The next MA fad.

[Shaolin-Do]

I dunno. Ill just assume any badness going on in japan is in part due to the yakuza. Nothing like an obtuse western mindset to keep things going.

[Tak]

Actually, I think Taiji Monkey is right on target. I've seen advertisements for "XMA, eXtreme Martial Arts," which is supposedly a combination of dance, acrobatics, and some nameless generalization of someone's idea of a martial art. In fact, I think Century is promoting/selling gear for this crap...err, exciting new trend.

On a semi-related topic, there's an instructor in a local school who is also a film student, and he's been doing his own wire-fu. On a very limited budget.

[Kristoffer]

On a semi-related topic, there's an instructor in a local school who is also a film student, and he's been doing his own wire-fu. On a very limited budget.

See this is what I wish were more common. props to him

[PHILBERT]

I e-mailed the X-TREME martial arts company with questions regarding how there products worked and how it was superior to using other products such as Under Armour for practice. They never responded. Maybe it was because I told them they were *******izing traditional martial arts too. I also told them how much they suck at marketing, displaying how there uniforms are so state of the art, blah blah blah but gave no support to why they are so amazing. I asked what there uniforms do, do they make me run faster, jump further, last longer? What do they do as far as heat and cold go, etc. I compared them to Under Armour's heat and cold gear, etc. They never replied. Great customer service these peope got going.

[Kristoffer]

Real Gangsters
http://gangstersinc.tripod.com/

More Gangsters, but alot of other good info. SOme funny and interesting articles here (in the crime section and main)
http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/bloodbaths.htm

Cool text on CIA assassination techniques
http://www.anusha.com/ciastudy.htm

[Tak]

Originally posted by PHILBERT
I e-mailed the X-TREME martial arts company with questions regarding how there products worked and how it was superior to using other products such as Under Armour for practice. They never responded. Maybe it was because I told them they were *******izing traditional martial arts too. I also told them how much they suck at marketing, displaying how there uniforms are so state of the art, blah blah blah but gave no support to why they are so amazing. I asked what there uniforms do, do they make me run faster, jump further, last longer? What do they do as far as heat and cold go, etc. I compared them to Under Armour's heat and cold gear, etc. They never replied. Great customer service these peope got going.

I bet they're just behind. They must get one of these emails from every MA person who hears about their product. Either that, or emails from MA people go straight to /dev/null.

Re the uniforms: I like the way they look like they have oven mitts stapled to them in various places.

[GeneChing]

Cardio Tai Chi is old news. See our Sep Oct 2002 issue. oops! should i have admitted that on this thread?

I've been hoping that the next trend in MA would be hot women. Kill Bill, Charlie's Angels, Alias, etc. Hot leggy women. Lots of cat fights. Yeah. That's what we need here.

[SaMantis]

European-style swordfighting.

http://www.martinez-destreza.com/

[GeneChing]

Thibault's mystic fencing circle? That's nuts.

Maybe hot women fencers. Nah, the knickers ain't flattering enough. That's why I left fencing. Made my legs look skinny (which they are). Give me kung fu pants anyday. I'm sticking with hot women CMAists. ARe you with me?

[Starchaser107]

in defense of tai ji monkey,
the "average guy" as in "adult male" may not be able to pull off technichal gymnastic acrobatics in martial arts.
However if you look around you will see Alot more Children in martial arts. Children by nature are more malleable and more likely to be able to pull off these moves. Also they would desire to moreso than us adults.

[Starchaser107]

"I'm sticking with hot women CMAists. ARe you with me?"

H3ll Fr!kkin' yes.

[Kempo Guy]

Next new fad... well, after "Kill Bill" and the upcoming movie "The Last Samurai", I'm betting that the McDojos will start advertising sword fighting...

KG

[PHILBERT]

Originally posted by Kempo Guy
Next new fad... well, after "Kill Bill" and the upcoming movie "The Last Samurai", I'm betting that the McDojos will start advertising sword fighting...

KG

That depends on how big the movies have an impact on martial arts. Think back to th Ninja craze, that thing was freaking huge, everyone was wanting in on it because it was something we had never seen before to that extent. So schools started claiming to be Ninjutsu schools when it wasn't. I doubt The Last Samurai, while it will probably rake in over $150 million (Tom Cruise guarantees at least $100 million), I don't think it will have the impact of everyone wanting to learn to sword fight.

Look at The Matrix, after those came out, how many Kung Fu schools popped up teaching you the hand to hand fighting/Wushu they used for that?

[MasterKiller]

Look at The Matrix, after those came out, how many Kung Fu schools popped up teaching you the hand to hand fighting/Wushu they used for that?

After the Matrix and CTHD, we had a lot of people come into our school. Hardly any stayed more than a month, but that's beside the point. Don't over-estimate the general public. They are easily pulled to and fro by popular media.

Hell, look what kind of stir J-Lo caused with Enough. That movie suck-diddli-ucked, yet lots of chicks were looking for Krav Maga after it came out.

[SaMantis]

Let's be fair, now. I call for more hot *male* martial artists so us chicks will have something to look at.