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Martial Arts/Questions Answered by Expert Mike Casto
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Fear???!! | 1/31/2012 |
| Q: i practice muay thai. i keep in top condition working out almost every day. im in better shape than ... A: I know this probably isn't what you want to hear but it's the truth (or, at least, the truth as I ... | |
| Can martial arts help me in this regard? | 12/12/2011 |
| Q: I have an undercurrent, subconscious fear of conflict with people in its diverse forms (verbal or ... A: Absolutely. There's a concept called "stress inoculation" which is that the more experience you ... | |
| Teacher finds you | 10/27/2011 |
| Q: What is your take on the statement that I've heard (and read) in martial arts circles "Your martial ... A: The thing about "non-compliant" training is that it's easy to spin your wheels. One of the things ... | |
| Teacher finds you | 10/25/2011 |
| Q: What is your take on the statement that I've heard (and read) in martial arts circles "Your martial ... A: I've definitely heard that statement - and a couple of variations :D One variation I like is, "When ... | |
| Martial arts in general | 10/16/2011 |
| Q: I was woundering what form of martial arts would best suit a 5/9" 198lbs person who is mostly upper ... A: There are several that I might mention but unless they're in your area they won't help much (unless ... | |
| Kuntao Silat In Los Angeles California | 12/30/2010 |
| Q: Do you know of any Kuntao Silat teaches in Los Angeles California I know you mentioned Paul and ... A: Paul & Victor are in L.A. but they don't teach Kuntao Silat. One of Uncle Bill's guys, Ray Robles, ... | |
| what is Serak | 12/29/2010 |
| Q: Ive heard many terms of Silat affiliated with the De Thouars Family including kuntao and Pencak ... A: Personally, I really like the training I've had in the Serak family of systems. It suits my personal ... | |
| what is Serak | 12/29/2010 |
| Q: Ive heard many terms of Silat affiliated with the De Thouars Family including kuntao and Pencak ... A: Wow. Good questions. The fact that you even know the terms/names you know indicates more knowledge ... | |
| How to get started? | 12/22/2010 |
| Q: I'm currently 17 and I want to get into Martial arts. I came across a guy who is an actor and a real ... A: The only real answer is that you have to seek out instructors in these arts/systems and train. A ... | |
| learning JKD | 12/6/2010 |
| Q: Bruce Lee is one of my ideal and so i want to learn the MA made by him which is much better than now ... A: You said "bruce died without giving hands to hanybody to demostrate it" ... this isn't true. Bruce ... | |
| Jump Kicking | 9/1/2010 |
| Q: I would like to know if there is a way to train to get jump kicks higher? For example, I attend a ... A: Well, it's been over 15 years since I focused on kicking at all (the Southeast Asian martial arts ... | |
| kali/fma | 7/6/2010 |
| Q: Hey, I am really interested in taking Kali. There is a really good/experienced teacher where I ... A: I am an advocate of cross-training & have done quite a bit of it myself (including about 6 months of ... | |
| kali/fma | 7/6/2010 |
| Q: Hey, I am really interested in taking Kali. There is a really good/experienced teacher where I ... A: The time to proficiency depends on the dynamics that exist between teacher, student, other students, ... | |
| honest opinion of bruce lee and frank dux | 6/23/2010 |
| Q: can you tell me what your opinion or the martial arts community has as a completely honest view of ... A: Whew. Big worm cans. Note that this is only my opinion/estimation. I never had personal contact ... | |
| Recommendation? | 5/2/2010 |
| Q: hope all is well. I'm in my late thirties, have a mild lumbar injury. Have dabbled in several arts ... A: Well, I'm not really qualified to answer about the injury but I would agree that avoiding rolling ... | |
| Kuntao Silat | 2/14/2010 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could tell me your thoughts on kuntao silat? There is a guy here in chicago ... A: Well, I'm guessing I know the instructor (or, possibly his instructor). Kuntao Silat de Thouars ... | |
| front kick | 10/9/2009 |
| Q: I have been working on the front kick alot over the past couple of years, I can't seam to get the ... A: The Filipino & Indonesian martial arts I study don't do much kicking - and most of the kicks we do ... | |
| Weapons used in martial arts | 10/5/2009 |
| Q: Now, I know this may be out of your area of expertise, but I've been reading about an Indian ... A: Yup. The first question is beyond me. I've heard of Gatka & Silambam (as well as Kalaripayattu & ... | |
| No Tumbling Martial Art | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: Can you recommend martial arts styles that don't involve rolling head over heels? I just can't. The ... A: I'm sure you were told then (when it was finally explained) that the rolling should be done from ... | |
| No Tumbling Martial Art | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: Can you recommend martial arts styles that don't involve rolling head over heels? I just can't. The ... A: Depending on the specific system of Kung Fu it may have tumbling (i.e.: the first example that comes ... | |
| 42 and searching | 8/19/2009 |
| Q: What martial art would you recommend to a healthy 5'-7" male? I've dabbled in quite a few, so I ... A: The first thing I'd recommend you pick up a copy of "On Combat" by Lt. Col. (Ret.) David Grossman ... | |
| 42 and searching | 8/18/2009 |
| Q: What martial art would you recommend to a healthy 5'-7" male? I've dabbled in quite a few, so I ... A: Interesting question. Obviously, there's always *some* risk of injury no matter what you're doing ... | |
| Silat and FMA | 8/7/2009 |
| Q: I have six years of experience in Goju Ryu Karate. I'm in the lucky position of being able to learn ... A: Nice. That's a good position to be in :) First you have to decide (and maybe you already know) if ... | |
| judo & Trad. Jujitsu | 6/10/2009 |
| Q: Assuming all instructors are of a high quality, which of these combinations do you feel is most ... A: Interesting list. All have merit and, with quality instruction, would be worth the time to train in. ... | |
| Bullied... | 5/21/2009 |
| Q: Hey Mike, Its been about 10 years and I still can't shake the hard feelings I had being pushed ... A: Really, any martial art can help you with your confidence. I'd recommend two things. First do some ... | |
| disciplines available | 4/21/2009 |
| Q: In my area I have a Hapkido school, a Modern Arnis school, a traditional Wing Chun school and Muay ... A: Excellent! You've taken all the steps I would have recommended :-) Without knowing the specific ... | |
| Which Martial Art is for me? | 1/25/2009 |
| Q: I am looking to start training Martial Arts and I am looking for a martial art that will fit my ... A: Each person is different. Physical makeup is only part of the equation for what is "best" for an ... | |
| Quality vs. Quanity | 12/22/2008 |
| Q: I read an earlier reply you made to another Allexperts.com subscriber and followed some of the ... A: I'm glad you found my previous post useful :-) Your first question depends pretty much entirely on ... | |
| Which martial arts is best for me | 12/11/2008 |
| Q: I have been interested in martial arts for some time now and want to start taking something, but the ... A: Certainly the internal arts would be less likely to put a lot of stress on your heart - Tai Chi, Chi ... | |
| Hi | 11/18/2008 |
| Q: I want to know what are the differences between modern and traditional muay thai(muay boran)?plz ... A: This question is a bit outside of my area - I've had some exposure to Muay Thai and read/heard some ... | |
| which school should i pick? | 9/21/2008 |
| Q: I need help choosing between two wing chun schools in my area. I have visited both locations and ... A: Visit both schools and determine which one you're more comfortable with. Talk to the instructors, ... | |
| hi | 8/23/2008 |
| Q: can u help me i want to use martial arts as my exercise program to stay in shape i like doing ... A: Here's my list of recommendations (to anyone looking for martial arts). First, don't worry about ... | |
| Need help... | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: I am interested in taking up a martial arts style. I am 5'9 and about 170 lbs and in pretty good ... A: A system doesn't make a fighter. There are many variables that go into the equation. The value of ... | |
| Martial art vs Sport? | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: My name is Alex and I enjoy studying about the martial arts but find it confusing to see the huge ... A: Interesting question. I would say that spiritual/mental aspects are indicators but not really the ... | |
| Speed | 4/28/2008 |
| Q: I would like to ask some advice and drills about how to be faster in blocking and punching,i need ... A: I actually recommend that people focus on good form developed by training slowly. Developing good ... | |
| which would suit me | 4/23/2008 |
| Q: after taking your earlier advise i have chosen the following Chinese boxing,kick boxing,kung fu,ju ... A: Like I said, physical build is only one part of the equation. Are you interested more in sport, or ... | |
| best martial arts for me | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: 1'm 18 6,2 and 12 stone with good all round strength so in you opinion what would suit me A: There is no simple, straightforward answer I can give you. Size, weight, strength and fitness are ... | |
| choices | 4/8/2008 |
| Q: I have 3 options available to me. And I unfortunately I can only choose one. I am 5'7",32 years ... A: Whew ... here's where things will get a little controversial. Also, I apologize beforehand for the ... | |
| choices | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: I have 3 options available to me. And I unfortunately I can only choose one. I am 5'7",32 years ... A: It sounds like you've already answered your own question as far as Wing Chun goes. If you're looking ... | |
| over analysing? | 2/17/2008 |
| Q: I believe the statement that "it isn't so much the style of martial art you choose but the ... A: Wow! It won't take me a year to answer it ... but it is going to take some time. Fortunately for ... | |
| BRUCE LEEs DEATH | 12/10/2007 |
| Q: WHY DID BRUCE LEE DIE? WAS IT BECAUSE OF HIS RIGOROUS TRAINING? WILL I DIE IF I TRAIN LIKE HIM? I ... A: Review this article for details on his death: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Lee In short, no, ... | |
| Help me please | 9/3/2007 |
| Q: I have been taking Kenpo Karate in Colorado, I am not in any advanced ranks or anything, but when I ... A: First you should consider this: You have been in fights. Regardless of how you fared in those ... | |
| Taekwondo | 8/22/2007 |
| Q: I have two questions that have been bugging me for the past two weeks. I am a 14 year old girl that ... A: Whew. I've been away from TKD for over 20 years and am not much of a kicker these days - I rarely ... | |
| Eskrima | 7/28/2007 |
| Q: I'm about 6'3 and 200 pounds, pretty flexible and lean. I used to take tae kwon do as a child and ... A: Really, it depends on what you're looking for. BJJ is a good system but focuses almost exclusively ... | |
| martial arts traditions | 5/31/2007 |
| Q: my name is Lauren and I am doing a inquiry project for my grade 9 ELA class. Our broad topic is ... A: By "tradition" I assume you're referring to things like spiritual or other non-physical aspects of ... | |
| martial arts | 9/21/2006 |
| Q: I am a writer developing a female private eye character And I was wondering what martial arts style ... A: That really depends on the type of fighting she'll have to be doing as to which would be "best." ... | |
| Finding a Martial Arts Style | 8/6/2006 |
| Q: That sounds interesting,.. But unfortunately I do not believe anyone in my area teaches it.I am ... A: Yeah. It's not all that easy to find here in America. Though, right now, I'm visiting Oakland, ... | |
| Yaw-Yan | 7/25/2006 |
| Q: My names warren and I became very interested in Yaw-Yan after I found that it had a similarity to ... A: Yes, Yaw-Yan has a lot of similarity to Muay Thai. I haven't had any personal experience with ... | |
Martial Arts
Answers by Expert:
Mike Casto
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
My primary area of "expertise" (for lack of a better term) is in Filipino and Indonesian martial arts. However, I've been involved in the martial arts since 1978, trained in several systems and been exposed to many, many others. I've also done a fair amount of reading about martial arts in general and about various systems. I can answer questions about Filipino and Indonesian martial arts and I can often answer questions about martial arts in general. Feel free to ask me any question about martial arts. Even if I don`t have an answer I can often point you in the right direction to find the answer.
Experience
I've been involved in martial arts since 1978. I started in Tae Kwon Do and, when my instructor quit teaching, I began training in Okinawan Goju-Ryu. In 1995 I was introduced to Filipino Kali/Arnis/Eskrima and Indonesian Pentjak Silat. I've been training primarily in them since 1995. I've taught private lessons, classes, seminars and workshops all over the United States, in Europe and in China. I have also trained with a wide variety of martial artists in different disciplines. Between hands-on exposure to various martial arts and reading about many others I have a very well-rounded knowledge of martial arts in general.
Publications
- A Pondering of Principles available on Amazon.com and other online book stores.
- November 2008 cover article for Tae Kwon Do Times
Education/Credentials
- Sikal: Lakan Dalawa/Guru Dua (2nd Level Instructor)
- Shen Chuan: 2nd Degree Black Belt and Certified Instructor
- Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima/Eskrido: 7th Degree Black Belt
- Anjing Gembala Pencak Silat: Utama Guru (Chief Instructor)
Awards and Honors
- 2008 Doce Pares Hall of Fame Inductee for Exemplary Dedication to Doce Pares
- 2010 Doce Pares Hall of Fame Inductee for Outstanding Law Enforcement Instructor
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