From: poore@ds13.scri.fsu.edu (David Poore)
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
Subject: Re: Stop it! (was Re: Nice combos with cat claws (or other combos))
Date: 15 Oct 92 14:06:40 GMT
Reply-To: poore@ds13.scri.fsu.edu (David Poore)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Florida State University

In article <Bw5AEI.Hq0@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> shulick@navajo.ucs.indiana.edu (Sam Hulick) writes:
>In article <1bi6h0INN5p4@agate.berkeley.edu> robinson@cogsci.Berkeley.EDU (Michael Robinson) writes:
>>Great.  Just what the martial arts community needs:  some sub-white belt buys
>>an esoteric weapon mail order, goes and slices up a random non-martial-artist,
>Did I say random?  No.  And not for offense, either.  And when I say "non-MA,"
>I mean someone who isn't going to retort with an outside jumping crescent kick

Well, Sam, I think Michael has a valid point that you should consider.
What do you suppose will happen if you get into a conflict with one of
these rednecks, and you DO defend yourself with a shuko? You think
that's going to be the end of it? That there aren't going to be police
involved? This person is just going to go off to the hospital to get
treated and tell the doctor his girlfriend did it to him? (Never mind
the impracticality and probably illegality of *carrying* a weapon like
this!) What if you kill the person?  Or maim them? You say you don't
like guns. What don't you like about them? How is it any different to
wound someone or defend yourself with this weapon? 

>already.  It's self-defense, and I hate guns.  I see why people are somewhat
>...<
>would be extremely "bullyish."  And the fact is, I just don't have the time nor
>money to take hapkido or TKD right now, so I'm winging it.  The reason I said

I can understand this, as I've been there myself. Just be patient. You
will have the time and money sometime in the future.

>that the combos are good against MA's.  No way.  Most likely, if I tried my
>combos on a yellow or orange belt, or above, I'd lose.

Don't count on it. I've been studying for 5 years (which is a pittance),
and I have no doubt that you would rip me to shreds with that weapon if
we were in a confrontation and I was unarmed. 

>As far as the redneck bit: The rednecks around here do NOT take martial arts

Sheesh, where do you live, Fresno? Let me assure you, there are *plenty*
of rednecks in North Florida, yet in my 21 years living in this town
I've never been in a fight. I've *seen* countless, and I even hang out
in relatively seedy places! What is the deal?

>that, I just have an interest in exotic weapons (and a will to learn how to use

Fine. I have no problem with this, and I doubt the people who post here
do either. In fact, I would imagine that many of the people here, like
me, have had such an interest throughout much of their lives! Hence the
interest in MA! I've been collecting swords, knives, and other odd
weapons since I was 10, but I don't know how to use a damn one, nor
would I try in a defense situation. 

>hostile confrontation here, it's most likely going to be an
>ego-inflated
>...<
>tossed around by these people, and after they leave, I just fume
>because I
>...<
>am a non-MA?  So don't flame.  I read&post to this group to learn what I can,
>...<
>attack, and if I am BEING attacked by someone, I want to be able to not back
>down and to actually stand up.  (I guess you can say being pushed around since

[I re-arranged some of this to preserve a little continuity in my
responses]

Ok, good. You read this group to learn what you can. How long have you
been reading it? How many discussions have you seen about actual
technique. Very few, right? Why? Because this is a completely inadequate
means of transmitting that kind of information! With the exception of
groups of individuals with consistent training, consistent nomenclature,
etc., there really is no point in doing so. What you do see are
discussions of backgrounds, histories, individuals, basic stylistic
concepts and differences, and something which comes up quite frequently:
*situational awareness*. 

This is what you should learn from this group. It sounds like you are
getting into confrontations fairly regularly. Why? What can you do to
avoid it? If you don't like getting beat up, and training isn't an
option, then you need to consider what *other* things you can do to
*avoid* it! Are you in places you shouldn't be at times you shouldn't
be? Are you doing something to provoke it? Are you not doing something
to *diffuse* a situation that you or someone else provokes? Are you just
getting mugged at random? Do you hang out in biker bars in Fresno? These
kind of considerations will go MUCH farther in addressing your apparant
problem than 20 years of cat claw training. And if none of this applies
to you, you need to supply us with more specific information.

David Poore
poore@ds13.scri.fsu.edu

PS Great .sig.
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts