Merryprankster
06-28-2002, 07:54 AM
To all,
Please do me the favor of not sending me unsolicited e-mails about forum members who have bad kung fu, obviously studied from tapes and don't know what they are talking about, clearly have no concept of the martial applications of their kung fu, etc. It's unwarranted and unwanted.
Nobody is gaining anything from this. It doesn't prove to me that you know what you are talking about--I'm not familiar with most of what is said about these sorts of things because I know very little or nothing about the Masters or people involved or the styles themselves, so I am in no position to judge. All I can do is read it and delete it.
I've learned a lot on this forum, some good and some bad. I don't agree with everything, not everybody agrees with me, that's all fine. I try not to discuss who has good Kung Fu and who doesn't because I don't know. I do talk about training methods, common ideological links etc, because that's the kind of stuff that I think I have something useful to say about. I frequently get bogged down in heated discussions about broadening horizons, what I percieve as logical inconsistencies, or fight strategy and tactics--I even get bogged down about the appropriateness of analogies. I'm no saint--but I don't think I've ever told somebody their system, sifu or knowledge are useless. Mostly I just think you need to beat the crap out of each other once in a while and learn what to do about somebody who wants to take you down and fight you there. :)
You wonder why CMAists are frequently stereotyped as whiney little *****es with little or no connection to reality when it comes to the martial application of martial arts. It's partly because of crap like this--backbiting, infighting and acting like you're "in the know" about who's got the real deal or real skills, etc, makes people look like effete, snobby, sniveling, nincompoops. Closed-door training or discipleship sounds like a joke--an excuse to say "I'm getting the REAL stuff," and look down the nose at other practicioners. It creates the image of the black market salesman, shady deals, and even shadier merchandise. All the talk of humility and light conquering darkness and self-improvement and enlightenment sounds like patronizing hypocrisy--a universally, and rightly, hated quality among people the world over.
A little something from Judo-- "You and me getting better together." That's not the most accurate translation I'm sure, but it outlines a great deal about sharing and openness, rather than skulking about in the shadows.
Fortunately, I've also spent enough time on the board to know that this sort of thing is not the rule and more the exception.
To those who have sent me these e-mails, I am not upset at all. I would just like not to be a recipient of such comments.
Please do me the favor of not sending me unsolicited e-mails about forum members who have bad kung fu, obviously studied from tapes and don't know what they are talking about, clearly have no concept of the martial applications of their kung fu, etc. It's unwarranted and unwanted.
Nobody is gaining anything from this. It doesn't prove to me that you know what you are talking about--I'm not familiar with most of what is said about these sorts of things because I know very little or nothing about the Masters or people involved or the styles themselves, so I am in no position to judge. All I can do is read it and delete it.
I've learned a lot on this forum, some good and some bad. I don't agree with everything, not everybody agrees with me, that's all fine. I try not to discuss who has good Kung Fu and who doesn't because I don't know. I do talk about training methods, common ideological links etc, because that's the kind of stuff that I think I have something useful to say about. I frequently get bogged down in heated discussions about broadening horizons, what I percieve as logical inconsistencies, or fight strategy and tactics--I even get bogged down about the appropriateness of analogies. I'm no saint--but I don't think I've ever told somebody their system, sifu or knowledge are useless. Mostly I just think you need to beat the crap out of each other once in a while and learn what to do about somebody who wants to take you down and fight you there. :)
You wonder why CMAists are frequently stereotyped as whiney little *****es with little or no connection to reality when it comes to the martial application of martial arts. It's partly because of crap like this--backbiting, infighting and acting like you're "in the know" about who's got the real deal or real skills, etc, makes people look like effete, snobby, sniveling, nincompoops. Closed-door training or discipleship sounds like a joke--an excuse to say "I'm getting the REAL stuff," and look down the nose at other practicioners. It creates the image of the black market salesman, shady deals, and even shadier merchandise. All the talk of humility and light conquering darkness and self-improvement and enlightenment sounds like patronizing hypocrisy--a universally, and rightly, hated quality among people the world over.
A little something from Judo-- "You and me getting better together." That's not the most accurate translation I'm sure, but it outlines a great deal about sharing and openness, rather than skulking about in the shadows.
Fortunately, I've also spent enough time on the board to know that this sort of thing is not the rule and more the exception.
To those who have sent me these e-mails, I am not upset at all. I would just like not to be a recipient of such comments.