Kembudo-Kai Kempoka
Senior Master
"Humility & the Martial Arts."
I actually used to practice this, believe in it, and encourage my students to embrace it as well. Reading over some recent threads, and the pissing contests in them, I thought to comment on MA-ists as being THE PEOPLE who should certainly get along, regardless of general philosophical differences or generational backgrounds. Then I re-read some of my own posts, and realized I haven't got a leg to stand on. I've been as big an *** as the people I want to tell to knock it off.
A buddy of mine, also an MA-ist and Chiro, recently bumped into a psych/chiro. My buddy commented on how chaotic his practice is, and the shrink sez, "As a martial artist, haven't you learned to bring peace into the room with you where ever you go, instead of chaos?". Well, no. He's been a paramedic for eons prior to Chiro, so only knows how to respond from emergency to emergency, sapping energy by the end of the day. I spent more time in sales and bouncing then as a Chiro, so I go in either trying to regulate their behavior or influence their spending habits. Still not a very nurturing environment for healing arts.
Reading posts in which guys are slammin each other; Mods bagging on folks, and folks bagging on Mods...even after they're sanctioning themselves for their behavior...it's just insane. I'll be the first to admit that looking for a place to dust the cobwebs off of bantering skills is half the fun of these sites, but there has to be a place at which we recognize the boundaries of human decency by regulating our endless ego's, and look to building each other up. Personally, what I don't know about the history of kenpo, some (most?) of the forms, different views on what they ought to teach and why...can fill volumes compared to the small bits I do know.
I blacked in a kenpo-based eclectic system first (kenpo, Judo, kick-boxing, TKD, blah, blah, blah), then in a kenpo offshoot from one of the breakaways from the early days. As such, many of the techs I learned are not the way they're done in "straight" AK, and many of the forms I learned are not the ones offered in Kenpo at present (i.e., never learned LF 5, 6 etc., and am positioning myself to do so under a senior as soon as my schedule opens a bit). Learned Book Set as a Black Belt form, but I'm reading on the web that it's a green belt form. Learned Bassai Sho and Bassai Dai as Brown Belt forms, but have no idea in JMA where they usually are placed in a cirriculum. Tried several times to "return to the source" to learn AK, the AK way, with AK seniors, but also struggle with a learning disability (ADHD+Dyslexia), and so can't remember OVER HALF of what they taught me (still do stoopid things like get technique names wrong, calling "twisted twig" about a million other things; why not just call it "defense against a front wristlock"?). BJJ I can remember easier, b/c it's more of a kinesthetic transfer of information, then didactic lecture in auditory format with kinesthetic supplementation (the way many AK classes are taught). Also makes it harder to dialogue about online, without being able to jump in and show someone what your talking about.
Additionally, I would dig asking some of the kenpo/kajukenbo oldsters about what they might recall about a couple of my instructors, both the shadier breakaways, and the "straights". I heard their side of the story, and can't help but wonder what others might know about it and have to say (Doc; Mr. Con.; Mr. Bishop)
I would LOVE to be able to ask questions about these things on the various appropriate fora, but have avoided doing so out of a conviction that I could expect to be slammed, and would have to read btw the flames before I found an earnest answer to my question. Why is it so hard? Becuase, for all the discussion about teaching character and humility in the arts, it is a field wrought with the workings of pride and narcissism, and not humility or edification.
I thought it was admirable that some of the mods self-selected for sanctioning about an issue that...well, I'm not even sure what it was about, and don't care enought to do the thread research to find out. In a world where the US Gov,t. resists taking responsibility for the actions of its agents, and offers insincere apologies through clenched teeth, I admired the willingness of Mr. Hubbard to remove himself from his own creation for a time. I'm sure I'll get blasted for this, as well; particularly by the 100-yard warriors who use the anonymity of the kharma system to take pot shots from behind shrubbery.
Yes, I'm guilty, too. But in the immortal words of Rodney King, or Jack Nicholsen from "Mars Attacks", which ever you prefer, "can't we all just get along?".
I've had my feathers ruffled, and been too readily caught up in the d$%k-swinging contests that go on here. But, hopefully, I'll be able to check my behavior in the future, and avoid re-committing the errata of the past.
I know some don't believe that MA training is for character building, but for combat only. If that's true, quit wasting time training in MA, and spend all your money and time buying guns and explosives, because that is the MA of the 21st century. Meanwhile, I'll try to take a higher road, and invite any who wish to, to do the same. Remember the bumper sticker: Mean people suck. And that includes those who are just too darned sure they're right about everything.
Off the soapbox.
Proud bastard child practitioner of a bastard style of martial arts, hoping to improve,
Dr. Dave
I actually used to practice this, believe in it, and encourage my students to embrace it as well. Reading over some recent threads, and the pissing contests in them, I thought to comment on MA-ists as being THE PEOPLE who should certainly get along, regardless of general philosophical differences or generational backgrounds. Then I re-read some of my own posts, and realized I haven't got a leg to stand on. I've been as big an *** as the people I want to tell to knock it off.
A buddy of mine, also an MA-ist and Chiro, recently bumped into a psych/chiro. My buddy commented on how chaotic his practice is, and the shrink sez, "As a martial artist, haven't you learned to bring peace into the room with you where ever you go, instead of chaos?". Well, no. He's been a paramedic for eons prior to Chiro, so only knows how to respond from emergency to emergency, sapping energy by the end of the day. I spent more time in sales and bouncing then as a Chiro, so I go in either trying to regulate their behavior or influence their spending habits. Still not a very nurturing environment for healing arts.
Reading posts in which guys are slammin each other; Mods bagging on folks, and folks bagging on Mods...even after they're sanctioning themselves for their behavior...it's just insane. I'll be the first to admit that looking for a place to dust the cobwebs off of bantering skills is half the fun of these sites, but there has to be a place at which we recognize the boundaries of human decency by regulating our endless ego's, and look to building each other up. Personally, what I don't know about the history of kenpo, some (most?) of the forms, different views on what they ought to teach and why...can fill volumes compared to the small bits I do know.
I blacked in a kenpo-based eclectic system first (kenpo, Judo, kick-boxing, TKD, blah, blah, blah), then in a kenpo offshoot from one of the breakaways from the early days. As such, many of the techs I learned are not the way they're done in "straight" AK, and many of the forms I learned are not the ones offered in Kenpo at present (i.e., never learned LF 5, 6 etc., and am positioning myself to do so under a senior as soon as my schedule opens a bit). Learned Book Set as a Black Belt form, but I'm reading on the web that it's a green belt form. Learned Bassai Sho and Bassai Dai as Brown Belt forms, but have no idea in JMA where they usually are placed in a cirriculum. Tried several times to "return to the source" to learn AK, the AK way, with AK seniors, but also struggle with a learning disability (ADHD+Dyslexia), and so can't remember OVER HALF of what they taught me (still do stoopid things like get technique names wrong, calling "twisted twig" about a million other things; why not just call it "defense against a front wristlock"?). BJJ I can remember easier, b/c it's more of a kinesthetic transfer of information, then didactic lecture in auditory format with kinesthetic supplementation (the way many AK classes are taught). Also makes it harder to dialogue about online, without being able to jump in and show someone what your talking about.
Additionally, I would dig asking some of the kenpo/kajukenbo oldsters about what they might recall about a couple of my instructors, both the shadier breakaways, and the "straights". I heard their side of the story, and can't help but wonder what others might know about it and have to say (Doc; Mr. Con.; Mr. Bishop)
I would LOVE to be able to ask questions about these things on the various appropriate fora, but have avoided doing so out of a conviction that I could expect to be slammed, and would have to read btw the flames before I found an earnest answer to my question. Why is it so hard? Becuase, for all the discussion about teaching character and humility in the arts, it is a field wrought with the workings of pride and narcissism, and not humility or edification.
I thought it was admirable that some of the mods self-selected for sanctioning about an issue that...well, I'm not even sure what it was about, and don't care enought to do the thread research to find out. In a world where the US Gov,t. resists taking responsibility for the actions of its agents, and offers insincere apologies through clenched teeth, I admired the willingness of Mr. Hubbard to remove himself from his own creation for a time. I'm sure I'll get blasted for this, as well; particularly by the 100-yard warriors who use the anonymity of the kharma system to take pot shots from behind shrubbery.
Yes, I'm guilty, too. But in the immortal words of Rodney King, or Jack Nicholsen from "Mars Attacks", which ever you prefer, "can't we all just get along?".
I've had my feathers ruffled, and been too readily caught up in the d$%k-swinging contests that go on here. But, hopefully, I'll be able to check my behavior in the future, and avoid re-committing the errata of the past.
I know some don't believe that MA training is for character building, but for combat only. If that's true, quit wasting time training in MA, and spend all your money and time buying guns and explosives, because that is the MA of the 21st century. Meanwhile, I'll try to take a higher road, and invite any who wish to, to do the same. Remember the bumper sticker: Mean people suck. And that includes those who are just too darned sure they're right about everything.
Off the soapbox.
Proud bastard child practitioner of a bastard style of martial arts, hoping to improve,
Dr. Dave
) but I do feel that I'm well along on the journey towards whatever destination this particular path (of many that I follow) is going to take me. 
