yamesu

I quite like them, but recently have discovered the same tool - but filled with water (who would have thought!). The water-style-bags are great, and i suppliment my more rigid training with them as they require engaging stabilising short fibre muscles to keep balance, particularly for exersizes like squats and lunges. In fact - if you can get your hands on some try this - hold two 10L (or similar) at shoulder height, and go through the footwork of kata. I was quite surprosed at how much this affected me having to recompensate for balance (and it has made my kata more solid!)

Is there any kind of spiritual practice that doesn't involve some level of blunt force trauma? If anyone says "yes", I'll call shinannigans.

Agreed, Kupo. Haha Im into music - I play guitar, piano, violin and flute. I enjoy nature and the sciences, which led me to becoming an Enviro and Chemist by trade, and spend as much time out and about as I can. I love cars (and well anything technological and fast advancing really, but especially cars), and like seeing bulk power squeezed ot of little engines. I do enjoy becoming slightly inhebriated with other chaps on occasion at the local publicans residence.

I tend to train 5-6 days a week, consisting of: -2 or 3 formal 2 hour classes, -2 or 3 resistance, calisthenic and bodyweight training days, -1 pure cardio session (though I do some cardio over every session. I have always erred away from gyms and freeweights, and so dont do a lot of muscle building, but I have always had a fairy staunch structure, so dont really need it (my focus is on getting down from around 10 to 8% body fat at present, and so I am tayloring my own trainign fro this. In addition to the above, I attend a 4-6 hour senior grading every six months or so (for myself or others), as well as a weekend long seminar/camp syle session (around 6-8 hours each day) every six months or so.

Having trained with MAists who do filming, i can say with some certainty - dancers and gymnastics proponents make better on-camera fighters than solid martial artists. Camera based coreography is about being able to hold positions, extreme flexibility and purist body movement (kinsthetics). Not about being able to hit hard and accurately as one requires for tournament fighting. Generally (but not all the time) - Once you teach a dancer/gymnastic person how to throw a roundhouse that looks good, it comes off 100 times more flashy on camera than someone who can actually use that roundhouse effectively. Just my 2 cents-

My advice would be to not do the same routine everyday - it will quickly become boring. My aim is to train 5-6 days a week (at least 2 in formal classes) and mix it up. Really i just try to push myself harder and harder on excersizes ever time they come around. Think of it like bicept training at a gym. If you do bicepts everyday, you will end up burning out on one area, while seriously neglecting others. I like to mix it up daily along the lines of: - Formal class; - Jogging, kata and calisthenics; - Cardio and resistance; - Formal Class; - etc etc

Soild. I think this sums it up. MMA has done wonders for respect in the Martial Arts. Its almost like WWE/WWF where bravado and ego are becoming mainstream for entertainment purposes (with a few exceptions). Bring back traditional values!

This is a very interesting topic, and I think that entire books could be written on the concept. I agree that this is a true refinement of technique over time. In a perhaps similar vein, I have found my individual style change as the years go on, from standing back and throwing longer ranged full cup techniques, to moving in and firing off close range compact punches. I believe this as refinement of not just my techniques, but my Ma-Ai also.

I cannot help but agree with Tallgeese. However, nunchaku can be a fun weapon to use, and do wonders for two handed coordination. I am all for arnis/escrima. Nothing beats being able to whoop a kinfe-wielding-someone with a rolled up newspaper.

I am not a fan of foam (unless your into LARPing, but thats a different issue). I would go with rattan for the most part, as they are a good weight and good for making cotact with other weapons, such as bo and tonfa. From there move onto hard-wood.

Body Odour is caused by bacteria on the skin - its a natural and unavoidable thing. If a new or more pungent odour has popped up recently, it could be due to any number of issues from having someone elses sweat contact you in training, not washing bedsheets often, new girlfriends/boyfriends etc etc... Soap and water will not kill most bacteria, so simply showering may not do the trick. But seriously, I agree with Bushido - see a doctor. Even if members here are qualified to give medical advice, its near impossible to accurately diagnose an issue through a computer screen.

Kyokushin Kanku - it has over 50 steps when broken down into bunkai sections, a lot of which are throws and takedowns, and I get them mixed up all the time.

Personally, I would look for somewhere that has nice people to train with (a disciplined, yet friendly attitude), quality higher level grades (do they look like they can actually hold their own?), as well as higher level students and instructors who now only demand respect, but also give it 100% of the time. To me these are some of the more important tennents of the Martial Arts, and the reason I travel 1 hour each direction to train at my chosen dojo. Welcome to the forums and best of luck! I hope you find the path you are looking for.

http://martialink.co.uk/detail/479/muso-bugi-kai-warrior-arts.html Found this link through a quick google search - not sure if its what you were looking for?

Call them on it... Tell the class - today, we are going to see two black belts with years of experience sparring. Then proceed to put him up against someone with 9 years experience in your style

It should be an Olympic Sport!!! It was until it was banned by Theodocius I around 390 A.D. When the games were reinstated, Europe felt it was too violent, so it was no included. Also, they made everyone wear clothes in other events for some reason. :D

I have the same opinion. My social networks are for personal and social use only, no one from work has any access to my accounts. I work for the Government and so probity is of an upmost concern. My name is known by others in the industry, and I do not want them to have access to the nuiances of my social life. I find it imperative to keep life inside and outside of work completely seperate for professional reasons. My solution: I do not use my real full name on FB or any other social internet media. I also use the highest levels of security available. People who know me outside of work know how to find me, and if they dont, Ill tell them. When people from work ask me, I tell them I do not add/friend work collegues, as I find it unprofessional. It usually stops the conversation there and then. This allows me to maintain a completely professional image at work and through professional networks - and if people google my real full name only conference, academia and other work related topics come up. If people search FB for me real full name, I am non-existant. A little over the top?... Maybe, but in a workld where people can be fired for content on social media, I think its justified.

Mikazuki would probably be way too slow and probably wouldn't stop much of the power. If by fumikomi you mean to the thigh as a sort of stop kick it can work but you need excellent timing and speed to pull it off. Sune uke is more of your last line of defense if something like trying a stop kick fails. Footwork should be your first defense. Can't hit something if you're not there anymore. Solid post. Osu.

And TKD, just quietly.

Haha I did a kyokushin camp once. I love Kyokushin, but hated this with a passion. No-one can expect me to run 5km at 4.30am without a cup of tea first - it's just plain rude Further to that, we did four more formalised training sessions a day - 1 pre-breakfast (4.30am, gah!) 2nd pre-lunch 3rd post-lunch and finally the 4th pre dinner. Other training included conditioning and endurance training, but the best part was the end (probably because of the sake...)

Yes! Resistance bands ar excellent for physio-remediation post injury. Always see a physio first!!!

Chuck Norris..... Sorry, couldn't resist.

I have trained substantially in Modern Arnis - and agree, the systems are stand alone. They encompass much more than just stick fighting. Unfortunately its down to general perception, which is plugged as weapons in almost every MA magazine and even in movies.

Interested by what you mean when you say they 'block' themselves. Is it to do with them continually striking and so not seeing the chance for something more effective? I guess its doen to individual interpretation of what Bruce meant - I personally have always imagined it as over-reliance on speed in hust throwing fast combinations or fast random strikes means that the person does not have time to account for their opponents cadence, distance and movement. In effect the hits are liekly to eventually end up being blocked (abet unintentionally) or not hitting the right target. Anyone who has ever had a punch met with an elbow will know what I mean... Kuma has hit the nail on the head (with correct speed.... ) Not being able to make a hit effective means it is pretty much useless. Speed is only one factor in this. Even if someone is faster than you, you can still win by outsmarting them with proper distancing. It is very rare two fighters will have the same speed, so matching cadence (relative speeds) with one another is a key issue in sparring. I really think the Tao of Jeet Kun Do does a wonderful job of explaining this concept. Cadence, timing and distancing etc etc.

Aikido - one of the hardest styles out there, have you ever been an UKE for a Aikido Yudansha, you end up with more bruises than "Soft" Mick (no offence to Mick) As most Judoka and Aikidoka will tell you "The Floor will hit you harder than any punch or Kick!!!" OSU!!!! That's why Aikido has such a strong influence in Ashihara because Ashihara Kancho realised how "painful" Aikido can be OSU!!! An Aikido book I read referred to "throwing planets at people." Kind of an entertaining way to look at it.Agreed - the floor hurts!!! Interesting to note is that Mas Oyama Sosai had formal training in Judo prior to the creation of Kyokushin. I attribute this to why Kyokushin has so many different grappling bunkai.