Introductions

Hello everybody. It occurred to me that I know very little about the people who regularly post on this board. I'm not looking for name and address and bank account number or anything... [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG] I was just wondering what martial arts you study i.e. what style of aikido. Were you limited to maybe one style in your area, or did you have choices? Why have you stayed in or left aikido? What rank/how long have you been practicing aikido or your preferred martial art. I'll start...

Hi. My name is Joe, and I'm a martial artist (the rest of the group says, 'hi Joe!') I've been studying aikido for a little over two years, and it's the only martial art I've ever taken. I'm testing for sankyu in about two weeks, but I'm not very worried about it because I've been told that I've been ready for awhile, but testing only comes up about two or three times a year, less if you are testing for dan rankings. The style I study is shin shin toitsu aikido, or ki society for short. It is the only style in my town, but there are others within about a half an hour drive away. I feel lucky to be invovled in a very strong dojo. My head sensei, though a hard ass, is a really good teacher, as evident when watching some of his senior students. We are also very lucky to have our national cheif instructor Kashiwaya sensei come two the area at least two times a year, but often more. I started aikido because I wanted to be better able to defend myself. What I found were many techniques that take years to master, but I found my increased awareness and confidence a major help right away. After a couple of years, I find myself caring less about the martial side, though first and foremost I train martially. I've just become sort of more patient you could say. The techniques will come in time, and I have a few tried and true techniques to fall back on [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG] . My favorite part of aikido now is ukemi. My falling skills have improved tremendously over the past several months, which I believe to be the most practical self defense aspect taught in aikido, and I'm working hard to improve my striking ability as well.

Well, not that anyone necessarily cared, but that's my experience in a nutshell. I hope to read about your experience, which I believe will help fascilitate further discussion on aikido, the martial arts, and to some extent, life in general.

Peace,
Joe.

[This message has been edited by Joe Jutsu (edited 10-09-2003).]

To begin with I don't like to talk about myself, so I will mainly keep it to my Sensei through the years. I have trained 30+ years in various styles. Some that most people won't even know. My Aiki training started with my son, after our Kempo dojo went belly up. We studied the art for almost 10 years, and the head Sensei was Satome Sensei in Washington, and Ikeda Sensei in Colorado. I was neither a big fan of either, as they were not self-defense oriented enough for me. One of my favorites was Doran Sensei, but my most favorite, who is no longer with us was Toyada Sensei of Chicago. He adopted us, and shared his version of Aiki with us. We left Aikido and studied Aiki-Jujutsu under Obata Sensei and Hakko-Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu which a bit more combat minded. I have a Shodan in both Aikido and Aiki-Jujutsu, but my experience is in Jujutsu, and Okinawan Te. It is here that I have trained with some of the best Masters in the world, and my Jujutsu training has been guided by people like Professor Wally Jay, Soke Harris Warren, Soke Frank Sanchez, Olohe Kaihewalu, and Professor Moses Powell. In the past 10 years I have tried to study as many different styles of Jujutsu as possible. To date I have have studied:
Goshin Budo Jujutsu-Japaneese
Torite Ryu Jutsu-Okinawan
Sanuces Ryu-Moses Powells Art
V-Arnis Jitsu-Polynesian
San Jitsu, which I am currently studying and am the representative of this art in Arizona, California and Colorado. I am also studying Lua under Olohe Solomon Kaihewalu, which is the native art of Hawaii, and am a member of that organization as well. Finally, I am a member of the Martial Arts Collective society and am a representative here in Az. Hanshi Bruce Juchnik is my Sensei here of Kosho Ryu Kempo. Today I am very involved in the arts of Hawaii, and Guam, and have been working on my own art of Shizen Ryu(natural, spontaneous)Jujutsu based on all the natural movements I have learned in all my training. I am a Shihan/Renshi in Jujutsu, and Okinawan Te but only am a Sandan in San Jitsu. Most of my time is spent traveling attending seminars and of late been teaching at them as well. My main goal is to try and preserve the natural teachings of the arts, and get some recognition to the Hawaiian Martial Arts which is not as popular, as should be based on the great Masters of Hawaii.

hi, my name is brad.
i dont study aikido.
i am pretty much into the same vein as senseilou...he and i agree very much.
the style i have studied the most (which isnt all that much really) is called gokei-ryu kempo jujutsu. which is an eclectic system, somewhat likened to such arts as krav maga, vee arnis jutsu, jkd...there are no kata in this system, yet the kempo is okinawan in origin, it is primarily a jujutsu system, you start with basic kempo strikes and such, then start adding joint locks throws chokes and such from jujutsu.
the kempo part of it comes from taika seiyu oyata, the jujutsu is not a certain style, i guess you could call it jujutsu concepts (sorry jkd guys)
..i am hoping to start at a new dojo soon, the sensei there was a classmate of my previous instructor, but teaches a different style called american kempo jujutsu which by most accounts is basically the same thing...but he does teach a few kata but interestingly...not until after shodan...because kata are not NECESSARY...but are great to study once you can defend yourself. my instructor's teacher studied with taika seiyu oyata, and rod sacharnoski. as well as many others over the world.
currently i am training in kyusho jutsu (pressure point fighting) with a 5th dan member of Dillman Karate International. who also was a classmate of the above mentioned sensei(all my teachers come from the same sensei among others)....cato would surely call it a mixed martial art...and i guess it is lol...we do everything from kempo, jujutsu, kyusho, to philipino martial arts and shootfighting, along with other forms of grappling. it is self defense oriented and has no trophies or things of this nature...nor is it very "spiritual" but it works! [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]
soon i also plan on starting small circle jujutsu, but i may be moving sometime in the future to az. in which case i will almost definately be training with senseilou.
my area is great for kyusho study....there is my instructor, and three high ranking and even higher skilled grandmasters all within a few hours drive....some of the very best.
but there is also a great one in phoenix az....you ever met or trained with bill burch sensei lou?
anyway....have a nice day.

[This message has been edited by kempo_jujitsu (edited 10-10-2003).]

Well here goes my credibility. I know of Bill Burch Sensei and have trained at his dojo once with him and Dillman Sensei. I am sorry to say I am not a fan of Dillman Sensei, one in part of our differing opinion about who is entitled to learn pressure pointing and two our personalities clashed. So I don't attend those any more and choose to get my pressure point information from a Chineese Doctor/martial artisit who explains the art quite differently. I know of people who train with Burch Sensei and they all agree as to his talent and speak highly of him as a Sensei. I personally have a problem when I go to a seminar and see white belts, blue belts, yellow belts learning how to use pressure points,instead of concentrating on their basics. One can teach the pressure points within the context of training without having these young students spending time trying to learn something that up until the past 10 years was reserved for upper degrees of Black Belt.Dillman Sensei said I didn't want to tell my students the secrets of pressure points, and was hiding information from them. Pressure points were meant to use as an accent to an already existing system of knowledge, not "the knowledge" You wouldn't put an M-16 in the hands of a child, and then teach him how to shoot. I actually teach pressure points all the time, except I tell my students where I want them to put their hand say for a grab, but do not tell them what they are doing. From what I have observed, and from the seminars I have taught at, Dillman students seem to focus too much on pressure pointing and not enough on basics. I met a former Dillman Sensei Shihan who had left the 'Dillma fold' as he called it because anyone who paid for the seminar could go, and he was seeing all ranks and all ages doing somethng he felt was inappropriate. I have to say I feel the same way, sorry if I said the wrong thing, but it's just my lowly opinion anyway.

senseilou...it that is all you and i disagree on....not a big deal, i truly respect your opinion.
in my opinion pressure points are the central theme of karate and kata...every basic is an attack to pressure points.
so we do alot of basics but you cant learn to swim without getting in the water so to speak. i dont see why you should wait until they are a high ranking black belt to teach basic kyusho, the pain alone will disuade many who cant handle it..and it takes too long to learn for people who just want to hurt people and guns...if all they want to do is hurt people they will just go get a knife or a gun..not study kyusho jutsu.
who needs self defense skills more...a 5th dan master(who should already know how to fight)...or a green belt?...especially a young, weak, or female greenbelt who is likely to be attacked by someone at least twice her size and strength.
there are points that are only indicated and not struck in class, there are points that could be especially dangerous that are not taught below a certain rank...learning is step by step and many instructors of the dillman method dont even teach kyusho in regular class...but have a seperate class for kyusho which seems to work well. and currently we are seeing a shift in the curriculum a more organized approach, and layed out manner, more practical and hands on...simply put its more about application instead of theory...if you cant actually do it..use the points...you dont progress. in many ways kyusho is not as mystical and dangerous as most people think, but it can be even more so with experience.
also what you see at a seminar and what you see in a regular class are very different.
whats so different about teaching pressure points but not explaining them in their totality...and just openly teaching them?...we dont delve into the deeper theories (elements, cycle of destruction, yin yang, organs and such) in the beginning.
but i will admit...PERSONALLY i too would like to see a little more...selectiveness as to who trains what, when and how...not because i want to see them do more basics so much...but more for those few who might misuse the information...or ignorantly practice kyusho on people, friends, kids, or others, whos medical history they dont know, and also because they may not know the revival techniques. so it is definately a double edged sword! i have to agree with you..and dillman sensei lol...im strange i know. i have seen a beginner to kyusho practice on various people, he is a good friend of mine and i had to rough him up a little to make him see straight [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG]....so again...i can understand both sides...i think kyusho should be taught yes...but there has to be a line somewhere too.

Not to hijack this thread,but one final point. It is not every art or every situation that pressure points work. Those who have certain ailments, or have been on prolonged medicine don't feel many points. After a back injury combined with a burned thumb, I have no sensation to pain in one of my hands, you can hit every point to effect the hand and I don't feel the pain. Another point is that many people have 'recessed' pressure points and they do not react to the pain. I agree that Kyusho Jutsu is in kata, though do question if its the essence or not, however there are many lessons learned from kata and this is certainly one of them. However, in many instances, and since this is an Aikido post, lets look at using pressure points in Aikido. I was teaching a seminar and was teaching a throw, when one of the "blue belt" Kyusho students didn't work the throw, rather, tried stepping on the persons foot (between the toes-liver point)to hit the pressure point. when I corrected him, he informed me his way was more efficient. I explained at first that when you apply a pressure point you stop the follow of Ki, and reverse it. This is how you create stagnant Ki and that is what causes the pain. You need to continue the energy of the attacker for the throw, not stop it. Basically, he could not see anything but his pressure point studies, and he was quite limited in his ability as his basics were awful. If you have bad basics, it will take you longer to find the points and in my opinion, you need to know what you are doing to this person. You can not do this by Blue Belt. Anyway, this student informed me throws were a waste of time, and he could knock me out before I could do the throw. I stopped the seminar, and embarrassed this student in front of everyone telling them how he was stopping energy, then I allowed him to knock me out. Before he knew what was happening I had a finger lock, a throw with his finger and an elbow and wrist lock on the ground, and never did he once come near me. The answer was I needed to stand there and let him knock me out. Of course neither I nor any somewhat intelligent person will just let you do this. I understand on a higher plane it can be done, by not letting the person do it, but this ideaology of wasting time trying to do this, and not learning basics, are creating sloppy martial artists. Don't get me wrong, pressure points are very valuable, but you need to know when and how to use this. I am sure you know that certain points work better at certain times, whether being a time or a zodiac sign. As a test we have tried this and its very true. Its not something a beginner can master, or should. Up until Black Belt all kyus should be working mastering their basics, no matter what the art.In Okinawa, Kyushu Jutsu was not taught until 4th Dan, and my Sensei's Sensei was furious when he found out my Sensei let me do some at Nidan. If nothing else, the privacy of the information should be saved and we adhere to what the past Masters felt and obey their feelings on this subject. It is getting to the point, students believe that they don't need the karate just the pressure points. In your own argument, you need kata as the vehicle to learn the pressure points(angle of attack and tai sabaki)so how can their pressure point art be any good if their kata suffers for lack of basics. I met a Okinawan Shihan who said this about kata:
learn the form
add speed to the form
add power to the form
dissect the form(bunkai)
find joint locks in the form
find pressure points in the form.
In this process, the basics should be in tact by the time you work the rest of the kata.

If you don't mind joe, I'm going to abstain from this one. I think it is completely irrelevant what grade someone has, which style they prefer, which sensei they've met or how long they have trained. Surely their life experiences are just as important, or whether or not they actually have used their MA training, in any sense, outside the dojo?


I prefer to judge the person on what I read in their posts. In my opinion MA is not always about specific knowledge, but more about what you as a person can bring to the discussion. I have trained with people down the years who never seem to grow with their art. Sure, they go up the grades and repeat what they have been shown along the way, but the rarely if ever stop to question anything so they never fully understand their subject.

So, I would ask you to form your opinion of me on what you see me posting, and I will do the same for all of you. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

Budo

Hi

I'm with Cato pretty much on this.

I'll say my main art is aikido which I've practiced for quite a while with the cream of Europes instructors. I've also practiced ju jitsu for a long time too again with one of the UKs most respected and have experience of boxing, grappling and vale tudo...oh and tae kwon do about 20 years ago..

I used to drink lots of beer and as a result have been involved in lots of situations that were unnecessary...but great experience anyway!

My grades are immaterial ...read my posts, if you agree then cool - great minds think alike...if you disagree then discuss...I already find this site highly motivational and am happy to share knowledge with everyone and cross brains with all.

To me this is a forum...(it says so on the page!) - everyone has an equal say and equal right...For this reason I dont think its necessary for Lou to call himself sensei...his posts speak volumes for his experience and I have full respect for that but I believe that the word sensei conveys too much significance on this site.

Anyway - hello all, maybe some of us will meet on the mat someday to continue the exchange!

I have never asked or demanded to be called Sensei. Sensei Lou is my nickname as their are other Sensei in my school. So when someone says Sesnei we don't know who they are referring to. Therefore in my dojo we go by Sensei and our first name. If I were trying to be boastful it would say Shihan and would use it the formal. Klaff Shihan which is what ettiquette calls for. I have never said anything when someone addresses me by first name, its called a user name, and with my name you know who it is. However, in the environment and the people I have trained with, we are considered by our title on and off the mat. I would never consider, calling my Sensei Bruce or Frank no matter what the setting. Even in e-mail communication, protocol is always abided by. You have a problem with calling me Sensei, don't, you guys in England seem to have a different view of how things need to be and don't follow the same protocol that maybe we do. I do suggest however, if that is the way we do things, it should be respected. I think you can ask Chris and he will tell you that I am one of the last people who stand on formal ceremony even in class!

Hi Lou

May not be guys in England, maybe just me...

Off the mat eveyone is the same to me. I don't like to be called Sensei and I dont like to use it for others.

Thanks for reply, no disrespect intended, just giving a view of me and my take on things.

Regards

D

Jumping into the last "sensei" bit. I've visited Sensei Lou and trained with him a couple times now (from San Diego to Phoenix) and there has been no formality. However, when I call him or email him he is Sensei Lou. That's how I met him and to me it simply is my way of respecting that he has more experience and training than I and that I hope to learn some of it....

I currently train with (5) people that I addess as Sensei, but only one is "my sensei". He and I formalised a "sensei/deshi" relationship several years ago that we are both happy with.

Joe, I think it is interesting to know a bit more about those you talk to, it gives a sense of perspective... here's my quick rundown:

started out with TKD, then dabbled in a couple forms of kung fu until I found aikido 10 years ago. My style of aikido is significantly influenced by other arts including a couple aiki-jujustu arts and systema. About 9 months ago I started cross training with a wado-ryu dojo where I take the krav maga class twice a week and occasionally spar.

Chris

I would like to say something about Chris. I wish I had a dojo full of him. A great guy who wants to learn, and asks questions to try to improve himself. He is one of the few people that I would show anything to as he shows he wants to learn and deserves it. Always respectful and always willing to change something to better a technique. This is the kind of student Sensei's long for, and he is a real credit to his Sensei. Here is not a question of the arts he studies, but the burning desire to be a good martial artist. He has my utmost respect!

Well, it's nice to see people can who respect one another. And it kind of reinforces for me that grades/history etc. are irrelevant. Either you respect someone's opinion or you don't, learning that they have trained for 80 years with all the top masters in the world wont change that anymore than learning they started their first MA class yesterday will.

I think there is a danger that relative newcomers to the arts will feel unable to contribute fully to the discussion if their training is devalued in comparison to someone else, and a sensei - deshi relationship will develop amongst the contributors to this board. Then we'll end up with the sensei telling the deshi how it is and no discussion will take place. That is why I'm not so sure giving our personal MA histories is necessary. [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

Budo

I see where you are coming from Cato, but at the same time, you won't let me see where you are coming from.

I agree that with your concern with the board developing a sensei/deishi relationship, but I think that if one is not comfortable with revealing how long he/she has trained, surely what styles they have trained in, aikido or other MA's, still gives the rest of us an idea of where you are coming from especially when describing certain moves which I know can be somewhat of a futile gesture without physically showing the rest of us, without breaking the anonymity of the board. But it would also help those, like myself, who may not know the characteristics of the different styles too well to come to a better understanding of aikido as a whole, with all of its variants. But that's just my opinion, FWIW.

Joe.

[This message has been edited by Joe Jutsu (edited 10-18-2003).]

Joe,

I liked the idea of sharing a little more info because this board is so anonymous. You can't see facial expressions, it's hard to express complex and subtle ideas by typing...

We all make judgments about people on first impression, and we continue to form opinions based on what we see. Here we are without that input, so I think that learning a bit more about the others that post here is interesting.

If I were to offer a bit of training advice, wouldn't part of you want to know whether

A- I'd been training for 40 years, and teaching for 15 years

or

B- I'm 13, just started MA's and saw something in a movie???

Chris

Thanks Chris, my thoughts exactly.

Joe.

I had asked Chris not to talk about my age and who I trained with, but now that the cat is out of the bag, I will tell the truth about my training. 80% of my Aikido came from "Above the Law" with Steven Seagal. 20% came from Satome Sensei's coloring book on Aikido where I got to draw an iriminage and kotegaeshi. My Karate training I am even more proud of. 90% of this came from scruffy looking tuff ass Lone Wolf McQuade, played by Chuck Norris. My intelligent side came from David Carridine from that same movie, or was it from the TV series Kung Fu. Either way, I have trained with none but the best. My Jujutsu/Judo I am so proud of, as I was taught by "The Roadrunner" who ran from, threw, and turned Wiley E. Coyote into a pretzel. Now thats my true resume!!!!!!!!!
About the Sensei issue, there were always instructors, and students. The students needed someone to look up to, even when they became Sensei. It not a question of rank, or taking over a post, its a question of who to go to for information. What I have to offer is my experiences and my opinion. Most of this was formed by my past Instructors and the ones I have now. . My insight is just what I have observed, if you don't like it, don't except it. I make no excuses for being a Sensei, I spent 30 hard years getting here. It makes me no more right than anyone else. However, you need to know who to go to for information. A brown belt wouldn't go to a white belt for help. For me, I always want the best information possible, and this will be found with my seniors, not someone who just started training.I believe that everyone needs someone to turn to. Some of the older Masters don't have this as their Sensei's have past on, but they have accepted the role, and now people go to them. I will tell you that I would be lost without my 3 Sensei's to turn to. I just spent a weekend with my Sensei's and treasured the time and information they gave me. But........I taught the brown belt class, I didn't go there for information. This is the process that has always been, however its being short cutted now.
I had the chance to spend some time with Miko Fujitana Sensei, the first wife of Steven Segal and the original owner(her parents owned the dojo)of Tenshin Dojo. She had Segal Sensei teach as women were not real well accepted at the time. Today she is one of the top female Aikidoka in Japan. We had a heart to heart about the nature of Aikido. She illuminated two things. 1. No one wants to work hard and train hard anymore, they just want the rank. Number 2, the seniors of the arts, are not respected the way they use to be. This 3rd generation of Aikidoka are not in the mold of the first two, and the art is being watered down. Not so much by leaving things out of curriculum, but viewing themselves as equals not juniors to other students. She said further Brown Belts use to be the back bone of the dojo, they were the ones who could be relied on. Now, juniors feel as talented as their seniors, and aren't interested to train under Sempai. According to Fujitana Sensei, Sempai were there to train the juniors in order to get themselves ready for Black Belt. However, due to lack of respect for upper rank, and sempai(time in grade)this process is falling apart, and we are getting lesser trained Black Belts, which results in lesser trained Sensei.
All this comes back to knowing who you are training with, and what they have to offer.
Once again Chris, thanks for telling everyone about me!!!!!Lets all wish Chris a speedy recovery.

Hmmm, sorry but I remain unconvinced. I would hope that when I'm offered advice from someone I can judge it on its own merits, regardless of the supposed grade(s) or experience of the person offering it. Over a period of time we all form opinions of the others on the board based upon what they have to say for themselves, not on what grades they lay claim to, or who they have trained with in the past. I think that is a better, and more accurate gauge when considering the value of their "wisdom".

I also think anyone who closes his/her mind to what a lower grade can offer simply because they are a lower grade is missing the point. Sensei is not another term for "better". [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif[/IMG]


budo

[This message has been edited by Cato (edited 10-24-2003).]

It is amazing to me that someone can say that a Sensei is not better than a kyu, but if that is what you believe that is fine. that is saying a high school teacher is not better than the students. By the mere amount of knowledge makes them better and more knowledgeable. The processes one goes through in the martial arts makes one more worldly, that is why kyu's don't understand what its like to go through a Black Belt test. However, Black Belts are given out now and not necessarily earned. My Black Belt test was 5 hours long, and believe me I know what it was to be pushed to a physical and mental limit. If you haven't gone through the process you can't understand. To me, A Sensei has life experiences on and off the mat, a sense of history and code of conduct as well. This makes him above the norm, however, elders are not revered in society today, and everyone wants to be everyones equal. That is why the arts are what they are today, the arts are being watered down, the quality of student is horrendous, because everyone is too good to be told where they are lacking. People only want to hear whats good, not what they don't do well. I for one am old school, I revere my seniors for their knowledge, and the process they have been through. Their life experiences have seen more, and they are indeed better than me, to which I will add this. I would rather learn from a crippled old Sensei who can barely move, than some young middle age 'yuppie' who has all the answers to the worlds problems who practices 2 times a week and thinks he's training alot and expounds on his theories. Our lower ranks may have ideas, and theories in their mind, our seniors have put them to use. Better, yea my seniors are so much better than I am, I am not in the same class, that is why I am going to see them, and train, while others ponder how it should be

All depends on your interpretation of "better" I suppose. Certainly you would expect a sensei will have trained for longer, but there is nothing in any MA I've ever seen or heard about that precludes someone from their blackbelt test because they aren't wordly wise enough, or don't have any real experience of using their art or have any real understanding of people, life or anything else. Anyone with the technical ability can be a sensei, that doesn't make them "better" than anyone else in my book. But that's just my opinion, I don't need or want to feel superior to anyone else. I want to discuss MA WITH them, not AT them.

I would argue that if someone has true knowledge of their subject, that will be apparent to their audience. Just as someone who tries to lay on the BS will get found out, someone who offers good advice will be recognised for doing so without the need to show their credentials beforehand. A kyu grade struggling to come to terms with some concepts of their art will learn far more from discussing it with someone they feel comfortable with rather than a sensei who they feel they should revere and hold in awe. If they wanted a sensei to show them "the way it is" they would ask their own, not some anonymous internet MA sensei, who could in reality be that 13 year old kid who once watched a Bruce Lee film, but never did any training.

So, in my view "better" is a relative concept. Stating that as a sensei someone is necessarily better than a lower grade sensei or a kyu grade doesn't make it so, their opinion is worth no more for saying it so why bother? If people think I talk shit (and I suspect a lot of you do think that [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif[/IMG] ) that's fine, I'm okay with that. Telling those people I am actually O'sensei re-incarnate wont change their opinion. Like I said before I'm happy to judge and be judged by what is said, not who someone might be.

Budo

I found this sight today and must say I have found your conversations amongst yourselves highly amusing at times and informative.
I have recently moved back to Texas and have an odd question. Any reply will be appreciated.
I am a truck driver so there isn't a lot of room for me to practice. Nor is there a regular place I can go to practice with a teacher. Is there anything I can do without a lot of room in order to stay in shape and stay flexible while out on the road?
Thanks in advance, Gena

Hello Gena, and I'm glad you've found this site amusing, I know I have!

So you want to stay in shape while out on the road. Good for you, my grandfather was a truck driver, and well, the sedintary lifestyle was far from a healthy one. I suppose it all boils down to what your goals are. If you want to stay in shape and remain flexible, I would suggest yoga. I know there are some really good tapes out there that can give ou a good routine of exercises, but as with all things it is best to find a teacher. If you could find one in Texas to go every now and again while you are around while still practicing by yourself, you should not be dissapointed. From my understanding, yoga can offer you alot of the same benefits that aikido does-flexibility and physical strength along with inner calm. I plan on starting yoga when I can, but this is my last semester in college so things are a bit hectic. At least elements of yoga have been integrated within my school of aikido.

Anyway, good luck and I hope my rambling might be of some help or at least encouragement.

Joe