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There will always be traditional schools. Sometimes very few, but they will always be there. Sooner or later, people will see what a joke these commercialized schools are, and they'll seek more traditional study. Commercialism in the martial arts comes and goes. Even Musashi was complaining about it-in the 1600s. It's nothing new.

A million people have tried this and come up with their own Aikikenburyudojutsu-type art, then named themselves the 10th dan grandmaster. This is the wrong way to go about it. You can't just take martial arts like legos and stick them together. All you get is a sloppy rip-off of other styles. Focus should be on philosophy. What is your art's aim? Neutralization? Death? Injury to the point of escape? Sport, maybe? I would make an art that uses circling footwork to slide into the enemy and knock them back, incorporating heavy, momentum-based strikes and checks alongside the counters and throws. If you simply must classify it as something or other, think of it as a mix between Bagua and Xingyi. There. Happy?

Yo.

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In Aikido, our guard is just a casual 'hands up and forward'. Not exactly boxing stance, but relaxed. Left hand near the body, right hand up and out toward the head. From here, you can whip your arms out to any part of your body, one close and low, the other out and high. No matter what form this defense takes, everyhting, Northern Mantis, JKD, Wing Chun, Aikido, Shotokan, you name it, uses it in some form or another.

Well said, Taikudoka. A lot of people have never seen Karate as it actually is. Go for a round of Okinawan village boxing, where they have boxing-style bouts using Okinawan Karate. Those make boxing look like a girl's sport. For everyone who doubts Karate: it is a good fighting art, just with very bad publicity. Learn it, and you will be more than able to defend yourself. And if you happen to get into a fight with a good karateka...you have my sympathy.

THANK YOU! This is exactly what I've been trying to get across! Mankr, if a shinobi could, I'm sure one would give you a hug right now.

Let's leave it at this before things get ugly: The USA is one of the greatest countries in the world to live in. Unfortunately, the government and media are centered around money and power, which will naturally corrupt them. This is the freedom upon which the US is based, and the change will NOT come in the higher powers; you can NOT sit around waiting for the government to change. The change must happen in YOU, in the public, in the people themselves. This is a democratic nation. In order to vote, you must know what you are voting for or against. Educate yourselves in the time you are spending worrying about the shortcomings of other nations.

Wow.

Most karateka in this country aren't much in the way of fighters. But take a look at some of the guys in Japan, and how they train. I have personally witnessed a boxer nearly getting killed by a Shotokan guy. Karate and boxing have striking similarities, just not evident until the karateka gets good. Most karateka in this country simply don't, because of insufficient training. I understand that you may have doubts about Karate's effectiveness, but rest assured that it is an excellent, and potentially lethal, fight art, but only when practiced correctly.

Regardless of grade, some people get it, others don't. Althogh grade matters, it doesn't matter quite so much as that unique ability to teach, something that not everyone has.

Read some of our posts in the Internal Arts section. Maybe that'll mean something, because personally, I can't explain it in less than 8 pages

The Night of a Thousand Kata *shudder* It seems to be some sort o cult tradition among Shotokan senseis.

Nah, that's a common mistake. Ninja wore dark blue, sometimes even dark grey or green. Like painters, ninja know that dark blue appears darker than black to then human eye. But yes, they did wear those ugly tabi As for books, I doubt you would find many on the history of ninja. Maybe an outline from Japanese historical texts, but not an in-depth history. And if you do find one, be skeptical. It's not like the Mafia go around publishing textbooks about their history, so why should ninja? As far as books about Ninjutsu and its many forms, you're bound to find plenty of those. Just don't trust any by Frank Dux.

It comes down to this: Do you want to seriously dedicate your time to it, or just learn it for self-defense? Unless you have A LOT of time, Bujinkan is not for you. Ah, screw it. Just flip the coin

Does this tunic make me look fat? http://www.masterninja.com/members/index.php?member=) _________________ d----- [ This Message was edited by: -: on 2002-07-08 13:51 ] [ This Message was edited by: -: on 2002-07-08 13:51 ]

Hey, a fellow redneck! Welcome aboard, sir!

I guess I overreacted. Sorry. Maybe I should order a http://www.ninjaburger.com and calm down.

The effect of intervening in other countries' politics might have a desired effect, but America's intentions are far from pure. To the public: Freedom, Justice, and Security To the Sponsors: Freedom of exploitation to Justify safety and Security. As long as we are ruled by the Almight Dollar, it's going to be that way. War has never been much of a problem for America. Most of the time, it has been a great way to make money, as well as a nice publicity stunt. Until America gets beat down, which will happen sooner or later, as it does to all imperialists, it will continue to grow, expand, and corrupt itself. And like all the mightiest trees of the forest, it will be impenetrable from without, while it rots to nothingness within.

People have different anotomies. Some people have veins embedded deeper in the skin, beyon penetration level. Nature gave 'em an advantage. But everyone has every pressure point listed. If you didn't you wouldn't have nerves. And if you didn't have nerves, you would not be here right now. Either way, accupuncture works on everybody. No dermal layer can shield nerve clusters that securely. Needle just slides across the nerve, the electric pulses become attracted to it. Bare hands might not get the pressure points, but the needles always will. That is, as long as your anatomical complexity is nematode or higher.

If you want to see powerful stances in action, try some Drunken kata, preferrably Choy Li Fut. Watching and performing these kata show you just how important and powerful stances are to a fight.

Most internal styles don't have hard strikes. You can't really tell what these styles are good for until you see a good fighter in action. You redirect your enemy's power and use their own momentum and balance against them. The results are utterly devastating in some cases, such as Xingyi.

I think it comes down how well a teacher can help the student improve him/herself. A sensei should not simply teach a student this or that. He should teach a student how to learn. Then the student will be able to truly progress. An ideal sensei should not demand respect. This should come naturally from his students. If he is a good sensei, he will get respect. He should help the student understand what is being taught, so that the student will constantly be focused on the objective, not on counterproductive thoughts. A good sensei, above all, is an ally, not merely a teacher.

Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm going to be. Most of you don't know the first thing about ninja or their lifestyle. First of all, they existed. If they had not, Japan would still be run by Shogunates. Second of all, ninja were not superhuman freaks. They were normal peasants, villagers, fishers, farmers, whatever, that trained to be able to fight the oppressive samurai. From historical records, we know that these individuals banded together as clans, and soon formed large orginizations upon the fall of the shogunates and the end of the Bakumatsu. Ninja as you people think of them have never been around. I don't really care how many ninja movies you have seen, throw all that BS out the window. Ninja used blades, ninja used guns, ninja even used gernades and hang-gliders. Unless you have bothered to study them, don't come in here acting like you are a Taijutsu instructor. I know two, as well as a Japanese historian, which is where my info comes from. Unlike most of you, who seem to get your info from sources like Realultimatepower. Do your homework, kids.

If it's purely for self-defense, Wing Chun is the way to go. If you want to devote your life to martial arts, take your training seriously and follow through with it, then Bujinkan. It's an authentic Taijutsu institution, not some con artist's plot. But only if you're dead-serious and want to devote your life to it, which most people don't.