SaiFightsMS

My Barbarian Sho-Heian has completed all the quest's in Diablo 2 (killing Diablo) and was awarded the title of sir. Now time to install the expansion. My new character is an assasin. We had a major mishap in the river of fire. We cornerd Hephasto on the stairway leading to the City of the Damned. And now we can't pick up the Hellforge hammer laying on the top steps.

Mine came out McQPa Dedy my title Nni Fury of Ultram Hey KickChick I also had a pinto. _________________ Shotokan Karate, bo, sai Karate means a better life [ This Message was edited by: SaiFightsMS on 2002-05-22 10:03 ]

So which kata was it? You have aroused out curiousity.

Some karate forms have a really mixed pace to them. There are quick explosive moves and slower tensioned moves. Wankan is a good example.

Welcome and come often.

Well said KickChick. Even though we are over 40 we can do things we never thought possible with the right training and mental fortitude.

Pretty much, just another variation.

When my club brings all the sites together for a tournament sesei sets up the divisions very carefully, especially for the lower ranking younger kids. They are grouped so that everyone will get some kind of a medal to give them a sense of accpmplishment. You make think that sounds kind of mcdojoish but as they rise in rank things change and they really have to compete for their medals. Our philosopy is to try to encourage the kids while teaching them at the same time.

I like the top right one. It is really a major thing to design your own logo. Will you have patches made with it?

Congratulations to all who have been around since the beginning. And yes, a lot of things on the internet seem to disappear or fall into disuse. This is one of the liveliest forums going.

Welcome to the forum. You might want to check area YMCA'a and rec centers. They sometimes have programs where someone comes in and teaches. Some are quite good.

Welcome to the forum. And I hope you find a new new place to train.

Some of the cause came back in the early 70's. With what inspired others to begin training in the martial arts inspired others to use them to cause trouble. The nunchaku became a sort of a symbol. Something that could be easily hidden and misused. The actions of a small group of trouble makers caused a backlash against something that became seen as a symbol. Kind of like all the places skateboards are banned.

Thank you. And I will be around for a while.

I have noticed that since I switched to using netscape for my browser the chat applet does not work for my anymore. And there are some video clips that will not download. And I cannot play the games in msn passport.

One of the secondary complications of joint problems is that while compensating for the problems other joints can become stressed and develope problems as well.

Actually I think a truly balanced training regimen includes both strength and aerobic conditioning. And don't forget the flexibility work. _________________ Shotokan Karate, bo, sai Karate means a better life [ This Message was edited by: SaiFightsMS on 2002-05-20 19:10 ]

The cord does traditionall go down inside the nunchaku. The channels or grooves in the side are hollowed out for a purpose to allow the cord to stay recessed. When you tie the know the ends of the cord are sticking outside the nunchaku. If you desire to get the cord inside of them slide the knot around after it is tied. It really isn't a difficult procedure. It does help though if you have handled a pair of corded nunchaku that have been retied before you try to tie your own if you are having a problem. As an added thought the channel on the side is cleared with a chisel in the same manner as it is done for a hinge in a cabinet. _________________ Shotokan Karate, bo, sai Karate means a better life [ This Message was edited by: SaiFightsMS on 2002-05-20 19:05 ]

Shotokan and any other style of karate with a name and a heiritage differ from generic karate because of the heiritage. They have traceable roots and a "founder". Shotokan traces itself to Gichon Funakoshi a student of Itosu. The style stesses equal use of hands and feet, deep stances, use of koshi (hips for power) and reciprocal action. Not really sure what you are looking for though. Does this help?

Well MonkeyGirl seems like you have had a learning experience. I have a blind spot on one side and have a really bad habit of walking into my opponents handpads. Much easier to do with a taller oppenent. Now that you have had a questionable experience do you still feel the same way about training? Some in you position would never again enter the dojo. Some seem to thrive on things like this. Still seeing double at times huh? Actually I see like that on some of my worse days. Quite and experience. Watch out for the door frames.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I had to change schools because of transportation.

LOL Kicker the opposite usually happens to me. Too many think I am a guy.

Krozor come back and tell us how it went. Heian katas are not generally practiced in Isshinryu.

I AM THE PRODUCT OF A McDOJO M.J. Harday ...and it pisses me off. I went into a training program in good faith. I didn't know much about karate, or even that there were different types of martial arts, but I did know that I wanted to learn how to defend myself. To someone like me, whose only exposure was through TV and movies, when a school opens and you go to see the instructor, and he looks like what he does is alot like the things you see on TV, you tend to believe that they really do know what they are doing. When the price seems reasonable and he says "you look like you're in pretty good shape, good enough I can promise you'll be a black belt in 2 years" you get excited, and you sign on the dotted line. When he offers you a 10% discount for paying cash up front, you jump at it. And then you start your classes, knowing that in just 2 years you'll be a black belt and you'll be able to defend yourself. He was right. In 2 years I did get my black belt. I went through the test with a dozen other people, and we all paid $500 to test, and amazingly enough we all passed. We were downright proud of ourselves and each other for getting through 2 years of sweat with each other, helping each other to learn along the way. Our classes just seemed like what a karate class should be. We bowed in, we called each other 'sir" and "madame"; we exercised and pushed ourselves hard to get into shape; we learned countless kata and spent hours working on special kicks. We learned alot. What we didn't learn though, and didn't even realize we weren't learning, was how to use the techniques that were in the kata. We never learned to combine techniques. We never realized just because we could do these kata well, and just because we had nice looking, fast and powerful kicks, that we didn't know how and when to use them. We never sparred. None of us had ever taken any real contact. Most of us, so damned pleased with ourselves for sticking with it for two whole years, stayed and went for our 2nd degree black belts. And then third. The only thing that changed in the class patterns was the kata we learned. But we were doing so well! I could have stayed on that happy little path for the rest of my life if not for what happened to someone else. I wasn't even there, but it opened my eyes. It scared me so badly that I had to start reading notes posted on the internet, and comparing what other people were saying about their schools to what was going on in mine. I even started checking out the things other schools in the area were doing. One of the men I started class with, one of the guys who blazed his way through to black belt in 2 years and stuck with it along with me was beaten up in a way I didn't think anyone could survive. He was a mass of ripped flesh and broken bones and blood, and that was after a few days of healing. He lost the hearing in one ear and for a while they weren't sure he was going to walk again. All because he was attacked, and he thought he knew how to defend himself. He says now that he was confident until he was hit with the first punch. All that kata practice hadn't taught him how to block effectively. We were never taught that a kata is a fight from one side and that the things were were doing represented someone else fighting us. It was just patterns we had to learn. Block-punch-kick... well how in the hell was that supposed to teach us anything when we never really knew what it was in the first place, what the movements represented, and how to counter attack? We're not black belts. We're a bunch of well conditioned dancers. This guy could have died. As it is he will have lasting effects of being beaten for the rest of his life. It was an eye opener for all of us, when we realized none of us had ever even taken a serious punch. Things just kind of fell into place then. We didn't spar. We weren't allowed to compete. The reason given that sport held no place in his teaching, but the truth is that he couldn't afford for us to be exposed to people in the martial arts who knew what they were doing. A few months later, we know. We were conned. This joker left his own instructor as a blue belt with only 2 years instruction because he thought he was good enough. It wasn't good enough. His ego could have gotten any of us killed. If you own a belt factory, please think twice about what you are doing. Your students trust you, and the rely on you to teach them well. I spent a lot of years of my life thinking I was being taught by a high ranking black belt when he was just a smooth talking jerk who couldn't stick with his own training. I thought I was about to test for my 3rd degree black belt. Now I know, after talking to people and then going to see other schools, that I am probably no better skilled than the average 1-2 year student with a orange or green belt. I might be faster and have more endurance, but they know more than I do. I have started training now with a Chung Do Kwan teacher who is 100% different. Nothing is a given with him. He didn't promise me anything and hearing my version of how-I-got-My-Blackbelt insisted I begin as a white belt, and he would give me ample opportunity to progress if I learned things quickly. You know, that black belt just isn't as attractive anymore. I just want to be able to defend myself. If you own a McDojo, think twice. It's not your life that might end in a bloody heap on the side of the road. Can you live with that? I hope not.

Damp slippery floors are a great equilizer. Not an unusual problem though. Wonder how others deal with it. Congrats anyway Jack.