Tom wrote:
I don't think that Tim Cartmell is starting any lineages, or ever intended to.
Luo DeXiu counts himself in the lineage of Zhang Junfeng, I think.
You're right. What I meant was that having a great teacher kind of eliminates the need for a glorious lineage. To make a clearer comparison, Chen Fake didn't necessarily start a lineage per say, but most Chen style people today refer back to him or his son Chen Zhaokui when they talk about their lineage because their skill level was exceptional. They become references, much like the other people I listed in my previous post. So are you more likely to say "I am generation 21 from Chen Wangting" or "my teacher learned under Chen Zhaokui?" That's all I meant by the "starting a lineage" comment.
oh wait James Brown beat me to it, we don't know karate but we know caarazzzy! 
