Master Jules

Im invisible.....look.....you cant see me now can ya ?......HA !!!.......told ya...... Seriously though.......like Shorinryu sensei said......the old masters didnt turn invisible for cryin' out loud....they just moved so fluidly and evasivly that it just seemed that way...... POOF !!!! See......I just did it again...... POOF !!!!...... Im back now......

If your lineage of Goju Ryu is Shoreikan, thats under Toguchi, and Im very surprised if youre not getting any education in chi gung breathing.....are you sure youre in the Shoreikan lineage ?....Im also very surprised that as a 1st dan, you havent been exposed to this yet......Sanchin and Tensho kata are chi gung forms, as well as moving zen. In fact, ALL the Goju kata have very specific breathing patterns to them, and ALL have chi gung applications......Im a little curious as to your teacher's background, and why he/she hasnt taught you any of this..... Also, as an aside.....when posting, please take the time to properly punctuate your posts.....its a little bothersome to read a very long run on sentence, and it also makes you sound like a child.....thanks.

As mentioned earlier.....Goju doesnt have many high kicks....but it does have a tremendous amount of centerline striking, as well as a huge amount of grappling.....it is a tremendously "complete" system.....Id be more than happy to discuss it at great length with you.....feel free to contact me anytime Dr. Flem.......that really goes for anyone.....get me going about Goju Ryu and Im as chatty as a woman.....lol

Parrying is blocking.....just done in a softer manner.....this is the "Ju" part of Goju ryu......being softer with your blocks turns them into parries for one thing, and being soft allows you to blend with incoming techniques, stick to them, and go for locks and throws......I dont feel like moving all over the place....I just stand there and let the opponent come to me.....9 times outta 10, when they make an offensive move, they leave something open, so Ill go for that.....its easier to be a defensive fighter, and that also puts you in a better position legally speaking.......but hey....thats just me.....I usually dont find that anything pisses me off enough to go on the offensive.......

I just kinda try to take whats offered and exploit it any way I can.....whether its grappling or stand up punch and kick....just gotta make the best outta whatever they give you

Hey Str33t Guy..........yeah.....sick story huh ?......I swear....I think back on it and even though I was right there in the middle of it, I still just dont believe it !..... Good question about "pain compliance".....the thing is.....ya just cant make a blanket statement about whether or not pain compliance techniques are or arent effective on the street or anywhere else, because the answer depends on the pain threshold of each individual.....some folks have no tolerance for pain at all, and you can walk them all over the place with any kind of locking technique......but likewise, there are some folks who can stand up to all kinds of pain.....so it really depends on two things....the first of course, is who is applying the lock ?....are they proficient at what they are doing ?.....IE...dont expect a "color belt" to be able to work any kind of technique on the street with pinpoint accuracy.....especially if they havent used some kind of "loosening" technique first, like a shot to the solar plexus or something like that.....and the second thing is again....how much pain can the recipient tolerate ?.........Ive used arm bars millions of times, cause you always get the bigger guys who go to grab you.....sometimes Ill give a quick fingertip strike to the solar plexus to kinda buckle them a bit, and then take em down......sometimes ya just gotta move really fast and just take em down hard......either way though.......those two factors are really important.....can you apply a lock proficiently ? , and how much pain can the recipient tolerate.....thats what it all comes down to.

Working as a bouncer, Ive had numerable street experiences....in regards to the last post.....yes, I have, but much worse, and it was one of the most memorable and unbelievable thing Ive ever seen. Heres the scenario.... The adjoining bar was tossing a guy out....he wasnt a big guy by any means....5'7" ish......maybe 170 lbs....He was being pinned down on the concrete by the two door guys....one was an older guy, about late 40's....6'2", probably 280 lbs....strong guy for an older guy.....the other doorman was 6'1", 305 lbs....he is currently a world champion, super heavyweight arm wrestler....his strength is just unreal.......the two of these guys were struggling to hold this little guy down, and he was fighting like a maniac....even though he was pinned on his back...he wouldnt quit....he even kept trying to BITE these guys.....I ran over from doing the door at the adjoining bar next door, and grabbed his legs, which were still kicking and flailing away like crazy.....we realized that this guy was just not gonna stop, and decided that the best thing to do was handcuff him.....having control of his legs, I flipped him onto his chest, and they both grabbed his arms and chicken winged his arms behind his back so we could cuff him......in doing so, we heard his shoulder pop, and his thumb as well......it was loud, and unmistakable......still, he continued to go crazy......I put him into a leg lock, and began twisting his ankle till it locked.....still, he kept fighting, and I just kept tightening the lock until finally, his ankle just snapped.....he screamed very breifly......his foot turned 180 degrees in the wrong direction, and his ankle joint felt like the consistency of gravel....kinda weird feeling actually......the cops handed us a pair of cuffs, cause they just couldnt get close enough to the guy without one of us letting go, and that wouldnt have been a good idea....he was still going crazy.....when the cops stood him up to lead him away to the patrol car, the most amazing thing was that he actually WALKED on his dangling foot.....he had a thumb and a shoulder dislocated, and a completely snapped ankle, and he actually just WALKED to the cop car......he was out of his mind, ranting and raving like a lunatic, which led us to believe that he was probably on PCP, or something else like it.....Ive heard the stories of guys smashing their fists by punching through windshields and stuff like that, but this was the first time Ive ever seen anything like this......I think its pretty safe to say though, that a sober person is gonna be slowed down significantly by a dislocation of a major joint, or a break......but.....ya never know.....

Be careful, the next step could make you a "Cereal Killer"! Red J.......LMAO.......

Joint locks are great....I personally love 'em.....I use them very frequently when having to escort an unruly patron from the bars I work in......BUT.....and this is a big but......as said before.....joint locks are usually very difficult to apply during a grappling/wrestling around situation, unless the person is stunned first.....and then they must be applied quickly......when someone is grabbing you, all their efforts are going into the strength in their hands, and wrists.......it really is very difficult to apply the wrist locks without loosening the person up first.....I favor the quick shot to the solar plexus, but any strike that stuns the person for just a moment can cause them to loosen their grip.....but even then.....you gotta move quickly..... Aside from Jujitsu's obvious locking applications Hudson, traditonal Goju Ryu has tons of locks and throws which come from the Shaolin Chin Na aspects of the art.

Shawn.......just a friendly reminder to change your signature line....its not "kabuto", its "Kobudo".

LOL......need I say more ?

LOL......man I cant tell ya how many trees Ive assaulted mercilessly in public......

Please feel free to contact me in the private message section, and I will try to answer any questions I can for you.....Ill always be willing to help.

BTW.......GojuRyu Shawn.......Its not "kabuto".......its "KoBudo"......no biggy......just so you know.

Welcome ! Im an Okinawan Goju Ryu instructor, and Isshin Ryu has its roots in the basics of Goju. Im sure I speak for all the other instructor level members here when I say that we will always be available to answer any and all questions you have, and help you along your way. Again.....welcome to the Forum, and welcome to the world of the martial arts.......train hard.....and best of luck to you.

As Iolair said, the jumping side kick was originally performed to unseat a horseman. They arent really too practical in "real life" street scenarios, in fact, unless you have REALLY fast legs, street kicking shouldnt be done much above waist level anyway. To improve jumping ability, you should implement the use of "plymetrics" in your training....it will cultivate the fast twitch muscle fibers, and produce the explosive power needed to gain height. Plyometrics, however, can be very taxing on the ligaments and tendons, so be sure to practice with proper form under the guidance of a certified trainer.

Make the day a learning experience.....youll have a great opportunity to see many different styles of martial arts, and meet lots of people.....watch everything closely.....and most of all.....simply ENJOY YOURSELF !!!!

Like anything else.....there is no "fast track" to skill......it takes time and, well.....time takes .....time...... As far as not hurting your hands......you must begin to condition them with makiwari training, or iron palm training......and again......it takes time.......its just something that cant be rushed...... I know thats not the answer you wanna hear, because you wanna do it NOW........but thats just how it is.

Congrats on your personal victory......reflect on the events of the day, and see what you can do to achieve a higher level of victory next time.....best of luck !

LOL........good advice Mente...... But seriously.....any training is better than NO training......just remember that a streetfighter DOES have training......although it might not be considered "formal"......fighting of any kind....ANYWHERE.....gives you experience......and generally speaking.....experience is whats helps make you "better".

Solar......the funny thing about tests is that since youre not "at that level".....and this applies to all ranks...even the "Dans".......youre not qualified to judge whether or not your "ready"....... Just go about your training as you normally would....there is no "magical" change that happens when you put on a new belt......if youve seen the test before, and you think you can perform whats required at that skill level.....go for it......if you pass.....then you know you were "ready......if you fail.......you know you werent.......either way......afterwards.....train even harder. Best of luck......always be confident.....but not cocky. Our best wishes are with you, and if we can help (I hope I speak for all of the instructor level folks here).....let us know HOW we can help.....and we will......at least.....I will.

Have you considered that maybe youre not being taught "new stuff" because youre ASKING to be taught "new stuff" ?

Im also a master trainer for 15 years......if you need help setting up a workout, or just workout advice in general.....you can feel free to contact me privately, and Ill try to help you out.

If youre trying to cultivate "strength" in your workout......you must lift very heavy weight for anywhere between 1-8 repetitions, and allow 3 minutes between sets for the muscles to recover, and to regenerate the first of the 3 consecutively used fuel sources.....Im a master trainer for 15 years, im not just saying this, it is physiological and anatomical facts that Im giving you...... You must lift with an "explosive pace, so as to really work the "fast twitch" muscle fibers..... Id be more tha happy to help you....if you contact me privately, I can help set up a workout program for you......good luck

They need to learn to distinguish between the two relationships......if they are a "couple".....thats great....good for them......but when they come to the dojo......they are just fellow students when they step out onto the mat. In another thread, I recently congratulated someone on receving a promotion, and I made they announcement that my GF just passed her yellow belt test.........teaching a friend, or a girlfiend for example can be a tough thing to do.......but it simply must be made clear to them prior to training......" We may be friends, or even boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, whatever......when we TRAIN......there is an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP......WHICH IS THAT OF TEACHER/STUDENT, OR FELLOW STUDENTS IN THE SAME CLASS........and thats the way it is.......aside from the fact that as cute as it might be.....even if they are a "couple"......the trainig dojo is NO PLACE to be exchanging lil kisses here and there........PERIOD !!!!!!.......save it for later........when youre on the mat......you are simply this.....a student, or a teacher......and you should act like one.......end of story.