Ottman

Yes, Everyone should do MAs!!!

Well, you can forget about using the guard, since it would end up with you being pinned, but I don't see why principles like switching base, front/side/back control, or other moves like hip escapes etc. wouldn't help you to be better at wrestling. I wouldn't think that you could just walk onto a varsity team just using soley your JJ skills due to the diference in rules and which techniques are legal in wrestiling, but maybe after practicing with the team for a while . . . who knows. Having wrestled in Junior high, and now being a few months into JJ training I can tell you that all the submission moves you learn in JJ are useless in wrestling because submissions are illegal, but I say go for it. No reason not to tryout right?

Just about anything from the Matrix Soundtrack Goro vs. Art from Mortal Kombat Soundtrack Selling Jesus - Shunk Anansie (Strange Days ST) Naked Cousin - PJ Harvey One Time Too Many - PJ Harvey Jurassitol - Filter (And about everything else on The Crow ST too)

You're right about the 'no arms up' phenomenon angela, and this trend of keeping your arms down in TKD is just laziness in my view. I was perplexed by it when watching the olympics this summer. The most mentioned advice about sparring I've heard, given, and gotten in my TKD training is "KEEP YOUR ARMS UP!" Just because no hand tech's to the head is a rule in olympic TKD sparring, is no excuse for letting your guard down, and I have never heard an instructor say 'keep those arms down' so I'm not sure where these guys get it from.

Tiger, you're just way off man. Maybe the average MT fighter gets a better dose of physical conditioning in his training than the average TKD or Kung Fu practitioner, but if a TKD or Kung Fu (or Karate etc.) guy were to physically condition himself through running, weight training and endurance training to the same level of conditioning as an MT fighter, the style of MA either one uses would be irrelevant. It would be an equal match-up, and the more cunning, experienced and patient fighter would win, which are all traits that are up to the individual to develop regardless of what style he trains in. Haven't you ever watched UFC? I've visited an MT kickboxing school (I have no MT training whatsoever) where I sparred (MT style) and won a number of matches just because I was better physically conditioned than my opponents. All of my technique came from my TKD and JKD training. So how come your guys weren't able to kick my butt with their superior, no * style?

There are actually two different types of sparring in TKD (in my school anyway.) Olympic style where hand techniques to the head are NOT allowed, and Point Sparring where hand techniques to the head ARE allowed. And yes I've been to TKD tournaments where both are included in the competition. I actually don't like point sparring as much though, not because of the hand techniques, but because it isn't full contact. Olympic style is full contact and in the adult black belt division, knockouts are legal. You just can't knock them out with a punch to the head, and it is definitely more difficult to get all the judges to see a punch to the body and score you on it. That doesn't mean that we don't train in the use of hand techniques, but they aren't very effective in the sport of TKD. We're still taught how to use hand techniques, throws, trips, and locks for self defense however.

My favorite is probably Soul Caliber. Ok, so if anyone really got sliced with any of the weapons they use in that game, they'd be dead instantly, but other than that, all of the moves are really authentic. Also Tekken3 is great, and so is Virtua Fighter 2&3. Has anyone played Bushido Blade. I really like that game, but no one else seems to. I wonder why?

I totally agree with you G, but I think Little Dragon was agree with us as well, saying that Snipes lacks the flexibility that Van Damme has (which I think is debatable.) And even most white belts can see that Van Damme has not one ounce of MA know how. I think Snipes has as much flexibility as anyone, but his strengths lie in short, powerful kicks, (when he does kick) and so that's what he uses. I mean the guy is a 5th or 6th degree BB (can't remember which) in whatever style of Karate he does, (Kempo??) and he's also a great Capoeirista. I'm sure he can stretch his kicks out if he wants/needs to.

There is no 'correct' spelling of asian words using western alphabets since they use characters instead of letters. Whatever spelling you prefer works, as long as the phonetic pronunciation can be read from the spelling you choose. Us westerners had to come up with our own spelling for asian words, and I guess we all differ in our ideas of how the alphabet is used for phonetic spellings. This is why I usually type "Jeet Koon Do" when most (including bruce lee himself) spell it "Jeet Kune Do". It's just become a habit of mine. (stupid english, grumble grumble grumble )

Just a question: Why limit yourself to only a set of a few basic moves? I can understand that it makes your strategy training easier and less cluttered, but you never know when you might need to use a certain move. Why not keep your options open? Also, in training, I don't think any move is useless crap, just for the fact that it can exercise your body with movements your not used to, and muscles (muscle groups) you haven't strengthened yet, so if you ever find yourself forced to move in a certain way, you're prepared to stay on balance and counter attack from an otherwise awkward, difficult position. Maybe certain nuances like jumping and spinning, or kicks like tornado kicks are impracticle in a fight, but that doesn't mean they're useless. They still train and strengthen the body, and if you can develop a good enough execution of these techniques, you can unleash them on someone who doesn't train with such moves, and therefore probably won't be expecting them. Never underestimate a kick just because it has extraneous movements in it that might seem unecessary to YOU. someone who trains to use a certain technique well enough, can probably execute it exactly how he/she intends to execute it, and that execution might be having it land squarely in your face. If you've also trained to execute that move, you probably have a better idea of what's coming, since you're familiar with it, and it will be easier to defend against it. Now I'm being long winded, but I can still think of other reasons that no technique is ever completely useless. This type of thinking seems very closed-minded to me. Aren't martial arts about creativity?

I love breaking. The ultimate in mind over matter. I've broken many times, but my favorite routine was a spear hand strike through one, followed by a jumping backside kick through two, and then an assisted backspin kick through two. I'm gonna do it again with double the boards at my next test. (oh all boards were 8"x9"x1.5" (I think) for all those who are wondering)

I train at a WTF school, and yes my instructor does teach the sports aspects of TKD, but only because she has a substantial amount of students who are in TKD for sport. But she definately focuses on the personal development of each individual student primarily, which is really what martial arts are all about, and having been to many other TKD schools, (both ITF and WTF) and also having met a number of different masters and instructors, it's all about finding the right school for you, regardless of which style you want to train in. If you have the right instructor, it doesn't matter what style you train, you'll be able to grow into the type of martial artist YOU want to be, and your instructor will be there to guide and support you. Almost all of the other TKD schools I have visited, (the vast majority of which were owned by korean masters) whether they were ITF or WTF, were very sports, and business oriented, and I would never train at any of them. The masters rarely show up on the premises and even more rarely teach classes. Maybe I'm just biased, but my instructor works very hard to make sure that each student is able to train to meet his or her own goals, so if your goal is sport, she'll help you get better at the sport aspects of TKD, but if you're a traditionalist who wants the self defense and philisophical aspects of TKD, she's more than happy to oblige, and recently, she's incorporated a lot of ITF forms and training style, as well as other martial arts (Ju Jitsu, Tai Chi, Nunchuckudo, etc.) into her school. I can't say that the same devotion to the student is held by any of the other TKD schools I've visited, so I guess the lesson is shop around, and choose your instructor wisely. As for TKD being more lethal than Karate or vice-versa, I've never thought that it's so cut and dry as that. Bruce Lee changed all that with Jeet Koon Do. Now the style is up to the student to develop, whereas before Bruce, you had to train the master's way, or you were an outcast, so it's no wonder that different styles could be compared so rigidly in the past. This is not the case anymore.

Um, The Matrix!! (I still consider the first one a stand alone film, but the fight scenes and special effects were superb in the sequels, even though the plot, acting, and just about everything else was horrible.) This movie was one of the only times I really enjoyed what the special effects added to the movie's martial arts scenes. Plus the plot completely and effectively explains the reason and need for all these effects. Can't agree more with Tomahawk.

XMA specifically teaches flashy movements, and incorporates the high flying acrobatics and gymnastics that are usually used in today's movies. I can't stand it though, and think of it as glorified gymnastics rather than a martial art. I must discourage you from using martial arts for such superficial purposes and would like to see the movie makers get back to non-special effects laden martial arts scenes and movies that show off real skill, but that will only happen when they actually start making good movies again, and who knows when that will be?

I really like Wesley Snipes' kicks, but it's hard not to say Bruce Lee. And I'm sick of hearing about Van Damme. He's a quack and shouldn't even be discussed. The original reels of his movies should be burned at the stake.

The alternate version of Game of Death, using footage that they found at Bruce's estate years later is the best, but I've only seen it on AMC. Can't seem to find even bootleg copies. I guess 'whomever' is keeping it under tight lock and key. But I must agree that Return of the Dragon is the best original. That side kick he uses to send his buddy flying across the room was hot. I must have replayed that in slo-mo a thousand times. The rest of the movie is great too. Awesome fight scenes.

Oh, so many to choose from. Anyone ever heard the theme song playing during the tournament at the end of Karate Kid part 1? Ok I'm definately kidding. The Mortal Kombat Soundtrack is great, my TKD Demo team used to use it for a couple routines, but my personal favorite is "Moby Dick" by Led Zeppelin. There's nothing you can't do with that Bonham drum solo, and the live version off of 'The Song Remains the Same' is like fifteen minutes long (just for the drum solo part.)

Are you crazy?! Van Damme is the worst of all of these guys. He shouldn't even be a choice. Can't act, doesn't get selected for good movies, uses maybe four or five different moves then replays them in slo-mo throughout the whole movie. Norris would kill him without even meaning to. But I must admit, however good at MA Norris is, his movies are pretty awful. My vote went to Bruce because he actually directed all his fight scenes in addition to coreographing (how do you spell that?) preforming, and not using any special effects. His camera placement and cinematography were exceptional. But Steven Segal and Jackie Chan are right up there IMO as well. Jackie Chan in particular must be the hardest working movie maker in world, whether you're talking about martial arts movies or any other kind of movies. And, again (I've said this on other threads) where's Sonny Chiba? I'm not saying he'd win, but c'mon, he'd at least beat out Van Damme, and Maybe Chuck too.

Cowboy Bee Bop. I know, it's a suprise, but there's some good fight scenes and the animation and story are great. (Haven't seen much of the TV show, but I hear it's just as good.)

Hey what about Sonny Chiba?? Why isn't he on the list? (Or am I going too far?)

Actually, if you watch Bruce Lee's movies. Most of his 'big' fights end in grappling moves, (Against Chuck in 'Return of the Dragon', against Kareem Abdul Jabaar in 'Game of Death' etc.) and Jeet Koon Do, in Bruce's own stated opinion is the art of learning as many styles (in depth) as possible, and bringing out whatever is needed in the given situation. I know it's been said previously, but he used to brawl all the time out on the street, and yes, also on rooftops, in his younger days. Let's not forget that he taught Chuck Norris during his six consecutive Karate chamionships, and also instructed Dan Inosanto. He started Wu Shu and Wing Chung training at a very early age (4 I think) and developed Jeet Koon Do only after identifying all the weaknesses in Kung Fu and other martial arts and used JKD as his method of fixing these weaknesses. Bruce is the reason that MA are as popular as they are today, and he just because of his indominable spirit, he'd still be going strong if he were alive today. And also, because he truly did not fear death and put every ounce of his emotion into his martial arts, I can't think of even a UFC or Pride Fighter who he couldn't at least hold his own against. These other guys are just practitioners, and good ones at that, in fact excellent ones, but Bruce was martial arts. You can't mess with that. One more thing: in all of Bruce's movies, except for fake blood maybe, there were no special effects. No computer imagery or tricks, no wires or gimmicks. Just pure martial arts, and his fight scenes are still the best to watch I don't care what anyone says.

Wesley Snipes: Kempo I believe, I know it's some style of Karate or another. I know he's at least a fifth degree black belt in whatever it is. Steven Segal: Aikdio, which he also used to instruct, though I'm not sure if he still does, although in his movies he's a bit more aggressive than is usually taught so I've heard. (Nothing wrong with that in my opinion.) I think he's got a great style of his own. (Martial arts that is, not acting, but I do like his movies.) Jason Statham: I saw him use a lot of Tae Kwon Do moves in The Transporter, (a nice tornado kick in one scene) but I'm not sure if he trains regularly. Nick Cage: Nothing. I'm pretty sure he doesn't do any martial arts, but who knows what kind of training and exercise he does to be able to do all those action films, or what's been taught to him on the set. I guess if hollywood stunt men have their own martial art, he's probably picked up a few moves from it.

This is kind of related, but I play a lot of basketball, and as a result I've had a lot of sprained ankles, mostly my right ankle. While in physical therapy to recover from a recent sprain, my trainer had me balance on one foot, which wasn't difficult due to my martial arts training. So he had me close my eyes and try it, and it took me about two weeks to stay on one foot with my eyes closed for more than 15 seconds. It's still hard now, but I've gained a much better sense of my own balance, and the orientation of space around me from this simple little exercise. I also started doing forms with my eyes closed, and man what a difference. I must recomend it.

Great quote! I believe that this is part of realizing what martial arts are all about: Continual growth, not just getting a black belt. But I also think the belt system in most schools is great. While there are some dubious business aspects of the belt system, for young kids, and students who are just trying to better themselves, moving up through ranks and having tests to look forward to and train for is an essential motivator. It also instills a sense of accomplishment in students who need such feelings to keep up with their martial arts. Once I got my black belt, (TKD when I was 15) I thought that was it; that I had reached a pinnacle even though I knew that more degrees of black belt existed. I figured "why should I pay for all those tests and lessons anymore?" How foolish of me. It was about 6 years later that I realized I had only come to a beginning as a martial artist. That's when I realized that 'belts are just to keep your pants up,' after I had already gone through the whole gammet of colored belts. It isn't something you go into martial arts knowing, you learn it as you grow. And now that I know, do I feel like I had waisted my time and money on all those belt tests? Absolutely not. In fact I'm thankful that I put in the hard work and sacrifice, because I would not be who I am, nor know what I know today if I hadn't.

I had a five year slump after reaching 1st Dan where I quit taking class and started studying other styles on my own. It was about a year ago when I realized how much I needed (and missed) class in order to really meet my own goals. Watching and reading about great martial artists such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, and Dan Inosanto was a big motivator and made me realize just how much work I had to do if I really wanted to become a great martial artist. But you really do have to want it, or else its worthless to you anyway. At the same time, I'm not sure if I would have learned the same lessons had I not gone through this "slump." Peaks and vallies I guess.