the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

http://northstarmartialarts.com/blog1/?p=1327

Harsh!

Reads more like the author hates Denis Rovere and has a hard on for him..

One could say that all books on any subject will reiterate what was already available.

so what?

That author just reiterated a meme of envy. lol as in Denis got his book published and sold and he, has only written a review that bashes the author.

just saying. Makes the review author look petty and malicious really more than it warns against the book.

He seems quite knowledgeable about Chinese culture. I don't know about the rest of what he comes out with. I saw his video of "pure internal power" and it made me laugh out loud when he started shaking like he was having a fit. At least he put a smile on my face.

He makes some interesting points regarding the context of the manual itself, but I think that anyone who approaches a translation of a Xingyi manual looking to find some in-depth discussion of Chinese social history is expecting a bit too much... seeing as how the book itself does not purport to address any of the issues that he faults it for not addressing, the review does seem a bit unfair.

Them’s some pretty heady credentials I’ve never heard of, and what is an architect from Calgary teaching those UN peacekeepers anyway?

Have you seen this guys lineage?
http://northstarmartialarts.com/About_Me.html - for fucks sake its wide
Its one of those obvious cases that actually whats being said tells you a lot more of the person speaking than of the topic. The funnies

for comparison here are mr Roveres credentials, seem much more clearer to me:

Martial Arts.
Only non-oriental to receive instructor's certification from Col. Chang
Hsiang-Wu (Chinese army, retired). Col. Chang is the former chief instructor
of close combat (hsing-i) and military strategy (Bing Fa)at the Whampoa,
Central Military Academy of China at Nanjing. Mr. Rovere is Col. Chang's last
senior student.

Mr. Rovere's martial arts instructor's certification from Col. Chang
includes: Tai Chi Ch'uan (Old Yang Style c.1915), Hsing-I Ch'uan (Xingyi), Pa-
Kua Ch'uan (baqua quan). (Unarmed and armed techniques.)

Instructor's training with Major Chang Yen Ying (Chinese army, retired).
Major Chang, is a senior student of Du Shen Wu. She served at Changsha,
China as close combat instructor for the Chinese women's militia and the "yu
ge dwei" (mobile strike teams or commandos) during the Japanese War.

First non-oriental to receive special recognition as a martial arts
instructor from the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

A recipient of the Chiang Ching Guo (Presidential award) for Culture from the
Government of the Republic of China.

A recipient of an honorary award from the Chinese Army/Special Forces (ROC).

First and currently only civilian to train in the People's Republic of China
with the bodyguard instructors of the Wu Jing (Special Military Police
Training Unit). Beijing, PRC.

First and currently only civilian to train with instructors of the Gung An
(Public Security). Number One Gung An Training Academy, Putong/Shanghai, PRC.

Mr. Rovere is the author of two books and numerous published articles on both
traditional and modern military martial arts. In 1976, he was the subject of
a documentary film produced by Health and Welfare Canada on Mr. Rovere's work
teaching t'ai Chi to senior Citizen's.

But Bartek - how can you doubt this level of mastery?



The highlight is at 1.19.

I think he needs to try his theory at the Fairy Land Fight Club. I believe Cerebus is waiting with a pair of gloves....

That guy? Haven't read the article yet but I'm sorry, I'm already clouded by his rendition of "African Bagua" to contribute much here.

Heh, heh. I wonder if he'd shake & wobble like that when I hit him?

He is cordially invited to the Fairyland Fight Club "Getting in touch with your feelings by getting in touch with my sparring gloves" seminar. Dates and times to be announced...

Scott Phillips went to school, but alas, he learned nothing despite spending a long time there.
These lives serve as sign posts people.

sign posts on your own path.

I have the previous two volume edition of the Xing Yi of the Chinese Army translated by D. Rovere and though its a little basic at times and a little vauge in places (as you expect from a xing yi manual ) I think its no better or worse than anything else out there. My copy has the DVD/VCD by D. Rovere showing some bayonet drills and though I've never tried to do them myself they look okay, nothing stood out just some slow basic movements done quite well in the context of his demonstration.

As I have the previous 2 volume edition I've never thought of buying the newer single volume, if anyone has both the old and new versions is there are significant difference between them? is it worth buying the new book if you have the two old ones?

The shakey man obviously has some issues. I tried linking to his blog but browser keeps timing out, I don't think its much of a loss going by his video clips anyway.

How can such an educated-sounding bloke mkae nto vry muxc semnsd?

How could I forget the whacked out African bagua guy. Damn.

I like the book fine. My friend who trained a bit with the reviewer really liked his instruction. I don't know much more about either but the videos do come across as a bit different. There seems to be some kind of tongue in cheek thing going on.

I am all in favor of a sense of humor - hell, I am even in favour of jokers - but this bloke is just plain silly.

Interesting that he is now putting up "serious" MA clips, but despite that clip's title, there is no evidence of any power being displayed, internal or external, long or (especially) short. I see not reason to take this clip any more seriously than his African Bagua clip - and at least we knew that was a funny (well, it was supposed to be).

Maybe - just maybe - the "internal power" clip is another attempt at a joke...?

I totally get what he's doing, which is using bayonet as a template for everything else. My problem with his book is the lack of clear, concise details and corresponding illustrations or pictures of each posture. He doesn't even show the opening sequence for Pete's sake. When it comes to technical information and specifics I'd pick Jiang Rong Qiao, Liang Shou Yu's or even Robert W. Smith's book over this one.