Do you study martial arts?

[LGodamus]

In regards to self-defense and the military: My understanding was that the armed forces really didn't give you a ton of street-practical self-defense training.

-Tacky

Well that is true, to a point. In standard military hand to hand combat training they actually teach you very little.....so little in fact i have had friends with no martial training at all that came out of the military worse fighters than before. BUT, all that changes once you get into the spec ops community. As I said earlier US Army spec ops take a mandatory course in Bujinkan Ninpo....and I know from experience it is effective ,whether you want to kill your opponent in hand to hand or just beat the snikeies out of him.

 

[takyris]

Cool! Thanks for the info. I was basing my info off of something a former Navy SEAL said, so possibly it's apples and oranges.

Okay, here's a broad question:

My style (A derivation of Ed Parker's American Kenpo) has a whole bunch of katas (sets, forms, etc.). Some of them are obviously your basic training deal -- two inward blocks, two upwards, two outwards, two downward, and bow. Others use techniques from different belt levels -- there's a kata made out of the techniques for second-degree black belt, for instance, with some modifications to the techniques.

And then, there are the odd ones. These guys are more than just basics, but not technique katas. One of them, Book Set, was made (I was told) in the 50's or 60's by Ed Parker when he wanted to show one of his students something. The other, "Tiger and Crane", is said to be really, really old.

I've seen "Tiger and Crane" done in a few other styles, actually, which was kind of neat -- a sort of shared tradition that was fun to see. I was wondering if anyone here has a "Tiger and Crane" kata in their style?

I'm trying to think of differentiating features of the kata, things that make it different -- because perhaps you have it under a different name. But it could also be changed to the point where none of these really work:

There are two parts in the kata where you do a pair of double-reverse crescent kicks (spinning around and leaping as you kick). Meaning, there are two parts in the kata where you go "Spin, kick-kick, land, spin, kick-kick, land." In both cases, at my school, we end up in a kind of twisted stance doing a high block.

It starts off standing. First you do a downward palm-parry with one arm, then block out and then back down, and then swing your arm out across your face with the palm out. Then three palm strikes to the front, strike to your belt with the heel of your hand (as though to break a belt grab), four-finger eye strike, and rake. Then you do that with the other hand. Then you go into a training stance (square horse, whatever) and do something sort of like that, but with both hands at once.


-- Crane-beak strike: four fingers curled so that they form a square, thumb bracing them -- usually, the hand is bent at the wrist to allow hooking and striking. --

There's a section of the kata that does a lot of crane-beak strikes. You start out in a cat stance doing a couple, then go onto the other side, and then end up in a crane stance doing a bunch in the air, and finish by coming down and using your last strike to hook someone as you step down.

Just curious. I probably am not describing it well enough for anyone to get a good picture.

-Tacky

 

[Oni]

Me: "Where should I be looking, Sensei? How do I know if I'm looking at the right point?"

Sensei: "Can you see the distant mountains?"

Me. "? ... No."

Sensei: "Then you're not looking in the right place."

Me: "Thank you, Sensei."

When I fight, spar, whatever I always relax my vision and try to take in as much as possible. Try this, go and stand facing a wall several feet away. Now hold your hand up about 6-8 inches from your face and focus on it, then relax your eyes and look past your hand to the wall that your facing. I find this allows me to see more of what is in front of me. I know that when I focus on one specific point in space my focus becomes to narrow and I miss things. I don't know that this is what your Sensei is speaking about but it may be worth asking.


[edit: BTW even though I haven't said anything on this thread since page one, I've been following it very closely. I have really enjoyed this, and it really makes me appreciate the community we have here at ENWorld all the more.]

 

[Warrior Poet]

Aikido since ... April. My first kyu test is coming up at the beginning of October.

I fenced in high school -- all three weapons, but sabre was my favorite. This was before they changed the fléche rules for sabre.

My limited experience with aikido leaves me with few gems to contribute to the observations posted thus far. I was very impressed when I first performed orenaite (unbendable arm). It seemed so counter-intuitive, and yet, I was able to perform it and resist attempts to bend my arm. That was a wonderful moment.

Actually, every moment in training I find rewarding. Aikido challenges me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and in every class I find myself focusing on nothing but aikido. I leave every class feeling great, and having learned something new, even if it's just learning how to fall again.

Warrior Poet

P.S. Thanks to those who have shared their thoughts and experiences in this thread. The commentary is a pleasure to read.

 

[barsoomcore]

I was very impressed when I first performed orenaite (unbendable arm). It seemed so counter-intuitive, and yet, I was able to perform it and resist attempts to bend my arm. That was a wonderful moment.

I had exactly the same experience! I know just what you mean. There's this amazing sense of your world suddenly expanding, including in it things and forces you never knew existed.

The first time I ever performed shiho-nage properly it was exactly the same thing. Skoyles Sensei once told me that one of the things that kept him going was the hilarious looks on student's faces when they finally "got" something.

Aikido is like magic sometimes. It sounds cheesy but it's true.

Good luck on your kyu test!

 

[Warrior Poet]

Barsoomcore,

Many thanks.

There's this amazing sense of your world suddenly expanding, including in it things and forces you never knew existed.

Exactly! Well put -- that's exactly the sensation, and it thrills me to feel like the universe is so much bigger, so much more mysterious, and to get a glimpse of that.

Skoyles Sensei once told me that one of the things that kept him going was the hilarious looks on student's faces when they finally "got" something.

I'm sure I've shown my fair share of goofy grins. What a great feeling!

Aikido is like magic sometimes. It sounds cheesy but it's true.

Absolutely! I'm amazed by it, and want to go on being amazed by it for the rest of my life.

I had a fun moment one day: the dojo was filled with aikidoka, and one of my sensei was demonstrating a technique I had never done before (it may have been shihonage, now that you mention it). I fumbled through it. Afterwards, she looked at me and said, "Feels a little like throwing cattle, huh?"

"Hai, sensei!"

"It's a twenty-year throw."

That made me feel really good. I've got all the time in the world to learn, and continue to learn, this art, and it really feels like an art. At first, I was sorry I hadn't found it sooner, to have taken up the study earlier in my life, but now I realize I came to it exactly when I was supposed to.

Thanks for the well-wishes!

Warrior Poet

 

[rackabello]

Unlurking again to ask some questions that popped into my head while I was playing with my cat this evening (Not coincidentally, as I suspect my cat to be a student of the esoteric and acrobatic school of Panther Chases String kung fu, though he isn't telling).

As cheesy as Jean Claude Van Damme is, I confess to having a weakness for Bloodsport. I've always thought the choreography to be far more interesting than in many pulp chop sockey flicks. How rooted in actual martial arts are the various styles featured in the movie? Always thought the African fighter's tumbling "monkey" style was kinda neat.

Similarly off the wall question: Is there a style of martial arts called "Dog Boxing?" In the hoary days of my youth I remember reading this name, describing a style whose students made deliberate clowns of themselves, consistently losing fights to prevent the true extent of their skill from becoming widely known. Of course, my source was some RPG supplement or another, so I suspect this to be exaggeration or outright fiction. Can anyone tell me more?

 

[Hypersmurf]

As cheesy as Jean Claude Van Damme is, I confess to having a weakness for Bloodsport.

Yay!

Bloodsport and Kickboxer are the only Van Damme films I'm fond of... but I think they're great!

Of course, my source was some RPG supplement or another...

Likely Palladium's Ninjas and Superspies supplement for Heroes Unlimited.

-Hyp.

 

[ThomasBJJ]

I don't think the military's martial arts/hand to hand training is anything special. I've seen way too many military trained guys get thier butts handed to them by relative rookies.

In all fairness though, military training has way too many aspects to really excel in hand to hand fighting. Your typical civilian BJJ or muay thai practicioner spends much more time drilling their skills. Military guys have pretty good endurance on average, which in itself wins alot of fights.

 

[Zappo]

Similarly off the wall question: Is there a style of martial arts called "Dog Boxing?" In the hoary days of my youth I remember reading this name, describing a style whose students made deliberate clowns of themselves, consistently losing fights to prevent the true extent of their skill from becoming widely known.

Cool, a fight between two grand masters must be a sight to behold.