Whitefeather

That is dead-on. I say that we take all of the people on this planet that think that martial artists do what they do to meet fellas/ladies and ship them off to some mosquito infested island (or siberia, hmm....) in the middle of an ocean for a few years. My personal thoughts. David

I would be able to work with incredible effectiveness. I would earn insanely huge amounts of money, which I would then use to create a Christian-centered "Business," which would really be a non-profit organization, but would not be declared as one. The corporation would send well-trained labor forces, composed of doctors, economists, and educators, to countries trapped in the poverty loop (more poverty=less opportunities for improvement=more poverty=less opportunities...etcetera) and help to break that loop by implementing solid educational systems for children and an educational program which would teach a small number of adults in essential areas (leadership, medicine, economics, etcetera), and equip those adults to teach those skills to more adults. Once the program becomes firmly rooted in the country, I would start replacing the workers sent there with trained natives of that country. Once all of the workers were out and the program was running all on its own, I would create a plan to do the same thing again, with a different country, and put someone else in charge of the operation. Then, with the knowledge that I did something good in the world, I would retire to one of the San Juans and spend the rest of my life teaching and practicing karate, mountain biking, sea kayaking, going on bicycle road trips, and building big sailboats. David

Greetings Sohan. I practice Shudokan only (although I would not be opposed to a bit of dabbling in other styles, or even Judo). My instructor is two generations below (but in close contact with) a Sensei by the title of Shihan Morris L. Mack, whom recieved his Shibucho certificate from Sensei Todd shortly after Todd's death. He was one of Todd's direct students. He has basically spent his entire life (60+ years) on martial arts, traveling and training with many different Karate masters, as well as masters of other arts. From what I know, he is one of, if not the highest ranking blackbelt in Shudokan (I do not remember his exact rank, but I believe it is either seventh or eighth dan). I do not believe that there is any official documentation that states that he is the head over Shudokan, but I think that is kind of the unofficial situation. He basically implements a policy of evolution with his teaching. Whenever he trains with a master of another style of karate, or even a completely different art, it is not uncommon for him to take small bits from those teachings, bits which Shudokan could benefit from, and incorporate them into the style. Regards, David

Antioxidants. LOTS. LOTS of antioxidants. Green tea is one of the best sources of antioxidants, blueberries, watermelon (I think), etcetera. If you are extremely desperate, then fresh garlic (it must be fresh, as the chemical that you want to get from the garlic dissipates within ten or so minutes of cutting/mashing the clove) taken with a glass of milk is very effective. Generally, two to three cloves per day is all you will want to comsume. Once, I tried four cloves in one day. Very bad memories. Again, only do the garlic thing if you are very desperate, because EVERYONE within a ten foot radius WILL despise your very soul. But, if it is important, then garlic is an extroadinarily effective immune system booster. If you comsume copius amounts of tea and garlic, you will be amazed at how fast you can recover. Good luck, David

I think that the majority of the time, at least in my case, if I were sparring with a girl, I just would not go all out. Not as a concious act of "Oh, she is a lady, I am a gentleman, therefore I shall allow her to score," but as a subconcious act of "It would just be cold to use the steamroller tactic on her." On the other hand, if we are working on self defense/escape techniques, I will be just as hard on either gender, because I believe that you are doing someone a grave disservice if you fluff out when working on SD stuff, because, come the real thing, they will get butchered. Just 2 cents from the male perspective, David

In my opinion, it is all in the instructor and the dojo. I would say, that, if tought correctly, Shotokan or Gojo would be the best for personal defense, but, unless you have a perfect (with respect to the style) dojo nearby for each of the styles you listed, then it is not really the style, but the instructor and his/her teaching philosophies and methods that make the difference. There are TKD schools out there that teach better self defense than most Karate schools, and visa versa. You can put any two types of MA in that sentence, and, it almost always holds true. I personally think that you should try out ALL of the dojos in your area, or, if nothing else, all of the dojos of the four styles you specified. Find a dojo that, firstly, you can fit into, because if you do not fit in, I can guarantee that you will not last, and, secondly, a dojo with a knowledgable instructor that ranks practicality above being traditional or pretty. Basically, go to a bunch of dojos, watch a few classes (especially advanced classes, as that is how you can see what you will become if you join), try a few classes, and chat with the instructor(s). Good luck, David

In your situation, I would just have a non-volatile one-on-one talk with your instructor. If you can rationally discuss the hair thing with him, and you and him can come to a good rational decision, then it was probably just a misunderstanding. My guess is that he thought that you were trying to decieve him or something, so he naturally got a bit flustered, thus putting forth the "You must cut your hair" edict. If, when you talk to him, he remains angry at you and is not able to have a rational discussion, then I would reccomend looking into finding a different dojo. David

AMEN, BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I definetively ain't a girl, so I really can not give that perspective, but, if a girl were to say that she had a black belt, I would just be like "Ya, thats all cool," even if I was not in martial arts. Whenever somebody finds out that I am a black belt, they always do the "So you're like a master and could kick my butt?" thing, so I do not think that is a plague which burdens only karatekas of the female gender. Like the rest of y'all, I just find it easiest to not let people know that I even do karate. Tidings and Ridances, David

Do it again, again, and again. Then do it some more. With things like that--unless you have a huge flaw in the actual technique which is preventing you from becoming faster--the only way to get faster is sheer volume of practice and repetition. David

As far as I can figure it, self defense techniques (different blocks/strikes) came first, then roughly done katas came to preserve the different techniques, then, at some time between the creation of the techniques and the creation of the kata came the creation of the bunkai/combination of movements. I do not know much history, but I would bet that is pretty close to how it went down. David

My first favorite would be Kyoku Shichidan, closely rivaled by Choshin. David

I would agree, except for the fact that TKD is not really a "Stand-up" style. TKD is all awesome and fun (or so say they) and looks cool, but if you want to add to your bank of effective self defense/sparring skills and reflexes, go with grappling. Heck ya!!!!!! But, you do not need to go to a arnis school to learn how to use them. Go to library and pick up as many books on arnis/escrimas that you can find, then place holds on all of the others. Pick several good drills to practice, and practice those, preferably with a partner. Weapons are great fun, and, in the case of escrimas, quite usefull, but you will not get half as much from learning the escrimas at a dojo as you will from learning grappling at a dojo. Happy Dojo Hunting!! David

Relax. Have fun. Relax more. Have more fun. Really, being relaxed is the key. If you are tense, you will be incredibly slow, mentally and physically. If you are relaxed, there is no telling how good you will be able to do. That said, never, never, never ever settle into a back-and-forth rythm. Secondly, watch for your opponent to settle into a back-and-forth rythm. If (s)he does, wait for the point when (s)he is about to shift away from you, then explode with your favorite combo. Lastly, relax and have fun. David

I have no clue in aether what "D&D" is, but the survey was kinda entertaining. Chaotic Good Human Cleric Alignment: Chaotic Good characters are independent types with a strong belief in the value of goodness. They have little use for governments and other forces of order, and will generally do their own things, without heed to such groups. Race: Humans are the 'average' race. They have the shortest life spans, and because of this, they tend to avoid the racial prejudices that other races are known for. They are also very curious and tend to live 'for the moment'. Class: Clerics are the voices of their God/desses on Earth. They perform the work of their deity, but this doesn't mean that they preach to a congregation all their lives. If their deity needs something done, they will do it, and can call upon that deity's power to accomplish their goals.

I would say that the wisest choice for you would be to go to a knee-ologist (or whatever schmanchy terminology they use) and talk to him/her about it. He/She will be able to set you up with whatever knee-brace, medication, or therapy that you need to keep training. Regards, David

Yeah, I concur. That is pretty much the case. Although it would not be necessary, it would be wise to make it very clear to students that you reserve the decision of who you teach. Maybe have a disclaimer or something. David

Umm, no. That is called letting the bully win. If you sock the bully, he has won. You will get in big trouble. The bully will most likely become the "Victim." You will actually probably get in more trouble than the bully. That is precisely what the bully wants. If you want to win the proverbial fight against the bully, the ABSOLUTE worst thing you can do is the thing he wants you to do, to take a swing at him. In my opinion, if someone is being aggressive at you, than there is always a way to walk away. You just have to use your absolute most entirely powerful weapon, your mind. On the flipside, if someone has gotten themselves into a royal mess, than it is very possible that, if you wish to do the attacked person some good of sorts, you will have to use physical violence against the attacker, and, in that case, you should use violence against the attacker. That does not mean that you should beat the attacker into a sensless pulp. You should still use the most minimal amount of force possible to subdue the attacker. Jist mah dos centos, David

Potlucs work swellishly. Knock yourself out (hehe, martial arts forum, knock out, hehe, ohhh nevermind, that was stupid), David

When teaching teens (alliteration, hehe ), there are two things that are important. Firstly, make sure that you integrate the aspect of the successful warrior avoiding fights, not getting into them, along with using peaceful methods (ie your voice) to subdue an aggressor. That also applies to any MA student, but especially to teens which are worth worrying about. Secondly, and this is very important, if you talk to/treat a teenager like an adult, and if you hold them to the standards of an adult, 9 out of 10 they will step up and act like an adult. Good Luck, David

Here, my fellow martial arts practitioners, is the easiest and lamest job: working the cash register at a dollar store. There is a dollar store near my house that I have had the terrible experience of entering, and the dude behind the counter literally spends all day sitting in a chair reading. That, people, is seriously mentally damaging. My 3 cents, David

I have not gone hunting yet, but as soon as I get the opportunity I am going to go deer hunting. I think it would be awesome, not because of the whole "BlOOD GORE KILLING BLOOD BLOOD, GLAAAHAHAHAAA" stereotypical male thing, but I like the outdoors and I think the strategy necessary to hunt deer would be awesome. You are not totally completely entirely alone, UseoForce. David

Sorry, I am not terribly familiar with the names of Karatekas outside of Shudokan/close relatives of Shudokan. Is that Gichin Funakoshi's son? David

I am sorta plagurizing, here, so forgive me Century Martial Arts. Here it goes: A black belt is not something you wear, it is not something you earn, it is something you become. Now, your journey begins. Good luck to your students, David

That is a good call. Yah. From what I have heard/seen of TKD tournaments, you probably will not fare very well coming from Karate. If nothing else, the judges will be very slow to give you a point for anything aside of a kick (at least so I figures). Good Tidings and Luck, Should You Need Them, David