Martial arts

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Sorry that is an artificial creation for marketing purposes, it has no traditions and has no history, it is a business. Sorry to tell you this, but it is not Okinawan or Japanese mainland Karate. Find a real Karate class and taste the difference. Also you realise that your avatar is of a Hong Kong Wing Chun player who again due to politics and desire for ego and fame and money created his own version, incorporating some soft techniques.

Etymology. Karate was originally written as "Chinese hand" (唐手 literally "Tang dynasty hand") in kanji. It was later changed to a homophone meaning empty hand (空手). ... Thus the word "karate" was originally a way of expressing "martial art from China."

[jimbob]

I used to do Shotokan Karate and got my second Dan black belt about 12 years ago. I stopped training shortly after but I have recently started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and I absolutely love it. I wish I had started doing it years ago.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

There is no best martial art, there is too much bullshit and too little understanding. Brazilian Jui-Jitsu is definitely a very good fighting art, but a traditional Chinese or Japanese martial art is different, it is about the person not who wins. The real understanding of martial art is that there is no such thing as a winner, there is only a human being.

In my tradition a student was specially trained for competition and was only done for marketing purpose. This happened to the father of my teacher.

"After some seven years of learning and severe practice, in 1911 Teacher Jianhou ordered Zhaolin to enter a public fight contest representing his family. Zhaolin was surprised and quickly tried to beg-off, explaining to his teacher that he did not feel adequately prepared and did not wish to bring dishonor on the family. Jianhou responded by telling Zhaolin that he would not have ordered him to enter such a contest if he (Jianhou) did not believe he was well prepared. Tian Zhaolin then followed his teacher’s advice, entered the contest, and he won. Once home after the contest, Teacher Jianhou ordered Zhaolin to follow his eldest son Shaohou from this point onward. Shaohou and Zhaolin were often seen together around the capital and at martial art exhibitions. Tian’s reputation began to grow after his success in that raw fight competition."

[karatestu]

Thanks for putting me in the picture Doc, i knew you would know.

I am no expert (as you can tell) and know nothing of Mr Lee. Was just thinking of an avatar and he came to mind.

Finding another local class is hard when you live in the sticks but i will look in to it. It was the only one within 5 miles when i was searching years ago.

Stu

[jimbob]

I used to train at Saxon Karate club and I'm sure they do lessons in Yorkshire as well as Lancashire. Leigh Smith is a fantastic sensei and the club is brilliant. May be worth looking into if you are thinking of sticking with karate.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

There is much bullshit in my art as well, it is so difficult to find a real teacher who actually knows something. There are fighting Tai-Chi Chuan schools that are just Wing Chun under another name. 90% of what you find in Tai-Chi is health related and not a bad thing at that. Very few people understand it as a martial art in the west. This guy is good on a physical level and is teaching correct technique, but there is a level beyond this which is where the controversy starts when you start talking about manipulating a persons Chi. This guy is not showing it but you will see a little of it in my video, but his level of skill almost certainly means he knows it, but you keep it private as the Chinese Gov frown on it and you might find yourself taken to a re-education camp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HQnuWY13ac

[karatestu]

Bullshit in hifi, bullshit in martial arts. Is there ever any escape from bullshit ?

Makes me so

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

In the modern world we drown in it - DQ calls it new speak. Sadly I now make a presumption everything is bullshit until I know it isn't.

[karatestu]

In the modern world we drown in it - DQ calls it new speak. Sadly I now make a presumption everything is bullshit until I know it isn't.

I am increasingly coming to that conclusion too. Wish it had happened quicker. One thing (of many) that i cannot bare is to be in the position of having to buy a car. The amount of crap and lies that comes out of the average car salesmans mouth could fill your local sewage plant. One of the reasons i buy a car and keep it until it is no longer repairable. Current one is 20 years old in September (still going strong) and i bought it when 18 months old.

Gone off topic a bit but what the hell.