Ricochet

Monkey Steals Peaches! That's what we call it in my kung fu class; one of my faves, just for the name. Anyway, it's good to learn to attack every open spot. After all, it may be such a technique that saves your skin one day!

Methink it depends on the school. In my class, we spar sometimes (usually only after class, though) and it's pretty good, I think. So, basically, just ask around until you find a school that fits what you want.

Hm... 1) Jeet Kune Do 2) Shaolin Kung-Fu 3) Aikido 4) Kick Boxing 5) Tae-Kwon-Do I actually take kung fu, though not Shaolin. I dabbled in aikido, which I kinda liked. Jeet kune do... hm, interesting... may have to look into that. As for the others, no real interest.

Nowadays, a more reasonable thing to do would be for a school to go to another and ask in a respectful manner if they might spar against each other. This is done sometimes, and if, indeed, the goal is to further one's understandings of the art, there is no reason why it couldn't be done in this way, instead of barging in with an inflated ego and condescendingly issuing challenges. Anyway, just because challenges were issued in the past doesn't mean that we have to do them now. They did a lot of things in the "old days" that we don't do any more. The arts have changed, and it's important to remember that the sociopolitical climate and culture these days is very different from the ones in which they were originally developed.

I once jokingly suggested to out kung fu teacher that we go challenge the wushu guys down the hall (I'm in a club at a university). He told me that once upon a time, guys would sometimes come in to challenge them. More recently, we were just starting class, when a bunch of wrestling guys came in (we train in the wrestling room), and started doing their training on the other side of the room. As our teacher was trying to figure out how we'd do things since we didn't have the full room, as we normally do, I said to him, "Aw, c'mon - we can take them!" Oh, I'd make a bad sifu.

Hm, I'm a Christian, and I'm a martial artist, and I never even thought about these two things together until I came to this board. Jesus didn't wear purple. Back in those days, that was a very expensive color to have a garment in, so only the very rich could afford it.

Haven't seen many Bruce Lee films, myself, but, you know, karate is Japanese, and Bruce Lee is Chinese. The Japanese and the Chinese have had their, uh, problems. Could explain that.

Funny, I had heard that, ironically, the most injuries occur in aikido. Guess because people do it wrong before they do it right.

JKDkid2, we have this thing called ibuprofin. Try it some time. Anyway, working out actually does quite a lot to help relieve cramps. I am so sick and tired of girls acting like they become weak little babies when their period hits. We all have our problems we have to work through. Especially in a martial arts class, we've all had our injuries - it's no different. If you want true equality in this world, JKDkid2, you can't go about enforcing this stereotype of "the weaker sex."

As a woman, let me just say: WHAT? Get over it; it's just your period. Sheesh. Anyway, I do kung fu. Love it to bits. Used to take karate, stopped, found a kung fu club at my college, fell in love with all the cool little tricks. Anyway, I don't feel that it's too male-oriented, if that's what the original poster was getting at. This stuff works well for me; I've no complaints.

Okay, I'll bite. What's Paper Tent?

Er... all three of those sites say that Muso invented the jo and the techniques to go with it.

What are these sources? I, too, had heard that Muso invented the jo, in direct response to his initial loss against Musashi. As to the outcome of the second fight - the one with the jo - I have heard alternatively that Musashi lost or that it was a draw.

It's the protection - the helmet, the jacket, the gloves - that cost, not to mention the sword itself. However, if you're in college, you could just take a class. Then they provide all of that stuff for you. You might also like to look into the local junior colleges (if there are any around where you live), since they'll be cheaper.

How old is the guy who wrote this? My parents never pushed me to get into the marital arts. I was the one interested in karate. I was the one borrowing books on various martial arts from the library. I was the one who brought home the flyer for the local dojo and begged my parents to let me attend. This guy seriously needs to get a clue.