Information on Dr. Gyi???

[Tgace]

http://www.usmta.com/News Updates-page-1.htm

He has fought with the famous Gurka regiments during the second World War during the Burma Champaign with the famous Chindits and was a part of "Murrells Marauders". He has been an influential force in the martial arts community appearing in and writing for virtually every martial art publication over the last thirty five years.

 

[Tgace]

http://innwa.com/dev/qezine/news/get-news.asp?id=129&catid=0

Bando owes its popularity in the USA primarily to the work of one man, college professor Maung Gyi, Ph.D. Upon emigrating to the US in the 1950's, Gyi has been recognized as the most prominent instructor of bando in the West. Many who have trained with him laud his combat ability and his extensive knowledge of techniques. Gyi, having trained in Chinese gung fu and judo in addition to bando, says he used his skills in combat in several wars.

Gyi's statements have been disputed lately by some veterans groups. Gyi, allege the groups' sites, is a fraud--he did not serve in the combat units he claims to have belonged to, or in the conflicts he cites. Since all sources acknowledge his martial arts expertise, even his detractors, it seems odd that a martial artist of that stature would have to resort to lying about his military record. In some ways, the issue of Gyi's military record resembles another eminent martial artist's claims of military experience--Steven Seagal's. Seagal, at one time one of the highest-ranking American aikidoists, purports to have worked for the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the Vietnam War. Naturally, the CIA won't confirm or deny his claims, and it's hard to prove either Seagal's or Gyi's claims, one way or the other.

Judged on their merits as martial artists, though, each man has excelled in their art and passed on much knowledge to many students. And undoubtedly, the world would know little of the art of bando at all if it weren't for Maung Gyi's teaching.

 

[Jimi]

Hi Tradrockrat, I have some questions for you. You mentioned you were ranked 4th level by East West Martial Arts Alliance. When did this happen and where. Elk Ridge Maryland? Who at East West tested you, and who did you train with? I was there with Jon til the place closed and he went back to teaching at Catonsville. I have only been ranked to 2nd level by Jon but helped him a lot with specialty training like short stick and cane work when old friends of his wanted to train. I was ranked to 1st level by Gyi in 1999 after training with Jon for several years, but I now am no longer active in the ABA. I competed in the 1995 Middle Style Bando Freefighting in the Super Heavyweight Black Belt division and earned a Bronze. Yes I competed in Black Belt before testing in front of Gyi due to my Black belt rank from other systems. I just wonder if I have met you. You would recognize me in a heart beat if you trained at East West, there were not many of us there. If you are a 4th then I should know you because I would be required to salute/bow to you. I would hate to think I have forgotten anyone of that rank. I just have not seen anyone post that they trained and recieved rank in Jon's Alliance. I hope to get a response. Jimi

 

[tradrockrat]

Hi Tradrockrat, I have some questions for you. You mentioned you were ranked 4th level by East West Martial Arts Alliance. When did this happen and where. Elk Ridge Maryland? Who at East West tested you, and who did you train with? I was there with Jon til the place closed and he went back to teaching at Catonsville. I have only been ranked to 2nd level by Jon but helped him a lot with specialty training like short stick and cane work when old friends of his wanted to train. I was ranked to 1st level by Gyi in 1999 after training with Jon for several years, but I now am no longer active in the ABA. I competed in the 1995 Middle Style Bando Freefighting in the Super Heavyweight Black Belt division and earned a Bronze. Yes I competed in Black Belt before testing in front of Gyi due to my Black belt rank from other systems. I just wonder if I have met you. You would recognize me in a heart beat if you trained at East West, there were not many of us there. If you are a 4th then I should know you because I would be required to salute/bow to you. I would hate to think I have forgotten anyone of that rank. I just have not seen anyone post that they trained and recieved rank in Jon's Alliance. I hope to get a response. Jimi

Sure thing, and it's a pleasure to meet you here. I was Jons student for several years before he opened the school. The year he opened the school, was the year I moved to California. Yes, Elkridge is where I trained - though really it was at Catonsville CC. I competed in the 92, and 93 middle style nationals (Georgia and Ohio) Earning two golds in sparring and empty hand forms the first year (green belt), and two golds in wooden weapons and Edged weapons the second (Black belt). I also Demonstrated the walking staff form that Jon developed in 94 in Maryland, though I didn't compete that year.

Question, did you originally train with Pat? I may remember you...

EDIT: Jon was the the one who promoted me, before the school was up and running. I was going to teach for him, but it took so long to get the school opened, that my life wound up taking me to California

 

[Jimi]

Hi Bro Tradrockrat, Yeah you know me. Yes, I have trained with Pat on & off since 1983. You have not seen me since you left for California, but here is a reminder, long red hair, ugly as sin, and I am recognized by current ABA members as that redheaded son of a $!@#% that Jon sent to the Nationals with the Mulitple Stick. If he had not written a letter of recommendation for me they would not have let me test. Since competing and then testing I get looks that could kill from 5th level ABA Black Belts and under. Funny though, most of the Elders like Joe Manley, Loyd Davis, Bob Maxwell, Geoff Welcher & Dale Minor would pat me on the back saying you reminded us of when Jon was around. Even Fred Degeburg crossed the Gym floor to shake my hand. Dr. Gyi himself said "you did good, you got talent, I want to see more of you". Then the eyes burn holes in my back. I have seen that Gyi does not need me around his association, the ABA did ok without me all this time and I am sure I am not missed. I have trained with the likes of Guro Dan & Paula Inosanto, Sensei Erik Paulson, Sifu Larry Hartsel, Ajarn Chai as well as having gone to Thailand, training and sparring with former Lumpinee Champs, all without using those experiences to put myself on a pedistol or trying to improve my martial arts career, writing to Black Belt Magazine etc... WOW that was long winded, think I have issue with the ABA Bro? HAHAHA. I believe I know exactly who you are and I am proud to be able to call you Big Brother so to speak. Hope all is going well for you. I moved from the DC area back in April to just outside of Nashville Tennessee. My wife got a promotion at work that we could not turn down. Not much (any) Bando down here but plenty of Muay Thai schools & Mixed Martial Arts schools claiming their instructor are Black Belts in Muay Thai. No one realy to play with that don't break their own arm patting themselves on the back. Would love to talk more with you bro when you have time. I miss you, I take a good swing but I miss you. You helped get me get going with Jon as well as Pat & Steve. Hear from you soon. Please forgive any spelling errors, you know me being from Langley Park, me no spell good. PEACE Jimi

 

[tradrockrat]

Hi Bro Tradrockrat, Yeah you know me. Yes, I have trained with Pat on & off since 1983. You have not seen me since you left for California, but here is a reminder, long red hair, ugly as sin, and I am recognized by current ABA members as that redheaded son of a $!@#% that Jon sent to the Nationals with the Mulitple Stick.

HAHA! I thought that was you, you SOB! Howw the hell are ya? You think the multiple stick was bad? You shoulda seen 'em when he sent me with the pilgrim and the trench drills! :rofl: Jon sure knows how to get under their skin, don't he?:flame:

think I have issue with the ABA Bro? HAHAHA. I believe I know exactly who you are and I am proud to be able to call you Big Brother so to speak. Hope all is going well for you.

Things are great. My wife and I are doing well out here on the west coast, though we may be moving to Austin, Texas this summer. My long hair is history, but I'm still ugly.

Please forgive any spelling errors, you know me being from Langley Park, me no spell good. PEACE Jimi

We both be products of our edumacation, disn't we?

 

[Jimi]

Good to hear you are doing well. Would love to talk more when I get more time. Can you imagine when I hit the Nationals in 1998,wanting to test and Mr. Meekins tells everone Jon has trained me in the use of the sacred hooked cane form. They would not let me test, til the next year because Jon sent a letter of recommendation ahead of me. They love to hate me in the ABA. Peace Jimi

 

[tradrockrat]

Good to hear you are doing well. Would love to talk more when I get more time. Can you imagine when I hit the Nationals in 1998,wanting to test and Mr. Meekins tells everone Jon has trained me in the use of the sacred hooked cane form. They would not let me test, til the next year because Jon sent a letter of recommendation ahead of me. They love to hate me in the ABA. Peace Jimi

Oh, I can imagine! :rofl:

'95 I called Gyi to let him know that I wanted to compete with the walking cane form. He told me that the form was lost and that nobody but him could judge it - so I'd loose! How's that for motivation?

(course a few months later he had me teaching it at the animal clinic - without bothering to ask me if I wanted to...)

Oh yeah, I actually have a fair amount of respect for Ron, but he lodged a formal complaint after I recieved my 1st level in the ABA claiming I hadn't been in the system long enough as a brown belt.

 

[Jimi]

Yes my Brother, I was there at Catonsville that day Jon told you to call Gyi and ask if you could compete with the Walking Stick form. I was in the office with Jon and I remember very well hearing some of your end of the conversation, a whole lot of "Yes Sir, I understand Sir, Yes Sir". I feel for you Bro. I have been a bit of a bastard Black Belt myself even before I hit the ABA. I agree that Ron was fair to me whenever he saw me, I believe that was because I was Jons pet student at the time. When Jon was showing me the hooked cane form I was very excited, he told me in his K-9 voice " James, you are not injured or lame, you are not a senior in age, you have no need for the cane, but I trust you can learn it, remember it, and help me teach others who do need it. Otherwise I'd first break your leg before I teach it to you, HAHAHA!" Every time I trained with Jon at Catonsville, Ron was always just around the corner on a golf cart watching every move I made. It was a little unsettling to know what I was doing with Jon was being reported to Gyi. All that set aside, I trust you can teach what you want when & where you want. I saw you prepare the Bad Girls of Bando for the Nationals, and they did very well. Especialy that cute redheaded girl Cassandra I wanted to go out with. Something about her doing the "T" form got me all---Sorry a little off track Bro. I know for a fact that you have a lot to teach that even a 5th level would be jealous of, and they have been jealous of both of us, including Bro Jason(Who I know was better with the cane than myself). Any issues the ABA have with either one of us does not take away the fact that we breath life into the Art. I heard others say "Oh, I have heard of Bando, it's a dying Art" Not with me it's not. Everything you and Jon showed me has valid principles that stand regardless of someone tall tales or not. Respect to you Bro! PEACE Jimi

 

[tradrockrat]

When Jon was showing me the hooked cane form I was very excited, he told me in his K-9 voice " James, you are not injured or lame, you are not a senior in age, you have no need for the cane, but I trust you can learn it, remember it, and help me teach others who do need it. Otherwise I'd first break your leg before I teach it to you, HAHAHA!"

Oh how I remember that voice!

I saw you prepare the Bad Girls of Bando for the Nationals, and they did very well. Especialy that cute redheaded girl Cassandra I wanted to go out with. Something about her doing the "T" form got me all---Sorry a little off track Bro.

Yeah, that was one group of students I was REALLY happy to teach...

I know for a fact that you have a lot to teach that even a 5th level would be jealous of, and they have been jealous of both of us, including Bro Jason(Who I know was better with the cane than myself). Any issues the ABA have with either one of us does not take away the fact that we breath life into the Art. I heard others say "Oh, I have heard of Bando, it's a dying Art" Not with me it's not. Everything you and Jon showed me has valid principles that stand regardless of someone tall tales or not. Respect to you Bro! PEACE Jimi

Peace Brother.

 

[Jimi]

Hey Bro, It's so good to rap with some-one like you who can understand. So many people are only worried about their standing in some-one elses association. When you first met me, I was one of Pat's pet students, and He took me to Catonsville to see if I could hack it training under Jon. The Bando people who saw me train with Jon then believed me not to be worthy of Bando training (the long hair and not looking like a cop or military man). He does all that JunFan/JKD Kali,Escrima,Arnis, MUAY THAI, Silat, Shootwrestling etc...Whatever reason to not except me. Back in 2003 I attended an Ajarn Chai Muay Thai Seminar hosted by an old training partner in Pats club. There was some guy at the Seminar who had seen me train with Jon. I had dropped my Bando ring from my hand as not to offend the Muay Thai group. After the Seminar was dismissed he says for all to hear , You are lucky Chai did not find out you are a Bando guy, He might have pulled you out to prove a point with you. Who said Bando is all that I am, for some reason he wanted to make me feel unwelcome. I guess it made him feel that much more secure in his place among Ajarn Chai's TBA.
You can't win for losing. I have no need to use any-ones association to identify myself. I have gotten used to some people needing to put me down so they feel better or more worthy to their instructor. I already have an older brother. Peace Jimi

 

[Jimi]

Hey Bro Tradrockrat, Remember back in the day I told you I saw a Burmese Dha at China Sea Traders in Baltimore? Did you ever pick it up? It was a toss up, that Dha or the Phillipino Kris. I figured I'd take the Kris and tell you about the Dha then I might have a chance to play with it again. Haven't seen it to this day!LOL! Take a picture of it, describe it to me, something. I hope if you got it, you still have it, that was a cool blade! Peace

 

[Flatlander]

Please take this discussion to PM. Thank you.

 

[Jimi]

I have an opinion on Dr. Gyi. I have only trained with him several times at the Bando Middle Style Nationals, at a Few Bando Camps and for Black Belt Testing. I was trained by several former ABA members. I believe he is a very good martial arts instructor. There is no doubt his father among others trained him well. As for any military service, I have no idea if he truely served or not. He may very well have told tall tales, or even lies, but that does not take away the fact that he was trained in Burma, and much of what he teaches has solid principles. If he has lied, he will eventualy answer for it. I think he told tall tales partly because many people around him wanted to hear it. Don't hate the Art of Bando because you may hate the man.

 

[Sapper6]

I have an opinion on Dr. Gyi. I have only trained with him several times at the Bando Middle Style Nationals, at a Few Bando Camps and for Black Belt Testing. I was trained by several former ABA members. I believe he is a very good martial arts instructor. There is no doubt his father among others trained him well. As for any military service, I have no idea if he truely served or not. He may very well have told tall tales, or even lies, but that does not take away the fact that he was trained in Burma, and much of what he teaches has solid principles. If he has lied, he will eventualy answer for it. I think he told tall tales partly because many people around him wanted to hear it. Don't hate the Art of Bando because you may hate the man.

you're right. it's not about man, but the art.

however, if that man used deception for profit, then there is a problem.

this thread has never been about questioning the art. it's questioning the integrity of the person teaching it.

 

[Jimi]

Sapper6, I agree! If someone uses deceit for profit there is a problem. That deceit gives detracters the chance to attack the art of Bando as well. Many have left the ABA for just that reason, their MASTERKILLER Instructor with X amount of confirmed kills turns out to not be what they thought. Even though the Lethwei, Banshay and other skills are solid, they are guilty by association to a teller of war stories and even lies. Judge a man with the scales of truth and he may not measure up. I care about the Bando as it was taught to me, and I am not happy about such issues as a deceitfull Instructor. Such is life.

 

[Sapper6]

i agree 100%.

 

[Don Roley]

but that does not take away the fact that he was trained in Burma, and much of what he teaches has solid principles.

Is it a "fact" that he trained in Burma? When people lie as much as we see here, you should question everything and ask for proof.

 

[tradrockrat]

Is it a "fact" that he trained in Burma? When people lie as much as we see here, you should question everything and ask for proof.

Well, from what we have been able to put together about his early life, he was from Burma(those researching his claims have found school records, etc.), his father DID create the Burma atheletic assosciation after WWI which is directly responsible for the style of Bando taught by Gyi. Gyi is also a hell of a Martial Artist as far as knowledge and technique is concerned, so it's more than likely that he trained with his father. The real question is how long did he train with him, and did he ever train anywhere else? He claims to have trained in Japan as well.

I don't believe that Gyi falls into a simple catagory of MA charlatan. He doesn't use Chi balls or no touch knock outs, and I believe that he is a true high ranking master. What I have real trouble with is his seeming pathology involving his claims to military experience and stories of life experiences. If true, this makes him a charlatan in life, not just Martial arts. It transcends the realm of ego building and enters a true sickness. I mean, here's a guy who really is an awesome Martial Artist! But that isn't enough apparently, he also has to be the biggest war hero in human history.

 

[Jimi]

It is sad, but lies about WAR, P.O.W., and COMBAT experience will overshadow any truth about training, skill, knowledge and teaching ability. Some have chosen to stand beside him regardless of military records, some attack every breath he takes, while some do their own thing without him or the ABA. There is truth in the Bando he teaches, but many will no longer care because of the deceit they smell, so to speak. Such deceit may very well end any respect for the knowledge of the art of Bando. Sad but true.