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Old 05-25-2005, 08:34 AM   #126
jester
 
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Re: Tantodori no different

Quote:
Matt Molloy wrote:
Nobody on this thread has been saying that if you face a knife you're done for. Several people who do know what they are talking about have been saying respect the knife. Appreciate that it does change things.
Matt.
When I was in 9th grade I got into a fight in my neighborhood. The guy pulled out a knife, and I ended up getting hit on the top of the head with the butt of the knife.

I didn't get cut with the blade, and I didn't know martial arts at the time. The guy wasn't a knife fighter obviously.

The cut bled a lot, and when I got home I looked like I got hit by a truck because of all the blood, but when I washed off all the blood, there was only a small cut.

Anyway, I agree that someone with a knife is very dangerous, but sometimes you will get lucky.

Looking back on it, I should have run away!


On a side note, at our school, we practice release techniques while we are holding the knife and Uke attacks us. The results would be devastating if the knife was real. You can do techniques while holding a knife also. It's an interesting thing to explore.
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Old 05-25-2005, 08:54 AM   #127
Matt Molloy
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Re: Tantodori no different

Quote:
Tim Jester wrote:
On a side note, at our school, we practice release techniques while we are holding the knife and Uke attacks us. The results would be devastating if the knife was real. You can do techniques while holding a knife also. It's an interesting thing to explore.
Thanks for sharing the experience.

Absolutely you can use Aikido in conjunction with a knife. One opinion is that the techniques we use in Aikido were developed to allow the bushi to deal with an attacker for just long enough to reach a back up weapon and dispatch said attacker.

Okamoto Sensei did some interesting stuff in this direction on one of her last seminars over here. Worth seeing if you ever get the chance.

Cheers,

Matt.

Last edited by Matt Molloy : 05-25-2005 at 08:59 AM.
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Old 05-25-2005, 09:29 AM   #128
Stefan Stenudd
 
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Sword technique

Quote:
Nick Simpson wrote:
everything I have read/seen/been taught about cutting with a sword states that the wrists cut, not the arms or shoulders as that encourages strength rather than technique. I use a shinken this way and it works fine, very quick and accurate cuts.
Using wrist movements to cut with a shinken or iaito is unorthodox, I would say. Traditionally, the cutting with the sword should be done with wrists fixed and a big arm movement (well, the center working, and the shoulders relaxed, of course). That is to be able to cut through, among other things.

In my experience the shinken/iaito cut is not significantly slower than the shinai strike (from a jodan kamae position) - but the shinai is faster when doing multiple strikes. There are ways around that, when using the shinken/iaito, but that would be deviating too much from this thread.

Stefan Stenudd
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Old 05-25-2005, 10:50 AM   #129
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Re: Tantodori no different

Quote:
Alex Lawrence wrote:
.... So yes as I've stated a knife is deadly but the thing that makes it deadly is the psychological impact it has on the opponent which enables it's user to take their opponents mental balance and thus effect a physical victory, at which point a knife will kill you pretty damn quick.
Wrong. What makes a knife deadly is its cutting edge. The "psychological impact" --- freezing up at the sight of the knife --- yes, that is what will ensure that you get killed. But that is why the knife is physically capable of killing you.

It's not rocket science.
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Old 05-25-2005, 10:50 AM   #130
Ketsan
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
Matt Molloy wrote:
I was referring to Kendoka slowing down so much that someone like yourself would be able to take a bokken off them.

As a Kendoka and Aikidoka, I'm more than aware that you're talking rubbish on this.

The more you post, the more ignorant you seem.

I pray that your sensei never reads half of this stuff. They would probably be very embarrassed for you.

Not to mention that they probably wouldn't be too impressed with you calling the art that they train you in "pants"

You have a lot to learn, as you're probably very young, you have a lot of time.

Good luck.

Cheers,

Matt.
Ah so it's me personally that can't do it? Well it's been done. Besides you're making (bold) assumptions over who I am and how capable I am and how much of my life I've been training in one thing or another. Not to mention how much real world experience I might have.

Sensei is well aware of my opinions actually, some of them he shares and some of them he's taught me. If I say something it's because I've seen it or done it or been told by someone older and wiser than me.
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Old 05-25-2005, 11:27 AM   #131
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Re: Tantodori no different

Quote:
Michael Gallagher wrote:
Wrong. What makes a knife deadly is its cutting edge.
Absolutely.

It's why we don't attack people with bananas.

Cheers,

Matt.
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Old 05-25-2005, 11:33 AM   #132
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
Alex Lawrence wrote:
Ah so it's me personally that can't do it? Well it's been done. Besides you're making (bold) assumptions over who I am and how capable I am and how much of my life I've been training in one thing or another. Not to mention how much real world experience I might have.
The lack of sense in your posts is more informative about your "training" and "real world experience" than you might think.

Put another way, if you're very young, then you're just a bit naive and you've quite a bit to learn, along with anyone else who's very young.

Believe me when I say that if you actually are older, it really doesn't speak well of you. It would suggest that you'd not been learning some life lessons.

Quote:
Alex Lawrence wrote:
Sensei is well aware of my opinions actually, some of them he shares and some of them he's taught me. If I say something it's because I've seen it or done it or been told by someone older and wiser than me.
Would your "opinion" that Aikido is "pants" be one that he shares or one that he taught you?

I'm sure that he's a good sensei but you really do need to listen to him now and again.

Good luck kid.

Matt.
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Old 05-25-2005, 11:38 AM   #133
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
Alex Lawrence wrote:
Besides you're making (bold) assumptions over who I am and how capable I am and how much of my life I've been training in one thing or another. Not to mention how much real world experience I might have.
There are people posting here who have a vast amount of real world experience of all sorts of things. Their posts are generally somewhat different to yours.

If you don't want people to assume those things about you, then out with it: Who are you? What are you capable of? What experience do you have? etc..

Sean
x
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Old 05-25-2005, 12:02 PM   #134
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
Sean Orchard wrote:

Lol. You seem to think you're batman, but I'm afraid you'll not be taken too seriously here as long as you're wearing your underpants over the top of your hakama.

Sean
x
Oh I'm not batman. I just train a lot with my mates outside the dojo, especially during the summer, you get more freedom and time to experiement that way, plus since most of my mates have martial arts back grounds it's interesting to see all the different view points. Painful too. To be honest I'm not that great at any one martial art, I just have a broad range of knowlege that's usually enough to get me out of trouble.
If I'm taken seriously then I'm taken seriously, if not so what. The people around me take me seriously.
If I come across as cocky's because I know I've been taught by some really good people and so far I've been able to deal quite well with any situation that I've found myself in.
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Old 05-25-2005, 01:05 PM   #135
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
Sean Orchard wrote:
There are people posting here who have a vast amount of real world experience of all sorts of things. Their posts are generally somewhat different to yours.

If you don't want people to assume those things about you, then out with it: Who are you? What are you capable of? What experience do you have? etc..

Sean
x
I'm Alex, I'm 22. My father started teaching me martial arts, mainly Ju-jitsu and a bit of boxing when I was small, I have a half brother who's way older than me, way wiser than me and his training is mostly in Aikido, although he's done other stuff, Thai boxing couple of other things, not too sure. He's never been around much but I used to train with him when he was living with us, plus most of my family have been in the army so they taught me stuff too. All this got put to good use at school because for the first 17 years of my life I was pretty much always picked on everywhere I went, literally first to last day of school, in the scouts, cadets, everywhere. I'm quiet, shy and far too easy going for my own good, so I'm a good target, that said I also have a bit of a defiant streak which meant that being in fights inside and outside school was never anything unusual for me. There was a point where I got so angry I was going to punch someone even if he and his mates jumped me for it. Being small didn't help either so if someone wanted to show off how hard they were or impress their girlfriend, yours truely got jumped. Occasionally I dished out more than I took but not usually. 5 or 6 on one isn't good and no-one would take me on one on one.
Anyway when I was 14 or so I started formally learning Ju-jitsu which lasted for about 2 years or so until my Sensei left the country to work abroad at which point the dojo closed and I went and studied TKD for about 6 months but left that when I found a place that was teaching TKD, Ju-jitsu and Aikido and I stayed there for nearly 3 years until they got facinated by kickboxing at which point I decided I'd rather not be there because they were basically training me to jump into a ring and beat people up for no reason. After that I went on to do Lau Gar style Kung fu and Kickboxing, my Sifu taught both, 3 hour lessons, 1st hour and a half would be kickboxing, second would be Kung Fu, that lasted about 6 months until the club folded and my Sifu suggested I go and see my present Sensei and that was about two years ago. Reccently I've also started back at Ju-jitsu. Also looking for somewhere that teaches Krav Maga.
During that time I've been in more than enough trouble. People have tried to mug me 4 times, been in 3 fights involving knives about 6 involving broken bottles or glasses, one with an iron bar, various other scuffels the last serious one being in 2002 when I changed where I hang out to somewhere with less trouble. Being a goth doesn't help either. Certain sections of the community feel they have a god given right to start on you. I've also worked in bars where basically there were no bouncers so I was security and have had to deal with drunk aggressive people that basically wanted a fight.
As I said earlier pretty much everyone I know does some form of martial art, most of them are Dan grade and above and we're always training with each other since were all students and have far too much time on our hands.
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Old 05-25-2005, 04:27 PM   #136
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Alex

I thank Alex for giving his Martial arts background and more, although nobody had the right to demand it of him.

Alex, all through this thread I have been impressed by your decent writing, even when treated quite disrespectfully by others, and I have found your views interesting and quite reasonable.

I am significantly older than you, and I have done aikido significantly longer than you have - actually longer than you have lived. Still, I read your writing on this thread with interest and respect.
If your sensei would care to ask me about it, I would most definitely say that you do not embarrass him at all - quite the contrary. I would be most delighted to have a student like you.

Some may think that the above disqualifies me as an aikido teacher, altogether. I can live with that

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Old 05-25-2005, 04:37 PM   #137
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
Alex Lawrence wrote:
I'm Alex, I'm 22. My father started teaching me martial arts, mainly Ju-jitsu and a bit of boxing when I was small, I have a half brother who's way older than me, way wiser than me and his training is mostly in Aikido, although he's done other stuff, Thai boxing couple of other things, not too sure. He's never been around much but I used to train with him when he was living with us, plus most of my family have been in the army so they taught me stuff too. All this got put to good use at school because for the first 17 years of my life I was pretty much always picked on everywhere I went, literally first to last day of school, in the scouts, cadets, everywhere. I'm quiet, shy and far too easy going for my own good, so I'm a good target, that said I also have a bit of a defiant streak which meant that being in fights inside and outside school was never anything unusual for me. There was a point where I got so angry I was going to punch someone even if he and his mates jumped me for it. Being small didn't help either so if someone wanted to show off how hard they were or impress their girlfriend, yours truely got jumped. Occasionally I dished out more than I took but not usually. 5 or 6 on one isn't good and no-one would take me on one on one.
Anyway when I was 14 or so I started formally learning Ju-jitsu which lasted for about 2 years or so until my Sensei left the country to work abroad at which point the dojo closed and I went and studied TKD for about 6 months but left that when I found a place that was teaching TKD, Ju-jitsu and Aikido and I stayed there for nearly 3 years until they got facinated by kickboxing at which point I decided I'd rather not be there because they were basically training me to jump into a ring and beat people up for no reason. After that I went on to do Lau Gar style Kung fu and Kickboxing, my Sifu taught both, 3 hour lessons, 1st hour and a half would be kickboxing, second would be Kung Fu, that lasted about 6 months until the club folded and my Sifu suggested I go and see my present Sensei and that was about two years ago. Reccently I've also started back at Ju-jitsu. Also looking for somewhere that teaches Krav Maga.
During that time I've been in more than enough trouble. People have tried to mug me 4 times, been in 3 fights involving knives about 6 involving broken bottles or glasses, one with an iron bar, various other scuffels the last serious one being in 2002 when I changed where I hang out to somewhere with less trouble. Being a goth doesn't help either. Certain sections of the community feel they have a god given right to start on you. I've also worked in bars where basically there were no bouncers so I was security and have had to deal with drunk aggressive people that basically wanted a fight.
As I said earlier pretty much everyone I know does some form of martial art, most of them are Dan grade and above and we're always training with each other since were all students and have far too much time on our hands.
Hi. I'm Michael, I'm 40, and I have been doing martial arts for half of my life.

I was the skinny kid who got picked on a lot, although there were maybe less than a dozen altercations growing up. There was one time in Junior High when, as I was cutting through the gym between classes, some kid I didn't know ataccked me, punching me and kicking me as I tried to get a across the gym, and he didn't say who he was or why he was doing it. I never cut through that gym ever again. Now that I think about it, in first or second grade, I was attacked by a kid I'd thought was my friend; I do not know why he did it. He just beat me up in front of the school and ran off, again, no explanation. You could say that friendship ended. No muggings, knife fights, or people coming at me with broken bottles, though, which I suppose is good, although nowadays I guess one of those aforementioned kids would have brought a gun and I'd be dead.

When I was in college, my roommate found out there was a karate class there. I'd known about it, but I had hesitated to take it. Steve, however, badgered me about it every day for a week. I signed up just to shut him up. Didn't work -- he and a girl who'd done karate for about three months told me about all the ways you can die doing karate. Didn't inspire confidence. My first shito-ryu karate class was the following Tuseday, the first week of February, 1985. The Sensei, Dean Gordon, advised us to practice between classes, so I took those words to heart and did that. I am still plugging away after twenty years. Steve started in the same class I did and dropped out after three weeks. Her name was Pam.

The following year, 1986, I tried my hand at fencing while I continued karate. However, I was struggling to pull up my grades and missed a lot of fencing classes. I don't think my fencing coach liked me very much. However, I came out of it with a fencing team jacket I later gave to an English friend of mine in 1992; I think she still has it. But I digress.

In the fall of 1986, having flunked out of Utica College, I took classes at Tompkins Cortland Community College, and they had an Aikido class there. I had read about Aikido and O Sensei's feats and wanted to learn to do that! So I started Seidokan Aikido under Sensei Jim Wallace. I was also continuing in the same style of karate, shito-ryu, under Sensei Ed Ferraro at Cornell University. For about two years I did both karate and Aikido, but for a variety of reasons I will not go into here, I dropped out of Aikido. I maintaned an interest in it, though, and occassionally bought books on it.

In the Spring of 1991, I began classes at the University of Maine near Bangor, Maine, about 600 miles from where I live ( http://www.umaine.edu ). I'd scoped out the univeristy and local karate teachers when my mother and I had taken out vacations in Maine during previous years. My first choice was a Shotokan teacher, but by the time I came out to Maine, he had relocated to Maryland. So I went with my second choice, Sensei Bruce Barker, who taught at UMaine. I'd been a strict traditionalist at that time, and Bruce's mix of traditional Shotokan, modern TKD, and Chinese forms wasn't to my liking. But I joined the class and found I liked it; it opened my eyes to a certain extent. I studied with Sensei Bruce until I graduated from UMaine in 1994, but I still visit and train with him when I go out there on vacation. Back home in Cortland, I resumed doing Shito-Ryu karate at Cornell.

In 1997, I got in a flame war in rec.martial-arts over the value of kata training. Anyone who'd been surfing that group at that time will probably remember it, so I don't have to go into details. Suffice it to say my behavior in that thread was not something I am proud of. However, one of the people I was arguing with accused me of being closed-minded, and (in his mind) that was why I'd blown my stack a couple of days before, not because of anything he'd said! I couldn't beleive it! Would a closed-minded person have ventured beyond one art or style? I didn't think so.

Well, I'd thought about FMA for a while, and there was a school in my area that I knew taught it. So a couple of days after being called closed-minded, I was driving by, and thought, I'll show that (*&&^% who has a closed mind! So that day I drove into East West Martial Arts and talked to Guro Kevin Seaman about his Kali program. I sat in on the advanced class that Friday and tried the beginner's class the following Monday, where I met Guro Andy Astle.

I stayed with it that summer, but in the Fall, I had a problem: I wanted to do both Cornell karate classes per week, on Monday and Wednesday, because I felt I owed it to Sensei to show up for everything; but I didn't want to give up going to East West. Lo and Behold, that Fall, Guro Andy began teaching a Wing Chun class on Tuesdays. So I did that. And when I trained on my own, I did as Guro Kevin had advised me and played with the stick. The following summer, in 1998, I resumed taking Kali, and have stayed with it ever since. I took the level 1 (newbie) test in 1999. That same year, IIRC, Guro Andy folded up his Wing Chun class. You want to know why, you'll have to ask him.

That same year, Guro Kevin's son had a boxing class on Saturdays, and I joined that. Kali's unarmed portion included Filipino Boxing which, to put it mildly, had an influence on Western Boxing. So I wanted to get a little more on boxing. We never sparred, but I got the basics and did focus mit work. I skipped one class because I was sick, and the following week, went to an Eric Paulson seminar. The next week, the boxing class was no more. To this day, I do not know why.

In 2000, my mother had had a lot of health problems, so I wanted to get her exercises. Sensei Mike Eschenbrenner, who had taken over the Cornell class after Sensei Ed had retired, suggested Tai Chi. Lo and Behold, East West inaugurated a Tai Chi class on Friday nights! My mother and I started in that in November. And we continued going faithfully until Devember of 2002. The following Spring, her health deteriorated and she passed away on March 2, 2003. I still go to Tai Chi.

In July of 2003, Guro Kevin closed his academy. Sifu Rex, my Tai Chi teacher, had his own school in Ithaca. I'd visited the web site and knew there was an Aikido class there, but I wanted to continue Tai Chi. It just so happened Guro Andy was going to offer a class there, so I joined it to continue Kali. The first 45 minutes of that class is Kali; the second is Pentjak Silat Serak. Pembantu Andy is not a Serak instructor but he has permission to teach it from his instructor, Maha Guru Victor de Thouars. (I have to add that by Andy's request.) So that is how I got into Serak.

Serak has lots and LOTS of throws, so it helps to have crash mats, and at that school, the mats are owned by the Aikido class, which I'd been thinking about joining for months. Well, a few months after we arrived, a little sign appeared on the mat stack: "Please do not use without permission from the Aikido head instructor." So we stopped using the mats ..... but we still did throws! So I would intermittentantly bug Andy about asking for permission, but he kept forgetting it. (Although he had a lot on his mind since he'd had to find a new job when the factory he'd worked at closed.)

Finally, in March of 2004, while I was on vacation in Ottawa, I decided I would join the Aikido class after I got home. I'd meant to check it out during the summer, but I moved up my plans. On Friday nights, Aikido and Kali are back-to-back. So I thought the sight of me leaving the Aikido class as Andy arrived to teach his class would give him the subliminal nudge required to ask about the mats. I called him form the hotel (I'd ask him to check up on my house) and he mentioned that he'd got permission from Sensei to use the mats -- it had been a misunderstanding, and the sign had not been aimed at us (it was aimed at whomever was suffing them up, and to this day, I don't think anyone knows who did it).

"Ok," I said, "then I don't have to start Aikido until---"

"You're going to take Aikido?" he said; I could hear his grin from ear to ear. "That's great."

"No, I'm nuts -- I'll be wiped out at the end of the week."

"No, no, do it,.do it! You'll be a better martial artist."

So the next week I started in Aikido. I'm still plugging away at that.

So currently I am doing karate, Kali, Serak, Tai Chi, and Aikido. I have also done seminars with Sifu Dan Inosanto, Sifu Francis Fong, and Maha Guru Victor de Thouars. Guro Andy has been emphasizing how deadly the knife is and the reality of knife attacks, and that is what I have been speaking from in my posts. He has 15 years experience in Kali and Jun Fan Gung Fu/JKD and has been studying Serak for 3 to 5 years, so I think he might know what he's talking about.

We done marking territory now?
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Old 05-25-2005, 05:10 PM   #138
Stefan Stenudd
 
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MA background

Quote:
Michael Gallagher wrote:
We done marking territory now?
Yes, please. Note that Alex gave his MA background, because it was demanded of him. An unfair demand, I would say.

I hope that Jun corrects me if I am wrong, but I have the impression that we should avoid "pulling ranks" and such, in this forum.

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Old 05-25-2005, 08:51 PM   #139
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Re: MA background

Quote:
Stefan Stenudd wrote:
Yes, please. Note that Alex gave his MA background, because it was demanded of him. An unfair demand, I would say.

I hope that Jun corrects me if I am wrong, but I have the impression that we should avoid "pulling ranks" and such, in this forum.
I don't see it as an unfair request or "pulling rank" so much. Since there are folks who may actually listen to some of the advice given on web fora in how they approach aspects of training, new ideas etc. it is good to get a feel for where the information is coming from.

One may feel a bit more comfortable taking advice and seriously evaluating information given in the opinions of folks who may have some degree of authority or experience in what they are speaking about. One does not ask a tailor how to bake a cake for example.

It is good that those involved have the confidence in their abilities and their ideas to put forward some of their history, since it helps to frame and put into context what the person is talking about and where they are coming from.

Also there are old timers and newbies on Aikiweb all the time. Some folks' histories and abilities are known by the general population here and others are not as well known as yet. Often folks start off with an introduction that gives their training history and experience before posting on active threads.

Imagine someone who looks to these threads for some solid ideas on real life defence based on the experiences of others that may have had such experiences, especially in the case of an art like Aikido where many train in an environment very far removed from reality. The experiences and histories of those who have been on the pointy edge of things have as much relevance as the words they speak about the experiences imho. If one gets lucky in a confrontation for example and a toothpick causes him to escape unhurt, one should realise that it was luck that caused a favourable outcome and not go around preaching that the toothpick defence is the ultimate (not that anyone here is doing that).

Just my thoughts.
LC

--Mushin Mugamae - No Mind No Posture. He who is possessed by nothing possesses everything.--
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Old 05-26-2005, 12:05 AM   #140
CNYMike
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Re: Tantodori no different

Quote:
Matt Molloy wrote:
Absolutely.

It's why we don't attack people with bananas.

Cheers,

Matt.
Hey, you can SHOOT someone who comes at you with a banana! Self defense that is. Now, a pointed stick on the other hand .... Yeah, it took me the better part of a day to remember that Monty Python sketch.
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Old 05-26-2005, 02:07 AM   #141
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Re: MA background

Quote:
Larry Camejo wrote:

Just my thoughts.
LC
Sound like good thoughts to me.
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Old 05-26-2005, 02:52 AM   #142
Aikilove
Dojo: Lunds Aikidoklubb
Location: Lund, Sweden
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Re: Alex

Quote:
Stefan Stenudd wrote:
I thank Alex for giving his Martial arts background and more, although nobody had the right to demand it of him.

Alex, all through this thread I have been impressed by your decent writing, even when treated quite disrespectfully by others, and I have found your views interesting and quite reasonable.

I am significantly older than you, and I have done aikido significantly longer than you have - actually longer than you have lived. Still, I read your writing on this thread with interest and respect.
If your sensei would care to ask me about it, I would most definitely say that you do not embarrass him at all - quite the contrary. I would be most delighted to have a student like you.

Some may think that the above disqualifies me as an aikido teacher, altogether. I can live with that
I agree Stefan.

Ps. I'm not going to be able to join you and Tamura sensei. Bröllop i faggorna! Jag har anmält mig, så om du vill får du gärna avanmäla mig till förmån för andra Ds.

Jakob Blomquist
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Old 05-26-2005, 03:19 AM   #143
Matt Molloy
Dojo: Azami Kai
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Re: Alex

Quote:
Stefan Stenudd wrote:
Alex, all through this thread I have been impressed by your decent writing, even when treated quite disrespectfully by others, and I have found your views interesting and quite reasonable.
So I suppose that "Aikido = Pants" qualifies as decent writing?

And "....guns are good but knifes, swords anything which resembles a tooth is better,...." would be a reasonable opinion?

I'm afraid that we would have to differ on this.

Myself, during a varied life, I've studied (in no particular order); Karate, Ju-Jitsu (basically a "dirty" version of Judo), Wing Chun (Samuel Kwok lineage) Muay Thai, Aiki-Jujutsu (Kaze Arashi Ryu version) and Escrima.

Since 2001, my main two martial arts have been Aikido and (more recently) Kendo although I still cross train occasionally.

I personally thought that Alex's history was one of the first decent posts from him on the thread, it's just unfortunate that up to that point we had a lot of rubbish.

As for "pulling rank" nobody is doing that but neither are we going to sit here and accept a load of rubbish (that could potentially be read by a more inexperienced person and, if put into practice, lead to quite a nasty situation), and just nod our heads because we're Aikidoka and we don't want any of that nasty conflict stuff.

Cheers,

Matt.
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Old 05-26-2005, 03:32 AM   #144
Aikilove
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Someone that has been training aikido for what is it a quarter of a century think someone (perhaps Alex) has something interesting to say about aikido.
Someone else who has trained aikido for a couple of years or less thinks that same person write a load of rubbish about same things, since they seem to have figured this thing called aikido so well within this time...

Hmm... I don't know, but I think all of you have good points about knife vs. aikido vs. knife, but some of you seem to respect other little bit less (and for the life of me the only reason seem to be simply because Alex, in this case, isn't one of the long timers in these foras!

Of course I could be wrong...

Jakob Blomquist
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Old 05-26-2005, 04:12 AM   #145
Matt Molloy
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
Jakob Blomquist wrote:
Someone that has been training aikido for what is it a quarter of a century think someone (perhaps Alex) has something interesting to say about aikido.
Someone else who has trained aikido for a couple of years or less thinks that same person write a load of rubbish about same things, since they seem to have figured this thing called aikido so well within this time...

Hmm... I don't know, but I think all of you have good points about knife vs. aikido vs. knife, but some of you seem to respect other little bit less (and for the life of me the only reason seem to be simply because Alex, in this case, isn't one of the long timers in these foras!

Of course I could be wrong...
You're absolutely right.

You could be wrong.

Stefan makes the point about avoiding pulling rank and one of the very next things you attempt to do is?......

See you quoted above.

If an interesting opinion is "Aikido = pants" and "....guns are good but knifes, swords anything which resembles a tooth is better,...." and this is respected by somebody training 25 years or more then I can only say that this diminishes my respect for the person who has done 25 years training.

I also note that your mate Stefan started "instructing" after one year's training.

So one year would be enough to instruct but not enough to have an opinion?

I never claimed to have "figured this thing called aikido so well within this time..." in fact I don't expect to have "figured it out" totally within my lifetime. Just like music, it's a lifetime study. I sincerely hope that I'm discovering new things well into my old age.

But I'm quite sure that if someone comes along and starts talking crap in the meantime, I'm not just going to sit there and say, "My. What an interesting and valid opinion. I think I really must respect this because we don't do conflict in Aikido."

If Alex was respected a little less it had nothing to do with his time on the boards or in Aikido but with the fact that he wasn't talking sense.

He seems to be making more now. I for one sincerely hope this continues.

You might look at the fact that the people giving him a hard time had more experience of the knife side of the equation and were concerned about the "advice" that he was giving out so freely.

Perhaps you would be happier if some anonymous reader took his advice to heart because nobody challenged it and went out and got seriously injured whilst thinking that knives only gave their wielder a psychological advantage.

There'd be less conflict on the forum though.

Cheers,

Matt.

Last edited by Matt Molloy : 05-26-2005 at 04:20 AM.
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Old 05-26-2005, 07:08 AM   #146
Randathamane
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
just use enough to end the situation.
Now we get to the niggling argument of what is enough? In your eyes this is one thing, in the eyes of a law court it may be something else.

i just guess i will never understand law.... or politics for that matter.....

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Old 05-26-2005, 07:25 AM   #147
Randathamane
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
So I suppose that "Aikido = Pants" qualifies as decent writing?
All are entitled to their opinions and as long as they are justified by a decent and fair argument, i see no trespass. In my opinion it is important to think this way- how else does the art evolve?
If all aikidoka constantly thinks "that will work all of the time" and ignore the possibility's for counter strike, how can the art expect to keep pace with others?

Some of the Dojos i know Especially Renshin-kan (not to much zanshin-kai) suffer from the problem that other martial arts take students away as they have more glamor and attention for example Kung Fu. Most people know kung fu is deadly and many are pulled away because they want to be hard and boast about it....

If aikido evolves in the right way- soon it may have such a reputation. But in order to evolve one must Think outside the Box. Or the dojo in this case....

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Old 05-26-2005, 07:31 AM   #148
deepsoup
Dojo: Sheffield Shodokan Dojo
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Re: MA background

Quote:
Stefan Stenudd wrote:
Yes, please. Note that Alex gave his MA background, because it was demanded of him. An unfair demand, I would say.

I hope that Jun corrects me if I am wrong, but I have the impression that we should avoid "pulling ranks" and such, in this forum.
I asked, and it wasn't unfair. When someone posts things like "in my experience..." it becomes reasonable to enquire what that experience is.

There is no rank here, but all people's experience is not the same, and on various topics some people talk with vastly more authority than others.

Thanks Alex, for putting your posts into context.
Quote:
Now we get to the niggling argument of what is enough? In your eyes this is one thing, in the eyes of a law court it may be something else.
This is a bit of a digression, but it is extremely rare for anyone to be prosecuted in this country for overcooking their 'self defence'. In just about every case the person doing the 'self defence' went so far overboard that there really couldn't be any credible claim that it was still self defence at all.

Sean
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Old 05-26-2005, 07:38 AM   #149
Randathamane
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
This is a bit of a digression, but it is extremely rare for anyone to be prosecuted in this country for overcooking their 'self defense'. In just about every case the person doing the 'self defense' went so far overboard that there really couldn't be any credible claim that it was still self defense at all.

True- true.
I would just like a clear line from a bobby on the beat of what i can do. For example- 1 on 1 as has happened before, i would just try and walk away or dump them on their arse.

what about 5 on one? or ten even, which lets face it is far more likely as the yobs always roam in packs....
Sensei tells me that break the arm of the first attacker to act as a deterrent. He seemed serious about it.
"isn't that an itty bit harsh sensei?"
"No way! sorry, but break it. Keep him down! Martial! Martial mind. I don't want him getting back up, and now his mates have got to get over him to get to me. End it! Bang!"

would this be acceptable i wonder in court?

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Old 05-26-2005, 08:18 AM   #150
Ron Tisdale
Dojo: Doshinkan dojo in Roxborough, Pa
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Re: techniquies in street fights

Quote:
would this be acceptable i wonder in court?
In the moment, Who Cares? You have 10 guys ganging up on you, break the first five I say. Then the next five will have something to consider...and you may get a chance to walk away, rather than going to hospital (or worse yet, the morgue).

Gangs always pissed me off. I remember all the way back to first grade, when the white guys didn't like the one black guy in the school, so they ganged up on him, and when he went to kicking to defend himself they taunted him for kicking. I said 'screw you', and went on kicking. You don't like being kicked...don't gang up on someone. You don't like being broken...same thing.

Ron (priorities, priorities...deal with the court later)

Ron Tisdale
-----------------------
"The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind."
St. Bonaventure (ca. 1221-1274)
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