Imitating Your Favorite Martial Artist?

[AceHBK]

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.
When you first got into MA who did you imitate?
Currently do u still imitate that same person or has the person changed and who is it now if you have?
What do you like most about their style and what can you say you worked hard on imitating?

Growing up and watching movies of course it was Bruce Lee (I still use the sound effects today when I spar) and also all the MA that were in those Kung Fu movies from the Shaw Brothers in the late 70's.

Now I can say with ease it is Donnie Yen.
His foot and hand speed are incredible. I wish he got more attention.

 

[green meanie]

When you first got into MA who did you imitate?

Nobody. I started out in wrestling and I don't think I've ever seen anyone use grappling in the movies...

 

[doc5504]

i dont think i ever tryed to do as other do on the movies i try to learn move and see how to finsh people in grappling by watching the ufc and stuff i dont beat them down or any thing like that but randy catour has to be my fav

 

[still learning]

Hello, Crane , (from Kung-Fu movie) ....like to be left alone. ....Aloha

 

[Robert Lee]

In a way you might be right But a person Really learns from demostration Then on to there way of application of use. Some do try to use others imatation But those that do never become there own. They became like a robot fixed on a way to do something. There is no set way when you are alive in training only you doing what you do So I think it is better to respect what some else can do but learn to be yourself in your own right To try to act or be like some one else you will never be as good or become better then that person is Just thank those with credit that have helped guide you along your path they deserve that resepct

 

[Jenna]

As mentioned previously, some of us have limited opportunities for movie mimickry because of our areas of martial arts interest. Me and my aikido had nothing but Steven Seagal in the beginning and me at a mere 125lb didn't really hold much promise for imitation. Still, without a doubt, it's the Seagal flicks that got me interested personally.

I'm still trying to acquire his level of expertise - and his belly

Yr most obdt hmble svt,
Jenna

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

I have to say Jackie Chan. I still goof around with his drunken Gods moves when I'm trying to distract my opponent while sparring.

 

[bluemtn]

Movies didn't have much influence on my decision to start martial arts, and I didn't have the desire to "imitate" anyone. A few famous people did influence me a little when I watched them, but that's it.

 

[Kacey]

I didn't become interested in martial arts movies until after I started taking TKD; before that, they were not something I was interested in, and I still don't aspire to imitate a movie star martial artist. However, there was a student who was just ahead of me in rank, and he was just enough better that he was always better, but not so much better that improving to the standard he set was unattainable - so I would aim to perform a technique or tul at the standard he set; by the time I reached that standard, he would have improved - that created a cycle which gave me goals for years. Now, I just aspire to be better tomorrow than I was yesterday.

 

[Hand Sword]

When I was a kid watching Bruce Lee and the Kung Fu theater movies, we all would Talk with the dubbed mouth movemnts "So, you wanna fight? Fight me! Waaahhh!", and the Bruce screams!

 

[Grenadier]

Long, long ago, in a timeline far, far away...

When I was a young child, I tried to imitate Bruce Lee / Bruce Le / Bruce Li, based on what I saw him do in the movies. It didn't take long to figure out, that human beings really can't jump 12 feet in the air, nor could they jump horizontally 50 feet. That dashed my dreams (or at least got my head out of the clouds) for a while.

Then one day, after I started training in the martial arts, I watched the regionals live, and saw actual Karate practitioners performing kata as well as engaging in some pretty hard hitting kumite. I don't remember the names of the competitors, but after seeing them in action, those were the martial artists I wanted to imitate. These guys fought hard, and yet embodied a great sense of sportsmanship, and to me, that was more of an influence than any number of the Bruce Lee (and the Bruceploitation) films were.