I am posting this for Mike DeDonato as requested.
**************************************
Dear Bill,
Until the technical problems are worked out I've asked JD to forward my messages to your forum re; Mr. Morris. For those of you, who wish to read for yourself what this man has to say you can reach his web site.
www.toudi-kempo.co.uk
In some ways, his views reflect those of our own esteemed colleague, Mr. Van Canna. It is obvious from his postings that Mr. Morris has no patience for those karate instructors who do not teach or practice effective fighting techniques. His reputation as a fighter and technician is
estimable and there is no question that he is proud of his accomplishments.
I find it disheartening that this man has chosen to generalize on certain topics, based upon his own personal experiences. From my own perspective Mr. Morris makes three controversial points which call for dialogue:
1) He states that Uechi and Goju Sanchin is practiced with valsalva breathing. Our esteeemed JD, Bill Glasheen and Steve Goss, all medical experts and senior Uechi practioners, categorically deny this to be the case. I will leave it to any of these individuals to expand on proper Sanchin breath control.
2) He states that he was unable to find any Okinawan or Japanese instructor who was worth his (Mr. Morris' time). Please note that this my own paraphrase of Mr. Morris' words. Feel free to go to his web site and read his postings directly. I would personally be interested in whether Mr. Morris visited with any master level Uechi instructors such as Mr. Nakahodo, Mr. Shinjo, Mr. Takara, etc.? I suspect not, and if that is the case I wonder if his opinion would change if he saw these gentlemen in action?
3) Mr. Morris has established the following membership guidelines. I find the last item on this list much too restrictive and am having difficulty understanding the basis for this particular rule. It appears that Mr.
Morris is attempting to unduly control his students and that, IMO, troublesome.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>ORIGINAL FORM BOXING MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES
• Submit a letter of commitment stating your personal reasons for wanting to join Original Form Boxing.
• £100 lifetime membership fee*. Membership is for adults only (16 and over) except in special cases as the practices are not suitable for children.
• Submit a passport-sized photo for the Original Form Boxing National Directory to be published in major martial arts magazines and on the Internet.
• Original Form Boxing has no grading structure as it is impossible to standardize attributes as they vary from individual to individual, as do the methods by which to enhance them. For as that requisite of information upon which interaction depends changes, so do your internal and external objectives and the form by which you seek to cause a specific effect or prevent one, as the form is the consequence of what you are attempting to do, not how you are attempting to do it. The substance being far more important than the form something which current karate practitioners seem to have forgotten, being far more concerned with how they appear to be crossing the finish line than with when they are crossing it.
• All members are students of Steve Morris; there is no hierarchy within the membership.
• Discontinue training under any other instructor. As long as you continue to practice ineffective and outmoded methods, you will prevent yourself from making the rapid progression you would otherwise achieve by Steve Morris' method. This includes ceasing attendance and promotion of outside seminars and courses. Instructional videos and written material will be made available to members for use only within the group, and not to be distributed outside the organization. Violation of this policy will result in the revocation of all membership privileges.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I hope that Mr. Morris accepts Mr. Mattson's inviation to join us in these forums as I believe that he does have valid points to be discussed.
All the best,
Mike
[This message has been edited by Bill Glasheen (edited 04-25-99).]