Have you ever learned 'martial arts'?

[NinaZara]

Rosa,

[Prezbucky]

Nina

Does your master break bricks using a hand or a forearm?
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[Rosalisa]

[NinaZara]

[Rosalisa]

[Rosalisa]

Nina...Wushu to me is like a show...I don't understand what wushu is good for...is it for the spirit of martial arts?
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[Jamie (K)]

A karate master who my aikido teacher was friends with did a demonstration once. They dragged out a stack of six thick bricks, called "cinder blocks", and he broke them all with his hands. The crowd cheered. Then they brought him six more. He hit them very hard, but only the top three broke. The crowd made a hushed noise, as if to acknowledge that he had failed. Then he was given another stack of six bricks, he hit them, and only the bottom three broke, not the top three. This sensei could break any of the bricks in the stack, the top ones, the bottom ones, whatever he wanted.

When I took karate, our teacher never taught us to break bricks, because he said it was a trick that showed nothing about one's real karate ability. He claimed the brick caves in on itself, and that the person doesn't really do most of the breaking. He said that once he couldn't get a class to shut up about breaking bricks, so he just brought in a whole load of bricks, taught them the trick, and let them get it out of their system.

[NinaZara]

[Rosalisa]

[Prezbucky]

Rosalisa

If it's karate that's all around you (easiest for you to find), then I'd recommend Shotokan.

I don't really know how it's different from other Karate styles, but it sounds cool -- Shotokan.

hehe
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[Prezbucky]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotokan

And this is from the Karate page:
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There are four recognized (by the Federation of All Japan Karatedo Organization), traditional styles of karate:

Shotokan
Shito-ryu
Goju-ryu
Wado-ryu

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I've also heard of something called Shorin-ryu... it was taught at UW-Madison.

And then there's Kenpo, which is basically Karate + Shaolin stuff (or so I have read).
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[Rosalisa]

Shotokan? Frankly, I've never hearch such a cool name before.

Really cool. Thanks for this fantastic new information.
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If you want to change the world, be one of the change.

[Prezbucky]

Yeah

When I was looking at martial arts in the UW course/intramural book, Shotokan caught my eye.

But I went with Jujitsu.

Both Karate and Jujitsu teach some of the same things... but Jujitsu is more concerned with throws, chokes and locks/bars, while Karate (including Shotokan) is more concerned with strikes (kicks and punches).
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[Rosalisa]

Tom, do you think it's okay to learn Karate, then Kung Fu and then some other martial arts after finishing each of the previous two martial arts?
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[Prezbucky]

I don't know. If I were going to learn a bunch of them, though, I'd go in this order. Choose one duo. I mean it will take you a decade (at least) to master any one of these arts... so to do learn/master four martial arts disciplines might take you most of the rest of your life:

Striking arts:
1. Karate (or Tae Kwon Do) -- the basic kicking/striking martial art
2. Kung Fu -- possibly more advanced form of karate (?)

Grappling arts:
1. Jujitsu (or Judo) -- the basic grappling martial art
2. Aikido -- more advanced form of jujitsu, or at least more specialized (?)

IE, I would take one at a time. Dividing the grappling arts from the striking arts might be a good idea. Start either with the striking arts or the grappling arts.

Also, PLEASE NOTE:

While Jujitsu is known as a grappling art, kicks and punches are also taught.

And I'm sure that while Karate and Tae Kwon Do are perhaps known as striking-centered arts, they very likely also teach some basic grappling techniques.

Maybe the most all-encompassing art is Kung Fu. Though I've "heard" that the BEST art is Jujitsu. Of course, that's all in the eye of the beholder.

You could, I suppose, start out with one striking art (Karate) and one grappling art (Jujitsu).

But as you advance, more time/practice are required to master the progressions of an art. So... well the best way would probably be to do one art at a time. Master that art (Get to at least the karate brown-belt level, or the 1st-degree black belt level) and then move on to the next art.

Jamie might have some salient input here. hehe
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Billie Jean is not my lover. Hee.