Martial Arts

[Spock]

Originally Posted by Shelob's Hubby

Has anyone here taken aikido and would like to share? It seems like a good martial art, but I have heard both good and bad things about it.

First, watch the first three Steven Seagal movies he made. There's one scene in a small store that shows you how devastating akido can be.
Yes, in my 35 yrs. plus, I've taken akido and aki-jitsu and found that akido is very helpful in overcoming larger opponents by using their energy against them. Once again I caution as it does require a bit of room and Seagal does show this in his moves also. Never the less, if you have an opportunity you're in for a real eye opener in the way of akido.

[Nurvingiel]

Isn't there an ad where Stephen Segal accidentally knocks out a bunch of people in a convenience store, foiling a robbery? Maybe that's a take on his movies.

[Spock]

The scene I refer to is like that one but it's in his movie. He personally says it's one of the best scenes in his movies (to that date) which shows the application of Akido. I've not seen a commercial.

[Arat-Falathion]

Steven Seagal is a 7th dan Aikido Master, right? I've heard that he moved to Japan when he was 19 or something to dedicate himself to the art...

When I chose this year what style to practise, I was very much thinking of going for Aikido. What made me choose BJJ/MMA over it was a few things. One of them was distance to the dojo, and how to get there. Other's were training hours (I now practise BJJ 5 days a week). I don't believe there is groundfighting in AIkido though. Isn't it mostly throws and breaks?

[Spock]

[QUOTE=Arat-Falathion]Steven Seagal is a 7th dan Aikido Master, right? I've heard that he moved to Japan when he was 19 or something to dedicate himself to the art...

His official site is http://www.stevenseagal.com/ Yes he lived in Japan for a while, you can read up at the site.

Throws and joint locks are part of Akido and can be applied standing or to an opponent whose been put to the ground.

If you study with sincerety, it makes no difference what you study, the benefit is within you.

[Starr Polish]

Well, since I recently joined a new do-jang here at my university, and have started studying hapkido, I figured I may as well bump up this thread.

I'm amazed at how much I have to learn, and I'm so happy I'm back down to a white belt. My new do-jang is much stricter and the training is more intense. I have a huge bruise on my elbow (and I NEVER bruise) and at the last class I fell wrong...this resulted in me not only having the wind knocked outof me, but nearly losing my dinner as well.

And you know what?

I couldn't be happier with my classes. It's amazing to be studying again, and this time I feel like I'm doing it more for myself than my father.

edit: Also, I'd like to note that earlier in this thread, I mentioned I did some tengu sword work, and was told that was the incorrect term by Spock. I double checked with my sensei, and it IS tengu sword, based on the spirit of the same name...it was supposedly taught to a master by a tengu.

[Varda]

From when I was 11 to about 17, I went to Martial Arts America. My style was Tang Soo Do (similar to but slightly different from Tae Kwon Do). I rose to the level of red belt in my senior year of high school (after many hours of testing and training). Sadly, that year after my red belt test, I fell and sprained an ankle, tore some ligaments and by the time I was recuperated from this semi-serious injury, I was almost ready to leave for college (where I am now, 5 years later). I returned once two years after leaving, but I had lost so much skill and gotten so out of shape that they reduced my rank back down to white belt. I only managed one test before I restarted college again that fall.

I tried Tae Kwon Do also at my school, a free no-credit PE class. I became bored with the level of instruction, as much was left out and I was with beginners. Also, TKD has a different style. Plus, I had to race across campus to my next class after sweating like a pig! So, I didn't enjoy and soon dropped the class.

Anyway, I've seen and read about a lot of other martial arts but never tried any. I'm interested in Shotakan, which is Japanese and more what people tend to call "karate". Also, Brazillian Capoeira and Jiu Jitsu interest me as well.

[Varda]

Oh yeah... my godfather, dad's best friend went four times in four months to Japan! Not for martial arts but for some kind of sacred spot he believed would help him? I don't know. He's an interesting character. Just throwing that out there...

[Spock]

Wow, nice comments; I'll respond in reverse order. Varda: There are several places of power in Japan, mostly on Hoikaido (where Tokyo is) but another I know of on Kyushu. You can feel the power when you go to places like that if you are at all sensitive as I am. Brazillian Capoeira and Jiu Jitsu are mainly different as there is much more of a dance movement in the former. It takes a lot of stamina for a Capoeira person to do moves. Jiu Jitsu (where I hold Yondan rankings and a teaching license) is excellent for self defense and can be done by anyone of any age and most any physical condition; much like Aikido. Shotokan is a VERY hard style and so be prepared for many bruises and possibly worse if you don't get a good instructor or partner.
STARR POLISH: IS tengu sword, based on the spirit of the same name---no problem I only pointed out that the Tengu was a mythical creature and not a sword. If your system says such a god taught someone back in the 16th or 17th centrury then fine. If your systems roots are 19-20th century, I'd be very skeptical. No matter, if you like sword you can call it Howdy Doody style, as long as it works.

[Starr Polish]

Ha, I agree...the name doesn't matter, it's effectiveness does. I'm almost positive the style we're working in was created before the 18th century. My school focuses on older styles (though we do spar, which I have heard is considered a modern way of training), and tries not to Americanize it very much. We focus on the actual art and the self defense, not tournament technique. WHich means, the older you get, the more fun things you get to learn that are illegal in tournaments. Fun fun.

In my hapkido do-jang it's all about intense training and partner work. It's completely self defense: there is no sparring, kata, or tournaments. I hope, once I raise in ranks in hapkido, I'll be able to join the judo club under the same instructor. Judo does participate in tournaments, but I'm more interested in the practical application (sparring) with the throws and choke holds I've learned in hapkido. It'll probably be a year or two until I think I'm ready for the level of judo that the do-jang expects, however. The training at my university is much more intense and it goes MUCH faster, but I really, really enjoy it. The level of concentration, respect, and focus in this class is helping me with a lot of other areas in my life.

I really enjoy hapkido's three principles: The water principle, circular motion, and nonresistance. I'm not a very big person, and I need to stop trying to use my limited strenght against an opponent...my partners and instructor say I'm getting better, though.

edit: Just a note...my hapkido instructor is a Korean immigrant, and thus the style of teaching is Korean (and strict! but he can still be funny). My old dojo focuses a lot on a mix of Japanese and Korean instruction, though mildy Americanized in it's not extremely disciplined (though I hear lately they've become more strict and are using more and more traditional Japanese ways of lining up, enforcing the use of "sir and ma'am", etc.). IT's been interesting to know the differences and similarities between the two. I noticed at my last class the way one of hte choke holds in hapkido is actually an application in one of the higher katas in my karate/mma class.

[Spock]

[QUOTE=Starr Polish]Ha, I agree...the name doesn't matter, it's effectiveness does. I'm almost positive the style we're working in was created before the 18th century. My school focuses on older styles (though we do spar, which I have heard is considered a modern way of training), and tries not to Americanize it very much. We focus on the actual art and the self defense, not tournament technique.
EXCELLENT APPROACH (NOT SHOUTING JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE REPLY)
STRICT ASIAN TEACHINGS ARE WHAT I WAS BROUGHT UP ON ALSO AND THEY CAN BE MORE DIFFICULT AND IN THIS DAY OF SUING SOMEONE FOR A HOT CUP OF COFFEE, MANY INSTRUCTORS HAVE CHANGED THE STYLES. I PERSONALLY TURNED DOWN AN OFFER RECENTLY TO TEACH LOCALLY FOR THAT VERY REASON. I'M HAPPY IN RETIREMENT .

In my hapkido do-jang YOU MIGHT WANT TO RENT "BILLY JACK" WHICH BON SU HAN (SPELLING?) DOES THE MARTIAL ARTS WORK. IT SHOWS THIS ARE FOR THE FIRST TIME TO US AUDIENCES. IT WAS RELEASED IN '71 AND AGAIN IN '73. I'VE SEEN IT ON LINE FOR UNDER $8.
Judo does participate in tournaments--YES BECAUSE UNDER GENERAL MACARTHUR NO MARTIAL ARTS COULD BE TAUGHT IN JAPAN SO THEY MADE IT A SPORT AND GOT AROUND "THE ROUND EYES IGNORANCE" BY THAT. ONCE YOU REACH DAN LEVEL IN JUDO IT BECOMES QUITE DEADLY.
I really enjoy hapkido's three principles: The water principle, circular motion, and nonresistance. THOSE ARE ALSO FOUNDATIONS OF AIKIDO AND NINJITSU ALTHOUGH THE LATER HAS A FEW OTHER ASPECTS AS WELL.
YOU APPEAR TO HAVE FOUND A GROUNDED TEACHER. I FEEL YOU WILL GROW AND ENJOY THE ARTS MUCH MORE NOW. .....FALL EASY......

[Starr Polish]

The years that film was released are an odd coincidence. My hapkido instructor came to the US in '71, and began teaching martial arts at my university in '73. Thanks for the suggestion. My interest in martial arts has definitely been piqued again, so I'm hungry for books and GOOD movies on the subject.

I understand the fear of being sued. We've been shown things in VERY controlled environments that could be deadly (like having certain pressure points explained fully), though I doubt I'm good enough at any of it for it to be considered deadly in my clumsy hands. You're also only shown these techniques once you hit a certain maturity level and level of trust with the instructor. My father has also been showing me some slight variations in hapkido (he trained uner the same instructor in the seventies) that are only to be used in an actual self-defense situation. Once again, I'm not sure how well I could execute them, but hopefully I'll never have to use them anyway.

I'll try to fall easy...it's something I still have to work on but I get better everday.

[Spock]

edit: FOR A BRIEF TIME, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I PARTNERED WITH THE OWNER OF A KEMPO STUDIO AND WE TOO FOUND SOME TECHNIQUES OF JIU JITSU ARE SIMILAR TO HIGHER KEMPO STYLES. JUST REMEMBER WHAT BRUCE LEE SAID "USE WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU".

[Varda]

I heard of Kempo. Is it Korean? I know Hapkido is, right? I feel like I have a smattering of knowledge of various arts, but not enough that I understand many more than my own, lol.

[Varda]

Originally Posted by Spock

Wow, nice comments; I'll respond in reverse order. Varda: There are several places of power in Japan, mostly on Hoikaido (where Tokyo is) but another I know of on Kyushu. You can feel the power when you go to places like that if you are at all sensitive as I am. Brazillian Capoeira and Jiu Jitsu are mainly different as there is much more of a dance movement in the former. It takes a lot of stamina for a Capoeira person to do moves. Jiu Jitsu (where I hold Yondan rankings and a teaching license) is excellent for self defense and can be done by anyone of any age and most any physical condition; much like Aikido. Shotokan is a VERY hard style and so be prepared for many bruises and possibly worse if you don't get a good instructor or partner.

Thanks for the info on Japan. I'm taking a class right now on Schooling in Asia, and just got through with two papers: one on Japanese schooling and the other on Taiwan. Anyway, I got interested in Capoeira because I was working at an alternative school here called Monarch. Every Wednesday, they had a free period where someone from outside (in this case a Capoeria teacher) came in and tought the kids and adults. It was great watching the kids try. They just started with basics, the dance, the rope. Some kids were already in the classes as an extracurricular or something, so they just used what they already knew.

I got interested in Jiu Jitsu because of a number of reasons: Martial Arts America housed many different styles when I was there. The main one was my own Tang Soo Do, but they also started a Kardo Kickboxing class (which I did back-to-back most of the time) and a Jiu Jitsu class. Our instructor really enjoyed teaching us about various other styles, so in addition to our own, we got to learn about Shotakan, Jiu Jitsu, Kung Fu and many others. There is a Jiu Jitsu club here and also a Warrior Yoga class, which is connected with it.

Someone who lives near me goes to a small group she says that meets at the Louden Nelson Center. They are mostly upper belts in Shotakan, and she has experience in others. There's also an Okanaywan (sp?) class I've seen offered many times but haven't had the time to go. That one is off campus.