If you had to do it all over again would you?

[Frost]

If you had to do it all over again would you?

An honest question for all you guys (and girls) who have put a lot of time and effort into the TCMA world, if you had known then what you know now, (by this I mean had the same access to the internet as you do now and the ability to really research styles and teaches then as you do now, not to mention the ability to judge what works via the MMA and vale tudo route then as we can now) would you have changed anything?

I don’t mean drop it all in favour of BJJ lol (although if that’s your answer it is at least honest) but are their things you wish you could have changed or done differently or not done at all?

For example when I first started out there was little one could do to actually research a style or an instructors claim, you had to take it on face value for the most part, this let to me training in at least 1 style that have since been shown to be highly questionable in as far as its stated history, if I had known that then I probably wouldn’t have actually trained those styles.

When I couldn’t make something work in sparring I trusted my sifu (because that’s what we did) when he said it takes more dedication to make these things work, since then I have come to realise it wasn’t just me but everyone who had trouble making those things work and personally rather than the years I spent working on those techniques I would rather have spent the time working the pads, sparring and wrestling

I firmly believed in the importance of sets in aiding ones training, I learned them as best I could, spent years perfecting them and helping teach and break them down, now looking back I would give my right arm to have that time back to actually put it towards something else.

I regret agreeing with the other senior students I trained with who said the early UFC’s were barbaric and didn’t represent how fighting should look, it took me years to realise that pretty or not, that’s how fighting looks and that grappling is a big part of fighting

So if I had to d it all again would I, probably not I don’t regret all my time in TCMA (I still practise and use some of what I was taught) but I don’t miss a lot of it and I think students coming through now have a head start in terms of finding good styles and avoiding a lot of the pitfalls that were around when I started

[CFT]

I wouldn't have followed the same path. I would have started MA training earlier, say late teens (university). Would have done TCMA probably, defintely different school. Would have looked at judo since BJJ wasn't around in the UK then (late 80s).

[sanjuro_ronin]

We are the SUM of our experiences so yes, I would probably have done it the same way.
BUT, If I was to start TODAY, seeing what I am seeing right now, I probably would join a MMA or BJJ/MT gym.
Why?
Because that is what has been proven to be the most effective.
Considering what people are exposed to right now, namely the UFC and the many online video sources such as youtube, google video, daily motion and so forth, it would not be hard to accepted that MMA and such ARE the MA to do.

[David Jamieson]

nope.

everything is as it should be. :)

Pretty elaborate way to go about putting up another forms bashing thread though. Not even well veiled anymore. lol

[Chief_Suicide]

I wish I had started sooner. I was 35 when I started. I haven't been at it that long either. I would choose the same style I suppose. I want to learn judo or aikido eventually, before I'm too old, but I'm happy with the art I'm learning.

I wrestled when I was younger, so I have that I suppose. It is harder to become more flexible at my age I think. I'm still working at it.

[David Jamieson]

I think what a lot of guys don't realize about mma is that it is becoming systematized itself.

Early ufcs looked weird because you actually had different styles and some of those styles couldn't deal with other styles and then you had the no style guys who would just go out and maul people.

Now, they have been organized into sport and there are pretty much limited styles that are used to express this sport combat.

1.Boxing 2. wrestling 3. Kickboxing or Muay Thai 4. Jujitsu of some form.

These are then trained to complete the package of your typical modern mma fighter.

It's good, but it's only one way of going about martial arts practice.
It's the best way if you want to be a competitive fighter.

If you want to learn a lot more esoteric stuff, you're not gonna find it in taht pursuit and if you are interested as a hobbiest and don't like contact regularly, then mma isn't for you.

It's apples and pears really. Traditionalists who want to compete in competitive fighting do it within certain venues now as well and indeed they change their training patterns to make the focus that fight and that venue.

So, I started out on the other end, boxing, wrestling and fencing. I competed, won some, lost some etc. I still enjoy all those things, although, I don't wrestle much anymore. I moved towards the more esoteric later on in life and have enjoyed Kung Fu practice and discovery. I find it to offer a lot of interesting things to do in a training cycle.

It's all good, but I wouldn't give one more cred than the other. the goals are different. The objectives are different, the teachings are different and the focus is different.

[TenTigers]

Like I stated in another thread, if I had known which direction my life would've taken, I would've started in judo at a young age, then boxing, HS wrestling and weight training, THEN Hung Kuen and SPM.
But, would I go into MMA? Nope. Would I train more realistically with an emphasis on conditioning? Yep.
MMA is fine, but there is zero longevity, and your skills diminish rapidly when you are past your "prime," which is about late twenties/early thirties.
In TCMA, you are in your prime at mid fifties, and just get more refined after that.

[sanjuro_ronin]

MMA is fine, but there is zero longevity, and your skills diminish rapidly when you are past your "prime," which is about late twenties/early thirties.
In TCMA, you are in your prime at mid fifties, and just get more refined after that.

I don't know about that, the jury is still out.
I think that ANY competitive MA will make youy pay the price in terms of longevity and MMA is no different, perhaps it is safer in the concussive aspect, but the joints and spine tend to pay a far greater toll.
That said if one doesn't compete or doesn't do it for too long I don't think that it makes for any more wear and tear than any other MA.

[SPJ]

I started out with tan tui and shuai jiao.

they both can be started when you are young.

tan tui is good for structure/posture and moving in balance.

there are many throws in the forms.

shuai jiao technique wise may be learned early on, no hard body conditioning when you are young or till older.

they are good.

all the other style, ba ji, mantis, tai chi, ba gua comes later when you are in high school and college.

I would remain the same if start over again.

:)

[goju]

i would have avoided the few months of shaolin do i did lol

[B-Rad]

Like goju I might have avoided a scam teacher, and probably would have paid more attention to my diet and done some kind of sport fighting (probably san shou) when I was healthy. Would have done lots more strength training. And I would have been smarter about school and finances which would have dramatically influenced my training in a positive way I think ;-)

[MasterKiller]

In TCMA, you are in your prime at mid fifties, and just get more refined after that. Being at your prime in what...exactly? Forms performance? Certainly not fighting ability because, as we all know, the older you get, the more those skills diminish REGARDLESS of style.

I have some students who give me fits because they are younger, stronger, and faster, but I'd bet a few $ that you wouldn't fare much better against them, either . ;)

[Iron_Eagle_76]

The only regret I honestly have is not competing more in full contact when I was younger and in my prime. I've had my fights, but at 34, my better days are definitely behind me. Such is life.

[Frost]

Like I stated in another thread, if I had known which direction my life would've taken, I would've started in judo at a young age, then boxing, HS wrestling and weight training, THEN Hung Kuen and SPM.
But, would I go into MMA? Nope. Would I train more realistically with an emphasis on conditioning? Yep.
MMA is fine, but there is zero longevity, and your skills diminish rapidly when you are past your "prime," which is about late twenties/early thirties.
In TCMA, you are in your prime at mid fifties, and just get more refined after that.

really so rickson wasn’t beating guys well into his 40's and tooling guys at grappling well into his 50's, Dan gable wasn't throwing guys around on the mats well into his 50's and outworking and out conditioning his wrestlers and couture wasn't fighting MMA well past his 40th birthday? Not to mention George foreman winning a world title in his old age.......none of that happened did it

The fact is reflexes conditioning and strength diminish past 30, and no one has the magic pill to stop the ageing process no matter what tcma guys try to sell you

And if TCMA guys just come into their prime when they are 50 where’s the evidence of them cleaning up in full contact comps or on the streets..........:rolleyes:

[Frost]

Being at your prime in what...exactly? Forms performance? Certainly not fighting ability because, as we all know, the older you get, the more those skills diminish REGARDLESS of style.

I have some students who give me fits because they are younger, stronger, and faster, but I'd bet a few $ that you wouldn't fare much better against them, either . ;)

you forget he's just coming into his prime....but as we all know real TCMA guys have nothing to prove so dont post clips........

[Frost]

I think what a lot of guys don't realize about mma is that it is becoming systematized itself.

Early ufcs looked weird because you actually had different styles and some of those styles couldn't deal with other styles and then you had the no style guys who would just go out and maul people.

Now, they have been organized into sport and there are pretty much limited styles that are used to express this sport combat.

1.Boxing 2. wrestling 3. Kickboxing or Muay Thai 4. Jujitsu of some form.

These are then trained to complete the package of your typical modern mma fighter.

t.

or to put it another way, in limited rules fighting alot of styles fell by the way side because they simply proved to be worthless and people who were interested in actually winning and not getting beat figured out the few styles that actually worked in one on one limited rules fighting

[David Jamieson]

Dear Frost

you are a fukcing troll.

You are not even a good troll.

:p

[David Jamieson]

or to put it another way, in limited rules fighting alot of styles fell by the way side because they simply proved to be worthless and people who were interested in actually winning and not getting beat figured out the few styles that actually worked in one on one limited rules fighting

dude, your life is absolutes apparently.

therefore, you lose. always.

[Lucas]

well duh tcma people dont post clips cuz we kill our opponents... no one wants to get busted for murder :p:D

:eek:

Personally I would have liked to start training as a kid. I would have liked to start with wrestling, judo or shuai jiao, and then start my cma with chen taiji and the shaolin i have and weight training.

[sanjuro_ronin]

really so rickson wasn’t beating guys well into his 40's and tooling guys at grappling well into his 50's, Dan gable wasn't throwing guys around on the mats well into his 50's and outworking and out conditioning his wrestlers and couture wasn't fighting MMA well past his 40th birthday? Not to mention George foreman winning a world title in his old age.......none of that happened did it

The fact is reflexes conditioning and strength diminish past 30, and no one has the magic pill to stop the ageing process no matter what tcma guys try to sell you

And if TCMA guys just come into their prime when they are 50 where’s the evidence of them cleaning up in full contact comps or on the streets..........:rolleyes:

With age and experience comes the realization that the tools we used to win and survive in our 20's and even 30's are NOT the ones we will use in our 40's and 50's and beyond.
Foreman adapted, as did Rickson and so many others.
EX:
Donn Draeger's knees started to go, he wend from being a top level thrower to one of the best ground workers in his time.

I will be honest though, TMA addresses this issue far better than sport systems that are designed to focus on peak performance rather than longevity.
But that too is changing because so many more are doing sport combat systems for "fun" and not for competition.

[Frost]

Dear Frost

you are a fukcing troll.

You are not even a good troll.

:p

Well you almost managed a coherent thought there good on you :o)

Is it possible to troll your own thread...maybe if gene wants to ban me that’s his call but why is calling b*ll on statements that are wrong or which can’t be backed up by evidence wrong or troll like?

[Frost]

With age and experience comes the realization that the tools we used to win and survive in our 20's and even 30's are NOT the ones we will use in our 40's and 50's and beyond.
Foreman adapted, as did Rickson and so many others.
EX:
Donn Draeger's knees started to go, he wend from being a top level thrower to one of the best ground workers in his time.

I will be honest though, TMA addresses this issue far better than sport systems that are designed to focus on peak performance rather than longevity.
But that too is changing because so many more are doing sport combat systems for "fun" and not for competition.

yep you are right people need to seperate performance and competing from actually training

TMA may address this better in your eyes but in mine i haven't seen it, i have seen plenty of guys training tma in there 30's, 40's and 50's some fit and handy, alot out of shape and couldnt fight their way out of a paper bag, i have also seen a lot of guys who did boxing and judo (probably the two oldest and established sport MAs) in the same age brackets, and most of them i wouldnt like to cross

[sanjuro_ronin]

yep you are right people need to seperate performance and competing from actually training

TMA may address this better in your eyes but in mine i haven't seen it, i have seen plenty of guys training tma in there 30's, 40's and 50's some fit and handy, alot out of shape and couldnt fight their way out of a paper bag, i have also seen a lot of guys who did boxing and judo (probably the two oldest and established sport MAs) in the same age brackets, and most of them i wouldnt like to cross

Boxing and Judo are TMA :p

Seriously though, not so much boxing but Judo is obviously a TMA.
I think that Boxing, because it has been around so long and has more "realists" that make it clear that not everyone can and should compete, has a gotten a better handle on longevity.
But MT is also getting there too I think.

[Lucas]

personally, ive seen both. its up to the practitioner to make wise decisions.

you can train any martial art in a healthy fashion and use that martial art to increase your longevity in regards to personal fitness and health.

fighting and getting injured are the biggest detractors here, but again, thats not all inclusive. then, some guys are the exception to the 'rule'

[sanjuro_ronin]

personally, ive seen both. its up to the practitioner to make wise decisions.

you can train any martial art in a healthy fashion and use that martial art to increase your longevity in regards to personal fitness and health.

fighting and getting injured are the biggest detractors here, but again, thats not all inclusive. then, some guys are the exception to the 'rule'

Yeah, you always have to focus on the typical rather than the exception.
There are those that lats for a long time INSPITE of what they do and those that are walking cripples in ANYTHING they do.
It's the core middle you need to focus on but the issue with Boxing and MT, for example, is that the majority have done it for combative purposes and yes, in that regard, longevity is compromised, no doubts about it.
But I think that, taking away the toll on the body from full contact fighting over the period of YEARS, that they are as healthy as most TMA.
Of course some TMA are NOT the concerned with longevity either when they were first developed.

[David Jamieson]

Well you almost managed a coherent thought there good on you :o)

Is it possible to troll your own thread...maybe if gene wants to ban me that’s his call but why is calling b*ll on statements that are wrong or which can’t be backed up by evidence wrong or troll like?

a) you created the premise

b) you burn others

c)???

d) profit

You make blanket statements and then ask scubadivers to prove they are mountain climbers.

Look man, there's lots of ways to fight and kill and sport fighting is the least effective of them.

Can you in your wisdom derived from your great sport tell me what is the most effective strike point to thrust home a sword? How about knife throwing? you got that? What about blunts or short baton use? My tcma has all that.

Can your mma training teach me about weapon retention?
Can it teach me firearms usage and handling? My tcma doesn't have that.

Otherwise, there is nothing in mma that I don't already have access to in my kung fu practice except for maybe a chip on it's shoulder because it just can't get past forms as a training mechanism. lol

lame.

[Frost]

Boxing and Judo are TMA :p

Seriously though, not so much boxing but Judo is obviously a TMA.
I think that Boxing, because it has been around so long and has more "realists" that make it clear that not everyone can and should compete, has a gotten a better handle on longevity.
But MT is also getting there too I think.

so is BJJ and Thai boxing then and if we link submission wrestling to catch (wheres victor when you need him lol) that too is a TMA :p

None if this actually changes the fact though that as you say most arts weren't developed for longevity and if we are honest any low intensity exercise is good for older people, doesnt mean they can fight though

[sanjuro_ronin]

Well, one thing is for sure, no one likes sand in their vagina.

[sanjuro_ronin]

so is BJJ and Thai boxing then and if we link submission wrestling to catch (wheres victor when you need him lol) that too is a TMA :p

None if this actually changes the fact though that as you say most arts weren't developed for longevity and if we are honest any low intensity exercise is good for older people, doesnt mean they can fight though

That's just it, NO MA was designed ( originally) for longevity, but it doesn't take much to make it so, which makes the issue a moot one.
Back to the original point and premise of this thread gentlemen.
WOuld you do anything different NOW if you started MA NOW?
I think the honest answer is that YES, we all would.

If we were kids or teenagers or even in our 20's, our exposure to MA would be video games, moves and UFC, enough said.

[David Jamieson]

TCMA incorporates a lot of esoteric practices that a limited amount of people are exposed to.

qigong is a great example of something that is interwoven with kungfu, but has no real martial application and it is difficult to say without actually being a practitioner what the benefits are.

When I take the time to hit a yoga class as opposed to just doing a routine at home, there is inevitably and invariably at least one mma guy in there looking for something more. lol

And boxing as a discipline is very traditional. My boxing coach was very strict about adherence to what he said and how he told me to live my life etc.

A true martial relationship between a master and a student needs to set that boundary right away. A lot of young guys have a problem with supplication because they think they are king sh1t already. Takes a while to work that out or they will leave.

As for your average mma guy, I have rarely seen someone with so much ego go on about how their sport has none than with your average mma crew. bwahaha, no ego means you don't compete period. And that line of thinking that leads to statements like that underlines the desire of mma-ists to be regarded as something better than what they are, which is basically just sport fighters.

Be happy with that and do your thing. The world is dependent on neither of these things being done or even done well. they are just things to do whilst passing time here in the world.

You could as easily take up and discuss the merits of painting with used buttplugs, is that any reason to go to the sock puppet forum and start talking about how much better your butt plug is than a sock puppet?

Many tcma guys cut the chord with performance wu shu and frankly, equally as many take it and run with it! It's another aspect of Kung Fu as is san shou and they both fall under Chinese martial arts but have completely and utterly different training methodologies. There are a lot of guys out there doing Kung Fu who do not have access to good qigong instruction or even yoga instruction within their style. It all depends and virtually every style is considered "different".

It's just that much bigger and better I guess. :)

[MightyB]

I probably would have started Judo earlier in life. I'd incorporate boxing as a teen. Other than that - it's all good. I've been pretty happy with TCMA.

[David Jamieson]

And don't read into this that I don't liike or appreciate mma. I do, it's cool, it is what it is. Kung Fu practice is what it is.

Dead horse = pounded to dust

[Lucas]

but we need to beat the dead horse dust hard enough to compress solildify it back into a dead horse....duh

[bawang]

i would do everything al over again. im have honer

[mooyingmantis]

If I were to start over knowing what I know after 40 plus years of training I would:

1. Stretch more
2. Study fewer arts
3. Ignore martial arts fads
4. Emphasize more on Monkey boxing (32 years wasn't enough)
5. Emphasize more Mantis boxing
6. Care less about what others thought and argued less with keyboard warriors.
7. Taken more pics and videos to document my training and help me remember things I have learned, but have now forgotten.

[YouKnowWho]

I would spend more time in "2 men drills" and less time in "solo forms".

[RickMatz]

I would have bought the red sweater instead of the blue one.

[SPJ]

7. Taken more pics and videos to document my training and help me remember things I have learned, but have now forgotten.

in the 70s, it was expensive to take pictures or 8 mm movie clip.

nowadays, cell phone or ipod may take picture or video. flip videocam etc

video self analysis is always a good idea.

:cool:

[Syn7]

i would have stuck to wrestling and tried to make a run at it in college... i wouldnt have wasted my time with all the crap i tried when i was young... all the kung fu garbage that infects every city... i woulda went straight into bak mei, started muay thai earlier and started BJJ while i was still wrestling at school...

instead, i dropped outta school, which means i left wrestling behind, started smoking pot, got lazy and didnt get serious until my early 20s... as a young teen i went to a few clubs that was just a waste of time... kempo, fake kung fu and a few authentic but useless teachers that i could have beaten up on my first day... the only thing i did do from the ages of like 12 to 20 was that i fought ALOT... like, ALOT... for awhile there almost everyday somebody got hit... it was valuable experience that i dont regret one bit... i never once bullied anyone in my life... everyone ive ever hurt thoroughly deserved it... there is never a shortage of people who need to be swatted in the mouth... the only reason i hold back now is because ive done enough seg time for one lifetime thankyouverymuch!!! 3 years is more than enough... no more prison for this cat...

[YouKnowWho]

in the 70s, it was expensive to take pictures or 8 mm movie clip.

nowadays, cell phone or ipod may take picture or video. flip videocam etc

video self analysis is always a good idea.

:cool:
After the day that I have recorded all my forms, I no longer train those forms any more.

[crashhelmet]

My situation is a tad different than most.

I started in Shotokan when I was 6, learning from my Godfather. My dad made a career out of the Marine Corps and we moved a lot. I spent two years in Iwakuni, Japan where I continued my training in Shotokan from a local sensei and started training in kickboxing from another Marine. From there, we went to Subic Bay, Phillipines where my training pretty much became what would go on to become the L.I.N.E. and MCMAP systems. Anytime we were stationed near where my Godfather was stationed (he made a career out of the Navy), my Shotokan training would resume. Anywhere else, it was whatever the servicemen and women were training in.

The worst habit I had from it all was not following up enough. Basically stuck in the one punch one kill mentality. So, in 2000 I decided to look for a kenpo school. That's when I signed up with the company we're not allowed to mention anymore.

If I could've had a "normal" childhood and still started training at the same time, I would've preferred to train in a TCMA. The principles behind it would've benefited me more in the sports I played and I'd probably be a little less battered and broken down than I am now.

[Syn7]

i wish i had started at this age...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PuM4WD2XKk

[bawang]

its pointless to look back at yesterday. instead we need to look at tomorrow. if you dont like what you experienced in martial arts take charge and change right now

[Laukarbo]

its pointless to look back at yesterday. instead we need to look at tomorrow. if you dont like what you experienced in martial arts take charge and change right now
exactly....

I have no regrets..I started with Judo and karate and some boxing till age 14 and from there cma(was a weird mix with a lot of kicking),modern wushu and sanda and since 1990 specificially Hung Kuen.... in my school now its just hung kuen and sanda...Im not worried about mma etc. it has its place and I love to watch it just as football (soccer)...if I could start over again Id leave out the karate and the cma (hybrid thing) and modern wushu....start hung kuen earlier...

[Syn7]

its pointless to look back at yesterday. instead we need to look at tomorrow.

yeah yeah... lol... like you dont daydream about going back... maybe if you went back and did high school again knowing what you know now, you may even have the courage to talk to a girl... :p

[Frost]

David Jamieson 03-01-2011 08:57 PM

TCMA incorporates a lot of esoteric practices that a limited amount of people are exposed to.
Or people have been exposed to and really don’t see a benefit to over and above other methods of training


David Jamieson 03-01-2011 08:57 PM

qigong is a great example of something that is interwoven with kungfu, but has no real martial application and it is difficult to say without actually being a practitioner what the benefits are.

When I take the time to hit a yoga class as opposed to just doing a routine at home, there is inevitably and invariably at least one mma guy in there looking for something more. LolYep and I bet when the MMA guy goes back to class he says when I go to that Yoga class there is always a TMA guy there looking for something more

A lot of guys realise their art doesn’t have all the answers and that supplementing their training is a good idea, of course your art being complete it doesn’t need to supplement with anything (kind of makes you wonder why you hit the Yoga class lol and makes you wonder wy so may guys hit the weights or run…I mean isn’t kung fu complete…unless of course there don’t do the real fu)



David Jamieson 03-01-2011 08:57 PM

As for your average mma guy, I have rarely seen someone with so much ego go on about how their sport has none than with your average mma crew. bwahaha, no ego means you don't compete period. And that line of thinking that leads to statements like that underlines the desire of mma-ists to be regarded as something better than what they are, which is basically just sport fighters.
lol and you accuse me of making sweeping absolute statements not too sure how many MMA gyms you have trained in But I have trained in a few, been to a few more and know more than a few amateur and pro fighters (all the way up to UFC level) and the vast majority of them are very nice guys, people shouldn’t judge the sport on personas used to sell pay per views and idiots running around in tapout gear who have never taken a class

By and large people compete due to wanting to test their skills and by doing so face the real possibility of losing very publicly (where’s the ego in that) , those that say they don’t compete because they don’t have any ego (or skills are too deadly) usually mean they are really insecure and cant face losing to someone (how’s that for an absolute statement) does MMA have its share of idiots, yep but they normally don’t compete


I agree though its not really that important and just do what you love doing, but I also think we shouldn’t kid ourselves that this or that way is superior when there really isn’t any proof either way

Back to the Ronin’s question if I was starting now, well I think like nearly everyone I would be hitting the thai gym, training in a grappling school and competing in MMA, I think this generation of students are very lucky, there are no more secrets, the ability to pull the wool over peoples eyes is almost gone (although some people will always fall for the trappings) and we can all see what works under limited one on one rules

If people are interested in the history and health benefits, likewise we have the ability to research those benefits and styles histories like never before so even if fighting is not your main reason for training a martial art you can still find what you are looking for more easily than ever before

[David Jamieson]

Looking back leads to walking into something unseen. Better to stay focused ahead. lol

[MightyB]

I wished I would've understood what a Karate instructor was telling me one day as I was looking very nervous preparing for my competition in a tournament.

He basically told me that when I realize it doesn't really matter - I'll do better and I won't be nervous.

Folks - it doesn't matter. You don't have to have the biggest d!ck in the room. When you understand this, you'll be able to enjoy MA a lot more.

[Iron_Eagle_76]

I grow tired of the good-bad threads simply because nothing can be gained from them. I like what B said, when you stop caring, especially about what everyone else thinks, you become a much better martial artist.

There comes a time with all martial artists where you question what you do, or if you could have or could still do something better. After years of training Kung Fu I trained other arts to see what they had, and I found that some complimented my Kung Fu well because it strengthened some of my weaknesses. There came I time when I questioned what I had learned and if it was valuable or not. I don't question myself anymore because I now find a value in almost anything related to martial arts.

I grow tired of fat bellied masters who couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag, and I grow tired of Tap Out wearing terds who have never stepped foot in a gym. But even more than this I grow tired of hearing martial artists b***tch and moan about how someone else is wrong and they are right. I swear the older I get the more I associate martial artists with religious dumb a***es who are over zealous and as ignorant as the day is long.

What I do love are the teachers and fellow students I have had in Kung Fu Kwoons, Karate Dojos, Boxing Gyms, Muay Thai gyms, MMA gyms, ect. who get it, who understand the world is much more than just black and white, and see and know that good training, good technique, and good fighting are not determined by wearing a saam, or wearing a rashguard and board shorts, but by taking what you know and training, drilling, and perfecting until it becomes you.

Than you take this perfection and art imitates life. This is my pursuit, all other things really just don't matter anymore.

[SPJ]

go back to review or re learn something-- not that unusual.

in college, I learned zheng man qing short yang 37 postures and yang cheng fu expansive 81 postures that made popular in 1930s.

2 years ago, my brother introduced me to a friend from another direct lineage of yang cheng fu.

with exchanging info in detail, I re learned everything.

I now "restored" and abstracted 36 postures.

I am also in contact with some other zheng man qing people in taiwan.



---

learning or studying is an ongoing process, so they said.

:cool:

[David Jamieson]

I don't think it's about not caring, but I do understand the simplicity of that message and agree with it.

I think it is about clearing the negative emotional investment you have in practice.

All the - I'm not good, I can't do that, this will be hard, I have difficulty with...and so on can be cleared away and the approach to practice can begin anew with a better perspective and that is, fetch wood carry water.

If you choose to practice, simply practice, you will get better and there is no need for the negative! :)

In Summary: Mighty B is right. :D

[Yum Cha]

Well, certainly got a lot of healthy-thinking blokes here....

I think a lot of it comes of taking responsibility for yourself, mindfulness in your training, and the understanding that art is in the doing, not the snapshot left behind.

The road goes on forever.


Old age and cunning will overcome youth and enthusiasm every time.

With age you learn efficiency and patience. To me, martial arts is all about beating someone bigger and stronger, that's just a given.

Yes, there are freaks at the end of the bell curve in any argument, MA is no different.

99% of your Martial heros are just like the 90% of motorcyclists that own a bike for a year and a half, and put less than 10k miles on it, and for the rest of their lives talk about themselves as motorcyclists.

One mistake I would take back, was the NSW State finals in 87 when I hit this guy, and hurt him, then hesitated, looked him in the eye with a smile, just before he knocked me out.

THAT I would do over again properly... :o

[Iron_Eagle_76]

.99% of your Martial heros are just like the 90% of motorcyclists that own a bike for a year and a half, and put less than 10k miles on it, and for the rest of their lives talk about themselves as motorcyclists.


Couldn't agree more, although I'm a little biased.:D I always wondered the correlation between martial arts and motorcycles, these are my two greatest passions in life and I know many who share both loves.

[TenTigers]

.


Couldn't agree more, although I'm a little biased.:D I always wondered the correlation between martial arts and motorcycles, these are my two greatest passions in life and I know many who share both loves.
yep-I'm definately one of'em. Bikers for Budo!

[Vajramusti]

No regrets about the sequence in my development. I mixed different martial activities and sports in two different countries-but then in 1976 found a superb teacher of a good version of a good system of a TCMA which helped me systematize what I learned and provided a disciplined path for continued evolution.
No regrets.

joy chaudhuri

[mooyingmantis]

yep-I'm definately one of'em. Bikers for Budo!

Agreed! I'm on my fifth motorcycle now: 1500cc Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad (full dressed cruiser)

[Northwind]

In short, yes, I would still be in TCMA.

[wenshu]

I wouldn't have smoked all that cocaine.

[Hebrew Hammer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQnsQSRVZno&feature=player_embedded

If I had to do it all over again...I would have started like this...he's badass.

[YouKnowWho]

If I had to do it all over again, I would map my 2 men drills directly into my solo drills, and my solo equipment training directly into my solo drills. I would use the "direct" training method instead of the "indirect" training method.

[SenseiShellie]

Honestly, I can only think of one thing I would have done differently. I would have just stayed at one Shaolin Kempo school and not switched because I thought the grass was greener on the other side. I think my life would be different now...

[Drake]

Honestly, I can only think of one thing I would have done differently. I would have just stayed at one Shaolin Kempo school and not switched because I thought the grass was greener on the other side. I think my life would be different now...

It's difficult making those choices, because everyone is somewhat afraid of investing decades of work, only to find out they made the wrong choice. I think it's perfectly natural to think "did I make the right choice?"

[SenseiShellie]

It's difficult making those choices, because everyone is somewhat afraid of investing decades of work, only to find out they made the wrong choice. I think it's perfectly natural to think "did I make the right choice?"

I agree with you 100%! and you know what? i am still constantly asking myself that question of if I made the right choice...it haunts me to no end. especially going back to the first school i was at, keeping my rank, and finding out all the people i taught just went on and now outrank me. i always am wondering what i would have become if i just stayed...you know what i mean?

[ShaolinDan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQnsQSRVZno&feature=player_embedded

If I had to do it all over again...I would have started like this...he's badass.

Wow. That was pretty impressive, if a little scary. That kid's got a good coach...

[Drake]

I agree with you 100%! and you know what? i am still constantly asking myself that question of if I made the right choice...it haunts me to no end. especially going back to the first school i was at, keeping my rank, and finding out all the people i taught just went on and now outrank me. i always am wondering what i would have become if i just stayed...you know what i mean?

Yep. I've been all over and have done a lot of things, and always wonder if I'm making the right choices in my life. But for me, as long as I am still employed, have the opportunity to learn new things, and am doing better than a good 90% of the rest of the world just by living in the US, then I don't really have the right to complain. Not to say I don't complain... I just don't have the right. ;)