From: naldrett@bcarh893.bnr.ca (Steve Naldrett)
Subject: Re: How to choose a Martial Art discipline?
Reply-To: naldrett@bcarh893.bnr.ca (Steve Naldrett)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 17:39:02 GMT

In article <1992Apr9.165707.2984@craycos.com>, sog@craycos.com (Steve Gombosi) writes:
> In article <1992Apr6.202737.24494@bnr.ca> naldrett@bcarh893.bnr.ca (Steve Naldrett) writes:
> >In article <og7NiB1w164w@student.business.uwo.ca>, gsteen@student.business.uwo.ca (Garnet Steen) writes:
> >|>      I have been interested in the Martial Arts for years (no, not the 
> >|> movie garbage, but the defence, physical fitness and mental discipline 
> >|> aspects) but now that I am ready to get involved, I have no idea where to 
> >|> start.  I picked up a couple of magazines, and they are like comic books. 
> >|>  I think they must be primarily for wanna-bee tough-guys or something.
> >|>      One of my problems, is that I have no idea what the REAL differences 
> >|> between Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Jude, Aikido and all the other forms are 
> >|> (excuse any spelling errors).  I also don't know what the diffence is 
> >|> between "schools" of Karate, say, are.  Like, what is Kenpo Karate?  
> >|> Finally, how do you choose a school to learn at?  
> >|> 
> >|> gsteen@student.business.uwo.ca (Garnet Steen)
> >|> Western Business School  --  London, Ontario
> >

> 
> >   a) Soft - redirect opponent's energy using soft, flowing motions,
> >             and very little of your own energy, control opponent 
> >             through leverage and balance
> >      P - aikido, tai chi, aikijitsu??, kung-fu
> >
> >   b) Hard - stop opponents energy with your own, direct blocks, 
> >             kicks and punches, break boards, etc.
> >      P - tae-kwon do, karate, kung-fu, kendo
> 
> Funny, I've never seen a kendo player break boards ;-).

If you count the shinai as a board, I've broken many, using my
head, my wrists, and my sides :-(.  Actually, what I meant was
straight line techniques, with lots of force, and kendo 
certainly has that.  I've got the bruises to prove it.


> *BASIC* karate techniques are, in general, hard. Most *ADVANCED* karate
> techniques are not. This classification is like watching a 2nd grade 
> arithmetic class and concluding that mathematics consists of
> memorizing multiplication tables. At certain levels it's extremely appropriate,
> at others it's not.
> 

At the dojo where I practice kendo, we follow a karate class,
which I usually see the last 10 or 15 minutes of.  I've never
seen them do anything that could even remotely be considered
soft.  But then I don't know what style it is, and I've never
practiced it, so what do I know?


[stuff deleted]

> >
> >   b) Crush-and-Maime (beat opponent into quivering, broken,
> >      bleeding mass):
> >      P - all others?? 8-)  <- note smiley before flaming please!
> >
> 
> Hmmm...the next time you see an aikido-ka do shiho-nage, visualize what his
> *sword* is doing (yes, this was originally a kenjutsu technique) before
> concluding that he's "not hurting opponent" ;-). Or, for that matter,
> think of some of the nastier possible variations of irimi-nage (broken
> necks tend to shorten classes dramatically).
> 
> Ignoring that, may I point out that colliding with pavement at a high
> rate of speed is a pretty good way to be transformed into "a quivering,
> broken, bleeding mass" ;-). Or, in the words of Frederick J. Lovret:
> 
> 	If someone attacks me, I hit him with the biggest thing 
> 	I can find - THE EARTH.

I'm aware of the kenjutsu origins of some aikido techniques, but
if the *intent* is to apply it without the sword, and not hurt the
opponent, isn't that still considered soft?  I'll concede the point
on the rest.

> >5. Anything else?
> >
> >Some MA's, like tae-kwon do and kendo have international
> >organizations which regulate them, and are therefore the
> >same almost anywhere you go.  
> 
> Some, like TKD, seem to have a dozen international organizations which seem
> to spend a lot of time defaming one another ;-)

I used to practice ITF, and a little WTF.  I thought that was
all there was.  But then things may have changed in the last
six years.

> 
> >Others, like karate and kung-fu,
> >have hundreds of variations on styles, are not necessarily
> >regulated, and you have to choose your school carefully
> >as you sometimes find crackpot instructors who will do you
> >more harm than good, and are only in the business to make
> >money. 
> 
> This is a good point about almost any art. Go, watch, think about whether
> or not:
> 
> 1) This is something you'd like to practice
> 2) These are people you'd like to practice *with*
> 3) These are people you'd like to be taught *by*
> 
> When you train in a martial art, you are entrusting your personal
> safety to your teacher and your fellow students. If you don't feel
> comfortable with that, you shouldn't train with them. If somebody
> lays a "hard sell" on you - LEAVE AND DON'T LOOK BACK. 
> 
> >
> >Steve
> 
> Oh, God, not another one...we'll have to develop some sort of naming
> convention ;-)
> 
> Steve

If you think this is confusing, I had 2 roommates named Steve for
about 6 months.  

Steve

--
Steve Naldrett (naldrett@bnr.ca) | These are my opinions only, nothing else
Bell-Northern Research Ltd.      | expressed or implied.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada          |