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Martial Artists?

Discussion in 'Sports Forum' started by Stratiotes, Jul 29, 2004.

  1. Stratiotes

    Stratiotes New Member

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    Any martial arts enthusiasts out there?

    If so, do you have a webpage where we could do reciprocal links?

    http://www.geocities.com/presuppositionalist/ma_index.html

    Tell me a little about your primary art.

    Mine is Systema - Russian for "The System." It is said to date back to the Cossacks and developed over the years until it became restricted during the communist years to only their Special Forces (Spetsnaz) soldiers. After the collapse, it was revealed in its new form to the world after having been perfected during the Soviet years into an extremely efficient and complete combat fighting art.

    I was involved in Karate for a time but ended up concentrating in Systema a few months ago.
     
  2. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    I was into Kodokan Judo for 4 years back in the Philippines in my time, and eventually shifted to Okinawan Shorin-Ryu where I got up to third dan black belt after 7 gruelling years of training back in those days when karate was not so commercialized.

    No, I do not have a webpage, but glad to meet a fellow enthusiast in martial arts. I've heard of systema. Does it have katas too ?
     
  3. Stratiotes

    Stratiotes New Member

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    No katas, no ranks/belts, no special stances. Just fighting, grappling, and weapons disarming. There are also several training locations, primarily Toronto and Moscow, where they add working with weapons of all types including automatic weapons and grenade launchers - the whole bit. I am more of the hand-to-hand type though since its primarily just a way to stay in shape as I get older.

    The instructors are primarily former or current Spetsnaz soldiers. So, when you go to the Moscow school, its right on the same grounds where the Spetsnaz train and you do pretty much the same things they do - just a little toned down for the average person.

    If you check out some of the linkes, you'll find video clips of some of the work and get a feel for classes. They generally begin with learning a basic concept - like taking out knees. Then they build up to sparring one on one to practice the concept, then they add one person having a weapon and spar some more empty hand against weapon, then they go to sparring one against two or three or the whole class. Its a lot of sparring and very little of anything less.
     
  4. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    Best wishes to you, Stratiotes.
    I'm 58 years old, and this old house is starting to creak and crack. No more grinders, the windows are dusty, and a year ago the doctors did a little number inside my chest.
    Up to a year before that I could run 3 miles no sweat and a lot of sweat.
    Up to 1997 when I first came to the states, I could perform the advanced katas with some ease.
    But I guess the easy life in the US took its toll.
    As for you, go for it, man.

    By the way, you heard about this Team Hoyt ?

    A father and son team, where the son is quadruplegic (born that way, I think) and the father was military.

    They compete in marathons, triathons, swimathons, with the son in the wheelchair and the father doing the running,climbing and swimming, pushing and pulling the son to the finish line.

    They never won any first place, but, hey, it's about the father's love for his son.

    Great dad, if you ask me. Makes me feel very small. I hope he's a Christian as well.
     
  5. Stratiotes

    Stratiotes New Member

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    Yes, I had heard of them, inspiring but humbling as well.

    I'm 44 and was never really active in sports before I was 41 when I started karate. I felt pretty broken down to begin with from the years of relative ease. When I was in my 20's I played soccer a bit and was in fairly good condition but the years added pounds and so I'm hoping that getting active again can reverse or slow some of the damage. Unfortunately, trying to get in shape with this has only given me a broken toe, broken and bruised ribs, and more recently, a broken tibia and knee LCL damage. So, in some ways I'm better but in others, the act of getting in shape has been damaging ;) .

    Not to frighten anyone off though. It is possible to practice the arts without injuries. It just depends on how hard you want to play.
     
  6. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    Go Ju Ryu when I was younger - Okinawan.

    Tae Kwon do during teen years and for the past 3 years. Just recently quit after weighing priorities in time and money.

    Joseph Botwinick
     
  7. Gib

    Gib Active Member

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    My boys, 10 & 13, take karate from the link below. Both tried out for the SWAT team. The oldest made it and the youngest was encouraged to try out again. We are proud of both of them. Paks Karate
     
  8. Stratiotes

    Stratiotes New Member

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    If any of you know of websites of christian martial artists, please share them. I'm trying to link to them from my page (in the OP). There is so much "bad" in the way of philosophy out there that I'd like folks to be able to find some that are good.

    One thing I like about Systema also is its prevailing philosophy is Russian Orthodoxy - not exactly our cup of tea but a lot closer to our philosophy than some of the others. As soon as my knee heals a little more, I'm starting a training group in my town and plan to have a quick devotional relevant to what we are learning that day. The philosophy of Systema is close enough that it will lend itself well to that format I think.

    Any ideas of what you think would be a good devotional subject? It could be general such as an allusion to spiritual warfare or the like. Those are always good if you cannot think of some others.

    A book that some of you might like too, and something of a devotional idea in itself:
    _Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul_ by John Eldridge. It gives some clues, I think, into why men are drawn to this sort of thing - more generally than women are....I know, there are exceptions ;) .
     
  9. TaterTot

    TaterTot Guest

    My husband has done Shotokan for about 16 years. He still trains, though not formally since we moved to the country. :(
     
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