The Drunken Boxing Podcast #022 - Mario Napoli

[wushutiger]

The Drunken Boxing Podcast #022 - Mario Napoli

This was an interesting discussion!

[nicklinjm]

Another really nice interview, loved Mario's recollections of the Chenjiagou tournament and his teacher, and had no idea the refusal to engage with / allow MMA in China came right from the top of the wushu hierarchy, what a loss for CMA Thanks for sharing ~

[GrahamB]

He talks a lot of common sense.

[wayne hansen]

I liked as much as I disliked about this talk
I would love to see the most recent stuff he is doing
Also I would like to see the Sam Masich clip he is talking about
My Wu comes from the same source as dan dochety he talks about
My yang is as strong as my Wu lineage
Penang schools took on all comers and I wish he had gone there and tried them out
I am sure he would be in a far different place today
Just look at some of Nigel Suttons books to see where a lot of the people he talks about came from
Plenty of shui Jow people there
Remember Randori is Randori and street is street and lots of people pressure test there

[GrahamB]

Wayne, here's the Sam clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DoALugInQw

[wayne hansen]

Thank you

[Bao]

How you can become 'drunk' on tai chi when everything works as it should is something he describes very well. And then the difference when you meet someone skilled.

IMO, general lack of sparring and pressure testing is worse than not competing in PH. I am mot sure why he believe that PH competitions should be so important. Before the 1980s Tai Chi people entered sanda competitions if they wanted to compete. IMO, PH competitions has hurt Tai Chi people's fighting training more than it has helped.

[wayne hansen]

It’s not if you having pushing tournaments or not
It’s how they are done

[Bao]

Agreed they could have their place. But I am not sure that they could be done very different in the tai chi environment we have now. IMO, it's a pitty that they are viewed as more important than open style tournaments.

[Bhassler]

It may be worth noting that Napoli was, I believe, in his mid to late twenties when he went to Chen village, competing against teenagers. In terms of physical development, this is roughly akin to a pro athlete competing against high school kids. IIRC, another westerner who was there said that they invited Mario to come back next year, when they could provide some competition for him that was more equal in terms of age and experience. He did not accept the invitation.

That's not to say I think the village approach to push hands and competition is anything other than what it obviously is, just some context for the events that Mario used to make himself famous (which, now that I think about it, the village Chens should appreciate more than anyone).

[GrahamB]

It may be worth noting that Napoli was, I believe, in his mid to late twenties when he went to Chen village, competing against teenagers. In terms of physical development, this is roughly akin to a pro athlete competing against high school kids. IIRC, another westerner who was there said that they invited Mario to come back next year, when they could provide some competition for him that was more equal in terms of age and experience. He did not accept the invitation.

That's not to say I think the village approach to push hands and competition is anything other than what it obviously is, just some context for the events that Mario used to make himself famous (which, now that I think about it, the village Chens should appreciate more than anyone).

Teenagers must be bigger in China.

[Tom]

It may be worth noting that Napoli was, I believe, in his mid to late twenties when he went to Chen village, competing against teenagers. . . .

No. Mario's opponent in the third round was 26 years old, 6 feet three inches in height, about 250 pounds, wrestling champion.

And size, strength and speed matter, regardless of age. As does physical illness (Napoli was feeling very ill from dysentery and dehydrated for the last half of that tournament).

Wang Xian was already (in 2000) well-regarded as one of the Four Marketeers of Chenjiagou fame. The fact that his sons' reputations were at stake in the tournament made Napoli's victories a big deal. Wang Zhanjun is--and was then--a powerful bull of a man and skilled with the methods of Chen taijiquan.

Mario done good.

[wayne hansen]

To me he didn't look that much bigger than Mario
He was certainly no bigger than Marios student in the tai chi people clip
As for Mario being sick ,I noticed the story changed in both clips
I want to see the doctors certificate
I would still like to see some more recent clips of Mario in action
Teenagers or not they were the a class people who were put up against him so I take they were the cream of the crop

[Bhassler]

It may be worth noting that Napoli was, I believe, in his mid to late twenties when he went to Chen village, competing against teenagers. . . .

No. Mario's opponent in the third round was 26 years old, 6 feet three inches in height, about 250 pounds, wrestling champion.

And size, strength and speed matter, regardless of age. As does physical illness (Napoli was feeling very ill from dysentery and dehydrated for the last half of that tournament).

Wang Xian was already (in 2000) well-regarded as one of the Four Marketeers of Chenjiagou fame. The fact that his sons' reputations were at stake in the tournament made Napoli's victories a big deal. Wang Zhanjun is--and was then--a powerful bull of a man and skilled with the methods of Chen taijiquan.

Mario done good.

Thanks, Tom. Either I misremembered what was posted on the other forum all those years ago, or was given misinformation. Or maybe I was given misinformation and misremembered it, and what we have here are some genuine alternative facts that need to be recorded and assimilated into the mainstream narrative so we can argue about them for decades to come.

[wushutiger]

I believe this was the gent in the final

https://ibb.co/1dpKPFP