I like what y'all are saying about BJJ having free-fighting at it's core---I do believe that is what makes the difference. Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe in the perfection of form in kata; but, my confidence in my ability to defend myself reached a new level when I discovered contact in grappl...

Hello T Rose-San, I feel that BJJ is superior to traditional JJ in that it (BJJ) relies more on using leverage generated from the whole body. Most traditional styles rely on pretty hand-throws that look only as good as the Uke's ability to fall. BJJ was modified with the idea that your attacker is b...

I have worked in many nursing homes and found skin problems to be a major concern. I have seen skin tear as easily as paper (really), even when we were just moving the resident. I guess the good thing is that their nerve endings are also not as responsive so sometimes they don't even feel it. We wou...

I have a one-year old daughter and it seems that she has already began her training. Last week she was sitting outside in her swing watching me run my basics---the next day she was performing an almost perfect (for a one year old) cross-kick on "Pepe" the family-cat. Poor cat also endured ...

Hi Joe,

You wrote,

"I would like to know more about finger attacks. Sound like an interesting component to have for just the right self-preservation situation."

Try Wally Jay's (Small-Circle JJ) tapes for some of the best finger-work I have seen.

Mal

Joe, Thanks for the advice. You wrote:"There is one hook remaining. that is O.K. With the leg that is free, turn your body towards the remaining hook and away so that you are sitting on your but." I understand, maybe you could also be sitting on the opponent's leg to tie him up while you t...

Hello Group, To me, one of the scariest positions to be in is to have some one mounted on your back, you are stomach down, their hooks are in, the choke is milked and reinforced with the other hand, you are getting very sleepy----what, if tapping is not an option, should one do before the sand-man t...

Ian, you wrote, "Breathing doesn't enter into western discussions of lipid metabolism. There'd have to be some strange way it affected lipid metabolism because while toxins are eliminated by the breath, they're generally the gas waste product CO2. Cholesterol isn't going to be breathed out any ...

Bill and Ian, Thank you both for the info. Kevin brings up an interesting question: "Does the yoga lower your overall stress level?" Why, yes it does, thanks for asking http://www.xpres.net/~gmattson/ubbs/smile.gif Have any studies been done as to what extent stress-reducing exercise (like...

I know we have a few medical people (Bill, Ian, others??) in the group, perhaps ya'll can answer my question. Last October I had my cholesterol checked and (gulp) it was 238. Last week I had it checked again (grin) it was 186. I even checked the calibration of the machine, and it was right-on. Now w...

Kusanku, You wrote, "Long a while back a couple other Okinawan masters named Nakamura and Shimabukuro, saw many different styles, and decided they wanted to conine the best aspects into a fighting system containing all aspects, basics, kata, applications, self defense, throws and takedown, grou...

"As people begin to investigate the world of grappling (not jujitsu) and how it pertains to the Uechi world, I hear people say as an aside or under their breath, "it's not Uechi." And of course they refuse to do the movement or do it half-heartedly." Hi Mike, I ran into the same ...

Sir,

Very nice collection; may I ask why you are selling it? Willing to sell part, or single tapes?

Thank you,
Mal Wagner
Isshinryu Karate/Free-style Jiu-Jitsu

Thanks for the clip,

Although designed to entertain, the man in the clip appears to be correctly doing a Chi-Gung exercise called ,among other names,---"pulling the bow". Anyone know who this man is.

Might be fun to recreate this in the dojo to entertain the kids/adults.

Mal

Sensei, Does it help much to know that the differences you speak of also exist in the majority of martial-styles out there? I study Isshinryu under two different Sensei, who came up under two distinct interpretations of the style; one lineage influenced by a marine named Arcenio Advincula, the other...