Fantasy Martial Arts

[Flying Crane]

True. Not everyone studies martial arts to learn how to fight. Some take a Tai Chi class for health. Some take a Tae Kwon Do class just for exercise and maybe sport. And some take a "traditional" martial art just for the sake of participating in and preserving a "tradition." But there are plenty out there that do have a false sense of being able to take care of themselves against a street attack. And there are some out there that think they would have no problem in a modern free fight scenario. And there are plenty of instructors that encourage those ideas in their students even though they don't "pressure test" or train very realistically. But they might get a surprise if they ever had to put those ideas to the test!

So I guess it boils down to "caveate emptor" and "know thyself". This is not surprising.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I've owned cats for about 33 years. So my cat owning opinions are more valid than yours.

I've had cats for about 43 years so I demand that you bow down to my seniority in cat wrangling.

 

[Flying Crane]

Personally, I don't see any reason why someone should be concerned with what someone else puts up on the internet in a blog like this.

---Like it or hate it, it provides some good points for discussion.

Decide for yourself if your training meets your needs. Lots of people seem to have a Life Mission to try and discredit anything that anyone else does if it does not conform to their own narrowly defined ideals.

---Good advice.

I ignore articles like this one. I have ignored this article too. It's not worth the time it takes to read it.

---How do you know? You didn't read it! Even if you disagreed with what Rackemann said, it would make you think about WHY you disagreed. You might even end up realizing that at some level there is some truth to what he says, even if he does take his points a bit too far at times. That's the reason for posting topics for discussion. If everyone agreed, then there would be nothing to discuss. But if you won't even consider the topic, how can you discuss it?

We've all seen enough of these to know where they always end up: my stuff is great and if you don't do things in a way that is vastly similar to how I do it, then you suck.

After a while you begin to realize that these things are worth ignoring.

 

[Flying Crane]

I've had cats for about 43 years so I demand that you bow down to my seniority in cat wrangling.

I recently had to have another cat euthanized, she was with us for 15 years, and was having kidney failure. Y'all are gonna make me start crying again, so knock it off, damn you.

 

[Steve]

I've had cats for about 43 years so I demand that you bow down to my seniority in cat wrangling.

You got it. I waited 43 years to have a cat. And now I have two. One of them is even pretty cool.

 

[Steve]

We've all seen enough of these to know where they always end up: my stuff is great and if you don't do things in a way that is vastly similar to how I do it, then you suck.

After a while you begin to realize that these things are worth ignoring.

Don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Personally, I don't see any reason why someone should be concerned with what someone else puts up on the internet in a blog like this.

When I see comments such as:

- You should ask your coach.
- You should ask your Sifu.
- You should ask your Sensei.
- Don't expect to get any valuable information online.
- I can't care less about what you say (or do).
- ...

It makes me think what am I doing here right at this moment?

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I've had cats for about 43 years so I demand that you bow down to my seniority in cat wrangling.

When my 2 lb 7 oz Yokie Yaya died on 4/21 this year, it affected both my wife and me big time. The next day after my dog died, my wife and I drove 700 miles to get another Yorkie Jaja. The problem is my wife keeps saying that the new dog doesn't have the same

- hair color as the old one had.
- smile as the old one had (the old one had build in smile).
- personality as the old one had.
- bond as the old one did.
- ...

Since we all know that all pet will die. Is it worthy to have the happiness when they are alive but have to face the sadness when they die? I truly don't know.

My old dog Yaya:

My new dog Jaja.

 

[Flying Crane]

When I see comments such as:

- You should ask your coach.
- You should ask your Sifu.
- You should ask your Sensei.
- Don't expect to get any valuable information online.
- I can't care less about what you say (or do).
- ...

It makes me think what am I doing here right at this moment?

That is a question that I often ask myself. I do know what the answer often is: I am at work and I am monumentally bored and looking for a distraction.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

That is a question that I often ask myself. I do know what the answer often is: I am at work and I am monumentally bored and looking for a distraction.

We just try to talk to someone online who share the same interest as we do. One day I was bored. I knocked on my next door neighbor and asked him if he wanted to spar with me. The way that he looked at me as if I came from another planet.

 

[Flying Crane]

We just try to talk to someone online who share the same interest as we do. One day I was bored. I knocked on my next door neighbor and asked him if he wanted to spar with me. The way that he looked at me as if I came from another planet.

Yeah that's true, we are looking for discussion about shared interests. All too often tho the thread turns into a trainwreck from which we cannot look away. And I know, I too am guilty of contributing to that.

 

[JowGaWolf]

That is a question that I often ask myself. I do know what the answer often is: I am at work and I am monumentally bored and looking for a distraction.

My wife told me that all I do is talk kung fu here, so I told her that either you guys will here it (my kung fu talk) or she will have to hear it. This place should be advertised as the place to send your husband / wife when you get tired of him / her talking martial arts. "We take the beating so you don't have to" lol

 

[Buka]

Flying Crane and Kung Fu Wang, my sincere condolences. It's so damn hard losing a pet. But as hard as it is, it's worth it. They give us so damn much.

Right now we're petless. Making do by feeding feral baby chicks and feral kittens, all over the yard - and trying to keep the mongooses away, who'll eat all of them if given the chance.

Going to get a dog in the winter, once back from vacation.

 

[anerlich]

I've had cats for about 43 years so I demand that you bow down to my seniority in cat wrangling.

You win, Tony.

I lost one to a car, and had to take another two to the vet for final visits. It sucks, but the good times with them were worth the pain.

 

[Flying Crane]

You win, Tony.

I lost one to a car, and had to take another two to the vet for final visits. It sucks, but the good times with them were worth the pain.

Yup, and yup.

 

[drop bear]

Yeah that's true, we are looking for discussion about shared interests. All too often tho the thread turns into a trainwreck from which we cannot look away. And I know, I too am guilty of contributing to that.

I am happy to jump on all of your threads and tell you how much I dont want to be participating in them if you want.

Seems a bit duchebaggy even for me though.

 

[anerlich]

It pays to come in with moderate expectations. That way, you occasionally get a pleasant surprise.

 

[drop bear]

5. Pseudoscience isn't science. He makes a relatively weak point here. He is basically saying if people aren't pressure testing what they are doing to make sure it works, then talking about how their method is based on biomechanics, efficiency, etc. is a moot point. I don't entirely go along with him on this one.

Yeah see I hate martial arts science. I am not a scientist. Generally the person explaining it isn't a scientist. So neither of us have the grounding to understand what terms we are using and more importantly what terms we are missing.

It is used in false advertising all the time.

 

[KPM]

Maybe the guy in the article should have used a better word than "fantasy" to me fantasy would be something that has false application. A teacher can know the techniques and know the application of the techniques, but has no clue how to apply the techniques in a fight. If this is the case then the system isn't a fantasy martial arts, it just means that the teaching is incomplete.

I think his point was that if you are involved with a martial art and have the belief that you are training to be one skilled MF (martial fan) even though the martial art you are training does no real sparring or pressure testing....then you are likely living in a fantasy. Complete. Incomplete. Traditional. Modern. Doesn't matter. Its a fantasy to feel all warm and fuzzy about your fighting abilities when you really have none!

 

[JowGaWolf]

I think his point was that if you are involved with a martial art and have the belief that you are training to be one skilled MF (martial fan) even though the martial art you are training does no real sparring or pressure testing....then you are likely living in a fantasy. Complete. Incomplete. Traditional. Modern. Doesn't matter. Its a fantasy to feel all warm and fuzzy about your fighting abilities when you really have none!

I think he should be more specific. Instead of saying what is fantasy, just focus on what's needed to be able able to actually use martial arts.