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**Thai Bri** · 03-30-2007, 04:52 PM

This is a great post. It outlines the beginnings of a journey that I started to make decades ago.

There are too many traditionalists who have lost sight of the squirrel. They all started out wanting to learn how to defend themselves. But those that stayed on (dismissing those who had the sense to leave for being somehow weak) put too much of their ego into it.

They lost the ability to rationalise what they were learning, and had spent so much time and energy studying it that they found it hard to cut and run.

I am sure that there are traditional martial artists out there who really can fight. I know there are. But they are few and far between. They have been overtaken by easily impressed morons who wave their arms and legs about, imagining that they and their "Masters" are deadly fighting machines. And all evidence to the contrary is ignored or, as TV seems to have so impressively demonstrated, treated with scorn and aggression.

My personal favourites are those that argue that their art is effective.... when you begin to tear that down they say "Well, we are studying an art, we are not here to fight....". And when the nasty non believer has left the room? Then they tell themselves it is effective again.

Martial Artists of the world. cast off your chains of tradition. Drivers no longer learn how to drive a horse and cart. Cast the old ways aside and embrace the new. Or get the shit kicked out of you when your silly art fails, as these arts so often do.

03-30-2007, 04:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
Thai Bri Premiere Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 5,415	This is a great post. It outlines the beginnings of a journey that I started to make decades ago. There are too many traditionalists who have lost sight of the squirrel. They all started out wanting to learn how to defend themselves. But those that stayed on (dismissing those who had the sense to leave for being somehow weak) put too much of their ego into it. They lost the ability to rationalise what they were learning, and had spent so much time and energy studying it that they found it hard to cut and run. I am sure that there are traditional martial artists out there who really can fight. I know there are. But they are few and far between. They have been overtaken by easily impressed morons who wave their arms and legs about, imagining that they and their "Masters" are deadly fighting machines. And all evidence to the contrary is ignored or, as TV seems to have so impressively demonstrated, treated with scorn and aggression. My personal favourites are those that argue that their art is effective.... when you begin to tear that down they say "Well, we are studying an art, we are not here to fight....". And when the nasty non believer has left the room? Then they tell themselves it is effective again. Martial Artists of the world. cast off your chains of tradition. Drivers no longer learn how to drive a horse and cart. Cast the old ways aside and embrace the new. Or get the shit kicked out of you when your silly art fails, as these arts so often do. Last edited by Thai Bri; 03-30-2007 at 05:31 PM.