Ship of Fools: Kung Fu Fighting - Shipmates and martial arts?

Thread: Kung Fu Fighting - Shipmates and martial arts? Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by jbohn (# 8753) on :

Gwai's response here in the "warmongering Christ-deniers" thread in Hell got me wondering - how many Shipmates are martial artists?

I'll start - I study Yang-style T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Eclectsis (as the name suggests, an eclectic style combining Southern Praying Mantis kung fu, Western boxing, etc.)

How about the rest of you?

Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :

And there you had to link to my post with the painful typo! [Big Grin]

Guess I should check in since I've been noticed. I do Tae Kwon Do, in theory because it keeps me active, but mostly because it I love it.

Posted by ArachnidinElmet (# 17346) on :

I'm adept at the art of Ecky Thump . [Smile]

Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :

I trained for a few years in Shokotan Karate, but haven't trained recently. Partly owing to having trained JKA style and then discovered that it is really difficult to access clubs teaching that style except in a limited number of parts of the UK.

It would matter less if it didn't incorporate a basic (and functional) technique into every single move that is not taught in most common shotokan variants in the UK.

You are taught to do a hip snap with everything - it is a technique that increases your power and acts like a shock absorber. When you don't do it you can feel the difference.

Also, I originally trained in a really good university club, and when I have looked for other dojos the training has been of much lower quality and I have been concerned about the injury risk as a result. (E.G. First lesson with beginners, teacher setting us to freestyle sparring in the second half of the session, before he had taught said beginners how to body stop.)

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :

I have a black belt in Jidokwan Taekwondo. I taught children's classes for a while which was a lot of fun!

The only time I had to defend myself was against a 'friend' of my ex who decided to throw a punch at my face while my ex and I were talking to him. (Both guys were very drunk.) Training took over, and I simultaneously blocked the punch and my knee was stopped within an inch of his groin. Scared him. A lot.

I agree with Gwai:

quote:
A great example of active passivism, since martial arts provides one choices of how much violence one wants to use, and causing lasting harm is generally a choice.

Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :

I don't have much personal experience in martial arts, but my son attends a Mennonite school with a curriculum built around their pacifist philosophy. As part of their curriculum, the students train in Harmony Akido.

Posted by Pommie Mick (# 12794) on :

I train at a boxing gym and it's a part of my local ministry.

Probably getting too old for competition, but if I'd got into it when I was younger I'd be up for it, even as a cleric.

Posted by Desert Daughter (# 13635) on :

On-and-off for 35 years now: I started with Judo as a child, stopped that when I grew tired with the club life and the need for competitions (I have always been a happy loner). In my 30s I got bored with jogging and went back to the Martial Arts, practised traditional Ju-Jitsu happily for a couple of years until the club broke apart due to stupid politicking- and there was no viable alternative club around. I then tried Aikido for a while but joint problems made that increasingly painful and my doctor told me to stop. [Waterworks]

I miss it a lot.

Posted by jbohn (# 8753) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Doublethink:
(E.G. First lesson with beginners, teacher setting us to freestyle sparring in the second half of the session, before he had taught said beginners how to body stop.)

That's an, um, interesting way of going about it...

quote:
Originally posted by jedijudy:
Training took over, and I simultaneously blocked the punch and my knee was stopped within an inch of his groin. Scared him. A lot.

Nicely done.

quote:
Originally posted by jedijudy:
I agree with Gwai:

quote:
A great example of active passivism, since martial arts provides one choices of how much violence one wants to use, and causing lasting harm is generally a choice.

Absolutely. Something we spend a good deal of time on in my classes is controlling the amount of power used in relation to the circumstances at hand.

[ 14. November 2013, 12:44: Message edited by: jbohn ]

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

Our T'ai Chi instructress is a martial arts practitioner. She always points up the offensive/defensive aspects of the moves we're learning. However, since most of the class have trouble getting to grips with just balancing, I can't see South Edinburgh OAP ninjas happening any time soon.

Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :

quote:
Originally posted by cliffdweller:
I don't have much personal experience in martial arts, but my son attends a Mennonite school with a curriculum built around their pacifist philosophy. As part of their curriculum, the students train in Harmony Akido.

Similarly, I started training because of a Mennonite who was actually teaching it in his church's space while it wasn't being used--in fact he is still one of my teachers--and I really enjoy how much that throws people until one explains.

Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

I'm pretty adept at crazyass street fighting (though it's been years, thankfully. I'm averse to pain) does that count? [Biased]

my sons both studied Tai Kwon Do in a church basement, also. (AOG) They've done quite well in it. I loved that after his first year or so, my eldest son said he understood a whole lot more of why I do yoga!

Posted by Scots lass (# 2699) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
Our T'ai Chi instructress is a martial arts practitioner. She always points up the offensive/defensive aspects of the moves we're learning. However, since most of the class have trouble getting to grips with just balancing, I can't see South Edinburgh OAP ninjas happening any time soon.

I love the idea of aged ninjas rampaging round Morningside, kicking aside anyone who gets in their way in Waitrose...

I'm not long in from a kickboxing class. I've been going for 2 and a half years now, and I do love it - great exercise, fun, bit of a skill, and when you grade you also have to do self-defence, so useful as well!

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Scots lass:
I love the idea of aged ninjas rampaging round Morningside, kicking aside anyone who gets in their way in Waitrose...

Gracefully displacing with a fluent white crane spreads its wings, please.

Actually, we were discussing this during a break in the class and deciding we might not be able to fight muggers, but we could certainly seriously puzzle them.

Posted by Bob Two-Owls (# 9680) on :

I have a few black belts in various arts, Karate (Wado), Iaido (Muso Shinden/Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu) and Koryu Kobudo. What really floats my boat is semi or full contact sparring in Western Swordsmanship. That is the sort of sparring where you count your fingers afterwards.

Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:
Originally posted by Scots lass:
I love the idea of aged ninjas rampaging round Morningside, kicking aside anyone who gets in their way in Waitrose...

Gracefully displacing with a fluent white crane spreads its wings, please.

Actually, we were discussing this during a break in the class and deciding we might not be able to fight muggers, but we could certainly seriously puzzle them.

That might work well with the pacifism thread over on purgatory... what a brilliant example of creative non-violence! Get them so hopelessly befuddled they don't know what's up!

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

quote:
Originally posted by cliffdweller:

quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
Gracefully displacing with a fluent white crane spreads its wings, please.

Actually, we were discussing this during a break in the class and deciding we might not be able to fight muggers, but we could certainly seriously puzzle them.
That might work well with the pacifism thread over on purgatory... what a brilliant example of creative non-violence! Get them so hopelessly befuddled they don't know what's up!

{tangent alert}

I heard a story about someone who tried to rob a phone company store. When the robber demanded money from the cashier, she snapped, "I can't let you have it; it's against company policy!"

The would-be robber turned and ran.

{/tangent alert}

Moo

Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :

Similarly I heard a lovely story about a formally trained martial artist who is accosted by a mugger. I don't know if it's true, but I hope it is. The would-be victim replies politely to try to avoid violence and mentions his martial arts hoping that the mugger will give up and not bother. Not a chance, the mugger replies, albeit probably less politely.
So the guy starts thinking about what he will do when the mugger comes at it, and since he's preparing to do his martial art, he automatically bows. That's what he's always done before he did martial arts with a partner after all in class.

It's that instinctive action that makes the mugger turn and run.

Posted by Michael Snow (# 16363) on :

Shodan, Judo

Posted by Michael Snow (# 16363) on :

Don't miss ArachnidinElmet's link, above, to Ecky Thump!!!

Posted by Meerkat (# 16117) on :

I studied Shotokan Karate in the 70’s and did enjoy it. I only had to use it once for real and it saved me from anything worse than a bruised nose.

One other member of our Dojo was at a grading with the prominent Sensei (Japanese) at the time and tells me the story of when the Sensei and he were walking back across a car park in the dark after the grading. They were set upon by four yobs and before my friend could 'get his arse in gear', the Sensei had done a 'Bruce Lee' and (ahem) 'dealt with' all four of them! I wish I could have seen it!

Posted by Squirrel (# 3040) on :

I studied Aikido, which has a nice philosophy, but which I eventually determined would be practically useless in a real self-defense situation.

Then I took up Krav Maga. Sometimes dubbed "Kosher Karate," KM is a system of hand-to-hand combat used by the Israeli army. It's not exactly something you'd send the kids to in order to learn the value of sportsmanship and a little Oriental Philosophy, but it works.

Posted by Suze (# 5639) on :

I train in Shotokan Karate, I absolutely love the focus it requires which totally takes my mind off work pressures and other stuff. I also love knowing I can seriously kick ass if needed...

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