I just thought I'd contribute this little tidbit, for those of you nursing pulled muscles, a cold beer, or stale qi. Check out this URL: www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb149884 .

It's a discussion board whereby the peddler of videotapes guaranteed to make you unbeatable in any fight responds to cynical reviewers of those tapes, with an occasional bona fide question or two thrown in.

In any event, it's worth a perusal, just to help you appreciate the intelligence and inquisitiveness of participants in Tim's discussion board. Thanks for making YOUR forum available, Tim, and setting the standard for posting here.

I thought I set the standard? Well, Macaco's a close second. Tim doesn't qualify on account of him not posting as often as he should...Looks like I'll see y'all after I get out of the infirmary (after Tim kicks my ass).

Wait until my series on Giocco Stretto comes out. Baby, it will sell a million...

Seriously, that's a term used for close quarter grappling with weapons. My friend Massimo Malipero in Italy has done extensive research on it. Uncle Tim has the two documentaries...

I'm not lying, just embellishing the fact that I invented it.

Well actually, it was taught to me by a Franciscan Monk as I wondered through the hills of Tuscany. I was having a bite to eat, I believe it was goat's cheese in a small tavern in Assisi when I met Father Capomani (big hands) who I noticed was cutting his goat cheese without a knife only using his big hands. I casually walked over to him to inquiry about his novel skill when he looked at me and started speaking about Giocco Stretto...

Umm, Macaco . . . since I don't speak what seems to be Italian . . . is "Giocco Stretto" Italian for "stretched stomach"? If so, I will buy all of your tapes, at a minimum of $197 a tape, because, since my mind usually is focused on my stomach, anything that stretches my stomach promises to stretch my mind (i.e., enlightenment).

Tom,

You won't be disappointed. As with every good Italian eating experience, there are different courses and levels of appreciation. Of course, my Giocco Stretto tape set will be broken down accordingly. I'm looking currently at a 289 tape series...

Buon Appetito,
Macaco fino

Abdullah;
The idea isn't how much you can post. The question is how much is not drivel.

Ahhh, I bow to the superior intellect, fighting ability and sense of humor of Bored a.k.a. Sum Guye.

Sorry to disappoint.It was not Sum Guye. Just another guy who tried to get the point across to Tom primarily (early attempt).

What point, Comatose a.k.a. Bored? That you're on Ritalin for your short attention span? That you can't offer constructive criticism? That your small mind can't even understand the questions?

So many bozos, so little time.

Sigh.

Come on, Tom. What's your point in responding to Comatose Now? Getting a little irritated? Geez get back to the point of discussion or get off the thread. Both of you guys. If you have something to work out between you, do it on your own time and your own e-mail. Please.

ON TOPIC...
Unbeatable fighting system? Well (unless you're counting the God's way) there's none -- or if there's an unbeatable system, then there's none (save the God & the Christ) who can apply it, so it becomes a mute point. I've been looking at martial arts stuff for about 35 years now & have come across numerous claims of un-defeat-ability (if you'll allow me this term): all from peddlers. I've looked at books & magazine ads (& yes, even comic book ads) from the turn of last century to the present. In the 40's & 50's JU JITSU &/or JUDO was unstoppable; same for KARATE in the 60's, KUNG FU in the 70's, NIN JUTSU & KENPO in the 80's, & BRAZILIAN JU JITSU in the 90's. It's called LYING, creating a FAD to $ELL, $ELL, $ELL (& on TV, in the 60's JOE JITSU was unstoppable -- he could even stop time to call Dick Tracy! OK, back on track...).
Even the "Ultimate Fighting Championship" was designed as a money maker (& a way to give a less-experienced Gracie family member a chance to gain experience). I say this because I was told this directly by Reylson (sp?) Gracie (oh, I just realized that earlier on another discussion board I attributed a paraphrase to Rickson when it was actually Reylson -- spelling??? Please excuse me as I'm poor with names, esp. foreign ones, & I've been hit in the head a few times, so go figure me making such a mistake). If my memory serves me correctly, Mr. Gracie said (paraphrasing here) that the Gracie family knew that the bigger & stronger Americans would eventually figure out how to defeat their system (once they could see & understand it), so they set it up so that Royce (I think that's the correct name & spelling) could win, get experience doing so, make a big name for this famous Brazilian style abroad, and last but not least, make $$$ (in many ways).
Once Royce was to fight a judoka (practitioner of judo) -- one trained by Chester Evans no less (Mr. Evans is a top-ranked judoka & a mighty fine gentleman who resembles the actor Danny Glover). But this fine young athlete trained even harder & was looking too good when he prematurely visited the Gracie camp. He wasn't allowed to fight in the UFC as originally discussed; instead a lesser qualified opponent was chosen to go to the UFC.
The UFC announcers would embellish ("pump up/inflate") the qualifications of Royce's opponents -- making them out to be world-class champions (while restricting some real world-class champions -- the Gracies aren't dumb by any means; they chose some of their battles carefully -- & keep in mind that Royce was one of the least experienced Gracies; the Gracies have fine art & some are magnificent atheletes...I want 'em on my side in a battle!).
NOW ADVERTISERS/PEDDLERS EAT THIS KIND OF STUFF UP!!! They start making false claims to sell their books & videos, esp. if they see the potential for a fad. The "ninja" fad was started by a few movies that had little or nothing to do with the arts as practiced by such. At least in the 60's some movie scenes were somewhat realistic with their karate & judo stunt work. In the 70's kung fu actors could jump tall trees in a single bound (ho-key); but it made people want to be like them (like the kung fu man or the ninja) -- so it made $$$.
All of these arts have got some good, solid self-defense-oriented stuff (even principles -- if not lost). And each art has had great practitioners who could pull off that style appropriately (examples: 60's: Norris with Tang Soo Do & Smith with Shotokan Karate; 70's: Lee with modified Wing Chun/JKD, Takamatsu with Ninpo Taijutsu, & Parker with Kenpo; get the point? Each was athletic & at the top, or very near the top of their chosen style from much PRACTICE & EXERCISE). Unlike the ads, there are no easily- mastered flick-of-the-wrist unbeatable arts (or, if I'm wrong & such does exist, then it's been kept secret from me these past decades).
MY RECOMMENDATIONS (on how to pick an art & an instructor) will come later -- I'm too tired to get started with such right now. Later folks! {:o)

For all the hype surrounding the aforementioned message board the guy has a very good system especially for newcomers to MA. The history of it isn't that far-fetched either when you do a little research on Western MA. The only problem is the lack of historical records on the subject for that era.