# "I Like How You Call It 'Start To Work' When You Actually Mean 'Lay the Smackdown'"



## OldSkoolGeek (Apr 19, 2005)

Long time lurker, first time poster.  Hello out there!

 So after months (approaching years) of putting it off, I finally decided to check out Systema courtesy of the Merrel Bros. in West Palm Beach.

 Interesting stuff, although I know I'm in trouble when the warm-up exercises enervate me for days.  (I didn't make it to actually doing the actual Systema work.)  So beginning this week, I hope to become a regular Systemista under Dave and Rick.

 I've read enough about Systema proper to get an idea what I'm in for, but does can anyone familiar with Merrel & Merrel tell me what I'm in for with them?

 Thanx!


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## TheLady (Apr 19, 2005)

You're in for a great time! Just watch out for Da-veed, he's the sneaky one. :rofl:

Janice


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## OldSkoolGeek (Apr 20, 2005)

TheLady said:
			
		

> You're in for a great time! Just watch out for Da-veed, he's the sneaky one. :rofl:
> 
> Janice


  Pray tell, what exactly do you mean.

 Forewarned is forearmed and all that . . .


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## Ceicei (Apr 20, 2005)

So how is it going for you now???  How many days have you taken Systema?

 - Ceicei


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## SonnyPuzikas (Apr 21, 2005)

Just so you know... Merrell bros are known as THA KILLAH and GRAVEDIGGAH... Da-veed (killah) is very sneaky indeed... and don't let Rick to EVER get a hold of your fingers... if you like having them in present numbers and configuration, that is...
We'll be sippin' some adult beverages this weekend with at least one of the bros- one of Ft. Myers crew- Frankie- is getting married... artyon:


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## Jerry (Apr 21, 2005)

Am I the only one who finds nomenclature like "THA KILLAH and GRAVEDIGGAH" to be both juvenile and assanine? It would immediately disinterest me in an instructor in much the same way as "the master of all masters of all styles" would.... except probably more.


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## Kenpodoc (Apr 21, 2005)

I like my martial arts with a sense of humor and full of play. Systema has both.  Sonny has both also, but don't worry he can put a great deal of hurt on you while he's smiling laughing and playing.

Jeff


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## TheLady (Apr 21, 2005)

Don't let us scare you off. David's a great teacher. 

He just knocked my head into a brick wall while 4 people were watching us work and _no one saw him do it_. It was pretty funny!

Hey Sonny, tell Frankie I said congratulations and say hi to everyone for me!

Janice


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## Furtry (Apr 21, 2005)

Jerry said:
			
		

> Am I the only one who finds nomenclature like "THA KILLAH and GRAVEDIGGAH" to be both juvenile and assanine? It would immediately disinterest me in an instructor in much the same way as "the master of all masters of all styles" would.... except probably more.


Dude, do you always take things this seriously?
Can you say 'coronary'?
The Merel brothers are a couple of talented and fun loving guys. Ohhh, their obsession with guns and knives is normal... from what I understand


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## Jerry (Apr 21, 2005)

> The Merel brothers are a couple of talented and fun loving guys. Ohhh, their obsession with guns and knives is normal... from what I understand


This is somewhat my point. As a talented and funloving guy with a knife and gun obsession and some background in systema who is nigh-on local (I'm in Tampa), sounds like a great group to hang out with and play.

And, with an ongoing dialogue as existss here, that may be something I persue; but the knee-jerk reaction to the fact that they have attached such titles to themselves is very similar to the knee-jerk reaction to those with long "Ultra grandmaster of all time" and "grand guru of the universe" titles, and therefore generally enough to make me not seek them out as I'm dismissive.

My apologies for being a bit non-sequiter in raising the topic at all, and perhaps it's merely an issue of my generation, but I find such pseudonyms.. well... I've already put the appropiate adjetives there. I suppose in the end, my bias there is my own issue. There are those who find the use of such nomenclature indentifies someone as "who they would like to hang with", and those who feel the opposite; much as there are those who would want to study only under "Grandmaster Smith" and those who would much prefer to study with "George" (or, "Gravedigga" as the case may be).


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## SonnyPuzikas (Apr 21, 2005)

Jerry... Did I ever say Dave and Rick attached such nicknames themselves?
There was bunch of guys from Sarasota, Ft. Myers and Palm Beach playing once and those nicknames- along with some others for different people- became a little inside joke since then...
Relax your silat a bit... And look out for those gurus, maha gurus and sifus running around Tampa...


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## Jerry (Apr 21, 2005)

I'm sorry that I appear to have come across as an "us against them". I've not intended any statement to be penned to any art. My initial example (master of all masters of all systems) comes from a Silat practitioner. 

Further, I apologize if I've misread an inside joke between aquaintences because of its appearence here in public. Recalling some of the pet-references my friends and I had for one another in highschool, it's a simply mistake of context on my part to do so.

Combine this with the fact that I'm terribly off topic, and it's obviously something I should have let lie. I do have an annoying tendancy to spout causes from the high-hills (titulars and pseudonyms, particularly in martial arts, has always been a favored cause). Is there a public group / school being discussed? Particularly in the Ft.Myers area (as I get do there regularly). It's been a while since I've actively socialized in the martial-arts scene and I'd love to drop in one of my trips.

(speaking of causes... "guru" and "sifu" are bad examples as they both equate to "teacher"... a "grandmaster" on the other hand... )


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## OldSkoolGeek (Apr 21, 2005)

Jerry said:
			
		

> This is somewhat my point. As a talented and funloving guy with a knife and gun obsession and some background in systema who is nigh-on local (I'm in Tampa), sounds like a great group to hang out with and play.
> 
> And, with an ongoing dialogue as existss here, that may be something I persue; but the knee-jerk reaction to the fact that they have attached such titles to themselves is very similar to the knee-jerk reaction to those with long "Ultra grandmaster of all time" and "grand guru of the universe" titles, and therefore generally enough to make me not seek them out as I'm dismissive.



You assume that they attached the titles to themselves, rather than the titles being attached to them.  Yes, The Great Grand Glorious Guru of All Gurudom is an awfully pretentious and potentially juvenile and asinine title to be known by . . . assuming its a self-proclaimed title.  If, however, a bunch of gurus and grand gurus just start spontaneously calling someone exactly that, it neither pretentious, juvenile, or asinine.  Its simply accurate.

Or, more succinctly, as the saying goes When does someone become known as master?  When other men start calling him master.

And, in the admittedly very limited time Ive known them, I have never heard them referring themselves or being referred to as Killah or Gravediggah, so I suspect that their nicknames are tokens of informal respect rather than self-aggrandizement.


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## Kenpodoc (Apr 21, 2005)

Check with Mr. Wedlakes Kenpo studio in Ft. Myers.  
Jeff


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## Jerry (Apr 21, 2005)

When I lived down there, he taught Kenpo, though I do recall him as being very fond of bringing in and studying from other arts. Is hs still just past the overpass on College Pkw?


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## Kenpodoc (Apr 21, 2005)

He's still a Kenpo guy but he's the person who introduced me to systema and I believe he has studied with Vlad. His Website is http://www.lwkarate.com/

Jeff


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## OldSkoolGeek (Apr 22, 2005)

Ceicei said:
			
		

> So how is it going for you now???  How many days have you taken Systema?
> 
> - Ceicei


 Well I've watched one class (kick defense) and actually participated in another (groundwork).  A lot of fun.  When I have the chance, I'd like to just throw up a session report and my thoughts here in a post.


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## MALCOLM XERXESâ¢ (Jul 30, 2005)

Jerry said:
			
		

> Am I the only one who finds nomenclature like "THA KILLAH and GRAVEDIGGAH" to be both juvenile and assanine? It would immediately disinterest me in an instructor in much the same way as "the master of all masters of all styles" would.... except probably more.


JERRY,

MASTER CHIUN asked me to tell you that Sinanju is the wellspring from which *all* other Martial Arts originate, & that hell send REMO WILLIAMS/THE DESTROYER to prove it if necessary.


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