jim lin
08-22-2001, 06:09 PM
This is to all of Sifu Park's students who have been posting lately - particularly 'virus fist':
I am Jimmy Lin, originator and former administrator of this forum. I used to post fairly regularly and heavily here.
I am one of Park Bok Nam's students, currently with the NYC group.
I stopped posting altogether about a year ago at Sifu's request. At that time, my posts were largely limited to 'defending' Sifu and our system from online 'attacks.'
Sifu issued a blanket request to all of his students at that time, asking that we all stop posting about our Baguazhang system on the 'Net. He did so for the following reasons:
1. Such posting almost always leads into a flame war, and Sifu doesn't believe in bad blood over words.
2. Such posting contributes nothing to our training. Why waste precious practice time typing away for nothing?
3. No matter how many times you've read the books or talked to Sifu, you are second- or third-hand information. What Sifu says gets mixed up this way. If anyone wants to know what Sifu actually has to say (and not his students and grandstudents), they can always check out his website, books, and videos. He also has a phone number listed on his website, and he's more than happy call anyone back at their expense if they have questions about his art.
Sifu took me aside specifically and told me that what I was doing was a waste of time. I was the most visible and vocal of Sifu's Internet defenders.
He was right - since I've stopped posting, the time formerly spent on the computer trying to clarify things has been better spent practicing and working out.
Sifu also asked me tell any other students or grandstudents to stop posting, for all the reasons above.
I understand the urge to fly to Sifu's defense. He chooses not to 'defend' himself against anything anyone might say about him, simply because, in the end, it's just talk. In martial arts, talk doesn't accomplish anything. Training and testing one's skills - that's what gets things done in the kung-fu world.
So - at Sifu's request - stop posting. If people want to talk about Sifu, let them. It doesn't bother him - why should it bother you?
You choose to train in this system and not anyone else's because you feel it is superior to all other systems.
Other people choose to train in their systems and not ours because they feel theirs are superior.
Who's right and who's wrong? In the end, arguing does nothing for our training. If someone has a negative opinion about our art, what will a few words on the Internet change?
If people want to find out about our Baguazhang, then they have a lot of options:
-they can buy the books and videos
-they can read the magazine articles and website
-they can call Sifu and talk to him themselves
-they can come train with us
Likewise, if anyone has any doubts about Sifu's skills or his student's abilities, all they have to do is find him or us. Sifu welcomes everyone to learn with him, as long as they come with an open mind and willingness to learn. Like he always says, 'I have water for the thirsty student, but I cannot give it to him if his cup is already full.'
I re-iterate - stop posting. There is no reason to 'defend' Sifu. He is quite capable of defending himself. What information has been published is there because that's what he chooses to let non-students see. If they have any questions or problems with it, he has always let them know when and where to find him.
Be secure in the knowledge that our Baguazhang is good Baguazhang, no matter what anyone says. You know it works, I know it works, and Sifu knows it works. Who cares what other people think?
-J.
"There is no secret to martial arts mastery - there is only practice." - Sun Lu Tang
I am Jimmy Lin, originator and former administrator of this forum. I used to post fairly regularly and heavily here.
I am one of Park Bok Nam's students, currently with the NYC group.
I stopped posting altogether about a year ago at Sifu's request. At that time, my posts were largely limited to 'defending' Sifu and our system from online 'attacks.'
Sifu issued a blanket request to all of his students at that time, asking that we all stop posting about our Baguazhang system on the 'Net. He did so for the following reasons:
1. Such posting almost always leads into a flame war, and Sifu doesn't believe in bad blood over words.
2. Such posting contributes nothing to our training. Why waste precious practice time typing away for nothing?
3. No matter how many times you've read the books or talked to Sifu, you are second- or third-hand information. What Sifu says gets mixed up this way. If anyone wants to know what Sifu actually has to say (and not his students and grandstudents), they can always check out his website, books, and videos. He also has a phone number listed on his website, and he's more than happy call anyone back at their expense if they have questions about his art.
Sifu took me aside specifically and told me that what I was doing was a waste of time. I was the most visible and vocal of Sifu's Internet defenders.
He was right - since I've stopped posting, the time formerly spent on the computer trying to clarify things has been better spent practicing and working out.
Sifu also asked me tell any other students or grandstudents to stop posting, for all the reasons above.
I understand the urge to fly to Sifu's defense. He chooses not to 'defend' himself against anything anyone might say about him, simply because, in the end, it's just talk. In martial arts, talk doesn't accomplish anything. Training and testing one's skills - that's what gets things done in the kung-fu world.
So - at Sifu's request - stop posting. If people want to talk about Sifu, let them. It doesn't bother him - why should it bother you?
You choose to train in this system and not anyone else's because you feel it is superior to all other systems.
Other people choose to train in their systems and not ours because they feel theirs are superior.
Who's right and who's wrong? In the end, arguing does nothing for our training. If someone has a negative opinion about our art, what will a few words on the Internet change?
If people want to find out about our Baguazhang, then they have a lot of options:
-they can buy the books and videos
-they can read the magazine articles and website
-they can call Sifu and talk to him themselves
-they can come train with us
Likewise, if anyone has any doubts about Sifu's skills or his student's abilities, all they have to do is find him or us. Sifu welcomes everyone to learn with him, as long as they come with an open mind and willingness to learn. Like he always says, 'I have water for the thirsty student, but I cannot give it to him if his cup is already full.'
I re-iterate - stop posting. There is no reason to 'defend' Sifu. He is quite capable of defending himself. What information has been published is there because that's what he chooses to let non-students see. If they have any questions or problems with it, he has always let them know when and where to find him.
Be secure in the knowledge that our Baguazhang is good Baguazhang, no matter what anyone says. You know it works, I know it works, and Sifu knows it works. Who cares what other people think?
-J.
"There is no secret to martial arts mastery - there is only practice." - Sun Lu Tang