Beka

I would recommend taking a class in an art that uses joint manipulation. If you only look at pictures you won't really learn how to apply the locks. If you have a friend over to play the role of resistent partner, then it's possible you could work on and use the moves, but without a qualified instructor around, you may use incorrect technique, or even do something dangerous and unsafe to your friend. If all you want is to learn kata, then by all means, look at books. But if you want to learn something that requires understanding another person's body mechanics, then you really need a resisting partner and a safe practice environment.

Personally I would work on getting better at clinch work. Better take downs are great to work on, but you might not get the advantage of working from a distance where shooting for a single or double leg is possible. If you work on your clinch takedowns you will have a greater range of possibilities, and you will be much more prepared for an opponent who insists on getting back up.

Well I think anyone, at some times, will doubt their training, females and males both. Being female has nothing to do with it. Perhaps not all women will immediately jump into MA, but once they have grown accustomed to it, there is no longer any reason to consider a female martial artist as different from her male counterpart (mentally/psychologically speaking). As far as the size of an attacker goes... That's a different story. I'd like to think that with enough training, I could be tough enough to withstand heavy blows and not utterly fall apart. But I guess I'll never know until the real deal strikes. Technique can make up for some of the size difference, because a kick to the face is a kick to the face--it hurts. Anybody. However, I think the key thing to remember is that predators attack the weak. If you show initial signs that you aren't one to be messed with, like walking confidently, and looking aware, then they won't even strike. If they still do attack, and you put up a good fight, they may back off. Unfortunately, if someone wants to do damage to you specifically, and not just any gal on the street, then you may be at a significant disadvantage.

I think an advantage of fighting with someone much better/bigger than you is that you learn how to take hits. My boyfriend is GIGANTIC-- he's 6'5'' and 320 pounds. I don't even weigh half that. I'm a foot shorter than he is. And have I mentioned how long his arms are? I have to really strategize to get my fists anywhere near him. Well, anyway, sometimes I make him box with me. No pads, no nothing. We have some rules, open hands for head shots, no throws, etc, but for the most part, I just stand there and get hit. My arms look like my father was a dalmation, and the sight of my tattoos bruising up is an odd one, indeed. But can I keep standing? You betcha. Sometimes in a fight, it'll come down to who can stay up the longest, and not be bothered by the pain. If you spar with a black belt (one who cares about you), then I'm sure you'll learn how to take plenty of hits! Good luck.

It's not that we wouldn't want to train together if everything was going swimmingly. In case there were an argument, I would prefer to be able to go there without him and let off some steam. In the event of a break up, it would not be easy for us both to train at the same school. I know I'm not leaving my current dojo. I wouldn't want to force him to leave either, should he like it there. Plus, I already have someone there that I was romantically involved with, and the strain would be a little bit too much .

contracts are frequently used to keep someone at a school, to continue milking their money. A school that has its quality to rely on doesn't need a contract. Some good schools may still use contracts, but one should always be wary. Yes, you can tell a lot from a website.

plenty of people have nice little websites, but there are very specific things you should probably look for, that will indicate a certain degree of veracity.

I have tattoos on my feet. The only thing more painful is your neck, and only because you're not allowed to breathe. I have tattoos other places, too. As well as piercings. Feet are *terribly* painful to tattoo. It's not a big deal. It only hurts while you're getting the work done, and then you have something (hopeully) beautiful for the rest of your life. The tattoo shop should look like a doctor's office in regards to lighting (very important!) and cleanliness (they MUST have an autoclave and use new needles on every person). If you're not Japanese, or don't speak Japanese, don't get a Japanese character for a tattoo. You'll look really stupid.

My sensei owns his dojo, and his wife, a 4th degree BB, teaches kata class on saturdays (all BBs rotate kata class duties), as well as some early afternoon classes, special series, and the cardio karate classes we have 3 days a week. She also runs her own school in the meantime. My boyfriend doesn't train in MA. He wants to, once his work schedule evens out, but he's not allowed to come to my dojo. He can come watch, but we don't think it's a good idea for us to train together (well, I don't think so, and neither does my sensei). Hopefully he will go to the Aikido school across the street from my dojo. It would be nice though, if he went to another Cuong Nhu school, and then we could practice together at home.

Clearly you've never heard of the Mcdojo? You little dear, you. Here, let me hold you to my matronly bosom... Capital- I don't live in Oregon. However, from their website, I think they sound pretty legit. They don't try to hide what they study, where it came from, etc. The head instructor gives his own bio, and they seem straightforward about what they teach. Classic signs of fraud in MA are those who don't list or discuss these kinds of things (*cough* west-wind *cough*). They tell you exactly what you're going to learn there, and I think that's a great starting off point for a good dojo. They apaprently give free intro lessons, but I have seen this used in a negative way. Write to them and ask how much lessons are. If they tell you how much they are, and they don't require contracts, you're in luck. I think the best you can do now is just try it out when you move there

I'm really concerned about something... To explain, my school only has four belts--white, green, brown and black. Inbetween the first three belts, there are two stripes each. It takes a darn long time between promotions because there really aren't that many. I have been going to my dojo for about 14 months now, and I am still a white belt with one green stripe. When I first joined, I showed a lot of promise, and I quickly learned everything I was supposed to. After 5 months I had my first stripe, and I was very proud of myself, because I finally felt like I was part of the dojo. Not that others had excluded me, but that I had shown a significant amount of dedication where so many others just quit (we seem to have a very low white belt retention rate). But, two months after my promotion, I had a serious ankle injury that put me out for quite a while. I don't think I trained at all for the first 2 months after my injury, but after that, I would come in about once or twice a month. A month ago, I finally felt well enough to start coming in more regularly. Last week I noticed sensei John saying things like "when you get to be a green belt..." and "don't worry, your rolls don't have to be perfect for your test", and I got the crazy idea in my head that he was thinking of promoting me. I know he likes to promote in groups, because for some reason we're encouraged to always have someone else near or at the same rank as us, and another white belt, Aaron, is totally ready for his green belt test. He's been training the whole time I haven't, and he looks good. And then today, before class, he asked me if I knew everything for my test. I stuttered and said I was pretty sure I did. Last week I checked the list, and yes, I do know everything. Our class tonight followed much of the same format as the test, and he paid extra special attention to my blocks, when he usually doesnt (and he said they looked really good). I talked with another classmate, and he said he was pretty sure of an upcoming test, too. Sensei John can be a bit predictable at times, so I'm pretty sure it's going to happen. But that doesn't mean I think I'm any good! Technically, yes, I know everything I need to, and I think my kata look pretty good, too. But I just feel like I wouldn't deserve the promotion right now, since I haven't been around much lately (at my rank, if he tests you, it's because he wants to promote you, so it's highly unlikely I'd fail). I learn quickly, and even with my ankle the way it is, I have learned to adapt some things, but still... I feel like I should probably wait at least another three or four months... I have never thought to myself about how much I wanted a black belt, and I really don't think about my training in terms of ranks and promotions. I'm there to learn at whatever pace comes naturally, so I don't mind being a white belt. Of course, I want to learn more techniques, but I just don't feel confident at my current state... Should I talk to my sensei about this? Would that be inappropriate? On the plus side, with two stripes I'll be allowed to start learning weapons... And I *have* always been interested in that...

when I'm near a parking meter and waiting for the bus or something, I will practice my back kick on it. I try to hit the meter without looking too much, and I try to make sure my foot is perfectly aligned like it's supposed to be. I do a lot of weird stuff in public. It doesn't bother me.

I'm a bit confused on this as well. I certainly don't do MMA in the sense that I'm preparing for a cage fight or whatever, but I don't think my style is completely traditional either. Maybe because it is so new? Cuong Nhu is primarily shotokan based, but we incorporate bits of Judo, Aikido, Wing Chun, Vovinam, boxing, and Tai Chi. From what I understand, most of the Tai Chi and Vovinam is done after one recieves a black belt rank, but Judo and Aikido are definately incorporated at a white belt (I had to learn rolls for my first test, and after that, low falls and more rolls, which get heavily emphasized at brown belt level). At the black belt rank, people are also encouraged to go learn another style to bring it back to Cuong Nhu and help teach the lower ranks. My sensei is Sandan in Aikido (7th dan in Cuong Nhu, with 6th and 7th being honorary ranks based on how much you give back to the style), and another of my instructors studies Judo. Cuong Nhu isn't about taking the best from here and there to make a "perfect" style, but more about rounding things out, in my opinion. I would consider it Mixed because yeah, it's mixed from different styles. But, we still do our kata and run around in our little gis and bow and all that. Cuong Nhu is a new style (developed in the 60s), so I am reluctant to call it "traditional," since traditions take time to grow. I am also reluctant to call it MMA because of the connotations like Seven Star's and Shorinryu sensei's. So? What is it? I don't know yet.

I think deep down I'm a katana master. I'm not allowed to learn weapons yet (not until my next promotion which, given my ankle injury is not looking to be in the near future...), but when I get there I will first be learning the tambo. My boyfriend and I have a couple of bokken, so I'm sure I'll head to the parking lot at night to improvise a thing or two... I like bladed weapons (my dad collects knives, and it appears to be passing on), so I should probably doing more of that kind of stuff.

I live two doors down from them, and from my desk I can see into the parking lot that they always use (which isn't even theirs to begin with). I came home today and I saw a new red BMW in the parking lot. I said to my boyfriend: "10 bucks that thing belongs to a West Wind instructor". I just looked out the window and saw some (chubby) guy run by with his West Wind Instructor shirt on, and where does he go? Right to the new red BMW!!! And that's on top of the *other* two BMWs that belong to head instructors, and the two Escalades that have confusing ownership, but belong to West Wind people. The black Escalade belongs to one person, but the White one (that is so new it doesn't have its own license plates yet) is fiddled with throughout the day by all the different instructors. I'm sorry, I just think it is highly suspicious that the most prominent instructors there drive luxury vehicles. This is, of course, not the only reason why I question their validity and motivations. I think they are having a black belt demo today, which explains why there are so many of them milling around today.