aefibird

Do you mean an official line of Bruce Lee clothing, or just stuff that is similar to what he wore?

I'd say that if you want to cut the sleeves off your gi to wear at home then that would be OK. Many traditional (and some not-so-traditional) schools wouldn't allow you to train in a sleeveless gi top. Plenty of people find it disrespectful and that it promotes an image not usually associated with traditional MA training. However, if you're wanting to cut the sleeves off your gi top just to wear it to train in at home, then there's no reason why you shouldn't save your gi and just keep on training in your basketball top. When I train at home or on my own in the dojo (not in a regular class), I don't wear my gi. I usually wear a tracksuit or gi pants and a t-shirt. If in doubt then check with your instructor.

Sorry to hear about your gerbil. I hate it when pets are sick. I hope that he gets well soon!

My home PC is Packard Bell. I don't have a laptop, but I'm looking into getting an Apple iBook - anyone own one?

Not many, I suspect.

Yes, blocks can be effective, but only if trained with effectively. As Sasori-Te says "A block is a strike is a lock is a throw." The reason that some people think that blocking is ennefective is because in many schools it is taught ineffetively. That's not just in one particular style, either, bad teaching stretches across into many styles these days.

Hey, consumer-do is very powerful! Don't knock the amazing (spending) power of practitioners of consumer-do!!

Did the program name the particular style(s) that the guy trained in? It's very sad that someone of 40 years MA experience couldn't spot a fake from the real thing. Still, from what you've all written it sounds that at least the guy had a good go at it. Kudos to him for trying even though he knew that he wasn't very skilful. We have a similar show in the UK, but as far as I know no-one has done a MA "fake" on it yet.

Very true. However, in some areas of the world certain scenario's are more common than others. For example, I live in an area where the primary weapon/attack method used would be either weaponless or with a knife or blade. However, in the nearest big city to me gun crime is having a massive increase, so a "street encounter" there would be more likely to involve a gun or guns than a similar scenaio in the place where I live would do.

I suppose a video/DVD training system where you send off a video of yourself performing techniques in order to be graded would be a good idea for those people living in remote communities. However, leaning a MA solely from a video/dvd series wouldn't be a good idea IMO. Even if you lived in the true middle-of-nowhere, you'd still need to have some interaction with a teacher/instructor. Still, at least this 'get your blackbelt' system is better than some that I've seen - at least with this one you have to send in a video test for it in order to be declared worthy of a BB. Some 'get your blackbelt at home' systems that I've seen advertised actually send you a BB and a certificate as soon as you purchase their videos/dvds!

http://www.martialartsupply.com/Training_Gear/Workout/Kung_Fu_Ring/kungfurings.jpg Does anyone use rattan rings in their Wing Chun training and do you find them to be of help?

I preferred Ju-On to The Grudge, although I thought that The Grudge was an excellent film. My faves are: The Scream Trilogy (sheer class and a great way to resurrect the slasher movies genre) Ju-On/The Grudge The Ring Saw Halloween & Halloween H2O Hellraiser Dawn of the Dead (but Shaun of the Dead is even better IMO!) The Exorcist It Carrie House of 1000 Corpes Psycho Friday the 13th Dracula Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original, not the re-make) Blade Interview With The Vampire Anything with Jean Claude Van Damme in it - his films are so bad it's scary...

Sorry, I don't know. One thing you could do to find out would be to have a quick search on google and see if you can find reference to anyone selling similar magazines for lots of £££. Are the mags in decent condition? If they are, then they'll be worth more than ones that look battered about. If you find out that the magazines are worth pots of cash, then don't forget your friends on Karate Forums!

What movies are they showing?

My own poetry is far too terrible (bad!) to inflict on others, so I'll share one of my own favourites:

Myself and a couple of other people from my dojo once did a spoof 'kata' performance and application of the Timewarp for our association Christmas party - in full Rocky Horror dress. The applications that you can get from a "jump to the left and a step to the right" are incredible! I'll have to post some pictures of it if I can find some...um..more tasteful photographs.

I started 6 1/2 years ago and have loved every minute of my martial arts training! I was brought up in a "Judo household" - my father and brother both trained in Judo, although not at the same time period. However, my parents wouldn't let me train in MA - something that I thought (and still think) was very unfair.

I think that books/videos can be a good training tool when used in conjunction with a good instructor. For example, when I first started Aikido I bought myself a book written by an instructor who taught the same style as I was learning. It contained a list of many Aikido techniques, along with photographs and illustrations. I bought the book in order to use it as a reference - when you start a new martial art, there are so many things to learn at once that it can be confusing. That's where a book can help. The Aikido book helped me to remember the names of techniques and to study the finer points of them. Aikido is a difficult art to train in on your own, but when I was reading the book I felt that I was mentally training, even though I couldn't physically train in the techniques without a partner. However, I wouldn't have bought that book had I not been training with a competent instructor - I bought it as as useful addition to having a Sensei, not as a replacement. If I'd tried to learn basic Aikido from a book I would have ended up confused and with a poor knowledge of the style. As it was, the book helped me to progress in Aikido, but only because the techniques I was studying from the book were the same as I had actually been taught.

Very funny! Do you have a link to any more cartoons by the same people/person?

I had more problems with T. Sandan than I did with T. Shodan or T. Nidan. However, if you break each part down and work on it then you'll get it in the end. Don't stress about it - that'll only make it worse.

That's the best explanation I have heard so far! Yeah, I'm a cheapskate too - I don't like parting with old gi either...

I'm regularly used as the "demonstration dummy" by my karate Sensei - my Wing Chun Sifu has started demonstrating things on me now, too, so I usually get pretty pummelled almost every day... I've sparred with my Karate Sensei too, but never been seriously injured by him in a sparring match, except for a few bruises and knocks. However, he once demonstrated a takedown technique on me and ented up chipping the bone in my ankle. It was an accident (these things happen) and Sensei was very apologetic about it - I got a free meal out of him afterwards for it! Almost makes up for the pain...

If you could get hold of a video clip/clip link of it then that would be great.

Yes, Wing Chun is a good example.

Snake and Crane or Tiger and Crane.