From: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To: the_dojang-digest@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Subject: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #50 Reply-To: the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Errors-To: the_dojang-owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Precedence: The_Dojang-Digest Mon, 25 Jan 1999 Vol 06 : Num 050 In this issue: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #48 the_dojang: Re: Control vs. Full Contact the_dojang: short people got no reason ......... the_dojang: Re: tournament injury dawn? the_dojang: Y2K the_dojang: Re: weapons the_dojang: Re: Dojang romance and pregnant BBs the_dojang: Re: Kuk Sool Won History the_dojang: Shoulder Harness/Back Exercise-Reply. the_dojang: Re: Beer analogy + Ki Re: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #48 the_dojang: Re: stretching manual the_dojang: Your Family's Personal Safety the_dojang: Re: Power / TDD V6 #49 the_dojang: MA & Pregnancy the_dojang: Pregnancy and MA the_dojang: Majic and the Martial Arts the_dojang: Re: Understanding Ki the_dojang: Korean language question, but off topic the_dojang: Re: Understanding Ki the_dojang: Re: Ki (attempt 3) the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #49 the_dojang: . ......................................................................... The_Dojang, serving the Internet since June 1994. ~800 members strong! Copyright 1994-99: Ray Terry, California Taekwondo, Martial Arts Resource To send e-mail to this list use the_dojang@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe the_dojang-digest" (no quotes) in the body of an e-mail (top line, left justified) addressed to majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com Replying to this message will NOT unsubscribe you. See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and online search the last two years worth of digest issues at http://www.MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! Ray Terry, PO Box 110841, Campbell, CA 95011 KMA@MartialArtsResource.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Steven Gilmore Date: Mon, 25 Jan 99 12:46:36 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #48 > So if you are interested in testing your school's >computers for the y2k bug and avoiding being part of the massive computer >crash that is being predicted...simple tests that you can preform on your PC's to see >if it will crash. Not to start a flame war about computing platforms, but this is not relevant to Macintosh computers, which have always been Y2K-friendly since their introduction in 1984. Sincerely, Steven Gilmore San Antonio, TX ------------------------------ From: "Nate." Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 12:45:47 CST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Control vs. Full Contact >Subject: the_dojang: RE: Control vs. Full Contact > >>>>Years ago you were most complimented if you could generate a kick and >stop it within an inch of your opponent. I'm not sure that anybody is >even teaching that anymore. > >Jamaica >jamaica_power@hotmail.com<<< We still practice this at my school...not only with foot techniques but with hands as well. For example, doing backfist drills with a partner. The upper belts should be able to make their partners' hair move. ;-) Of course the other person has their teeth clenched just in case. My personal favorite is stopping a round kick and barely touching their hair. Just love the look on my sparring partners face... IMHO...it's better to pull a kick and show them you *could* have floored them but didn't...than to be completely out of control. -=Nate=- by83stu@semovm.semo.edu http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/8350/mskindex.html "For Some it's the Path...not the Goal" ------------------------------ From: "Perry Seto" Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 10:57:48 -0800 Subject: the_dojang: short people got no reason ......... I apologize if this gets posted twice. I sometimes have trouble with my email system (or does it have trouble with me) Yes, Melinda, I AM calling you short ...... lol (and there is a Santa Claus). Anybody who is shorter than me qualifies as short. :-) (as I closely guard my shins and knees) As Michael Sarles pointed out, and I wholeheartedly agree, there's nothing wrong with throwing nothing but punches in a sparring match - as long as it's effective. Like him, and I'm sure many others of you, I've seen entire matches go without a single punch being thrown. I wish they would get back to scoring good punches. I think the thing about this that is most frustrating to me is the lack of balance that occurs with TKD training (once again, I'm talking about the schools that concentrate on WTF/Olympic style training). (Personal opionion time) I've always believed that one should seek balance in martial arts as well as in life - both from a macro standpoint and a micro standpoint. When it comes to techniques, there should be a balance between legs and hands - knees, elbows, fists, feet, etc - they all can be used as weapons. I never claimed, nor will I ever claim, that my training has been totally balanced - TKD has always been a kick oriented art to me - but the weighting was more 60/40 or 70/30 then 99/1 I see today. I've always enjoyed watching someone block and counter with a punch (and knock the snot out of the other guy ) as much as I enjoy someone throw a beautiful turning back kick counter. THAT is what I miss with today's TKD. Anyway, enough soap box stuff. :-)) I appreciate having a forum like this where I can vent. Thanks, Ray. Oh yeah, before anyone suggests I try another dojang or style ...... I've thought about that already. For personal reasons, now is not the opportune time for me to move and/or try something else. And please don't get me wrong, I enjoy the heck out of training .... I just miss doing some of the things we used to do. Just call it an "old guy" lamenting ... or waxing nostalgic ..... as it may be. BTW, I've rectified some of this .... I've been teaching an all levels class on Saturday mornings and we've often gone weeks without throwing more than a couple of kicks (or any kicks) in a class. Lots of block - punch, block - punch .... and stance work. Once again, thanks to everyone for listening. - -Perry- pseto@aptl.com ------------------------------ From: Fred Madero Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 14:02:47 -0500 (EST) Subject: the_dojang: Re: tournament injury dawn? Dawn what tournament did this occur at and what school were the people from? Our they okay??? Fred ------------------------------ From: Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 14:06:27 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: Y2K "Get a Mac there is not now or was there ever a Y2K problem with them." I have a MAC and a PC, Just because you have a MAC doesn't mean that the software that you use supports Y2K, for exaple Quicken for businesses can have Y2K issues, Microsoft Access or Excel can have Y2K issues on a MAC. While the MAC OS can handle the date, other coding on the software may not handle it that well. That is why we have to test our software which is Y2K certified against other OS systems and softwares (which it integrates to). - -Stacy ------------------------------ From: Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 14:20:53 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: weapons Tang Soo! OK, so you all know how I feel about sparring, but I never tried anything like the bong. What is that like? It sure looks enjoyable. Has anybody had experience with any weapons-should I ask about it at my dojang? Thanks! Tang Soo Allison 4th Gup, International Tang Soo Do MBS Karate, Newburgh NY ------------------------------ From: Danny Abramovitch Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 11:29:20 -0800 Subject: the_dojang: Re: Dojang romance and pregnant BBs I like this thread. Very useful. My wife tried to train in Jujjitsu for the first few months of her pregnancy with our first child. Coincidentally, our Jujitsu instructor is Maureen's husband. (Well, it's not quite as much of a coincidence, but that is a different story.) Since one takes a lot of falls in Jujitsu, Susan first cut that out. She also cut out anyone doing Karate techniques on her. She was actually able to do some ground grappling for a while, because the small group of 4 that did it were extremely careful together (and in particular with her). (She didn't spar, just worked moves. Getting the mount on her was right out.) Still, as the pregnancy wore on, it got harder for her to do even those things. (At about 6 months the joints all losen up to make passing the baby easier. Throwing 240 pound physicists at that point becomes a bit too risky.) So she stopped going and I cut my schedule. Still, I went until the Monday night that I blew off class and as it turned out our son was born. Training has pretty much stopped for both of us, not because we could not manage it at all, but because (as Maureen said) it tends to put too much of a strain on family life. With 2 working parents, you don't get too much time with the kid, so it is hard to be away too much. The few Saturday classes that I still attended have given way now as I have to be home more with the second one on its way (mainly to chase kid #1). Still, both of us want to get back into it, but we want to make it a family thing, and that is hard to do until the kids' evening schedules become more flexible (several years away). As Maureen indicated, time is a key thing and with a couple of young kids, it's pretty hard to find time that doesn't put an onus on your child. (I have this notion that now that kid #1 is into light sabers and Peter Pan, that it is a good time to try to pick up some Escrima with him using soft sticks. Still, he'd rather just bang sticks for 30 seconds and go off to do something else.) - -- Danny ------------------------------ From: Steven Gilmore Date: Mon, 25 Jan 99 14:01:41 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Re: Kuk Sool Won History >Who were the original founding members of KSW? It almost sounds like > the origins of Kajukenbo. There was an article in Martial Arts > Magazines (Special Korean Arts issue) that said KSW was handed down > to In Hyuk Suh by either his grandfather or father. (I forget which > one). Could someone from that art tell me a brief history of the art? Hi. Although I teach Kuk Sool Won, I do not know the complete history. Here is what I do know: Kuk Sool Won is designed to be a complete, systematized course of study of the entire spectrum of Korean martial arts. The techniques are descended from three Korean martial traditions: Sado Moo Sool (tribal or family arts), Bulkyo Moo Sool (Buddhist arts), and Kung Jung Moo Sool (Royal Palace arts). Suh, In Hyuk is acknowledged as the Founder and Grandmaster of Kuk Sool Won; his title is Kuk Sa Nym (national martial arts teacher). He was originally taught by his grandfather, Suh, Myung Duk, who was a Royal Court martial arts instructor. Subsequent to his grandfather's death, Suh, In Hyuk traveled about Korea to learn many aspects of martial arts (some of which didn't have formal names) from literally hundreds of teachers, some of whom declined even to reveal their own names. I know that in the early years (1950's), many of the now-prominent Korean masters worked closely together; Suh, In Hyuk is one name that frequently appears alongside those other names. I don't know details of those relationships, and unfortunately, I think that egos and a strong penchant for rewriting history will prevent any of us "outsiders" from ever really knowing who learned what from whom. What I do know is that Suh, In Hyuk is remarkably knowledgeable, quite humble, and a consummate teacher. Without him, I probably would not have ever had the opportunity to learn Kuk Sool, because he was the one who not only brought out of Korea, but he has tried to make it accessible to everyone, everywhere. Every so often, flame wars break out because somebody claims that "mine is more genuine than yours" or "your teacher learned from mine" or some other silly remark. I try to smile, duck for cover, and resume my own practice of martial art. Hope this answers your question. Sincerely, Steven Gilmore San Antonio, TX ------------------------------ From: "Jamaica Power" Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 12:04:44 PST Subject: the_dojang: Shoulder Harness/Back Exercise-Reply. My apologies but I could not find the original post from the person that wanted a few suggestions on back and shoulder support and exercises. When I was injured I used to use stretch elastic type braces and harnesses which allowed me freedom of movement without tightness and constriction. If you wore one of these at work or when working out it might help. Many can be purchased relatively cheap as a single unit, there are now some out there with velcro for adjustability. Also I found this website. Maybe it will help. http://www.pathlights.com/nr_encyclopedia/10musc06.htm Jamaica jamaica_power@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ From: Ernest Hart Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 15:24:32 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: Re: Beer analogy + Ki > To draw an analogy here: Sam Adams and Bud are both beers. They both go > through a specific brewing process, etc. I prefer Sam because I like the > flavor and weight of it. My brother in law prefers Bud because he feels it > isn't as "heavy" as Sam and he enjoys the flavor. While this often leads to > some interesting debates at family functions, especially when you throw in my > brother that only drinks Guiness, the reality is, we are all drinking beer. Well, that's debatable. :) You and your brother, yes. Brother in law, probably not, unless he brought it from Canada. :) I am not sure of the existence of Ki as an "energy field" by current scientific standards. (Apologies for the pun) However, I have seen things and heard about things that defy my limited understanding of things scientific. Despite that, I'm very skeptical about things that I cannot see "proof" of. Scientific minds, such as Michael and Mr. Blish won't be convinced until they see proof in a reputable scientific journal. If anyone comes across such an article, please let me know where it is so that I can read it. Has anyone read the Way of the Warrior by John Gilbey? He could tell a story. Believable? Not to me, but definitely entertaining. I especially liked the guy who punched into a bowling ball. E. Hart ehart@zoo.uvm.edu ------------------------------ From: Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 13:00:06 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #48 > Not to start a flame war about computing platforms, but this is not > relevant to Macintosh computers, which have always been Y2K-friendly > since their introduction in 1984. I own two. But lets stay on martial arts... Ray Terry raymail@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com ------------------------------ From: Eduardo Miranda Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 19:02:03 -0200 Subject: the_dojang: Re: stretching manual Graham Hills, Thanks a lot!! I will take a look on these texts. I've read about Tom Kurz on Black Blet mag. but I haven't had the chance to look it. I will probably buy it. PS.: Mr. Graham Hills has just sent me several texts about stretching, if anybody is interest, let me know I would be pleased to forward them. Eduardo Miranda dudamir@uol.com.br ------------------------------ From: "Jamaica Power" Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 13:23:52 PST Subject: the_dojang: Your Family's Personal Safety I was curious how many individuals that don't have spouses or SO's that are in the martial arts; what type of safety and self defense do you teach them, if any? Do you do any type of role playing or tactical simulations in your own home using active and passive techniques say in case a burglar broke in and your family was home alone or an accidental action took place.. Or if they are out and about shopping at night or coming home from school or an exercise class through parking lots? If they are harassed on the telephone. If you were being attacked but they were there watching and in harm's way what do you teach them to do? Would you want them to use deadly force or escape and could they make these decisions if something happened. Do you teach your spouses/SO's to use weapons including knives and guns for safety, or maybe mace or pepper spray? And do you have the 911 or other numbers handy. Kids even have them memorized? I ask because sometimes those of us that are closest to these situations sometimes take things for granted, those things that are so commonplace to us. Thanks. Jamaica jamaica_power@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ From: Ben Blish Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 14:11:46 -0700 Subject: the_dojang: Re: Power / TDD V6 #49 Scott Clink wrote: >Just to clarify, I did not intend that power literally came from the >ground as a form of mystical energy that flows through anything and >everything in the universe. This sounds way to much like the basis of a >movie called "Star Wars". I would rather not get into that discussion. Fair enough. Glad to hear it, in fact, especially given the present silly season popularity of holistics et alia. >However, I meant that; in general, by pushing off of the ground, one can >strike with more power or force than not pushing off the ground. >Therefore, when practicing various techniques, thinking about pushing >off the ground, may help to strike ones target with more force. I >personally have not done a scientific experiment to demonstrate this in >any way. However, I have seen this work for myself and other people. I'm with you here. That's one of the many sources of leverage available to us in our techniques; others include counter motion (moving part of the body with high power while striking with another along a reverse vector of that motion (or vice versa... its just a point of view, really), The conversion of rotational motion to linear motion (spinning back kicks are a good example here), and of course "adjusting" the opponent's own motion such that was designed in their mind an attack, becomes a miss and/or a miss-step and/or fall. Knowing how to rotate the hips off of the support from your stance and then transfer the resulting velocity through your torso through timed muscle control is a classic example of deriving "power from the ground"... but it's also not the only way to get the same effect. One of the things I teach is how to deliver an extremely powerful strike to the knees by falling, twisting, trapping the ankle, and delivering the resulting vectors against the target rather than with your body against the ground (think of it as a breakfall that is definitely not to the opponent's benefit at *all*.) My concern for the original remark was that in the context I read it, the implication seemed to be that this is the source of the martial artist's power in general - and that is not even close to the truth, hence the tone of my statement. Ben "30 years of training, 3 languages, several more dans, several arts, and so what, anyway. :)" - --- Ben Blish Mi Kuk Tae Kwon Do Ji Do Kwan - -> bblish@dojang.com [or] - -> bblish@blackbelt.com [or] - -> bblish@glasgow.com [or] - -> 2blkbelt@nemontel.net ------------------------------ From: Eric Mueller Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 17:10:48 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: MA & Pregnancy My wife started taking Kung-fu shortly after I did when we were living in Korea. A couple of months later we found out she was pregnant. As we were beginners, the exercise was not 'toooo' hard, and my wife did no sparring. By the time she was 5-6 months it became too much and she stopped. Neither my wife nor I had any 'real talent' but we did enjoy it. Our son, Jason, was born healthy and strong and has (IMO) a great deal of innate talent and natural athleticism....and he fell in love with TKD when he was 6 and hasn't stopped. I know its hokey, but I swear he "absorbed" his talent when my wife was practicing MA while he was in-utero.......... Eric Mueller ------------------------------ From: Eric Mueller Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 17:46:05 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: Pregnancy and MA Regards to Ray's Post about a woman who ran 10K races while 7 months pregnant: Not a good Idea. The Maternal body will shunt blood and oxygen away from the placenta in a stress situation. Moderate exercise is ok, but prolonged Aerobics sounds dangerous. This is what I recall from my OB/GYN-Maternity Rotation oh so many years ago Eric ------------------------------ From: Eric Mueller Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 17:42:04 -0500 Subject: the_dojang: Majic and the Martial Arts Just a quick humorous aside related to the KI/Chi thread: At the Maryland Renaissance festival I saw a performer called "Master Lee", an asian guy who did a comedy/magic show based on Asian and Martial arts stereotypes. One of his funniest routines (my son still loves this one) was when he got 3 1" boards and announced "Using my mystical CHI POWER I will Break these Boards with my head!!"" He proceeded to hold the boards and scream loudly several times as he brought his forehead closer and closer to the wood. He then looked at the audience and deadpanned "First I must SCARE THE WOOD" he would scream again, look at the audience and say "you must think 'this chink is nuts'". He would constantly keep coming back to this "scaring the wood" routine throughout his show, until he finally did break the boards at the end. Really great show! Eric ------------------------------ From: Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 18:25:54 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Understanding Ki Ben wrote... <> It doesn't really matter what 'you' think about "ki" -- all I did was explain what it is as the word is used by Asians. In Chinese, Korean and Japanese, the word "ki" (chi) is used in reference to ALL of the things I described in my first post. There is only one ideogram used to write the word "ki" -- and that ideogram is used for so many different things -- things ranging from breathing, to attitude, to adrenaline and so-on. I'm not trying to force anyone to buy into any belief one way or the other about it -- if you pick up any Chinese-English or Korean-English dictionary and look up the work, you'll find the same stuff I told you. All I am stating is fact. That fact is this... "Ki" is energy (in other words, Ki can be anything that can influence anything else). Your attitude can influence someone else's feelings (think of the look a mother gives a child when they've done something wrong), and the Koreans call this "ki-maek". Nothing mystical about it -- simple fact is all it is. The "windpipe" is called "ki-kwan-ji" -- the windpipe itself is not "ki" -- but it is a vehicle through which "ki" (as oxygen) can travel. I can go on and on with examples of how the word is used in the various Asian languages - but I've already made my point. <> Again, you fail to understand the meaning of the word. When "ki" is used in speaking of acupuncture, it is nothing more than a reference to the electrical forces upon which acupuncture acts. There are all manner of electrical devices which can trace and measure the current in the body, so we have factual proof that it exists. You'll not find a single doctor on the planet who would refuse to admit that. Additionally, with the devices I speak of, you can measure changes in these currents as you go about needling specific points on the body. Electricity is "ki" -- acupuncture has an effect on the bodies natural electrical flow. <> How can it be so difficult to understand what "ki" is? Have you ever been shocked by static electricity or have you ever had a sunburn? Have you ever influenced someone's actions by mere facial expression (anger, happiness or whatever)? If you say yes to any of those, then YOU HAVE PERSONALLY experienced "ki" - whether you choose to admit it or not. You spew such negativity about it because you refuse to understand what it is. <> Hmmm. So you also disagree that there is an exchange between the earths magnetic field and our own? Foolish. I can be demonstrated with modern equipment. We KNOW it happens. No, it probably doesn't add any "power" to a martial arts technique, but it DOES exist. Mike Burnett ------------------------------ From: "The Hostetlers" Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 18:22:31 -0600 Subject: the_dojang: Korean language question, but off topic Can any of you Korean language mavens help me with a translation? I have a picture of an Aisiana Airline 747 with it's left wing slicing through the tail of an Aeroflot IL-26 in a ground incident that happened in November 98 in Anchorage. To me, it's *JUST BEGGING* for an "Oh SH*T!" across the bottom. Even better, in Hangul... What is the Korean equivalent, vulgar or not, of 'OS', and is it possible to send a .JPG of the phrase as it's written..?.. I'm sure Ray would like this kept out of the digest, too. Robert W. Hostetler hostetb@iserve.net Indianapolis, IN Speed's harmless. Impacting slower objects kills. ------------------------------ From: Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 18:28:16 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: Understanding Ki Michael wrote... << my concern was with the statement that there is scientific proof of Ki, not whether or not Ki exists. Despite my request for citations from reputable journals, I have still seen none.>> Have you ever seen "proof" in some journal that electricity exists? Have you ever seen proof in some journal that sunlight exists? Have you ever seen proof in some journal that adrenaline can increase your strength temporarily? Yes? No? Doesn't make any difference really, because if you need to read those things in a "journal" to believe them, then I feel sorry for you. If you believe in any of those things, then you believe in "ki" if not by name. Mike Burnett ------------------------------ From: Michael Osier Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 00:13:56 +0000 ( ) Subject: the_dojang: Re: Ki (attempt 3) You'll have to pardon me for clumping my response into one message. There seem to be a number of people who have misread my messages several times, and some who have a basic misunderstanding of science (something anyone can understand, no jargon needed)... - ------------------- Stacy wrote: > If reiki is not a succesful form of treatment then why have some many > people turned to it? Why have hospitals and Drs turned to it? Why does > Tufts university teach it to there medical students? First, I don't know what "some many" means. I understand you were typing fast, but I'll have to assume you meant "some", as "many" is certainly not the case. Alternate treatments are increasingly being experimented with, but they certainly aren't mainstream at this point in time in western society. Two, just because someone in a respectable position practices it or someone has experienced it first hand doesn't give it instant credibility. Only a scientifically _controlled_ (<--key word!) study can give real credibility. Why? Let's take the example of "blind studies" given by another list member (rightly pointing out the therapeutic touch debunking had a flaw in not being double blind). Double blind studies are those where the patient and the person administering the treatment don't know if the patient is really getting the treatment or not. Some patients are given the real thing, some are given placebos (sugar pills for drug tests). Why? During a drug test for a drug to reduce the nausea and vomitting caused by chemotherapy, 96% of subjects given the drug noticed relief. However, 10% of the controls (only getting sugar pills) noticed the effect also. Why? According to Carl Sagan, "placebos can be astonishingly effective, especially for...symptoms that are plausibly generated by the mind." (from "The Demon Haunted World", a great book for those who want the tools to protect themselves from scams) Why is the person administering the drug kept in the dark? So they can't give any clues to the patient (conscious or subconscious) whether or not the pill is real. > The masters which I know of keep a journal and record the results and > what took place during the treatments. Recording the issues at the > beginning and the results at the end. Quantifying with there best > ability, the treatment. Are there any double blind studies that you know of? Anything in a peer review journal? I'm seeing nothing on Medline again. - ------------------------------ Mike Rowe wrote: > But anybody can tell you the difference in ability that is > demonstrated when an individual focuses their intent into something. > Does this prove Ki, NO. But, does show you that you must concentrate > and let the energy flow through your being. I will admit, thinking generally helps kicks. It's rather hard to kick without having a nerve impulse in there somewhere. :) Again, no need for a mystical force. > Don't resist the flow of your energy since this sets up resistance and > weakens the individual. I could just as easily say: "don't tense your muscles or they will fight each other." The muscles of the body are generally located so as to be bidirectional (such as the biceps and triceps). No need for a mystical energy source. - ------------------------------ Karla wrote: > One of his former nephrologists moved to Houston to a pretty > impressive pediatric renal program and has started reading what he > could on the influence of energy (Reiki, prayer, etc.) and it's role > in the healing process. [..] ) has also started reading the same types of materials because of the work I > have done with both Micah and my older son, James, and his asthma. Fallacy of argumentation by example. Also known as "observational selection" or "the enumeration of favorable circumstances". One example (or even a few) does not make a proposition true. To quote Carl Sagan again: "As Francis Bacon described it, counting the hits and forgetting the misses." Considerably more doctors disbelieve than believe. > I can only attribute this to a force that I can not fathom because it > is beyond human comprehension...therefore unable to be proved through > human methods (ie scientific study). Just because you can't imagine alternatives doesn't mean they don't exist. When an alternative is concieved, and can be reproduced under controlled experimentation, then they gain credibility. > are not valid scientists or doctors. I never made such a claim. I'm claiming 1) they're in the minority, 2) I disagree with them. That doesn't mean they're not competent. > This tells me that there is a hell of a lot more to the human mind and > spirit than we can even pretend to know. No doubt. "If the mind were so simple we could comprehend it, we couldn't." (again, don't remember source) That doesn't mean I should believe every theory I hear. > Now, the energy stuff. Any athlete worth a damn will tell you that it > isn't just the body working, it is other things. Pardon my bluntness, but who? Give me a name and their proof. > the things like: my heart just wasn't in it today or the mind was > willing but the body was weak. [..] > All athletes have "off" days. Part of separating yourself from the > weekend hacker type is working through those off days. Simpler explanation: we have the physical ability but hold ourselves back. It's amazing how strong we can become during life and death situations. People have been known to lift vehicles to get to a trapped person. That doesn't mean there's a mystical force. It just means we have a hard time overcoming our self-doubt most days, and that self-doubt holds us back. - ------------------------------ A non-Ki post! Yeah! :) Arlene Slocum wrote: > I have a short fuse, too. The best thing I can do to control bad day > syndrome is to practice Sun-Do (breathing meditation). "Take a deep breath and count to ten". Alright alright...I have to admit it...my mom was right...:) Seriously, the more I train, the more I find deep breaths can calm my temper. Maybe it distracts me to focus on breathing? Michael - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Osier = michael.osier@yale.edu | "He is not well rounded who does http://chloe.hgs.yale.edu/~og/ | not have an equally keen interest BS Biochemical Science - UVM | in all of the things within the Yale University | compass of painting." Human Genetics - Og | Leonardo da Vinci ------------------------------ From: Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 19:20:27 EST Subject: the_dojang: Re: The_Dojang-Digest V6 #49 In a message dated 1/25/99 10:33:49 AM Pacific Standard Time, the_dojang- owner@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com writes: << >>>Years ago you were most complimented if you could generate a kick and stop it within an inch of your opponent. I'm not sure that anybody is even teaching that anymore. Jamaica jamaica_power@hotmail.com<<< >> To Whom It May Concern: In my opinion based on 23 years of continuous taekwondo involvement, the problem is not being able to control hard, fast kick to land lightly, or to miss by an inch. The problem is getting your oppenent to stay put. If I throw a kick (or punch, for that matter) an inch in front of you nose at the same moment you lunge 2 inches closer... well, I thnk you get the picture. Controling our own actions takes practice, indeed. Exercising precise control over the whims of an oponent, however, may be a tad much to ask of any athlete, however SE Silz ------------------------------ From: Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 16:49:17 -0800 (PST) Subject: the_dojang: . ------------------------------ End of The_Dojang-Digest V6 #50 ******************************* Support the USTU by joining today! 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