So, I'll be starting Isshin-Ryu soon. :3

[Randy]

Didn't break a nail, never even broke skin. Don't ask me how because I have no idea. I vividly remember telling the guy I was training with to come at me with more realistic speed so I can practice catching the blade correctly. Ironically when it came to Bo vs. Bo training I regularly got banged the hell up.

 How the f**k are you still alive, bro? That's what I wanna know.

[SteyrAUG]

How the f**k are you still alive, bro? That's what I wanna know.

Talent, skill and training.

 

[Randy]

 Haha. Either that or a whole lotta luck during your childhood.

[Randy]

Well, I'm gonna cut the crap and make a long and confusing story short.

 I went to the Dojo, and from that point on everything went perfectly after my socially awkward anxiety dissipated within what, 20 seconds of stepping onto the mat?

 I learned a bit of Kihon, did several exersizes, did a bit of very light contact sparring, though a better term would be "Application" since it was more like testing out the techniques slowly.

 But yeah, everything went pretty much seamlessly.

 

[SteyrAUG]

Sounds like you are off to a good start.

Enjoy your walk on the path.

[Randy]

Sounds like you are off to a good start.

Enjoy your walk on the path.

 I will.

 Better yet, I'm going on a vacation tomorrow and will get back on Monday in time to take my first REAL class. (b^_^)b

[Randy]

 Okay so like, last night I went to my first actual class.

 It was a LOT better than the trial class.

 I worked one-on-one with the head instructor, who showed me the exact movements for several hand techniques. I mean Exact as in within half an inch. 

 He's a very good teacher, extremely informative and skilled, Unbelievably fast, (Upon his instruction I threw a punch at his head and I no more moved my arm than he swatted it away and stopped a knife hand an inch from my neck, which I thought was amazing.) and he's not at all shy to talk about different styles. He seems to know quite a bit about Wing Chun and Judo, as well as some Chinese terms.

 Love it. Fo-Sho going back on Monday

[SteyrAUG]

Okay so like, last night I went to my first actual class.

 It was a LOT better than the trial class.

 I worked one-on-one with the head instructor, who showed me the exact movements for several hand techniques. I mean Exact as in within half an inch. 

 He's a very good teacher, extremely informative and skilled, Unbelievably fast, (Upon his instruction I threw a punch at his head and I no more moved my arm than he swatted it away and stopped a knife hand an inch from my neck, which I thought was amazing.) and he's not at all shy to talk about different styles. He seems to know quite a bit about Wing Chun and Judo, as well as some Chinese terms.

 Love it. Fo-Sho going back on Monday

Always a good sign.

[Randy]

Always a good sign.

 Yeah. This monday when I go I'm going to ask him a question regarding wrist grab defenses. What he taught me is to get it out of the way and then strike.

 But what I'm thinking is, why couldn't you use your free hand to simply strike the opponent's face and he'll then instinctively let go of you?

 I'm guessing either one would work, I'm just saying the latter may be quicker and easier, but as far as more effective, it's not my place to say.

[SteyrAUG]

Yeah. This monday when I go I'm going to ask him a question regarding wrist grab defenses. What he taught me is to get it out of the way and then strike.

 But what I'm thinking is, why couldn't you use your free hand to simply strike the opponent's face and he'll then instinctively let go of you?

 I'm guessing either one would work, I'm just saying the latter may be quicker and easier, but as far as more effective, it's not my place to say.

Neither is a wrong answer. The idea is to have more than one valid option. Then as situations change you can adapt with them because you have more than one solution to each problem.

[Randy]

Neither is a wrong answer. The idea is to have more than one valid option. Then as situations change you can adapt with them because you have more than one solution to each problem.

 That makes sense. Thanks.

[SteyrAUG]

That makes sense. Thanks.

One of my teachers always had to remind me that there is more than one correct path to climb a mountain. That combined with Lee's "absorb what is useful" will help a great deal. Your biggest problem is that you already know a few things. And that means you probably do them better than anything you are trying to learn. So when you see something that doesn't seem "as good" you will run into a block that will prevent you from being interested in it and taking the time to learn it. But this limits you to only what you know and prevents you from developing a wider arsenal of skills.

Take the time to learn, understand and be able to correctly execute everything. Having done that you will find there are some things that simply don't fit you well for a variety of reasons or they conflict with your body dynamic and what you do more naturally. And at that point you will likely relegate them to the low priority list. But even if you don't adopt the entire technique, you are likely to steal ideas and concepts from the techniques which can then be applied to what you already know and they become enhanced by what you learned even if the specific technique itself isn't the greatest fit.

And of course you are now aware of one more thing that you won't fall victim to simply because you've never seen it before.

In my formative years I probably explored as many as 45 different systems of martial arts. I don't still practice all of them, in fact some I discarded completely for one reason or another. But I learned something (usually many things) from each of them which I incorporated into what is essentially the overall martial hybrid that I focus on. The mix and match that best works for me.

[Randy]

 It's not that I'm not interested in learning certain things, that's not it at all.

 I want to learn every single movement in the Isshin-Ryu system, and want to practice and hone them to second-nature.

 It's just that I'm the type of person who likes to experiment and say "Couldn't you also do this?"

 Know what I mean?

[SteyrAUG]

It's not that I'm not interested in learning certain things, that's not it at all.

 I want to learn every single movement in the Isshin-Ryu system, and want to practice and hone them to second-nature.

 It's just that I'm the type of person who likes to experiment and say "Couldn't you also do this?"

 Know what I mean?

I knew what you meant. Like I said there is usually more than one correct path up a mountain.

If there was one "best way" to do something or "best style that can defeat all others" then that technique or method would be all you would need to know as nothing could beat it. Many styles and methods exist because there are so many correct answers to any given situation.

I only mentioned it because it is a common stumbling block for new students to reject a technique that they don't see as immediately valuable.

[Randy]

I knew what you meant. Like I said there is usually more than one correct path up a mountain.

If there was one "best way" to do something or "best style that can defeat all others" then that technique or method would be all you would need to know as nothing could beat it. Many styles and methods exist because there are so many correct answers to any given situation.

I only mentioned it because it is a common stumbling block for new students to reject a technique that they don't see as immediately valuable.

 I think I get what you mean.