Quote Originally Posted by Archangel
no, no, no, hard to soft, soft to hard. oh, now you've got me doing it.

So, got your point, ha. In my years as a martial arts instructor I incorporated what someone referred to as "environmental kung fu". (My style is actually a Japanese form.) The idea is that the weapons are all around.
Example: a) one of the sectarian groups in Ireland charged into a pub intent on some killing. They had automatic weapons. The patrons started throwing bottles, glasses and ashtrays at the armed men. The men retreated. (NB, if the Irish are going to waste guinness on you, you're cause is already lost.)
b) not to encourage you when you've toned down your violence so much but..frying pan to a robber. Yeah, you're already there. Peace.
I have my own fu, and trust me, it works just fine. I call it my "F*** You Up Fu." It involves a lot of applied physics and some detailed anatomy. An example. A frying pan in motion will remain in motion till forward motion is arrested by a human face. What goes up, must come down. Should my knee happen to be where a body is falling, a body in motion will disperse momentum is all sorts of interesting ways. A body in motion is a weapon. When grabbed by the hair, or other natural handles, a human being makes for an excelent blunt object, perfect for smashing other human beings. Picking a human being up by hooking two fingers in to their nostrils and grabbing them by the balls with your other hand allows them to be thrown like a paper airplane, but they clearly lack aerodynamics.

It might not be pretty, it may lack aesthetics, and fancy form, and it will never look graceful or catlike, but it is a quick and dirty way to get the job done and done right. My fighting style is my own, and is perfectly suited for my excedingly short frame, stockly build, and extremely low center of gravity.

And best of all, I learned most of what I needed to know, not by studying Bruce Lee, but by watching the Three Stooges.