Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 07:54:02 -0700 From: the_dojang-request@martialartsresource.net Subject: The_Dojang digest, Vol 10 #255 - 10 msgs X-Mailer: Mailman v2.0.13.cisto1 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Errors-To: the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net X-BeenThere: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13.cisto1 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Subscribed-Address: kma@martialartsresource.com List-Id: The Internet's premier discussion forum on Korean Martial Arts. List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Unsubscribe: , List-Help: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: Send The_Dojang mailing list submissions to the_dojang@martialartsresource.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to the_dojang-request@martialartsresource.net You can reach the person managing the list at the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of The_Dojang digest..." <<------------------ The_Dojang mailing list ------------------>> Serving the Internet since June 1994. Copyright 1994-2003: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The Internet's premier discussion forum devoted to Korean Martial Arts. 1400 members. See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of The_Dojang at http://MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! Today's Topics: 1. T'aekwondo Club at Indiana University Bloomington (Burdick, Dakin R) 2. Juche and black belts (Burdick, Dakin R) 3. Guest Master (Charles Richards) 4. Any Value to Juche? (Dunn, Danny J GARRISON) 5. Korean Okinawan (Charles Richards) 6. Moja Kwan Invitational (Charles Richards) 7. Another Post (TeachingInChina@aol.com) 8. Finding the right Instructor (Rudy Timmerman) 9. FW: Reply to Bruce's thoughts on "Growth" (Wilson, Byron) 10. Blast from the past (Ray Terry) --__--__-- Message: 1 Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 08:38:04 -0500 From: "Burdick, Dakin R" To: Subject: [The_Dojang] T'aekwondo Club at Indiana University Bloomington Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Erik Hanson wrote: >Does anyone have information on the Tae Kwon Do club at Indiana University Bloomington. I will be a Freshman there starting in the fall. I have tried to contact them via E-mail but have received no response. My response: Yep. The T'aekwondo Club is currently run by Jim Thomas (jfthomas@indiana.edu). It has a LOT of black belts these days (about 16-18 last time I checked), and is a good club. You should, however, be aware that IU has a LOT of martial arts, and you should look around to see what you like. You can find TKD just about anywhere, and if you have dan rank already, it is a great place to find training partners, but we also have at the university (in no particular order): Hapkido Small Circle Jujutsu Ryukyu Kempo Shotokan Karate Judo Ueshiba Aikido Brazilian Jujutsu Fencing Archery Kendo Yang style Taijiquan Chen style Taijiquan Capoeira Regional and off campus there is: Baguazhang Maunde Muda Main Po (aka. Silat) Kali Arnis Capoeira Angola Hoki-ryu Iaido Jyushinkai Aikido I think there is still a Five Animals Kung Fu stylist in town (Kevin Krauter) who trained under Pan Qing-fu, and there's always visiting faculty and students from other countries teaching various styles. There's also some old Kyokushinkai stylists in town under Tim Hosey, although I don't know if he teaches any more. Once you get to town, get in touch with me and let me know what you're looking for and we'll have a chat. You should make the most of your time here, and there will NOT be time enough to study everything! See you this fall! Dakin Burdick dakinburdick@yahoo.com 4th dan tkd, 3rd dan hkd, 2nd dan Hoki-ryu iaido --__--__-- Message: 2 Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 08:48:08 -0500 From: "Burdick, Dakin R" To: Subject: [The_Dojang] Juche and black belts Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Manuel mentioned that he won't be practicing Juche, and I must applaud him for that. Gen. Choi made a lot of choices late in life that I think were motivated by his personal desire to return home to northern Korea, and I don't think any of us can hold that against him. He did a lot for Korean martial arts, and it was his effort that made the name T'aekwondo stick. But the concessions he made to the DPRK are something that I don't think should be honored by his students. The idea of Juche (self-reliance) is a good one, but the policy of Juche has been enormously self-destructive to the DPRK, and performing the form (IMO), is just furthering the propaganda of the north. As for the discussion about belts, I wear a plain black belt. I used hash marks for a while (stripes on the end of the belt) but then realized that there are only two ends to the belt. If I put a bunch of stripes on one side for tkd, and a bunch on the other for hapkido, where does that leave me with my other arts? I have noticed that people are very rank-conscious, and that people often figure I'm just a 1st dan and treat me differently. But that is very educational for me (tells me a lot about THEM), and is similar to wearing a white belt when you visit a new school. The ones who treat the white belts with as much respect as the black belts are the ones with whom I like to associate. The others.... well, it is good to know who they are! Yours in the arts, Dakin Burdick dakinburdick@yahoo.com --__--__-- Message: 3 Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 06:56:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Charles Richards To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] Guest Master Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Master Dunn and I have the same roots but now that I'm independent I vary just a little. If a school head visits my school they line up in the front with me. If they are senior in rank we bow to them first. I don't ask anyone permission to teach at my own school and I welcome any dan member with an open mind to come train with us. After the salutation I ask the visiting school head if they came to observe, help or train. If they want to train they go to the rank appropriate position in line and get busy with us. An interesting example of this was our seminar with GM Hodder, Master Terry and Master Ngyun all senior to me. Master Ngyun participated in the entire seminar, and offered valuable insights, Master Terry and GM Hodder both taught sessions. They are also of course recognized as they enter the dojang. Yours in Jung Do, Charles Richards www.mojakwan.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- In TSD, if you have a senior rank to the instructor in class, the instructor formally asks the senior rank for permission to begin class. This is a signal to other students. I would also have the class bow to any Master level class members during regular beginning and ending ceremony. If it's a primarily gup class, I also have gups bow to all dans during the salutations. Nothing else should be necessary. If he wishes someone to call him Master, he will say so, but he probably doesn't care. Danny Dunn <<<<<<>>>>>>>>>> __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com --__--__-- Message: 4 From: "Dunn, Danny J GARRISON" To: "'the_dojang@martialartsresource.net'" Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 09:11:34 -0500 Subject: [The_Dojang] Any Value to Juche? Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Bruce, These are my own feelings only, and are not meant as a put down. The only value I can find in Juche as an ideology is that it is repugnant and negative, and has caused mass suffering in the past 50 years or so. I personally like Choi's hyungs, much better than the WTF forms. However I lost a lot of respect for Gen Choi when he turned to the North Korean government for support. It is clear that he formulated and named Juche hyung in homage to Kim. If I had been in the ITF, I would likely have parted ways at that time just as a lot of folks including Todd did. Choi wanted and possibly needed a link with Korea, and it was clear that it would never be possible again with South Korea, particularly with the growth of the WTF. So he turned not to the people, but to the government of North Korea (almost certainly by necessity)and thereby became a supporter of its policies. If you want to talk philosophy, then the idea of socialism in some ways appeals to me. I believe that we all should be equal, no matter what we do. However it is clear that because of human nature, true socialism could only work and improve peoples lives in a utopia. Communism has failed miserably in every attempt to bring about a socialist society. Again due to the corruption of the people in power, a class system was created in every case. And the workers, understandably, were not willing to work for the benefit of everyone else and have nothing for themselves. And I can't say that I totally believe in a capitalist society either. When business, corporations, grow to the point they are no longer tied to community, they loose their ethics. To be sure, there were unethical smaller businessmen, but when tied,dependent, on a community, they were ultimately controled. But with large corporations, the only control seems to be what is the profit margin during the next few reporting periods, regardless of the impact to peoples lives or the environment. In sumation, I'm not convinced there is anything positive to be learned from carrying on the tradition of a hyung that was named and developed to honor a repugnant leader and his ideology. Danny Dunn <<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> --__--__-- Message: 5 Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 07:57:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Charles Richards To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] Korean Okinawan Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net OK, I teach Okinawan forms, use Korean terms, wear Y-neck uniforms and I still can't tell a tomato from an orange, but in a Jeet Kune Do theory if I'm hungry either will work. Now I'll also be the first to admit that one is better for making sandwiches than the other :-) Now this might re-open a can of worms that has been beet to death on this list, but just what makes a Korean art Korean....? For me, I'm totally OK with Tang Soo Do being Kong Soo Do/To-te as modified by GM Lee, Won Kyuk. But then that would mean I'm OK with a lowly San Dan tinkering around with an existing art form to create a "new one" that is his own...While we're on that note, no disrespect intended, but is there any doccumented record on GM Hwang Kee having rank in anything? Does that mean that all of us that practice Moo Duk Kwan philosophy are following a non Korean art with no roots? I am only in my 18th year of practicing Koreanized martial arts and only my 14th year of learning Tang Soo Do but I have made Moja Kwan Tang Soo Do my own art and will continue to learn and grow until my ashes are spread to the 4 winds. I would agree only then might I have grasped the correct motions and understandings of the basic techniques and hyungs (kata/poomse) of that art. So Charlie, I hope you keep all the rich traditions learned from your Senpai (Sensei/SaBumNim)and inject buckets of your youthful energy into what you teach your students. And FWIW I think you look kinda cute in those "Erkle pants." Yours in Jung Do, Charles (I don't know who I am) Richards www.mojakwan.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If you teach Japanese forms, use Japanese terms, wear a Japanese uniform and teach Japanese techniques, then you can spend all day saying a tomato is an orange. Now this is with the assumption that we are talking about the Korean arts. You mentioned your own art. That you have made it yours. So what art is this? __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com --__--__-- Message: 6 Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 08:04:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Charles Richards To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] Moja Kwan Invitational Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Dear List, Last post for today. I'm back from deep lurk mode as we ran a wonderful first annual Moja Kwan Invitational Saturday, June 7th with schools from TN and Georgia, and a few USTU at the door entries. Master Terry please put the following on your events calendar Second Annual Moja Kwan Invitational Roswell, Georgia June 5, 2004 AAU Taekwondo rules Pil Sung! Charles Richards www.mojakwan.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com --__--__-- Message: 7 From: TeachingInChina@aol.com Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 11:38:24 EDT To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] Another Post Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net I received very positive responses regarding my question on size. I read the post Rain sent and have to admit she has a point. When I spar the smaller girls I am afraid of hurting them because I am a little stronger so I hold back, so maybe some, not all, want the challenge of showing their skills. So, maybe in a way I need to see things in two points of view. My GM also sees my frustration on this, but I need to find the balance. So tonight, sparring night, I will try a new approach of being fair, showing restraint, but also allowing myself and my partner to train. Any more responses, please feel free to let me know. Landa 5th gup blue TKD He who learns without thinking will be bewildered; he who thinks without learning will be in danger." Confucius --__--__-- Message: 8 Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 11:04:50 -0400 From: Rudy Timmerman To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] Finding the right Instructor Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Fred writes: > Thank you for your reply, its nice to be kept in > check! I don't think I was being rude or disrespectful > towards my sons' tkd instructor. I merely asked a > question and it was answered promptly during my > private meeting by the instructor. Hello Fred: Perhaps I did not fully convince you that I was not chastising you. I truly meant what I said. As an Instructor who only wishes the best for any particular student, I refer students (or potential members) to other Instructors if it would serve the student best. This could be due to geographical location where another Master could be closer on hand to work with the student, or (as in your case) because you appear to have the best grasp of what your son requires. I also wanted to emphasize that kids need to have some fun and social interaction with peers. Both can serve to assist in self defense, even though it does not immediately appear these things have anything in common. I have found that, when I am too strict with a young student, s/he will not want to come back to class. I cannot teach a student self defense if s/he does not come to class. A student can also learn to work and deal with peer pressures in a group environment, and for that reason you might wish to keep your son in some sort of class situation. Your situation, as I see it from a distance, is not a healthy one. I have read a number of your posts that indicate your displeasure with your son's Instructor. Indeed, I am not sure if ANYONE can fill your bill, as you seem to have a need for a "hands on" approach when it comes to your son's martial art career. As you claim to be a competent Instructor, and I would have to believe you, it might therefore be the best solution to home school your son in martial arts. Again, do what is best for your son; however, look into ALL aspects of the situation. As I see it you have several choices. 1. Back off, and let your son's Instructor do his job for which you pay him. 2. Find another school that suits you better 3. Teach your son at home, and find a way for him to work with peers in an activity where you can allow him the freedom to do so. In any case, I wish you and your son the best... really:) Sincerely, Rudy --__--__-- Message: 9 Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 11:50:48 -0400 From: "Wilson, Byron" To: Subject: [The_Dojang] FW: Reply to Bruce's thoughts on "Growth" Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Bruce: As a low rank, please accept my comments with the respect intended. I could write pages on my opinions regarding open-mindedness, personal growth through variety and societal inclusion of all philosophies and behaviors. However, your response and invitation loosed a flood of thought on the subject. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I find myself in the minority more often than not, even in the "Christian community". There are absolutes. Truth can be refined, defined and embraced. Behavior and philosophy can be defined as good or bad. Humans need grounding to function as intended. In intellectual free fall, humans become caught in the excitement of their own primacy and blinded by its "seeming so right" (Poor phraseology but I hope you know what I mean). Unfortunately, society and I imagine quite a few of you, now tend to regard my views as too rigid, too "black and white" and, unfortunately, socially/politically (as in the body politic) unacceptable. I believe faith in an absolute requires some significant exposure to relativism, human self-destiny and existentialism similar to the writings of Sartre, Blackmon and others. At least they helped me to plumb the depths of its emptiness. Bruce, I disagree. Philosophical and personal growth through searching for truth where you find it can be destructive, or at the least, debilitating. This may be a poor analogy but I believe this philosophy similar to the suckers that form on plants. Suckers are natural growths. They, too, represent growth in different, new areas from the same root. However, left without pruning, this growth can stunt or detract from the plant's highest and best form, as such. (okay, okay. I probably got too much sun from yardwork last weekend) I find communism and communal thought closer now to modern society than our western political philosophers, including the Federalists, Adam Smith and even, to a degree, Machiavelli. In short, not all personal growth is laudable, nor is the inclusion of all thought, philosophy and action good for mankind. Some is soured through nasty human traits that infect and spread. These are not worthy of mining for truth, they should simply be discarded as skewed and potentially toxic. "Untruth" if you will. I know that thought runs afoul of the latest trendy philosophy of inclusivism (sp?) and acceptance of all thought and lifestyle (philosophy). I am convinced, after immersion in human philosophy that there is, indeed, a foundation to which mankind can tether himself. That foundation sorts good from bad, beneficial from harmful. Thanks for the soapbox. Byron Wilson TKD student [demime 0.98e removed an attachment of type image/jpeg which had a name of image001.jpg] --__--__-- Message: 10 From: Ray Terry To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net (The_Dojang) Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 08:56:17 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [The_Dojang] Blast from the past Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net fwiw, an old magazine article. Note the portion toward the end about how Don Angier screened students prior to fully accepting them into this school... Ray Knife Fighting Styles By David E. Steele from the Shooter's Survival Guide September 1981 Most fighting can be divided into two categories, based on intent: the desire for simple dominance, and the desire to kill. The first type includes most domestic or civil disputes, the adolescent "I'm bigger, so what I say goes" syndrome. These battles for dominance, coresponding to primate and other animal threat displays, are usually conducted with empty hand or nonlethal weapon (stick or tear gas) techniques. The second type of fight includes most military actions and violent criminal activity. This type of fight is normally conducted with firearms, though edged weapons are still used under special circumstances. The lethality of these weapons is tied directly to their capacity for penetrating the body cavity, causing death by organ damage or bleeding. Of course, there can be some crossover. Occsionallv a man is killed with fists, feet or stick. Likewise, many a criminal is held at bay by the sight of a firearm without its having to be used. A knife is one of the most versatile of weapons. When used agsinst an armed ememy it will normally be employed with a killing thrust, but it can also be used to cut or huttstroke an unarmed but dangerous opponent. For example, in the following account a knife is used effectively. but without lethal or legal complications. This particular incident occurred in Canada, where handguns are not available to the general public. "A friend and I were returning to our car after some Christmas shopping. In the parking garage two Indians approached us and asked for spare change. We simply said no. One pointed at my bulging front pocket and told me to empty it. I drew my Gerber Mk II from a special pocket in my parka. We were now at a stand-off. Unfortunately, my buddy decided to come out with a wisecrack to the effect that the only good Indian was a dead one, which provoked a resumption of hostility. "I gave my man a good hand cut, followed by a short jab at the face which connected. He headed off at the high port. My friend was amusing himself with #2 on the ground. I decided to contribute to #2's discomfort by buttstroking him to the head. "Our encounter lasted all of about thirty seconds. I was pretty sure we had relatively few competent witnesses. Never-the-less we decided to discreetly exit on foot and mingle with the shoppers for an hour or two. I have since learned that the cops never heard a peep about the incident." In general, stranger-stranger confrontations can he handled quite well in this manner, unless someone ends up dead or maimed, which will invarably bring out the detectives. However, notice that actual violence could have been avoided by using the right words rather than an ethnic insult. In a similar incident, which occurred in Los Angeles, a young man went into a liquor store to pick up a six-pack of beer. When he came out a Mexican, probably an illegal, approached him and asked for money. My friend turned away (his first mistake) and muttered something insulting under his breath (his second mistake). The Mexican stabbed him in the leg with a Buck folding hunter. My friend brained him with the sixpack and drew his Bali-Song butterfly knife. By this time the Mexican was running away, but my friend managed to slash his arm fairly deep. The cops came, took the report, gave my friend back his knife, and told him that the Mexican would probably head back across the border or hole up someplace till he bled to death. Since he was not likely to seek formal medical treatment in this country catching him was unlikely. For this type of street fighting some of the best training would be saber fencing. This type of training emphasizes distance, timing. feints, and 'stop cuts' (the hand cut in particular). However, its main advantage is that training is widely available across the country. Oriental knife fighting styles are rarely taught outside Los Angeles or New York. Also, Oriental styles, since they were developed through centuries of warfare and vendetta, emphasize the killing thrust. Still these styles can be devastatingly effective, especially since they combine knife techniques with empty hand blows, low kicks, and joint locks/breaks. Perhaps the best known Oriental style is that developed in the Philippines. The original art was called Kali, meaning blade. Although there are still styles called by this name, most systems are referred to now as escrima or arnis de mano. Spanish terms used in different parts of the islands. Probably the best known escrima instructor in the United States is Danny lnosanto, who was also a friend and student of Bruce Lee. Danny runs a school called the Filipino Kali Academy in Torrance, CA (23018 S. Normandie). Most of his training is conducted with the stick particularly the baston (two-foot rattan stick), and the bolo or kris style blade, although a fair amount of time is devoted to the daga or short blade and to empty hand fighting. The student quickly realizes that quite a few moves, notably what would be called parries and beats in fencing, can be accomplished with the stick and long blade which would be impossible with the dagger. Although all schools of escrima and arnis teach stick, knife, and empty hand, some of them emphasize certain weapons and fighting distance more than others. For example, Leo Gaje, who is world commissioner for the National Arnis Association of the Philippines (NARAPHIL), stresses infighting with the dagger land empty hand. Those who have seen him teach at his school in New York City (556 Fifth Avenue) are always impressed by his power and speed. Leo was the only grandson of an arnis master named Conrado C. Tortal. This man and his four brothers taught Leo from the time he was six years old in the style they called Pikiti-Tirsia Leo's family owned 24 hectares of land as a homestead in the Negros Occidental area of Visayan Island. Arnis was used, along with conventional legal means, to protect the homestead from encroachments by the big landowners in the area. Fighting spirit is an essential quality for a propertied man in the rural Philippines. For example, one time after he had grown to manhood Leo accompanied a pair of trucks that were bringing the payroll from town to his workers. He stayed in the back of one of the trucks, concealed behind the cargo with a semi-automatic Remington 12-gauge. Suddenly, the lead truck pulled to a stop in front of some trees fallen across the road. Anticipating an ambush Leo stood up to look around. He spotted a man hiding in the darkness with a rifle. Leo fired several rounds from his shotgun, providing cover so the trucks could turn around toward town. Pikiti-Tirsia is an infighting system. It emphasizes closing with an enemy quickly, finishing him off before his friends have a chance to close in. The system presumes that you are fighting at least three opponents. The main techniques taught are: 1) Solo haston 2) Double baston 3) Espada y daga (sword and dagger, usually a bolo and balisong) 4) Daga or daga y daga(one or two knives) 5) Mano-mano (empty hand fighting, with blow, locks, and throws) Footwork is essential to the system. A reverse triangle serves as the pattern for evading an opponent's attack and concealing the direction of one's own counterattack. A right and left sidestep serve to take one out of line with an opponent's thrust; this may be combined with ducking and other evasive tactics. In Pikiti-Tirsia training begins with the short knife, partly because this is the weapon most likely to be encountered on the street. If the student can use and defend himself against the dagger he has little to fear from empty hard fighting. Knife thrusts are performed from the Sak-Sak (hammer grip, blade forward) or Pakal (icepick grip, blade downward) positions. Sak-Sak thrusts are directed from three angles: 1) strike upward between anus and groin, 2) backhand thrust to solar plexus toward heart, and 3) downward thrust above the heart toward solar plexus. Pakal thrusts also go through three angles: 1) downward toward the left side of the neck, 2) downward toward the right side of the neck, and 3) straight downward toward the crown of the head. Technique is practiced by a process called "knife tapping." Each man combines thrusts with defensive footwork, "third hand" (left hand) blows, disarms, low kicks, locks/breaks, and throws. The favorite targets for knife thrusts in Pikiti-Tirsia are the armpit, the nape of the neck, between the anus and groin, inside eye, above the breastbone into neck, and directly into the kidney. These blows are called "fatal," with the connotation of instant disablement. Pikiti-Tirsia is practiced fast and furious. The student is inundated with techniques, and he must learn these as he tries to keep up with his footwork This inundation is typical of Filipino styles, which deliberately confuse the student in order to open up his mind to new ideas (in effect, a kind of brainwashing). Japanese styles also try to open the student's mind but in the opposite manner, by giving him very few techniques which he must master down to the tiniest detail before going on to the next step. This sort of tedious attention to detail will weed out all but the most dedicated students. One man who preserves the Japanese arts in their traditional combat-oriented form is Donald Angier, who has a small dojo in Lynwood (11057 S. Atlantic), a suburb of-Los Angeles. His school is called Shidare Yanagi Ryu/Aiki Jiu Jitsu (Weeping Willow Style/Mind Blending Art of Gentleness). This art was developed on the island of Hokkaido by Kotaro Yoshida from an earlier art taught by Sokaku Takeda. Mr. Yoshida passed on his style to his son, Kenji, who passed it on to Mr. Angier. Master Angier teaches the empty hand art of aiki-jujutsu, which might be described as the northern style of classical jujutsu (the art of suppleness, also translated as gentleness). Almost all new students are required to study this art before they go on to weapons study. The main weapon arts taught are kenjutsu (sword art), naginatajutsu (halberd art) bojutsu (staff art), and tantojutsu (knife art). None of these weapons fit the concealable or modern category except the tanto (Japanese fighting knife). This art is almost never taught to anyone who has not spent seven years in empty hand and the other weapon arts. Don has studied the samurai arts since 1939, taking time out to fight in the Korean War (with extensive hand to hand combat experience) and to make a career as a Long Beach police detective. His pension from the police department and his current job with the film studios allow him to run his dojo without concern for making a profit. Therefore he is very selective, even elitist, when it comes to picking students. An aspiring student must take ten empty hand lessons, after which he may be told to leave if he does not measure up. In feudal times the tanto was used mainly by three classes of people: by samurai women, by officials of the court, and by brawling samurai or ronin ("wave man," a masterless samurai). Women carried the knife as their primary weapon to protect their honor, offensively or to commit jigai (neck cutting, the female version of seppuku). Court officials were forbidden to carry a sword within the castle walls, so they might have to use the tanto to defend against a midnight ninja. The ninja assassin, of course would be armed with a sword, since court edicts meant nothing to him. Finally, during the Tokugawa period (1600-1867) samurai were forbidden to engage in duels. Duels, of course were conducted with the katana (two-hand sword, the "soul of the samurai"). Therefore vendetta and brawls were often managed with the tanto (12-inch blade) or ko-wakizashi (18-inch blade). There are a number of hand positions in tantojutsu. The "guard" position hides the knife behind the right wrist/forearm with the pommel resting against the curled first finger. The left hand, of course, is held in an identical position, so that the opponent does not know if the artist is armed or which hand holds the weapon. Other hand positions include: thumb against the pommel, palm against the pommel with blade forward, hammer grip with blade forward, icepick grip with left hand against pommel, et al. The student is taught not to take a "death grip" on the handle, so that he can change hand positions quickly as tactically required. Tantojutsu is not a style for those who want to "fight next week." Mastering the subtleties of balance, footwork, and blade technique is usually a matter of years. Just finding an instructor who actually knows this very secret art and who is willing to teach it can be a matter of years. Once learned, however, tantojutsu strategies of attack and defense can add substantially to a knife fighter's skill. Incidentally, the hand positions in tantojutsu do not require that a knife have a guard. In fact, a guard can get in the way of certain hand positions as well as limiting the types of sheaths and carry positions from which the knife can be used. Don Angier removed the guard and shortened the handle on a standard Solingen dagger, making it appropriate for some of his demonstrations. Using this knife as a starting point I have been discussing with knifemakers Jody Samson and Bo Randall various designs that would be appropriate for a new tantojutsu style fighting knife. The knife fighting styles mentioned are not the only ones, but they are among the best. Used with skill and imagination the knife can counter most personal weapons (at contact distance). The techniques shown in the accompanying photographs do not illustrate conventional knife against knife style since on the street or on the battlefield (ancient or modern) the knife is often opposed by all sorts of weapons. One must "go with the flow" as Danny Inosanto says. --__--__-- _______________________________________________ The_Dojang mailing list The_Dojang@martialartsresource.net http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang http://the-dojang.net It's a great day for Taekwondo! Support the USTU by joining today. 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