Dancing with Fire's definitions

Kenjutsu

A master swordsman must size up his opponent. No two swordsmen fight the same. Ito Ittosai, a great Japanese swordsman was reckless in his style. “Learn by being cut” was his philosophy. He believed one should be concerned more with not losing rather than winning. Proper timing is a key element of this concept. In his book Go Rin No Sho (A Book of Five Rings), Miyamoto Musashi, remarked that his entire strategy was based on timing and rhythm. Musashi was the founder of the Nito or two sword method of fighting in Japan. It is believed that he learned the rapier and dagger techniques of the Europeans from traders in Southern Japan and used these techniques to develop his own style. In traditional martial arts, no other weapon has held the status of the sword. It is the center of training for the majority of the arts. Kenjutsu may be studied as a separate art or as a subordinate art of another major system. At the Red Dragon Ju Jitsu Dojo, the basics of Kenjutsu are required for advancement to the rank of Blue Belt. It is also taught as a stand-alone art. In terms of skills, few weapons require the demands of swordsmanship. The sword moves much faster than the fastest person, the skill in timing and judgement will benefit the Martial Artist in all other aspects of their training.

Kenjutsu should not be considered the same as Kendo. Kendo is a sport form of swordsmanship and an offspring of Ken-Jutsu. In Kendo, the targets are restricted to the head, wrist, body plate, and throat. In Ken-Jutsu, any target is fair game. The study of Kenjitsu has no belting system. It is a pure study of the art and mastery is developed through practice. Students must learn the basic stances along with the basic attacks and defenses. Mastery is derived from actual combat or Kumite using a wooden Bokken (Bokuto). After the student has been properly instructed in the techniques of combat and practices of various timing drills they are pitted against other students under the direct supervision of the Sensei who referees the match. The study of Ken-jutsu is more than merely wielding a sword. One not only learns the Kihon Dachi (basic stances) and attacks with defenses, there is much more to the study of the art of the Samurai. Any butcher can swing a sword but to be a master you must develop the mental and spiritual aspects of the art as well as the physical. Shin-Ku-I (Body, Mouth, Mind) or more accurately Action, Word, and Thought is how the Samurai were evaluated. What makes the difference between a swordsman and a master is Ken Shin Ichi Nyo, or Sword and mind as one. One must train as if the sword was a part of them, if it is looked at as a separate entity you will never develop the skill to master the art.

by Dancing with Fire January 23, 2011

Latmiyat

A latmiyat (Sometimes spelled latmiya, latmya, latmaya, or latmia) is an Islamic lamentation or eulogy. It is to express the sad emotion through poetry and of the chest beating. Clapping is a sign of joy and the thumping of the chest is a sign of sadness. Muslims remember what happened to Imam Hussain and the sacrifice he has given for his lord 1400 years ago.

The Muslim recited the Latmiyat.

by Dancing with Fire March 1, 2013

Tijuana Cartel

The Tijuana Cartel is based in one of the most strategically important border towns in Mexico, and continues to export drugs even after being weakened from a brutal internal war during 2009.

Due to infighting, arrests and deaths of some of its top members, the Tijuana Cartel is a shell of what it was in the 1990s and early 2000s when it was considered one of the most potent and violent criminal organizations in Mexico. After the arrest or assassination of its founding members, the Arellano Felix clan, the cartel is now headed by Fernando Sanchez Arellano, a nephew of the Arellano Felix brothers who once bloodied Mexico and southern California with their brutish and authoritarian style. With the powerful Sinaloa Cartel moving into Tijuana in force, Sanchez Arellano is struggling to keep a grip on this lucrative drug and human trafficking corridor.

by Dancing with Fire July 2, 2011

Get Off Scot-Free

Getting off scot-free refers to someone getting away without payment, either monetary or otherwise. In fact in modern usage, it often refers to suspects who are not convicted of a crime. If a person feels that the suspect should have been convicted, he might say, “That guy is getting off scot-free.” Often the term is confused with the frugality that is occasionally attributed to the Scottish. Actually, the term scot predates old Gaelic that would have been spoken by the Scots. In fact the word has its origins in Scandinavian language and probably descends to the English language via Anglo-Saxon.

To get off scot-free implies evasion, purposeful or otherwise of the dues one is supposed to pay. It is frequently an annoyance to others if people duck out of paying what everyone else must pay. This is especially the case if the scot of a bar tab is avoided, since everyone else will have to pay extra to make up for the person getting off scot-free.

by Dancing with Fire December 19, 2010

MI5

The British domestic and foreign counterintelligence service responsible for national internal security.

Military Intelligence, section five; a former official and present-day popular name for the counterintelligence agency of the British Government. MI5 was formed in 1909 as the Secret Service Bureau.

by Dancing with Fire September 5, 2012

Halfway Cursing

Those funny times in middle school when you would say half of a curse word and then your friend would say the other half. This would usually occur during class while the teacher was trying to teach the class his or her lesson.

Halfway Cursing:

Student 1: Fu...
Student 2: ck!

Student 1: Shi...
Student 2: t!

Student 1: Cu..
Student 2: nt!!

by Dancing with Fire December 7, 2010

Vale Tudo

Vale Tudo means "anything goes" or "No rules" in Portugese. It's a full-contact unarmed combat fighting style with a limited number of rules, that became popular in Brazil during the 20th century.

Vale Tudo takes the most effective combat techniques from styles such as Jujitsu, Muay Thai, Sambo, Wrestling, and Western Boxing.

by Dancing with Fire January 6, 2011