I just figure with your background, I'd do worse.
Famous practicioners
- Thread starter Shotokan_Tiger_2020
- Start date
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
What was the most enjoyable seminar you ever went to? Or the one where you picked something that you really liked?
Same questions for everybody else.
Most enjoyable seminars that I also really liked were with folks that most do not know, Ken Craggs - Xingyiquan seminar and a few with Wang Rengang - Dachengquan
Oh and as for famous folks, I forgot 3 in my prior list. Ip Ching, Chen Zhanglei, and Dan Miller
Edit: also forgot a seminar with William CC Chen
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frank raud
Master of Arts
How could I forget? I did a seminar with George Dillman.
George Dillman.....that's actually the last seminar I went to!
I just had to go, had to see and hear him for myself, and it was close by. A half dozen of us went, just before I moved back here to the islands. The guys I went with just wanted to see and hear him, too.
Frank, here's my take from what I experienced at the one I went to....
The man has a depth of experience in the Arts, very knowledgeable about a lot of things. Very.
He's got the gift of gab in a big way, probably should have been a politician.
What I don't get, if you're that knowledgable, and speak that well to groups of people, why go the BS route, why be the carnival barker? I think he could have done more, made even more money (which I believe was something he focused on) if he was completely legit.
The particular seminar I attended paid more attention to the meridians of the body than anything else. And, man, that man could spiel.
What was the one you went to like?
frank raud
Master of Arts
I went to a Wally Jay, Remy Presas, George Dillman seminar some 25 years ago. Dillman starts his spiel by telling us that we won't learn enough from a seminar, we NEED to buy his books and tapes to have any hope of breaking the mysteries of karate. First thing he does is ask if anyone does the Pinan/Hinan katas. Of course, all the karate guys in the crowd say yes. He has someone demonstrate, then asks them for their explanation of the techniques. Naturally, the karate guy explains blocks and strikes. Then Dillman demos the kata. Suddenly it looks like jiu jitsu, with joint locks and pressure points. Now this is back in his "light touch knockout" days. Myself and my partner had some questions, as his description of pressure points didn't match up with our understanding via PPCT. At one point as he is walking through the crowd explaining that if you hit the right side of the jaw, it causes a disruption in function in the left side of the brain, and vice versa. BUT, if you hit both sides of the jaw at the same time, the brain shuts down. At this point he is standing in front of me, time to demonstrate. His "light touch" is a chinjab. I've been hit often enough to know when I've been hit hard, and he hit me hard. I saw a blue spark between my eyes. He continues talking to the crowd about how this was a light touch, of course only me knows any better. Lots of showmanship, some mass hypnosis/suggestion and the air of authority goes a long way. As Buka says, he is knowledgeable, and has a commanding presence (he's built like a bull)
Shamefully ripped off another joke:
@Buka was telling a friend one day, "You know, I know everyone there is to know in the martial arts world. Just name someone, anyone, and I know them."
His friend called his bluff, "OK, $1000 bucks says you don't."
They agree, and he goes"WEll Buka, how about Ed Parker?"
"Yeah bro, Ol' Ed and I are old friends, and I can prove it." So Buka and his friend fly out to Caliand knock on Ed Parker's door, and Ed shouts,
"Buka! What's happening? Great to see you! Come on in for a beer!"
Although impressed, his friend is still skeptical. After they leave Parker's house, he tells Buka that he thinks him knowing Ed was just lucky.
"No, no, just name anyone else," Buka says.
Thinking quickly, his friend says "Arnold Schwarzenegger", thinking it's far enough from a martial artist Buka can't know him.
"Yup," Buka says, "Old buddies, let's head on over," and off they go.
They head to Arnold's gym where he's in the middle of a workout. "Hey Buka! how's it going? If you're cool with spotting me, we can head out to a restaurant after.
Well, his friend is starting to get nervous but still not totally convinced. After they leave he tells Buka that he's not convinced, who again implores him to name anyone else.
"The god himself, Chuck Frigging Norris", his friend challenges.
"Sure!" says Buka. "I've known him for years." His friend points out that Chuck Norris is set to do a live performance of one of his movies, so off they go.
The two of them are hanging out in the crowd when Buka says, "This will never work. I can't catch his eye among all these people. Tell you what, I trained some of those guards so let me just go upstairs and I'll come out on the stage with the him." He disappears into the crowd headed backstage.
Sure enough, half an hour later Buka emerges with the Norris on the balcony, but by the time Buka returns, he finds that his friend has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedics.
Making his way to his friend's side, Buka asks him, "What happened?"
His friend looks up and says, "It was the final straw... you and Chuck Norris came out on to the balcony and the man next to me said, 'Who the hell is that on stage with Buka?'
@Buka was telling a friend one day, "You know, I know everyone there is to know in the martial arts world. Just name someone, anyone, and I know them."
His friend called his bluff, "OK, $1000 bucks says you don't."
They agree, and he goes"WEll Buka, how about Ed Parker?"
"Yeah bro, Ol' Ed and I are old friends, and I can prove it." So Buka and his friend fly out to Caliand knock on Ed Parker's door, and Ed shouts,
"Buka! What's happening? Great to see you! Come on in for a beer!"
Although impressed, his friend is still skeptical. After they leave Parker's house, he tells Buka that he thinks him knowing Ed was just lucky.
"No, no, just name anyone else," Buka says.
Thinking quickly, his friend says "Arnold Schwarzenegger", thinking it's far enough from a martial artist Buka can't know him.
"Yup," Buka says, "Old buddies, let's head on over," and off they go.
They head to Arnold's gym where he's in the middle of a workout. "Hey Buka! how's it going? If you're cool with spotting me, we can head out to a restaurant after.
Well, his friend is starting to get nervous but still not totally convinced. After they leave he tells Buka that he's not convinced, who again implores him to name anyone else.
"The god himself, Chuck Frigging Norris", his friend challenges.
"Sure!" says Buka. "I've known him for years." His friend points out that Chuck Norris is set to do a live performance of one of his movies, so off they go.
The two of them are hanging out in the crowd when Buka says, "This will never work. I can't catch his eye among all these people. Tell you what, I trained some of those guards so let me just go upstairs and I'll come out on the stage with the him." He disappears into the crowd headed backstage.
Sure enough, half an hour later Buka emerges with the Norris on the balcony, but by the time Buka returns, he finds that his friend has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedics.
Making his way to his friend's side, Buka asks him, "What happened?"
His friend looks up and says, "It was the final straw... you and Chuck Norris came out on to the balcony and the man next to me said, 'Who the hell is that on stage with Buka?'
isshinryuronin
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OK, I'm calling BS on this one. Parker was a Mormen elder and refrained from alcohol. The rest of the story, though, is completely believable.
I never said Parker was the one drinking them...maybe he has them in the back just for when buka comes to visit.OK, I'm calling BS on this one. Parker was a Mormen elder and refrained from alcohol. The rest of the story, though, is completely believable.
Seems reasonable.
That was a really fun read.
My favorite seminar of my career was a five day seminar 9am to 4 pm, an hour off for lunch, taught by Wally Jay and his assistants at Merima
That was a fun read. I remember Jay, Presas and Dillman doing a long tour together doing seminars.
I wish I had gone to one of those.
I went to a five day Wally Jay seminar at Merrimack College back in the day. One of the greatest experiences of my Martial career for several reasons. Professor Jay was one of the coolest and most talented people I’ve ever met. My wife and I both took a week’s vacation from our jobs to be there.
There were eight of us. Wally had a dozen assistants, one of whom was a short Asian woman who was also a national competitor in Judo. Man, that gal threw me better than anyone ever had. Gently, too, thank God. She was awesome.
Also at that seminar was Wally Jay’s birthday. My wife had a royal tea leaf lei made for Wally and presented it to him at his party. He said, “this kind of lei is usually reserved for royalty.” Wife says, “yes, that's why I had it made for you.” Wally was born and raised here, it brought a tear to his eye.
On the last day of the seminar Wally and I promoted my wife and one of my guys to second dan. They had been Blackbelts for five years and never slowed down on their training, not even a little. It was awesome.
But the best thing of all, that I will never forget, was late in the seminar, Wally’s wife Bernise (also a black belt in Small Circle) and I were talking. She told me that "at their home in CA they had a nice little dojo downstairs and whenever someone would come over, down they would go and I wouldn’t see them again for hours except for when that rascal Bruce Lee would come over. Then they’d push all the living room furniture to the wall, roll up the rug and tear up my poor house. Bruce was such a nice boy, but he made a mess of my house.”
Then she says, "wait, let me show you something.” She rummages around in her purse and pulls out a black and white photo. There stands a much younger Wally Jay and Bruce lee. They are drenched in sweat, their arms over each other’s shoulder, furniture pushed back, lamps knocked over, pictures askew from them banging into the walls. My jaw is slack. It’s the single coolest Martial photo I’ve ever seen. And I’ve never seen it printed anywhere.
There were eight of us. Wally had a dozen assistants, one of whom was a short Asian woman who was also a national competitor in Judo. Man, that gal threw me better than anyone ever had. Gently, too, thank God. She was awesome.
Also at that seminar was Wally Jay’s birthday. My wife had a royal tea leaf lei made for Wally and presented it to him at his party. He said, “this kind of lei is usually reserved for royalty.” Wife says, “yes, that's why I had it made for you.” Wally was born and raised here, it brought a tear to his eye.
On the last day of the seminar Wally and I promoted my wife and one of my guys to second dan. They had been Blackbelts for five years and never slowed down on their training, not even a little. It was awesome.
But the best thing of all, that I will never forget, was late in the seminar, Wally’s wife Bernise (also a black belt in Small Circle) and I were talking. She told me that "at their home in CA they had a nice little dojo downstairs and whenever someone would come over, down they would go and I wouldn’t see them again for hours except for when that rascal Bruce Lee would come over. Then they’d push all the living room furniture to the wall, roll up the rug and tear up my poor house. Bruce was such a nice boy, but he made a mess of my house.”
Then she says, "wait, let me show you something.” She rummages around in her purse and pulls out a black and white photo. There stands a much younger Wally Jay and Bruce lee. They are drenched in sweat, their arms over each other’s shoulder, furniture pushed back, lamps knocked over, pictures askew from them banging into the walls. My jaw is slack. It’s the single coolest Martial photo I’ve ever seen. And I’ve never seen it printed anywhere.
