bushido_man96

My system has 9 forms before reaching 1st degree.

Ok, I am going to begin reading the books again, and in the process, drop a synopsis of the chapters along the way, to help me keep track of key events. A Game of Thrones; Prologue We meet 3 men of the Night's Watch, ranging beyond the Wall, searching for a band of Wildlings. Led by Ser Raymar Royce, a yound lordling just 6 months on, and Will, a hunter, 4 years on, along with master-at-arms Gared, a 40 year veteran, who seems to have seen a winter prior to this one. The night is coming on, and the two vets are worried. They have found a camp, but all appear dead. Will thinks they have frozen, but they appear to have passed from other causes. Upon further inspection, the camp members are gone, but a weapon remains. Then, we get our first glimpse of the Others. Will and Gared seemed to have feared the worst, and get it. Young Royce is killed in combat with the Others, after failing to successfully duel one. In the fight, his high quality sword is broken, dusted. The Others appear to depart. When they came, extreme cold seemed to follow. They weild a strange sort of crystal blade. Watching the massacre from a tree, Will climbs down to collect a broken sword piece and return to the Wall. However, he looks up to see Ser Waymar Royce standing over him....

Cool. What do you weigh now, where do you want to be, and what weight do you wrestle at?

Although this isn't and Eastern Martial Arts answer, you may check the website for the Assosciation for Renaissance Martial Arts (https://www.thearma.org). You may be able to find a study group that resides in the area, that will most likely do some hands-on training. Good luck, and happy hunting!

Some instructors will require things like this. Tournaments can be a great learning evironment, and it is not one that can be simulated in class. However, it does sound odd that he would require participation. If you don't want to do it, then ending your son's training there may be the only option. Or, if you can't make this one, then try to make the next one. As mentioned above, talk to him about your situation, and then go from there.

Do you plan to use equipment? Do you plan on providing uniforms for your students? These are things to consider. You may want to talk with an attorney about it as well. In the contract, you may want to include fees for equipment depreciation (after all, they are going to kick your bags), floor rental (if the space is yours), and your teaching fees as well, if they are considered. You should also consider the dates that the class will start and end, the curriculum included for the students (colleges love syllabuses), the dates that the classes will meet, and the duration of the class periods.

If I were you, I would cut the fat now. Trying to cut weight (like a lot of wrestlers do) is very unhealthy, and can lead to metabolic problems, which will hurt you later on in life. I am not saying that you are doing it wrong. I am just throwing it out there. I am sure it is probably the same as many wrestlers have heard before.

If the legs are straight, then I don't consider it a stance. When I say "stance," then I am talking about some kind of athletic position. I don't mean just standing up straight, or lying in the splits. I should have been more clear.

Very well put!

In the latest edition of Black Belt Magazine, an article by Mick Coup (Core Combatives) discussed the use of indexing in self-defense. His "indexing" looked very similar to trapping, in that you use one hand to make a contact point on the opponent's body, using it as a reference point, and then proceed to attack with the other hand. I thought that the article was sensible, and the concepts behind the "indexing" were very simple.

Congrats, Marie!!!

I feel that the term "mastery" is very ambiguous. It is hard to dictate, with no hard and fast rules binding it. I feel that learning to deal with the three ranges of combat from the beginning is the best way to address self-defense. Knowing how to take someone down is the best way to be able to defend a takedown. As for taking someone out in 3 hits, I feel that this cannot be made into a hard and fast rule, either. In the chaos of a fight, you have to take what is given to you, and nothing is guaranteed. Just becuase a striker can't take someone out in 3 hits, doesn't mean that they have not mastered their striking aspects, in my opinion.

Welcome! That sounds interesting. It reminds me of Magic, the Gathering.

I agree with what you say beyond the Wall. Between that and the dragons, everything is going to get interesting. As for the wall, I don't like the fact that Stannis is there. I just have a funny feeling about everything going on there. I think his time is almost up. As for Jon, I hope his story continues to grow, and engulf even more of the Seven Kingdoms. The Mountain is going to look different, too, I think. Samwell's story should get interesting as well.

Well done!

Sounds great. Let us know what kind of gains you make.

Are you doing all of this bulking up and training now, just to have to cut weight when wrestling starts up again?

Judo or BJJ would be styles that do not practice katas as well. You could look into some of them, and grappling styles are intense workouts as well.

It will be very difficult for many of us to be able to tell you if a place is a McDojo by looking at a website and a few pictures. The best thing you can do is visit, watch some classes, ask some questions, and then assess the place as best as you can. Hopefully, you find what you are looking for.

I hear the first part of the above quote a lot. If this is the case, then how long before the striking aspects are mastered, and one can move on? And what about Kung Fu? Is it the same with Kung Fu? The only issue that I have with this concept is this: What if you spend a few years learning to attack and defend as a striker, but then get attacked by a wrestler? You said that the style should be practiced hollisticaly, but when should that start? Is the wait really necessary?

I think from its inception, fighting itself was all-inclusive. Many of the styles that we observe today have become what they are after their use in warfare began to decrease. As, for lack of better western terms, the "bujutsu" began to be replaced by the "budo," styles individualized and picked certain things to maintain and pass down. Before this, a warrior wasn't told, "don't do that; it isn't in our style." Fighting was all-inclusive, and now, with MMA coming around, it is beginning to get back to that. Yes, I know that MMA has a rule-set, and therefore can never completely emulate a street encounter. However, not many styles in practice today can. You either add rules, and up the contact level, or you take away the rules, and decrease the contact levels. Finding a happy medium is difficult, and no one will ever decide on one. As far as the street fighters go...well, they do fight, like Martial artists do fight. When it comes down to it, on the street, whether you get beat by a street fighter or a Martial Artist, you still get beat. It doesn't really matter how you classify them or yourself.

Agreed, most often however they opt for far less technical trapping options and settle for basic versions of trapping like immobilizing the limb and using it has an anchor point for strikes etc. This has been my experience with it. In the system I work it in, we call it a "pin." We pin the limb, and then proceed to immobilize, etc.

That is awesome! Staying active is part of a healthy lifestyle, and I am suprised that more doctors don't take this viewpoint when addressing injuries.

Perhaps he thinks you may do well if you do compete, and therefore is asking you to do so. I can see why you do not want to. However, if it does not require anymore time than you already give, aside from taking the day to compete, then you may consider giving it a try. Who knows? You may enjoy it, and you might do well. One great thing about competitions is that they are great learning experiences. However, if you really fell strongly about not competing, then stand your ground, and let you instructor know your feelings.

I am sure it will be worth the wait, though. I kind of look forward to a reunion between Jaime and Tyrion. I wonder how that will go. And it appeared that perhaps Jaime had cut his ties with his sister? I also anticipate the new and improved "Mountain that Rides."