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Thread: Crabs in a Bucket

  1. #1
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    Crabs in a Bucket

    Crab Mentality

    Gongfu, and martial arts in general, tends to attract some pretty interesting personalities. This isn't bad, and some of the more eccentric people are pretty funny to laugh at/with like this guy. But I can't help feeling that a lot of the community, both here and in China, has become a "bucket of crabs".

    I know not everybody always agrees with members like Mr. Ross or Mr. Wang, but they have a public persona and always having something worth thinking/talking about when they post.

    Others, like Robinhood/Hardwork are these virtual crab babies which have no public persona and no sense in honoring the traditions they practice.

    So, what are you doing to improve the state of gongfu?

  2. #2
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    the biggest failure in kung fu is failing to help the little skinny nerd beat up his big strong bully.
    Last edited by bawang; 03-21-2013 at 03:08 PM.

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  3. #3
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    I publish a magazine.

    I also administer this forum, but I often wonder if that really does anything to 'improve the state of gongfu'.

    Funny thing, I remember 'crabs in a bucket' as a test in lion dancing. The hongbao would be placed in a bucket under a pile of live crabs. One of my lion dance instructors told me of this test, but I've never seen it first hand. He said the solution was to take the rod or butterfly sword (kept in traditional lion dance heads, just in case) and smash the top crab. Then the other crabs would swarm over the corpse to devour it.

    Hmm, how oddly metaphoric. Nice topic, pazman. Good timing.
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  4. #4
    genie in a bottle

    genie is all powerful

    however he or she may be confined in a bottle.

    your fu may be good against many things

    however, no matter how powerful they are, there is a counter measure.


  5. #5
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    There's a lot of great knowledge shared by many CMAists, but IMO the kung fu community has always been rife with negative gossip, politicking, etc. I've seen it both in Taiwan and the U.S. I never saw anywhere near the same degree of that when I did Kenpo, JMA, or KMA.

    Many years ago, I also participated in some of it, but at some point things changed, and I saw such sniping for the waste of time it is. It's not even entertaining, IMO. Because non-constructive sniping is always based on jealousy, insecurity, and egotism. Meanwhile, the rest of the MA world think the inter-CMA sniping and maybe CMA itself is a joke if they think of it at all.

    My CLF Sifu told us that he avoids the political squabbles because it takes energy away from what is important, and that's training.
    Last edited by Jimbo; 03-21-2013 at 03:50 PM.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    There's a lot of great knowledge shared by many CMAists, but IMO the kung fu community has always been rife with negative gossip, politicking, etc.
    when you dont fight, your tungue becomes loose.

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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    I also administer this forum, but I often wonder if that really does anything to 'improve the state of gongfu'.

    Funny thing, I remember 'crabs in a bucket' as a test in lion dancing. The hongbao would be placed in a bucket under a pile of live crabs. One of my lion dance instructors told me of this test, but I've never seen it first hand. He said the solution was to take the rod or butterfly sword (kept in traditional lion dance heads, just in case) and smash the top crab. Then the other crabs would swarm over the corpse to devour it.

    Hmm, how oddly metaphoric. Nice topic, pazman. Good timing.
    Now I am hungry.
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  8. #8
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    I don't do anything to improve the state of kungfu. My teacher of Wombat Combat taught me that kungfu doesnt need saving. So instead I save my energy to master the modern and ancient methods of the graceful wombat. Wombats know it is important to evolve, and to break away from stagnation through revitalization of your combat methods.
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  9. #9
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    when david jimison became moderator, a black cat appeared at my window. he angered the gods and caused bad fortune.

    Honorary African American
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  10. #10
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    as i was reading your post, a swan that was flying north vered back to south, surely a bad omen for times to come
    For whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lucas View Post
    as i was reading your post, a swan that was flying north vered back to south, surely a bad omen for times to come

    i will light an incence to michael jackson, he is very powerful.

    Honorary African American
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vash View Post
    Now I am hungry.
    "How can talking about politics/CMA make anyone hungry? https://www.google.com/search?q=pict...w=1440&bih=807

  13. #13
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    Deem Sum dumplings are just Chinese Perogies. https://www.google.com/search?q=pict...w=1440&bih=807
    Last edited by PalmStriker; 03-21-2013 at 07:53 PM.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by bawang View Post
    the biggest failure in kung fu is failing to help the little skinny nerd beat up his big strong bully.
    Yep.

    What's sad is that coaching the skinny nerdy guys and training them enough to be able to stand up to jock bullies isn't rocket science. Learning how to fight with some basic skill really should only take six months of training. Some teachers might still be having their students stand in santi or learning wubuquan or some ****. Those things are worthwhile to some, but if you are training those things instead of learning how to fight, then we should call it exercise, not martial art.

    Of course, guys like Robinhood can stand back and laugh at how that's just "body level" stuff, but we don't see these "mouth boxers" out there proving their game or improving the world. I wonder if Kano Jigoro had to deal with people like him.

    BTW, Bawang, you do a great service to this forum anytime you bring up historical documents or your keen cultural insights. You should write a concise pamphlet to shatter people's fantasies of gongfu, so I can hand it out to the next mealy-mouthed idiot who asks me if I teach snake engine or where he can buy silk pajamas.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post

    Hmm, how oddly metaphoric. Nice topic, pazman. Good timing.
    There was an eerie silence hanging over the forum. lkfmdc brought up a lot of old threads that were worth talking about, and I think we should continue talking about them.

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