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Thread: Guitars, Motorcycles and Kung Fu Weapons

  1. #1
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    Guitars, Motorcycles and Kung Fu Weapons

    Carrying on from an off topic idea in the Sport Fighting thread.

    "The question was, are weapons simply extensions of the arm/hand/body?"

    A point was made that one must wield a weapon uniquely, each with its own individual character and skills, (more or less?) I can let others speak for themselves or rejoin as they see fit.

    I made the point that I think weapons are more anonymous. That basic skills get modelled across multiple weapons types, and that anything becomes a weapon.
    Personally, I don't get attached to weapons, and I like playing with different ones for the variation.

    I don't think they are simply an extension of the body, but core skills are the same in many areas.

    If you agree that modelling exists, then the issue becomes how well you train that skill, not how well it applies.



    The metaphor applies to Guitars and Motorcycles as well, I reckon.

    Some guys get attached their own set-up and find other guitars a bit awkward.
    Other guys can jump from guitar to guitar, good or bad, and play with comfort.

    Not talking about subjective quality of music or guitar, but simply the ability to adapt and perform at your average level or better.

    I used to ride a 750F Supersport, now a VTX1800c Motortrike, some time on a Bavarian Manure Wagon too. I jumped on my friends 1100F variant, and couldn't get it OUT of first gear! Jumped on another friend's fireblade 250 and couldn't get it INTO first gear! LOL

    I think the modelling skill is trainable, and its an attitude. Adapt, look for strategic advantage, act.
    When you pick up a staff, do you think, this is too heavy, or too skinny, or do you immediately think, "with this weight I could crash most guards..." etc...
    Do you get emotionally attached to favorite weapons?

    Chinese weapons have a similarity across many groups, and the differences in techniques for special weapons are simply to take advantage of the different elements on that weapon. Foundation skills aside, understanding the unique character of each individual weapon and being able to integrate that character is the key skill.

    Fighting with a pencil isn't like fighting with a knife. Fighting with a shovel isn't like fighting with a Kwan Dao. But, of course, we all know, they are.

    I will submit, however, training with Wu Shu grade weapons is rather self indulgent.
    Guangzhou Pak Mei Kung Fu School, Sydney Australia,
    Sifu Leung, Yuk Seng
    Established 1989, Glebe Australia

  2. #2
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    Some guys get attached their own set-up and find other guitars a bit awkward.
    Other guys can jump from guitar to guitar, good or bad, and play with comfort.
    poor is the craftsman who blames his tools.


    Fighting with a pencil isn't like fighting with a knife. Fighting with a shovel isn't like fighting with a Kwan Dao. But, of course, we all know, they are.
    a pencil is only like a knife in taht you can slash and punch with it. It's not as strong as a blade in a slash, and to puncture to any depth with it, you must hold it properly. A blade is more forgiving to it's user when used to slash or stab. It is made to do these things and functions correctly. You still need to hold and move it right for efficiency, but bottom line, the weapon dictates it's use. Anyone, can stab anyone else but only a person with attitude (as you say ) would venture to stab someone with a pencil if need be. Or even think of it as a possibility in a conflict!

    Fighting with a shovel is absolutely nothing akin to using a halberd. Too much wind resistance. Kwando is for removing limbs & heads in a single chop.

    Obsolete though for quite a while now. Boxers were probably the last organized fighting force to actually use them in a mass conflict.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  3. #3
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    the thing with a weapon, is if it's made properly, it has a balance point, so even if it's heavy, it still is usable. If I pick up a set of butterfly knives that are twice as heavy as my own, I don't feel comfortable, but I can manage them alright.
    You would hate my Harley. It's a '73 Shovelhead, ape hangers, and bored out from 74cc to 89cc. It used to have a raked front end,8"over, with a drum front brake (which is like no brake at all) Now it has a stock front end with disc brake, so it stops. Tranny's tight but hard to find neutral.
    Guitars? Depends on the set-up/ I play Mostly Les Pauls, but I own a few Strats. I like my action low and I like light guage strings. My Les Paul Custom '57 reissue has a fatter neck, but within moments, I settle right in. However, if I get on a guitar with a higher action and heavy guage strings, I can't express myself the same way. I was playing my friend's G&L and he had heavier strings. He says,"You sound good on the tens." But they're not for me.
    Likewise if I can't get a decent sound out of the amp, I'm completely frustrated. I like my sound warm, a bit overdriven, and lots of sustain. I can't stand a brittle, barky sound.
    Guns are the same way. I like the way my Sig feels in my hand. I don't like the Berretta-too fat. I checked out a Kimbar .45 and it felt great. Like it was made for me.
    "My Gung-Fu may not be Your Gung-Fu.
    Gwok-Si, Gwok-Faht"

    "I will not be part of the generation
    that killed Kung-Fu."

    ....step.

  4. #4
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    wtf? are we all motorcycle riding, guitar playing kungfu guys?

    what's up with those connections? You guys don't paint & draw too do you?
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    You guys don't paint & draw too do you?
    i draw mazes and doodle in my book...

  6. #6
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    yeah, I was a commercial artist for awhile-illustration, magazines, books, etc
    "My Gung-Fu may not be Your Gung-Fu.
    Gwok-Si, Gwok-Faht"

    "I will not be part of the generation
    that killed Kung-Fu."

    ....step.

  7. #7
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    Old 73 Shovelhead? Is that an AMF? Man, you must be game. LOL.
    89cc? Perhaps 89ci. Not bad for a 'small' twin.

    I'm an acoustic player. Still play first guitar I ever bought in 74 or thereabouts. Nothing special, Castella Dreadnaught, sounds good. Used to go light strings, but I strung it with medium strings and it made it a lot easier to play other guitars.

    I never took much note of allegedly better or worse guitars. They sound different, there are cheap ones that are total sh1t, for sure, but mostly, they are just different. Played some great guitars too, martins, gibson hummingbird, all the jap makes, ovation. No biggie, happy with my Castella.

    Until I played the legendary 'old martin'. A friend in California has this 56 Martin acoustic. All my muso friends raved on about it, blah, blah, blah.... You just get used to it with musicians. It was just a little thing, noticably smaller than the standard dreadnaught, might of even had a shorter neck, something was different. I remember he said it had shims under the frets.

    Man, it melted into your hands like a woman. The action was just 'there'. Never mind the sound - loud little bas1ard it was too... Maybe that was it, I don't know, it just played itself. Only time an individual guitar really jumped out and grabbed me in that way. Of course, I shat myself when I found out what it was worth. Kinda like lusting after Miley Cyrus, wrong on to many levels...

    And I don't think quality gear is the be all and end all, all those harp players made great stuff with cheep-a$$ mikes and amps....

    Yea, graphic design too....

    Papa always told me 'bout the "renaissance man"...
    Guangzhou Pak Mei Kung Fu School, Sydney Australia,
    Sifu Leung, Yuk Seng
    Established 1989, Glebe Australia

  8. #8
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    outstanding.

    zx600 here
    play a strat, a gibson sg and a few acoustics, takimines.
    and paint/draw +digital art.

    hmmmn. what about gourmet cooking?

    lol
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  9. #9
    finding some thing in common or universal (truth) among different things or activities.

    the process is called chan or zen. seeking and understanding the truth in everything.


    so zen music, zen cycling and zen kung fu.

    yes we may also find zen in serving tea or caring for bon sai trees everyday.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LttswFmd8Y

    I really do not think much when doing kung fu or cycling.

    however, I confide my emotions and thinking in music.

    and seeing and being part of nature, such as watching ocean waves, and sensing see breeze brushing my face etc.


  10. #10
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46K0IzErJsA

    I am stuck in the 60s most of the time.


  11. #11
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqgPZHznwaY

    confiding and cultivating your personalities/feeling among the mountain and water.

    expressing them with music.

    a general is inspecting his troop and rally them before giving them an order to march and fight.

    ---

  12. #12

    Thumbs up

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Rpa...eature=related

    She is good.

    the music is about a love affair between liang shan bo and zhu yin tai.

    ---


  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    outstanding.

    zx600 here
    play a strat, a gibson sg and a few acoustics, takimines.
    and paint/draw +digital art.

    hmmmn. what about gourmet cooking?

    lol
    I love cooking Cantonese cuisine, but really shine when I break out the cast iron, and go Cajun.
    I make a mean gumbo-anduille sausage, crawfish, file', the works. I "created" (cuz I cook like my Mom, a bit of this, a little of that..) a delicious catfish stuffed with cornbread and crabmeat (didn't have any crawfish), and the next week took that same creation and morphed it into a great corn/catfish chowder-this time I got my hands on some crawdads-yum!
    I like home style foods, feel good comfort foods I grew up on, and since I'm Russian/Jew, I make a mean borsht, with braised beef,potatoes,tons of garlic, etc.
    I also make my Mom's Flanken-shortribs cooked in a barley soup wit carrots, potatoes, and a dab of horseradish thrown in at serving.
    I hunt, and my venison stew would make a vegan want more. Thick, rich, and peppery.

    Gung-Fu is an expression of the self, like music, cooking, art, etc. It's our passion inside, being expressed outwardly.
    "My Gung-Fu may not be Your Gung-Fu.
    Gwok-Si, Gwok-Faht"

    "I will not be part of the generation
    that killed Kung-Fu."

    ....step.

  14. #14
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    i never took up an insturment because of my hearing problems, although i am sure drums would've been fine, yet growing up with 4 brothers and sisters in a double wide trailer is not the ideal setting for practicing on a drumset... LOL... my brother started playing the guitar when he was 10, now he is 30 - he's got a G&L legacy. as for cooking i can do it all... sardines on pretzels, raw porkrinds with tomato, bread and cheese(gotta love romania), jagerschintzel w/ egg noodles and hunter style gravy, ahi tuna w/ seaweed salad, thai chicken w/ coconut milk/tomatoes/chilies/rice... another great hot snack is to lightly bake sushi rolls(i did it out of curiosity one day).

    ah man... now i am hungry.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by TenTigers View Post
    the thing with a weapon, is if it's made properly, it has a balance point, so even if it's heavy, it still is usable. If I pick up a set of butterfly knives that are twice as heavy as my own, I don't feel comfortable, but I can manage them alright.
    You would hate my Harley. It's a '73 Shovelhead, ape hangers, and bored out from 74cc to 89cc. It used to have a raked front end,8"over, with a drum front brake (which is like no brake at all) Now it has a stock front end with disc brake, so it stops. Tranny's tight but hard to find neutral.
    Guitars? Depends on the set-up/ I play Mostly Les Pauls, but I own a few Strats. I like my action low and I like light guage strings. My Les Paul Custom '57 reissue has a fatter neck, but within moments, I settle right in. However, if I get on a guitar with a higher action and heavy guage strings, I can't express myself the same way. I was playing my friend's G&L and he had heavier strings. He says,"You sound good on the tens." But they're not for me.
    Likewise if I can't get a decent sound out of the amp, I'm completely frustrated. I like my sound warm, a bit overdriven, and lots of sustain. I can't stand a brittle, barky sound.
    Guns are the same way. I like the way my Sig feels in my hand. I don't like the Berretta-too fat. I checked out a Kimbar .45 and it felt great. Like it was made for me.
    Sounds like a nice ride, Ten, even though I pity anyone who owns a "Troublehead" I have an '03 FXST with 12 inch apes on a 3 inch riser, Vance & Hines Straight Shot pipes, chrome engine kit, and too much chrome bling Aside from martial arts, motorcycles are my other great passion in life. Have owned a few other Harleys and a few sport bikes, but love anything with two wheels. Hoping here in the next few years to build a project bike, preferably a bobber with a springer front end and a "cheap" sporty engine, hopefully the 1200cc if I can find one cheap enough. Don't play any instruments but as for weapons, good friend of mine just bought a Glock 19 9mm, and after shooting it, I fell in love. They are on sale right now for 349.99, may have to splurge on myself a bit
    "The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero projects his fear onto his opponent while the coward runs. 'Fear'. It's the same thing, but it's what you do with it that matters". -Cus D'Amato

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