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Thread: Let's talk about PHONY KUNG FU

  1. #16
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    In Taiwan, my Mantis teacher, myself and some of my classmates once stayed after a 1991 CMA tournament ended to watch a qigong program/showcase that was to be held in the same arena. The whole atmosphere changed; a new audience arrived. A few of the participants from the tournament also stayed to check it out.

    One by one, different masters went on the floor to demo to New Age music. When one guest master, an older, bearded man in a suit from Japan proclaimed he would send his chi up into the audience, many people in the stands started panting, shaking, convulsing, and some even fell and writhed on the floor like they were having seizures (or sex with an invisible partner). Some people started screaming and mumbling nonsensical gibberish. I felt absolutely nothing. My teacher was ****ed off by all of this. He started videotaping people around us who were acting weird, because he felt that nobody would believe it otherwise.

    There was also a teacher in a park who claimed he could put a force field around himself for protection and knock people 30 feet away by lightly touching or without physical contact, but that it only worked against those who believed. I didn't believe.

    I don't know if those things are still a thing in Taiwan, as I left there 24 years ago. But I saw more of that over there than in the U.S. I think those types of demos were big in China, too. People who wanted special abilities but didn't want to develop real kung fu through hard work and eating bitter. Or simply people with "issues".

    I am open to the possibility of a lot of things in this world, but I also have a very good B.S. meter. None of the above-mentioned things passed my B.S. meter.

    For a good example of such a demo in the U.S., check out the demo starting from about 49:08:

    Last edited by Jimbo; 12-29-2016 at 10:39 AM.

  2. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post

    For a good example of such a demo in the U.S., check out the demo starting from about 49:08:

    good grief!

  3. #18
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    Dude keeps coming back for more... Amazing.

  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    In Taiwan, my Mantis teacher, myself and some of my classmates once stayed after a 1991 CMA tournament ended to watch a qigong program/showcase that was to be held in the same arena. The whole atmosphere changed; a new audience arrived. A few of the participants from the tournament also stayed to check it out.

    One by one, different masters went on the floor to demo to New Age music. When one guest master, an older, bearded man in a suit from Japan proclaimed he would send his chi up into the audience, many people in the stands started panting, shaking, convulsing, and some even fell and writhed on the floor like they were having seizures (or sex with an invisible partner). Some people started screaming and mumbling nonsensical gibberish. I felt absolutely nothing. My teacher was ****ed off by all of this. He started videotaping people around us who were acting weird, because he felt that nobody would believe it otherwise.

    There was also a teacher in a park who claimed he could put a force field around himself for protection and knock people 30 feet away by lightly touching or without physical contact, but that it only worked against those who believed. I didn't believe.

    I don't know if those things are still a thing in Taiwan, as I left there 24 years ago. But I saw more of that over there than in the U.S. I think those types of demos were big in China, too. People who wanted special abilities but didn't want to develop real kung fu through hard work and eating bitter. Or simply people with "issues".

    I am open to the possibility of a lot of things in this world, but I also have a very good B.S. meter. None of the above-mentioned things passed my B.S. meter.

    For a good example of such a demo in the U.S., check out the demo starting from about 49:08:

    that whole hour was pretty bad except for like 3 people

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  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by bawang View Post
    that whole hour was pretty bad except for like 3 people
    My favorite performer of that show is Frank Yee at 53:53.

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zui Quan View Post
    In brazil,we have THOUSANDS of phony masters of all kinds martial arts and,like always,kung fu is the worst victim of this.

    For example,we have this huge "McDojo" enterprise that says they teach "ancient oriental knowledge from 5000 thousand years" that originated from argentina called PAKUA (no,they don't teach baguazhang).others would the TSKF kung fu school were their praying mantis style has questionable origins and morally questionable marketing strategies and "luohan institute" were STARTED as a phony kung fu school,but,it got certain credibility when they got contacts with shaolin master shi deyang.

    How is the situation of phony kung fu and martial arts in your home country?
    With much of Chinese martial arts lineages can not always be traced. Some know one or 2 instructors in the lineage and after that it is "China". Many bad Chinese teachers do also exist. But in a way, what is bad, what is good? If a person likes it and becomes happy of it it is real enough.

    Nowadays more and more online kungfu courses to learn kungfu. I saw a 3 animal kungfu course, praying mantis courses, 5 animal kungfu courses and more.

    If you learn and you like it then it is okay! Stay critical about several online courses and find a real teacher.

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by mrshungkuen View Post

    Nowadays more and more online kungfu courses to learn kungfu. I saw a 3 animal kungfu course, praying mantis courses, 5 animal kungfu courses and more.

    If you learn and you like it then it is okay! Stay critical about several online courses and find a real teacher.
    These "learn kung fu / martial arts online" courses are popping up everywhere. I school near me now does it with gratings via skype. This just sounds crazy to me. Watching videos of martial arts is fine as long as then a person can correct you in IN PERSON. You cant do this via video sorry. We are gonna have all these 20 years old Kung Fu masters and Karate black belts running around in the next few years who have never met another martial artist or even been hit before...

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by macpark View Post
    These "learn kung fu / martial arts online" courses are popping up everywhere. I school near me now does it with gratings via skype. This just sounds crazy to me. Watching videos of martial arts is fine as long as then a person can correct you in IN PERSON. You cant do this via video sorry. We are gonna have all these 20 years old Kung Fu masters and Karate black belts running around in the next few years who have never met another martial artist or even been hit before...
    I never thought about video learning a whole system. Ofcourse i use some videos as reference for forms that i have learned as a back up.

    Do you considder video learning totally useless and ineffective?

  9. #24
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    Learn from everything.

    Quote Originally Posted by mrshungkuen View Post
    Do you considder video learning totally useless and ineffective?
    I don't consider any learning totally useless and ineffective. Besides, our primary sponsor MartialArtsMart.com sells instructional videos. That's part of what pays to keep the lights on here at the KungFuMagazine.com forum.
    Gene Ching
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  10. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by mrshungkuen View Post
    I never thought about video learning a whole system. Ofcourse i use some videos as reference for forms that i have learned as a back up.

    Do you considder video learning totally useless and ineffective?

    No i use video for helping me remember forms and being able to watch my sifu's exact hand position etc. It allows me to progress with certain aspects faster. But as the ONLY way to train from beginner through the belts is just crazy. If I wasnt practicing with other people I would be nowhere. Sure my forms might be fine but the rest a mess. Video has its place but its not a viable way to train full time like many places now offer. "learn from home".

    Interestingly my Grandmaster was once asked about videoing himself doing forms etc for training. "if you are having trouble remembering then you should train more". We now use video for students as reference and its great but I see his point lol. IN an ideal world I would train 5 days a week at class

  11. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    I don't consider any learning totally useless and ineffective. Besides, our primary sponsor MartialArtsMart.com sells instructional videos. That's part of what pays to keep the lights on here at the KungFuMagazine.com forum.

    Vids are a great reference. But im more talking about "Train online" schools. I wont post a link to one in my area out of respect to them but if you look around you will find them.

  12. #27
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    Modern blues

    Quote Originally Posted by macpark View Post
    Vids are a great reference. But im more talking about "Train online" schools.
    According to legend, the ancients learned from watching snakes and cranes, even bugs like mantids. They learned from dreams and divine visions. Videos aren't nearly as romantic, nor is it in any way superior to transmission from 'warm hand to warm hand' but I never discount anything completely.

    My late Master Wing Lam had a few video students that were really good (there were lousy ones too, just like in most any open door school). Some people lack the resources due to finances or geography, but that doesn't mean they lack spirit and dedication. Personally, I've tried to learn off video, just for the exercise of it. I failed, but I'm spoiled here because there's so many masters in my area. However, I have seen other cases that succeeded. Sure, there's some sucky online courses, but it's really about the student with online or video training. They have to apply themselves a lot more. If they can do that, they just might succeed.

    My main point is that you shouldn't just snub the possibility because it's totally within the realm of possibilities and some people have no other route. It's not the best route, but neither is being close minded about how to learn.
    Gene Ching
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  13. #28
    Fair enough Gene.

    I guess they just arent for me me but I could see how people in areas that have no access it might be a good tool.

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