Rick

Maybe that other post was a little dramatic - aw hell it was a speech better saved for movies - but u gotta admit that seeings stuff like that succumb to the perverstion of commercialisation is a darn shame... It's like our Great Barrier Reef being so commercialised and all these tourists and everything ripping stuff from it, and all the boats busting stuff up... Urgh, i just hate it when something old is ruined. Rick

Well, when u are square to someone u can fire off all of your kickboxing techniques off at the best advantage - mainly the rear roundhouse. If u constantly move around then he is not gonna be able to stay square. Maybe someone already mentioned this but the side-on stance is only really effective against linear attacks as opponest to circular ones. As kickboxing is essentially an equal blend of linear and circular attacks then a middle ground had to be found for the stances - thus the squarish kickboxer stance. From there u are able to leg check round kicks, deflect linear attacks, and launch a complete arsenal of kickboxing attacks including spinning kicks if u have to... Rick

Hmm, well, if u think about it, the constant punching and stuff like that works the shoulders, cos my shoulders ALWAYS burn after i do it - and throwing a lot of kicks tends to tone my stomach and obliques as well as my legs... I mean, not as well as possible the weight training would do, but there's a lot of benefits there for 10 minutes or so of shadow boxing. Rick

Absolutely... Good answers. Rick

Drunken Monkey - I always thought that Bruce was Yip Man's most exceptional student and that he learned exceedingly quickly, and did indeed learn quite a large amount (indeed more than half) of the wingchun system. How did u find out that he didn't, and kept getting beaten by his seniors? And i'm also certain that he taught wingchun to support himself while he was completing his philosophy degree, not simply for egotistical reasons. But look, it doesn't matter, each to their own man, we're just here to share, not to cause arguments that make the forum any less fun that it is. Rick

Heh, good one JKD Oh and 47MM, i'm soon going back to classes so i'm not gonna be training on my own forever. I wouldn't mind obtaining a second black belt in something. I know black belts are hollow things some times, but if i train hard enough and i think i deserve it honestly then it will be cool... Rick

KBGIRL, do u train with Blake Lirette? If so u might know someone that i'm looking for, she used to be on these forums and she had a daughter. Her name is Lori Anderson (not sure of the spelling of the last name). I've been out of touch with her for ages. I'm pretty sure she trained with Blake Lirette or at least did some classes with him - and i'm pretty sure that it was in Vancouver. Any answer would be cool... Rick

I can't think of any more than that... Sevenstar might think of some more. Rick

Not that we're saying Aikido is a bad art or anything right P.A.L? We're both just saying that it is not exactly strength orientated and probably wouldn't suit his style... I wouldn't want us getting in trouble with any Aikido exponents who frequent these boards... Rick

Yeah - it's sad isn't it... If we as martial artists stop respecting the centuries old living legend of the shaolin temple and it's inhabitants then there is not much true martial art left to be respected. It's like selling out on history and destroying anything classy and sacred when places like the shaolin temple become so commercial. Rick

I suppose... But i find it works better for me than certain things. Rick

Is that the thing about the Shaoling Monks touring around trying to gain more money to support their temple? I think i heard about that - i never went to see them when they came to Australia cos i didn't think they were the real deal... Were they real? Rick

I suppose everyone else has their own ideas - but i can't think of anything better than warming up and cooling down with a bit of shadow boxing and stretching. Rick

Definately - it pretty much ended this Dojo... U know what it was about? Stupid money, the Shihan and teh Sempai were having problems with money and that was the end of it... They tried to start it up again but lost all of their students. I didn't wanna take sides so i decided to leave. Rick

It's beneficial in that u can work on ur technique and combinations and movements etc while not having to worry about hitting a bag or an opponent while at the same time moving rapidly enough to builf up cardiovascular endurance. Rick

The devil was a tree? I shouldn't be this confused on my 100th post... Ahh well... Yeah, bagwork is probably a little better than shadow boxing - but still at least u can work ur technique without actually hitting something so u can see a bit better... Rick

Yeah i agree that a sensei is not always necessary like me at the moment - although i am a senpai - i don't have an instructor, i'm just practising what i have previously learned in classes that i have been to. And yeah, we each make our own moulds, a trainer does not make it for us. Rick

Heh, currently i am studying Rick-Jutsu man... I'm training myself at the moment because my Zen Go Shu school was having political problems and i didn't like squabbling within the dojo so i left. I'm just practising my old HapKiDo and Kickboxing stuff and keeping myself in shape. Sparring with other MMA mates of mine and generally having a good time with it. I'm qualified to start up my own Martial Arts school if i went back to Freestyle Kickboxing but i still wanna be a little boy instead of teaching. Although i did used to teach juniors. Rick

Well, i definately wouldn't have poked fun at him to his face, cos i would have got a little "" WWWWAAAATAAAHHH!!"" in the face! But i love Bruce, so i wouldn't have a go at him now anyway. Rick

And old ones are always the hardest top break. My girlfriend Kristy still can't get me to stop scratching myself at the dinner table. :lol: Rick

HAHAHAHA!!! yeah well, point taken... Where is ur area dude? What country r u in? send me a PM if u don't want everyone else to know. Rick

And cleanliness is next to godliness... Heh, but if that applies to my bedroom then i am the devil himself... Rick

Heh, u know i once tried a jumping spinning kick i had never done before on my bag outside and i spun out of control and smashed the side of my face on a tree... Man that smarted! Rick

Train hard, eat well, and get plenty of rest... Don't be afraid of pain and always listen to those with more experience than u, i promise u won't regret it dude. Rick

I know that Muay Thai is a very complex martial art, being the *science of eight limbs* as it is referred to, but one must admit that it is no as complex as say some karate systems or perhaps even HapKiDo which is supoosed to have thousands of different techniques. jab, cross, hook, uppercut, bodyrip, directional elbows, knees, roundhouses, teeps, clinching and sweeping, as well as movement, obviously - i find it's simplicity so beautiful - The aim being to train in these small amount of techniques until u have basically perfected them... Obviously it is a little more complicated than this, but does anyone disagree with me and believe that it's relatively small amount of techniques limit its effectiveness? Rick