Originally Posted by
bodhi warrior
I never quit my art. I still practice everyday, I just chose to narrow my focus on what I know instead of piling on more forms.
And I do believe in the art as it used to be taught in the old days, which is the way I still train, conditioning, sparring, and a more narrow focus on forms.
I do not believe in the art as it is taught today. Promoting people to master level who obviously have no real skills, but are allowed to teach. This apparent need to add more and more forms for whatever reason ($).
I remember seeing this guy in a demo a couple years ago. He was a 4th black doing drunken spear. This guy dropped the spear numerous times, his spins were slow and weak and yet he was a 4th black!? This is just one example. There are many. If he was a brown belt or 1st black maybe, but 4th?
And I still dont see how Sin can copywrite forms he didn't create.
I hear you, I'm in the same spot.
I was thinking about copyrighting forms, and I suppose it's about the same thing as dance choreography. And apparently dance choreography can be copyrighted.
http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl119.html
You just have to have a video of the choreographed piece, or a detailed written description.
in fact, I found the shaolin do copyright from 1990, and it is in fact under the category of dramatic work and music or choreography. Submitted in the form of a videocassette
I think the actual copyright was discussed on the thread before.
this is from the US copyright office website, where you can look up anything copyrighted since 1978
Type of Work: Dramatic Work and Music; or Choreography
Registration Number / Date: PAu001493404 / 1990-08-09
Title: Shaolin do.
Description: videocassette.
Notes: Cataloged from appl.
Copyright Claimant: Sin Kwang The
Date of Creation: 1980
Authorship on Application: Sin Kwang The.
Previous Registration: Martial arts movements preexisting.
Basis of Claim: New Matter: selection & ordering of exercises.
Copyright Note: C.O. correspondence.
I'm not exactly sure what this all means. Also, we don't know exactly what was on that videotape that was submitted. And I wonder does he continue to submit videos and copyright the new material that comes out, or is it technically only that which was part of the system in 1990?
certainly, 24 posture taiji, the jiang rong quiao's classical bagua form, the xingyi five elements and 12 animals, and many others in the system, cannot be copyrighted as they are widely taught and available for learning from many sources. And it's a good point about Hiang The and Ie Chang Ming's other students...they learned much of the same material, but not from Sin The. So the actual forms could not be copyrighted, except for those which Gm The invented himself. It would interesting to see what was on the video tape or tapes he submitted.
The main thing is the order in which the forms are taught, which comprises the system. If you leave some forms out, or teach them in a different order, then you're not violating the copyright, I think. Anyway, as long as someone doesn't stay too close to their old school or shaolin do, they could easily get away with teaching whatever they want. I know for a fact there are people out there teaching some of the material they learned in shaolin do or CSC in their own schools.
If someone changed the name of the school, organized things a little bit differently, added or removed things, then I don't think they would be in violation of the copyright.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun! Go back to the shadow, you cannot pass!"