Mr. Miller's Class Today

Creative writing today was probably the most riveting class I've ever had as a student here at Bradshaw. Mr. Miller taught it so well and gave us so many pieces of valuable information that I felt like a new man walking out his door. I can pretty much answer any question you have about life now. He unlocked the door in my brain to nirvana and I now see the World in a new light. Everything makes sense, nothing is bound by time, and everything has an answer. In fact for the first time in my life, thanks to Mr. Miller, I feel ready for college. I don't have to read any textbooks anymore...I am the textbook. It's like a cloud opened up from the heavens and said, "Josh, stand up and walk." I'm no longer the lame man I was, I have legs and they were made for walking. I realized that everything in creative writing, is more than mere techniques to write creatively, it is life and what it stands for. I am ready to move into the World, and can't wait to leave his class everyday into a World of peace and light. 

Muay Thai: A Unique Art

The origins of Muay Thai was in the Chaiya district in Surat Thani province,Thailand. Today's modern Muay Thai evolved from various styles of fighting from different parts of Thailand, for example Muay Lop Buri, Muay Phra Nakhon, Muay Korat, and of course Muay Chaiya.

While modern Muay Thai is considerably different from what it used to be because of its development into a sport, Muay Thai involves a unique fighting style. The philosophy and movements of Muay Thai are also really different. 

There are two important unique philosophies of Muay Thai. Firstly, protection. Thai boxers give more importance to covering themselves up and never giving an opponent the chance to hit them. Secondly, the use of the opponent's force to strike back. Instead of using your own force, Muay Thai boxers are taught to make good use of the opponent's movement by knowing exactly where their weak spots are. For example, if they are kicking hard, plunge an elbow in their thigh, which makes them hurt themselves more the harder they kick. 

Today there are thousands of gyms across the World teaching the specific and unique style of Muy Thai. Although most probably have a different approach of teaching this diverse art, the basics still lie in each style. Muay Thai has had a deep rooted and special past, but its legend lives on today as one of the most popular martial art.  

Blog Post Reflection

What I've Done: 

So far I've posted specific kinds of martial arts and given the basic history of each. I've also given key examples and real life applications of different styles and tools in martial arts. Not super specific but a decent background to the history of martial arts.

My Best Post:

My best post was probably the combination of Okinawa Part 1 and 2. This is because I have an extensive knowledge on this topic and couldn'5t provide all of it in two posts. I enjoyed writing it and hoped it was a useful tool.

What I'd Like To Improve On:

I'd like to improve on meeting deadlines. I fdon't meet the deadlines well at all and feel like I should definitly be meeting them. So I need to put in a better effort there.

What I've Learned:

I've learned that I really like the history and art that comes with martial arts. Each has its own traditions, values, and history which makes it unique. I enjoy learning about all of them and would like to extend my knowledge on it.

Where I Want To Go:

I would like to extend my research on my blogs and give more real life applications. I could add videos or give real life applications from other peoples or my experiances. If I can make it more personal it will be a more interesting read.

Who Created Jiu-Jitsu???

I’m writing this because the other day someone was talking about how great the Brazilians are for creating jiu-jitsu. I’m sorry but that misconception irritates me. Don’t get me wrong the Brazilians do know how to use jiu-jitsu, but they sure didn’t create it. I would just like to inform you that the Japanese created jiu-jitsu. More specifically it was the samurai. You see the samurai saw the need for a ground based martial art that would give them an edge over their opponents. Statistics say that over 80% of fights end up on the ground. The samurai knew this and created jiu-jitsu to aid them in their guerilla style warfare. Hand to hand and breath to breath, that was their fighting style. And even though the Samurai couldn’t use their sword all the time, they always had jiu-jitsu to fall back on. So I just wanted to educate you all a little bit and let you know who rally created jiu-jitsu. However even though the samurai created it, the Brazilians made it perfect and perfected it. That is why you have the two most famous fighting styles today; Gracie and Brazilian jiujitsu.

Ouch…Pressure Points

Pressure points are my favorite tool in the martial arts trade. They are a way to seriously hurt your opponent and bring them to their knees without inflicting much damage. It also takes very little effort on your part as well. There are several types of pressure points. Each is applied differently and each creates a different effect. "Pain points", for example, use tendons, ligaments, and muscles; the goal is to temporarily immobilize the target, or, at the very least, to distract them. "Reflex points" produce involuntary movements, for example, causing the hand to release its grip, the knees to buckle, the target to gag, or even for the person to be knocked unconscious. Most pressure points are located on pathways on the nervous system. All of this leads t huge pain receptors flowing to the brain. In the end your target will be overwhelmed by pain and will eventually submit. The history behind pressure points is far and stretched beyond our knowledge. All we know is once they were discovered, they were used successfully. My personal favorite is the veto response. A cluster of nerves in your neck that if hit properly will render your target tot collapse. But do be careful. Improper use of pressure points can lead to serious damage and death. So only try it on your little brother :). 

The Infamous Sai

The Sai is not only one of my favorite weapons, but also one of the most recognizable. Made popular by the ninja turtles, it is the most stylish weapons in martial arts. Traditionally it had a wooden base with three metal prongs attached, but today it can be fashioned many different ways from steel to bamboo. You pronounce the Sai like (zz-eye). The most common type of Sai is a black rubber grip with three blunt metal tips. Used as a farming tool, the Okinawan people turned it into a weapon to catch and break/disarm swords. It was very useful and kept many alive. Sai are typically used in pairs, but are sometimes used in combination with a sword or knife. They can be used for striking, blocking, and even trapping, but are most popularly used nowadays in weapon demonstrations at martial arts tournaments. The history of the Sai is very rich and will remain the most recognizable weapon around.

Scream for Eskrima

Eskrima is a martial art that I specialize in. It is a traditional Philippine style of martial arts. It consists of one stick, two sticks, or a stick and a dagger combat between two individuals. It takes great flow and agility to become a master of this martial art. The basic principals of the system are blended concepts of balance, speed (timing and distance), power, focus, and transition. It is a very violent sport that is held dearly to the Philippine culture. Today it is still heavily practiced everywhere, including America, and is also used as street performance. Because even though this is a violent sport it is also graceful and elegant to watch.