Conference turris::womannotes-v3

    From my girth, one can tell, I have not practiced much, but I can
    offer a preliminary insight.
    
    Aikido is the most pleasant, welcoming form I have seen.  The spirit
    plays a significant part in your training from the beginning.  Mind,
    body, and spirit combine.  To me it is the most artfull of the martial
    arts.
    
    Karate  (Go ju ru)- May be very good for self defense if needed.
    However, it is very intensive. I once had a sensei that showed
    us a move, explained how one could rip someone's arm out with
    it.  Then she said "Now you have a weapon." Meaning you could
    beat his compatriots with the stump. Affective, but gruesome.
    
    Archery- Is a martial art.  Check the book Zen & the art of Archery.
    
    Cindi

    
    See also:
    
    ARTS:   (currently at node IAMOK)
    
    47 - women in the martial arts
    427 - men sparring women?
    552 - practical women's self-defense
    
    -Jody
    

    Remember reading somewhere that judo was an excellent place to
    begin. You learn not to fear falling, you deal primarily with
    leverage, balance, and throwing rather than striking. 
    
    Above all, don't be afraid to try different styles, and especially
    different *teachers*. If his or her (teaching) style doesn't suit you, 
    move on. (And avoid schools whose main interest seems to be getting
    your signature on a 3 or 6 month contract.)
    
    Dana 

    Of the women I know who do anything martial-arts-y (I don't really know
    that many women who do martial arts), many of them enjoy Aikido. 
    Another one I know gets into Fujitsu (is that the one with the kicks
    and rolls and stuff?).
    
    Aikido would probably be the one I chose, as it uses as its focus the
    redirection of the agressor's energies.  It is a responsive art, rather
    than one that recommends instigation of violence.
    
    -Jody
    

    Someone just prodded me it's Jujitsu or something like that.  
    
    Can you tell I used to work with fiber optics ;)?
    
    -Jody
    

    re: .0
    
    D!  
    
    	There are a couple of things that I'd like you to consider in how
    to choose a school/art to pusrue.
    
    	If you're going with the intent on learning to defend yourself,
    bear in mind that your prospective teacher MUST be sensitive to your
    specific situation.  For example, if (s)he's 6 feet tall, and very
    strong, it may be easy for her (him) to physically overpower an
    attacker by sheer force alone.  But if you're 5 feet tall and not
    physically powerful, that may not be valid for you.
    
    	Self defense is not a game.  It's not clean.  It's not pleasant.
    As such, it is vital that you choose a school that trains its students
    with this realization in mind.  It's axiomatic that 100 times out of
    100, a person will respond to a violent encounter exactly the way they
    train.  So if you're in a school where your attackers cooperate with
    you when you perform a self defense technique then you're going to be
    in serious trouble if you have to face some 250 pound slob that's
    intent on hurting you.
    
    	If you have more questions, feel free to contact me by E-Mail.  
    
    Let me disclaim all the above by saying that I answered out of concern
    for a person's safety.  It is not meant as a pitch for my school.
    
    
    
    				Regards,
    
    				  Ron

    I understand that.  But on the other hand, notice that self protection
    is not my top priority.  If it was, I'd take Model Mugging.  Really, I
    am *most* interested in learning the *art* of Martial Arts, with
    self-defense as a good side effect.  
    
    I am not to interested in the "effective but dirty" kinds of fighting. 
    Or, rather, I am interested in them, and want to learn them at some
    time, but that is *not* what I am trying to get out of learning a
    martial art.
    
    D!

    There is a martial arts notes file.  Eventhough you want a woman's
    perspective, you might want to check it out to see what the opinions
    are of women seriously training in the arts.  It can be an eye opener.
    
    Since I have the phone book next to me, I will list a few places in
    Lowell. Oh,  a new dojo opened downtown in Lowell, on the main street,
    next to Captain Pizza. It's been there about 3 weeks. 
    
    If you would consider traveling to Acton, I know there's a dojo there,
    run by a DECCIE.  You might want to check that out.  (See the arts file
    for more info.)
    
    In Lowell:
    
    AIKIDO:  61A  Parkhurst Road Chelmsford 453-3485
    Goju-Ryu Karate:  649 Lawrence Street Lowell 452-2699
    Okinawan Self Defense:  181 Stedman Lowell   441-9032

    Umm, D!, when you speak of "The art in Martial Arts" do you mean 
    you are most interested in the philosphy of same, or are you 
    interested in learning the movements, eg. katas, with an emphasis
    on grace, smoothness, coordination, etc. or something else?
    
    dana

    Okay, here goes...I'm a female, 115 lbs. 5'5" tall, 43 years old,
    taking Tae Kwon-Do for almost two years.  Tae Kwon-Do is a hard Martial
    Art.  It is not the easiest to learn, but I'm enjoying it immensely.  
    I've lost 30 lbs. and have kept it off.  My self-confidence and self-
    esteem have grown because of this program.  Part of the program is
    geared to self-defense - how to protect yourself on the street in any
    given situation.  I used it when I was attached at the Pheasant Lane
    Mall last Christmas and it worked.   There is a class on Monday nights
    in Nashua and the school is run by a DECcie who has been in the Martial
    Arts for 35 years.  He knows what he's doing.  If you want to know 
    information about this particular program please feel free to contact
    me off line.
    
    The one thing I do want to emphasize is  to stay away from any school
    that is interested in you signing any contract.  Also, visit the
    school, observe the class, talk to the students, talk to the
    instructor, ask how the beginners are taught, ask about
    contact/non-contact, are they insured, etc.
    
    Good luck in whatever form you decide to learn.  Its great fun!  By the
    way, I'm now a Green Belt - halfway to getting my black belt.
    
    Helen
       
    

        Umm, D!, when you speak of "The art in Martial Arts" do you mean
        you are most interested in the philosphy of same, or are you
        interested in learning the movements
    
    All of the above.  I meant "art" as opposed to "useful tool for
    self-defense."  As I say, I am thinking of that as a good side effect
    rather than goal.
    
    D!

    re.11 Then I would again recommend looking into a Judo school
    or club. An additional benefit of Judo, unlike some forms of
    martial art, Judo is very much 'hands-on', so you learn very
    quickly to deal with being in physical contact with your
    opponent. (In some schools you could, in the past, go all the
    way to black belt without ever making contact with an opponent.
    "Too dangerous." Horse apples. How you react during a real
    crisis will depend on your training. If your training doesn't
    teach you how to deal with the intimacy of combat {yes I know that
    sounds strange} then you will not be able to fight when necessary.)
    
    Dana

    Does anyone know of a Tai Chi class in the general Nashua
    area? Also, how does Tai Chi compare to the other forms 
    discussed?
    
    Eileen
    

    I'm sure the various forms of arts are discussed in IAMOK::ARTS as well
    as any input you get from the womannotes community.....
    
    -Jody
    

    D!
    
    My brothers were all into karate.  One of them -- who, by the way, is
    maybe all of 5'7" and 130 lbs -- holds a 3rd degree black belt in one
    of the acient Okinawan forms of karate.  When my daughter expressed an
    interest in martial arts he encouraged her to look into Aikido.  He
    said, as someone here has said, that it was self-defense oriented and
    that it helped to develop grace and taught the same type of
    self-discipline as karate.
    
    Polly
    
    P.S.  We moved and Stacy never took it up.  She became a roller dance
    skater instead.

    Hi,
    
    I started Karate right after I moved to N.H.  Since it came to work
    it made it very easy....and I have been doing it now for almost 3
    years and love it!  Our class is in the MKO facility on Tuesday's
    from 5:30-6:30 and DDD on Thursday's 5:30-6:30.  
    
    The style is Go Ju Ryu....I've never been in better shape.
    
    If you have any questions send me a note on PHONE::BRENNAN or 
    stop by sometime and check out a class....
    
    Mary

	When I was "Back East" I decided on American Kenpo.  It is a 
	"rounded" type of martial Art; by that I mean not "just kicks"
	as Tai Kwon Do tends to be etc.

	But my advice to you is to spend time talking with the "master".
	Find out his or her goals are in teaching a class.  

	Spend a night observing.  You can get a feel of the teacher's style
	by the way s/he interacts with the students.  What does s/he stress?
	Does s/he have sparring or demonstrations, and if so, is that 
	something you want as a part of your training?

	How many women, and what ages attend this school?  Look and
	watch - ask the students questions as well as the teacher. (Although 
	most students, once attached to a specific teacher tend to be very 
	loyal to their master and their type of Martial Art, that is why you
	should watch the interplay between student and master working).

	Does the class foster group helping.  Are they people who are singly
	ambitious or are they mutually supportive and helpful with eachother, 
	AND to lesser belts.  Check out the ambiance.

	First think what your goals are, then try to find the best fit within
	a school.  It sounds corny, but you could end up with a master from
	a school like the Karate Kid's "Cobra Kai", or you could find yourself
	with a Mr. Miagi.. 8-) - only you will know if the chemistry feels good.

	Bottom line is that you will ultimately get out of Martial Arts
	what YOU want, and what you put in.  I really miss it (I had an auto 
	accident which stopped me), and 3+ years later, now that I am
	in the Great North Left (Washington), I have approached a school.
	(No, it is not American Kenpo, but I liked what I saw in Master Kim
	and his students.  He uses "weapons" as well, which scare me, but
	that is something I think I should "get past" for personal growth).

	Master Kim talked a lot about the mind-body connectivity.  He also
	didn't seem to think that my knee problem was going to inhibit me;
	he said there is no need to hurt it anymore, and I should learn to
	find alternate ways while training.

	We'll see.. and I wish you luck.  I think placing a note is
	a great start for seeking out styles and information, but you 
	really should also invest time watching the different schools and
	their masters.  It's a definite "feel good, gut" thing.  You will
	*know* when you find a compatable place.

			..jlg
	

    D!
    
    I've been in the MA for about 5 years now and have my 1st degree black
    belt. When I started searching for a school I went around and visited a
    number of different styles, talked to instructors, participated in some
    of the classes or just observed some of them.  The class I finally
    ended up with was very small and intense, a lot of individual training
    and an instructor who knew how to teach and have fun.
    
    We can all give you our opinion of what to look for (or look out for)
    but I agree with one of the other noters...only you can decide which
    school/style/instructor is right for you.
    
    .3
    
    In regards to contract (3month or 6month) Not all schools are out to
    con students into signing on the dotted line.  Our school has contracts
    with no penalties...meaning if you don't come anymore you stop
    paying...no credit problems-no penalties.  The reason we do contracts
    is because we only have 2 instructors/owners and instead of always
    spending time doing paperwork we would rather spend time teaching.
    
    .13
    
    Eileen,  MKO facility has a Tai Chi class every Tuesday and Thursday
    morning in the Life Center
    
    
    D!
    
    If you wish to talk more offline just send me mail...good luck in your
    search.
    
    Kate

	This reply and the next few are intended to fill in some blanks 
that may exist among the good people of =wn= regarding the martial arts.  
This and the next few replies are a bit long.  If you have no interest in the 
martial arts, hit next unseen.  I welcome comments here, via E-Mail or by 
phone.  Feel free to agree or disagree.  I'm always happy to make believers 
out of the skeptical.  ;')



	There are several ways to categorize the martial arts but one of 
the most popular and widely accepted is the concept of internal and 
external martial arts. 

	External martial arts include various schools of Karate (e.g. 
Shotokan, Shorin Ryu, Isshinryu, Shito Ryu, Goju Ryu, Uechi Ryu, the 
various types of Kenpo, etc.); Tae Kwon Do (e.g. Moo Duk Kwon, Chung Do 
Kwon, Ji Do Kwon); and the external schools of Chinese Wushu (Kung Fu) (e.g.
Choy Li Fut, Hung Gar, Wing Chun, Ch'i Lin, etc).  

	Internal martial arts are the Chinese arts of T'ai Chi Ch'uan 
(pronounced tie jee chwen), Hsing-I Ch'uan (pronounced shing-ee chwen) and 
Pa Kua Chang (pronounced bah gwah jong).  

	The names, Internal and External, are used primarily for 
convenience rather than for accuracy.  A hard and fast distinction between 
the two types doesn't really exist.
	The two contain and reflect each other to varying degrees.  There 
is no "form", as such, which is uniquely one or the other, and to attach 
too strict a label to any fighting art would be wrong.
	Certain characteristics are associated either with Internal or 
External systems.  The table below contrasts some of the most common.


Internal Systems		External Systems

yin				yang

yin/yang			yang/yin

soft				hard

not oppose attacking force	force opposes force

use attacker's force against	oppose attacker with
	him			   your force

evasion				straightforward approach

circular movement		straight line

lower center breathing		higher center breathing

stress on mind			stress on physical

stress on Ch'i for sensing	stress on Ch'i for power

esoteric			exoteric

strength through Ch'i		strength through muscle
				    and bone

People have heard stories about the amazing feats of strength and power 
that martial arts masters could perform.  Things like smashing bricks and 
boards, defeating several people at once, killing charging bulls with their 
bare hands etc.  These things are tricks designed to impress the gullible 
and cover up a lack of genuine skill.

	The martial arts from the orient are grounded in the philosophies of 
Taoism and Zen.  These philosophies view nature in a holistic manner.  All 
of Creation is seen as obeying the same laws and operating under the same 
principles and this includes the human experience.  Further, this "Way" 
cannot be understood by talking about it, but only through experience.  
"The Tao which can be spoken of is not the genuine Tao."  (Tao Te Ching, I)

	The method of imparting the martial arts in China and Okinawa was 
to strive to be as natural in movement as possible.  In keeping with the 
Taoist philosophies it was believed that to return to the natural state of 
child-like innocence was "the way of Heaven" and was therefore more 
desirable.  Hence, masters of various arts could practice without being 
obvious.  

	Unfortunately, those who have true skill were very hard to find 
because they didn't advertise and would only teach select members of their 
families and friends.  The situation is even worse now.  Many of the truly 
inspired practitioners of China, Okinawa, and Japan have taken there skills 
with them to the grave.  Of those that are left, most just won't make their 
skills public. 

	Which bring us to the situation here in the U.S.  During WWII the 
Marines had posts on Okinawa.  Several of them learned that being a big 
strong soldier didn't count for much when they tried to pick fights with 
the smaller Okinawans and got their butts unceremoniously kicked.  
Eventually, some of the Karate teacher accepted the Marines as students.  
Now, at that time, Okinawa was wrecked by the war and there was poverty 
everywhere you looked.  The Marines represented an easy source of income 
for the Karate teachers.  So they took them as students, taught them some 
fundamental stuff, and promoted them to black belt just when their 18 month 
tour of duty was up.  So back they came to the U.S. with their new-found 
_expertise_ to spread the gospel of Karate.  The sad fact was, however, 
that the real meaning of what they had studied was never taught to them.  
There were a few exceptions, but not many.

	Later on (say, in the past 20 or so years) there has been a bit of 
a relaxation on the part of a few truly knowledgeable teachers some of whom 
moved to the U.S.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, many of the "renowned 
experts" had egos that were too big to allow them to listen and learn from 
such people and they continue on their merry way teaching trivialities and 
charging people large sums of money.  A few, however, were fortunate enough 
to be able to learn from those who had something to teach.  Many of the 
truly great ones are realizing that if they don't make their knowledge more 
accessible it's going to be lost forever.

	So where does all this leave the person that is interested in 
learning the martial arts?  Well, if one is interested in just getting 
some exercise, and doing something that looks martial, it probably doesn't 
make much difference what you study.  One caution is that you should make 
sure the school you choose has the safety of the student at heart.  Also, 
stay away from the schools where the teacher beats the students up (or 
uses excessive force) in the name of demonstrating techniques.  A truly 
skillful can teach without being abusive.  Many, many, schools allow 
students to engage in free sparring way too early in their training.  This 
is done to keep the students interest but it's asking for an injury.  As I 
mentioned in a previous reply, fighting is not a game.  It should be taken 
seriously or bad things can happen.

	At this point you may be saying to yourself, "But what if I want to 
learn the more subtle aspects of the martial arts?"  To find a teacher of 
high skill is not easy.  They usually don't advertise.  It's a pretty fair 
rule of thumb that the more they blow their own horn, the less they have to 
offer.  "Those who know do not speak.  Those who speak do not know."  (Tao 
Te Ching)  A skillful teacher of the martial arts should be able to teach 
on a very down-to-earth level without having to resort to obscure 
explanations to justify their methods.  They should be a living example of 
both the inward and outward principles of the art they teach.  That is to 
say, their martial art should be a philosophy of living, not just of 
fighting.  As such, they will teach you to view yourself as a complete 
system within creation--a universe within a universe; obeying and using 
the same laws that direct the motion of the planets and the growth and 
death of the plants in your garden.  These are the ones whose skill in 
fighting is inscrutable; whose hands, while appearing flaccid, feel hard as 
steel when touched.  They are out there, but you have to look very hard to 
find them.

    On a slightly different topic, I was exposed to a new (for me) type of
    martial art (sorta) last Saturday.
    
    There was a demonstration in Harvard Square of "Capiero" (I'm sure
    that's spelled wrong.)
    
    The Master told the history of this martial/folk art.  Apparantly when
    slaves from Africa were brought to Brazil, they brought with them
    knowledge of martial arts.  However, by law, black slaves were not
    allowed to learn how to fight.  So instead they changed their fighting
    into dancing; or rather, they kept practicing fighting, but they made
    it *look* like dancing so that they wouldn't get harassed by
    police/slave-owners/etc.  They then used this fighting skill to help
    free themselves and later free other slaves.
    
    It was really beautiful!  It looked like a cross between kick-boxing,
    gymnastics and break dancing.  The fighting itself was sort of slow-mo
    and very little actually contact between the dancers/fighters.  The
    music was very rhythmic, with drums, tamborines, bells and
    some-name-I-can't-pronounce that looked like large bows.
    
    Anyway, really neat.  Apparantly the fellow heading the demonstration
    group runs an academy in Boston.  (What's Portuguese for "friends"? 
    That's the name of the place.)
    
    D!

    re.21 Recently read a SF story called 'Gorgon Child', part of
    which takes place in a women's commune. There the women practice
    a martial art derived from (I think) ancient women's dances from  
    India. The dances were really disguised forms of a martial art, 
    kept alive under the noses of the husbands.

    re: .21
    
    There's a book that has a chapter in it on this Brazilian art (I can't
    remember the spelling of it either).  If you'd like, I'll make a copy
    and send it to you via snail-mail.

    Hi D!,
    
    I recently moved to South Carolina, but I worked in DEC up north for 10
    years.  All during that time I took Tae_Kwon_Do from a great school
    (that has branches throughout NH and Mass.) headed by a DECcie who has
    been in the martial arts for over 35 years. (.10--maybe it was the same
    guy?)  I attained 4th degree black belt with him and had my own school.
    In addition to an excellent program, we learned a lot of self-defense.
    In fact, thanks to his training, I still teach self-defense seminars from 
    time to time.
    
    In my opinion, he runs the best schools, classes, and programs.  If
    you'd like, I'd be glad to talk or send mail off-line with you about
    it. 
    
    Jane Crocitto DTN 393-7355 or SHALOT::CROCITTO
     

    RE.21
    
    D! ..You were very close! It's called Capoeira.  My ex-husband is
    friends with a man who runs a Capoeira studio in Boston if anyone
    is interested in learning more about it or going to one of his
    demonstrations, send me mail and I'll try to get some info to send
    to you.
    
    Pam

	I have some info on the place I mentioned earlier that I
	was going to try:

			JUNGYAE MOOSUL

	It is Korean and here's some tidbits from some of their
	literature.

	(it does talk about internal and physical training)

	Areas of training:

		WISDOM 	 (experience and knowledge) in the mind
		SPIRIT 	 (philosophy and attitude) in the heart
		STRENGTH (skill and health) in the body
	
		KICKING	 (foot techniques)
		PUNCHING (hand techniques)
		THROWING (leverage techniques)
		WEAPONS  (extended body techniques)

	"...I teach all of my classes; and, if you are accepted as one of 
	my students, I promise to teach you the Philosophy of the True 
	Martial Artist and I will devote my life to you ... 

	 		 Life is like water.
		Cow drinks water and makes milk.
		Snake drinks water and makes poison.
		Life can be changed by attitude and discipline.

			PEACE through STRENGTH"

			Grandmaster Wonkuk Kim
		

	

    
    nudge to those interested in martial arts....to see the dedication and
    devotion and growth you can have with it.
    
    Go see or read Iron and Silk, by/starring Mark Salzman
    
    -Jody
    

    Try Tae Kwon Do.  Many women have more lower body (leg) strength than
    upper body (arms) and this art uses mostly kicks.
    
    
    
    
                                   L.J.

    It might be good to be extra watchful fo the Tae Kwon Do schools in the
    area.  Many of the ones that are run by Korean "Masters" try to entice
    their prospective students into long term contracts.  If they try to
    get you to sign up for their "Black Belt contract" the hair on the back
    of your neck should stand up.  Also, ask if it is mandatroy to test for
    promotion every time testing is done and what the charge (if any) is
    for these promotions.  Because of many of these types of schools, Tae
    Kwon Do is often referred to as Take One's Dough.
    
    Also (and this is NOT funny) there is a school in the area where the
    head man has tried to put the moves (and I don't mean TKD moves) rather
    forcefully on select women students.  I won't mention name or location
    here, but if you're thinking about TKD, I'll spill the beans via phone
    or E-Mail.
    
    Ron
    mention name or location here, but if any of you are thinking of taking

    Tai Chi is a very traditional Chinese Ku Fu. We usually call it
    "the old people's exercise" here in Hong Kong. But never think its
    a easy-doing and useless Ku Fu. The legend about the originer is
    that the originer learnt it when he saw a snake fought with a mouse.
    He learnt and modified, and the legend tells us that after he trained
    with Tai Chi, he can walk on the snow without leaving a footprint!
    
    Actually Tai Chi is very good for the body and our mind. And the
    exercise volume for playing a Tai Chi is even higher than playing
    a game of 90min soccer.
    
    One Tai Chi player tenth of years ago had given a performance on
    his Tai Chi. A famous Japanese boxer gave him a very strong punch
    on his stomach, the Tai Chi player not only can stand still, but
    can gave a great shock to the boxer without any movement on his
    body. The boxer was thrown several meters away. And the most important
    is the boxer is young and very very strong, while the Tai Chi player
    is a 70-year old man.
    
    But as I saw from this topic, I do suggest girls to play Judo. I
    learn Judo when I was 12 and our Judo club do teach girls self-defence.
    And my body went good after I learnt Judo.
    
    
    Mickwid from Hong Kong.
    
    
    

I do not have personal experience with this, so I will share what I learned
from a recent newspaper article.

It said that it would take several years of learning Aikido before it would
be effective in self defense.  

It said that Judo was mostly defensive.  I thought that if Evan wanted to learn
martial arts some day that I would direct him there, especially while he was
under 12 or so.

For me, I decided Karate would probably be best.  I would like to learn the
throws and landings from Judo, but I would want to be able to attack my
opponent if he didn't stop attacking me.  I wasn't sure of balance problems
that might come from a kicking form, so I chose Karate.  

Mind you, this is currently all in theory.  There are lots of classes I would
love to take, like fencing, voice, piano, woodwork, etc, too.  Some day... :-}

       Carol

    I recently enrolled my 11 year old son in Karate classes.  He knows
    his father is a pacifist (and so is his mother to a lesser degree).
    
    Karate lessons have taught him to use his brain: "The scholar is over
    the warrior."
    
    Nothing has taught him to honor and respect his teachers and parents
    like Karate!  He's started saying, "Yes," instead of, "Yuh."  He does
    the dishes and takes out the garbage without reminders and without
    complaining.  Incredible!
    
    Richard

    re: .31
    
    Carol,
    
    	Aikido generally takes longer to be useful as self defense because
    of the way that people view it, not due to any shortcomings of the art
    itself.  It has fallen into the trap (yes this is my opinion so those
    of you charging up your flamethrowers, take a pill) of being viewed as
    a new age dance rather than a martial art.  The founder of Aikido,
    while known as a devoutly religious man of peace, was also one of the
    most repected fighters of his time.
    
    	Judo has become almost entirely a sport with only a small handful
    fo schools teaching the actual combat methods.  To a large degree, this
    is also true of Karate.  If you're looking for a school that will teach
    you to defend yourself, then stay away from the "belt factories"  that
    are interested in playing tournament-tag and tell you that training
    this way will prepare you to defend yourself.  Nothing could be further
    from the truth!
    
    
    Ron

    re: -.33
    i'm not sure if this is exactly apropo here, but ...
    
    much the same problem exists in the "armed response" camp.  There are
    lots of folks out there who will teach you how to shoot for their 
    "game" (steel plates, bowling pins, paint-ball wargames) who will 
    claim it will "help" you prepare for conflict.  What often does happen 
    is that habits are formed which are good for the contest, but bad for
    your survival prospects.
    
    FIND A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHICH STRESSES "REAL WORLD" CONSIDERATIONS.
    	[dale]
    

    re: .34
    
    dale,
    
    	You hit the nail right on the head!  It's exactly the same mind-set
    as the martial arts schools that teach their students to dance around
    looking vaguely martial because they don't want to face the fact that
    they (they meaning the average Joe Blackbelt) are not prepared to face 
    the reality of combat.  And this applies to both armed and unarmed combat. 
    That's not to say that dancing around looking vafuely martial has no
    value.  It's great for aerobic exercise, it's fun, it leads you to
    believe that you're learning some age-old Asian secrets.  But what is
    bad is when the schools that teach this way tell their students that
    what they are being taught is useful for defending themselves.  (I know,
    I know, everybody has the story of their 98 pound cousin who whacked
    some guy that got fresh with them and he scampered off whimpering.  So
    their 6-month self defense course is the greatest thing since Bruce
    Lee movies.)  But training like this is NOT going to prepare anyone to
    survive against the person that is hell-bent on
    raping/robbing/beating/killing you.  That's where the game ends.  And
    they are out there.  The sad fact is that we live in a society where
    violence is an everyday occurrence.  The best way to prepare for the
    eventuality of a violent attack is to understand the nature and
    dynamics of such situations.  
    
    	Look for training situations that try to simulate violent
    encounters as closely as possible. Such training is intense.  But
    anything less is dangerous to the student.
    
    Ron 
      
    	

D!
	I've practiced Tai Chi for about 10 years and think it's
been very important to me.  I'm not 'good' at the sparring .. and
Tai Chi has no 'belts' or goals to reach aside from learning the
form..lucky for me. I love it and continue to practice. Right
now I'm not taking classes, but I will again , I'm sure.

	I liked Ron Matthews' rundown in Part I of II , of the
differences between an external and internal martial art.  I also
very much agree with his comment about the importance of your 
teacher embodying the principals of the art. 

	I studied with Alan Shapiro , in this part of the country,
and recommend him highly.  I've also heard Bruce Pasha's
name as a fine teacher. 

	On another subject you mention in this note, I got a 
flier at my health club for a Capoeira performance at Boston
University this Saturday evening, July 20, 7:00pm at the
Tsai Performance center, $12 at the door. I've put a note
about it in the Martial Arts notes file.

Good luck in your search.
Amy  

For the last two years I have been dealing with some serious stresses,
and I knew I needed to do someting to take care of myself.  I was
considering taking up either ballroom dancing or some type of martial
art.  In the last year, I noticed that the health club next door to
where I live offered Karate classes, and I thought that would be
very convenient to try.  But I never got around to signing up.  Then
a couple of months ago, the ergonomics specialist who has been working
with me to solve some of the problems I've been having with repetitive
trauma syndrome recommended Karate.  He said the phyical training
would help me better get in touch with and heal my body, and the mental
training would help me acheive a level of "professional detachment," so
I could better deal with the emotional stresses.

Having someone "prescribe" Karate finally gave me the motivation to
get started, and I am on my fourth week of classes.  Now I am wondering
why I waited so long.  It does seem to be exactly what I need.  I
think I am addicted.  Two classes a week are not enough.

It has been a strange experience, however.  It took me five classes
before I could look at myself in the mirror during the class.  It
still feels funny.  It brings back all the feelings of awkwardness
that led me to quit taking ballet classes when I was 11.  I am
terribly unathletic and have a poor sense of rhythm.  PE was my
worst subject in school.  But fortunately the atmosphere is very
supportive and I have not felt too embarrassed.

The weirdest thing so far happened the first time we new students
praticed with each other.  The instructor had us use each other as
targets.  We were not supposed to touch each other, but only to aim
for our partner's gi.  I ended up paired with the only other woman
in the class.  When we were practising kicks, she accidentally
touched me.  Not enough to hurt, but a hard touch.  She was so 
surprised by the experience of contact, that she broke into giggles,
which of course broke me up, too.  Not very dignified.  By the end
of the pratice, I think we were even on touches.  It did feel odd.
After the class we talked about how men are more likely to have
experience making contact with another person in that way, though
playing sports.  But for us it was a new experience.

D!, and anyone else who is considering taking up a martial art, I
hope you don't "think about it" for two years before you finally
start, like it did.  You deserve to do it now.


Mac

D!,

	I was just curious if you've chosen a martail art yet.  If so, how 
do you like it so far?

				Regards,
				  Ron

Nope - things got amazingly unexpecdately busy recently, and I have had to
drop a lot of the activities I enjoy, and certainly can't handle any *more*.
As soon as I get some time, I'm going to do it.

Thanks for asking!

D!

    Said in his best master Po voice -
    
    Grasshopper, the path is only truly clear if your _heart_ does
    not stumble or fall by the wayside.
    
    
    Sorry, I got a million of 'em >;-)

     <<< Note 851.40 by SA1794::CHARBONND "forget the miles, take steps" >>>

>    Said in his best master Po voice -
>    
>    Grasshopper, the path is only truly clear if your _heart_ does
>    not stumble or fall by the wayside.
>    
>    Sorry, I got a million of 'em >;-)

You must read the books on Kung Foolishness that I do.  ;')

    We used to sit around and write parodies of all that 'profound 
    wisdom' - stuff like, "Remember, Grasshopper, insanity needs 
    no reason!"

Ahhhh Mosquito, never forget that a rolling stone gathers momentum.

    Ahhh grasshopper, never forget that a rolling stone has
    right of way.
    
    

And a bird in the hand can make a messy hand.


Wait, oh my gosh, I think I'm experiencing a little Sator.. 

Ahh shucks, it was just gas.	*8-)
    

    I practiced Aikido for a couple of years at the Nashua YWCA.  The
    form was Tomiki, which explains why moves work.  For example, get
    the attacker's wrist down to this point, and out past their little
    toe, like so, then they are off balance.  Then whip the wrist back
    up over here to make them land there...  This approach appeals to 
    the engineer in me.  The other style, Ueshiba, went for the more 
    spiritual approach.  
    
    Aikido does take quite a bit of practice to be effective.  I  just got
    to the point where some of the katas "clicked".  I could dance them.  I
    felt (and looked) graceful.  I had never been particularly good at
    dancing.  It was a wonderful feeling.  I enjoyed teaching others,
    especially women, how to do the moves.
    
    I got my brown belt and thought I was pretty good, so I was in for a
    shock when one of the guys came at me "realistically" during a demo.  I
    was run over. Eventually I lost the time and interest to pursue the art
    any further.
    
    If you are in it for the art, Aikido is wonderful.  There are no
    tournaments, and the sensei I studied with didn't charge for belt
    tests, only the belts.
    
    Do sit in on a few different classes before settling on a sensei. I
    found one school in Lowell to be surprisingly rough.  Some students,
    apparently with the sensei's approval, would not stop applying pressure
    in holds, even when I tapped out, indicating that they had the hold
    right and it was starting to cause pain.  Also, as pointed out in
    earlier replies, some schools are into the spiritual aspect more than
    others.  Keep shopping til you find what feels right to you.
    
     			Barbara b.