The rant thread

Grey Eyed Bandit

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I'm sure the yondan who had trained less than a year and received a concussion courtesy of Hatsumi while attempting the Godan test used very similar methods of self-rationalization.

Yes, I'm aware that I will get negative rep for stating that.
 

Grey Eyed Bandit

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Lie: "This art adapts to you, you don't have to adapt to it."

Common phrase among people who can't or simply don't like to bend their knees. 'Nuff said.
 

Shicomm

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I think that the thing "performing ukemi" isn't really the point.
It's more a thing of ; 'what happens just happens' imho.
Most of the time a german suplex ends up in a sort of 'crash' anyhow...
Try to not have any injuries would fit best here imho ;)

Reminds me of a few 'crashes' while figuring out tomoe nage... ouch.... :uhohh:
 

Grey Eyed Bandit

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Been looking through some Daikomyosai videos lately.

Are people actually aware that they're being filmed there? I mean, at all?
 

Grey Eyed Bandit

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I can't show people how it's supposed to be done, because though I have a pretty good idea how to, I can't do it myself yet. There are however plenty of people who can show how it's supposed to be done, but none of them are very popular to train with.
 

Shicomm

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I can't show people how it's supposed to be done ...

So for that reason you should not be in front of the camera while it's recording during a class/seminar ?

Why is i may ask ?
Because it's some kind of wrong to be filmed while doing something wrong / otherwise / not perfectly ?

There is camming going on regularly at hombu ( and other places ) and i'm sure that my "try to be not too clumsy" actions have been recorded in some kind of way.
I'm just learning , maybe i'll get it a bit less clumsy in the future :)
 

Sorros

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Who here has trained with Peter Cochral here in Tempe. I did years ago.
I saw him sparring with Hatsume in the show, the Deadliest Martial Arts.
 

Grey Eyed Bandit

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So for that reason you should not be in front of the camera while it's recording during a class/seminar ?

Not what I was getting at, but sure, I value my integrity.

Why is i may ask ?
Because it's some kind of wrong to be filmed while doing something wrong / otherwise / not perfectly ?

A wise man once said, if you can't remember all the idiocy you've ever been responsible for, someone else will.
 

Grey Eyed Bandit

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When I'm away from my home dojo training with someone I've never met before who doesn't speak the same languages as I, can't gauge his power, time my attacks, bend his knees or utilize distance, that affects my training.

When a person with a slight but obvious mental handicap responds to my horisontal bo swing with a useless parry and a hard, non-scripted thrust to my ribcage with a bokken, that affects my training.

When a dan-ranked person in Honbu asks me to take one more step with my attack to "make it easier for both of us", that affects my training.

When we're doing takedown randori from a kumiuchi hold, and a green belt attempts to pull off an oni kudaki on me which would have resulted in a torn rotator cuff on anyone with less training time under his belt, that affects my training.

When I let go of an armbar after having brought a person to the ground, and he immediately attempts to kick me or go for a singleleg just to prove that he can, that affects my training.

When I encounter someone who can't feel the difference between strength and power, that affects my training.

When a 15th dan drops his sword from his belt during a demonstration and tells everyone present that it doesn't matter, that affects my training.

When a person for some reason refuses to do what the instructor has just been showing because "it's about a feeling rather than a technique", that affects my training.

When I've got my knee over someone's elbow and he attempts to muscle out of it, because he believes that pain indicates the usage of strength, that affects my training.

When a person punches or kicks where I'm headed instead of where I'm at, that affects my training.

When fifth kyu who receives fourth dan in less than two years not only points a soft air gun at a 15th dan and pulls the trigger, but remains constantly hunched over as if he's constipated and actively works against the things I'm attempting to replicate from the instructor in charge, that affects my training.

When the instructor tells everyone that it's time to drop the swords and go over the footwork again because everyone's doing pure, unmitigated crap, that affects my training.

When someone attempts to counter my movements out of sync because "it's more fun for me that way", that affects my training.

When someone punches at me with a half-open fist, that affects my training.

When someone can't pull his knee up to his chest and do a proper kick, that affects my training.

Etc etc etc.

Now, if I myself were a judan+ with the stomach for putting up with the constant smell of chlorine and used cooking oil whilst living in Japan under constant exposure to the best the Bujinkan has to offer, then I too could care less about the skill level of other people, especially in other countries. That is however not the case. Make of this what you will.
 

Shicomm

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Now, if I myself were a judan+ with the stomach for putting up with the constant smell of chlorine and used cooking oil whilst living in Japan under constant exposure to the best the Bujinkan has to offer, then I too could care less about the skill level of other people, especially in other countries. That is however not the case. Make of this what you will.

The best thing is that you even don't have to be yudansha to see that ; just show up a few times at hombu for training and have a good look around...

Sometimes it's good for a laugh later that nite with some good buyu and a beer ;)
 

chrisa

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Green eyed bandit, that was the best rant that I have ever heard, just had to let you know.
 

newtothe dark

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Grey Eye that freaking rocks the best ranty ever should be in the hall of Fame!!!!!:bow:
 

Cryozombie

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I have a rant, make of it what you will. Personally these things bug the living crap out of me, tend to come across as, beyond eliteist and stupid, and sound like they come from people who woke up one morning, popped the blue pill and suddenly knew Budo with Hatsumi's skill level.

1) People say "This art just doesnt need anyone else studying it" or variations thereof. In a way this is true... the art doesnt need people, but you know what? People need the art. The things this art teaches, the skills, ideas, and the rest of the package are needed by people in this world. Why tell them to go someplace else?

2) People who expect perfection from everyone. So that whitebelt on his second day of class should be able to imitate Hatsumi's movement right off the bat? He should have total flexability in his knees and hips and be able to lift and stretch them to the level required for some techniques? Everyone who started perfectly in this art and didnt need to be taught the movements, timing, Ideas, and change themselves even a little bit raise your hands? Yeah, I thought so.

3) People who think flawless execution of of our Kata & Techniques a good fighter makes. In my humble opinion, kata and technique are tools to learn from, not skills to have mastered. Jack Hoban said to us at a Seminar last year Techniques won't work, you need a strategy. Kata and technique are important, don't get me wrong, but I believe the guy who is a master of 100 kata will likley lose to the guy who knows 20 pretty well, but also understands timing, distance and space, and has a plan...

There is more, but those are my big three right now. Everyone comes from somplace, and everyone starts at the beginning. I don't know anyone born into the art with perfect mastery as a baby (although I am aware of a Taekwondo instructor who awarded his newborn baby a blackbelt because they could see his flawless form in the womb, so I guess anything is possible, right?) and expecting anything else is pretty silly.
 

Grey Eyed Bandit

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1) People say "This art just doesnt need anyone else studying it" or variations thereof. In a way this is true... the art doesnt need people, but you know what? People need the art. The things this art teaches, the skills, ideas, and the rest of the package are needed by people in this world. Why tell them to go someplace else?

Well, on some level it doesn't really make sense that people want to devote themselves to the Bujinkan. You'd think that most people have enough trouble as it is.

3) People who think flawless execution of of our Kata & Techniques a good fighter makes.

Personally, I've never encountered a person with the ability to perform good kata who wasn't also a hell of a fighter with good understanding of timing and distance.
 

Cryozombie

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Personally, I've never encountered a person with the ability to perform good kata who wasn't also a hell of a fighter with good understanding of timing and distance.

Well, Ive seen "Kata Collectors" whos kata looked damn good TO ME. Not that that is saying much, because who am I to judge... but...
 

Kreth

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Personally, I've never encountered a person with the ability to perform good kata who wasn't also a hell of a fighter with good understanding of timing and distance.
I've seen quite a few kata collectors (or "librarians," as I like to call them), who could demonstrate a picture perfect kata but didn't understand the underlying strategy enough to make it work outside of a demonstration scenario.
 

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