Part One
These pages, and the Dojo project as a whole, are intended to teach animation. They are not intended to teach Martial Arts. I am not qualified to teach Martial Arts, and even if I were, I sure wouldn't do it over the web. In my opinion, anybody who would try to teach martial arts over the web is, ipso facto, unqualified to teach.
Actual self defense requires hours of practice using your muscles. Understanding the physical principles is nice, but it will never ever take the place of practice and expert supervision. If you want to learn Martial Arts, you should seek out a real, physical Dojo in your area and take lessons. Trust me, it's a hoot!
If you bet your life on your instinctive understanding of the principles outlined in this web page then you are an idiot. Tony Lower-Basch and Muse of Fire Studios take no responsibility for any damage caused either to you or to others as a result of such stupidity. Thinking that this page will teach you real martial arts is dangerous to your health, and likely to cause maiming, dismemberment and death.
Got it?
Part Two
The Dojo pages are meant to teach basic principles of animation, with an eye towards computer animation. They are not meant to teach you how to use your computer animating software. These pages were originally designed for use with Animation Master version 5, available from Martin Hash software (www.hash.com).
While the principles discussed are universal to animation, the specific
techniques described may require substantial translation if you are using
different software. Then again, they may not.