Beka

My own two fists and feet, along with a tenacious sense of self-preservation. Oh, and a switchblade. But I would not pull it out in most situations, as it ups the ante a fair ways.

I think a lot of it is she just needs to grow up. Teenagers like to hate themselves and then wallow in it. I was there, too until I was 20 and started with MA. It completely turned things around for me. Getting off your butt and deciding to actually *go* to the first class is the most important, and also the hardest, part of it. I can understand her reluctance. I don't really know what you should say to her. It's all in her head, pretty much. Just let her know it has the potential to change her life. And that's about it, I reckon.

I feel so uncreative... my first kata is called "First Form". we just go around with a bunch of punches and lower blocks and kiai a time or two.

Strong silent types with good listening skills, sure. But guys who haven't gotten over being hurt or abandoned? No thanks. If your problem is that you haven't gotten over the past, well, get over it. If your problem is that you're over it, you've just re-learned how to live and that resulted in being more cautious and therefore seemingly aloof or quiet or serious or whatever, then you should be fine. Just be nice, smile, say "hello" and we're good to go.

you hate kata!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! yeah, i know, a lot of people aren't so into them... I like doing them though. Demanding, for sure, but fun to know. And yes, to perform them for your friends is good fun.

That was some pretty awesome analysis. It gave me some stuff to think about. Thanks, guys. sigh... now to figure my life out...

Every time I tell someone I do MA that is ALWAYS the first question they ask. Without fail. This bothers me because the answer has no real meaning. My style only has 4 colors for adult ranks, while other styles have a whole exaggerated rainbow. I go to a school where it might take a year or more to get to a new belt, wheras others get a new color (who cares which one, to the guy asking, he doesn't know what order they come in) every month or two. a Mcdojo will shove you through the ranks quickly so you keep giving your money. Mine, on the other hand, takes things a little more slowly. My friend's hapkido school practically guarantees a promotion after a set amount of time. I think it's ridiculous. Not that my school's perfect or anything, I'm just using it as an example. To me, rank has nothing to do with who is a better martial artist. Of course, those who are higher ranked are going to have been doing it longer, and they are most likely very very good (especially since the drop-out rate will probably weed out those who aren't as good, or at least think they aren't). However, the brown belt who started 3 years before the white belt, all other things being equal, is not inherantly better than the white belt, they just know more stuff. That means nothing as to the white belt's ability to learn and perform well. I'm not saying that a lower rank shouldn't respect a higher ranked person, just that had they started at the same time, it wouldn't matter. Anyway, I just don't like that question because it assumes a lot.

no no, I think that was good. I think that the cap on my blade might be some sort of fear of really letting go with him? And since once I did, I stabbed him and he thought he would die... well... gee... I'm usually quick to fall in love, but after a rough relationship that ended about 6 months ago, under bad circumstances, I'm a little bit... wary. I'm trying to do things differently than normal.

I'm just at a loss for an explanation. I was on the boards last night before I went to bed, and I was thinking about taking Iaido, so that might have something to do with it... And if this makes you think I'm weird... well... I don't mind that so much. So, the beginning part is a little bit hazy, I just remember being in an old house, maybe 3 or 4 stories off the ground, and the neighbor girl was over playing with me a little bit (she is six). Eventually the dream wandered, and I was fighting the guy that I am dating with a katana(we both do/have done martial arts, and I made a movie with him a few weeks back where we fought each other, then it ended in a kiss--it was a sequel to a previous martial arts movie i had made with another friend). For some reason, as we were fighting, every time I hit his sword with mine, it would snag, and a ribbon would come out of the blade. I kept hitting his sword so many times that it made a sort of net, rendering it pretty much useless as a cutting tool. I looked down at my sword, and I realized there was a cap on it, keeping the tip from being pointy and sharp, so I took it off. it just came right off. Somehow, he had gotten a different weapon (i'm not sure what), and I had taken the netted katana from him. I used it as a shield, and I stabbed him in the stomach, about an inch deep. I turned away for a minute and when I looked back, he was with his friend, and both of them were holding guns. Ben (my guy) was holding his backwards, and they were going to 'duel'. Ben wanted it to look like he had died fighting, since he thought his stomach wound was going to kill him (but he held the gun backwards sicne he didn't really want to shoot his friend). I told them to stop since the stab-wound was so small that we should just go to the hospital to fix it up. So, I guess we went there, since I got them to stop with the duel, but I don't recall any part of the dream taking part in the hospital. After that, the dream changed settings. Ben, his friend, and I went off somewhere else, and we were outside sitting on benches. I wandered off to talk to a friend of mine, Karen, and over her shoulder I could see Ben talking to this other girl I knew (that he doesn't know), a Norwegian girl named Lena. I couldn't hear them talking, but somehow I was able to relay their conversations to Karen, and I was describing how Ben and Lena used to date and how he was still stuck on her. He hadn't gotten over the relationship yet, although she had, and still hung around her. After that the dream ended. I know nothing of Ben's past relationships (except for one high schoool girlfriend), so I don't know what to make of the Lena scene. And the katana fight wasn't really to hurt each other. It was more sort of sparring, in that it was mutual combat, and not done out of anger, but still... So if anyone wants to take a stab at this, so to speak, I'm open, cause I am waaay confused. Although, I remember last night as I was falling asleep I figured out that part of my anxiety towards the relationship is that I'm scared to *need* him, but I'm not sure what else the dream was trying to tell me. Thanks, gang.[/url]

I posted a little wihle ago about wanting a guy who does MA. I've never had one, but I think I would like one, just so he can understand exactly why it is I go every day. I just made a date (like right just this minute) with a guy for tonight, and he sounded a little bit sad when I said I'd be at karate class until so late. Sorry, buddy! I love the dojo more than you!

it's a touchy subject, of course, but if a woman really wants a good bit of knowledge, i'm sure she'd be fine with it. Just don't tell her she smells good or something. Cause that's kinda creepy.

MY instructor is technically at the title of Master (7th dan), but we call him Sensei. I see no problem with that. I call all of my professors "professor soandso". It's probably just me, but i think there is something very honorable in education, whether it be history or martial arts. I'd probably be willing to call a teacher of mine just about anything they wanted. Teachers are probably the most important thing we have, and I think that stressing this importance each time we address them is perfectly acceptable.

Well, since Cuong Nhu is 'cannibalisitic', we have forms from japanese, vietnamese, and chinese styles. We call it karate for simplicity's sake, and because a good lot of it is based off of shotokan. However, the dan ranks are generally encouraged to study other styles, and I know that my sensei went off to China for a few years to study wushu. So for him to have experience with the 3 sectioned staff is plenty fitting, i'd say.

We had an instructer demo at my dojo today, and my sensei pulled out the 3 sectioned staff and did a kata with it. It was the coolest thing I have EVER seen in my whole life I swear to god it was the coolest greatest most awesome thing EVER. SOOOOOOO cool. A couple of brown belts at my dojo are going to take it up, too, so hopefull they'll get awesome at it, too, and show off for my karate movies... awesome awesome awesome...

I started in order to learn to fight. I wanted to protect myself, I wanted to be able to make sure that I'd be the one walking away from the fight if it ever had to happen. I live in a not-so-safe area, so I thought it would be in my best interest. But then I started and I found something beautiful in it. It's not just about who can hit the hardest and aiming to kick a guy in the nuts. It's not the same thing as perhaps a self defense class that would teach a person only to fend off an attacker and run off (as another current thread discusses). I've gained so much respect for the art and the philosphy. I love the weapons not because of the damage they cause but for the sheer beauty of seeing someone truly be able to control a 6 foot long stick, or a spear, or nunchaku, or anything really. To control one's body in such a way that sometimes brings you to tears. There is an instructor demo at my dojo this saturday, and I will probably come back to the forums gushing about just how beautiful it was. Of course, I love to kick things just for the thunk of it, but I really love feeling like I'm doing a sort of super-dance. I think there's beauty in power and feeling it go through you.

oh, and i agree with raymensa. I think the SD class should be taught in such a way that would intrigue someone to stick with MA and therefore be much more useful. I've taken rinky dink SD classes... boring... I don't remember a dang thing, either, but I fall asleep running through my kata in my head...

I think there's a major "martial arts are for boys" feeling that keeps women away. We may be scared to get hit, but more importantly, and dissapointingly, I think we're often afraid to be strong. After I started MA I got VERY no-nonsense. I don't take nothin' from nobody nomore. And at the beginning, that kinda scared me because it was NOT how we're taught to be. I think getting a woman to sign up for your class is all in the wording. I joined MA because I wanted to do something awesome, and frankly, I wanted to protect myself as excessively as I could (I need the upper hand, not just an even field so I can run away--I'm a slow runner), so I'm probably not the one to ask. What I think any self-defense class for woman absolutely REQUIRES is teaching a woman how to get out from under a man once she is on her back. If her arms are pinned above her head or behind her back, and she's stuck between his legs or underneath most of his body weight, it is absolutely IMPERATIVE that she know how to get out of it. An old group around here called Girl Army taught a lot of different moves to get out from under a man. They worked, too. Also, I think 'weapons' training with everyday purse objects--wallets, nail files, the purse itself, pens, keys, etc--would be a good idea. And of course, a little bit on the importance of pepper spray and how to use it quickly and effectively. I think if you can teach a woman that it is okay to hit, that you ARE capable of hitting with force and assertion, causing a lot of damage, then they will recieve a valuable piece of knowledge. It isn't that all women are weak until awakened, but far too many are unaware that they aren't wimps.

FINALS ARE OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I FINALLY GOT TO GO BACK TO KARATE CLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I stood there and punched the heavy bag for about 10 straight minutes. *punch*punch*punch*punch*punch*punch*punch*punch* My knuckles are kinda wishing I hadn't done that though... And I learned the first half of a new kata. We call it Pinan 2, I don't know if anyone else does. It's fairly complicated, so I only got about halfway through it in class today. But I'm gonna go outside and practice it right now. I have this horrible feeling like I'm missin something... Like I'm supposed to be doing anything... BUT THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO DO EXCEPT PRACTICE MY KATA AND THAT IS THE BEST FEELING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow, i'm totally grinning, that's awesome. Oh, but I was a total dope today and I forgot my belt. Had to borrow a white belt.

There's a Cuong Nhu book that lists all the moves and the testing requirements and the philosophical stuff in it... Technically we're supposed to be learning a bunch of ethics things but, at my dojo, we don't really do that. You can get a copy of it if you want, but it's not required by my sensei. As far as dojo etiquette and the major style ethics and rules go, they're posted on the wall.

I've had to stop going to karate classes... I hate it. I practice my kata in the yard though... still, not good enough for me. Tomorrow night though...

I've gotten hardly any sleep, I'm going insane, I have too much to do, I spent 12 hours straight in the library today. On a lighter note, the guy who I've seen around campus for the past 3 years and thought was cute asked me out today! We were both in the computer lab. Aw how sweet.

well most people would say that at 5'1'' you should aim for around 105 pounds (100lbs at 5', 5lbs for every inch after that). But that doesn't take into account muscle and breasts (those suckers add up!). Also, where the fat is located makes a difference. So long as it is on your lower body (legs and butt), it should be generally okay. If your fat collects around your upper body (chest, abdomen), that's when you should be concerned. 145 does sound like you could stand to lose some weight, but I couldn't say without seeing you (and then I'm not a doctor). Of course, muscle weighs more than fat. But pure weight/height ratios are usually useless. It's possible to be healthy and fit at just about any size (and I imagine if you're here, you do martial arts, and that's a good way to keep fit).

No, I haven't spoken to him. But he's spoken to me. It's usually a kind of smile and nod situation. I've heard him do a lot of talking, but never have I heard anything that resembles a kind of conversive speech. Trust me. Being around this guy for the past three years, I've had plenty of chances to figure out that he's mentally ill.

It would be *nice* if this were the case, that blame rested solely on the perp, but those who are taken as victim are more often than not treated with some sort of suspicion. I should be able to stand on the street corner on the darkest night in the scuzziest neighborhood I can find absolutely stark naked. But I can't. It should not be my responsibility to prevent my own rape. We both know I'm working on that part. I learn self defense techniques, I keep myself in shape, ready to fight if I absolutely must, and I will kill someone if they try to rape me (and I won't think twice about it). Still, if I'm coming home from the library at 2am and I get held at gunpoint, or I am taken by surprise or he gets the upper hand (as this thread points out, women are generally smaller, and while we can win, it isn't likely with a larger male attacker--especially if there are no rules like in some sparring), then someone will still find a way to assume that I had some complacency in it. It is not the job of women to eradicate rape from society. As the world is now (and will be for a lot longer given rampant sexism), I need to do what I can to prevent bad things from happening to my body. However, and this is a big however, I should not have to know how to break someone's knee before I can feel safe. It's a sad state of affairs, and something a man will never have to deal with. Be glad. Cause it bites.

I used to skateboard too. Now I have to wear an ankle brace in karate class!!! Anyone see a pattern!?!?!