patusai

iTunes

sell them on ebay!

A one pound box of $100 bills. Of course, if need be, I will take a one pound box of $50 dollar bills. Please note I am not talking about home made bills...

Congratualtions!!!

I don't. Too many ways that crooks can get around things. Our Jewel has a finger print reader that you can use like an ATM in the store and I don't use that either. Technology is wonderful but sometimes I am worried about the security of it all. Although banks and other places that use technology have intelligent people trying to keep the stuff safe there are those who want to break the code to get in and, frankly, they are a bit more intelligent. I'm just afraid. I don't have that much to take but then there is identity theft to worry about too...or at least I worry about it. I probably shouldn't but I do.

Wow, I am tearing up while reading that a bit thinking how I would feel if I was in your place. I am sure that he will be fine. It is indeed an adventure of a lifetime. Wishing you the best until his return.

52. I feel it too

Mmmm, Furtunately it is lunch time but if I don't get back to work soon that, eventually, would seem like a palatial compared to what I will have. My point is that it might, someday, be a real good deal!

May be the door is in training?

What? you got a car?! Nope, it appears all I get is use of Patrick's YouGetJack-ominium. I wonder how nicely furnished it is I would imagine it is indeed nicely furnished...if nothing else the music would be great!

Actually, they both start that way. One has a single finger poke (Dai in JKA) and the other has spear hand (Sho in JKA). The rumor is that during a JKA competition one of the uppitty ups said he was going to perform Dai, but performed Sho instead. So instead of telling him he was wrong (since he won first) they switched the names!!! There is no documentation for this, but it is the most prevalent explanation for this conundrum. Of the Dai/Sho pairings, these two are the most similar, so once you've picked up one, you've picked up both essentially. I believe that there is a Gojushiho Sho (lesser version) and a Gojushiho Dai (Major version). They are two different kata. The one master making the mistake by calling oout one kata and doing the other I hear is indeed true.

What? you got a car?!

2 months can be enough time to train but then I am not sure that 2 months of the best training on earth can be as effective as you would like it to be. With that said, especially since your are innocent, I will have and will continue to pray that the justice system makes the right decision, sees that you are innocent and you find your freedom. I know that my comments are not exactly what you are looking for but, since your are innocent, I am hoping that two months of my praying will be of far more benefit to you than your ability to find and complete a crash course if fighting. Good luck to you. I will be praying.

Martial Arts. There are perhaps thousands of different styles and sub-styles in the world. Many who have learned some form of martial arts do not follow the actual ideals of the style that they learned. Some learn for years in one or more style and then move on and make adjustments to what they learned and then either create a totally different style while some make changes (large or small) and create, what I will call here, off-shoot styles or companion styles. There are some that learn only a short time in a number of different styles learning to the point where they understand the basics and then branch out to develop their own style. Some do it because they feel that they have a better way, some do it for personal glory and recognition some do it for a combination of both. There are some that do this for a variety of reasons. Frankly there are so many reasons people create or develop styles if all of the reasons were written about fully they could be the length of many Karate – Forum submissions. I my youth, I thought that all this was a bad thing. I was a traditionalist. I practiced as my teachers taught me and that was the end of it. I practiced a number of different styles and I practiced each one as individual styles and never gave a serious thought about combining any of them. I knew guys who after reaching the rank of San Dan and Yon Dan broke away from the style in which they reached rank in to form their own style. They re-created kata in the beginning by adjusting what they learned so that the kata was different enough to meet their needs based on what they thought was good. They made adjustments to what they thought the technique should have been (considering that some kata were changed a number of times over the years before they learned the kata). Later, as they continued to learn other areas of Martial Arts (such as Judo, Akido, Kobudo and such they incorporated ideas from these styles and made learning portions of these other martial arts as part of the martial arts training. I thought that, although I saw benefit in this from a defense point of view, this was wrong. After many years my ideas have mellowed with age it appears. I reached a point where I understood what they were trying to accomplish and I understand where they got their ideas from. They were trying to make a “system” that worked better from a self-defense point of view. Unfortunately, in my opinion, some succeeded and some did not. Those that succeeded did so because they used broad techniques that different people could use and be effective with. Others adjusted their system to meet their specific body type, attitude and such. They developed a system that they could be good in but they in many cases this system did not adapt to others who did not match their physical and mental attributes. At first I thought, “ah Ha!” Later, my opinion was, “so what!” Martial Arts, at least Karate, in its beginnings had many different ways of doing the art. In some cases, each family had their own version of the self-defense. Men tried techniques, often in actual battle, and others, seeing the battle say some things that worked well and others that did not. Of course because one technique worked well in once instance that did not mean it was going to work in a different one by someone else. There were too many factors to consider. Styles developed because of such early techniques and these techniques were passed on from generation to generation, developed and re-developed to meet the need of the day. My point is now I believe that Martial Arts is, and was meant to be an ever-changing document. We should use techniques and practice them that define us, and that we can execute better rather than using a technique that doe not complement us as well. I am not sure that the intent is too far from what was practiced in the old days. Even some of the great masters taught kata differently to different students (perhaps that is one reason for the variety of variations in kata). My point is that some of what people are doing today is no different than what people years ago did. The one thing that I see is that although these adjustments to the systems has been going on for a while there is the American factor to consider in all of this. We consider ourselves the best in pretty much everything. It’s the top of nothing! Instant gratification! Fast track to the top! It is kind of like the business world. There are too many people that know everything already and have nothing more to learn. They want the easy way to the top and they want to get to the top NOW! We hear comments such as “If I’m not a VP in 2 years I’m moving on!” “I don’t have time for this I need to get this promotion now!” “I don’t want to hear everything! Give me the condensed version!” This is the way it appears that we Americanized far too much of the martial arts. We don’t have time to wait. We don’t have time to learn. We don’t have time to practice. We don’t have time. We just want whatever it is we want. “I want a dog!” But there are far too man who don’t have time to train it, walk it as often as it needs to be walked, play with it as often is it needs to be played with.” But, they want a dog? “What kind should I get?”, they will ask an expert. Get yourself a stuffed animal for God’s sake (and the dog’s sake too)! If you don’t have time to train and do it right then get yourself a piece of fine paper, stick it in your printer and print yourself off what ever rank you want to give yourself. Whatever rank you feel that you deserve. If you really want to make a difference take classes for a few months and then, after you have a better understanding of what it is that Martial Arts is get your printer fired up! We have more 10th dans then the rest of the world combined probably! We have younger 7th through 9th dans then pretty much any other country too. I don’t think that it is something to be proud of.

Almost a dead ringer for mine...I like tomatoes instead of mushrooms. Tomatoes are great too!

Fire and Safety was informed who the culprit was but they chose not to even talk to the person. Timers are not permitted on coffee makers even those that shut off the coffee maker in say 2 hours. Don't ask me why...it's a rule. Nobody wants to discuss the matter further. It's a dead issue. I asked how long of a time with there be the no coffee restriction and I was told forever. Oh well. Thanks for the responses

Ok, the last few weeks I have been busting my trail at work even more than usual. I have a coffee maker in my office because if it is elsewhere I will forget to turn it off at the end of the day. I was out sick with pneumonia for about a week (a combinatin of catching something, and working too hard and running myself down). One other manager in the office uses the coffee maker in my office (I do not care if he does). He leave it on and patrols find it on and I get carded. Well, during the time I was out we got another violation. I was told to remove the coffee maker by my boss. The kicker is that I was the one repremanded for the infractions and not a word was said to the manager that left on the coffee maker. What should I do? I know there are more important things in the world to put ones mind to but this really got me mad and I need to do something. Thanks

Wow

Thanks

I just read "The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do" by Shoshin Nagamine. My question is that the book states that after 3 years of traiing in the forms and there are 18 of them. Can anyone tell me what kata in Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu are require for both Kyu and Dan rank or are all 18 required for Shodan?

Every one claims that reaching black belt is only the beginning, and that it means you have grasped the basics. If this is the case, then why should it take so long to become a beginner? I agree. The time depends on each each person differently. How long does it take one person to learn enough of the basic element (not necessarily 'basics') so that you can begin the learn the specific MA. After that it takes a lifetime to master.

I agree that controlled invironment practice is a great way to start training for advanced situations. it may be the only way. Not too many people want to test a new idea the first time in the street because it may end up being the last tme they test anything. As for being police officers and corrections officers (understanding the field a bit) you do have limintations on your ability to test. Now adays, you are watched closely. In your job situations, although I never thought of it that way until now, self defense techniques and strikes (when within your approved level of force) are much like the old day testing of techniques. After all the criminal element, especially when they are in a situation such as a corrections institution, can be much like a street test...maybe moreso if you consider some of the criminal element have nothing to lose in life and have no quams of beating you to a pulp. I admire your professions. I would not be able to do it regardless of my skill level and even if I were still in my prime. Good luck to all doing this.

If the discussion is that kata does not prepare one for actual combat then the only way to truely do this is to do what many old masters did. Actually go out in the street and refine your technique in actual live unrestricted situations. They honed their techniques in real fights (sometimes they actually started fights with specific individuals to test their techniques. Testing techniques in a "sparing" application can be used but I don't believe that it is as effective as an actual streetfight where you may not have the option of stopping and walking away. Some of these masters had to alter their ideas and application after getting hurt in actual combat. Kata is a way of beginning understanding basic ideas and applications (if researched and taught to a deeper level than just knowing the moves). It is a bit easier to have the confidence to use techniques again an opponent in a controlled situation. Taking a page from the old master now adays in this country is not what I am suggesting unless someone wants to chance having an opportunity to polish their techniques further in the jail.

Nothing is totally useless. This is true in both MA and in life. Something that appears to be uselss usually means that it is not understood well enough. fwiw