jak3b

Oh and most likely political extremists,terrorists are not much interested in street fighting either.They are more interested in the big picture like total economic disruption.They like bombs,things like make a big splash.The most dangerous person in the world, bar none, is a 18-19 year old air head,driving an SUV and texting.Keep your heads up!.

"That's true so long as you don't get into fights." Getting into a fight is a choice.Why would you want to? "But you can't comment on what didn't happen. Just because one might get away by walking with a purpose, another might not because somebody decided one day that they wanted to join a gang, and had to get in by killing someone of your particular race. So you can't really determine across the board that street smarts is a better investment then physical, combative self defense measures." I dont know where you live but here we have lots of gangs and gang activity.Oakland has one of the highest murder rates in the US, Richmond and Vallejo are both running close behind.Its on the news all the time for the last 20 years.drive by's,Kids getting shot etc etc.Where did this happen,Right in the Gang bangers area.Ive worked in the projects in Hunters point repairing some retaining walls.The people that lived there told us it was not a good idea to work late.I got a couple "hey white boy" but never threatend or even made uncomfortable.99.9% of the people are basicly ok.I was there everyday for a couple months.That whole thing about killing some one of your race to get into a gang is an urban myth.Its the kind of crap they eat up in the 'burbs.The was a gang related shooting here about a year ago out side of a dance club.These clowns started popping off on each other.they didnt get close to hitting each other but a stray bullet killed a German woman.She was a block and half away.It was a total tragedy.What are the odds of that happening?.And how the hell do you train for that?.

Didnt mean to denigrate anyones experience here.I just have had these conversations seems like millions of times.Mostly martial artist talk about fighting as it relates to there style or school vs another style or school.People I know from Hong Kong would tell me they would have to fight the students from the other schools sometimes.Even though it was informal,It wasnt really like a street fight in the Lower East Side.There was etiqette,rules.When Bruce Lee fought Wong Jack Man here in SF.There were witnesses,an area to fight in etc.Its a highly ritualised event,theres breathing room.Theres loads of cultural threads running through it all.I lived in China Town here in San Francisco for a few years.How the Chinese street kids fight is 20 to one.They NEVER fight one on one.to risky.When they get a little older,like 12 they use guns.Traditional Martial arts in Japan is totaly ritualised,very very formal,deep deep in the Japanese psyche.Morihei Ueshiba developed Aikido, as a spiritual path (Do- Tao).After it became Aikido from Aiki jutsu fighting was not the stress,It was blending,flowing yielding through which you have a direct experience of the Tao.The Chinese have a much more practical approach.My first teacher was Dr Leung Kay Chi in Boston.His school is called JIANN SHYONG He told me it means basicly good health but in an over all kind of holistic meaning.Self defence to him meant being healthy and balanced in mind body and spirit, your total being.When you have that your immune to the real dangers of life, your own mind.Your free from worry.You dont find your self in situations where you need to physicly defend your self.That has been my experience.I have seen some horrible shit people are capable of doing to each other.I liked to live in the seedier of life for many years.Being alert using common street sense,dont look lost and keep moving were much more valuable skills "on the street" then techiques or any moves I ever thought I learned.Its a how you carry your energy.I have traveled alot in Asia.Other expats would always be complaining about how they were always being rippid off,cheated.They dont have any trust they believe all the fear mongering the media constantly spews out and thats what they get.I choose to believe that most people are ok,They are just like me trying to live there life as best they can.And things go well.Its pretty simple.The most effective weapon is your mind and your common sense,Also the abilty to listen.

These posts always turn into pissing contests about styles,schools,MMA,Bruce Lee yada yada.If you want to fight theres plenty of people you can find who will be glad to take you up on that.99.9% of so called martial arts is utter bullshit.Its a fantasy."On the street","in the ring",going to the ground".Come on,are you kidding?.How many people on a Toaist forum do you think actually have been in a real life or death fight?.I worked with people who really had to.They all have post traumatic stress dis-order,shattered nervous systems,sleeping dis orders,They cant function anymore,alcaholism,drug addiction,massive health issues.That is what happens when you experience combat and survive.I havent been in a fight in 35 years,since high school.I live in major cities all my life.Ive been robbed once,I gave them the money.Im going to risk my life for a few bucks?.I dont think so.If you want to be a professional MMA guy or a boxer.Go for it.Some people really enjoy it. I know a guy here who was a ranked heavy weight.He is brain damaged.Its a hell of a way to make a living.I studied at a school for a couple of years that was heavily into sparring and full contact fighting.I liked to intensity of the work outs.I was in my early 20's.I also played music.After a couple broken fingers it started to effect my abilty to play my bass.I quit.I thought long and hard about what I was doing.I got into it for 2 reasons.I was attracted to the "exoticness" of it but really,deep down,I felt small and weak,insecure in this big bad world.Facing my fears saved me alot of money and gave me back lots of time to pursue much more rewarding things like qigong,meditation,and what we are doing on this rock flying through space.

Joseph Alois Ratzinger was in the Hitler youth.The catholic church has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in out of court settlements for abusing children in recent years.During the crusades,middle ages,inquisitions MILLIONS of people were tortured and killed in the most horrifying ways imaginable.Whole cultures wiped out there riches stolen,centuries of suppression of all kinds of knowledge,subjugation,slavery....Ya, Like I give a Ratz ass what they think -A lapsed Catholic

I saw most happiness in india, vietnam, very much in Lao, cambodia, a lot in thailand. Less in the states, I second that,Ive spent alot of time in north east Thailand and was always amazed at the general level of happiness people had.After 3 or 4 months there coming back to the states was like coming back to hell. Part of what they have there is in the Thai phrase you hear alot "Mai Ben Rai" which loosely translates to Its no big thing.They say it alot.

Maybe its Godzilla.Anyways If theres a massive pole shift I hope I get knocked by one of those massive versions of the I Ching falling off a shelf before being consumed in molten magma as the plates flip flop around.Cheerio!

May be he graduated from here: http://www.realkungfu.info/apprentice.htm

Hmmmmm, Smashing bricks?,160K?,Im in the wrong business!.Ive been trying to do something useful with bricks.This thread would be funny if it wasnt so sad.How gullable are people?.

Awsome pic!, As far as Kwan Sai Hung?,Who knows.I knew an acpuncturist years ago here in San Francisco, I used to have a beer with now and then in China Town.He was from Beijing,Came to the US after 1949 by way of Taiwan. I remember one conversation where he talked about what a massive tragedy the cultural revolution was.All his teachers died.He said they lost so much during that time.Very few of them got out.It makes me wonder how much really survived all that intact.I feel the Traveling Shaolin Monks and the Wudang training camps are are along the same line as DMD's book, mostly a romaticised fiction created to sell the "New China".My friend did make an interesting point when I told him I loved reading history,He said to understand Chinese history read Chinese Mythology,because "history" was rewritten or destroyed with the change of every dynasty,while the myths retained the essence and spirit of the Chinese peoples story.

Im an old trekky from way back.I loved it.This is a great forum by the way.I have been using the search all day. Thanks to everyone

Hello, Im interested in Taoist thought and practices. I live in San Francisco