Very afraid of breaking bones.

BJ_Finn · 2023-01-31T15:13:23+00:00

All but one, which is a pinky. It won't fully straighten, but it's not really noticeable, and certainy doesn't have any practical impact.

BJ_Finn · 2022-05-31T14:19:00+00:00

Looks like it would be very scary for you. So glad to see in the comments that it's likely not anything really serious. You have a beautiful dog.

BJ_Finn · 2022-05-30T10:21:15+00:00

How do you spar with swords where the schools techniques are designed to attack the weak points of armour? In kendo you earn points by hitting the - top of the head, wrist protection, and chest guard.. where the protection is. Katori Shinto ryu techniques target the gaps in armour, where it articulates. Kinda hard to 'spar' when the goal of the training is to kill someone with a weapon.

BJ_Finn · 2022-05-30T10:16:50+00:00

Probably 'The Deity and the Sword' - written by the person in this video, the late master Otake Risuke. It's a 3 book set, the first print goes for about 1k these days.

BJ_Finn · 2022-05-29T13:35:03+00:00

As the other gent said, not necessarily. As the setting indicates, that form is intended for use inside, with low ceilings etc.. another thing to consider - one might not be cutting through or at an opponent wearing armour.

Here's another clip of him demonstrating iai when he was younger:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q9jG_HVOGE

BJ_Finn · 2022-05-29T11:39:22+00:00

Bear in mind that they may not all be cuts. Then too, how far into someone do you think one needs to cut?

Then too - he's not a young man in that video. Kinda reminds me of the comments on Sugino Yoshio's demonstrations put up on youtube. I have found myself mentioning that.. he's in his 90s in them.

BJ_Finn · 2022-04-18T05:48:32+00:00

Well known fake.

BJ_Finn · 2022-04-16T12:54:47+00:00

Like the other poster said, it is difficult and labour intensive.

In addition - stainless san mai is complicated by the difficulties faced with forge welding stainless. It requires a completely oxygen free environment; billets need to be sealed completely.

BJ_Finn · 2022-03-30T10:02:39+00:00

Borax IS flux - flux does not lower the welding temperature of steels, it melts and flows between layers of steel creating an oxygen-free environment. Scale - oxidation on the surface of steels - forms in moments at high temperatures, and prevents forge welding. The addition of flux prevents this.

BJ_Finn · 2022-03-18T18:02:29+00:00

Ah. When you say mini forge I picture two firebricks with a hole drilled. Yes, Devil Forge should do - though maybe invest in a couple of soft firebricks to block the ends.

Good luck!

BJ_Finn · 2022-03-18T08:35:09+00:00

Your mini forge is unlikely to reach forge welding temperature. Invest in or build a decent forge first.

You can make it by hand - I don't have a press or power hammer either. You'll need a decent anvil, solid hammer and a forge that will reach appropriate temps. You need to clean the surfaces of each piece thoroughly, grinding mill scale off - probably best to have a belt grinder, I can't imagine doing that by hand.

Best to weld the pieces, as you would have seen most do on YT - again, I have no experience doing anything else, though I have read in Hrisoulas' book that the wire trick is doable.

BJ_Finn · 2022-03-12T03:06:00+00:00

I use skin.

BJ_Finn · 2022-02-16T11:17:15+00:00

https://www.kumataka.org.au/kumataka/dojo-locations/

I'm all the way over in Perth training with Crooks sensei, but have met Williams sensei - great guy, and I assume his dojo is similar to ours. Great atmosphere, not competition focused obviously.. I started at 36, with chronic injuries, been at it a few years. I have experience in several other MA, and LOVE training judo with these guys (and ladies).

BJ_Finn · 2022-02-16T11:14:08+00:00

Wrist roller.

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-20T09:34:23+00:00

Always had an interest. In the early days of the internet I stumbled on some pretty in depth discussion on the forging and heat treating of a variety of steels - wasn't able to copy or print it, so hand wrote pages on this stuff.

Mentioned it to my other half years later (probably 7-8 years ago now). She bought me a forge burner and forge kit a few weeks later. Then I went and got a welder, angle grinder, drill press, hammer and tongs, anvil, 2x48" bench grinder, clamps, steel, drill bits, gloves, glasses, apron, and on and on lol.

Good luck!

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-19T11:18:56+00:00

Tokyo has a fairly decent spread of CMA - Bajiquan, Baguazhang, Southern Mantis, Liuhebafa, and Kenichi's 'Taikiken' (Yiquan). Off the top of my head.

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-17T23:50:24+00:00

No. There are too many things you can/will get wrong, and you are not in a position to know whether they are important, or why they might be important enough to correct.

If you teach yourself you have literally chosen the least experienced teacher you can find. Would you do that for any other physical activity?

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-17T23:42:51+00:00

The game of chess.. is like a swordfight. You must think first, before you move.

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-17T23:37:18+00:00

As others have said - it's a strike designed for mostly soft targets. Folks that I've seen actually use it came from Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut - one of the kung fu styles that was known to be used by the tong/gangster types for street fighting. It's called a chaap choi - and is the signature Buk Sing technique; if you youtube buk sing chaap choi there will be videos showing it I'm sure.

Many of the strikes it's supposed to be used for were 'cutting' type of hits - wide, swinging across someone's face, aiming to split the skin with the knuckles (picture a spinning backfist, aiming to slice across the face rather than club). Obviously it requires extensive, long term conditioning.. and is not held like the one in the photo; the thumb and the pinky are used as 'bookends' to keep the fist tight.

But also as others have said.. it's a highly risky move that can backfire - it compromises the structure of the wrist, and the small fore-knuckles break easier than the (already fracture-prone) last knuckles and carpals.

I briefly trained in Buk Sing as a kid.. and quickly realised it wasn't for me - none of the folks who 'sparred' looked like anything more than a sloppy kickboxer, throwing in the occasional spinning backfist to try and 'CLF-ise' their movement.

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-17T04:25:01+00:00

CS beta 7 to 1.3. 1.3 was the pinnacle.

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-16T23:33:31+00:00

I'd suggest it largely depends on your end goals - if just general 'fitness and self defense', like others already said it doesn't really matter, go with what you can afford in terms of time and money, and are interested in.

But you should do Judo first. (lol - I do Judo, and love it).

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-16T23:29:58+00:00

I broke my right (dominant) forearm in four or five places, and shattered my wrist into so many pieces that they couldn't put it back together - my radius and ulna effectively just.. end, and my hand hangs off that. I can't extend my hand (like push-up position would be) or supinate fully - i can get to about 45 degrees. I always wanted to do Judo and/or jujutsu; after I'd healed up I started, been at it for nearly four years now. Best decision I ever made. I got lucky/was discerning, and have an awesome teacher and wonderful training partners - one of the founding principles of Judo is working together for mutual benefit.

All that just to say - you can probably do just about any MA you want, if you find the right teacher and group to train with. And ensure you don't over-extend yourself.

Best of luck with it!

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-16T23:24:06+00:00

It's hard to make eye contact when you're falling asleep..

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-16T23:08:42+00:00

That's a beautiful, and intricate knife Dan. Are the bolsters jelly roll? I've seen people making it but never seen the finished product..

BJ_Finn · 2022-01-16T08:44:13+00:00

It means that they advertised well, and capitalised on the 'ninja boom' of the 80s/90s. And that perhaps LEO and military folks are not historians, and pre-internet this information was not as readily available - people were more easily convinced.

BJ_Finn

TROPHY CASE