by Dancing with Fire June 18, 2011
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 01, 2013
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
Jeet Kune Do, or the Art of the Intercepting Fist, is a style or concept of martial arts originally conceived of by famous actor and fighter Bruce Lee. It is based on a philosophy of simplicity, directness and freedom, and is frequently referred to as having no particular style. Lee’s creation relies on strong offensive action to succeed, and is considered by many to be a predecessor of mixed martial arts forms.
Jeet Kune Do was initially looked at with considerable disdain by masters of traditional martial arts forms. As Lee began training others in his forms, he stressed individuality in movement, practice through matches rather than memorization of solo forms, and above all, simplicity of movement. In essence, the purpose of the form is to win a fight, not to prove you’re a well-trained fighter.
by Dancing with Fire December 29, 2010
It would be fair to say that there are few twentieth century thinkers who have had such a far-reaching influence on subsequent intellectual life in the humanities as Jacques Lacan. Lacan’s “return to the meaning of Freud” profoundly changed the institutional face of the psychoanalytic movement internationally. His seminars in the 1950s were one of the formative environments of the currency of philosophical ideas that dominated French letters in the 1960s and’70s, and which has come to be known in the Anglophone world as “post-structuralism.”
Both inside and outside of France, Jacques Lacan’s work has also been profoundly important in the fields of aesthetics, literary criticism and film theory. Through the work of Louis Pierre Althusser (and more lately Ernesto Laclau, Jannis Stavrokakis and Slavoj Zizek), Lacanian theory has also left its mark on political theory, and particularly the analysis of ideology and institutional reproduction.
by Dancing with Fire October 04, 2011
The tunnel rats were American and Australian infantry soldiers whose task was to carry out underground search and destroy missions during the Vietnam War. The Viet Cong guerrillas had built a complex system of tunnels in which they hid themselves and their weapons when they were under attacks. They were extremely dangerous, with numerous booby traps and enemies lying in wait.
by Dancing with Fire June 30, 2011
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