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I can answer most questions relating to the martial arts in general. My special interests relate not only to martial theory, but to training methodology, teaching, sports science, and personal growth through martial arts training. If you are thinking about beginning a martial arts practice or have questions about how to optimize you current training to meet you goals, just let me know.
I have been involved with martial arts for most of my life. Since 1984, I have practiced and taught a martial art called Taido in America and Japan, and have participated in events all over the world. I began assistant teaching as a teenager and founded the Georgia Tech Taido Club in 1996. I have been training actively in Japan since 2003. In addition to Taido, I have previously studied Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jutsu, Shotokan Karate, Kaikudo, and a few other things.
Japan Taido Association
Taido/Blog, the Finnish Taido Association's "Kamae" magazine, World Taido Federation Homepage and "Taido Times" magazine.
BA in sociology, minor English. Additional studies in education, Japanese, and information design.
5dan Renshi (5th degree black belt instructor) in Taido.
Modern martial arts are both arts and sports. There is a lot of potential for personal exploration and expression. From a physical perspective, martial arts practice is primarily a solo activity, but competition typically involves one or more opponents - this is possibly unique among sports.
I'd love to open a few more dojo and help spread Taido to other areas of the world. Besides that, I plan to deepen my practice of yoga and continually refine my technical skills in Taido.
There are tons of things most people (myself included) don't know. If I didn't think the martial arts were full of interesting things yet to learn, I would have given them up years ago.
Ranking politics, the meanings of various belts - these are consistently hot topics. Also number of students in a school vis a vis quality. The histories of various martial arts is often controversial as well. Any activity so steeped in competition is bound to attract controversy.
| User | Date | K | C | T | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose | 10/22/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| Megan | 10/20/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Amazing advice. I love the fact that ..... |
| raul | 09/15/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | thanks! |
| Frances | 08/31/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Great! monitoring the school is definitely in ..... |
| Aldo | 08/31/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Your baddas dude! |
It depends on the league rules. For example, in MMA, Pride and UFC had different rules. Whether or not you wear headgear in competition is a matter of the rules of the particular sporting organization
The shot answer is that you can't really know. The thing about a punch that 99% of people neglect to think about when they are discussing technique is that it requires two things: a puncher and a target
Megan: It's wonderful that you found a school where the instructor and class is friendly and makes you feel welcome. That can be a big challenge for some people. It sounds like your only concern is
OK Raul, I have a better idea of what you are asking now. In such a case, I would suggest looking into the schools in your area more closely to see if there are any that can accommodate your schedule
Raul: I have many answers and some questions, too. Good fighting arts for today are whatever arts get practiced in a manner conducive to the development of fighting skills. Most "styles" of martial
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