Re: YOU'RE WELCOME
Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 5:36 pm
Bhassler wrote:Michael,
It's fine to blame everything on the ignorant masses, but if a person has contentious interactions over a period of years on every internet forum they post on, then maybe it's time to start looking at what the commonality is.
Personally, I don't need to be told all about my lack of understanding by someone who, based on their persistent misuse of terminology, more likely than not doesn't have the background to understand what it is I'm saying and is too arrogant to bother asking for clarification, or even realize that they don't understand to begin with.
As one who has had contentious interactions over multiple Japanese forums for years, I can state emphatically that those interactions have resulted in friendships among the highest ranked Japanese budoka and with over a 1,100 teachers training under me. Why? Because I was right then and I am right now.
1. Why is that not mentioned?
2. Why is the result of the contention not included?
3. The results are turning the practice of JMA on its ear and bringing together Shihan, from different arts, together on mats with teachers of ICMA, along with BJJ and MMA and FMA practitioners all in one room. As one JMA expert told me in an open room.
"I don't think this has ever happened before."
4. Those teachers are now...te world over, teachig their students.
All from awareness mentioned on forums....which brought about contention.
And last
Were you to go to those forums now...the "contention" is all but gone. Why? The teachers and students got a better education.
So, while I recognize telling groups of practitioners "They don't get it"...is contentious at times, I will not let it slide that it is all negative. That...would be a lie. Many teachers have told me this was the greatest thing to ever happen to them in their careers.
Truth often is contentious, particularly when you tell an audience of budo practitioners involved with aiki and internal power that they don't get it and many of their teachers didn't get it either...then, you cross hands with them. And that is the critical point. In person, all the bullshit, and defensive knee-jerk, smart-ass insults...vanish, because you need to produce. At that point, miraculously, friendships are formed.
I have seen the same here as on the Japanese boards. It is abundantly clear that many people here do not know what IP is, how to develop it, and what the positive aspects of training it is in practical fighting. It is inescapably obvious in their writing and it continues to be evident in person as well. As in the case of the Japanese arts, my interactions with master class Chinese ICMA teachers has only served to strengthen my resolve as to where the lower level people stand in comparison.
While it is easy to cast a negative light on criticism and critique, the bullshit and posturing doesn't survive crossing hands. I think many MA practitioners want a pat on the back, and mutual validation for years of work that has never produced the results they claim to possess and they just get pissed off for being called on it. On my end, over almost 16 years on forums- virtually none of the top Japanese practitioners have passed muster in one-on-one encounters and many of them have now become students. I remain interested in seeing if the ICMA community can produce, men with power who can actually use it. So far I see men who are either good fighters -with shit for IP (they feel like any other wrestler), or they have some connection but can't fight for shit. And only....some...of the master class guys I have felt were impressive. One of whom virtually bounced...himself...off of me in an open room.
I think the greatest thing that can happen in any community is to be challenged. Tom got pissed off and said much the same thing as Bhassler did here. In his words "We don't need some knight in lacquered armor coming to save the ICMA."
a. it was a false accusation as I am not trying to save the ICMA.
b. this is the second time I have had to remind Tom that there are a series of posts of mine here with me stating that I think the ICMA are among the highest level arts on earth.
c. What I was doing was pointing out the obvious, that there was an incredible number of folks coming here on a reguar basis to slam IP and its very practical use in combatives. And others who write in here on a regular basis who do not get IP and that they...like their Japanese counterparts would not withstand testing in that regard.
THAT is why I encouraged the formation of a separate internal forum, to try to get discussions going in the right direction. Hopefully, in time it draws the type of discussions that took place here years ago, instead of the forums turning into a grappler’s board. So far it really hasn't produced anything meaningful for training tips and actual internal work, but it is headed in the right direction, in fact the whole board seems to have undeniably switched to internal related discussions. Only time will tell.
Dan