Willannem

I can't speak for the legitimacy of all those systems but in many traditional systems, once you obtain a Menkyu Kaiden license (full transmission) from a school, you are allowed to form you own ryu-ha (sub-style). With this license you are independent of the parent system. What you add to your new style is totally up to you and respected. As stated before, 10th and 9th dan are titles held by the Soke and his son or adopted son. Even though the names may sound funny, those styles may be legitimate. Several traditional systems are named after the town they are founded in, family names, etc. They can name it what they want. However, I agree that a couple of those are just look suspicious by name; namely the Nel-Son-Ryu. It's like he's trying to name it after his family name and trying to make it sound Japanese, thus being legitimate, at the same time.

When I look for lineage, I mean I want to be able to check the background training of my instructor. I want know who certified him/her to teach and if their teacher was certified by quality instructors. “Quality” is a subjective word, I know, but established organizations have reputations for what they do and the standards they are held by. They tend to keep records of certifications given within’ their organization. I look for the chain linking back to the organization my instructors may or may not have branched from. In America, people are too quick to get a little bit of training or worse, video training, then run out and claim to be masters. I’ve seen it first hand. Folks may hate relying on certifications but I equate it to martial arts instructors to doctors. When I go to a doctor, I don’t go by his word that he can diagnose and heal me of whatever injury or illness I may have. I want know where he went to school and whether he is certified to practice medicine in my area, along with his reputation. When I step into a medical office, I’m entrusting my life to the decisions and actions of the doctors within’. When I step into a dojo, I entrust my life to its teachings.

Hello, Twago, and welcome. I'd say to relax and enjoy the training you're getting. Everyone knows how it feels to be the new guy and soon enough, you'll no longer be that guy.

Welcome

I'd rather have a traditional martial artist due to their training is geared towards ending a fight in the most efficient means rather than impressing a crowd. You can train hard and have determination in anything but if your martial arts techniques aren't sound, then your fighting ability won't be either. Fatigue really doesn't apply in most street fights being that adrenaline induced by the desire to survive will keep you energized enough. The more experienced a martial artist is, the faster he/she can't end a conflict.

I look for lineage rather than affiliations. Affilliations just mean you are in good with a group of individuals.

By “work”, I mean they do what their intended purpose is, be it pain, illness, body reactions, etc. I can’t vouch for everyone that claims to use pressure points, but can for those that taught me. Many people instantly get skeptical when someone says ‘pressure points’ because thoughts of mysticism arise. There is nothing mythical about them. It’s pretty scientific. You are correct that overly relying on them could get you in trouble. I assisted my instructor in a seminar with a high school Jr. Sheriff Dept. program (Just like J.R.O.T.C., but with Sheriffs). One of the techniques we were teaching was a pressure point on the inside of the ankle that would knock you on your back. Mind you, these were high school kids with the all the attitude that comes with ‘em. There were several “that won’t work on me” individuals. I could apply it effectively to all but one of ‘em. He just so happened to be the biggest of ‘em all. As much as I tried, I couldn’t get it to work. I called my instructor over and she knocked him over the first time, with little effort. She later told me that the I couldn’t get it to work on him was because he had more “meat” on that area of the leg than most people so the point was padded and my skill level wasn’t at the point where I could make it effective. Simply pressing on the leg doesn’t work; knowing how does. One dimensional martial artists are in a constant state of potential trouble. No one technique or type of defense is to be relied upon in all situations. Being adaptive to your environment and situation is a much better tactic. Pain compliance will work on most individuals as not all people engaged in fights are drunk on alcohol or high on drugs. My point is not to say that anyone should claim to be a pressure point fighter. My point is to say that pressure points do indeed work as you have pointed out yourself.

I’m trained in the art of jujutsu. The joint locks are too brutal to change techniques mid progress without the uke’s knowledge. Unless we were doing a randori session, the uke knew in advance what technique was being applied, therefore he/she could prepare for the fall/strike/joint lock. Even then, caution was applied during throws and joint locks. When applying the locks, we would apply pressure until the uke taps. With experience, you can feel when you are approaching the point of no return. For beginners, it’s difficult to know how much is too much so they are more timid in applying joint locks, especially when they feel them first. Listening to your instructor is the best way to progress in class. They know when, where, and how to move to minimize damage. I used to dread Judo sessions because I always had to work with the new ukes do to my advanced breakfall techniques. They'd drop me any old kind of way. I had to know how to fall in order not to break my neck. In essence, they improved my breakfalls without even knowing so. If your instructor says “go for it”, by all means, go for it. Injuries happen in training and that’s just the way it is. Instructors know this, especially, and accept full responsibility if they’re hurt in training.

Politics suck in any environment. It is especially sensitive in a dojo because of the bond that develops between a student and teacher. As long as you stay true to the instruction going on, there shouldn’t be a problem. But as we all know, what should and what does happen are two different things. I’d suggest bringing your concerns up with each of your instructors. If one has an issue with it, you may have to cut someone loose. Feelings are like weeds, sometimes. They can get wild and out of control.

I found an excellent resource for ninja/ninjutsu here.

I saw that show on National Geographic. The scientist that participated in his no-touch knockout did prove that it did not work. The only people it seem'd to "work" on were his own students. It is a well known fact that the power of suggestion is a very powerful thing. If you go in thinking you'll be knock'd out, you most likely will be. His response to it not working was the guy's tongue was in the wrong place. He could also diffuse the technique by raising one big toe off the ground and pressing one into it. If the guy switch toe elevation each time the technique was tried, you could diffuse the technique. At that moment, I lost a lot of respect for Dillman and his art. Other aspects of his art may very well be effective but this whole no-touch knockout deal raises doubts with his system. I remember reading magazines long ago and his ads were all over the place for buying his pressure point system. At the time I was a bit more impressionable than I am and bought into the hype. I'm glad I never bought the program, though. Like SubGrappler said, I think what he is doing is setting people up for failure which could result in severe injury or death. Whether you believe in you techniques or not, that is very irresponsible. Dillman has a lot of followers. Each one of them are in danger if they try that no-touch knockout or any other questionable technique of his. On the issue of pressure points working or not, I can attest they do. I had a sensei that could grab your wrist and by pressing in on the meridians running either across the bottom or top with the knuckles of his index finger, would cause you more pain than you wish you never had. I felt as though someone was cutting me with a knife. As easy as it look'd, it is extremely difficult to repeat if you don't have the training. In training for his Sandan, he had to use 2 or 3 ukes at a time due to the pain being sometimes unbearable so he rotated us as not to wear us out.

You still have to sneak to get into position to fire that rifle. In feudal times, ninjas didn't go around claiming to be ninjas. It's funny how ninjas are coming out the closet, now.

You can use a bunch of tactics to avoid being taken down...jump, use angles, etc. By all means, don't stand still or solidify your stance! By doing so, not only will grapplers hurt you, so will strikers. If your art doesn't teach you any ground fighting techniques, I suggest you quickly find a resource to supplement your training. The percentage of fights that end on the ground doesn't interest me. My ability to fight while on the ground does. In saying that, the ground is the last place I want to be during a fight because I have lost control of my environment…can’t watch for additional attackers.

From what you shared, the jujitsu school seems like a better choice. The fact that the first dojo brought up contracts so fast tells me they are only in it for the money. There are several factors that may cause you to change schools and being stuck in a contract would basically suck. I'd say watch a few classes at the jujitsu school and if you and your child likes it, sign him up!

Congratulations!

Hello and welcome.

Tests like those, I have nothing but respect for. I have even more respect for those that go through 'em. Congratulations!

The UFC is fought on a mat that gives, significantly. Therefore when taking someone down for a ground fight, you don’t have to worry about injuring yourself as much in the takedown. I’ve watch’d UFC from the beginning. Most of the “takedowns” I saw would not be duplicated if the fighting surface was concrete. Strikers did fair well as long as they were taught to fight and defend against ground fighters as well. There are plenty of knockouts in the beginnings. Here is more of why I say the UFC favors grapplers: No head butts That’s a strike No groin attacks Another strike removed No striking to the spine or the back of the head. More striking attacks removed. No striking downward using the point of the elbow. Another strike removed. One that would stop many takedowns in its tracks. No throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea. More strikes removed. No kicking or kneeing the head of a grounded opponent This one really bothers me because it protects people who mess up a takedown. A grapplers safety net. No stomping a grounded opponent More of the same as above. Just because your takedown fails, I can’t take advantage of the situation? No kicking to the kidney with the heel. Another strike removed. These are all rules pull’d from the UFC’s official site. Under realistic situations, I would do any and all necessary to end the fight in my favor. You cannot look at the UFC and say this is how fights really happen. You can’t spit in the ring, either. If I have to spit in your face to distract you so I can defeat you, so be it. You have to wear gloves. While they do protect your hands, it is also padding against getting hit. A bare fisted strike is more devastating than a padded one. Also, if you wear shoes, kicking is out of the question. Your hypothetical experiment seeking the best art (if anything) only applies to what is the best sport for the ring. The simple fact of having rules takes the “realism” out the equation. Now I’m not bashing grapplers because it takes skill to be one. It's part of my training, also. We just don't focus on it as there are several other aspects in self defense that need equal attention. It is just very obvious that the UFC competitions favor grapplers. It has nothing to do with what works on the street because what works on the street isn’t allow’d in the ring. It has everything to do with what works in the ring. Muhammed Ali was a boxer. Last I check’d, boxing is a sport with its own set of rules. Claiming to be the best boxer would have to be back’d up due to the nature of the sport. Martial arts is not about claiming who is the best fighter. It’s about defending you and loved ones and improving you life. Sports have evolved from traditional martial arts for the simple act of competition. That’s all it is. I too like competitions but traditional training much more. There was no need for competition because those arts were developed for survival in actual battles...no refs and no rules. I'm not calling a MMA a hack by nature, I'm referring to schools who make claims to teach what they aren't truly able to teach. This applies to traditional systems alike. For some reason, you doubt the validity of battle tested systems. History tells us what work'd and what didn't on the battle field. If you don't believe this, there is nothing I can do to convince you. But to say something doesn't work in real life because a competition on TV says so is absurd.

I train'd in Nisei Bujutsu. It's a combination of Hakkoryu Jujutsu, Yoshitsune Jutsu, Judo, Kobu-Jutsu, Aiki-Jutsu, and Naha-te Karate. When I say a "combination", I don't mean a lil of this and a lil of that. It's all of everything. Classes are intense...my type of training! I moved away from my instructors and now I'm looking for a good Bujinkan school. The ninja craze of the 80's got me.

I'd also like to add that if you feel a "need" to test your skills, you lack confidence in your abilities. If you feel unsure about your techniques, I'd suggest you bring this up with your instructor and/or find a new school. Personally, I like to scrap a lil bit. This has nothing to do with my faith in my abilities. I'm just aggressive in this stage of my live. I love to tussle!

UFC is a sport with rules and a soft mat. Some say the rules favor the strikers, some say they favor the grapplers. Personally, I think it favors grapplers. UFC does not represent the best that martial arts have to offer. It represents the best that UFC competitors have to offer. Many superb (I’d argue most) martial artists have zero desire to fight in competitions. It doesn’t mean their style is ineffective. Also, when a fighter loses a fight, he loses…not his style. There are numerous factors that go into a fighter wining or losing a fight. And just because a fighter says he trains in so-and-so style does not mean he is truly being train’d by an authentic instructor. There are many more hacks than true schools out there. In the beginning, “No Rules” were hyped but I didn’t see anyone carry’n a bat or gun in the ring. Also, the styles were more varied in the beginning. Strikers faired well and so did grapplers. However, one sided fighters didn’t fare to well. Mr. Gracie show’d the world that if you can’t defend against someone who will grapple you on the ground, you’re in for a long day. Because of this, more and more emphasis was placed on the “ground fight” rather than “stand up fighting”. UFC doesn’t depict real fights you’ll encounter on a daily basis. There are only a small percentage of people training in any martial art. If in a fight, one is a martial artist, most likely the other isn’t. In any fight, if you go in thinking about what style specific move you’re gonna apply, you’re probably already being hit in the face. As a teenager, I got into a fight with a guy. He had no training. I had no training. However, I could mimic kicks very well and that’s what I used; kick’s, and knees (maybe one or two punches) …all of which work’d. At one point, I kick’d him in the nuts and even while we were both amp’d up on adrenaline, it back’d him off. He saw he didn’t have a chance and ran in the house to get some knives. If the same fight happen’d today, I would have been more effective because now I have skills and he still doesn’t which would be like most encounters. Even with all the moves I know, if I can hit you in the nuts to end the fight, you’re gonna get hit in the nuts. I’ve seen the earliest fights in UFC where groin strikes were allow’d and not only were they used a lot, they work’d.

I like to keep introductions short due to the hundreds I've done. I'll just say hello and I look forward to some interesting conversations.