the mystic art of aikido?

[SevenStar]

As some of you know, steve seagal frequents my city and I am friends with his bass player. I was talking to him this weekend (my friend, not seagal, but hopefully I'll get to talk to him after he finishes filming this movie he's shooting right now) Anyhoo, he was telling me that seagal likes a challenge and it doesn't take anything more than "I bet I can put you on your back" to get him riled up. My friend isn't a little guy - he's like 6'1 and 265. said seagal just tosses him like a ragdoll. Also said that he reached under his armpit and lifted him completely off the ground - with one arm. Sounds like he is a pretty strong mofo.

He told me that while they were touring, they stopped in japan and he went with seagal to visit his sensei. the guy is 86, but my friend said he saw him free climb a coconut tree and pull down a coconut... said it was so fast it looked like he ran up it. He also said that the old guy outran him in a sprint, and that he saw him put seagal on his knees, which he hasn't seen anyone else do to date. He said the most amazing thing though, was that they were sitting in the middle of this man's house - there were no windows and they weren't close to the outdoors - and the man said "hmm....there is a deer in the back yard right now." my friend called BS, then went to the window in the other room - and there was a deer in the backyard. when he asked the man how he did it, his reply was simply that he was "one with nature".

you know I am generally a skeptic of these things, but the fact that my boy told me he saw it all with his own eyes has me curious. Anyone here know who seagal's teacher is and/or heard about his rep?

[MasterKiller]

sounds like your boy has a crush.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I've always been told that Seagal WAS hardcore, but then rumours came that he only got his 6th in Aikido because he married into it and that all those challenge matches in japan never happened, then there was the LeBell issue but truth be said, LeBell will choke ANYONE out if he gets the chance, LeBell is LeBell, enough said of that.

I have seen a few of his seminars and classes in Video and he know his stuff, but demos and structured classes are just that, you can't get a decent gauge of someone fighting skill from that, technique skill level yes, fightign level, no.

I only met him once here in Toronto, and he seemed cool, but a casual conversattion is just that and nothing more.

This is for sure, his first movies were way cool !

[Lucas]

there is a pretty long documentary u can get on seagal

he was the first westerner to be able to teach Aikido in Japan.

i believe his teacher was a direct studen of Usheba (sp)

but i may be wrong.

[HOKPAIWES]

There is footage of a younger seagal on youtube, demoing his MA skills. The mans core and uprightness was nothing to be sneezed at. Here is a link to get started with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5dDwzwb3-8

Here is a quote from a bio on him.


"In 1974 he was promoted by Kobayashi Sensei to Shodan in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido."- http://www.celebritypro.com/bio/steven_seagal_bio.htm

[sanjuro_ronin]

Seagals speed and technique in Aikido are never in question.

[stricker]

two words : gene lebell

[Lucas]

two words : gene lebell

means what?

can you beat gene lebell?

[unkokusai]

Quite a story there at the top of the thread. I wonder if they all rode the magic deer to find the dragon balls later?



:rolleyes:

[Lucas]

"In 1974 he was promoted by Kobayashi Sensei to Shodan in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido."- http://www.celebritypro.com/bio/steven_seagal_bio.htm

From that article, it also appears he got around quite a bit.

6 kids by 3 women :eek:

the sly dog.

maybe RD needs a new mentor?

[golden arhat]

do i really have to say it ?

stick him in the cage on pay per view then we'll see whats what :cool:

lol

[TenTigers]

do i really have to say it ?

stick him in the cage on pay per view then we'll see whats what :cool:

lol
well, since this is KFO, yes, you do have to say it. Everyone has to say it. These are the rules.(or so it would seem):rolleyes:

[TenTigers]

"i'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees"
cool quote. Could be an argument for stand-up vs groundfighting:p

[doug maverick]

do i really have to say it ?

stick him in the cage on pay per view then we'll see whats what

lol

to do what? get disqualified for breaking someones arm. cage matches don't show real skill. no won't say that i should say they onlyshow steroid freak skills.

[Mr Punch]

The answer to Seven's question is: I taught him everything he knows. Before he was born. I was the previous incarnation of Rimpoche before I came back as the man you don't see before you.


"i'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees"
cool quote. Could be an argument for stand-up vs groundfighting:pNo, don't be silly. Everybody knows aikidoka love being on their knees... it puts them at the right height for... suwariwaza.

It should be: "I'd rather die on my knees than live on my back"!

[hskwarrior]

Once when i was conversing with James Lew-whose been in many of his movies-told me that in the movies seagal doesn't play. when you see him clothesline some guy, he's really clothedline that guy.

said seagal doesn't hold back in the movies.

[Christopher M]

Anyone here know who seagal's teacher is and/or heard about his rep?

I believe he had a few teachers. You could be referring to Koichi Tohei, who founded the Ki Society and would be 87 now. My understanding is that he is *extremely* highly thought of in aikido circles.

[WinterPalm]

Although one of the kids already said it, I feel that I have to as well:

Unless he can do it in the cage on PPV or against a top-notch olympic caliber wrestler, fifth-dan BJJ BB, or Skeletor, it doesn't prove a thing!:D

[golden arhat]

to do what? get disqualified for breaking someones arm. cage matches don't show real skill. no won't say that i should say they onlyshow steroid freak skills.

you do it then, mr skillful :rolleyes:

[Lucas]

I dont know anything really about Steven Seagal. Nor do I care to know much, because frankly, I dont give a ****.

But:

I highly doubt Steven Seagal has been training his life to enter a MMA match.

Just like football, baseball, long distance running, etc.

you have to train for the specific event in which you intend to compete.

its a sport, with requirements, that if you dont train around the specifics involved, you will not do well.

that is simply the case. you could take a really great fighter, who has never trained a system, but has fought more times in REAL fights than you ever will, throw him in UFC and watch him get worked.

Why?

he didnt train for the sport, same reason he would lose long distance running, pole vaulting, or water polo.

simply didnt train for that specific sport.

granted, a Martial Artist would be expected to at least hold their own, to an extent. But we also know that your training will determine how well you do in a controlled invironment.

I have seen some beasts in real life that would probably make most guys **** their pants, just due to their sheer size, aggresiveness, brutal temper and reputation for actually hurting people.

But they would still lose in UFC.

its just a matter of circumstances, though most people over look this simply FACT