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Messages - Jonobos

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1
I think you are far underestimating the damage the body can sustain. It is my amateur opinion that those mid line attacks to the torso are more oriented toward having a bladed weapon. They simply don't do enough damage to stop the fight. After the fight they can certainly slow you down, but they are not a fight ender in and of themselves. Even the notion that a single heavy hand shot will end the fight is seriously flawed. It CAN, but don't count on it.

On the question of masks, I have been using the same mask for 3+ years. The same lacrosse gloves as well.

It almost seems to me that people get hurt more wearing heavier protection, because they tend to sit and exchange blows.

There are different levels of training. A gathering event is at the far end of the spectrum, and sumbrada and similar drills are at the other. If your interest is in full contact stick fighting twice a week I don't think you will last long. Go all at it once a week for a month. Then dial it back and focus on the gaps you found. Go back to harder contact again for a while. Dial it back for a while. Training is cyclical. Its not all or nothing all the time. At least not if you want to "walk as a warrior for all your days."

2
Martial Arts Topics / Re: The American (and first world) cultural context
« on: February 11, 2011, 04:52:23 PM »
Quote
Maybe incarceration rates would be lower if the consequences were more feared.

Be careful of walking down this dark allyway. Other places in the world have such policies and we DONT want to be like them. Cutting off the hands of a thief comes to mind.    :wink:

3
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Door Work, Bouncing, Bodyguarding
« on: July 02, 2010, 09:08:55 AM »
This has become very educational for me. Thanks for the comments everyone, and thanks for the pichost clips!

Quote
notice the tell that the attacker gives before he punches

I admit that I had not even looked for that. Excellent!

Watching the clips again I have noticed that the counter attack lands in the same general area as the doormans hand was previously. Maybe just a coincidence in this clip, but still an interesting lesson in measuring distance. I am not sure I would go for the pointer finger approach though. It seems a little antagonistic.

4
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Door Work, Bouncing, Bodyguarding
« on: June 30, 2010, 08:50:14 AM »
Would the lack of training be yours or that of the man in the clip?  :-D

Lol, a fair enough question on of forum full of people you may have only met a couple times.

All said and done, he took no damage, secured the outside angle, and noticed the other possible threat. There is certainly much that could be improved on, but my post wasn't about any of that.  :wink:

This is certainly the place for that discussion though!

5
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Door Work, Bouncing, Bodyguarding
« on: June 29, 2010, 08:45:55 AM »
For someone that probably lacks any formal training I thought it was fairly impressive. Maybe I am just easily impressed?

6
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Dog Brothers Open Gathering Sept 19, 2010
« on: June 28, 2010, 08:56:31 AM »
This is gonna sound like a stupid question, but, do you wear mouth guards in addition to the fencing helmet.

I do. I saw many others doing the same.



7
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Door Work, Bouncing, Bodyguarding
« on: June 28, 2010, 08:52:40 AM »
Pass the punch, adjust to the outside, BAM!, drive him back on the angle and ready for the next guy. Very well done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTCoErKx_-4

8
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Hooooooooooooly Crap
« on: June 21, 2010, 08:37:58 AM »
I was actually at the seminar  :lol:

the way they train is certainly a big part of the problem. If they trained in the same range as Judo, or wrestling, I think some of it is legit. Also, the passive mentality of aikido and many of its practitioners is a big problem if you want any of it to work in real time. I have dusted some of that stuff off and am looking at it again lately, but I have a greater appreciation for what it takes to make something functional thanks to Guro Crafty and the other Dog Brothers. I also approach it with a healthy amount of skepticism, because most of it runs counter to what I know from personal experience. 3 years is hardly enough time to have a comprehensive understanding of a martial art, but in that same amount of time C-Gaurd Dog has taught me many things that do work in real time. I have used them in sparring, and at a gathering. They pass the test  :wink:

I am not ragging on the content of TMA's. I think they have a lot of great content. They just lack people who are willing to test their claims. I am definitely hoping Anderson Silva surprises everyone with some of the stuff in that video! But if I were a betting man I wouldn't wager any money on it...

9
Martial Arts Topics / Re: No Trespassing
« on: June 20, 2010, 04:05:25 PM »
Quote
"No Trespassing, Violators will be shot, survivors will be shot again"

LOL!

If that isn't direct enough I don't know what is!

10
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Hooooooooooooly Crap
« on: June 20, 2010, 03:56:34 PM »
I really like the idea of blocking the head to prevent the wrestling shot, but I can see it leading to a lot of accidental eye gouges. Its a basic principle in any grappling system that where the head goes the body follows. This isn't really a knew idea, but the specifics of what was being done in that video were different than I had seen before.

The hammer fists and chops are great, but I think the context is wrong. Too much catching punches out of thin air. Although if anyone can pull it off its probably AS. I spent about 3 years on aikido when I was younger, and was in several fights where I got to try out its validity. Lets just say it didn't perform as well as advertised. The range they train at is wrong. In a clinch situation it has some value, but you will NEVER pull a wrist lock off a punch unless you are some sort of mutant.

The stuff they were doing on the ground is probably not so useful.

My initial reaction...

11
Martial Arts Topics / Re: DBMA Knife and Anti Knife
« on: June 19, 2010, 10:54:34 PM »
Quote
I would skip a choke

The concept was what I was shooting for. Obviously we don't want to tangle up with the guy and choke him. I meant that some things overcome physical resistance and toughness faster than others. But this becomes a question of how to access the areas that will produce the desired result with as little danger to our juicy areas as possible. This means accessing our weapon if it isn't already out, and getting clean shots with enough power to do the job. If I can disable him enough then I can create the opening to beat feet that much easier right? It seems to me that surviving any realistic scenario takes a skill set larger than most people have. The awareness to notice the situation ahead of time, accessing your weapon, and then keeping the potential PAB assailant off you long enough to do significant damage...

12
Martial Arts Topics / Re: DBMA Knife and Anti Knife
« on: June 18, 2010, 11:24:23 AM »
A couple of thoughts. We can probably learn a lesson or two from the sport element of mma/grappling and apply those concepts to the knife/anti knife dynamic. It occurs to me that when given the choice I will go for a choke over an arm bar. I have found that really tough guys, or guys with over sized egos may not tap to techniques that simply produce pain. The same can be said about mma and ground and pound tactics. Eventually the fight may be stopped by the ref, but it usually isn't the fighter who calls it quits. In a situation that is our life vs theirs shouldn't be be looking for the stategy that bails us out the fastest? A solid blood choke is not a matter of toughness on the part of your opponent. Lack of blood to the brain will stop his resistance even if he is unusually tough, or full of gusto! Can this concept be applied to the knife somehow? Is relying on pain the best plan?

13
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Guro Crafty's momentary ruminations
« on: June 18, 2010, 05:43:15 AM »
Wad up the cloth around the knees, or "One Leg" it.  The rice paddy prone also tunes your balance..........

 :lol:  Wow, there is always something to be learned on these forums!

14
Martial Arts Topics / Re: DBMA Knife and Anti Knife
« on: June 18, 2010, 05:37:45 AM »
M:

Have you seen my post of 6/13 wherein I define my term?



Ack! The devil is in the details... I had missed this somehow.

Still, an interesting discussion even if I did side track it a bit.

15
Martial Arts Topics / Re: DBMA Knife and Anti Knife
« on: June 17, 2010, 12:24:44 PM »
Quote
Outside of a purely sporting situation, why teach offensive combatives at all?

It is my opinion that teaching a defensive mentality will get people hurt. People preach the impracticality of bjj in violent encounters all the time, and then those same people accept something like pinning an opponent with aikido as highly functional. It boggles the mind. Defense just won't work against multiple or armed opponents. You have to end the situation. At least that is what the "experts" on the  subject seem to agree on.

Why teach offensive knife skills? Are there really any defensive knife skills? It seems to me that the Pekiti methodology of "offense/counter offense" is really the only option when considering blades. You can't exactly roof block a knife slash. It seems to me that using a knife to defend yourself, and using defensive knife techniques are two separate things. One exists, and one doesn't.

16
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Dog Brothers Open Gathering Sept 19, 2010
« on: June 05, 2010, 01:29:44 PM »
Padraig

Yes, cardio! Although I could be totally wrong and my perceptions wildly off, it felt like my double stick fight vs Kaju dog at last years open gathering ran for an eternity. At the time I would have estimated it to be around 5 minutes. Looking back it may only have been 3? I don't really know. I am quite sure it was exhausting though :P

Prepare yourself for the size of the sticks and the power people will be swinging with. Drill will your training partners putting some serious force into thier swings. Maybe it is just me (it was my first gathering after all) but I found this to be quite a shock. Dog Mauricio slammed the stick clear out of my hand with only stick on stick contact. Not ideal!

17
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Dog Brothers Open Gathering Sept 19, 2010
« on: May 24, 2010, 06:29:25 PM »
I am hoping to make it out again this year. Its a little out of my price range to make the trip alone, so it sort of depends on the rest of the crew.

18
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Battle Scarf
« on: May 15, 2010, 09:47:42 AM »
I sparred someone with a tennis ball in a sock the other day. About as close as I can get :P

19
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Nutrition, Diet Thread
« on: May 03, 2010, 07:44:09 PM »
Too Much Water Gets Runners in Trouble
Dangerously low blood salt levels found in many marathoners

I have devised a very slick way around this! My roommate is an avid mountain biker and does a race called the 'wilderness 101.' It is a 101 mile race in the middle of the summer so dehydration is a real problem. Although he knew about the issue of low salt/potassium levels associated with this sort of activity he struggled with a way to deal with it. He played with pickle juice, and sports drinks, but found none of them to his liking. I suggested soy sauce. This may sound gross, but it is a perfect use for all those extra packets that come with your take out/delivery Chinese food! He claimed it worked wonders! Its a small enough gulp that he didn't even need to get off his bike for it, and he could carry a bunch of them without significant added weight!

Jon

20
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Crimes using knives
« on: May 03, 2010, 06:52:03 PM »
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100504/ap_on_re_us/us_target_stabbings

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – A woman who stabbed and wounded four people in a busy Target store Monday afternoon was arrested when an off-duty sheriff's deputy pulled his gun and ordered the woman to the ground as screaming shoppers ran from the building, authorities said.

Layla Trawick used a butcher's knife and a carving knife to attack the victims, using both blades at the same time — one in each hand, like in the movie "Psycho," sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said

"She was literally walking up and down the aisles slashing people," he said.

A mother holding her baby was stabbed in the neck and was in critical condition, Whitmore said. The baby was unhurt and all four victims were expected to survive.

One witness said she was shopping for a Mother's Day card when she heard someone screaming, "There is no witness protection program!" as chaos broke out in the store.

"I don't know what it means but she was yelling that repeatedly and at the top of her lungs," said Katy Winn, a freelance photographer from West Hollywood. "I think I heard (the deputy) telling her to drop to the floor. That's when things got really chaotic and started falling over."

Winn said she dropped her basket and dashed across the store to the women's section, where she hid behind the clothing racks.

"From the moment the screaming started it was about five minutes. But it felt longer than that," she said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Clay Grant Jr. said he was picking up paper towels and other items when people around him started running and screaming.

Grant grabbed his duty weapon, identified himself as a sheriff's deputy and ordered the woman to drop the knives, he said. She ran away and he followed her from aisle to aisle.

Grant was wearing a white T-shirt, camouflage shorts and running shoes so several shoppers mistook him for a gunman, adding to the sense of panic, sheriff's Sgt. Josh Mankini said.

Grant followed Trawick from aisle to aisle, until she turned and waved the knives at him from above her head, he said.

But he decided not to shoot because he didn't feel his life was in jeopardy, he said. For a second time, he ordered her to drop the knives and finally she complied.

"I was more concerned about the knife, more than what she was saying," Grant said. "Her facial expression was someone who was lost, confused, didn't know exactly where they were."

Trawick was arrested with the help of private security guards and held on $1 million bail on suspicion of attempted murder. Investigators were trying to determine whether the 34-year-old Antioch woman got the knives in the store.

Speaking to reporters at a sheriff's station later, Grant was modest.

"I don't feel like I'm a hero, I just do what I'm trained to do," he said.

Whitmore said surveillance video cameras captured the stabbings, but the tape hasn't been released.

"If he wasn't there, who knows? Someone would be dead right now," Mankini said. "He had no communication with outside law enforcement. He's just some guy doing his shopping. We're pretty proud of him."

Mankini said Grant, a five-year veteran of the department, was authorized to have a weapon in the store.

___

Associated Press Writer Raquel Maria Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

21
Martial Arts Topics / Re: MMA versus Reality/Survival based skills
« on: April 21, 2010, 04:48:36 PM »
You mean like a mount countered by a knife to the kidneys?

The hypothetical guy on top should have been more mindful of his opponents hands. But we are talking hypothetical situations here.

22
Martial Arts Topics / Re: MMA versus Reality/Survival based skills
« on: April 21, 2010, 09:44:39 AM »
I think the line between MMA and a real fight is much thinner than most people realize. This is only my opinion, but it is much easier to graft the weapon element on to a clinch scenario if you already have a good clinch game.




23
Martial Arts Topics / Re: MMA Thread
« on: April 10, 2010, 11:58:43 PM »
Phil Davis, didn't Gruhn train him or with him?

Yes, Phil Davis trained with us State College Pa boys at the start of his career. We are all very excited for him!

24
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Dogs Best Friend:
« on: March 25, 2010, 11:59:00 AM »
My last canine family member was a golden retriever. Loyal, and loving, but terrified of flashlights. Probably not all that great as a guard dog :P

My father also had a doberman when I was a teenager. He never barked for some reason. The smaller kids in the neighborhood used to ride him around like a horse and he loved it. He would wait at the edge of the yard until the school bus dropped them off in the afternoon.

I tend to end up with big, friendly, goofy dogs. Maybe that says something about me?  *shrug*

25
Martial Arts Topics / Re: BBC: Last Woman Standing : stick fight
« on: March 05, 2010, 10:34:52 AM »
I am sure its not a bad show. I just don't see the point in blaming someone else's "inferior strategy and footwork" on your loss. It seems to me that her expectations of what a fight is, and the reality of what a fight is are in serious conflict. But I didn't get to see the entire show so maybe the point wasn't that it was a fight, and they were supposed to go out and twirl and tippy tap? I typically don't much attention to anything but the fights in these shows because I am not interested in all the manufactured drama.

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Martial Arts Topics / Re: BBC: Last Woman Standing : stick fight
« on: March 01, 2010, 12:53:57 PM »
Too much crying about what the other person is doing...

27
Martial Arts Topics / Re: MMA Thread
« on: February 12, 2010, 12:29:01 PM »
These are all probably fair assessments. But the question remains whether or not someone can reverse engineer some of the skillsets that make the wrestlers successful? BJJ will certainly help me get up from the ground by understanding the body mechanics of how to move on the bottom. But what happens when I want a little something extra to keep me up off the ground long enough to deal a little punishment of my own, maybe create the necessary opportunity to access an equalizer? I think Rarick has a good point that it is all about a toolbox. I may never be able to achieve the level of collegate wrestlers, but can I get enough experience to make a difference when it really matters?


28
Martial Arts Topics / Re: MMA Thread
« on: February 11, 2010, 07:26:39 PM »
You bring up some good points, but Chuck survived a loooooooong time with a deep understanding of takedown defense. I didn't say you need to wrestle guys to the ground, or learn the wrestling top game. But learning how to stuff a shot and make them pay for it is something that many fighters have successfully developed.

I definitely agree that most of these mma black belts are simply not that good. But at the same time the days of Rickson and the one trick pony fighters are gone.

29
Martial Arts Topics / Re: MMA Thread
« on: February 10, 2010, 08:37:41 PM »
Wrestling isn't really new to mma. It has been there from pretty early on. Everyone is learning jiujitsu including the wrestlers. The subs are not a secret anymore. What most bjj guys fail to do is dive deeply into wrestling and that is why we see the imbalance. The difference with guys like BJ Penn and Jacare is that they have an amazing standing clinch either in the form of takedowns, or takedown defense. Only the cream of the crop top level wrestlers have the advantage. Hell, Hendo could not even capitalize on Anderson Silva being on his back and that was in half guard... a position that wrestlers are known for laying down some serious damage. My thoughts.

30
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Corrections and Prison
« on: January 12, 2010, 08:09:39 AM »
The Forgotten Cop

Thought provoking in many ways, thanks GM.

31
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Need Help Getting back into the swing of things
« on: January 09, 2010, 09:11:50 AM »
The Torque Blades are not cheap (hard to avoid given the small size of the market for them, but we wanted to help the maker out) but they are very cool. 

I am assuming they don't come as a set?

32
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Corrections and Prison
« on: January 04, 2010, 09:59:35 AM »
Police: Rockview inmate assaults corrections officers
From CDT staff reports
A corrections officer was assaulted by an inmate at the State Correctional Institution at Rockview who then injured two other officers when they came to his aid, state police at Rockview said.

At about 7:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, police said a 50-year-old inmate became involved in a dispute with a corrections officer. When the officer turned, the inmate struck the officer in the face with his fist.

While the officer was dazed, the inmate struck him in the face again, and he fell to the ground as other officers rushed to his assistance, police said. Two other corrections officers attempted to restrain the inmate, and during the struggle one suffered an injury to his eye and the other suffered a shoulder injury.

The first officer who was struck suffered a fractured nose, police said.



Read more: http://www.centredaily.com/news/breaking_news/story/1706771.html#ixzz0bfSWAET2

33
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Anyone have any good Circuit Ideas for home
« on: January 03, 2010, 01:24:07 PM »
I have been digging this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezHlByHZwXA[/youtube]

It took 2 weeks to even make it through all six rounds. I highly recommend that you take his advice and use a weight that you can manage. The first three are not much of a problem, but each round after gets harder. Now that I can make it through all six I have already noticed a marked improvement in muscular endurance and cardio.

34
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Need Help Getting back into the swing of things
« on: December 24, 2009, 06:20:48 AM »
The urge to hibernate is almost irresistible when you live in the north. If lifting and strength is your thing have you considered using something other than rattan? Pipes filled with sand, or rebar or something? I have had my eye on those torque blades for a while now...

35
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Citizens defend themselves/others.
« on: December 07, 2009, 05:53:34 PM »
Quote
Why it's better to live in a red state.

Not all of us "young liberals" are voting for gun bans... just so you know ;)

36
Martial Arts Topics / Re: MMA Thread
« on: December 05, 2009, 10:18:12 PM »
Quote

Also on the subject of the finale, I'm glad that Jon Jones lost by disqualification he was clearly the superior fighter, but he committed an obvious foul and I'm glad they followed the rules and DQ'd him.

I sort of think it is a stupid rule. Why are those more dangerous than any other elbow?

37
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Emergency Tips and Emergency Medicine
« on: November 30, 2009, 08:11:27 PM »
That is an excellent post for those of us up north. Thanks!

38
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Vid-clip of 9/20/09 DB Open Gathering
« on: November 18, 2009, 07:12:00 AM »

Also, I have a sense of deep satisfaction that my years of pushing for IFWA (in fight weapon access) have finally taken root. 

Well, in my case I didn't have much of a choice since my stick went sailing out of my hands at approximately the speed of light :P 

I am glad of the following:

a) that the direction the stick went was AWAY from the children in the audience!

b) I was able to close and deploy my knife quickly and efficiently under that sort of pressure!

This clip takes me right back to that post fight altered state.

39
Martial Arts Topics / Re: The New Kitty Genovese
« on: November 05, 2009, 09:47:17 PM »
Children? I'm not sure that's the best description of high school students.

We don't live in a tribal society where we struggle for our lives every day. In our society, teenagers are not prepared to deal with death and dismemberment. They are still very much children. Maybe this is good, and maybe it is bad, but it is the plain and simple truth. Many of them have never experienced death before. They simply have no frame of reference, and even if they do they certainly have never experienced anything on this level.

Is violence in the media a problem? Yes, I agree with you. Is it as simple as that? Hardly. Should we be doing something about it? Absolutely. But I hardly think you can expect teenagers to jump in and help the poor girl getting gang rapped and beaten if adults are not willing to do it either. Was it a case of violence in the media when it was Kitty Genovese?



40
Martial Arts Topics / Re: The New Kitty Genovese
« on: November 05, 2009, 07:28:58 PM »
Quote
After the Jonesboro shootings, one of the high school teachers told me about her students' reaction when she told them that someone had shot a bunch of their little brothers, sisters, and cousins in the middle school. "They laughed," she told me with dismay, "they laughed." We have raised a generation of barbarians who have learned to associate human death and suffering with pleasure (Grossman & DeGaetano, 1999).

I have been told that this is not uncommon, or unhealthy in any way. Children are not emotionally developed enough to grasp the depth of what happened in traumatic situations like this. Laughter, or indifference, or even making silly noises with their mouths are all to be expected. In time they will grasp what happened and show more appropriate responses. It has nothing to do with associating death with pleasure. They just don't know how to react, and more often have not even processed what has happened.

I would go into a rant about bad parenting, and how these companies only sell this stuff because it is popular... but I don't have kids so I will refrain.

41
Martial Arts Topics / Re: The New Kitty Genovese
« on: November 03, 2009, 11:04:40 AM »
http://www.sphere.com/2009/10/30/cries-for-help-not-always-answered/?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sphere.com%2F2009%2F10%2F30%2Fcries-for-help-not-always-answered%2F

"Many teens today have had years of exposure to violent video games and media images, Parks said, which studies show desensitizes them to violence. Richmond police said they believe some of the witnesses took cell phone pictures of the girl's ordeal – further proof of possible desensitization, Parks said.

"We've created this environment where adolescents can treat this awful stuff as spectacle," she said."



This sort of thing makes me very nervous. I am not sure that the people doing these studies necessarily see the difference between the violence in video games/media, and in the martial arts. In the mind of the nanny state, martial arts could easily be categorized with guns as the cause of violent crime.

42
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Happy Halloweapons!
« on: November 01, 2009, 09:06:15 AM »
I don't know about Fit, or Functional, but it certainly was Fun!

43
Martial Arts Topics / Re: The New Kitty Genovese
« on: October 30, 2009, 07:33:43 AM »
Mob Mentality.  Groups of people are the most dangerous nasty entities an individual will have to face.   A gun helps with that too, since multiple bullets mean a fair chunk of a threatening group is running a significant risk.  That is another factor of being able to carry a firearm.  I like you Unorganized concept of Militia, no group/mob concept just people preparing themselves for self-defense.



Assuming there was someone with the will to act, and armed appropriately... what sort of special attention do you think they would have received from the police?

44
Martial Arts Topics / Re: The New Kitty Genovese
« on: October 29, 2009, 11:05:55 AM »
Quote
"This just gets worse and worse the more you dig into it," Lt. Mark Gagan of the Richmond Police Department. "It was like a horror movie. I can't believe not one person felt compelled to help her."

Says it all...

45
Martial Arts Topics / Re: DBMA Kali Tudo (tm): The Running Dog Game
« on: October 28, 2009, 05:26:42 AM »
The final picture in that slide show is pure gold Crafty!  :lol:

46
Martial Arts Topics / Re: MMA Thread
« on: October 23, 2009, 08:54:16 PM »
Any word on this guy?

http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2009/09/15/5x-worlds-strongest-man-mariusz-pudzianowski-set-for-mma-debut/

Back when I had cable I used to watch those strong man competitions. That guy was inspiring to say the least! If I recall correctly he does have previous martial arts experience. I can't recall off the top of my head what it was exactly, but I do remember thinking "jesus I would hate to be in a fight with that guy!" :P

47
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Guro Crafty's momentary ruminations
« on: October 23, 2009, 08:48:14 PM »
That was a hard lesson for me to learn Crafty, but one that I am glad to hear confirmed by those much more experienced than I. Every 3 - 4 months I seem to break down. My attention is always elsewhere, my energy level bottoms out, my sleep is troubled and irregular, and I feel generally irritable. Sometimes I can recover by cutting back training to a few light sessions for a couple weeks, and sometimes it takes a full week off of everything. I personally find it starts out as physical fatigue, and in the following weeks my brain follows right along. After a break I always come back feeling better than ever, and with a fresh perspective. My biggest breakthroughs are usually in the month following these periods of rest. I feel like it really pays to step back and decompress once in a while!

48
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Legal issues in MA instruction
« on: October 23, 2009, 12:51:23 PM »
Quote
"Ms. To says she signed the Conditions of Membership and Release form 
but did not read it carefully or fully understand it," court documents 
state. "She knew if she did not sign it her sons would not be allowed 
to enrol in Hapkido classes. She says she had no intention of waiving 
her sons' rights to sue..."

This rubs me the wrong way. Why do people sign things that they don't read or understand?

49
Martial Arts Topics / Re: Study: Double killing on Mexico City subway
« on: October 21, 2009, 12:26:16 PM »
I think the evolutionary process is a fascinating one. Violence is part of that process and I don't think we can really understand it if we look at it inside the box of morality. Gravity hurts people that fall from great distances yet we don't consider it "evil." We share reasons with animals for doing harm to each other and most of those reasons we consider justified. Self defense, or defense of family. Defending territory and resources. We have developed the idea to think in the abstract so we also have political and religious reasons for violence. These are grey areas. We also have distinctly human emotions which are generally considered poor excuses for violence. Why is it that the "good" reasons for violence are the ones we share the most with the "lower" lifeforms?

Some thoughts.
Jon

50
Martial Arts Topics / Re: New Member Needs Advice
« on: October 12, 2009, 11:37:00 AM »
I think it is important that you just find a place and/or routine you are comfortable with (and that a doctor agrees with) and get started. Get the first dvd series and start working on it. Add some mild cardio and see where it takes you. As along as you understand that you probably won't see instant results you should be fine. Just keep at it, and as you progress you can always add more!  If you are like the majority of people out there then getting started will be the hardest part.

I really like the idea of recording yourself so you can compare your movements with those of the videos. I have found watching recordings of myself sparring to be an invaluable resource in my progress. You have a reference point, and can see the areas where you look choppy! Thanks for the idea   :-D


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