bushido_man96

quote Shui Tora: incorporate the Five Elements (Earth, Wind, Fire and Water) with opposites. You left out an element. What is the other?

Sure, just as there are people who can do complex math problems in their heads, whip up a gourmet meal with spaghetti O's and pancake syrup, or dunk a basketball while blindfolded. We all have our talents, but it is up to us to apply ourselves to reach our potential. Sometimes those who reach the top aren't always the ones who can leap the highest but those who never stop focusing on reaching the summit. Or something to that effect. Respectfully, Sohan Man, that is good. I like that wording a lot. Very inspirational.

Well said.

I have seen both here, wash it, or don't. One philisophy I have seen is that your belt represents the blood, sweat, and tears that you have put into your training, and washing it washes it all away. Just what I heard, not saying it is right or wrong.

no kidding! I learned the hard way to give up the body to save the head. I've gotten three concussions in my tournaments, 1 from baseball, 2 from football (other than karate they were just tough luck). It stinks! But now I haven't got hit in the head for about 4 years, lol, I learned my lesson. I always get asked to go full-contact by kick boxers and army people I train with...and some masachists...but I never do. I let them go full, but after seeing what happened to my opponent in a bare knuckle boxing match at about 75% I decided that was enough of that. Ahhh, makiwara and kime training. I hear you there. Those people who can do that stuff, they are a special breed. I have a friend like that, and a brother like that. Working out with them is fun!

I don't know about that. I think that it was probably jiu-jitsu for the most part early on, when it was taught to the samurai as unarmed combat techniques. Later on, when these techniques were not as necessary for combat (advent of the firearm), they started to become more like karate. Just my theory, though.

Quote: As for the later debate about carrying a knife to a gun fight, I would almost always choose to face a person w/ a gun over a knife, if they are inside about 10-15 feet distance. If you get in close and have some control on their arm the side of the barrel cant cut you where the edge of the blade easily will. I would agree about the range there. Knifes are harder to control than a gun in defense.

The Marial Arts are all part of the same family tree, aren't they.

Joe Lewis had a mean crossover side kick as well.

I agree with this quote here, and I am a TKD guy. I don't think I would ever try a head kick in self-defense. However, I do believe athleticism is a good attribute to have. Being athletic will help out immensely if you ever have to defend yourself. It will help to recover after the adrenaline dump, and your muscles won't get quite so tired as well. Technique may beat atleticism, but if you catch up with an athlete who has good technique, then just plain technique gets beat.

This is just my opinion, but if you can train hard in a 3 minute round, and wear yourself down each time, then fighting a two minute round should be a little easier.

Go with Sohan. I have that book, and it has all you will probably ever need in it.

Hey, don't knock the fat guys! I am fat, and hope maybe I can achieve a level like that some day. As the body gets older, metabolism tends to slow down, so that may have something to do with it. Being a master may have something to do with the knowledge they possess, and not their physical appearance.

I am not in karate, so I can't offer info on different variations of the form. I kind of like the way it looks, though.

You may have fast moves, it may just be the time between moves. See if you rest a little less between moves if it will speed up the form a little.

At the age of 65, he would probably be one of the most fits elderly people in the world today. I think he would continue to be an MA icon as well. I feel that he would have continued to make great MA films, and would help to improve them as well. He probably would be the most sought-after private lessons instructor in the world as well. And, he may have embraced the onset of BJJ, and would have studied and adapted it to what he could do as well.

I have seen a lot of ISKA on ESPN at late nights. It looks like fun, but don't have a way to get into it. That, and I would be a 5'8" heavyweight!

An ego can be a dangerous thing. I am finding that a problem that I have is that I am not an overly aggressive person, and not very confrontational. I am trying to overcome this in my new job.

Also, if you use bleach on your gi, I have found that it makes the gi fall apart sooner because it weakens the fabric. With respect, Sohan Good point. I never bleach my do-bok.

I mentioned another story fully in another post, but briefly here, my brother and I worked in throws once, and he tossed me across a room. It was a nice flight, better than Delta!

Laws are getting tougher to interpret, and everyone is scared to act because they don't know if they will get sued or not.

I have heard Ying and Yang, Um and Yang, and Yin and Yang, just depending on the culture. Um and Yang, the Korean equivalent, is representative of heaven and earth, and is a symbol of the constant duality that exists in the universe.

Aaa, not interested in boffer fighting. I got my armor as a gift, so I was lucky. I have a friend who made his own armor and helm. They aren't anything fancy, but they serve the purpose. I've got a basket hilted sword, but I think a basket would look silly on my axe!

When I attempt shoulder push-ups, I feel my face turning beet red.

There is no question about the advantages of being multi-lingual.