shogeri

The temple is composed of several key pressure points. Thus, the temple, when struck properly, will force most people to go down. My point was to also, not rely upon the one strike, but to keep attacking your opponent using a variety of targets, principles, and techniques. Later!

Open Tournaments for hands-on. Seminars for minor interation. Or just leave an ad in your local paper. Good luck!

taijiquan, back in the day, was known as the ultimate fighting style.

People want a system the molds to them. They want something that allows them to move, and respond naturally. Many Karate instructors and TKD instructors do allow for such, but most do not. I have done my own system for some time now. I do not use the term 'master', or 'soke', or otherwise. Rank or title, is not 1 percent as important as learning how to fight, and fight well. What makes mine different? Natural, more relaxed movement, based primarily on the fact that I have bursitis in both shoulders. I also rely heavily upon principle and not technique. This allows for a more overlay into other systems, if someone I teach desires to go elsewhere. There is nothing 'new' in what I do, just how it is done, and perhaps why it is done. I do consider it to be more flowing, aggressive, and combative. I also combine both internal and external aspects from the many systems that I have researched or learned first hand. The Martial Arts are not that hard once you get use to the physics of it all. I have, and others continue to say the same thing over and over: The concepts of combat, like the techniques, are somewhat universal. I say this for there are just so many ways to throw a kick, punch, knee, or elbow, or grapple on the ground, block, evade, or perform jujutsu, judo, tuite, etc. Later!

Why just use salt and or pepper, when a touch of garlic can bring things to life! Let alone imagine, chili pepper, paprika, oregano, onion poweder, and so on. Variety is the spice of life. Vary your techniques, but keep the number low. You can do the same with combat principles as well. Good luck!

Actually develop the "whip hip", and not just the follow through hip. Recoil is the fastest and most effective way of delivering power. Recoil does not mean to pull a punch. First: Knees are bent. Elbows are bent. Sink your weight, and then relax. Strike as your normally do. Using your waist to guide your shoulder to guide your hand. But when you flip your wrist over, and as you impact, snap your waist (not your shoulder) backward. Your arm upon impact, should still drive through your opponent, but remain slightly bent, because you are hitting with your whole torque of your body, and not just your waist and shoulder. After impact, you coil your arm back into position, ready to start again. This creates a whip effect, also called large or external fajing in the Chinese Martial Arts. One practices this slowly at first, and when they are able to pull the waist back upon impact, is when they start speeding things up. Good luck!

I agree that a physical illness can affect our state of mind, which in turn can affect our emotions. The flip-side of this being that a greater degree of physical well-being will contribute towards better mental health. I also agree that our emotional state can affect our physicsl well-being. The two are one.

in goju ryu...that was used for balance. We must put our legs, and hips (and our entire body for that matter) through the motions in order to keep them "up to par". That means kick alot, using the major kicks. That means do deep knee bends, knee raises, leg raises (swing the leg up), and static stretches (sitting on the floor along with toe touching from a standing position) as well. I also use the pulley method, were I place my leg in loop, hanging from the ceiling or beam, and crank away, going as high as I can, outdoing the previous stretch every week. The pulley methods is good for balance as well. It serves a good purpose when you don't have a stretching partner. Good luck!

When I think of self-defense, I think of the term in two different ways. 1. Self-Defense Techniques 2. Self-Defense Fighting (also coined combative fighting) Number 1 is the most commonly thought of within the MA and that is the collection of basic techniques one uses in order to avoid {or defeat} a particular strike or grab. The other type of self-defense (#2), is the self-defense people think of when they see a person consistently win in those street situations using a wide variety of different fighting (offensive and defensive) methods in which to win. In addition to schools that teach mostly self-defense techniques, and or point sparring, there is: Traditional Martial Arts Martial Sport Schools Many of the supposed traditional schools, such as shotokan and TKD, promote themselves as traditional, but really just teach a multitude of self-defense techniques (and or step sparring), tournament fighting, kata, and likewise. That is, they are a blend of traditional with sport. There are those, traditional schools that just teach karate (or kung fu) for the its own sake. There are also schools that focus on training people how to defensively fight in real-life situations. I agree with others that have said you will be hard pressed to find a school that teaches both real life fighting (#2), and point sparring. This calls for investigative work on your own behalf. Good luck!

Call 911...lol...Actually there have been some great replies so far! Later!

Welcome to KF ~ rs...! Hope you enjoy spending time with us!

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In the various schools, I've attended, the more a student asks, the more they are put at the back on the line... It's called respecting the ability of the instructor to know when a student is ready. What's the point of having instructors, if students do not feel that other's should be able to dictate when or if, they know a particular technique or principle of a given style or system. Just my two cents...

I agree to leave religious aspects to their own, and keep such out of the MA. I also agree that zanshin, is nothing more than a state of relaxed mental alertness, that indeed does integrate into many facets of our life.

Congrats!

Wikipedia and webster's dictionary aside for the moment, as I stray into the long-winded world of philosophy...lol Taoism should be thought of as a generic term when applying it to the Martial Arts, and is no different than the esoteric, pragmatic, or individualistic methods by which Martial Artists apply their own form of pugilism during those situations in which such is necessary. What makes a style internal is the understanding and application of qi while in combat, not while in prayer or meditation. The neijia arts are about striking and doing damage internally, whereas the weijia arts (anything external), are about the external, or exterior physicality or infliction of damage while in combat. If I created a martial art system, would it be a Christian one, just because I was Christian? No, it would not. Taoism is just a way of looking at the world. In my view, I can see the balance of all things without looking toward any one set of thoughts or philosophies. I believe that when a person does this, in the Martial Arts, then they will ultimately limit themselves. Taoism is hugely individualistic, and again, there a few demands upon a person on how they interact with other people and things. So are Buddhism and Islam, Shinto, etc. I also believe that Martial Arts are based upon esoteric and pugilistic values. Esoterism is the ongoing development, valuing, understanding, and application of; an individual throughout their life. Esoteric is a generic term. Pragmaticism is also a concept found within the Martial Arts. Pragmatic values are concerned with the realistic application of an individuals principles, ethics, or attitudes. Taoism is by all means just an empty word, that can be filled with a variety of different meanings. When we think of philosophy, we thing of that system of knowledge or thought that guides us, but does not root us, to this world, and those things within it. On the other hand, when we think of religion, we thing of that system of beliefs that guides us, and gives us a root or foundation by which to live our lives, interact with others, and those things within it. Philosophy includes religion, but philosophy is not religion, just as religion is not merely a set of beliefs. Taoism is just a philosophical way of looking at the world through an individualistic viewpoint, and how that individual relates, and aids, in the balance of all things. In a way, since the Martial Arts are based upon those esoteric values which lead to pugilism, we could in many ways say that all Martial Arts are based upon Taoist principles. Does this means we need to specifically include a set of methods that lead us to the Tao? That is make the Martial Arts, which could be either internal or external, into an organized set of religious or spiritual thoughts? When we are molding our own human spirit (not the soul), we are practicing individualism. When we attempt to involve spiritualism, which is the attainment of knowledge regarding one's self that rests outside and beyond one's self, then we are no longer practicing the Martial Arts, we are in fact practicing a religion. I for one I do not believe we should such things. Happy New Year!

Ninpo and other martial Art systems employ the following (which is an excerpt from the Shogerijutsu Manual): INTERNAL FOCUS In order for you to create a balance, or harmony if you will, between your body, mind, and spirit, you must become aware of the essential ingredients that exist just for that task. AIKI, the state of mind in which there is nothingness, is the bond that maintains the harmony between the body, mind and spirit. In essence, it is the very life force, or KIAI of your martial art spirit. If you want to develop your AIKI, you must first begin by not accepting defeat at any cost. This is called KOKORO. Once you have achieved the KOKORO state, you must begin to develop your HARAGEI or “belly art”. Your HARAGEI acts as your spiritual and physical center of gravitational movement. Your ITTEN, “one point”, is the actual physical center of your body. All movement is initiated at your ITTEN. You must learn to relax until the point of contact. Try to keep your weight on your center of gravity. As you learn how to relax, you take along with you your KOKYU CHIKARA or “breath power”. This is the contraction of your muscles at the proper moment. Learning to breathe properly is a key ingredient to your combat success. While you are practicing KOKYU CHIKARA, you should KIME “focus” on your one true purpose or goal. To achieve your purpose, it may sometimes be necessary to disrupt the KIME of your opponent by using KIAI “spirit shout”. Your KIAI must stem from your HARAGEI. As with all concentrated efforts between two or more people, you must maintain eye contact without seeming to do so in order to stay in control. The eyes seldom lie, since they often speak long before your body does. The eyes are essentially “the windows to the soul”. If you can see what your opponent is going to do before then the battle is already half won. You must maintain KIME during the entire situation in regards to the terrain, your opponent, and yourself, yet at the same time let your gaze rest gently upon theirs. In order for this technique not to be used against you, you must begin training your mind to become thoughtless. MUSHIN or “mind no mind”, is a self-taught technique that enables you to become more aware by eliminating scattered thoughts that run through your conscience. Once you are in MUSHIN, you are more ready to mentally develop your ZANSHIN, “alertness”. Alertness is the ability to become entirely focused upon defeating your opponent. ZANSHIN normally occurs as the fight is winding down. One situation would be when a tiger is about to jump on the un-expecting prey, a surge of energy will overcome the attacker, which quite often drains the life out of the unsuspecting defender. ZANSHIN is a result of all the fore mentioned. ZANSHIN brings together all your technique, training, and spirit into one single moment. If you can train yourself to be in ZANSHIN before the fight, then you are one your way to effective self-defense and combat. Once again, develop your AIKI by doing the following: 1. Find your KOKORO 2. Practice your HARAGEI 3. Develop your KOKYU CHIKARA 4. Apply your KIME. 5. Become MUSHIN 6. Train yourself to be ZANSHIN before any situation. 7. Practice all techniques, kata, and sparring with absolute seriousness. -------------------------------------------------

I expect nothing, which means I also expect the unexpected. When you train your mind to see things(read the opponent) before they are about to happen, then there is little to be concerned with. All one has to work on then, is reaction time, positioning, balance, and response.