Shorinryu Sensei

uhhhhh...my suggestion is to avoid a fight if at all possible...and not accept one if the opportunity arises just so you can see what they're like. You never know if that "one" is against a psycho street fighter, or ex-golden gloves champion for your state that's looking to beat the snot of of someone just for the heck of it. Also, you never know that if you win, this might be the guy that carry's a knife..or worse, a gun, and isn't going to take losing nicely. My best advice for seeing what a street fight is like, is to go to your local bar on Saturday night (cowboy bars are usually the best0 and keep your eyes open. The place I like to go out dancing a couple of times/week usually has a fight or two every month, which I help the bouncer break up usually. You can learn a lot just by observing. You do NOT want to make the mistake in thinking just because you are in the martial arts, that you can whip everybody's butt in the place. You are not invulnerable, nor are you invincible. I know a couple of very good tournament fighters that have gotten their butts handed to them by people with little or no formal training in any sort of fighting art. Just my suggestion...take it as you will.

I thin what he's referring to is the wording of the "quiz" questions so that they are more easily understood and less confusing. That is of course...unless I'm confused by that question also? It wouldn't be the first time!

I understand that. I don't know what the women in MD are like, but the ones here in Montana will get you over that concept REAL fast! Women seem to like to fight in my experiences, and if you pair up with one and play "gentleman" to them, they're going to change your concept of them really quickly I think. The only women I've ever hit in my life were in my classes..and they were trying to tear my head off at the time. It was purely kill...or be killed!

With my crappy dialup connection, the video and sound are jumpy and cut out a lot, but I gathered it was Olympic TKD (UGH! ) and that the kids were learning to get along with each other. If the parents support this...it's a good thing I think.

There are two sides of the spectrum I think. One side is what I tell my students when they start classes with me. "If you you start a fight, whether physically, or verbally, and I find out about it...you're out of my class..period!" Now, this doesn't mean they can't defend themselves if attacked, or help someone else...just not start one themselves. I'm VERY much against training people that will become bullies. I've had to enforce this "rule" a number of times, and yes, they were kicked out and never allowed to return. The other side of the coin is the philosophy that the local SanSoo school used (note past tense) to encourage. The instructor used to actually encourage his students to get into fights to test their skills. He no longer does this..I'm happy to report!

What we need to keep in mind here throughout this discussion, is that that is right for you and the system that your practice, isn't necessarily right for all systems...as has been mentioned several tinmes before. For example, in the system that I practice, having your knee out over your big toe is correct in a side/parallel stance, but NOT in a front stance where one foot is in front of the other. Doing so puts your weight to far forward. This is OK if you're planning on lunging at a person, but isn't a good idea if you may want to go backwards or to the side. OK...so..in your system, you widen your stance...but don't bend your knees? You stand there straight legged? It sounds like "knee fodder" to me....meaning if you fight me on the street with straight legs..no matter how far apart they are..I'll take your knees out first. You must use really wide stances...correct? We don't. Short, more natural stances with the knees ALWAYS bent. To do so would no doubt make you fall on your face. Pretty obvious if you try it. Again...would you say that it is easier to change direction if your knees were straight and locked? Again...knee fodder for anyone that uses the knees as a target in a fight...which I do. As I said just before this, I disagree. You don't need a "deep" bend of the knees. Just a slight inch or two of bend is sufficient. To much bend will slow your movement. uhhhhh...I don't see where the diaphragm has a lot to do with moving forward or backwards in this discussion. The buttocks, sure, as they are connected to the legs. Here we have a difference inb thinking within the systems. We do not put out weight over the center of the foot, but rather on the ball of the foot. This allows us to push off either forward, or backwards quicker. In a side/parallel stance..yes. In a front stance...no. Again, in your system..yes. Mine..no. This I'll agree with. OK...I agree with this also...normally...but not always. I agree that the knee needs to be bent, but not over the toe, as that will give you a forward wweight distribution and in my system, this is incorrect. In your system...yes, it's correct. In mine...nope..Hey...that's why there are so many different schools/systems out there. Everybody has a different way of coing things....and that's OK.

I'm just curious...why don't you want to fight girls? I've had nunmerous women in my classes that love to mix it up with guys. Two in particular routinely..full and light contact...could whip just about any guy in the class. One was 5'10", around 135lbs..the other about 5'4" and maybe 110lbs. The taller one entered a tournament (point fighting) and requested to be allowed to fight in the men's division...not the women's. The promoter allowed it with my OK, and she placed 2nd in under black belt, but over 1 year group. I think there were about a dozen men she was fighting, and she made me SO PROUD!!!

I'm talking about striking also. But tio specific parts of the body, as this guy is saying, and using specific "weapons" to strike them with. You have to regard "how you hit" something, or it could be totally ineffective. For example..a roundhouse kick to the inner thigh smarts and will make them flinch...but a front snap kick to the same area can disable the leg.

Yea, and I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you medeling kids. (Shorinryu Sensei!!!) Uhhhh...HELLOOOOO I'm going to be 52 on the 25th of next month, so I think I'm well beyond the "kid" stage here. And I have the gray hairs to prove it.

I gave up reading Black Belt TRASH Mag years ago during the ninja craze. Just to much junk and * in there for me to stand month after month...so anyway, no I haven't seen the articles. However, any good system should be basically teaching the same thing. Using specific weapons on your body to attack specific points to the body. For example, the big toe of my foot (and that's a might BIG big toe too!) to attack the nerves of the inside of the thigh. Is that the sort of thing you're talking about? If so...it's not a new concept.

Well... if she was cute... mmmmmmmm...well, I guess that depends on what you're into. I'm not really into women watching me pee...but if you are....

You know, we're already into 3 (maybe 4 with this post) pages already. Personally, I think it's time to give us your answer, otherwise this thread will be 10 pages long before you get around to it. I think it's pretty obvious that this is going to be a rather lengthy (and lively) thread anyway, so why not give us your "the one" so we can let the discussion begin!!! As for explaining my positions for the various options...naw, I'll wait until you tell us yours first, since you're the one that started this in the first place.

You had a woman employee, come into the men's bathroom...and you're in there taking care of business? Wow..that's really odd, and you have good grounds for a major lawsuit against that conmpany! No kidding. In Europe, that's not uncommon (or wasn't when I was there in the mid-70's). Heck, we had little old grannies in there cleaning up the place with all sorts of guys pee'ing against the wall (that's what they used for urinals back then). it was accepted as a normal procedures...but here in the states..no way should that woman have been in there when you were.

Maybe this would be better posted on the Korean Martial Atrts forum, as they are more likely to know what's going on with a Korean martial arts site perhaps?

47MartialMan makes valid points. I also, do not question your background, but to say that one of the options in your poll is ""the one", or the ONLY correct answer is rediculous. Maybe for your particular chosen system...fine, but not for all. I'm eagerly awaiting your reasoning why just one of your poll choices is correct, and this may be one of the largest discussions we've had on this forum. In the martial arts, there are few "absolutes". The #3 choice in the poll is the only one that I'm not clear on, and would like further clarification/explanation on if you would please.

This is correct. One of my best friends is a body builder. He stands about 6'2"..weight I'm not sure of, but I'm guessing around 260 or so..and man, is he solid and strong! He's also a pretty good bar room brawler...or was when he was younger, and he and I have "played" around on a number of occasions. He has yet to get in on me to any extent that he could hurt me, and he comes at me really hard. Over the years I've had boxers, wrestlers, weightlifters..you name it. If you have a viable, realistic martial art, I think you can effectively defend yourself in as little as 3-6 months...not years. Heck, just to improve your fighting ability, I'd guess that in 2 months you are 100% better at defending yourself than when you walked in my door as a rule, regardless of what you knew when you started.

*donning my Mr. Spock ears* That sounds logical to me Jim. Perhaps that might be a good new thread to start 47MartialMan?

I've personally seen as little as one year (with no prior experience)...and heard of systems where a mandatory 10 years was required. I'd say the norm is 2 1/2 to 3 years. It took me 3 1/2 years..and I was a fanatic about training during that period.

Of course that depends on the skill of the swordsman, and the skill of the sai wielder...but yes, it is a metal weapon and should be able to withstand the attack of a sword without any problem.

Don't you just hate that when you don't get something right? As for "all of the above" not being correct...I'm anxiously awaiting your explanation for what you think is the correct answer then. This could be a real interesting discussion. Yeah, I'd say a week is plenty of time for people's opinions, and then the discussion about why we think a certain way.

I second (third?) this. All of the above apply as to why your back (and front) leg should be bent. Never...ever...EVER should any of your legs or arms be perfectly straight and locked in a fight.

OK..you want a story..here ya go! Way back in June of 1978, I got my black belt after 3 1/2 years of hard, intense training. Two months later, I married for the first (and so far only) time. Judy and I moved to a small farm town into a duplex. It was the first time that either of us had ever lived with a member of the opposite sex (outside of familyt of course). I came home from work (teacher) one afternoon to what I assumed was an empty apartment (she usually worked until 5:00) and walked into the living room. Judy was hiding against a wall just inside the room and jumped out at me from behind and yelled BOO! (or something like that) I didn't think, I just moved and spun around throwing a spinning backfist at her head. Thank GOD she is shorter than me by a full foot, because my fist went flying over her head and just missed her. Now picture this if you will. Here's my young (20) new bride that I'm madly in love with..trying to surprise her husband by coming home from work early, surprised by my actions (and naked I might add) falling backwards from the quickness of what I did, falling to the floor and scared to death of what I just did anbd how I reacted! We talked it over and I told her NOT to do that again...which she never did....DAMMIT. It scared me too, but I explained to her that for the past 3 1/2 years I've been training my body and mind to react..and react FAST..which it did.

I can't argue with that logic I guess. You can have the greatest, most impenatrable defense in the world...but if you can't attack with them, all is for naught. And yes, you don't want to block an incoming weapon down by the point of your elbow. That part is for "sliding" techniques, where the incoming weapon is sliding off and to the side. If your elbosw isn't protected by the end of the sai, a sword (there are a lot of swords walking around on the street ya know ), baseball bat, whatever can take a good chunk out of your elbow. As with all shorinryu techniques (that I practice anyway), body movement along with your defense and offense are the norm. So yes, hgopefully the end of the wsai isn't going to be necessary...but....you never know. Good feedback bud.

If you're sriting a fantasy novel..why not have fantasy arts? Plus you need to consider this,. If you are going to use a style with a specific name which is out there now, then you're going to have people that are taking that system reading (hopefully anyway) your novel, and you're going to have to be accurate in your descriptions of techniques, or people will call * to what you're saying. Are you wiling to do the massive research associated with being able to describe 4 different types of arts and their various application names?

ALL HAIL KICKS...GLORIOUS MEMBER OF THE MONTH! <--------Look at me...bowing before your glorious presense! *ahem*...*clearing my throat here and dusting off my knees* By the way...congrats kicks...that belt looks great on you. Did delta1 give you much trouble when you took it off him?