Montana

I lost 180 lbs way back in 1995 and have not gained it back. And you know what? I don't miss her a bit either! OK...about the topic *ahem*...I've had a lot of students want to join my class to loose weight. I have told them if that is their goal for the martial arts, go take an aerobics class or join Weight Watchers. I'm here to teach you how to survive in a fight, and if the byproduct is some weight loss...GREAT! But that's not what I';m trying to do here.

There are various reasons for kata...some have already been mentioned, but one of the most important is the developement of muscle memory thru rigorous and constant repetition. Kata teaches your body how to move, how to maintain balance, how to progress from one movment to another, how to step, how to move from one technique to another, etc. Those that say kata is outdated and an obsolete way of training are missing the entire point.

The thing you need to keep in mind is that the sensei that you listed trained primarily with Sensei Kise, not Sensei Kuda, and Kise has his own way of doing things a lot of the time. Which was more accuraqte way of doing the Hakusura kata...beats me! lol Personally, I would lean towards Sensei Lindsey as being the most accurate, but that's just an opinion.

Well, on the first video, it's amazing what you can show with a compliant and willing student. I'll pass on that one. The 2nd video however was interesting (except for the beginning quote about karate coming from China....aspects of karate certainly came from China, but not the whole art) as the body shifting is the same as what we do in Shorin Ryu, and yes, I'm sure that came from a Chinese influence.

Very.....VERY true!

It's easier to de-escalate when your attacker is afraid of you. I would argue that you are scarier with a blade using cover than without. But you do need to be good enough at unarmed defense to get the chance. I'm reminded of the scene from the movie "Crocodile Dundee" where he's accosted by a street punk that pulls a 4 inch blade on Dundee and when Dundee doesn't back down or show fear the punk says "Don't you see I have a knife man?"...or something to that effect. To which Dundee says "Knife? You call that a knife?" Then he reaches behind him and pulls a much larger knife of his own out and says "Now THAT'S a knife!"..to which the punk and friends take off running.

I wouldn't recommend trying to use a knife against another knife unless you know how to use one. The first rule of knife defense is...If yoru attacker wants your wallet...GIVE HIM YOUR WALLET!!! Speaking only for myself here, the system I train in practices defense against a knife frequently and I would be MUCH more comfortable going empty hand against a knife. Most often times there is always something nearby that can be used as a weapon. If not something you can pick up, then a sign post or telephone pole that can be used to put between you and him. When he tries to come around it to get to you, that's when you strike, and strike HARD and with purpose. You can't fool around withy someone that has an intent on killing you. Yes, you might get cut, even stabbed, but you need to go hard and fast with this attacker. If you have a coat/sweater you can wrap it around your leading arm to use as a shield. You don't list the system you study...mind sharing that with us?

In June of 1978 I was a 1st kyu brown belt under my Nidan instructor when the head of our system, the late Sensei Kuda Yuichi (7th Dan) came to our small single car garage dojo in Northcentral Montana for a 3 week visit/training session. Our class consisted of about a dozen hard working students with one shodan black belt and the rest were lower colored belts. Sensei Kuda worked with us for the first 2 weeks on kata, bunkai and other techniques, but we saw little of what he could actually do himself. On the 3rd week, Sensei Kuda went from an instructor and just telling us what to do, to a fewllow martial artist training with us. To say the least, he was VERY imprssive!!! His speed, timing, control and technique was the stuff I was aspiring to achieve in myself! Sensei Kuda liked to use me for demonstration purposes, since I was the biggest guy in the class at 6' 6" tall and around 220 lbs. Sensei Kuda himself was a small man, as most Okinawans are, at about 5'5" tall and maybe 150 lbs. That man tossed me around the floor like a sack of grain, and no matter what I tried (and believe me, I tried!) to do against him, he easily controlled me and made it very clear who was in control and that he was just toying with me. Towards the end of the 3rd week, our last, Sensei Kuda called us up one at a time and asked us to do various kata or techniques. We had done this several times before, so it was expected. After I completed what Sensei Kuda asked of me and returned to the side of the wall along with the rest of the class, my Sensei leaned over with extended hand and said "Congratulations...Shodan!" I said "What???" And my Sensei told me I had just tested, and PASSED, my shodan test. It was totally unexpected. I had the opportunity to work with Sensei Kuda once again in the 1990's or so in Seattle, and Sensei Kuda passed away in 1999. He was a true martial artist and a great man, and is truly missed by those that had the opportunity to know and train with him.

Personally, I'd bring a gun to a knife fight...but hey, that's just me! lol Forget tyhe keys..ineffective unless you're grappling, in which case you need to worry about the knife, not a set of keys and what to do with them. In the local farm/ranch supply store they sell a rattan "bull cane" which is actually used to prod cows. Lightweight, incredibly strong, and best of all..LEGAL to carry! I keep on in all of my vehicles "just in case". I also faked a "limp" and took my cane thru the airport security a few years ago.

This isn't the case for all martial arts schools today, though, thankfully. I've been training for 5 years and suspect I won't be testing for black belt for another year or two--and that's if I keep working hard to learn the curriculum, keep helping to teach and keep working to develop my technique and understanding. I also know that my Sensei's girlfriend trains at a dojo under an instructor who believes that no one with less than 15 years of training should test for black belt. True, not all dojo's and sensei's are handing out black belts like confetti, but I've seen many examples over the last 20 years of schools that do. You'll see the best examples of this at open, all style tournaments. There are people there sporting multiple dan black belts that have no power, speed, focus, control or technique. There was a thread on here a few months back of a woman testing for her first black belt that was just awful, and forum members (including myself) were pretty amazed at his woman passed. I'll try to find the link for the utube video and post it here.

One thing I want to point out is that when I started training in 1975, a black belt actually meant something. They were relatively rare and a lot of work had to be done to earn (note I said earn, not get!) one. Now days...break a board, get a belt. Pay your fees on time, get a belt. To young to get a blackbelt? Naw, just keep coming to class and pay those fees and little 6 year old Johnny can have a black belt in a year. IMO, a black belt now days is almost meaningless. Judging by what I've seen at the last tournament I attended, just about anybody can get one. This wasn't the case just 20-30 years ago.

GREAT POST!!! What you described about your journey thusfar I believe is typical of people who join the arts. They want that coveted black belt around their waist in the beginning, but somewhere along the line...usually after they get their BB, their perception of the arts changes. They realize it isn't just about a belt, but rather the experiences and growth that happens with serious study of the arts. Great topic!

If one of my students walked into my dojo with a pair of foam nunchauku, I'd ask to see them and toss them in the garbage! I've played with them before, and IMHO they are a total waste of time. Weight and movment-wise they are as different from real nunchauku as night and day. If you're going to learn the weapon, get a real weapon and take your lumps (knocks on the head, whacks to the elbow...and let's not forget the ever popular ball-basher!!!)

You make a good point, however you don't just stand there and let the guy grab you around the neck. As I said earlier, your jut out your butt which breaks your opponents center of gravity while executing the technique. If done properly yoru opponent will be worried about hitting the floor more than grabbing around your neck. The next technique of the kata (assuming you do it the same as we do)your arm comes up thru his arms and forces them apart. As I've stated many times on many threads, it's easier to demonstrate than to write down.

My sensei was stationed on Okinawa while serving in the US Navy in the late 60's, early 70's. A friend of his there was taking classes from OSensei Soken Hohan and Sensei Kuda Yuichi and dragged my sensei to class one night. The rest is history.

Nunchaku, in my opinion, are the most widely misused, abused and misunderstood martial arts weapon. When I visit another dojo or go to a tournament and see all these people doing finger tip twirling, behing the neck, figure 8's, through the goin swings and such, I just CRINGE!!! Very rarely do you see people do trapping techniques, nerve techniques and such. Just out of curiosity, has anybody trained to use the nunchauku against a bo? Do you realize that the nunchauku can trap/capture the bo and make it useless? I wish I had the available bandwidth with my pc and a video camera to do short videos of what I talk about on here so you can understand, but that's not possible.

Agreed. If you think the bo is "easy"..then you aren't learning anything other than simple basics with the weapon. There are parrys, disarms, locks, sweeps, blocks, jabs, thrusts, etc etc etc...the vast majority of people think there's maybe 10 bo techniques...HA! I've been working on the bo for 30+ years now, and I still discover new things to do with it.

Another option if you can is to try to pry one finger loose...ANY finger..and pull it back until it breaks...most people will let go.

From Nahachi Shodan kata...hands close together, drop and bend your knees about half way thrusting your butt into your opponent and bending slightly forward, this throws his center of gravity off..then thrust your elbows up and out while keeping your hands close together. Should break his grip if done correctly. The only problem can be if yoru opponent lifts you into the air. If the opponent is taller or the same height, you can always try to slam your head back into his face if possible. If your opponet grabs from behind and his arms are on the upper part of your arms (above your elbow), try side stepping slightly to one side and bring one arm up and the other over to your oppsite hip (easier to show than describe) then step behind with your foot ande twist your body towards your opponent...this can cause you to actually throw him to the ground.i Every situation is different...depends on how they grab you, their/your height, etc.

I was a mid-kyu belt when I met my first wife and we got married 2 months after I received my shodan. For the next 17 years I tried to get her interested in learning the art, but she never showed one bit of interest. 17 years later we divorced. I remarried 3 years ago to a woman that is an exercise/workout fanatic! She runs about 20-25 miles/week and lefts weights at least 4 nights/week at the YMCA. I've talked to her about learning Shorin Ryu, but she says "It's to violent"...HUH? No matter what I say to her or show her, she has absolutely no interest in it. *sigh*

1st suggestion, the corret spelling is "nunchaku". Secondly, forget websites. Find a qualified and legitimate instructor to teach you proper technique. Easiest was to tell if a person knows what they're doing or not is to see where they hold the weapon. Are they holding it close to the string/chain? If so...PASS! They don't know what they're doing. Unless of course all you're interested in is flash, not effectiveness...then go for it. If you still want a website, go to Google and type in "nunchaku", or *shudder* "numchucks" and start sifting through a few million websites of garbage to find anything useful.

I work out at the YMCA a couple oftimes/week withy weights and treadmill (fast walking), but besides getting off the couch to get some chips , that's about it.

There is no "easiest weapon" in my opinion. They all have their own unique chararastics, techniques and challenges to learning. I suppose the shotgun would be easiest... STEP ONE: point it in the general direction of the target STEP TWO: pull trigger.

I've been sparring light to medium contact without any sort of gear, including groin cup, since January of 1975. Sure, I've been tagged, but you know what? It teaaches you to BLOCK AND PROTECT YOURSELF!!! The logic we use is that you're not going to have gear on in a street fight, so you'd better learn to protect yourself in the dojo. I've always have given my students the option to wear protective gear of any sort, and a few do. Some of the guys wear cups, most don't. One gal wore a chest protector, but only the one. The only time we are required to wear gear is during full contact, and then we wear Okinawan bogu gear and gloves with groin cups. To each their own IMO.

You guys are expectibng realism in a movie? Did you just crawl out of a cave somewhere and see your first movie?