bushido_man96

This is more the way I feel about it. I base my feelings on suicide on my religious beliefs, as well. I just don't see the honor in a ritualistic method of suicide. It says to me, "I give up, because I can't fix what's been done." Maybe I just don't really understand the viewpoint the Samurai had on the subject, but its just too foreign to me, I guess.

This is a tough one. Here's another way to look at it--do you make friends at work? I've found that with Martial Arts training, its hard not to make friends. I've been both instructor and student, and have been the instructor that would hang out with students from time to time, and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. As humans, we tend to make friends with those who have the same interests as us, and become involved in the same things as us. As an instructor, its important to make sure to relate to the students that maintaining the professionalism of the classroom is important, and to not allow that to become compromised. But, if the students are being true friends, then that shouldn't be a problem, either. I think this is the major bridge. If friendship is used to try to circumnavigate the rules and expectations of the dojo, then that person doesn't want to be your friend, anyway. They are a manipulator. I met my wife at my current TKD school.

Well, I'd never thought I'd want to see the end of the NFL regular season, but man, this year has been trying. I could say they couldn't be any worse next year, but they could lose all of them. I guess we'll see what the draft and free agency brings.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well, pittbull. I hope everyone has some good, safe, and fun holidays.

I could never chain kicks together like that. And no way could I do his jumping spinning axe looking kick. Nasty! When I started my current TKD style, it was cool to associate the form he was doing at the game intro, Hwa Rang. Loved it. But when the Panda does it, its just not as good.

As an LEO, I would concern myself with the levels of force used, and then the justifications of those force levels. If a trained puncher hits someone and has better effect than a non-trained puncher, then no big deal. It doesn't change the need for a response; one guy's response was better.

I've said it before and I say it again, I think kata should take a bigger precedence then that. There are a lot of very useful things to be learned in kata. That being said, I'm glad that you found a dojo that fits your training preferences and that you can be happy in. Congrats! I agree, kata should have a greater emphasis. However, in my experiences with several Kyokushin dojo's, kata application is usually left until higher ranks. I dont know why, perhaps to build up strength first as well as tame the "flight" part of adrenal response through free sparring. Glad you enjoy it so far OSU! I don't necessarily think that kata "should" have greater precedence. If its not necessary, then I say move away from it and do something more productive with the time, and find a different testing venue. But if kata is going to be done, then it should have more value than "just for testing."

lit-arate -- Thanks for sharing the form link. That was a long one, I was wondering when it was going to end. It had some very interesting moves in there, too.

I wouldn't go so far as to consider it a UFC precursor; there were plenty of challenges like that going on throughout the decades. To me, it is what it is; a challenge match in black and white.

I dont know if I should be ashamed for saying this but, I heard about this style in an anime/manga. Although to be fair in the anime there is, judo,sambo,karate,jujitsu,boxing,muay thai,tae kwando and more irl styles... No shame there. At least not for me.Its nice to check out references like this to see what turns up. Someone out there probably does a Klingon Martial Art.

Love the robe.MA jewelry....like one of those knives that goes on a chain around your neck?

That sums up a whole lot of what being a Martial Artist is in a very nice way.Hard to argue with this, just as human beings in general.

Hi Bushido! I attend 5280 Karate Academy in Lakewood. It is relatively new, only about a year old. It used to be part of the Stephen Oliver Mile High Karate program (yuck and before my time) and the new owner has taken it away from a McDojo to a karate academy. It's still young and developing, but it is an amazing family of martial artists that my son and I have fallen in love with. Thank you for the welcome! Sounds like you've found a good place then. As for my friend, he's in an ATA school out that way, so no luck there. Glad to have you, though!

Welcome to the Forums!

Good job!

I did know that little tidbit about Jin, because him and his dad didn't exactly get along, and he left the Mishima Karate for Kyokushin. I always liked playing as Hwarang, or Baek in Tekken Tag and the original, or as Tiger/Eddie Gordo. Sometimes I'd be that goofy doc, too, just to irritate the guys I played with. I played 3 the most, and some of Tekken Tag. Don't have the machines to play them myself, so that was with friends.

I don't think I've seen too much of an effect from it. Our numbers have actually been down over the past few years, especially our adult students.

It was an interesting fight. I didn't see any leg kicks or elbow strikes, so there must have been some concessions made before the fight. The Karate guy moved decently enough to save himself, but the Thai fighter was the aggressor.

I've said it before and I say it again, I think kata should take a bigger precedence then that. There are a lot of very useful things to be learned in kata. That being said, I'm glad that you found a dojo that fits your training preferences and that you can be happy in. Congrats! I agree with you. If its only done for gradings, then I don't see the point. Just get rid of them, and find some other grading criteria that relates more to what it is you spend your time doing.

It all begs the question "what's in a name?"

Nice find. This is the first I've heard of it. Maybe we will hear from a few practitioners.

I'm hoping to get a few MA titles this Christmas. No one else in my family is a Martial Artist, except my son, who is Wrestling, but he wants toys and games and stuff...

I have issues backing this claim. I don't think that a style can embody a certain life style. I think that, at the most, a style can embody some sort of discipline but that is up to the teacher to impart and/or the student to internalize. However, no style inherently implies some sort of living standard. Any fighting style is exactly that; a fighting style. Any philosophical ideas passed learned in a fighting system are coming from the teacher's ideas and philosophies. Its basically someone trying to influence you to their way of thinking. The fighting system, in and of itself, can't do this.

I think combat training will build those characteristics important for being good at combat. The idea of building the characteristics of integrity, courtesy, etc, is the role of the family unit, and to seek it through MAs is ok, but I don't think it should be pushed as the selling point that it often is.

Perhaps the fist developed as it did as humans began punching straight, and not slapping with arced strikes using the palms.