shogeri

Let's go back in time, as I enjoy Asian history, since it was something I studied in college, and throughout my life. The place for women in historical china was the home. Filial piety, humility, and home bound duties were a woman's primary function. Foot binding began, among the rich, upper class around the time of the T'ang Dynasty (618), and lasted until the late 19th century, and in some smaller remote places until the early part of the 20th century, depending on those who fell under the law, and who accepted the legal change in custom. It is noted that roughly 1 billion women had their feet bound during that time. In sum, thanks to foot binding the women could not walk very far, restricting their ability to wander off, and they became highly dependent upon men, either husbands or fathers. Because of the social customs we can see that many women simple did not have the luxury either traditionally, culturally, or physically - to join the Shaolin Monastery/Temple. Historically, the Shaolin Temple has taught martial arts as a vehicle to further the spiritual cultivation of its monks. Other Temples did not use this method of aiding their Buddhist cultivation Though many customs in China have been relaxed, it would seem that women still do not fall heavily into the practice of the Traditional Kung Fu, but do excel well in Taijiquan, and Modern Wushu Dance. On that note, in China, the YongTai Temple that was built about 1,500 years ago for Princess Ming Lian, the only (or most notable) female student of Da Mo, finished it's renovation in 2003. I believe it's open to the public, and plans have been in the making for re-establishing as a place where women can become Buddhist (Nuns) with training in the Shaolin Arts. Located in Dengfeng County in central China's Henan Province, the Northern Shaolin Temple was built in the foothills of the sacred Songshan Mountain in AD 495 during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). With that, we find that the trend is to bring Shaolin Kung Fu, as used within the Buddhist sect, back into mainstream practice. In sum, I just wanted to clarify this statement I made: Meaning, the purpose of Shaolin throughout the late 70's, 1980's, and 1990's was misguided thanks to the media, and the travel industry. It has since been steered back to it's orginal path of Buddhism, with Shaolin being a vehicle for the cultivation of their original path. Note that this school in Henan, is partially controlled by the government and is subject to the whims of the travel and tour industry. Thus, it is questionable as to it's future. There are many branches of Shaolin, and many temples. The Shaolin Temples have a long history of going from personal enrichment, to warfare, to near distinction, and then slowly back to there spiritual beginnings. The Martial Art practices themselves are not spiritual, and in some ways, the history of Chinese Martial Arts, makes it hard to explain to other's that there is indeed a difference. The USA Shaolin Temple, a direct lineage school of the Fighting Monks of Southern Shaolin (such as in Fujian), does teach to women and children. This is based upon what I have found so far. They can be found here for further info: https://www.usashaolintemple.com I figured I would update my last post with this one, after some further research.

There are no death touches, rather there are strikes to specific points(areas), as many boxers, accidental slayings, football players, ballet students, lawyers, doctors, and even Martial Artists have been known to come across either intentionally or by freak accident. What is sad, is that there are more unqualified people out there pushing, or pressing or massaging acupoints with no clue as to what they are doing. Worse still, there are those who practice acupuncture also. Thanks to the Dillman Method, the term Dim Mak is no longer used, nor preferrable in many circles of realistic application, as it paints an incorrect view of the usage of the acupressure points as found within the meridian system of TCM. My thoughts for the moment...

Aikido is about reaction to stimuli on a highly sensitive level. It is about guiding oncoming force in a circular motion (rotation) becoming the axis of the movement. Much like traditional jujutsu circular techniques based upon the principle of jiyu jizai (free and unrestricted). Essential when one moves from the center, and does not allow another into their center, they control the situation. This is similar to the concepts found in Wing chun, Chi' Na, Taijiquan, and Baquazhang to name a few. Many of these styles use blending, or the principle of confluence (or flowing/molding/shaping) energy. In karate, traditionally, there are no first strikes. One can lead a situation, or guide the opponent to a given point, but again, there are technically no pre-emptive strikes in karate either. Aikijutus does employ pre-emptive setup techniques, and whether they can be construed as strikes, is questionable. Since every block is also a strike, or leads to one or combination of various waza. In sum, I have found no place(on paper) where an aikidoka is taught to actually strike with intent to hit a target. Those are my thoughts

In some way the Sanjiao may be involved, but I am still studying these things, so I cannot be 100 percent certain. Always consult a qualified TCM practitioner before attempting any of this stuff... Triple Warmer/Heater/Energizer (Sanjiao) Strictly speaking, the sanjiao is not an organ in itself, but rather a functional unit consisting of three portions - the upper jiao of the chest (heart, lung), the middle jiao of the upper abdomen (spleen and stomach) and the lower jiao of the lower abdomen (kidney and bladder). The sanjiao distribute and circulate energy (Qi) and blood to their respective zones, as well as helping to regulate the amount of body fluid, sending any excess to the bladder to be excreted. Zhaohai (KD 6) and Yingu (KD10) can increase diuretic function, while Jinmen and Fuliu (KD7) have been proven to suppress the diuretic function. Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Kunlun (UB60) can change the peristaltic condition of the ureter. Weak stimulation can slow peristalsis and strong stimulation can increase the ureter's peristalsis. Sanjiao, or SP 6 is located above the ankle on the medial malleolus, behind the tibia. In other words, on the front of the leg, just behind the shin bone – the width of one hand (three thumbs) above the crown of the inner ankle That said, here are the locations of some other related points: CV 4 (3 body inches below navel) ST 36 (2 inches Below kneecap) In sum, for health reasons, these points have been known to treat Urogenital Problems (impotence, cystitis, incontinence of urine, infections of the genito-urinary organs), this when these points are used in conjunction with others, such as sanjiao, and struck in the proper manner (force and accuracy) , then they can (or have been known to) produce the alternative effect of poor health. Again, proceed with caution, and never use SP6 on a pregnant woman. Good luck.

I would say that if neither hypothetical person did anything other than: a) practice only their system, or b) practice a multitude of systems Then the person in b, would not only have a basic understanding of a, but of other systems as well. It comes down to basics. Once you are past a given point in your training, you are more than likely modifying, or adding to what you know, but it will always come down to how often, how well, and how much a person focuses on the basic principles of combat along with the techniques that go along with them. Person 'b', in theory, will have more basic principles than that of 'a'. A might have more techniques, but again, so might 'b'. There are too many variables no matter how one slices it. It comes down to the person, and not necessarily only what they know. In addition to techniques, and principes of application (combat), situations vary as well. Such as physical condition of both fighters, the environment, whether there is more than one opponent, weather, weapon availability, and so on. In sum, if it comes down to putting technique up against principle, and I choose a vast amount of principles of combat over any specific set of techniques any day. Those are my thoughts.

The historical Shaolin Monks like you see in the movies no longer exist. As many others have noted, the Shaolin Monks, popular in Chinese history, folklore, literature and movies, who practiced Shaolin wushu while staying devote buddhist monks, living in the Shaolin Temple have all but disappeared. The temple was, in all practical sense of the word, abandoned during the Cultural Revolution in China. The fact that the people you find in and around the Temple now claiming to represent it are not true monks is well known amongst martial artists, and those native to the China region. These are just people running around in robes for marketing purposes. Jet Li will attest to this, as he has noted, he didn't find any authentic martial monks in 1979. Furthermore, it is a well known fact that martial arts instructors from other parts of China were brought by the government to Shaolin in the 80's to reintroduce martial arts to the area, and to liven up the failing monk industry relating to wushu. Now of course there are Shaolin schools in existence, and yes, in America, many do accept female students. Also, since authentic schools do not exist, there are many other means by which to become cross-culturalized, just follow this link for more: http://www.cacbc.org/Kung_Fu/ The China Daily, a popular newspaper of China, has this to say about those interested in finding an authentic shoalin monk school, "if they think they are learning authentic Shaolin kung fu, they may be fooling themselves -- not one of the schools is run by the monastery itself." The full story here: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-11/22/content_393567.htm That should be enough for the moment...

I agree with Skeptic. In order for it to be karate, it's roots must be from one of the three regions in okinawa. This is true even for those that branch off and start their own do or 'way'...

Ditto from me...Good points.

Based on what you wrote, and what you are implying, I said 'NO'. Uechi Ryu, when taught properly can be very effective. But it is usually taught as a traditional system, so it would take you some time to develop the skills in order to be an effective street fighter on the beginning level. My first clue, was that you seemed to be in a fix, and needed to have a quick answer to the learning how to fight dilemma. My second clue was that you are seeking someone who treats fighting as real, and you realize the Martial Arts are a serious thing to approach, and are not meant to just be something you do to pass the time. Now if you are old enough, and want to be a bouncer or body guard, then perhaps as someone mentioned before, an MMA is better, since they get you going quick in regards to handwork, footwork, throws, locks, and basic submission holds. Other's may have their own input on this as well, most of what I read has been sensible. Good Luck, don't quit, and do whatever takes {within reason}.

I have reoccuring bursitis in both shoulders. So I feel for ya...It sucks. Just modify what you can, relax more, and do those things that come natural. Never force the issue in regards to pushing your knees or joints to the extreme. It takes time to adjust, but eventually you will. If you are believer in God, then prayers wouldn't hurt either. Good luck!

I think I have said this elsewhere or previously. But I agree with the statement of 'as long as it takes'. Now at minimum, in my view, a Black Belt (which I differientiate between a Black Belt, and then a Shodan) should know: 1. How to fight. a. They should understand the basic techniques, and be able to apply them in every situation. b. They should under the principles of dynamic fighting, and be able to apply them to every situation, along with what techniques they know. c. They should be able to do 'a' and 'b' effectively, efficiently, and in a timely manner suited to the situation. d. They should be consistent with 'a', 'b', and 'c'. e. That they are expected to demonstrate said fighting skills in accordance with their age level. 2. What it mean to wear a Black Belt. 3. That they are just beginning. 4. That other's see them as knowing something, and or expect to learn from them. Number 1 is the most important.

My own experience is that the longer it lasts, the deeper the hurt is. Muscles - 2 to 3 weeks. Tendons - 6 to 8 weeks. Bones - just plain old OUCH! or constant aching - all the time - regardless of the amount of flexibility.

I agree with the above. I do Tui Shou now, and find that it works for almost every application I need. Recall, my ancient past of Japanese Shotokan and Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate. While practicing Goju Ryu Karate, we also when through a progression of kakie (push hands) skills as well. However they varied quite a bit from wing chun, and completely different than Taijiquan. As most know, Kakie (push hands) originated in China, and in this case was modified to suit the Okinawan Karate Do methods. Goju Ryu is known for its in-fighting, along with trapping, locking and takedown maneuvers. The Kakie of Goju-Ryu Karate-Do was brought to Okinawa by Master Kanryo Higaonna. He had studied Kakie in Foochow, China from Master Ryu Ryu Ko. There are two versions of Kakie used in Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do. In the first version, the hands follow a forward and backward motion which describes a small upward and downward crescent shaped arch. The shape of the arm would be in a open hand (versus closed fist) extended chu (middle) block. Your forearm is pressed slightly against that of your partner. Do not lose contact. Be in sanchin stance, legs shoulder width apart. The heel of the front foot begins, where the back toes start. Slightly shift your weight, from foot to foot, and move your waist in the direction of the circular motion. Switch hands every 5 minutes or so. In the second version, the hands stay horizontal to the ground and move in a circular motion. Wrist on Wrist. Open hand. One hand presses up, the other down. Follow or obey, lead or direct. Version one is the most common form practiced. An advanced version would be to take version one and walk around the room with your partner while keeping contact, and changing direction of the arching (circular) motion. One can also do leg kakie, by placing the ankles together and performing pressing, along with circular motion, changing directions, and feet frequently. This is something else we did many years ago. Hope this helps.

At the very least, in addition to bagwork, which aids in power, speed, and focus, comes having a partner to do drills with. This helps in reaction time, distance (range), footwork, and a whole slew of different concepts. I agree that you buy a video, and read a book on the basics. However, you will need someone to work with, preferably someone with at least boxing and or wrestling skills. Your size and age shouldn't really matter when practicing these activities in moderation and with control. Always focus on the task at hand. If your mind is not in it, your body will be reluctant to be pushed to the limit. Learn to relax, a move like a rag doll. But move like you mean it. Those are more readily adaptable to fullow blown Martial Arts than any other sport. You should also have 30 minutes a day to devote to aerobics, and 30 minutes to stretching and calisthenics. Then another 30 minutes to 1 hour of hand strikes and leg strike drills. Not to mention working out in either pre-arranged kumite (or san shou), along with free sparring (jiyu kumite)... It takes alot of time, effort, and study to do things on your own. Continue looking for someone to train with in person. Good luck!

Read up on starting your own dojo or martial art school. If you can think of a catchy phrase that's great! If you include the phrase 'Martial Arts' then be sure to teach or offer, both kung fu AND karate. Or Taijiquan (the martial type not geriatric) along with karate, and or external kung fu. Or perhaps judo or jujutsu along with some other MA system. Just some thoughts...Good Luck!

Recently, I have developed the following definition of Qi/Ki/Chi. Qi in English is often spelled as chi. The Japanese form is ki. Qi is a fundamental concept of everyday Asian culture or philosophy, most often defined as "air" or "breath" and, by extension, "life force" or simply put, just "energy" that is part of everything that exists. In regards to the Martial Arts and physical health: The overall effectiveness of qi is directly related to posture, (whether moving or stationary), breathing techniques, and mental focus. Qi is the conceptual layer of understanding that practitioners place upon the actual physiological activity relating to the movement of the various types of biological or chemical energy within the body. Essentially, using mental focus, relaxation, and posture, practitioners create a link between their mind, and that of their body, through various training methods - in order to become more sensitive to the internal processes taking place throughout their own physical being. Acupuncture and acupressure, both work by distracting from or adding to, the pain stimuli passed through to the nervous system. These procedures help stimulate the manufacture of endorphins, which are the body's own opiates. There are many low level electrical processes occurring. Use of these pressure points have been shown as being able to affect the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature. Western science is working toward an actual understanding of the qi or energies involved. Everyday activities such as walking, or stair climbing, along with swimming, aerobics, and Martial Arts may also aid in the flow of these various types of bioelectrical energies through the pathways leading to and from the Central Nervous System, and along the path of the many pressure points within the body. Based upon science's own inability to measure the many different types of energy involved, qi will inevitably become more categorized over the next few decades, as we get more precise instruments to measure those types of bioelectrical changes. During this time, there will be a more scientific based understanding of qi, rather than many of the unfounded mystical or religious reasons we see in place today. 11/2/2005 ------------------------------------------------------------

I retired in 1999 at the age of 32.

I say, go in as what you are, a white belt. You have no idea the amount of experience or lack of experience someone else might have. Rank and or Belt Color mean little or nothing, save for the person (system/school) who have them the rank in the first place. I fight combatively. I am older. On the street, I consider myself somewhat effective in many things. I was heavy into research back then, as I was on the thresh-hold of developing my own Martial Way. However, I wanted to finished (and start) with a bang, so decided to go to a tourney. I was flexible, but not in cardiovascular shape. I wasn't at the top of my tournament game. My point sparring was weak. My kata, excellent. I held two Black Belts, and have taken several other miscellaneous styles along the way. For giggles, I was even taking TKD with my 8 year old at the time. I fought at a lower rank, after being out of the circuit for almost a decade. However, the person I fought admitted to being an orange belt for about two years, and was one the circuit for five. He was a decade younger than I. Needless to say, he won fighting. I won forms/kata. So again, we come to the proven fact, that rank means nothing. Quality AND quantity of time put in, is what counts. That is, if you are point fighter, then train for points. If not, then continue with what you are doing, and do not mix the two, as it can be confusing. Also, if you fight combatively, or as a street fighter might, then it's good to get a system of point sparring back under your belt. If you win at white. Then the next one you go to, go as orange or yellow. Then up the color again, and again. Until you get to Black. Never go up in rank or color unless you have won at the previous rank. This builds confidence, and gives you a base line from which to gauge certain skill and technique in regards to a few point sparring principles. Those are my thoughts...

I agree with P.A.L about the kumite experience. As kumite implies two man drills, either arranged or jiyu kumite, which is free sparring. Kata are not alive. They are stagnate Kumite, again imply knowing more than just kata, versus the nothing that was posted based upon kata only. Which does skew the results if someone chose 1 or 2. However, since I choose neither, so it didn't (doesn't) effect my choice.

Everybody else, gave about the same information. When performing spinning kicks it's good to break it down first. First work on twisting your upper torso, which drives your waist. Which drives the legs. Keep your knees together, and up in chamber when spinning. If you have a trampoline this will help you get the spin down. I would consider it harder to use the small trampolines, but they do force you to make you spin more vertical, and less horizontal or all over the place. You can also use a mat. Just make sure you start the jump, and finish it, over the area of the mat. Once you get the spin down, then add the kick. The spin doesn't have to be higher off the ground until the kick is added. And even then it should be your leg that goes up, and not just your whole body. We are only human, as we are not frogs or kangeroos. Practice the kick on solid ground, so you know how to land on a firm surface.

Boot to da head!....HA HA! Not really. If you know that a senior student is not doing something correctly, it wouln't hurt to wait and get a sensei to watch both of you perform the given technique. Or you could always, say "How do this look?", or "Is this correct?" The other fine folks on here replied with good answers as well.

Dan Chi Sao, that I know of, is when one student holds his hand in tan sao, the "dispersing hand." Another holds his same-side hand and arm in fook sao, the "hooking" or "subduing" hand. 1 .The student holding a dispersing hand, executes a palm strike. 2. The student holding hooking hand, turns the "hooking hand" into a jut sao, or "jerking hand." 3. He then delivers a vertical punch, 4. The other student uses bon sao, the "wing arm," to stop the strike from connecting to his forehead. This is done repeatedly. It too works using many of the same combative and sensitivity principles as Taijiquan, just with different applications more appropiate to Wing Chun. I may be weak on this description, as it's been a while with Wing Chun drills, which I only learned because it was from a Progressive Fighting Arts system which was based upon JKD as well. Other's may have a better description than I.

Right after the numeral is the chinese word followed by a lose translation. Which is then followed by a phrase that explains it further. 1. Zhan - to adhere or stick up Jie Li Da Li "borrow force from your opponent and use their force to beat them back" It's the same for the rest...

Yes, a Black Belt symbolizes a new beginning. But then it also symbolizes that a person has all the crucial technical and principle fighting skills in which to be an effective fighter in most situations. That is, they should know how(and when) to fight. The characteristics that mark a Black Belt as a new journey, is that you learn how to teach others how to do, what you just did. So firstly by either 1st or 2nd Dan, one dives even deeper into, not necessarily more techniques, rather the philosophy, and underlying principles of combat and application of the techniques that they have spent all this time learning. By teaching the art, you understand yourself, along with the reasons you began learning it in the first place, and you also learn how to adapt the style to various people, rather than making them conform to the style. By learning as a teacher would, you learn that the dynamics of any style or system rest in the combination of the indvidual with the characteristics of the system itself. That is, you merge with the system, and it becomes a deeper part of you, an extension, if you will, of who are you, and need to be in order to be an instructor. This way, when you teach the style, you are actually teaching other's a little bit about yourself as well. Just some tidbits...

In my view, Taijiquan Tui Shou (push hands) is great alternative. There is plenty of information regarding such online, as well as WT Chi Sao. Tui Shou is the heart of Taijiquan, just as Chi Sao lies at the heart of Wing Chun. Tui Shou is easier for some, as it allows for single hand development at first, and then one moves onto hands, and then feet. With Tui shou, there are four basic skills one develops: 1. Zhan - to adhere or stick up Jie Li Da Li "borrow force from your opponent and use their force to beat them back" Using Zhan well, means you are able to make your opponent have to step or jump back in order to regain the balance you take from them. Essentially you with Zhan you take control of their centerline. 2. Nian - to maintain contact Yi Jing Zhi Dong "using still to control motion" By maintaining contact, and relaxing, you can continually unsettle your opponent. 3. Lian - follow and adapt Hou Fa Xian Zhi "launching later but reaching first" Stay with your opponent, and adjust your position as needed. When opponent attempts to use Zhan to uproot your balance, you use Lian to adapt, and then wait for your chance. 4. Sui - follow and obey She Ji Cong Ren "forget yourself and obey (follow and or yield to) your opponent" Follow direction and timing of opponent's force. Keep with them, and let them continue to feel as if they will have a chance to get to you. By following and or obeying, you are trying to set them up, for your own chance to use Zhan. Zhan, Lian, Nian, and Sui overlap. With Zhan, the primary focus is make your opponent stick to you. With Nian, you stick with your opponent, and constantly make change in order to make trouble for him/her. With Lian, you wait your chance, and continue to change with them. With Sui, you use it with Lian, and also with Nian. Since the exchange of push hands involves following many changes and adaptations, along with opportunities to make your own changes, one must learn how to do all four of these concepts continously, and or progressively. The ultimate goal of Taijiquan is to overcome and then strike your opponent. Again, unlike the new age movement that has pushed it's way into this Martial Art form, or the geriatric movement as well, this art is not one for pushing, or to just lower blood pressure. ------------- With push hands, one does not run from pressure, rather the opponent's force. One adhere's to, and seeks out or finds leaks/openings, and if not is found, then they work continuously in an effort to make one. You can either guide or follow, lead or obey. Not to forget that you also, change, remain still, or expel. One should avoid being too hard, or with a rigid stance, or even too soft or limp. Elbows in Taiji push hands never raise above the wrist or hand. One remains firmly relaxed, but does not collapse their arm. The fulcrum remains true to the form which holds it in place. Use your whole being, and train both mind and body to react accordingly. When your Tui Shou becomes deeply embedded into your body’s basic understanding of balance and control of sensitivity, and or pressure, along with that of your opponent, you then perform at a much more advanced level of skill development. It is then that you are able to truly experience the movement of qi within (and or between) yourself, your opponent. It is the exchange of yin and yang principles between two people. The ultimate form of Taijiquan fighting involves Chinese Boxing, along with Chi'Na techniques, as well as pressure point striking as well. -------------------------- Again, many of the principles are the same, and certainly in many ways, a person will receive the same benefits. It's just that Tui Shou is designed for bringing out the Taiji in a person, whereas Chi Sao, gives a Wing Chun practitioner, a set of complex mental and physical tools, in which to understand their own body, and that of their opponent as well. If something is not working, then stop and fix it right then. Else move onto something else, or seek qualified help. I agree with the above post, in that, no matter how much you read, or watch on tape, nothing replaces actual hands on. Hopefully this is helpful or useful to someone out there...