dont know if i should be posting this but is this someone on here?

[mjjbecker]

As for the bullshit about Santiago, the sad cowardly types who attempt to character assassinate him while hiding behind computers miss the point entirely. A person is judged by their deeds, not by their words.

 

Watch the video clips on Youtube and see how he moves. People who know what they are looking at don't need to ask any other questions. I've been around some exceptional martial artists, including silat people. Santiago is, in my opinion, unequivocally, the 'real deal'.

 

As for his opinions on silat, we've communicated a bit about that. What he said pretty much matched my own experiences and opinions, based on the years of practice and research I personally put into my own silat study. It also matches things others have told me, people with intimate experience of silat and the main 'players'.

 

As for the man, he is one of lifes 'givers', rather than one of the multitude of 'takers'. He does a lot to help others, and he doesn't go on about it in public. He just does it. Does he have strong opinions? Yes, but they are based off experience, not just the idle speculation so beloved of some. People may, or may not, agree with them, and that is fine. I don't think anyone agrees with everything another person states. We all have our own experiences and go from there.

 

If there is one thing I would really like to get across it is this:

 

Everyone has opinions based upon their experience. Don't take it that just because something is not within your own experience that it is not true. Don't take it that because one approach or method does not work for you, that it does not work for others. Conversely, just because something is right for you, do not take it that you have found 'the truth' and that all others are clearly ignorant souls ripe for enlightenment from you. It is amazing how many people who claim to be tollerant and open minded are quite the opposite. Finally, experience is an ongoing thing. While you live you have the potential to learn. If your understanding and opinions of things never alter, it suggests you are not actually learning and growing.

[Sloppy Zhang]

Sloppy Zhang, I agree with everything you're saying. It makes good sense to me.

 

So, with the fact that I am agreeing in mind, I want to say this: while testing things for genuineness of claims is a good idea, an interesting thing there is the selection process for the testing candidates. In other words, if I don't make spiritual statements or strong claims, I am probably not going to be selected by those guys to be tested/investigated. However, even if all my claims are ordinary, I might still be a crappy teacher who teaches crap that doesn't work. So if those guys want to improve the quality of martial arts, they are pretty biased in whom and how they select for investigations.

 

That's not to say that what they do is worthless, but, to my mind, it has a touch of intellectual dishonesty.

 

Agreed.

 

Please, please, please, let's move away from the term 'soft'. Taijiquan is not a 'soft' martial art. The examples you reference are of neutralising power, nothing 'soft' about them. Taijiquan is a 'hard' and 'soft' martial art, but this again, applies to pretty much ALL martial arts.

 

There is an unfortunate number of 'instructors' who would have people believe taijiquan is all about being 'soft'. However, these people tend to get their arses kicked in both pushing hands and sparring. Don't mention Cheng Manching and the fairytales spun about him by R.W. Smith. Cheng taught his CHINESE students neigong, to develop POWER, while feeding his 'round eye' students a line of shit. An unfortunate fact, documented in interviews with Chinese disciples of Cheng.

 

Gaining ability in 'internal' martial arts requires arduous physical work. It is certainly not easy, nor soft. Much of the power that is developed is highly refined PHYSICAL power. Correct development of the body, along with refined movement. A few might develop something significant regarding 'qi', but the bottom line is the fame of the 'internal' arts comes from masters who could hit like a freight train. If it just came down to qi, the fighting techniques would be redundant.

 

Beware of many of the stories that are floating around also. I don't believe, for one minute, that Yang Luchan became the instructor of Prince Duan's bannermen by kindly neutralising any and all challengers. It is utterly implausible that a close quarter combat instructor, hired to teach elite troops how to kill, would be peddling the crap often seen demonstrated in books. He would HAVE TO HAVE PROVEN HIMSELF, and it would not have been pretty. Fighting men demand proof.

 

The leitai platform was a pretty bloody affair, and people certainly did get killed in these competitions. Whether Yang Luchan killed anyone doing this, I don't know. Other 'internal' artists did though.

 

It is a fact that some stories being propagated in public by well known 'masters' and lineages are bullshit. I know this having been privy to 'inside' information, the proverbial 'horses mouth' as they say. What people in the West define as lying is a perfectly acceptable means of getting results in China. I know this having lived in China for several years now. The 'truth' is what someone wants you to believe, not reality.

 

The above said, I've read many good things about Chen Fake, and I, personally, believe those referring to his high morals and character are true. Apparently he wasn't so gentle with his students though-it is reported that Feng Zhiqiang was the only one willing to engage Chen in pushing hands. The others could not, or would not, take the punishment he gave out to them.

 

I know, understand, and agree with everything you've said

[Vajrasattva]

As for the bullshit about Santiago, the sad cowardly types who attempt to character assassinate him while hiding behind computers miss the point entirely. A person is judged by their deeds, not by their words.

 

Watch the video clips on Youtube and see how he moves. People who know what they are looking at don't need to ask any other questions. I've been around some exceptional martial artists, including silat people. Santiago is, in my opinion, unequivocally, the 'real deal'.

 

As for his opinions on silat, we've communicated a bit about that. What he said pretty much matched my own experiences and opinions, based on the years of practice and research I personally put into my own silat study. It also matches things others have told me, people with intimate experience of silat and the main 'players'.

 

As for the man, he is one of lifes 'givers', rather than one of the multitude of 'takers'. He does a lot to help others, and he doesn't go on about it in public. He just does it. Does he have strong opinions? Yes, but they are based off experience, not just the idle speculation so beloved of some. People may, or may not, agree with them, and that is fine. I don't think anyone agrees with everything another person states. We all have our own experiences and go from there.

 

If there is one thing I would really like to get across it is this:

 

Everyone has opinions based upon their experience. Don't take it that just because something is not within your own experience that it is not true. Don't take it that because one approach or method does not work for you, that it does not work for others. Conversely, just because something is right for you, do not take it that you have found 'the truth' and that all others are clearly ignorant souls ripe for enlightenment from you. It is amazing how many people who claim to be tollerant and open minded are quite the opposite. Finally, experience is an ongoing thing. While you live you have the potential to learn. If your understanding and opinions of things never alter, it suggests you are not actually learning and growing.

 

Thanks Mike,

 

I think from now on we will just make it easy for people for the quest for "Chi" & "Silat" & "Kundalini".

 

1) I know nothing

 

2) I do nothing.

 

3) I have nothing.

 

 

See you soon bro at least for some curry & a good dark beer.

[mjjbecker]

Thanks Mike,

 

I think from now on we will just make it easy for people for the quest for "Chi" & "Silat" & "Kundalini".

 

1) I know nothing

 

2) I do nothing.

 

3) I have nothing.

 

 

See you soon bro at least for some curry & a good dark beer.

 

My pleasure. A 'Ruby Murray' is always good. Good booze is very good. Good company and conversation is priceless.

[Ninpo-me-this-ninjutsu-me-that]

He told me that he wished he had named it something else because it really didn't describe what the book was about.

 

Honestly I really like the title of the book, when I first saw it I thought 'what a spanner!', I think I even may have ignored it the first time round, when I actually opened it up it was like Christmas; I like the fact it kind of misleads people, that's really a Ninjutsu concept. Every time I see it lying around my house and I see the title it still gives me a laugh. I also never have to lend it 'cos everyone just sees and and thinks 'what a spanner!', suits me 'cos I don't wanna lend it and risk not getting it back again

[Mal]

He told me that he wished he had named it something else because it really didn't describe what the book was about.

 

Honestly I really like the title of the book, when I first saw it I thought 'what a spanner!', I think I even may have ignored it the first time round, when I actually opened it up it was like Christmas; I like the fact it kind of misleads people, that's really a Ninjutsu concept. Every time I see it lying around my house and I see the title it still gives me a laugh. I also never have to lend it 'cos everyone just sees and and thinks 'what a spanner!', suits me 'cos I don't wanna lend it and risk not getting it back again

 

I definitely missed it the first time around too. Might have just been a touch late for me. I was into Hatsumi's Togakure-ryū, Steven K Hayes and Ashida Kim at the end of the 80's. Kid style, being a ninja was a great way to sneak around at night while in highschool.

 

We had no teachers or anything but we practiced as best we could. Can remember busting my nose ducking into my best friends front kick I use to sit in the dark doing 9 finger kniting (KujiKiri) from a photocopy of Kim's book from the library. Actually I know Kim has been debunked but I had to google to spell KujiKiri and this old book looks a bit familiar Ninja Mind Control Why didn't I practice the Chi Kungs and Nei Kungs back then.... oh well.

 

Then the Ninja turtles came along and I got into psychology and the occult during Uni. Sneaking out at night stoped being fun since I was allowed to do whatever I liked I did go around campus once suited up in first year "borrowing" signs but the suit was rather conspicuous and I almost got eaten by a wild dog No fun.

[Ninpo-me-this-ninjutsu-me-that]

I definitely missed it the first time around too. Might have just been a touch late for me. I was into Hatsumi's Togakure-ryū, Steven K Hayes and Ashida Kim at the end of the 80's. Kid style, being a ninja was a great way to sneak around at night while in highschool.

 

We had no teachers or anything but we practiced as best we could. Can remember busting my nose ducking into my best friends front kick I use to sit in the dark doing 9 finger kniting (KujiKiri) from a photocopy of Kim's book from the library. Actually I know Kim has been debunked but I had to google to spell KujiKiri and this old book looks a bit familiar Ninja Mind Control Why didn't I practice the Chi Kungs and Nei Kungs back then.... oh well.

 

Then the Ninja turtles came along and I got into psychology and the occult during Uni. Sneaking out at night stoped being fun since I was allowed to do whatever I liked I did go around campus once suited up in first year "borrowing" signs but the suit was rather conspicuous and I almost got eaten by a wild dog No fun.

 

Ya, it was the back end of the Ninja craze when It came out.....Ashida Kim lol..... ya I thumbed through a fair few of his books back in the day in the local MA store but nothing in there to attract my meager pocket money, I also did the sneaking around and had a lot of fun with it, I think there are probably still rumours of 'Ninja dealers of death' frequenting the local common due to my stupidity . When I actually did take it up properly there was very little(if any)sneaking around going on Oh well, a lot of bruises though

 

From what I saw from one of your other posts me and you are the same age, I never saw 'Pray for Death' with Sho Kosugi, you gotta tell me, was it any good??? I just can't be bothered to download it myself.... he did another film after that, it might have been called 'Pray even Harder'

[ShaktiMama]

Honestly I really like the title of the book, when I first saw it I thought 'what a spanner!', I think I even may have ignored it the first time round, when I actually opened it up it was like Christmas; I like the fact it kind of misleads people, that's really a Ninjutsu concept. Every time I see it lying around my house and I see the title it still gives me a laugh. I also never have to lend it 'cos everyone just sees and and thinks 'what a spanner!', suits me 'cos I don't wanna lend it and risk not getting it back again

 

 

One day he was sitting on my couch and he said to me, "I can't really believe I wrote that book or a lot of things that I have written. I am not that smart." I just smiled at him.

 

I know what he means. I feel like that a lot about some stuff that I have written..."who IS this person?"

[goldisheavy]

One day he was sitting on my couch and he said to me, "I can't really believe I wrote that book or a lot of things that I have written. I am not that smart." I just smiled at him.

 

I know what he means. I feel like that a lot about some stuff that I have written..."who IS this person?"

 

I've been getting this feeling many many times, especially when I was younger. My 25 year old self would find something my 20 year old self wrote, and I would be in awe. I would be thinking, "This guy is enlightened. Certainly it cannot be me." But it was and it is. My problem was that I had an enormously low self-esteem. I just took it as an axiomatic assumption that I know nothing and I am not worth much in the grand scheme of things. This assumption is as bad as thinking that one knows everything and has nothing to learn. This is why I don't do the false modesty routine as a rule. A few times I had done it, I always regretted it later. Why bow to someone whom I do not consider superior? On the other hand, if someone impresses me such that I actually think that person is superior, by all means I have no problem with bowing or even prostrating myself. It just needs to be honest, and most of the times, it is not honest.

Edited January 2, 2010 by goldisheavy

[Marblehead]

My 25 year old self would find something my 20 year old self wrote, and I would be in awe.

 

Damn! And here I was under the impression from some of your posts that you were about 12 or 13 years old. Not even old enough to start masturbating yet.

 

Peace & Love!

[goldisheavy]

Damn! And here I was under the impression from some of your posts that you were about 12 or 13 years old. Not even old enough to start masturbating yet.

 

Peace & Love!

 

I am not surprised.

[Marblehead]

I am not surprised.

 

You would be surprised if you 'really' knew.

 

Peace & Love!

 

(Yes, I will continue to wish you peace & love regardless of our disagreements.)

[goldisheavy]

You would be surprised if you 'really' knew.

 

Peace & Love!

 

(Yes, I will continue to wish you peace & love regardless of our disagreements.)

 

Alas, I am a living proof that objective reality does not exist.

Edited January 2, 2010 by goldisheavy

[Marblehead]

Alas, I am a living proof that objective reality does not exist.

 

No, you are living proof that asses exist in the objective (Manifest) reality.

 

Peace & Love!

[goldisheavy]

No, you are living proof that asses exist in the objective (Manifest) reality.

 

Peace & Love!

 

The only ass here is the one in your mind.

[Marblehead]

The only ass here is the one in your mind.

 

Yep. And I am thinking of you at the moment.

 

Peace & Love!

[goldisheavy]

Yep. And I am thinking of you at the moment.

 

Peace & Love!

 

Please, I am not that important. Think of something else.

[Marblehead]

Please, I am not that important. Think of something else.

 

Okay.

 

Peace & Love!