K
Ka'alako
Guest
Guys, just for the record, "Uncle David" recently passed away. I suggest a moment of silence here.Ihab said:
And yes, Ihab, unfortunately, you misspelt his name.
And yes, Ihab, unfortunately, you misspelt his name.
I only spent a couple of days with Uncle David, and had the privilege of exhibiting on the same stage when I was still wet behind the ears. I am so grateful for that time because he inspired me with his humility and character and especially the way he brought light into the world. Within the space of a casual conversation he could turn people into lifelong friends. I don't know much about Hawaiian martial arts, but his demonstration remains one of the most impressive martial displays I've seen, and he was not young at the time. Even though I teach a different art, having had to step up and become what we call a "master", I aspire to be like Uncle David. Every time I think of him I smile and there is a warm feeling in my heart.
I'd also like to say that I don't know anything about the Arizona branch of Saito but I've met Mark Jr. and seen his art and he is an extremely legitimate martial master. Kawika I can vouch for even more strongly because I trained alongside of him in bagua and related arts for more than half a decade. He was much more experienced than me and so I got to be his uke and he broke down and worked through the applications, from the most basic to the most advanced, many of which at the time I was unable to discern. I was more flexible than most students so he could safely test extreme applications with me that he could not with others for fear of injuring. He was one of the most formidable I've trained with, and I've trained with the best of the best. He mentored me in practical self-defense, tactics, strategy and the psychological component, all of which came in handy since I was low body mass in Boston and routinely had to deal with threats and attacks, which is just part of life for most males in their teens and 20's in Boston. Everything he taught me was proven correct and effective. He gave me a broader perspective on Chinese martial arts and encouraged my study of Japanese and European sword, which has made significantly more capable than most of my colleagues, who can only "show" but not do, and lack deep understanding of the real use of straight swords.
I'm not using my real name because I don't know anyone here and it doesn't seem like most of the people commenting are peers of the people being commented on, but anyone who knows Shannon Phelps' history with Bagua in Boston will know *exactly* who I am. And there is no mystery behind our lineage, which has been documented since the early Republican Era in China, and comes through the military establishment. It has informed, but is not fully represented by, both the modern sport and cinema.
I'd also like to say that I don't know anything about the Arizona branch of Saito but I've met Mark Jr. and seen his art and he is an extremely legitimate martial master. Kawika I can vouch for even more strongly because I trained alongside of him in bagua and related arts for more than half a decade. He was much more experienced than me and so I got to be his uke and he broke down and worked through the applications, from the most basic to the most advanced, many of which at the time I was unable to discern. I was more flexible than most students so he could safely test extreme applications with me that he could not with others for fear of injuring. He was one of the most formidable I've trained with, and I've trained with the best of the best. He mentored me in practical self-defense, tactics, strategy and the psychological component, all of which came in handy since I was low body mass in Boston and routinely had to deal with threats and attacks, which is just part of life for most males in their teens and 20's in Boston. Everything he taught me was proven correct and effective. He gave me a broader perspective on Chinese martial arts and encouraged my study of Japanese and European sword, which has made significantly more capable than most of my colleagues, who can only "show" but not do, and lack deep understanding of the real use of straight swords.
I'm not using my real name because I don't know anyone here and it doesn't seem like most of the people commenting are peers of the people being commented on, but anyone who knows Shannon Phelps' history with Bagua in Boston will know *exactly* who I am. And there is no mystery behind our lineage, which has been documented since the early Republican Era in China, and comes through the military establishment. It has informed, but is not fully represented by, both the modern sport and cinema.
