Weight Loss Made Easy

[I:http://testblog2.kathypop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/AlCase3.jpg] I was working in a tubing factory a few decades ago, and wordspread that I was training in the martial arts. A Philippine co-worker came up to me at one point, and he said, \”You no study martial arts, martial Arts bad…bad, \” then he shook his head and walked away. From this quick meeting I ultimately realized how the martial arts were invented.

As one might expect, I was quite surprised by my co-workers viewpoint, the Philippines were famous for their martial arts, and so I tracked him down and queried him further. \”Why do you think the martial arts are so bad?\” I asked. This is the anecdote he told me.

\”One day I decide I need martial arts, so I go outside and chop tree. I chop like this (he did a downward chop, as if hammering down on somebody\’s head), and a I chop and I chop. I practice this karate two hour a day for two year.

\”One night my neighbor have wild party, and three in morning I go ask him to stop it. He laughed at me, so I use karate on him. I chop his head and he turn upside down, so I run home and worry I kill him…that why Karate bad!\”

I didn\’t l reveal my grin, because he was serious, he really thought that karate was bad, and didn\’t understand that his bizarre method of training, and his own lack of control, might have something to do with the art \’being bad.\’ But his story led me to wonder where and how the martial arts had been invented. I mean, the fighting disciplines are as old as the world\’s second oldest profession, so how did they come about?

They came into being because somebody wanted to take something away from somebody, and they came from somebody wanting to stop somebody from taking something away from him. This is the same as lawyerism, but applied to the actual hit and punch that occurs when politics breaks down. Eventually, the idea of taking something away from somebody, or protecting your property from somebody reached the levels of armies and weapons of mass destruction.

The idea that what you own belongs to me, and I don\’t have to pay you no stinkin\’ money…that is where the fighting arts originated. And people train to war, and steal money and property and wives and whatever else they think can get away with. And, oddly, as my previous words gave hint, the solution to this avarice and bastardization of art is…in the study of the true art.

You study the art to protect yourself, and in that study you discover yourself…you discover your self worth, and the idea that you are honorable and don\’t have to fear others, or that they might take from you. On the day that everybody on earth knows the martial arts, on that day the avarice and war stop, and on that day everybody will know where the martial arts come from. They come from within, from the spirit that is you, from the honor that motivates every beat of your heart and every breath you take.

Find the true arts at Monster Martial Arts. Whole arts, faster training methods, a logic that has never been seen in the combat disciplines. Mouse to Monster Martial Arts. A-1

[I:http://testblog2.kathypop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/AlCase26.jpg]When we speak of the best martial arts forms we are speaking of those martial arts kata that result in a gradual and excessive benefit to the student. To be truthful, I usually recommend learning as many forms as possible, then specializing on the ones that the student prefers, although there can be tweaks in this approach. I recommend learning whole systems, first taekwondo, then karate, then kung fu, and so on.

The kebons are good, basic forms, and are common to both karate systems and taekwondo systems. Though there are three to five of these, I don\’t usually count them as forms because they are learning the important but easy ABCs of the martial arts.

The next batch of kata to study would be the Taeguks as taught in Tae kwon do. These are basic patterns, more advanced than the kebons, but not as advanced as the Japanese Heians (Pinans). Though they take a few moves from the Heian forms, they serve them up as straight hand to hand techniques, no secret throws or weapons disarms, and no real generation of intrinsic energy.

After the taeguks one should move directly into the Pinan forms from the Shotokan system, the Isshin ryu system, and other Japanese martial styles. The Pinan forms are actually designed more for weapons and weapon defenses, though not many people know that. The idea here is that one studies the Taeguks for hand to hand, then moves into the Pinans for a basic understanding of weapons disarms, and the beginnings of chi generation.

After the Pinans one should learn the three forms found in the Pan Gai Noon, which are the base forms from Uechi ryu Karate, and which are actually three extremely intense gung fu forms. These three patterns are sanchin, seisan, and sanseirui, though the last one is often thought of as more of a demonstration form. These three unique kata are specifically designed to build the intrinsic energy known as chi or ki.

The Sanchin form teaches a student to fasten the body/motor to the ground. There are not a lot of moves in it, but the moves are excellent for teaching one to use hard energy in self defense moves.

Sanchin is the power form, but seisan is the technique form. This form takes the power of sanchin and translates it into (probably) 13 specific self defense techniques. These are all based on one specific move called wa uke, which is a circle and grabbing block.

So to ultimate arrangement of forms is Kebons to Taeguk to Pinans to Sanchin and seisan; or, as art, from taekwondo to karate to kung fu. This sequencing of martial arts forms provides the student with the most complete arrangement of classical martial arts training possible. Other forms can and should be leaned, but the heart of the art can really be found in this arrangement of art.

Learn more about the correct way to sequence all the Martial Arts forms with the Evolution of Art course at Monster Martial Arts. Mouse to Monster Martial Arts. A1

[I:http://testblog2.kathypop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/AlCase29.jpg]This secret move is actually inside karate fighting systems, as well as kung fu fighting systems, or just about any martial art you might know. This is because it is a basic motion of the arms. This basic motion, once one knows it, will give rise to virtually all the techniques of the martial arts.

Stand in a natural stance, feet shoulder width and extend the arms straight out in front of the body. Bend the arms slightly and make circles with the arms in front of your body in a clockwise manner. The circles should be about three feet wide, and should overlap each other by about a foot.

As you make these circles you will see a sequence of blocking moves. At one point your right arm will be in a high blocking position and your left arm will be in a low blocking position. As you circle the arms clockwise of the limbs you right arm will pass through an inverted low block (back of the wrist protecting the groin) and your left arm will pass through a palm block (protecting the face).

Anybody who attacks you will encounter one of these blocks, or enter into the swirling motion of your arms. You can angle the blocks and cause all manner of manipulations simply by adjusting the footwork. Take a step, turn the hips, pivot, all will change the angle of the circles, and you will find other types of blocks.

If you hold the distance and focus the circles you can perform hard and bruising blocks. If you step into a person and circle the attacking limb it will change into a lever and a joint manipulation or a throw, as you might find in Gracie Jujitsu schools. Tighten it up and go at a person and you will do the basic Bruce Lee blasting technique.

Thus, this circling of the arms is inherent in any art, and most students will play with it at some time in their careers. Unfortunately, they don\’t usually explore it to the degree necessary to understand the basic conceptual nature of the circles. Yet, a few decades into the art, an accomplished student will invariably realize the fundamental usefulness of the arm circles.

I discovered this move in Pan Gai Noon. The wa-uke circling block is a variation of this fundamental motion. It wasn\’t long before I saw it in the various kung fu fighting systems, and then the kenpo fighting art and all the karate fighting systems. I was quick to make it the pivotal point of my own Shaolin Butterfly Kung Fu home study course.

In summation, let me point out that this arm motion opens the door to endless fighting techniques. If you alter the direction of the circles, or change the direction of one of the circles, you will find virtually every martial arts technique imaginable. Go ahead, look at your martial arts patterns and kata, and you will find that this little trick is at the heart of every martial system, and not just Shaolin Kung Fu Systems.

If you want to learn Shaolin Gung Fu online, Monster Martial Arts specializes in Gung Fu video course. 2

[I:http://testblog2.kathypop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/AlCase7.gif]I doubt whether most martial arts training halls, be they Goju Ryu or Mixed Martial Arts or Jujitsu or whatever, have ever had a crazy guy in their school like Mud Car. We called him Mud Car because that\’s what his license plates on his automobile stated. That vehicle, more than just about anything else, told the story of Mud Car.

He had strung parachute webbing across the insides of his car because he felt that parachute webbing was best for holding his car together on the inside. He had fire extinguishers clamped throughout his car. He had a switch on his dashboard to give extra power to his tail lights, and he clicked it whenever he faced away from the sun so that people behind him could see when he braked.

This was all surface stuff, though. The most impressive thing that Mud Car did was memorize the times of all the traffic lights in San Jose. He could traverse that large town without ever hitting a stop light.

Unfortunately, when it came to Karate, he was just as crazy. He couldn\’t stretch, couldn\’t control his body, and, because he had no control, it hurt to work with him. Just being around him you could feel the sparks in his mind shooting into the cosmos.

One day he interrupted the instructor to complain about a pain in his leg. \”It doesn\’t hurt me that much, but it keeps nagging at me, do you know how to make the pain in my leg go away?\” My instructor looked at me with murder in his eyes, I suppose he didn\’t want to look at Mud Car because he would kill him, and he blurted, \”Hit your leg with a lead pipe…that\’ll make the pain go away.\”

I suppose the ability to drive other people crazy is the deciding factor in this matter of whether a person is insane or not. At any rate, Mud Car never made it to Black Belt. He just didn\’t have the mental maturity that denotes a black belt.

One day, however, a new sensei took over the training hall, and Mud Car was promoted to Black Belt within a short time…and then he left the training hall. He had gotten what he wanted, and the new instructor knew that was the best and most efficient way to get rid of Mud Car. But the truth is…I missed Mud Car.

He was nuts, but so is the guy who goes after you on the mean streets, so if you could last a session with Mud Car without getting hurt, you knew your art was working. Furthermore, there was a shift of standard here, for Mud Car had been promoted to black belt because he could drive people nuts, not because he was a competent martial artist. Finally, I think that is where the True Art started disappearing from the martial arts training halls of America…schools, even dojos like classical hung gar or Parker Kenpo or classical Aikido, did not administer soothing discipline to the insane, they just promoted them to get rid of them.

If you want to go crazy through the martial arts…drop on by Punch \’Em Out. If you want to go sane through the martial arts…try Monster Martial Arts. 2

[I:http://testblog2.kathypop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/AlCase13.jpg]Power, in the Martial Arts, especially martial arts like Karate or Kung Fu is often measured by how hard you can hit. Thus, people hit the bag and the Makiwara, and they do push ups to strengthen their arms, and…and they are doing it all wrong. You see, there is one critical factor that they are missing, and so all their push ups and punches are having less effect than they would wish.

I want to make a point here…and I can only do that by asking you one specific question. Where, during your punch, do your arms bear the most weight? The answer is obvious, they bear it at the end of the punch, when the arm is nearly extended.

So why do you need to work your limb across the whole range of motion from the floor? Being strong at the beginning or middle of the hit is not where you need the strength. Concentrating your work out through the whole range of motion is not putting energy into the exact part of the punch where you need it.

So, do a work out, make it gentle and general, and build up your arms as a whole unit, then focus your work out on the end of the punch. This is easy to do, you can do it for virtually any exercise. All you have to do is isolate the part of the exercise where the arm is nearly extended, and put weight on that part of the exercise.

Let\’s say you\’re doing that staple of all exercise, a push up. Do the push up until your arms are nearly extended, and that\’s where the real work out starts to happen. Do as many six inch push ups with the arms nearly extended, as you can, fast, concentrating on keeping your belly tight and having good form.

Here\’s the point of it all, you need to concentrate the work out, and feel the power, in your shoulders. When you punch something the jolt of impact is going to go up your arms and directly into the shoulders. Thus, it is the shoulders that must become strong and dense, it is the shoulders, as felt in the last six inches of the push up, that must be built up.

Make the shoulders thick and dense, and do the exercise at various times of the day, until the muscles of the shoulders become as matter of fact as the leg muscles of a marathon runner. It\’s funny that people have never thought of this, and I wonder at it, but it is common sense. I suppose the problem is that people get a general idea of exercise and never actually look at the exact goal they are trying to accomplish.

So do those \’long arm 6 inch push ups like they are going out of style. Do them and put your awareness in your shoulders, letting your shoulders lightly bulk and become immensely dense. This is the way you develop a punch that is stronger than the next fellows, this is how you create the most powerful punch in the universe.

Al Case, The Doctor of the Punch, has studied martial arts 4O plus plus+ years. If you want the straight goods on how to build the most powerful punch in the world, pay him a visit at Punch \’Em Out.

[I:http://testblog2.kathypop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/AlCase7.gif]Bobby lost his left arm because of a childhood illness, but it didn\’t slow him down. He rode bikes, was athletic, and did everything a child is supposed to do, except for one. He never did the martial arts, he assumed that that was one activity he would never be able to do.

When a martial arts school opened up in his neighborhood, however, he could not stop thinking about it. He would pass by the school slowly, staring at the kids working out inside. He would ask his friends who studied martial arts about their training, but he never went inside the dojo because he knew that there was no way he could do that physical discipline.

One day a friend of his invited him to the dojo to witness a demonstration. Bobby went, and watched, and sadness ate at his heart like a chainsaw chews bushes. After the demonstration, Bobby was introduced to the instructor, who invited him to study the martial arts.

\”I don\’t see how I could,\” said Bobbie, \”since I only have one arm.\” The instructor smiled and merely said that having one arm wasn\’t a problem. He held that all things are possible to a man with a whole heart.

So Bobbie began learning martial arts. He threw himself into the practice like a starving man attacked a plate of food, and he made good progress. Unfortunately, the instructor, while he would show Bobby all the techniques, would only let him work on one specific technique.

Day after day, week after week, Bobbie concentrated on learning this one technique. Dutifully, he worked out the problems with his execution until he could do the technique as smooth as silk. Still, the instructor would not let him move on to other techniques.

One day, the instructor came up to Bobbie and said, \”I\’ve entered you in a tournament.\” Bobbie was aghast, he just knew he was going to be beaten like a dirty rug and tossed like yesterday\’s salad. Still, he trusted his instructor, so he went to the contest.

He faced his first opponent, and when that foe charged, he used the one technique and won the match. And he used that one technique to defeat a second fellow, and then a third one. When the end of tournament came, Bobbie had his division!

The next day Bobbie went to class and thanked his instructor. \”The thing I don\’t understand,\” remarked Bobby, \”is why that technique always worked!\” His instructor grinned and said, \”The only defense for that technique, in all the martial arts, is for your opponent to grab your left arm.

Al Case has analyzed martial arts 4O++ years. He knows lots of Clever Tricks, like the one you just read about. Stop by Monster Martial Arts and pick up a free ebook.

Taido was thought up Seiken Shukumine. He founded this Japanese budo school in the early 1960s. The meaning of Taido karate is “way of the body, and it is based on a classical Okinawan fighting method known as Te. Taido was not the only time that Shukumine had founded a unique martial arts style. When he was not yet 30 years old, he created a new kind of karate he called Gensei-Ryu.

Karate and other fighting styles have been widely practiced in the West for a number of years. In those years, prior to the founding of Taido, most training was rudimentary and the original techniques for this “empty handed” style of fighting remained essentially unchanged. yet, peoples perception of martial arts was changing and Shukumine was a student of philosophy and noticed what would have to be rethought as far as how traditional martial arts styles of training were concerned.

Shukumine understood that there were some problems with karate that limited the way it was able to be applied and taught. There was a lack of innovation and originality and the repetitions of the essential punches and kicks would quickly cease to challenge many students.

Older martial arts techniques involved set and uninspired movements. Karate didn’t change over the years with new methods and instructions that were given to the students.

Shukumine saw that a martial art would be accepted as a defensive art form if he could conceive a way to include more adaptable movements and innovations. He wanted to provide students the chance to become inspired by their training and this required that the work and instructor had to inspire them. These thoughts became the driving force that would lead him to create Taido karate. Before he founded Taido, Seiken Shukumine developed a martial arts form that is still practiced today called Genseiryu. This was universal in its appeal, but still he knew that he could do more.

He felt that he could update traditional karate movements and instruction methods, and finally after ten years of teaching Genseiryu his new Taido karate form opened. Taido is a modern, advanced styleof martial arts that employs many aerial moves. It requires a student to incorporate twists, spins, speed and changing angles of the body. Shukumine’s dream was to use Taido karate to promote the study and training of karate and other martial arts.

The purpose of Taido is to improve the awareness of the students who train this martial arts form. Shukumine had one ultimate goal as far as the study of Taido karate was concerned. He expected to be able to help all Taido practitioners reach their maximum potential in everything they do.

Taido Principles

Taido practitioners must make sure that their mind is calm and relaxed. The mind needs to be as reflective as a polished mirror. Then they can understand the very heart of any situation. If the mind is kept calm and clear it will keep a student from being confused.

Taido teaches students that the mind and body must be harmoniously composed. They must work together as a single entity. When a person acts in the right manner, any type of threats will not worry him.

Taido students are taught to practice calling upon the deepest power that is at the center of their being. Once a Taido karate practitioner can do this, they will not experience any fear of confrontation or battle.

If a Taido student follows these actions, they will always manage to act in an honorable and right manner.

Taido teaches free thought, adaptability and flexibility in both techniques and belief. When a person has appropriate moves, their challenges cannot defeat them.

Basic Techniques of Taido

Sen- Taido movements that involve vertical spinning. Un – movements making use of wave like motion that ascends and descends. Hen – kicks that involve a toppling motion resulting in changes to the axis of the body. Nen – movements with horizontal spinning. Ten – tumbling or flipping motions.

Besides the punches and kicks, there are two different methods that are used to prepare to deliver the strikes. Unsoku – fast and wide footwork for adjusting space and angle to the opponent. Unshin – locomotion movements that are acrobatic in nature and dont involve actual stepping on the floor.

Taido Competition

There are some unique types of Taido Karate competitions that students can participate in. Jissen is the act of sparring, Taido style. Taido forms are called Hokei – closely related to kata in Karate. Tenkai- these are routines that are enacted by teams of Taido members in which the central hero must stand against five of his “opponents” and show challenging or new techniques.

Taido was the brainchild of Seiken Shukumine. He started this Japanese martial art form in 1965. The meaning of Taido karate is “way of the body, and it is based on an older Okinawan fighting method known as Te. This was not the only time that Shukumine had developed a unique martial arts style. When he was only 25, he created a new kind of karate that was known as Gensei-Ryu.

Karate and other martial arts had been popular in the West for a number of years. In those years, prior to Taido, most practice was very basic and the common techniques for this “empty handed” style of fighting remained essentially unchanged. yet, peoples perception of martial arts was going through a transition and Shukumine was a student of philosophy and noticed what needed to be altered as far as how old-style karate styles of training were concerned.

Shukumine understood that there were some problems with karate that limited the way it was able to be applied and taught. There was a lack of innovation and originality and the repetitions of the essential punches and kicks would quickly cease to challenge many students.

Older martial arts tactics consisted of rigid and uninspired movements. Karate didn’t adapt over the years as far as the methods and instructions for the students.

Shukumine saw that the martial arts would be accepted as a defensive art form if he could conceive a way to generate more movements and innovations. He wanted to allow students the opportunity to be inspired by their training and for this to happen the work and teacher had to inspire them. These thoughts became the driving force that would help him to create Taido karate. Before he founded Taido, Seiken Shukumine launched a martial arts form that was called Genseiryu karate. This was quite popular, but still he knew it wasnt enough.

He felt that he would have to update traditional karate movements and training methods, and finally in 1965 his new Taido karate form opened. Taido was a modern, unique form of martial arts that includes many aerial moves. It requires a student to make use of twists, spins, speed and changing angles of the body. Shukumine’s hope was to use Taido karate to promote the study and training of karate and other martial arts.

The purpose of Taido is to improve the awareness of the students who train this martial arts form. Shukumine had one ultimate goal as far as the study of Taido karate was concerned. He expected to be able to help all Taido practitioners reach their maximum potential in everything they do.

Taido Principles

Taido practitioners must make sure that their mind is calm and relaxed. The mind needs to be as reflective as a polished mirror. Then they can understand the very heart of any situation. If the mind is kept calm and clear it will keep a student from being confused.

Taido teaches students that the mind and body must be united in their purpose. They must work together as a single entity. When a person acts in the correct manner, any type of threats will not bother him.

Taido students are taught to learn to call upon the inner spirit that is at the core of their being. Once a Taido karate practitioner has achieved this level, they will cease to experience any anxiety of confrontation or battle.

If a Taido student follows these actions, they will always manage to act in an honorable and right manner.

Taido teaches free thought, adaptability and flexibility in both techniques and thought. When a person has appropriate moves, their challenges cannot best them.

Taido’s Technical Movements

Sen- Taido techniques that involve vertical spinning. Un – movements making use of wave like motion that ascends and descends. Hen – techniques that are initiated by a toppling motion resulting in changes to the axis of the body. Nen – movements with horizontal spinning. Ten – diving or rolling motions.

Besides the punches and kicks, there are two different methods that are used to prepare to deliver the strikes. Unsoku – fast and wide footwork for adjusting space and angle to the opponent. Unshin – locomotion movements that are acrobatic in nature and dont involve actual stepping on the floor.

Taido Tournament Events

There are some special types of Taido Karate competitions that students can participate in. Jissen is Taidos sparring, Taido style. Taido forms are called Hokei – closely related to kata in Karate. Tenkai- these are routines that are acted out\enacted by teams of Taido members in which a defender is given the opportunity to defeat five of his “opponents” and show challenging or unique techniques.