NightOwl

If bridging is what I think it is than...shrimping is kinda like that, except you do it on your side. Well....my Bjj days are over (for now). College has started up again and I am living back on campus with no car and a pile of homework. Bjj...I'll miss you old friend. 'till summer vacation!

Kata are relaxing to do if you are by yourself, but I wouldn't make it a primary focus of my training. As I mentioned a ways back, kyudo is Japaneses archery. It is very beautiful and takes a lot of focus, with a good portion of time spent in perfecting walking up to take the shot and properly holding the bow. However hitting the target in kyudo isn't really a big part of the goal, whereas the (now dead) original Japanese archery martial art called kyujitsu focused on firing arrows in combat. Is kyudo worthless? Nope, but if you trained in primarily just kyudo and then went to an archery tournament, you'd have a lot more trouble than someone used to focusing on hitting a mark. Likewise in the world of kata: it provides a chance to slow down and focus on fine honing some things, but it is harder to adapt than regular training in a more realistic setting.

I'm willing to play a bet with 80% odds in my favor with $10, not my life. Sorry, maybe that is a bit cliche, but that's how I feel. However, if you wanna have some fun, here's what my dad's friend did (mind you, they grew up in Detroit ): He had what he called a 'mugging wallet'. Inside was $20 and an expired credit card. If anyone ever tried to mug him, he would give them the bum wallet an run! $20 may not seem like much, but criminals in general make less than minimum wage on robbing and stealing from people.

Howdy everyone! Any tips for finding quality swords, and not just ones you see for 5.99 on the home shopping network or in home depot next to the light fixtures? I dunno what kind of sword I am looking for (alas, katana are cool, but are overrated...if anything I need a non-Japanese sword first t boost my already large ego ), but any tips would be great! ....ok, IF I were to buy a katana (I'm too weak I admit), are there any reputable katana smiths? I'll actually be studying in Japan for a year so travel isn't too much of an issue....

Congrats! I'm sure that you will raise the bar from where I have lowered it!

Even though you were able to use the Aikido successfully, what about it did you not like, in the end? Yes, if it is alright, what did you use and what could have been better?

As long as you tap (or don't say anything about your opponent's mother), you shouldn't have to fear being choked out or having a limb snapped. I've gotten some bad gi burns, but the only guy I've met who has actually gotten his arm broken had it happen because he was caught in a tourney but wouldn't tap because he thought he could still get out. Play it safe and no one looses an eye!

My philosophy on the 'No first Strike' rule: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4i9gG85vIio

150 and 180 isn't too bad of a difference. I'm not really qualified to put in much seeing as how you have probably 3X the experience that I do but...I'll try I guess for starters get a hold onto one of his arms to help pull you up...have you tried moving your heels up farther into his back? Get 'em up high enough there and dig in! If you pull it off right he shouldn't be able to stand up TOO much. If you can get up there fast enough you could attempt an arm bar or triangle or somethin'... Mind you, I couldn't do any of what I just wrote!

personally, I am not that confident in my kicks, so I tend to use (more or less) the 'boxer's stance'. As mentioned before though, he probably was just very fast instead of having a vastly superior stance, so doing what works well for him does not mean that it will fit you. How you fight and defend could change what options are best as well. Are you looking for a strong base at the expense of speed for grappling ? Kicks over punching? ... On the other hand, it is always good to experiment and learn as much as you can. Not only will it help you find your stance, but it will help you learn the pros and cons of stances that opponents could employ.

He pulled a knife on a teacher? Um, this is where you MUST get the school involved. Than again, since he hasn't been expelled for threating to stab a teacher of all people, you might want to consult your parents and contact THE POLICE if it gets any more out of hand. This guy's a scumbag and you shouldn't have to (nor should you) deal with him. Do all that you must to start an initiative on the school/law's part (remember, they can't see everything that you guys do), but drop it once they take over.

If they are allowed. Although in a real fight you have to consider the possibility of breaking something if you are punching, it can do alot of damage. What is your Karate Dojo's policy on targeting the head? Usually Karate only allows kicks but...

Aikido has gotten somewhat of a bum rap, but having been unexpectedly been put in one of those crazy wrist locks during BJJ (against someone who had practiced Aikido/Hapkido in the past...one of those) I can tell you that they can work if you use them properly. Expect a lot of break falling (a very useful skill), as well as lots of arm and wrist locks. As far as 'the street' goes, Aikido will take longer than other MAs (on average) to gain proficiency in. If you are looking for SD/fighting applications, than be sure to look for a Dojo that has more resistance in its randori, as sometimes Aikido Dojos can shun this aspect to an unfortunate degree. Personally, I would love to learn how to break fall and a few good wristlocks.... (by the by...how'd the Taijitsu turn out?)

I started in TKD because it was in a studio next to a gym class my sisters were taking, so it was in the area I guess . It really is all about exposure! 3/4 of strip malls, etc over here have a gym, and they are almost always TKD (it was hard finding something that wasn't). Sometimes they will go by 'Karate', 'American Karate', 'MA for kids etc though.

MMA has not been around long enough to know for sure, but it is certainly plausible that some of the symptoms you mentioned could pop up eventually. However, football is IMO more brutal as far as total body trauma...those heavywieghts in the UFC would only be averaged sized in the NFL, and when you have 300+ pounds of bodymass slamming into you every 3 min, you are going to spike up your chances of breaking something long term. As for getting 'punch-drunk'...more likely, but I've heard that the larger boxing gloves (and blunting the blow) contribute to that somewhat...but I might be mistaken...

So has anyone ever tried a gi throw on someone in a tee? I'm wondering if it would hold up or just rip....then again the 'worn' look is in nowadays no?

I think you did the right thing by playing it safe. I remember reading a story about a bouncer who accidentally killed someone he had in a choke hold...bad news.

Oh...this thread brings such a guilt trip! I've been too 'busy' with school to work out ...Does a 9:02am run to a 9:00am class count?

Ah! Shins are the worst! I was kneed in the shin once during sparring...it WILL be sore for awhile but put ice on it and you should be fine. Good luck!

You must keep in mind however, that the instructor has to always be careful about avoiding lawsuits. I dunno...I guess just follow what people have said here already/ don't spar with her (she doesn't seem like someone who would calmly discuss the issue with you).

Of course all fights end on the ground! Newton proved that during any and all fights, the force of gravity increases by 45%..... Next MA Cliche: THE big one.....Ninjas! Did they exist? Were they skilled combatants or merely spies? I do not claim to know the answer.... but for only $99.95 you can order today your very own Ashida Kim 'Suburban Ninja' Dvd! Order by credit card and we'll have the UPS guy wear a black t-shirt over his head when he delivers to your door! I've tried reaserching the subject, but good information is hard to find. It seems that ninjas were for the most part spies ( assassinations were rare, let alone successful ones) from a more remote region of Japan...although there might have been a ninja who was also a samurai at the same time...duh duh DUUUH). Budo Taijitsu seems to be the closest that you can get to legitimate Ninjitsu...and yet during the 80's 'Ninja Masters' complete with mullets flowing from behind their hoods claimed to have mastered hidden skills that have been kept secret for thousands of years that WERE TOO DEADLY...for under 100 bucks a lesson. Sadly this has forever tarnished our friend the ninja, who has come to represent the absurd side of MAs (or the really cool side depending on your viewpoint). Thus the Ninja embodies the 2 extreme views of the public as well: That MAs are silly games... or that with a little MA practice you can kill 500 people by just flipping out. That's probally why you get these three responses if someone finds out if you do MA: 'Oh yeah, well I bet you can't get out of THIS!', 'Woah, I'd better be careful', and 'Are you a Ninja?'

I agree with this. I don't think it has so much to do with style, as it does to do with training methods. Regardless, I think it will be very difficult to try to successfully defeat more than one opponent at a time. Yes...I'd also imagine that the same rule applies to taking on just one opponent: Any style can be successfully applied, but you have to know how to use it in a fight situation first (not that you couldn't with no sparring experience etc, but it helps ALOT). Thus if you want to know what it is like to fight 2-3 guys, put yourself in that situation!

Nice clip! The neck is a lot less strong moving from side to side, so instead of trying to force your way under the chin, the 'side punch' move he showed can be used to create space.

It is draining absorbing blows with blocks, and the movement used to block (unless it is part of a counter attack sequence) could be used to strike instead. I will go with the previous two posters and say that the best thing for your opponent to encounter is not your arm, but the air. It's not that great for balance, but I've found that by just tilting your head back you can usually get just right out of reach (if your head is the target). Don't forget to move left and right as well!

This scenario depends. Was the intruder trying to hurt you? Was he armed? If they are armed, then you will probably be ok. However, there are exceptions. It seems to me that usually when intruders break in and are shot, they homeowner gets off...you probably wouldn't get into too much trouble if you threw a few punches his (or her? that'd be too awkward though...) way. That being said, I'm going to (as usual) go with the generally conclusion here and claim it as my own idea : If you are attacked, it is best to incapacitate your foe and run outta there. If you hit him hard enough to where he backs down and crouches into a ball, then don't start kicking him until he turns an even shade of purple (unless he tried to hurt your family, in which case the 'Get out of Jail Free Card' that comes standard in Monoploly board games sets comes into play). You are allowed to use force WITHIN REASON...it is not your job to dish out vigilante justice. On the other hand if you feel that you are facing serious harm, than it is best to keep your mind on surviving...the legal stuff isn't as important.