White Warlock

Let her think so? Allow someone to maintain their delusions?

Hmm... i was informed many times over that it is the exact opposite of our views on white/black. I.e, in the western world, we view white as good and pure and view black as corrupt and evil, but in the eastern world it is the other way around. Something to consider...

bah!

Hehe, just caught this thread. The Lions Den used to be on Broadway in San Diego. I went there for a short time. It was kind of a chaotic mess and i didn't learn anything new, although i might have, if i had more time. Alas, i took off to Argentina. Came back six months later and the school was closed down. Personally, i don't think you missed much.

no

I suppose i'm a little more harsh than you two. If the quality of the instruction isn't up to par, then move on. No amount of talking to the instructor will make a difference, since it seems he's already compromised his ethical standards and made a decision as to what's more important. And yes, there are a lot of substandard schools out there, but there are also plenty of good ones.

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

Well, sturdy attire is essential for a system that incorporates 'any' bit of grappling. T-shirts are simply too dangerous for a judoka to work with, as is a tank top. Then again, that might be kinda fun.

I like the praying mantis idea. Although chocolate covered sounds better than a pet.

*smiles politely*

It does matter, but before i explain... let me say that rolling to end up on the bottom, with someone on top of you isn't a good thing. It is a very risky maneuver in case every other option doesn't pan out. Ankle attacks are effective, and in most cases they should be the first choice, but not in all cases. It would be more effective to simply secure the ankles with one hand, insert your arm inside the neck hold, on one side or another (to alleviate pressure on one of the two main arteries on your neck), turn your head to pose your 'chin' in the crook of your opponent's elbow and, using your legs, do a quick flip around while keeping your opponent pinned to the floor. Now you're in his guard, which is a helluva lot better than where you were. Okay, now having covered a few of the 'far better' options, let's cover the last ditch option. If you protect your artery and throat as described above (which essentially gives you all the time in the world to escape), but are unable to perform an ankle lock (for whatever reason), or are unable to flip your body around while keeping your opponent pinned to the bottom, then driving your opponent around on his back is sometimes effective as is, if the ground is nasty (concrete, rocks, pebbles, etc). You can quickly and effectively tear up his back by just thrusting your back into him and pushing with your legs. If, however, the ground is nice and smooth like a baby's butt (or a mat ), then flipping over 'can' be effective 'if' you're quick and you remember to keep your butt in the air and your head low to the ground. Gravity assisted your opponent when he was on his back, but it 'temporarily' can assist you when you flip over, as his weight and body will lean forward and down (think of a horse bucking a rider, but also remember that you want to maintain the stirrups... his legs locked around your waist). There is a very short window of opportunity when you flip someone off their back and onto your back, if you have your head down and your hip elevated, that seperates his arms from his torso and throws his face in the concrete (or softy pillowy mat ). Since you already have one arm wedged to protect your artery, you can use that same arm as a wedge, to complete an escape of your head. Once loose, immediately flip the opponent back onto his back using the effect of gravity on his body to allow him to spin around you (saddled rider flipping around a horse due to loose stirrups). You're in his guard. You can also attempt this manuever without committing to a complete turn around. A bit safer, far less effective, but still... all of this is risky if you haven't practiced this sufficiently.

hehe

Okay, this discussion is quickly degenerating. Take time to review your earlier posts. If you can't see how you were insulting, i can't help you. I will, however, add that insulting remarks have not been one-sided (hint hint tree...). Just to clear things up, i was not insulted... only noted how your posts were insulting in presentation. In fact, i was not insulted even by your latest post. Unbeknownst to the general populace, my frail ego can handle being wrong on occasion. Too bad it wasn't on this occasion. And on counterpoint, your failing to comprehend the context of my post makes your assumptions to my statements incorrect. I did not state that bjj was a sport and i am full aware of the short GJJ history. In fact, trivia is probably one of my strong suits, especially when it relates to things happening near what i consider to be my family's homeland (Argentina). And, again... your failing to comprehend the context of my post makes your assumptions to my statements incorrect. I did not state that bjj is 'only' ground fighting, merely that it emphasizes groundfighting. Please reread my post, but not before you remove that vinegar stuck between your teeth. hehe... Actually, that's not what you said, but i'll agree on what you have just clarified as your intent in an earlier post. Just to add, there are no guarantees with anything you learn from any martial art under any condition or instance. That is the nature of the arts. They are dependent on far too many factors for guarantees to be placed on the contract of instruction. However, learning the ways and means does provide an option not available to the untrained, or the other-educated.

Unfortunate the 6th with the 'issues.' His actions were disruptive, but also unfortunately, he has authority. We all want to offer advice, and me especially... so my advice would be... deal with it. Take it as a means to build your character. His 'issues' aren't your 'issues' and there's absolutely no reason to adopt them. Congrats on your 2nd place in sparring!

Ahh, psychotherapy time. Yeppers, definitely need to get to the bottom of that, lest it undermine any relationship you eventually do obtain. Four to eight sessions with a good therapist will help you to figure out what's going on. And before you squirm out of this idea, realize that a therapist is a professional, and if you don't utilize a professional, you're going to end up utilizing 'amateur' therapy (i.e., untrained friends and strangers)... which very likely will get you some very wrong answers, along with a small handful of right ones. Absolutely nothing wrong with seeking insight and advice from someone who's going to provide right answers.

Ahh, okay. Agreed.

Bah! Hehe, i was being facetious. I suppose it wasn't obvious enough.

Felt like jumping in. An entire caste of people, the samurai, raised with the mindset and philosophies of war, for a thousand years, in a hundred regions. Yes, there are many similarities between jujutsu systems, but the basis to these arts stem from Chinese systems, which vary substantially and yet, also have similarities. Anyway, the thing to understand is that after the Tokugawa family took 'ultimate' control of Japan, they devised means to ensure that warriors would never again rise up. Reader's digest version (note that my memory on this is a bit fuzzy)- Samurai were given two choices: Receive a portion of land but renounce their samurai status, or renounce their lands and keep their samurai status. To make the latter more appealing, the Tokugawa 'reinforced' a caste system that had been existing for quite some time, but was never formally established. Aristocrat (?), samurai, artisan, farmer, and merchant. The caste system was set into stone by stating that one is born a caste, and one dies a caste. I.e., a farmer cannot become a samurai, nor a samurai become a merchant. By doing this, the Tokugawa family was able to ensure that revolts could not obtain support. In many ways, Japan had become a socialist government. So, what ensued was 300 years of peace, in which an entire caste of people had 'nothing' to do. No wars to fight and being on a government pension, samurais soon found themselves 'spiritualizing' their warrior ways. And, because of the institution of the caste system that stated one must be 'born' into a caste, samurai families and the tradition of carrying family 'arts' through the generations was established. All this said and done, there were thousands of samurai families, each developing their arts from different regions. Each ended up incorporating their own philosophical 'twists' to their interpretations of the warrior arts and what ensued was a multitude of private family systems... some quite different than others. Each developed over a period of 300 years and as many as 15 generations. Now, near the end of the 19th century, the Tokugawa family lost their control and the caste system was abolished. Not only that, the concept of samurais was abolished. Clearly a destructive blow to tradition, but it helped to bring Japan back to the modern age. In short order (around 50 years), Japan became a modern force to be reckoned with (Pearl Harbor). Without going into the details of WWII and what sparked the conflict between Japan and the U.S., i'll head back to what really matters in these discussions. What happened during those 50 years after the samurai were abolished? Well, samurai were no longer receiving pensions... and thus had to fend for themselves. Many found that teaching their 'arts' became a means to that end, and thousands of different styles emerged (they always existed within the respective families, but now were accessible to anyone with money). Jigoro Kano was a second generation recipient of this. Incorporating three different family empty hand combat systems, and removing the 'deadly' aspects to these, he developed a relatively simple offshoot that we all know as judo, but which was originally called Kano jujutsu. Okay, gotta run...

There's merit on both sides. Consider this... BJJ emphasizes groundwork, regardless of whatever else it teaches. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it 'overemphasizes' groundwork. The strength in its application, and the tendency toward 'going to the ground' is reinforced... by default. This is important to recognize, just as it is important to recognize that the practice of 'point contact' sparring can get you in trouble, if you overemphasize it. On the other hand, BJJ and most MMA training regimens provide ample 'hands-on' experience and work great for those practitioners that aren't self-motivated. I.e., those that need regular sparring and/or competition in order to maintain their edge. But, on one other hand, sport is sport, regardless of the rationale behind it. There are rules and i discussed this in another thread the very real difference in fighting on a smooth-surfaced and padded mat from within a cage or against the ropes, as opposed to fighting someone in the street, with uneven surfaces, sand, dirt, a myriad of weapons, and the ever-present threat of 'hidden' opposition within the crowd of onlookers. Last note. Venezolano... chill. You're being far too insulting. The fact of the matter is, there are systems that instruct in 'how' to handle multiple adversaries and some even practice these strategies regularly. To think that the end-all of things is one-on-one, is just as shortsighted as thinking bjj has no place in the street. Keep an open mind and remember that the reason so many systems exist is because there is so much to cover in so short a lifespan. Each system emphasizes something different, and each offers its unique 'approach,' but it is ultimately the individual that determines the outcome of a confrontation.

*swoosh*

*snipes* I could care less what i wear at a training hall or at a tourney, sheesh. I'm there to learn and practice the friggin' art, not pose for GQ magazine. Each school has different uniforms. I'll wear whatever they deem as 'standard,' as long as their idea of a uniform isn't a clown suit.

The feet are like hooks. If you cross your feet, you're doing most of the 'securing' for him. All he would need to do is apply leverage and cause the ankles to go against themselves. You can do this by utilizing one arm as the crank and the other as a lever. That's one way.

I don't follow. Do you have a few moments to clarify?

Agree with AndrewGreen. The simple 'step-in hard' technique from wrestling works very well. If you get caught with your leg in someone's underarm and they capture it, an effective action is to lean in while bending your knee (of the capture leg) and put your weight into that leg with the intention of stepping straight down to the ground. A single arm, or even two arms, are simply not going to be able to hold the leg under those circumstances and the weight you are putting into the action will prevent him from lifting his own leg to take out your other leg. You may be one leg down, but he's either one or two arms down, which means you have upper body advantage. To ensure you stay on the offensive while committing to this action, include a strike or two to the face, elbows, and/or headbutts. The action of stepping-in should be committed quickly and immediately, so don't waste time trading punches while you're one leg down, as your strikes will only have power 'while' you are stepping-in. Your primary goal is to get the leg to the ground, not to hit the opposition (that's just a benny AND a good way to keep your opponent distracted). Note: There are other techniques, such as doing a spinning backkick with your other leg, but these are exceedingly risky. In a competition, risky is good, as it may generate some much needed points. But, in a real confrontation, risky tricks can mean your death.

How are you guys able to type upside down?