Investigating Different Styles

[Enlightened Warrior]

Hi. I was in Tae Kwon Do for 3 years. Now I'm in college and there's no time for Tae Kwon Do while in college. I want to get back into the martial arts when I graduate from here, but I don't know which art I want yet. Please email me at ICQ3489890@prodigy.net, all martial artists who read this, and let me know about your style. I may respond to your email with questions, too.

Thanks,
Nathan

PS Email, because I can't come here alot.

[Bill Glasheen]

I'm assuming this gentleman isn't going to read this, but I can't miss the opportunity to comment on a point here.

Too busy for martial arts because you're in college? And you think things get easier when you graduate? Think you'll suddenly have lots of time and you will spend it doing productive things? My, my, how tragic the thinking.

Having spent more than a few years in college (bachelors, masters, doctorate), and having taught martial arts to college kids for a few years (14), I can tell you I speak from experience. College is the time to learn good time management. College is the time to learn how to set priorities, and how to approach life in a balanced fashion. College is a time to do it all, and then to prioritize for the things that are important. How, you say? Well...be patient. They do give you four years for the undergraduate, don't they?

Yes, it is true that you will probably try lots of things and fail at some of them. But then you graduate and you get a job and you can't just turn the alarm off and skip class. Then you get a girlfriend (boyfriend) and they make demands on your time. Then you get married (maybe) with kids (it happens) and the family makes demands. Can't punt feeding junior, can you? Think it gets better? Think life slows down? Think the things you face after graduation are less pressing? Forget it!

I'm not saying this is easy. But I am saying that you should learn how to work and play in college or you'll never get it down right. And maybe your priorities need readjusting after all. Thomas Jefferson once said that recreation was more important than learning because without your health, you had nothing to work with.

Good luck in college, enlightened warrior and all others who are taking the plunge. Several of us on line have been there before. It's tough, but it's worth it.

Bill

[Allen M.]

Hi Bill.

Some colleges and universities can be meccas for different martial arts systems. Another nice part is that you can attend workouts of multiple systems between academic classes without ever leaving campus. It would behove the Enlightened Warrior to investigate his own campus, wherever it may be.<font color=green>

Allen

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Allen - uechi@ici.net - http://www.uechi-ryu.org

[JOHN THURSTON]

Bill and Allen:

Touche'.

JOHN T

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[Allen M.]

I had several short emails with Nathan after this , and he informed me

<Font color=blue>“My campus is state run, and, as per …, does not support martial arts due to the legal aspects. “</font>

My final answer to him was:

"Nathan,

I practiced lots of different styles in my day and have a total accumulation of about 15 years of contiguous practice in the Korean arts.

If you have three years into TKD, then you must be fairly advanced, at least advanced enough to create your own personal program. I recommend that YOU continue to practice TKD every day on your own and make arrangements with a dojang somewhere they check your progress once a month. If you don't have the time for regular classes and the college of your choice offers no martial arts program then the above may be the best approach for you.

Allen"<FONT COLOR=orange>



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Allen - uechi@ici.net - http://www.uechi-ryu.org

[Bill Glasheen]

With all due respect for the esteemed barristers in our midst, this situation makes me think of a line from William Shakespeare himself: "First thing we do, kill all the lawyers."

I know exactly what this gentleman is talking about. These days, with our litigeous society, organizations are getting incredibly paranoid about their risk. When I was at UVa, we had established programs when the risk management folks started nosing into our business. Our record made it difficult for them to tell us all to go away (although they wished we weren't there) but they could really make life hell for us. It even got down to some pretty silly crap about language. We couldn't say "The University of Virginia Uechi Ryu Karate Club." Instead, they made us say "Uechi Ryu Karate AT UVa." They made us sign these forms saying that UVa (a state school) didn't have anything to do with us, even though we used their facilities. Everybody signed waivers saying how our activity could result in injury and death, yada, yada, yada. And it wasn't just us. ALL club sports were suddenly high risk activities that could result in death. Even badmitton.

And in the mean time, the university was busy expanding the football stadium. Does this make sense? Of course not. As my mentor (a physician who often has to testify in court about medical cases) says "law often has nothing to do with logic and science."

I'm sorry about the ranting. But now and then I really get peeved at our over litigeous society. Sometimes I wish I lived in Great Britain, where the loser in a law suit has to pay the legal bills of the winning defender....or Germany, where people take responsibility for their actions, and will not consider personal stupidity a good reason to sue your neighbor.

OK, OK,....I'm off the soap box. I'm now ready to be chided by counsel. Yes, your honor, community service for contempt of court....

[Allen M.]

And, Bill, I don't think our society will get any better.

[JOHN THURSTON]

Not only are lawyers a pain in the butt, butt lawyering is a pain in the but.

The term does not translate directly, but, FYI, Julius Gaius Caesar, his father and grandfather were "advocates" under Roman Law at the time. Patricians were expected to "have clients" handle wills, execute wills and argue cases, but never, never "engage in trade".

Well, at least Shakespeare got his wish regarding Julius Gauis Caesar. They did kill him but not because he was an advocate.

I know it's all spoken in jest and "all teases accepted".However, as a counterpoint, Lincoln was an attorney, John Quincy Adams gave a pretty good account of himself in the "Amistad" matter, so I guess we'll have be selective about whom we fix the cross hairs upon.


Counterpoint made in good humor.

JOHN T

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[The Editor]

Never before my court have I seen such a degredation as an excuse for a man! The least possible sentence I can pass on you is ten days with an Air Supply 8-tract!

--Ed.

[Yeah, Rumpole fans like the formality of British law with its traditions. They also lack some basic rights we have here.

Returning to the post, the fear of litigation comes from frivolous law suits. I am surprised that very few malpractice law suits end in a judgement for the plantiff. It is a lot of bother and $. I think part of the reason for these suits--even personal injury--is the American Dream: get something for nothing. "Screw the Company!"

At college, I actually worked with one of your scions. Our "class" was small--just one or two people beating the hell out of one another. I never worked to make it official. Aside from the reasons you listed I would also have to accept every clown. I am serious; I remember a loon who wanted me to teach him "to be dangerous." Those of you who know me are currently scratching your heads.

--J.D.]

Which reminds me of an amusing legal anecdote. It seems that his lordship, Sir Cecil Hoggmany Melchet . . .ACK!!--Ed.

[Ah, enough of that! Too much PBS.--J.D.]

[This message has been edited by The Editor (edited 03-15-99).]

[David in Sacramento]

We are very lucky here in the California State University system as our campuses have many different martial arts classes. At my now Alma Mater, CSU Sacramento, we have Tai Kwon Do, Tai Chi, Judo, Uechi , Aikido.

I feel spoiled, knowing that there are some universities that don't allow theirt students the experience.

David in Sacramento