Kensai

I dont think its anything to do with just Karate. Most martial systems have been mcdojoised. Personally I think its any teacher thats excessively charges students with contracts, or ties them down with them. A teacher that claims false lineage and more importantly does not have the level of qualification that they say they have. That great systems from thin air and claim to be grandmasters. I am sure there are other points to, but I cant think of any. I would love to be able to make my living from Martial arts. But doing one of the above is just not acceptable, there should be some World Wide MA regulation body, but these mcdojo's not only tarnish genuine practioners but take something away from the style itself to.

I agree sevenstar. Exactly the point I was making. In general, and this is the opinion I have picked up from many a Martial Art form. Traditional Jujutsu guys just down train as hard and sweet very little. I am not knocking JJ, I love the systems. But I do think that gaining a "dose" of reality (I know Randori is not real), but against someone that wants to beat you really helps. It compliments the Aikido I do well, and helps me see what I could do for real. I think doing a sport art really helps traditional system practioners.

lol. The old sport Vs traditional arguement. There is nothing bad about Sport, testing your abilties. Dont confuse matchs with fights. However, matchs help you both mentally and physically and as well as taking some pretty nasty throws from a more combat like situation which you just dont get in some more traditional systems (or the way they are taught now). No Martial art should be looked down upon because it has a sport aspect. Which your argument seems to be Ninjanurse.

I agree with TJS. Pick one area that you really like, ie grappling and then go for that. Best of luck.

BAGUA, ITS AMAZING! Not as good as Aikido, but pretty cool.

Aikido has 2 basic counters to kicks. Its a sort of one size fits all thing. You either Irimi (enter) or tenkan (turn/side step). Its worked with some of my WC mates. I have an amazing book, got it today actually "Aikido and the Competitve egde", it has counters to kicks in it. Really amazing read.

Hmm...... Dont really agree with that............. But I have explained this a few times before in past threads. Look them up if your interested.

Patrick, it was never about are far as you were concerned. There are many free nations in the world and the USA was not the first. I personally think that the time for slapping ourselves on the back is far far away yet. And putting a foreign flag in the center of a foreign city is a very abrasive thing to do. The troops must be aware of the constant and apparant problem the Arab world has with the West. Placing a flag, whether it be US, British, French, Chinese or whatever would have been unsettling. However, I can only look with pride on the job that has been done thus far. The greatest symbolism I can see, shows that when people work together we can achieve so much.

Indeed, I saw it myself and it was an amazing site. I was very proud to be a member of a nation involved in its doing. However, when that Marine put the stars and stripes on the face of Saddam, I felt very dishearted in that I dont really think the Marine understood what he was doing. I personally feel that he ruined a fantastic historical moment with overwhelming American pride. We all know that the coalition and mainly the USA has done a great deal for Iraq. But let us not forget that this was not a war of invasion, but of liberation, and brandishing any flag other than the Iraq one is going to be hard to swallow.

I agree with TJS. I dont think having compition fighting experience is necessary in becoming a good street fighter, I believe there are more imprtant things. However, I think proving your skill in a hostile enviroment like NHB/full contact sparring does help.

Can you please state your experience in wrestling and in other martial arts BK? Any fool can pull off a move like a side kick from Karate, a wrist lock from Aikido, a cut kick from MT or a move from wrestling. But to actually have the power and skill to use such a move under a REAL COMBAT environment is completely different from a couple of kids fights in the school yard.

"Intresting but anyone who watched the WWE could pulled that off." You are joking right?! Thats like saying anyone that has seen karate kid makes them an Okinwanan master!

IN the Federation I am in, it takes on average between 3-6 years.

I would say Gun-do. Even a Mauy Thai practioners conditioned shins cant stop that.

If you can find pictures of just one technique that you like AT THE MOMENT. That would be much appreciated.

Post a picture of your favourite technique. Here's mine. http://www.aikiweb.com/gallery/data/503/1820kokyu_nage2.jpg KOKYU NAGE!

Is that the one with the sort of back drop thingy. Yea is was pretty cool, I was impressed more with the amount of punchs to the face that guy took.

I agree with both of you. However, a good Aikidoka would maintain what is called "ma ai" or distancing. The aim of this is the make the boxer or whatever, over commit the attack, and so having less balance. I think some boxers actually do something similar called "rope a doping". Also, Aikido is about being dynamic, waiting to catch a strike is exactly what Aikido is not about.

I have never heard of Shudokan Aikido, however there is Shodokan Aikido.

Well....... I have always said that the better man would win the day. But if we are talking strictly about techniques: Firstly, I think 100 hours of Aikido training Vs 100 hours of Boxing, NO QUESTION the boxer is going to destroy him. However, 1000 hours of AIkido Vs 1000 hours of boxing would be much more interesting. I think Boxers in general train more or less the same way. very hard and very physical. Aikido can vary greatly from dojo to dojo and person to person. Some train just in the dojo, what I mean by that is its like a hobby and nothing more. To some, its a method of gaining a good level of health and mental calmness. And to others like myself, its a passion and a quest to understand both the physical and spiritual side of the art. Not only training in the dojo, but trying what works against non Aikido attacks. And a certain degree of Cross training, then applying Aikido principles to it. For an Aikido practioner to do well, strictly using Aikido, I think they would have to train hard against bokken and jo welding attackers, for the simple reason that each hit could kill you (potentially) and I think that applies to a boxers punch/jab/cross/hook. Also, I think the Aikido practioner would have to be able to "blend" with the attacks very well, and not to try and "box a boxer". They need to enter deeply to retain control of the boxers arms when going for a throw or pin. Not being afraid to apply lots of Atemi to not nessessarily hurt the boxer, but to make him think that the attacks are strikes, whick you would then change to the powerful throw. Just my 2 cents.

"An often overlooked part of the most traditional systems is the healing aspects. In earlier times the students learned to help heal the damage they inflicted on their sparring partners." Thats what is done in my dojo to, Kiatsu is complusary for some higher grades.

Because of the secretcy of Ninjutsu, it can easily become a mcdojo style. As people can make wild claims and no one can really prove them wrong. I heard of some guy that combined TKD and Judo and called it Ninjutsu. Personally, for safetys sake find yourself a bujinkan ninjutsu club. This I believe is one of the few true ninja styles, as its the one with links of Iga ninja sect. http://www.bujinkan.com/

There is a Gracie girl thats a BB I think. And she is rather pretty too.

Kyokushin does have forms. They are in one of Mas Oyama's books. Formless arts: Aikido Hapkido Judo (some kata not alot) JJJ (some) BJJ Boxing Chinese Fast Wrestling Western Wrestling Sambo MT MMA

A good person to ask about that is Tobais, he lives around that part of the world.