yet another question demonstrating true bordom a the wee hours of morn

[Leimeng]

~ Believe it or not, this is not a troll.
~ Is there any person here who is honestly convinced that they don’t have the best teacher and best style?
~ Is this feeling a result of ego? How about a sense of insecurity? How much of your opinion is base on empirical evidence?
~ As a side note: Who would you consider the best LIVING teacher outside your own school and style? Who would you want to study with if you had two LIVING teachers outside your school/system/style that you could study with them full time for three years?
~ Now to answer my own questions first:
~ I believe it! This is not a troll! J
~ In my short time in the martial arts I have been exposed to many masters and teachers from all over the world. I have seen many countries and many styles. I feel that I am in the best training system possible. This is based on seeing probably one hundred schools and masters and crossing hands with many of their senior students or they, themselves. I have been whooped many times under many circumstances by many of these individuals. However, I think the hardest I have been hit on a consistent basis by the broadest range of students and instructors is in my present training system.
~ Most martial artist start training I think out of some sense of insecurity. Unless an individual grows up in a family that is very active and involved in martial arts to begin with, my co-students all come from a situation that they want to improve themselves.
~ I don’t exactly know for sure who is the best living teacher outside of my system. In fact, I don’t claim to have the very best, but, it is the best training I have been exposed to. However, I respect many teachers. I have heard that Jeng Hsing Peng is an outstanding Shuai Chiao instructor. William C.C. Chen also has a good reputation. When was doing some work in Caracas, I heard of a White Crane Master of was the Crème de la crème. In fact, I heard about this guy from three totally unrelated sources in three totally different countries! I did like Dr Xie Pei Qi for Bagua also.
~ I think I would look for a good Shuai Chiao guy or one of O’Sensei’s senior students that he taught before the occupation.
~ I am sure I could ramble on more, but I do have to get back to training and studying.

Peace,

Sin Loi

Yi Beng, Kan Xue

[David Jamieson]

Is there any person here who is honestly convinced that they don’t have the best teacher and best style?

I had a very good teacher and the style was very good too. I never thought about the whole "best" thing.


Is this feeling a result of ego? How about a sense of insecurity? How much of your opinion is base on empirical evidence?

Like I said, I wasn't thinking about comparitive bestness :D
But, the evidence is in the results of the training I do.


Who would you consider the best LIVING teacher outside your own school and style? Who would you want to study with if you had two LIVING teachers outside your school/system/style that you could study with them full time for three years?

You know, I just don't do all the pipe dreaming that I used to. Maybe it's age, maybe it's the realization of what a tremendous waste of time it is to be thinking the grass is greener.


Most martial artist start training I think out of some sense of insecurity. Unless an individual grows up in a family that is very active and involved in martial arts to begin with, my co-students all come from a situation that they want to improve themselves.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, I however, disagree with this remark. But personal experience generally dictates ones own world view.


I don’t exactly know for sure who is the best living teacher outside of my system. In fact, I don’t claim to have the very best, but, it is the best training I have been exposed to.
Now that is the most enlightened thing you said in your post so far :)

As a martial artist, it is important to stay on the path and to continually be learning. Learning about yourself, how you interact with others and how your body and mind can work as a singular unit.

I think that the questions you are asking are all part of that path.
Good luck with your study and training.

cheers

[Becca]

~ Is there any person here who is honestly convinced that they don’t have the best teacher and best style?

If there was, then there are some very silly people who are deliberatly waisting thier onw time.

~ Is this feeling a result of ego? How about a sense of insecurity? How much of your opinion is base on empirical evidence?

No. It is from having found a style/teacher combo that works for them. Imatiallity as no place in it. Even if we all agree an what the "best" is, it would not be the best for everyone. There for, it would NOT accually be the best atall.

~ As a side note: Who would you consider the best LIVING teacher outside your own school and style? Who would you want to study with if you had two LIVING teachers outside your school/system/style that you could study with them full time for three years?

Any one who is effective without unnessisary harm to students. Out side my system, dunno. But if I had to list a pipedream answer, I would love to have studied with Grand Master Daniel K. Pai befor he died.

[Merryprankster]

I have one of the best instructors in a style that suits me. Next!

I'd want to train Judo at SJSU or some such other similar level, and Boxing with Atlas.

[KC Elbows]

That means MP's right at the start of his four year contract with the local TKD school, where he's throwing on pads and working his 960 degree kick against teenagers. Soon, he might be promoted, at which point he'll help run the kids class.

Everyone wish him luck on his upcoming breakathon.

He only mentioned those other guys cause they give him a kick back every time he mentions their names on here.

[brothernumber9]

Teddy Atlas?

[Merryprankster]

KC nailed it. I'm actually a camoflauge belt with Kim's Karate and Self Defense Family Center. I learned how to kick a knife out of a person's hand yesterday. I am not really a BJJ purple. It's all a lie. I am a 12 year old, acned up internet brat with bad breath. All the rest was just a facade...

Also, I had to break 4 boards to get my belt. Not those real ones, the re-settable kind.

And yes, Teddy Atlas.

[KC Elbows]

:D

Just wait until you work against multiple assailants with knives, MP. See, it all is very scientific. For them to attack you, they have to move toward you, and then stab you, which is two things they each must do, four things total. Whereas, all you have to do is kick the knives out of both their hands with one kick, unless you wish to also chamber your fists and kiai madly, which is still three things to their four, so you win!

Didn't mean to hand out the advanced stuff. You'll understand when you get to that level.

[apoweyn]

[sigh]

I trained at Kim's Karate for about 5 years. Now that you've dishonoured them, I'm going to have to school you.

Don't even bother picking up a knife. The moment you even think of doing it, I'm going to crescent kick the thought right outta your head!


Stuart B.

[Merryprankster]

I learned from my Oriental Adventures Advanced Dungeons and Dragons book that my Kiai can stop people in their tracks when I reach 12th level. You are just jealous because you aren't learning the ancient secrets. Master Algernon Kim learned his secrets from a powerful master who was undefeated so it must be the best.

For my next belt test, I have to demonstrate "hairy palm."

[Becca]

I'm almost afraid to ask what "hair palm" is. BTW, you spell better as a 12-year-old than most of us (especially me) do as an adult.;)

[Merryprankster]

Hairy Palm is much like "Brownstar Fist," only it is more internal and takes less physical damage and stretching.

Unfortunately, I have heard that Hairy Palm can lead to a chi imbalance that eventually causes blindness. Does anybody know if this is true? Master Kim seems to have good eyesight and he assures me he practices hairy palm daily. Especially in the "Women only" on Friday evenings.

[Chang Style Novice]

i don't understand why you would be wasting your time if you aren't learning from the very best. In my view, as long as you're learning, you aren't wasting your time.

MA isn't neccesarily the first priority in your life, and sometimes -in fact almost always- compromises can be made that still permit you to gain knowledge and improve your skill without causing other parts of your life to suffer from inattention.

[KC Elbows]

Of late, I find myself agreeing with CSN more and more. Now, most of my time is spent learning to fight with what I have, until I have time to learn more.

[Suntzu]

*raises hand sheepishly* Jae Kim (?) dropout over here… and we kept our hands up and used our fist too… Ooohhh the days when TKD was feared…

[apoweyn]

Yet one more thing for Suntzu and apOweyn to bond over. Hell, I used to 'teach' for those guys. (Recalling how I must have looked teaching those classes makes me cringe.)

[Leimeng]

~ Ok, perhaps I should define my terms and thoughts a little more.
~ When I think of trolling, I think of someone who just wants to argue that their own school is soo much better than anyone else’s that other people are inferior to them. These “trolls” are they type that are more interested in arguing just to argue than actually learn and interact with others.
~ I DO want to hear opinions that might not agree with or make me question myself.
~ I have no problem with asking questions or making statements that make a person question what they are learning. I WANT people to make statements that make me think and question what I am learning. It helps a person see things from a different perspective hopefully. That is how we grow.
~ Debate is a very good thing when we use it properly. It is also a whole lot more fun than some love-fest type of forum where everyone just compliments each other and agrees with each other all the time.
~ I am not, and would not want to make a blanket statement that what “I” study is superior to what you or anyone else studies. I am quite aware of individuals of very high skill that most of us never meet or probably even hear about.
~ As to personal growth: Why do we feel the need for it in the first place? It seems to me that we are not satisfied or secure in the knowledge we already have so we pursue new areas to improve in and learn. Sounds like a form of insecurity to me... Now for me, physically I have always been rather large and liked to scrap a bit. If I wear a leather jacket and put a scowl on my face and have good posture, most people will leave me a bit of space as I walk down the street. (Unfortunately, I can only wear my leather jacket about two months a year in sunny Arizona. ) But, I know that I am not the best, so I chose to study MA to learn about myself and be better. Insecurity is NOT a bad thing. It can be a good thing if we learn to use it as a motivating factor.
~ I agree that the answer about who we think is the best is and who to study with changes all the time. It also varies from person to person. It also depends on ones goals. For instance, I have a friend here who competes in modern PRC WuShu and Judo. She can’t understand why anyone would ever study a traditional Chinese martial art. Her goals are obviously very different than most people in this forum. She wants to look pretty and get medals. She has several. She started to study to gain control of her energy and for health. I have other friends who want to compete in point fighting and kick-boxing. They study TKD and sport karate. (They can’t fight that well though... )
~ I read an article once about how one instructor spends large sums of money and a great deal of time looking for other masters to learn from. Most the time he is of great skill than they are, but he still seeks. The reason is because one statement or body movement that is presented even slightly differently can make radical changes and developments in his skill.
~ As a final point, questions like this come from working all night, sleeping all day and having a bit of downtime when things are slow to think of stuff like this.
~ I hope that helps with what I was thinking.

Peace,

Sin Loi

[Serpent]

Hey, if you're worried about chi imbalance, just do what KC Elbows does. Every Friday night he gets a direct injection of chi from his master to keep things in balance.

He uses either the Kneel Down And Open Wide Kuen or the Bend Over And Relax That Pretty Eye Kuen.

You should ask him about it.