Martial Arts Hocus Pocus...

[Great Sage]

Seriously, Halloween is over for people who still believe in mystical martial arts powers... Occasionally, I still hear about the “Monk who slew 50 men with one strike, “ or “a wanderer who leaps tall buildings,” etc... Many of these fantastic tales originated in the East where magic and mystique have always been accepted. Here are some fanatically crazy things I’ve heard...

Magic powers and “chi.”
According to CHI enthusiasts, a person with CHI can control its flow and is impervious to pain... This would explain why my neighbor who has practiced Tai Chi for 15 years was hospitalized after taking a fall. Maybe he had the CHI in the wrong place? Worst yet are those who can shoot fireball CHI... I won’t even go there.

Grandmaster “superman”
How many times have you heard the line, “the founder of this art defeated 60 men?” Doesn’t sound too promising when you realize that everyone was using tiger, crane, snake kung-fu and other fancy forms.

Pressure points
I guy told me once that he could hurt my arm by pressing on certain nerves... Well, volunteered my arm and it hurt somewhat... I told him to try it again and as he began to apply pressure, I punched him in the face and sent him reeling... You figure out what hurt more, the pressure points or my fist.

Death Touch, “Dim Mak”
At first I thought Dim Mak was one deadly strike, then I learned it was a series of well placed strikes... Now, I realize the amount of time spent learning to place those series of strikes is worthless and useless compared to the amount of time you could be enhancing your boxing skills.

Mind Reading and Invisibility
The only invisible ninja is a dead one. Yes, you’ve read my mind... I’m gonna pulverize you.

Black Belts
These days they tie the noose around your waste to signify a dead man walking.

Flight
A person who can fly and make lots of money in sports and entertainment, but is unwilling to come forth should remain hidden.

[platinum_angel]

hey look another comedian

[Lizard]

When one of these supermonks demonstrates his powers in a controled environment in front of a large group of unbiased witneses, then I will consider it. If this guy can fly why isn't he making millions in basketball? I prefer comic book science myself: If you stick that radioactive nail in my foot I will gain nail powers, if I eat poisoned Ice-cream? You guessed it, incredible Ice-cream powers! The writers look for any excuse to give people bizzarre abilities.

[DRLashambe]

Check out www.randi.org, this guy is a former magician who debunks "mystical" stuff. He's offered a million dollars U.S. to anyone who can prove in a scientific, controlled experiment that they have any supernatural powers (he's debunked a lot of Chi claims).

[Lizard]

Well in that case. How do I maximise my Chi for flight? I'm gonna get that money somehow.

[Ryu (JKD?)]

I remember one myth about some great sage that came to a forum preaching how great the traditional arts were then switched almost overnight to how terrible they were.
Rumors say he doesn't say much, and only fills up space with the insulting and stereotyping of various arts.

Ryu

[ryanhall]

I remember one myth about some great sage that came to a forum preaching how great the traditional arts were then switched almost overnight to how terrible they were.

Indirect wit can sometimes be the sharpest.

The Transformation of Great Sage:
Traditional Champion

http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6681&highlight=great+sage

http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6688&highlight=great+sage

“Tae Kwon Do is my Jeet Kune Do.”

http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6998&highlight=great+sage

http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7069&highlight=great+sage

Ring Sport Aficionado

http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7421&highlight=great+sage

http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7296&highlight=great+sage

http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?s=&postid=63996#post63996

http://www.defend.net/deluxeforums/showthread.php?s=&postid=63964#post63964

There's much, much more, but this was all I cared to find.

It was a long and winding path that greatly reminds me of Azzazzin's lightning-fast metamorphasis from complete novice and champion of Combat Tae Kwon Do to Martial Arts Master, Super Streetfighter, and Systema Superstar in under a week.

[Great Sage]

Originally posted by Ryu (JKD?)
I remember one myth about some great sage that came to a forum preaching how great the traditional arts were then switched almost overnight to how terrible they were.
Rumors say he doesn't say much, and only fills up space with the insulting and stereotyping of various arts.

Ryu

You know... What’s even more funny is how people overlook things. If one were to read all my various posts, he would notice not a transition but an advocation of certain qualitites within the martial arts. However, what’s more amusing is that Ryan would take the time to find my old posts... Gosh, I feel special now.

[Lizard]

trad MA are great except they are rubbish. A contradiction? A transition? No "advocation of certain qualitites within the martial arts". See he is wise.

[Nick]

...

The most I've seen someone do with "chi" is make their hands kinda hot. Nothing really practical, though, unless you count punching and kicking as exerting chi.

Later...

[ryanhall]

Great Sage,
I really don't care if you want to change your mind on something. I was just noting that you did. You've gone from "TKD is my JKD" and "high kicks work great" to "boxing is better than Asian martial arts in most ways" and "most kicks are impractical." You now seem to consider yourself a boxer rather than a Tae Kwon Do practitioner. You have become the very thing you used to argue against. If you want to flip-flop your views, that's fine. But at least acknowledge that you did it. As far as finding the posts goes, it took about 3 minutes. I just didn't want to make a point without displaying some evidence.

Frankly, I agree with Ryu. Though I find some of your more recent posts interesting, they tend to stereotype and insult many groups and systems. And for what?

[EnterSandman]

Martial Arts are intertwined with culture, religion, history and national pride. Therefore, the characteristics of faith, tunnel vision, and urban legends have a tendancy to be linked together with the metaphysics, biomechanics and training systems of various martial arts diciplines.

Understanding how martial arts systems have developed over the centuries can be both interesting and can also give you perspective on deveoping into a better fighter. Does that mean you have to know or resect it?

No. To each their own.

Seperating the Martial "Art" from the Martial "Science" is key in understanding what a partictioner is trying to accomplish. If rituals and traditions help u to have better dicipline in being a better fighter, so be it. That goes the same for a guy who takes the approach of hittin the gym, takes creatine and listens to DMX in order to maintain his own focus as well.

[Great Sage]

Originally posted by ryanhall
Great Sage,
I really don't care if you want to change your mind on something. I was just noting that you did. You've gone from "TKD is my JKD" and "high kicks work great" to "boxing is better than Asian martial arts in most ways" and "most kicks are impractical." You now seem to consider yourself a boxer rather than a Tae Kwon Do practitioner. You have become the very thing you used to argue against. If you want to flip-flop your views, that's fine. But at least acknowledge that you did it. As far as finding the posts goes, it took about 3 minutes. I just didn't want to make a point without displaying some evidence.

Frankly, I agree with Ryu. Though I find some of your more recent posts interesting, they tend to stereotype and insult many groups and systems. And for what?

Again, you fail understand that I advocate certain qualities within various martial arts. I’ve never denied that TKD was my JKD... Besides, my post “TKD is my JKD” has nothing to do with TKD. It was a concept about individualism. TKD was my starting point, much like Wing Chun was for Bruce Lee. Therefore, it is at the core of my individual... However, many TKD techniques and dojans are pathetic, and these I have ridiculed.

I once wrote about how high and fancy kicks CAN work... This post was about the uncertainty of different angle attacks, not a propaganda about using high kicks against a skilled fighter. In a real fight, I would kick and have kicked when the situation presented itself.

Lastly, I’ve never said anything to suggest that kicking is impractical... Yes, I have said that the concepts of boxing are superior to most asian martial arts because boxing is simple, direct and forward. At the same time, I also mentioned that judo among other arts are good complementary arts.

My goal from the very beginning was to gain insight on what has prompted me in the direction of MMA and self-defense, not a transition of faith. When I talked about tradition, it was rhetorical... Aren't certain things in the martial arts worth preserving — honor, dignity and integrity among your peers?

If anyone is a schizo, it’s Ryu...

[Ryu (JKD?)]

Originally posted by Great Sage


If anyone is a schizo, it’s Ryu...

I've had torn tendons in my elbow, ripped ligaments, cracked ribs, bloody noses, broken toes and fingers,

and even at this moment I'm sporting a swollen black lump on my wrist from full contact stick fighting........

......but that really hurt.





Ryu

[Lizard]

It's strange the way we are proud of our injuries. I'm proud of the purple line around my ankle. A linear bruise caused by spraining it. I think it's like: Look I've been badly hurt, but I survived (at which point our mummy would tell us we were brave and give us a lolli pop)