Have you seen your Sifu fight?

[Shadow Dragon]

A Thread on the internal Forum has brought me to post this Poll.

A lot of MA say that you can only learn true fighting MA from a Sifu that has been involved in fights and similar situations.

How many of you have seen your Sifu in a REAL fight.
Not Tournaments, sparring or Competitions but a situation where he had to fight to protect his Life.

Or is it all hearsay and stories??

Cheers.

[Chang Style Novice]

"Not me, but other people that know him."

And that person, our own much missed JWTaylor. The fight ended with a guy (a drunk guy, admittedly) crosstrained in tkd and boxing getting an ambulance ride and a cracked bean.

I hope I never have to put somebody in the hospital like that, but it's good to know the techniques, skills and strategies I've been learning aren't totally harmless.

[Stacey]

some guys off the street have challenged him....usually he just makes them go silly.

One guy took a sucker punch while Sifu was getting a brochure and Sifu instinctively ***** slapped him and got control of him, then told him to go.

[bob10]

In CMA - not a fight, but saw my 1st teacher in a "friendly" tussle with a judo guy. Didn't end too well for my teacher.

Current teachers - not seen in "full flight", but they all have considerable backgrounds in the Russian military, so they have "been there". In fact one of them is involved in the situation in Moscow right now.

I don't think it's neccesary for someone to be the world champion, killed hundeds of guys, meanest street son of a ***** to learn from them - if they have good info and training methods, that's fine.

However, when people advertise what they do as "deadly "incredible power" or basically puff themselves up, they should be able to walk the talk.

[jon]

lol ive never even seen my sifu get angry...

Still that said he caught two pickpockets in a local park on sperate occasions. Both of them where younger than him and both of them took a swing. Neither landed there punches and both ended up on the floor, both were arrested - neither where hurt.

My sifu does not *really* like talking to much about the details but he has told me of these (which are quite well known as they happened in public in the middle of the day) and also a few others.
He had a couple of challenge matches though his youth, none of which he lost and none of which resulted in serious injury for either party.
He was also attacked in Hong Kong by two young guys with knifes.
Ill relay this story properaly as its my favorite. Its not a perfect peice of kung fu, to me its more just funny - plus a good insight into my sifus mind.

My sifu was walking home late one night after work in club. As he walked down a lane he was stopped by two guys at either side of him both holding knifes and demanding his wallet. Knowing well he was in a bad postion he opted to simply give over his wallet.
The robbers where to either side of him and when they demanded his wallet he simply held it infornt of himself and kept looking strait ahead.
They both came to stand infront of him then.
Then one of the bandits decided to go though sifus wallet right then and there infront of him. To do this he gave his friend his knife. So now one guys looking though my sifus stuff and the other guy is holding both knifes glarring at my sifu.
My sifu is still just standing there...
Then the guys go to leave, however just to provide one last little taunt the guy who was going though my sifus wallet gave him a hefty shove from the back... *Big* mistake, being a Tai Chi guy he basicaly just reacted to the push. He went strait with it and bent forward then using the force from the push he simply nailed the guy full force with a reverse donkey kick looking thing right in the nuts.
The bloke went strait down writing in agony as believe me my sifu can kick.
This left my sifu starring strait at the guys accomplice who was still holding *both* of the knifes. My sifu however now had a surge of addrenalin and started to feel more confident. He simply stood his ground next to the guys friend and beconed for him to advance. The guy took a look at his pall on the ground then simply did the bolt.
My sifu leaned over to the idiot still on the ground picked up his wallet and walked on home :)

[ewallace]

My teacher has killed a female mountain lion, two saber-toothed tigers...both male, and a handfull of unicorns, all with one swift strike from a single baston. I was riding atop an elephant when each incident occured.

Oh, and classmates have said that he did a double leg takedown on an english bulldog, but since grappling is ineffective against mutliple attackers, he was severely wounded when a pack of Czesky Terriers came to the aid of their well wrinkled friend.

But I've heard conflicting stories about the outcome of that skirmish.

[Former castleva]

To bring another kind of approach to this to shed some light,I think it can also be considered talented if your sifu never fought (which can be translated as very high level of skill,especially if has had exposure to them,but to cut off exposure to them is one way of using KF too...)

This is not KF (therefore directly "sifu" related) but I just remember this one interview from aikidojournal of one old aikido master (7th.dan) fairly old guy he was.He was asked if he had had to use his MA skills in conflicts in which he answered that he has not had to use any.This came as a surprise to interviewer knowing that he had seen plenty of life and has lived trough some hard times.

[MonkeySlap Too]

I saw my first Shuai Chiao / S. Mantis teacher fight - it was ugly. That guy was a one man genocide machine.

My Shuai Chiao teacher - I've never seen him fight. Heck he's a heart doctor and around sixty now. So if I trained with him during his forties and fifties - I'd hope he wasn't getting into brawls. However I have been in and around brawls with my brothers and we all do pretty well.

My Kun Tao teacher - I don't want to see him in a fight, cause I think I'd walk away with delayed stress syndrome.

I've had other teachers - some I've seen accept challenges - they all won pretty handily against good opponents, so I guess I've been lucky in picking places to train. I only saw one disapointment, and that was a junior instructor acting out of line, and he got whupped real good.

[HuangKaiVun]

My last sifu, a small man, was incredibly powerful. He always said that he had "no muscles", but he was actually quite stacked. A real master he was, and a good man. In China, he fought a few fights against multiple opponents and won.

My first sifu, a karate/judo master, was one of those old school Japanese brawlers who had really fought a lot. He was the one that told me to "choke" my way out of a challenge match and to use the ground. That was pre-UFC.

My Tiger-Mantis sifu, an African American kung fu master, who never talked about fighting but had done quite a fair share. When I used to spar him, he'd contour my kicks and kick me in the groin. The guy was built like a smaller Mike Tyson and was one of the most fearsome fighters I've ever seen.

In Korea, my TKD sahbumnim was in a lot of brawls. He taught me some really nasty tricks, including joint locks and pressure point holds that made me into a Shaolin bronze man for target practice. What was really scary is that he would pull that stuff during sparring against me or other resisting opponents.

[ewallace]

Yes Huang but did you ever see any of them?

...just keeping the theme of the thread bro.

[HuangKaiVun]

I never saw any of them take anybody out, but they sure knew how to make me FEEL as if I got taken out when I went against them.

With truly great masters like these, they don't have to crack heads to show that they can.

They'll crack your bridge hand with restraint - and then you'll realize how DEADLY they are.

[fa_jing]

I answered "he's the baddest fighting machine on the planet" But have I seen him fight? No. This is good time to share one of my favorite sayings of his: In 28 years of martial arts, I can count the number of times I've had to use my skills on...Hmm...4 hands.
He's a Cook County Sheriff so I guess that's given him plenty of opportunties, besides growing up in an environment where fighting was the major hobby of most people he knew. Another disclaimer: he's not really my teacher anymore since I had to quit due to a concussion.

:)

[Ford Prefect]

I only saw my sifu fight once and he totally wrecked this huge bodybuilder guy. The bodybuilder grabbed him thinking to outmuscle him, but my sifu floored him with a shot to the stomach. My sifu then started chanting and punched clear through this guys huge chest and ripped out his still-beating heart. He said he did that to multiple opponents once in China.

[stormmountain]

Yes, I have seen my Sifu fight. Seeing how he started a security company and all that. (I worked for him as well). Yes, he is on bad dude, and by the way we do INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS.

Now, I haven't seen his Sifu fight, but he's almost 50 and I really don't think I have to.................................I trust him.

[SifuAbel]

I've seen my sifu AND sigung fight.
One word, devastating.

[dezhen2001]

i never seen my Sifu fight and don't really think he has had to use his skill very much if at all... but i have seen him play with some other people and only recently realised how powerful he could be :)

i seen him play chi sau with some wing chun guys form another school at a seminar and they were really going for it... the same when they played with my sigung and tai sigung... glad i was a spectator and not a participant :D

dawood

ps. Jon - how r ya doing man? i havent heard from you for ages... hope all is well with you, yours and your Sifu :)

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by stormmountain
Yes, I have seen my Sifu fight. Seeing how he started a security company and all that. (I worked for him as well). Yes, he is on bad dude, and by the way we do INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS.

Now, I haven't seen his Sifu fight, but he's almost 50 and I really don't think I have to.................................I trust him.

Why the caps? this is a kung fu forum....we know internal styles can be effective when trained properly.

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by Ford Prefect
I only saw my sifu fight once and he totally wrecked this huge bodybuilder guy. The bodybuilder grabbed him thinking to outmuscle him, but my sifu floored him with a shot to the stomach. My sifu then started chanting and punched clear through this guys huge chest and ripped out his still-beating heart. He said he did that to multiple opponents once in China.

LOL, you punk....I was believing that until I got past the second sentence.

[jon]

Hi David :)
" Jon - how r ya doing man? i havent heard from you for ages... hope all is well with you, yours and your Sifu "
* Ive been great thank you for asking :)
My sifu is also in great health and seems to be having a ball lately setting up his organisations and organising various demonstrations and lion dances for us.
I did actualy catch your thread a little while ago and meant to post but then forgot :( Im sorry for being so absent minded, it was rude of me.
I hope you have been well and your new girlfriend and direction in life are still providing you with interesting challenges and oppotunitys.
Say hi via pm if you get the chance, would be nice to catch up.
Keep well and keep on enjoying life.
All the best
Jon

[dezhen2001]

check your PM please :)

dawood

[friday]

I've heard alot of stories about my sifus they were great fighters apparently. :) and from the quality of the senior students I have no reason to doubt that.

I was fortunate enuff to see one guy come up and had a friendly test of my sifu's skills in the kwoon while i was there one day. Just a test of hands. my sifu was early 50s at the time and he floored the guy twice.

Another sifu once brought up his student who wanted to try hands with my sifu. the student was a policeman in Hong Kong and played 'chi sao' with my sifu. anyway same thing happened to him. ended up on his butt on the floor.

another story was some friendly fights he used to have with a hung gar guy no gloves etc. broke the friend's arm when he did an attack my sifu thought he had to respond in such a way or would get hurt himself. Anyway it seemed going to different places to test hands was the thing that happened then.

I mean when u see the technique, precision, speed, power, timing etc...it confirms the stories u hear and the odd 'test' u might see too. :) i just hope i'm as good as they are one day. :P

[Rolling Elbow]

ewallace has the best story hands down...

Also, let us not forget that the question was "have you seen your sifu fight", not "what is you sifus favourite story about the day he fought" (which is likely overated and inflated anyway).

Haven't seen my teacher fight. Don't doubt his ability though....seen a few teacher's whos ability i DO doubt though!

[jun_erh]

My teacher did no-holds barred tournaments for a long time. it's a very hands on sort of class. I've never seen him fight, but maybe someone here has his name is chester cheetah. if you know him don't tell him I posted this here