bushido_man96

Ninjas were a class of bujutsu in fuedal Japan that focused a lot on espionage, infiltration, and assassination. There were some specializations of ninjitsu at the time, relating to these fields. I am not so sure if the art that exists today can be accurately linked to what it used to be.

It is also a good reason to just get together and talk MA with a bunch of MA buddies.

Doing some plyometric exercises with the arms can help to build some explosiveness as well.

Gary Sheffield is in Detroit this year. Is this a loss that concerns you, Patrick? I think he will fit well in Detroit, and has played for Leyland before, with success. Maybe the change of scenery is good for both parties. I also read that Mark Prior plans on being in the rotation when opening day comes around. I hope he is. He won't be the ace, but is said to be competing for the 4th or 5th spot. I think Zambrano has earned his way to being the ace of that staff. However, after opening day, does it really matter what the pitching rotation is?

I'd heard that he was taught by the General but I didn't realise he was one of the first blackbelts under him.. Yep, if I remember my history right....

This thread, posted by Shotokan-kez, adds some other thoughts and points that seem to coincide with the views expressed in my article: http://www.karateforums.com/do-we-need-to-ask-permission-vt29499.html

We finished painting the hallways. Now, we get to paint the kitchen. My wife also informed me last night that she doesn't think our Harvest Yellow kitchen appliances aren't going to go well with the new paint! Ay, caramba!

Wait til you watch some of them do the 225 pound bench press. I guess while they are there, they have regular nutrionists set up their meals. The fullback from Rutgers said that he lost about 15 pounds, and wants to try to be a tailback in the NFL. With the extra weight off, he is looking at shedding 40 time as well.

I don't get to watch Truck races, because I don't get Speed Channel. However, I did see the finish, and it was a bad deal for him. Kenseth got to pull the sweep this weekend. Congrats to him. I thought Harvick could have caught him, but that flat tire sealed the deal. Bummer for Kevin; he had a rocket! It's all good, though; Kenseth was one of my fantasy picks this week. The DEI cars seemed to have some engine problems, unfortunately. Truex was looking fast, and had a good qualifying spot. Dale thought he had the problem fixed, but alas, did not. I also noticed that Michael Waltrip, the flagship owner for Toyota, failed to make the race. Still being -27 points, I think he will unfortunately be spending the rest of the seaon digging his way out of the whole. I look for him to make the transition from racer/owner to owner within the next few years.

We got some snow and ice this last weekend. It is nice today, and the sun is shining. I think it will melt most of it off.

I agree. Honestly, most of the fighting instructors out there would not advise action like this. I am not downgrading what he did...it was very admirable. However, there are very few of us who I think would actually do it.

Ouch, Sohan. Although I can see the merit in the points that you make,....I still enjoy the movie from time to time. I like that action; not concerned with the acting. Number 2 is the same way for me, but I haven't seen 3.

Looks like a good card. I would love to see the Hughes/Silva match. I like Hughes, so that is who I am going with.

That sounds great. I don't have Ion TV around here, though. I can catch some MMA re-runs on FSN and Spike at nights, though.

This is very true. You can't get it all at once. Almost 14 years, and I am still working on the splits. It's all good, though.

This is good advise. Many people feel this way when starting their martial arts training; even athletes. It passes as your body adapts to the training.

Hey, cathal, this is a very good point, indeed. When I was certified as an instructor in the ATA, I was required to be certified in CPR/first aid as well. I do think it is important, and I will be the first to admit that I need to get it renewed. I have also considered it as well for my current occupation. The AED machine sound very nice. Being able to see those readings would make CPR even easier.

Good job!

I'm told that tangsudo is just Koreanized shotokan, it's more shotokanny than taekwondo but not as shotokanny as shotokan I believe they practice a kata called balsae which is the Korean version of bassai dai. That is an interesting analogy. Thanks for sharing.

I may be wrong, but I have read in some places that Karate's use of these terms tends to be taken a little farther in their American/Karate usage than they really are. Just what I have read, though.

So, you are a beginner in Shotokan, have no prior experience, and want to double-grade at a testing this year? Pretty lofty goals, I think. My advise to you is not to worry about the testings, but what you learn in between them. There is so much more to it than double-gradings and the next belt. Enjoy your time. Don't rush it.

Go to each of the schools that you mentioned, and watch a class. Then, interview each of the instructors in the same manner that you are asking these questions to us. This will help you get the best answer. Good luck, and welcome to the Forums!

Practicing on a punching bag, or a speed bag, can help as well. Technique first, though, then work on speed.

I usually agree with just about everything you say. But keep in mind that Brazilian Jiujitsu has every take down that Judo has. The link below is of Rickson, Roion and Royler at a Judo club in 1987. This was the school of Howard Nishioka who is a legend in the sport (Rickson, of course, beats him a couple times). My point is that it's a good school and they all hold their own. Howard is even heard saying that Rickson and Royler could represent their country or the US in international Judo competition easily. While Royler's take first take down in the video was a little sloppy, the second one was text book. Watch how he hooks the leg and rolls through with it. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1015797790370952500&q=royler+and+rickson&hl=en Thanks for the correction, ps1. I guess it is just that in any of the fights I have watched, the takedowns didn't appear impressive. Not that they do, mind you...simplicity is the key. It is a comparison based on what I have seen in Wrestling and Judo.

When holding the kicking shield, make sure you get into some kind of STANCE before letting the other person kick!