White Warlock

scottnshelly's response is similar to mine, with a few comments: There seems to be a few pages of opportunity missed in the story rendering. If the guy was hitting up on my girlfriend, i would allow my girlfriend to handle the situation. If she wants to be with the guy, then why the frick would i want to be with her?!? Seriously though, i would respect my girlfriend's ability to handle the situation appropriately and this could deescalate it far better than if i were to 'be macho' and intervene. If, on the other hand, she is unable, i may find it appropriate to 'offer the guy a drink' (one possible approach). If i deem this may be a problem situation, I'll ask my girlfriend for a few minutes, then i would join him at the bar, buy him a drink, and kinda buddy up with him for a few minutes. In the buddying up, i'll try to quickly gauge him and figure out his likes/dislikes and attitude towards women. I'll then try to speak his language, if you will, and let him know i'm trying to score. In this initial approach, i'm hoping for the best case scenario, which is that he'll stick with the comraderie i provided and give me room to 'score.' If, on the other hand, this doesn't work, i can be comfortable in knowing that the situation can escalate in 'public' and with my girlfriend out of harms' way. Moving on... and assuming i was duped, i leave the restaurant/bar and find him and another guy outside following us, i would again gauge the situation and opt not to reach the car. I would, instead, offer the keys to my gf, along with my cell phone (while we're still walking casually, of course), and tell her to nonchalantly walk to the car, get in, lock the doors, start the damn thing, and call 911. Hopefully she'll try to pick me up afterwards (gad, i hope i don't have doofus for a girlfriend this time). I, on the other hand, will allow her to go to the car and act like i left something in the restaurant/bar, yet will not walk directly towards those guys, but at an angle. If they pursue me, all the better. If they continue after her, i will need to catch their attention with mild banter. Possibly say something like, "hey, you got a light?" The goal here is to seperate my dependency (her) from me, present her with the tools she needs to defend herself, and then approach the threat with the 'intent' of deescalating it before it even has a chance of going any further than 'perception of threat.' If, on the other hand, i'm a total doofus, and i allow them to get that close to me and her, and he blocks my path to the car door... well, frankly, unless there was some very significant signals being presented that they wanted to talk, i would strike fast, furiously, and repeatedly. First the one most likely to assault (which is, oddly enough, usually not the one in front of you), and then the one doing the posing (usually the one in front of you). When they get that close, they've taken away your safety zone (the car), placed themselves within range to cause injury to your dependent (any person you are with is a dependent, as far as a martial artist should look at things), have entered into your personal space (hell, in this situation, 6 feet away is in my personal space), and outnumber you, there really is no more room for dissuade. It's time to get ugly, fast, and create an opening for my girlfriend to run back into the bar. As to exactly how i would attack... well that really does depend on what are my options. If there's dirt on the floor, or keys in my hands, i have weapons. In any situation you must do a quick survey of your options, and then ensure you take every available option into consideration, determining how best, and when, to use whatever is around you (including other people... not as shields, but as participants or people who can 'call the police' or jump in the bar for help, or whatever).

Really matters what the habits are, and whether they are not in fact addictions. State the habits. just to cover a few: if you bite your nails, wear gloves or keep a jar of bitters oils around to moisturize your hands with. if you suck your thumb, same thing with the bitters or the glove if you burp a lot, take simethicone regularly until the 'urge' is removed by the lack of gases. if you pick your nose, gloves or play with jalapeno peppers when bored (but remember not to touch your eyes).

I'll toss my opinion, based on direct observation and also on previous research (and do note, i do research). The founder, Al Moore Sr, is deceased. A great man for achieving as much as he did in his life. I generally hold to a policy of not talking ill of the dead. I will speak of what he has stated and of the information i have been able to obtain. He and his son studied Ed Parker's kenpo w/Bob Blackmore in the late sixties. By all counts he was a beginner when he walked in the door, which brings contradiction to the claims he studied in China shortly after WWII. He was also noted as an average student and studied for only a few years before he either bought out the school in Walnut Creek or created his own. He later presented the system called shou shu, which looks remarkably like Ed Parker's kenpo, including the forms. Basically, it is argued that shou shu is an 'adulterated' offshoot of kenpo. It is rumored he studied at the Arthur Murray dance studio (not for dance) with Dacascos and a few others, but this rumor was not substantiated. I.e., Dacascos and others of the time did not substantiate the claim. This is likely either because they didn't want to get involved with the witchhunt, or they simply did not remember him... which says volumes in and of itself. But, then again, that's what rumors do, right? Continuing... The interview listed here http://www.mooreschinesemartialarts.com/about/new_articles.htm present a gross ignorance of China (which he claims to have studied at), the martial arts of China in general, and many other aspects. For a 'master' to state such things is, at the very least, disturbing. At the most likely, revealing. He states such things as kung fu being Cantonese and shou shu being Mandarin. that they are sister arts and the mother of all other systems. Hello... Note that in his article (page 4) he stated he never studied any other karate. Kenpo, at the time... was called kenpo karate. Sort of what they call it now, eh? Entertaining too, because on page 3 he said he had a black belt in kempo (i assume the same), as well as a black belt in judo and ju jutsu. Which brings me to quote a particular paragraph from that article: *bling* *bling* *bling* Moving on... Now here's the interesting part. In a matter of 8 years or so, he had over 30 instructors... and i think 12 schools (memory is sketchy on that part). A good businessman, to say the least. I have read that they claim their system is a 'core' system and that its origins reach as far back as Egyptian times. They state that a forefather system is kalaripayit. However, kalaripayit's applications and approaches are 'nothing' like any of shou shu's animals. Indeed, if i may be so bold, the animals in shou shu do not approach, or even appropriately emulate, 'any' Chinese system's animals. You would think there would be 'some' similarities, eh? After all, did they not all originate from India (kalaripayit)? Or, even if they did and the animal concepts were not created in India, but later in China, would they not be similar to the animal styles in China? Btw, just to toss out a point of contention to the claims of shou shu coming from China, but having been a 'secret' system (the long-stated argument as to why there is no indication of lineage or any information 'anywhere' in China regarding this particular art), does not hold well with my knowledge of China's history (as it pertains to the martial arts) and the way in which such things as 'animal styles' and other 'flowery' concepts came to being. I.e., they were primarily birthed due to marketing purposes, by masters to gain attention of nobles and wealthy merchants. For to be retained by one of wealthy, meant to be retained for life (in most cases). Therefore, to compete for employment (essentially), they presented 'interesting' and 'flowery' factors into their systems. Interesting how marketing then is still marketing now, except now it's on the big screen. Some of the things that bothered me are that many of the students, in discussions and in person, have displayed a 'bar room brawler' mentality, which falls into the 'opportunist' picture and conflicts heavily with my belief in how the arts are to be studied. I.e., not as a means to take advantage of drunk people, but as a means to develop oneself, whilst along the way gaining the ability to save yourself, or another, from serious harm if need arises. So, basically, it seems with all the elements of animals... they are missing an element of 'spirit.' There's more on Moore's system, but i would have to redo my research to get grittier details, as most of this i pulled out of my memory. Hope what i provided has helped.

Actually, he was a judoist.

Why? Well because it is one system i've always been curious about, and had very little exposure to. I understand we have a few practitioners in the mix now and would love to pick their noses... err... brains. From what i gather, my background would make me a quick shoe-in for absorbing that system. Thoughts?

Btw, i'm enjoying this discussion (not necessarily in my participation, but in my soaking in). I've never really paid attention to the politics of the tkd organizations and it is nice to get an education here, for a change.

MMA, in reference to the competitions, means mixed martial arts, referring to the allowance of different styles to compete against each other, not that all the competitors are mixed martial artists, or eclectics as it used to be called. As to the thought that a purist practitioner wouldn't fare well in an MMA, that is definitely not necessarily true. The Gracies practiced 'one' system. Many of the great wrestlers that competed in the UFC relied on 'one' system. Judo and sambo purists, from around the world, have competed and done quite well in MMAs. Many others relied on their 'one' system... to 'win.' What matters is not as much the system, or systems, but the conditioning.

http://www.answers.com/topic/aikido

Sounds like the same comment i hear of children not wanting their parents to seperate. Determine what is your will, and thier will. It may be that you are projecting 'hope.'

I intentionally didn't watch a Bruce Lee movie until i was in the martial arts for at least a decade. Because of all the "Dragon" hype at the time (70's and early 80's), i simply didn't want to be stereotyped with all the people who were swinging around nunchakus like monkeys in the shower. I went into the martial arts for my own reasons, and with influence by those in my immediate family, the instructors i had, and by a Korean kid back when i was in 6th grade (no, i don't know his name, nor is it relevant or all that significant). Television and movies had little to nothing to do with my involvement in the arts. By the way, i parked the in my earlier post here because i couldn't figure out what the original poster's point was. I.e., Zauriel, are you asking for opinions, tossing out your beliefs, or posing general information carried by a postulation that was presented as fact? I just didn't, and still don't, see what it is you are asking of our participation in this thread. If it were information posed to strengthen a postulation, then i would say the postulation is incorrect, in that you are grabbing modern celebrities in the arts and giving them credit for centuries of studies. No offense Zauriel, just attempting to understand intent.

Yep, that was a fake fall. Notice how he rolls to his stomach to prevent the 'amateur' from following up. Also note how the faller steps inward to setup his own fall. Most notable was that none of those strikes contained the power, or were able to pass the defense presented by the 'slightly overweight' person he fought. The kid was far too lazy with his attack. Would have been eaten up had he gone against a 'veteran,' or even a 1 year student for that matter. Ah well, if it helps him to break his drug addiction, all the better.

I recommend having your liver and gall bladder checked. No need to worry at this point. May simply be your diet.

Okay, so we have the ones tossing out paragraphs of information, and then others tossing out their single-sentence unsubstantiated opinions. Which would you listen to?

Don't ask me. I haven't coped with my hamster dying back in 73'! Seriously though, everyone handles loss differently. When my dad died, i just got busy while the rest of my family cried and mourned. When my friend died, i went to the funeral and joked with my other friends, sharing entertaining memories. When my friend's wife died, i ran to provide my unconditional support to him, and then thought deeply for at least a year. There is no magic answer to this, there are only productive and destructive paths. Choose a productive path, allow yourself to remember and hold no grievance.

In traditional aikido, fully two-thirds to three-fourths of all techniques were designed to be applied while in the seiza position. This was primarily due to the seiza position being the most vulnerable position of historical Japan, in which warrior-nobles would meet thier guests from that position. http://www.bushinokeiko.net/images/dojo/ueshiba%20seiza.gif Below are shown two defense examples: Kisshomaru_Ueshiba Kisshomaru_Ueshiba Although aikido doesn't traditionally have 'a lot' of ground techniques, many schools have adopted studying judo techniques along with the aikido. This has partly to do with their systems being spiritually interrelated (Kano respected Ueshiba tremendously, and Ueshiba showed respect in turn, for they both followed a 'non-lethal' approach to the arts, and also because they were both... anti-war. Long story there...), and partly due to them being compatible in more than merely ideology. Indeed, my original aikido instructor held a 6th dan in aikido and a 5th dan in judo and my original judo instructor held a 5th dan in judo and a 2nd dan in aikido.

Personal thoughts... twice a week isn't enough, which means you should try to hook up with someone in the class and practice regularly outside of class, and/or take up practice with someone you trust and do that regularly, and/or work on the movements in your spare time. I recommend 4 to 5 days a week, minimum one hour per day, for things to become ingrained.

Hehe, i claim responsibility for teaching Steven Wilcowich. What? You never heard of him? He worked at the local hardware store up the street. Teaching someone famous isn't a measure of accomplishment, anymore than saying, "i'm a direct descendent of Charlemagne." It may, or may not, be true... but so what? Anyway, it does look like Kang Rhee has been practicing for awhile, but then again... what are his rates and how much do you get for the price? /tangent i'm still getting the strong feeling you're looking for the easy route of finding an instructor. I.e., he who has the largest neon sign out front. Some of the greatest instructors/practitioners simply don't advertise, or not in an obnoxious fashion... or with any 'fame' dependencies. I.e., this Kang Rhee, not disrespecting him or anything, but he maintains a 'dependency' on who he taught, rather than who he is. I feel that is somewhat deviating from the path. Of course, my thoughts here have much to do with the psychological aspects of the arts. Jackie Chan... obviously rich and famous, undeniably a great martial artist. But, if you ask him, he'll say he's a stuntman, not a martial artist. That... is a sign of a man on the right path. On the other hand, financial security does allow one to easily accommodate the more eccentric concepts. /tangent off

Not all persons present themselves 'consistently,' or even 'honestly.' He may very well have presented himself in a certain 'subservient' fashion up until he obtained the bb, then slowly switched back to his undisplayed persona. In truth, you never can tell who it is you are instructing, assisting, communicating with, or learning from.

Hello Nick_sam There are, as you say, plenty of systems out there. It is hard to say what compliments aikido. Much easier to determine what compliments you. In any event, it is something you have plenty of time to contemplate, for your studies in aikido have only just begun. If i were to provide one bit of advice... it would be to take your time. Many people rush through a variety of systems and only grasp the basics of each one. Aikido, as some other systems, offers quite a lot. It would be a shame not to dedicate yourself to it for an extended period of time. On the other hand, if you're merely shopping around for systems, so you can find your niche', i suppose the best advice is... look at what is available in your area, check for 'clubs' and garage instructors who are passionate about their studies. Clubs, sometimes with free membership, are usually great for 'swapping' ideas, concepts and techniques, but not often will you find a club that is wholey dedicated to a single system. As to garage instructors, that is merely a definition (which i unashamedly borrow from Shorinryu Sensei) for those instructors who are not geared towards maintaining a school or making a profit, and merely wish to find persons truly interested in studying the system, or systems, they have to offer. Clubs can often be found posted at colleges, libraries, community centers, etc. Garage instructors don't generally advertise, but sometimes they do (obviously such instructors vary widely in skill, temperment, ability to teach, motivation, and availability. But, the same can be said of anyone). Schools in your area, those renting or owning a building and plastered with signs to attract clients, may very well be good schools, with good instructors, and passionate students. You may find a school that interests you, assuming you don't find any clubs or don't find any garage instructors. Just be aware that many high profile schools have geared themselves towards profit to such an extent that they compromise quality. So, visit some schools, get into discussions with people in your area, take some martial art, boxing, wrestling, fencing, judo, etc courses at your local community center, high school, college or university. Taste what is out there without heavily impacting your finances. Pay attention that a style is just as dependent upon itself as it is dependent upon those who teach it and those who learn it, so don't make knee-jerk judgements on any one particular system until you've experienced the same 'problems' at more than a few locations, or from more than a few instructors. Catch you later.

Ugh! i give up.

I posted earlier a link to the article "Trust in Training," which i unabashedly admit to being a plug (ooo look, i did it again). But, i thought the article applied well to this issue, in that the rules were understood, and yet the sparring 'partner' exploited the rules and essentially exploited your trust. I also agree that the instructor probably should have intervened. However, since you are a bb, i'm sure he felt it appropriate to allow you to address the issue yourself. Indeed, i still think the instructor should have intervened, and at least been there to referee, for accidents and injuries occur, even to the best... and especially when one is abiding by the rules that exist to decrease injury, and the other is not. Anyway, escalating on him was neither here nor there as being inappropriate. I recall very clearly a time when an infrequent student returned to a school i was practicing in and proceeded to work out with me and my partner. He was entirely too rough, endangering our health with his callousness and his failing to provide general 'safety' actions. After a few instances where he almost dropped me on my neck (and do take into account, i'm generally supposed to allow him to complete his actions as part of our 'turn-system' in this training exercise), when it was my turn, i subconsciously decided to let him know the depth of knowledge i had, and thus performed my actions at full speed and with full ferocity, stopping with him laying on his back and my fist touching his teeth. I wasn't okay with how he had gotten under my skin and caused me to lose my composure, so after the day's session i spoke with the instructor and found out he had put that student with me because he wanted the student to learn a lesson. He then spoke to the student and dismissed the student from the class, telling him he would be allowed to return when he learns to respect his training partners and the trust they provide to him so that he may be able to develop his skills. And with that, it ties into other comments. The student may have needed a lesson and the instructor may have decided you were the one to give it to him. But, at the same time, recognize the lesson you learned... as it was the lesson i learned and was what provided the impetus for the article, "Trust in Training" that i wrote over a decade later.

But your belt is a symbol of something. It is a symbol and essence of all the hard work that you've done. And i do not argue that. Well, except for those who really didn't earn the belts... but that's another topic altogether. Anyway, if you'll look at my intro, i have some strong issues about belt ranking. One of them, of course, is the 'holding your rank about your waist' thing. People go through life learning a lot of things, but you don't see them wearing it on their lapel, like military ribbons. Military personnel don't walk around with all their ribbons, except for formal ceremonies. Teachers don't wear their academic gowns all over campus, or even in their class. You'll see them proudly wear them during graduation ceremonies, or other ceremonial events, but not every day, and especially not to go pick up an ice cream. That last being one of my issues, with some parading around in their full gi 'outside' of the classroom setting. In one, it may be construed as a show... a means to uplift a weak ego. In another, it may be construed as an effort to intimidate others. Plenty of other points could be presented for such behaviors, most of which i find... disturbing. Well, that was a tangent. My original point being, the belt may be a symbol, but it is not the end-all. It can be discarded and another one put in its place, with the symbolism intact. If, however, someone is so attached to the symbol that he cannot part with it, or cannot handle the replacement of it, then he has attained an emotional dependence on an abstraction unrelated to his actual accomplishments and/or his overall self-worth.

That article is incorrect. It is a misnomer, a legend if you will, that has been popularized over the years. Indeed, if you examine the Japanese culture, you'll see that such a postulation is unlikely, as Japan's society makes quite a fuss over being cleanly and meticulous. Stained undergarments, or pajamas (the former being the old workout clothing, the latter being adopted later), would very well not be acceptable in a dojo of those times. It's not acceptable now. In actuality, the first 'belt' rankings were presented by Jigoro Kano, creator of Kano ju-jutsu (aka: Kodokan judo). Kano, a fan of swimming contests, noted that the students and the coaches wore a little ribbon on their bathing suits as a means to differentiate which had the authority. The students wore a white ribbon, and the coaches wore a black ribbon. Jigoro Kano adopted this ranking for his students and teachers, which was later adopted by other ju-jutsu systems, and later by Okinawan karate. The next part i bring up is contested, but it is strongly held that the Koreans presented 'multi-color' belts, which they found worked well with the U.S. mentality of obtaining a measure of incremental progress (such as one would notice with military ribbons). The other holding is that colored belts were developed in Europe.

That may be a factor Master H, but judo, boxing and wrestling are in the Olympics and they haven't lost one iota of their initial reputations. And although i agree that all three have been developed for 'competition,' all three provide exceedingly effective techniques outside of competitions. In fact, judoists and wrestlers have been a significant presence in UFC and similar competitions, which more closely replicate real 'high-calibre' confrontations than any other form of sanctioned competition out there. On the other hand, in the K-1's, a competition where tkd should have made a significant showing, the competitors have been rather lackluster, or had to rely on 'other systems' they mastered, such as muay thai. These things hurt the tkd reputation... but even then, there's something far more pervasive. It may be that presentation of tkd into the olympics has made it a goldmine for profiteering '1-year masters,' but i'm not altogether convinced that is the endall.