Kensai

I study Aikido, which is very similar to Daito Ryu Aikijutsu. A good book about it is "the hidden roots of aikido" by Sensei Omiya. This is a good link. http://www.daito-ryu.org/ If I can help any further ask away. Take Care.

Ummm, well because Aikido was ment for everyone, then there are alot of books out there. Umm good ones are, The Essence of Aikido - O Sensei M Ueshiba Aikido- Doshu K Ueshiba Best Aikido - Doshu M Ueshiba Aikido - Sensei Tohei (My Sensei's teacher) Total Aikido - Sensei Gozo Shioda Complete Aikido - Sensei Suenaka Aikido- Sensei Stevens Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere -Westbrook. Websites http://www.aikidojournal.com/index.asp http://www.aikiweb.com/ http://www.aikidofaq.com/ http://www.aikidoonline.com/ The dojo I train at. http://www.kifedgb.force9.co.uk/contents.html There is also a dojo listing of Ki Aikido dojo's here, so see if there is one near you. Aikido is very different from what you currently study, even Small Circle. Why have you changed? Just out of interest. Take Care

Sure, The main thing is to be in the right frame of mind. You can have the strongest Ki in the world, but if you doubt yourself then it wont work. one principle of Aikido, is to proform with confidence. Not an ego. Self belief. Believe that you can do it then you will. try to center yourself, let all your thoughts pass, think to your one point (hara, seiken no itten). Then imagin the water, light, warmth or happy feeling run out the end of your fingers. I know it sounds a little tree huggy, but it does help. Also remain focused, do not consider your friends presents. Because Ki, is the power of the Universe, then the presents of one man if not going to effect ki. the only thing that can stop it is you. Try sitting and breathing. Sit in Seiza, conpletely relaxed. Breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth. When breathing out prenouce "haaaaaaaaaaaaaa". Focus on the breathing. Picture it circulating to every part of your body. Enjoy it. Then try the exercise again. It is a very difficult one. But there are harder ones. Stand completely stiff, arms tensed and slightly out from your sides. Then get 2 people to lift you. they should be able to easily do it. you should be held in the air for a moment then returned to the ground. Then, think of unbendable arm, in both arms, then relax your body, picture your ki going into the ground. they should not be able to move you. Remember to be completely relaxed. Take Care

sure, Firstly purchase a book called "Aikido", by Sensei Tohei. This is a really good text on Ki exercises. But I will give you a good one to work on. Stand naturally with your hands at your sides, raise one arm forward. Now tense that arm and get a friend to bend it. your friend should applie pressure from the underside of your wrist and push down on the elbow. you should realise that to keep your arm there is takes alot of effort if you can hold it there at all. Now stand naturally again, hold your arm out, this time totally relaxed. Picture your Ki, like water coming out from the end of your arm, firing into infinity. Like a fire hose, when the water is on, and the pressure it high, it is nearly impossible to bend. When your partner tests, it should require no effort to keep your arm out, and it also should not bend. hence, the exercise is called unbendable arm Take Care.

Thanks BlackI. Could not agree more. Take Care

Ummm probably 1.Pa Gua 2.Hsing-i 3.Ninjutsu.

of course, there are a lot of crap sensei's out there. just choose wisely.

lol. They are both amazing arts. They deal with more or less the same things being Japanese, and warrior budo arts. But perhaps if you are into dancing you should look at Capoeria.

does it matter? It is always down to the practitioner, most Kung Fu practioners would not fight for sport, so it is unlikely that they would use there most deadly moves. It you are messing with a street fighter then you deserve to get your head kicked in. But Mauy Thai is pretty good. Take Care

I am not sure what you people think Jujutsu is, but dont confuse it with judo, or some American watered down sport. No offence. Jujutsu, is very complete, incorporating Locks, Throws, take downs, strikes and kicks. Also, jujutsu and Aikido are taught to the Japanese police, so is it works for a cop then it will work in the street. If it worked for a Samuari, then it is going to for in the street. lol. omnifinite, Jujutsu, is nor modern nor watered down, depending on where you are taught ofcourse. Make sure that it is not a mcdojo jujutsu club. Kick Boxing is a sport, great for fittness and self confidence, that is probably the only reason that I would take it, not for the effectivness of the techniques. If however you are talking about Mauy Thai, then thats a very different story. But the great thing about Jutsu, is that it is not a young man's martial art. It is one for life. Take Care

Never do Tai Chi "on the side". It is one of the most complete and devasting MA's out there. I would suggest getting a book on mediation practices and do that. If you are serious about Tai Chi, it takes along to get good at, like all internal arts. When practicing the forms, your mind should be empty of thought. The japanese call it Mushin (no mind). If a thought does come dont try and force it out, just let it pass. It is also important, to try and get technically perfect, because if you are thinking about the movements, then you are not in a state of Mushin. It should just be a natural as breathing or walking. This takes a LONG time to do. Take Care

Well, speaking I have never found hard. I just speak and it happens. Remember that any good Martial artist proforms with confidence. So treat it as if you were in the class. Enjoy the respect that you will get from the lower grades. Especially if you earn there respect. As for techniques, practice and focus. Also enjoy it. Take Care

No. But then I would not fight in a UFC, do you think I am mad. But to add the fact that someone might die, it would be interesting to see. Thats is all I ment by it. But perhaps not. Perhaps Robots that could have the complete abilitys of the great masters. Then see. Just an idea for microsoft. Take Care

I have the budo, it is a very good book. However my Sensei, Sensei Williams, a direct student of Sensei Abbe and Sensei Tohei, believed that ALL aikido techniques should be done with a silent kiai. But I think in a real situation, Kiai's should be done out loud. Take Care

Thanks omnifinite, that is what I ment by my last post. All good Aikidoka's have a great ability not to "boil", however I never said I was a good Aikidoka. lol. But I am always trying to be. No offence to the Aikikai Panama Web page but in the UK anyway it is spelt O Sensei. And you can be sure that the Aikikai Panama Web page will be getting a very hard hitting email about their spelling. But I would like to see the UFC, with no point system, just first to pass out or die, where the combatants were actually fighting for their lives. Although this seems a little sick, it would be interesting. Take Care

Always depends on what you want. It has always been my thinking that all the traditional MA's are complete arts, and dont need suppliment. Jujutsu, depending on the style of course is a really great MA, and you really wont need kick boxing. Also sparating to arts in your mind especially if you are new, is really hard. So you wont do yourself or the art justice. Do jujutsu. just my opinuon. Take Care

I pay £12 per grading. I also payed £12 for my gradings in Shotokan as well. But $800, thats like £500. WOW! Are you graded by a grand master or something?

Submission, I am in no way sexist. Therefore, I wont tone down or up my answers, for either sex. Women are as good at MA's as men and they can argue just as well as men, if not better. So I am sure that she can take it. Although I admire your white knight attitude. lol. I would agree however that karateforums is about learning. But about MA's, not picking apart my grammer. As I remember it, you at one point argued with me, because I did the same about the O Sensei and O'Sensei thing. So I am only doing exactly what you did to me. So perhaps one should think before lecturering. Take Care.

I saw a Mauy thai figher when I was at uni. And he was challenging people in the crowd. It was really messy. I went there with people from my Aikido club, however Aikido does not teach you to be stupid enough to step into the ring with a mauy Thai fighter. lol. Take Care

Fair enough 360. Rickson does seem to tar the Gracie name a little. Take Care Elektra, from your comments thus far, I can see that perhaps Karate forums is not for you. Maybe https://www.iknownothingaboutmartialarts.com, would be better. If you could answer the threads constructively, perhaps we could get along better.

As I understand it it goes, 1.TKD 2.Shotokan 3.Judo 4.Aikido. These are the most practiced styles. But I think in big cities, especially london, you can practice nearly every style from the Wudang to Shotokan.

Thanks Elektra for your little gem of knowledge.

lol, fat. Hmm.... It is nothing to do with that, of course the healther you are the better the Ki will flow. But being overly muscular, or overly fat, will not help. Most serious Aikidoka, are indeed very fit, not so much fit as solid. Take Care

Well put 360, but I wont agree simply on what I think a martial art master should and should not be, in perhaps 40 years i will look back and think of the Gracies in a different mannor. Cloud 9, this is when you think you are invicible. As I think that you said 360, one of the Gracies, used every oppotunity to slag off other arts. I have read the Gracies challenge . However they did not except the challenge of Emin Botztep, so not putting your money where you mouth is can be a little hippocytical. I dont think I can ever agree with you on the Gracies being great Martial artists, I just see them as great fighters and sportsmen, I guess thats the difference in my mind. I have actually been to a BJJ training hall, it is very interesting, but it really does not offer me everything I want. But like I have said tons of times, I respect BJJ as an art, just not its creators. Good arguement though 360. Take Care

I enjoy watching sport martial arts, I think that point fighting especially in the striking arts is amazing to watch. But do we define great martial artists by sport. Or by what they have done, they have achieved. The Gracies have done a lot for the martial arts world, like bring on UFC and also allowing us to see the noble are of BJJ. But, unlike the past greats, they have tared this achievement, with bad mouthing, and unfortunately, this is only how I will remember them. I cant tell what people think, this is true, but is a martial arts ability to be turned into a sport the ONLY measure of it? Why did I post a thread about MMA? I have'nt this is about the Gracies. "stir the pot by bashing people", I was going to let what you said about O Sensei slide, until you had to bring it back up. Lets be fair now, you cant really compare Ueshiba (Aikido), Kano (Judo), Funakoshi (Shotokan Karate), Ip Man (Wing Chun), General Choi (TKD), Takemutsu (Ninjutsu), Sun Lu Tang (Hsing I, Ba Gua and Tai Chi) and Wong Kiew Kit (Shaolin and Tai Chi) to the Gracies. These men of martial arts, did create or expand some of the most refined systems on the planet (Sorry if I left out some of the other great masters, like the Okinawana ones). Without the bad mouthing, and they tested their arts on the battle field or on the crime riden streets of the past. With no ref. When honour ment everything, so one had to LOSE and win with grace. If I was going to bash BJJ and Gracies, I would be more forth coming, however, I only said that they should come off cloud 9 and join us all down here on earth, were people sometimes lose and sometimes win. I dont want to bash BBJ, like I said earlier techniques wise I dont really know a lot about it, other than I would not want to fight any BJJ practioner, or anyone in fact. But I can agree with you on one thing and that is that I would not want to get in the ring with the Gracies. lol. I would be mashed. Enjoy your pride watching. Take Care