The voice of reason and wisdom. Wegs, I don't mind that people don't believe what I believe. I've been trying to argue that my beliefs are not contradicted by physics/quantum mechanics. I can still believe that spirits exists as some very difficult to detect field. It is very difficult to detect the Higgs field. I am simply arguing that perhaps a spirit/soul is also very difficult to detect by scientific means. If we are spirits inhabiting a biological body, then it's reasoable that spirit might try to communicate with a medium and using the same brain centers he/she used in life, to share a message. But I do understand that it's not scientiically proven (maybe some day). Cheezle re-asserted his insulting question, so there is no point in easing his mind with information or showing compassion to his burdened mind. I mean I really thought he was worried about the afterlife and I felt bad about that. But it's clear that he just wants to be hateful. He still needs to bring marshmallows.
While a somewhat cheeky approach on Cheezle's part Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!....Think the message was intended to show you that perhaps you have two definitions of 'reality,' and/or you need to see how others view your 'sense' of reality. Thus, Cheezle insisted on asking you if your belt is 'real' or not. lol If this god you worship and love is 'real' how does that sense of 'reality' reconcile with actual reality, and that is more of what he was trying to get at. Maybe that points to a question for theists/spiritual types...'is spiritual reality the same as actual reality?' (I say no) Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
In spiritualism, consciousness survives death of the body. Neuroscientists are discovering that information is transmitted in the brain via neurochemicals across the synamptic clefts, and across axons and dendrites. But all of this is getting down to the molecular level where quantum mechanics becomes important. Science doesn't have proof that the wave-function really exists (beyond mathematical description), but there are some physicists and chemists who think it does exist. Neuroscientists try to solve the hard problem of consciousness by convincing us that there is no hard problem, that all our consciousness is, is just the activity of neurochemicals. For many centuries, people have believed that there is a spirit, a soul, that consciousness has a non material existence that is contained in the brain and modulated by the neurons of the brain. The test was very real. I took it with about 20 parents and about 30 kids. I broke a real board (on the first try). My instructors asked me very real questions about Korean words. I held the pad while someone else kicked it, and he kicked really hard. Oof!! That was real. The real question is: do you atheists need to worry about the afterlife for being atheists. The answer is: no. Don't worry about it. There are atheists who have near death experiences who discover higher realms and planes of consciousness.
Judo is about non-violent active counter-action, which is why I loved it. The purpose is to have the enemy on the ground immobilized and unhurt, without posing any threat to self or others. Here is the video of the techniques I utilize too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lxMglj8LuM
Sorry, but five year olds can get green stripes on yellow belts. Let us know when you reach 10th dan, that is an achievement.
Yeah, I recognize that Ruski. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I was watching some Mixed Martial Arts on cable the other night. One of the two fighters was an expert in wrestling, but he after repeated attempts he just couldn't get his opponent to fall to the mat. This wrestling expert kept falling to the mat and grabbing at the other guy's legs, but his opponent just wouldn't be taken down. I guess this wrestler should incorporate some Judo into his style. I like the fact that Mixed Martial Arts is playing by the rules now. The referees are very careful not to let a losing opponent get hurt too badly.
I had this silly idea that you were going to say something positive and interesting about martial arts.
We ? I enjoyed hearing about Mazulus achievement. Achievements do not have to be grandiose to be appreciated.
Congratulations on achieving your green stripe in WTF Taewondo. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I have an ITF black belt with a bunch of red stripes on it. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I have been practicing for 40 years, also underwent a testing this summer. 6 weeks, every weekday, 1 on 1 with the Grand Master (ITF, old school). Some days it was for 5 minutes, some days it was for more than an hour. After a month and a half, he told me I was done studying Taekwondo. He told me (in a heavy Korean accent): "You young, you study Taekwondo very hard. You learn well, fight very well. Now, you older, still practice every day. You not need study Taekwondo any more. You have become Taekwondo - you graduate Taekwondo - like me!" As a TKD student I achieved an advanced black belt (1st dan decided in 1985). This Grand Master handed me my first black belt promotion back then. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Until my testing this past summer I was unaware that one could attain graduate status in the art. I was honoured and am still not quite sure what to make of all that. It was a fun way to kill a month and a half though. Never expected a Grand Master to elevate me to his level of prowess however.
Nope nope nope. You had me going there for the first 30 seconds after my break. Nice try. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I had someone boast to me that they got their brownbelt in Taekwondo; then his wife told me he took it for about a month and then quit. So you're telling me that you just finished Taekwondo as a grandmaster. Forgive me for being skeptical but this is the internet. This is also a martial arts thread, so let's talk about martial arts. How old were you when you started? Have you ever done sparring? Tournaments? Did you ever teach martial arts? After 40 years, you're probably close to retirement; do you use martial arts in your profession/job?
My friend and his Korean teacher are both Christians, Master Kim used to be a Buddhist until he got married to a Korean Christian woman. Part of their advanced practice was still to meditate every day and pray. They also still believed in Qi energy.
Qi energy is pretty cool stuff. I think it really does exist as neurological energy in the nervous system and muscular energy of the body. Your story reminds me that I need to meditate more.
I've used it to break boards. I actually have to stand their for a moment to build my power and focus.
Ah yes - it is indeed the Internet after all, and we all know that exaggeration abounds here, no harm done. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I am 63 years old, was born in Champagne Illinois in October of 1950. I began my study of ITF Taekwondo in 1973 so I would have been 23 years old when I began. There is a very big difference between ITF and WTF TKD. ITF is General Choi's original federation, centered around self defense, traditional techniques and power breaking. WTF is his second federation which he created to get TKD into the Olympics. In the ITF schools you cannot test for the yellow stripe on the white belt until you have been in classes for 6 weeks. Then you must wait another 2 months to test for the yellow belt with white stripe, then another 3 months to test for green belt with yellow stripe. You begin to learn how to spar as soon as you have the yellow stripe on the white belt. Our ITF belt ranking system goes like this: white, yellow, green, blue, red, black. The colours mean: white is the innocence of the new student, yellow is the seed in the ground warmed by the sun, green is the beginning of TKD life like the little plant reaching for the sky, blue is the sky that we reach for, red is for danger as the student has learned the techniques of the black belt but has not acquired the control of the black belt, black is for knowledge and control - self control. I participated in tournaments then became a tournament judge, have been to and participated in many. In the martial arts I have taught TKD and self defense. (I have taught other things outside of the MA as well.) I was/am a PKA (professional karate association) certified fight judge. Many years ago here in Detroit we had a yearly competition called "The Tough Man - Tough Woman" competition. It was held at Cobo Hall downtown. I was one of the 2 men in all - black suits at ringside who judged the fights. (The black was so the blood didn't show Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! ) The other judge was my training partner Walter. We were considered certifiably "bad ass" fighters. We "sparred" 12 - 14 rounds in the ring every Sunday at the TKD school for more than 20 years. My specialty in TKD was power breaking. For my 1st dan black belt testing I had to punch through 7 - 1 inch thick pine boards stacked together. I went on to break concrete pavers just like you see on the tv breaking competitions. I don't do those breaks any more, but I still pack quite a whallop. I am a Buddhist by philosophy (not by religion) and use my personal TKD practice as part of my Buddhist practice. I employ the training to prevent some of the challenges of getting older, to great personal benefit. I do not plan to retire - ever. I will quit doing what I do when I am no longer able, though that will be the beginning of the end of me as well. What I stated the Grand Master said is an exact quote, no change or elaboration. He did not elevate me to Grand Master, but he did give me great honour and a very strange type of promotion I was previously unaware of. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! The whole experience was new and strange, but I took it just as it was presented to me, along with some very interesting instruction and insight. He is correct, however, Taekwondo is part of who I am, it is always there in the background and it gives me abilities that run beyond the norm. Also a self confidence that some find very annoying..... It was pretty awesome Spidey - took me a while to swallow that experience, for sure. :huh: EDIT: Still thinking about it a lot too.
Our Taekwondo instructor is away in Los Angeles testing for his 7th dan. Sure I can understand that it takes many days to test such a large amount of knowledge and skill. But they told me that it will take months before he knows if he passed. Why does it take so long to render a decision? So do you spend about 20 weeks at each belt? e spend about 8 weeks at each belt, but there are so many belts and so many stripes. As a 44 year old kid, I admit that it's nice to make progress every 8 or 9 weeks or so.
