ckdstudent

How exactly do you get in close enough to use the moment when the kick rechambers? A punch to the face or a kick to the thigh hurts a grappler and does as much damage as it would to a non-grappler. On top of that kickers often have exceptional balance, so its harder to take them down, especially since they'll be throwing punches and kicks out towards you almost constantly. I always find it interesting how people seem to say that grapplers are invincible, and can defeat any striking art. Somehow I have to believe it depends more n the person, and on the training.

Cory, along similar lines: what if someone is behind you, holding your arms? what if you've got a broken arm? what if they've got a knife, club, chair? what if they're a boxer? what if they're going for your legs to try and take you down? what if you've got two broken arms? what if you've dislocated a shoulder? You can play what if all day, and it's nearly always absolutely useless.

Actually if faster than light travel is ever developed it'll simply break Einstein's theory, since according to relativity to travel faster than, or even equal to, light not only requires infinite energy but also provides you with infinite mass, or as close to as makes no difference. As for the kata, it does teach you how to perform techniques in combination, shifting bodyweight and good technique. In sparring juniors often sacrifice most of these in order to get speed, as do most seniors. Same goes with guard, a lot of people in sparring drop their guard as they do techniques. So patterns are a chance to practice combinations of good techniques and get into good habits. As for traditional styles taking years to learn to defend themselves I disagree completely, although my viewpoint on this may be coloured since I do not study a traditional martial art. Most people know how to perform basic self defense techniques (punch, kick, block) after the first few classes. We had someone in our school, never done martial arts before, not particularly fit, did two weeks worth of classes and got attacked. Using the same combination that they did in patterns (outwards block, rear inwards punch, front kick) they managed to persuade their attacker to stop and limp away. Of course, I'm not sure whether or not Choi would be classed as traditional.

So the fact that someone can demonstrate that they have the technique for set moves, the co-ordination to perform them, and the stamina to keep them going for an hour shouldn't be used as part of their grading? As for breaking, just a quick comment. We were always taught that it's mainly a self-confidence thing. The baord break has been used so long that its become one of the stereotypes of martial arts, so if people know that they can break a piece of wood with their techniques they feel more confident about them. Don't ask me why, they just do. Now that I think about it we always used various strengths of plastic boards, so that it was always something of a challenge anyway. [ This Message was edited by: ckdstudent on 2002-05-25 17:19 ]

If you're going up against a knife back off and avoid rather than blocking until you can go for a trap. Throwing your arm out in the way is asking for injury. Also if you're wearing a coat or similar and get the chance you can wrap it around an arm, provides some degree of defense against the blade.

To me my belt means nine years of hard work, I don't really care if it means anything to anyone else. Have you ever entered a semi-contact contest, its harder than it looks. There are actually more injuries in semi-contact than in full contact contests. As for size being important, yes it is. However more important is speed, I'm 5'10" and we have some people in our school who bodybuild regularly, martial arts is the only exercise I get and these people are half again my weight. And yet for some reason (perhaps simply more experience and practice at the techniques) they don't provide much of a challenge. [ This Message was edited by: ckdstudent on 2002-05-25 06:20 ]

Depends where you're fighting, if you get into a one on one fight in a crowded pub or club and take someone down to the ground then you're going to make more enemies than friends as you wrestle around, spilling drinks and knocking people over.

Gun defenses are really only designed to be used when you know you're gonna die if you don't get the gun off them, otherwise there's just too much risk. Knife defenses are much more effective, so long as you're prepared to get cut.

I have to say that I've never met a black belt who can only do three or four moves before being tired. I can't imagine how they'd get through even our white belt grading at that standard.

Generally most countries will let you carry weapons so long as they're for a valid reason. The other day me and a friend took a couple of bokken and went to spar in the park, no one complained or stopped us, although they may have been just scared.

In the shop I work in we have two black belts, myself and the assistant manager. We had a lot of shoplifting up until a week ago when the manager caught a big guy (6 foot something) shoplifting and called him to stop and pay for the book. He started to make a fuss, so the manager mentioned to him that there were two trained black belts in the shop. He paid for the book, and the shoplifting stopped. We also accidently overcharged him £50.

Jambo Grgen Ero Swift of Deepheat

Threats, people respond to threats in one of two ways. Either they submit, or they fight (not necessarily physically, ignoring a threat or matching someone's insult are also fighting against a threat).

It is better to not have a knife, and not be searched by security, than to have a knife and be chucked into prison for the night until they can press charges.

The adrenaline rush is actually aimed towards flight, not fight, it can simply be abused to 'help' you defend yourself.

Getting tired faster though isn't why you get the sickly feeling, that's because of the lack of blood to the digestive system which effectively shuts it down.

Choi Kwang Do, naturally enough.

SNES, classic games which are actually playable

Shame we didn't stay in the Kyoto treaty then, because most of the EU has already met its requirements. You'll find that in most countries there is some form of Nazi party, and they're very much a minority, but you see unlike some countries we practice true democracy and allow everyone to speak their view, rather than just having two parties who control everything.

They all originate eventually from Korea, and many of the techniques and principles are similar between the various versions.

The kids don't have to pick up a gun, when you get down to it they made that choice themselves, no one made it for them. No matter what pressures they were under nothing excuses murder.

This is why Tae Kwon Do is the largest martial art in the world, nearly as many forms of it as there are of Kung Fu.

Strange, I've seen lots of programs with nunchucks televised. You're not allowed to carry them openly in public unless they're the foam training ones, but that's all.

Ahem, the EU do adhere to the Kyoto agreement, that's the whole point.

Then of course there was that incident a few years back where an American embassy was damaged by a terrorist bomb, so in retaliation the American government launched a missile at a pharmaceutical and/or chemical weapons factory, there's still been no firm evidence either way as to which. Actually my favourite part was an interview between a British BBC reporter and an American government person. American Government Person: Of course we were justified, you should know all about the necessary response to terrorist acts, given all the terrorism you have. BBC: Yes, and as of yet we haven't launched missiles or broken international law. AGP: *silence* Sorry, not meaning to pick on america particularly but I love that interview. That's the gist of it at least.