Master Jules

Im on msn also sensei_jules@hotmail.com Feel free to add me to your buddy list....just send me an email and lets get it going

One of the things that Ive noticed about women in the arts, is that they seem to be able to pick up on the more "graceful" aspects of training.....for example.....have you ever noticed that when females perform certain kata, or techniques which require a more subtle and fluid movement, they are much more dextrous than men, who usually appear to be a lot "stiffer".......its not a flexibility issue, but a sensitivity towards the softer side of the arts......and life in general. In any case....thats just my thoughts on the subject.....

Some people thrive on conflict and drama.....this woman sounds like she fits the bill so to speak.....youve offered her an explanation as to why you and your comments were taken the wrong way, in that you meant no malice towards anyone.....you have gone even further by apologizing for your comments, even though you were misunderstood......after explaining that you were misunderstood, and apologizing, she has chosen to not accept your explanation, nor your apology.....in good conscience, you have done all you can do......the ball is in her court so to speak......it is unfortunate that this woman seems to want to not accept your apology and explanation.....but thats now HER problem....NOT yours......although you are dissapointed, take solice in knowing that you have done all you can do, and let it go......go on with your life, and your training.....stay focused.......meditate before and after class.....get yourself into the "zone"......your training is the most important thing, both to you, and your students.....NEVER let anything or anyone interfere with training......my thoughts are with you......good luck......hopefully this woman will "come around"....if not......oh well.....HER loss.

Lion......I have a friend (Sandhoppa)....hes in college in Maryland right now, and is planning on coming up to visit me.....you should try to converse with him.....he just started taking Goju down there, and he loves it......maybe the two of you can take a lil road trip up here ...Im in NY.....Ill be more than happy to put you up for a few days, and you can see first hand why Goju is the way to go (over TKD)......youre more than welcome to stay at my place, and unlike Master Kirk, I promise I wont jump out of the shadows and attack you... Email me privately and we can discuss it......Im sure Sandhoppa would love the company on his trip up here......we'll have a blast !

Master Kirk stays with me anytime he wants, for as long as he needs....and he is a riot ! Hes a former chief of police, and current chief of the SPCC (society for the prevention of cruelty to children).....we do a lot of police tactical training, gun and knife disarms, forced entry techniques, stuff like that. Hes hysterical to just hang out with, but when we train, hes all business.....The night he attacked me with the shinai, I had just gotten home from the bar (working, not drinking)....and hes beating on me mercilessly with the shinai.....were makin all kinds of noise, and my girlfriend comes out of the bedroom.....he stops for a second, looks at her, says "oh sorry Nadia...did we wake you up ?".....she looks at me....looks at him....says (with a laugh)..."no....dont worry about it....how was work honey ?" I said fine.....she says to Master Kirk....."let the beatings continue"....laughs again and goes back to bed....LOL......he pulls that kinda stuff on me all the time.......Last time he was here, I came home from the gym, he was in my living room in his gi, hands taped with duct tape.....now...hes like a second father to me....and I hadnt seen him in a few months, so when I got home, he stopped twirling around, I walked over to him with my arms open to give him a hug and kiss hello.....as I approach, he fakes like hes gonna do the same, and cracks me in the jaw with a left hook, says ..."great to see you too.....hajime"....LOL......Nadia is just sittin on the couch laughing hysterically about how I "fell for that one".......even though I dropped him off at the airport yesterday, Im still leary about walking into my own house for fear of him popping out of nowhere and attacking me......but......its all good.......and now.......I miss him.....but.....I know hell be back to beat me relentlessly soon......and I cant wait.

Hey SS.....thanks Ive been on both sides of the fence, having had students stay with me, as well as my master.....definetely a learning experience both ways !

anyone at all ????????

Yes, black belt really is just the beginning.....and the farther you go...the more youll realize how little you know.......

PAL......maybe I missed the point of your post, but what am I supposed to "pay more attention to" ?.....I do want to come up with a good quiz/poll for November, but what do you mean ?.....just curious....

Which Yamaguchi ? Gogen, or Gosei (father or son) ?

KM.....that is indeed an impressive background, which I dont "dispute" in any way.....I dont feel that you or anyone else needs my blessing for anything......my point was......It would take a hell of a long explanation as to why there would be only one reason (IMHO).....as far as asking for your "qualifications", as I said before....it wasnt to "justify" your post....It was, as I said.....just out of curiousity about whatever arts youve trained in your "career" as a martial artist...not to scrutinize your "credibility", just to learn about what YOU do, and how it compares to what I do......I thought I stated that clearly at the end of my last post. I would be more than happy to "pick up the torch" at the beginning of next month, and create a November poll......and I hope I get as much attention as this one did....lol In regards to your background, as I mentioned earlier....sounds impressive, and must have been a great experience for you......maybe you can relate some stories about exchanges youve had with some of those masters so some of the "newbies" can hear what that was like for you, and hopefully we can all help facilitate the cycle of learning.

Now THAT would be a crime !

Predecessor to Aikido and Jujitsu

Im just curious if anyone has ever been "uchideshi", a "live in" student ? The reason I ask is because from time to time, one of my masters comes to live with me for a while. Hes very "eccentric", and life around the house is like a non-stop training session.....theres always a lesson being learned about something, not to mention him always attacking me.....lol......I keep weapons literally all over the house, and last night, upon my arrival home from work at 330am.....he leaps out of the shadows and starts attacking me with the shinai that we had been working with that afternoon......I had to throw someone out of the bar towards the end of the night, so my adrenaline was still going, and we had quite a little battle in my living room....lol......needless to say.....my forearms are a little sore from getting smashed with that damn shinai which he had tightened all the way so it was nice and hard...... Anyway.....back to the point.....has anyone ever lived with a master ?.....what were your experiences like ?

Learn something soft......it will compliment your "hard" very well......the very idea behind Goju Ryu....."Go"...hard, "Ju"....soft......be both at the same time.

I was wondering the same thing.....all of those answers are correct, but apply as "correct" in different ways....... You say in response to MM "nope, its 'the answer' "...... First of all, in martial arts of ANY style, there NEVER is any reason that is THE ANSWER.....there are always multiple reasons for everything....which is one of the reasons why it is an ART.......because an art is multidimensional and has many interpretations, and "reasons". Im also curious to know KM......and I mean no disrespect here......again......just out of curiousity.......what is your background, and what qualifies you to give a test ? I would expect a HUGE paper just on the theory that you have come up with "the answer" just to that question alone.......then another huge paper on why your answer is "the answer". Im not pickin' a fight here......just for the record.......but I dont want to wait for the end of the month.......keep in mind......youre quizzing the entire population of this forum......Im sure there might be some folks on here that are more than qualified to test you......

Hey......I just work there......I dont own the joint......thats why I dont mind flipping someone onto a table and breaking it.......I aint payin' for it !.....lol

I took my first test when I was 8. I still remember it......it was in Kyokushin, and I just remember being there for what seemed to be an eternity......and being sore for the next week....I remember my sensei test back in 96 for Goju.....I was testing simultaneously in both Okinawan and USA/Urban Goju......It was August, we took the test outside in 103 degree weather for 5 hours......I truly stared death in the face that day for sure....my 4th dan test was insane.....7 days long.....5 hrs a day.....1 very long 45 minute full contact no pads round on the first and the last day, and a 30 minute grappling round while I was blindfolded on the third day.......not to mention every conceivable application and kata, etc..... Lotsa fun :-) ......

Youre gonna see tons of people.....lots of energy floating through the air......stuff going on all over the place......youre really gonna enjoy it........have fun.....take it all in....meet lotsa people.....HAVE FUN ......when you compete.....dont get nervous.....its really no big deal.......just do what you would do in class.....the best you can.....HAVE FUN.......HAVE FUN.........HAVE FUN. Notice how I said to HAVE FUN ?????? .........youll enjoy it, and youll be fine.....and youll count the days till the next one.

Always ask.

I got my start in Kyokushin in 1973 stayed for 3 years.......good style.....very "hard" though......with no "soft".....you lack a lot of trapping and locking and "controlling" techniques....they train tough fighters.....are you looking into a Kyokushin dojo ?.....Have you trained anything else ?.....What are you looking for in a martial art for yourself ?

LOL WKC.....Its not really a tough job if you do it right.....being a bouncer really isnt about fighting.....its about trying to use a calm demeaner to DEescalate a situation, but being prepared to "deal" with a drunk patron in a physical way if you have too. I try to fall back on my Psychology degree and martial art training to have what most people notice to be a phenomenal amount of patience....but when I gotta go.....I GO......I try to choke 'em out though......Im afraid of causing some kind of serious injury if I hit someone.....everyone likes to sue these days.....but I do like the big bench clearing brawls from time to time......its a nice release.

Hey Hammer ......long time no see.....hope youve been good, and that life has been treating you well.

You CAN generate endurance from weightlifting....you just have to construct a workout program thats geared for it.....Ive been a personal trainer for 15 years, and am now at the "master" level.....if you need help with this, Ill be more than happy to lend my services.

My favorite thing to see......a 4'2" 12 year old SanDan who's been training a full 4 years.....since he was 8.....lol EDIT : As I started writing this next part, I strayed terribly from the topic.....but it turned out a good story, so I left it in. I started in 1973....I was 7 years old.....I was in a Kyokushin class taught in the afterschool program........they even made it tough on us as kids....it took me 3 years to earn a brown belt, but my folks pulled me out shortly afterthat because I was getting into fights at school.....once some kids found out I was in "karate".....they started....if youll pardon the pun.....starting with me......so I did what any good brown belt does when hes picked on by bullies.....I decided to defend myself......It was a REALLY long time ago....lol.... but I still remember my very first "fight".....I was nervous as hell, cause it was one of those...."Ill see you afterschool in the back playground" kinda things..... and by the time the rest of the afternoon went by after lunch, "EVERYBODY " knew.....lol......no way to NOT fight......I can still remember the long stone staircase that I had to look down into the lower playground area as he stood and waited for me......he was bigger....not by much....but a little bigger, and he was one of those "sports", athletic kinda guys......he thought he could take me......I knew I wasnt scared, but I was nervous as hell, cause all I can remember saying to myself all afternoon was "God I hope I win or Ill be so embarrassed now that they know I take karate"......so I get to the bottom of the steps and the kids are all gathered starting to egg us on.....Since he's bigger....he starts by giving me the double push to the chest......to this day I cant even explain how fast it all happened.....I hauled off and kicked him in his leg with my hardest low roundhouse kick that I could.....my heart was pounding so hard in my chest and my legs were shaking from the adrenaline.....my first street fight ever......There was that second when everything froze......everyone was quiet....or so it was to me.....and he started to go down.......I saw him wince in pain as he struggled to stay on his feet in front of the crowd.....and I remember feeling like I had "control".....a lot less scared than I was a few minutes before........he new he had to do something cause everyone was "ooooo-ing"....they thought the skinny kid was gonna get his a$$ kicked.....as his hands came up I could see that his leg was really hurt.....he favored the other leg, and had the begining of tears in his eyes.....but........he was the one who started it.....and when he picked up his hands again......I picked up mine.......and kicked him in the exact same spot as hard as I could all over again........he started crying right away and went down, rolling on the ground holding his leg.....I remember even then, feeling bad for him, cause I knew from class what that pain felt like.....I didnt like it either......lol.......but he never picked on me again...... Sorry I strayed from the topic......the point I was going for was that we used to have to EARN our belts when I was a kid....it took me 3 years to get a brown belt.........a 12 year old SanDan ?????......In 4 years ???????.........THATS a McDojo !!!!!!!!!!