Kyle-san

A point I'd like to make about the addition of animals to a style is it's not always for popularity sake. The Aiki Jujitsu dojo I go to has adapted some animals into the style (Japanese style using Chinese techniques) and tends to use them quite effectively. There's no focus on completely becoming the animal, but rather visualizing how they would fight. When being taught, say, a tiger technique we're just informed of what it is and how to do it, not to become it. Anyway, that site makes me rather skeptical.

Sorry to hear about that, but I'm sure you'll find something else that you enjoy just as much.

So, basically making you test 25 times in order to get to instructor level. Wow, that must bring in some cash.

So, do you actually believe any of that or are you just quoting some master in order to appear intelligent? I know my temper is still quite large, but I know how to control it. As for sensing attacks and auras, I don't know many that can do that proficiently if at all.

Sounds a lot like the Aki Jujitsu I was learning. I think it's good for officers to expand their basic training and get involved in a martial art. It prepares them much better. An example would be this one officer I know that's taking Aki Jujitsu back home while all the other officers were being taught Shotokan. Not a modified Shotokan either, a pure McDojo kind of Shotokan. I never worry about getting into a confrontation with any of them.

I'm 18, that's close enough. God knows I've been sparring 20-somethings regularily for the last 4 years anyway.

Man, I was starting to wonder if it was ever going to be back up.

Shit, just leave. I'm assuming the contract is set up so you won't get a refund, so you could either finish your training for the period of the contract or get out of there and forget about your money. I've noticed elements of a McDojo surfacing in my Wing Chun class like having to pay for extra training/special classes and low quality of students. But then I look at the number of students that are actually putting their all into it and I feel better.

I was reading about that in a book on Triad history, I thought it was a nice point.

If you can find an Aikijujutsu dojo then you should go for that. I know one police officer that trains in it and he's the only one I'd ever worry about getting into a confrontation with. It's a mean, mean style.

I've been reading a lot lately, most recently I've finished "How Hitler Could Have Won World War II" and "Red China Blues", right now I'm on "SS Intelligence". Oh, and that book by Jason Moss is great.

Ah, originally you said nothing about gaining honour, but about the reasons a samurai would fight. The rules stated applied only to their class and above (the emperor), lower classes didn't count towards this. Oh, and I've read the texts you've mentioned. Thanks anyway.

US: Jump by Van Halen UK: Red Balloons by Nena

Um, samurai also fought to defend honour (theirs and their lord's) and were often simple killers due to the fact that they could kill any peasant or person of lower class for any reason at all. Even just to test the sharpness of their blades. More than killers, yes, but not always.

Whoa... those are some really mixed up facts. Death for samurai was the ultimate aim, but a useless death wasn't promoted at all. Only in times of a great dishonour with no other alternative (prospect of being captured, shame to their lord, etc) was seppuku used. As for Shaolin monks being more compassionate because their focus was on Buddhism, well, check history. Some of the most violent battles in Chinese and Japanese history were to wipe out groups of Shaolin and Buddhist monastaries because they posed a threat. It seems to me your reasoning is based on a mixed pile of half-truths and opinions that need more facts to back them up. I'll agree that many arts are leaning towards the sport end of things (most notably TKD, Judo and certain styles of Karate), but many dojos are keeping the focus on the art.

Hm, the Aki-Jujitsu style that I was studying had 5 animals in it. Tiger, Crane, Snake, Mantis and Monkey. Although, it isn't traditional Aiki-Jujutsu, but rather it seems to be a hybrid of sorts.

From what I recall (and I may be wrong here) traditional Wing Chun has elements of Chin Na included which would cover some grappling.

Oh, my girlfriend is more than happy with the results of my martial arts training. Both in terms of the physical shape I'm in and the protection she gets. ^__~ I guess it's not just men that are in it for the sex appeal then.

Stop caring if you win or lose. What's so bad about losing anyway? It's not like you'll die from not winning a match.

Geez, for someone to have come from an Oyama's dojo and end up doing nothing more than contributing to the bad flow of McDojos seems pretty sad to me. I mean, the self-defense techniques pictured on that page look like they need more strength than anything to work.

Try Softer A young boy traveled across Japan to the school of a famous martial artist. When he arrived at the dojo he was given an audience by the sensei. "What do you wish from me?" the master asked. "I wish to be your student and become the finest karateka in the land," the boy replied. "How long must I study?" "Ten years at least," the master answered. "Ten years is a long time," said the boy. "What if I studied twice as hard as all your other students?" "Twenty years," replied the master. "Twenty years! What if I practice day and night with all my effort?" "Thirty years," was the master's reply. "How is it that each time I say I will work harder, you tell me that it will take longer?" the boy asked. "The answer is clear. When one eye is fixed upon your destination, there is only one eye left with which to find the Way." -Anonymous

Ah, very true. Just making sure that you keep in mind that not just tall people are better with those kicks and all short people worse. Of course, I've sparred some very tall people and had a terrible time against those kicks.

Of course, just make a correction to a generalization. I'd expect the same if I start talking about shootfighting or MMA competitions or something.

Um, in the Ketto Ryu Jujutsu and the Aki Jujitsu dojos that I've been to have had many strikes.

Good, so it wasn't just me.