[OT] Yet another martial arts help thread.....so, please help!!
- Thread starter zdanboy
- Start date
Oops, I'm 'Narrator' btw, forgot to change nicks 
I just wanted to say that, as the least trained of the posters who purport to know something, I'd love to train with some of you guys.
Darius, you sound like a guy I could learn a lot from; takyris, lol, no offense, but I'd love to get into a ring with you; Kail also probably has a lot to teach and others have their interesting sides.
This thread has reawoken my passion for... well... I'll be honest, fighting. I care naught about the history and philosophy (I love history, per se, just not as far as they pertain to a martial art) lessons, I'm in it for the sparring, the physical exercise, the discipline and perfection of technique.
To that end, I'd love to join a class again but financial reality forbids it. So, I've decided to go back to what I used to do and practice and teach myself. Not as effective, but it's almost free!
So, I'd ask the people here to recommend some decent books on martial arts training. I have a few already that I like but I've also lost a lot in the twenty-seven moves I've made in the last twenty-seven years.
I figure if I can afford an RPG book every so often, I can buy a decent martial arts training book instead.
I'd love to learn tai chi as I not only think it's a wonderful way to focus, relax and workout, but I've heard it also helps regulate blood pressure (I suffer from low blood pressure) due to the regulated breathing and whatnot.
Although I'd love to learn ANY kung-fu, I think even if I were tremendsouly fit, that my body type just wouldn't be suited to it (I'm a big bloke, even without the extra poundage).
Karate and kick-boxing and boxing, however, I'm good for and like. Boxing and kick-boxing tend to require gyms though so I'd probably be best to stick with kata's that I can do in the park. I can still remember most of the ones I learned in class so at least I've got something to work from.
What other options are there?
I just wanted to say that, as the least trained of the posters who purport to know something, I'd love to train with some of you guys.
Darius, you sound like a guy I could learn a lot from; takyris, lol, no offense, but I'd love to get into a ring with you; Kail also probably has a lot to teach and others have their interesting sides.
This thread has reawoken my passion for... well... I'll be honest, fighting. I care naught about the history and philosophy (I love history, per se, just not as far as they pertain to a martial art) lessons, I'm in it for the sparring, the physical exercise, the discipline and perfection of technique.
To that end, I'd love to join a class again but financial reality forbids it. So, I've decided to go back to what I used to do and practice and teach myself. Not as effective, but it's almost free!
So, I'd ask the people here to recommend some decent books on martial arts training. I have a few already that I like but I've also lost a lot in the twenty-seven moves I've made in the last twenty-seven years.
I figure if I can afford an RPG book every so often, I can buy a decent martial arts training book instead.
I'd love to learn tai chi as I not only think it's a wonderful way to focus, relax and workout, but I've heard it also helps regulate blood pressure (I suffer from low blood pressure) due to the regulated breathing and whatnot.
Although I'd love to learn ANY kung-fu, I think even if I were tremendsouly fit, that my body type just wouldn't be suited to it (I'm a big bloke, even without the extra poundage).
Karate and kick-boxing and boxing, however, I'm good for and like. Boxing and kick-boxing tend to require gyms though so I'd probably be best to stick with kata's that I can do in the park. I can still remember most of the ones I learned in class so at least I've got something to work from.
What other options are there?
Actually size will not matter....in Tai Chi my very good friend and fellow Martial artist is about 325 pounds.
He and I have found that with Tai Chi our metabolism has speeded up.
Look at the link I posted earlier for some recommended reading if you want more material and some things off the beaten path i will post more books by isbn number so you can find them online.
Things like the Dim Mak encyclopedia.
Light Touch Knockouts
All of the books by Bruce Lee
Poison Hands
I have a rather comprhensive library containing over 100 books on martial arts and their history, just tell me what your looking for in regards to style....
I would be honored to train any time if your ever in the states let me know.
Later,
Darius
He and I have found that with Tai Chi our metabolism has speeded up.
Look at the link I posted earlier for some recommended reading if you want more material and some things off the beaten path i will post more books by isbn number so you can find them online.
Things like the Dim Mak encyclopedia.
Light Touch Knockouts
All of the books by Bruce Lee
Poison Hands
I have a rather comprhensive library containing over 100 books on martial arts and their history, just tell me what your looking for in regards to style....
I would be honored to train any time if your ever in the states let me know.
Later,
Darius
Hey all, lets get down to it before sleep calls me again.
Darius, ok, I guess my point got lost in the rambling, appologies for that. My compairisons between the Hwa Rang Do/TKD and Judo/Kenjitsu were ment to point out the differnces between the two forms. One set, Hwa Rang Do and Kenjitsu representing the older warriors arts and Judo/TKD the more modern sporting art. TKD was formulated in the 1950's by a Korean general, who's name escapes me, though he receintly passed away. Hwa Rang Do originated with the Hwa Rang warriors covering their entire fighting system, which due to geography, would be heavily influenced by Sholin systems in souther China. Sorry of the compairison wasn't clear, lack of sleep and typing tends to obscure my ability to make a point. The line about learning a little bit of self defense and a false sense of security, and lumping karate, then commenting on how easily TKD fighters were tied up brought on the attempt to show the differences. If I offended, sorry about that, not intentional.
Now I've got Parker's Insites sitting on the shelf, I've never heard the Wing Chun link. Hun Gar and other animal forms have a more direct linage to American Kempo than Wing Chun as far as I recall. Could be wrong though, I'll dig around and ask a friend who trains both Chinese Kenpo and American Kenpo as well. Heck, tonight we worked five swords, deflecting hammer, triggered salute and obscuring the storm, or its deflecting the storm can't remember the name at this moment. Took those techniques and applied preasure point theory to them, fine tuned the body mechanics of each, and then struggled with the bunkai of Wankan{SP} kata. Load of fun it was, just ended too soon.
On kata, yes a lot of instructors teach them for use in competition and for fittness. Each of those is a fine thing, as long as you realise there are more to them than that, more than just basic coordination. Meaning often isn't revealed because some just weren't taught what the movements really were. Time with an instructor and the dedication to continue to work and master a kata, from three years for the most basic to ten pluss for more advanced ones, was also a measure of character. If you got frustrated and quit or wouldn't do the work, why bother to teach you ways to seriously harm humans?
And yes, I agree very much so that finding an instructor and school that suits you is of the up most importance. You should have a clear goal in mind for your training, be it competition, self-defense, enjoyment or fittness. That goal should match as well as possible to the goals and training offered at the school you chose. You don't seek out traditional kenjitsu practice for the fitness level it offers, ok, so you could, but most would go with something else if that were the goal.
taykris, the "traning till your sick" in many more traditional school is seen as a mark of mental stamina, a refusual to accept your limitations. Training sick, or to the point of utter fatigue is considered the mark of a dedicated karate-ka. Training to the point of injury is considered foolish, it can cause perminant damage and delay training. The point of that kind of training though, and I have to emphasis this, is to try to push past your limits, to realise that you have the mental strength to accomplish things you did not think were possible, or that you could not do. It is not demanded, even in schools where it is considered a good thing to strive for. More likely it is just not considered strange to do.
Fourecks, if you can afford an occasional book, and I feel your pain money wise, there are some great ones out there. Ed Parker's series on Kenpo, the videos or books offered by Arnis International are great armed works. If you were into the Tai Chi aspects, with history, philospy and a really rough outline/drawings of movements Tai Chi Classics is good. Wally Jay's Small Circle Jujitsu is a great book. George Dillman's series on preasure point fighting are excellent, though a bit pricey compaired to the rest. A comment in passing on the 'old school' types, they are saddly fading, but if you look closely, some have passed on what they have to a newer generation that has the same mind-set as they do. That the arts are serious business and that a black belt means something, that its a mark of skill and effort, not just something you buy on contract.
ps. takyris....Art of War for dating advice? For the married man maybe*LOL*, but never in dating. Then its more along the lines of jinjitsu steath tactics or Shakespearean acting!
Kail
Darius, ok, I guess my point got lost in the rambling, appologies for that. My compairisons between the Hwa Rang Do/TKD and Judo/Kenjitsu were ment to point out the differnces between the two forms. One set, Hwa Rang Do and Kenjitsu representing the older warriors arts and Judo/TKD the more modern sporting art. TKD was formulated in the 1950's by a Korean general, who's name escapes me, though he receintly passed away. Hwa Rang Do originated with the Hwa Rang warriors covering their entire fighting system, which due to geography, would be heavily influenced by Sholin systems in souther China. Sorry of the compairison wasn't clear, lack of sleep and typing tends to obscure my ability to make a point. The line about learning a little bit of self defense and a false sense of security, and lumping karate, then commenting on how easily TKD fighters were tied up brought on the attempt to show the differences. If I offended, sorry about that, not intentional.
Now I've got Parker's Insites sitting on the shelf, I've never heard the Wing Chun link. Hun Gar and other animal forms have a more direct linage to American Kempo than Wing Chun as far as I recall. Could be wrong though, I'll dig around and ask a friend who trains both Chinese Kenpo and American Kenpo as well. Heck, tonight we worked five swords, deflecting hammer, triggered salute and obscuring the storm, or its deflecting the storm can't remember the name at this moment. Took those techniques and applied preasure point theory to them, fine tuned the body mechanics of each, and then struggled with the bunkai of Wankan{SP} kata. Load of fun it was, just ended too soon.
On kata, yes a lot of instructors teach them for use in competition and for fittness. Each of those is a fine thing, as long as you realise there are more to them than that, more than just basic coordination. Meaning often isn't revealed because some just weren't taught what the movements really were. Time with an instructor and the dedication to continue to work and master a kata, from three years for the most basic to ten pluss for more advanced ones, was also a measure of character. If you got frustrated and quit or wouldn't do the work, why bother to teach you ways to seriously harm humans?
And yes, I agree very much so that finding an instructor and school that suits you is of the up most importance. You should have a clear goal in mind for your training, be it competition, self-defense, enjoyment or fittness. That goal should match as well as possible to the goals and training offered at the school you chose. You don't seek out traditional kenjitsu practice for the fitness level it offers, ok, so you could, but most would go with something else if that were the goal.
taykris, the "traning till your sick" in many more traditional school is seen as a mark of mental stamina, a refusual to accept your limitations. Training sick, or to the point of utter fatigue is considered the mark of a dedicated karate-ka. Training to the point of injury is considered foolish, it can cause perminant damage and delay training. The point of that kind of training though, and I have to emphasis this, is to try to push past your limits, to realise that you have the mental strength to accomplish things you did not think were possible, or that you could not do. It is not demanded, even in schools where it is considered a good thing to strive for. More likely it is just not considered strange to do.
Fourecks, if you can afford an occasional book, and I feel your pain money wise, there are some great ones out there. Ed Parker's series on Kenpo, the videos or books offered by Arnis International are great armed works. If you were into the Tai Chi aspects, with history, philospy and a really rough outline/drawings of movements Tai Chi Classics is good. Wally Jay's Small Circle Jujitsu is a great book. George Dillman's series on preasure point fighting are excellent, though a bit pricey compaired to the rest. A comment in passing on the 'old school' types, they are saddly fading, but if you look closely, some have passed on what they have to a newer generation that has the same mind-set as they do. That the arts are serious business and that a black belt means something, that its a mark of skill and effort, not just something you buy on contract.
ps. takyris....Art of War for dating advice? For the married man maybe*LOL*, but never in dating. Then its more along the lines of jinjitsu steath tactics or Shakespearean acting!
Kail
Hey all,
In regards to training until you're sick: I came down strongly against this so that new martial artists wouldn't look at it as something to look for in a school. I don't think a school that forces that kind of behavior is going to be the best school for the average student.
That said, I have on multiple occasions driven myself to that point. My teacher basically nodded in approval, said that sometimes it was good to force yourself beyond your limits, told me to meditate for a minute or two and then keep going, and got the mop.
It's your right to CHOOSE to do that kind of workout, and it's good to do every once in awhile for all the reasons that Kail mentioned in his excellent post, but if I had a teacher who was forcing it on me, I'd probably look forward to my lessons with dread. It wouldn't exactly put me in the best mindset to learn and improve myself. But hey, different strokes.
In regards to "The Art of War" as dating advice... yeah, it was less than entirely effective. It was much better in retrospect, actually. I'd get home, flip open the book, and shout, "Oh, for crying out loud, I just GAVE her my chariots! Hey, want my chariots, I ain't using 'em, bam! Sonuvamurblemurblemurble."
In regards to "Infinite Insights into Kenpo", I really liked the first couple, where he talked about high-level stuff, the Kenpo mindset and the way you can use your mind as a weapon. That stuff was great. The later books, where he describes every possible strike, was tough going for me. Mind you, I LOVE learning about that stuff in actual training, but it was just a bit too dry for my personal learning style.
In regards to Fourecks/Narrator, I'll attempt to regain the shattered fragments of my self-esteem. For what it's worth, I agree with you that a black belt at an average school ain't worth much. That said, you've never seen me train, you've never seen me fight, and you don't actually know what I am or what I can do. Posting an implied ability to kick my butt is both crass and empty, given that I'm not coming to Oz anytime soon.
I've trained for twelve years. I hated sparring for a long, long time, because, quite frankly, I was more into either the katas or the practical street defense, where I could do anything to defend myself. I was also a moderate nerd who was much more into the technical expertise of the martial arts than the physical beating. My teachers helped me get over my personal issues with sparring, and part of my last belt test included a big nasty sparring test. My training for that sparring test involved me getting some kind of rib injury that made it impossible for me to sleep on one side and forced me to switch sparring sides so as not to have that side to the front as I kept going (eventually, a good idea, because the other side worked better for me in the long run). I also ended up with a more or less continual bloody nose for most of the training (one time on an actual solid hit, and since I was sparring every few days, it didn't have time to heal, so every time I got whacked on the nose again, sploot), along with all the usual bruises and bumps and minor concussions that go along with full-contact stuff. In fact, the sparring test itself ended up being a heck of a lot easier than the training that my sparring buddy and I had done, and my teachers later told us that the real sparring test had pretty much been them watching us train and seeing the effectiveness, control, and passion with which we were clobbering each other.
So you know, dude, I can take a punch. I apologize if being smart enough to walk away from potential real-life fights to the death makes me unworthy of respect in your eyes. I don't drink, so my bar fight opportunities are minimal, and the one time somebody assaulted my wife in public, I was more interested in protecting her than chasing after them down, since they got out of Dodge as soon as I went into Defense Mode.
My martial arts training has helped me get light switches with my feet when I'm carrying groceries. It's also helped me not get hurt when I slip on ice in a parking lot. Mostly, though, it's shown me that no matter how much experience you have, combat is ugly and unpredictable, and it's very rarely worth getting into a physical fight with someone if you don't have to. I don't have much ego attached to beating people up anymore. My proudest moment as a martial artist was walking away from a fight disguised as a sparring match because the person who wanted to fight me was a drunk idiot. Everyone in the room told me the next day that they respected the fact that they knew I could have clobbered the guy, but that I chose not to do so.
When it all comes down to it, this is a thread on an RPG board, and every roleplaying martial-artist wannabe that I've met either has delusions of Yoda as the ultimate Martial Arts guru, or delusions of some kind of trial by fire in fierce gladiatoral combat that hones their skills just like Conan. And, in my experience here in the States, that's simply not true. I felt that the people advocating schools that make you fight 'til you hurl and bragging about the deadly street-realism of their combat drills were going overboard. The people with training generally know that it's just posturing, but the people without training need to hear that you don't need to get your final affairs in order before going to your first class. You won't be levitating anything with your force skills for awhile, and you won't be doing a lot of street-practical stuff right off the bat. You'll be learning the basics, at just about ANY school, and the basics are usually dull and repetitive and don't seem nearly as cool as the double crescent backflip kick. You'll be getting a lot of exercise. You'll either be dizzy from practicing rolls or sore from practicing blocks or tired from practicing kicks.
Go into a new martial art with an open mind and a fair amount of humility, and you'll do fine. Trust your instincts. If the instructor seems like a jerk, leave. Beyond that, this is a large hypothetical discussion.
-Tacky
In regards to training until you're sick: I came down strongly against this so that new martial artists wouldn't look at it as something to look for in a school. I don't think a school that forces that kind of behavior is going to be the best school for the average student.
That said, I have on multiple occasions driven myself to that point. My teacher basically nodded in approval, said that sometimes it was good to force yourself beyond your limits, told me to meditate for a minute or two and then keep going, and got the mop.
It's your right to CHOOSE to do that kind of workout, and it's good to do every once in awhile for all the reasons that Kail mentioned in his excellent post, but if I had a teacher who was forcing it on me, I'd probably look forward to my lessons with dread. It wouldn't exactly put me in the best mindset to learn and improve myself. But hey, different strokes.
In regards to "The Art of War" as dating advice... yeah, it was less than entirely effective. It was much better in retrospect, actually. I'd get home, flip open the book, and shout, "Oh, for crying out loud, I just GAVE her my chariots! Hey, want my chariots, I ain't using 'em, bam! Sonuvamurblemurblemurble."
In regards to "Infinite Insights into Kenpo", I really liked the first couple, where he talked about high-level stuff, the Kenpo mindset and the way you can use your mind as a weapon. That stuff was great. The later books, where he describes every possible strike, was tough going for me. Mind you, I LOVE learning about that stuff in actual training, but it was just a bit too dry for my personal learning style.
In regards to Fourecks/Narrator, I'll attempt to regain the shattered fragments of my self-esteem. For what it's worth, I agree with you that a black belt at an average school ain't worth much. That said, you've never seen me train, you've never seen me fight, and you don't actually know what I am or what I can do. Posting an implied ability to kick my butt is both crass and empty, given that I'm not coming to Oz anytime soon.
I've trained for twelve years. I hated sparring for a long, long time, because, quite frankly, I was more into either the katas or the practical street defense, where I could do anything to defend myself. I was also a moderate nerd who was much more into the technical expertise of the martial arts than the physical beating. My teachers helped me get over my personal issues with sparring, and part of my last belt test included a big nasty sparring test. My training for that sparring test involved me getting some kind of rib injury that made it impossible for me to sleep on one side and forced me to switch sparring sides so as not to have that side to the front as I kept going (eventually, a good idea, because the other side worked better for me in the long run). I also ended up with a more or less continual bloody nose for most of the training (one time on an actual solid hit, and since I was sparring every few days, it didn't have time to heal, so every time I got whacked on the nose again, sploot), along with all the usual bruises and bumps and minor concussions that go along with full-contact stuff. In fact, the sparring test itself ended up being a heck of a lot easier than the training that my sparring buddy and I had done, and my teachers later told us that the real sparring test had pretty much been them watching us train and seeing the effectiveness, control, and passion with which we were clobbering each other.
So you know, dude, I can take a punch. I apologize if being smart enough to walk away from potential real-life fights to the death makes me unworthy of respect in your eyes. I don't drink, so my bar fight opportunities are minimal, and the one time somebody assaulted my wife in public, I was more interested in protecting her than chasing after them down, since they got out of Dodge as soon as I went into Defense Mode.
My martial arts training has helped me get light switches with my feet when I'm carrying groceries. It's also helped me not get hurt when I slip on ice in a parking lot. Mostly, though, it's shown me that no matter how much experience you have, combat is ugly and unpredictable, and it's very rarely worth getting into a physical fight with someone if you don't have to. I don't have much ego attached to beating people up anymore. My proudest moment as a martial artist was walking away from a fight disguised as a sparring match because the person who wanted to fight me was a drunk idiot. Everyone in the room told me the next day that they respected the fact that they knew I could have clobbered the guy, but that I chose not to do so.
When it all comes down to it, this is a thread on an RPG board, and every roleplaying martial-artist wannabe that I've met either has delusions of Yoda as the ultimate Martial Arts guru, or delusions of some kind of trial by fire in fierce gladiatoral combat that hones their skills just like Conan. And, in my experience here in the States, that's simply not true. I felt that the people advocating schools that make you fight 'til you hurl and bragging about the deadly street-realism of their combat drills were going overboard. The people with training generally know that it's just posturing, but the people without training need to hear that you don't need to get your final affairs in order before going to your first class. You won't be levitating anything with your force skills for awhile, and you won't be doing a lot of street-practical stuff right off the bat. You'll be learning the basics, at just about ANY school, and the basics are usually dull and repetitive and don't seem nearly as cool as the double crescent backflip kick. You'll be getting a lot of exercise. You'll either be dizzy from practicing rolls or sore from practicing blocks or tired from practicing kicks.
Go into a new martial art with an open mind and a fair amount of humility, and you'll do fine. Trust your instincts. If the instructor seems like a jerk, leave. Beyond that, this is a large hypothetical discussion.
-Tacky
I am rather suprised at the negative response seen here regarding Muay Thai. If I wanted to study a purely striking art Muay Thai would be my first choice bar none. Muay Thai was the first art I ever studied and I practiced for 10 years before moving onto other martial arts like Kali, Jeet Kune Do and Jui-jitsu. Muay Thai provided me with a great base for these other arts. It also gave me conditioning, the abilitey to accept (if need be!) and deliver powerful strikes.
I see a lot of people get really hung up on which style of MA to study. If you are concerned primarily with self defense it is much more important as to how the art is practiced. For self defense you need to have sparring, with contact mind you, that is gradually increased over time. Another element to consider, and again this is from a self defense point of view, is the ability to defend yourself in every range. By ranges I am talking, kicking, punching, trapping, and the ground. Ranges can also be increased when you add weaponry (knives, stick and even firearms). Martial arts is a life long journey with endless avenues to pursue.
Good luck in your search.
Decado
I see a lot of people get really hung up on which style of MA to study. If you are concerned primarily with self defense it is much more important as to how the art is practiced. For self defense you need to have sparring, with contact mind you, that is gradually increased over time. Another element to consider, and again this is from a self defense point of view, is the ability to defend yourself in every range. By ranges I am talking, kicking, punching, trapping, and the ground. Ranges can also be increased when you add weaponry (knives, stick and even firearms). Martial arts is a life long journey with endless avenues to pursue.
Good luck in your search.
Decado
Decado,
I don't disagree with what you said. On the other hand, an art in which all training consists of sparring is going to be an art in which some moves are not used -- because sparring, even Muay Thai sparring (which is a GREAT workout and a fabulous way to get used to taking shots), forces you to NOT use certain strikes and NOT strike to certain areas.
Really, this is the big problem for martial arts who want something practical -- if you just do self-defense techniques, you don't learn about the vagaries of unscripted combat (or learn how to take a punch, or learn how to get your hands back up when someone is charging you and has gotten through your defenses and is trying to run you over). On the other hand, if you just do sparring, you don't learn about the particulars of more effective but too-dangerous-to-use-while-sparring attacks. Some combination of the two seems like the best plan.
When it all comes down to it, however, the vast majority of bad guys on the streets do NOT have a ton of experience (anecdotal evidence aside). If you trained at a good school and did your practice and worked hard, when some idiot comes in and throws a haymaker or a one-two punch at you, or tries to put you in a headlock and punch you in the face repeatedly, a good school will see you through.
After all the good information exchanged here, the one thing I'd have someone looking for a street-usable art do is ask whether they defend against weapons. Joe Mugger is rarely going to attack you with a flashy kick, but he almost always has a gun, a knife, or a club. Train well against those three weapons, against grabs, and against single or double punches, and you're probably set. (Open to disagreement, of course, and few schools teach you all those defenses on the first day. But it's something to keep in mind, and to ask about.)
-Tacky
I don't disagree with what you said. On the other hand, an art in which all training consists of sparring is going to be an art in which some moves are not used -- because sparring, even Muay Thai sparring (which is a GREAT workout and a fabulous way to get used to taking shots), forces you to NOT use certain strikes and NOT strike to certain areas.
Really, this is the big problem for martial arts who want something practical -- if you just do self-defense techniques, you don't learn about the vagaries of unscripted combat (or learn how to take a punch, or learn how to get your hands back up when someone is charging you and has gotten through your defenses and is trying to run you over). On the other hand, if you just do sparring, you don't learn about the particulars of more effective but too-dangerous-to-use-while-sparring attacks. Some combination of the two seems like the best plan.
When it all comes down to it, however, the vast majority of bad guys on the streets do NOT have a ton of experience (anecdotal evidence aside). If you trained at a good school and did your practice and worked hard, when some idiot comes in and throws a haymaker or a one-two punch at you, or tries to put you in a headlock and punch you in the face repeatedly, a good school will see you through.
After all the good information exchanged here, the one thing I'd have someone looking for a street-usable art do is ask whether they defend against weapons. Joe Mugger is rarely going to attack you with a flashy kick, but he almost always has a gun, a knife, or a club. Train well against those three weapons, against grabs, and against single or double punches, and you're probably set. (Open to disagreement, of course, and few schools teach you all those defenses on the first day. But it's something to keep in mind, and to ask about.)
-Tacky
Huh? ....what was that all about?
This part will be deleted in 24hrs unless you guys feel it should stay....
First I chose to train that way ..hell i asked for it. It tested my mind, body and spirit. I wouldn't trade that for anything. I never got sick in the training area because to me that would have been disrespectful to my teacher. He NEVER NEVER asked me to train that hard I just did....
He also used to joke about me doing sword cuts everyday and said one day we will do them for 8hours or 10,000 cuts whichever came first. I used to do 1000 thats 1000 cuts a day at one sitting, after doing 500 cuts you feel pain until about 640 then your endophenes kick in and you feel nothing. I worked up to that over a period of 1 month and started with 100 cuts a day increasing to 200 the second week then 500 the third then 1000 on the fourth week. Was it worth it? Yes , when doing Tamishigiri it helped tremdously. I was able to test cut with a live blade without ruining the cut or the blade. Many people paid $600 for a blade to use and ruined it their first or second try at a cut. I felt that I couldn't afford that and trained for it like a marathon. Now I am telling you this...not to create more discussion but to show you what you can acomplish with patience. Patience is a true virtue and one that is sorowly lacking in today's society.
Be patient, have your own mind....don't take anybody's word for anything check it out for yourself. This will make you appreciate your decision all that much more. Experience is the best master.
I believe that Kail explained it quite well and although your name was in there it was directed at the general audience, but that was just my intreptation and I am sure Kail will speak up.
The more I learn the less I know......
----END----
To all new martial artists I say again...do your research and check out your shcool before hand. Be dubious about a school that will not allow you to:
#1 Watch how they train to see what they teach
#2 Will not allow you to try out a class or two for free
Why?
Because by allowing you to train you help the school and you help yourself by learning if you like them or not.
If they ask you to sign a contract off the bat then you should walk away...all they want is your money.
If you walk in and get a bad feeling about the place ...walk away.
After training for 20+yrs I have still got the desire to learn more, not just in my art, but I feel that all of them can teach me something.
Sometimes you must empty your knowledge before you can begin to learn something new. Empty your cup then you can truely learn. If you can't empty your knowledge then you will limit your learning in the long run. At least that has been my experience...
Darius101
This part will be deleted in 24hrs unless you guys feel it should stay....
First I chose to train that way ..hell i asked for it. It tested my mind, body and spirit. I wouldn't trade that for anything. I never got sick in the training area because to me that would have been disrespectful to my teacher. He NEVER NEVER asked me to train that hard I just did....
He also used to joke about me doing sword cuts everyday and said one day we will do them for 8hours or 10,000 cuts whichever came first. I used to do 1000 thats 1000 cuts a day at one sitting, after doing 500 cuts you feel pain until about 640 then your endophenes kick in and you feel nothing. I worked up to that over a period of 1 month and started with 100 cuts a day increasing to 200 the second week then 500 the third then 1000 on the fourth week. Was it worth it? Yes , when doing Tamishigiri it helped tremdously. I was able to test cut with a live blade without ruining the cut or the blade. Many people paid $600 for a blade to use and ruined it their first or second try at a cut. I felt that I couldn't afford that and trained for it like a marathon. Now I am telling you this...not to create more discussion but to show you what you can acomplish with patience. Patience is a true virtue and one that is sorowly lacking in today's society.
Be patient, have your own mind....don't take anybody's word for anything check it out for yourself. This will make you appreciate your decision all that much more. Experience is the best master.
I believe that Kail explained it quite well and although your name was in there it was directed at the general audience, but that was just my intreptation and I am sure Kail will speak up.
The more I learn the less I know......
----END----
To all new martial artists I say again...do your research and check out your shcool before hand. Be dubious about a school that will not allow you to:
#1 Watch how they train to see what they teach
#2 Will not allow you to try out a class or two for free
Why?
Because by allowing you to train you help the school and you help yourself by learning if you like them or not.
If they ask you to sign a contract off the bat then you should walk away...all they want is your money.
If you walk in and get a bad feeling about the place ...walk away.
After training for 20+yrs I have still got the desire to learn more, not just in my art, but I feel that all of them can teach me something.
Sometimes you must empty your knowledge before you can begin to learn something new. Empty your cup then you can truely learn. If you can't empty your knowledge then you will limit your learning in the long run. At least that has been my experience...
Darius101
Darius, I didn't see what I wrote as an attack on you, and I apologize if you saw it that way.
What you wrote sounds like a good hard workout. I approve of good hard workouts (and in response to your "Not on the floor" deal, I DID make it to the bathroom).
My response was not to indicate that that sort of training was wrong. My response was to indicate to the new folks who haven't taken martial arts that this kind of training makes good anecdotal evidence, and it's good to train hard, but that you shouldn't LOOK FOR a school in which the teacher brags about how he's gonna make folks puke.
I didn't think that your post set it up as an ego think, but I did see responses to your post that sort of took the idea and ran with it. Since this thread was, in theory, originally started to answer questions for someone looking for a school, I was bringing it back to that with "Um, incidentally, don't think that all schools will FORCE you to do this."
Sorry if I overreacted.
-Tacky
What you wrote sounds like a good hard workout. I approve of good hard workouts (and in response to your "Not on the floor" deal, I DID make it to the bathroom).
My response was not to indicate that that sort of training was wrong. My response was to indicate to the new folks who haven't taken martial arts that this kind of training makes good anecdotal evidence, and it's good to train hard, but that you shouldn't LOOK FOR a school in which the teacher brags about how he's gonna make folks puke.
I didn't think that your post set it up as an ego think, but I did see responses to your post that sort of took the idea and ran with it. Since this thread was, in theory, originally started to answer questions for someone looking for a school, I was bringing it back to that with "Um, incidentally, don't think that all schools will FORCE you to do this."
Sorry if I overreacted.
-Tacky
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