Beka

I don't study Vovinam, but I do Cuong Nhu, which was created by a Vietnamese man who hybridized several styles, including Vovinam, to create Cuong Nhu. You might want to try researching Cuong Nhu as well, to see what parts of it come from Vovinam. It might be a fair back-door method.

I would also have to say the Hulk. He could rip those spider webs with ease. Peter Parker is a dork, and The Hulk is green. GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN with pure spidey-beatability

Because they can't get past the white belt!!!! hahahaha i'm just so funny. If you don't know hipsters I guess it's not so interesting.

Run-do. Don't gotta hit nobody, don't gotta get hit. Well, that would be if your concern was self-defense. I think it depends on what you're looking for. Capoiera is probably one of the most interesting to watch performances of, and so many people would say that BJJ or MT are the ones to go for if total protection/destruction is what you're looking for. I think it's all relative.

Now this is scary. The Art of War is my laundry book my lunch book is Frauds, Myths And Mysteries by Felder. I'm also reading excerpts of The Unfettered mind on the net I'm having trouble finding it in hard cover around here. awesome!!! We should start our own personal book club. I'm reading the urban legends one because I am an absolute NUT for folklore. My whole life I have been completely obsessed with mythology and folklore. Something about it just gets me going. And then of course, the Art of War for the martial artist/butt-kicking-super-go-getter-world-domination side of me.

The Encyclopedia of Urban Legends is my bedtime book. The Art of War is my public transportation book. Otherwise I'm reading wack Astronomy textbooks.

Sorry, DevilAside... I'll stop. I just get kinda lonely ya know?

Something worth noting: http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/ausguns.asp

Well then I didn't mean it . I just find the whole red scare a little bit humorous. Not for all those people that were accused of communism (as if that were a crime!?), but for those of us now who are completely removed. For one, the cold war is over, most people know that communism doesn't work, and the whole "oh no! they's gunna takes away baybay jaysus!" mentality cracks me up. I don't care what people believe so long as what they believe doesn't impinge on another's personal freedoms. Everyone has their own definition of what that is. As for me, I'm a definite liberal, but not in the typical sense. I wouldn't call myself a socialist, but I really love and admire the social welfare state in the Scandinavian countries. They have it great over there. Sweden doesn't have homeless people!! Can you stop for a second and imagine a place like that!?!?! Ah, I love it. As for my non-liberalness, I think responsible adults should be allowed to own registered and highly regulated firearms. The only problem is that I wouldn't trust most people I've met in my life with a gun. As a martial artist, I think that the katana ban in Australia is a bad idea. I heard abotu this a long time ago, and some liberal pals of mine didn't like my take on the issue. The thing is, people will fight. I hate to admit it, but that's what animals do. If people want to kill each other, I can't really stop them, so I'd rather they duked it out with a knife fight, rather than a shootout. At least one of them will be seriously injured or dead no matter what weapon is used, but if they're sword fighting, Little Suzy Six Year Old who goes riding by on her tricycle most likely won't catch a stray bullet (or a stray blade, those things just don't fly as far as bullets). I really want to learn kenjutsu, so I would be very upset if my access to learning was cut off. Also, I'm not theoretically against the death penalty. I don't like the idea of state-sanctioned capital punishment, because for one, they are often wrong, people are often wrongly accused and convicted (just one wrongly convicted man on death row is enough for me), there is a strong reason to believe that certain sentences are racially motivated, and also, I don't think the state has the right. My love of Scandinavia comes through again, as I am very interested in the idea of blood feud. I don't like the way it actually worked out in Iceland (but it was pretty functional for a while), but I think people should be allowed to avenge the crimes against themselves and their loved ones. Preferably through empty-handed or non-firearm techniques (bullets, ya know). I know revenge doesn't equal justice, but in certain cases, i think it should be allowed and understood that a certain person had it coming. Of course, there will have to be rules to the whole thing (even the Icelanders knew that burning one's house down was wrong--you could be outlawed for just *talking* about doing it) Those are really the only places where I stray from being liberal. And I still don't agree with free gun ownership or the current system of capital punishment. So, there you go.

Oh NO!! Not SOCIALISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's to hell in a handbasket if those derned SOCIALISTS take over!!!!! It all starts with those liberals. They're gonna take away all of our freedoms until one day OH NO! they finally reveal their little red hats and *Gasp* COMMUNISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sorry for that, I swear, I'll never do it again. :pony:

my best friend since I was 9 years old also happens to be the daughter of a *very* influential lawyer who will "take care of" this bogus effing lawsuit. Hector doesn't know what he's getting himself into...

do you know what he will be studying? If he's studying film, buy him a book on film. If it's Russia, get him a Russian dictionary, etc... Getting him a book related to his studies would be a great idea for a college student (i'm a college student, so I'm biased).

When I was in junior high and high school I used to skateboard and play a LOT of volleyball. Both of those activities really screwed up my left ankle. I gave up the skateboarding, and that sorta helped it. I wore big stiff ankle braces when I played volleyball, and I would still occasionally manage to twist it during games or practice. I quit playing about 4 or 5 years ago. It would act up every now and then, mainly when I twisted my ankles easily by doing something simple like getting off of the bus, or stepping the wrong way on a crack in the road. When I started doing karate, it just got worse. I wear a little neoprene sleeve-style brace, since I don't wear shoes and I can't wear the stiff kind. I think I will be getting shoes and a stiffer brace soon, which doesn't completely excite me, since that means very limited mobility in my ankle. The other day, I was wearing high heels on my way to work. I work retail, so I have to wear dress shoes and walk around for 5-8 hours at a time. So, I fell over and twisted my ankle really bad. I'm used to dealing with it, so I kept walking all day (in heels) despite it. Then, I still had to work for the next three days, so, even though I got flatter and more supportive shoes, it still hurt a lot. It hasn't gotten any better, even though I've been off of it for two days. But, I didn't really expect it to get better. I've had to miss a few of my MA classes for it, and that really really upsets me. I was out for a week, and I had hoped to go back last night. It didn't feel any better, so I called up my dojo and told them I'd be out until probably next week. That's when I'm also going to the doctor. I don't think she'll be able to tell me much without giving me an x-ray, but when it does happen, I'm really scared. I'm really worried they'll tell me something bad, something that will make it so I can't do karate or much of anything anymore. This isn't any fun.

Cuong Nhu has white, green, brown, and black. there are two stripes between each new belt.

I can't help it!! I was walking down the street to my friend's barbeque (in a bad neighborhood), and three young guys were walking towards me. Apparently, the smallest one knew Judo, so he tripped me and I fell. luckily, I was able to get on top of him, but then the other two guys started trying to hit me. I was able to block it all. They retreated once they saw that I wasn't going to be easily beat. Then I carried on and went to the party. Could it be that I was reading Sun Tzu's The Art of War before I went to bed? Perhaps. Otherwise, I'm definately a little bit weird.

I think it's good to avoid the "jack of all trades, master of none" problem. I would like to be able to stick with Cuong Nhu and get at *least* a brown belt before I branch out (I am SOOOOOO tempted by other styles, I want to do them all), but I may be moving to an area where there are no Cuong Nhu schools. If that is the case, I will be doing BJJ and Kendo. I don't think a person could confuse those two. At least not easily... I think taking muliple MAs could help if they're very different, and possibly hamper your development in both if they are similar (try learning Swedish and Norwegian at the same time, you'll trip up. Swedish and Greek at the same time, and you'll probably be okay).

Awww TDA!!! Congratulations on that rainboe belt! And don't you look cute in that hat of yours....

that scares me.

Mine's like a big loud "HAAA!!!!" I'ts pretty short, I think, explosive, simple, yet forceful. Heck, I don't know. It's just loud and to the point.

Only $50.7 mil? Psshhh, I'll pass. That's a lot of money. Man. Wow. I don't know what I'd do with all that. Oh wait, yeah I do. I'd spend it all on shoes and makeup.

An expanded list of the favorites (the top 5 are always the top 5, the rest are highly acclaimed, and in no particular order): The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Dreyer Vivre Sa Vie (My Life to Live) by Jean Luc Godard Songs from the Second Floor by Roy Andersson Fight Club by David Fincher Requiem for a Dream by Darren Aronofsky Matador by Almodovar Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother) by Almodovar Kill Bill (of course) Terje Vigen by Victor Sjöstrom Körkarlen (The Phantom Chariot) by Sjöstrom Smultronstället (Wild Strawberries) by Ingmar Bergman Riket (The Kingdom) (it was a TV series in Denmark) by Lars von Trier I Am Curious, Blue and Yellow by Vilgot Sjöman I'm sure there are more that I have enjoyed. I *am* a film major after all...

I just figured you guys had special masks or something. Not so unrealistic, right?

That's okay... I don't mind a discussion of one of my several passions in life. I always find the first bites (in a truly spicy dish) to be warming and awesome, but as things keep going, and the capsacin just sits in my mouth, accumulating and accumulating, *that's* when we run into trouble. Plus, it's difficult to tell at a certain point if your mouth is burning because of the chili, or just the high temperature of the food.

I *do* know what you mean! I've made a couple of martial arts movies with fight scenes, and DANGIT! They are NOT easy!! They are difficult to shoot, difficult to plan, and difficult to do. Also, and this is just personal opinion, they require a certain kind of intimacy and closeness between the fighters in order to look *really* good. One movie I made with a friend who I have known for 8 or 9 years, and another movie I tried to make with this guy I had just met and was dating. It was very clear which movie was better coreographed and just all around tighter. Since attempting it on my own, I have gained so much more respect for movie martial artists and the difficulties in their work. And if anyone wants to come out to San Francisco and make a movie with me, you're on!!!!