White Warlock

I'm not exactly keen on this entire topic, because it seems to have left the whole issue wide open for debate on what exactly it is that being your own worst enemy entails (although i did enjoy your little story). Never give up in your training(discipline) and always show respect to others. Waht about beating your worst enemy ? FEAR Yes, that would count as one! You must fight your emotions. As my old sensei told me, a decision based upon your emotions will normally be the wrong decision. Well, i don't agree that you must fight your emotions. If i may touch upon a few thoughts... FEAR Fear is something we all have, and we must all strive to understand. We hold fears for a reason, mostly it is for ignorance. We know not what something is, what can occur, and thus we fear the potential outcome. One can fear incarceration, for never having experienced jail or prison, and thus fear to enter into a confrontation for that reason alone. Or, one can fear injury, for not having insurance would leave one in a state of disrepair, possibly forcing unemployment and further complicating ones life. Indeed, if one has children to support, this can be a significant fear. One can fear embarrassment, and thus an increase in the likelihood of obtaining further persecution (a significant factor in institutions, such as schools or prisons). Further, one can fear impotence. The inability to apply your knowledge as effectively in a real confrontation as one does on the mat. And thus, one fears finding out that all those years of study, were wasted. No, your worst enemy is not fear, for fear is merely a symptom. If you are to view yourself as your worst enemy, it would most likely be in the areas of being your worst critic and your biggest doubter. But, the exact opposite could be just as problematic. No, you may be your worst enemy because your mind is part of the equation when developing your whole. How far have you developed? Have you attained perfection? Can perfection be obtained? Is enlightenment a goal, or a process? Is obtaining physical confidence... a physical conquest, or a mental one? Is bringing mind and body to work together a goal, or is it an end result of a conquest over your doubts and denials? Do you obtain more knowledge over time, or more questions? Is the battle you fear the one you must fight, or the one you cannot? Is there a magic pill? There, in that paragraph, in all those questions, lies the crux of yourself being your own enemy.

popular does not equate to better. It is far more popular because many more people who practice TKD are willing to forego quality in order to make a profit. in doing so, they are able to provide a water-downed version and provide a quick-fix for all those who need to gain false confidence, want to learn things that can impress their friends, or get that whole, "i got a black belt" thing over with. TKD suffers from dilution. It is diluted in the mainstream because of the immense marketing this particular style has allowed. Unlike other systems, such as aikido and judo, there was no 'single' source for TKD. It was a title of a group of hand-me-down systems, from China, Japan and Okinawa, that underwent a variety of changes. When the Korean practitioners decided to strengthen their productivity, they unified all their systems into one title... that of tae kwon do. Then, they went mainstream. Little to no effort was made to 'maintain' the original state of the variety of TKDs presented, nor was there any effort to ensure that what 'was' being called TKD was actually being presented by a qualified instructor from Korea. So, pretty much anyone who had just the basics, and was Korean, found it quite profitable to go to the U.S., teach for 6 months to 3 years, and then move back to their newly purchased 5 bedroom home. There are still TKD instructors out there, providing quality instruction. But, just like any other art, they are few and far between. The difference is, it's much much harder to find a quality TKD instructor, simply because of all the half-trained profiteers hocking TKD. On the other hand, when you're looking for a quality judo instructor, all you need to look for is the proper Kodokan certifications.

sounds like you bought a showpiece, nothing more. The goop on it is likely a petroleum grease, as used on guns when shipping. Seeing as you don't even know if it is stainless steel, but it also does not hold an edge, i wouldn't stress it too much, and just wipe off the grease and treat it with a soft cloth dabbed in sewing machine oil, or bicycle chain oil. I gather the swords weren't in their sheaths with all that grease on them, eh? If so, well... you get what you pay for.

Oh geez, just shove it in the washer with all the other whites. It's a friggin' Japanese undergarment belt! No need to treat it like a badge of honor. Icons and symbols don't bring you closer to enlightenment, any more than they bring you closer to God. Stay grounded and treat it like the friggin' 'piece of cloth' that it is.

Okay, not one of my better writings. Energy still low. Ah well, hopefully it still got the points across.

Yep, streetfighter is a made-up title. Doesn't help that there's a video game out there by the same name. There are some things to run through on this topic, so let's see if i have the energy for it today. Many persons studying a particular martial art do so in a test tube environment, where they practice their techniques, spar, and compete under the same or similar systems. In doing so, they become adept at their actions, but programmed to respond to a 'limited' array of assaults. They become pattern junkies, expecting their opponents to assault them in a particular pattern, or with actions they are 'accustomed' to. This is not the fault of the martial arts, but of a particular school and of particular students. One must look beyond their 'regimen' and examine 'reality.' Now, those so-called streetfighters... most, as stated earlier, are generally undisciplined persons somewhat knowledgeable in western combat skills (boxing, wrestling, etc). Western systems rarely include training in 'reason' and 'restraint,' and are often taught in rough neighborhoods by community sponsors that 'think' providing such things somehow 'helps' the community. In some cases, it does... but in most cases, it merely provides a free or cheap means for the criminally-minded to obtain more trade skills. The nature of most people who fight on the streets is to 'pick' your opposition. They don't start a fight with just anyone. They look for targets that look assailable. I've witnessed many 'street-scene' fights, where one person, the so-called streetfighter, would 'exploit' another's enthusiasm and ignorance, in turn putting up a good show and impressing his friends... gaining stature as a tough guy. However, the vast majority of these 'street-scene' fights i witnessed, were nothing more than slightly elevated high school brawls. Nothing in comparison to the volatility i've experienced in hard-training with skilled practitioners. Note also that most of these so-called streetfighters, as i indicated earlier, pick their opponents... or their victims. If you don't present yourself as a victim, as haughty, as belligerent, or as an easy target... they will likely not target you. The same fighters i noted above reacted quite differently with me than they did with the victims they hurt. Likely mainly due to their recognizing my confidence wasn't overconfidence, and that they could very well 'lose face' in front of their friends if they fought me and lost. A person with 100 or so 'street fights' under their belt does not make them good fighters. It merely makes them opportunists. But returning to street fighting, remember that what you train in the dojo is controlled. Learn to recognize that the majority of the lessons you will need to learn will not be in the dojo, but in your own mind. You must develop the right mindset, understand the extent of violence, the unpredictability of it, and of your responses to such. Understand how both you and your opponents think. These are the important things to develop, if you wish to 'avoid' a confrontation, be it street or otherwise. The same things you will need to develop if indeed you are targeted. Know that humility is not merely a classroom agenda, but a lifelong agenda. You must be humble and show respect at all times. Don't make yourself out to be a victim, and don't train with a test-tube mentality.

Things to watch out for, and what should send warning signals to your brain, are: 1. contracts of one year or more, 2. additional charges for each belt testing, 3. additional charges for each belt testing, regardless of whether you fail, 4. excessive cost for receiving the new belt, 5. multiple sub-belts. I.e., Orange belt 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. Combined with the belt testing charges, and the charge for receipt of a new belt, this can turn out to be outrageous, 6. being required to pay half of a contract fee, in advance, 7. 20 or more students per class, 8. no private instruction, or private instruction being an 'extra' expense, 9. a ninja club for the kiddies, 10. a junior black belt club for the kiddies, 11. lots of games and exercises, little actual training, 12. instructor demonstrates, does not supervise well, and does not explain, 13. almost complete absence of a traditional feel, 14. instructors had 3 years or less of actual training, 15. senior instructor had 6 years or less of actual training before opening up the school (not to be confused with the actual amount of time the school has been around). Essentially, it is buyer beware. If you watch some classes and feel unimpressed, or are watching the instructors doing silly mistakes, or mostly watched 'confidence-building' exercises instead of actual technique studies, then your common sense should kick into gear, and you should be booking for the door. Unless those things noted above are what you're looking for. Then, by all means... enjoy.

Three months is insufficient time to teach them how to defend themselves. If anything, it will give them just enough exposure to cause them to 'hesitate' in a confrontation, and thus get injured... or just enough to 'show off.' The goal here should be to 'spark' their interest in the arts, since it is a lifetime pursuit, not a summer school pursuit. Teach them the beauty of the arts, expose them to some great concepts, invite instructors from other schools to do a one day seminar, etc. Give them the opportunity to see the whole spectrum of the martial arts, and in the process you can feed them your own biased thoughts on kyokushin or aikido. All in all, i would say pursue the white belt instruction format you are used to, and add in a periodic guest (as mentioned above) and a few days of 'special attention' to some of the unique aspects of kyokushin karate, or of some interesting concepts of aikido. Again, try to remember that with students of that age, with that short a time, the goal is not to instruct them as much as it is to allow them to see their own 'potential' and to ignite the fire of their passions. They may not have any kindling, but if they do... it would be a shame to pass up such a great opportunity. And when you're working with them, remind that they shouldn't try to 'apply' the skills you teach them (for self-defense), until those skills are 'second-nature' (which also means you might want to try and encourage them to study on their own time). Good luck

http://www.karateforums.com/memberlist.php

i dont know, i would say good but i dont realy know what good it can do, lol, i wouldnt worry about it

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=12255

I've been at it for... a long time (longer than most of you have been alive, no doubt). But, i don't think i would call it an addiction. Of course, i might be in denial, but i doubt it. Seriously though, as you get older, other things take priority. But these 'responsibilities' never diminished my interest, only the percentage of my life i could commit to it, which in turn is a commission to my continued growth, physically and otherwise. But, there are some evils i've encountered over the years, that have had direct conflict with my studies. Injuries for one thing, relationships for another, lack of healthcare or finances for yet another. Sometimes it was as simple as not finding a 'quality' school to participate in, or a partner to participate with. I must admit, the issues i noted have caused me to toss in the towel a few times... only to find myself sneaking back over to rummage for that towel in the bin of self-effacation. I suppose that could be viewed as an addiction, but it's not.

As simple as it sounds, in the martial arts there are two senses we are dependent upon. Sight and touch. Sight is more relied upon at further ranges, whilst touch is more relied upon at closer ranges. Problems arise when people have a higher dependency on one or the other in the ranges they are less applicable to. In almost all cases, the higher erroneous dependency is sight at short range. Blind practices, whether they be chi sao blindfolded, darkroom wrestling, or some other blind training activity, help to eliminate, or at least minimize dependency on the sense of sight, which is less applicable to the range(s) at which you are emphasizing. If that is not important, i fail to see what is.

Yep, doesn't help your cause. You're too close to the conflict and thus would be likely be perceived as 'biased' by one or both (even i don't doubt that you are). Probably best to hand them referrals to 'professional' services and step away.

Thanks. Plenty others brought good points forward. It's what makes a good community.

Perhaps because you dont want to shatter your hand against a brick wall..... Most people dont take into account they can break their hand over someones head until its already happened. That's what i was inferring, by the above-noted 'tests' and by the comments i wrote, such as, "You fight the mind, you injure the body" and, "learn how to work with the mind to do the most with the body, safely," in the paragraphs that followed. Then again, it's possible my post wasn't 'obvious' enough in its message.

Be wary of intervening in domestic affairs. If you insist on mulling about in their personal affairs, be aware that if they have no interest in resolving their problems, all you will be doing is prolonging the inevitable. Surviving the aftermath of a relationship doomed to end is not nearly as horrid as clinging onto a failed one. The latter could birth some very unhealthy, and illegal, problems. Still and again, if you wish to go that route, go visit a local mental health facility or hospital, preferably one that is covered by their insurance, and request pamphlets or referrals. Bring this information to them and allow them to decide if 'mediation' or 'counseling' is what they truly need... and want. Whatever you do, don't try to fix it yourself. It may just be that there's nothing to fix, and the relationship, as a marriage, is not viable... but the relationship, as friends, is. It may just be, in fact it very well may be, that if these two are intelligent and communicative, they already know what the problems are... and have decided that they are insurmountable, or simply not worth overcoming. It could very well be that they are opting to 'save' their friendship, by killing their marriage. All is speculative, of course... but you gave little in the way of insight into what the problems were, only that there are some. Oh, and when someone says something like, "i don't have time," they're basically saying, "i don't want to." So if the man can only provide a Sunday to seek assistance, and yet never even attempts to obtain counseling during this period of time, he simply doesn't want to. If he's a religious sort, there are plenty of churches open for him to find and contact a priest trained in couples counseling.

As 'elbows_and_knees' (hereon on to be called EaK) indicated, there's the old statement of 'soft vs hard' and 'hard vs soft,' but probably the most important reason for this statement was not indicated. Take your open palm and strike a brick wall as hard as you are 'willing.' Now, strike that same brick wall, as hard as you are 'willing,' with a fist. Notice how your 'mind' prevents you from hitting as hard when you use the fist? It is important to remember that in studying the martial arts, it is not merely about physicalities. In fact, the underlying factor in 'every' aspect of the martial arts... is mental. You fight the mind, you injure the body. Learn how to work with the mind to do the most with the body, safely... and gain a better understanding of the martial art catchphrase, "mind and body." Ugh. I'm feeling like i need to dispense fortune cookies with my posts. Anyway, it is the restrictions that the mind imposes that makes the open palm far more effective than the fist when striking hard targets. When striking a hard target with the fist, the 'fear' of breaking your fingers, thumb, knuckles, or obtaining a wrist injury overrides your ability to generate unrestricted power. Instead, your mind intervenes, your opposing muscles tense in apprehension, your forearm stiffens to protect the wrist, and you subconsciously squint in expectation of the pain that is likely to follow. Indeed, your whole body gets involved in 'putting on the brakes.' For if it did not, odds are high that some part of you will break. Now, on an open palm strike to a hard target, there is mental resistance as well. You hold back to some degree, but not nearly as much as you would when applying a fist strike. Still, injury can be obtained, just as in any strike you commit to with your body. But, it is the ease of obtaining an injury, the multitude of ways an injury can be sustained, muscle support system associated with a particular strike, nerve sensitivity on the striking surface, the intended target shape and rigidity, the amount of 'natural' padding between the target and the striking surface, amount of 'proper' training and conditioning, and your experience that indicates just how much power you will be able to put into effect with any particular strike.

Is there truly a need to remove McDojos? My sister asked me about a particular school for her son. I looked at the school and told her it was a waste of money and likely not beneficial to her son. She enrolled him anyway. Later, she weaseled out of the two year contract she signed. Even with "buyer beware," there are going to be those who won't listen, and who will 'feed' the monster that is a McDojo. So, once again, is there a need to remove McDojos? We can argue that there must be standards met, and that if a school fails to meet those standards, then they should not be legitimized. But, who legitimizes them? Organizations? This particular school was part of an organization. The founder and sole member of this organization was, you guessed it, the instructor. Did his clients know? I'm sure few cared to look into any of it. So, once again, is there truly a need? If customers are not going to make the most basic of efforts to protect themselves from shiesters, should we? Should we put on our cape and fly to their rescue? Should we further encourage their complacency, protect them from their own lack of motivation? In every business, there are those who offer quality, and those who do not. But what protects the consumer? In the U.S., it used to be the Better Business Bureau, but no longer. Now BBB is a good ol' boys club that has lost a lot of its earlier clout. So, again, is there truly a need? What are our goals? What do we go for when we enter a martial art? Is it to better ourselves psychologically, or physically? To amass movie-style fancy techniques or to strengthen our job-related combat skills? Are we hoping to gain a feeling of belonging, develop an understanding of Eastern culture? Or are we just wanting to get that cool black belt so we can frame it and put it over our fireplace? Then again, maybe we just need a babysitter. Everyone has a different agenda. A variety of martial art schools exist to service different consumer needs. There cannot be 'only one.' We aren't talking Highlander here. As long as the interests of consumers differ, so too will the products and services. Just as some are willing to purchase one $600 used car after another, there are going to be those who insist on leasing their brand new models, then upgrading to infinity and beyond. But even then, it's not quite it. Many people are willing to purchase substandard furniture at Wal-Mart, rather than purchase expensive, yet durable furniture at a specialty shop. And yet, specialty shops exist, even thrive. Why? Because the needs of the client differs. While someone may join a dojo without considering its credentials... or quality of training, it may not be because they 'failed' to be a 'smart shopper.' It could very well be convenience, or a social connection. I know some of the main reasons McDojos do so well is because they 'plan' to grow, and advertise to do so. They park themselves in prime residential neighborhoods, near schools, near malls. Convenient locations, convenient times. We have Starbucks in every corner... and yet there are coffee houses providing far better quality. Is it the same? No, of course not. Not to us. But to your average consumer, that may be all there is to it. So, one last time, is there a need to remove McDojos? No. As far as i'm concerned, let there be 99 billion served. I learn, i grow, i amass knowledge, because that's me. I can grimace when i see a McDojo and watch the mass of students walking through thier doors. Or, i can smile and think, "ahh, but you do not learn what you must... and so, i am safer." There are an elite few, but only because a few 'attempt' to be elite. Those who strive, eventually reach high degrees of skill. For martial arts is not merely a physical endeavor, but a mental and spiritual one as well. Those who strive for more than merely physical perfection will eventually travel beyond what a McDojo can provide. Those who do not, let them reach the walls encountered in McDojos, for these will be the ones who do not attempt to attain 'responsibility' through enlightenment. Let them be... substandard. It merely makes us all a bit safer.

Excellent point. I agree foolhardedly.

*hands Jarrettmeyer the kewpie doll* Hehe

Aye, and he also does it to pick up chicks.

In the first UFC, Gracie went against people who had little to no grappling skills, so submission was all that was required. Yes, more UFC-type competitors are studying grappling, but there's also been a recognition that it's not all that easy to commit to pure grappling when someone is pounding on you, thus the transition.

I do it to pick up chicks. *winks at aefibird*

both on both accounts. Not going to pick. Sorry, homey don't play dat.