- The Janissaries were the elite infantry of the Ottoman Empire.
- The Janissaries were chosen before they reached adulthood from among the Christian population living in Anatolia and the Balkan peninsula to become the elite fighting force of the Ottoman Empire.
- The Janissaries were chosen before they reached adulthood from among the Christian population living in Anatolia and the Balkan peninsula to become the elite fighting force of the Ottoman Empire.
The Janissary corps was created by the Sultan Murad I in 1383 and was abolished by Sultan Mahmud II in 1826 in the Auspicious Incident.
by Dancing with Fire April 22, 2013
MI6 was formed in 1909 as the Secret Service Bureau. The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) is frequently referred to by the name MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6), a name used as a flag of convenience during the Second World War when it was known by many names. The existence of MI6 was not officially acknowledged until 1994.
by Dancing with Fire September 05, 2012
Mom: Hey can I check my email on Facebook?
Me: Again??????
Mom: It will only be a minute. I'll hand it right back.
Me: -Sigh- Fine, but I need it back because I need to do some homework on the computer.
-1 Hour Later-
Me: When you getting off?? I need to do my homework!
Mom: I'll be off in a minute.
Me: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Me: Again??????
Mom: It will only be a minute. I'll hand it right back.
Me: -Sigh- Fine, but I need it back because I need to do some homework on the computer.
-1 Hour Later-
Me: When you getting off?? I need to do my homework!
Mom: I'll be off in a minute.
Me: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Dancing with Fire September 11, 2011
Eskrima, Arnis and Kali refer to a class of Filipino martial arts that emphasize weapon-based fighting with sticks, blades and improvised weapons. Although training starts with weapons, empty hand techniques, trapping and limb destruction are also core parts of these arts as the weapon is considered merely an extension of the body. Eskrima and Arnis are the most common among the many names often used in the Philippines today to refer to these arts.
The teaching of the basic skills in Eskrima are traditionally simplified. With limited time to teach intricate moves, only techniques that were proven effective in battle and could easily be taught en masse were used. This allowed villagers, generally not professional soldiers, a measure of protection against other villages, as well as foreign invaders. This philosophy of simplicity is still used today and is the underlying base of escrima. Because of this approach, escrima and the Filipino martial arts in general are often mistakenly considered to be "simple". However, this refers only to its systematization, not effectiveness. To the contrary, beyond the basic skills lies a very complex structure and a refined skillset that takes years to master.
by Dancing with Fire December 30, 2010
American 1: It's great to see people rise up against their oppressors man. The U.S. should help the Free Syrian Army at all costs!
American 2: What are you, a fool? We have a $16 trillion debt to worry about and you want to spend more money to aid these Syrian rebels who we know nothing about? U.S. intervention will be viewed by the Arab world as occupation - not liberation. For once, lets stay out of everyone else's problems and think of ways to improve our own country. All of our efforts in the Middle East have only put radical jihadists into power.
American 2: What are you, a fool? We have a $16 trillion debt to worry about and you want to spend more money to aid these Syrian rebels who we know nothing about? U.S. intervention will be viewed by the Arab world as occupation - not liberation. For once, lets stay out of everyone else's problems and think of ways to improve our own country. All of our efforts in the Middle East have only put radical jihadists into power.
by Dancing with Fire April 10, 2013
Libertarians support maximum liberty in both personal and economic matters. They advocate a much smaller government; one that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence.
Libertarians tend to embrace individual responsibility, oppose government bureaucracy and taxes, promote private charity, tolerate diverse lifestyles, support the free market, and defend civil liberties.
by Dancing with Fire January 04, 2013
Ai, harmony. ki, spirit or energy. do, the path or the way. Aikido is the way of harmonizing the spirit. Aikido developed in the 1920s and 1930s as a synthesis of jujitsu, sword-, and spear-fighting. The founder, Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), combined the joint locks and throws of jujitsu with the body movements of sword- and spear-fighting. He ultimately settled on the name Aikido in 1942 to stress the deeper spirital foundation of the discipline. Ueshiba was a follower of new Japanese religion called Omotokyo, which mixes neo-Shintoism with socio-political idealism to create a harmonious "heavenly kingdom on earth." While this specific religious aspect does not influence Aikido as practiced by most Aikidoka, there at least two fundemental tenents: (1) a commitment to peaceful resolution of conflict whenever possible and (2) a commitment to self-improvement through aikido training.
The techniques of Aikido are circular in nature, and are not designed to stop attacks or to conflict with them. Instead, aggressive motions are converted into circular movements that render attackers helpless. Aikido techniques allow the attacker's movements to continue and complete themselves naturally, so that the attack is diverted and redirected harmlessly. The Aikidoist is trained not to cripple, but to apply various wrist and joint locks, pins, and unbalancing throws to neutralize aggressors without serious injury to either the aggressor or the Aikidoist. The movements are like the motions of a sphere which rolls effortlessly along, joining mind and body.
by Dancing with Fire December 30, 2010