spinninggumby

It doesn't matter when you start, whether you are 6 or 60 as long as you have the desire to learn. Most people who start before their teens usually mess around in class anyways until they get older and more mature (i.e. me, LOL Good luck in your journey should you accept the challenge Often times your reason for starting will be different for your reason for continuing. Welcome

I like Capcom vs. SNK2. My friend and I played through Metal Gear Solid 2 and I have enjoyed Gran Turismo A Spec and SSX (amazingly since I don't usually like sport games ). These are all great games but Metal Gear doesn't have much replay value. I also wish I knew how to play RPG's, as I must admit they look interesting and fun. If that were true I would have been all over Final Fantasy X.

I am not a huge fan but I have watched my share of Anime and there have been times where I am captivated or emersed in enjoyment. I have watched: Rurouni Kenshin (1st and 2nd season, 62 episodes) Evangelion (Whole TV series and movie) Utena movie but not series Cowboy Bebop (Whole TV series) Some Outlaw Star, Gundam Wing, Escaflowne, Dragonball Z, and Magic User's Club Ninja Scroll Princess Mononoke some Hentai (b/c I was at my friend's house and he put it on seriously) My favorite is Kenshin and Utena (b/c it was unique) Usually I always order the Japanese versions online b/c otherwise I don't feel like I'm watching 'Anime' lol. I post on a forum (rarely though) at http://www.animenation.com.

Yes, sparring is a whole different situation. Yes, excellent forms and technique will only help you in sparring, but it is probably only 25% of real-life fighting. That is why street brawlers can sometimes beat the crap out of 'trained' martial artists because these practitioners only practice form and technique all day (which is good but that's not all there is), whereas street fighters are punks who have been in many brawls and they are used to fighting in an unpredictable combat situation. Anonymous One, I am sure you have good fighting skills and are quite proficient in combat, but to say that excellent technique and proficience in katas/forms is a guarantee for good results in sparring or real-life fighting is not correct. In sparring or real-life fighting, nothing is as clean or straight forward as step #4 of whatever form or kata/poomse/hyung, etc.. Timing, spacing, even psychology and learning how to read your opponent (both emotionally and physically) is essential. It is something that requires experience in order to improve. You cannot read about fighting in a book and become excellent even if you follow every word to the letter. It is an instinct, a sixth sense (for lack of better term) that must be developed only through time and experience. It's almost like learning how to play basketball and performing all the drills 1,000 times and shooting 1,000 times from the free throw line, but never playing in a team situation against another team. It's a whole different ball game (pun intended) once you are on the court against five other players who are trying to keep you from scoring, even if you have a killer 3-point shot or you can dribble around cones with your eyes closed.

O i c. It is so clear to me now. Please don't be so specific and detailed with me next time.

Nothing is wrong with being goth. Nevertheless, I have met goths who are very pleasant and ones who are downright nasty (perhaps you could say that the nasty ones are 'poser' goths but couldn't you say that about every clique or labeled identity?). Anyways there is nothing entirely wrong with being goth, or being a skater, punk, preppie, teenybopper, etc. whatever, except for the fact that it is an easy way out to quickly fit in and discourages creative thought (transforms you into another robot for the sake of popularity, peace of mind, etc.) I feel somewhat silly talking about high school 'cliques', but anyways lol. Some cliques, by default or by definition of what they are like or what they stand for, are stuck-up, and others are mellow or aggressive or hostile. They are all unique, but what they have in common is that they offer people a safe haven in which they can be labeled with the desired traits. In my opinion, all these are damaging, although probably a necessary phase in growing up, simply because they put limits on your creative mind, and may limit your growth and actions (i.e. who you talk with 'because talking with other groups is forbidden or something' or what activities you engage in) and in essence limit your freedom (also in terms of developing as a person) and ability to explore.

I can speak Chinese but I don't think it will help me much in Korea

*Choke on coffee* Please, it's too early in the afternoon for these types of jokes. In all seriousness, really? Have the cows come home already? This is really interesting and also provides me with some relief.

Yea. I guess my master told me that one of the main reasons why we had to make sure that we were staying in 5-star hotels was to ensure that the food and water would be safe and very palatable. To the best of my knowledge, Seoul isn't such an unsanitary place but true you never know.

You can decide to learn anything you like, just as you keep in mind that the rules/techniques, ideologies are different I don't see a problem. On a side note, unfortunately some instructors or schools (esp. traditional ones) look down upon or do not like it if they know that you are learning from another school or another style (due to a pathetic superiority complex or due to tradition, one or the other). I do not know how ur ITF instructor would react if he found out u were taking WTF, but what he/she doesn't know won't hurt him, and it will only make you a more well-rounded person, as far as I can tell.

I would take you all with me if I could :razz:

My sah bum nim just informed me that in July our school is taking a trip to Kukkiwon for about a week to train with the Korean National Demonstration Team! I am so excited even though it is going to cost me 2 grand (yikes) but it will be worth it since we will be staying at a 5 star hotel that goes at around $200 a night. The remaining three days of our trip we will make a stop in Beijing, China. My teacher told me that there was going to be free time to sight-see and travel but I don't think so, I think I'll just stay with those guys and train with them b/c although I may be able to return to Korea in the future, I may not ever get the chance to be able to learn from the elite WTF'ers again I have never had a chance to really be exposed to 'traditional' taekwondo either so supposedly we will also get a taste of that from many masters there as well as the exhibitionist or sport aspect of course that Kukkiwon is all about.

Michelle Yeoh (the older female in Crouching Tiger), has had training in martial arts and has also had experience in movie fighting but her core expertise has always been ballet and dance. Ditto Zhang Ziyi (the younger one). She did not receive any martial arts training until she found out that she was picked for the part. Don't get me wrong, she has a lot of potential in so many areas and she is an incredible dancer. But you get my point. Thankfully, she came across quite convincingly for someone who has not trained for very long. That is why so many people say that dance and martial arts are so similar. Flexibility, coordination, flow, and awareness of one's body play a key role in the success of both.

Don't forget to gloat that you are also the first Canadian to be able to use a computer :bdaybiggrin:

I am a big fan of parodies and spoofs, but this one didn't even look like a good spoof. That's why I didn't go see it. Usually if a movie creates so much controversy, it only makes me wanna see it more

Actually even in WTF the forms/poomsae (and even koryo and on) mostly consist of hand movements and techniques. There are probably about 2-8 kicks max in the majority of all forms which each consist of about 20-30+ steps. _________________ "Being able to move in and out of styles, movements, and rhythms with ease is the highest skill." - Donnie Yen "If you have to resort to violence, you've already lost" - Rising Sun "The finest steel emerges from the hottest furnace" [ This Message was edited by: spinninggumby on 2002-02-26 14:27 ]

Van Damme gets laid all the time.

The kicker at the end of Who Am I is Ron Smoorenburg from the Netherlands. He is obviously very good at what he does but supposedly he just couldn't adapt to Jackie's movie fighting rhythm (*gasp* movie fighting is different from real fighting? ). If you like kickers, then you probably already have seen the end fight in Drunken Master 2, but also if u haven't already you should check out Leg Fighters with Tan Tao Liang (Delon Tan) and some of his stuff (also maybe his student John Liu's stuff too, although in my opinion he wasn't as excellent as his teacher). They are all part of the good ol late 70's kung fu theater original bad-a$$ group lol. Yea so I guess there are two kinds of m/a movie fans (just like there are mainly two kinds of practitioners), those who like practical no-nonsense combat scenes and those who like that wire-laden fancy stuff. For me it depends usually I like something in between, not too many wires and not too much all out brawl stuff with people rolling on the ground. Once in a while I like to watch beautiful flowery movements and once in a while I like to watch bloody boxing matches hehe. Although I might get blasted for this but I really do not understand how Crouching Tiger was so acclaimed or great. Great story? Deep characters and exceptional acting? I dunno, I didn't walk away heavily inspired into deep thought and I don't think I was ever moved to tears. How can a movie be considered a great martial arts movie when the martial arts is not even performed by people who have had a lot of experience with either movie fighting or real fighting (albeit they are talented and hard-working) and the story is still just to me a background for the action. And the flashback in the middle? wtf Anyways just my humble opinion

Hey man! I used to do aikido for about 8 years even though I was just a little kid. I received private instruction under the highest ranking Aikido instructor in the U.S. at the Seattle Ki Society, and I wasted it by being a total brat! Arrrgh, anyways it's true that youth is wasted on the young, haha. Welcome to the forums. I would be very interested in your input and experiences with Aikido as well as other arts. Peace!

Being an old-timer now at 22, I can kind of look back and see what you are saying. However, as someone who just left the teen phase(s) about 3-4 years ago, I would have to say that in most cases acting loud and stupid, carrying the burden of superficial worries, and worrying about makeup and girls/guys and all that crap (which just evolves into something even more troubling, it's called marriage

You can't post images in your signature b/c then the ones who are too computer-dense or ignorant (i.e., me myself and I) to post pictures and other cool stuff in their signatures would feel extremely left out. Well in all seriousness, I'm not sure, but since I don't even know how to do it, it doesn't break my heart too much :razz:

12-15 punches within a second?!! That I'd hafta see. I couldn't even imagine that. I can't even wiggle my fingers 12 times in a second, LOL.

I know that this has been brought up before. I know that I am probably the last one on earth to jump on this bandwagon, but anyways here goes: I was just wondering, since supposedly Bruce Lee's intention was for 'jeet kune do' not to be style but an 'ideology', does that mean that any new technique, innovation, or concept could be considered 'jeet kune do' as long as it arose using Bruce's ideology (method of arrival to that new innovation or concept). As far as I could see, Bruce believed in 'accepting what is useful, discarding what is not' and drawing the best from all the worlds. He believed in everlasting and continual growth, the peak and ultimate goal of perfection an impossible dream that lay as an aymptote as you grew closer to that peak every day but never quite reached it. Ok I will stop BSing now and just ask: Since jeet kune do is an ideology, would you jkd practitioners welcome new ideas and practices with open arms as long as the innovations arose via Bruce Lee's method of thinking/filtering/philosophisizing (real word??). Man I can't put anything into words today *sigh* lol. More importantly, if I walk away from this forum knowing one thing b/c I know that what I just typed probably made absolutely no sense whatsoever, lemme just get something clear. So jeet kune do is not like taekwondo, or judo, or karate, or kung fu. Jeet kune do is a way of thinking in order to become a better fighter, and ultimately, to become a better liver of life. Is that true? Is it? huh huh? lol Argh sorry I am being so confusing. I just have a lot of questions on this topic. :dodgy:

I played piano for ten years and I also had some experience with the violin and the drums. I wanted to be a drummist (drummer, probably, drummist? drummer, oh well I am out of it) in middle school b/c the band was where all the hotties were (contrary to what American Pie ever made u think) but in the end I still stuck with piano and it is my favorite instrument to this day. I want to learn guitar later on

There is nothing wrong with being a ballerina. Look at Van Damme. He used to take ballet. Ooops, bad example... All u TKD haters out there, make some noooise!