Martial Arts and Entertainers

Headhunter said:
Do I respect Parker as a martial artist?
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Being honest I can't, I know next to nothing about him, nothing about his training or how he taught so to give him automatic respect because I've been told to goes against the grain. I do read the opinions of people I respect here, and if they say someone is good I have no doubt they are but to automatically give respect to people one doesn't know would be just silly
 
Tony Dismukes said:
I figure celebrities probably train martial arts at about the same level as non-celebrities. A small percentage train, of those who train, most do so casually, a few train seriously, and even fewer reach a high-level of accomplishment.

The only thing that makes me roll my eyes is when martial arts instructors with celebrity students make a big deal out of it, as if it somehow validates their instructor credentials. Why would it matter to me if you have students who are actors or singers or politicians? Your martial arts instruction is not what made them famous and successful in their chosen fields. Furthermore, celebrities have no special expertise in discerning great martial arts instruction from crappy martial arts instruction.

Then again, I also don't care when a professional athlete tells me which shoe to wear or beverage to drink, so maybe I'm just out of touch with the zeitgeist.
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Don't you know that celebrities are so much smarter and more discerning that the rest of us? They tell us how to dress, what to eat, what to drink, etc. They even give us political views of our own. Look how many people are suffering because because celebrities told us how great Clinton is and how bad Trump is. Look at how strong our college students are; because they didn't get their way, they need exemptions on exams, therapy dogs, water tables, and extra counselors brought in to deal with the stress of not getting their way.

Celebrities know all. Just watch an award show or two*.

Why wouldn't I want to train under Ashton Kucher's teacher? He could train under anyone. You know how smart and discerning he and the rest of Hollywood is.

*I love award shows. Give a bunch of overpaid and overinflated egos another reason to think what they do is so important and so crucial to our existence. Give them an excuse to take themselves even more seriously than they already do.
 
JR 137 said:
I'm no Parker fanboy nor apologist, but I think you're getting a bit hung up on an exception rather than a rule here.
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Well yeah. Because a rule should kind of be for everyone.

Or the exception should have some sort of merit.

If elvis had no legs or something i could see an exception. If elvis bought the instructor a car. That just mocks everyone else who had to work for that recognition.

Same with the ashton kucher bjj flow guys by the way.

Rigan Machado Designs Jiu-Jitsu System without Sparring for Celebrities | Bjj Eastern Europe
 
drop bear said:
How many instances does it take?

Elvis the most recognisable ed parker blackbelt.
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Yes, and many people will immediately recognize him as a special case.

There's not a set number that will legitimize a rank. It depends how bad they are, how many are not special cases, how many were promoted, overall, etc.

My main point was that my disappointment doesn't legitimize the rank. Those are two different concepts. I might, in fact, be disappointed upon the first instance.
 
Headhunter said:
By the way out of interest do you know who the other names on the certificate are who signed it
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The only signature I could make out is Dave Hebler. Dave was a student of Mr. Parker and became Elvis's friend and bodyguard. He was a member of the "Memphis Mafia", a term that referred to the bodyguards. Dave co wrote a book with Sonny West and Red West about Elvis's drug problem. He also has a video out about Elvis. If interested you can google Dave Hebler.
 
drop bear said:
Well if your belt can be bought or handed off as a favor. Then it has been de-legitimised.

You might be a worthy person and a great martial artist. But your rank has been compromised.

And considering that rank may have been 10 years out of your life.

That could be quite a concern.
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Does someone receiving an honorary belt make the effort and hard work of earning a real belt magically disappear?
 
Touch Of Death said:
Consider you may never have heard of Ed Parker, if it weren't for Elvis.
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Parker promoted the IKC's for years. I think anyone associated with martial arts would know who he is just based on that. The IKC was open to to all styles, not just Kenpo, so even non Kenpoists were familiar with his name, even without his association to Elvis.
 
Touch Of Death said:
Consider you may never have heard of Ed Parker, if it weren't for Elvis.
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Didn't Bruce Lee do a famous demo or two at Parker's events?

I knew of Parker and his Kempo before I knew Elvis was his student. Doesn't mean that I would've heard of him without Elvis, but it doesn't mean I would've heard of him because of Elvis either.

For the record, Elvis died a few months after I turned 3, so it's not like I knew martial arts during the pre-Elvis nor Elvis era.
 
JR 137 said:
Didn't Bruce Lee do a famous demo or two at Parker's events?

I knew of Parker and his Kempo before I knew Elvis was his student. Doesn't mean that I would've heard of him without Elvis, but it doesn't mean I would've heard of him because of Elvis either.

For the record, Elvis died a few months after I turned 3, so it's not like I knew martial arts during the pre-Elvis nor Elvis era.
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I was six or seven. I remember where I was standing when everybody started freaking out. o_O
 
gpseymour said:
I was seven. According to my father-in-law, you being about the same age as me is evidence you are getting old.
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Then you must understand that if you saw Starwars, everything you saw afterward was better, and you don't see what the big deal is, about Starwars. :D
 
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