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As my old physics prof. used to say, compared to what?
Anyone heard of GM Adrian Roman?
- Thread starter masherdong
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As my old physics prof. used to say, compared to what?
Ray
Master Black Belt
Better check with your old English prof...the words legit and authentic are not superlatives and not comparative terms. Better, best, good, colder, hotter, etc. "Legit" and "authentic" are boolean (true or false)...
Unless, of course, you mean it like that darned Schrodinger's Cat paradox...
Eh, "authentic" here presupposes that we all agree on who the authority we're comparing against is...that ain't so clear. Same with "legitimate"...I've seen just about every Kenpo org. in existence accused of straying from the True Faith on this board. So...I think the question is fair: When you say someone is a heathen, I need to know who you think God is to judge that.
Ray
Master Black Belt
You might be right. I don't know Roman...have only seen some unimpressive video and eyebrow raising advertisements for stuff...I'm thinking he'd not be my first choice and maybe not even on my list of choices.
As for my rant about the words used & his physics prof, it was a cheap attempt at getting a laugh.
Wild Bill
Green Belt
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Sifu Lazaro Bueno
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It is evident that the majority of people on this blog are better at english than martial arts. Please stick to grammer and leave the martial arts alone.
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Well, no, what's evident is that the majority of the people on this forum are better at english than you are. :lol:
While I can pride myself on my grammar, I'm no slouch at martial arts-even American Kenpo, once upon a time, anyway ....I won't even get into the people who've posted on this forum and this very thread who exceed me in attainment and ability in that regard.
I will say, though, that Adrian Roman's videos are one reason why I usually won't judge someone's ability from video...I refuse to believe that anyone actually has such.......delusions of competence as to think that those videos are worth what he's charging, never mind the whole "remote black belt testing" without testing thing.......
.....as for the whole "Native American Martial Arts" angle, it's extremely distasteful, to the point where I just :barf:
yorkshirelad
Master Black Belt
Not so fast Elder o' mine. I'm starting a British themed Kenpo Association, where we all where tights like Robin Hood and yomp in the forest with our quarter staffs. After spending $900 on my DVDs I give you an 'official' knighthood and ordain you into the 'order of the desperate Pillock'.:rofl:
Kembudo-Kai Kempoka
Senior Master
The crap I have seen Mr. Roman spew off as kenpo is among the worse kenpo I have ever seen. His BS about his competency in the art as a practitioner, as a senior, and as a professor, are unparalleled...nobody I can think of is as delusional as he is, while at the same time remaining quite as incompetent, and owning such a deep deficit of understanding with such pomp and ritual. And considering I think 9 out of 10 professed kenpo professors are full of horse crap, that's pretty bad.
He's a sellout. A huckster. Making his house payments on the backs of unsuspecting wannabes who buy into his BS because they simply don't know any better. I have friends and associates who think not as poorly of him as I do...lemme clarify; they don't think his tapes are the worse recorded kenpo representations out there. That's them. I think they are awful. I think he has turned a handful of truths into a truckload of lies, and used them to line his pocketbook at the cost of the unsuspecting and uninformed.
To make it worse, fanboys such as yourself think he da bomb, because you don't know any better. Stop drinking the laughable goofballs punch, find a good kenpo instructor somewhere to train with, and stop passing on the disease.
So...have I left any room for doubt about how I feel toward this fellow, and the ******** he's selling as "kenpo"?
yorkshirelad
Master Black Belt
I actually get a kick out of Martial arts instructional DVDs. I don't for a second think that I have the ability to learn anything of TRUE value from them, but I use them mostly for inspiration. Larry Tatum and David German's DVDs are excellent to get me in the mood for training if ever I feel lethargic.
I do have a problem with Roman and his ilk. To charge $900 for the DVDs in question and to include a BB certificate with them is undeniably playing on the vanities of the gullible.
His business practices are also demeaning to the legacy of Mr Parker. I've used metaphors before about people like him that got me into trouble, so this time i'll keep it civilized and say that using the phrase "10th Degree Black Belt under Ed Parker" in his advertisements and "[Roman] teaches the art how Mr Parker wanted it taught." is not only misleading, but also damaging to the art as a whole.
Lazaro, you say that Roman doesn't "give away black belts" and you are absolutely correct, instead he sells them for $900. I understand that you are loyal to your and instructor and I have empathy with your situation, but what he is doing is wrong. It's a blatant con. This kind of thing is getting more and more prevalant. I understand that Martial arts instruction is a business to some, but people like this guy are giving ALL martial arts instructors the reputation of snake oil salesmen. That's why my back yard is my dojo.
I do have a problem with Roman and his ilk. To charge $900 for the DVDs in question and to include a BB certificate with them is undeniably playing on the vanities of the gullible.
His business practices are also demeaning to the legacy of Mr Parker. I've used metaphors before about people like him that got me into trouble, so this time i'll keep it civilized and say that using the phrase "10th Degree Black Belt under Ed Parker" in his advertisements and "[Roman] teaches the art how Mr Parker wanted it taught." is not only misleading, but also damaging to the art as a whole.
Lazaro, you say that Roman doesn't "give away black belts" and you are absolutely correct, instead he sells them for $900. I understand that you are loyal to your and instructor and I have empathy with your situation, but what he is doing is wrong. It's a blatant con. This kind of thing is getting more and more prevalant. I understand that Martial arts instruction is a business to some, but people like this guy are giving ALL martial arts instructors the reputation of snake oil salesmen. That's why my back yard is my dojo.
ArmorOfGod
Senior Master
I remember several years back, he was selling 2nd degree black belts on eBay for $199. For that price, you received the dvd's, a uniform, a black belt, and the certificate. Then, he had some junk about he believes that people would not cheat him since he was native American and they would go through and learn the material, thus making the certificate legitimate.
AoG
AoG
Twin Fist
Grandmaster
what was teh highest rank he recieved from Mr Parker?
celtic_crippler
Senior Master
I believe Chief Roman attained a 5th under SGM Parker. He also studied Arnis under Remy Presas.
So while Mr. Roman's abilities may be legit, the ability and skill of his "students" are no doubt in question when one can order Mr. Roman's complete DVD course complete with black belt without ever being seen or tested by an instructor.
So while Mr. Roman's abilities may be legit, the ability and skill of his "students" are no doubt in question when one can order Mr. Roman's complete DVD course complete with black belt without ever being seen or tested by an instructor.
LuckyKBoxer
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Does anyone actually know someone who has a Black Belt by distance learning?
We had a first brown belt who left the studio because he was disgruntled that he couldn't have things his way...
He left the studio and I ran into him a few months later and he claimed he got his Black Belt from one Grandmaster Roman.... I had no Idea who that was at the time. This was back in the late 90s. A year later he was claiming he was a second degree under the Grandmaster Roman..
I never saw his Belt, I never saw his certificate, and as far as I know he never actually trains or teaches in any commercial setting, and has no students. From my conversations at the time, which were very brief, it sounds like he just used it as a bragging thing..
His name is Robert Salazar by the way, in case he is actually anywhere.
but ya, anyone know of any of these distance learning guys, especially Adrian Romans that are using the certificate for anything more then a bragging instrument for friends and coworkers?
We had a first brown belt who left the studio because he was disgruntled that he couldn't have things his way...
He left the studio and I ran into him a few months later and he claimed he got his Black Belt from one Grandmaster Roman.... I had no Idea who that was at the time. This was back in the late 90s. A year later he was claiming he was a second degree under the Grandmaster Roman..
I never saw his Belt, I never saw his certificate, and as far as I know he never actually trains or teaches in any commercial setting, and has no students. From my conversations at the time, which were very brief, it sounds like he just used it as a bragging thing..
His name is Robert Salazar by the way, in case he is actually anywhere.
but ya, anyone know of any of these distance learning guys, especially Adrian Romans that are using the certificate for anything more then a bragging instrument for friends and coworkers?
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Please....don't call him "Chief," please??? :barf:
Yeah, and don't associate him with arnis. 
Yeah, and don't associate him with arnis.
What? You don't buy that little statement on Roman's website that Remy Presas offered him the successorship to Modern Arnis Which he then turned down to focus on his own pursuits....
OP
masherdong
2nd Black Belt
- Thread Starter
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Hmm, it says on his website that he is now a 9th Dan in Kenpo. About a year ago, he was still an 8th Dan. Who promoted him?
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Maybe he ordered a certificate by mail.
celtic_crippler
Senior Master
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