Do you dance...

Ada Ma said:

regularly as a form of exercise?

........

Quoted message said:

(1) belly dancing (Don't laugh!!! I am serious!)
(2) tango (that scene in moulin rouge is fab!)
(3) dances people do in Bollywood movies, I'm not certain if anyone
actually teaches it but I'd dearly like to pick it up if I can find a
class near where I live.

I actually found a class for belly-dancing in my area, but the class
is already full. Come next spring if they start a new class I'll
definitely sign up for it. What about you guys?

Ada

Hey Ada,
I'm not laughing! Belly Dancing (properly known as Middle Eastern Dance) is
great fun. I've taken it before and plan to take it again. It's fantastic
for the abs!
I've also done Jazz dance and I enjoyed that, but what I'd really love to
take is Flamenco and African Dance. They are on my goals list, along with
some type of Martial Art, I haven't figured out which one yet but I seem to
lean towards Tae Kwan Do (sp?).

Monica
--
Started Jan. 20, 2004
362/232.8/Goal: Till my thighs don't rub together anymore.
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/otherme34/my_photos
________________________________________________________
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

---
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TavliGal said:

Ada Ma said:

regularly as a form of exercise?

.......

Quoted message said:

(1) belly dancing (Don't laugh!!! I am serious!)
(2) tango (that scene in moulin rouge is fab!)
(3) dances people do in Bollywood movies, I'm not certain if anyone
actually teaches it but I'd dearly like to pick it up if I can find a
class near where I live.

I actually found a class for belly-dancing in my area, but the class
is already full. Come next spring if they start a new class I'll
definitely sign up for it. What about you guys?

Ada

Hey Ada,
I'm not laughing! Belly Dancing (properly known as Middle Eastern Dance) is
great fun. I've taken it before and plan to take it again. It's fantastic
for the abs!
I've also done Jazz dance and I enjoyed that, but what I'd really love to
take is Flamenco and African Dance. They are on my goals list, along with
some type of Martial Art, I haven't figured out which one yet but I seem to
lean towards Tae Kwan Do (sp?).

Monica

Hey! Thanks for sharing - how does belly dancing work? What do you wear to
classes? Are there some dance routines where everybody does or are there some
guidelines and people are free to make up their own routines?

Wow!! tae kwon do???? You can really do some damage once you learn it! It's
fun to hear that you'd likem to pick it up because I just read about this guy
having problems with being ultra lethal and don't know how to deal with it:

http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2004/12/02/tae_kwon_do/index.html

I'd like to learn some self-defence as well. Back in August I started learning
the WuDang style Tai Chi - it's very very very slow movements, but the teacher
show us how these very very slow movements can be adapted to defend ourselves
when faced with attacks (which often involve moves that can break the opponent's
arm). As for Flamenco - I went to see a show in last summer and I love love
love the dresses and the shoes!!

Ada Ma said:

TavliGal said:

Ada Ma said:

regularly as a form of exercise?

.......

Quoted message said:

(1) belly dancing (Don't laugh!!! I am serious!)
(2) tango (that scene in moulin rouge is fab!)
(3) dances people do in Bollywood movies, I'm not certain if anyone
actually teaches it but I'd dearly like to pick it up if I can find a
class near where I live.

I actually found a class for belly-dancing in my area, but the class
is already full. Come next spring if they start a new class I'll
definitely sign up for it. What about you guys?

Ada

Hey Ada,
I'm not laughing! Belly Dancing (properly known as Middle Eastern
Dance) is great fun. I've taken it before and plan to take it again.
It's fantastic for the abs!
I've also done Jazz dance and I enjoyed that, but what I'd really love
to take is Flamenco and African Dance. They are on my goals list,
along with some type of Martial Art, I haven't figured out which one
yet but I seem to lean towards Tae Kwan Do (sp?).

Monica

Why do you lean towards TKD?

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Wow!! tae kwon do???? You can really do some damage once you learn it!
It's fun to hear that you'd like to pick it up because I just read
about this guy having problems with being ultra lethal and don't know
how to deal with it:

http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2004/12/02/tae_kwon_do/index.html

I only read the intro because I didn't want to take the time to sign up,
but if he is teaching martial arts and seems to have an anger problem
then he probably needs to go back to being the student as there are some
important things that he seems to have not learned.

Quoted message said:

I'd like to learn some self-defence as well. Back in August I started
learning the WuDang style Tai Chi - it's very very very slow movements,
but the teacher show us how these very very slow movements can be
adapted to defend ourselves when faced with attacks (which often involve
moves that can break the opponent's arm). As for Flamenco - I went to
see a show in last summer and I love love love the dresses and the shoes!!

I used to help teach karate to children 8 hours a week after work. I am
a black belt in the Shudokan style and have also studied the GoJu and
[censored] styles and dabled at TKD.

If you find a style of martial art that has a variety in its forms/kata
it can be quite good exercise. A good instructor will sharpen you to a
point where I pray that you never have to defend yourself. TKD is not
for me, I prefer to have a sturdy base and stay on the ground, but there
are some folks out there that are proficient with it.

Now for my short MA rant. There exists in the MA world what is refered
to as McDojos. These are places where the instructor may or may not have
some knowledge, but the main purpose in the place being open is to
seperate you from your money. Often times the folks ploppig down their
money at these places are buying a false sense of being able to defend
themselves.

They can be hard to spot on the surface, but *sometimes* some of the
warning signs can be: having to sign a contract, many many belt colors,
a test every x months mentality, and "other" programs that don't have
anything to do with the particular MA they are teaching.

If you decide to join a school/club make sure that they will allow you
to come to a couple classes for free to see what you think of their
ways. Often the most competent instructors are the one's that are
teaching out of their garage or basement or the local grange. Sometimes
even for free, like my instructor.

One last thing. GoJu is particularly well suited to larger practicioners
where some of the other kinds of MA are more suited to the little quick
mobile guy. Trust me, I am 6'3" and 300lbs.

Good luck, feel free to ask questions if you have them.

--
Lurker

300_30%_31yo/???_??%/245_15%_32yo
Miracle of Medicine
http://jamesrobert.us

Quoted message said:

TavliGal said:

Hey Ada,
I'm not laughing! Belly Dancing (properly known as Middle Eastern
Dance) is great fun. I've taken it before and plan to take it
again. It's fantastic for the abs!
I've also done Jazz dance and I enjoyed that, but what I'd really
love to take is Flamenco and African Dance. They are on my goals
list, along with some type of Martial Art, I haven't figured out
which one yet but I seem to lean towards Tae Kwan Do (sp?).

Monica

Hey! Thanks for sharing - how does belly dancing work? What do you
wear to classes? Are there some dance routines where everybody does
or are there some guidelines and people are free to make up their own
routines?

Most of the women in my classes wore tights/shorts with the waist rolled
down to the hips and they would tie a scarf around the hips over the tights.
As for tops usually a tank - something form fitting or they would tie up
the tank to the bra to show the midsection. And bare feet.
I was 250 when I took it and a wee self concious about the gut, so I'd tie
up my t-shirt but my tights stayed at the waist. I never could find a scarf
big enough for me. 😉
They were beginner classes so we didn't learn a bunch of rountines at first,
first we learned the moves, shimmying (sp) the hips, how to move the legs,
how to walk while shimmying, arm movements, chest and shoulder movements
etc. Also learning how to shimmy the hips without moving your body above
the waist, and learning how to move the upper body while not moving your
hips or anything below the waist. It's great exercise. Then towards the
end of the classes we basically put all the movements that we learned (and
there are many more to learn) together and formed a routine with that. I
have flexible hips, decent abs so the movements were pretty easy for me, I
really enjoyed it. The movement I found extremely difficult to learn was
undulating the torso. Where your shoulders, chest, waist and hips move like
an S wave. I can move it like that, but what is hard is making it look like
a graceful natural flowing movement. Yikes.

Quoted message said:

Wow!! tae kwon do???? You can really do some damage once you learn
it! It's fun to hear that you'd likem to pick it up because I just
read about this guy having problems with being ultra lethal and don't
know how to deal with it:
http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2004/12/02/tae_kwon_do/index.html

I'd like to learn some self-defence as well. Back in August I
started learning the WuDang style Tai Chi - it's very very very slow
movements, but the teacher show us how these very very slow movements
can be adapted to defend ourselves when faced with attacks (which
often involve moves that can break the opponent's arm). As for
Flamenco - I went to see a show in last summer and I love love love
the dresses and the shoes!!

There's a little restaurant here in Vancouver called Kino Cafe, and they
have flamenco dancers on the weekends. What a great show, THE ENERGY is
amazing isn't it? And yes I love the costumes too.
As for the martial arts, I'm still not sure which one is best suited for me.
I like the movements of Tai Chi but I'd like to find one in a fast pace.
I'm glad Lurker piped up, gonna talk to him about it.

Monica
--
Started Jan. 20, 2004
362/232.8/Goal: Till my thighs don't rub together anymore.
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/otherme34/my_photos
________________________________________________________
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

TavliGal said:

I've also done Jazz dance and I enjoyed that, but what I'd really
love to take is Flamenco and African Dance. They are on my goals
list, along with some type of Martial Art, I haven't figured out
which one yet but I seem to lean towards Tae Kwan Do (sp?).

Monica

Why do you lean towards TKD?

Not sure really. I think it's because they have a variety of movements, but
I'm just not so sure about all the throwing. I've recovered from 2 spinal
injuries and I don't necessarily want to tempt fate for a third time. Maybe
you can help me figure it out. I have good strong (but short) legs, strong
arms, I'd like the kicking and arm stuff, maybe not a whole lot of throwing,
but I don't mind body contact overall. That would be the fun part. 😉
I took Judo when I was a kid and I loved the throwing and I think I was
pretty good at it but like I said, I'm paranoid about the spine.

Quoted message said:

<snip>

I used to help teach karate to children 8 hours a week after work. I
am a black belt in the Shudokan style and have also studied the GoJu
and [censored] styles and dabled at TKD.

Just clarifying: So, GoJu, Shudokan, and [censored] are styles of Karate?

Quoted message said:

If you find a style of martial art that has a variety in its
forms/kata it can be quite good exercise.

Yes, that sounds good to me.

A good instructor will

Quoted message said:

sharpen you to a point where I pray that you never have to defend
yourself. TKD is not for me, I prefer to have a sturdy base and stay
on the ground, but there are some folks out there that are proficient
with it.

Same with the sturdy base and being grounded, sounds like something I'd
like. Which style is that?

Quoted message said:

Now for my short MA rant. There exists in the MA world what is refered
to as McDojos. These are places where the instructor may or may not
have some knowledge, but the main purpose in the place being open is
to seperate you from your money. Often times the folks ploppig down
their money at these places are buying a false sense of being able to
defend themselves.

They can be hard to spot on the surface, but *sometimes* some of the
warning signs can be: having to sign a contract, many many belt
colors, a test every x months mentality, and "other" programs that
don't have anything to do with the particular MA they are teaching.

If you decide to join a school/club make sure that they will allow you
to come to a couple classes for free to see what you think of their
ways. Often the most competent instructors are the one's that are
teaching out of their garage or basement or the local grange.
Sometimes even for free, like my instructor.

One last thing. GoJu is particularly well suited to larger
practicioners where some of the other kinds of MA are more suited to
the little quick mobile guy. Trust me, I am 6'3" and 300lbs.

Good luck, feel free to ask questions if you have them.

Thank you, great pointers. By the sounds of what I say, does GoJu seem like
something I may take too? I'm interested in your opinion. If you need more
info just ask. I ought to look into it though. Thanks again.
Monica
--
Started Jan. 20, 2004
362/233.8/Goal: Till my thighs don't rub together anymore.
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/otherme34/my_photos
________________________________________________________
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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TavliGal said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

TavliGal wrote:

>I've also done Jazz dance and I enjoyed that, but what I'd really
>love to take is Flamenco and African Dance. They are on my goals
>list, along with some type of Martial Art, I haven't figured out
>which one yet but I seem to lean towards Tae Kwan Do (sp?).
>
>Monica

Why do you lean towards TKD?

Not sure really. I think it's because they have a variety of movements, but
I'm just not so sure about all the throwing. I've recovered from 2 spinal
injuries and I don't necessarily want to tempt fate for a third time. Maybe
you can help me figure it out. I have good strong (but short) legs, strong
arms, I'd like the kicking and arm stuff, maybe not a whole lot of throwing,
but I don't mind body contact overall. That would be the fun part. 😉
I took Judo when I was a kid and I loved the throwing and I think I was
pretty good at it but like I said, I'm paranoid about the spine.

Quoted message said:

<snip>

I used to help teach karate to children 8 hours a week after work. I
am a black belt in the Shudokan style and have also studied the GoJu
and [censored] styles and dabled at TKD.

Just clarifying: So, GoJu, Shudokan, and [censored] are styles of Karate?

Yes, GoJu is the "hard/soft" style. Supposedly one of the original
Okinawan styles. It was originated by Miagi Sensie. The movie the Karate
Kid tries to loosely assert that Pat Morita's character is a direct
decendant of the originator of the style. A lot of the training that he
has that kid do in the movie actually makes sense. It was never "sand
the deck" for me though. IT WAS "clean the mirrors. Half an outside
middle block was what was being commited to muscle memory there. Kinda
the core block of the style.

NO THERE IS NO CRANE KICK!

Well actually there are in the Hacksunu (crane) katas, but that is a
different style stolen from GungFu

Shudokan is a composite style which borrows from most of the other
major styles. Especially Shotokan, which was the first style brought to
mainland/mainstream Japan by a man of the name Funakoshi. I feel that
this makes it a good system, although it tends to be a hard/hard system.
Well rounded though. Good for learning to tournament fight.

[censored] is another quick style that tends to be more like TKD with the
jumping and high kicks.

I tried really hard to learn to kick well/high enough to get my oponent
in the head. Once I managed to do it I gave it up for quicker, more
accurate, low kicks to the proper targets.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If you find a style of martial art that has a variety in its
forms/kata it can be quite good exercise.

Yes, that sounds good to me.

I would, and this is personal opinion, stay away from TKD then. I find
that the traditional Japanese and Okinawan martial arts have a better
low impact workout to them. A TKD workout is more like running a mile I
think while a karate workout is more like walking three at a good pace.

Quoted message said:

A good instructor will

Quoted message said:

sharpen you to a point where I pray that you never have to defend
yourself. TKD is not for me, I prefer to have a sturdy base and stay
on the ground, but there are some folks out there that are proficient
with it.

Same with the sturdy base and being grounded, sounds like something I'd
like. Which style is that?

GoJu, if you believe the eastern mysticism, teaches you to root yourself
into the ground. The stances are more upright and natural then a lot of
the other karate styles. For instance a ZenKustuDaschi (Mind forward
stance) in Shudokan is like a half to three quarter lunge. In GoJu it is
more like a medium sized step. The work is done by locking in your
muscles to a good stance rather then being deep and placing body weight
resistance on your muscles. It also promotes lumbar movement more then
the others.

If you really want a style that teaches balance and stability there is
Aikido. The one that Steven Sagal teaches/uses. The problem with that
for you is that it teaches you to use your balance energy to throw/lock
your oponent using his against him. And in practice for every time you
get to throw someone you can expect to be thrown. It is also very
eastern religion centered and that was something I had a problem with.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Now for my short MA rant. There exists in the MA world what is refered
to as McDojos. These are places where the instructor may or may not
have some knowledge, but the main purpose in the place being open is
to seperate you from your money. Often times the folks ploppig down
their money at these places are buying a false sense of being able to
defend themselves.

They can be hard to spot on the surface, but *sometimes* some of the
warning signs can be: having to sign a contract, many many belt
colors, a test every x months mentality, and "other" programs that
don't have anything to do with the particular MA they are teaching.

If you decide to join a school/club make sure that they will allow you
to come to a couple classes for free to see what you think of their
ways. Often the most competent instructors are the one's that are
teaching out of their garage or basement or the local grange.
Sometimes even for free, like my instructor.

One last thing. GoJu is particularly well suited to larger
practicioners where some of the other kinds of MA are more suited to
the little quick mobile guy. Trust me, I am 6'3" and 300lbs.

Good luck, feel free to ask questions if you have them.

Thank you, great pointers. By the sounds of what I say, does GoJu seem like
something I may take too? I'm interested in your opinion. If you need more
info just ask. I ought to look into it though. Thanks again.
Monica

I would suggest almost anyone who is interested in MAs check into a GoJu
school. It is one of the most balanced styles in that locking in blocks
etc. uses the back as much as the chest. A lot of M-artists in other
styles have trouble with overdeveloped chests underdeveloped backs after
a few years unless they do extra work outside of the MA to balance them.
(Lots of punching and extended blocks but hardly anything that works the
back.)

The katas for the most part can be done by someone of just about any
size. Big strong people don't look out of place doing them. There are
some throws in there, but a good instructor can keep you from getting hurt.

Like I said before, I have my personal opinions on TKD. I won't sit on a
diet forum and bash it though.

If you decide that you want to really look at GoJu, or Shudokan let me
know and I will get a vcd of some of the core kata together and send it
to you.

Where are you located?

Lurker

--

Ada Ma said:

Hey! Thanks for sharing - how does belly dancing work? What do you wear to
classes? Are there some dance routines where everybody does or are there some
guidelines and people are free to make up their own routines?

Belly dancing is GREAT fun!

I've been doing it off and on for years. For class, wear comfortable
clothing you can move in (I usually wear cotton exercise pants and a
T-shirt). A scarf you can tie around your hips is good, because it
provides a contrast so you can see if you're moving 'right' or not.
You'll be very hot and sweaty by the end of the class, trust me. It's
hard work, but great fun.

The classes I've been in usually run through the basic moves (hip
lift, hip drop, hip figure 8 moves, hip circles, shoulder circles,
shimmy). As the group gets comfortable with the moves, the teacher
will choreograph a dance for the entire group to learn. Sometimes
you'll also have a 'free dance' where you move as you like.

If you dance in public, you'll need a costume - skirts, optional
'harem' pants, tops (can be midriff-baring for modern 'cabaret' style
or over a loose-fitting sheer or semi-sheer tunic (more traditional,
and the style I've usually worn as I do most of my dancing at SCA
events)) and of course a hip-belt with shimmery 'bits' or coins on it
to shake and jingle. I've danced in public, even at my heaviest, and
gotten some nice compliments.

I haven't done a class since my girls were born, but I still sometimes
put music on (anything with a strong beat will do, doesn't have to be
middle-eastern sounding) and shimmy away just for fun.

Aramanth

Quoted message said:

I'm not laughing! Belly Dancing (properly known as Middle Eastern Dance) is
great fun. I've taken it before and plan to take it again. It's fantastic
for the abs!

I've looked at the dvd's for it in the exercise dvd section of
Walmart. It looks like it might be great fun,a good workout and
something fun to learn which could be used later in front of a
'Special Someone' to spice up a relationship.

Quoted message said:

I've also done Jazz dance and I enjoyed that, but what I'd really love to
take is Flamenco and African Dance.

I'd love to learn tap when I get to goal.

Ada Ma wrote:
|| regularly as a form of exercise?
||
|| I am curious - what kind of dance you guys do and whether you
|| picked it up after you've made the decision to lose weight /
|| go low carb? Currently I've been enlisted to do a Ceilidh
|| class once a week (secretaries in the dept told me to do it
|| and I dare not say no.) Couple of months ago I came to the
|| conclusion that there are three kinds of dance I'd like to
|| learn:
||

The wife and I regularly go dancing - primarily western styles.
Two-step, Country waltz, Jitterbug, East Coast Swing, West
Coast Swing. We have been doing it since we met in 1995 and
find it very enjoyable and a great source of exercise.

BJ

Lurker said:

Yes, GoJu is the "hard/soft" style. Supposedly one of the original
Okinawan styles. It was originated by Miagi Sensie. The movie the
Karate Kid tries to loosely assert that Pat Morita's character is a
direct decendant of the originator of the style. A lot of the
training that he has that kid do in the movie actually makes sense.
It was never "sand the deck" for me though. IT WAS "clean the mirrors.
Half an outside
middle block was what was being commited to muscle memory there. Kinda
the core block of the style.

NO THERE IS NO CRANE KICK!

Well actually there are in the Hacksunu (crane) katas, but that is a
different style stolen from GungFu

Is GungFu aka KungFu?

Quoted message said:

Shudokan is a composite style which borrows from most of the other
major styles. Especially Shotokan, which was the first style brought
to mainland/mainstream Japan by a man of the name Funakoshi. I feel
that this makes it a good system, although it tends to be a hard/hard
system. Well rounded though. Good for learning to tournament fight.

[censored] is another quick style that tends to be more like TKD with the
jumping and high kicks.

I tried really hard to learn to kick well/high enough to get my
oponent in the head. Once I managed to do it I gave it up for quicker,
more
accurate, low kicks to the proper targets.

I would, and this is personal opinion, stay away from TKD then. I find
that the traditional Japanese and Okinawan martial arts have a better
low impact workout to them. A TKD workout is more like running a mile
I think while a karate workout is more like walking three at a good
pace.
GoJu, if you believe the eastern mysticism, teaches you to root
yourself into the ground. The stances are more upright and natural
then a lot of the other karate styles. For instance a ZenKustuDaschi
(Mind forward stance) in Shudokan is like a half to three quarter
lunge. In GoJu it is more like a medium sized step. The work is done
by locking in your muscles to a good stance rather then being deep and
placing body
weight resistance on your muscles. It also promotes lumbar movement
more then the others.

If you really want a style that teaches balance and stability there is
Aikido. The one that Steven Sagal teaches/uses. The problem with that
for you is that it teaches you to use your balance energy to
throw/lock your oponent using his against him. And in practice for
every time you get to throw someone you can expect to be thrown. It is
also very
eastern religion centered and that was something I had a problem with.

I would suggest almost anyone who is interested in MAs check into a
GoJu school. It is one of the most balanced styles in that locking in
blocks etc. uses the back as much as the chest. A lot of M-artists in
other styles have trouble with overdeveloped chests underdeveloped
backs after a few years unless they do extra work outside of the MA to
balance
them. (Lots of punching and extended blocks but hardly anything that
works the back.)

The katas for the most part can be done by someone of just about any
size. Big strong people don't look out of place doing them. There are
some throws in there, but a good instructor can keep you from getting
hurt.
Like I said before, I have my personal opinions on TKD. I won't sit
on a diet forum and bash it though.

If you decide that you want to really look at GoJu, or Shudokan let me
know and I will get a vcd of some of the core kata together and send
it to you.

Where are you located?

Lurker

I'm in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Where are you at?
GoJu sounds like something I would really be interested in. Aikido sounds
good too because I know I wouldn't mind the eastern centered philosophy bit,
but like you say... the throwing. Oh well. But yes, if it's not a hassle
at all for you, I'd love to see the core katas (I assume katas are movements
or poses?)
Thanks very much,
Monica
--
Started Jan. 20, 2004
362/231.4/Goal: Till my thighs don't rub together anymore.
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/otherme34/my_photos
________________________________________________________
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.802 / Virus Database: 545 - Release Date: 26-Nov-04

TavliGal said:

Lurker said:

Yes, GoJu is the "hard/soft" style. Supposedly one of the original
Okinawan styles. It was originated by Miagi Sensie. The movie the
Karate Kid tries to loosely assert that Pat Morita's character is a
direct decendant of the originator of the style. A lot of the
training that he has that kid do in the movie actually makes sense.
It was never "sand the deck" for me though. IT WAS "clean the mirrors.
Half an outside
middle block was what was being commited to muscle memory there. Kinda
the core block of the style.

NO THERE IS NO CRANE KICK!

Well actually there are in the Hacksunu (crane) katas, but that is a
different style stolen from GungFu

Is GungFu aka KungFu?

Yes, more proper spelling of the translation.

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Shudokan is a composite style which borrows from most of the other
major styles. Especially Shotokan, which was the first style brought
to mainland/mainstream Japan by a man of the name Funakoshi. I feel
that this makes it a good system, although it tends to be a hard/hard
system. Well rounded though. Good for learning to tournament fight.

[censored] is another quick style that tends to be more like TKD with the
jumping and high kicks.

I tried really hard to learn to kick well/high enough to get my
oponent in the head. Once I managed to do it I gave it up for quicker,
more
accurate, low kicks to the proper targets.

I would, and this is personal opinion, stay away from TKD then. I find
that the traditional Japanese and Okinawan martial arts have a better
low impact workout to them. A TKD workout is more like running a mile
I think while a karate workout is more like walking three at a good
pace.
GoJu, if you believe the eastern mysticism, teaches you to root
yourself into the ground. The stances are more upright and natural
then a lot of the other karate styles. For instance a ZenKustuDaschi
(Mind forward stance) in Shudokan is like a half to three quarter
lunge. In GoJu it is more like a medium sized step. The work is done
by locking in your muscles to a good stance rather then being deep and
placing body
weight resistance on your muscles. It also promotes lumbar movement
more then the others.

If you really want a style that teaches balance and stability there is
Aikido. The one that Steven Sagal teaches/uses. The problem with that
for you is that it teaches you to use your balance energy to
throw/lock your oponent using his against him. And in practice for
every time you get to throw someone you can expect to be thrown. It is
also very
eastern religion centered and that was something I had a problem with.

I would suggest almost anyone who is interested in MAs check into a
GoJu school. It is one of the most balanced styles in that locking in
blocks etc. uses the back as much as the chest. A lot of M-artists in
other styles have trouble with overdeveloped chests underdeveloped
backs after a few years unless they do extra work outside of the MA to
balance
them. (Lots of punching and extended blocks but hardly anything that
works the back.)

The katas for the most part can be done by someone of just about any
size. Big strong people don't look out of place doing them. There are
some throws in there, but a good instructor can keep you from getting
hurt.
Like I said before, I have my personal opinions on TKD. I won't sit
on a diet forum and bash it though.

If you decide that you want to really look at GoJu, or Shudokan let me
know and I will get a vcd of some of the core kata together and send
it to you.

Where are you located?

Lurker

I'm in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Where are you at?
GoJu sounds like something I would really be interested in. Aikido sounds
good too because I know I wouldn't mind the eastern centered philosophy bit,
but like you say... the throwing. Oh well. But yes, if it's not a hassle
at all for you, I'd love to see the core katas (I assume katas are movements
or poses?)
Thanks very much,
Monica

I am in Central Washington State, USA.

It is not a problem. Might take me a week or two to get them off to you,
but I can do it. Just e-mail the gmail return address from this post
with where you would it sent. A business or whatever is fine. I don't
usually give strangers from the internet my home shipping address. Or if
I can get them compressed well enough I could put them up for you to
download. You do have broadband don't you?

Oh, BTW, kata is a series, or routine, of movements in a specific order
that is supposed to simulate a battle with multiple invisible opponents.
It is done over and over and over again in order to teach the muscles,
muscle memory reflex, the movements involved in defending yourself.

I have a friend (2nd degree BB) at University of Alberta right now. I
will talk to him while he is here for the holidays and see if he can ask
around about a club in your area. It is possible that he will have
friends from your area that would know.

--
Lurker

my kids got one of those "dance mats" that hooks up to their x-box game - I
use it and love it! - it gets me moving to music, can be as subtle or as
wild as you want,
and it sure burns the calories!!

Hey guys,

Thanks for everyone who replied and especially to Aramanth and Monica for
sharing their experience in belly dancing. I really appreciate it, I'll
save a copy of you guys email and put in a field report when I'm finally at
it!

Cheers,
Ada

"Aramanth Dawe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

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Ada Ma said:

Hey! Thanks for sharing - how does belly dancing work? What do you wear

to

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classes? Are there some dance routines where everybody does or are there

some

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guidelines and people are free to make up their own routines?

Belly dancing is GREAT fun!

I've been doing it off and on for years. For class, wear comfortable
clothing you can move in (I usually wear cotton exercise pants and a
T-shirt). A scarf you can tie around your hips is good, because it
provides a contrast so you can see if you're moving 'right' or not.
You'll be very hot and sweaty by the end of the class, trust me. It's
hard work, but great fun.

The classes I've been in usually run through the basic moves (hip
lift, hip drop, hip figure 8 moves, hip circles, shoulder circles,
shimmy). As the group gets comfortable with the moves, the teacher
will choreograph a dance for the entire group to learn. Sometimes
you'll also have a 'free dance' where you move as you like.

If you dance in public, you'll need a costume - skirts, optional
'harem' pants, tops (can be midriff-baring for modern 'cabaret' style
or over a loose-fitting sheer or semi-sheer tunic (more traditional,
and the style I've usually worn as I do most of my dancing at SCA
events)) and of course a hip-belt with shimmery 'bits' or coins on it
to shake and jingle. I've danced in public, even at my heaviest, and
gotten some nice compliments.

I haven't done a class since my girls were born, but I still sometimes
put music on (anything with a strong beat will do, doesn't have to be
middle-eastern sounding) and shimmy away just for fun.

Aramanth