J_G_ Wrote:only in america :P

lol your so right.... that would be me all day (only to protect my life or of someones i love, not over a dog).... ive got 8 years of sword training under my belt.... i trained mostly with a shinai.. which hurts like hell if you get his with it.... its a wooden sword wrapped in leather strips.... now i just use a boken and my real katana... people think im crazy seeing me in my yard swinging it around in the same motion for hours at a time... but they can't beat me so i don't care lol... its how i keep in shape... i don't like sports like baseball and football... and i beat the snot of my punching bag alot (great stress reliever).. actually focusing your mind and releasing bad energy in a healthy way is very good for you... sword fighting teaches you to move without needing to think... all instinct or honnou in japanese.. i think it builds character and teaches people self control (unless your a lunatic anyway).. im trying to learn Iaidō which is this "approximately "the way of mental presence and immediate reaction", is a Japanese martial art associated with smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard. Modern day iaidō exponents typically use a blunted metal practice sword (iaitō) for practice, especially among beginners, while many advanced practitioners use a sharpened sword (shinken)." its a very hard style to learn... after that id like to learn reishuuken (which is the art of fight with you legs and only blocking with your hands and countering with powerful kicks).. i LOVE martial arts.. im not strong but i make up for it by being very lean and fast... im 6foot 2inches, but i only wiegh 165lbs.. tall light and fast with a long reach....  damn i just want to talk today LOL.. i commend you if you took the time to read all that