bushido_man96

I agree. They tried to do too much in the third moive. That said, it was still alright. They could have done more with Venom, like a Maximum Carnage set up. Perhaps that would be overload, too.

It wouldn't be too fun, would it! However, you gotta love that protection.

You have to keep in mind that when the constitution was written, guns were something that most everyone had, and it helped America win its freedom. Nunchaku weren't around the young country much then, and therefore were relatively unknown.

I caught an article on this in the latest issue of Black Belt magazine. Does anyone work with this idea? It is basically the use of the body's natural response to being startled or taken off guard, and it is used as in self-defense. I have also been reading Iain Abernethy's Bunkai-Jutsu, and he makes use of the very same idea in much of the bunkai shown in the book (thussfar, anyways). Thoughts?

Yeah, I don't like the big toe sticking up, which is part of the reason that I don't kick with the blade.

The old adage "never judge a book by its cover" comes to mind....

So, in your style, are you stating that you never use a pre-emptive strike? Do you always teach to await the attack first, and then counter?

Welcome aboard!

Well, gas is expensive....

Cool stuff. I wonder what else they might find. How long til they put people on Mars?

Wow! That has to be the coolest thing I have seen in baseball in quite a long time! I wonder how they will approach the rules to this situation. So, does he switch often in-game, when lefties and righties bat accordingly? Imagine what that could do for a pitch count; he could just switch to the other arm, if it ever hits 100 pitches. Very cool. I like his glove, too.

Well, I am more than happy to contribute. However, considering that many of our members are across not only time zones, but even oceans, it may be very tough to accomplish. It would be nice to see it fall, though.

I wish that I did more weapons defense training. In time, I feel that I will, but not at my current TKD school; we just don't work with weapons. When we do, they are the standard "self-defense" joint manipulations that tend to run in MA schools. I think that your idea of using concepts as opposed as certain techniques is a very key component. Whether it is a bat, knife, or gun, it has to be something that is adaptable to many situations in order to secure things quickly.

My mate gets to do it everyday as he is a Knight at the Tower of London. He complains though about having to wear full plate harness and sweating his proverbials off, but still ... what a job! I envy him greatly!

I am sorry to hear about your situation here. In the end, I truly think that laws like these are an over-reaction to a precieved danger that many do not understand. Unfortunately, you may want to take the high road in this matter. Even though you don't like the answer, I don't think they will change their view even after you become an advanced rank in your MA. In the end, you may have to learn what you can at home on vids and YouTube, and the like.

Hey there, James! Good to see you back. 6-20-08 Tried to do 3 pull-ups, 2 sets. 6-21-08 10 push ups on parallel bars. 3 sets of 3 attempted pull ups.

That's a bummer that they don't have exactly what you want. However, I think the Capoeira class may get you into the kind of shape that will acclimate you more to the tricking. At any rate, it should be fun!

I agree with this tack. If this doesn't work out for you, then perhaps you may choose to put both of these schools behind you, and find one that is totally neutral to this whole situation. Politics in the MA sucks, but it is a part of the MAs.

Harry Cook's by any chance? Yes....you still waiting, too?

In this scenario here, you are assuming that the person's rank (or lack thereof) is relative to the experiences that they have outside of the dojahng, which may be considerable. By viewing the rank on the waist, many will automatically discount their knowledge base, in regards to perhaps, say, forms knowledge, or the like. You make a good point here, but at one point in time, none of our Eastern styles had the set curriculum or belt ranking system that goes along with them. These are all innovations of the last 150 years or thereabouts. And Wrestlers don't learn how to Wrestle by just being shown a move and then told to roll around a while, and then move onto something else. It still has a structured learning environment, just without the ranks. JKD and DT would be similar; you work a concept for a while, understand it, and then move into other related concepts.

In our Hapkido training, my partner does a pretty good job of reminding me to break the balance in order to facilitate the takedowns. Using distraction techniques, dropping my center, and things like this. I just need lots more practice with it, for sure.

I would say that if they can fight and win, then "why" doesn't really matter that much. After all, the MA world is fighting, first and foremost. Not necessarily meaning that one should get into fights all the time just to do so, but being able to do so well, is "why" enough. As far as being in good physical condition goes, I think that it is definitely a benefit to fighting. Having an increased level of conditioning will allow your body to deal with the physically draining aspects of combat, like the adrenaline spill, early exhaustion, etc.

Exactly. Self-defense isn't just about defending against the cold-cock shot that comes out of nowhere. It is about self-awarness, avoiding conflict in the first place, and perhaps equipping yourself in such ways that you can deal with attacks that are more than physical.

Not everyone will get into the Martial Arts to be elite, competitive athletes. It would be nice if it were something we could all strive to, but it is difficult. In the end, they may be starting just because they want to learn aspects of self-defense, or a different way of moving the body, just to name a few. Competition is nice, but it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Be careful when following the Bodhidharma tact; there is a lot more myth than fact involved in the story behind him. For histories on the evolution of Eastern styles, look at some back issues of Dragon Times/Traditional Fighting Arts magazines. They do some good research, and go beyond the commonly accepted myths on the evolution of Eastern styles. As for the Greek aspect, look into Pankration. Greece also had a history of Boxing and Wrestling. Well, I have to say that Zanshin must know me a bit too well by now. However, this is part of the reason that it is so hard to track down the beginning of the Martial Ways. However, it is relatively easier to research into combat strategies that civilizations used, along with the technologies that changed combat at times (i.e., gunpowder, etc.). Good luck with your search. At any rate, you will find out some things that you probably didn't know, which will make it worthwhile, for sure.