The Martial Arts Thread

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

I have recently started Aikido with the great encouragment of Moe and Kismit both of whom I know practice their own martial arts. A special thanks to both of them particularly Moe who has walked me through everything and is always ready to listen or offer advice and encouragement.

AIKIDO

Aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) or O-sensei, "the great teacher", was a Japanese soldier and philosopher. He founded The Art of Peace or, “way of harmonizing energy” after many years of studying traditional Japanese martial arts including Kendo and Ju-jitsu. Morihei developed the circular, flowing movements of Aikido to blend the energy of the attack and redirect these forces harmlessly. Practioners train to develop their Ki or inner energy as well as their body during vigorous activity.

My experiences so far have been extremely positive, sometimes humbling, often humorous and always exhilerating.

My first class was the hardest...literally. I was the the only beginner, only 1 of 3 women taking the class (aprox 30 men) The toughest instructor from the club taught that first class. We stretched every single muscle in our body and then he started us with sit-ups, push-ups ( toes & knuckles) and followed by laps around the dojo. It was sheer torture. About 45 minutes into the class (class is 1 1/2 hours long) I was wondering what the hell I was doing there. Then I started reciting in my head "I have no ego. I am ego free" and somehow I got through it.

I trained one on one with a lady blackbelt. We did drop rolls. We did pivots and techniques (I should be using the correct terms as I have to know the Japanese terms by next week). I bruised my lower back, every muscle in my body was screaming but I felt glorious. At the end of that first class the instructor introduced himself and told me that the class I just had was probably as tough as it gets. You know what? He was right.

I woke up feeling deceptively good the next morning. It took me 4 days and a soak in a hot tub to be able to move without wimpering. Just in time for my next class. This one was taught by a different instructor and a different blackbelt gave me one on one training. I took nage (the defender) and he took uke (attacker) I blocked his strikes. Then we switched; he was nage and I was uke. I had to try and strike him. That class left me with bruises on my forearms that didn't fade for at least a week.

I am learning about Rei or bow which means "appreciation and respect” and the manner by which, it is expressed. I am learning the correct terminology

I am so intrigued by Aikido. Aikido does not require force. Force works against you. It is a martial art that allows a smaller woman to either escape or to immoblize a larger (male) attacker. It in fact it works best if you are "soft"....but more on this later as I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of soft.

I have signed up for 3 months and have a years membership at the centre. I am hooked and am most definately planning on continuing. As a beginner I can take advantage of up to 6 lessons a week. Right now I do two 1.5 hour classes.

So tell me about your martial arts.

[Talon]

I did karate when I was in my early teens, got to Brown belt. Never liked it, became to much of a hassle. quit.

[RaginCajun]

i studied kenpo...would like to learn more but i haven't go the time at the current moment. great knowledge to defend yourself, work out, and great art. ienjoy all forms of martial arts.

[Yasha]

I got my black belt in karate 2 weeks ago. (well technically Jr. Black)

[colorless]

I took Tae Kwan Do a while back. We had to do forms in order to receive our next belt, and when I saw what I had to do to get my purple belt, I quit.

And just in case anyone's wondering how far I got, the belt ranks were:

White

Yellow

Orange

Green

Blue

Purple

Brown

High Brown

Red

High Red

Black

Edited December 29, 2004 by colorless

[Yasha]

Also depends on the school. They all have different ranks.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

I got my black belt in karate 2 weeks ago. (well technically Jr. Black)

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Very cool! Congratulations Yasha!

For Aikido one of the other students told me that in Japan kids learn it like North American kids learn hockey and achieving black belt only means you are now truly ready to start learning Aikido and that on average it take 4 years to earn your black belt

Oh I think it was my third class and and I spent the whole class being the one tossed to the mat as the technique was rather complicated and I did not know it.

Edited December 29, 2004 by Daughter of the Nine Moons

[RaginCajun]

all schools have different forms and belt classes. for example, we emphasized kicks more than we did punches. the school i went to singled in on wanting to be fast and decisive. i really hope to take up taek kwon do and kick boxing someday. how was any of you guys and ladies sparring done???

and Dot, aikido if i am correct focused more on strength more than speed right???

Edited December 29, 2004 by RaginCajun

[malakiem]

I use to take karate, i quit when i was 12 or 13. Took it for 3 years, i was 3 belts from black. BTW, i went to tiger schulman, i hope to try capoeira one day. I've always wondered what sort of secrets some of the martial arts masters from china, japan, and korea still keep. I wonder how many more martial arts are out there, that we the public don't know about.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

and Dot, aikido if i am correct focused more on strength more than speed right???

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I don't think so. I might be wrong about this (remember I am new to this) but from what I understand is the Nage (the defender) is soft (or gentle, or relaxed) because this works best. If the Nage is relaxed then the uke (attacker) has nothing to resist, nothing to fight against. By not using force the uke is unlikely to feel the urge and have the opportunity to counterattack. This is why this is supposed to be a good martial art for women.

[Erikl]

I did Judo for 6 years, but eventually quit .

I would like to learn Kendo thouhg. Hope I'll have time while in the military, or I'll have to learn it after I finish my service.

[The Drake]

My girlfriend does Karate and to tell you the truth, she rules in it! I've seen her fight against guys that are twice her size and she defeated them in no time. And she looks sexy in that kimono

[Kismit]

Oh yes and Kismit looks most stunning in her Dobok , allthough I doubt people fight wearing Kimonos , it is a difficult costume to do a jumping front kick in , and most definately there would be no snap in your side kick .

Tae kwon do is a Martial art which originated in Korea . We spar side-on rather than front-on, as you would with Karate . It creates a smaller target and allows an easier transition from instep to back or hook kick . There are two schools of Tae kwon do in New zealand the federation the one I am a member of which is international and the Union which is not recognised outside of New zealand , but is still a great way to ease stress and get fit .

We also do Apkido a form of self defense , as with Aikido it is better to be relaxed , you use less energy and learn to use the attackers momentum against them .

Our belts are yellow , yellow green tip , green , green blue tip, blue, blue red tip , red , red black tip , and black . Then of course you can go for your dans .

i really hope to take up taek kwon do and kick boxing someday. how was any of you guys and ladies sparring done???

I have a full contact tournament coming up in March . My first , but because I double graded recently I will be sparring against more experienced fighters , and run the risk of hurting my pretty nose .

Actually, bring on the South island champs , I waisted many afternoons play sparring with Jeff Fenich's old sparring partener and I still have a pretty nose after all that . I guess I will just have to be faster .

Link to painfull pictures and animations

I am most proud of you ninja Dot , you can now officially kickass

Edited December 30, 2004 by Kismit

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

Here is the link to my aikido club JCCC Aikikai

Thanks Kizzy Again congrats on double grading and good luck on your upcoming tournament.

Edited December 30, 2004 by Daughter of the Nine Moons

[kikuchiyo]

I trained in Aikibudo and Kobudo. What i like with aikibudo because it's relaxing and some pretty funny things can happen in training sessions. It also fun because you and launch some one without bearly moving. Kobudo is really graceful all the moves are practiced with a form of "lightness", almost like dancing.

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Sweet! Dotty we practice the same thing! remember it's all in grace.

[RaginCajun]

had a cousin that i full sparred with every week when i was still learning martial arts(no blows to face or groin area)...full contact i believe is the only way to get better in...no pain no gain...

kismit i wish you good luck...keep us updated...does anyone here have a personal story or heard a story from someone in your class about them using thier skill to ward of potential physical harm????

[Dowdy]

I did Karate when i was young. Well, that was utter crap. The move are so impratical. It's useless in real life. It's like learning a super advance form of maths which you will never use in life

I did Ju-jitsu once. It was good. Good close quarter combat/ defense but i was 14 at the time and the instructor put me with all the 6yo. The other class was 16+. A bit hard to train with 6yo so i quit

I'm trying to get into boxing now. The gym i got to has a a few punching bags so i just teach myself. Guard up and use your hips to punch, not your shoulders

[Shadowsleet]

I used to take karate too...but I agree with Dowdy: the method of teaching wasn't up to much. The classes were far more about money changing hands, than actually teaching the pupils anything constructive...you might leave the place at the end of the session able to do a pretty double jumping miageri, but you won't have a clue how to use it.

Sparring was lame too...there was no freestyle whatsoever, with a specific attack, and a specific block, each time having to shout out exactly where you were aiming before you struck (jodan and chudan, or thereabouts...it was a long time ago). Didn't teach us much of anything really, although I can to this day kick people in the head

More recently I went with Sera to her wrestling practice, which neither of us are able to do anymore because we both work Sundays. Surprisingly, this was much more fun, and productive...the sessions were five hours long, so we were able to try out so many moves and holds. We were shown dozens of shoot holds, and most wrestling holds are actually only slightly modified versions of actual holds (a hammerlock in wrestling is just a judo half-nelson, only holding the hand at a different angle to hold off the pressure).

I decided a long time ago that, for the most part, the only way martial arts will make any difference at all in a real fight is if you're exceptional. Short of a dan ranking, or maybe a black belt, most styles aren't likely to shift the balance in an actual tooth and nail fight..definately not as much as size and strength will. That's why I feel a lot more secure knowing the various holds and restraints I do than having my pretty kicks

[Hotoke]

i take muay thai and tae kwon do soon i will add wing chun to that list. full contact matches are the only way you will learn how to fight

[Falco Rex]

I took Kenpo up until a couple of years ago. We used to think our sensei was a sadistic S.O.B who liked to hurt us with his 120-minute drills and insisting on full-contact sparring. And you weren't allowed to exactly go soft when you were practicing either. So overall it was hell in a dojo for the first year..

..Until I actually got in a fight where I found myself being hit repeatedly by a 2x4 and kept shrugging it off. It was amazing to me. Here I was being smacked repeatedly by a heavy piece of wood and I barely felt it and actually won the fight. After that I didn't complain about how hard the classes were..

I had to stop taking it when I moved out-of-state; but I'd love to go back someday if I could...

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

Out of curiosity what reasons does everybody have for starting martial arts?

Mine was stress release, learning to toss and pin someone is a bonus

[RaginCajun]

self defense i did also looked into becoming a cop...in fact was going to study to be a cop but was persuaded not to...

falco:

i took kenpo too.

and yes...in real life thugs are just going to beat the shillings out of you. i like your masters idea of 120 minute full contact drills. the world isn't nice..

Edited December 30, 2004 by RaginCajun

[Hotoke]

i took it because of self defense

[kikuchiyo]

Well I started to be more active, the summer was over and the football season was comming to an end, so I needed some indoor activity to be able to stay in shape. Started with Judo(was fun but i moved too far from my dojo), tried out Jiu Jitsu ( way to complicated) and finally Aikibudo (what i'm currently doing along with Kobudo, very relaxing, and i get to smach some one with a wooden stick)

[malakiem]

I started taking mainly because i was obsessed with power rangers, and everyone was still coming out of the martials arts obsessed 80's . So i thought, i'll try it, then after 2-3 years it started to really suck. The sensei was a dick, and the people in the classes were d**** to. They would always do those kata's, which were really cool, but wouldn't help you in a fight. We barely did one on one, mostly cardiovascular and leg working stuff. I'm afraid to do martial arts again, because it's more about money to. *ninjitsu, drools*