Who was your master

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Bruce7

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When ATA was founded in 1969, GM H. U. Lee was teaching the Chang-Hon style of ITF. He began to develop his own style in the early 80's and presented the first three forms of the Songahm style at the ATA instructor camp in 1983.

When GM H. U. Lee passed away from cancer in 2000, GM Soon Ho Lee became the second presiding Grandmaster of the organization. He's since retired as the presiding Grandmaster, but is still very active in ATA.

I don't believe that Tiger Rock is an ATA school. Since you live in Kingwood, you might check out Henderson's ATA. I've known Master Henderson for many years and highly recommend him.

Edited to add: the individuals I showed are my direct lineage. However, there are numerous senior ranks in ATA that I have trained with, and I consider them my instructors as well. I try to learn as much as I can from as many people as I can.

Thank you for the information, you have been very helpful. It is still a good drive, but I plan to check out Henderson's today. My grandson is very happy at Tiger Rock, that's the most important thing for now. My first school was MDK in 1973, so the forms my grandson is learning is very different from the ones I know. I want to learn the same forms as my grandson so I can help him, but I would like to go to a school that taught better balance and precision. I hope Henderson is the place I am looking for.
 

dvcochran

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My teacher was promoted to 7th dan by Tadashi Nakamura. He’s teaching Seido Karate. He started training under Tadashi Nakamura (initially under a direct student of Nakamura, under Nakamura directly since 1987) since 1973 or 1974, while Nakamura was still in Kyokushin. He has taught many people in my area who’ve gone on to open their own dojos.

He wasn’t all elaborate about it on his website, but he listed his teacher and how long he’s been training. That got me to make visiting his dojo a priority. There are some places around me who don’t list that stuff. I outright dismissed some of them and visited others for various reasons. Then there were ones who’s resume is all fluff when reading between the lines. One said “promoted to 8th dan by X school.” X School was his school, and it’s the only one, with about 40 students. Self promotion.

My teacher’s credentials got me to visit. Speaking to him in person and watching him teach got me to sign up. What continues to go on is keeping me there. He could’ve been a bad teacher with his credentials. Unlikely but possible. He could’ve ran a dojo full of ninja turtle wannabe kids. He could’ve done a lot of other things I didn’t want any part of. But he doesn’t. And that’s why I’m there. I would’ve went to someone else with lesser credentials if I thought that teacher and dojo overall was a better fit for me.

I do think the way the information is presented is very important to keeping it from sounding cheesy. I think the common "About" page on most websites is good a good place for general information about a school and it's instructors in a general way that someone new to MA can use to help get the general stuff needed to help decided if they are interested. I don't see it often but a "Lineage" page, if qualified" would be a good way to present the info. A preface that the info may only be interesting to people with MA experienced may temper the idea that it is bragging. Most of the time I see the lineage presented as line items. It is more real and believable when he "how, when, why," is also given. For example, when someone claims to have taught under Dan Inosanto in California ( I don't know it he was even there) in 1960 but lived in Boston, explain how this was done, for a substantial length of time. @DaveB done a really good job of this.
I never traveled much to get my ranking in different styles. My GM Seoung Eui Shin has been in Nashville since 1974. I did do several short stints around the mid-south directly related with my higher Dan ranks that gave me exposure to several high ranking Korean Masters but I don't see putting that on my "done that " list. I was fortunate to train under Tuhon Bill McGrath the 3 years he was in middle TN working with Metro Nashville and surrounding departments. My dabble in Kung Fu was also in Nashville. In my work travels I know I have visited over 200 different schools but that was as a guest only and I do not see that counting for much regarding lineage.
 

DaveB

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I do think the way the information is presented is very important to keeping it from sounding cheesy. I think the common "About" page on most websites is good a good place for general information about a school and it's instructors in a general way that someone new to MA can use to help get the general stuff needed to help decided if they are interested. I don't see it often but a "Lineage" page, if qualified" would be a good way to present the info. A preface that the info may only be interesting to people with MA experienced may temper the idea that it is bragging. Most of the time I see the lineage presented as line items. It is more real and believable when he "how, when, why," is also given. For example, when someone claims to have taught under Dan Inosanto in California ( I don't know it he was even there) in 1960 but lived in Boston, explain how this was done, for a substantial length of time. @DaveB done a really good job of this.
I never traveled much to get my ranking in different styles. My GM Seoung Eui Shin has been in Nashville since 1974. I did do several short stints around the mid-south directly related with my higher Dan ranks that gave me exposure to several high ranking Korean Masters but I don't see putting that on my "done that " list. I was fortunate to train under Tuhon Bill McGrath the 3 years he was in middle TN working with Metro Nashville and surrounding departments. My dabble in Kung Fu was also in Nashville. In my work travels I know I have visited over 200 different schools but that was as a guest only and I do not see that counting for much regarding lineage.

Sorry what is it I did well?

I'm sure you are right and I am happy to take all credit but just checking what for.
 

Kung Fu Wang

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A preface that the info may only be interesting to people with MA experienced may temper the idea that it is bragging.
If you said that someone is your teacher, that's just to state a fact. I would not call it "bragging". You do have to prove that you are not self-taught.

Most Martial Arts schools websites do not say who the instructor's masters was.
For our ACSCA website, people don't see the linkage information right way when they open the website. People have to clip another linkage (on top of that page) to see the linkage information. This way, people will see the linkage information only if they are interested in it.

IMO, that's the best way to design your website - not bragging, but information is available.

Combat Shuai-Chiao History Page
 
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dvcochran

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Sorry what is it I did well?

I'm sure you are right and I am happy to take all credit but just checking what for.
Going into the how/why/where/when details of your lineage. On a forum like this one it has much more value.
 

Balrog

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Thank you for the information, you have been very helpful. It is still a good drive, but I plan to check out Henderson's today. My grandson is very happy at Tiger Rock, that's the most important thing for now. My first school was MDK in 1973, so the forms my grandson is learning is very different from the ones I know. I want to learn the same forms as my grandson so I can help him, but I would like to go to a school that taught better balance and precision. I hope Henderson is the place I am looking for.
Tell him Master Sears referred you. He'll take good care of you.
 

Prostar

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I started in martial arts in 1968.
I don't remember calling anyone Master back then. It was all Mister this or Mister that.
i had a Korean instructor who once told me that he never asked anyone to call him Master. It just kind of evolved, by the students, from Mister to Master over time. Having said that, I regarded him as a true master of the art.
 

Buka

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My Master..

 

Kung Fu Wang

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Going into the how/why/where/when details of your lineage. On a forum like this one it has much more value.
Some old memory to share here.

When: 1963.
Where: National Jiangou Senior High School, Taipei, Taiwan.

Why: During the 1st day of my long fist class, I asked my teacher, "What will you do if I punch at your face?" He said, "Come and punch me." I punched, he pulled my arm forward, his leg blocked my leg, I fell down. I wantedd to make sure that I could learn true fighting skill from him.
John-old-pic.jpg

How: This is my high school and how my long fist class course content (many years after me). A lot of forms and weapons.

In this clip, the background wooden 2 store classrooms building in the above picture (called Wooden Building) had been replaced by modern classroom building.

55 years can make everything changed.

 
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skribs

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I don't know who my Master's master was. I know the organizations he's in and his qualifications.

Honestly it's his qualifications outside of the arts he teaches at the school that really got my interest. "Korean Special Forces Instructor" sounds like someone who knows a thing or two.
 

Buka

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Some old memory to share here.

When: 1963.
Where: National Jiangou Senior High School, Taipei, Taiwan.

Why: During the 1st day of my long fist class, I asked my teacher, "What will you do if I punch at your face?" He said, "Come and punch me." I punched, he pulled my arm forward, his leg blocked my leg, I fell down. I wantedd to make sure that I could learn true fighting skill from him.
John-old-pic.jpg

How: This is my high school and how my long fist class course content (many years after me). A lot of forms and weapons.

In this clip, the background wooden 2 store classrooms building in the above picture (called Wooden Building) had been replaced by modern classroom building.

55 years can make everything changed.


I wish there was an awesome button to rate posts.
 

Denoaikido

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For me its all what you yourself are looking to accomplish the teachers credentials mean everything to me & so does he teaching his dojo his students tell a lot as well but that is just for me everyone i think maybe different or the same
 

maine mama

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I agree, I'd look for a place that mentions/honors the teachers' teachers. It doesn't matter so much that I do not know those names. What I do know is that here is a place that respects the ones who came before, which is a plus in terms of what the rest of the school's philosophy is likely to be.
 

JR 137

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I agree, I'd look for a place that mentions/honors the teachers' teachers. It doesn't matter so much that I do not know those names. What I do know is that here is a place that respects the ones who came before, which is a plus in terms of what the rest of the school's philosophy is likely to be.
And if you don’t know the names, a google search of them can certainly help.
 

Buka

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WOW...Buka somewhere along the way we must have shared some sweat together!

Maybe Fuedal Japan back in the day. You were probably Samurai, Danny, I was probably Eta. But Eta were used to keep your swords sharp.

As for the Last Dragon, if I remember when I get home I’ll tell you guys the story behind the script. It wasn’t originally a campy movie, it was quite serious.

But I like the movie we all know better than the original script.
 

Buka

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So....

A couple years before The Last Dragon was released, we had the script. It wasn't campy like the final revision of the script, it wasn't as good, either, IMO.

You can find some places online that will tell you Billy Blanks was being considered for the part of Bruce Leroy, but that isn't true, he was being considered for the part of Sho-Nuff.

One of Billy's students managed a local movie theatre in Quincy MA. A whole gang of us used it in it's off hours and ran through the scene. Billy playing the part of Sho-Nuff, me being Bruce Leroy and a bunch of his students playing the gang members of Sho-Nuff. The original script had a rather detailed fight scene, more detailed than most scripts. Because in scripts (screenplays) great detail in fight scenes is not needed. The stunt coordinator handles all that, it's not really needed on the page.


Silly? Yes, of course. But by being silly/campy in it's nature, it allowed a less than Oscar worthy script to go forward. Billy didn't get the part, but we sure had fun playing through that scene in an empty movie theatre with a class full of Karate guys for a couple mornings. And people forget, William H Macey and Chaz Palmintiri were in that film. I'm sure neither think of it as their best work.

The reason we rehearsed that particular scene was, that was the scene to be used in Billy's screen test.
 
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