Sammy Seal Franco spins a yarn again.

[Nox]

Did I hear you guys right he is specificaly remove post on his forum because he doesn't agree with the content?? Well I made my peace with that forum I asked him to ban me I've been reading It since a little before July right before the he won't teach women forum that got alot people upset. I actualy have a good number of his books (I have a pretty big collection of martial arts books I like to learn) some of his stuff is good his attitude comes threw in his book also though. Hey live and learn thats what life is about, I could tell he had a chip on his shoulder I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. He could still prove himself if he just apoligized to Mike but I don't think thats going to happen.

[Ryu (JKD?)]

The martial arts world is getting stupid. Plain and simple.

[brokenelbow]

Wrong Ryu. The marital arts world is stupid, and always has been.

[Ryu (JKD?)]

Incidently, someone on that forum asked what happened to it and why it's become the way it has.
It's because of all that new "unleash the male psyche, don't be a pussy" bullshit. And it's not just that forum too, LOTS of martial arts (including JKD and MMA) are home to this pseudo "be a real man" kaka.

I used to do it too. I used to place myself in stupid and dangerous situations up until recently to prove I could fight and be tough. And it's bullshit.

You want to be a "real man?" Get a job and love your wife. Raise some kids right and help your community be a more moral place.

[Ryu (JKD?)]

Wrong Ryu. The marital arts world is stupid, and always has been.

I stand corrected.

[Thai Bri]

Ryan! Long time no hear mate. I hope you are well.

I'm stilll here, poking fun at the egos...... (except my own.....). Hows the training going?

[brokenelbow]

Martial arts used to be about how to protect yourself when you needed to and how to be a better person the rest of the time.

Myabe I've just been around longer but guys like Sammy have always been around. I've met his type in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. The difference now is that instead of being restricted to flapping their gums in their own schools and maybe if they were lucky one of the martial arts magazines that wasn't Black Belt, they now have the internet. I've always been lucky to find schools like you describe Mike, but they weren't in the majority where I'm from. Check out the excellent book "By the Sword" by Cohen and you'll see that Sammy's ancestors used to also be in the sword fighting business. Nothings ever changed, Same as it ever was...same as it ever was...same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...same as it ever was...same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...same as it ever was...

[ryanhall]

Hey, Bri. Glad to see you haven't lost your touch.

Training's going well. I've got some great training partners who I learn a lot from in the process of being beat up. I'm at the gym everyday, and I've been competing pretty successfully in some regional sub grappling/bjj tournaments (3 tournaments, 3rd, 2nd, and 4th place respectively). I hope to be ready to fight MMA by the summer, but my standup (and grappling, too) has a long way to go.

How've things been going for you?

Ryu,

What's up, dude? How've things been going for you? Your disdain for and disillusionment with the martial arts community is heartening . I'm sure you know, though, that a real tough guy would never question a man who talks about punching women's skulls in...

[Nox]

This might spin a whole new topic but I want to see what you guys think. I am constintly running into guys like Sammy on this whole I'm a guy hear me roar. Not only in the martial arts community but also in my work enviroment and gym. I try to be nice to guys in the gym and say hi and they look at me with this attitude what is this all about? Can't smile and work out or better yet when you meet another martial artist it turns into this hey my martial art is better than yours. I'm just trying to learn something about what they do. I once went into a martial arts school and asked the instructor if he taught Wing Chun and he basicaly got in my face like he wanted to challenge me. I thought that kind of stuff only happened long ago I guess I was wrong. Personaly call me old fashion I figure God created me to bring honor to him so I strive to be the best I can as a man and treat others with the respect He commands me to but at the same time I'm not going to stop being the best I can.

[kengar]

I would have to say that Franco is quite deserving of this bashing. That is just pathetic. I had one of his earlier video's and he seemed like a descent guy, guess something went to his head.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the retina inside your actual eyeball, on the backside of the eye? Scratching that is a cool trick.

That is one of the Razing technique's. That's the problem with you people, you judge and criticize without understanding the system.

You carefully remove the eye, holding it between your finger tips, scratch retina with opposite hand fingernail and replace eye. This may or may not cause blurred vision and will absolutely cause no pain considering the retina does not contain any pain receptors.


Bri, we can only appreciate your candor.

[brokenelbow]

I think there's a market for that but it's not very big. Most people pick their art by convienient location and cost. The people who are really serious about a particular art will seek it out and stay with it until their goals are reached. The buffet style martial artists usually isn't very serious about learning any one art or haven't made up their mind to what they want from a MA, so it might work for them. I don't lump the real MMA guys in this crowd. Also the ego's would have to be kept in check for everyone. A friend of mine was trying out renting mat time to some other arts and his worry was them taking over. One even said that was their goal. As always this is from my experience so your mileage may vary.

I think why Dan's school is succesful is because of Dan and those around him. Has Dan ever bad mouthed anybody or any art outside of those he teaches? Maybe he has but I've never seen it in print.

[Ryu (JKD?)]

Hey Ryan,
Things are okay I suppose. I'm working for a security company and working my way up to LEO sometime in the future possibly. (unless my endless scripts make it to the big leagues...but I'll probably have to wait a bit )

Yeah, I'm a bit different about MA then I used to be. I'm not currently teaching anything right now, but am still working on my clinch skills, groundwork, and boxing. Throwing in some of Senshido's stuff and of course never leaving behind my PFS concepts. (though I don't blast much)
Just trying to make some honest money for myself and my girlfriend, and getting fed up with a lot of the "I'm a badass" stuff.

Glad to hear you're doing well, and want to wish you the best of luck in your MMA competitions! I'm not a competitive man by heart, but it takes one hell of a comittment to do so, so my hat's off to you!


To quickly respond to the comment above about why so many men are acting this way ... (not to turn it into a rant)

This is all I'm gonna say. There's a lot of stereotypes and crap men have to go through in order to get to be responsible adults in our society. Many, unfortunately, never make it there if you get my drift.
Some of us spend so much damn time being afraid of being a "pussy" that we stop trying to live in the real world and forget to enjoy life as Mike said.

Most of these "badasses" have never gotten their butts kicked and are deathly afraid of what it feels like.

I think it takes more of a "man" to accept you're not superman, and say you're capable of being beaten up by better guys then sit and claim you're too deadly for the street. I also think there's this big push for MA people and especially instructors to be seen as invincible. And that's a big pile of bullshit there too.

It's real easy guys.
I'm a fully certified JKD concepts instructor, and have trained with Rickson Gracie, Fabio Santos, Carlos Machado, Thom Cruse, Paul Vunak, Vince Tamura, and other great people.
And I can get beaten up by a MMA fighter. Or a meaner streetfighter.

Why others are so afraid of saying that I'll never know.

My rules to be a "real man."

1. Work hard
2. Treat women right
3. Be a good father
4. Work on your own shortcomings
5. Be moral and ethical
6. Help your community
7. Love your wife, family, and raise great kids.


Rant over.

[Thai Bri]

You have the makings of a great man.

[Tom Yum]

Hey Ryan,
Things are okay I suppose. I'm working for a security company and working my way up to LEO sometime in the future possibly. (unless my endless scripts make it to the big leagues...but I'll probably have to wait a bit )

Yeah, I'm a bit different about MA then I used to be. I'm not currently teaching anything right now, but am still working on my clinch skills, groundwork, and boxing. Throwing in some of Senshido's stuff and of course never leaving behind my PFS concepts. (though I don't blast much)
Just trying to make some honest money for myself and my girlfriend, and getting fed up with a lot of the "I'm a badass" stuff.

Glad to hear you're doing well, and want to wish you the best of luck in your MMA competitions! I'm not a competitive man by heart, but it takes one hell of a comittment to do so, so my hat's off to you!


To quickly respond to the comment above about why so many men are acting this way ... (not to turn it into a rant)

This is all I'm gonna say. There's a lot of stereotypes and crap men have to go through in order to get to be responsible adults in our society. Many, unfortunately, never make it there if you get my drift.
Some of us spend so much damn time being afraid of being a "pussy" that we stop trying to live in the real world and forget to enjoy life as Mike said.

Most of these "badasses" have never gotten their butts kicked and are deathly afraid of what it feels like.

I think it takes more of a "man" to accept you're not superman, and say you're capable of being beaten up by better guys then sit and claim you're too deadly for the street. I also think there's this big push for MA people and especially instructors to be seen as invincible. And that's a big pile of bullshit there too.

It's real easy guys.
I'm a fully certified JKD concepts instructor, and have trained with Rickson Gracie, Fabio Santos, Carlos Machado, Thom Cruse, Paul Vunak, Vince Tamura, and other great people.
And I can get beaten up by a MMA fighter. Or a meaner streetfighter.

Why others are so afraid of saying that I'll never know.

My rules to be a "real man."

1. Work hard
2. Treat women right
3. Be a good father
4. Work on your own shortcomings
5. Be moral and ethical
6. Help your community
7. Love your wife, family, and raise great kids.


Rant over.

Hey, that's a great set of beliefs, but its easier said than done.

You've got to marry the right person for #2 and #7. People's expectations are often as different as night and day and never come to judgement when your blindly in love. The result: you get "You're not the man/woman I married" syndrome and it can get difficult....hmmm, maybe we should've spent more time getting to know each other instead of idealizing....oh well

Working on one's own shortcomings is a never ending challenge.

[Thai Bri]

Cop out. You should know what you want and what you are getting when you get married. Too many people take the plunge because they just want to be like everyone else. Then they get divorced, like almost everyone else!