Robert Smith's "Hate List"

[Shadow Hunter]

:asian:

Many of you probably have read Robert Smith's book "Martial Musings." I just read it a while ago but it is halfway across the world at the present time.

Robert Smith takes a lot of time to talk trash about other instructors in Taiji, but he never mentions their names. I think it interesting to see that many people that are well known in the Taiji field are not mentioned by name at all in the book. Makes you wonder, eh?

Can anyone place some names to the descriptions he vents about in his book? I would like hearing some of the dirt of the American Taiji scene. I may start practicing here, instead of travelling to the orient. And it may be nice knowing what teachers are best avoided.

 

[Taiji fan]

who is Robert Smith?

 

[arnisador]

He's a well-known author on the CMA.

 

[Taiji fan]

so well known I hve never heard of him can you give me any info on what he has written?

 

[arnisador]

See the martial arts books here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author=Smith, Robert W.

(Skip the ones on medicine, finance, etc.)

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Originally posted by Shadow Hunter
:asian:
Can anyone place some names to the descriptions he vents about in his book? I would like hearing some of the dirt of the American Taiji scene. I may start practicing here, instead of travelling to the orient. And it may be nice knowing what teachers are best avoided.

I'm pretty sure the Chinese chemist from Ohio refers to Dr. Fred M.A. Wu (deceased). If memory serves, "Mr. X" is B.K. Frantzis. This gives me an excuse to reread Martial Musings! Thanks! :asian:

Trying to avoid life's potholes,
Randy Strausbaugh

 

[Shadow Hunter]

So who is the Irish guy he says did the trick with pushing hands?

And why don't we hear certain names mentioned in his book? I am talking about Doc Fai Wong, Daniel Lee, the guys at YMAA, etc. He talks a lot about good folks by name, and a lot of bad people without giving their names. So when he does not talk abotu someone, I get suspicious.

 

[Phil Elmore]

So he won't get sued, of course.

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Sharp Phil
So he won't get sued, of course.

But it's also just more professional to slight the underperformers by omission rather than by identification.

 

[Shadow Hunter]

Originally posted by arnisador
But it's also just more professional to slight the underperformers by omission rather than by identification.

I can understand that. And I know that even Robert Smith can't know all the taiji people in American and Europe.

But before I buy stuff from Yang Jing Ming or Bif Painter I would like to know if they are some of the frauds he talks about, one of the guys he just does not consider on the same level as Ben Lo or if he does not know of them at all.

As an aside, I heard a few weeks ago that the guy he talks about as being born in 1933 and claiming to be a WWII Ghurka is Dr Gyi.

I will be living in Houston after the new year for a while. I kind of want to know who the Hsing-I teacher he talks about in his book is. I can guess, but I would not want to jump to conclusions.

 

[7starmantis]

Excuse my ignorance, but what makes Robert Smith the authority on Taiji instructors? Why does his opinion of an instructor hold so much weight?

7sm

 

[tshadowchaser]

Possibly because he wasstudying Tai chi befor most americans even knew it exsisted

 

[7starmantis]

Originally posted by tshadowchaser
Possibly because he wasstudying Tai chi befor most americans even knew it exsisted

So its just simply his years of experience that offer him the authoritive voice. Interesting, I'll have to look up some info on him.
7sm

 

[Taiji fan]

Possibly because he wasstudying Tai chi befor most americans even knew it exsisted

hmmmmmm we have some of 'those' in the UK too. self proclaimed authorities, just cos they have been around for a while.

 

[Guro Harold]

I think that he has also studied Hsing-I and Bagua long before it was popular over here as well.

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

He also wrote (tongue in cheek) as John F. Gilby. Some may be familiar with one and not the other.
R.W. Smith also studied with Hong Yixiang (mentioned in another thread), T.T. Liang, Yuan Dao, and Wang Shujin

Palusut- Last I heard, he was living in one of the Carolinas. Did you ever run into him? Just wondering how he's doing. ( Yeah, I realize "the Carolinas" covers a lot of territory, but MA people seem to run into each other somehow).

 

[Guro Harold]

Hi Randy,

North or South Carolina? If he is living in North Carolina, he is keeping a low profile!!!

Best regards,

Palusut

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

From "Martial Musings", he seems to indicate that he lives (or lived) in or near Hendersonville, North Carolina.

 

[Guro Harold]

Okay, he lives in the mountains of NC.

 

[Dan Anderson]

The last I heard he was living in Bethesda, Maryland.
Yours,
Dan Anderson