THIS IS WAHT HAPPENED
I jammed my toe about 3 weeks ago... It hurt realy rely bad. I put ice onabout after 15 mins, and i did nothing else, day 2 i put wet cloth on my finger about every 4 hours for 15mins.
day 3 i started putting ice and for every 2 hrs every 15 mins and put it on soft pillow because it was swollen badly... the next day i went to the doctor and he told me not to play sports and rest for about 2-3 weeks. So he wrapped it with a bandage and i just rested for avout 4 days, i didnt play sport. So after i took off the cast, i played sports only a little bt (in school with my shoes), and now, it is still not healed and hurts when i jump and hit it a little bit hard... its warmer and bigger than the other one.. So should i continue to play sports or should i just rest till it heals totally?
I PLAYED SPORTS (ACTUALLY I DID SOME EXTREME MARTIAL ARTS/ TRICKING A BIT, AND NOT HARD MOVES WHICH PUT MUCH PRESSURE ON IT.
SO SHOULD I MASSAGE IT OR WHAT, AND HOW?
Toe injury!!?
Tape your hurting toe to the one next to it for support and then do what your doctor tells you if you want to feel better. Otherwise, go about your business like you have and it won%26#039;t stop hurting.
Reply:My son broke his big toe on Sept 4 and had to wear a walking boot for 4 weeks, couldn`t practice football or anything. You need to do what the Doctor said, no matter what. That is the only way it will heal. My son was released after 4 weeks and he played in a football on October 6 and was fine. But only because he done what the Doctor said.
Reply:duh is 2-3 weeks up ?
computer virus
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
What is a good SPORT FOR MY BODY TYPE?
I am a 19 year old male who wants to be in good shape and play sports. I just started weight lifting 2 weeks ago, and am 5%26#039;8 without shoes on and 170lbs. What is a good sport for me to take up? I%26#039;ve heard that weightlifting and mixed martial arts are good for my height and weight, but what else do you think? I certainly dont want to play basketball, as i wish to gain about 15lbs of muscle eventually, to be a solid body type.
What is a good SPORT FOR MY BODY TYPE?
ice hockey
Reply:Swiming!
Jogging!
Reply:Ummm.... I think Badminton or Volleyball or Football
I don%26#039;t know of those three sport is for you.... Just think of those three that is right for you or other sports...
GODD LUCK ^_^
Reply:You could play soccer, that would definetly help u loose weight and plus its fun.
Reply:maybe baseball or football....swimming is also cool.
Reply:Football, if you want to gain weight yet maintain muscle.
Actually, I think wrestling would be good. You gain A LOT of muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. Since you%26#039;re 170 pounds though, I donno if you%26#039;d lose weight or gain weight.
That%26#039;s all I can think of...good luck ; )
Reply:With your profile, try Golf, cross country skiing,biatholon,curling, bowling and competative swimming. GOOD LUCK IN YOUR ENDEAVOURS. oremor
Reply:Well, the only sport that I know that only your brain needs a good work-out is if you know how to play Poker.. LOL! They have the WSOP (World Series Of Poker) that comes on ESPN on weeknights and the only muscle you need is like I said, the brain.. I don%26#039;t think it is a muscle, but it really does need to work out.. Reading a book, magazine, newspaper actually gets the brain thinking clearly..
Reply:you could try running, swimming, skateboarding, stuff like that Maybe try slowpitch softball. Thats always a good choice. hope its helpful and good luck finding something to try out.
Reply:Skateboarding will keep you in great shape, just get a cheap skateboard and cruise around places, in few days youll be able to ride around smoothly and ride to places like a grocery or soemthing lol.
books
What is a good SPORT FOR MY BODY TYPE?
ice hockey
Reply:Swiming!
Jogging!
Reply:Ummm.... I think Badminton or Volleyball or Football
I don%26#039;t know of those three sport is for you.... Just think of those three that is right for you or other sports...
GODD LUCK ^_^
Reply:You could play soccer, that would definetly help u loose weight and plus its fun.
Reply:maybe baseball or football....swimming is also cool.
Reply:Football, if you want to gain weight yet maintain muscle.
Actually, I think wrestling would be good. You gain A LOT of muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. Since you%26#039;re 170 pounds though, I donno if you%26#039;d lose weight or gain weight.
That%26#039;s all I can think of...good luck ; )
Reply:With your profile, try Golf, cross country skiing,biatholon,curling, bowling and competative swimming. GOOD LUCK IN YOUR ENDEAVOURS. oremor
Reply:Well, the only sport that I know that only your brain needs a good work-out is if you know how to play Poker.. LOL! They have the WSOP (World Series Of Poker) that comes on ESPN on weeknights and the only muscle you need is like I said, the brain.. I don%26#039;t think it is a muscle, but it really does need to work out.. Reading a book, magazine, newspaper actually gets the brain thinking clearly..
Reply:you could try running, swimming, skateboarding, stuff like that Maybe try slowpitch softball. Thats always a good choice. hope its helpful and good luck finding something to try out.
Reply:Skateboarding will keep you in great shape, just get a cheap skateboard and cruise around places, in few days youll be able to ride around smoothly and ride to places like a grocery or soemthing lol.
books
Only if you like to read....my day.?
Adventure of Today 5-16-07
Ah yes. Today was fun. Fun enough to %26#039;type%26#039; about! Woohoo! You ready? I went to Brod%26#039;s house and we say this HUGE monster. It was a big blue monster with yellow spots. It said %26quot;Your *** is grassss!!!%26quot; I was like...%26quot;Your mom.%26quot; So the monster slapped Brod and I went martial arts on its ***!! I punched that mofo monster in the stomach! No one messes with my best buddy! I though the blue monster was done for, as it was lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious. I was wrong. The moster got up and jabbed a big stick up my nose. My nose immediately started bleeding everwhere. Then. Brod went Super DUPER man on its *** and karate chopped it in the %26#039;ouchy area.%26#039; The moster fell to the ground. So, I found a magical flower that heeled my nose. Then, Brod and I linked arms and walked down the driveway into %26quot;What Actually Happend Today Land.%26quot;
Haha. Nice story, right? It woulda been cool and you know it. Ok, well. My story makes my fun day sound boring, but oh well. Here goes it!
Well, well, well. After school I walked to the wonderful Brod%26#039;s house. No one was home. I went to the bathroom and suddenly I hear someone %26quot;singing%26quot; (Though it was really a girlish shrieking.) a Taylor Swift country song. I was giggling and I walk out with Brod in my face belting out some womanly noises. Gosh is he funny. :)
So, THEN, we left to go hang out in town. First we stuck a bag of jelly beans in his pants. Then, we put my sweater in there instead. (The jelly beans failed us.) To top that, we put some lip gloss in there too. SUDDENLY, Brod had an ENORMOUS bulge. As we walked down the street into town, Brod and I discussed how penises are natural, so it%26#039;s ok to have an abnormally large one. His certainly looked like it. :P
When we got to the park, we saw people so Brod said %26quot;Touch my penis.%26quot; I did...even though it was really just my sweater. Then, he pulled the sweater out of his pants. It was very funny. We quickly dodged and ran through the sprinklers to the creek. We got to the banks and Brod got in.
He went all the way in, except for his head, so I decided to as well. Burrrr! But I got used to it. We had a great time swimming around, but then I kept seeing Brod laughing his *** off at me! I looked down and saw that the water kept weighing down my shirt, and my boobs kept popping out! (Of COURSE, I had a bra on. Don%26#039;t think that way, you perv!) So I got tired of it dragging around and just took my shirt off.
Oh well...I mean....who cares?! I%26#039;m totally comfortable around him anyways. :P So there I am swimming around in the beautiful weather in a bra and some jeans, with my shoes on. I thought I saw some people, so I made Brod go to our %26quot;base bank%26quot; to get my shirt. I watched him walking along the bank of the creek saying %26quot;Crawdad. Another one. Another one. Another one.%26quot;...and so on. I soon enough lost attention and say an old lady up on the shore with her dog.
Picture this...I am laying here in this shallow creek in my bra and jeans, and this very elderly woman walks up with her dog. So ackwardly, I smile and say %26quot;Hi.%26quot; She says hi back...though it didn%26#039;t exactly seem like she wanted to.
After that, I was extremely bored, waiting for the sweet Brod to get back. I%26#039;m thinking, %26quot;wow. We sure have traveled quite a ways down the creek.%26quot;
Finally, he gets back, and we continue our pointless, fun journey down the creek. We reach shallow spots, rocky spots, and muddy spots. Then...we reach this little island with a willow hanging over it. How nice. :) We sit for a while and then, take off, further and furter down the creek.
Brod spots a bright red rose, floating in the water. He grabs it and sets it back in the water. A sign or a warning?
I know what you%26#039;re thinking...hurry up and tell us something EXCITING, Tasha! Gosh! I%26#039;m just gonna stop reading. Here%26#039;s what I have to say to you. HOLD YOU HORSES! I%26#039;M GETTING THERE!
%26quot;Yeah...we%26#039;re kind of far? Wanna stop?%26quot; Brod asked.
%26quot;Yeah. I think so.%26quot;
%26quot;Oh look how calm and nice it looks over there?%26quot;
%26quot;Where?%26quot;
%26quot;There!%26quot; He points.
%26quot;There?%26quot;
%26quot;Yes! There.%26quot;
%26quot;Hm....let%26#039;s go.%26quot; I suggest.
%26quot;Really?%26quot; He asks.
%26quot;Yeah. I don%26#039;t really care. We can get back later.%26quot;
%26quot;Okay!%26quot;
So we take off like two excited, bored teenagers in a creek in Eagle Point do! :P On our way to the spot, Brod finds this huge rock and starts sliding on it. %26quot;Weeee!%26quot;
Then, we get to the calm, inviting swimming hole. It was very nice. Brod goes all the way under water, gets up, and does the Little Mermaid flippy hair thingy. I laugh, go under water, and do the whale flippy thingy.
Brod spots some gnarly rapids.
%26quot;Let%26#039;s go!%26quot; ...idiot says. (JP)
%26quot;Nah...I%26#039;ll wait here and watch.:
So Brod floats down to the rapids. He holds onto a rock in the middle of them and his eyes get all huge. I stand up and give him a thumbs up. He shakes his head no. Oh ****. So then I go over there.
A SHARK AT HIS RIGHT LEG!!!
AHAHAH NOT!
Ok, ANYWAYS...like an idiot, I make the story more exciting than it actually is. GOSH. What is it with me??? :P
So I walk over there, through the water, and I%26#039;m thinking, %26quot;This isn%26#039;t so bad. Why is he down there squirming like a baby?%26quot;
%26quot;Grab my hand!%26quot;
%26quot;I CAN%26#039;T!!%26quot; he yells back.
Then...I fall. Boy did I FALL! I was immediately, swiftly carried away by the rush of water. I try desperately to grab onto rocks. That didn%26#039;t exactly work. My head goes under water, and I get back up. %26quot;Ohh ****. I%26#039;m going to die,%26quot; I think to myself. That%26#039;s when I start SCREAMING to Brod. %26quot;HELLLPPP MEE!!!!!!!! I CAN%26#039;T STOP!! BROD HELP ME!!!%26quot; It was the scariest thing that had ever happend to me. I attempt to grab onto a stick, and am pulled off of it by the rushing water. A big rock jabs me in the butt. I didn%26#039;t even care. By then, my adrenaline was at an all-time high. I am still screaming murder, and I grab onto a root.
I became Steroid Lady and hold on for dear life, glancing at the big rocks and the BIGGER rapids ahead. My arms are holding onto the root, and the rest of my body is on the other side of this island. Somehow, I pull myself up onto it. I am totally shaken. I had just escaped death. It is NOT a fun experience. So I am on the island, feeling sick with relief.
Then, I remember...Brod. Still holding onto the rock. I look up and see some people on their porch. They had obviously came out at my retarded screaming my *** off. Then...of course, I scream my *** off again. %26quot;BROD NEEDS HELP!! HELP HIM PLEASE!!!%26quot; Mofos. They just stand there. Staring at me. Like mofos. They are mofos.
%26quot;Brod! Let go. I will catch you.%26quot;
%26quot;NO!%26quot;
So I go up on the island so I can get on the main land and help him from the shore. I%26#039;m halfway to the mainland, and he can%26#039;t hold on anymore. He lets go. Steriods Woman comes back and runs down to where I got back up.
Lucky Brod. He starts laughing and smiling, then his eyes get really big again. He seems to be where I was. He doesn%26#039;t go through much trouble, though, as the water takes him on a different route and he just kind of floats up to the island. I help him up.
We get back to the main land, and we%26#039;re totally freaked. I%26#039;m feeling sick still, my *** hurts, I%26#039;m running my mouth like a nervous fool, and Brod is vibrating like a cell phone.
We sit at the shore for a bit to regain our sanity, and then we decide to get back to base. Brod takes the water route. I want nothing to do with it, and take the land route.
A big dog tried to eat me, so I ran to the water, and the rest is history.
Only if you like to read....my day.?
i wish i had a day like tht ^_^
Reply:Thats a long day.
Credit Rating
Ah yes. Today was fun. Fun enough to %26#039;type%26#039; about! Woohoo! You ready? I went to Brod%26#039;s house and we say this HUGE monster. It was a big blue monster with yellow spots. It said %26quot;Your *** is grassss!!!%26quot; I was like...%26quot;Your mom.%26quot; So the monster slapped Brod and I went martial arts on its ***!! I punched that mofo monster in the stomach! No one messes with my best buddy! I though the blue monster was done for, as it was lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious. I was wrong. The moster got up and jabbed a big stick up my nose. My nose immediately started bleeding everwhere. Then. Brod went Super DUPER man on its *** and karate chopped it in the %26#039;ouchy area.%26#039; The moster fell to the ground. So, I found a magical flower that heeled my nose. Then, Brod and I linked arms and walked down the driveway into %26quot;What Actually Happend Today Land.%26quot;
Haha. Nice story, right? It woulda been cool and you know it. Ok, well. My story makes my fun day sound boring, but oh well. Here goes it!
Well, well, well. After school I walked to the wonderful Brod%26#039;s house. No one was home. I went to the bathroom and suddenly I hear someone %26quot;singing%26quot; (Though it was really a girlish shrieking.) a Taylor Swift country song. I was giggling and I walk out with Brod in my face belting out some womanly noises. Gosh is he funny. :)
So, THEN, we left to go hang out in town. First we stuck a bag of jelly beans in his pants. Then, we put my sweater in there instead. (The jelly beans failed us.) To top that, we put some lip gloss in there too. SUDDENLY, Brod had an ENORMOUS bulge. As we walked down the street into town, Brod and I discussed how penises are natural, so it%26#039;s ok to have an abnormally large one. His certainly looked like it. :P
When we got to the park, we saw people so Brod said %26quot;Touch my penis.%26quot; I did...even though it was really just my sweater. Then, he pulled the sweater out of his pants. It was very funny. We quickly dodged and ran through the sprinklers to the creek. We got to the banks and Brod got in.
He went all the way in, except for his head, so I decided to as well. Burrrr! But I got used to it. We had a great time swimming around, but then I kept seeing Brod laughing his *** off at me! I looked down and saw that the water kept weighing down my shirt, and my boobs kept popping out! (Of COURSE, I had a bra on. Don%26#039;t think that way, you perv!) So I got tired of it dragging around and just took my shirt off.
Oh well...I mean....who cares?! I%26#039;m totally comfortable around him anyways. :P So there I am swimming around in the beautiful weather in a bra and some jeans, with my shoes on. I thought I saw some people, so I made Brod go to our %26quot;base bank%26quot; to get my shirt. I watched him walking along the bank of the creek saying %26quot;Crawdad. Another one. Another one. Another one.%26quot;...and so on. I soon enough lost attention and say an old lady up on the shore with her dog.
Picture this...I am laying here in this shallow creek in my bra and jeans, and this very elderly woman walks up with her dog. So ackwardly, I smile and say %26quot;Hi.%26quot; She says hi back...though it didn%26#039;t exactly seem like she wanted to.
After that, I was extremely bored, waiting for the sweet Brod to get back. I%26#039;m thinking, %26quot;wow. We sure have traveled quite a ways down the creek.%26quot;
Finally, he gets back, and we continue our pointless, fun journey down the creek. We reach shallow spots, rocky spots, and muddy spots. Then...we reach this little island with a willow hanging over it. How nice. :) We sit for a while and then, take off, further and furter down the creek.
Brod spots a bright red rose, floating in the water. He grabs it and sets it back in the water. A sign or a warning?
I know what you%26#039;re thinking...hurry up and tell us something EXCITING, Tasha! Gosh! I%26#039;m just gonna stop reading. Here%26#039;s what I have to say to you. HOLD YOU HORSES! I%26#039;M GETTING THERE!
%26quot;Yeah...we%26#039;re kind of far? Wanna stop?%26quot; Brod asked.
%26quot;Yeah. I think so.%26quot;
%26quot;Oh look how calm and nice it looks over there?%26quot;
%26quot;Where?%26quot;
%26quot;There!%26quot; He points.
%26quot;There?%26quot;
%26quot;Yes! There.%26quot;
%26quot;Hm....let%26#039;s go.%26quot; I suggest.
%26quot;Really?%26quot; He asks.
%26quot;Yeah. I don%26#039;t really care. We can get back later.%26quot;
%26quot;Okay!%26quot;
So we take off like two excited, bored teenagers in a creek in Eagle Point do! :P On our way to the spot, Brod finds this huge rock and starts sliding on it. %26quot;Weeee!%26quot;
Then, we get to the calm, inviting swimming hole. It was very nice. Brod goes all the way under water, gets up, and does the Little Mermaid flippy hair thingy. I laugh, go under water, and do the whale flippy thingy.
Brod spots some gnarly rapids.
%26quot;Let%26#039;s go!%26quot; ...idiot says. (JP)
%26quot;Nah...I%26#039;ll wait here and watch.:
So Brod floats down to the rapids. He holds onto a rock in the middle of them and his eyes get all huge. I stand up and give him a thumbs up. He shakes his head no. Oh ****. So then I go over there.
A SHARK AT HIS RIGHT LEG!!!
AHAHAH NOT!
Ok, ANYWAYS...like an idiot, I make the story more exciting than it actually is. GOSH. What is it with me??? :P
So I walk over there, through the water, and I%26#039;m thinking, %26quot;This isn%26#039;t so bad. Why is he down there squirming like a baby?%26quot;
%26quot;Grab my hand!%26quot;
%26quot;I CAN%26#039;T!!%26quot; he yells back.
Then...I fall. Boy did I FALL! I was immediately, swiftly carried away by the rush of water. I try desperately to grab onto rocks. That didn%26#039;t exactly work. My head goes under water, and I get back up. %26quot;Ohh ****. I%26#039;m going to die,%26quot; I think to myself. That%26#039;s when I start SCREAMING to Brod. %26quot;HELLLPPP MEE!!!!!!!! I CAN%26#039;T STOP!! BROD HELP ME!!!%26quot; It was the scariest thing that had ever happend to me. I attempt to grab onto a stick, and am pulled off of it by the rushing water. A big rock jabs me in the butt. I didn%26#039;t even care. By then, my adrenaline was at an all-time high. I am still screaming murder, and I grab onto a root.
I became Steroid Lady and hold on for dear life, glancing at the big rocks and the BIGGER rapids ahead. My arms are holding onto the root, and the rest of my body is on the other side of this island. Somehow, I pull myself up onto it. I am totally shaken. I had just escaped death. It is NOT a fun experience. So I am on the island, feeling sick with relief.
Then, I remember...Brod. Still holding onto the rock. I look up and see some people on their porch. They had obviously came out at my retarded screaming my *** off. Then...of course, I scream my *** off again. %26quot;BROD NEEDS HELP!! HELP HIM PLEASE!!!%26quot; Mofos. They just stand there. Staring at me. Like mofos. They are mofos.
%26quot;Brod! Let go. I will catch you.%26quot;
%26quot;NO!%26quot;
So I go up on the island so I can get on the main land and help him from the shore. I%26#039;m halfway to the mainland, and he can%26#039;t hold on anymore. He lets go. Steriods Woman comes back and runs down to where I got back up.
Lucky Brod. He starts laughing and smiling, then his eyes get really big again. He seems to be where I was. He doesn%26#039;t go through much trouble, though, as the water takes him on a different route and he just kind of floats up to the island. I help him up.
We get back to the main land, and we%26#039;re totally freaked. I%26#039;m feeling sick still, my *** hurts, I%26#039;m running my mouth like a nervous fool, and Brod is vibrating like a cell phone.
We sit at the shore for a bit to regain our sanity, and then we decide to get back to base. Brod takes the water route. I want nothing to do with it, and take the land route.
A big dog tried to eat me, so I ran to the water, and the rest is history.
Only if you like to read....my day.?
i wish i had a day like tht ^_^
Reply:Thats a long day.
Credit Rating
A question for travelers regarding running and working out --->?
So! I%26#039;ve been traveling out of state a bit visiting friends and it%26#039;s great but with all the hanging out over pizza and beer I worry about having to burn off all those calories.
my question is what do those that travel often do to keep theyre work out routien. I usually get in at least 30minutes of workout in a day, sometimes an hour depending on what I do. I like to at least go for a run. i dont think I can travel with weights in my luggage... and I%26#039;m not trained in any type of yoga or martial arts so i%26#039;m fresh out of ideas for spring break.
are theyre any running shoes that travel well... any ideas for staying fit while out of town and staying with friends???
thanks a bunch
xoxo
A question for travelers regarding running and working out ---%26gt;?
i can empathize with you. i even sometimes cancel my trips cuz i know i will miss my training sessions with my trainer, pathetic isnt it? but i pretty much do what u do. i make sure wherever i go, i have access to a gym to do my cardio and weights. and its also hard to eat healthy also, esp when i go home to my parents. so i just monitor my intake and practice self control. and i stay away from things that i dont normally eat, besides when i do eat them, it makes my stomach hurt. but i would just say, make sure you do your cardio exercises, situps, lunges and abs workouts.
treatment
my question is what do those that travel often do to keep theyre work out routien. I usually get in at least 30minutes of workout in a day, sometimes an hour depending on what I do. I like to at least go for a run. i dont think I can travel with weights in my luggage... and I%26#039;m not trained in any type of yoga or martial arts so i%26#039;m fresh out of ideas for spring break.
are theyre any running shoes that travel well... any ideas for staying fit while out of town and staying with friends???
thanks a bunch
xoxo
A question for travelers regarding running and working out ---%26gt;?
i can empathize with you. i even sometimes cancel my trips cuz i know i will miss my training sessions with my trainer, pathetic isnt it? but i pretty much do what u do. i make sure wherever i go, i have access to a gym to do my cardio and weights. and its also hard to eat healthy also, esp when i go home to my parents. so i just monitor my intake and practice self control. and i stay away from things that i dont normally eat, besides when i do eat them, it makes my stomach hurt. but i would just say, make sure you do your cardio exercises, situps, lunges and abs workouts.
treatment
Do westerners tend to confuse recognition with achievement?
And is this not the root cause of many problems in the way martial arts are taught?
I got the idea for this question reading about how legitimate schools sometimes find it hard to compete with black belt factories. People seem to think a better school will get them to black belt faster. But in and of itself, black belts don%26#039;t mean anything, other than you%26#039;re supposed to wear them with black shoes. But if we understood what progress and achievement was, this wouldn%26#039;t be a problem. People wouldn%26#039;t even be interested in a black belt if it came from a school that was not thorough in its teaching. In fact, such learning would seem pointless to them, as they would not be interested in obtaining belts, as much as they would be interested in learning.
My sensei once told me a storty about a man he met in Japan. He practiced Tai-Chi (The martial arts, not just the choreography, as it is still often practiced in China). He would come in to train every day and for seven years...
Do westerners tend to confuse recognition with achievement?
Totally.
Most Westerners have turned Martial arts into a rank ego system. The BUDO is lost to most Westerners and hence they are losing one of the true good qualities of the martial arts. As any good traditionalist knows the BUDO is even more important if Martial Arts esp for those of us that not just train but LIVE eat and BREATHE MA.
I like your story and its true!
Reply:I have heard maybe 10 variations on that story some involved repeating movements that were not at 1st glance martial wax on wax off is a modern variation.
Your question is correct .They forget belt rank does not define skill knowledge or experience.
Reply:Not as much as easterners, there is no reason to respect anyone who hasn%26#039;t earned it, many easterners recognize people who have achieved nothing. and they way westerners do it now is because they believe they should emulate easterners who have achieved nothing/ done nothing deserving of respect, and so if sensei tells them to respect the belt they do, ignoring the fact that the have no actual reason to listen to sensei, because he has never PROVEN anything, and is quite possible telling them a load of bull. if Kano knew what would have become of the belt system he never would have started it.
And the reason black belt factories beat legitimate schools is because people don%26#039;t like to work hard or for a long time or get hit. Black belt factories give %26#039;instant gratification%26#039; or at least the closest thing to it, and thats what everyone is looking for, nevermind that most blackbelts aren%26#039;t worth the fabric they%26#039;re made out of today.
the way to fix this is actually quite simple, have competitions, challenge the factories, once people see they can%26#039;t actually fight most people won%26#039;t want to be associtated with them(if you can get them to accept the challenge). If you can prove what you teach is effective you will do better, if you can prove what they teach isn%26#039;t effective thats even better, they may claim %26#039;martial arts isn%26#039;t about fighting%26#039;(which it is seriously think about it, you%26#039;re learning to punch kick etc and you%26#039;re not learning to fight? and what the hell do you think martial means) but many people(most intelligent people) will see through that. Think about it which arts that have belts don%26#039;t have trouble with belt factories, BJJ and Judo, why because they compete and have established records, don%26#039;t claim to be something they%26#039;re not or claim anything they can%26#039;t prove, they go up against each other so everyone can see who%26#039;s worth listening to and who isn%26#039;t, whose stuff works and whose doesn%26#039;t.
Oh and STOP PUTTING EASTERNERS/ASIANS ON SOME GODLIKE PEDASTAL they are no better than anybody else,(except maybe in making everyone think they%26#039;re fighting gods) not in martial arts, or anything, they didn%26#039;t create them, they%26#039;ve been around as long as mankind, and the first established system was in GREECE NOT CHINA, and the eastern arts haven%26#039;t provent to be particularly effective, nor have their fighters been any better than others and in many cases they%26#039;re worse. historically westerners when something better came along took it and adapted it(recognize something which acheived something), easterners because they%26#039;re so steeped in tradition frequently refuse to accept something better may exist and so hold to what they%26#039;ve been doing and stagnate and become outdated(recognize something which has achieved nothing). when did asian culture leave the dark ages/feudal era? when they adopted WESTERN WORLD VIEWS AND VALUES. wake up people.
Reply:I think it is a good question in that it brings to the surface how different cultures look at things differently. Many schools and instructors have been influenced by the culture of the country where their art came from and I think you can make numerous arguments for the good and bad of that. When you take those influences, values, and aspects and impose them on a person in this country you may meet with bewilderment, or some strong objection and indifference especially with the current generation.
Look at training for instance; forty years ago classes where hard core, no children, physical pain and discomfort was thought of as nothing, and sometimes modest corporal punishment was employed. If you were to run a class like that today you would have very few students or be sued.
Literally-actual competition is another aspect. While there is or was some kind and type of competition in your countries of origin it is/was not so heavily pursued or emphasized like it is today in this country. I was just telling my students last night that the important thing is not how many trophies I have in my window and that is not what they pay me for. They pay me to teach them to the best of my ability to defend themselves out there in the parking lot or be recognized for their knowledge, skill, and ability anywhere they may choose to go. I also have to add all those trophies help get me some students but really the bottom line is what I can teach them and how good I can make them-that is what counts.
Language and customs are another aspect-I use very little Japanese and teach them some customs and protocols; just enough so that if my students encounter a hard core, traditional black belt in Japanese/Okinanwan martial arts they are not totally lost in some of the more common aspects and courtesies of this.
Consider baseball in Japan. Do you think that all of sudden they stop talking Japanese and start talking English when they teach, coach, or play the great American passtime. Heck no! I have seen some good instructors and schools close in the past forty years that could not change the way they taught, did business, or trained their students. I have seen others that have been able to adapt and at the same time still maintain a high standard, produce a good student and maintain the essence of their art. I actually think that some of the problems with the way martial arts is taught is not just due to competition within the martial arts community for students but also is a generational and cultural thing. There are still enough adults, teens, and parents with children out there that want to go to a good school that won%26#039;t just hand them a black-belt after two years. I think the trick is to capture that segment of the market if you are that type of instructor with high standards and who at the same time has adapted to some extent the way he/she does business, teaches, and promotes students but still produces a high quality student in spite of all this. This is of course, all my own opinon, but I do think your question raises some things besides just competition for students and business that I hope some will consider and/or find stimulating and helpful.
Reply:While belt factories are indeed a hinderance to the quality of Martial Arts, or a Martial Art in general.
I think that there is a great deal of confusion in people%26#039;s placement of the blame.
This is not a %26quot;Westerner%26quot; problem in the slightest. MANY MANY organizations in Asian countries (including founding Organizations) award honorary ranks, and awards. In fact there is no place free from politics, if you look at any Martial Arts organization you would see that. In fact you find many Asian organizations standards much more laxed then some %26quot;Western%26quot; organizations.
Organizations are big part of the problem. However there has to be some sort of standard due, unfortunately with many things what has started out to be a great ideology, turns corrupt with people looking for money, and power. This is not a Western Only Problem. I see this with many Eastern Organizations, and especially with International Martial Arts Federations, which have a pay for a Hall of Fame type of thing going. Give them the right amount of money and you are suddenly a member of their Hall of Fame.
Yes, Martial Arts like many other things have fallen into the hands of people looking for a profit, people seeking honorary titles, and acheivements to boost their Martial Arts resumes.
Forget buddhist philosophies, stories of Bushido, or Zen. Most of these things are not just lost here, but in their prospective countries of origin. Many of the %26quot;Mountain dojos by Waterfalls%26quot; imparting Zen philosophies, and the like are myth, and the few out there that do exist do so at a high profit margin for tourism. The truth is if Martial Arts were truly near what they used to be, many many schools would be turning would be students away, for not having the mentality, maturity, and character to be a Martial Artist.
Of course there is elitism to the highest degree amongst Martial Artist. People comparing lineage, schools, styles, and methods of instruction. Thinking that a harder an instructor is, or if he tries to impart meditation, or zen riddles that he is in fact closer to the real deal.
This couldn%26#039;t be further from the case. The real deal is that truthfully, Martial Arts evolve like everything else. While those maintaining some sense of tradition are certainly admired, the truth is they grasp onto ONE portion of the tradition, or hold on to just a few of it%26#039;s ideals and throw out the old ones.
Also, the truth is you simply cannot do what used to be done. Obviously whacking children with bamboo sticks, and training for 40 hours a week or more is not a possibility. Keep in mind, that many olden dojos were also schools, they were what children or adults did as an occupation. You weren%26#039;t just a student, but an apprentice.
Did that make someone any better or worst of a Martial Artist? Obviously I would say there are Martial Artist now who could easily outperform students of those days, simply because training methodologies have been refined, and evolved. But as a whole, there were fewer Martial Artist.
Now, Martial Arts are available to anyone. While some schools are selective in the fact they may ask bad seeds to leave, by far in general they do not turn students away. There are bills to pay.
This occurs EVERYWHERE. There are few dojos in the entire world that will turn anyone with money away. Mind you there are plenty of them that will also take people in with little to no money. But no one is very exlusive. Those that are, do so purposefully for commercial reasons.
This is not a Western only phenemenom. Japan, Phillipines, Korea, Thailand, (I can%26#039;t speak for China other then to say that it is well known that the Shaolin temple is supported by the Government for tourism reasons, and that very few if any current Shaolin monks have ties to the actual true Shaolin order, and that even then, there has been no historic evidence of great fighting ability of those monks) all these countries have countless dojos handing out black belts, and in it for the money just as much as any western Mcdojo. I have met white men wearing black belts from the Kodokan that a brown belt from my club could toss around with ease.
It is true, repuations of styles, and styles themselves are getting watered down to the open door, money making schemes of people who wish to capitalize on Martial Arts. However this has occurred nearly since the beginning, and is not a merely Western thing. There is widespread outright Fraud tied to MANY proclaimed Martial Arts masters, many of whom have outright fabricated lineages, secret scrolls, and masters who have never existed. These people have tied to Internation Martial Arts federations that they are %26quot;Hall of Fame%26quot; members of, and hold honorary ranks in %26quot;pay for grade%26quot; Internation Martial Arts organizations.
As Martial Arts have evolved, so have the methods of frauds attempting to make a name of Martial Arts have. Even newer arts, the latest fads people attempt to make a name off of. Schools with %26quot;Mixed Martial Arts%26quot; where so and so is a %26quot;Undefeated Professional fighter in No Holds Barred competetions%26quot; without a single record existing anywhere of this person competing anywhere.
But the thing is, suckers buy into this.
This things continue to happen because no matter where, there are people who want to be Martial Artist, who are gullible, and desperately want to think they are learning something special.
Especially people claiming to be very exclusive, very secretive, and knowing fighting methods and techniques which are too deadly for anyone to teach, yet they do. People everywhere eat that up. There are the same sorts with dozens of students throughout the world.
Sadly, there are people teaching these methods and have every reason to believe in them, because they were taught the very same thing. We have students of frauds going around and spreading fraudelent Martial Arts.
Followers of guys like Ashida Kim, George Dillman, and Frank Dux.
Guys who wholeheartedly believe in what they are showing and doing. Guys who are not intentionly decieving anyone because they bought into the BS.
This is not a Western only thing. This is widespread, and it goes to the very heart of human nature and people%26#039;s needs to feel safer, or better, then the next guy.
That is not to say that Budo is lost, or that true Martial Arts are not flourishing. It is just saying that there are places east and west deceiving people, or promoting people for their own profit. This is not always something that someone is doing with malice. Many of these people have bought into a system of teaching, believe in it heavily, and continue going in the same vein, and making profit from it.
I promise you if you got to 80% of the Belt Factory McDojo systems out there, you will find instructors who whole heartedly believe what they are doing is right, and that the people they are awarding belts to are deserving of them, and that the techniques they show are solid, complete, and effective.
The same as many people even here who have never sparred a day in their life, think that they can utilize their technique with full ferocity, accuracy, and effectiveness when the time comes. Not realizing their training neglects timing, accuracy, natural body reactions, reflexes and human instinct.
Only way you get better at Golf is to play Golf, only way you can hammer a nail better is to hammer a lot of nails, only way you can shoot better is to go out and shoot, and the only way you can fight better is to fight.
I find that is lacking in modern Martial Art programs much more than Budo, Zen, or self perfection. The actual application of the technique against a fully resisting opponent. I promise you will find more schools that concentrate on forms, some basic exercises, and conditioning, that impart Zen riddles, talk of honor, and respect, and discipline, but do not spar, do not fight, and do not compete, then you will find schools that hand out belts. and honestly you find that way more in the West than in the East.
You would be very surprised how much spirituality, Zen, and self perfection has been taken out of martial arts schools in the East, particularly because most of the countries are more secular now, then even the west is.
Mind you the time I spent was limited, but I have been to schools in Japan, Korea, and Thailand, and I have rarely ever heard mention of Chi, Ki, or done any meditation, heard any Zen riddles, or been imparted with any Buddhist or Shinto philosophy. They were pretty much about the art, the technique, and fighting it hard and intense. (Aside from Thailand, a great deal of spirituality is part Muay Thai over there).
I think that the the Westerners (particular those who have a sense of elitism tied with martial arts) are some of the primary banner carriers of this culture. As Martial Arts ties to spirituality, self perfection, Zen, Shintoism, and Buddhism are often removed in the East and the Countries of Origin for many of these arts. Yet some of their traditions and thoughts are very much alive in the West.
So in short (I know I have wrote a book) I think that the problems you attribute to Westerners, lie everywhere, including the East and the majority of the countries of origin for a particular Martial Art. However I find that what you think of as %26quot;correct%26quot; or the %26quot;right%26quot; way of Martial Arts (Zen traditions, buddhist and Shintoist philosophy, humility, Culture and History of an Art) are found more in the West then you find now a days in the East.
Just my opinion from my travels, and what I have seen. I could be right or wrong. Personally I think that like all things eventually things come out in the wash. People who watch MMA and other unnarmed contests see that many of the %26quot;Old Ways%26quot; aren%26#039;t what they were cracked up to be. When it all comes down to it, it also depends on what you deem as successful in Martial Arts is. Is it a peaceful person who is self actualized, confident and happy, but would not necessarily do well in a fight. Or is a person who can handily defeat most would be challengers.
Honestly I think that diachotomy has been in Martial Arts from the beginning. There were great fighters, and there were people who were more peaceful, spiritual, and centered, yet were not great fighters.
Hell that Diachotomy exists on all planes, a great warrior, or a great clergyman. A great general or a great politician.
Ultimately who is more successful? It depends on your guidelines for success and what you get out of it.
Just my tidbit of long winded notes for today...
Reply:Rank has its place and meaning. Having black belt factorys really lowers the standard of their own schools basicaly and gives alot of false confidence which makes people lazy, or sometimes even completely uninterested
it%26#039;s like if you go to the army in a strange country and after a few months of training that you still might find hard (because you are not exposed to anything else) you get a rank of commander, back in your own country you know that commander means you are the ****, so as far as your concerned, you are the **** and can stop training
The real problem I think is that most places have unrealistic ways of testing themselves or none at all, you wouldnt hold army games in the mall would you, you would hold them in the forest, as close to the real thing as possible
If places had more competitions it would end allot of the problems. i know that people say, this and this is not what it%26#039;s like in real life, and i say YES, there is a chance that a person can be very good in competition but will loose in a fight, but there is a FAR greater chance of a guy who is hopeless at ruled fighting loosing a fight than a guy who is great at it
As for the story, I like it, unfortunately there is not ONE magical move out there, well maybe, but it would get pretty boring after a while rite? you have to be a Budhist Monk to train single techniques daily for years and years at a time, or at least have their attitude about it
Reply:I agree.
Reply:Total ignoramus about martial arts here -- but yes, we confuse recognition (in both senses -- awards, and being %26quot;known%26quot;) with achievement -- to such an extent that many people think someone who%26#039;s well-known is also someone it%26#039;s good to know. Or that what we do is of no value if no one praises us, pays us, or gives us a prize.
Ideally, we would convert everything into money, so we%26#039;d have a simple scale, and could say, %26quot;Yes! A Michelangelo is worth more than a mother.%26quot; Stupid, but comfortable.
Reply:To an extent, I agree. The issue, however, lies with the teacher, not necessarily the student. If the teacher places emphasis on belts and not learning, so will the students. If the teacher puts the belts in proper perspective (that they are tools to see progress in the art, and tools for the instructor to see what part of the curriculum a student is learning), then the student learns to view them the same way.
The result of a belt test should feel like and accomplishment, not a reward. And that lies on the instructor.
Reply:Not every one who trains has the same goals or motives.I would rather loose a student than just give him a belt. As a business this seems counter productive. It isn%26#039;t sooner or later the school will suffer from too many unmotivated students.Yes we have a problem with the drift in cultural values. Yes we are enamored with awards a bit too much. We struggle with trying to motivate students when there are so many distractions now in this fast paced culture.
I guess we may never be a big school. I believe we will be a successful school.
Puppy Teeth
I got the idea for this question reading about how legitimate schools sometimes find it hard to compete with black belt factories. People seem to think a better school will get them to black belt faster. But in and of itself, black belts don%26#039;t mean anything, other than you%26#039;re supposed to wear them with black shoes. But if we understood what progress and achievement was, this wouldn%26#039;t be a problem. People wouldn%26#039;t even be interested in a black belt if it came from a school that was not thorough in its teaching. In fact, such learning would seem pointless to them, as they would not be interested in obtaining belts, as much as they would be interested in learning.
My sensei once told me a storty about a man he met in Japan. He practiced Tai-Chi (The martial arts, not just the choreography, as it is still often practiced in China). He would come in to train every day and for seven years...
Do westerners tend to confuse recognition with achievement?
Totally.
Most Westerners have turned Martial arts into a rank ego system. The BUDO is lost to most Westerners and hence they are losing one of the true good qualities of the martial arts. As any good traditionalist knows the BUDO is even more important if Martial Arts esp for those of us that not just train but LIVE eat and BREATHE MA.
I like your story and its true!
Reply:I have heard maybe 10 variations on that story some involved repeating movements that were not at 1st glance martial wax on wax off is a modern variation.
Your question is correct .They forget belt rank does not define skill knowledge or experience.
Reply:Not as much as easterners, there is no reason to respect anyone who hasn%26#039;t earned it, many easterners recognize people who have achieved nothing. and they way westerners do it now is because they believe they should emulate easterners who have achieved nothing/ done nothing deserving of respect, and so if sensei tells them to respect the belt they do, ignoring the fact that the have no actual reason to listen to sensei, because he has never PROVEN anything, and is quite possible telling them a load of bull. if Kano knew what would have become of the belt system he never would have started it.
And the reason black belt factories beat legitimate schools is because people don%26#039;t like to work hard or for a long time or get hit. Black belt factories give %26#039;instant gratification%26#039; or at least the closest thing to it, and thats what everyone is looking for, nevermind that most blackbelts aren%26#039;t worth the fabric they%26#039;re made out of today.
the way to fix this is actually quite simple, have competitions, challenge the factories, once people see they can%26#039;t actually fight most people won%26#039;t want to be associtated with them(if you can get them to accept the challenge). If you can prove what you teach is effective you will do better, if you can prove what they teach isn%26#039;t effective thats even better, they may claim %26#039;martial arts isn%26#039;t about fighting%26#039;(which it is seriously think about it, you%26#039;re learning to punch kick etc and you%26#039;re not learning to fight? and what the hell do you think martial means) but many people(most intelligent people) will see through that. Think about it which arts that have belts don%26#039;t have trouble with belt factories, BJJ and Judo, why because they compete and have established records, don%26#039;t claim to be something they%26#039;re not or claim anything they can%26#039;t prove, they go up against each other so everyone can see who%26#039;s worth listening to and who isn%26#039;t, whose stuff works and whose doesn%26#039;t.
Oh and STOP PUTTING EASTERNERS/ASIANS ON SOME GODLIKE PEDASTAL they are no better than anybody else,(except maybe in making everyone think they%26#039;re fighting gods) not in martial arts, or anything, they didn%26#039;t create them, they%26#039;ve been around as long as mankind, and the first established system was in GREECE NOT CHINA, and the eastern arts haven%26#039;t provent to be particularly effective, nor have their fighters been any better than others and in many cases they%26#039;re worse. historically westerners when something better came along took it and adapted it(recognize something which acheived something), easterners because they%26#039;re so steeped in tradition frequently refuse to accept something better may exist and so hold to what they%26#039;ve been doing and stagnate and become outdated(recognize something which has achieved nothing). when did asian culture leave the dark ages/feudal era? when they adopted WESTERN WORLD VIEWS AND VALUES. wake up people.
Reply:I think it is a good question in that it brings to the surface how different cultures look at things differently. Many schools and instructors have been influenced by the culture of the country where their art came from and I think you can make numerous arguments for the good and bad of that. When you take those influences, values, and aspects and impose them on a person in this country you may meet with bewilderment, or some strong objection and indifference especially with the current generation.
Look at training for instance; forty years ago classes where hard core, no children, physical pain and discomfort was thought of as nothing, and sometimes modest corporal punishment was employed. If you were to run a class like that today you would have very few students or be sued.
Literally-actual competition is another aspect. While there is or was some kind and type of competition in your countries of origin it is/was not so heavily pursued or emphasized like it is today in this country. I was just telling my students last night that the important thing is not how many trophies I have in my window and that is not what they pay me for. They pay me to teach them to the best of my ability to defend themselves out there in the parking lot or be recognized for their knowledge, skill, and ability anywhere they may choose to go. I also have to add all those trophies help get me some students but really the bottom line is what I can teach them and how good I can make them-that is what counts.
Language and customs are another aspect-I use very little Japanese and teach them some customs and protocols; just enough so that if my students encounter a hard core, traditional black belt in Japanese/Okinanwan martial arts they are not totally lost in some of the more common aspects and courtesies of this.
Consider baseball in Japan. Do you think that all of sudden they stop talking Japanese and start talking English when they teach, coach, or play the great American passtime. Heck no! I have seen some good instructors and schools close in the past forty years that could not change the way they taught, did business, or trained their students. I have seen others that have been able to adapt and at the same time still maintain a high standard, produce a good student and maintain the essence of their art. I actually think that some of the problems with the way martial arts is taught is not just due to competition within the martial arts community for students but also is a generational and cultural thing. There are still enough adults, teens, and parents with children out there that want to go to a good school that won%26#039;t just hand them a black-belt after two years. I think the trick is to capture that segment of the market if you are that type of instructor with high standards and who at the same time has adapted to some extent the way he/she does business, teaches, and promotes students but still produces a high quality student in spite of all this. This is of course, all my own opinon, but I do think your question raises some things besides just competition for students and business that I hope some will consider and/or find stimulating and helpful.
Reply:While belt factories are indeed a hinderance to the quality of Martial Arts, or a Martial Art in general.
I think that there is a great deal of confusion in people%26#039;s placement of the blame.
This is not a %26quot;Westerner%26quot; problem in the slightest. MANY MANY organizations in Asian countries (including founding Organizations) award honorary ranks, and awards. In fact there is no place free from politics, if you look at any Martial Arts organization you would see that. In fact you find many Asian organizations standards much more laxed then some %26quot;Western%26quot; organizations.
Organizations are big part of the problem. However there has to be some sort of standard due, unfortunately with many things what has started out to be a great ideology, turns corrupt with people looking for money, and power. This is not a Western Only Problem. I see this with many Eastern Organizations, and especially with International Martial Arts Federations, which have a pay for a Hall of Fame type of thing going. Give them the right amount of money and you are suddenly a member of their Hall of Fame.
Yes, Martial Arts like many other things have fallen into the hands of people looking for a profit, people seeking honorary titles, and acheivements to boost their Martial Arts resumes.
Forget buddhist philosophies, stories of Bushido, or Zen. Most of these things are not just lost here, but in their prospective countries of origin. Many of the %26quot;Mountain dojos by Waterfalls%26quot; imparting Zen philosophies, and the like are myth, and the few out there that do exist do so at a high profit margin for tourism. The truth is if Martial Arts were truly near what they used to be, many many schools would be turning would be students away, for not having the mentality, maturity, and character to be a Martial Artist.
Of course there is elitism to the highest degree amongst Martial Artist. People comparing lineage, schools, styles, and methods of instruction. Thinking that a harder an instructor is, or if he tries to impart meditation, or zen riddles that he is in fact closer to the real deal.
This couldn%26#039;t be further from the case. The real deal is that truthfully, Martial Arts evolve like everything else. While those maintaining some sense of tradition are certainly admired, the truth is they grasp onto ONE portion of the tradition, or hold on to just a few of it%26#039;s ideals and throw out the old ones.
Also, the truth is you simply cannot do what used to be done. Obviously whacking children with bamboo sticks, and training for 40 hours a week or more is not a possibility. Keep in mind, that many olden dojos were also schools, they were what children or adults did as an occupation. You weren%26#039;t just a student, but an apprentice.
Did that make someone any better or worst of a Martial Artist? Obviously I would say there are Martial Artist now who could easily outperform students of those days, simply because training methodologies have been refined, and evolved. But as a whole, there were fewer Martial Artist.
Now, Martial Arts are available to anyone. While some schools are selective in the fact they may ask bad seeds to leave, by far in general they do not turn students away. There are bills to pay.
This occurs EVERYWHERE. There are few dojos in the entire world that will turn anyone with money away. Mind you there are plenty of them that will also take people in with little to no money. But no one is very exlusive. Those that are, do so purposefully for commercial reasons.
This is not a Western only phenemenom. Japan, Phillipines, Korea, Thailand, (I can%26#039;t speak for China other then to say that it is well known that the Shaolin temple is supported by the Government for tourism reasons, and that very few if any current Shaolin monks have ties to the actual true Shaolin order, and that even then, there has been no historic evidence of great fighting ability of those monks) all these countries have countless dojos handing out black belts, and in it for the money just as much as any western Mcdojo. I have met white men wearing black belts from the Kodokan that a brown belt from my club could toss around with ease.
It is true, repuations of styles, and styles themselves are getting watered down to the open door, money making schemes of people who wish to capitalize on Martial Arts. However this has occurred nearly since the beginning, and is not a merely Western thing. There is widespread outright Fraud tied to MANY proclaimed Martial Arts masters, many of whom have outright fabricated lineages, secret scrolls, and masters who have never existed. These people have tied to Internation Martial Arts federations that they are %26quot;Hall of Fame%26quot; members of, and hold honorary ranks in %26quot;pay for grade%26quot; Internation Martial Arts organizations.
As Martial Arts have evolved, so have the methods of frauds attempting to make a name of Martial Arts have. Even newer arts, the latest fads people attempt to make a name off of. Schools with %26quot;Mixed Martial Arts%26quot; where so and so is a %26quot;Undefeated Professional fighter in No Holds Barred competetions%26quot; without a single record existing anywhere of this person competing anywhere.
But the thing is, suckers buy into this.
This things continue to happen because no matter where, there are people who want to be Martial Artist, who are gullible, and desperately want to think they are learning something special.
Especially people claiming to be very exclusive, very secretive, and knowing fighting methods and techniques which are too deadly for anyone to teach, yet they do. People everywhere eat that up. There are the same sorts with dozens of students throughout the world.
Sadly, there are people teaching these methods and have every reason to believe in them, because they were taught the very same thing. We have students of frauds going around and spreading fraudelent Martial Arts.
Followers of guys like Ashida Kim, George Dillman, and Frank Dux.
Guys who wholeheartedly believe in what they are showing and doing. Guys who are not intentionly decieving anyone because they bought into the BS.
This is not a Western only thing. This is widespread, and it goes to the very heart of human nature and people%26#039;s needs to feel safer, or better, then the next guy.
That is not to say that Budo is lost, or that true Martial Arts are not flourishing. It is just saying that there are places east and west deceiving people, or promoting people for their own profit. This is not always something that someone is doing with malice. Many of these people have bought into a system of teaching, believe in it heavily, and continue going in the same vein, and making profit from it.
I promise you if you got to 80% of the Belt Factory McDojo systems out there, you will find instructors who whole heartedly believe what they are doing is right, and that the people they are awarding belts to are deserving of them, and that the techniques they show are solid, complete, and effective.
The same as many people even here who have never sparred a day in their life, think that they can utilize their technique with full ferocity, accuracy, and effectiveness when the time comes. Not realizing their training neglects timing, accuracy, natural body reactions, reflexes and human instinct.
Only way you get better at Golf is to play Golf, only way you can hammer a nail better is to hammer a lot of nails, only way you can shoot better is to go out and shoot, and the only way you can fight better is to fight.
I find that is lacking in modern Martial Art programs much more than Budo, Zen, or self perfection. The actual application of the technique against a fully resisting opponent. I promise you will find more schools that concentrate on forms, some basic exercises, and conditioning, that impart Zen riddles, talk of honor, and respect, and discipline, but do not spar, do not fight, and do not compete, then you will find schools that hand out belts. and honestly you find that way more in the West than in the East.
You would be very surprised how much spirituality, Zen, and self perfection has been taken out of martial arts schools in the East, particularly because most of the countries are more secular now, then even the west is.
Mind you the time I spent was limited, but I have been to schools in Japan, Korea, and Thailand, and I have rarely ever heard mention of Chi, Ki, or done any meditation, heard any Zen riddles, or been imparted with any Buddhist or Shinto philosophy. They were pretty much about the art, the technique, and fighting it hard and intense. (Aside from Thailand, a great deal of spirituality is part Muay Thai over there).
I think that the the Westerners (particular those who have a sense of elitism tied with martial arts) are some of the primary banner carriers of this culture. As Martial Arts ties to spirituality, self perfection, Zen, Shintoism, and Buddhism are often removed in the East and the Countries of Origin for many of these arts. Yet some of their traditions and thoughts are very much alive in the West.
So in short (I know I have wrote a book) I think that the problems you attribute to Westerners, lie everywhere, including the East and the majority of the countries of origin for a particular Martial Art. However I find that what you think of as %26quot;correct%26quot; or the %26quot;right%26quot; way of Martial Arts (Zen traditions, buddhist and Shintoist philosophy, humility, Culture and History of an Art) are found more in the West then you find now a days in the East.
Just my opinion from my travels, and what I have seen. I could be right or wrong. Personally I think that like all things eventually things come out in the wash. People who watch MMA and other unnarmed contests see that many of the %26quot;Old Ways%26quot; aren%26#039;t what they were cracked up to be. When it all comes down to it, it also depends on what you deem as successful in Martial Arts is. Is it a peaceful person who is self actualized, confident and happy, but would not necessarily do well in a fight. Or is a person who can handily defeat most would be challengers.
Honestly I think that diachotomy has been in Martial Arts from the beginning. There were great fighters, and there were people who were more peaceful, spiritual, and centered, yet were not great fighters.
Hell that Diachotomy exists on all planes, a great warrior, or a great clergyman. A great general or a great politician.
Ultimately who is more successful? It depends on your guidelines for success and what you get out of it.
Just my tidbit of long winded notes for today...
Reply:Rank has its place and meaning. Having black belt factorys really lowers the standard of their own schools basicaly and gives alot of false confidence which makes people lazy, or sometimes even completely uninterested
it%26#039;s like if you go to the army in a strange country and after a few months of training that you still might find hard (because you are not exposed to anything else) you get a rank of commander, back in your own country you know that commander means you are the ****, so as far as your concerned, you are the **** and can stop training
The real problem I think is that most places have unrealistic ways of testing themselves or none at all, you wouldnt hold army games in the mall would you, you would hold them in the forest, as close to the real thing as possible
If places had more competitions it would end allot of the problems. i know that people say, this and this is not what it%26#039;s like in real life, and i say YES, there is a chance that a person can be very good in competition but will loose in a fight, but there is a FAR greater chance of a guy who is hopeless at ruled fighting loosing a fight than a guy who is great at it
As for the story, I like it, unfortunately there is not ONE magical move out there, well maybe, but it would get pretty boring after a while rite? you have to be a Budhist Monk to train single techniques daily for years and years at a time, or at least have their attitude about it
Reply:I agree.
Reply:Total ignoramus about martial arts here -- but yes, we confuse recognition (in both senses -- awards, and being %26quot;known%26quot;) with achievement -- to such an extent that many people think someone who%26#039;s well-known is also someone it%26#039;s good to know. Or that what we do is of no value if no one praises us, pays us, or gives us a prize.
Ideally, we would convert everything into money, so we%26#039;d have a simple scale, and could say, %26quot;Yes! A Michelangelo is worth more than a mother.%26quot; Stupid, but comfortable.
Reply:To an extent, I agree. The issue, however, lies with the teacher, not necessarily the student. If the teacher places emphasis on belts and not learning, so will the students. If the teacher puts the belts in proper perspective (that they are tools to see progress in the art, and tools for the instructor to see what part of the curriculum a student is learning), then the student learns to view them the same way.
The result of a belt test should feel like and accomplishment, not a reward. And that lies on the instructor.
Reply:Not every one who trains has the same goals or motives.I would rather loose a student than just give him a belt. As a business this seems counter productive. It isn%26#039;t sooner or later the school will suffer from too many unmotivated students.Yes we have a problem with the drift in cultural values. Yes we are enamored with awards a bit too much. We struggle with trying to motivate students when there are so many distractions now in this fast paced culture.
I guess we may never be a big school. I believe we will be a successful school.
Puppy Teeth
Does anyone have a pair of "jika-tabi"? Are they comfortable, where do I get them, and any problems with them?
I%26#039;m looking at buying a pair of jika-tabi, and I would like some information about them. Jika-tabi are the shoes that are split-toed like this: http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/s...
I have some questions about them:
1) Where can I get them? I%26#039;m not looking forward to getting them off the internet, but someone suggested local Martial Arts stores. Would a local Martial Arts Store have them?
2) Does anyone have a pair of them? What are they like? Do they feel weird? Are they comfortable? I read somewhere that they keep you more alert because they help with blood circulation.
3) Can I wear them to school, like this: http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/s... If I start wearing them to school, would that be cool? Can I excercise in them, like trail running or something? I want to get use out of them.
4) If I get them, what clothes would go with them? I don%26#039;t want to stick out in a negative way.
Thanks.
Does anyone have a pair of %26quot;jika-tabi%26quot;? Are they comfortable, where do I get them, and any problems with them?
They are unlike any other shoes for sure. They take a little bit to get comfortable as you have to get used to the toe positioning. Once you get used to them though, they%26#039;re not too bad.
It%26#039;s fun to climb ropes in them as you can semi-grab with your feet.
You can exercise or do whatever you want in them. They really have no instep though, so it%26#039;s almost like going barefoot. They hurt to run distances in.
You get get them anywhere.
Century Martial Arts; www.centuryfitness.com
Kwon; www.kwonusa.com
Asian World of Martial Arts; www.awma.com
Wear them like you would boots if you want. They are going to stand out though, just because of the toe - especially to women. You know how they love shoes!
men skin care
I have some questions about them:
1) Where can I get them? I%26#039;m not looking forward to getting them off the internet, but someone suggested local Martial Arts stores. Would a local Martial Arts Store have them?
2) Does anyone have a pair of them? What are they like? Do they feel weird? Are they comfortable? I read somewhere that they keep you more alert because they help with blood circulation.
3) Can I wear them to school, like this: http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h155/s... If I start wearing them to school, would that be cool? Can I excercise in them, like trail running or something? I want to get use out of them.
4) If I get them, what clothes would go with them? I don%26#039;t want to stick out in a negative way.
Thanks.
Does anyone have a pair of %26quot;jika-tabi%26quot;? Are they comfortable, where do I get them, and any problems with them?
They are unlike any other shoes for sure. They take a little bit to get comfortable as you have to get used to the toe positioning. Once you get used to them though, they%26#039;re not too bad.
It%26#039;s fun to climb ropes in them as you can semi-grab with your feet.
You can exercise or do whatever you want in them. They really have no instep though, so it%26#039;s almost like going barefoot. They hurt to run distances in.
You get get them anywhere.
Century Martial Arts; www.centuryfitness.com
Kwon; www.kwonusa.com
Asian World of Martial Arts; www.awma.com
Wear them like you would boots if you want. They are going to stand out though, just because of the toe - especially to women. You know how they love shoes!
men skin care
Why do i get lower back pain when I run?
I%26#039;m a martial artist and recently I%26#039;ve been trying to improve my endurance by running. But after a little while of running my lower back starts hurting like in a really sharp pain kind of way. I dont have this problem when we run in my martial arts class. So does anyone know why I would have this problem. One idea I have is it may be my shoes. I use grappling shoes for all my athletics. Any help is appriciated.
Why do i get lower back pain when I run?
Do you mean a %26#039;stitch%26#039; in your side after running a while or lower lumbar pain? Running hurts, period. Your shoes can make a big difference. If your feet are forced into an akward position inside the shoes, that could easily explain your pain. Of course there are so many other explanations depending on how you%26#039;re going about the run - warmups, surface, distance, speed, your gait, your weight, physical conditioning for running - there%26#039;s no way to just give you a one-size-fits-all answer. One thing is, don%26#039;t think that just because you are a terrific martial artist that running is a simple thing that you will have no problem with. Running can be a art form in itself and you can hurt yourself doing it wrong in ways that can screw up your martial arts, also. Seek the advice of experienced runners, Grasshopper, and you will find enlightenment.
Reply:There are many possibilities one can be your shoes. The other is what kind of surface are you running on. Sand is by far the worst thing you can run on there are spots where the sand can be loose or packed, that will mess up your back and knees. The next is asphalt or cement the hard surface causes a jarring effect in your back and knees. The best surface you can run on is either a track field where the surface is packed down or run on grass, the grass acts as padding and cushions the impact as you run.
Reply:Your first problem is that your shoes are crap for running more than twenty yards. How far are you running? That%26#039;s a big deal. If you are running less than five miles, you probably can%26#039;t go wrong with any running shoe in the $50 range. But do yourself a favor; go to a real running store to get fitted. The shoes might be $5 more than a big box store, but if you buy the wrong shoe you risk wasting all of your money.
The guys at a real running store will want to know why you%26#039;re running, how far and how fast. They will watch you run to see how much you pronate (or supinate), if your a floppy footed or rigid footed runner, and a few other things. Then you%26#039;ll try a few pairs on and should find a great match. It%26#039;s worth the time.
Next, running puts a lot of stress on your back! Much more than martial arts because it%26#039;s a cyclic load that keeps repeating with no rests. If you keep at it your back will strengthen after a few weeks and you won%26#039;t be in pain anymore. Make sure to rub your back to get the blood moving through it. I%26#039;m assuming you have no other back problems. Also it%26#039;s tempting to lean forward to get more speed, but once you%26#039;re at your pacr your shoulders should be straight above your hips. It feels odd for a few days, then it feels right.
So you need running shoes and you need to let your back get strong. Your stamina will improve greatly but your muscles may be harder to stretch; I was primarily a runner and always had trouble stretching.
Reply:do some core workout to strenghten your lower back
Reply:It could be your shoes, I don%26#039;t know the architecture of %26quot;grappling shoes%26quot; but it sounds like they%26#039;re for traction and not running.
I%26#039;m not that keen on running, but I did hear a few times that if you are running at a pace you%26#039;re not used to, it can cause back pains.
So it may be you%26#039;re not running at your natural pace. I don%26#039;t know how you could fix that, maybe just try different speeds ?
Reply:First you are on the right track with the shoe thing. Invest a good pair of shoes if your serious about putting in some distance.
Now to cure that pain in the lower back extend your stride a little bit more then a jog. What is happening here is that your stride length is too short causing you to place a shcok wave up into the lower back. By striding out a bit more you will reduce the weight coming down directly into the base of the back.
I know you are going think this is crazy but it is true. Try it before you say one of these other answers is better.
Be with one!
Coach
Reply:You are getting back pain because you aren%26#039;t standing up straight enough. If you stand up perfectly straight when you run you won%26#039;t have back pain and you will also be able to run better.
Reply:I am guessing, from past experience, that it is something else you are overlooking because it seems so counter-intuitive; your hamstrings might not be stretched out enough.
I was working with a personal trainer I trusted, and was doing ab work, when I pointed out that I was getting lower back pain when I did my ab work. He proceeded to work on serious stretching of my hamstrings - through a method called PNF stretching. (Look it up).
The basic idea is, by alternating between stretching the hamstring, and then contracting the muscle (by, for example, laying next to a doorway, and putting my full leg, at a 90 degree angle and pushing, thereby contracting the muscle), and stretching, and contracting again, I improved the extent to which I could stretch the hamstring.
Why it worked, I could not tell you. But, although it didn%26#039;t go away immediately, I did improve, and within a week or so, my lower back pain while doing crunches was gone.
Good luck and hope it is at least helpful.
Reply:Well, It might be your shoes. In most Martail Arts classes, we dont wear them. Maybe you should get your shoes fitted, most stores can help you with that. Sorry I couldnt be of much help. Take care!
Reply:Hello,
Grappling shoes may be your problem. Try getting some shoes with cushion, as this will save your back and joints from the shock of running. And while I%26#039;m sure that you get a lot of ab workouts in martial arts class...add some more where you can..this will also take the strain off your back. The links below can help you with shoes %26amp; ab exercises. Good luck!
- Mike
Reply:Here is a simple remedy until you see your doctor.Massaging the back muscles will reduce the pain.Apply an icepack to the affected area. This will make the area numb and reduce the pain. More details and remedies at http://aches.in/backpainremedies.html
skin care
Why do i get lower back pain when I run?
Do you mean a %26#039;stitch%26#039; in your side after running a while or lower lumbar pain? Running hurts, period. Your shoes can make a big difference. If your feet are forced into an akward position inside the shoes, that could easily explain your pain. Of course there are so many other explanations depending on how you%26#039;re going about the run - warmups, surface, distance, speed, your gait, your weight, physical conditioning for running - there%26#039;s no way to just give you a one-size-fits-all answer. One thing is, don%26#039;t think that just because you are a terrific martial artist that running is a simple thing that you will have no problem with. Running can be a art form in itself and you can hurt yourself doing it wrong in ways that can screw up your martial arts, also. Seek the advice of experienced runners, Grasshopper, and you will find enlightenment.
Reply:There are many possibilities one can be your shoes. The other is what kind of surface are you running on. Sand is by far the worst thing you can run on there are spots where the sand can be loose or packed, that will mess up your back and knees. The next is asphalt or cement the hard surface causes a jarring effect in your back and knees. The best surface you can run on is either a track field where the surface is packed down or run on grass, the grass acts as padding and cushions the impact as you run.
Reply:Your first problem is that your shoes are crap for running more than twenty yards. How far are you running? That%26#039;s a big deal. If you are running less than five miles, you probably can%26#039;t go wrong with any running shoe in the $50 range. But do yourself a favor; go to a real running store to get fitted. The shoes might be $5 more than a big box store, but if you buy the wrong shoe you risk wasting all of your money.
The guys at a real running store will want to know why you%26#039;re running, how far and how fast. They will watch you run to see how much you pronate (or supinate), if your a floppy footed or rigid footed runner, and a few other things. Then you%26#039;ll try a few pairs on and should find a great match. It%26#039;s worth the time.
Next, running puts a lot of stress on your back! Much more than martial arts because it%26#039;s a cyclic load that keeps repeating with no rests. If you keep at it your back will strengthen after a few weeks and you won%26#039;t be in pain anymore. Make sure to rub your back to get the blood moving through it. I%26#039;m assuming you have no other back problems. Also it%26#039;s tempting to lean forward to get more speed, but once you%26#039;re at your pacr your shoulders should be straight above your hips. It feels odd for a few days, then it feels right.
So you need running shoes and you need to let your back get strong. Your stamina will improve greatly but your muscles may be harder to stretch; I was primarily a runner and always had trouble stretching.
Reply:do some core workout to strenghten your lower back
Reply:It could be your shoes, I don%26#039;t know the architecture of %26quot;grappling shoes%26quot; but it sounds like they%26#039;re for traction and not running.
I%26#039;m not that keen on running, but I did hear a few times that if you are running at a pace you%26#039;re not used to, it can cause back pains.
So it may be you%26#039;re not running at your natural pace. I don%26#039;t know how you could fix that, maybe just try different speeds ?
Reply:First you are on the right track with the shoe thing. Invest a good pair of shoes if your serious about putting in some distance.
Now to cure that pain in the lower back extend your stride a little bit more then a jog. What is happening here is that your stride length is too short causing you to place a shcok wave up into the lower back. By striding out a bit more you will reduce the weight coming down directly into the base of the back.
I know you are going think this is crazy but it is true. Try it before you say one of these other answers is better.
Be with one!
Coach
Reply:You are getting back pain because you aren%26#039;t standing up straight enough. If you stand up perfectly straight when you run you won%26#039;t have back pain and you will also be able to run better.
Reply:I am guessing, from past experience, that it is something else you are overlooking because it seems so counter-intuitive; your hamstrings might not be stretched out enough.
I was working with a personal trainer I trusted, and was doing ab work, when I pointed out that I was getting lower back pain when I did my ab work. He proceeded to work on serious stretching of my hamstrings - through a method called PNF stretching. (Look it up).
The basic idea is, by alternating between stretching the hamstring, and then contracting the muscle (by, for example, laying next to a doorway, and putting my full leg, at a 90 degree angle and pushing, thereby contracting the muscle), and stretching, and contracting again, I improved the extent to which I could stretch the hamstring.
Why it worked, I could not tell you. But, although it didn%26#039;t go away immediately, I did improve, and within a week or so, my lower back pain while doing crunches was gone.
Good luck and hope it is at least helpful.
Reply:Well, It might be your shoes. In most Martail Arts classes, we dont wear them. Maybe you should get your shoes fitted, most stores can help you with that. Sorry I couldnt be of much help. Take care!
Reply:Hello,
Grappling shoes may be your problem. Try getting some shoes with cushion, as this will save your back and joints from the shock of running. And while I%26#039;m sure that you get a lot of ab workouts in martial arts class...add some more where you can..this will also take the strain off your back. The links below can help you with shoes %26amp; ab exercises. Good luck!
- Mike
Reply:Here is a simple remedy until you see your doctor.Massaging the back muscles will reduce the pain.Apply an icepack to the affected area. This will make the area numb and reduce the pain. More details and remedies at http://aches.in/backpainremedies.html
skin care
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