DCLXVI

I find generally, that if you watch before it's your turn (unless your up first), see how others from the same schools fight (sometimes, people tend to fight alike if there from the same school). Otherwise, when you get in the ring, test them for the first few seconds. Keep your guard up and see what they can do. If they try to counter your probing, then there either aggressive or a little jumpy. If they just take it in stride, they either are waiting for you to attack so they can counter or they're defensive. Either way, the best tactic I find is don't hesitate. Once you have to think about your move, you've been beaten. Just launch your attacks, don't think, well, maybe I'll throw a roundhouse, followed by a punch then front kick. Think in simplier terms. Lemme throw two kicks, one quick low to the knees as a feint, then up quickly to the head. Anyways, it's all about how you prefer to fight, but a very good point never to forget, is don't hesitate. Good luck.

The Ninja Turtles definitely got me interested and they are what got me interested. But it wasn't until I heard all of Bruce Lee's philosophy and watched and read his training videos/books that I got serious about martial arts.

Scorpion, hands down.

Well you know, like I saw someone say, everyone copes with things in different ways. But how about this, try laughing. Try just start having a good time. Me, myself, I don't deal with loss in the normal, 'typical' boo hoo, cry, feel sorry thing. I laughed it off. People think me cold sometimes, but just like people say, everyone deals with loss in different ways. Funerals, I can't stand them. Too sad, too solemn. Me, when I die, people better have a goddamn party and feel good about themselves. LOL. Anyways, again, I'm no a cold person, I do feel loss, I just deal with it differently. Sorry to hear about yours, however. It's never expected by anyone.

I can't swallow pills either, I just force them down my throat. LOL. I dunno, might not be for you, but it works.

Like everyone says, make sure it's meaningful to you, but also remember, it honestly doesn't matter what other people think or what they think it means. Just make sure YOU KNOW 100% that what it is, is. For example, knew this guy who got a jap tat that he thought said strength. It was infact cat. LOL. How he got those two mixed up, I have no idea, but it's funny. So do your research. I have eight tattoos, the seven codes of bushido on the back of each of my triceps and then DCLXVI on the middle of my back, just below my neck line (I would have gotten it on the back of my neck, but can't get tattoos there in the military unfortunately). Anyways, there you go. Just make sure you know what it is and that you like it. Remember, it's on your body, not the person telling you whether it's cool or not.

For Guys Your out to dinner at a restaraunt with your girlfriend/fiance/wife (whichever applies) and your harrassed by an individual sitting at a nearby table who is trying to hit on your girl. It's obvious that he's been drinking, so you try and get a new table. Upon completing your dinner, you are heading to your car when you realize the same man that was harrassing your girl earlier is following out to your car with a buddy. You try to ignore him, but as you attempt to get open your car, he steps in front of your door. What would you do? - Give as many possible answers as you'd like, from tring to use negotiating to actually having to fight if you believe it would come down to it. For additional information, both individuals are about six feet in height and look to be rather well built. For Girls (Stereotypical - I do appologize) Your walking down the street, a couple of guys notice you as you walk by and begin to whistle and shout obscenities at you. Ignoring them, you easily realize they are following as the whistling and the gestures and choice words are thrown at you. Before you realize what happens, you are grabbed and quickly thrown into an alley way. You manage to maintain your balance by using the wall but you now realize that these men have more than harrassment on there mind. What would you do? - Give as many possible answers as you'd like, from tring to use negotiating to actually having to fight if you believe it would come down to it. For additional information, one man is rather large, not overly obese, but a rotund man. Stands at about five feet ten. The other is smaller in size, but taller in stature, around six two. Lanky.

Hey! How's it going everyone! I've been reading these forums for a while since I came to the desert June 13th. Decided to go ahead and join up. A little about myself... I'm 21, joined the Air Force at the age of 19. Current career field isn't much fun (work on jets), but I'm cross training out shortly to become a linguist - Japanese. I'm an half irish-half jap. Been training in martial arts (style: Tang Soo Do) since I was ten. Nine years of training in a dojang, obtained my third degree blackbelt, now I train by myself and teach my friends here in the military. I'm going to begin training in boxing shortly, work on my hands as my legs have always been my strong point, my hands the opposite. I have decent hands, but they could leaps and bounds better if I take up boxing. Combined with my martial arts training, I feel I'll be a pretty proficient fighter. I'd like to return home after a few years, try and test for my fourth degree black belt and Master ranking. Well, that's me in a nutshell. See you guys/gals on the forums.

Blindfighting... it isn't a PRACTICAL thing to do, but it doesn't mean it isn't impossible. In my dojang, we use to blind fold our selves and spar. We haven't done it since we put a hole in the wall with a missed kick. But I think we enough practice, learning to listen and react, you could effectively fight blind. Of course, in order to be totally proficient, you'd need to be blind 24/7, but you could learn to do some things. Blind fighting is all about using your ears, listening to your opponents movements, and reaction. Your going to take hits, but once you get into it, you'll react and move quickly. As soon as contact is made upon you, you'll learn to move and react. It's easy to talk about, but hard to perform. I think I got the general idea across.

I've been training myself, more or less, in boxing. I'm a third degree black belt in Tang Soo Do, and while I don't attend class anymore (since I joined the military), I train as much as possible and keep myself conditioned. However, I've always felt my hands were my weak point. I have speed and power, but I lack technique and finesse. So I started looking up training exercises and what have you for boxing. Anyways, the point is, I live in North Dakota (not by choice ) and I found two boxing gyms near where I live. I'm stationed at Grand Forks AFB. Anyone in the area or anyone who was once in the area, I'd appreciate any information you may have on these gyms.