Tiger Claw Elite Championships

[lunghushan]

Actually, we're not paying Nicole Gerry any cash. We did donate some uniforms to her for her work representing martial arts at the teen pageants. Please keep in mind the mission statement of the Tiger Claw Foundation: The Tiger Claw Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to promoting martial artists and assisting martial artists in achieving their goals. If you know any underpriviledged martial arts kids, please let us know.

Ummm ... there are probably millions of kids who would like to train martial arts but cannot due to funding difficulties. Unfortunately they are probably not martial arts kid s because they aren't taking lessons.

[lunghushan]

So I was thinking about this some more today, about the entire rich kids vs. underprivileged kids thing.

And basically, whatever. I guess it's hard to be ... man, my vocabulary is getting bad ... but it's hard to be (respectful, proud, whatever) of somebody like Nicole who have accomplished so much with so much obvious parental support when there are people who have so little.

I mean, I personally wanted to take MA when I was a kid, but my parents never let me because they were afraid it would convert me to Asian thinking or something.

But, anyway, it really makes no difference what I think because nobody really cares.

So, I guess, carry on ... free uniforms, whatever. There's no way any foundation has enough money to solve the inequities of the world.

[GeneChing]

Everyone needs to do more charity work. I just spent my entire weekend doing charity work for the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, and I don't feel I do enough. And I'll go one step more, when people talk about 'real' martial arts, and just talk about things working on the street, I find that absurd. But when people talk about martial artists who do charity work - who use their skills for healing instead of fighting - then I respect them. Then, and only then, do I feel that they are 'real'. Martial arts are about helping others. If you're not helping others with your martial arts, you're not real.

But enough of my personal opinion. Now to the Tiger Claw Foundation . Our parent company, Tiger Claw has always done grassroots support of up-and-coming martial artists, but never really taken credit for it. We saw the opportunity and the need to formalize our charity work after 9/11. Of course, we get solicited by many, as does any charity group, and given that we are a martial arts company, we had to focus our efforts with our mission statement. All charity organizations do this. Take a look at our past projects: We supported Jet Li's ONE Foundation. We supported Jackie Chan's work with Self-Help for the Elderly. We supported the Blind judo team. Of course, we wish would could take care of poor underpriviledged kids, and we might be supporting some organizations that are using martial arts with at-risk youth, but your suggestion is unfocused. It's not realistic.

As for Nicole, sure, she's supported by her parents. She's only a teenager. But her parents aren't millionaires. I wouldn't say that she's a rich kid at all. Her dad is a career martial arts teacher, and you don't make that much money in the martial arts. Her only priviledge was to be born beautiful and if you envy that, you've got some weird issues. Right now, she's working to promote martial arts within beauty pageants, akin to what another TCF supported martial artist, Jayneen Lee was doing. If we can get more beautiful women doing kung fu, it would be just like the yoga economic boom. Unfortunately, too many men in the martial arts are card holders of the lonely hearts club (just look at our forum members )

[lunghushan]

I don't have any problem with people being born beautiful, but I don't think they should get any reward just for having good genes. To have a beauty pagent, IMHO, is a complete farce.

Anyway, for the Nicole thing, she has the support of her parents. I never had the support of my parents for any endeavors. In fact, my mom kept me down, kept me from testing for the Gifted and Talented Program (they snuck me in as long as they could), from competing in sports, from doing MA, etc., because she was a nutcase.

So why would I want to laud somebody who did something great with a lot of support who won the genetic lottery?

So what I am for is equal access. I don't think parents should be allowed to mess with their kids like mine did. I think there should be government mandated equal access to education opportunities so people can achieve their full potential.

Of course, that I guess isn't going to happen.

Anyway, whatever. Like you said, it is unfocused and unrealistic, like I put in my next post. "There's no foundation that can solve the inequities of the world." But don't expect me to laud some person because they won the genetic and parent lottery.

Anyways, kudos for your charity work. I thought long and hard about doing charity work such as teaching kids martial arts, and I searched for charity work around Seattle but found that there is actually a ton of competition for charity work and I am unqualified compared to the others.

Ironic, ain't it? I couldn't find one thing that they would let me do. Not Habitat for Humanity, not teaching classes, not MA, not PC support, not helping old people, NOTHING. LOL

What they need, is $. They want $ not bodies. They have a ton of bodies, at least around Seattle.

Anyways, I am a little person compared to people who have houses like this: http://www.seattlestreetofdreams.com...algallery3.cfm. I mean, if everybody who had a big house just bought a small house, and put the rest of the $ towards social programs, these charities would have more than enough $.

The problem is people are GREEDY. That is the problem.

[GeneChing]

This is why I think you're projecting. You don't really know a thing about Nicole's parents and the possible hardships she might have faced/be facing. She might not be a 'have' - she might be a 'have not'. Whatever the case, she's working hard to promote martial arts and we salute that.

There's always openings for charity work. There's always a need for more volunteers. If you cannot find a place to do volunteer charity work then either you aren't looking very hard at the needy or you aren't looking very hard in the mirror.

If you want government mandated equal access to education, perhaps you shouldn't be looking hungrily at the mansions of others. Perhaps you should be figuring out how to relocate to a communist country.

[lunghushan]

This is why I think you're projecting. You don't really know a thing about Nicole's parents and the possible hardships she might have faced/be facing. She might not be a 'have' - she might be a 'have not'. Whatever the case, she's working hard to promote martial arts and we salute that.

There's always openings for charity work. There's always a need for more volunteers. If you cannot find a place to do volunteer charity work then either you aren't looking very hard at the needy or you aren't looking very hard in the mirror.

If you want government mandated equal access to education, perhaps you shouldn't be looking hungrily at the mansions of others. Perhaps you should be figuring out how to relocate to a communist country.

I'm not looking hungrily at the mansions. I actually found that link because that is one of the VOLUNTEER opportunities because those $ go to charity.

If you look at the page, http://www.seattlestreetofdreams.com...nvolvement.cfm you will see the image of the Make a Wish foundation and the Children's Home Society.

[GeneChing]

There's always needy so there's *always* charity work. Personally, my own martial arts practice didn't even begin to come together until I started doing charity work. There may be a "a ton of competition for charity work" and you maybe "unqualified compared to the others" for some strange elite charity work, but the last time I volunteered at a soup kitchen, they certainly didn't check my resume.

There seems to be a consistent tone with your posts, things like "I am a little person" and "my parents never let me" and "14 and already more accomplished than I am at over 30." That's not a proper attitude for the warrior path. Everyone starts somewhere. Volunteer work can be very fulfilling spiritually. It can focus your practice. It can find applications for your practice that you didn't see. Start building some memories. Help those in need. That's what wude is all about.

[lunghushan]

That's not a proper attitude for the warrior path. Everyone starts somewhere. Volunteer work can be very fulfilling spiritually. It can focus your practice. It can find applications for your practice that you didn't see. Start building some memories. Help those in need. That's what wude is all about.

I use self deprecating terms as a conversation piece, not because I really believe them. In fact, I am way too lazy to accomplish much.

[lunghushan]

So yesterday I discovered a very nice feature of Google called maps. Satellite imaging. It used to be they only had so much of the world, but now it appears they have most of the world.

So I did a little searching around, just for curiosity, and it was interesting how little of the natural trees and foliage of the world is left.

Then I did some more searching and comparing 2nd growth to first growth and checked out the Amazon basin. Then with some concern and panic as I suddenly found that there is little, if any, first growth left anywhere in the world anymore.

How can people do this to the world? Don't they realize that destroying the plant and animal life they are only destroying themselves?

So I have a new idea for charity. Charity begins with birth control. I will only support birth control and abortion from now on.

[GeneChing]

We've posted the photos for the Ka Open / La Sheriff's Cup here. I hear Kick/USA went well. Watch the TCEC site for an exciting announcement about the Disney's Martial Arts Festival. Mark your calendars: Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, FL. October 26-29, 2006. Even if you can't go to Florida, keep that Saturday night free. I'll tell you why very soon.

[GeneChing]

First up, there will be Cirque Du Soleil talent scouts looking for martial artists at the DMAF in Florida. I've posted info on that on our Cirque Du Soleil casting thread.

Secondly, The Tiger Claw Elite Grand Champions will be showcased on a LIVE WEBCAST. The webcast will be free access so check it out. Tell your friends. Support live martial arts on webcasts! If our viewer numbers are high enough, we can do more groundbreaking events such as this!

This year Saturday Night Showcase will be broadcast live via Web Cast on October 28, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

The Web Cast will include live voice and video and can be accessed through both the Disney's Wide World of Sports® homepage and Disney's Martial Arts Festival event information page.

High speed internet access is necessary to view the live web cast.

[GeneChing]

You can still qualify for the Tiger Claw Elite Championships, this Friday at the Disney Martial Arts Festival. Be sure to tune in on this Saturday, October 28th, for the live webcast of the Festival Showcase! See our official website for the details!

[Shaolinlueb]

You can still qualify for the Tiger Claw Elite Championships, this Friday at the Disney Martial Arts Festival. Be sure to tune in on this Saturday, October 28th, for the live webcast of the Festival Showcase! See our official website for the details!

i might actually be at this festival on saturday. my first sifu qualified for this and he is competing in it.

[GeneChing]

Now I wish I was going even more. It would have been fun to hang with you in the land of Mouse.

[GeneChing]

Of course, there's nothing on it yet and there won't be until tomorrow evening. But here it is, for your reference.