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Everything posted by bushido_man96
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That's such great stuff. Its inspiring to read, to search for my own terrible resolve inside.
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Western Martial Arts
bushido_man96 replied to Ueshirokarate's topic in General Martial Arts Discussion
Right. Its basically stick fighting with armor on. Still, its a ton of fun! I can remember the bruises and batterings I took when we did it. I still have stick swords, shields, and armor in my garage, waiting for the dust to be knocked off.... -
Western Martial Arts
bushido_man96 replied to Ueshirokarate's topic in General Martial Arts Discussion
Yes, not re-enactment, but research. I have all of Clements' books to date (I think...), and have enjoyed them all thoroughly. I only wish I had a crew to work with on that stuff. They are constantly working, studying texts, sparring, sparring, applying, and making sense of what was done all those years ago in our Western traditions. I'd recommend anything by Clements, and anything by anyone he recommends. There has even been some more stuff put out lately in regards to pole arms; I have that book on the shelf, and need to get to it! -
Re-Chamber: Another Reason One Should Consider
bushido_man96 replied to sensei8's topic in General Martial Arts Discussion
I'd think that is more about dictating that you are going to be moved by the returning energy than it is about moving your hand away before the arrows in the science class animation finish drawing. Action/reaction are instantaneous. For one, a "chambered" leg up position does not strike me as a "stable and balanced" position. If you want stable and balanced, put something else on the ground. Arguably, it is a "ready" position, just like your other stances. In that case the advice is just "make sure to return to a stance after you kick". In that case, i'm not completely clear why there is such a dispute about which stance to transition to after a technique. Second - are you saying that a hook kick should include a moment where after making contact, you suddenly extend your leg straight away from and past the target? The recoil you were discussing before was not "retract" but "rebound", and the two are very different ideas. I see both sides of what is going on here. In order to re-chamber kicks in styles like TKD and Karate, like a round kick, we have to consider slowing the momentum of the kick. Its the difference in kicking a target pad and re-chambering, and kicking the pad but following through with a spin. Some of the kicks I do, like a spin heel kick, or straight leg crescent kicks, don't have a rechamber due to the nature of the kick, and the momentum in the leg; rechambering would be counter-productive to the kicks. But just from what I've seen of Capoeira, one kick tends to lead into another, and there is a lot of momentum built up with the spinning. There is no need to rechamber if you are setting down and going into another motion in those cases. I don't know if the rechamber developed more over time in other MAs, or if its been around forever. In most of the kicks I've taught in TKD, I've taught to chamber, execute the kick, rechamber it, and return it to the ground. This method of teaching helps the students learn to control the kicks, and be controlled by them. Most beginners have trouble with balancing while kicking, and instead of setting the foot down, fall down with the foot, and thus end up in bad positioning for defense. Therefore, I teach to rechamber to the chamber position, and then control the foot down to go into the next move, whether landing and moving, or throwing another kick. In TKD, we tend to do a lot of same leg repeating kicks, so keeping that high chamber is beneficial. We also have to consider the forms we do, and rechambering kicks is helpful in moving from one move to the next in a controlled manner. Setting the foot down instead of falling down helps to smooth out forms performance, and makes moving efficient. This is something that will vary greatly between styles and methods of kicking, and there may not be a hard and fast rule that governs it. Maybe instead of looking at "rechambering" specifically, there is another more encompassing term that would coincide between the styles that refers to what we are discussing here. -
Pressure Points, Dim Mak, and more...
bushido_man96 replied to darksoul's topic in General Martial Arts Discussion
I'm pretty much with tallgeese on this. I don't look to pressure point or dim mak type things as a primary tactic. Its not a bad tool to have in the box, but it is just one tool, and to rely solely on it and not the others is severely limiting your options. -
Shotokan karate brown belt claims he can defeat a gorilla
bushido_man96 replied to pirate333's topic in Karate
For one thing, I'm surprised this fellow even says this. Is he terribly young, perhaps a bit immature? Another thing is, does he know anything about gorillas? I think a big male goes well over 400 lbs, and they are extremely strong. I guess the sick side of me would like to see this fellow try, because both seconds of the match would be kind of fun to watch. Is this something the individual tends to mention to a lot of people, or is he just trying to blow smoke at you? Either way, someone should really probably call him on it, perhaps let him know that he should really consider his logic in this matter...before he tries it at a zoo and we read about it on the internet.... -
Re-starting my journey but stuck on what style to do!
bushido_man96 replied to Wabit's topic in Karate
I'd say you have to look at your goals. If you want to solidify yourself in a style, then going back to Shotokan where you can continue from your current rank would be a good idea. If that doesn't concern you, then look into which you will enjoy more, which school you feel is better, and which philosophy fits you best, and make your decision accordingly. -
The only one I know is Naifanchi; the Shindokan version. I do like it, too.
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The Martial Artists' Training Log
bushido_man96 replied to bushido_man96's topic in Health and Fitness
8/23/2012 Did around 20 minutes of bag work at home, just kicking. Had pictures taken at the school that evening, too. Did some footwork stuff with some of the guys. It felt good to move around a little bit. -
Olympic TKD from an ITF perspective
bushido_man96 replied to DWx's topic in TKD, TSD, Hapkido, and Korean Martial Arts
Thanks for the coverage, DWx. I wish I would have got to see more of it. Maybe I'll find it on youtube eventually. -
I did get to see the gold medal match for women's US Judo. But only saw some TKD on the computer, and what I did see, was not fun to watch at all. A couple of gals continuously kicking each other with the front leg was all I saw. I'm not sure if the guys were any different or not. The hands down just drives me nuts, too.
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I don't think this is a totally bad thing. Good marketing, lots of foot traffic for schools. Its kind of a stigma in the MAs that the good MAists come from a whole in the wall dojo that doesn't have a website or a kids program. Although there are great places like that, these locations can also be great for students, too, and have the same possibility of producing great martial artists.
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What an interesting afternoon!
bushido_man96 replied to DoctorQui's topic in General Martial Arts Discussion
@madtanker: I think every officer will deal with that differently. I'm an officer myself, and if I got help, then I'd be glad. Besides, we have different rules to follow than the general public, which might put them on better ground at times, depending on the situation. The only other thing is that possibility of civil action coming against a bystander from helping out, but such is the society we live in today. Good job, I say! -
I have one Aikido gi, and two TKD do boks, and I always wash after each workout. I just can't wear a sweaty uniform back to class.
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Home Study Courses (don't laugh!)
bushido_man96 replied to survivalist's topic in General Martial Arts Discussion
I agree. Nor can you ever succeed if you never start.... -
Another Thing About Rank!!
bushido_man96 replied to sensei8's topic in General Martial Arts Discussion
It appears you showed us the two extremes in your post, Bob. The one, who was already high ranking, and likely skilled, who took a leap and granted his own higher rank. The second, who seems to hold on to his lower rank due to sentimental reasons. Boy, where to start..... The first individual seems to be an indication of what the politics of MAs can do to people. I know that at times we have discussed the attainment of higher ranks, like 8th and 9th, and how they are often not physical tests, but granted for the work done for the betterment of a style. I think this is all well and good, so I think its important to take the idea of a self-promoted 10th dan with a grain of salt. Who knows? Maybe he is a very skilled, knowledgeable MAist that can really make his students into fine MAists themselves. Maybe he went a bit on an ego trip to give himself the high 10th dan rank, but felt he needed to in order to separate his version of what he learned from what others would end up teaching. Or maybe it was all ego, who knows. Now, take the other guy, whom you have some great respect for, who has not taken himself past 2nd dan. To me, its the opposite of this other fellow; this guy has humbled himself to the point that when you find out what his rank is, its like he wants everyone to know he is humble, which in a way, is the opposite of being humble, I guess....anyway, I'm rambling and not making sense. This goes back to our other thread on what a rank system is supposed to be, and the question is whether or not either of these two are using it appropriately. The 2nd dan should probably be a few ranks higher, if we are going to use the rank system appropriately. Otherwise, he just appears misleading. Same with the 10th dan; what should we expect a 10th dan to be capable of? Can this guy do it? If not, then he is being misleading, too. Like I've said before, many of us will say rank doesn't matter; until it does, like here. -
The body works best as a unit. That's why in gaining strength in weight training, using full body, compound lifts are just about the best way to gain overall strength, because you work the body as a unit, and the body gets strong in several places. This relates to other body movement, as well, like punching and kicking, grappling, etc. The hips are the connection of the lower body to the upper body. So, if I want to use my whole body to generate power in a punch, then its imperative to start at the ground with the push of the foot on the ground, up through the leg, into the hip joint, through the rest of the core, and into the arm to the hand that strikes. The same goes with kicks and knees, but with just a bit of a different path that I've never really delved into. So, if someone takes part of the equation away, then you lose out on power output. A jab with the arm is predicated (used that word twice in one day...) on arm strength only. Jab done with the body as a unit, adds more of the body's mass to the strike, making it a more efficient technique. If you take the hips away, then you won't be able to use the feet and legs to generate the power. I can't speak to the technique of Capoeira, but Justice did mention that the way the kicking is done is different in which part of the body leads. However, in watching some performances, I do see that there is no way those techniques are done in isolation from the rest of the body, so the hip (joint) and trunk are still vital to performance. Perhaps in just a different way.
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I've always liked asking lower ranking students if they see anything that looks like I need to work on. They kind of give you a funny look, but if I've done my job right, then they can probably tell me if my side kick looks a bit off. Of course, care should be taken to ask meaningful questions, and to not be offensive if one can help it. One of my former instructors had kind of an interesting tidbit on this kind of topic. His instructor is a 7th dan, and he just tested for 5th dan. He put this question to some of his students: "Who would you rather learn applicable self-defense from; this gentleman, a 4th degree, who is a law enforcement officer that uses defensive techniques and tactics on a daily basis, and knows what does and does not work, and how to apply it, or from someone like me, who is a high ranking master, but with not nearly as much SD experience?" Now, if you strip away that question, and advertise two different self-defense seminars; one taught by a 7th dan master, and one taught by a 4th degree, I'll bet my rank that with only that information given, the 7th degree will fill up faster and sooner. So much of what we see and do in the MAs is predicated on rank, and this what many people have come to expect. But, its important to take into account the experiences that come along with the rank, to see the clear picture. I hope I didn't stay too far off topic, but what I'm getting at is the problem you mention, darksoul, isn't just in the kyu ranks. I think its possible to learn from anyone, at anytime; I think any of the parents around here can attest to this. I'm also sure that there are times when people who aren't knowledgeable tend to run off at the mouth, and don't realize how silly they sound trying to know something they don't, and perhaps some people think this will be the case, and will shut it down before it has a chance to start. But it isn't always the case, and I don't think listening would hurt too much. To sum up; its a good thing to listen to feedback from kyu ranks, even if one is a high dan grade. Insight can come from anywhere.
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Welcome to KF, madtanker!
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Instructor Who Lives An Alternate Lifestyle
bushido_man96 replied to sensei8's topic in General Martial Arts Discussion
I don't think the closed mindset will every really go away. There are some people who are very set in their ways, and are not likely to change. Now, that doesn't mean that these people necessarily advocate for violence against said lifestyles, but I don't think it means they have to tolerate them entirely, either. But the customer does have the right to choose who they learn their MAs from. So, if an instructor is going to open about an alternate lifestyle, then they should be prepared to gain or lose students accordingly. Again, the belief systems of those involved are likely to influence choices when it comes to matters like these. In these instances, I don't think its fair to blame those for making choices against as being "close-minded" or otherwise. I don't think it is close-minded to stand strong in one's beliefs. -
What an interesting afternoon!
bushido_man96 replied to DoctorQui's topic in General Martial Arts Discussion
Cool to see someone help out like that. Most times, people will mind their own business and not make it their problem; not that its a bad thing to do so, as not everyone is really geared to do that sort of thing. But it is nice to see this worked out well. Some things to keep in mind is whether or not they would be toting weapons, or may even be trained themselves. But I won't lecture on those kind of things. Your decision worked out well for you this time around. Just remember things don't always end like they do in movies. Good job! -
Well, I do think it makes for a good discussion; and I also agree that there tends to be a lot of innuendos in the MA world that are kind of taken for granted, and aren't always elaborated on. This is a good opportunity to do so.
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The way I experience it, the hips can be moved through the hip joints, which help the power transfer up from the legs and through the body. The hips can swivel on the joints that insert from the legs; that is what we mean by hip movement. I'm sure there is still some of this in Capoeira, isn't there?