DLopez

ZR440, sorry for the late reply to your question, re: programming chips. I must have missed that one earlier. I don't have a chip programmer, the programming in my car is stored in flash memory in the PCM, so I'm able to just download new parameters. In fact, the tool I use is specific to the motor in my car. (GM LS1/LS6 engines) It's called "LS1 Edit". I use a different tool for scanning during run time ("AutoTap"), but it doesn't have the ability to program. So, sorry, can't help with your re-program efforts.

Agreed, Shawn, thanks! That really clears up a lot.

That's what it all boils down to ultimately. Horsepower to weight ratio really jumps on the plus side in a light vehicle. That's another big reason we like big powered motors, is the HP/Wt ratio would be awful in the relatively heavy cars I like. Few words can describe the purr of a Ferrari motor, no doubt! But to someone that loves to dive under the hood and affect repairs myself, I'm not so sure I'd be up to the task with some of the essentially "de-tuned" race engines like you find in the Ferraris. Not that I'd mind trying, but mistakes on a motor like that could be costly! It's the simplicity of the oft described "barbaric", overhead valve, pushrod'd, gas guzzling V8's, is what makes them so popular here. Just about anyone can work on them, and parts aren't so expensive. And they can make lots of power, and lots of torque too, when built right. Doesn't sound like we're too different after all, other than the 'style' of cars you prefer - sporty coupes vs. my affinity to 'muscle cars'. I've gotten my car set up so that it's very predictable through the curves, and yes, a full power four wheel drift can be quite exhilarating!

DM, If you've never experienced the POWAH!! of a large motor, then I can understand your feeling. Once you've experience what power behind the wheel feels like, you're hooked. As the old adage goes, "There's no replacement for displacement!" But just because we like to talk about horsepower, it doesn't mean we aren't interested in the chassis setup. Many gearheads here in the States like to drag race, while others prefer the twisties and race in Auto-X events sponsored by the SCCA. But you have to choose one or the other because a chassis and suspension setup that makes a car perform good in one type of racing makes it perform poorly in the other. A car set up with compromises to do both types of racing will do poorly in both types. My car has a "twisties" type suspension setup. It's been lowered 1" all around with stiffer, hi-performance springs, it has larger anti-sway bars, and has hi-performance shocks. That's pretty much all there is to tweaking my car's chassis and suspension other than using competition tires instead of street tires. Still, I like to take mine drag racing even though I know it won't do as well as it could with a different suspension. The rush of raw, powerful acceleration is addicting, and I can only say that you have to experience it to understand it. Probably the only thing as much fun as that kind of acceleration, is awesome top speed! And you can only get either with LOTS of horsepower!!

Probably. Then again, all these hits might force me to learn faster... assuming I don't knock my own block off first. As far as the swords go, ya, its best to train with a 'training' sword, but eventually you have to learn to peform your forms with a live blade.

I would love to be just a few hours away from Germany's Autobahn! Of course, I'd have to re-gear the rear end down to something like 2.73:1 ratio as that's more top speed driving than acceleration. Still, I understand the roads are well kept and ultra-smooth! One of these days... My Trans Am had a top speed limit of 155 MPH programmed into the computer, but since I now own a re-programmer, I raised it to 300 MPH to get it out of the way. Hehe!

I use a 6' one. I don't know if there are 'official' sizes, but we tailor them to the person's height, so a shorter person would use a shorter staff. This is because of the way we spin them, but after a while of non-stop spinning, I begin to notice how friggen heavy my staff has gotten more than how long it is.

I'm beginning to think I should wear my sparring gear while I train with the Jool Bong... The next class, I was swinging the jool bong down under my armpit on my free hand side, and catching the jool bong with my free hand as it swings up and over my shoulder, doing that from side to side when, SMACK!!! Yep, right in the back of my head!! For a second, I thought I was in Hollywood, because I was seeing stars everywhere! Holy Moly, right now I'm more dangerous to myself than anyone else with these things!

I've found that it's usually the first few bites that "bite", when eating spicy foods. I just love stuffed jalapenos, and the first one usually lights me up pretty good, but subsequent ones just don't seem to pack the same kick as the first one. I guess that's what's c"comfortably numb". Hehe! Just realized we've hijacked Beka's dream thread with all this talk of spicy foods...

Delta1 and WW, excellent points to support your ideas on this issue. However, I keep reading things like "some are able to adjust, but most are not." This is the part that keeps tripping me up. How is this qualitative analysis conclusion arrived at? Even if some people have witnessed this first hand, how is the conclusion arrived at that this applies to "most" people, and not just the few that were 'observed'? Maybe I am in the minority, but myself and the others I spar against find that light contact training takes an extreme amount of control and thought, and there have been many times where we've had slips in control and someone ends up getting hit pretty hard. That's when we have to re-focus and concentration back to "light contact". Just going from my own personal experience, the natural tendency is to not pull my punches or kicks. Either I'm "different", or the whole idea that training light contact causes bad habits is somewhat flawed. So when I read the "most" people that train light contact cannot adjust to real life, I can't help but wonder what pool of data this is coming from. Some have talked about "facts" to support this, but I've yet to see any. Only theories.

Sevenstar, this is an interesting point. Are you suggesting that the only way to become acclimated to pain is to get punched or kicked full speed? I don't believe it is.

This just round-robin play right? You win some and lose some, but how you bounce back from adversity is what determines champions. They can still pull it off, right? If so, just keep on rooting for them - don't give up! But still, losing to the French??? (j/k! - congrats to the French players)

I have to agree with delta1 and WW in their more balanced attitude on this. I guess when I read "non-contact", I translated it into light contact, as I don't know what a completely "non-contact" martial art is... Still, I've yet to see it clearly proven that the reason someone loses a fight is because they didn't train full contact, and not because they really just weren't as good at their martial art as they thought - regardless of whether they train full contact or light - or because the other person was just a better fighter, regardless if they were a martial artist or not. With so many variables contributing to the outcome of a fight, how can you pin a loss on one thing like full contact vs. light/no contact training?

Thanks, WW,... I think. That seems to be quite a popular myth. I've not read anything to substantiate it yet though. I would counter by claiming that practicing with light contact takes a concientious effort to hit light because the natural tendency is to hit full contact. In a street fight however, I'm not going to restricted to pulling punches or kicks like I would trying to do in practice. I'd be free to "swing away". If training with light contact causes me to developed muscle memory of pulling my kicks, why don't I find myself pulling my kicks when I kick the bag?

Whatever. I don't know anyone who has had this experience. I don't even know anyone who knows anyone who's had this experience. I think the premise of your argument is flawed from the get-go, and your conclusion is nothing more than just another opinion... which is fine. If you want to belive you're invincible because you train full contact, go for it, but don't be upset when none of us worship you for it. You're not the first one to come here and make such boisterous claims, and you won't be the last. Yawn.

I drive a 1998 Pontiac Trans Am, similar to this one, only mine's white: Pontiac Trans Am (Darnit, you'll need to "save target as" to your machine first) The car I'd own if I could? It'd have to be this: Dodge Viper SRT-10, White Mamba Edition The Mamba is so sweet looking, IMO, with an "American Muscle" V-10 to back up those good looks!

Eh... Don't follow motorsports much, eh? Le Mans isn't a "circle". But hey, NASCAR rawks too!!

Corvette C5-R baby!! Oh ya, the Audi's did well too in LM P1 class, but the way the Corvette team battled back after being tagged a couple times during the race to overtake Ferrari and 1st and 2nd in GTS class was simply awesome! An American Porsche team also won the GT class.

Every year in Katy, Texas, there's a hot sauce festival that features some of the hottest sauces you can buy, and get free samples! This past year, I sampled one called "Death by Stupidity". On the back label, it says "This product does not really kill you, but you will wish it did". I like hot food, but this was so hot, it only tasted like 1000 degrees farenheit!!!

Another Texan here, but down in Houston.

I don't know if anyone else has done this, but last night in my weapons class, we were learning some basic Jool Bong (nunchaku in Japanese) techniques. I'm just starting with the jool bong, so it's ok to laugh if this sounds familiar to some of you more experienced jool bong/nunchaku practitioners! I was practicing a very basic move of a behind the back transfer from one hand to the other when WHAM-O!! The end of the jool bong hit me right square in the "funny bone" nerve! Instantly, my hand went numb for about 10 seconds, and then when feeling did start coming back, my hand felt like it was on fire! That lasted only for a few minutes, but my arm felt "tingly" the rest of the night. I was afraid I really hurt my arm, but this morning it felt much better and is just sore like a bruise where I hit it. Dang, that hurt!

Travis, you sound like a transplanted Texan. Big howdy back atcha!

I have no problem with obtaining a permit to carry a weapon. I don't own a gun, but as long as I am able to obtain the proper permit to carry one, I'm satisfied that my rights are protected in case I want one in the future. I have many friends who do have a CHL (Concealed Handgun License) and have never had to even think about using it yet. I feel secure with them carrying because of the type of training they must go through to obtain the permit. Now if this is just a bogus application process in that story where no matter what, you are denied a permit, then that would suck. I'd hate to live there, but if that's what the majority of people there want, you can't argue with that. I'm just glad I don't live where guns are outlawed, and only outlaws have guns.

No doubt, but tackling and wrestling a guy that outweighs you isn't?

My son expressed an interest in taking martial arts. Right about that time, a friend of mine opened his own MA school (Kuk Sool Won), and invited me to bring my son Andreas for a trial. Well, it looked so fascinating that I decided to join too that day. It's been a real pleasure watching my son progress, as well as grow in stature. He's got a very nice, high spin kick developed! It won't be too much longer before he's taller than me, but I'm determined to not let him beat me in sparring!