BUslady

i didnt see Elektra cause if the movie's like the book, she misrepresents the sai as being a weapon to kill. jee i thought it was for blocking and disabling without kiling? im no expert but i know tiny bit about em.

how could ya hate raphie and love his weapon? aw

TMNT Anime(InuYasha mainly, Lupin the 3rd, Case Closed is cute too) Buses Trains my pet turtles ehhh face it i have no good hobbies...bleah

Woohoo! VW rocks! What year's the bug? I owned VW buses(caravelle) but not now. I have a 2002 Saturn Vue. I love it. If I could have ANY car, I wanna Hummer 2 in dark grey...the ultimate plastic car. hahahahh! I heard there's alot of plastic on it. No big deal to me. I don't mind it. My car's plastic. Or...I want a New Beetle Platinum Grey TDI(diesel)...at 50mpg ya can't go wrong and it's CLEANER than many other diesel car engines. Lesse..Horsepower isn't the answer, it's torque! Being a bus driver we talk torque. But a 430Hp Detroit Series 60 isn't bad either hahahah I had a custom built engine once. It was in m 1971 VW bus. Gene Berg inside the 1776 cc block...got whopping 65 hp! WOOHOO! Done 80 with a tailwind on the freeway! I believe I'm a safe driver even though I drive fast, in SoCal you have to or you are a road hazard. My little Saturn Vue only has like 130hp I think? It's a 4cyl FWD...and it's a ton of fun to drive. First year model, yep had a few probs but nothing incredibly major. Just dumb little things. Well, I just had to get a front bearing replaced but that's warrenty junk. Big deal. For me it's I want a car that gets up out of it's own way which my little 5sp does, it's gotta have room, it does, can NOT look like a mommie mobile...it don't(I got a freakin ninja turtle sticker on my back window!) http://www.buslady.com/RaphShrineCollection.htm <-scroll thru the photos until ya find it Driving's a big deal to me, it's my job. I have to get up to 90 kids from one point to another while avoiding the jerks out there on the road.

Buslady comes from the fact that I owned VW buses back in 1989, my friend in Tampa(my first internet pal) gave me the nickname and it's stuck ever since. I've owned a '69, '71 and two Vanagons. but in 1994 i became a bus driver. I dont have any VWs anymore, miss em all!

my hubby would look funny with long hair

Ninja Turtles #1 (2 was ok, 3 stunk) Black Beauty(90s version-it's almost exactly like the book) Black Stallion 1 & 2 I like horses so most my faves are horse flicks

Actress: I dunno, I don't look as the ladies. Guys: I think one of the most handsome actors was Toshiro Mifune. I don't care fore modern day actors, they're all into themselves and all pretty with their perfect hair and clothing. Ehhh whoopie doo....

She sounds like a serious case of PMS!

i had an agrument in 6th grade about how to pronounce the word "Grebe" which is a water bird. She kept saying GREEBEEE and I corrected her it was pronounced GREEB..and I was intensesly studing birds on my own at that time. We have Western Grebe here in SoCal

Dude yer not BUYING a chick. If my hubby tried to go that route he'd have been broke the first day I met him! But then, he married me so we're broke...anyways! I know I liked a guy to just be themselves and to just hang out and chat, goof off and if it's meant to be you'll know later on down the line. Say nice things only if you MEAN it.

Hanshi Kenneth Penland, 8th Dan I believe, is in Hesperia...is that close to LA? He's a student of Sensei Hohan Soken, Fuse Kise and Yuichi Kuda's. I haven't met Sensei Penland yet, but I understand he's very good. Actually Hesteria.... ..I mean Hesperia is closer to me than LA is. LA is way too far from Corona. I'm not in the LA area either, but Riverside, just east of Orange County. Hesperia is just up the Cajon Pass in San Berdoo county.

Um thank you, thank you and one more time hehe thank you hehe i wonder if there's really a difference between Shureido and this Sai of Agena thing?

I don't expect him to teach classes, I'd figure those who studied under him would. That's about just as good as the original so to speak. heh.. well, we'll see when i get to that point. at leasti have an idea on what to do when looking for a club.

my friend wants the URL to some company that makes a line of sai that's called "sai of energy" or something. I didn't boomark the URL..anyone got it?

his were short for a reason...Josh Pais woud have been injured one too many times if they were the proper legnth and kept in his belt. hehe...ouch

Thanks!

Demura Sensei is a local? I sure didn't know that. I had his sai book eons ago! wow! Our bus yard is in Santa Ana, so that's local to me but I don't go there often. Hmmm....

I would apprecaite it if you could Patrick, thanks!

Not at all. It's personal preference in what you like. I've had both, and tend to like the reound ones...but I really don't know why other than I like the looks of round better than octagonal. One thing about the sai that you bought. Hold the in your open palm (hand pointing upward) and the tong of the sai resting between yoru thumb and index finger with the sai running down the outside edge of your forearm. How far past your elbow do they go? To be a proper fit, they should extend about 1/2" to 1" past the point of your elbow. Longer than that and the might be to long for you and be clumsy to use. Shorter than your elbow, and they will cause your elbow to get hurt if you block a hard strike with them. the dragons are too long for me, I knew that when I got them. I just measured one and it's like just under 3" past my elbow! They're 21" long. They need to be rechromed and they're just for looks and part of my TMNT collection really. When I get to that point, I'll shop for a good set. Custom would be the ultimate.

I'll agree with what has already been said. One thing...you are in SoCal..if you can be more specific (LA, SanD, somewhere else) we can help you find a place close to you and check it out via the net. It's possible there might be members on this forum that live in your area and can recommend someting from personal knowledge. If you don't want a "Drill sargent" attitude, then most likely you won't want a Japanese/Korean school. Generally, they are more "militaristic" in the approach to instruction (but not always). Okinawan systems are often more laid back, less strict, yet offer GREAT instruction. Watch classes...ask questions (do they do kobudo (weapons)? and get a feel for the place. AVOID schools that have young kids running around wearing black belts...or that is my advice anyway. If price is a concern, avoid the shopping mall schools and the trendy places, and those that have a feel of more like a health club. They have high rent/overhead to pay and pass that expense on to their students, just like any other business. A lot of sensei (instructors), like myself, teach out of their homes. It's not as fancy as a nice building, but the instruction is just the same, and usually much lower cost. Well, I'm in Riverside County in Corona/Norco area for starters. And since I want to learn sai, I guess an Okinawan system is what I want, it's good that it may be a little kick back, I just seem to learn better when it's like that. I thought about those strip mall type of schools, those usually cost a more for those reasons. And they sure seem to be over run by kiddos. There's that one that seems to be a franchise, United Self Defense or something like that, that just seems to be like the McDonald's of the martial arts world. I sure like the idea of a sensei teaching out of their home, might be a less stressful atmosphere. Again, that's for all your advice!

Is there some sort of listing of all the martial arts schools on the 'net? I'll look for an Okinawan school and look around. Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I want to be sure I'm heading in the right direction.

I figured they were a cheaper metal. tha's ok, cause I just thought that were cool with the dragons on them. I saw the really good sai online, wow! I really like the natural, non chromed ones. If and when I get to that point, I would invest in a custom made set. Does it make a difference in performance if they're faceted(octagonal) or round?

hi, i be new. i goofted with my handle...it's Buslady..not hehe BUslady..duh..i type too fast and mess up anyways. i posted a couple notes already...im looking for advice...(it's inthe Karate topic) sooo.. HI

My goals to study karate and saijutsu. Ever since I was a kid, but I never could because we never had money. I'm 32...I want to learn. I dunno if I should be ashamed or what, my inspiration comes from a certain comic book foursome and the one who wears red and uses sai--my other inspiration is this website's video clip: http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/023/eng/013/002/index.html - this blows me away, I want to learn this art. Plus I'm looking for confidence building, discipline and the knowledge that I can defend myself if needed. What should I need to know when I look for a teacher? What should the costs be? and starting out, what's it like? What do you do in the first few classes?? I learn best one on one and in a fun atmosphere. I don't learn well with drill seargants..man I had one when I was learning to drive a bus! Ugh! Well anyways..... I do have a first priority, I have to save up to buy my baby turtles a 100 gallon tank,stand and filters(almost there too!) ...so I'm researching everything now so after I take care of my babies, I'll know what to do when I go look for a dojo. If anyone could give me a heads up on what I wanna get into, I'd appreciate it.