, too woulike to know what physics you are talking about thaiboxerken. You really do need to stick to the things that you can use to back up your arguments. I'm guessing that you are not a true student of physics or any other science by the previous statements that you have made. You take scientific explanations and use them only when they back up your personal beliefs. This is the same thing that James Randi does as far as I can tell. Yet, you and he talk about how science is flawed if the results don't agree with your persoanl viewpoint. How is that good science exactly? Science is not perfect, nor are the scientists who do the experiments to further scientific research. Science is simply not able to explain everything, including day to day occurrences around the world. I still haven't heard any argument from you about this line of thought.

It depends on the mcdojo and the quality and content of the teaching. Sometimes more harm than good can happen

Like I said, I thought the drop-out rate was higher too.

Chinese styles have forms as well. However I tend to agree with you folks. Go back and take a look at the movies on the video page and give a critique of those please. I'm interested to hear other opinions on these clips.

I read an article somewhere, naybe it was another post. I can't remember. It threw out these figures. 1 in 20 get to Shodan 1 in 3 Shodan get to Nidan 1 in 3 Nidan get to Sandan and so on If I can find where I read this I'll let you know. I'm also not sure whether this is accurate or not because I see the attrition rate being higher than than that to get to Shodan.

Actually I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere that the wide stances in Shotokan were changed that way in order to promote endurance and conditioning for the school kiddies. But you have a valid point Cross. (That'll be $2.00 for validating your point .

The JKA school, no matter how far from your house is the best one that you have presented so far. The prices are high because the guy has a commercial location, but I don't fault schools by price alone. The instructors qualifications are accessible through the JKA and the cirriculum seemed pretty straight forward and standard for a Shotokan school. Indded this is the only sight that has listed what style of karate is being taught. Unless it's really unreasonable for you to get there I would check this place out.

What I'm curious about is that the words used don't have anything to do with Tibet. Is he just using implications that the Tibetan arts have made his art more efficient or what I don't understand how the name refers to Tibet.

oops, sorry Delta, I didn't read your posts. I agree with you fully.

Like I said earlier, if you laid out the star pattern formed by the five elements on the ground and apply the interactions of the elements to your movements you get what you are talking about. First you have to understand very well the interaction of the five elements.

I've looked a little closer at his web site and the application form. James Randi is not a scientist, nor is he or any of his representatives unbiased when it comes to observing. They make their money by "debunking" claims of the paranormal and extraordinary. Hmmm, what would it do to his foundation, not to mention his reputation if he were ever "proven" wrong? Seeing that he has the most to lose by a successful demonstration and seeing the limitations that he sets on his application, I'm not surprised that no one has ever passed his muster before. They never will. Especially no martial arts claims, as most of these demonstrations would encompass 2 people. No demonstration can be done that might cause harm to another individual. It's worded very carefully for maximum interpretability. James Randi uses the precept called Occam's razor by the scientific community..it refers to the idea that the simplest solution is more likely when all other things are equal. Except that all things are hardly ever equal. Not to mention that James Randi is not a person of science. He is a layperson, a magician, that has used his understanding of magic tricks to explain away a lot of other things that he has no true knowledge of. Did I mention that he has figured out a way to make a lot of money doing this?