Please comment! Believe me, after all the things people have said about me on forums, I'm hard to upset. Actually, I've been hoping a BG student would jump in on this one...
Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com
Please comment! Believe me, after all the things people have said about me on forums, I'm hard to upset. Actually, I've been hoping a BG student would jump in on this one...
Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com
Mr. Ching -
There realy is nothing to comment and I am not a student of Brian Gray. I have studied the Iron Palm with him and have had some informal training in Shaolin Kung Fu. By the way, I didn't learn forms first. And see what people say and they don't know. Master Brian Gray is what I said in my last post. Anyone who thinks differently can check him out and they will see that he is the "real deal".
Damian
Brian Grey does have an air of controversy like Sin Te or Jim Lacy, so I doubt the forum will leave him alone. Such is the nature of forums - true democracy - everyone with an email address can have their say. Don't be offended by words or you won't last here very long. And despite the negativity, there are some great conversations we have here.
Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com
Gene -
Thank you for your concern. When we played as children, we would recite a rhyme that went some thing like this, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words (names)will never hurt me. To add to that, I only speak from experience and if I don't know something I always look for an answer. I am a Chen stylist and the training and questions never stop.
Damian
Damian,
Hello, I just finished some of what you read on another forum about BG. Anyways I went ahead and got some of his videos.. I have levels 1-3. And I have to say that the content is not bad. He describes the stances, and goes through every movement in different angles. I may stay where I am at, and learn the correspondance. I once made the fatal mistake however of asking me where he learned. Needless to say I got back an email w/ alittle bit of anger in it. However the information seems to be in step w/ his full curriculum as I have been to his website. and while I wish they would kinda give alittle more detail on the staff techniques (that's my focus right now) it is after all a video course, so you gotta do w/ what you got.
And to all that responded, I want to thank everyone for their valuable time on this, both good and bad statements are taken in carefully.
And to Gene, if I am ever out in california again (I am assuming you are mostly in the northern areas from some other posts, I grew up in Sunnyvale) I will be sure to look you up on a drink or so and maybe a chat.
Thank you all,
Rick
I was raised in Sunnyvale too! Where (and when) did you go to High School?
Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com
I lived on Wolfe Rd. Between Cupertino Mall and El Camino Real blvd. I used to work at the Crown books next to what was Vons (though I don't know if it changed) I went to Freemont High '96-'98.
Rick
That's too wacky. I lived between Wolfe, Sunnyvale Saratoga, & El Camino. I went to Fremont 78-82 with Teri Hatcher...
Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com
So she really did go there! I thought it was all crazy talk because I had moved there from Oahu in '89. Then when I got in to HS it was really weird to hear that, she was even in a school article later 98... Anyways, I am thinking that I will probably go back to Cali soon, all my family lives in L.A. but hey it would be nice to go to San Fran again and check things out. Hmm maybe you can answer a question for me... Have you ever heard of a Hung gar practitioner named Frank Rivera(?)? I would like to find some type of Shaolin system out here, however the most we have is the Chinese Shaolin Center, however I studied there, and a few TKD places to get basics and keep fit. I regret moving here, but I know its for the best for now... Well I am rambling on.. hope to hear from you.
Rick
First of all I met Brian many years ago at a tounament in Baltimore MD. At that time he was doing some made up Shaolin forms. Of course he said they were not, but could not give you the lineage behind them. They were not complete! May have came from some Shaolin somewhere? but not complete. If you want to make him angry? ask him who his teachers were? He acts as if you shouldnt ask that question. There has to be some lineage somewhere? He told me that his teacher didnt want him to spread his name around so he wasnt going to spread it. And then he went on this thing that the only people I respect is Chinese people, and if he is not Chinese then i think he is not legit. No! Not what i meant! Only if you are out there competeing you should be able to tell people where you learn it. Not a tough question? People, dont care, about your race. I would have bet he wouldnt have lasted a year at what he was teaching. Go figure. Only in America, can a guy will little skill get away with this stuff. I think he was taught most of his stuff from books. He is a well spoken man. He has no roots. If you see him move, you know why he's smacking rocks with his hand. And until he comes out with a name, we dont even have to have heard of the guy, Im betting he was taught by reading everthing he can get his hands on.
Pecks
Master Brian Gray has a thing when it comes to lineage. It is a sore subject with him. The video course is good. What I recommend is that he has a seminar every year, usually, the last week in March. He covers what is on the Shaolin videos and has testings for each level. The weekend is strictly utilized for Iron Palm and Iron Palm testing. Send him an email and find out the details. Have a great day.
Damian
I don't think it is fair to criticize someone when you don't really know him. Most of what your sentences say "I think" which means you don't know. Why does a person have to have a lineage? People, for example, say they studied under Doc Fai Wong and come to find out it was just a seminar on a weekend but they claim to be the greatest since swiss cheese. So what? Why should he, Brian Gray, tell you anything. You are not his student, he is not your Sifu/Shrfu. Have you ever noticed how Chinese Masters instruct? They appear to only give you a piece of the pie. Master Brian Gray will give you the whole pie but you won't even know it. Have a good day BUCH, train hard.
Damian
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Why does a person have to have a lineage? People, for example, say they studied under Doc Fai Wong and come to find out it was just a seminar on a weekend but they claim to be the greatest since swiss cheese. [/quote]
He has to have learned from somebody. Of course it's also important to know how long he's studied also. I think I have video of some of his students competing with beginer level modern Chang Quan routines. Don't take my word for that though as I'll have to double check.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>So what? Why should he, Brian Gray, tell you anything. You are not his student, he is not your Sifu/Shrfu.[/quote]
The same reason a Dr. should tell you where his degree came from. How else is a beginer student suposed to know whether you're legit or not?
Damian,
As I beleive I stated above, I once made the mistake of asking him (Brian Gray) who he was taught by. I got a mean response. Anyways, are you a practitioner or just IP? Is it worth getting video 4-5 and I know he is making 6-12 right now, or at least it is in the works he says. Should I continue, w/ those.. I have already inquired about his seminars maybe I will go to one when I get more $$ and time.
Rick
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