SaiFightsMS

Bagpuss Tai Chi is not just one thing. There are different kinds of tai chi. Some are the slower more graceful looking types that are seen in groups in parks early in the morning. There are also forms that are very athletic. Black Belt magazine did a 2 part article on tai chi a few years back that gave just an introduction to the many faces of tai chi.

Hello and welcome this is a great site. Looks like you have plenty to add.

Hello and welcome, This is a good place for discussion :nod:

Joe I have seen the tape of the competition you are referring to. Some of the kiai's are for show, some are for getting the attention of the judges and audience. Partly it sets a mood. There is a fairly big difference in the way a tournament kata is done and the way forms are practiced. There are places in katas where there are supposed to be kiais to denote a strike like Tobias said. In tournaments things get ummmmmmm amplified. More things are added for showiness. Make any sense?

So BabySteffee after all the good advice you have been given how are your side kicks coming? Do you think any one technique is helping you more than any other?

During some research I found some information of interest about how some katas seem to have so many different variants. It seems as though if people in a village visited another and would see a demo. Sometimes they would see a form that looked similar to the one they did. But, the one they did not always have a name. So they would go home and start calling the form they did by the name they heard in the village they were visiting. Then too differences would creep in as students became teachers in their later years and impart their own marks upon the form. Some of the forms we do may be centuries old but there is really no documentation much before the time of Itosu and his teacher Matsumura. About that time period is when some records began to be kept.

Actually when I am working visualization techiniques I have a mental sanctuary I visit. My first one was a hayloft. A hayloft is a very serene place. My second haven was a desert oasis. After spending time in the Mohave desert and Twentynine palms I will never forget the sounds and the feelings of the quiet desert.

Ad, the side kick does not necessarily have to land in a sideways facing stance. With more practice you will find your ability to put the kicking foot down into any stance you want to. Someplace else is a good thread on shiko or kiba dachi. I think it is in Shotokan. Go take a look. It may give you some useful information.

Actually from a seated position like in a wheel chair the backfist is and excellant technique. And while a spinning version will not be very fast in a power chair it can be a deadly techinique. Also the push handle on the back of the chair can be use like a spinning back fist strike to the nether regions of an attacker from behind. They need to be very close though.

Hello Korean stylists, I am looking for information on a particular form known by a few different names. In Okinawan based styles Rohai (any one of the katas), Matsumura Rohai, and Meikyo in Japanese styles. I got a line that there is a Korean variant of one of these katas called Myung Kyung. These are very old forms probably originating in China. It is really only the history from Matsumura and Itosu forward that has any written documentation. Any input or information is welcome. Sai

Jack I think it is a matter of experience and more time training. How much longer have they trained? And how much more sparring have they done? Something is wrong with a school that has black belts who are routine losers to underbelts. A special event like that has obvious value. Many times in class when a higher rank faces a lower rank it is part of the job of the higher rank to hold back enough to challange the jr student but allow them to learn at the same time. A very difficult thing to learn. With your attitude and application to your training some day some one will wonder the same thing about you. Just keep training and practicing and learning.

Another thing about weapons training is that 8th kyu karate rand and sensei's permission is required to start training. Reason being a very simple one. Put a weapon in the hand of many they forget about their feet. The stances disentegrate totally. Flailing the arms to regain balanace from a too narrow zen kutsu dachi is one thing. Trying to do the same with a weapon in the hands is dangerous.

Very common thing to have happen. And at one time I could have given you the technical explanation but I FORGOT IT!!! It does boost a lot of things in your system. Your metabolic functions are still running on high. Many people cannot sleep after weight training later at night.

Rofl Jiggy. :lol: Actually I didn't know I like these kinds of books until after I got into the talking book program. One of the first books they sent me was The Shining. So here I am one night laying in bed listening to this book(in the dark) with my faithful cat at my side listening with me. It got a little freaky and Audriel was looking around like she was seeing things in the shadows and I kind of was too. Then it got to one of the scenes with things in the hotels elevator. About that time the elevator on the other side of my bedroom wall started humming into motion...... :bawling:Kind of really added to the mystique of the book. Actually I think my favorite King book is The Stand. :nod:

I find I most consistently practice an autogenic relaxation and visualization at bedtime.

It may be really cool to get one up on sensei but not in the long run, Huh Angus.

With the ever increasing participation of women in the martial arts wouldn't it be great if every fool thought twice and just didn't attack to start with. Wouldn't it be great of every female had the chance to learn effective self defence techniques?

Wild punches of any kind are usually to see coming I agree. Stepping or ducking out of the way, yes I think that is best. Also I think the simple evasion might anger the thrower of the punch even more and maybe a next punch might be even wilder. I like the idea of letting someone fight against themself through loss of control.

Allright Joe, in my school everyone does bo (long staff) as their first weapon. There are many weapons and all have different characteristics. And sometimes the ones that seem the most appealing before you start actually working with them don't maintain your interest after you get started. They all require slightly different physical skills in the area of fine muscle dexterity. Most guys do seem to be drawn to the nunchaku for some reason.

Sounds really great Doug. Please promise to come back and tell us all what they are like to work with after you get started? Please???

What a situation Henry. What would have happened had you not intervened? Friends really hurt - not a nice thought. Two kicks may not seem like a lot to many of a more aggressive nature. But I think in the way we are taught using only the amount of force necassary you did the appropriate thing. Others may have unloaded completely. And while drinking great quantities of alcohol may be part of a macho culture your abstinence is truely commendable.

GIDDY-UP A champion jockey is about to enter an important race on a new horse. The horse's trainer meets him before the race and says, "All you have to remember with this horse is that every time you approach a jump, you have to shout, "ALLLLEEE OOOP!" really loudly in the horse's ear. Providing you do that, you'll be fine." The jockey thinks the trainer is mad but promises to shout the command. The race begins and they approach the first hurdle. The jockey ignores the trainer's ridiculous advice and the horse crashes straight through the center of the jump. They carry on and approach the second hurdle. The jockey, somewhat embarrassed, whispers "Aleeee ooop" in the horse's ear. The same thing happens -- the horse crashes straight through the center of the jump. At the third hurdle, the jockey thinks, "It's no good, I'll have to do it" and yells, "ALLLEEE OOOP!" really loudly. Sure enough, the horse sails over the jump with no problems. This continues for the rest of the race, but due to the earlier problems the horse only finishes third. The trainer is fuming and asks the jockey what went wrong. The jockey replies, "Nothing is wrong with me -- it's this bloody horse. What is he -- deaf or something?" The trainer replies, "Deaf?? DEAF?? He's not deaf -- he's BLIND!"

Welcome Henry and looking forward to reading your posts. :karate:Training in Japan kewl :nod:with the sword :nod:

Okay how about this: Farmer Joe and his Mule Farmer Joe decided his injuries from his recent accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court, the trucking company's fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe. "Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?" "Well, I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the--" "I didn't ask for any details," the lawyer interrupted. "Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?" "Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer and was driving down the road--" "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question." By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe's answer and told the lawyer so. "Well," said the farmer, "as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn't want to move. However, I could hear ol' Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, "Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?"

Interesting question Jiggy. I have wondered a lot about what should be good mental skills. As for bringing or developing a bad mental attribute in the martial arts I think one of the worst is too much confidence or ****iness. So many get so full of themselves. And it seems lilke the martial arts attracts a great deal of people who allready have this problem.