The Browncoat Martial Arts Forum
POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Saturday, April 22, 2006 05:09
VIEWED: 16091
PAGE 9 of 10
Yep, sounds like you had a few years experience on him. He lost hold of you - the rule of thumb is to always attempt to control at least two of your opponent's limbs during takedown. How did you slip his takedown grip, do you remember? Did he put you in an armlock after he parried the strike? I'm just curious. I used to spar with a guy we nicknamed Rubberman because he could loop or worm out of any lock put on him, it was like wrestling a jellyfish. You wanted to just start wrapping him in duct tape. Only others I've met that could go as soft as him were Tai Chi players.
Speaking of circles, There's a fairly accomplished Akido guy in our rapier group who executes the most beautiful, flowing drawcuts I've ever seen. The Spanish style of fencing, La Destraza (sp?), was based on circular movements. I would LOVE to find someone to teach me a little about that system, but there's only one school in North America that seems to be barking up the right tree in rediscovering the style. Spanish style was one of two dominant European martial arts styles for almost three hundred years, before the European fighting arts were all neutered into "sport" by the Victorians in the nineteenth century.
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I'm practicing Aikido, hence my nickname.
"Agatsu" means "victory over oneself", and I took it from a quote by Aikido "inventor" O-sensei Morihei Ueshiba, "Masakatsu Agatsu" - "The greatest victory is the victory over oneself". I'm gonna get a tattoo with the Japanese kanji for "Agatsu" on the back of my neck as soon as a Japanese tattoo artist comes to a convention I can get to. It'll be my first and maybe last tattoo. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm picky about things that will be on my body for the rest of my life. Because of that, I want a Japanese tattoo artist to do it, preferrably in the traditional style, no machine. I'm funny like that. However, traditional (or other) Japanese tattoo artists don't grow on trees in Germany, so I'm gonna have to wait for a convention or my inevitable trip to Japan one day. But I'm patient when I can get exactly what I want that way.
Great, now I've been talking more about tattoos than martial arts.
Anyways, I like Aikido because it is strictly defensive (not a single attack move) and doesn't end with your opponent in a bloody pile, but a neat package instead. I also like the "can't we all just get along"-philosophy behind it.
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Quote:He kind of had a half-nelson on me for a second, then he got cocky with the idea that he could let go, drop and pull my legs out from under me like lightning (which he did), not knowing that I could USE his pulling to continue the motion into a foward roll; he expected gravity to be my enemy, and make me kiss the floor.
Originally posted by Duelist:
How did you slip his takedown grip, do you remember? Did he put you in an armlock after he parried the strike? I'm just curious.
The ground is my friend Chrisisall
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Quote:That was my feeling when I studied it.
Originally posted by Agatsu:
I like Aikido because it is strictly defensive (not a single attack move) and doesn't end with your opponent in a bloody pile, but a neat package instead. I also like the "can't we all just get along"-philosophy behind it.
Chrisisall-O
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You guys are WAY too much fun to talk to. I gotta go do work for a while, I'll check in later. Thanks for yackin'.
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Well Thought I would bring back thread + update you guys on the two latest duals/matches for Kendo that I had. 1st one was about 3-4 weeks ago. Went up against one of the Sensei. He goes into whats called Left Jodan, has the shinai bamboo blade at an angle above his head. Only he does it w/ 1 hand to mess w/ my mind. After a couple of pass w/ no points and I'm not seeing any target areas really open. I start to go for the throat area. In Kendo the throat area is a ligit target since there is protection, but you have to be careful otherwise you will injury your opponent. Anyways after a couple of rapid strikes, my sensei decides the position isn't fun anymore and goes back into a reg position. 
2nd Match: This was last Friday we decide to go overtime in practice to practice what a real life Tournament match is like ie Taikai. So I'm going up against one other guy that is about my rank, slightly below. I get 1st pt wrist area I think, he gets 2nd pt head area, and I get the 3rd pt which was wrist or head area again. So I'm still in, next person I go up against is a lady that is about my skill level, so we are evenly matched eventually she misses and I get a late head strike (my reaction was a bit slow, but still counted as a valid pt) so ran out of time, but since I scored the only pt won by default there. 3rd match went up against the head Sensei's son, so no pts scored, even match. could read his attacks so blocked most of them, but couldn't get mine in either. Need to work more on cleaner hits!!! Other problem is the son is 12-13 maybe? So smaller then me and a bit harder to get at some of the targets beacuse of size difference. Bear in mind this was one match right after another w/ no break so probably talking 3-4mints,5mints,5mints maybe or what seemed like it. Well hope you guys all enjoyed it. I will post later w/ some other fun techniques you can do w/ the Katana/scabbard
mata, Ookami yori
Now ain't this a fun Shindig huh
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Even though Katana take some work to learn, Duelist, if you give someone who knows which end to hold on a "Swhat?" it should be both big enough and sharp enough to be nigh-fatal before they are in striking range. You ever heard of the "Zanbatou"? The O-Dachi is essentially that, a sword with which one kills the rider by cutting them in half by way of the horse.
Favorite Celluloid use of Swords - Either the Seven Samurai, the original ((Or at least Old)) Count of Monte Cristo, and of course, The Three Musketeers.
Anyone ever used a Claymore?
If anyone gets nosy...Shoot em.
Shoot em sir?
Politely.
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Well thought I would resurface the thread for a bit here. As I posted earlier, with the Katana you can do alot of fun stuff w/ the scabbard. Some examples are slapping your opponents wrist before he is able to draw, using both blade and scabbard combo to thrust at an opponents face/ chest to stun him and then free the blade to deal with your opponent or opponents etc etc. Also as to your post about teaching Mal to handle a blade. If it was a katana, my opinion would be simple thrust, holding center (although this takes time to master and probably not enough time), kote strike ie wrist strike easiest and one of the most defensive strikes, and a couple of simple blocks. Well just a quick post here. Enjoy and have fun.
mata, Ookami yori
Slow, slow, slow, slow, and pressure = Iaido
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I've never studied the use of a katana, so I appreciate the insights. I've been told that most katana strikes are tip cuts done with the last six or so inches of blade, rather than the roughly mid-blade hacking cuts practiced by backsword swingers, or the smooth drawcuts used with scimitars. Is this true?
Though I'm not very skilled, I have played with european-style longswords - bastard swords and the early "Braveheart" style of claymore. Double-edged, counter-balanced swords like these have a very definite "sweet spot," a point of percussion about one-third of the length down the blade from the tip where the blow should land for maximum effectiveness when hacking - they will jar the bejesus out of your arm if you hack with any other part of their blade length. They are also effective tip cutters vs. soft targets with either edge, and a real joy to half-sword. The best I've ever seen with a longsword is a guy named Bob Charron who runs St. Martin's Academy in Madison, WI - I think the website is www.barbute.com. Bob is working on an eagerly-awaited translation of Fiori De Liberi's Flos Duellum.
I've heard that John Clements in Houston, TX is reallyreally good as well. Paladin Press publishes a couple of Clements titles on swordsmanship - his book "Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated Methods and Techniques" is a good, reasonably priced introduction to the basic principles if european-style swordplay. I think he is still associated with ARMA at www.thearma.com.
Also look for Hans Talhoffer's "Medieval Combat" translated and edited by Mark Rector. Not as good as Fiori, but much easier to find, and a real eye-opener showing just how imaginative bladework was back in the day. I especially like the illustrations of the various forms of trial by combat.
Thanks again for the Japanese sword info, hope this helps in looking for claymore techniques. I know of no period-era primary source material from Scotland - the Highlanders weren't exactly famed for their erudition. You could try digging up some of George Silver's stuff, he was the last of the great English Masters of Defense and an expert backswordsman, or look at Joachim Meyer's Fechtbuch if you have a library card at the Bodlian....
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Thanks Duelist
Your correct about the striking area on the Katana. It is called the Kissaki. It is the very tip of the blade. First half of the Kissaki is the strongest and then the next half is about half as strong in cutting power and the rest of the blade length is far weaker in cutting power. The other stance I would have recommend is whats called Jodan. If you have seen Kingdom of Heaven, it is almost the exact same stance that the father teaches his son and calls the Falcon/Hawk stance. There are two basic variations on this. Right foot and left foot version. The left foot version has more pressure bearing on the opponent since you are already half way into the strike. Easist way to counter this is to thrust for the throat/ upper portion of stomach. I will have to add in some links to videos and some book references. Thanks for the links will have to check them out. So will post some more information later.
mata, Ookami yori
I ain't disagreen, I only wanted another drink!!!
He who holds a blade is my brother.
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