Actually, I deleted like 25 of my posts, so it should've been there by now anyway. I meddle much too much.
Printable View
Actually, I deleted like 25 of my posts, so it should've been there by now anyway. I meddle much too much.
Funny thing is that 3 months after this thread is dead and gone someone new will come along and start a thread asking if Shaolin-Do is for real.
Really? I wouldn't have guessed that about you. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by MasterKiller
Ain't that the truth.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ou Ji
It depends on what your definition of "Is" is :p
Well here we are at page 100! IMO SD is as real as you make it. This is the same in any pursuit in life. Over the top folklore and poor marketing aside, SD is a good MA. Unfortunately due to the large amount of material taught out, and the rush of some SD practitioners to become instructors it has fallen victim to a human flaw, lack of patience. To be genuinely good at anything requires the patience to practice deligently. In the rush to learn a new form, the details are overlooked in what is already known. Add someone teaching others things they do not fully understand themselves to this, and you have a recipe for mediocrity. When faced with a vast amount of knowledge, keep it simple. Focus on perfecting the aspects that you understand and do well. You may not learn all there is, but what you know, and in turn teach, will be much more valuable. "I do not fear the 10,000 techniques you have practiced once. I fear the one technique you have practiced 10,000 times." Peace & Happy Training To All. :D
Well that just sucks!!! Oh well....
Thought that I would relate something I watched lastnight that even with all the doubt surrounding SD, made me feel pretty good about SD and M. Sin.
A friend sent me a tape of a Tai Chi series shown on some station out of Canada featuring GM. Shou-Yu Liang (looked him up, seems to be a big dog from what I can tell). He was teaching Yang 24 and doing some Chi Gong. The form looked just like what I learned but that wasn't the interesting part. The Chi Gong that he was explaining was what did it. As he did the exercise, he also called out the points and meridians that needed to be hit and the visualization of doing so. The interesting part (to me anyway) was that everything he mentioned, I had learned about 20 years or so ago from SD and M. ST. Same names, same flow, same everything. Our exercises might have been called something different (I didn't take the time to check my old notes) but every exercise he did, I was able to call out the path and point 2 steps ahead of him.
To most, this story will mean nothing more than me trying to make it to post 1500, but to me, it really meant a lot. Regardless of my relentless defense of SD, I too from time to time wonder about SD. Even the most confident person will have doubts if all they ever hear is negative comments. But after watching that show and seeing that what this person was teaching was exactly what I had learned a long long time ago (with a lot more detail ;) , I think it will be enough for me to keep up the fight for another 100 pages.
So, in my ever so humble opinion, the question posed for this thread was once again answered....and the answer was a very loud YES:D
I think BentMonk hit the nail on the head. His observations and the obvious offense many Chinese people take to the Japanese trappings are the main objections to SD.
Is sin te, good ? I mean forget all this mumbo jumbo about shaolin do and forms and stuff about being kosher, the people who follow shaolin do, would you say sin the could haul some ass ? Or is he just a dictionary of moves and forms and techniques ?
From my own personal observation, and not relying upon the ancedotal stories I hear from my teachers, his form is good but not great. Having said that, I can see efficiency in movement and power behind his movement. He is quick and flexible and powerful. The reason I say that his form is not great is that his stances are not knee high-level throughout the form like my teacher's stances. It's hard for me to comment on the flow as I've not seen him do that many forms from start to finish. I have seen him do a form and was amazed at how fast his hands were moving with intent and purpose. Most of the time he does something in front of someone he walks through the form so you can't base anything off of that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wong Fei Hong
Also, the only time I have personally observed him move he was over 60 years of age so I can forgive him on his stances. Most masters I see move at his age don't do so with the flair and stance discipline that they did when younger.
I would have to agree with JP on this also. Form wise, as in doing it for a demo or what ever, he has never been what I would refer to as "pretty". I think that could also explain the lack of "TCMA" look to our forms and stances. The one exception would have to be when he does or teaches Tai Chi. Very nice...very nice indeed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wong Fei Hong
But, he has always impressed me with watching how he is able to generate power and snap when he does the forms. And although I have never sparred him personally, I have been thrown around by him and he is quiet strong and able to send you to the ground with minimal effort.
Cool, thanks. I find it quite unfortunate that people take the p1ss out of shaolin do so much.
If it was say a shoot off of x karate or y hung gar or z wing chun or any other famous group of schools.
It wouldnt get so much stick and he could just as easily be the gm of such a style from what youve said.
Dont get me wrong i poke at the whole dogboy thing too ! But its a shame to have the style branded along with ppl like ashida kim who takes the **** out of people willingly.
I reckon personally if the techniques and applications are sound its all good and also if you spar beyond that. Style vs style conversations are a load of boll0cks
From what I have been told his fighting ability was never questioned. He is pretty old now so you cant expect him to be like he was when he was 20.
I know this pain (I know this pain, I know this pain (echo))
Why do lock yourself up in these chains? (these chains, these chains (echo))
No one can change your life except for you
Don't ever let anyone step all over you
Just open your heart and your mind, mmm
Is it really fair to feel this way inside?
Chorus
Ooh some day somebody's gonna make you want to
Turn around and say goodbye
Until then baby are you going to let them
Hold you down and make you cry
Don't you know?
Don't you know, know, things can change
Things'll go your way
If you hoooollllld oooon for one more day
Can you hold on for one more day
Things'll go your way
Hold on for one more day (one more day)
Don't you know things can change
Things'll go your way
If you hold on for one more day
Can you hold on
Can you hold on
Mmm... Can you hold on baby
Won't you tell me now
Hold on for one more day
Cause it's gonna go away
Don't you know things can change
Things'll go your way
If you hold on for one more day yeah
Can't you change it this time
Make up your mind
Hold on Hold on
Hold on Hold on, baby hold on
Turn around, Just turn around baby
Hold on for one more day, Cause
It's gonna go your way... :D
SD may all be fine and dandy, but it still ain't what it's portrayed to be, and THAT is what real TCMA players have a beef with.