dear john

this was an answer on a question i feel needs a bit more elaboration. when you are in a true Zen state, it does not mean that you have this great knowledge which you helps you understand all things. you understand all concepts of life because you understand what it is to be human. it is simply that you have no wants. you are partial to nothing so making a desicion is simple for you, because nothing clouds your judgment. people think that once you have reached zen than you become blissfully happy. but i dont think it is really. in my studies it is more about knowing yourself 100% completely with no doubts about who you are what your abilities as a person are. i really dont see how someone in the west could reach zen, because most of the people who do not get attached to things and stay impartial have attachment issues and are inherently partial. or you are clingy and are partial anyways society really doesnt allow for most of the true concepts to filter through. just my opinion, feel free to fight it. emember, not closer to God, closer to your Self or rather Life.

i like your saying, i have nearly 20 instructors between my 2 MA's and i really have had only 2 instructors, one in Tae Kwon Do and one in jujitsu that have acted as a guide and prompted me to be more than what the art had to offer.

when he sticks his arm out, look at it as a gift. you know hae the great presesnt only you dont like it, so break it. okay so maybe not that harsh, but seriously everyone i grapple sometime just to mess with them i will only attack the arm, eventully they unknowing stop trying to when and try to push me away from their arm, this where i go into wrist locks and such. i am so open when i do stupid stuff like this. but then again knowledge is higher than their's. how skilled at grappling are you?

no 11th is the highest. he calls what he is teaching Kenpo, but it seems like it is slightly different. i had my doubts at first, because i had never heard of an 11th degree. he also claimed that he studied at the shoalin temple. i dont know if any of it is true, but i do know that his students think he is the greates thing since the wheel. plus i have seen some of his moves in class, they seem to be decent as in not flawed like many TKD moves i have seen

thankyou for the insight

um..... what does this questions mean? maybe my vocabulary is poor. please elaborate. i know you are talking about school, but ....

Glenn Medici, sound familar. does he teach an under water class every year, on yawara and shime te

so there i was in the book store picking up a book about zen and martial arts and i decided that i was going to get the famous "Five Rings" book, but to my suprise there was like 5 or 6 different books that were all about the same thing. so there was an original book, but i guess the translations and understanding of what meant what is a little different from author to author. WHICH BOOK IS THE BEST? WHICH AUTHOR SHOULD I CHOOSE? please help

my abilities have grown since then. i think the only reason that i aproched him in the first place was that i doubted my own abilities. i have had no problems with them since though. i havent even seen them play basketball in the area that i was verbally assulted. they used to play there all the time. what i did probly scared him. after all i am a little bigger than him, i approched him while he was in his car outside his home and in front of his dad. his dad was too far away to hear what i had said so he could have lied about what i said and could have claimed i was a friend he was talking to.

he is a 11th degree in some traditional philopino style MA. i didnt eve know the were styles that went past ten. and no, not many know about the pric thing.

i new a kenpo guy who charged $190 per month. if you were family or friends it was $30.

so there i was in the book store picking up a book about zen and martial arts and i decided that i was going to get the famous "Five Rings" book, but to my suprise there was like 5 or 6 different books that were all about the same thing. so there was an original book, but i guess the translations and understanding of what meant what is a little different from author to author. WHICH BOOK IS THE BEST? WHICH AUTHOR SHOULD I CHOOSE? please help

the rank must be third degree or lower because all forth degrees are listed. our entire system is taught by forth degree information. the higher degrees are only obtained by dedication to the art. once you get to sixth degree you are called a professor. being a professor means something besides dedication but i forget. i think it has something to do with knowledge of the art. ill ask.

i may get yeld at for what im about to say but O'well. you guys ever seen fight club with brad pitt? do something similar to this. the first time i boxed somebody i couldnt think straight. i was getting hit so hard my mind was almost shutting down. finally i got knocked down. things went all black like for a few seconds. then i got up and kept on going. after i got back up my head stayed clear. i had never been hit like that. most who have been in any type of situation like this usually have the fear you talk about. do this and most of the fear will pass. but then again i have felt better after every fight i have ever been in whether i won or lost. could just be who you are. live and learn. dont stay ignorant. im not saying get the crap beat out of you...... okay so maybe i am. fin some way to stress yourself to the point where you cant take it. you'll do better afterwards.

The Zen Way To The Martial Arts by Taisen Deshimaru this really gets into how to lead a true MA life. i would suggest you read Bruce Lee's tao of jeet kune do first. it puts the mind set in you.

Lagging a bit aren't you? Hey, did you have to join the plaid, triple stripped, 7 star, polyester belt club in order to test? What does your school charge for that? I thought my school was pretty resonable... after I got the second mortgage, and picked up a second job it was a piece of cake... Jeez dude.. I'm the owner of the joint. You know, this is a labour of love for me. All the money is ploughed straight back into the club, and I'm living from hand to mouth. I do it for the love of the job and the faces on the wee little children. Anyway, gotta go, my Jet is waiting to take me back to my winter home in the Bahamas. It's ok, I've left my highest ranking 2nd in command in charge, 13th Dan Great Grandmaster Ruler Mystique Smith, he'll be back right after his mum's changed his nappy! i resent that statement..... as for dan zan ryu best school ever. you pay nothing for each belt. we have a public belts. when your done with the old you give it back for someone else to use. and i dont even know if you pay for the BB test.

not to be jerk or anything, because you did not question my teachers abilities in the art, but Dave McNeill is not on the professor list.

dont worry i dont think it was arrogant. i told you already, he still teaches basic Dan Zan Ryu, but he also teaches more. he wants people to know what 80% of his art comes from. we are purely a combat art. he sees that much of Ajjf is about sport. it goes against his beliefs. we are undergoing a few changes lately. he has even found 5 other schools who have broken off from AJJF for the same reason. it wasnt a money issue. they have this wierd secracy thing there. if they dont want you know a certain move then they dont show it to you. much of things that are taught is out of trust. so far i have gained some trust with them. i dont want to break it by talking about the specifics of a certain move. we are asked not to talk of such things on top of that.

you i find the best way to back down from someone without looking like a . if it a younger person throw your head up and say whats up. if it is a older person put your head down like a bow but ith no body movement and say how you doin. i have avoided several fights by doing this. sounds dumb but works when someone you dont wanna fight is starring at you.

was this directed toward me. Why should i choose a new MA? i like this one. you know what is really funny is that dislocated arms , broiken wrist, skin torn off my hand to where you could see the bone never bother me much. one day i got really mad and punch my oak dresser as hard as i could . i passed out for like a 45seconds from shock.face looked all pale and everything. live and learn

Lagging a bit aren't you? Hey, did you have to join the plaid, triple stripped, 7 star, polyester belt club in order to test? What does your school charge for that? I thought my school was pretty resonable... after I got the second mortgage, and picked up a second job it was a piece of cake... Jeez dude.. I'm the owner of the joint. You know, this is a labour of love for me. All the money is ploughed straight back into the club, and I'm living from hand to mouth. I do it for the love of the job and the faces on the wee little children. Anyway, gotta go, my Jet is waiting to take me back to my winter home in the Bahamas. It's ok, I've left my highest ranking 2nd in command in charge, 13th Dan Great Grandmaster Ruler Mystique Smith, he'll be back right after his mum's changed his nappy! okay so i only did this post because it looks cool, but look it really does look cool. oh and by they way. my actual testing prices at my school. each belt from white to green $25 each belt from purple to candidate $45 BB test $350 2dan $450 and everyone after that is really expsenive. beating up your instructor using nothing you have learned in his class priceless

i want to argue that. i was sparring a few months back and i had my wrist broken. i kept on sparring and afterward i even tried to do push ups. my instructor refuses to teach Pain Compliance specificly because of instances like this. when someones adrinaline is high enough, there is very little that they feel. but then again ive never had my pubic symphasis broken.

which is dropping, canada?US? both? please specify

im not allowed to go into too much detail but i can tell you 1. certain strikes were added. 2. our warm up exercises are way different. 3. the philosiphy on fighting and how to live is definately visisble. 4. onm top of our throws certain techniques have been added to aid them. 5. foot work is different. the other insructos told me that after we broke off from AJJF professor opened them up to a whole nother level of stuff.

philosiphy on way of living any takers