JerryLove

mmmm... yea, I do like the hammerfist. Though when I talk "open-hand strikes", I'm discussing primarily slaps.

Congradulations.. you are guilty of battery.

So everyone in the school can defeat any other two people in the school who are using "any attacks they wish"? Or is it only upper people in the middle and beginners in the V?

A striek to the head is specifically a location I would disagree with you. The real damage from head hits (broken jaws aside, but those are better open too) comes from bouncing the brin on the inside of the skull. When boxers went from hard fists to soft gloves, there was a lot less blood, but even more brain damage. The same occurs with teh move from closed to open hand. Because you can now hit harder and more solidly (open hand) you have an easier time inflichting the brain trauma that get's you a disorentied or unconsious opponent. There are certainly other targets (mostly soft targets like the abdomen) where I could make a case the other way... but I'd rather hit someone in the head with an open hand than a closed one (typically). BTW, one thing they used to do in the pre-glove days boxing... the boxer would leave his face open, when the punch came, he would drop his head and the punch would hit the crown of his forehead. It hurt a bit, but didn't do much because the head was braced ino the neck... it typically broke the puncher's fingers.

The problem being, it's easy to fake (soak a brick in water and pop it in the freezer).

Considering that breaking one of two is a matter if Peng (penitration) and can be imitated by a machine, I doubt there's a "Chi" involved. Again, I've never seen anyone who can do it under controlled conditions.. if I do, I'll start worrying about how.

In terms of sinage: The term "Karate" is well known and understood by an American audience. Since the purpose of a sign is to attact attention and get the right people to the right services. If one is advertizing to non-martial-artists to get them to attent "Karate" gets the right mesage across (IOW, "I teach foreign boxing arts") In terms of weather TKD is Karate: Well, there's two ways to take that too. Choi, the founder of TKD had his belt in Japaneese karate, and several of the standard Poomse (forms) are move-for-move identical to forms in certain Karate Ryu. Is it a good use of the definition of the Japaneese word "Karate"? I don't think so. Firstly, "Kara-te" originally ment "chinese hand", but was changed in a fit of japanesse nationalism. Secondly, since not all empty-handed arts in okinawa / Japan are called "Karate", it would be sill for an English-speaker to use an Okinawan term to describe a Korean art.

I can do the "front board or back board" with some reliability. I don't think the basic concept of picking a brick is pysically impossible, but I'd imagine it requires a skill the human body cannot reproduce. So far, I have never seen it done (other than first or last of 2) under controlled conditions. I'm dubious.

Studying an iron body qigong is every bit as complex and difficult as strudying kicking and punching. The statement "That's mostly what I wanted it for so when I start my martial arts." is an oxymoron. I can no more tell you how to accomplish this over text posts than I can teach you Jujitsu over text posts... if it were that simple, fast, and easy, everyone would do it. Worse, many of the qigongs that give you that effect quickly, are also dangerous to your healt if done improperly. So it would really not be very nice for me to start trying to walk you through Iron bell (or a similar qigong) over a BBS. Given someone with a working and trained undertanding now, I can explain certain aspects tehy may be working on (like explsining a specific Jujitsu technique to an existing practitioner). If this is somethign you would like to lear, I strongly recommend looking for a Neijia-art instructor that teaches it.

"warmer" and "more Yang" are interchangeable. Therefore my post above has my answer. "you might want to look at something more outwardly active / aggresive." and "I'm not sure what to recommend on a BBS." I'm sorry I can't be more specific.. It's difficult without seeing / feeling what you are currently doing and illustrating things to change the same way (showing / allowing to feel).

So you are cool and you want to be warmer... Yang is associated with action and agression. I usually move from one to another with a chinge in intent, you might want to look at something more outwardly active / aggresive. In the school, we would correct that with LoHan (in fact, our problem is usually getting them more cool), but I'm not sure what to recommend on a BBS.

"my art"... "no! MY art"... This is more of a "comparitive styles" troll than anything else... Here's what you do.. grab a phone book, look up "martial arts", call the scools you find and tell them what you are looking for. Write down the people who say "my art is good for that" and go down and see them in person. Go to theone that seems the best to you.

Different people have different sensativities.. There are some that cannot do Qigong because they react to it (like an allergy), there are some hat will never be able to feel energy... the other 98% are somewhere in-between. The Dan Tien is one of the 7 nexus's of Qi in your body. It's a populer one (the Bublling well) both for being in your bods middle, and for it's ability to hold vast amounts of energy without adverse effect. The proper flow of Qi depends a lot on what you are discussing, When you look at the circulation, it's generally up your back and down your front, but directed work (such as the marrow-washing meditation I was describing earlier) works by drawing in through your third eye (and hands) and washing down through your legs. Stold, ever travel out to Tampa? There's another Qigong workshop coming up in a few months.

Well, I'm a student, so I would be a testimonial. Certainly if you walked in the door, a good percentage (20%?) of our students have attended the Qigong healing worksopt and can attest to it. No, we are not national, we are not a chain. The owner (Richard Clear) is teching up in Maryville TN, one of his most senior students is teaching down here in Tampa. As to a testimonial? I am a consumate sceptic. Not only did the workshop allow me to perform tests to establish I was wrong for not believing in it, but I'm aware of no one who does not learn how to do what the workshop teaches from the workshop... I only like things which do not require belief to function (so as to avoid psyosomatic effects)

Yes, the middle of the forehead is a major access / concentration point for energy. It sounds like you might do well with some basic text / instruction on opening and closing the gates. At the risk of suggesting with little information or ability to supervise, breath in though your forehead; pull the breath into your abdomen, not your chest, then breath out down your legs and into the ground... If you have a nice tree, try breating in from it and out too it (through the same spots on you). Let me know what you get from that.

You are born with it, you don't run out until you are dead. Qi feeling and manipulation is much like muscular development and manipulation. You learn as a baby how to et your muscles to respond, and you can build them or let them atophie... Qi is much the same. As you work on it, and work with it, your energetic strength and skill improves. Someone may work years without noticing, OTOH my school has a 3-day seminar that will have you working with it on a relatively advanced elvel (though building it up from it's inherent level will require time).

Another example of why an instructor is a god idea. Though in your particular example, I see no danger with your chosen target, there are alot of mistakes one can easily make (just as someone woring gym equipment or dieting witout proper education can injure themselves). It's not difficult to put energy where you don't want it (may I advise heavily agasint trying to force energy into your head or chest), it's also easy to bleed it of, or suck things you don't really want (I have many a neopagan friend with this issue... been working with them).

So I have heard, though I am aware of no specific instance of it happening. I am aware, however, of people shooting themselves in teh temple to attempt suicide, only to discover that while they have blinded themselves, they were quite alive.

http://www.clearsilat.com/silat/Articles/openhand.htm

The mechanisms that make a 1-inch punch work... the "short-distance power" tricks... are quite useful. You'll find them pretty heavily in Wing Chung. The afvantages should be obvious.

Was a "backyard fencer" (mostly foil) back in early college / late High-school. Spent about a year as a stick jock in teh SCA as well.

Like so many arts, it's far easier to expand your nowledge then get started. Once you have a basic skill, you can pretty much figure it out on your own, from books, etc. It's getting that good base that is difficult. I seem to remember knowing a Taichi guy on one of these boards who was in Oz.. haven't spoken with him in a long time.. will see if I can track him down for you.

When I did TKD, I went to one.

Hence the warning that the evidence was anticdotal. That said, please support both your claims: That Akido is the most popular art in the US, and that Shaolin Kungfu is the most popular art worldwide. TAE KWON DO (Korea) "The way of the foot and fist" This style relies heavily on striking and fancy footwork to keep opponents at a distance and is most famous for its acrobatic kicks. Banned for decades by the occupying Japanese, tae kwon do became Korea's national sport in 1955 and is now the world's most popular martial art. http://familyfun.go.com/raisingkids/learn/activities/feature/famf28martialarts/famf28martialarts3.html

isshinryu kid, I really look forward to you supporting your assertation that Akido is the US's most popular art. ANTICDOTAL WARNING: Here in Tampa-bay, there are more TKD schools than I can easily count.. there are 3 Akido schools.