AdmiralX

1.) A friend was angery over a basketball game, he ran at me and I stepped to the side but tripped him. Then he kept punching at me and kicking at me but could not hit me. Then he managed to close in and I broke the hold and put distance between us, and he could not harm me. Then some how I tripped on a rock or something, but landed on my back and kept sliding backward and using my feet to keep him away (knowing if I went to get up he would have made it inside and I would of had to break fingers when he grabbed me or do worse). People ran over and grabbed him and I got up, and was thankful I did not have to hurt my bull-headed friend "Ogre." 2.) A guy kept nudging me with his foot (I was asleep) and laughing about it. I heard my friend say, "He has not slept all night, I would leave him alone." I jumped up, shoved over that guy (6 foot 6 inch guy) and knocked him off balance onto the couch, then standing to his right, I put his right arm across his chest and left arm, my knee into his hip, he could not kick or bite or anything, then I brought back my right fist, saw his temple, and he started to cry like a baby and I let him go and told him to not act stupid again. It happened in like 3 seconds. I was going to go vertical punch to his temple in that moment. 3.) A guy leaned over the bus seat in middle school and thought it protected his body or something (odd guy). He was in the seat behind me. I moved close, grabbed his arms and put my arms around them, then put my head into his head so he could not punch, or move, and nobody was hurt. The bus driver grabbed him, moved him, and he was kicked out of school and I was not even in any trouble!! 4.) This 6 feet 2 inch tall, 200 something pound body builder guy called me a B$tch and ran at me at a basketball court, he left his arms open, then I just landed my elbow and forearm to the side of his head (point of the elbow at his mouth, forearm up higher toward the temple). He went out like a light. 5 minutes later security at the rec center (University of Arizona) went in to see what happened and it looked like an "accident" and security had to wake him up and carry him off the court (one person under each arm) and the guy would not even look at me!! 5.) Another guy, larger body-builder, had a basketball and was throwing his elbows around, so I made it look like I was going for the basketball but I poked his eye (one finger to one eye) and he hit the ground and stayed there for a few minutes moaning in pain. Then he got up and he apologized to me for the elbows (huge elbows, trying to keep me from stealing the ball) and we shook hands and became friends later on (he never acted like a jerk again after that when I was around). 6.) I was not seriously hurt (or hurt at all for that matter), no hard feelings, minimal force used, and I think the fights or situations above went well for me. A funny story was the same friend who tried to fight me at the basketball courts ("Ogre"). He kept acting silly, and like a jerk, and he is a huge, strong guy. He can bench almost 300 pounds!!! Then he wrestled in high school, and other than to me he has never lost a fight (he sometimes chokes people until they pass out). So, I hit him in the head with this dictionary/reference book that was like 600 pages thick--knocked him out cold. How are these for fights?

Today, in my view, martial artists have too many rules. What is an attack? Is it putting your shirt over your head in front of an entire school? Or calling you names? Is it the shove? Or the "push"? Then how do you tell the difference? In the old ways, the push was mental, and once it came, there was no restraint. The old west says; draw guns. The old days in Japan says; draw swords. Stereo-typical old days in the US says; fist fight after school to earn your respect back. But now people have guns, or knives, and having been attacked with a knife and defended myself (without harming the other person) I realize the unfairness of the law. To have to think about what is necessary force? What if I "accidentally" break an elbow or wrist? Or I gouge the eyes, then toss him to the ground and leave? Everyone has different views. What is excessive? If a person attacks, the old grandmasters would argue that to "think" about rules and what is "excessive" or "enough" is weakness that would get you killed. Since your kick put the bully down, you left, life goes on. Just don't make the mistake to stand there and let him get up once he re-gathers himself, and don't turn your back on him (maybe he is unstable and tries a knife another time? Or a gun?). If you make it out alive, great, but these days, you never know if anyone has a knife, or multiple friends. Just my thoughts on this.

I found one reply to my post, thanks for that. What I was considering is taking the sleeves TOTALLY off. Like, cutting them off at the shoulders! I noticed how much better practicing without a gi top felt to me (with the Nike sleeveless shirt I mentioned above) and I know at my dojo, the sleeves being cut off would probably not be allowed by Shihan. Outside of the dojo though, I was wondering if there is any meaning attached to a "karate-ka being without sleeves." Years ago I played a game called "Street Fighter 2" and two characters who practiced Shotokan karate had their sleeves cut off, then in "Best of the Best 2" Travis Brickley (Chris Penn) had his sleeves cut off and I wanted to know if anyone has ever heard of any beliefs attached to going with a sleeveless gi. Is it disrespect? Most tournament rules require sleeves be around the elbows (in general).

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what it means to cut the sleeves off a gi? I understand each dojo has its own set of rules and regulations, but is there any general meaning to cutting the sleeves off my gi? In private, outside the dojo, I practice extensively and normally wear gi bottoms and a Nike sleeveless basketball top (light mesh) because it is not too warm or cold (Tucson Arizona is HOT during the day, then can be cold at night). I searched the internet but could not find anything on this....