White Warlock

Well gee, you think maybe it's because they're there to learn, and not find themselves having to go on disability at work, lose their home, and have to go on welfare? In this day and age, health is more important than a 'realistic' workout. Most people have financial responsibilities and dependents. They provide the bread and butter that keeps their dependents alive. When you're at a training hall (dojo, whatever), you're working with other people who have 'paid' to learn a martial art. It is only logical to assume they didn't pay to have someone put them in the hospital. It's always important to remember this, because the 'other' students in the class aren't there for your amusement. Personally, i think you need to learn to respect everyone else in the class and show a little bit of restraint. Bloodying them up and having the instructor segregating you is a pretty clear sign you aren't. Essentially, you're exploiting their trust. In fact, if i were you... i would feel somewhat embarrassed at having to be segregated in such a fashion. As to the topic at hand, sparring has its place, but it is not necessarily realistic. Sparring teaches people to essentially 'take turns' hitting each other. In san soo, and in a few other systems i've studied, we don't spar. We just go right at it and take out the opponent. In practice, we simulate this, but... of course, show restraint and consideration for the other person who, btw, is indicating a significant degree of trust in allowing me to practice my techniques on them in the first place.

Interesting perspective Blade. Thank you.

Today i was in line to buy a sandwich, when i noticed the person in front of me, standing about the same height, was probably about twice my mass (in muscle). I then looked at the reflection in the glass in front of us, and noticed that right behind me... was a guy standing a full foot and a half taller than me. Here i was, 5'9" and 185lbs... and for about a minute, i was feeling very very small. It only lasted a minute, because i was able to get my sandwich and get the hell out of there! Anyway, it reminded me of when i was in high school, standing 5'6" and weighing in at just over 100lbs. I felt small then, yet i was standing firmly against threats when they were posed before me. Why? I suppose i can attribute it to the martial arts, for helping me to bridge the gap and allowing me to stand in line with a 350lb steroid using weightlifter in front of me, and Andre the Giant behind me, yet not feel even the least bit intimidated. Indeed, i was more intrigued. Entertained really. What caught me more, however, was that i wasn't even thinking about 'where' to hit them... a sure sign of someone feeling threatened. Instead, i was almost laughing at the reflection off the glass. All those moments of self-appeasement, flexing my muscles in front of the mirror and teasing my significant other about her diminutive size (4'11")... and here i was being dwarfed, from both directions... on both counts. It was irony at its best... and i couldn't help but quietly laugh at the reflection off the glass. At myself. Oddly, it was liberating.

hehe, congrats on the orange there Ravencroft. I understood what you meant with your post Raven, but i'm going to pose it in a manner that may be better understood by a larger percentage of readers: Muhammed Ali was the greatest boxer of all time. He may not have been the best, but he was the greatest. Greatest because he brought the entire world to start paying attention to boxing, and it was because of him that boxing became a multi-million dollar business. Bruce Lee was the greatest martial artist of all time. He may not have been the best, but he was the greatest. Greatest because he brought the entire world to start paying attention to martial arts, and it was because of him that the martial arts are now openly mixed, and it was because of him that Hollywood made martial art movies a multi-million dollar business. Disclaimer: These statements may not necessarily be entirely valid, but the gist of the message is what i'm aiming for here... not the statistical accuracy.

A cucumber Lucky, a cucumber. Geez, what's wrong with you?

Wee, a fun topic. I wish you would work out with me. Later, we can go out for a dinner and a movie. Kidding aside, there are a few things to consider... but first i would like to address this rude woman who failed to answer your question. You are new to the school and instead of assisting you with the answer, she blew you off. That was exceedingly impolite and opportunistic of her. She essentially exploited your insecurities. Let me say that, unlike a job where you have to swallow a lot of guff until you figure out your niche and everyone's powerbase, with a school... you're paying for it. Other students are other customers. Granted, they may have received some ranking authority while on the mat, but it doesn't apply in the locker room. A proper response to someone saying, "it should be obvious" would be something like, "Well it isn't. Could you explain it to me?" If they continue to be rude at that point, then make a note of it and don't waste your time with them in the future. Now... to the subject of makeup and such. If you go to the gym to workout, that's what you're there for. If your makeup interferes with your level of willingness to get physical, because you're concerned the sweat might make your eyeliner run... then you definitely need to readjust your priorities. As lucky mentioned, any jewelry whatsoever can pose a health risk to you and/or others, so absolutely do not wear any... no matter how much of a memento it may be. The exception to this would be 'plain' wedding rings. Wedding rings with stones in them can seriously disfigure a partner's face, or cause your finger to get caught in someone's sleeve during a technique. Also, how you setup your hair may be an issue. Definitely don't have anything 'in' your hair, as this may come out and hurt someone's foot, or the items may scratch your scalp if the item ends up between you and the floor. If your hair is long, it's a good idea to keep it tied up, either in a braid or a restricted ponytail. Lots of reasons for this, most of which should be obvious... but i'll get into it if it's not. Martial arts is a physical activity. It is also a contact activity. That means you work closely with others and frequently make physical contact with them. Thus, it's important to realize that not only are you in a gym, but you are going to frequently have to get in people's personal space. Earlier advice about makeup smearing and perfume is important due to this intrusion into the personal space of others. One of the biggest things to understand is that working out in the martial arts has a lot to do with trust. Trust is increased when someone clearly shows they respect the fact they are being allowed to intrude on another's personal space. And what do i mean by trust? Well, you're practicing how to hurt, maim and kill. Since that's what you're practicing, and not actually trying to do... wouldn't it be nice if the other person was also not trying to hurt, maim, or kill you? There's where the trust comes in. Trust, respect. They kinda go hand in hand. Another important note: The martial arts is a most violent study, as i hopefully made it obvious with the comments above. Because of this, a significant amount of concentration is required in order to ensure you don't get hurt, or others don't hurt you. Unfortunately, 'intentionally' looking pretty can be a rather huge distraction for the hormonely challenged (teen males). You working to be attractive directly translates to 'trying' to be noticed by those of the opposite sex. These things don't change just because you're in a dojo. So, what does that mean? Well, basically, it means that by intentionally prettying yourself up, you are actually slightly increasing the likelihood of injury... throughout the entire dojo. Someone gets distracted for just a second, and teeth go flying all over friggin' place. And finally, other women in the dojo, who are 'not' working to look all prettied up, may very well feel somewhat challenged by you... because they're being considerate of the safety of others, and therefore not prettying themselves up for class, while you're giving these women the impression you're looking for a mate. In such cases, their feelings may very well be torn... and they may just express this in somewhat snippity fashion (as you experienced in the locker room). Hope this helps

Actually Ravencroft, i did answer his question. The tips are that he should do whatever he can to avoid being in that situation in the first place and to work on his mindset. As Starturtle indicated, it is not reasonable to offer 'physical' tips on what to do. The problem is predominantly a 'mental' one.

Hehe, obviously nothing. I was putting a decent amount of time in that forum, and having lots of 'one-post' visitors, so i was hoping to bring in people who have shown more loyalty to forums, especially people i already know (at least as well as the internet allows).

Ugh! No, San Soo has absolutely nothing to do with San Shou. No time to explain now, just know there is no connection between the two... and it is one of my agitations that one is often confused with the other by non-practitioners and practitioners alike.

There's soul fighter flashing again. They look the same to me. Pretty scrawny really.

More likely it is a balance issue. Weak abdominals causes the back to work too hard. Other things as well. Then there's also the possibility that you're straining your back when 'not' in class, such as at your job (extended periods of time sitting or standing), or at home (sitting in front of the computer too long). And then, there's also the possibility you injured your back sometime in the past... in which case you'll have to accept the fact that back problems will plague for the rest of your life.

You don't have to train with a group to recognize whether they're McDojos.

Hard/soft is a series of concepts. They refer to such things as brute force techniques, as opposed to subtle redirection techniques. The difference between blocking and parrying, between striking and pushing. They also refer to parts of the body, whereby bone is hard, tissue soft. Where striking a hard part of the body with a hard part of your body could pose a break in your body, therefore it is better to strike hard vs soft. A hard part of your body against a soft part of your opponent's body, or a soft part of your body against a hard part of you opponent's body. Such approaches encourage the use of full force, without psychological misgivings or apprehension. As well, it significantly decreases the likelihood of physical injury to oneself when assaulting another. Hard/soft can also refer to the overall presentation of a system. I.e, karate and thai boxing would be considered hard, while aikido or tai chi would be considered soft. This is due to the relative emphasis of a system, be it on philosophy, or on physical make-up. Strikes and kicks, as opposed to throws, pulls and pushes. Hard/soft is not the same as external/internal, but they hold to similar characteristics, in that external systems are invariably related to hard and physical techniques, while internal systems are invariably related to soft and philosophical bindings. In truth, there is no hard/soft rule.

I have 'never' encountered dim mak training in san soo, although nothing prevents a crosstrainer from teaching san soo AND some garbage system like Dillman's pressure points, simultaneously. In any event, i do not recall it ever being in any of the training regimens, and was never exposed to any so-called killing touches. San soo has always been about the down and dirty, not the flashy and mysterious. Anyway, vito... i really haven't seen sufficient informed calls on your part for you to make such definitive claims. The existence of Dim Mak, or similiar death touch abilities, has been an issue of contention among some of the most knowledgeable martial artists, acupuncturists, and doctors for ages. So far, i'm inclined to agree with you that dim mak does not exist... but i'm not willing to say it with such assuredness, and i've been studying for quite some time. Let's end this tangent though. To claim that san soo purports to train in dim mak does sully the name of a good system. As well as i've been able to tell, it does not provide training in dim mak. It does, however, provide ample training in chin-na.

Shootfighting is a sporting event. I gather that shoot ju-jutsu is geared toward this particular sporting event.

Coco, if you pose "what ifs," then your biggest obstacle is your mindset. You must extricate yourself from the prey mentality. You are thinking like a victim, rather than a victor. What if is a defensive mentality. It exhibits a perception of looking at things and trying to determine what you need to do to 'counter,' as opposed to what you would to do to avoid such an encounter altogether, or what you would do to them if avoidance is not an option. But, to play the what if scenarios: I would first not get myself in a situation where two people would feel 'inclined' to come up to me and make trouble. Second, if such did occur, and they did come up to me to make trouble, i would extricate myself from the situation as quickly as possible, either through full physical assault, or 'sneaker-time.' Third, them pushing you around is already battery. You are full within your rights to defend yourself with extreme prejudice at that point, or to act in any manner you deem necessary to ensure your survival. The goal is not to win. The goal is to survive. You must determine, for yourself and before entering into any confrontation, what is 'truly' important to you. Material items, self-esteem, pride, physical health, etc etc. Understand just what it is you are truly defending... or you won't fight with the fury of a clean and committed conscience. As to them being stronger and faster than you, seems you have already psyched yourself to lose. What is it, do you feel like you're in the wrong? Did you know that's the mentality most victims feel? It is because of this "why me" and "i'm sorry" mentality that victims are targetted. Realize this... understand your boundaries, and those things you would put your life on the line for, and you'll finally understand what it is to turn the tables on the predators, making them the prey.

Ken Shamrock used to have his original Lion's Den on the northern outskirts of Modesto. Maybe he still has a school there. Other than that, i used to know some places and people thereabouts in Sacramento, but it's been over 10 years.

Hmm, care to illuminate upon that? I mean, what did you do, double flip off the diving board?

Yeah, same thought ran through my mind Wolvy. Things kids do to look cool could very well get them 10 years to life.

Well, you posted an excerpt from the website you provided. Are you a practitioner of this system? And no, i've never heard of it. I did note this though: "Mountain Storm kick seemed similar to Thai roundhouse kick except that the kicking leg was drawn up and swung-through in full force swiftly with a continous downward cutting motion of the shin as you torque your hips in, instead of just plain straight through burst. " Umm... that's the way i learned the Thai roundhouse kick. Seems Mr. Fernandez was simply never shown a proper Thai kick, or assumed his version was original. Anyway, i looked at what little was offered on the website (much of it is still under construction). Seems yet another sport-oriented kickboxing-type system, which incorporates tidbits from other systems (boxing, muay thai, arnis, etc). Another hybrid for sport. Not sure i would be interested. Seems to completely lack anything other than strikes and kicks.

Ahh, then my two-printer recommendation would be on par with your needs. If, however, you're not inclined to go for two printers, the HP photo-printer will serve you well (although, for the life of me, i don't see why one wouldn't spend the extra 'few' dollars to get the older HP for document printing).

Ugh! This whole thread is silly. We all know Miss Piggy knew ju-jutsu before becoming a samurai, and that Kermit deserves credit for the development of judo and aikido.

What's your goal? Self defense, things you can add to your cheerleading repertoire (i.e., flashy), self esteem, etc?

25+ years, no rank. Have practiced judo, boxing, wrestling, togakure-ryu ninjutsu, san soo (not san shou). Some studies in Brazilian ju-jutsu, kalaripayit, wing chun, aikijutsu, ju-jutsu (stand-up), thai-boxing, shorin-ryu karate, and kickboxing. All did, in one form or another. katas, short sets, punching drills, etc. N/A Isn't this a redundant question? I don't recall any of my instructors ever explaining why. I do know why, however, so it may have merely been that i wasn't inclined to ask the obvious.

Odd, i could have sworn i responded to your query there DM. But, it looks like i never did. Ah well.