vashogun

Any style that requires you to smoke cuban cigars while you practice it. It would be unconstitutional I think to actually ban a martial art, but a school could be shut down if it was teaching explicitly illegal activity. For instance if someone was teaching bomb making and passing it off as a "martial art" it would likely be shut down. However it would likely be beneficial to the industry if some sort of requirement were put in place to avoid fraud from schools with teachers claiming credits they don't have. The only problem is this might do as much damage as it does good. There are lots of competent teachers who learned from someones back yard from a teacher who couldn't afford a school but was no less qualified, and in China there are many such small backyard schools who are skilled but unorginized. I'd hate to see instructors from these backgrounds cut out of the licensing process.

Well I also notice your an MMA guy. Its in your nature to ignore the kata. lol, I'm just yanking your chain as a traditionalist. But that is a good thing to point out, this book really is best for people who study a traditional style I think or at least a style that claims some traditions. Like tallgese said there is good information there though regardless.

If your in a style that puts heavy emphasis on kata anyway, than I think Morgan's focus on kata is fine. However it does leave styles like Krav Maga and Jeet Kune Do a bit in the dark. However even then you have shadow boxing and retzev which are basically those styles equivelents.

(in the voice of the one-up lady from newer episodes of Saturday night live.) Mine is the first black belt ever worn by Gichin Funakoshi, so... It's invulnerable to bullets so... It was given to me by my best friend, the Emperor of Japan so... I earned it in like two weeks, so... I had to learn all the kata ever and fight two hundred elephants so...

I've been fortuante enough to mostly not have any. But there is one I have to mention, and I'm actually pretty proud of it. Within the first two weeks of my training, I was punching a pad and got cocky. I didn't land the punch right, and I can't even describe the angle I was at or the speed that it took to do this, but most of the skin on my knuckles litteraly ripped off. Yeah... There was this: Followed by a burning sensation like this: Followed by this when my sensei wasn't looking: But then I was all like: Because by the next trainign session I just wrapped my hands in wraps, paid more attention to what I was doing, and kept at it. It still hurt but it healed well. Thats how I knew i had found something I really loved though because anything else with an injury liek that and I would have stopped doing it.

Tallgese mentioned "Living the Martial Way" I'm asuming by Forest P. Forgan USAF ret. I would just like to double that recomendation with personal testimony. This book CHANGED MY LIFE. Seriously, its in my opinion the best book on martial arts in general ever written, and deffinitely the best in the last twenty five years. I love Bruce Lee's work to. But specifically Living the Martial Way was a huge help and inspiration for me. If your really serious about martial arts and want it to be a life style not just a hobby, its the best read you can buy IMO.

You also have to be aware that many states have laws making it a felony to wear a mask in public if your over a certain age. I know it sucks. When I was a couple years younger I loved to do stuff like this to. There was a game we played though that circumvented this urge a little, if your in a place where you can do it. We called it "insertion". Basically one person was an "operative" and there was a set number of guards depending on the size of the house we were using. (always our own house, mind you!) The operative had to sneak into the house from a "drop point" and collect a "data disk" (usally an old floppy disk that we wrote "data disk" on and put in a preselected room in plain view.) The guard or guards would have to do regular continuos patrols of the entire house, never spending more than a minute in one room. This made the game possible. The other rule was windows and doors were unlocked. The operative and guards had nerf guns to. Your job was to sneak in, and grab the data disk and get out without being detected. Then the positions would switch. The winner was based on points. 5 points for getting into the house from the drop point. 5 points for recovering the data disk 5 points for getting out of the house with the data disk. If you assasinated the guard you got 2 points. But if you did everything without having to assasinate anyone you got a 5 point bonus, plus a 5 point bonus for not getting detected. If you were shot, your turn as operative ended. Our game was based on our fanboy love of the Metal Gear Solid series but we did play a ninja version a couple of times with foam katana. I am not responsible for what happens if you play this game. This is just what we used to do. It is somewhat dangerous, as any physical game is, but it was our house and legal and we didn't disturb the peace, and no one rained on our parade. Its basically a complex version of tag.

Sure. And you can draw lots of comparisons like I said. I'm an eccliptic taoist who used to be heavily involved first in Christianity, namely babtist, and later a Torah Observant Beleiver. I still beleive in many of the things I did but I saw them as stepping stones on my own personal spiritual path. Because of this non-laymen experince I find many comparisons. One in paticular I point out to Christians who often ask me about Taosim and how I view christianity now is a precept in which Lao Tzu explains that "Only he who is willing to give his whole life for the world is worthy to be steward of the world." A very Christ like image. Something else I do find interesting with the Chi/Ki concept is that every culture seems to have a religious connotation to breathing. The act of breathing is very important to Asian religious doctrine, including taoism. The Egyptians beleived inhaling light could bring about immortality. Christians and Jews both describe the act of creation of life as recieving "The breath of life" directly from God into our nostrils as described in Genesis. There are many base similarities. My world view, and I would never ask that anyone have the same one unless they were compelled to, is that spirituality is an important very personal thing. Even within one very isolated denomination, lets say for controveries sake the Pentecostal Church and its off-shots the Assembly of God, in just one church in that one specific denomination of that one religion that uses the same exact version of the same books of the bible you are unlikely to find two people who beleive the exact same thing. Religious research interest me but in the end the individual always decides what they wish to beleive. And in that regard, I ALWAYS support orthadoxy. even the Dahli Lama (sp?) said that "If you were born a christian, raised a christian, and are comfortable being a christian, you should remain a christian." I beleive that it is GOOD that there are many different religions, and I understand that contradicts doctrines of these specific religions, but se la ve. Spirtuality is a good thing. And these religions often bring about there own set of skills. Jews tend to be excellent researchers, Christians are experts at world politcts, Taoist like myself pride ourselves in our ability to be frugal and economical in our use of money, time, and energy. Wiccans (who are sincere, as many I have met are, and do not treat there faith as a fad) are excellent conservationalist and have made great strides as a faith to clean up the enviroment. My rule of thumb is your religion is the right one for you so long as it does not lead you to hatred or bigotry. I also feel martial arts is ultimately a way to avoid or minimise the amount of violence. I make a comparrison to a discovery I found when studying Iaido. To me it was the art of sheathing the sword more than it was drawing it. But because I support orthadoxy I feel that if you beleive your faith, your personal faith, prevents you from doing a martial art, so be it. Martial Arts build great character but they are not the only things that do. Not all people are warriors. Not all martial artist are really warriors for that mater. I enjoy Forest Morgan's view on warriors from "Living the Martial Way" in that regard. Martial Arts are an important part of my spirituality. But that doesn't mean they have to be a part of anyone elses. For me, the word Tao most closely translates to 'path' and I would never expect anyone elses path to be the same as mine. In questioning "Should Christians do Martial Arts", the answer lies with the individual christian just as every other part of every other doctrine in every other faith does.

Very true, but note you said "Old Testement". Christianity is a religion based on the New Testement, I'm sorry if this is offensive its not meant to be but Christianity only pulls from the old testement when its convienent. The "bible" as we know it didn't exist before the council of nicea, when it was politically decided which books would be included in a single volume. Christian culture, not necissairily religion but Christian Culture, has its roots in early medevial europe. Torah Observant Beleivers and Messianic Jews are a seperate, and some would argue much older matter altogether. Jewish culture has a different set of standards from Christian culture. They share many similarities, but there moral code is not the same. However again I point out that I don't beleive combat is much of an issue for christians. Christians generally come from the conservative right, not all but simply a large portion to a majority. Combat is a common topic in this political group and its usally not viewed as anti-christian. If that is in line with the moral code set down by their scripture or not is up to the individual christian. I beleive the real problem a christian would have with martial arts are its connections with Eastern Religions and philosophies. In paticular, American Christians may have a harder time than Christians from other countries. Thsi is because American values are deeply tied with Christian values in the United States. Here, the good and the will of the individual is seen as the most important factor, where as in other territories, Asia espicially, the good of society and being in harmony with the rest of society are more important than individual will. I disagree with the concept of Chi or Ki being a christian idea or that Chi/Ki has no religious connotations. Ignoring the source material does not make the source material go away. Just as ignoring old testement law that orders a disrespectful child to be stoned doesn't mean it isn't there. Chi has deep religious roots in Taoism and the Chinese Folk Religion as well as almost every other asian religion and philosophy. You can draw comparrisons, and you can even take the stance that all religions are a path to God and are therefore intrensitly intertwined if you like. I do. If you want to claim that Chi/Ki isn't magic thats fine to, it certainly isn't at all similar to a pre-christian europe's view of magic. The best you can say is that chi or ki works regardless of your beleif system, which even if you don't beleive in it by its sorce deffinition this is true, it requires no commitment on your part to exist. I don't know if this is commforting or debilitating to debating christians, but if there is some non-christian concept in martial arts that is a stumbling block you may note that all of your holidays were originally pagan holidays, so it isn't the first time a methodology or system has been converted by a culture for its own use. Sharing ideas between groups is how the world evolves.

I'm a psychology student, and a firm believer that you certain can change your behavior. However, it will require disciplined operant conditioning, and will probably be easier if someone else is keeping you in check. You have to replace your impulses with a more acceptable behavior, if you really think its something worth changing.

I like that technique. In Isshinryu that was not stressed as much as some other things we learned in Tai Sabaki but it is very Krav Maga esque.

Well just as there are many hand techniques and many foot techniques there are many different tai sabaki techniques. There are many ways to practice. Some of it is just bobbing and weaving like in boxing and sometimes it's more of a side step. I remember one instance of being taught how to step out of a punch and pull the target in position for a strike to the kidney. You kind of try all of them. The ones that work for you will stick and be the ones you use, not so different from techniques. I mean, you will practice your hardest to learn a spinning back kick in class but if you don't feel confident about it yet your likely not going to use it in a combative situation, or even in sparing thats at all competitive and not just meant to experiment with new things. It works the same way with Tai Sabaki

Have you considered Krav Maga?

I understand the other point of view. And it is all good points. I espicially like the comparrison to the standards for writing poetry. However, the laws of writing in any format can be bent or broken when it is necissary. My rule of thumb, and it is only my rule, is that if you are going to break a rule, you should know well the rule you are breaking and why. That said, I don't think learning a new kata is breaking the rules. No matter what the opinion is or how you want to percieve it, Karate will always be a personal thing, and I find that beautiful. I also understand that feel good mentality, and the need for regiment and discipline. But I don't feel this is in violation here. I only see the need for the student to practice this experiment with regiment and discipline.

Kain. To many times, people leave out the last word in the term martial ART. I think what you want to do is wonderful. Play. experiment. Do whatever you think will help you learn. Unless your sensei is unhealthily controlling he won't have a problem and what does it matter? You can do this in your own time. Your sensei is a teacher and a guidepost not your master or your god. It is an art. Express yourself. Learn all you can. That said it is good to concentrate on the course material. But worse case scenario is you learn a better way to do what your doing now later on. I am amazed this subject has so much controversy. You certainly DO have business as an ornage belt learning from other styles around you and adapting it to the one you love. Remember something, only you are going to know whats best for you. Everyone thinks their style and their way is the best. Ignore it. Your not learning in a millitary setting do whatever you like. If you love it, do it. I would love to hear how this turns out for you and what you learn from it.