[gameprogrammer] Re: Good questions

[Bob Pendleton <bob@pendleton.com>]

On Thu, 2006-06-29 at 06:37 -0700, Daniel Greeson wrote:
> I know this continues to make the list Off Topic but I am interested
> in starting Martial Arts for conditioning of the mind and body. Where
> and what should I start looking for?  I know there are a lot of styles
> and forms available.  What do y'all suggest?  I know instructor wise I
> am with you, i don't want an instructor who only teaches students who
> can win Trophies.  What are some things I should look for and lookout
> for when selecting.  Thank you for all your help and sorry for all the
> questions.

The beginners guide (link posted earlier) is actually very good. Take a
look at it. There are a few things that I would list as very important
to look at. 

If the first thing you see as you walk in a trophy case, turn around and
walk back out.

Does the school offer a meditation class? If you are trying to condition
the mind you need direction in meditation. IMHO all martial arts
training requires meditation. 

What percentage of the students are women. If the school is not friendly
toward women it is not likely to be friendly toward you. 

Do you see anyone with gray hair on the floor? Martial arts is a life
long activity, if you only see teens and twenty somethings you are in
the wrong place.

Look carefully at how you are billed. Many schools charge a huge
registration fee and then a large monthly fee. These schools are hoping
you will drop out. The more people who pay the registration fee and drop
out the more money they make. A school that want you to succeed will
charge a reasonable monthly fee with no up front fees. 

Make sure that there are no special extra cost "clubs" that you have to
join to spar or get rank advancement. Do expect to have to pay a testing
fee for each rank. 

Watch out for schools that require you to spar or fight in tournaments.
You will eventually spar in any style, but some styles (IMHO) over
emphasize sparring at the lower ranks and that leads to a lot of
injuries. The most dangerous people to spar are people in their first 6
months of training. They know enough to kill, but do not have the
control needed to avoid injuring you. 

One of the most important things in learning a martial art is your trust
in your instructors. If you do not feel that you can trust you life to
the person you are talking to, don't go to that school.

This is all my opinion based on limited experience. Mostly based on what
I've been told by other people who switched over to my school. 

>  
> Draven
> 
> Bob Pendleton <bob@pendleton.com> wrote:
>         On Tue, 2006-06-27 at 16:14 -0700, Alan Wolfe wrote:
>         > Oh good, it's nice to hear you're still doing the shaolin
>         stuff
>         > 
>         > I heard the same about the temple too, it's odd...
>         > 
>         > I saw some of the monks preforming some stuff and teaching
>         some things
>         > that were way over my head...but that doesn't take much so
>         it could
>         > very well be that they are a mere shadow of what they once
>         were hmm...
>         
>         Yeah... I doubt we will ever know. I regularly see people
>         doing things
>         in class that I did not believe a human could do. I'm doing
>         things I did
>         not believe I could do. I have learned that the same kernel of
>         truth
>         seems to underlie all the martial arts and the only thing that
>         really
>         matters is that you find a style/teacher that fits you. 
>         
>         Even within the same style you find different points of view
>         in
>         different schools. There is a Shaolin-Do school very close to
>         my home,
>         but I drive 35 minutes to a different school because of the
>         differences
>         between the owners. The guy close to me wants to win
>         tournaments and is
>         not really interested in students that are not going to win
>         tournaments.
>         All the trophies he has won and those won by his students are
>         about the
>         first thing you see when you walk into his school. The master
>         of the
>         school I go to keeps his trophies in boxes in a storage closet
>         and is
>         willing to teach anyone who walks through the door. The first
>         guy I
>         mentioned is the highest ranking student of my teacher. Go
>         figure.
>         
>         Oh well, back to game programming! Can I save this post by
>         pointing out
>         that there are at least two people on the list who can help
>         you with
>         your martial art based video game :-)
>         
>         Bob Pendleton
>         
>         > 
>         > Nice to have you back Bob (:
>         > 
>         > On 6/27/06, Bob Pendleton wrote: 
>         > On Mon, 2006-06-19 at 19:36 -0700, Alan Wolfe wrote:
>         > > Man sorry to hear about your health bob that is totally
>         > screwed up. 
>         > >
>         > > This email is totally off topic you guys...so sorry about
>         > that. If
>         > > you want to read up on some cool stuff that doesnt relate
>         to
>         > game
>         > > programming keep reading, otherwise stop reading now so i
>         > don't waste 
>         > > your time.
>         > 
>         > It relates to game programming. It relates to any activity
>         > where the
>         > activity tends to make you sit in one spot for hours and
>         hours
>         > and
>         > hours.
>         > 
>         > >
>         > > Do you still do your shaolin kung fu training? Hows that
>         > for a fun 
>         > > workout eh? :P
>         > 
>         > Yes, I do still do it. I am now regaining my conditioning so
>         > that I can
>         > get through class... Strength comes back fast, but endurance
>         > goes away
>         > quickly and comes back slooooowly.
>         > 
>         > >
>         > > I'm still training myself but just wanted to say...for all
>         > our fellow
>         > > computer nerds, if your lookin to get in shape i seriously
>         > recommend
>         > > martial arts.
>         > 
>         > Yep, nothing like it. The best thing you can do to your
>         body. 
>         > 
>         > > When you first start it seems to not make much sense, but
>         > since i know
>         > > you all are coders like me, there comes a point after a
>         > couple years
>         > > where things start to make sense and you can take
>         principles
>         > you learn 
>         > > in one place and apply them in other places to learn
>         things
>         > beyond
>         > > what you were taught. It's really cool. I sit on my ass
>         > about 14
>         > > hours a day since i program from my house as part of a
>         small
>         > 3 man 
>         > > company so if it wasn't for karate i'd be a total lard ass
>         > but it
>         > > keeps me in good shape just going twice a week for an hour
>         > and a half
>         > > (:
>         > 
>         > Yep. When I started I could only go twice a week because it
>         > took half a 
>         > week to get over the soreness from the last lesson. The
>         change
>         > you will
>         > see it incredible.
>         > 
>         > >
>         > > This is totally off topic but I have 2 things which might
>         > help you a
>         > > bit Bob if you don't know about them already 
>         > >
>         > > #1) Go to www.mattfurey.com he has a ton of awesome ways
>         to
>         > get in
>         > > good help. His combat conditioning stuff is great, our
>         > teacher got
>         > > alot of really cool exersizes from him like hindu pushups,
>         > hindu 
>         > > squats, and a really awesome one - the back bridge.
>         > 
>         > What he calls Hindu push ups are called "wave style" push
>         ups
>         > in
>         > Shaolin-Do. They are part of the warm up for every kung fu
>         > class. When
>         > you get to where you can do them at all, you start doing
>         them
>         > on your 
>         > knucles and then on finger tips.
>         > 
>         > The Hindu squats seem to be a combination of reverse squats
>         > and frog
>         > leaps. In the reverse squat you lower yourself over a count
>         10
>         > and then
>         > come up quickly, for a frog leap you drop till you hands are
>         > flat on the 
>         > floor between you feet (also flat on the floor) and then you
>         > jump up,
>         > swing your hands in front of you and kick your self in the
>         > back side
>         > then land back in the starting position.
>         > 
>         > The I Chin Ching include a lot of different froms of back
>         > bridges. we 
>         > don't do enough of them, really we don't. These are hard
>         > enough that if
>         > you try to get lower belts to do them to often they just
>         quit.
>         > 
>         > >
>         > > Matt furey basically researches fitness techniques and
>         such
>         > and his 
>         > > information ranges from current all the way back to
>         historic
>         > times but
>         > > there is alot of shaolin influence in what he does.
>         > 
>         > Yep.
>         > 
>         > > He is also the only white person to ever win the chinese
>         > national kung 
>         > > fu championship! You can go there and sign up for his free
>         > daily email
>         > > thing where in every email he talks about some principles
>         > about
>         > > getting in shape or staying healthy etc.
>         > >
>         > > I shit you not...if you do 2.5 minutes of hindu squats,
>         1.5
>         > minutes of
>         > > hindu pushups, and a minute of backbridging, that is only
>         5
>         > minutes of
>         > > working out but not only will it kick your ass...if you do
>         > that lets
>         > > say 3 days a week you will get RIPPED. I have personally
>         > seen people 
>         > > do that...drop 50 pounds in 3 months and get strong with
>         > functional
>         > > muscle from only doing 5 minutes of workout in 3 days a
>         week
>         > (imagine
>         > > if you did it longer or more often :P)
>         > 
>         > Yeah, I have seen similar effects. On people younger than I
>         > am :-). The 
>         > older you are when you start the longer it takes.
>         > 
>         > >
>         > > #2) check out www.shaolinsecrets.com for volume 1 of 10 of
>         > the
>         > > origional shaolin manuscripts - filled with history,
>         > techniques, 
>         > > exersizes herbal medicines, breathing exersizes etc
>         straight
>         > from the
>         > > shaolin temple itself. If your wondering about the
>         validity
>         > (alot of
>         > > people do, it seems almost too good to be true), my sensei
>         > is the one 
>         > > in charge of selling those books and making the other
>         > derivative
>         > > products from them (not done yet but he's working on them
>         at
>         > this very
>         > > moment) like dvds that put into video some of this
>         > knowledge. Not 
>         > > only is my teacher in charge of selling them, I made the
>         > website (to
>         > > his specs....don't laugh at me haha) and 2 of my buddies
>         > were there in
>         > > china when the professor passed the untranslated books to
>         > the 
>         > > professor so it is 100% legit let me assure you. Also, 2
>         > years ago i
>         > > finally earned my black belt after some 6 years of
>         training
>         > and the
>         > > monks came out from china to help out with the test (there
>         > were a 
>         > > couple hundred of us testing), as well as teach us some
>         > stuff and put
>         > > on a neat show for us after it was over. The abbot of the
>         > shaolin
>         > > temple himself was there as well as 12 warrior monks so it
>         > was quite 
>         > > an ordeal!
>         > 
>         > Yeah, that is pretty controversial. The few people I have
>         met
>         > who were
>         > trained by Shaolin masters who got out ahead of the
>         communist
>         > take over
>         > have absolutely nothing good to say about the people
>         currently
>         > running 
>         > the original Shaolin temple. OTOH, they get a lot of good
>         > press and
>         > people who should know treat it as the real deal. I wish I
>         did
>         > know how
>         > to react to stuff coming out of the current residents of the
>         > Shaolin
>         > temple.
>         > 
>         > >
>         > > Anyways that is totaly screwed up Bob about your health, I
>         > hope you
>         > > feel better.
>         > >
>         > > And sorry for the spam, I just wanted to share these 2
>         > awesome things
>         > > with you in hope that maybe they can help somehow. 
>         > 
>         > Don't sweat it.
>         > 
>         > Bob Pendleton
>         > 
>         > >
>         > > ::cheers to your health!::
>         > >
>         > > On 6/19/06, Bob Pendleton wrote:
>         > > On Mon, 2006-06-19 at 08:29 -0700, Kevin Jenkins
>         > wrote:
>         > > > >
>         > > > > I have to admit that I haven't been paying that
>         > much
>         > > attention to the
>         > > > > list recently. I have been through a lot of
>         > drama over the 
>         > > last several
>         > > > > months caused by a misdiagnosis and a series of
>         > false
>         > > positive results
>         > > > > on medical tests. Maybe we should have a
>         > discussion of how 
>         > > to stay
>         > > > > healthy while living the high tech high stress
>         > life of a
>         > > game developer?
>         > > > >
>         > > > > Feeling like I am back from the dead, 
>         > > > >
>         > > > > Bob Pendleton
>         > > >
>         > > > Sorry to hear about your health problems, Bob!
>         > >
>         > > That's the thing, I wound up in the hospital for an
>         > operation 
>         > > on my
>         > > heart when there was nothing wrong with my heart.
>         > The first
>         > > thing they
>         > > did when they got me on the table was to do an
>         > angiogram that
>         > > showed 
>         > > that all the previous tests were dead wrong. My
>         > trust in
>         > > doctors is at
>         > > an all time low!
>         > >
>         > > >
>         > > > So here's a question: How to stay healthy as a
>         > game 
>         > > developer?
>         > > >
>         > > > Here's an answer: Play dance dance
>         > > revolution! Seriously. I bought
>         > > > it about 3 weeks ago and it's the first time I've
>         > ever 
>         > > played games
>         > > > that have kept me in shape. Even my wife approves
>         > of me
>         > > playing games
>         > > > now.
>         > > >
>         > > > This is not an ad, just my personal experience. 
>         > >
>         > > I have heard the same thing from many people. My
>         > experience is
>         > > that
>         > > exercise is the key to good health. If you exercise
>         > you will
>         > > find your
>         > > self eating better and being more healthy. The
>         > problem is that 
>         > > most
>         > > exercise is about as much fun as watching paint dry.
>         > (I am
>         > > speaking as a
>         > > man who has worn out 2 exercycles, 1 nordic track, 1
>         > tread
>         > > mill, and who 
>         > > has a nice collection of free weights. I now
>         > practice a
>         > > martial art and
>         > > the combination of mental challenge and physical
>         > challenge
>         > > makes me want
>         > > to exercise. 
>         > >
>         > > If DDR does the same thing for you, then that is
>         > wonderful. I
>         > > do worry
>         > > about the replay value of DDR. How long until you
>         > get bored
>         > > with it?
>         > >
>         > > Bob Pendleton
>         > >
>         > > >
>         > > >
>         > > >
>         > > > ---------------------
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>         > > http://gameprogrammer.com/mailinglist.html
>         > > >
>         > > >
>         > > >
>         > > --
>         > > +--------------------------------------+
>         > > + Bob Pendleton: writer and programmer + 
>         > > + email: Bob@Pendleton.com +
>         > > + web: www.GameProgrammer.com +
>         > > + www.Wise2Food.com +
>         > > + nutrient info on 7,000+ common foods +
>         > > +--------------------------------------+
>         > >
>         > >
>         > >
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>         > >
>         > >
>         > >
>         > --
>         > +--------------------------------------+ 
>         > + Bob Pendleton: writer and programmer +
>         > + email: Bob@Pendleton.com +
>         > + web: www.GameProgrammer.com +
>         > + www.Wise2Food.com +
>         > + nutrient info on 7,000+ common foods +
>         > +--------------------------------------+
>         > 
>         > 
>         > 
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>         > 
>         > 
>         -- 
>         +--------------------------------------+
>         + Bob Pendleton: writer and programmer +
>         + email: Bob@Pendleton.com +
>         + web: www.GameProgrammer.com +
>         + www.Wise2Food.com +
>         + nutrient info on 7,000+ common foods +
>         +--------------------------------------+
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>         
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> 
> 
> 
> ______________________________________________________________________
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-- 
+--------------------------------------+
+ Bob Pendleton: writer and programmer +
+ email: Bob@Pendleton.com             +
+ web: www.GameProgrammer.com          +
+ www.Wise2Food.com                    +
+ nutrient info on 7,000+ common foods +
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