Shorinryu Sensei

Question: Why waste the time and effort in making "practice" nunchauku? They don't move, feel or react the same as real nunchauku, so IMHO you'd be better off training with real nunchauku from the start. Yes, you're going to get some bumps and bruises from real weapons, as opposed to toy weapons, but you'll learn to improve your technique much faster that way.

Now that I can't help you with. The only Tai Chi I've seen is slow moving, and more of an exercise. I understand there is a Combat Tai Chi, but I've not seen it, so can't comment on it. There's no way, IMHO, that the slow Tai Chi I've seen could be incorporated into a viable self-defense system because there is no practice of speed, sparring, self-defense techniques, etc.

"Expendable" or extendable? Maybe it's obvious to some (I actually think it is obvious), but I just wondered what you really meant? Expendable? As in, disposable and easily replaced? Or simply extendable, as in able to be extended? Wap Expandable perhaps?

Another graduate of the "Hooked on Phonics Works for Me" perhaps? Somebody add some more chlorine to the gene pool please. I think we're drastically low! Tell me you're kidding, right? You really believe that? I won't bother repeating previous posts by myself and many others that will tell you that you're incorrect. Of course, you're entitled to your opinion, but holding the nunchaku close to the rope/chain is NOT correct form or usage. I want to learn to use it correctly, efficiently and powerfully. None of which you will get holding it near the rope/chain. I did check it out. The video's wouldn't load for me, but I see how you're holding them in the initial pictures, and you are holding them incorrectly. Another thing I would point out, and this may be correct technique (looks like posing to me) in your system but not mine, is your hand sticking out to full extension. I love people that do that. Your ribs/torso and lower are exposed, and that hand/arm is easily grabbed, trapped, and you're screwed. If somebody else can get into those video's, please post what you saw.

I'd doubt it. A bear has a tough hide, and very think, strong muscles that you'd have to cut through. Maybe if you hog tied and muzzled it so that it couldn't move. Many people think bears are slow critters...trust me, they aren't. Not only can they outrun a man, but their paw/arm speed is incredible. I don't know about a black bear, but an adult grizz can break your neck or back with one swipe. There's not many humans that can do that. Forget the movies where you see a grizz get up on its hind legs and walk towards you like Frankenstein. They don't do that. The only reason they get on their hind legs is to see farther, sniff the air, or to reach up for something (you in a tree? ) Their goal in an attack is like a BJJ black belt..to get you on the ground. Evehn a smalla, young bear...say around 100lbs, can make mush out of you if it so desires. Please understand, bears aren't normally aggressive to humans, and don't hunt them. They don't like people and would prefer to avoid them if possible. The storys you hear about people getting mauled or killed by a bear are usually caused by the stupidity of the humans, not because the bear is hungry or looking to kill a human. Even a seeminly harmless deer can be lethal if the situation is right.

Shorinryu is all about fast hands, fast feet, and fast body movment. If that is available in your area, I'd highly recommend it over TKD.

That's kind of funny actually that he said that, since he had more stripes on not one, but both sides of his belt. 1 large (bout 6") stripe, then 4-5 single stripes on each end. I had the opportunity to attend one of his seminars at the invitation of Chris Crews out of Missoula, Mt about 2-3 years before Mr. Parker passed away. I have a picture in a box somewhere taken with Mr. Parker, Crews and myself.

Unfortunately back_fist, I don't learn by videos myself, but rather from several instructors I've had over the years. I don't even know what to recommend to you as being good or not. Sorry, wish I could help.

Congrats on Member of the Month delta1. You look good with a rainbow belt!

Go for the fake limp and a trick knee. Carrying a cane is legal everywhere, but using it for defense might be anotehr story. It depends on how you use it. If you just block, trip or armbar with it, there shouldn't be a problem. If you beat the snot out of someone with it...then you're lawyer fodder.

Your confusion is understandable. What is the video? Who is in it..what system does it say is being shown? Traditionally, the nunchaku is not held close to the rope/chain. There is little power there for striking or for leverage in trapping techniques. holding the weapon close to the rope/chain allows you to do flashier techniques, but not good, powerful techniques. Oh yeah..welcome to the forum!

I practice and teach kobudo in this order: bo sai tonfa kama nunchauku I also dink around with niton bo, boken and the cane. If I could get my students to all get canes and bring them to class at the same time, we'd practice more things with them. A VERY useful and versatile weapon I think.

My demo team consists of my entire class. From the lowest beginning white belt, to my highest, 2nd degree (soon to be 3rd) black belt student. I'm proud of one and all of them and I am not afraid to put any of them in the public eye for a demonstration. We practice for two hours/class, two classes/week. When we give a demonstration, we will do just about anything, and we rarely actually prepare for it ahead of time. I tell my students what I want them to do, and they do it. Pretty simple, huh?

I don't personally own a baton, but am familiar with it and its use. Knowledge of nerve centers is a good thing with these, as it is with any weapon, or you can just whack people with it. I believe that spring loaded batons, outside of law inforcement, are illegal in the United States. You can purchase one that falls via gravity. I'm not positive on this though. I have a rubber baton that I bought years ago from an Army-Navy store for $5 or so. I understand the Hong Kong Police used to use them. Believe me, that thing hurts like heck with little effort.

Nudist?

I would think so, but I could be wrong. It would be the first time this year that I was wrong though, so not likely. I personally, don't like the nunchauku very much. Yes, it has uses for coordination, etc as others have stated, but it is so over-abused by many (most?) martial artists that I have seen and done so improperly that I get really disgusted when I see someone pick them up. As a weapon, it's very versatile and has many uses besides just hitting someone with it. Traps, blocks, pressure points, etc are often overlooked by many sensei in leau (my word of the week ) of just swinging them around and hitting things. I don't use them much anymore myself. Just enough to keep my hand in and be able to teach it to my students that are that point in their training (black belt).

...I'm really glad you added that, as I was jsut cracking my knuckles gearing up for a reply.

Personally, I haven't experienced the "bowing" thing either. I don't normally go out in public wearing anything that says LOOK AT ME!!! I'M A BADASS MARTIAL ARTIST!!!, and I don't encourage my students to do that either for several reasons. 1. You lose any element of "surprise" if you need to defend yourself. 2. You bring attention to yourself, and possibly open yourself up to attack. 3. It's not being very "humble"..almost like bragging. 4. It's actually being rather aggressive I think, and could be seen as TRYING TO intimidate others. This, IMHO, isn't a good attitude for a martial artist. At my physical size, I have problems with people being a bit afraid of me anyway. I can see it in their eyes, their words and their posture. Living in a small, rural (by most people's definition of the word anyway) area, and having lived in this area for nearly 20 years, I'm fairly well known as being a karate instructor, and occassionaly have students from other schools, or total strangers, approach me at Walmart or such place and talk to me and ask questions about my system..which I'm always glad to do. I'll disagree with this. Yes, I think we have a "brotherhood" of fellow martial artists, because we have something in common. If you are a firefighter/policeman for example, you have a brotherhood in that also. It is a common ground, and sort of an exclusive "club" that not everybody is into. We are unique in many ways and carry a great responsibility on our shoulders to behave in a civilized manner, not use out hard earned skills for evil, and to set an example for others to follow. The martial arts has rather a "black eye" in the non-martial arts community. Many think we are a bunch of thugs looking to pick a fight, or ready, willing and able to fight at the drop of a hat for little reason. Many people are afraid of us, and I try VERY HARD to dispel that attitude to non-martial artists. Those are my thoughts on the matter anyway.

And you'd actually admit that on a public forum? One "attack, which wasn't really, but sure made me nervous, was years ago. My sister worked as a secretary/vet tech at a animal hospital and I was visiting her one day. We were talking on opposite sides of the waist high counter when a man walked in with a box in his arms. It was full of maybe 8-10 puppies, obviously only a few days old. My sister made some comment about "Oh, Daisy had her puppies?" and the guy replied "Yep, and I'd like the doctor to check them out and make sure they're healthy." My sister had to pick one up and hand one to me of course (cute little dickens). I had no idea what kind of dogs they were. There was a scratching sound at the door and the guy says "Daisy hasn't been away from her pups yet, can I let her in?"..to which, of course, my sister says "Sure." So the guy goes to the door, opens it, and the biggest dang Great Dane you've ever seen comes bounding into the room and goes right up to the counter and puts her front paws on it...with me standing right there holding one of the pups. People, I'm 6'6" tall (abot 198cm) and this Great Dane was almost looking me straight in the eye. I could imagine what was going through "Mom's" brain. Something like "Who are you, and what are you doing holding my baby?", so I slowly put the pup back in the box and backed away. It's a rather scary and intimidating feeling to have a dog as tall as you are stand on its hind legs and look you right in the eye as you're holding one of its babys.

First of all, start by paying more attention in your English class this year. Also, there is a new button on your keyboard that you might not know about. It's called a "Shift" key. We use that to make CAPITAL LETTERS. Sorry, but I used to be a school teacher and I'm used to correcting "papers". Secondly, if you like TKD...then take TKD! Right? Seems pretty obvious to me if that's what you like. *shaking my head here*....the youth of today...I just don't know. Maybe the gene pool needs more clorination?

The obvious is sometimes so hard to see.

Just a quick comment on this. Grizzley can't, and dont climb trees. Their claws are to long, even as young cubs. Adult black bear will climb trees, but as you said, as adults they don't as often as they do when younger. Also, a bear, if attacking you, won't climb a tree to get you. They will stay at the bottom of the tree, sometimes for DAYS, and wait you out. Grizzly are a very cunningcritter, and have been known to stalk you, set ambushes, run ahead of you as you walk and attack you after you think they are far behind and safe. Another point about grizzly is that they are a large (up to 800lbs) and very strong animal. Think about what size a tree is for a moment that has branches low enough for you to grab, and then climb. It's going to be a young tree with a small diameter. Older trees don't have branches at the lower level normally. People, you go up a young tree like that, and if a grizz really wants you...it's entirely possible, and has happened, that the grizz will push the tree over. You make that even easier for the bear by adding weight to the top of the tree and making it top heavy. But don't worry...bears normally aren't that aggressive or want you that badly. Hiking in bear country, which basically describes the area I live in, is generally safe if you use a little comon sense. Make noise, don't wear purfume/deoderants, DO NOT TAKE DOGS WITH YOU, etc.

Drawing from my experience of having lived, camped, hiked and worked in an area of the world where black bear and grizzly live in their natural habitat, the recommended procedure when you encounter a bear and are attacked is this. 1. Don't RUN! Running sparks a natural instinct in ANY animal (bear, dog, cat) to give chase. A black bear can run 30mph, and a grizz can run 35mph. Where you have to run around bushes, a bear can run through them. Also, unless you're a marathon runnner, a bear can run farther than you can, especialy on uneven ground. It is a common misbelief that you can outrun a bear if you run downhill. Not true! 2. Never look a bear directly in the eyes. Again, like a cat or dog, it is perceived as an open challenge to the animal and they may respond accordingly. Your BJJ isn't going to do you any good. 3. If a bear attacks you, your best option is to curl up into a tight fetal position with your arms protecting your head and your legs protecting your privates as best as possible. This is a submissive position to an animal, and they will see it as being non-aggressive and not a danger to them. Most often, the bear will sniff your privates, possible push you around some..and maybe even take a nip out of you to see what you will do, adn then walk away. Humans are not on the normal diet of a bear. As the article mentioned, when out in the woods where a bear encounter is possible, your best defense is to make noise so a bear can hear you coming and get out of your way. Normally, bears are not aggressive towards humans and will avoid them if they can. The most dangerous situation is when you surprise a bear, especially if it is a sow with a cub. They are the most dangerous and unpredictable. Sing, play a radio, ring bells, talk loudly..whatever, but MAKE SOME NOISE while you hike.

Ahhhhh..much better. The article didn't say, but there are various strength's of pepper spray on the market. Most commonly are 5% and 10% cayan (how do you spell that?) pepper. I worked for a summer in Glacier National Park, and the park rangers there carry 10%. If you can find it with a higher concentration...buy it! I'd be willing to bet the man in the article was using 5% or less. That "might" work on a man, but the bear would just use it for seasoning for his dinner. How do you tell the differance between black bear scat (that's poo-poo for those of you back East ) and grizzly scat? Well, black bear scat is black and in tiny pellets and smells like berry's. Grizz scat is lighter in color, and smells like pepper.

\I'll apoligize beforehand, but this seems absolutly stupid. A hand attack at the midsection while both feet are off the ground? How the heck do you do that??? If both feet are in the air, aren't you jumping? And if jumping, how are you hand attacking your opponents midsection?