A New Level

[Daredevil]

Heya guys,

Despite the Invasion of the Smurfs (I mean imagine it guys -- smurfs doing MMA!) that seems to be going on in KFO, I've decided to actually start a thread.

With Tekken 4 soon coming out, I feel my martial arts training is really going to reach another level. New characters, old characters with new moves ...

Just joking guys, I'm not really Ralek in disguise. :)

Moving onto the real subject, I recently started going to a very, very good teacher (he arrived in Finland just a while back) of the internal arts and I must say - I feel very confident about it improving the level of my skill.

I think the biggest problem with traditional arts, besides all the stuff we usually talk about, is lack of truly advanced practicioners who teach students. Usually, the arts get watered down when they're passed on to generations who're not yet ready to receive them. I know this has been a problem in at least one of the styles I've studied, and am thrilled to be working with my current sifu directly.

Kinda reminds me of a lot Bak Mei has been talking about. Or maybe it's just because I can't stop saying good things about my current sifu.

Dunno. What do you guys think?

[Nexus]

It is a common feeling by kungfu practitioners that their sifu is awesome/amazing/the greatest, has got the real deal, etc...

I sometimes talk quite a bit about my teachers present/past but would rather point individuals towards the internal arts then towards my teachers credentials or my personal skills.

- Nexus

[BAI HE]

"I think the biggest problem with traditional arts, besides all the stuff we usually talk about, is lack of truly advanced practicioners who teach students. Usually, the arts get watered down when they're passed on to generations who're not yet ready to receive them."

The head hit the nail on that one.

[Xebsball]

I love the Smurfs, did you know they are comunists? :)

-------------------------
"You will never need to feel weak, helpless, indecisive, not fascinating or ashamed of your genital dimensions. GOOD-BYE Humiliation. Bullies, Karate Experts, Boxing Champions, traffic wardens will melt to pulp as you master every situation."
Master Deltoo
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Stadium/2477/

[dedalus]

Maybe it's just as well that some martial artists never recognise a good teacher.

[Daredevil]

Communist MMA smurfs? I can dig that.

(g)

[Daredevil]

Nexus wrote:
"I sometimes talk quite a bit about my teachers present/past but would rather point individuals towards the internal arts then towards my teachers credentials or my personal skills."

I'm going to politely disagree on this one.

The general consensus - to which I mostly subscribe to - is that it is the practicioner and not the style that matters (now I don't buy that totally mind you, but I believe that's mostly true, and beyond the scope of this discussion).

So, isn't it logical, with teachers being practicioners themselves, that the teacher's personal skill and capability of transmitting that skill be emphasized rather than "come train my style?"

Indeed, I'd rather say "come train with this great teacher" than say "come train this great style." A good style is not a guarantee you're going to learn the real deal, but a good teacher is.

This is - I feel - extremely important in Traditional Arts, maybe even more so in the Internal stuff, but perhaps less so in MMA, where the applications are obvious and principles more easily grasped and adapted intuitively. MMA guys, feel free to disagree, but do so with reason and good arguments. Heh.

[Reima Kostaja]

http://mustilaiton.hkkk.fi/pix/papa5.jpg

papa smurf

http://mustilaiton.hkkk.fi/pix/marx.jpg

karl marx

Yeah, there's similarity of appearance to be seen.

[Kristoffer]

LOL

~K~
"maybe not in combat..... but think of the chicks man, the chicks!"

[Kung Lek]

Marx ain't no smurf, he was a "flake".

hahahahahahahaha. Father of the hippy dippy whatchoo smoking movement. :D

peace

Kung Lek

Martial Arts Links (http://members.home.net/kunglek)