Do you study martial arts?

[barsoomcore]

It has been used as an excuse for lazy and undisciplined people to take one or two years of a whole bunch of martial arts and then declare themselves masters.

Do we all agree on the proposition that you don't get to EVER declare yourself a master? It's one of those titles like "Cool". Only other people can give it to you.

The revised technique would be far too complex for a white belt (when the technique is first taught) to learn, but it works just perfectly for me. The original technique works well as a simple and effective way for a novice martial artist to break a hold -- but I can do it more effectively now.

Unrelated to your very wise point, but in KSR moves are taught in a sort of spiral -- that is, you learn outwardly more complex moves as you progress, but at a certain point you get brought back to the first moves you learned and get shown the "inside" of those moves. What you thought was a block is in fact a wrist cut.

Teach the new student the block so they'll stay alive. Show the senior student it's a cut so they'll win. It's very thrilling, the way the moves are sort of hidden within each other. When you watch the masters go at it, you start to realise that although the moves look the same, they're actually doing something completely different than what you and your peers are doing.

A very good argument for sticking with something for a while. If you stayed in KSR for only a year you'd learn just enough to render yourself wide open to a mid-level student.

 

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

What an interesting thread...makes me really miss doing karate. takyris' idea was quite a good one, so I'll follow his format while describing my style.

I studied Isshinryu Karate for about five years before, unfortuately, my dojo closed its doors. The last year or so was tough...we had to move out of our dojo and were in this crappy little storefront "Center for the Arts" which was a dance studio...and not a great one at that. We had plywood floors with nails sticking up--obviously not the most barefoot friendly place in the world. Only slightly better were the cheap rubber mats they duct taped to the floor after we complained. I missed class for about a month because of getting mono, headed for class like normal once I was better...and the place had just closed up shop and vanished. I hate the bastards that ran the place.

Isshinryu Karate
FOCUS:
Punches and low kicks. There are weren't too many grappling rules, but some of our basic techniques could very easily be used to grapple or knock down someone.

RANGE: LONG VERSUS SHORT
Eh. I'd say medium. We don't really get in too close, but we don't have insanely long kicks either.

STYLE: PRAGMATIC VERSUS ARTISTIC VERSUS SPORT
Well, just about any style can look nice when performing kata, but other than that random point I wanted to make....

Isshinryu is DEFINATELY pragmatic. It is an ultra-practical style formed from Goju Ryu and Shorinryu in the 40s or 50s. We don't ever kick above the waist, everything is very linear (perhaps excepting the crescent step used in kata). Even our punches are really practical--we don't rotate our wrists to punch. The Isshinryu fist is vertical without the thumb tucked or anything.

It's definately a great style for self-defense and people of all ages just because it IS really practical. It was my only form of exercise when I was younger, and really helped slim me down, not to mention it built my self-confidence.

I really miss it though... the school closed like 3 or 4 years ago now, and I've been too busy to practice. The school lives on at a YMCA, from what I've heard from some former classmates, but it's a 45 minute drive with traffic the way that it usually is around here. Sad too... I had a second-degree brown belt that is just kinda wasted now.

 

[Boss]

My personal history... started at age 12 in American Shotokan Karate (basically, traditional forms and self-defense, but sparring added elements of golden-gloves boxing). Trained for 2 years there. Quit to go to a school that taught "fancy moves" and started studying Tae Kwon Do and Blue Dragon Kung Fu for the next 3 years. Saw my original instructor at a rank test and at his invitation returned to work out with his students. I realized that I was dissatisfied with Tae Kwon Do (what do you mean a punch doesn't count for points? I know, not all schools are like that, but the one I studied at was), so I returned to American Shotokan. I've been a student and/or instructor ever since (going on 16 years now, currently ranked as a 4th Dan).

Now, to read what others wrote about philosophy, etc. because I "KNOW" someone is starting an arguement over what styles are better. Always happens when this kinda thread gets started.

 

[Wikidogre]

Aikido, and basic Martial arts while in the Army, and a stint of Kick boxing and Savate while in High School.

 

[Phowett]

I study this and that and try to develop things on my own.

 

[Magic Rub]

Now, to read what others wrote about philosophy, etc. because I "KNOW" someone is starting an arguement over what styles are better. Always happens when this kinda thread gets started.

Sorry WRONG!

I'm pleased to say that this thread has been mature and arguement free

 

[LGodamus]

....I actually feel a tad bit inadequate with the tradition a such. I just started 3 months ago but I believe the tradition would be "Shidoshi" but I couldn't say for sure.

I go the New England Ninjutsu. The whole place is run by a great guy named Greg Kowalski who trained in Japan under (I think) Hatsumi Sensei.. he is supposedly the unofficial current living master. He has tons of pictures with the guy. Anyway...I believe its all legit because he has quite a few hand painted "rank sign things" hanging around the Dojo. It's in Wallingford Connecticut.

BTW. The Dojo is advertised as a "Bujinkan Dojo", any idea what it means? Perhaps that's the tradition?

I'm actually having quite a bit of fun learning this stuff. The whole concept of "let them hurt themselves" really appeals to me. I'm kinda mad I only found this place now. I'll be going off to college next summer and then no more Ninjutsu. I hear this type of teacher is hard to find.

Sorry I can't be more specific.

Well Dark you indeed have found a legit school of ninjutsu......masaaki hatsumi is the only living ninja soke who can produce authentic scrolls and proof of inheritance of a sokeship of a ninja tradition, in fact he is the headmaster of nine traditions taught as one complete system called the bujinkan...

Whomever told you teachers of this tradition are hard to find they are very correct ...,ninpo, as ninjutsu is called in its highest form, was completely secret and only taught within japanese families until the 1970's......

anyway , I wish you luck with your training,and if you are ever in Hickory North Carolina ,you can study with me.

 

[Ruavel]

what else did YOU learn...?

Originally posted by barsoomcore
Who's your sensei? Which ryuha did he study? It sounds like he's picked and chosen from variety of schools which is a great way to learn -- IF he's a good teacher. Skoyles Sensei was very much the same way and the great thing is that you get a sampling of all sorts of things and can sort out what direction you really want to go in.

my teacher was Dean Williams Sensei... not a famous teacher, but that is very much in line with his philosophy... the eclectic skills were refered to as Aishin Bodu Ryu and the techniques (armed and unarmed) were of the katori shinto ryu...

having read your posts in this thread, it strikes me that from a martial arts perspective we've studied in very similar schools with many common 'skills' and attitudes...

the skills I listed in my first post was a very brief sample of what we studied, but the school's focus (from a physical & martial perspective) was unarmed, daito and jo training...

I think that if you and I weren't separated by many thousands of km we could spend many hours talking about our schools and what we have gained from them (very un-zen idea)...



I'd be interested in knowing how many other people here spent time studying things other that martial techniques in their schools... in my school we also studied calligraphy and ikebana (& I independantly studied - and still practice - bonsai)...

 

[NoOneofConsequence]

Do we all agree on the proposition that you don't get to EVER declare yourself a master? It's one of those titles like "Cool". Only other people can give it to you.

In BSCLF Master is the title of the guy who was the top student under the guy who was the top student under the guy....who founded the style. It's a title, like President of an Association. Everyone else is a student. If I wanted to claim to be a master of my style I'd have to be able to beat the current Master's top student - some guy in Hong Kong who's got a bout thirty plus years of training six hours a day - ie. I'd be asking for a whuppin'.

 

[Wolvorine]

There's of course nothing funny or interesting about crushing someone's larynx or shattering a patella or two, but c'mon, tell me you don't at least think it'd be great to use this in a world without human consequence. A bunch of mooks jump out at you, and you're the star of your own action movie. No one's hurt in any appreciable way... and you'll finally know just how you stack up when called upon to use these things.

I don't think there's any shame in wanting to see how well you'd do, if you could keep from truly injuring people.

I fully agree.. and my material proof for this is fighting games (i.e. Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, etc). These games are, in effect, what you are describing. Love those games.
Then again, I'm the sort of guy who got myself allowed in sparring with the upper-belts as a 3-week white belt (and either tied, or lost by 1 pt), because I love that game, and playing it with my own body is the best. Noone gets hurt, you put your ability to perform your style to a test, and you get to play the game of Martial Arts (and it's a great benefit that you have to seriously study the art to be good at the Game).

At least, that was always my take on martial arts, in simplistic form.