Abraham_lincoln

Dojo: bodyworks karate City: Media, PA (sort of around Philadelphia) Sensei: Jonathan shapiro, 6th dan

One thing to think about is the fact that aikido is an asian martial art. In Japan's edo period, the government prosecuted christians. Christianity conflicted just a bit too much with the culture. You could be right, but the bible can be used to make metaphors for anything. The youth minister of my church said last year that if we tried to quote scripture to prove a certain point, he could just contradict us with another passage. The comparison of the two things is just too hard to make a difinitive conclusion.

Interestingly enough, I was just hearing about this. At the dojo a couple nights ago, we were working on pressure points. Some, like the ones we were using, were simply just twisting the hand or arm in ways that it would break if it went beyond, forcing the opponent to move along with the hand or arm. According to George sensei, (who is also a professor at a nearby college) western medicine has no explaination for certain pressure points, but eastern medicine says that there are energy lines running through your body, and pressure points block those lines. One example of this is a point just above the elbow that can stop the heart if pressed too long.

Surely, at least half of you know my story by now, but I'll tell it again anyway. (Sorry, I'm not just into talking about myself, there are just a lot of topics like this!) I left after achieving 1st dan at my dojo. I was only 12 (It had still been 6 years, my dojo doesn't just hand out black belts), but ironically, that was the goal that I'd set up for myself when I started, and being then in middle school, it was just too much for me to handle at once. So I went back to visit in January, and all of the instructors remembered me. So I decided to go back. Of course, it was a while before I got back into shape. Anyway, that's how it went with me. I find that, when you are a little kid doing karate, or any martial art, there is indeed a social aspect to it. Most everyone is high energy, and very personable in the dojo. I went to all of my senior friends' black belt graduations and other such things. The point is, for little kids, it really is up to what they enjoy doing most. It really is too bad, but that's the sensei's decision. If you haven't already, I would suggest that you should point out some of these things to him or her.

Me? Well... when I was 6. But since I couldn't help otherwise, I do have an inspirational story. One of the books that we had to do for summer reading this summer is called "life is so good". It's about a man who was 98 when he learned to read. I know, it has nothing to do with martial arts, but if you look at it metaphorically, it helps. He was born in the late 1890's, and was black, so he kept being discriminated against, working for very little on farms, and such. Yet when he was 101, he was a prodigious reader, and inspired many other people to go back to school. And besides, 27 is still young, as I see it. One person in my dojo just started, and they're 35. Another person is 50 or so, and counting back from where he is now, I would say that he started around 44.

I'm one of those people who's done a lot of research on the ninja. One interesting thing I came across was that nunchaku were just invented to look cool in movies, and weren't actually used by anyone before Bruce Lee. Edit: Oh, right, the actual question. I wouldn't think that they are practical as weapons, because first, they are so hard to have any control over, and second, they really aren't much of a range increase. You might as well use a kick or something, that's probably about the same range, anyway.

This is the kind of thread that I joined this forum for. I'm Ian, I'm also 15, and I just went back a few months ago, after 3 years or so. I got to shodan, and then I quit. When I went back, I found the classes to be excruciating, physically. The katas that I knew to get to shodan were replaced by other ones, that I now have to learn. So I can't really help there. Anyway, It's been about half a year, and I now find that classes don't bother me physically anymore, just because the repetition of the exercise really does wonders for endurance. We're not really a tournament dojo, so I'm afraid I can't help with anything like that. Hope that helps!

I had a similar experience, but a little different. I decided to quit, once I got my blackbelt. At the time, I was 12 or so (That actually wasn't too young, because I'd been training since I was 6.) Anyway, I decided to re-join half a year ago, when I was 14. Enough about me. If you think that you can do it, and you really want to, I say go for it. Being a blackbelt is worth it. I outrank people three times my own age, plus the undeniable physical benefits. The biggest factor in all of it is not strength or endurance, but determination. If you can keep sight of why you started and restarted, stick to the schedule, and continue even when you don't want to, there shouldn't be a problem. Good luck!