NightOwl

Dad noticed TKD classes at a community center my sister was taking classes at and asked me if I was interested. The rest started from there....

Sometimes it seems like there are more black belts than white belts. Yes, at one time 'in the good old days' (although I believe that the top quality guys now are better then the top guys from back when) getting a black belt was more often than not a grueling affair which meant you put in your time getting the blood stains out from your gi and did a lot of hard training. Again, I believe that the top MA'ers now are better quality than the old in general....however I don't see how you could argue that blackbelt status hasn't been watered down at the same time. Too many places have 'black belt clubs', 6 year old 3rd degrees, etc. Many to most martial artists have very little experience against resisting opponents, and getting to the coveted belt many times means little more then paying your fees on time. Thus the old threat of 'I'm a blackbelt', while at one time might have meant something, means little now. In fact if someone says that, I might be even less worried fighting them. So if it doesn't mean that you are a good fighter with your system, what does it mean? Frankly I don't know. Some say that it means your training has just begun. For the guy who got his belt in 6 months- yeah. But what about the guy who worked really hard for 6 years? Is he really 'just starting to learn'? The same issue comes up for saying that it means you've mastered the basics, are ready to teach the system, etc. I guess it boils down to a case by case basis- a blanket statement is hard to make. ...which of course means I have to make one ! Due to the inconsistencies in requirements and the cheapening of the title, I'd have to say that it means almost nothing. Think of it this way: if 80% of all teams 'won' the super bowl, would it still be the biggest game in (American) football? If your team never scored well- but tried its best for 5 years, should it be given the title of super bowl winner for effort?

Here are some good ones- Kesa gatame (scarf hold): http://youtube.com/watch?v=7xtAuWSCkgw This is a staple side control Kamishiho gatame (north-south hold): http://www.judoinfo.com/images/osaekomi/kami_shiho_gatame.gif Yoko Shuho gatame (another side control): http://web1.vattnet.com/judo/katamewaza/yokoshihogatame.html There are of course lots more plus many variations, however these are some basic ones from what I've seen.

Just need to use it on the abusive high belts....don't know how well that threat would work on girls but as we all know girls would NEVER abuse their rank

Roundhouse with the end of my foot- not quite sure whether my foot or the board broke more but I was proud of it

Generally it has seemed to me that the female students stay around for about the same amount of time. Of course, there are almost always more guys than girls in MAs ...... (no offense guys)

Karate- Definitely not going to the Olympics. There are so many different styles and groups that I would be very surprised if it ever happened. I'm sure some would like to go the TKD route, while others would rather be forced to watch all the 'karate kid' movies in a row until they went blind. Thus it is not really relevant here. As for boxing- Olympic boxing is a very different rule set then normal. If you are looking to go pro athlete in boxing, you aren't going to be training Olympic style. Most likely your goal isn't even the Olympics, however even if you wanted to go Olympian your prior training probably would have consisted almost 100% of normal boxing training and fighting. Judo is an interesting one as there is a lot of debate over whether the Olympics were good for it or not. The mindset of Kodokan is a bit different than the WTF- from the very beginning they were sending out judoka to take on and challenge all sorts, and to this day they still have a lot of pride in keeping judo in high regard even verses other martial arts. There is still a very high emphasis on high resistance training, and it doesn't nearly have the same amount of practitioners as TKD, particularly in the US where judo is (relatively) not that popular. Having said that however, the introduction into Olympics has taken away a ton of emphasis on ground fighting. Some splinter groups like the Kosen have bucked this trend, and with BJJ taking off more Newaza is coming into focus more. I think this is detrimental, as it made Judo less well rounded as a grappling art. Nevertheless, you still have to always go full contact to get a 'point' in Judo, whereas in TKD you don't have to (although I realize the KOs do happen). This physical difference in techniques helps shield Judo a bit more from falling into a point trap than TKD in my opinion, although I believe that both have suffered negative effects.

Tradition my friend! Tradition! Um, not so sure about the ninjitsu thing...in fact I'm not even gonna touch that one. Anyhow, sumo is an old traditional wrestling style of japan that is highly ritualized and with lots of rules. The way to win is simple though: push your opponent out of the ring or get him to touch the floor with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet. As for Sumo as a martial art...it contains certain trips and the like. However as mentioned before, it is highly regulated for the purpose of tournaments. Few, if any sumo practice it for the martial roots. The few sumo who have gone into MMA however, have done very poorly.

I guess the best thing is as simple as having someone try and punch you in a realistic manner (or trying to punch you period). You can learn the movement for a block or dodge all you want, however you need the real deal to teach you the timing and drill it into you until it becomes natural.

Totalitarian regimes tend to ban martial arts. This has led many times to irreversible damage to local martial arts culture. For example: China- Masters killed, put in camps, etc. Most left the country for Hong Kong, Japan, USA, etc. Many documents were also destroyed by roving groups of youths following the call to 'cleanse' China of all old culture. Mao kicked the bucket, however martial arts culture in a lot of mainland china now equals contemporary wushu and sanshao. Korea- Japanese occupation stamped out local martial arts that already had undergone a long period of reduced popularity. The martial arts you see today are mostly Japanese in origin. Cambodia- The local martial art of Pradal Serey almost died along with a good portion of the masters. It is now a revival art, however it seems to be almost identical to MT which makes how much of the original art was preserved unclear. Japan- Yeah, Japan. After defeat in WWII the Allies wanted to get rid of the martial culture that had been heavily promoted during the war. Thus they decided to ban martial arts. Russia- I'm a bit hazy on Russian MAs, but needless to say I believe that even the guys who developed sambo for Russia where eventually killed in gulags.

Is that the main goal however, of the governing bodies as a whole? I am not convinced that it is.

Pan...nice- um oven is cool yeah.... But we all know how it is supposed to be done. Grill. Over flames. I feel manly just thinking about it.

None right now- just the trains. At home though...the family minivan

Actually 'Thou shall not kill' is a mistranslation, although it is understandable how it came about. That particular term started with the king James bible as the first major edition to appear in (granted, dated) English. However the actual term translated from original Hebrew is 'You shall not murder'. Granted both actions involve killing, however the difference is intent and purpose/justification. For instance, lets say I don't like someone so I shoot him. Is such an action justified? On the other hand, what if someone is on a shooting rampage and I can stop them with a gun before they kill someone else. Both cases involve the action of killing, however the reasons for doing so make the difference if it was justified or not. You could say the same thing for driving. What if one day I go 100 MPH through the neighborhood to buy drugs, while the next I drive my grandmother to the hospital? I drove in both cases, however in one my driving was 'bad' and the other my driving was 'good'. What's the difference between manslaughter and murder? An act of self defense and picking fights? So it is the same for that particular commandment. That isn't to say that it is bad to want to avoid hurting someone- I'd say that is a very good thing. And lets face it- are most of the killings done in the world not done for good reasons?

I'm not quite sure if it really is meant to be primarily a self defense system anymore (from an official standpoint). That has mostly to do with nationalisim and politics than anything else. It's the official sport of Korea- the Koreans take a lot of pride in that. From what I can tell Korea never quite had the same martial culture as in japan, nor nearly the same amount of styles that were found in China. Most martial arts practiced today have very little to do with old Korean styles- Hapkido, TKD, TSD, and Kumdo all have a huge amount of (primarily Japanese, some Chinese) influence. However because of the past with Japan, the roots of these arts and the almost extermination of old korean styles such as Taekkyeon are often brushed over. With the acceptation into the Olympics Korea had a place on the world stage, and the more people who practice TKD, the more Korea has 'earned its place'. Also, flashy kicks and emphasis on demos with smooth forms as opposed to hard training is very fun to watch and appealing- if you had mostly full on matches TKD would have never had the rate of growth that it has had. Major TKD organizations such as the WTF don't have what's in the best interest of TKD as a combative style, but what is in the best intrest of TKD as a major sport. Whatever the training and purpose might have been for the style, it is mostly now promoted as the official sport of korea. Now, there are plenty of TKDers who don't just train sport and focus on everything, as well as plenty of those who can kick you around as they please (see the KO from human weapon). However that isn't the main goal of TKD currently. I think it is somewhat comparable to Wushu. China has been pushing for it to get a spot in the Olympic games as the 'official sport of China'. Yes, it has a base in martial arts, but the point is for it to be a display, not a martial art. I do not believe TKD has reached that point yet- point sparring is still a form of sparring, and it is still very much a martial art. However the act of creating a national sport has in many ways superseded any other possible goals, and I don't see that changing in the near future.

I used to do my fair share of 'kiaing' back in the days when I was young and handsome. I can't really bring myself to do it anymore...

Right- the times I have seen hiza guruma used effectively have usually been when it is used in a combination. The problem though (IMO), is that it is taught as one of the beginner techniques, yet takes a bit more strategy and timing to set up then a lot of the throws. Another thing I was shown briefly on request by the guy I was sparring was morote gari (double leg). However the way the guy talked about it it seemed that it was sort of a 'forbidden' technique. He said that I shouldn't really use it in practice because the sensei might get mad. Have you ever heard of this being 'taboo' before? I really want to learn it...

I think it all depends on how good your kicking is. Can you kick fast enough to the point that they are hard to dodge? Can you kick hard enough to actually do damage? For me, the answer is no. I hardly ever use kicks, as I am just not that good with them. There are however, plenty of people who are good with them, and I think that in their case they are all set with kicking.

I believe that there are about 2 main schools of Iaido out there. As for kenjutsu- there are A LOT. However, looking for Koryu schools is fairly hard outside of Japan I've heard. As for the guy himself- might as well stop by. Personally after looking at his site I am a bit skeptical. For instance: http://masystemsproducts.com/Bio_Sutzer_Dean.htm A list of ranks: His style is sanctioned by an organization the HE founded. Also the huge list of high degree belts he has in numerous styles is suspicious to me. Most colleges don't know much about martial arts. If someone wanted to coach a basketball class for instance, they'd have to provide a lot of proof of qualification as well as lots of prior work information. However if you say you have 7 black belts (all of which are 5th degree or above) as well as claim to be a 'sifu' in taichi, they probably aren't going to look into it too much. I mean, just present a certificate with Chinese characters all over it and it sure looks impressive. Also look at this: (from his 4 min. fitness page) : http://masystemsproducts.com/4_Minute_Fitness.htm So not only has he been teaching martial arts, but he has been a human resource manager with extensive fitness training as well? And the program is used by 'professional athletes' who surely must have also discovered the 'ancient secrets taken from tai chi, yoga, qi gong, and meditation' right? 16-20 min. worth of techniques broken down into 4 minutes...also doesn't sit too right with me. I dunno- perhaps he is legit, but still...

It seems that a good portion of people have had this happen to them. Martial arts seem to have a very high turnover rate...

Hey- can anyone help a brother out with tips on sweeps? I'm thinking stuff of the hizaguruma variety, etc. Also I was wondering what in people's experiences has been the learning curve for judo? Oh- also some late news- awhile back they had a ton of international trainees left over from the international Judo cup (I think that it is the name...it's the biggest judo competition). It was pretty interesting- literally the best in the world although I could have done with out the extra crowding (I even got to see the whole Jamaican Women's Judo team!). Frankly it was a bit intimidating. Since most of the guys are up for the Olympics, either they were in the best shape I've ever seen or were so big that nobody would ever even think of telling them about the new south beach diet. There was also an almost palatable sense of dislike and rivalry in the air, but that's sportsmanship. The Kodoan also had a special free training camp for about a week or so this month- starting at 6:30 am. I went to the first class which meant catching the 4:20am train and getting about 4 hours of sleep in the process. What followed was probably the best class I have yet taken, and I even ran into a red belt as well as a high ranking American who happened to be from my home state. Got my first randori as well...I'd rather not talk about that though. Unfortuately I had a final to take at school right afterwards and the whole affair ended with me getting VERY sick. Would I go through it again? You bet. At 3:00 pm.

I doubt it will do much on violence (look at how well the British ban on guns has worked out), and it will probably make a dent in the 'samurai sword' of the $100 variety. Probably will make life for sword based martial artists harder as well. In the end the root cause of violence isn't the weapon- it's the person/culture of violence using it. That's what really needs to be addressed IMO.

I think a good part of the problem has to do with: A: A fanatical devotion to the senpai system. As I saw noted once in an excellent editorial from an excellent site (http://www.24fightingchickens.com), the Japanese applied many of their own cultural aspects to baseball (to the point where they created a word in japanese for it). However in the west, we did the opposite and tend to treat the cultural trappings of the eastern martial arts as sacred cows that shouldn't be questioned by dirty gaijin. Don't get me wrong- I do value respecting elders/being polite, however to enforce a feudal system just seems...unAmerican (I SUPPOSE I can include our European friends as well ). Also since the senpai system is not native to the west, I feel that it tends to get especially exaggerated. We aren't a Confucian based society- I don't necessarily think we should be. On a visit to the Kendo club at my school (keep in mind school clubs can be very strict), everyone was pretty casual with me. While talking with one fellow, someone mentioned to him that I was a junior, which was a year above him (I look young). Suddenly his entire tone changed and he apologized and started speaking in keigo (extra polite japanese used for talking to superiors). I told him that he didn't need to (partially because of my rotten keigo skills) and he seemed relived and the following conversation was much more organic. I don't think that culture of distancing two people is very healthy, especially in a learning enviroment. B: Making more out of bowing than it really is. A bow can be a submissive and humble position, it is true. At the kodokan we do a seiza bow to the instructors and our fellow students at the end of class (although this has more to do with an expression of gratitude and mutual respect for students than anything else). However the constant bowing in eastern martial arts has a good deal to do with standard greetings as opposed to submissiveness. However in the west, a bow is something usually reserved to show reverence or submissiveness. Thus when many instructors see the bowing, they think, 'Ah, this is humbling yourself by showing respect and boy howdy is it building up character'. However a bow doesn't mean necessarily mean respect- it is just done as an integrated part of life. Thus you can see how things were lost in translation, and the quest to drive more 'respect' into people can lead to things being over emphasized. C: Power corrupts Let's face it- studies as well as history has proven that power over others can lead to said power being abused. While it would be nice to believe that this is uncommon in the martial arts world with its often self proclaimed culture of 'respect', said 'respect' is often used to boot egos and boss around others. Many times, just an instructor telling a student that they are being' disrespectful' can be used to shut out questions and critisim- it's almost akin to being called a 'communist' in 1950's America or 'Bolshevik' in pretty much any communist country (or a witch ). So am I saying that any mention of rank, or the very notion of being more skilled than someone is bad? By no means. However as with all things, moderation is the key.

Go to class more...it's about an hour commute to get to class which makes it easy to say, 'Not tonight'

I do what I can