The recent thread on the fake photos at John Painter's Jiuliong website brought repeated statements--and not just from his defenders--that John Painter has "real" skill in baguazhang. In talking with a variety of people, though, I get a whole spectrum of responses. Some come from people who've only seen his videos, not really trained with him or even met him in person. For example:
from http://home.att.net/~erik.mann/epmm1991.htm
"The only two demos I did not find to be in any way impressive , was John Painter doing a Pa Kua Applications demo - he looks like someone desperately trying to pass his Aikido brown belt test- and a Shuai Chiao demo by Hsing Ping Jeng and Lin Chih Young involving a lot of stumbling about and loss of balance. Maybe they should have invited Matt Furey to demonstrate." (a review of a 1991 video on which Painter was featured along with other martial artists).
The other end of the spectrum shows great respect for the guy as a skillful teacher who can demonstrate what he talks about (for example, C.D. Lee, one of Painter's students).
What I'd like to hear more of are from people or sources who have actually met or "crossed hands" with John Painter--not just watched his videos, and who are not beholden to him as a student. In other words, some kind of objective account of Mr. Painter's baguazhang skills.
My own current opinion is that, while his baguazhang history probably fundamentally fraudulent, he may well have picked up very good baguazhang skills through studying others, talking with other teachers at the multitude of multi-art seminars like the old Tai Chi Farm events or Taste of China, etc., and through diligent practice acquired something at least resembling baguazhang skill.
Again, this is about Mr. Painter's skills, not his history or poor Photoshop work.
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