Welcome Guest 

Register

Forum Home » Off Topic » The Prancing Pony » Martial Artists
12
Author Topic:
Eloise
Giver of Smores
Posts: 370
Send Message
Avatar
Post Martial Artists
on: August 26, 2003 08:14
I'm curious as to anyone on this site do any form of self defense or martial arts. Call me nosy, but I'm very interested in different styles and thought this could be a place for us to discuss what our styles are like and things.

Anyway, I'll start off. I've been doing Shindo Shotokai karate for 8 years and I'm a brown belt, black tab. Shindo is a non contact style which is VERY similar to normal shotokai and kinda similar to Shotokan. I really enjoy it, I've made some of my best friends through my club. I'm one of the few girls that practise (there's only two of us above green belt) And without trying to boast, I'm the highest junior at our club which is a huge achievement as I'm female, have been practising for less time than the guys and they outnumber me five to one

So, enough about me, what about you? How long have you been practising? What style do you do? What grade are you at?
eowynshue
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 182
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 26, 2003 08:27
i think my martial art is kinda limited to "wax on wax off" lol

i used to do jui jitsu (or however its spelt, lol) but i only did that for a couple of months because i didnt have time to contiue and i didnt really like the way it was taught. being in a big group of people better than me is scary *hides*. i prefer the "training on your own so no one sees how bad you are" idea lol

non contact style


i like the sound of that lol
ElvenWytch
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 278
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 26, 2003 11:21
Yay, others like me!
heh. I studied traditional (as opposed to olympic) tae kwon do, for about three or so years before switching to Shotokan Karate (the love of my life, heh.) I've been studying that for, ummm, three or so years now. I tried softer styles but they're just not nearly so much fun. I absolutely adore Shotokan, and I generally compete in our region every year.
Oh, yeah. I'm 4th kyu (senior green belt) in both styles.
eldir
Mirkwood Enigma
Posts: 370
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 26, 2003 03:10
I did Ju Jitsu for four years, quitting at brown belt. I got graded to brown just before I stopped, but unfortunately never actually got to buy the belt. I even got to instruct a few times!! I've been thinking lately of going back, but I'm not sure if I will or not.
Aowyn
Resident Shieldmaiden
Posts: 1232
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 26, 2003 03:31
Back in my college days I studied Judo and Cuong Nhu, a Vietnamese style ("the way of hard and soft) that was designed for people of a smaller stature, like me.
I was especially proficient with the bo (long staff)--and we did a little tai chi practice as well, which I find very soothing and I still like to practice occasionally in the back yard.
Eloise
Giver of Smores
Posts: 370
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 26, 2003 08:26

My favorite thing is weapons especially the staff and nunchucks.

You get to practise with weapons? You lucky people! We get to use bos occasionally but thats just for Bo kata. We were going to do more weapons but then our instructor that was going to teach us had an argument and left. Lol, our club seems to split about once a year. Last year, we changed from shotokai foundation to Shindo shotokai and then this year our instructor left.
Elvenwytch, you must be good! Our style has elements of shotkan in it, the "harder" more physical stuff. I can't do it for the life of me! The bad thing is, I need it for black belt
Linithiel
Council Member
Posts: 61
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 27, 2003 12:17
Wow, you guys are all so good at it. I've been doing Shotokan karate for about a year and a half now, and I'm a yellow belt at the moment, which is the third one. I haven't done any for ages though, because of the summer holiday, so I'm really out of practice! I love it though - it's the only sport I'm remotely good at!:blush:
Dream~Giver
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 900
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 27, 2003 09:56
I practice a form called Jung Sim Do. It's a combination of Tae Kwan Do, Hap Ki Do, and Judo. It's sooooo much fun! However, if there's one thing I can't stand about it, it's sparring. x_X; I get really nervous whenever I have to spar. Problem is, I can't seem to find a way to break it. Another thing I don't like is Judo. XD I just don't like being picked up and thrown across someone's shoulder OR across the room. ^_^


Despite all that however, I absolutely adore it.

[Edited on 8/6/2006 by Dream~Giver]
Linithiel
Council Member
Posts: 61
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 28, 2003 12:29
Oh, I love sparring!:love: It's so fun! I'm alright when I spar with most people, but when I'm fighting against my younger sister, she just beats me up!
Eloise
Giver of Smores
Posts: 370
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 28, 2003 07:41
What do you guys mean by sparring? It's jsut someone (I'm soo sorry I can't remeber who) sounded like they ment they sparred with weapons. We do sparring but it's just hand to hand and it's always safe distances and you don't get to do it untill you have enough control that you won't kill the other person if they don't move out of the way That's the great thing about karate, I've never actually been hurt practising and there's only ever one time that someone's been hit at my club (and thats because they were mucking around)
Do any of you guys go to courses? My club went to a junior summer school in july. It was great, apart from the fact that the brow/black belt group had to do an hour of hard, fast kata with proper stances and then an hour at night, barefoot on the frezzing cold grass after the hour of evil practise we did earlier. We were all shattered.
Sorry this is so long, I could talk about Karate all day!:love:
ElvenWytch
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 278
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 28, 2003 12:47
Speak for yourself.
My sensei has this dreadful drill. Your partner swings a bo at your head (or legs or middle) and you have to counter or move. It wouldn't be so bad except you have your eyes closed. We do practice extremely carefully however.
falather
Council Member
Posts: 579
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 28, 2003 12:55
Oooh...I've always wanted to try karate or self defense classes. I know people who take lessons, but I've never gotten to try it. I do fence, though. It's not really the same thing, but I enjoy it. My sister is in my class, and we always have fun in our bouts.
Ithiahir
Council Member
Posts: 331
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 28, 2003 02:30
ok, the class i took was ju-juitsu. but my instructor held a 3rd degree blackbelt in ju-jitsu, some degree in brazilian,some degree in taekwondo and a certified self defense instructor. so it was almost a mix of all that. and there's some kickboxing in it too. ( hehe...) i'm sad though. i quit a couple years ago to do dance, and i quit dance to do youth orchestra. now i'm still wishing i did ju-jitsu. i got a high purple belt. and if i'd waited one more month, i'd have been a brown belt.

~we also learned something w/sticks....anyone know what it could be called???
falather
Council Member
Posts: 579
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 28, 2003 02:33
Were they big bamboo sticks? If they were, it might have been kendo (I think that's what it's called).
Linithiel
Council Member
Posts: 61
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 29, 2003 12:31
We've never used weapons; none of us are good enough! We just punch and kick each other and have to block them. I love it!
Eloise
Giver of Smores
Posts: 370
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 29, 2003 03:35
I like sparring as long as you get to choose how you move and stuff, not just doing oizuki, oizuki, oizuki, agiuki (sorry, I have no idea how to spell these words. If you have different words at your style, I'm basicly saying punch, punch, punch, block) I like the sort where you get to circle round your opponent, thats fun!

My favourite thing to do though, is kata. I know a lot of people don't like it and think its boring, but it's the thing I'm best at and I love learning new katas. For my birthday last year, my instructors gave me a book called Karate do Koyan by Funikoshi which is actually shotokan but we do the same sort of stuff. It had most of the katas in it! I've spent the last year trying to learn them by dechipering the pictures!:love:
WoodlandGuard
Council Member
Posts: 45
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 29, 2003 10:16
My style is Shidokan, Im a 14 and I have a Brown belt, 3rd degree, and I've been been practicing since I was seven. Unfortunately I'm the only Girl in the kids class at my Dojo. Sparring is the awesome, I love it, but my favorite thing is Kata, I'm not sure whether or not they do it in other styles, but its like a organized set of moves that you preform without an oppenent, its really cool cuse' you get to us tons of moves that you never normally us juring sparring.
Ithiliell
Council Member
Posts: 20
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 29, 2003 11:54
Hey, there. I've been in Tae Kwon Do--O Do Kwon for about four years now, though I'm only an orange belt. I had to take a couple years off for college. Anyway, we practice traditional TKD, my grand master having been taught from a man who fled Korea during WWII, I believe. Anyway, my heart lies not in the kicking a punching, but in the weapons. As of right now, I am learning the bo, kamas and double wakizashis. I prefer smaller weapons b/c of my small frame. Strangely enough, I prefer the bo over escrima sticks. Anyway, just my style and preferences.
Eloise
Giver of Smores
Posts: 370
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 29, 2003 10:46
I was just wondering, those of you that do kata, what kata do you know up to?

I know up to the 8th and then it gets a bit patchy because I can never remember what order they come in I can do Teki shodan, mekio, kwanku dai, bassi dai and I'm learning hangits (sp?) I've seen other styles practise though, and they don't seem to do nearly as many katas as us, maybe it's because I'm always nagging our instructors to teach us more:love:
Linithiel
Council Member
Posts: 61
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 30, 2003 01:12
Wow, Eloise, you must be so good! I've only done the first three katas. I missed a couple of lessons because of my GCSEs, so I haven't learned the fourth one yet, even though my sister knows it. I've probably even forgotten the third one by now.:blush:
ElvenWytch
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 278
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 30, 2003 08:56
Ummm...
I know all of the beginner kata ( the 5 Heians, Tekki, Bassai dai and Bassai sho) and most of the black belt katas. My sensei teaches us all of them: we don't just do "our" kata. Advanced kata are a lot of fun, especially the ones like Empi and Unsu (sp?) with jumps.
Eloise
Giver of Smores
Posts: 370
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 30, 2003 10:26
Elvenwytch- I'm SOO jealous! You know bassi sho? It's not in my little book and my instructors are completly useless at kata. One of them doesn't even know Kwanku-dai and you need that for black belt!

Merenwen- I've never actually had karate burnout, but I think the best way to deal with it is probably to do what your doing or to try doing a different aspect of your style- learn a new kata or some new techniques. As for tournaments, our club doesn't do competitions so I can't help you there!

Ok, now I have a question of my own! To get to black belt I need to put something into my practise that my instrucotrs describe as assertiveness. It's basicly when you have strength behind your attacks and katas and look like you really mean what your doing. I've been trying to get this for months, I've done everything from imagining I'm hitting orcs to having someone physicly stand infront of me but I can't seem to get it. I have a big course in a week (on my birthday too. Lol, they're going to wipe the floor with me!) and I really want to be able to do it as soon as possible as my next chance to get graded is in november. Does anyone have any advice?
Lady~Eowyn
Illusionary Heart
Posts: 1582
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 31, 2003 11:48
I am in kung fu. I'm a green sash right now, take note that I am only 13.Plus I only go once a week because of school and stuff and also because I am the smartest person in my grade, I gotta keep my rep lol. Our style is supposed to be the white craine style. I practice sparring occasionally with the higher saahes like black and red there are not blue or browns currently. Because you see, our classes are free and it's at a college, and not that many people come, and I am about the youngest person there.
ElvenWytch
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 278
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 31, 2003 03:32
Eloise: Try 24 Fighting Chickens, no seriously, it's the best shotokan/shotokai website I've found and it has all of the katas including the obscure ones like Bassai Sho, and Goju Shiho Sho. Also, the Cyber Dojo has most of them too. :love:
Also, advice on assertiveness. I stink at that too, but I generally try to yell a lot and glare and that seems to work OK.

I haven't ever actually burn out, but it's a near thing. I like everyone (well, almost everyone) in my class and the sensei is a friend of mine. He's really great, so that helps a lot.
Elessedil
Council Member
Posts: 1
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: August 31, 2003 09:53
I've got 4 years of Shotokan karate behind me, and 3 years of kickboxing.
I'm really happy I did the karate thing first, cuz there I learnd alot of selfcontroll and how my body works. Then I got the hard-fighting-style in kickboxing. Where I really learned how to use my body, and hardened my body.
haldir_of_lorien
King of the Dead
Posts: 441
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 03, 2003 12:34
I took karate (I can't remember which kind) for two years (when I was 8-10) and I was a purple belt which is two steps down from black. I liked using nunchucks and those little knife things that you put in your palm and block with the underside of your arm out and I am still proficient with fighting with a bo.

~Haldir
ElvenWytch
CoE Volunteer
Posts: 278
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 04, 2003 09:34
haldir; I think they're called sais, but I'm not sure.
El~Cugu
Council Member
Posts: 18
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 04, 2003 12:05
yup...they are called sais (but I'm not sure if thats how it's spelled)
Me I never took any classes, my father did : Judo, karate, Tae-Kwon-Do and another one I just don't remember. He is teaching me some stuff, but mostly I'm self taught.
haldir_of_lorien
King of the Dead
Posts: 441
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 06, 2003 07:48
Ah, yes sais, that was it. I love those things.

~Haldir
Lorien_Greenleaf
Council Member
Posts: 605
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 09, 2003 03:38
I don't know the first thing about karate, but my husband is close to Master, I believe.
Legolin
Council Member
Posts: 25
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 09, 2003 07:49
I studied Tae Kwon Do for several years and have been taking Hap Ki Do and Ju Jitsu for some time now.

I highly enjoy the weapons and throws, but our style is quite well rounded. Incidently there is an instructor of ninjitsu (one of the few real ones) about 150 miles away, so I may be going out there for instructions in that art in the near future.
Gildor-Inglorion
Elvellon ar Pethdan
Posts: 296
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 09, 2003 01:57
definitely go for Aikido. Its very very enlightening... and a much different (and IMO more useful) viewpoint in martial arts. The ability to percieve distance, timing, motion as continuous systems and turn that into effective power against an opponents movement (via their own effort) is quite astounding.

Then of course there is always Kendo which is good old fashioned sword (er stick actually now days) bashings
falather
Council Member
Posts: 579
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 10, 2003 01:32
Do are you actually taking a kendo class? I'd like to, but I don't know of any in my area.
There's a guy in my fencing class who has a few kendo sticks, and we sometimes beat on each other with them. My instructor knows a little about using a two handed-weapon and tries to give us tips, but that's not really his area of expertise. We're probably not doing it the correct way, but we have fun trying.
Gildor-Inglorion
Elvellon ar Pethdan
Posts: 296
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 11, 2003 09:10
lol, well I can't tell you much more as I don't take it myself. I do have a general idea of the philosophy behind the sword play though and the body movement.
DreaminofValinor
Council Member
Posts: 5
Send Message
Avatar
Post RE: Martial Artists
on: September 12, 2003 09:26
i've been doing karate for 3 1/2 yrs, and i'm a shodan ho. my style is called chutoku ryu budo, and it's a combination of a lot of styles. it's mostly tae kwon do, tho. my shihan is a 6th degree black belt. the thing that's different about my school is it's a christian dojo. (it's called karate for Christ, and we pray in and out of class, and have a 10 min devotional at the end) i don't mean to start any arguments or whatever about that, i'm just stating the way it is...
anyway, every summer shihan does a weapons course thingie, and i've done nunchaku, bo staff, and escrima. i know nunchaku sho and ni, and bo sho. also in terms of kata, i know the chon gi patterns, plus tekki sho dan, basai, pasai, (we switched to pasai, because it's the original version, but i still know basai..hehe) and naihanshi.
anyway, the aforementioned style is mostly the only one i do, but my shihan is into cross-training a lot, so the black belts are doing goshen jutsu in our classes. i could do brazilian jujitsu, but i tried it and i hated it.. my school also offers aikido and tai chi, but throwing isn't my forte, and i wouldn't like tai chi, so i'm kind of a one-tracked person.
anyway, i'm done....
12
Members Online
Print Friendly, PDF & Email