White Warlock

Pretty fun - Using my real full name = God/Goddess type: God of Hate Worshippers: Hoboes and Orphans They show devotion by: Using your name to curse with Be aware, using capitals changes the results. Enter your name with correct capitalization.

$1300 / 65 lessons = $20 a lesson ... sounds reasonable $20 * 2 = $40 per week, or $160 a month $20 * 4 = $80 per week, or $320 a month One thing you didn't mention... how long is a lesson? Five hours? Five minutes? Are the lessons private? If a lesson is 2 hours or less, and they are group lessons, this is not even remotely a deal ($10 per hour). Get your money back and move on. If it is 2 hours or more, and they are private lessons... it's not a rip off, but it is better if you go for a standard group lesson plan. Private lessons don't benefit you too much at the early stages of learning, so you'll be wasting your money. If a lesson isn't defined, i.e., they don't state how long, and whether it is group or private, then get your money back. You may get 65 lessons on your first day, in 30 minutes.... and there goes $1300. *poof* I, personally, don't touch contracts. I pay by the month, or not at all. There are plenty of 'excellent' instructors that can provide a monthly program.

you want us to do your homework?

Umm... i've heard that spouted by more then a handful of people and i really want to address it. Most martial arts have proven themselves in combat at one time or another. However, modern-day combat does not include much hand-to-hand, so any newer martial systems, such as bjj, really are only being included in the soldier's training program.. with minimal application in modern warfare. The martial arts that truly have proven themselves in 'real' combat... are the ones that existed before firearms and explosives became the mainstay. However, things have changed over the centuries. What worked way back then, in the test tube of one society, doesn't necessarily work now, in the test tube of this society. A martial art system that stays rigid to its teachings can find itself 'behind the times,' per se. Modern martial art systems have changed for the times. Unfortunately, a lot of them have also changed for the fact most combat is done in the ring, as opposed to the battlegrounds. Such things need to be considered when examining the effectiveness of a system. Arbitrarily dismissing traditional systems is just as foolish as arbitrarily dismissing modern systems. Consider always the applicability to your potential threats. If i were in Africa and people were chasing me down with a machete, bjj would not be the system i would care to know. Seriously consider these things when stating that one system or another has been 'proven' in combat... because... the definition of combat changes according to the threat posed and the weapons implemented.

I didn't entirely misunderstand your post. Herniated disc. The pop sound was likely caused by a combination of the liquids being thrust out from between the vertebrae and the muscles surrounding the spine 'snapping' to stiffness in an effort to keep you from moving it further. A masseuse will help to relax the muscles and the chiropractor will help to realign the spine. Many chiropractors suck at getting the muscles to relax. Instead, they jump all over you trying to get the friggin' spine to fall back in place, which only serves to further aggravate the muscles, possibly even tearing them a little in the process. So i really do insist upon the tag team of a masseuse and chiropractor, followed up by a physical therapist or physical trainer. The fact that you ended up getting better with treatment indicates that it was temporary. Another failing i've experienced with chiropractors is that they put things to right (eventually getting the spine back in proper alignment and the muscles to relax enough to allow it to 'stay' there), but don't spend enough time helping you rebuild the muscles that are needed to keep things to right, thus you're not ever fully recovering (return customer anyone?). This is where a physical therapist (or a physical trainer), needs to fall into the picture. I have a few back injuries myself actually. After all the car accidents and having been run over while on a motorbike, my spine and i don't always get along. I state this because i've been there and have researched this when dealing with my own problems. Unfortunately, full recovery from a back injury is likely not going to happen without a serious degree of patience, effort and professional assistance. The hard part about it is, once you injure the back (especially the lower back), you tend to 'baby' it... which causes the muscles to get even weaker, and thus the problem actually gets exacerbated. Hope this helps.

Considering her memory lapse, she probably forgot to flush the toilet. Give her my blessings.

I would like to add one more thing to this. MMA suffers from something far more insidious. Superficiality. The majority of systems do not introduce more advanced features until well into the latter part of training. Many (not all) MMA practitioners never experience this, as they capture the basics but do not maintain studies in any one particular system long enough to gain deep insight.

In prison, killing someone would be the least of my concerns. No, i'm referring to this anarchy sparring.

I experienced a similar problem with my left leg. When i heard the snap/pop-like sound, my first thought was that i had ripped a muscle. I found out later it was just the noise created by the muscle stiffening up so dang quickly. Take heart, as it is likely what happened to you. But, also take heed. My muscle was injured and without proper care, it built up calcium deposits, which later had to be worked out. If i didn't get the calcium deposits out of there (this is done merely by regular massage, which helps to break it down into itty bitty granules that the body can wash away), they would have eventually ravaged my muscle and tore into my bones. On your present care... the chiropractor will help, but what will do the most good, is a regular visit to a 'professional' masseuse. Your problem was likely caused by your muscles not maintaining your spine, and thus you ended up with either a 'temporary' herniated disc or a muscle pinch, which... in turn, caused certain muscles to stiffen up and hold your spine at a certain position (your body's self-defense mechanism). The masseuse, along with the chiropractor, can work together to calm those muscles down and rearrange your spine. After that, you'll need to slowly work on rebuilding tone in the back muscles. Also, please take into account, i'm speculating.

It can also be pointed out that a football player trains for a sport... as does the runner. The 'endgoal' is to win the Superbowl, or obtain a medal in the Olympics. While some martial arts may be geared toward sport, that is not the endgoal, therefore the analogy posed is not comparable.

Hey, don't be knocking my Naked Monkey on Crank Kung Fu style. It's been certified by the Columbian Cartel.

*BLAM* *BLAM* "Stop!" *BLAM* *BLAM* "Police!" *BLAM* *BLAM*

Their glossary was soooo enlightening. Here it is, in total: BUSHIDO THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR. ZEN A method of developing self worth and self thought and is suitable to all religious and non religious people alike - it is not a religion it applies to all. Don't you guys now feel enlightened? Smokey, the presentation is evasive, no information on costs are presented, the photos present poor postures, he illustrates an incorrect handgrip on the "japanese sword" (ugh!), the systems he stated... i've never heard of presented in that manner, he never once indicated his rank in any of them, and he also never really stated how long he had been studying... only that he "first joined the mystical world of Martial Arts at the age of thirteen," whatever the hell that means. My gut reaction to this is that he's a backyard guru, self-enlightened and totally full of...

I've thrashed plenty of jj practitioners. I can't say the same. A style may exist and be a good study, but the practitioner does not make up the style. Some people study harder and are more in-tune with the system they study, but it should not be stated that an entire system is based on the performance of a few practitioners. This, unfortunately, is the status quo... but it is wholly inappropriate.

I, frankly, wouldn't want to participate in something like this. Far too concerned about killing someone. With a one-on-one competition you can gauge your intensity. With something like this, not likely.

Absolutely. Most of my martial art injuries were obtained in this manner. Be wary of the ignorant and/or ignoble.

This is what was communicated to me decades ago: After the Boxer rebellion, martial arts studies were outlawed, except in the military and law enforcment, and supposedly only for officers. Basic hand-to-hand was taught to the grunts. Tai chi chuan was presented as an 'exercise' in health, and therefore considered acceptable. In actuality, it was a martial art in disquise, similar to the way the African slaves in Brazil had hidden their martial art in dance (capoera). Other similar note: Then we have the fantastical wushu dances, presented by the Chinese government as a means to maintain the mystique of Chinese traditions. It was, essentially, choreographed dance... and thus yet another means to 'hide' a martial art. Unfortunately, it was not well hidden, and the government eventually took it over... and overemphasized the acrobatic aspects of it, while virtually removing applicability. This is how i was taught on this. If i am wrong, by all means... correct me.

More like a great pipe dream. Wouldn't it be nice if this were so...

The ultimate weakness associated with long limbed opponents, is that they also have long muscles. If applied improperly, which is the most common way, then you will end up using your limbs as levers, where one end is applying the resistance, and the other is dealing with the obstacle. This, will fail for you. It is analogous to you trying to turn on or off a lightswitch, using a ten foot pole. Instead, you must take 'modified' form of study, which is to utilize torque. Use your limbs from the halfway point, or less. Apply resistance at the end, but pose your limb in a way as to effect the change by creating not two, but three points of contact. Luckily, some of the more 'effective' grappling arts already implement this philosophy into their system. Given this, a long-limbed practitioner can do quite well in grappling-type MAs.

It's clear that you should not abandon or neglect other things in your life while studying the arts. If you do, then there's an underlying problem going on, and it's not the arts. Just as in discussion boards and video games, too much is often a sign of a problem and such routes take the form of escapism. That said, there's a future in most everything you do in life, but not always a financial one. The martial arts helps to build character and develop confidence. It also may, one day, save your life. Things far more important in the 'real world' than studying courses on topics you'll only end up discussing in parties... as trivia. People venture in to the arts for different reasons, but... generally... end up having the same or similar returns.

It's still a competition, regardless of whether it says something like, "no rules." The ARE rules. You aren't allowed to kill your opponent, leave the ring, grab the referee and thrust him in front of you, or toss a bucket of sand and debris onto the floor. You're not allowed to pull out a knife, a gun, or a rubber hose. You can't bring any weapons in and you can't get any friends to help you in case you get in trouble. You aren't allowed to call the police and 'detain' your opponent until help arrives, nor is anyone going to call 911 for you. Etc etc etc. Competition... ergo, competition.

DM, that's because you suck! Actually, DM is correct. There are two things that determine a winner in type of competition. The competitor and the MA system(s) he utilizes for that particular competition. But, one thing that doesn't slip into the equation is... survival. In a competition, i think of win or lose. In the street, i think of life and death. Different means to different ends. DM is also correct, in that this has been hashed and rehashed for ages, not merely on these boards.

I was already pretty involved in the arts when the first one came out. I'm noting it had a positive effect on a lot of you, but it annoyed the hell out of me. I just wanted to reach through the screen and smack that kid. What a dufus. Oh, and the acting was horrible. Painful, in fact.

Umm... no. I wrestled in high school and college. Pretty studly at it, if i say so myself (although, in truth, i'm a tad rusty nowadays). Wrestling does not teach submission techniques. It is, without a doubt, the most effective system for maintaining 'control on the ground,' but its lack of submission techniques puts it at a serious disadvantage when dealing with a judoka or bjjer. In competition (which is the only recognized form of teaching wrestling), points are obtained for putting your opponent in a position that is considered disadvantageous, then it is broken up and the competitors start up again. A wrestler's training pretty much stops right before submission techniques are required. Also, it is not the oldest fighting style in the world. It is thought to have originated from Sumerians, who supposedly obtained it from the region now known as India, the area generally considered as the seed of Chinese martial arts (Bodhirhama came from India, to the Shaolin temple in what is known as Tibet). In fact, if my memory serves me, wrestling was revived, as a sport, during the 1400's from old and incomplete roman manuscripts on pancrase, marked around 200 a.d., and that the more lethal techniques were removed (sort of like what happened with judo). From this, wrestling and boxing, two separate 'sports' were born. So, what we practice today (freestyle, greco-roman, or even boxing) is not what was practiced in the gladiatorial days, and therefore... should not be deemed the 'oldest' martial art. Now, the silliness of pointing at various MMA practitioners and saying, "this wrestler beat that judoka" is... well... silly. Most of the competitors have cross-trained and gained skills in one area or another that gives them a slight edge over someone else, who may not have practiced sufficient defense against what he's being subjected to. Fighting in competition is far more a chess game of tricks than it is a 'real' fight, where 'surprise' takes front and center. Comparing one fighter to another is not the means to determine whether one system is better than another. It is only a means to determine whether one fighter is able to beat another fighter. That's it... nothing else. Granted, it's nice to see people implement techniques, and succeed... but it's also reasonable to assume that many of these techniques would not work as effectively on someone trained in the same techniques. So... surprise still tends to sneak into the door of MMA competitions.

Ugh... friggin' belts.