Greek Fighter

One way or the other, there's always an unsatisfying experience in martial arts training. That one guy I had seemed like he had a chip on his shoulder. His son was nice and was helping his father run the dojo. After I stomped on his toe, that really rubbed me the wrong way when he looked at me dead in the eyes. I said I was sorry and he didn't say anything for ten seconds. I almost crapped in my pants thinking he was going to go off and kill me. He then told me that's okay. It's not like he was the violent type, but the cold personality, gruff voice, and droopy face really scared me. He just seemed miserable. It was very strange.

Believe me, Shotokan-kez. I couldn't ask for a better instructor. I love him like a father.

Very cool! I got a few others. James Cagney (actor)- Black belt in Judo Chris Penn (actor) Black Belt in Shotokan

Okay, we're gong to have a little fun. Name any celebrity you know who'a a martial artist. This doesn't count Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, or Jean Claude Van Damme. These are people who are not known to do martial arts. It could be an actor, sports icon or role model of any sort. Since I'm first to make this topic, I'll start. This is what we do. Type in the name of the celebrity. Put their occupation next to their name in hyphens and type what style they do and belt they have. James Caan (actor) Gosoku-Ryu Karate- Black Belt

Well, put it this way. Say you get into a serious matter where you will have to fight. The guy has boots on and you have flip flops on. Who's most likely going to win? Definately the guy with the boots on. Because you can't fight in flip flops. However, with enough training in barefeet and depending how tough your feet are whether you're on concrete or soft ground, you're better taking them off, and fight. It's also a good habit to practice in barefeet outside on solid ground as in some schools do so. This way, 55 to 60 % of your worries will be lost and you won't have to worry about losing in combat barefooted.

In most cases, if you're going to use a weapon, it would be the only weapon you carry with you at all times. It's your mind.

I am not into training with the use of weapons as the style of Shorin-Ryu doesn't involve in training with the use of weapons combat. How many out here think weaponry is a priority to martial arts training and how many object to it?

Check out these. I literally almost pee'd in my pants.

I've read Mr. Dillman's book on Pressure Points. Alot of good insights and there's some really neat stuff like cavity strikes and nerve strikes. He has some stuff that's great and other stuff that's a complete joke. This is definately one of them. The other guy is no better either. Why do these guys have to ruin the reputations of tha martial arts? That explanation with him saying you could nullify the knockout by raising those two big toes and putting your tongue in the wrong side of the moth. You know what I got to say about that?

Hello, Shotokan-kez! Yes I did find another place to train. This guy is outstanding! He's super nice and he 's wonderful to everybody. He teaches alot of people who are mentally challenged, and has the patience of a puppy dog. He laughs a little too loud, but he's pretty funny. I tell you though when he trains and you mess up, he'll let you do it again until he lets you know it's right. When you're down to yourself, he tells you that's not a positive attitude. You always got ot think positive. He also teaches people not to be opinionated and materialistic as he is totally against that. His philosophy is "If you have something nasty to say, don't say it. He despises people who are bullies as well. He's always the kind of guy who sticks up for anyone no matter what. I remember a story he told us in class about using psychology in a self defense situation. When he was younger, he saw a gang of kids beating up a homeless man in the city where he used to work. They we're beating him up bad. He ran up to the guys and pushed them all away from him. This big guy who might have been the leader was at his face. Now mind you that he was already a black belt and he never walks away in a self defense situation. This was over thirty years ago as he was in his late twenties. The guy pulled a knife and held up to his face saying he was going to cut his face, but Sensei in his heart knew that the guy wouldn't have the guts. He then moved his face up to the blade touching his face and was saying to go ahead and cut if it makes you feel more of a man than you are now. He then started walking closer and the guy backed up. He let the guy know that he wasn't scared as he was moving back even more. Then, very quickly he caught him off guard by knocking the knife off the guy's hand and grabbing it quickily. Then asked him to fight him. The guy had no other weapons and apologized and said it was all a joke. That's when he got mad and yelled out "You're a dillusional poor soul who needs to find a better living and new friends! You also got alot of growing up to do." He cornered the guy and made it like he still wanted to fight him. He then yelled the other two guys to go away so that he can teach the guy a lesson. I remember him joking like they thought he was going to kill him, so they got scared and ran away. Now he was at the guy's face and the guy knew he wasn't going anywhere. Sensei then took his jacket off and that's when the guy started crying. He was a teenage punk who put this act like he was all tough and beat up the weak. Now, he was the weakest in the situation and Sensei was giving him a taste of his own medicine. He then grabbed the guy by the shirt and walked him to the homeless guy who had cuts and bruises. The guy was on his own now and apologized to the man. He helped him up, and they both walked the guy to the hospital as it was only a few blocks. After they brought him in, Sensei met the kid outside and the kid walked up and apologized. Sensei was still disappointed with him as he wanted to hit this kid for being such a punk. The kid was jumping words and then started crying, because he knew he was wrong and that he did a bad thing. After Sensei saw him cry he walked away and then stopped. He felt sorry for the kid, and walked back. He went up to him and gave him the knife. The kid took it carefully, and Sensei told him to do something with his life and don't throw it away by crime. He then gave him a hug and left. The thing was he didn't have to use his martial arts at all to defeat him. The kid was defeated by emotion. It's techniques like that he teaches in the dojo. Forgiveness is another thing I used to lack and after going to him, he helps me soothe my feelings by helping me get over things and situations that bring me down.

We're you very disappointed?

I once went to a guy who had no patience whatsoever. He had no emotion and when I was messing up, he got an attitude. I feared he was going to beat me down, and I was completely nervous. You have alot of instructors with really bad tempers. We must have gone through a drill in ten minutes. I felt like I wasn't going to make it, and I never went back again. I don't remember his name, but all I know that he looked like Jackie Gleason 50 lbs. lighter. He wasn't a bad guy, but when he was teaching he had a bad vibe and when I messed up, I knew he was angry. No smile or nothing. if you ask me how that felt like, I was waiting for him to kick me in the head and have me flying through the window, which I doubted he would do, but I think he wanted to. I even accidentally stomped on his big toe when I was doing a stomp, and he slowly looked up at me and my face turned white. What about you guys?

That's a good point, bushido_man96.

Well, yeah! In a self defense situation you definately are in need of shoes. No doubt about that. If you're in a self defense situation where you have no shoes on is entirely ludacris. Thanks for the welcome.

How many out there like to practice with thier feet? After a serious infection that I cuaght years back from a dojo, I grew against training in bare feet. Why? because I believed it was very unsanitary and alot of people's feet are very dirty. Also, the risk of diseases and infections are always a risk. I remember I had caught a very bad infection due to the floor in the dojo I went to being collected from dirt, sweat and other stuff. That was the dojo's fault for not keeping preventing that problem and alot of the students caught infections like cracked feet, blisters, sore toes and bunions. Me, I had a major case of Athlete's foot from it. Not fun at all, and that time I was agianst it. In that sense training with shoes was better. That all depended since that incident, thsy brought mats in and that was alot better. However, I'm not agianst the tradition of training in the flesh of your feet. I do believe barefeet is better for better balance developing which makes it harder t do it with your shoes because they don't help adjust the shape, feeling or development of callousing to the feet which helps them become stronger. I myself have callous and it does improve alot with lower risks of pain and toughens the skin by making it hard. So, in all truth I love to train in barefeet better. How about you guys?