The Martial Arts and Philosophy

[ExodusNirvana]

One day I'd like to travel a bit and visit other schools. They are out there, it's just we're living in a modern era. People aren't trying to hear all that "chi" and spirit stuff, they want to do what the guys on TV are doing. Not that there isn't a place for the esoteric ways but me personally I try to bridge that gap and explain things plainly to students so that the essence is maintained but at the same time you can reach people. Then if that person wants to go deeper into something that's fine too I can have a dialog there as well, but it varies from person to person.

I also have the luxury of having instructors who grew up in a different time the 60's and the 70's, when you HAD to have SOMETHING. Guns were a last resort, but you still had to be good with your hands or feet or at least be able to stop a knife.

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

One day I'd like to travel a bit and visit other schools. They are out there, it's just we're living in a modern era. People aren't trying to hear all that "chi" and spirit stuff, they want to do what the guys on TV are doing. Not that there isn't a place for the esoteric ways but me personally I try to bridge that gap and explain things plainly to students so that the essence is maintained but at the same time you can reach people. Then if that person wants to go deeper into something that's fine too I can have a dialog there as well, but it varies from person to person.

I also have the luxury of having instructors who grew up in a different time the 60's and the 70's, when you HAD to have SOMETHING. Guns were a last resort, but you still had to be good with your hands or feet or at least be able to stop a knife.

I don't think you have to teach about chi, honestly. A lot of quality CMA instructors believe this, including a lot of old guys. Often when we're speaking about Qi in relation to martial arts, it's a prescientific paradigm to explain some connection between your Yi (mental intent) and Jin (trained force). It's easy for chinese to understand culturally and linguistically, but it confuses the shyt out of westerners. My instructor is a TCM doctor and he generally shuns using the word because some people kinda get fixated on it yknow what I mean? He's willing to teach advanced neigong and neidan type stuff but first and foremost he just wants to drill the fukk out of the basics: rooting, conditioning, optimal mental state, and issuing relaxed power (fajing).

I realize this varies per school though, even inside a style. Some shaolin guys will have their students do no internal training for years, for example, and some internal guys do no conditioning (huge mistake).


regarding other schools, i was just talking about inside NY man. My grandteachers school is there.

 

[ExodusNirvana]

@ExodusNirvana i can see how you described your training plan to me that one time. Your school seems like it's syncretized a bunch of different arts. It's all good as long as you learn Ti Da Shuai Na (kicking, striking, throwing, grappling), though. If you ever want to learn some crazy shyt like Xinyiliuhe or Baji i know some awesome places up there, you're lucky to be in NYC

Exaccccctly

We set up the foundation and THEN you go into other things. Before you get ground fighting in my school you have to be damn near perfect standing up. THEN you get to the good stuff lol

And that takes years. That's why when people join the school it's like whoa...you need to observe at least 2-3 classes. We don't like people making a commitment and then it's not what they signed up for. We don't even let people fight until they're a year into their training for that very reason. Cause that first time you fight...especially if it's someone good?

But then you fight some more, and you fight some more. Light bulbs come on

7 years in I think I'm pretty decent...but there are days when I realize I should have started this at like 13 and not 22, I'd be a fukking monster dog. I see why in the old days they used to start you when you were like 6.

By the time you became a man you were an animal. Living weapon shyt.

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

Exaccccctly

We set up the foundation and THEN you go into other things. Before you get ground fighting in my school you have to be damn near perfect standing up. THEN you get to the good stuff lol

And that takes years. That's why when people join the school it's like whoa...you need to observe at least 2-3 classes. We don't like people making a commitment and then it's not what they signed up for. We don't even let people fight until they're a year into their training for that very reason. Cause that first time you fight...especially if it's someone good?

7 years in I think I'm pretty decent...but there are days when I realize I should have started this at like 13 and not 22, I'd be a fukking monster dog. I see why in the old days they used to start you when you were like 6.

By the time you became a man you were an animal. Living weapon shyt.

Same dude, I wish I had started in XYQ when I was in high school. I started when I was 21 (23 now), but my teacher said it was a good time to start because you kinda have to approach it from a sort of thinking perspective. I learned really quickly since i have been doing stuff since I was like 8, but the basics of Xingyi are really strange. You can't practice it with a tight, overly muscular body (and i had been powerlifting before I started). So he started me off on this exercise where you sorta fling your arms while stepping in a straight line. Then I moved to the Xingyi conditioning series.



That's like 1/7 of what you do. Then I moved into neigong standing practice and the five element fists, as well as sparring. Now I'm on animals, throwing, and groundfighting.

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

If I had started in high school i would probably be learning Baguazhang right now

 

[ExodusNirvana]

Same dude, I wish I had started in XYQ when I was in high school. I started when I was 21 (23 now), but my teacher said it was a good time to start because you kinda have to approach it from a sort of thinking perspective. I learned really quickly since i have been doing stuff since I was like 8, but the basics of Xingyi are really strange. You can't practice it with a tight, overly muscular body (and i had been powerlifting before I started). So he started me off on this exercise where you sorta fling your arms while stepping in a straight line. Then I moved to the Xingyi conditioning series.



That's like 1/7 of what you do. Then I moved into neigong standing practice and the five element fists, as well as sparring. Now I'm on animals, throwing, and groundfighting.

NICE!!

We do most of those! But I rarely combine them all like that, that's dope

I actually just got that one sweep around 1:10

I think I'll throw that out there in exercises the next time I lead the class in warmups!

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

NICE!!

We do most of those! But I rarely combine them all like that, that's dope

I actually just got that one sweep around 1:10

I think I'll throw that out there in exercises the next time I lead the class in warmups!

The full set is ridiculous. It's:

10 kinds of pushups (1h, wrist, widearm, knuckle, finger, tiger, and others)
Shaolin abdominal exercises (think like a pyramid, laying on your back and doing bridges in different ways)
Crane stretches (grabbing your foot and stretching it out in different directions, 1leg squats)
Animal exercises (some of the crazy leg spins and squat jumps you saw in there, as well as some solo exercises that teach grappling)
Iron Body training
Body drags (moving a distance on your belly or back, judo style floor drills)
Kicking (kicking your hands in the air without moving your upper body, jump kicking, tornadoes, etc)

full thing takes about an hour. If you want more ideas, a lot of the mechanics and exercises are in here:

 

[Blackking]

I was just talking with my master about something very interesting. For those of you who are into 'traditional martial arts'; meaning anything that isn't boxing, muay thai, bjj, wrestling, how does your school or former schools run? It is pretty rare now in the United States to see a TMA school that is full time, fully equipped, tons of students, etc. I often see that there are lots of disingenuous attempts to market stuff. Here's a great example:



These people are saying that they teach "deadly" stuff, that their martial art is forged in the jungle and all that shyt...... Offering certifications in like 12 different arts, selling goofy instructional video. I can say straight up: that guy is not very good at Xing Yi. He doesn't have the body method of someone who has real experience and practice in the art. It's intellectually dishonest. But it raises an interesting question. How does one promote and maintain traditional martial arts in this current era? I can only speak from the perspective of chinese martial arts, but it seems like on the coasts there are plenty of good schools with teachers that don't have to resort to marketing themselves as 'deadly' or teaching things that will give people spiritual or special powers. Is it because there are simply more people there? Maybe more asian immigrants who have an interest in their home culture? Better teachers is certainly an option, there are some famous people in Cali, NY, Nevada, Colorado, and Florida. The best martial arts instruction I have received is typically in small environments, seriously a couple guys meeting up for a couple hours a week in garages and above shops, minimal equipment, kind of like really intense study groups. But maybe some of yall in bigger schools can comment. How do your teachers market their stuff or promote it?

@Blackking @ExodusNirvana @KyokushinKarateka @The Real @IronFist @Brian O'Conner

You're absolutely right. Took me 5 years to find a real one.

My 'teacher' and them.... suck at promoting and marketing and the overral business side of things. They've grown organically just because it's real shyt and real shyt spreads.... and because it works - But they aren't making the huge money that the fake schools make. At my school it's not easier to get through and on to the next thing either - shyt takes a lot.

I don't wanna post my school or anything because of the shyt I say on here though...... they would prolly be like wtf if they knew......

 

[The Real]

These people are saying that they teach "deadly" stuff, that their martial art is forged in the jungle and all that shyt...... Offering certifications in like 12 different arts, selling goofy instructional video. I can say straight up: that guy is not very good at Xing Yi. He doesn't have the body method of someone who has real experience and practice in the art. It's intellectually dishonest. But it raises an interesting question. How does one promote and maintain traditional martial arts in this current era? I can only speak from the perspective of chinese martial arts, but it seems like on the coasts there are plenty of good schools with teachers that don't have to resort to marketing themselves as 'deadly' or teaching things that will give people spiritual or special powers. Is it because there are simply more people there? Maybe more asian immigrants who have an interest in their home culture? Better teachers is certainly an option, there are some famous people in Cali, NY, Nevada, Colorado, and Florida. The best martial arts instruction I have received is typically in small environments, seriously a couple guys meeting up for a couple hours a week in garages and above shops, minimal equipment, kind of like really intense study groups. But maybe some of yall in bigger schools can comment. How do your teachers market their stuff or promote it?

@Blackking @ExodusNirvana @KyokushinKarateka @The Real @IronFist @Brian O'Conner

Gotta think about this one, since most of my experience is precisely with stuff that's more popular now.

http://www.kungfuwusu.com/
This is my school...

You ever hear of "Master Harry?" When I was growing up, my best friend's pops studied with them, and that was the guy he said was his teacher. Actually, I may have asked you this before, because it sounds familiar as I'm typing it.

 

[ExodusNirvana]

Gotta think about this one, since most of my experience is precisely with stuff that's more popular now.



You ever hear of "Master Harry?" When I was growing up, my best friend's pops studied with them, and that was the guy he said was his teacher. Actually, I may have asked you this before, because it sounds familiar as I'm typing it.

Yup we talked about this before lol

I don't know if it was the same person but if it is my instructors talk about him a lot...all positive of course

 

[GetInTheTruck]

Any martial art taught by a westerner seems fugazi to me, I don't know why, just doesn't seem right

 

[Brian O'Conner]

I was just talking with my master about something very interesting. For those of you who are into 'traditional martial arts'; meaning anything that isn't boxing, muay thai, bjj, wrestling, how does your school or former schools run? It is pretty rare now in the United States to see a TMA school that is full time, fully equipped, tons of students, etc. I often see that there are lots of disingenuous attempts to market stuff. Here's a great example:



These people are saying that they teach "deadly" stuff, that their martial art is forged in the jungle and all that shyt...... Offering certifications in like 12 different arts, selling goofy instructional video. I can say straight up: that guy is not very good at Xing Yi. He doesn't have the body method of someone who has real experience and practice in the art. It's intellectually dishonest. But it raises an interesting question. How does one promote and maintain traditional martial arts in this current era? I can only speak from the perspective of chinese martial arts, but it seems like on the coasts there are plenty of good schools with teachers that don't have to resort to marketing themselves as 'deadly' or teaching things that will give people spiritual or special powers. Is it because there are simply more people there? Maybe more asian immigrants who have an interest in their home culture? Better teachers is certainly an option, there are some famous people in Cali, NY, Nevada, Colorado, and Florida. The best martial arts instruction I have received is typically in small environments, seriously a couple guys meeting up for a couple hours a week in garages and above shops, minimal equipment, kind of like really intense study groups. But maybe some of yall in bigger schools can comment. How do your teachers market their stuff or promote it?

@Blackking @ExodusNirvana @KyokushinKarateka @The Real @IronFist @Brian O'Conner

I'm pretty much out the loop for the current era as I haven't attended a traditional school in years. But from my experience I would be very wary of big schools like that. Schools that are very very expensive, buy a belt programs where you pretty much are guaranteed a belt after a certain amount of time ect. These guys are in business and while they may or may not know what they are doing but not my cup of tea.

I personally would prefer working out at a shytty dojo where the instructor charges enough to keep the lights on or has a regular job on the side and only teaches for the love. Teachers that are just about $$$$ and opening a chain of schools will likely attract the type of students you don't want to train with and breed that my style is superior ideology.

Agree with you 100% on small environments being best where you find a guy who has a decent amount of experience and willing to work with a few guys for a couple of hours, but that isn't easy to get or find. IMO the big schools I DO like are out in china . Like the monk temples that train in some mortal kombat shyt. Where you basically live with 100 other students wake up at dawn and train all day, eat some rice for dinner and go to bed. If I had the time I think it would be pretty cool to spend a summer out there in one of those programs.

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

Any martial art taught by a westerner seems fugazi to me, I don't know why, just doesn't seem right

It's an incorrect bias. For example in China a lot of people dont give a fukk about TMA. Over there, it's regarded as something like religion is over here for young people; old and outdated and unnecessary. The people willing to cross oceans and spend years dedicated to this shyt are usually white or black people. That's just how it is. Some of the best TMA can be found right here in America and Europe.

 

[Don Mack]

I'm more of an MMA style martial artist these days but I started in TMA and have a 2nd degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. Learned some useful moves from Kung Fu but my core styles are Muay Thai and Boxing

 

[KyokushinKarateMan]

Osu!
Speaking from the Karate perspective, I will only say that the 'popular' Karate styles in the West (Shotokan, Okinawan, Kempo) have unfortunately, over time, become the victims of mainstream over-popularity and movie cliches. You constantly find these Mcdojos with all these bright lights, big signs, and bright assorted color of uniforms advertising to teach "deadly karate techniques", etc. They, and movies as well, are to blame for much of the ignorance and misinformation held by the general public here in the West(America specifically). I am asked some of the most foolish questions when someone finds out I practice Karate. Can I do a back flip and land on my fingertips. Do I scream "Hiii-Yaah!" and jump off of one foot etc etc. And the infamous, show me a 'karate chop'!..And then not to mention the pain of trying to get them to understand that there are many different styles of Karate, who all differ in obvious ways; and that no one just "does Karate", they do a specific style. And I swear the local McDojos do not help, misguiding their students into thinking they can actually protect themselves in a serious confrontation with some of the ridiculous things they teach as "deadly" and "will always work". It is the very reason I am so very proud to have chosen the style of Karate I have, Kyokushin-Karate. We are what's popularly known in the martial arts world as The Strongest Karate, because we are one of the only FULL contact karate styles, or whats known as knockdown Karate. You don't win our tournaments by tapping your opponent before he taps you, screaming loudly, and earning a point..all while head to toe in protective gear. In Kyokushin tournaments there is only one way to win basically and that is to KO or TKO. We are bareknuckle, only wearing a groin cup. Kyokushin teaches real fighting, it is what our founder Sosai Mas Oyama commanded:

"The heart of our karate is real fighting.
There can be no proof without real fighting.
Without proof there is no trust.
Without trust there is no respect.
This is a definition in the world of Martial Arts." ~ by Sosai Mas Oyama

We have turned out great fighters, fighters who have even achieved success in todays popular MMA arena, such as Fransisco Filho and Georges St Pierre, two Kyokushin Karate legends. Here is a brief video of 5 of the greatest Kyokushin Karate fighters, a video of what Kyokushin Karate really is, and why it differs from those who claim to only teach "deadly strikes" and disappearing acts. Ultimate Truth..