Old Enough to Know Better: Looks Like We've Been Doing It All Wrong ...

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Looks Like We've Been Doing It All Wrong ...

23 comments:

Anonymous said...: You can't just post another video from this guy and not explain yourself!

I was going to nitpick a few little things early on, but I soon realized that quite literally everything he is trying to teach seems the complete opposite of correct to me. His exaggeratedly awkward "wrong" horizontal swing? Advocating striking with the non-blade side of a knife? Leaning over your opponent's thrust to go after his head? Seriously?!

I'm no guru -- hell, I'd probably be stretching it to say I was well-versed in Kali -- but I can't abide by anything this guy is saying. Am I missing something?; Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 10:15:00 PM PDT
Wim Demeere said...: Crap, I guess us Chinese MA guys have it all wrong too. I'll start holding my saber edge in from now on...; Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 2:30:00 AM PDT
Steve Perry said...: No, you're not missing anything.

I was tempted to put up a video of myself doing some machete work, showing the One True Method™ of how to do so. Don't pass it around, but you hold the weapon by the blade, edge-in against your palm, and strike using the handle. This so surprises your enemy that he falls over laughing, and you can run away to fight another day ...; Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 9:21:00 AM PDT
Anonymous said...: Unbelievable! Maybe they just modified their art in California to be PC... They'll switch to blunt, rounded swords soon!; Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 4:12:00 PM PDT
Steve Perry said...: DG --

Because I can ...; Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 6:06:00 PM PDT
Stan said...: Not a knife fighter...so no expertise or opinion regarding the "rightness" of the techniques.

However, when I was also confused by this demonstration, I realized that it caused me to: A) think about my own (limited) techniques; and, B) reinforce the training that somebody can always come at you differently than you expect. I can truthfully say that in the very few times I have been attacked (outside of work), I have NEVER been able to tell the person, "Wait! You have to hit/kick/grab me THIS way!"

(I actually HAVE used that statement at work and the patient was so confused that they stopped long enough to be "re-directable.")

Value, don't value someone's technique. If it causes you to re-examine your own stuff...you got something of value from the lesson.

Thanks, Folki!; Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 6:56:00 PM PDT
Travis said...: So umm, yeah... not a silat guy but fairly well versed in arnis/kali and read a variety of historical ma stuff for fun and recreation. I've seen the moves he's showing before, never seen anyone present them as PRIMARY techniques though.; Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 7:06:00 PM PDT
Steve Perry said...: The reason this length blade with this technique isn't primary is because nobody in the world ever used it as a primary weapon this way.

Certainly all the old blades don't have notches on the spine -- I've see more than a few with chipped edges that had to have been done edge-on-edge.; Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 9:00:00 PM PDT
Stan said...: Ummm, we hear you, Steve.... ;~); Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 9:33:00 PM PDT
Steve Perry said...: No idea why it triple-posted. I only did it once.; Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 11:41:00 PM PDT
Stan said...: Okay, we'll just blame it on your "awesome" chi!; Sunday, September 6, 2009 at 11:42:00 PM PDT
Bobbe Edmonds said...: I think all of you are a being a bit rude, and should be ashamed of yourselves.

Has it ever occurred to any of you bottom-feeding no-names that perhaps you are looking at something FAR beyond your intellectual grasp? That this man, this unparalleled master of the martial arts, who has deigned to share his innermost secrets with you, could possibly have feelings?

None of you understand the advanced body mechanics, or the deadly seriousness of this video, but you all think you can nit-pick the technique as if you were any better!

WELL, I SAY BULLSHIT!

What if you were attacked by a man made entirely out of jell-o, armed with a sharp subjunctive gerund? Or how about an epileptic quadruple amputee? What then, smart ass? You're gonna be pretty damn sorry you didn't pay attention to this clip, and learn something.

I can't believe you fucking people. Especially YOU, Perry.

I mean, if you trained REAL Serak...!; Monday, September 7, 2009 at 4:19:00 AM PDT
Steve Perry said...: Remember Mystery Men:

Mr. Furious: Okay, am I the only one who finds these sayings just a little bit formulaic? "If you want to push something down, you have to pull it up. If you want to go left, you have to go right." It's --

The Sphinx: Your temper is very quick, my friend. But until you learn to master your rage --

Mr. Furious: -- your rage will become your master? That's what you were going to say. Right? Right?

The Sphinx: Not necessarily.; Monday, September 7, 2009 at 9:55:00 AM PDT
Steve Perry said...: Or better:

The Shoveller: If we had a billionaire like Lance Hunt as our benefactor...

Mr. Furious: That's because Lance Hunt *IS* Captain Amazing

The Shoveller: Don't start that *again*. Lance Hunt wears glasses. Captain Amazing *doesn't* wear glasses.

Mr. Furious: He takes them off when he transforms.

The Shoveller: That doesn't make any sense, he wouldn't be able to see.; Monday, September 7, 2009 at 9:58:00 AM PDT
Stan said...: Whew! For a moment I was worried that the sense of humor had to be checked at sign-in!

BUT, if you're going to wander this route, you really must return to Monty Python's, "How to Defend Yourself Against a Man Armed with Fruit!"

Happy Labor Day, Folki! May all your Labors be "Fruitful!"; Monday, September 7, 2009 at 10:22:00 AM PDT
Unknown said...: Bobbe - that was the funniest fuckin' thing I've read in along time.; Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 6:57:00 AM PDT
Anonymous said...: Bobbe, you didn't say "Serak™"; Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 7:25:00 AM PDT
Bobbe Edmonds said...: I ONLY said "Serak". "Serak", although trademarked (I guess?) has to be used in a certian CONTEXT.

For instance, the word "Serak" really does mean "Hoarse" in Bahasa Indonesia. You can't trademark that!

So, as long as I'm not applicant-specific...!

...You don't get to where I am without dodging a few landmines. And meteors. And the Dutch...!; Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 8:31:00 AM PDT
Anonymous said...: To quote B.C. from back when it was funny...

"Tune in next week, folks, when he invents the glass drum."; Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 11:03:00 PM PDT
Nataraj Hauser said...: Good lord! All those years with the saber and I was so wrong. Clearly all the historical evidence points to holding the sword with the blade curving downwards so that all cuts originate with an under-powered backhand technique while requiring a pirouette to execute an overhead cut. And of course the guard is meant to protect the back of the hand (and coincidentally prevent the wrist from flexing fully back).

[insert sharp inhalation]

The Japanese katana stylists are all wrong too!

I am but an egg...; Friday, September 11, 2009 at 7:22:00 AM PDT
J.D. Ray said...: I'm with you, Nataraj. Maybe that dragon on the pommel is designed to bite the wielder in the wrist when they over-flex, because, you know, you shouldn't flex your wrist while holding your sword...

Hrmmm.....; Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 6:25:00 PM PDT
Terry said...: Steve,
You should have posted a warning to not have beverages around when watching this.
Too bad I cannot train with this man any longer, I offended him before I got the real stuff.
T; Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 6:07:00 PM PDT
Redcode said...: If I'm not mistaken, didn't Spartans fight with double-edged swords?! If a weapon was meant to be used edge up, the designers would have designed the handle so it was comfortable being used edge-up. As a designer myself, the axiom is "form follows function."; Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 10:40:00 AM PST

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)