What Have You Seen/Felt???

[TenTigers]

I thought this deserves its own thread:


How many of you have seen, or felt technique that has absolutely blown your mind? Not the skill that is simply really, really good. But something that you thought, up to that time, just simply wasn't attainable, or even possible?

I'll give you a few.

Y.H. Park was one of the most amazing TKD practitioners I have ever witnessed. His technique was picture perfect. He moved so effortlessly, and when he would in a relaxed manner, nonchalontly side kick the leather Everlast heavybag, it would buckle in half, and hit the ceiling.
The whole building shook. I thought I would never see another human like that again.
Then I trained with Hong Young Ki-Hwang Kee's son in law, who used to train the ROK Marines. He was breathtaking. He moved like a fine tuned machine. When you grabbed his wrists, he would flex his hands, and his wrists would expand, and your grip would break. His wrists felt like steel cables with thin skin over them.
He once did a spinning back kick that shot out like a rocket, and stopped it with a snap, an inch in front of my nose-while I was attacking. His control was astonishing. He wasn't human.

My SPM teacher makes the air pop from inches away, his hands stop my hardest punches with what feels like a baby's caress, and can with the same move, jolt the nerves in my arms like electric shocks. I have seen him "block" a 6'6" 300 lb Eighth dan's punch and send him flying back from it-with what appeared to be a mere flick.
He says his teacher is twice as good-that boggles the mind.
HIS teacher says Lam was twice as good as he is!
It's not magic, it's not fantasy, it's devotion.
But it exists.
Maybe the only real secret is hard work, time, effort, dedication.
Ever wonder why we call it,"Gung-Fu?"

So share with us some of your experiences.


P.S. I am not referring to tricks, demos, parlor trcks, or whatever. I am referring to seeing, touching, witnessing real, high level skill. Period. Skill that even a blind man can see is immediately applicable, transferrable, useable (pick a word) in combat.
Sure, I know in past threads, and on youtube, people have shown some pretty cool feats, breaks, techniques, whatever. This is not what I am referrring to.

P.P.S-No hijackers trying to "enlighten" us. You aren't telling anyone anything new. Save it for your buddies. You catch my drift.

[SimonM]

My sifu is half my size and weight. I could literally bench press him.... and yet when doing ground work he is unmovable unless he wants to move in which he can effortlessly trick you into believing a trap is really an opening to escape.

[brothernumber9]

When the first Shaolin monk tour happened and they came through Maryland, when one of the monks licked a red hot schovel, I was wowed. I had never seen anything like that before and I was in the parking lot where the shovel was sitting in a fire for a long time. It was really glowing red F'n hot. I know people can cake saliva and whatever on their tongue, but it still blew me away.

We had a seminar at our school around '94 or so taught by Sifu Y. C. Wong. At one point he asked be to grip the fat on the side if his waist. I grabbed a chuck of skin and fat and his shirt and really squeezed. Not that I have a strong grip, but he made a noise and tensed up, and my grip expanded completely to a point where he didn't have an ounce of trouble just moving out of my grip.

China san shou coach Xia Ba Hau did a seminar at our school as well, I think also around mid 90's, but I don't remember what year really. He asked me to punch him in the face to demonstrate a parryng/evasion concept, which I did. Eventhough he shaded my punch, I still caught him on the cheek. He didn't even blink and continued talking (Shawn Liu, and my si-hing Tim Lee were translating). I don't know if I irritated him and he just wanted to teach me a lesson, or if he liked that I didn't just dangle my punch out like normal hokey app demos, but he pretty much kept calling on me almost every time to demonstrate. The application demo directly after the one where I knicked him, he asked me to attack him (didn't say how, but I predictably tried to punch him in the face). He parried my punch and instantly I was on my back. I didn't see it, but I felt it and knew what he did. He had moved in and holding his hand in a position like you would if you were chokin somone, caught me in the throat, and completely took me off of my feet. What amazed me was that I was completely unhurt by his technique(we were on a floor matt so the landing didn't hurt). I could feel that he stopped his power abrubtly and at the same time didn't squeeze his hand when he hit my neck.

All of these may be par or even sub-par for the course for alot of people on these boards, but right in those moments I personally was amazed.

[GreenCloudCLF]

boobies...I haven't read what this thread is about. But my answer is boobies.

[sanjuro_ronin]

In regards to TKD:
GM Park would double up a 200+ heavy bag that was as hard a freaking concrete with ridgehands and side kicks.
He was once sparring a visiting BB from the states and knocked him out with a front leg hook kick, knocking out 2 teeth.
The BB was a high ranking kick boxer at the time and was over 6 ft and 230lbs.

My old TKD instructor would bring over visiting BB and destroy them in full contact matches AFTER doing the same in point matches, they were always heavyweights and then some and he was 160's and his his 40's, he did this top show us youngins how to deal with "size".

In Kyokushin, well, its kyokushin, what can one say ?

Suraiste (SP?)Chai once did a cute little demo where he told you where he was gonna round kick and when and then kciked you there, HARD, every time.

In judo I have seen 120lbs guys demolish seasoned HW competitors standing AND on the ground.

Too much to go into detail as I look back...

In BJJ Fabiano taking on 3 students in MMA and demolishing them all, the lowest rank was a purple belt.

[TenTigers]

nice stuff, except for the shovel licking trick, which is a parlor trick, that has been done for centuries.

[sanjuro_ronin]

If one wants video "evidence" of certain feats, there are the videos of Shinjo sensei of the Uechi-ryu, if you like extreme forging of weapons.

[TenTigers]

boobies...i haven't read what this thread is about. But my answer is boobies.

rotflmfao!!!!!

[sanjuro_ronin]

boobies...I haven't read what this thread is about. But my answer is boobies.

Ask and thou shall receive:

[Pork Chop]

GreenCloud stole my answer....

I've clashed shins with Thais who've fought professionally, been made to look stupid by pro boxers who could slide in through my defense with ease & light me up at will, and been thrown around like a ragdoll by many a grappler (judoka, wrestlers, bjj, shuai chiao, etc); but I haven't seen much that was extra-ordinary.

I think the only time I've ever sat there scratching my head at "how'd they do that?" was Lilly Lau. Almost a decade ago, I was in a seminar with her and she was tossing around a 230~260lb 6'2" classmate of mine. She's like 5'3 and maaaaybe 120. In retrospect I think most of it was leverage & having a lower center of gravity, mixed with going with force on someone who wasn't sure what to expect; but it was pretty cool at the time.

For the most part, if something's effective I try to figure out how it works.
If someone's got a lot of power in their shots I try to figure out their mechanics.
A buddy of mine who's a mutual friend of TT gave me a "faht ging" demo to show me how different it was, but also took the time to show me how he was doing what he was doing.

I would think the vast majority of the time the amazing stuff is proper mechanics mixed with the dedication & practice to make sure it comes out perfect every time.

[SimonM]

A beggining student of good size who could not be joint locked or feel pain. Nerve attacks did nothing.

Nerve attacks can be like that. Most of the classical pressure point stuff doesn't work on me... gotta actually attack the joints. Now joint attacks on the other hand... They work just fine.

[TenTigers]

DaitoRyu Sensei Roy Goldberg. He drops people with micro-movements on their limbs. Uncanny. I grabbed his wrist and I couldn't let go, as he brought me to the floor. My hand was open, but the fingers were still somewhat curled around. I tried to release, but it didn't happen. He made these micro-adjustments based on sensitivity and many, many years of practice.
He dropped my student-I asked her if she felt any pain, she said,"No. Not at all. I just was standing there one moment, and on the floor the next, with no in-between."
We are not Aiki students, so there is no Sensei mystique-suggestion-hypno-mumbo-jumbo about it.
Next time I see him, I'm gonna volunteer to be the meat puppet. I need to feel this.
The coolest thing about Goldberg-Sensei is, he is incredibly humble. When asked about it, he responded, "For the life of me, I really don't know how I do it myself. It's just after devoting over thirty years, things...just happen!"
-and he's such a "regular guy," from Brooklyn. Laid back, quiet, always smiling, and skill above skill.

[Kansuke]

There will always be people who are faaar better at 'whatever' than most others. The effect and impression this has on others will correspond with how far removed from that level of excellence.

[diego]

If one wants video "evidence" of certain feats, there are the videos of Shinjo sensei of the Uechi-ryu, if you like extreme forging of weapons.

is this the guy? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iLY0dp0cXw

[David Jamieson]

I haven't seen or felt anything beyond what could be expected as results from dedicated and diligent training.

there is NO magic, it's all hard work.