bushido_man96

I don't know that I agree with that. If I wanted to protect myself, I'd carry a pistol.Well, I think part of reality is being in the know about the weapons that are availble for the time that you live in. Today, conceal and carry is a big thing, and that, in itself, is a bit of reality.

Wow, that was cool. How old was that kid? 8 or 9, maybe? Nice.

I think that the effectiveness of any style will be related to how the instructors present the information to the students. If they teach a self-defense oriented way, then I am sure it can be. But to look at a style on paper and wonder if it is effective, that is hard to know.

You make an interesting point, BB of C, however, I don't think the style you train in, even from a young age, has an affect on how tall you will be and what build you come with. However, I do feel that the art you study may determine how your body develops in relation to power, speed, and muscularity.

I think that there are good points here. The dancing motions kept the art disguised, so that they could practice it together. The practitioners are even called "players." The style does includen elbow strikes, headbutts, along with various hand strikes, aside from the kicking and handstanding. There are two derivations of Caporiea; Regional, which is supposed to be the more traditional of the two, and Angola, which is a bit more showy. As with any fighting art, the practicality of its applications will apply more to the ability of the instructor as opposed to the make-up of the art itself. So, it really depends on how you train. As you have stated, I think that there is some practicality to the art, or it would not have survived as it did.

I saw a few movies this weekend. First was Eragon. I have read the first two books, so I was highly disappointed in the movie. Brom's character was sorely undeveloped. He mentored Eragon much more in the book, and you learn more about Brom's past, which is quite significant. They developed Eragon way too fast, and Saphira as well. I think they have missed Roran entirely. In the book, Murtagh was a sword wielder, and they missed him as well. The romance between Arya and Eragon is misleading, too. Overall, I was disappointed, and am not really looking forward to seeing the second. Then, I watched Man of the Year, with Robin Williams. This movie was much more involved than I thought it would be, but I rather enjoyed it. Williams is so talented, that even if you don't like the subject of the movie, you can still enjoy him. In this movie, he got to be a serious person and a comedian at the same time. I would recommend this one.

Well, I don't say that it can't happen, I just don't rely on it to happen. I suppose if you can develop that much power, it can work. However, I know of some experienced fighters, and I just don't know how much it actually happens like that.

Very cool. I would drive across the state for that, for sure.

Ok, I have some home improvement updates.... My wife just finished painting the kitchen, for the most part. It looks very nice, I must say. She spent more time stripping wallpaper than painting, though. We have assembled the frame of the bookcase that is going into our son's room, and have put the first coat of paint on it. One more coat, and then I can work on the shelving. I was enjoying this project, until I managed to DUMP HALF OF THE CAN OF PAINT ON MY HAND, SHOES, AND FLOOR! After that, I pretty much lost all interest and patience in working on it that night. Next, my wife says we need to strip and re-stain our deck. That will be a good time. Right now, the weather is really pleasant. I just want to make sure we don't get a spring blizzard or something before we start that project.

I agree, James Bullock. So, Wallace actually had a seminar in KANSAS??? I didn't know about it!! That would have been great? Where exactly is Columbus?

I think its fairly trivial. Jim Wagner has said some other interesting things in regards to self defence like: “When I hit someone with my fist, the last thing I worry about is injury. I can get it fixed later at the hospital.” His way of rationalising the use of closed fisted techniques to the head. Interesting. I know that Wagner has his own views on things, as we all do. It sounded kind of interesting, though. In his classes, he uses the terminology "cease fire."

I think that this is really the case. You will recover faster if you don't train while sick. However, everyone is different.

Palms are nice for breaking. My middle brother did 3 boards with no problem.

Good luck to you! Its also cool to see you got back into officiating. I have judged at many TKD tournaments, and I know what it can be like. I have the greatest appreciation for the judges.

Nice post, Shorin Ryuu. I like some of your viewpoints. There is just one that I don't agree with....the One Strike, One Kill point. I just feel that this is a concept, more than an actual meaning, and that actually debilitating someone to the point of not continuing with just one technique will not happen that often. I think that there are reasonable exceptions, such as striking the throat, or the eyes, or taking the knee out. However, I think that many people assume that this concept can go for any technique. As I said, I think that it is a good concept to train by. Train a technique as though you will take someone out with it...a maximum effort, so to speak. I am just not sure the reality of it is there.

Vince Lombardi is great! Good one, DancingSteve.

I think we all know where "Superfoot" stands from a competition stand-point. I feel that competition isn't a bad thing. I think that a good Martial Artist can still train for both competition and self-defense. You make a good point here, bearich. I don't think you have to seek out a RBSD instructor to get that kind of training. I don't think anyone would consider Wallace an RBSD instructor, but he still teaches some reality-based views on fighting.

There is nothing wrong with getting a fresh start somewhere else. If you don't like the direction that your school is going, then go elsewhere. Look around, though. Check out every school, even if it is a style you don't think you would like. You never know, it may be just what you are looking for.

I was reading an article in BBMag by Bill Wallace this morning. He was discussing self-defense and reality-based fighting. Towards the end of the article, he makes a statement saying that reality-based fighting represents the roots of the Martial Arts. I know that it is just Wallace's opinion, and know one can really say that he is right, but I think that he makes a very good point. Initially, the Martial Arts were not about stylization and competition. They were about simplicity and efficiency in war. On the battlefield, things had to be as quick as possible. I know that the Martial Arts have come a very long way in its evolution. However, it always seems to go full-circle, back to keeping it simple in times of crises. What do you all think?

I think that another strength that I have is the willingness to listen to new ideas and from others. Keeping an open mind and an open ear are great ways to learn new things.

I read an interesting little article in my Black Belt Magazine by Jim Wagner. He said he does't use the word "stop" in his classes. He says many trained attackers would know that many fighters will stop when they hear the word, thus giving them an advantage. What do you think? I think I will try telling my partner to "stop" the next time I do some sparring, and see what kind of reaction I get.

Standing toe touches, seated reverse hurdler stretches, front and side splits can all help to improve your flexibility. However, also keep in mind that flexibility won't do you much good unless your legs are strong enough to lift themselves that high. Don't neglect leg strenght, either.

Congratulations!

Best of luck to you! Keep us posted...

DancingSteve is right. Your feet will calous in time. Just take care of them, and keep 'em clean. You can get some stuff called mole skin to cover areas that may blister, for when you wear your shoes. There is also some fake skin stuff that you can get, as well, that adds a protective layer of skin to your feet.