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Thread: Hung Gar special issue

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Have either you ever been in jail?

    I've been to jail as a visitor. I have some friends that work in corrections, as well as some friends that went to jail. The penal system is actually one of the largest economies here in CA, so it's hard to be Californian and not be in touch with the issues.. I bring this up mostly because I'm curious how connected you are to the incarcerated. Do you do anything to help solve the problems or do you just disregard them? I'm not saying that the Angels are all goody-two-shoes by any stretch. At the same time, I'm not going to deny my personal association with my classmate. He's my friend and training brother.

    But back to my question, which neither of you bit at, those prisoners are all asking for redemption. They beleive that redemption can be found in the martial arts. Oddly enough I completely agree. Should we deny them that possibility by excluding them from tai chi?
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing
    I've been to jail as a visitor. I have some friends that work in corrections, as well as some friends that went to jail. The penal system is actually one of the largest economies here in CA, so it's hard to be Californian and not be in touch with the issues.. I bring this up mostly because I'm curious how connected you are to the incarcerated. Do you do anything to help solve the problems or do you just disregard them? I'm not saying that the Angels are all goody-two-shoes by any stretch. At the same time, I'm not going to deny my personal association with my classmate. He's my friend and training brother.

    But back to my question, which neither of you bit at, those prisoners are all asking for redemption. They beleive that redemption can be found in the martial arts. Oddly enough I completely agree. Should we deny them that possibility by excluding them from tai chi?
    My profession is as a Probation Officer (you may know it as a Parole Officer which is almost identical to my profession)...so I deal with criminals 5 days a week. I make regular visits to the institutions to interview and make recommendations to the court on whether an inmate should be released and placed on Probation and what the conditions on the order should be. I also do institution placement reports, court reports and supervising of offenders placed on Probation to make sure they abide by the conditions of the order and breach them if they do not and send them back to court...

    A lot ask for redemption...how many do you think really mean it? I can tell you...It takes a heck of a lot more than just some tai chi or kung fu to bring about a change in offender criminal thinking errors. My profession involves counselling and programming to bring about a positive change in thought which leads to non-criminal behaviour.

    The issue was not denying them Tai Chi. The issue was a full page color advertisement of a member of the HA wearing colors and you saying he is a member of the HA, thus making a connection between the magazine and the HA.
    ...ask for Kam
    ------------------------------------------------
    "Fool me once, then shame on you. Fool me twice, then shame on me"

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Westmorland, California, USA
    Posts
    45
    I feel for Gene on this one man. Everyone deserves a second chance. Also, you gotta realize, many people get stuck in Jail because of bad circumstances; yes, they may have done some dumb ****, but when you live in a bad neighborhood and **** is going on all around you, it's hard not to have it rub off on you. My brother used to gangbang back in the day; several times he was arrested; he has a felony. But now, he lives in Salt Lake City, UT, and he's married, with 2 kids. He's learned to leave that life while he still had a chance. He's got a huge tattoo of the gang he repped on his back, and that will never go away, but I'm very proud of him now; he's been through a lot, and he learned to make himself a better man from it. I learned from his example and stayed away from gang life.
    Last edited by MeatTosser; 04-30-2006 at 10:14 AM.
    As always, stay strong, and keep an open mind...

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Canada!
    Posts
    23,110
    The point was always about the appearance of unity between the magazine and a known criminal organization.

    It's not about redemption, the inner workings of the desperate criminal mind that seeks redemption.

    It's not about choices made while growing up in a bad neighbourhood.

    It's about how a particular page in the magazine is and will be received and perceived.

    It gives a sense that the HA are OK. I'm just providing my opinion on the matter, which really doesn't actually matter because it is done. Anyone out there that now perceives that the HA are an ok group of people.

    As individuals, evceryone has redeeming qualities. As an Organization, the HA have no redeeming qualities that aren't immediately cancelled out by their nefarious operations elsewhere.

    It's a no win situation on the image of kfm imo.

    But it's only my opinion. If I want to read about the HA I'll turn to the crime section of my newspaper.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Fremont, CA, U.S.A.
    Posts
    47,947

    Find your peace in practice

    GHD, KL, it occured to me over the weekend that my reaction to your criticisms were inappropriate. I *do* hear what you're saying and I certainly do not wish to stifle your comments. My rebuttals have come from a reactionary position because of my friend and Hell's Angels model John. Now, I'm fully aware of the reputation of the Angels. In fact, there was a huge bust of the SF chapter last weekend (I was secretly hoping one of you might find it and post it to liven up our debate). I encourage your criticism of our work and hope you keep it coming. It's one of our many check and balances.

    Again, the connection between the Hells Angels and Kung Fu Tai Chi is me and me alone. I've worked in the music industry for just shy of two decades. I used to be on the payroll for the Grateful Dead (who invited the Angels as security for the notoriuos Altamont concert). Consequently, I worked with the Angels on many occassions and all of my interactions were positive. But then again, I'll fully acknowledge that this might just be a reflection of my bizarre life. A friend of mine says it's because I'm part of the jianghu. That makes me laugh - he means it to be flattering, but like many, he doesn't know what truth it really entails. I almost feel like Nicholson shouting "you can't handle the truth"

    That all being said, what's done is done, such is the nature of print magazines. I doubt we'll have the opportunity to do anything with the Angels again, so no fear, it's over. This was only the second installment of our 'Find your peace in practice' image ad campaign which is very experimental. With any experiment, there is some failure. However, I will continue to take the magazine in an experimental direction. As long as it's my watch here, I promise you that I will do my best to push the edge of the envelope and keep KFTC as close to the cutting edge as possible. Sometimes it will mean that some readers will get offended. This is not the first time, and certainly not the last. Keep in mind that this very forum is an experiment - no magazine is doing anything of this calibre with the people behind the mag so available for comment.

    That being said, I'm very happy for the criticisms of GHD & KL and grateful that they are taking th time to voice their opinions. I don't try to make the magazine 'controversial' but I do try to make it thought-provoking. So in my bizarre perspective, the Angel ad was very successful, even if it lost some readers in the process.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #36

    WFH issue

    I loved this issue. Passed it on to my instructor, who has read it over with pleasure several times. Thanks from allof us for a full Hung Gar issue!

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