Posts by Megan White4

I believe any movie intended for entertainment should be viewed strictly as such: pure entertainment. We’ve all watched those American ninja flicks or Bruce Lee movies and felt that urge to emulate them, but martial arts are one thing, training is another, and cinema is something else entirely.

On the other hand, if you're watching a documentary centered on a specific martial art... that's where you can actually see the real deal.

Alexander Long37 said:not because I believe everything I read online

Of course....

crimsonbison10 said:It’s likely a bit overstuffed, especially in the second half. As for the swordplay, there are certainly traces of Kator Shinto Ryu, though I’m just passing along what someone with actual expertise in the field has mentioned.
Still, at the end of the day, it's just a movie. 😬

One of the martial arts consultants on the production was Sonny Chiba (who also acted in the film). According to IMDb, he's a master of ninjutsu, swordsmanship, and God knows what else...

Daniel Garcia said:But honestly, the most ridiculous part was how unnatural it felt watching that scene where Uma walks into the Hanza tavern!

That’s easily one of the best and funniest moments in the whole movie... 😁

Daniel Garcia said:Ah, what a shame, I missed it. I happened to be at the restroom right at that moment! 😢

Of all the times... joooooj 🙄

Daniel Garcia said:Where exactly did you see any ninjutsu? To me, it looks like overdone choreography mixed with elements of Wu Shu and Kenjutsu.

Take that moment where Uma is hanging precariously from the roof beam while Gogo checks if anyone is at the door...

And sure, the movie is technically over-the-top—it absolutely is—but no matter how you slice it, it’s never a boring watch (and let’s be honest, Lucy Liu in that kimono is... wow 😍 ). Beyond that, one specific quote from the film really stuck with me...

Linda Palmer said:He was even on CNN this past Saturday.
Can anyone actually list the specific martial arts showcased there?
What kind of styles are even blended together in this movie?

There’s really just one discipline at play here: Movie-do.

It’s essentially a cocktail of flashy moves pulled from every conceivable—and often impossible—fighting style. You’ve got bits of kenjutsu, ninjutsu, Kung-Fu... you name it. At the end of the day, it’s all just highly polished choreography designed for the camera, leaning heavily on wires and special effects.

Should we perhaps move this discussion elsewhere? 🤔

Let's migrate over to the Aikido thread; mods, feel free to relocate these posts whenever you can... 🤔

Jerry Thompson said:Just looking at these Strava photos. Megan White4, you were easily my favorite at the New Year's bash. But I have to wonder—which one of those people is actually buff? Anyone?

Well, I'm only in one photo....🤔 .... Perhaps that's why I look the best; I wasn't shoving myself in front of the lens, just staying in the background the whole time. 😁 ....

🙈

Larry Sullivan37 said:Oh, Megan—you come over for lunch and still haven't realized who you're actually picking a fight with. I’m not just the high priest of rock and roll; I’m the Ayatollah of pop with a rap beat to boot. You can go ahead and keep thinking about those 🙂 priests.

🤔 ..... fair enough, though those were some decent lunches.

Jerry Thompson said:Is that so37 miles? Well, that sounds decent if people are traveling from all over to get to you. How big is that space of yours, actually? Looking at the photos on the site, it doesn't look like it could hold nearly that many people. And tell me, do you have instructors? Or is it just you running the show? If you don't mind me asking. If not, my apologies. 🙂

You can find some photos from the last seminar in Chicago on www.aikidozg.com (check the photo corner and look for the "Chicago Seminar 2006" gallery).

Larry Sullivan37 said:Aikido in Springfield? We’ve been practicing the "way of harmony"—more or less—since 1998. We used to train at the local police station, specifically in an atomic shelter over in the Sienjak district, and later at the third Math High School. For the last three years, we've been operating out of the downtown municipal hall—about 1,300 square feet. No proper locker rooms, unfortunately—but nobody gives us grief. We pay our dues on time, so the local officials like us just fine and we're happy where we are. As for membership, it fluctuates. You might see 20 to 40 students—though if you know anything about Aikido, you know how fickle that can be—but you can always count on about 20 serious practitioners. Given the facilities and the size of Springfield, it’s actually quite decent. Interestingly, people regularly drive in from towns as far away as 37 miles rural outskirts and neighboring counties. It’s a wide spectrum—from total amateurs prepping for Shokyu to semi-pros working toward Shodan. That’s pretty much the long and short of it. Check out our site www.aikido-springfield.com (it needs some work, but the webmaster does this for a living, so free time for polishing isn't exactly on the menu; still, we exist online, and if you search for Aikido Springfield, we're the first hit). There are other Aikido clubs in town, though only one is truly active right now. We haven't really established a rapport with them—I offered to swap seminar visits, but they never showed up to any of our sessions with Dobroslav, and they haven't invited us to theirs either, so I stopped bothering. Their style is "traditional samurai" or whatever—it's what they have plastered on their Dojo entrance.
Best regards from Springfield!

Is that perhaps the club run by that Orthodox priest and another gentleman? 🤔

By the way, when is the next seminar with Dobroslav scheduled? 🙂

Larry Sullivan37 said:Aikido in Springfield? We’ve been practicing the "way of harmony"—more or less—since 1998. We used to train at the local police station, specifically in an atomic shelter over in the Sienjak district, and later at the third Math High School. For the last three years, we've been operating out of the downtown municipal hall—about 1,300 square feet. No proper locker rooms, unfortunately—but nobody gives us grief. We pay our dues on time, so the local officials like us just fine and we're happy where we are. As for membership, it fluctuates. You might see 20 to 40 students—though if you know anything about Aikido, you know how fickle that can be—but you can always count on about 20 serious practitioners. Given the facilities and the size of Springfield, it’s actually quite decent. Interestingly, people regularly drive in from towns as far away as 37 miles rural outskirts and neighboring counties. It’s a wide spectrum—from total amateurs prepping for Shokyu to semi-pros working toward Shodan. That’s pretty much the long and short of it. Check out our site www.aikido-springfield.com (it needs some work, but the webmaster does this for a living, so free time for polishing isn't exactly on the menu; still, we exist online, and if you search for Aikido Springfield, we're the first hit). There are other Aikido clubs in town, though only one is truly active right now. We haven't really established a rapport with them—I offered to swap seminar visits, but they never showed up to any of our sessions with Dobroslav, and they haven't invited us to theirs either, so I stopped bothering. Their style is "traditional samurai" or whatever—it's what they have plastered on their Dojo entrance.
Best regards from Springfield!

Best regards from Chicago...

Jamie Fowler2 said:The jive is far too intense. Five or six minutes of fast jive is more exhausting than an entire Taekwondo session. :P

And don't even get me started on acrobatic rock 'n' roll...

Jamie Fowler2 said:And here I was thinking flamberges were purely for show... clearly I was mistaken. They really ought to tell the museum staff to retrain their cold weapons guide. 🙂

They are frequently crafted for decorative purposes, mainly because making them is more complex than forging a standard straight sword. However, that undulating blade actually makes them easier to cut with. Ever wonder why some modern kitchen knives have those tiny serrations? It’s for the exact same reason: improved cutting efficiency.

Jerry Thompson said:The curve is all about "aerodynamic" cutting efficiency. Almost any blade that actually slices has some degree of curvature, whereas straight blades tend to chop more than they cut. At least, that’s my take on it.

It comes down to physics: a curved edge concentrates pressure onto a smaller surface area. With a straight sword, that contact area is much wider, so even if the edge is just as sharp, it won't slice nearly as effectively as a curved one.

In fact, you can find certain straight swords in Europe that feature wavy edges specifically designed to mimic that concentrated cutting force.

Interesting... I still find myself running low on inspiration. 😢 🙂

Sun Tzu said:...it doesn't matter. You know how it goes. One day you're feeling creative, the next you aren't. One day you're strong, the next you're weak. It's just the ebb and flow of life...

😢

😢

I've run completely dry... I'm struggling to find anything worth writing about.

What is there to say about this explosion of blogs, other than that even the most unlikely observers are starting to notice the trend... 😬

Alexander Long37 said:IPSC 😬 😬

It’s not a bad idea... 😁
What would you actually compete in?