Sunday, May 29, 2016

Shownotes for Episode XLV-Now is the Podcast of out discontent


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Intro Music: Theme from "Enter the Dragon" by Lalo Schifri

Introduction
  Recorded On: 5/28/2016
 Martial Arts Weekend in Vermont
    Coupon Code: Wilson15

  iTunes Reviews Contest
  Jermey Lesniak from Whistle Kick Martial Arts
  noSweat Shirt from Whistlekick (Check out the Prizes)

Interlude Music: Daredevil Theme by John Pasano
  
Interview: Master Ricky Lazlo
  Master V
  Moses Powell
  Philip Chenique
  Atemi ryu Jujutsu
  Luzvinmida Kali/Arnis Brotherhood
  Modern Arnis
  Remy Presas
  Fist of Legend
  Drunken Master II
  Borne Identity
  Arrow
  The Bladed Hand
  Escrimadors
  Tao of Jeet Kun Do
  Barangay William Henry Scott
    Contacts
    Facebook

Interlude Music: Stick Performed by John Pasano

This Week in Martial Arts: Premiere of Star War Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
  May 25th, 1983

Contact Information
Twitter Account: @martialthoughts
Email: martialthoughts@gmail.com
Atemicast Youtube Channel
www.thinkingmartial.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/martialthoughts

Outro Music: Voodoo Chile-Jimi Hendrix / Gayageum ver. by Luna

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Top 5 Reasons to Partake of the Martial Arts Weekend

    Hey, Jaredd Wilson, from the Martial Thoughts Podcast here.  I have a great martial arts experience available to you.  The event is called Martial Arts weekend.  It'll take place July 8th through the 10th (Friday to Sunday) up in Vermont.  Here's a list of top 5 reasons you can use to convince your spouse you should go.


1. It's Affordable.

Early registration is only $199 (expires on 5/31, and jumps up to $225) and that includes food and lodging.  You basically just have to get yourself there.  In fact, I've got a special deal for anyone that reads this.  If anyone puts in coupon code: Wilson15, you get an additional 15% off your cost.  If you can't make the whole weekend, you can do a one day pass.  If you have a group that wants to go, there's family or group discounts, AND the Wilson15 code still works for that as well.


2. Experience

I love meeting and talking to new martial artists, and seeing different paths that are applicable to this thing we call martial arts.  Anytime I can experience something new, even if I suck at it, I'm going to try it.  I'm using this as an excuse to explore a part of the country I've never been to.  If there's any dojo in New England that wouldn't mind me coming in and checking it out, let me know (martialthoughts@gmail.com) , I'd love to stop by and see what everyone else is up to.


3. Great time to head North

I don't know where most of my readers/listeners are from, but I've lived most of my adult life in Florida and now Tennessee.  I know that July is not necessarily the best time to be in the South.  Temperatures rise, and it becomes harder to do outdoor stuff.  I personally am going to use this an excuse for a vacation.  And what a great time of the year to go on vacation to New England.  I'm excited for this whole trip!

4. New Contacts

Besides the new experiences, you'll be able to meet with many great people who share your love of martial arts.  These are just friends you didn't know you had yet.  Personally, I'm going up there to recruit for interview guests form Martial Thoughts, and I know I'll find lots of people to talk to, and hopefully record.


5. Great Teachers of a variety of martial arts.

Among those great new contacts and friends are going to be great instructors.  One of the unusual things about this seminar will be that when they're not instructing, they'll be taking the classes as well.  So the HEMA instructor you just had last hour, is now taking a Taiji class with you now!  That's an awesome idea!  If makes a difference, I'll be conducting a couple different seminars on aikido myself.  I'm going to do an introduction to aikido, and then share something I've been working on and researching myself, which is striking in aikido, and how that works.


If you have any questions, please feel free to email me, or better yet, go to www.martialartsweekend.com which should answer any questions!


I hope to meet many of you there,


Saturday, May 14, 2016

4.5/5 Ninja Stars for 2016 Edition of Bubishi by Patrick McCarthy

4/5 Ninja Stars for Bubishi by Patrick McCarthy


In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from the publisher for review purposes

Title: Bubishi The Classic Manual of Combat (2016)
Translated with Commentary by: Patrick McCarthy
Publisher: Tuttle
Format: Hardcover
Cover Price: $16.95  $11.87(US)

  First off, this is a first for me.  This is the first time I've been asked to review an updated edition of the same book.  This review is for a newest (2016) edition of Patrick McCarthy's translation of Bubishi.  I reviewed the last version HERE, which dealt more with the content.  This review will mainly deal with the edition differences, and how it adds or subtracts to the content.

Content

    As far as I can tell, all the content from the Bubishi itself is the same.  What differs is the commentary, and the other authors introduction and testimonies on why Bubishi is so important to today's karateka.  There also seems to be updated pictures, or maybe better reproductions of the pictures.  

Pros

    I still enjoyed all the same things about this edition that was in the previous one.  The addition of the other karateka and author's testimonials of the importance of the texts gives more gravitas to the material that is presented in Bubishi.  Which is justifiable.  As I said in the previous review, this maybe THE most important text in karate history.  If you study karate, and already own a previous edition, then this book should be on your wishlist.  If you don't study karate, but some other art, then might as well get this edition over the others.

Cons

   If you do not study karate, and already own a previous edition, then I don't know if this edition over a previous one will have the same impact.  I had mine side by side as I read, and I enjoyed the slight differences and improvements in this edition, but I don't know how much of a martial arts nerd everyone else is.

Conclusion

    If you are a karateka, and wish to study from what the old masters studied from, then this book is as important as going to class.  The Bubishi itself hasn't changed, but the accompanying texts and interpretations have, and I think they help the book.  So I give the last version 4 out of 5 Ninja Stars, and this version improves on it, so I would want to give it 4.25 out of 5 Ninja Stars.  However, I only have 1/2 stars, so I'll round up and give it 4.5 out of 5.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Shownotes for Episode XLIV- Cry Podcast, and let slip the Dogs of War!


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Intro Music: Theme from "Enter the Dragon" by Lalo Schifri

Introduction
  Recorded On: 5/13/2016
  Contest Winner!-Absorb What is Usefull
  iTunes Reviews
  Jermey Lesniak from Whistle Kick Martial Arts
  Martial Arts Weekend in Vermont

Interlude Music: Thunderstruck by AC/DC
  
Interview: Dr. Ken Jeremiah
  Aikido Ground Fighting
  Atemi: The Thunder and Lightning of Aikido
  Walther G. Von Krenner  (Interview with Martial Thoughts)
  Ueshiba Kisshomaru
  Takeda Sokaku
  If the Samurai Played Golf
  Ip Man
  The Demon's Sermon
  

  Contacts
  www.kenjeremiah.com
 
Interlude Music: Ride the Lightning Performed by Pickin On Series

This Week in Martial Arts: Premiere of Star War Episode II: Attack of the Clones
  May 16th, 2002
Contact Information
Twitter Account: @martialthoughts
Email: martialthoughts@gmail.com
Atemicast Youtube Channel
www.thinkingmartial.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/martialthoughts

Outro Music: Voodoo Chile-Jimi Hendrix / Gayageum ver. by Luna

Sunday, May 8, 2016

3.5 Out of 5 Ninja Stars for Beyond The Battlefield

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book for review purposes.

Title: Beyond the Battleground; Classic Strategies from the Yijing and Baguazhang for Managing Crisis Situations
Author: Tom Bisio
Publisher: Blue Snake Books
Format: Softcover
Pages: 344
Cover Price: $21.99 $14.99 (US Dollars)

    First off this is a deep read book.  This is not a light reading book.  I'll probably have to read it another couple of times to really dive into what the book was saying. It takes your full concentration to fully appreciate this book.  What the book does, is use the Yijing (I've always seen it written as I-Ching) to describe change and how that is used to drive battle theory.  Because Bagua (the author's martial art) is based on the Yijing, there are many references to how this applies on a martial arts level as well.

Content

Trigrams of the Yijing
    The first part of the book describes how and why the Yijing fits into general military strategy.  This part is very in depth, and uses both classical and modern (this century) examples of how changeability was used in military conflicts to bring about success.  The author continues the theory and describes how success is just a state, that is bound to change. The majority of the book lies in the second section where the trigrams of the Yijing are described, and discussed.  The last section of the book then describes how the Yijing's theory of change and adaptability can be used in non-military situations, including the business world, relationships, and even martial arts.

Pros

    One of the things I really liked about this book was the examples.  Instead of just sticking with ancient Chinese examples, where they directly quote the Yijing, the author pulls from all over history, both ancient and modern, including Mao Tse Dong, Carl von Clausewitz, and John Boyd (originator of the OODA Loop description).  I think this does a good job of  making the book more accessible to today's modern, Western audience.

Cons

    I have two points about the cons of this book.  One, I've mentioned, it is not a light read.  This is heavy on deep thoughts and intricate in its descriptions of the different states of change, the trigrams.  I don't really consider this a big negative, as it depends on what you want to read.  If you're looking for that, then this would be a great book.  The second is that I would have liked to see more description on how the Yijing is applicable in a more martial arts sense, instead of a overarching military command sense.

Conclusion


  Overall I enjoyed the book, and read it with several colors of highlighters in hand.  I took notes in the margins, and actually used the bibliography at the back to create another reading list that I'll probably never get through.  It is a heavy read though.  I started this book on April 18, and just finished it yesterday (May 7th).  Where as normally I'll read a book in a week or week and a half, this one took me three weeks.   As I said, the wonderful use of example from all over in human history really helped illustrate the points, and make it more accessible to wider audience.
    When I started this book, I had only a passing familiarity with what the Yijing was.  Now I feel I have a better understanding of what it is, and how it applies to real situations, which is kind of the point of the book.  I just wish it would have dealt with it on a more one-on-one basis of martial arts.  Maybe that's book two?  Or that subject has been covered in all the Baguag books, and I'm just ignorant of them.  Which is why I'm going to give the book 3.5 out of 5 Ninja Stars.  It wasn't what I thought the book was going to be (again not a bad thing), but it was well written, informative, and I learned a lot.