NightOwl

I have written them down before, and I also have found them on the internet and printed them off to put in the curriculum sections of the notebook that I keep. I also have several books on the forms that I do, and some that I don't. Now that you mention it, I just remembered that I need to update some of the forms curriculum that I have. Any good places to look for said notes?

Take the Advil BEFORE you feel the previous night's lesson kick in....

But if you are studying how to fight, having to pull back to that degree wouldn't seem practical to me. Of course going full at it trying to kill each other is bad too, but if you are sharing constant training time with a large part of MA's demographic you're skills will deteriorate just out of physical habit of pulling back so much. It doesn't help the kids, and fighting at a more realistic level is leagues ahead of 'learning to control yourself when you hit children' (never a good idea in the first place by the way).

MA's are so diverse...it isn't all one sport like basketball or soccer ('football' for our UK friends), and thus that in itself provides an obsticale. Add in the fact that you don't need a BA to be good at MAs (you don't need a major to be good at pool), and it seems really dubious to me. Want history of MA? Be a history major (I've submitted a history paper on MA in my college history class before), but otherwise this seems really out of place.

I remember back in my old TKD days a mom had to spar her son for testing...ended up throwing a punch in the chest and sending him to the floor (tough love?). Anyhow, this is why I think children and adults should be separate...the argument that they have to have experience fighting with adults doesn't fly with me since they are physically not capable of taking on an adult anyhow and any sparring experience that they have with adults with will be very slow and unrealistic. Now...off to do old guy stuff!

Here, I'll go first: My favorite South American MA: BJJ...I wish I had a more creative answer, but such is life! Bjj has more than proven itself as a highly effective grappling style by utilizing specialization in a specific range of combat: the ground. Now considered a must for MMA by many, the future is looking nothing but bright for this art! Europe: Boxing! Well, to be technical, boxing in many forms has sprouted up all over the world, but certainly it is most connected with the west. Again due to the efficiency of specialization, it is one of the foremost arts using the fist. Unfortunately, it is not nearly as complex as it used to be during the days of yore with bareknuckles, but it still packs a...(punch) on a side note, it is also unfortunate the culture that has sprung up around it. The boxing world is rife with corruption and guys of Mike-Tyson repute. Due to this lack of charisma and seediness, the world of boxing is now just a shadow of what it used to be. But, MMA is way better anyhow... China: Southern Mantis. Fast, graceful, and with a catchy name; it may not be the most MMA applicable but there is a certain appeal to it that I can't quite explain. I'm more comfortable with my hands than feet, (hence southern mantis instead of northern) but regardless this is one art that someday I want to 'adopt' and incorporate with a more rounded base. Japan: Now I was tempted to pick Budo Taijitsu just because I've been trying to get to the bottom of the whole thing for so long...but regardless, I will go go with Judo. Again, hardly an original choice, but there is a reason for that. An excellent stand up grappling system famous for its throws, it also has a nice array of hidden ground moves too. ....now I am sure that there will be many repeats on here but, good luck out there!

For instance: Japan, Korea, USA, South America, Iceland.....

List 'em if you got 'em! So what are your favorite MAs by region?

Never stand still

I'm always skeptical about anything with the name 'Shaolin' on it. While the Shaolin temple used to be a mecca of martial arts in its heyday (attracting fighters from all over china), with the rise of the communist government in the early 1900's all martial arts were banned, and likewise all training at the temple ceased. It was only after the death of Mao and the end of the Cultural revolution that sent the county to the brink of internal collapse in the 60's in 70's that China started trying to promote its history (to show the 'Glory of China through the ages') that training restarted. The catch is this: it is actually a modified form of contemporary wushu. Unfortunately, whatever used to be taught is gone now (Chinese MA only survived because of emigration to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other places abroad), and what is left is mostly for show. ...I actually did a research paper for my history class on the subject...hopefully someday it will show up in the 'articles' section soon!

Ah, Thug #1...the unsung hero of action films! I'll trade ya!

Hey, a quick question for those of the Kung Fu persuasion: I've notice that alot of styles do strikes with a 'knife hand' rather than a fist. Doesn't that put you at risk for jamming your fingers? How does it work exactly? Thanks! ...Knowledge is power

I rely mostly on hands, not because I don't think legs are worthwhile, but I just am not all that great with kicks. The exception being that I like knees....

This subject was slightly touched on in a different thread about Shotokan in MMA. Shotokan has plenty of good strikes in it, but if you are looking at constant combat readiness and peak training that is needed to get into the UFC, you gotta deemphasize the forms and focus on application. There are just so many forms in many MAs, that you could spend most of your time only working on them and not much else. But if you want a more efficient and practical way of doing things, you gotta try things out in the real world. Perhaps it is sort of like learning to fly by mostly just using a simulator and studying aerodynamic theory, than actually putting in flying time....maybe

Well, the Spartans were really into it (although they were also into infanticide and other unpleasant things), whereas the Romans (I believe) did not like their soldiers having um, 'intimate encounters of the first kind' before battle because they thought that it weakened a man. I however know of no evidence saying anything one way or the other, so might as well have your cake and eat it too.

I'd say life in general. He's kinda like Lex Luther except without the looks or smarts.

haha, I am picturing how this would have worked out in my younger years... baronbvp, that sounds like a very good idea that you had! ....I guess really though, anger management and humility (plus a good sense of humor) can get you far.

Either way, the conditioning that you will gain from wrestling will be amazing. The conditioning, at least, will transfer to your BJJ training. Yes it would. Unfortunately, there is no wrestling club or team on campus, nor anyplace with mats that could be used. On the other hand, my arch rival was into wrestling in high school, so I'd rather that he not have an outlet to train either and let me spruce up again this summer

Perhaps this thread is becoming a bit of a cliche itself but here's another one to post: ..but first, a recap! Bruce Lee: http://youtube.com/watch?v=IX9R_smMlHo&mode=related&search= The 'Street' http://youtube.com/watch?v=YSd2-nYQzsY&mode=related&search= 'You know MA? So what will you do if I do THIS!' (no clip!) 102% of fights end on the ground: http://youtube.com/watch?v=XefG6FQklzI Yeah, I cheated with using TKD... NINJA!!! There is no first strike in Karate: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4i9gG85vIio ................................................................................................. So that brings us to...Katanas Does the katana need an introduction? Portrayed in numerous films and grainy home video clips as a blade that can cut through ANYTHING (in case you ever need to slice through a car door), it has garnered the title of 'Best sword ever'. But why? Swords are hardly unique to Japan: China, Rome, the European Powers, the Persian Empire, all of them had their own sword styles. Yes, the katana is well built, but just because you can wield one and know kendo doesn't mean that a practiced swordsman of yore couldn't beat you soundly. Sword fighting as a martial art has been preserved the best in Japan to be sure, but historical records show that European swordsmen (for instance) were hardly clumsy, in fact they had a sophisticated fighting system. Also, whereas the katana can only slice on one side, the straight sword has two edges. Here's a good article: http://www.thearma.org/essays/knightvs.htm until then...I leave you with the death of an icon (and a glimmer of hope): http://youtube.com/watch?v=-sHTJAKN-5k

Well, Judo seems to have made a decent name for itself in MMA. I agree that the kind of crowd that gets draw to karate usually isn't looking to go to the UFC or anything. Kyokushin might be a bit more MMA oriented, as well as perhaps Sanshou.

Drunken isn't it's own style is it? I was under the impression that it was a variation on wushu. Regardless, it is very rare, and usually the only time I see it is in contemporary wushu forms (quite exaggerated... sometimes even with mimed drinking). This of course is just for show, but it would be interesting to find someone who does it as a serious pursuit. Everyone pretty much covered the philosophy behind it: deception and fluidity. Someone also mentioned the sparring clip on youtube, but it seems like they had never really sparred before (or were too used to fighting their own style?). Anyhow, if you find a place might as well stop by and check it out.

Good point there... You could be in total control of your opponent, but his buddy could come up behind you and nail you in the head. I feel grappling is a tool to be used when it's appropriate.If there is more than one person, a little stand up grappling/take downs couldn't hurt, just as long as you don't try to wrestle them or get to the ground. Judo throws perhaps?

a blow could kill someone, but Dim-Mak is about a 'death touch' not a 'death blow'. Somehow I think that it wouldn't be as impressive if they Ko'd someone with a roundhouse to the face and then turned around and talked about their chi power. Here's my opinion:

heavy metal was played a lot at the place I was at (with traditional Irish music randomly thrown in and U2...nothing like a good Irish brawl!). If you want heavy cheese but uber cool in a movie sort of way, sometimes by myself I listen to the 'Koto Brothers' and other 'movie-ish' music.

Most traveling Shaolin Monk exhibitions are actually sponsored by the 'communist' (not really anymore but...) government of China to promote Chinese culture. They are jaw-droppingly good gymnasts and have spent years of their lives training to do stuff that most could never do (one finger handstands, using various parts of their anatomy for pulling weights...). However, I wouldn't consider an Olympic gymnast a good fighter by default, and neither do I feel the same way about the monks. In fact the irony lies in that the CCP actually cracked down on and destroyed MA in mainland china, thus the curriculum they use now to showcase 'traditional China' is more or less a slightly modified version of contemporary wushu, and not an ancient art passed down for centuries.