General Music Chat

Yeah, the real GoJu Ryu fighters like to get in real close, right in your face and all over you . . . not something you want to happen to you if he's got more experience than you.
There's a lot of conditioning in GoJu, and you quickly get used to being hit, without caring, or slowing down . . .
It was fun . . .
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But, yeah, I was easing myself away from Karate, because it was affecting my guitar playing.
Besides sparring and Kata, I did a lot of practice against various targets, from vinyl to canvas to boat bumpers to planks to bricks to suspended logs . . .
Punching a 100lb bag is one thing. Try going against an 80lb log sometime . . .
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I have a smaller (6 foot 45lb) log for blocking practice. After the first block or 2, things really start spining and gyrating and whipping around, and it can be REAL easy to get knocked out (or to break a wrist or an arm or a finger) . . . you have to be on your game, or you WILL be going to the hospital, and within 5 minutes . . .
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I was always ripping my knuckles open, or my wrist, or forearm, or shin . . .
But - if you can block a log, it makes it easier the next time you block a wrist.
Of course, your partners will complain that you're blocking too hard . . . but I didn't want to just 'play' karate. . .
I wanted to do the real thing, something I can really use.
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Once I tore a 2 inche gash in my left palm by hitting a 100lb swinging, and (spinning) log with a palm heel. One of the old, ragged branch-stubs spun around, just as I hit it . . .
Man, ther was blood everywhere . . .
I couldn't play guitar for 3-4 weeks . . . and, even then, it still hurt, or opened up & bled . . .
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THAT was the wake-up call for me.
Hey, that was my fret-hand, man . . . .
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I had to decide between music, 'playing' karate (not an option), or Karate.
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I took a long, long time to make that decision . . .

I feel your pain. Iron arm training would make my fingers numb sometimes for days. The Martial Training can be a total waste of time if you dont "live it". However I used some Dit Da Jow on my finger tips when I started playing guitar again. Toughened up quick with no peely calus.

Some of the guys used 'Tiger Balm,' but I never used anything like that. All I ever did was to wash the dirt out of the deep rips and tears, and throw a band-aid over them to keep the blood off my gi.
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We were pretty used to pain and surface injuries . . . no big deal . . .
Pain never, ever stopped us from fighting, uhh, rather - 'sparring.'
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Often, when sparring, we wouldn't even know one of us was hurt until we started seeing blood spots all over our gis.
Then we'd have to stop and examine ourselves, to determine which one of us was bleeding.
We never knew who was bleeding untill we actually saw the injury.
But, pain never even slowed us down . . . it was expected . . .
Skinned knuckles don't usually bleed very much, but after years of pounding, the first 2 knuckles on each of my fists got bigger and bigger . . . it was kind of disfiguring.
After I backed off on the constant pounding, my knuckles started losing some of the calluse, and started looking almost normal. But I still have the scars over them.
Karate can be a lifestyle.
Yet - I had to give it up for music.
Otherwise, sooner or later, I might have had an injury prevent me from playing guitar.
I could not risk that . . .
But - I brought the attitude with me to my guitar - hence the fingers . . .

Hi there,
If I had my wish it would be to sing and play the blues. Liked Julie's voice on your piece "Molasses...". Love BB king as I do my version of the "Thrill Is Gone"...
There was a time when I mastered the Nunchucks like a female Bruce Lee until I hit my noggin with a heavy walnut pair my brother made. I sport the "cushy" type now just to get my wrists warmed up for playing guitar, ha! ha!. Keep playin the blues and may music grace your day!

Thank You for the beautifull music postings Rosalinda.

Yeah, Julie Jazz has a real nice voice. I wish there was someone who I could work with locally, who had a voice like hers.
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But, Rosey, you're no slouch, either, my friend. You know the blues . . .
Nice to hear you do a few other songs; you just have the one up on your MySpace Account.
Hmmm, what are you doing tomorrow night? How about you pop over some time after supper?
Oops - that's right, you live on the West Coast, and I live on the East Coast. Story of my life . . .
This area where I live has only 5% of the musicians as the west coast, or maybe the Boston area, or Florida . . .
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What have you been working on lately?
Be well.

Thanks sanshouheil for the compliments, I would love to hear your music since I just started a new interest in the Christian Rock genre. Just love the stuff thats out there, it is so inspirational. Hi Alan, yes I'll pop over in my lear jet so we can jam!!! We will pick up the sanshouheil on the way!