Gentlemen,
The new day is born and my little magic mug has calmed down. I have decided that there are already too many BOMBS out there and a good word or two might do the work, provided they are carefully listen to (and bombs usually do not do any good work). So a lot of contents of my magic cup has been put aside but I warn you do not fool yourself than I am not overloaded with weapons.
First of all I do sincerely apologize to all those who felt offended by my strong language and the way I have treated certain individuals on this forum (I am not taking anything back as they deserved every single word of it, and there are a couple of them more, who deserve even stronger punishment, and they would quickly discover the exact location of their very ears, to start listening again for a change and...ah, stop) but there come times when some stronger means of awakening are needed to draw the necessary attention because the disease in some of these forums is acute.
Mr.Mattson has drawn attention to The Open Letter to Karate Community by Mr.Morris and after initial few posts I have become appaled by the fact that none of you were able to produce any response that would make sense. The substance of Mr.Moriss Letter has not been touched, although he is vividly describing problems, that are so much present in this martial art called Karate and the vast difference in understanding of WHAT Karate is and its values, how Karate is presented to the public, what is the difference between Karate-DO and Karate-jutsu or whatever different names do we use to describe this discipline of mind and body during different periods of history.
My initial post was a provocative one, as there were posts like "who is this guy?" some were quick to call him just another dude, etc. This shows your great lack of knowledge (or gaining information) as Mr.Morris IS NOT JUST ANOTHER DUDE and it is of great concern to all of us, who have devoted far less effort, time, and shared far less experience and challenges than he has, THAT he has come to the conclusions he has presented in his letter and WHY do they SEEM to proclaim Karate as totaly useless and ineffective fighting arts practice. To those that believe in karate efficiency his words are of course like a spit in the face. But is it really so?
I intended to go step by step, not to disclose all my weapons at once as I am a warrior and due to my subsequent involvement into the topic "All those applications.." I have been cut in the middle (to some it may appear like I have acted as Mr.Morris right-hand assistant) but I have not said my final word and due to the fact that I consider THIS as a topic of prime importance (and not the garbage that is discussed in such a large quantities on this forums, my God I feel the fever again) I shall elaborate more when my limited time of course permits that. In the meantime Mr.Mattson has already published his closing comments under "Barrage of pebbles", which I feel are valid, but as I said, it would be a pity if such a valuable discussion would end in such a short time and participants would again turn to subjects like "what is the connection between hojo undo tenshin steps and winning All Okinawa Tournament, etc., etc." the answers of such stupid questions I generously leave to those experts that deal with deadly applications.
I have read somewhere: "If you act like a Fool, you are nothing but a Fool." Now English is my 3rd language. But is it I who should translate this statement to you? If you do foolish practises in your Karate than your Karate is nothing but a Garbage can. And that is exactly what Mr.Morris is saying. And I am so more worried that caliber like Dr.X get insulted when I have used term "kindergarten karate", because the only one WHO should realy be insulted, should be those from the Kids Forum, because I have insulted them (and do apologize, provided they do what Kids should do). And it would be much healthier, if some forum owners would return to this healty practices, instead of preaching junk karate. I have no doubt that there are some sober people out there but probably they do not wish to enter this discussions for the very same reasons I did not - but WHO is going to STOP this blazing wagon?
Now, I shall go back to the subject of "All those applications.." which is essentially the same as Mr.Morris deals with...misunderstanding of the purpose that each and every Karate exercise serve. I have menthioned this statement before BUT it appears to me that you people are overlooking easily important basic facts in your frenzy search of "How to quickly terminate your friends life or at least send him asleep with a touch on the chin". LIFE MY FRIENDS IS A VALUABLE ASSET. And I warn you not to play to much with it. You may lose it too quickly. Simple. Period.
In my opening post "All those applications..." I have tried to guide you to draw the essential conclusions to WHAT PURPOSE EACH AND EVERY KARATE EXERCISE SERVE but you have all FAILED (not counting Gary and from his short comment again FALSE, most of you draw WRONG conclusions that I merely advocate sport Karate). May I politely ask you, that for a change, you start using your grey cells instead of all your preconcieved thoughts and jumping conclusions.
I warn you to start reading carefully each and every word as otherwise I shall cease to loose my valuable time. Read my opening post again and do you find any REAL weak point? I have deliberately left one and again NOBODY has been able to RESPOND properly. Well?
Nobody commented on my line: " In Karate there is absolutely NO ELIMINATION process of this garbage-ineffective techniques..." In fact it is a sad fact that this is so often TRUE, but in traditional Karate-Do there is an elimination process of this garbage-ineffective techniques and IT IS CALLED A GOOD SENSEI. And judging from your responses I am concerned there is a shortage of such individuals on this forums (no offence, but please start proving the opposite with comments that make common sense).
I knew my Dear friend Bill would be among first to respond and I awaited his reply. For this my friends we call in Jiyu kumite: "to offer an opening....so we can see what fighting equipment the other guy posses, what his reactions are, what is his nature and what kind of treatment he deserves (if he is cool, we shall save him, if he acts stupidly, we shall punish him a bit more to teach him some lesson). I know this may be a bit hard to understand for those who do not go beyond Kyu and Dan Kumite level (and Dear Bill, it is not necessary to polish Dan Kumite for 10 years like preaching some mantra and expect to receive a blessing at the end (possibly in the form of a bird **** falling from the sky) and on the contrary I can also argument its values but for the purposes that it was designed; but this it is for you to discover).
Due to the fact that Bill Sensei is one of the most productive forumers and offers final advices to many students, I was very disapointed that he opened himself as long and as wide he is, offering on sale his all 365 vulnerable Kyusho points (one more or less does not matter). I could pick anyone but let's not spend our time in vain and play the most important one. The one that almost COST my another friend Clarence his precious life.
Unfortunately Bill Sensei, you have made an immediate escape to street fighting, which really pissed me off (sorry). DO YOU REALLY EXPECT YOUR STUDENTS TO PERFORM EVERYTHING (no rules) UNDER ANY TOTALY UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. My godness, than I presume your students are Supermen and Spiderwomen (and even those sometimes break their neck by shere accident). Or you have set yourself an impossible task of creating Supermen and Spiderwomen from your students as they are the only one that survive on the streets (of movies).
When I have further pinned you down with my little questionaire, you again would like to change rules all the time. I guess when you make your scientific research you also switch samples all the times and than out of that TOTALY UNKNOWN MIXTURE you draw some SOUND conclusions.
YOU have MISUNDERSTOOD my friend, I am NOT evaluating fighting methods based on what works in sport karate. I said: When I TEACH sport karate I do evaluate sport karate fighting techniques on basis of KNOWN SAMPLES (my students and their opponents) and KNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES (different level tournaments) and I CAN draw SOUND conclusions out of that if my teaching methods are bringing any success or not.
WHEN I teach traditional Karate-DO, I also evaluate my students progress according to the standards that are set for this programme. But I NEVER teach my students STREET survival, because to my understanding this is impossible. Period.
Which DOES NOT mean there is no answer for such situations to be met BUT I like Mr.Morris shall not give those answers so easily away. At least not to you, unless you all immediately confirm in WRITTING that you are COMMUNISTS by heart, ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha (while I was living in that dark age everything was for free for everybody).
As far as I know street fighting never was part of Karate-DO and as far as I can recall, I have never seen ANY Uechi Instructor on Okinawa teaching street fighting.
BUT obviously you do and YOU HAVE NEVER answered me HOW do YOU EVALUATE your teaching of your students for street survival. You have offered SUPERSTITION or GOOD LUCK. I know many people who play LUCKY NUMBERS and guess what - they are every single week convinced they will get BINGO. How do you include Clarence in those two samples of yours? Are you going to continue to implanting belief in your students they can win BINGO on the street or not? This is a TRUE question.
Yes I HAVE BEEN A BIT TRICKY with you, but can't you see (come to a sober conclusion) that the opponent out there in the street might also be tricky and above all, more unpredictive as the end of my postings were at the very first beginning. My favorite, Mr.Van is spending in vain his vivid descriptions of this "predators" AND HOW MANY MORE TIMES YOU HAVE TO BE TOLD, predators will not come to you in Sanchin stance or with some of those little grabs you do against your girl students (you fear to be more realistic because she may conclude, you Bill might be a secret weird molester yourself, if trying to shot her with some adrenaline by grabbing her as a real rapist would do, not one of squeaky boys from next street, who wetted his pants when your girl reacted like any girl WITHOUT any martial art training would - God bless her lucky angel).
I shall not list my own street survival adventures and competition results to save readers for already too long post. But I shall describe one of those MUMBO-JUMBO exercises one American Uechi Instructor was proudly presenting at the camp in Germany. We were supposed to practice street survival technique against attacker from behind. So we were instructed to stand with our back against the opponent and he would attack with a seiken zuki in Sanchin stance directed to our back(spine). Because at that time we did not posses 7th sense to feel when the attack would come and The Instructor forgot to bring surgical instruments to replant our eyes to the back of our heads, the attacker was advised to signal his deadly zuki with a not so-loud kiai. Upon hearing that kiai, we were instructed to perform a correct Sanchin turn, do a proper wa uke and respond with seiken zuki to his head. After a couple of repetitions The Instructor felt that we are ready for full power attacks, so we would get more adrenaline. Because I learned some manners, I have saved my comments but decided to give him hidden awakening lesson. When it was my turn to survive, I stood still as a tree and the Instructor launched his full power zuki...I did not move in spite of his fierce kiai...and his full power blow landed in my back right on the spine... NOW, DO YOU THINK THE POOR GUY WAS AWAKENED. He just stood there in bewilderment, not knowing exactly was he a JACK-POT winner or he just landed on Mars. When I kindly asked him to reverse our roles, he promptly wetted his pants as if I suddenly turned into Igor - the Lord Dracula's right-hand assistant. But I was still the Igor nice guy and all he would get would be a gentle twist of his ear while we would walk out of gym. This was my last attempt to try to awaken street-survival specialists because it is mission impossible (please, do not ask me to explain, what was the point of my lesson).
I know this poor guy was not the best USA produced as you have now latest hit Peyton Quinn. And his is going to prepare you better than anyone until now. But please ask yourself and Mr.Quinn!!! Does Peyton Quinn give you money back guarantee when you finish with a knife in your back because until this unfortunate incident, you have completed just class no.3, which covered one to one unarmed assault and one to five with a knife in your back was a lesson no. 5.786.473.
And forget about Special Forces. They have learned their lesson better. Your three man kidnapped by the Serbs did not offer unnecessary resistance (and still have the chance to return to their families) as otherwise they would not finish with those couple of bumps on their faces, but could quite likely be submitted to one of those Serb special treatments, they have learned in past centuries from invading Ottomans, which is: batter thick wooden stick through the overbrave guy's backhole up to his throat in such a precise way, that none of the internal organs are hurt, and than already poor guy may contemplate for a week or so on koan: "What is the TRUE nature of a thick wooden stick?"
So, my dear friend Bill. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE CALLED A WIMP. I only beg you to take my advice because with the little help of the sober mind you can be far better Karate-ka and I would be very, very sorry to loose you. DO NOT FEED your head and your students heads with SUPERSTITION, because I guess you love them and take care of them AND YOU DO NOT WANT THEM TO LOSE THEIR LIFE IN SUCH A STUPID WAY.
And I ask you dear forumers, WHERE is your UECHI-RYU heading? Yesterday you were satisfied to finally break bats with your shins, so tomorrow you might start hanging rocks onto your testicles (like some Chinese "masters" do), today you stick your fingers into Kyusho points and knock-out your friends and day after tomorrow you might "jump onto each other and rip open your juggler veins with snarling teeth" (like Anthony Licalzi's favorites AirBourne Rangers).
WHAT about RETURNING to Karate-DO? May I suggest a nice story which step by step illustrates this word-battle. Funakoshi Gichin: My Way of Life, see page 21, story NO WEAPONS (An Important Lesson).
And than return to practise, practise, practise to learn LESSON number 1: "REALIZE OUR OWN LIMITATIONS (c)PI" or as other sober minds have put it more figuratively: "We all, I the fierce Igor, you Bill, Mattson Sensei, my dear Clarence Wilder, only due to the lack of this very same realization, shot three times by ordinary jerk - ARE JUST A PAIN IN THE ASS OF A TIGER".
Sincerely,
igor