Old School Kung Fu book

[Joe Mantis]

Just what I need, another Kung Fu book. I'm surfing the web and saw this book: Old School Kung Fu. www.oldschoolkungfunow (http://www.oldschoolkungfunow.com).com

It looks interesting with the indepth table of contents.

From what I can tell he brings a lot of different aspects of kung fu to the reader, Sort of like a condensed training manual.

heck, I'll just go buy it and tell you what I think.

[hskwarrior]

lmao.....you doing a great job at promoting this book hahaha

[teetsao]

i would realy like to see this,to see if there is good material in it. if i get some money ahaed i will order a copy and give a reveiw. if anyone else orders this please give a reveiw so we can all hear if there is anything good in it.

[Dale Dugas]

I just bought a copy and will review it when it comes in.

Nothing wrong with helping out a brother.

[lkfmdc]

http://www.sembeo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/spam.jpg

[David Jamieson]

lol @ spam man. He's the man to denote the spam!

[hskwarrior]

i'm at home with BUBBLE GUTZ!!!!! SPAM MAN IS NOT CONDUCIVE OF MY CURRENT CONDITION!!!!!!!! I ALMOST SHAT ME PANTALONES MAN!!!!!!!!!!

[sanjuro_ronin]

Just what I need, another Kung Fu book. I'm surfing the web and saw this book: Old School Kung Fu. www.oldschoolkungfunow (http://www.oldschoolkungfunow.com).com

It looks interesting with the indepth table of contents.

From what I can tell he brings a lot of different aspects of kung fu to the reader, Sort of like a condensed training manual.

heck, I'll just go buy it and tell you what I think.

I worry when someone talks so much about his kung fu sifu who was "for real" and there is no mention of WHO he is or what system he trained.

[TenTigers]

I worry about a bookk on TCMA that butchers the Chinese language. Smacks of Shaolin Kempo/Do type.

[bawang]

if u guys have money to waste dont buy that book. send ur monies to me

[JamesC]

Doing a quick search via google implies that he's from the Wah Lum school in Florida.

[Joe Mantis]

:) Hsk,

Thank you for the props. Now that I'm unemployed I will consider changing careers and get into promotion! lol

Teetsao and Dale, I'm with you. Yeah "help a brother out."

[hskwarrior]

Hsk,

Thank you for the props. Now that I'm unemployed I will consider changing careers and get into promotion! lol

Happy to oblige. I'm glad that i got to help you in the right direction. and only god can judge me :p

[TenTigers]

sorry, Joe. It's just a thing with me. It bothers me when people Americanize Chinese terms. "Chunners," really irks me too. Or, "The Chun" or "Dit," etc.
just a pet peeve of mine. I know it's being picayune, that's just me.

[teetsao]

10igers,what should it be. "teet? tiet? tieh?" i have chinese friends that own a restaurant,they say dit da jow/only they pronounce it the right way,"deet".most are from hong kong,2 are chinese from vietnam and one is from singapore. when i say dit da jow,they know exactlty what i am talking about. funny everyone butchers our language ,but if we happen to not know the exact pronunciation,we get the flak, LOL.

[TenTigers]

10igers,what should it be. "teet? tiet? tieh?" i have chinese friends that own a restaurant,they say dit da jow/only they pronounce it the right way,"deet".most are from hong kong,2 are chinese from vietnam and one is from singapore. when i say dit da jow,they know exactlty what i am talking about. funny everyone butchers our language ,but if we happen to not know the exact pronunciation,we get the flak, LOL.
no, LOL. I've heard "Gwailos"* call it "dit," period. Not dit da jow. Many Chinese also often refer to it as jow, but never "dit." -well, nobody I know.


*when I say gwailos, I'm referring to non-Asians who are clueless...um, ok, more clueless than myself. More like those who make no attempt to learn about the Chinese culture, especially if they practice Gung-Fu. Also, tourists in Chinatown, who wear those little hats with the been-pigtail. Heck, I'm not even Chinese, and I find it revolting. That's like wearing a big nose and glasses in Williamsburg. (the fake ones..) or a foreskin in Kentucky...

[IronFist]

Anyone get the book yet?

That landing page reminded me of internet "make money online" spam, although it wasn't as blatantly obnoxious.

Have you ever seen those pages? They're usually either selling you some bull**** to a) make money online, b) some Forex trading robot (none of them work, btw), c) selling you some BS fitness program, or d) teaching you to pick up women. They basically look like this:



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I used to be JUST LIKE YOU.

I was a STUPID FAT VIRGIN LOSER!!!

But then...

I discovered...

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ANd now I make $2948 per DAY

AND **** SUPERMODELS

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THat I paid for in CASH.

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I'm not saying the book will be good or bad, I'm just saying it reminded me of a spammy internet marketing landing page. Especially beginning with the questions like that, and having the email list opt-in box.

However this guy at least gave a look at the table of contents which helps his credibility a bit.

I'm interested in the review regardless.

[wiz cool c]

who cares about the chinese spelling, i have been living in china over four years and my chinese sucks. looks like a cool book.

[Dale Dugas]

I just got the book yesterday.

Eric Hunstad is a licensed acupuncturist and kung fu teacher in Florida.

The book is softcover and contains over 180 pages within it.

The chapters are concise and to the point talking about how one should prepare, initiate and commence training the old school way.

It mentions many things but does not really get into teaching you to do them.

There is a lot of talk, and very little actual instruction. It is also very bare bones when it comes to photographs. There are some very interesting statements made by the author. It is obvious that he knows what he is talking about.

Maybe this is the reference book that a series of instructional DVDs will be based upon?

The layout is good.

It is almost a tease, as its gives you some information that is not readily found on old school training.

But actual instruction in said material is lacking.

I hope to see the next installment in his series to see where he will go from here.

[IronFist]

It mentions many things but does not really get into teaching you to do them.

There is a lot of talk, and very little actual instruction.

That's how most of the products that I was talking about are, too. Big on hype, yet somehow you get a 200 page book (or eBook) that doesn't really say anything, but usually they're written in such a way that the person walks away in a pumped up mood thinking he's on the fast track to making tons of money (or whatever) even tho he hasn't really learned anything.

Sadly, that's the norm in (internet) marketing. And sadly, that tends to be the most successful.

An example of the opposite would be something like Power to the People by Pavel Tsatsouline (a weightlifting book so a lot of people here might not be interested in it). It had a bit of hype that it would make you very strong, but literally 90% of the book is specific, quantifiable instruction. Do X. Now do Y. In circumstance, ABC, do Z instead. Facts and numbers and percentages and instruction. Scientific explanation behind it: Here is why this works the way it does.

But in most cases, especially when you have a spammy landing page like that guy, the end product almost never comes close to containing useful, quantifiable, or practical instruction.

[Northwind]

I'm with Iron Fist on this one.

And yet I'm also a book nut; I keep even the cheesy or crappy volumes. Why? My own lil addiction I guess. So even though the review doesn't seem that great, i still might get it....might

:P

[Dale Dugas]

its not that bad.

I said the author knows what he is talking about and presents his material well.

I just said the book itself was not as instructional as others, and light on photographs.

I thought my money well spent.

[Northwind]

"money well spent" ?
Then I may very well check it out :)

[Lucas]

its not that bad.

I said the author knows what he is talking about and presents his material well.

I just said the book itself was not as instructional as others, and light on photographs.

I thought my money well spent.

im not a huge fan of instructional books myself anyway. i would prefer the books to contain history, specific details, personal experience, philosophy, cultural reference, etc.

[TenTigers]

two things-
one, I wasn't referring to the spelling-but the misuse of the word.
two-yeah, I'm a bookaholic too. I have hundreds of books, some rare and out of print, some all in Chinese, some crappy, I even have the Bruce Tegner books.
So..yeah, I will most likely buy this book as well.
I did make the mistake of throwing out a book. It was pretty crappy, but it turns out that my teacher might actually know the form that was in the book.
George Parulski's book on Kung-Fu. Now I can't show him the book and ask him if it's the same form.

[teetsao]

my bro. jeff and i have a book very similar to this coming out in oct. it made me nervous when i heard about this one, i thought we had been beaten to the punch, but since everyone says it is not that great and is not detailed,i am releived. our book will be detailed on many different training exercises from many different styles, such as tiger,dragon,drunken,monkey,snake,sambo and a few others. it will give the actual training and how to perform the exercises exactly, to get the best results. just like in the iron palm dvd,we hold nothing back, no teaser to nickel and dime you to death getting you to buy more editions. we do all in one books and dvds.
we are fortunate that dr, ng had expoosure to many different styles and we have the training methods to them all.

[Joe Mantis]

I got my copy and from what I've been reading the author is knowledgeable. I'll post a review after I get through it entirely.

[Joe Mantis]

The book was interesting enough and I do agree with Dale on a couple of points:
1. The author is knowledgeable
2. The Chapters are concise.

I found this book to be a great book that covers kung fu in general. It definately avoids any specific style or instruction therein. I thought his "Diamond Cutting" Method covered all the aspects of how to train forms. Although he doesn't get specific enough for some people, how hard is it to understand: "train your forms slow?" (for example).

I think this book is good for getting students a broad understanding of some aspects of kung fu training. I can appreciate the author bringing in his acupunture expertise and incorporating traditional Chinese Medicine and kung fu training.

I have recommended this book to my students as a started to get their feet wet in kung fu.

However, If you are looking for a style specifics or a book that contains a plethora of drills and what not.. then this is not for you.

Overall it is a nice addition to my kung fu library.


Teetsao: From what you write, I think your book will be different and excellent in its own right. If you get this one I think you will be pleasantly suprised. When is your book coming out?

[teetsao]

hopefully by the end of oct.
tell you what joe mantis,we have to give away a copy to get a reveiw on it anyway,especially for this forum venue.people seem to trust your opinion,so you just earned yourself an advanced copy before it comes out to reveiw for the forum. i will be in contact, and closer to oct. you can get me your mailing address.

[taai gihk yahn]

no, LOL. I've heard "Gwailos"* call it "dit," period.

LOL - that would be like shortening the term "bruise linament" to "bruise";

"yo bro, gimmie sum o dat 'bruise' you got."

Sai yahn mo lum-a...

[bawang]

two things-
one, I wasn't referring to the spelling-but the misuse of the word.
two-yeah, I'm a bookaholic too. I have hundreds of books,
where u get so much monies for all those books? im jealous

[CFT]

10igers,what should it be. "teet? tiet? tieh?" i have chinese friends that own a restaurant,they say dit da jow/only they pronounce it the right way,"deet".most are from hong kong,2 are chinese from vietnam and one is from singapore. when i say dit da jow,they know exactlty what i am talking about. funny everyone butchers our language ,but if we happen to not know the exact pronunciation,we get the flak, LOL.I'm afraid your Chinese friends are incorrect in their pronunciation.

Although the character is for "fall" (dit), the pronunication when used in conjunction with the character for "hit" (da) is: tit da. This is the common pronunciation. They may be "over-correcting" themselves because the "literary" pronunciation is indeed "dit".

Here are some posts which discuss this:

http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?14,74482,74552#msg-74552

I think 跌 had both a literary pronunciation [dit3] and colloquial pronunciation [tit3] for quite a long period. After some lapse of time, the colloquial pronunciation [tit3] has become obsolete but has been retained only for the case of 跌打.

This Chinese blog post describes how the "fall" character is pronounced "tit" in the Song and Yuan dynasties but changes to "dit" in the Ming. We do pronounce it as "dit" in modern times, but carry over the old pronunciation in the compound term "tit da" as described in the 1st post.

http://neoyumkung.blogspot.com/2007/05/blog-post.html

[teetsao]

thank you, i will tell my chinese frineds they are speaking chinese incorrectly.
or maybe they are just humoring me???

[Joe Mantis]

hopefully by the end of oct.
tell you what joe mantis,we have to give away a copy to get a reveiw on it anyway,especially for this forum venue.people seem to trust your opinion,so you just earned yourself an advanced copy before it comes out to reveiw for the forum. i will be in contact, and closer to oct. you can get me your mailing address.


YES!!!!
I think I found my new career. Me getting laid off is the best thing ever. Now I can be a professional martial arts book reviewer! :D

Actually Teet, I'd be glad to do it. Thanks for the props and I look forward to reading and reviewing!

About the Old School Kung Fu book and Chinese spelling - It seems that the author tends to avoid Chinese spelling unless it is necessary. I can appreciate someone in Chinese Martial Arts who doesn't try to pretend he speaks/reads or writes Chinese and trys to use English to get the concepts across. But where English won't suffice, the author does his best to use the most common spelling of chinese words.

[CFT]

thank you, i will tell my chinese frineds they are speaking chinese incorrectly.
or maybe they are just humoring me???It could be a genuine "mistake". If you just read the characters straight it would be "dit da", but just about everyone knows it as "teet da".

Print out the Chinese blogpost. It might convince them of the "error" of their ways. ;)

[Joe Mantis]

Just letting you all know that I'm still unemployed and will be willing to review books/ DVD's for free.

Teetsao!!!!!


Also, get your Old School Kung Fu book NOW!!!!

Not bad for marketing eh?

[David Jamieson]

where u get so much monies for all those books? im jealous

you too could become gainfully employed and build your skill set to a level where you can command a salary that allows you to buy books instead of begging for money.

time+effort=fat wallet

true story. :)

[SoCo KungFu]

you too could become gainfully employed and build your skill set to a level where you can command a salary that allows you to buy books instead of begging for money.

time+effort=fat wallet

true story. :)

No that's a flaw in thinking. Greasing your elbow a bit doesn't automatically make you privileged or deserving of compensation, that's a problem with people in this country. Time + positive results = fat wallet. If I have 2 employees and one works his ass off compared to the other guy, but the other guy brings better results, guess which one I'm going to promote?

This is equally applicable to kung fu. time + effort =/= skill, esp when guys with a few months of mma or the like can usually mop the floor with most TMA types even with years of "training".

[David Jamieson]

No that's a flaw in thinking. Greasing your elbow a bit doesn't automatically make you privileged or deserving of compensation, that's a problem with people in this country. Time + positive results = fat wallet. If I have 2 employees and one works his ass off compared to the other guy, but the other guy brings better results, guess which one I'm going to promote?

This is equally applicable to kung fu. time + effort =/= skill, esp when guys with a few months of mma or the like can usually mop the floor with most TMA types even with years of "training".

? what are you talking about? lol that reads like some mlm salespitch.

time+effort=result if you work, you will make money. period. I didn't say you'd get rich, I said you get a fat wallet, but if you spend all your money on meth, you can work as hard as you like and you will not get a fat wallet, but you will get results.

a few months mma guy can mop the floor with most tma types really? Now that's delusional. How the heck is he supposed to do that? Go beat up a shotokan fatty?

holy crap! live the dream dude.

[SoCo KungFu]

? what are you talking about? lol that reads like some mlm salespitch.

time+effort=result if you work, you will make money. period. I didn't say you'd get rich, I said you get a fat wallet, but if you spend all your money on meth, you can work as hard as you like and you will not get a fat wallet, but you will get results.

a few months mma guy can mop the floor with most tma types really? Now that's delusional. How the heck is he supposed to do that? Go beat up a shotokan fatty?

holy crap! live the dream dude.

Guy A works 40 hours a week for 2 years and averages 15 car sales/week.
Guy B works 60 hours a week for 15 years and averages 8.

Guy A works less, produces more, gets promotion becomes boss.
Guy B turns to drinking, loses wife, pays child support on non promoted paycheck.

Not hard to understand.

[David Jamieson]

Guy A works 40 hours a week for 2 years and averages 15 car sales/week.
Guy B works 60 hours a week for 15 years and averages 8.

Guy A works less, produces more, gets promotion becomes boss.
Guy B turns to drinking, loses wife, pays child support on non promoted paycheck.

Not hard to understand.

you're making this stuff up in your head.

I am talking about getting a job, not browning it up to the top.

why the disconnect?

[SoCo KungFu]

you're making this stuff up in your head.

I am talking about getting a job, not browning it up to the top.

why the disconnect?

No, I'm providing a hypothetical to illustrate that time + effort does not guarantee success (in this case, fat wallet). This is the same thing people are saying all the time, especially right now with everyone losing their jobs they've been at for years while younger, less experienced, but more productive people are taking them. Effort doesn't mean a thing. Results matter. And they don't necessarily go hand in hand. This isn't hard...

[KC Elbows]

Usually older people get layed off not because of productivity, but because their seniority, accrued raises, and accrued perks are costlier to the company than the loss of their experience would be.

Just muddying the whole non sequitor further, carry on.

[Eric Hunstad]

I have an idea: buy my book and fatten my wallet! LOL

As far as business in this country goes, time+effort does not always equal fat wallet.

Nor does time + positive results always equal fat wallet.

Results don't always matter. Many CEO's of huge corporations got multi-million dollar bonuses when their companies lost millions or even billions and have major layoffs of employees. No one ever said capitalism is fair (but I'll take it over socialism or communism any day).

SoCo- I totally get your analogies; you have a consistent theme to your postings. As my former student, you sure seem to have a bone to pick with TCMA and apparently feel it was all a waste of time. However, I thought I consistently stated that the ultimate goal of kung fu was radiant health and longevity, not simply to kick asre. Kung fu IMHO is a martial ART which is about developing the spirit more than anything else.

If time+effort=/=skill, then why not simply get a concealed carry permit, buy a cannon, and go to the range 1-2 hours a week? Thats truly minimum effort, maximum results. If the majority of your time isn't working knife, defensive tactics, combat handgunning, and studying the legalities of the use of lethal force, then it isn't "reality based" either.

Make no misunderstanding, I do like MMA/BJJ and even had my friend John G. come to my school and teach BJJ seminars. Not sure if you were there or not for those. I even took a few seminars with the likes of Royce Gracie and Frank Shamrock. I think it was Mighty B on another thread who said that all TCMA students who want to really fight should get a blue belt in BJJ and I think that is true as well.

MMA/BJJ has made an impact on the world of martial arts, some good and some bad. The good is that it was a real "wake up call" to those with ineffective self-defense skills and overblown claims of invincibility. The bad is that it's focus on glorification of the ego seduces those who are most prone to commit violence- young males- and seems to bring out the worst in their personalities.

Whereas TMA is designed to specifically develop traits such as respect and humility, MMA has done a poor job overall in that area (there are some notable exceptions). Maybe I'm just showing my age, but I feel that because of the nature of the sport and the appeal it has on young people, it has a broader social responsibility that it has failed to meet.

For everyone else, I'll specifically address some of the previous critisms of my book in another post.

Eric Hunstad
www.OldSchoolKungFuNow.com

[SoCo KungFu]

I have an idea: buy my book and fatten my wallet! LOL

As far as business in this country goes, time+effort does not always equal fat wallet.

Nor does time + positive results always equal fat wallet.

Results don't always matter. Many CEO's of huge corporations got multi-million dollar bonuses when their companies lost millions or even billions and have major layoffs of employees. No one ever said capitalism is fair (but I'll take it over socialism or communism any day).

SoCo- I totally get your analogies; you have a consistent theme to your postings. As my former student, you sure seem to have a bone to pick with TCMA and apparently feel it was all a waste of time. However, I thought I consistently stated that the ultimate goal of kung fu was radiant health and longevity, not simply to kick asre. Kung fu IMHO is a martial ART which is about developing the spirit more than anything else.

If time+effort=/=skill, then why not simply get a concealed carry permit, buy a cannon, and go to the range 1-2 hours a week? Thats truly minimum effort, maximum results. If the majority of your time isn't working knife, defensive tactics, combat handgunning, and studying the legalities of the use of lethal force, then it isn't "reality based" either.

Make no misunderstanding, I do like MMA/BJJ and even had my friend John G. come to my school and teach BJJ seminars. Not sure if you were there or not for those. I even took a few seminars with the likes of Royce Gracie and Frank Shamrock. I think it was Mighty B on another thread who said that all TCMA students who want to really fight should get a blue belt in BJJ and I think that is true as well.

MMA/BJJ has made an impact on the world of martial arts, some good and some bad. The good is that it was a real "wake up call" to those with ineffective self-defense skills and overblown claims of invincibility. The bad is that it's focus on glorification of the ego seduces those who are most prone to commit violence- young males- and seems to bring out the worst in their personalities.

Whereas TMA is designed to specifically develop traits such as respect and humility, MMA has done a poor job overall in that area (there are some notable exceptions). Maybe I'm just showing my age, but I feel that because of the nature of the sport and the appeal it has on young people, it has a broader social responsibility that it has failed to meet.

For everyone else, I'll specifically address some of the previous critisms of my book in another post.

Eric Hunstad
www.OldSchoolKungFuNow.com

My bone with TCMA is with its lack of progression. It has failed to evolve to the current state of things. That is largely on the part of practitioners who have no desire to develop fighting ability. If that's what kung fu is to become then so be it. But that isn't a martial art. That's ballet, that's gymnastics. That's got nothing to do with fighting other than lead many to a severely dilluded belief in their ability to properly defend themselves. Spirit and health can be found in many avenues. And to be honest, kung fu isn't really the pinnacle of health development either. That goes equally well for most all TMA. And as for MMA developing poor social traits. The MMA gyms I have been in have every bit as much of a tight knit familial atmosphere developing team work, ethics, humility as any other sport I've played. When it comes to glorification of ego, I'm reminded of a phone call we got at the gym from one of our now major fighters. He was pretty full of himself to say the least. Thing is, it took ONE training session for him to see just how wrong he was. One session humbled him right up. And more than that, he's gotten off the alcohol, doesn't fight in the streets and works hard in his job. All the things that TMA would be claimed for bringing about. And really, that group of team mates (because make no mistake MMA is very much a team sport) has been about the only thing as close to the unity and support structure as I had in the military. There is a very different view in the gym than from looking through the window outside...

[Eric Hunstad]

Now getting back to my book.....

The website- yeah, I know. I have to take this one on the chin. I hired a web "consultant" who swore that this format was the way to increase sales. Time will tell if he was right or not. The book is selling OK so far so maybe he was right. But everyone be sure to check the website once in awhile, because I'll be adding new content very shortly.

Second, Mr. Dugas guessed and is correct that the book is a reference manual that sets the foundation for future releases. In acupuncture school (and medical school) you initially learn fundamental principles of anatomy, physiology, and diagnosis. It is only then that you get to put needles into people. I follow the same philosophy. In addition, there are some things that are better expressed in print and some that are better addressed via video. If I had put all of the necessary foundational material into DVD's, they would be too long and no one would sit through it. Instruction is best left to DVD and my DVD's are coming.....

The Old School Kung Fu book is designed to motivate, educate, and inspire. Yes it is true that the book does not contain specific forms or exercises. It is assummed that you have a Sifu for that. It is designed to make your kung fu better. But there is some instructional material contained in the book. For example, the book provides instructions on how to do the best methods of traditional forms training. Instructions on the Diamond Cutting Method, the Divide and Conquer Method, and Saturation Training (and when to select each method) are included. You use these methods to train the forms you already know. The complete outline on how to implement Old School training is listed on page 175.

IMHO, this book is like a gold mine. It contains a lot of very valuable information, but it does require some effort on your part. There is still digging involved! But it was designed in such a way that you get to find a new nugget every time you go in. Instead of giving you a fish, it teaches you how to fish (or to cook and eat the fish you already have). It teaches you how to think like the ancient Chinese who created TCMA.

The only ones here who have my book (as far as I know) are Joe Mantis and Dale Dugas, and they both had some positive things to say about it. Perhaps their viewpoints regarding some of the negatives will change once they have had more time to spend with it. Just like with Chinese herbs, some things that are light and fragrant, you quickly boil, while other things have to simmer.....

At $39.95, this book is a steal! The section on health alone is worth that much. No one has asked for a refund and the emails I get have been overwhelmingly positive. But no book will appeal to everyone. For example, the Holy Bible is the inspired word of God to some, and a outdated book of useless myths to others. But decide for yourself. Mr. Dugas also said that I make some very interesting statements and it is obvious that I know what I am talking about. Those very interesting statements alone are worth the price of admission.

Ironfist- as far as being scientific, I refer to at least 10 different studies in the book and reference many of them. I will consider your comments and perhaps make a point to include more in future works. I too like Pavels writing style, but didn't find it to fit well with this book.

Teetsao- There is plenty of room for everyone. Just as there is no best style of kung fu, there is also no single best reference source for Old School training. Let's let our work speak for itself. One of the great things about a capitalist society is that competition makes us both improve. I look forward to reviewing your work and expect it to be a valuable contribution to the field. I see you posted a thread and like me, have started taking heat and your product isn't even out yet!

Eric Hunstad
www.OldSchoolKungFuNow.com

[Eric Hunstad]

SoCo

You know me well enough to know I have been around the block. I actually agree with alot of what you say, but not everything. We can agree to disagree, its all good.

My critism of MMA is not so much with the individual fighters or those who train MMA per se. I am good friends with several, some professional, some trying to be, some recreational. The majority are great athletes (it is a great motivator to be in top shape when you know it's your arse on the line on a specific date) and great guys in general. And you are right, to those on the inside, it is a tight family. But what about those on the outside? What has MMA given society as a whole compared to what TMA has given?

As I said, it's the sports ability to seduce the people most likely to committ violence that gives it a broader social responsibility that THE SPORT has failed to meet. TMA is known by the average Joe on the street to emphasize character building, self-control, self discipline, health, and humility. The majority of TMA schools are very visible in their community and consciously project this image. MMA is known by the average Joe on the street for one thing- the glorification of violence and the organizers of the sport have made little to no effort to change this image.

The event organizers/MMA organizations only positive assertion is that they often state that they bring in much needed revenue and therefore thats why they should be allowed to operate. In other words, MMA is a cash cow. But how much of that money goes back into supporting the local communities where the events are held? How much is donated to charities such as domestic violence shelters, drug and alcohol centers, and educational programs such as anti-dog fighting campaigns? A sport that appeals to a target population that is most likely to committ violence, and promotes violence by its very nature needs to do more. That is my beef.

Does TCMA have a ballet component? Definitely. It is a performance art. Does it have a gymnastics component? Definitely. That's why it's called a martial ART and not martial SCIENCE. Look up the definition of ART. And as far as KF not being the pinnicle of health development, then what is? Running? Cross training? Resistance training? All of the above? Experts have been debating this for decades and the only thing that is known for sure is that exercise is sport-specific. All I know is that at 43 years old I have great muscle definition, flexibility (although not as flexible as you, you double-jointed SOB!) and body fat levels typically in single digits. KF works for me.

Is TCMA a path to enlightenment? Maybe, maybe not. Are there other paths? Yes. Does TCMA need to change for the better? Yes. But it is changing. Many people on this forum are proof of that. Gandi said "Be the change you wish to see in the world". The way to change TCMA is not by by claiming it isn't a martial art. Whether you mean to or not, you come across as arrogant and the message your posts repeatedly send is "I'm better than you because you practice this useless $hit while I do the real stuff".

Everyone else on this forum-
I agree that TCMA needs to continue to change, and pick up the pace. I look at some of the ads and articles in popular KF magazines and cringe. Some of the stupidity that is being put out is appalling. I mean, really! SoCo has a definite good point here. I propose that all instructors reading this put your ego aside and get a taste of MMA and offer it in your schools or cross train in it yourself (if fighting ability is a major goal or stated benefit of your style).

But at the same time, those involved in MMA please do your part to make a positive contribution to a society that is more in need of positive role models than it is in need of people who can beat up other people.

Eric Hunstad
www.OldSchoolKungFuNow.com

[mickey]

Greetings,

Is this book still available?

mickey

[lance]

if u guys have money to waste dont buy that book. send ur monies to me


Why bawang , do you have any connections into getting that book ? How much does it cost ? How much is the S&H ? How do we pay for it ? Is the book really that great ? Get back to me . Thanks

[Eric Hunstad]

Mickey and Lance

PM me if you want to order the book (my website crashed). I'll sell it for $40 which includes Priority Mail shipping.

Thanks

Eric

[David Jamieson]

Guy A works 40 hours a week for 2 years and averages 15 car sales/week.
Guy B works 60 hours a week for 15 years and averages 8.

Guy A works less, produces more, gets promotion becomes boss.
Guy B turns to drinking, loses wife, pays child support on non promoted paycheck.

Not hard to understand.

lol, this was not an equation you put up and truthfully? It's not true.

If Guy B is the bosses brother, Guy A gets nothing of the sort.

It's who you know, not what you know or what you do. really.