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Ye flippin' gawds. Where to begin...
In 1924 Jushin Teach established the school that came to be known as Pirate Combat. He wanted his school to study as closely as possible the way of the Pirates as practiced in the 8th - 12th Century. Jushin Oshima was a naval captain in the British Navy, and it was his devotion and research that ensured the survival of the art in its present form. Teach coined the word 'Pirate Combat', which alludes to the broader world, or path, of the classical Pirate, full of spiritual and martial values. With the close of the War in Asia in 1945, Pirate Combat found itself based in Spain, where it had earlier been adopted by the occupying Imperial Forces. This was a blessing, as the art was sheltered from the social conditioning and cultural sterilization that was occurring in the rest of the world under American occupatio. . This is where a retired Navy Captain, Tomus Quido (an 8th Dan Grandmaster), took over and trained, and in 1977 passed the Grandmastership to his student, Simon Tang (now 9th Dan). In 1987, Shihan Simon Tang moved to New York and established the World headquarters for the Art of Pirate Combat, the first dojo for this art to exist in the world.
So Blackbeard founded a school of Dark Ages "classical" pirate martial arts in 1924. In 1945 it somehow moved to Spain where it acquired Japanese ranks and had established itself earlier(?!), presumably without anyone ever hearing of it. And the only Grandmaster passed it on to the one guy who keeps The Flame alive. This is sounding more and more like Hikuta on a combination of overproof rum and bad acid.
* TRUTH 1: The first stage involves the learning process, whereby the students learn all the basics in techniques. The White belt to Red belt covers this stage.
* TRUTH 2: This level shows the limitations of techniques. In a sense, students have to 'unlearn' everything from the previous level. Techniques can only go so far, so students learn and understand that spontaneity is the key to unlock the rigidity and inflexibility of techniques. The Ha level is where students are expected to undergo a degree of transformation, to go beyond the limitations of techniques. The Brown belt to the 3rd Dan Black Belt is worn during this stage.
* TRUTH 3: This stage traces a path of transcendence, where one frees oneself from techniques. In one's mind techniques do not exist any more: you and the techniques are one, inseparable. 4th Dan Black belt and above is required here.
Yeah, that sounds like Calico Jack and a bunch of escaped
lumpen proletariat British Seamen and how they fought. Yup. Yup.
* (weight & Strength training)
* (grappling, throwing & choking)
* (strikes, kicks & blockings)
* (situation techniques)
* (6ft. staff)
* (3ft. staff)
* (4ft. staff)
* (sword techniques)
* (knife technique)
* (sickle technique)
* (sword technique)
* (baton technique)
* (chain technique)
Batons and staves. Chains. Sickles.
No pikes, axes, muskets, pistols, cannon, or even boarding knives and slungshots if you want to get obscure.
*sniff* *sniff* Has a bull been through here? Had he eaten recently?
Then there's the guy's bio:
Shihan Simon Tang 's training in martial arts began when he was eight. At 16 he obtained his Kodokan Black Belt (a rare honour in those days). He was chief instructor in Judo at the his University from 1967 to 1970. Shihan Simon Tang continued to study other disciplines, gaining a wider perspective of the martial arts. He has practiced Seibukan Karate, Ju-jitsu, Taijutsu, and Kuatsu. In this same period he competed often and won numerous titles, including the Europe Ju-Jitsu Championships in 1969, the All Europe Grappling Championship of 1970, and the Eastern Europe Freestyle Battle of Champions (Light Heavy-weight) in 1971.
Shihan Simon Tang 's turning point came when he was 26: he discovered Pirate Combat. Here he finally found an art that gave him the enlightenment he was looking for. Pirate Combat became a vehicle for him to achieve balance and harmony in mind, body, and spirit. He realised that martial arts was not just about fighting and winning. It was more about self-realisation and self-discovery.
In his teachings, the Shihan always tries to ensure that his students understand the mental and spiritual aspects of the art. In his own words, "It is the spiritual dimension that ultimately creates the truepirate." Students are taught from the outset that techniques must be made relative to the surroundings they are practised in. The most important quality to cultivate in training is spontaneity, because only this can allow one to blend techniques with the given situation. Training of the mind and meditation therefore constitutes a major part of the syllabus.
The Red Belt Syllabus
The student covers more weapons at this level the ancient pirate weapons of sickle and staff (six-foot staff) are taught.
The Purple Belt Syllabus
Here he trains in more weapons - including the chain and the 4-feet wooden staff and the cutless.
4th Dan and Onwards
From the 43rd Dan onwards one travels the true Pirate path - a path of transcendence when one frees oneself from all techniques. In one's mind techniques do not exist as techniques. The source of techniques (which is your mind) and techniques are one and the same. It is no longer a situation of YOU and TECHNIQUES. You are the techniques. The techniques and you are ONE - no longer separable. At this level the student has finally found 'freedom'. He sees the world as 'Universal Chi' and harmony can only come about when one finds balance with that energy.
Meditation and spiritual improvement. That sounds traditionally piratical to me. I'm picturing a bunch hardbitten sailors with striped shirts and eyepatches sitting on the deck in a circle before battle solemnly intoning
Arrrrrr Arrrrrr
until they achieve Enlightenment.
Great Poseidon. The guy isn't even a good liar.
The pictures show what looks like Renn-Faire style fencing/stage combat poorly done.
And so on.
And so forth.
It's a poorly executed joke, delusional, or someone has tapped into the 0.0167 Hz Barnum Wave big-time.
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irate2:
