Kung-Fu and Caucasian People

[MasterKiller]

and don't forget, Rikki Rocket takes BJJ!

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by MasterKiller
Hispanics now comprise nearly 13 percent of the U.S. population, which grew to 284.8 million in July 2001. That's up from 35.3 million, or 12.5 percent of the country's 281.4 million residents in April 2000.

That's still probably grossly understated...remember, people that are here illegally will not be reported by the census...

[Shaolin-Do]

afu-ra is a 3rd degree blackbelt in tae kwan do
lemme think....
method man studied judo

Thats all I remember right now.
I produce hip hop

[norther practitioner]

I produce hip hop

Yeah in Texas......

[whitewhirlwhind]

I hope this fits in this thread without becoming too intelligent of a debate.

This brings up an interesting point that I am doing for my schoolwork: I wonder what it means for a practice to be traditional and authentic. I was in a school that lit incense and paid homage to the givers of the system (but I wonder how much the system changed under the current leader or the ones before). But what right does the white teacher and my white self have to do this? Does it matter? How much of the “family” tradition can I understand since I grew up in a nuclear family? And what kind of loyalty does our culture teach? How traditional can I be?

Can I actually understand what “tiger coming down the mountain” really means because there aren’t many tigers coming down any mountains in FL. Not to mention the fact that the words are translated from the Chinese people, who write in pictures (mostly) anyway?

[[Censored]]

Jeru probably studied something. And Slick Rick the Ruler? He must know at least a few of those 52 blocks.

[neit]

the singer "kazzer" almost made the canadian olympic judo team.

[shaolin kungfu]

Are you seriously asking what right you have to respect someone?

Loyalty is an individual trait. That is to say, not all asians have it, and not all americans. So you may be very loyal, even if your skin is michael jackson white.

As for understanding the language, is it really that important? Tigers coming down mountains in china shouldn't affect your martial arts skill.

[guohuen]

You must now say three our Fathers and ten hail Marys for saying Rikki Rocket. (Oh shiite! I just said it!)

[NorthernMantis]

Originally posted by whitewhirlwhind
I hope this fits in this thread without becoming too intelligent of a debate.

This brings up an interesting point that I am doing for my schoolwork: I wonder what it means for a practice to be traditional and authentic. I was in a school that lit incense and paid homage to the givers of the system (but I wonder how much the system changed under the current leader or the ones before). But what right does the white teacher and my white self have to do this? Does it matter? How much of the “family” tradition can I understand since I grew up in a nuclear family? And what kind of loyalty does our culture teach? How traditional can I be?

Can I actually understand what “tiger coming down the mountain” really means because there aren’t many tigers coming down any mountains in FL. Not to mention the fact that the words are translated from the Chinese people, who write in pictures (mostly) anyway?

Listen you are practicing Chinese kung fu. Like it or not it is a part of Chinese culture and if you want to practice kung fu then you are responsible for keeping Chinese traditions alive that are part of the syste m wethere you like it or not. I'm not lecturing you though but that's the way how it is. Many times I see people complain how they don't want to do a "ritual" or whatever nonsense they call it but that's American thinking. They don't like doing anything done their way. Oh and I don consider my self Amreican by the way but I am not native to this country.

[whitewhirlwhind]

Shaolin,
I am saying that when I studied in China, loyalty meant something different than it does here. I cannot articulate it yet, but I felt it nonetheless. (finding the right teacher, school, etc. not withstanding)

We all know what the words "tiger coming down the mountain" mean, but do we know the physical or physiological meaning? How can I know what it is when the phrase is taken out of the Chinese context and put into my contemporary setting?

NM,
Yes, we must remember where the stuff comes from. But when is it okay for me to adapt the stuff to me and my background? Am I just too new at the stuff? When does it become authentic FL kung fu?

When can I take a "tool" that I am familiar (a fruitpicker is something I grew up with in FL) with and make a form that I can call a "kung-fu form"? Tang Lang did that with his knowledge, and we still see the residue from his experience. (I am certainly no Tang Lang, I know.)

Thank you for your input. I hope the discussion continues.

[TenTigers]

My school is about 20% Chinese, and I am Gwailo, and we are in a predominantly Latin neighborhood. Oh, btw, only a few Latinos in the school also, and some of the Chinese students travel from the city to come and train, so I guess we're an anomaly.

[Taomonkey]

JEWS in Ma?

I heard Dr Laura has a black belt in TKD or something. She could kick those Hip Hop guys right in the balls.

[apoweyn]

NorthernMantis,

Listen you are practicing Chinese kung fu. Like it or not it is a part of Chinese culture and if you want to practice kung fu then you are responsible for keeping Chinese traditions alive that are part of the syste m wethere you like it or not. I'm not lecturing you though but that's the way how it is. Many times I see people complain how they don't want to do a "ritual" or whatever nonsense they call it but that's American thinking. They don't like doing anything done their way. Oh and I don consider my self Amreican by the way but I am not native to this country.

Nah. I disagree. I think that throwing yourself into the cultural trappings is a perfectly valid way to approach gung fu. But not a necessary one. You are not responsible for chinese traditions "whether you like it or not."

I do believe that you enter into a social contract with a teacher when you attend his school. And that part of agreeing to attend that school is agreeing to his or her rules. But that's distinct from loyalty to an abstract idea.

Why would gung fu be any different from any other cultural heritage we've embraced? It adapts to form something different. The degree to which it adapts depends on the people involved.

I just don't understand the need to tell other people how they should conduct themselves in the martial arts.


Stuart B.

[HuangKaiVun]

I'm a Chinese guy who runs a traditional kung fu school and I DON'T tell others who to conduct themselves in daily living.

OK, I'll tell them to practice restraint when confronted with bad situations. But they don't have to be loyal to the school or me if they don't want to be. I'm "just a kung fu sifu".

A lot of "Americans" (notice I didn't point out a racial group) are natural born fighters. That's what it took for us or our parents to get over here in the first place. Because of that, kung fu appeals to those who are interested in learning how to do combat effectively and efficiently.

What I like about American students is that they don't brook the BS. If something doesn't work, they'll make faces or let you know about it. I just try to adjust to them without compromising myself, and usually what is good for them is good for me as well.

That said, I currently don't have a single Chinese student enrolled. Hopefully that will change, though.