The founder of your Art, or a current big name?

[Cirdan]

My style I Wado Ryu. I would of course chose to train with our founder Hironori Ohtsuka if possible. Failing that I would not go for any of the current "big names" whoever they are, I am very happy with my current instructors.

 

[dancingalone]

The head sensei of my class told me that in Japan, the gap between sensei and student is much larger. Asking questions during practise like we do would be a nono. He said that below 4th dan, you are not really on the radar, and you should just shut up and train. Even after class, this distance is maintained.
Different cultures.

Yes, and it's a silly tradition to uphold if your goal is to gain understanding and fighting prowess as quickly as possible. I suppose if you want to create a cadre of drones who have perfect kihon but can't fight their way out of a paper bag, that's the way to do it, but I prefer more sound pedagogy.

 

[JadeDragon3]

Yes, and it's a silly tradition to uphold if your goal is to gain understanding and fighting prowess as quickly as possible. I suppose if you want to create a cadre of drones who have perfect kihon but can't fight their way out of a paper bag, that's the way to do it, but I prefer more sound pedagogy.

Why is it that people now days want things fast and they want things now. It's not about being a drone or a robot.....it's about learning your art, that means its fighting techniques/applications/forms or kata as well as its culture. People now days want to learn every thing in a year and be a master and teach. I just laugh.

 

[Jenna]

Impossible I am sure and but the nervous doubter in me would worry that training with O'Sensei would in some way take the mystique away. I would rather think of him as no ordinary martial artist and but something transcendent. To me, O'Sensei is an inspiration, not in any kind of spiritual way, rather just as a man possessed of a genius. I would, in the oddest way, worry about debunking my own overestimation..
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna

 

[IcemanSK]

I would love to go back in time & train under Lee, Won Kuk (founder of Chung Do Kwan) during the late 1940's & 1950's. I've read some things about that time in history in Korea & I'm curious what that was really like to be there then & to train under GGM Lee.

 

[searcher]

I want to add Larry Tatum, Doc Chapel, and John Bishop to my list of those I want to train with.


Having just returned to the Kenpo arts, I am leaning towards those that are in those styles.

 

[dancingalone]

Why is it that people now days want things fast and they want things now. It's not about being a drone or a robot.....it's about learning your art, that means its fighting techniques/applications/forms or kata as well as its culture. People now days want to learn every thing in a year and be a master and teach. I just laugh.

Actually, I've trained under the same sensei for over 18 years now. It just took a while before I found him, and so I've studied more than my share of arts under more than a few teachers, some impressive, others not so much. The common link among the good ones is that they were eager to teach and transmit what they know rather than hide behind 'tradition'.

This from a sandan in traditional karate.

 

[chrispillertkd]

I train in Taekwon-Do and only had one opportunity to train with Gen. Choi, Hong Hi. Despite the fact that it was only a two day seminar he made quite an impression on me. At 74 and being very small he was still able to generate very impressive power in his techniques. I'd love to be able to train with him somehow.

Fortunately, I have had a couple of opportunities to train with his son Grand Master Choi, Jung Hwa and will be attending a seminar with him again later this year. Training with him on a regular basis would be phenomenal.

As long as I'm dreaming I wouldn't mind also training with Grand Master Choi, Yong Sul the founder of Hapkido

Pax,

Chris

 

[Guardian]

Professor Danny Anderson. Not a big name, not a world renown name, just a average guy making a difference.

Good enough for me.

 

[Haze]

Okinawn Goju Ryu

I have seen so many variations and they all called what they did, goju,

I would like to train with the founder, Chojun Miyagi, and get it first hand.

 

[Aiki Lee]

I'm lucky enough to train with the founder of the Jizaikan every few months when he visits our dojo. Other than he and my sensei, if I could go way back into history I would like to train with Takeda sensei of Daito ryu. Or even further back to Daisuke Togakure.

 

[Bruno@MT]

Why is it that people now days want things fast and they want things now. It's not about being a drone or a robot.....it's about learning your art, that means its fighting techniques/applications/forms or kata as well as its culture. People now days want to learn every thing in a year and be a master and teach. I just laugh.

I can't answer for the person you replied to, but my remark had (imo) nothing to do with training hard or maintaining focus.
It's just a different way of doing things.

The head sensei of our dojo teaches class ever now and again to keep himself up to date on our progress. And while we address him formally as sensei in class, I can call him by his first name in the locker room and talk to him like I would talk to anyone else. It would be unthinkable for me to address Tanemura sensei this way.

This is a cultural difference. So if I were to be given the opportunity to train under Takamatsu sensei or Seiko sensei (both dead), or even Tanemura sensei (our headmaster), the chances are significant that I would feel really bad because of the cultural difference, even though the opportunity to learn directly from either would be priceless.

I did not mean to imply that their way of doing things is bad or anything. It's just very different from how we live, and adapting would be very difficult.
I knew people who went to Japan for extended epriods of time, and one of them (tough as nails) told me they'd be in the shower for a long time after class, because in there it was not a shame to cry, since it wasn't visible.

Everybody knew that they cried, but since it was in the shower, everybody could pretend it didn't happen, and there was no loss of face. They cried not only because the training was hard, but also because the cultural difference hit them like a brick in the face. This was in large part due to the fact that they didn't speak or read the language.

 

[chinto]

well Chojin Miyagi has been dead since 1953.

That said, if death is no impediment to training with that person, I would choose to train with Chotoku Kyan.

 

[zDom]

As long as I'm dreaming I wouldn't mind also training with Grand Master Choi, Yong Sul the founder of Hapkido

I think you would find it less than pleasant ...

 

[Xue Sheng]

If you had the opportunity to train with the founder of your Art (assuming time travel was possible in many cases), or a current big name instructor in your Art, who would you choose & why? Don't forget to mention what Art it is in which you train.

Not to derail the thread but

Sorry I missed the time travel part of your original post

Chen Wanting – Chen Style founder
Chen Changxing - Chen Style Taijiquan and Yang Luchan's teacher
Yang Luchan – Yang Style Taijiquan founder
Yang Banhou – Yang Style Taijiquan
Yang Shouhou – Yang Style Taijiquan

Dai Longbang – Dai style Xinyiquan

Ji Longfeng aka Ji Jike – founder of Xingyiquan

Li Cunyi – Xingyiquan
Guo Yushen – Xingyiquan
Li Yulin – Xingyiquan
Li Tainji – Xingyiquan

Sun Lutang – whatever style he wanted to show me (Taiji, Xingyi or Bagua) Sun style Taijiquan founder

 

[tshadowchaser]

I guess I have been fortunate in my training.
In Sikaran I trained under GM Lagarejos and Master Chartier the two top men in the system ( both now deceased). Staying under master Chartier’s teaching for over 30 years.
In Pai Lum I have been fortunate enough to study with GM Pai ( the fonder), GM St. Charles, and now I am a student of GM Verigan in Bill Gregory’s Kajukenpo Pai Lum

I could not ask for more in my training than to have studied with these people

 

[TigerCraneGuy]

I want to add Larry Tatum, Doc Chapel, and John Bishop to my list of those I want to train with.


Having just returned to the Kenpo arts, I am leaning towards those that are in those styles.

Ditto. I would also add Dr Dave Crouch and Mr James Hawkins.

And reading the recollections of Doc, Dr Dave, Mr Crenshaw and others, if Ed Parker Snr were alive, it would be an absolute honor to humbly learn Kenpo under his direct tutelage!

TCG

 

[HG1]

If you had the opportunity to train with the founder of your Art (assuming time travel was possible in many cases), or a current big name instructor in your Art, who would you choose & why? Don't forget to mention what Art it is in which you train.

This would be an amazing experience to find out first hand what skills have been lost or what improvements have been made over the centuries. I'd go right down the line of Hung-Ga lineage masters.

 

[Joab]

Bradley J. Steiner, Founder or Shiian and 10th degree black belt in the system he founded, American Combato. Unfortunately, I now live 3,000 miles away. Why? Well, I've taken classes from Professor Steiner in the past and got a lot out of them. I do think it's the system that would work the best of those I've studied in terms of practical, self defense against a determined mugger and the like on the streets. I do practice what I learned regularly, and feel confident that the techniques would work.

The system derives a lot of moves from W.E. Fairbairn, Rex Applegate, rough and tumble fighting, street fighting, combat ju jitsu, and really anything that would work in a higly stressful attack on the streets when gross body movements would be more practical that the fine motor movements found in many of the arts. Professor Steiner is an excellent teacher and very patient.

 

[AoCAdam]

I would love to train with Helio Gracie but he has since passed. It would be great to train under Rickson Gracie. One of the purest forms of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and who I feel would sky rocket my technique.