fallen_milkman

Yeah, I have it. And am highly ashamed of myself for it. A cousin who lives between 6-8 hours away talked me into it. http://www.myspace.com/waynegar

Kuntaw, eh? I think we may study very similar arts. I study Kuntao, which seems to be the same thing without the Filipino flavor. I had heard Kuntao spread into the Philippines, but didn't know the name of it was so similar. I assumed it was absorbed into other FMA. I'd be interested in seeing your art in action.

I'm watching it for the first time, and I must say these are some great freaking fights. I was hoping for Cummo, but no such luck. I just wish I'd watched in the beginning!

I avoided this thread until now because I figured it would all be pro-Bruce Lee. The man was a good actor, I'll give him that. Otherwise...I am in full agreement with White Warlock. Bruce Lee is given FAR to much credit in the MA scene. I am starting to have the same problem with Jackie Chan.

Brilliant. There is no better solution.

This is the very reason I love my current school. Kuntao is considered a "live art" as it was termed to me. This means it changes all the time. If someone shows us something we like, we adapt it to our style and use it.

Again, this advice depends on the rules, but if you've never played your game someone who practises gong fu, you might wanna find some practise there too. I haven't seen much Goju Ryu but judging on the karate I have seen, good gong fu movement very well may throw you off. When a Goshin Jutsu student I knew started sparring me, I ruined him despite having only 4 months of gong fu to his 4 years of Goshin. Once he got used to my different movements, he was easily able to equal me. That being said, sometimes gong fu degenerates into kick boxing under certain rule sets, or if the person doesn't flow as well as they could. I could try giving you more general advice, but my gong fu style is very distinct and I don't want to steer you wrong. If you're fighting a kuntao fighter, get ready for them to be close and throw WAY more attacks than you're used to. As for other gong fu styles, I'll leave that to the people who practise them.

It always strikes me funny when people say it is disrespectful to learn another art. I study Kuntao, which is considered a "live art" (always learning and adapting), and I know for a fact my current teacher would only encourage it. He even brings in another teacher with a backround in many other styles to share with us occasionally. Do we keep everything he teaches us? No. But we definitely listen and practise anything he knows which can help our gong fu. Learning another art won't always ruin the one you're already learning. It can enrich it.

Seconded. Er...quadrupled?

In Street Fighter Alpha 3, the capoerista is named Elena. My third favorite character to Ibuki and Chun-li!

I have been considering taking it up myself. I like finding simple random ways to enrich myself, and I saw this 2006 calandar we sell at Borders that has one origami design every day of the year. I think that will be a cool way to learn, and plan on buying it closer to the end of the year. (If I buy it now, I'll crack it early...my self control only goes so far.)

I walk in already dressed, carrying my sparring gloves, just in case.

Well, no one has said the "It's all in how you train" line yet, so I'll be that guy. If something was devised as martial art and hidden in dance or other ways (like a lot of martial arts throughout the ages), it is still a valid art if you train it as one. If someone learns capoiera as a dance, without learning combat applications, then it is not a good martial art, just like someone doing Tai Chi Chuan without learning applications is doing nothing more than a slow, relaxing "dance". It is all how you learn, and if you want to fight with it you need to learn to apply it or you are wasting your time.

That makes a lot more sense to me. No further suggestions!

Funniest thread could probably go, but I'd vote on my favorite article.

Yeah, a lot of the things he writes about seem far fetched, even to my open mind, and he doesn't really stay away from the sexual aspects involved in tantric practise (which could be considered perverted...your point of view, not mine). But as for my opinion, I give it an A+. Really I'm not looking for in depth technique or meditation techniques in books (I have a teacher for that), more for an enjoyable read, and insight into things my teacher may not be breaching with me yet.

I saw an orangutan sumo a trained pro once on Animal Planet. It beat the guy effortlessly, and gently. Amazing stuff.

Togakure ninjusu has an almost unbroken (maybe unbroken) lineage back to the Koga and Iga clans, I believe. I highly doubt they train in exactly the same way or even the exact same things, but I wouldn't really laugh if Hatsumi or any of his pupils decided to call themselves ninja. It's all semantics anyways. Adaptation is the way of the ninja, and if they had to adapt their art, who are we to judge. I have a thread in the Internal Arts section about a book I am reading written by a man who trained in Togakure ninpo/taijutsu (not sure of the correct term). So far so great, but I'll post up a full review when I am done with it.

I am actually starting an airsoft league in my town with a group of friends. Mostly a way to teach ourselves stealth skills, since we play with one person being hunted by the rest in the woods. First meet is on this Friday!

No, it's written by a man who studies ninpo. It has funny parts, but overall it is not supposed to be humourous.

Interesing...why they would name their 18-week basics course the same as an individual artform, I have no idea.

Looks a bit similar to our kuntao, which only makes sense both arts being Indonesian influenced. Mainly the adhereing to your opponent aspect.

I recently bought a locally written book about all the supposedly haunted places in my city. Rest assured that while I have never been on a ghost hunt yet, I will have soon. I am pretty psyched.

Alright, I'll write up a review when I finish. I am about half way through, so it should be a little less than a week before I get back to you.

Beautifully written, Kicks. I was wondering how in the hell they could ever recreate what you guys had down there. I assumed it was mostly lost. Now I know. Good luck, God bless.