MizuRyu

I've been known to plop down in front of the ol' NES and spank Super Mario Bros 3 every now and then lol. I still play Pokemon too, but upgraded to a DS. Red version all the way. I used to play games more.. was a big Final Fantasy 7 fan back in the day, and played a lot of Mario and Zelda. I'm a Zelda ADDICT. Resident Evil, Silent Hill, The Suffering.. I love those games too. My overall fav of all time though is easily Pokemon lol. I was so addicted to it as a young teen I don't even know how I made it through school. Wasn't into the show or cards though.

I don't listen to music while training in MA.. but when I'm doing bagwork and conditioning I crank some heavy stuff or bassy stuff usually. My typical play list is Tool, Korn, Mudvayne, Metallica, Chimaira, Nevermore, Necrophagist.. etc...

The power of penetration: single strike kill... ichi geki hissatsu. To see the true purpose of a penetration strike you'd have to see someone die, fortunatly, this is illegal in most places. Breaking things is a test of this, since Karateka can't use people. Back in my good ol' TSD days we had a kickboxer come in for a few lessons, and he wanted to try breaking. The instructor wouldn't let him, so he tried it himself at home.. didn't end up coming to any more lessons because he broke 4 of his metacarpals. The point in that is what I believe to be the fundamental difference between sport styles like boxing, and kung fu. Kung fu is built to kill, sport styles are built to beat the crap outta people. The trademark of Kung Fu and styles derivative of it is it's devastating power. Of course, there are always exceptions. I have.. and chances are his hand is still in a little pain. The differences are great. Kung Fu seeks to deliver devastating, lethal power. I've yet to see a boxer drop his stance and lift a man off the ground with a palm strike.

Chi is the thing that lets Shaolin monks bend razor sharp spears with the soft of their throats, being that there are no muscles covering that area, just skin. Chi is SO much more than proper technique, it's a combination of things. I would see a good example as being the 'placebo' effect. Because you believe it can happen, it will. The body is the tool of the mind, chi is the merging of the two... at least that's how I'D explain it.

Riding my bike from the mall to my house when I was a kid.. spied in the window of a little place in a stripmall. Went in, watched, came back with my mom the next day, and it snowballed from there lol.

I agree fully here. It's one thing to throw together some flips and an occasional low power kick. It's another to actually perform a beautiful kata that takes years of hard work.

I don't know of any 'outlawed' martial arts... but if there were anywhere it's safe to assume it's because they can be used as tools of murder, and some countries would rather not have that openly taught to anyone who can pay 40 bucks a month.

I already found my dream girl

Cats are nature's ninjas indeed lol

What originally got me into martial arts was because I got into trouble a lot. I grew up in an urban neighborhood where I was one of about 20 caucasian kids in an 1,800 student school, and a karate school a half mile from where I lived. I got tired of being beat up all the time and got into it, so orignally, it was because I got into fights a lot. Now, it's because it gives me something to be proud of and work on, and helps me to live a better life. Knowing that if the situation arose that you'd have to defend yourself or the ones your love that you'd be able to handle yourself is worth a lot to me.

My friend's father spent 12 years in China studying Mantis, Tai Chi, and Wing Chun, and in that time did iron palm training. He gave me this regiment: A canvas bag filled with smooth rocks, with canvas draped over the top, on top of a hard surface like a cinder block. Slap it 'without force' with the flat side of your palm 30 times, shake, then 20, then do the same for the back of the hand, the palm heel, and knife hand. And to rub my hands with dit da jow before and after. He communicated that it was safe to do as long as I had the proper knowledge and to do it without force... let gravity and momentum do the work, and that if I sustained any injury, to stop until it healed, then start again lightly and work my way up. I'm supposed to go over there this Sunday so he can demonstrate for me.

I know his style 'of choice' is Tai Chi. But I don't know about any other experience he may have.

I've decided to take up an iron palm regiment to help strengthen my hands and improve my breaking skills. When I was talking to my friend's father about it, he said that with proper skill one could selectively break any single brick in a stack with no spacers flush to the floor. Has anyone ever seen this?

"could that kid telegraph that fireball anymore? most dragons could see that coming from a mile away" lmao

Wow.. right here at home in Michigan too.. I'm ashamed lol. I plan on visiting a class this summer.. for kicks. I'll let you all know how it went lol.

It's NEVER impossible to gain size. It just takes a lot of dedication and hard work. I'd recommend, as always, to stick to the large compounds. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, chin ups, lat pulls... etc. Lots of quality protein and no sugar.

Take em to the ground mount and pound haha. Their legs will be useless.

Back down when you can, when you can't, brace yourself. I found that what little BJJ I took helps me a LOT in school scuffles.. take them to the ground, lock em, and wait for an authority figure to take care of the rest. Striking is usually a bad idea... It can get you in a LOT more trouble...

I'm a caucasian guy who grew up in a poor neighborhood of color... so I got a whole lotta crap. After a while none of it bothered me, but I'd say the most hurt I've ever been by words was when a kid attacked my mother.. quite harshly, and needless to say, being a kid, it got really ugly really quick. I kind of regret it but what he said was way outta line...

When I miss a full roundhouse I tend to turn the momentum into a backfist or elbow.

For me, kata is one of the greatest gifts in an art. It gives you the ability to put some "art" into the martial art, practice your technique by yourself, and train when you can't make it to class. Last year when I went up North for 3 weeks, I woke up at 8am every morning and did forms on the beach, then ran a few miles. Without kata/forms, martial arts wouldn't really be the same for me.

I don't look anything like a famour martial artist.. but I maintain that my Autoshop teacher Mr. Lehman is a CLONE of Chuck Norris.. and a 2nd degree BB in TKD! *twilight zone music*

wow... just... wow.

I take a multivitamin every morning, 50 grams of Dave Draper's Bomber Blend (good mix of whey and casein) every afternoon, lifting or not, and 60 grams of casein before bed.

I don't really listen to music while I'm training in MA... throws off my concentration.. unless i"m shadowboxing. When I lift or shadow box.. or do bagwork, I've usually got Necrophagist, Korn, Devildriver, Sikth, Mudvayne, Still Remains, Nightrage, etc cranked LOUD. Helps get me worked up