The BB of C

Let's not forget that not everyone joins martial arts for self defense. But if you're claiming you teach self defense, I think you should really make sure that you're not just a Tae Bo class minus the music and the tight pants AKA what most "self defense" martial arts schools I've seen are.

"Wax-on, Wax-off!" --- How to block

There's a martial arts store on Maine Street in Rochester, New York, that sells three-sectioned-staffs. I've seen them myself. If you're that determined to get one, I can tell you that you can definately get one there. Or, you can probably buy it on E-Bay. That might be a little bit easier, but also more expensive

So it was you. Awesome. You're welcome.

My favorite signature ever is on this forum actually (it's not mine just to let you know in case I missread something and we were supposed to put our signatures). I don't know who's it is. That is an awesome signature in my oppinion.

That's exactly what I think.

Ps1, please teach my class, Oh great one! That is a geinus way of training and seeing if a student actually learned the technique. I have never thought of that before. That has got to be a beyond awesome class to be in.

Push-ups do make one stronger. But I despise them so. An instructor being able to admit he's wrong? I've been able to do that. But I have yet to meet a different instructor that can.

Really? How did the conversation go, if you dont mind me asking? Actually (you'll probably laugh at this) exactly as your example above. The BB of C: "How do we know we'll be able to use these techniques in a street defense situation the way you're training us. Our opponent isn't going to just let us do that 15 pressure point hit on them the whole time." Instructor: "Be aware. Oops, time for class to start. We're doing forms tonight." In addition; If I make too strong a point, they'll tell me I'm being dissrespectful and make me do push-ups.

Done. Nothing came of it.

I notice a lot that people talk a lot of trash about Capoeira saying that there is no way that anyone would ever be able to move like that and attack like Capoeira artists do in a real fight and that they would get knocked out (often put very colorfully and quite rude). I always dissagree because isn't this a style that prevented the native Brazillians from being sold as slaves for quite some time? There must be some level of applicability to it if it could do that. Either way, I would like to know what you think.

I dissagree. I thought that at first too, then I realized something. The people who train these styles have been training most of their lives and the way you train can have a significant impact on your body. For example, did you notice that the Tae Kwon Do artist was as big as the Karate artist? Do you also notice that those three styles focus a lot on a combination of force and speed? The way you train like that would naturally cause you to be of medial size and build if you start at a young enough age and keep at it for a long while. Did you notice that the Kung-fu artists and the Ninjitsu artist were also generally the same and that these styles focus on softer, balanced movements and being really fit? This would cause somebody to be skinny, flexible, and limber if started training as such at a young enough age and kept at it long enough. Then there's the Muay Thai artist and the Boxer. Two styles that are basically "The harder you can hit the better" so they focus a lot of muscle structure which would probably cause them to be really big. This in mind; I think it's accurate because we're not just seeing what the styles are supposed to do in these people, we're also seeing what training in them turns them into. The way Kung-fu trains it brings out skinnier, smaller people, Boxing type styles have really big, strong, and heavy people, and Power type styles (Karate, Tae Kwon Do etc.) are somewhere close to the middle.

Your friend's name wouldn't happen to be Nicholas, would it? I'm just kidding. But I believe he's right. If you train yourself and get the skill to beat someone who has trained just as much and earned a real black belt, then it doesn't really matter if he is a "real" or "fake" black belt. Almost the same thing happened to me. I got truely interested in martial arts when I was 13 as a means of defending myself against bullies at school. My father wouldn't sign me up for a class, so I had to teach myself. But I didn't have any real martial arts experience except for some really basic techniques taught to me when I was very young by my older brother. I trained myself, learing what other martial arts were about and immitating what I saw useful from some of them, doing anything I could to learn and teach myself a new move. Even taking moves from various characters in different fighting video games, martial arts movies, and action television shows. I found effective ways to move, stand, defend, attack, and apply the moves, and I believe the result qualifies as a martial arts style. I have defeated quite a few black belts in my time before and after I started training Kuk Sool Won with it and I can say from first-hand experience it does not matter much.

This is a good idea.

In which case I don't think it's worth going back to that particular school. I suggest finding a better one and still, if possible, starting again where you left off.

How long has it been since you were last there? If you go back, I suggest picking up where you left off. Can you give more specific details on what the school is like?

I don't believe it works at all.

This is my oppinion: AMEN, BROTHER! That is precicely what my school is like! Hammer to the nail's head all the way! But there's a problem. There are reasons the school is like that. Stupid reasons I probably should add. Know what they are? Legal issues! Lawyers, insurance, everyone's afraid to get hurt and the ones that aren't afraid to get hurt are the ones that will probably abuse the powers the good training gives them by attacking someone who really needed it. I think the only thing to do is find ways around the insurance, legal systems, lawyers, everything and make a program that brings truely effective self-defense training and only gives it to those who really need it.

I believe you just need to come to peace with the fact that no matter what you do, think, say, look like, ANYTHING there will always be more people that hate you for it than there will be that like you for who you are or can respect you. Once you've really come to peace with that, things people say about you won't bother you as much. But that doesn't mean don't redraw your lines. Always remember to defend your honor when necessary. For example: I let people be jerks and insult my martial arts, my writing, the fact that I don't do sports or anything. I let them say pretty much anything they want to me. But the second they start talking about my parents, or call me a name because of my religion, that's when bones get broken. So basically, you just have to come to peace with the fact that no matter who you are people will say and think things about you. It's human nature to a degree. Once you do that, you won't care as much what they say, and if you can't tell if they're really saying anything, you won't care much anyway. Which will eventually lead to you not thinking about it anymore. Do you understand everything I just said?

I'd love to post it as soon as A) I get a bo (I like bamboo poles and my brother keeps splitting them every time we get one). B) I learn how to do my tricks faster than 10 miles-per-hour and/or without dropping it.

I could hardly see what you were doing with the staff. I had to go by what your hands were doing. Whoever was filming that, I would suggest to them to zoom in a little bit closer if possible next time. You certainly have a lot better speed and control with the staff than I do. Weren't doing anything I couldn't do but I'm a lot more likely to drop the staff while doing those tricks. Lastly your kiats weren't that bad. I wouldn't worry about it.

People tell me I did some weird stuff but I don't remember it. I also don't really know what it was because I often ask them not to continue the story. Chances are if I don't remember it's probably for a good reason

I saw it to be a very interesting and logical study. However they left out a couple of core factors in the experiment. But it's probably good that they did because otherwise the experiment would have never ended.

I don't believe there is one set way that someone will go as a result of martial arts. Everyone is different and everyone takes a seperate direction with their training.

I get mixed responses from different people I know. All of them aren't very smart in the field of martial arts and/or fighting in their own way. So I would never look in a mirror and base what I see off what they say. I see myself as not that good. I do not have many acrobatics and my attacks are slow. I think I am better than most people at school, even among the other martial artists there (the other 15 that there are) this is only because (they refuse to admit it there) I have beaten some of the "toghest" and "best fighters" there while playing around. They'll tell you they were playing around too but actually screw around with them in gym class and you'll see that they're trying a decent amount to land a hit. I also see myself on a higher scale than 2/3 of the martial artists in my Kuk Sool Won school. They do not exactly come from an environment that would make them good fighters and they do not exactly recieve prime self defense training. They will not admit it to you because they think only the black belts there are good fighters, but they are not very good either. But when I come home, watch a movie, or a video on YouTube of a freestyle martial arts tournament or something, I realize I'm not that good. As much as I have ups on the martial artists at class and the punks at school, my other family members destroy me on fighting ability. My father can jab twice as fast as my best jab without even trying and my older brother is so experienced that there simply is no point in sparring with him. And the people I see in movies are simply amazing. In sumation; I think I'm good in my own leauge. If I have a hope of competing well, at the moment I have to stay with the little quarrels in school and humiliating the lousy excuses for fighters we call 'black belts' at Kuk Sool Won class. But I know I will be reminded of just how good I am if I try to spar with brother Dan, cousin Mike, or my father. And it won't even be competition if I go against the real professionals.