Any Martial Artists Here?

I would like to start this thread to contact those who are martial artists here. I would like to discuss topics with you in the following areas:

1. Martial Fitness and Health

2. Martial Mind Training

3. Martial Arts History, Biography and Culture

4. Philosophical Thought and the Martial Way (Eastern and Western)

5. Anatomical and Physiological Studies

6. Techniques and Fighting Science

-Hand Striking, leg strikes, grappling, weapons (knife,gun etc.), self-defense (reality-based combat) and street defense

 

I'm not a martial artist, but my father was when he was younger. Because of that, I am a buff for (martial arts) history, Asian culture and martial arts films. One day, when I have the time, I may consider tai chi chuan (that is all about the fighting).

 

I have been in Taekwondo since 1996, & I'm hoping to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, & other arts. I enjoy it with a passion.

1. I'm not where I'm at right now, but I'm working on getting there. I learn one thing about Martial Fitness & Health you have to work every ounce of your body. I think Bruce Lee said that.

2. It really gives me confidence every time I train, then I feel really good outside the dojang. It helps me concentrate more.

3. I love the history on how the arts started, makes me appreciate the art & the purpose for it.

4. I can say despite the obstacle I have to overcome, I feel like I can overcome them.


I have had to use them for self-defense & I hope I never have to.

 

Hello my fellow martial artist "Blackbelt79" and to SmoothDaddy 101.

Smoothdaddy101, if Tai Chi Chuan is for you go for it. We have a chinese martial arts academy in my area that teaches Tai Chi Chuan. The mental training and the fluidity of motion is fascinating to me. I was in an area several years ago that has a high population of chinese. It was interesting seeing elderly chinese men and women practicing Tai Chi Chuan in the early morning hours. I admire the chinese people for their incredible patience. I do not have enough experience to talk intelligently about this form of martial arts, but I'm doing a lot of academic study on this and other chinese martial arts. Did you know that the chinese have made martial arts training mandatory for their military, schools and universities?

Blackbelt79:
I'm a bit in awe of you as a blackbelt. I'm just a brownbelt in Shorin Ryu Okinawan Karate-Do. I have friends who are in Tae Kwan Do and their kicks are fantastic, especially their hooking and crescent kicks. One of my friends is also studying a martial art called Tang Soo Do and Hapkido as a self defense martial art. He loaned me a book on the Father of American Tae Kwan Do by a Korean master named Jhoon Rhee who trained american soldiers in Korea back in the 1950's and who was a great personal friend of the Late Bruce Lee and Muhammed Ali. I like you feel that the martial arts is a great transformative way of life that teaches us self-reliance, never give up, overcome obstacles, and to never let limitations hold you down or back. I think this is the ideal way of life for the black man. My instructor teaches a very large class of children and separately women. He emphasis with the children the importance of education with their martial arts training. He sets the example for us all. Soon, he gets his PH. D. He is a 8th degree black belt and speaks fluent Japanese. He travels to Okinawa once a year to his instructor Grandmaster Shugoro Nakazato who is the present leader of our system. He is a 10th degree black belt.

I leave you with these thoughts from the Grandmaster that is hung in his Dojo in Okinawa and is taught to me and my many fellow student members by our instructor.

Hanshi Shugoro Nakazato's Morality of Karate

-The ideal of Karate is to "cultivate noble character and conduct, the virtues of modesty and courtesey"

-"No forstalling in Karate". Karate is the military art of self-defense to protect and preserve life, and never to attack others on your own initiative.

-"Preseverence is the root of all conduct". True patience lies in bearing what is unbearable!

-Put back your hands when you are full of fight and retract your fight when your hands itch to deal a blow.

-"Softness is unity", "Strength is unity". The ultimate object of human beings should be coexistence and co-prosperity in "peace".

-Avoid fights and quarrels even when dared.


In my next post I will let you know more of the requirements I must meet to make black bely. I train six days a week for two hours. I'm currently working on my draft 100 page research paper in anticipation of the day when I go up for testing.

 

I'm actually a bit disappointed now that they have 'blackbelt' programs atTKD centers around me. For 2000 USD, you are pretty much guaranteed to attain the rank of black belt over the course of 2 years. It's a deal that's offered.

Before, the black belt really meant something to me. Like something that you may or may not acheive. But when the guy passes you a 2 year, 2000 dollar deal, it makes you go 'what the hell.'

 

Pettyofficer, I tend to agree with you that the coveted black belt in this country has become so cheapen. I have talked with military people who have trained overseas in Korea, Japan, and Okinawa and they tell me that the degree of training that one gets before the black belt is so difficult that the turnover is high. There you must earn it to get it. I'm certain that is still the case in many schools in this country, but I see the commercialism of the martial arts in this country that is destroying the traditionalism of what the arts once that were. Money and greed is destroying the traditional martial arts. Somebody asked Chuck Norris recently what he thought of the state of the martial arts in America and all he would say "It could be better if it wasn't for the greed".

 

Blackbelt79, here is a few references on Tae Kwon Do that might be of interest to you:


-'The Complete Master's Kick" by Master Hee Il Cho
ISBN 0-929015-01-0


-'Man of Contrast' by Taekwon-Do Master Hee Il Cho
ISBN 1-882015-10-X


-"meditation: The Secret to Being Peaceful and Confident Anytime and Anywhere", by Master Daniel R. Segarra (Tang Soo Do, Sixth Dan)
ISBN 978-0-6151-5026-0
Note; I threw in Master Segarra because he has studied Tae kwon Do extensively as well.

 

+1

ol' boy studied while in the air force, overseas. I envy him. My first TKD instructor was from Korea, and made us use the language during class, when referring to kicks, punches, and counting (I still remember 'Chagi-Jumbi Hai!). It was cool, because you got to learn something from the culture, besides the fighting. He also carried around a bamboo shoot and used to slap us for having bad form. I didn't go far in it, only getting a yellow stripe for my belt, but I still remember the experience.

Hana, Dool, Set, Net!

 

Pettyofficer, terminology is required for us here. We are tested on it for promotion. It is required that we know the culture and the history of the martial arts that we study. For each grade there is a mandatory book we must read on some aspect of the martial art from white belt to black belt. I will send you a sample in my next post.

Japanese Counting:

1 ichi

2 ni

3 san

4 shi

5 go

6. roku

7. shichi

8. hachi

9 ku

10 ju

Korean Counting:

1 Ha Na

2. Dool

3 Set

4 Net

5 Da Sot

6 Yuh Sot

7 Il Gop

8 Yo Dull

9 Ah Hope

10 Yohl

 

Never thought I'd see something like martial arts degrade itself with a "deal".

 

take's the prestige out of the black belt, imo

but yes, many places around here offer those deals..

guaranteed $$$

 

Pettyoffier, these are the required readings for us and we are tested on those readings in essays and oral testing:

(White Belt to Orange Belt)

-"Living the Martial Way: A manual for the Way a Modern warrior should think" by Col. Forrest E. Morgan

-"Zen in the Martial Arts" by Joe Hyams

-"Stretching Scientifically: A Guide to Flexibility Training" by Thomas Kurz

-"Deadly Karate Blows: The Medical Implications" by Brian Adams


(Purple belt to Blue Belt)

-"Beyond the Known: The ultimate Goal of the Martial Arts" by Tri Thong Dang

-"Toward the Unknown" by Tri Thong Dang

-"The Ronin: A Novel Based on a Zen myth" by William Dale Jennings

-"The Forty-Seven Ronin Story" by John Allyn


(Green to Brown belt)

-"Book of Five rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy" by Miyamoto Musashi

-"KODO: Ancient Ways: Lessons in the Spirtual life of the Warrior/Martial Artists" by Kensho Furuya

-"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu

-"Code of the Samurai: A Moderen Traslation of the Bushido Shoshinshu of Taira Shigesuke" by Yuzan Daidoji


(Black Belts)

-"The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene

-"Super-Learning" by Sheila Ostrander

-"Accerlerated learning for the 21st Century" by Colin Rose

-"Ultimate Fitness Through Martial Arts" by Sang H. Kim Ph.D.

-"The Way to Black Belt" by Lawrence A. Kane

Note; These are some of the references we must study as part of our training. Martial artists are warriors and scholars as our teacher tells us. We teach this to our kids. The kids have their own series of academic references as the women who are oriented more in the anti-rape and self-defense program.

 

Karate's Origins

The Father of Modern Karate-Do.

http://www.fightingmaster.com/masters/funakoshi/index.htm


His disciple today.

http://www.fightingmaster.com/legends/kanazawa/index.htm


Karate-Do's origin began in Okinawa and then it spread to Japan under Grandmaster Gichin Funakoshi. He would spread it to the world.

 

Mas Oyama

The man who killed bulls with his bare hands, Mas Oyama.

http://fightingmaster.com/masters/oyama/index.htm


http://fightingmaster.com/articles/oyamamottos/oyama.htm

This was when "karate" was true karate. It will be brought back.

 

think I mentioned this before, but one of my coworkers keeps trying to get me back into a striking art, because of my build. I'm around 6'2, 210 lbs with long limbs. His son took kenpo but swears by jiu-jitsu now, and he takes Muay Thai himself.

Doing something like that still looms in the back of my head, but for now I just stick to lifting and running.

I belong to this place's newsletter and thought about going in, during my free time.

http://www.phillywarrior.com/

They didn't give me any price quotes for classes, when I wrote them tho. Still curious to see if they have all-inclusive programs, where you pay a flat fee and have access to their judo club, jiu-jitsu (they send people to the pan-am games, under the Gracies), Muay Thai, etc. Or, they may make you pay for each discipline. I dunno yet.

I also thought about taking Aikido downtown here

http://www.aikidocentercity.com/index.html

Color shouldn't matter, but I was surprised to see a black guy at that level, teaching the art, since there are so few.

 

Pettyofficer, do it. Don't think, do it. Trust me.

 

To be honest, my weekends for the most part are open, and when my weekends are busy, i have time during the week.

 

Aikido

The master of one of the world's most beautiful martial arts Grandmaster Morihei Ueshiba of Aikido.

http://www.fightingmaster.com/masters/ueshiba/index.htm


This man was still taking men down well into old age.

 

Bruce Lee

The man who revolutionize the martial arts in America, the late Bruce Lee. We all owe this man a great debt.

http://www.fightingmaster.com/masters/brucelee/brucelee.htm


Imagine if he had lived to be an old man.

 

I know they have something called 'Ukemi,' where you practice falling down after someone performs a move on you. I would love to experience the technique (the take downs)first hand, because it looks too easy and simple to be effective.

That's worth the price of admission on its own.