Tef

At five, i watched the first TMNT (teenage mutant ninja turtles) movie and fell in love with Martial arts, then mortal kombat came out and it was raw. But, the movie that pushed me to the martial arts would have to be Ong-Bak. But best MA movie of all time: 5 fingers of Death. Shaw brothers Classic.

Umm... Cool. Is that point-break kickboxing? because that's sort of against the whole idea of kickboxing. (IMO) Otherwise, good fight.

For the most part, there aren't any differences how boys and girls are treated in dojo, but sometimes girls will question techniques with groin-strikes in them with the enivitable "what if my attackers a girl/woman?" In my point-break sparring class, there isn't a problem of the actual contact, but with partnering up. In my class, we have to partner up by age and size. The person who is my size and age almost excatly is a girl named "Brit" (not her real name). The problem arises when I choose her because of our physical compatability in sparring. the head instructor will come over after sparring group and ask me "Look, we really can't have any relationships inside dojo." I find it crazy b/c she's not my type. On the flip side, when she chooses me, she is commended for taking the "challenge" of partnering up with someone faster than she is. Other than that, it's all good at dojo. One, Tef

In Notre dame, quasimodo finally passes away and the church guy (I'm Buddhist, so i have no clue about Catholic heirarchy) needs to find a new church bell ringer. Unfortunately, no one wants the job. For a week, the father has to run up to the top of the bell tower, ring the bell for services, the run down to start them up. Finally, a man comes with no arms and says "I'll be the church bell guy." The priest asks "how? you have no arms." The armless guy replies "Watch this." The father watches as the armless guy swings his head into the bell. The bell rings. Unfortunately, the bell swings around and hits the armless guy. Although there is a railing around the bell tower, the armless guy can't grab it, so he falls off the tower and dies. The father runs down the tower to perform some death prayer thing (sorry, Buddhist remember?), but the guy never gave the priest his name. Someone on the street comes up to the priest and asks "did you know what his name was?" The priest replies... Wait for it... Wait for it... Wait for it... "No, but his face rings a bell." (GROAN....)

I'm 17 and once this little white belt kid rolled up to me literally with a posse in dojo and said, with the sternest voice "I know i have a lower horse stance than you." I didn't have the heart to say to him, "look, you're 7. Of course you have a lower horse stance." So, i went into the lowest horse stance i could, then he goes into an adequate horse stance and beats me. He goes off laughing and singing to his friends "I beat a purple belt. I beat a purple belt!" It was really funny.

I am a lover of the Jian, so that's it. You can also use the sheath as a sort of straight-shield. The jian and the movements that go with the training allow a person to be able to get in close against a longer weapon (bo, spear) or move quickly against a close-quarters weapon (other swords and blunted object.)

souped-up Jian.

Non-bladed: Quarter-Staff. It's blunt and gets the job done. One solid hit from a QS made of bamboo will suck. trust me. I break heavy clay pots with this thing. Bladed: Jian (Chinese Straight sword). It's fast. Razor sharp on both sides (major advantage), flexible and light weight.

I'd say the Black belt wouldn't get anything. If he used a martial arts technique to disable and then harm to robber, that'd be another story, but the BB hit the robber on the head. As a former poster said, anyone could do it. Also, in California, self-defense means putting the attacker, who may be creating danger to you or others, in a position that they cannot do any more harm. It takes very little energy to pull a trigger and fire a gun, so the only way to subdue the robber would be to knock him or her out. FREE BLACK BELT JOE!!!

W/ witnesses: make a scene to show people that she's the aggressor. Then stomp her out. and cover out in the raw wushu pose (sorta j/k) W/o witnesses: defend myself. If it means i have to really hurt her, sucks. She was the aggressor. Can i uphold chivalry when my throat gets cut or i get beaten to death? No. statistically, women are less likely to assault a man, but it still happens and ain't nothing lady-like about assault. At my high school, this guy got jumped by 3 girls and defended himself. He wasn't called a sexist or anything and he knocked them all out.

Technically, "Fearless" was Li's final "martial arts movie," but he's saying this new one is going to be a "family movie based on a old chinese story." He tricked us. Also, Jackie Chan is just plain raw, see any of his pre-American movies and you will be amazed at how much more talent he had than when American directors directed him. See "Drunken Master" (the original choreographed by Yuen Wu Ping, it is amazing.

The statistics still don't go up that much. When you think of how many people there are in the world, the number of people that are victims of these things is actually quite low. The simple fact is that most people will not be involved in an altercation in their adult lives. In my city of about 700,00 people, this year, we've had about 115 murders. that is a lot, but small in comparison to 700,000. And even at 115, we are worse than the national average in that and every other category when it comes to crime. In 2004, we had the following: 3771 robberies 444 rapes 105 murders 7339 car thefts 233 arsons and thousands of other violent crimes, totaling 10,133. so, out of 700,000 people, only 10,133 were victimized. More than we'd like, but it shows what we are saying - most people are not victimized. that's why I use the following when comparing sport fighters to self defense guys: SD guys train for a possibility; sport guys train for an inevitability. What stats are you getting? 105 murders? I wish it were really like that! I live in the East Bay area and in 2006 alone there were 85 homicides in Richmond. 3 in berkeley, 126 in Oakland and probably 100+ more in SF. That's not counting the other cities San Jose, Vallejo, East Palo Alto. I also thing that a "sport guy" isn't ready when the inevitable thug comes up to you with a gun to your chest. A self-defense (MA) person tends to learn to avoid the conflict altogether. My take on UFC = Mortal Kombat. (I always imagine Shang Tsun coming to one of these fights saying: Your soul is mine.) I see little art in their fighting, just a few punches then straight to the ground. I think it's very popular because when you train in MMA, it doesn't take that long of training to get results, unlike other martial arts where it may take 2-3 years to actually be raw. U.S. people want it Now, Now, NOW! I actually made a bet with my teacher that in ten years, when i earn a black belt, i will walk into anyone of those UFC fights, challenge three fighters and beat them in 3 rounds or less. Yes, it seems insane and it may seem cocky, but they don't look that tough. That macho statement leads into my next point: the variable of the practicioner. Much earlier in this thread, someone said that Kung Fu and Karate masters were defeated by the almighty, invincible Iron style: BJJ. I say: it's not the style, it's how well you train. Forget the UFC. Throw a Shaolin Monk in there and we'll see in MMA can stand up.

I, like many others on this thread, don't believe that we should apply to rules of the ancient times to now, but still should maintain the same amount of respect for our own dojo. When I went to go try out another dojo, the sensei there told me to ask my teacher. When I actually asked my teacher, he got a quizzical look on his face and asked "umm...sure. You don't have to ask me."

two options: A) you hit him/her and she takes it. Then, you die or are banned from the system, but not before doing a near-death (literally) workout B) you miss and try to play it off.

if i were to die tomorrow, I would have no last words, because nothing significant is really said in you last instances. If i have to die, it's like Lao Tzu said: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." I study Buddhism, which basically says, every lifetime truly lived is one step closer to Nirvana/Enlightenment. I'd like to live a lot longer, but if i have to die, then it shall be. Plus, i'd go down kicking and screaming (kiaing) before i died.

Y'know bushido_man, i was just going to mention that exact story, it's crazy that she was your student. (no offense, i thought it was an MA training myth) Anyhoo, Drinking + any type of activity other than dancing in the club/ trying to spit game at a person of the opposite sex = all bad. Yes, drunken style was created by a MA master practicing while drunk, but i truly doubt a drunken master would get really faded every time s/he practiced. For your last hurrah, get smashed and do a format. It isn't all that cool. I've done it and i just looked stupid and had no power

the way i train to get faster is to do to the techniques and katas i know with 5 pound weights in my hands. This conditions my arms to be used to some resistance/weight, so when i actually do the technique/kata, i get much faster.

This is pretty intense, but i have been trying to do the inch-a-day regiment that i do at my dojo. It's self-explanitory. You basically do the splits once or twice a day, pushing you self to the limit every time. Then hold it for about 3-5 minutes. Do this every day and you splits will come. It's like becoming enlightened, it won't come one great day when you just wake up and sink down into full or inverted splits, you have to have patience, unless you're dying, you've got a lot of time. My amaut'a (sensei) said it takes about 3 months at most for a person who has no stretching capability.

One connection i've found is the idea of dettachment from the self. For example, when you're doing a format and you're getting tired, your amaut'a (sensei/teacher) tells you all the pain is in your head. Also, a workout is like meditation for me, personally. Yes, active meditation is very possible. All my past drama is nothing when i start my workout. It is possible to separate the two.

I actually started boxing and the legs are just as worked on in training as the arms. Yes, the arms are the only weapons of the boxer, but the legs have to be strong to a) hold that boxing stance for so long and b) twist the body's weight into a punch. Still, wail on a boxer's legs rather than their face or stomach and you'll probably be okay. Also, you can't work out the throat, eyes or solar plexus to be rock hard. And a good hit to a pressure point on the arms will cut his or her game short pretty quickly.

My friend actually has dubbed this style "train style." He, a pretty big guy, basically just charges at you firing jabs and crosses. He's too big to get around. It's extremely unorthodox, but it works. Parkerlineage, how does anyone let a butterfly kick hit them? It's such an easily telegraphed move. For that matter, how do any flying kicks or reverse round houses connect? This is just my own doubt with some input from my sensei as well. He just goes by the philosophy that the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line, which basically mean just use front kick, side kick (a beastly kick nonetheless), wheel kick and front leg wheel. One Muay Thai technique i found fun to use is: Feign a high rear or side thrust kick to an opponent to make him/her back up, then quickly crouch down, spin around and then jump up, striking with a knee to the stomach/ chest and a elbow to the head. I've done this a few times and have never landed both strikes, it's usually just the knee or elbow. I'm actually too slow. P.S. What is a Chicken kick exactly?

As an orange belt, i completely agree. The "white belt" or beginning stages of your martial arts is like your freshman year in high school. You learn the ettiquette, where to go, what do do and most importantly learn! I actually love my white belt techniques so much more than my OB techniques. Yes, OB techniques look cooler, but i just love doing WB techniques and reminiscing on when and how I learned them. I think a lot of people should go all their white belt material and ask themselves: "how exactly, based on that format, have i improved?" I'm amazed at what i've learned mentally and physically in only one year.

So agree with the money thing, too! My dojo runs from 100 U.S.D. to 400! That's insane! I also want to start me own styles after i earn my blackbelt. Hyphy style - a martial art mixed with movements from Hyphy dance. Ala Capoeria (sp). Watch the "tell me when to go" music video to get an idea of the dance. Then, imagine a person fighting using those movements. Puma Style - An animal style i'm going to have to do some research on. Basically, it's like leopard style with with a lot more body lifting and kicking.

At our dojo, there is a program for kids young as 3-5. But it is more or a Martial arts games class, they aren't expected to even remember a basic kick set. As the writer of this article said, we do have advanced students training at the same time, so the kids can see that they can acheive that level of skill and discipline.

Very much respect to your article. I feel the same way, but sadly the world doesn't. Certainly, there is a great lack of chivarly in today's society.As Patusai pointed out, the United Statesian (I disagree with the word American) philosophy of "I gotta get mine" mixed with the dog-eat-dog philosophy of capitalism has overrun any chance of the return of chivalry in the U.S. I try to be chivalrous in my high school but that has landed me in various sticky situations. For instance, I saw two girls about to get into a fight on the last day of school. I walked up to them while they were getting intense and asked "Is everythiing alright?" (actually, i asked "aiyyo, what's goin' on, y'all?") One girl responded very rudely and the other pushed me away. Two seconds later, a stray fist glanced my face and a fight had begun. Another time, I, like you, saw a girl from my class coming down the hallway to class. Seeing her, I opened the door for her and held it open. Rather than say "thank you" or even ignore my action, she began to berate me. She started to yell at me, in essence saying, "Just because I'm a girl, you think I need this door opened for me. That 'chivalry' [junk] is so sexist, it just assumes women are weak and need big strong men (said sarcastically) to open doors for us. Fool..." She pushed past me. Finally, at the beginning of the summer, I called my ex-girlfriends house to talk to her about our recent break-up. Her mother answered the phone and told me not to call anymore. I answered politely, "I understand, ma'am." I barely got enough time to say "It's not to say that you're old, but I respect you and your daughter" when she started yelling at me, saying that I was calling her old. Not trying to be disrespectful, I listened to her 5-minute rant. She went from me being age-ist to saying "just because you take martial arts, you're soooo (sarcastically) respectful." I realized one thing about "chivalry," it has to go two ways. The two girls in the fight were too intent on hurting each other to even give an instant to my worry, my classmate had her feminist opinion on chivalry, and finally, my ex's mom though that i was being sarcastic. People feel uncomfortable because our (united states) society is so based on "all for one." In other societies, like Latin American families, you're punished for not being chivalrous. No, chivalry is not dead, but most of the world aren't ready for it.