Muay Thai is usually regarded as a very hard, external style. However, especially because of its roots in heavily Buddhist Thailand, some consider it to have a spiritual aspect as well. Thai boxers typically perform some Buddhist rituals before beginning a match. Practicing Muay Thai is a vigorous workout and produces tremendous cardiovascular endurance.
Muay Thai involves boxing techniques, hard kicking, and knee and elbow strikes. Low kicks to the thighs are a very distinguishing technique used frequently in Muay Thai. Stand up grappling is also used and allowed in the ring. Muay Thai practitioners develop a very high level of physical conditioning developed by its practitioners.
by Dancing with Fire December 30, 2010
Person 1: Yo I thought you said you liked Jackie.
Person 2: Nah man I hate that bitch. She's so bi-polar and shit. I said I liked her friend. She's fine as Hell and has a nice ass man.
Person 1: Haha! I got ya man.
Person 2: Nah man I hate that bitch. She's so bi-polar and shit. I said I liked her friend. She's fine as Hell and has a nice ass man.
Person 1: Haha! I got ya man.
by Dancing with Fire January 07, 2011
An outstanding documentary from 2008 about the unflattering look inside America's corporate controlled food industry.
They're not saying "don't eat meat" but just to be aware of what you are consuming. The point is that, the government and organizations that are supposed to be keeping us safe, are the ones who are knowingly letting us eat tainted, infected beef, corn, spinach, peanut butter, etc...when you spend money on McDonalds and other things like it, you are continuing to support an incredibly harmful institution. Vegetarian or not, Food, Inc. is a great film.
by Dancing with Fire July 19, 2011
Defense Intelligence Agency; an intelligence agency of the United States in the Department of Defense.
The DIA is responsible for providing intelligence in support of military planning and operations and weapons acquisition. The DIA obtains and analyzes and uses information of strategic or tactical military value.
by Dancing with Fire September 04, 2012
General William Westmoreland was made permanent commander of MACV and given command of all US forces in Vietnam. Commanding 16,000 men in 1964, Westmoreland oversaw the escalation of the conflict and had 535,000 troops under his control when he departed in 1968. Employing an aggressive strategy of search and destroy, he sought to draw the forces of the Viet Cong (National Liberation Front) into the open where they could be eliminated. Westmoreland believed that the Viet Cong could be defeated through large-scale use of artillery, air power, and large-unit battles. In late 1967, Viet Cong forced began striking US bases across the country. Responding in force, Westmoreland won a series of fights such as the Battle of Dak To. Victorious, US forces inflicted heavy casualties leading Westmoreland to inform President Lyndon Johnson that the end of the war was in sight. While victorious, the battles that fall pulled US forces out of South Vietnamese cities and set the stage for the Tet Offensive in late January 1968. Striking all across the country, the Viet Cong, with support from the North Vietnamese army, launched major attacks on South Vietnamese cities.
Responding to the offensive, William Westmoreland led a successful campaign which defeated the Viet Cong. Despite this, the damage had been done as Westmoreland's optimistic reports about the war's course were discredited by North Vietnam's ability to mount such a large-scale campaign. In June 1968, Westmoreland was replaced by General Creighton Abrams. During his tenure in Vietnam, Westmoreland had sought to win a battle of attrition with the North Vietnamese, however he was never able to force the enemy to abandon a guerilla-style of warfare which repeatedly left his own forces at a disadvantage.
by Dancing with Fire August 21, 2011
Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art. Its full name is Tai Chi Chuan, a Chinese phrase which can be translated as approximately meaning supreme ultimate fist. Tai Chi is a relatively new martial art, with its concrete origins sometime around 1820, although it likely existed for some time before that. It is what is known as a soft style of martial combat, putting an emphasis on relaxed muscle positions and the use of an opponent’s momentum, as contrasted with the hard styles, which emphasize muscles in a high-state of readiness, and meeting an opponent’s force with one’s own force. In addition to the martial aspects of Tai Chi, there is a great deal of stress placed on the concepts of meditative calm, and overall physical health. Indeed, for many people living in the modern world, Tai Chi is not thought of as a martial art, but rather as a system of movement and breathing meant to be therapeutic. In much the same way that yoga in the West has become divorced from its original intent, so too has Tai Chi become something quite different. In many ways, Tai Chi is a very Taoist tradition. It teaches such things as learning to move with the world – both in a literal, physical sense in terms of martial self-defense, and in a more abstract, meditative sense. Indeed, the core of Tai Chi could be described as simply learning to react appropriately to whatever is offered.
This is one reason why many in the modern world find it so valuable as a discipline. Practitioners of Tai Chi usually find that within a relatively short period of time, they are better equipped to handle stressful situations, and find themselves less prone to being caught off balance either physically or mentally. In order to cultivate this state of mind, Tai Chi practitioners focus on two main types of formal training. In the first, the student learns a number of movement poses that they undertake on their own. These poses work on steady, healthy breathing, supple posture, and a smooth movement of the body’s joints. In the second, the student works with another practitioner to understand how these forms interact with another person’s movement. These pushing hands poses help teach a sensitivity, as well as helping to improve the solo poses through a more rigorous exercise. In addition to these poses, which one often sees Western practitioners doing in isolation in public parks, or in group classes, Tai Chi also makes use of more traditional martial art techniques. Sparring takes place between two practitioners, and is similar to sparring in many other widely-known martial art forms. Tai Chi practitioners may also make use of various weapons, including the spear or staff (chang or chiang), the broadsword or sabre (tao or dao), the straight sword (chien or jien). Other weapons like the chain or fan can be used as well.
by Dancing with Fire January 03, 2011