How has your view changed?

[Oso]

I used to believe all the Shaolin mythology, but now I am more skeptical. Not that I don't believe it, but that I take it all with a grain of salt now, at least until I have the time to read up on the research myself.

amen to that.

I think you accept most of the stories for what they are: historical legend.

kind of like a historical drama.

"Based on Historical Events"

[Serpent]

This is a great thread. And who says that arguing on the net is worthless!

[Royal Dragon]

Hm, for me tradition and lineage under recognised teachers were the thing I guess. I was never able to really do it though, and eventually learned you really don't need that if you have people to test ideas with.

I've also learned most of the people I have been around are full of it in one way or another.

I have had people talke bout propper position,and found they have no idea WHY it's propper. I've been around those who talk of structure, and alignment, but when you look at THIER striucture it's not what they are preaching. Like they say the back should be stright, butt in, but when they hold a horse stance they have a sway-back going in the lumbar region. When you point it out, they say "No I don't" when it's plain as day.

I've seen guys who talk and talk and talk about how hard they train wile in a high horse when I'm in an Iron Chair actually doing it.

I've seen guys Go on and on and on about how tough their fighting is, only to find out they only do light tag sparring.

I've seen guys who boast how "Hard" they are, only to see them cry and wine because you hit them too hard.

I've seen guys go on and on and on about thier Mastership, and thier titles, and thier secet inheritances, only to find they BS'ed about it all and the people they suposedly learned form tell you they were nothing but minor players.

I've seen guys who look so legit it's not even in question, only to find they really don't have ANYTHING to do with Chin Woo.

I've found guys who cliamed to have learned one style for marketing purposes, then they turned to Taiji Hsing I and Bagua, and passed it off as the style they supposedly know.

I have seen entire systems who have maybe a dozen forms spring up dozen"Z" in a generation, all of whch are suposedly original.

I've seen suposeldy "Pure" styles with stuff mishmashed in from anywhere all "Willy nilly"like

I've seen schools who teach the forms, just to memorise the sequence, but NEVER the applications in combat, or exercise. They go to San Shou for that because they really don'tknow the apps, and don't have the creativity to decipher them right anyway.

Ive seen Masters hold so much "Knowledge" back that what they teach is pretty much nothing more than Yoga or areobics.

I've seen arguments about techniques where I have posted what I have ACTUALLY done, and everyone thinks It won't work and i don't know what I'm talking about.

I've seen people "Talk" about respect, and honor, humility and vertue, only to be the most arrogant, stuck on them selves, ego driven *******s I have ever met. Many are just LOOKING for reasons to be insulted,and will get all indignant at the slightest thing. A good example is when Monkey Slapp's phone messed up and called me waking practially my whole house up at like 2:30 Am. I made a humurus thread about it, completely toung in cheek, didn't even get mad about it, and he gets all ****ed off and posts something to the effect of "Don't ever contact me or anyone from my group again". You see this stuff all the time in Martial arts. Across ALL lines styles and systems


I've gotten to the point where I really don't care anymore. I've lost my lust for this stuff, it's all bull sh[i]/i]it. And every thing every one knows, doesn't mean jack because there is allways someone else who knows how to defete it. All I care about is the Qi Gong now and I already know more than enough of that to last me a lifetime. I don't want teachers, I don't want studnets and I don't really give a rats ass anymore.

[apoweyn]

Royal Dragon,

A good example is when Monkey Slapp's phone messed up and called me waking practially my whole house up at like 2:30 Am. I made a humurus thread about it, completely toung in cheek, didn't even get mad about it, and he gets all ****ed off and posts something to the effect of "Don't ever contact me or anyone from my group again". You see this stuff all the time in Martial arts. Across ALL lines styles and systems

Come off it, mate. This thread was proceeding nicely. How about not using it to air your dirty laundry.

Thanks.


Stuart B.

[Suntzu]

I think belonging to X-type of traditional kung fu is more about family, loyalty, morals, ethics, philosophy, etiquette, and principles rather than what stance you fight out of, only training exactly what was trained hundreds of years ago, only hanging with certain people, and only attending certain events.

WOW...... well said.......

[Jowbacca]

Ap
FYI, you know you MP and ST00 have been great influences for me (not just sounding boards ) as well.

BTW- I think EvoFist was continuing his sifu-jock-riding, hung-gar-bashing, self-aggrandizing streak before RD started poppin off. Just to be fair...

[apoweyn]

Originally posted by Jowbacca
Ap
FYI, you know you MP and ST00 have been great influences for me (not just sounding boards ) as well.

Man, this is the feel-good thread of the year! Cheers Jow.

BTW- I think EvoFist was continuing his sifu-jock-riding, hung-gar-bashing, self-aggrandizing streak before RD started poppin off. Just to be fair...

Granted. I knew, reading EFist's post, that it was going to be one of his 'I'm getting the real deal' posts. But if he believes that, then it still speaks to his change in view.

Same with Royal Dragon. He did a fine job of discussing his disillusions and didn't really need to get so specific as to name a fellow KFM poster. That's for those two to hash out.

I'm not the forum police, mind you. I'd just hate to see what has thusfar been a really good thread break down into a running battle between two individuals.

Know what I mean?


Stuart B.

[yenhoi]

I dunno ap.

When I was a lurker I thought RD was a sap. Then I saw 7* talking to him, so I thought he must be cool. But over the last year, despite 7*'s favor, RD has proven to be a sap.

I dont get it.

Pagans.

[red5angel]

Yenhoi you pagan.

[Water Dragon]

Originally posted by Royal Dragon

I've seen people "Talk" about respect, and honor, humility and vertue, only to be the most arrogant, stuck on them selves, ego driven *******s I have ever met. Many are just LOOKING for reasons to be insulted,and will get all indignant at the slightest thing. A good example is when Monkey Slapp's phone messed up and called me waking practially my whole house up at like 2:30 Am. I made a humurus thread about it, completely toung in cheek, didn't even get mad about it, and he gets all ****ed off and posts something to the effect of "Don't ever contact me or anyone from my group again". You see this stuff all the time in Martial arts. Across ALL lines styles and systems

This is why I get upset. You just called my teacher, and friend, an @sshole out of the blue. WTF?

Anyway, I'm in the process of figuring out that a lot of people just don't want to do what I do. And that's OK. And no matter what I say, or what I try to point out, people are going to act and do and say and think what they want. And that's OK too. It's better for me to just have a big cup of STFU and train.

[red5angel]

well said WD. It's tough when you have a real interest in something and you look around and see a whole lot of people messing it up. All those so called "sifu" and "masters" and those that create their own styles or know the secrets to others.

Wingchun opened my eyes to how martial arts has really beomce the victim of misleading marketing. Walked into just about any wingchun school and you are going to hear how it is a "womans art" meaning you don't have to be big and powerful to use it. I understand where that ideal sprang from, but for the most part just about everyone I have touched hands with who was significantly smaller then me, really didn't have a chance.
What happens when that "small person" who has been studying wingchun for a little while is convinced he can take the guy who just threatened to beat him up. What happens if you are a woman and you decide wingchun has finally made you able to walk down those dark streets alone? It's stupid and irresponsible but that doesn't get past the fact that it sells.

[yenhoi]

The general public will be stupid and irresponsible no matter how much quality training some of you elites have.

h20: STFU and train.

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by yenhoi
I dunno ap.

When I was a lurker I thought RD was a sap. Then I saw 7* talking to him, so I thought he must be cool. But over the last year, despite 7*'s favor, RD has proven to be a sap.

I dont get it.

Pagans.

RD's not a bad guy, we just have conflicting views when it comes to MA... very conflicting views.

[SevenStar]

I started MA when I was 6 - I didn't have any view on it. My parents put me in it. I had a choice between that and gymnastics, and I chose MA. so I was enrolled in Chuck Norris' school in va (one of them, anyway. I went to their website, and my old teacher from all those years ago is still there)

When I was 9, I stopped, and when I was 12, started working with some friends of mine who trained in tkd and one who trained kung fu. I was a bully's bully back then - when my friends would bet bullied, I'd track the bully down and beat him up. I continued trying to practice on my own during that time, but really got into lifting weights.

What really changed my perspective was when I was a senior in high school. There was a guy at the gym - one of the trainers - who had a bb in tkd and a brown in both jjj and judo. he started training me in judo. The same year, I met a guy named yuichi kurokawa...he's one of the most awesome MA I've ever met. he grew up in japan, training karate all his life, with some judo. We trained constantly before he moved back to japan. We trainded hard and sparred hard contact - I developed a taste for it then. I entered some point tournies, and even though I would win, it wouldn't be without getting points taken for excessive contact. After Yuichi moved to back to Japan, I found MT. trained in it, kali and jun fan for two years and had some fights. loved it. Training with yuichi gave me the thirst for it, and MT continued to quench it.

I stopped MT because the school closed. I wandered into a longfist school, where I stayed for 4 years. I learned alot, but I definitely preferred MT. And I wanted to go back to fighting full contact, which wasn't gonna happen there, because nobody was willing to train me for it. I ended up hooking up with MSToo's group and also continuing my judo and starting bjj. That brings me to where I am now. the bjj school now has a great MT teacher, so it's likely that I will drop by it at least once a week, likely on tues, after judo and bjj. I've always liked to train hard and compete, and sport fighting fits that bill for me. Yuichi and I still talk, and we're like something you'd see in an anime or the movies - we train hard, then get together after a few years to see how far we've come along. It's my turn to see him, so Hopefully I can get to japan soon.

[Musicalkatachmp]

Realized that cuz "so and so" could fight back in the day; or because "grandmaster X" was visiting my school twice a year; or cuz sifu fights real good was no excuse for me not to see what I could do. I really had some insecurities at always having to point to someone else's ability.

A-phu**ing-men