Very cool Hapkido video!!

[dvcochran]

Here, I'll give you guys the official history of American Karate......

A bunch of guys got together and figured out a way to fight and exercise and taught it to other people.

Throughout the years various people improved on it and others added a liberal amount of bullship to it.

Some opened halls where it was sold to others.......and where the term Caveat Emptor raised it's old Latin head for the umpteenth time.

Of course, that's only American Karate. I'm sure it's a different story for all the other arts.
They probably didn't use the word umpteenth.

Caveat Emptor are words to live by.

 

[Gweilo]

Sounds like an interesting experience. I would caution anyone contemplating such an adventure to check the reputation of such a school. Unfortunately, as with all martial arts, not every teacher who wishes to start a new kwan, wishes to advance the art as much as some other motive.

I agree, my teacher introduced me to a Korean gentleman at a training weekend for black belts and above, I had mentioned to my teacher I was interested in going to Korea, at the training session, the gentleman from Korea trained with me, talked to me, at the end of the weekend end, he informed me that he would write a recommendation letter for me, several months later, I received the invite to go to Korea, along with a letter of introduction. I cannot remember the Korean gentleman's name, but the person I trained under in Korea was a gentleman called Kim Nam Jae. So I will amend my statement, if you get the chance to go to the country of origin, through your federation, then grab it with both hands.

 

[Gweilo]

They probably didn't use the word umpteenth.

I thought only posh British used the word umpteenth, do you drink tea from a porcelain cup, with your pinky finger sticking out?.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I thought only posh British used the word umpteenth, do you drink tea from a porcelain cup, with your pinky finger sticking out?.

It's pretty common usage in the US, too.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I agree, my teacher introduced me to a Korean gentleman at a training weekend for black belts and above, I had mentioned to my teacher I was interested in going to Korea, at the training session, the gentleman from Korea trained with me, talked to me, at the end of the weekend end, he informed me that he would write a recommendation letter for me, several months later, I received the invite to go to Korea, along with a letter of introduction. I cannot remember the Korean gentleman's name, but the person I trained under in Korea was a gentleman called Kim Nam Jae. So I will amend my statement, if you get the chance to go to the country of origin, through your federation, then grab it with both hands.

I don't think there's anything special about training in the country of origin, from an intensity standpoint, or even necessarily from a depth of understanding. In some cases, there is greater depth of understanding (higher concentration of highly experienced practitioners) and in other cases there's just more adherence to the traditional methods (which may be good or may not). And intensity can vary by culture (which may favor the country of origin or not) and by school/instructor.

 

[Gweilo]

I don't think there's anything special about training in the country of origin, from an intensity standpoint, or even necessarily from a depth of understanding. In some cases, there is greater depth of understanding (higher concentration of highly experienced practitioners) and in other cases there's just more adherence to the traditional methods (which may be good or may not). And intensity can vary by culture (which may favor the country of origin or not) and by school/instructor.

Quite simply put, exposure leads to contamination, would be my answer to your post, in the UK at the time of my training, Hapkido was not, and still is not well known, so there was a lack of quality instructors, going to Korea changed my fundamental approach to what was possible, and how to achieve it, they say seeing is believing, but knowing and doing is a whole new ball game. However, attending Hapkido seminars in the USA, under high ranking Koreans who had emigrated there, was equally as educational, so I will agree with you.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Quite simply put, exposure leads to contamination, would be my answer to your post, in the UK at the time of my training, Hapkido was not, and still is not well known, so there was a lack of quality instructors, going to Korea changed my fundamental approach to what was possible, and how to achieve it, they say seeing is believing, but knowing and doing is a whole new ball game. However, attending Hapkido seminars in the USA, under high ranking Koreans who had emigrated there, was equally as educational, so I will agree with you.

I'm not sure I understand the "exposure leads to contamination" comment. Can you clarify that?

 

[Gweilo]

I'm not sure I understand the "exposure leads to contamination" comment. Can you clarify that?

Yes, it's a saying we have that means, when we are exposed to a way of training in my example, it has a habit of influencing us. You may found it used as an expression when a child starts to hang around with the wrong crowd, the more time spent with these people, the more their ways influence.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Yes, it's a saying we have that means, when we are exposed to a way of training in my example, it has a habit of influencing us. You may found it used as an expression when a child starts to hang around with the wrong crowd, the more time spent with these people, the more their ways influence.

I can agree with that. I guess I'm not sure how that applies to whether training is in the country of origin or not. It would seem to imply what's more important is the level of ability/expertise of the people you train with.

 

[Flying Crane]

Here, I'll give you guys the official history of American Karate......

A bunch of guys got together and figured out a way to fight and exercise and taught it to other people.

Throughout the years various people improved on it and others added a liberal amount of bullship to it.

Some opened halls where it was sold to others.......and where the term Caveat Emptor raised it's old Latin head for the umpteenth time.

Of course, that's only American Karate. I'm sure it's a different story for all the other arts.
They probably didn't use the word umpteenth.

They weren’t speaking Latin in old China either, so that is a big difference between the history of your system and the history of mine.

 

[Gweilo]

I can agree with that. I guess I'm not sure how that applies to whether training is in the country of origin or not. It would seem to imply what's more important is the level of ability/expertise of the people you train with.

It applies because the level of quality Hapkido in the UK at this time was low, in Korea it was massive, the USA had Korean migrants bringing a wealth of quality,, I think in my time there was 2 quality teachers, going to Korea was like having a limit of what was possible, completely removed, it was like a light switch, suddenly the things that I was confused about or never understood, suddenly made sense.it is different now days, let's just say, I wanted to learn nihon goshin Aikido in the uk, I would wager there are none, according to your Web site, there is none in Japan, so I would have to travel to the USA to get quality instruction, back in the day, you had to travel.

 

[Buka]

I thought only posh British used the word umpteenth, do you drink tea from a porcelain cup, with your pinky finger sticking out?.

Umpteenth is one of my favorite words, along with kibosh.

But I must admit I do love tea, really like porcelain cups, and I have been known on occasion to elevate the pinky.

I am a pinky raising fool.

 

[Buka]

They weren’t speaking Latin in old China either, so that is a big difference between the history of your system and the history of mine.

True. But I'll wager that every style started with "a bunch of guys got together and figured out a way to fight..."

 

[Flying Crane]

True. But I'll wager that every style started with "a bunch of guys got together and figured out a way to fight..."

That’s probably true. Somewhere along the way the story says that someone got inspiration somehow that revealed a new and better way to do things. Usually it was a wondering monk or a famous general. I mean my gawd, we couldn’t admit that the town latrine cleaner founded our system. We just absolutely could not have it. A wandering monk (mysterious and unnamed) or a famous general from at least 700 years ago sounds much better.

 

[Flying Crane]

It applies because the level of quality Hapkido in the UK at this time was low, in Korea it was massive, the USA had Korean migrants bringing a wealth of quality,, I think in my time there was 2 quality teachers, going to Korea was like having a limit of what was possible, completely removed, it was like a light switch, suddenly the things that I was confused about or never understood, suddenly made sense.it is different now days, let's just say, I wanted to learn nihon goshin Aikido in the uk, I would wager there are none, according to your Web site, there is none in Japan, so I would have to travel to the USA to get quality instruction, back in the day, you had to travel.

Often today, quality traditional Chinese martial arts is easier to find outside of China, or in Taiwan. In China, it is mostly the government sanctioned Modern Performance Wushu.

 

[Gweilo]

Umpteenth is one of my favorite words, along with kibosh.

But I must admit I do love tea, really like porcelain cups, and I have been known on occasion to elevate the pinky.

I am a pinky raising fool.

One day we will have a beer and a laugh

 

[Buka]

One day we will have a beer and a laugh

I would enjoy that. Beer and laughter are quite okay in my book.

Perhaps we will even raise pinkies.

 

[Gweilo]

Careful

 

[Buka]

That’s probably true. Somewhere along the way the story says that someone got inspiration somehow that revealed a new and better way to do things. Usually it was a wondering monk or a famous general. I mean my gawd, we couldn’t admit that the town latrine cleaner founded our system. We just absolutely could not have it. A wandering monk (mysterious and unnamed) or a famous general from at least 700 years ago sounds much better.

I was always partial to the wandering monk thing. But I always wondered why monks tended to wander?
I mean, did they finally make "Monk status" and the head guy said "Go forth and wander?"

 

[Flying Crane]

I was always partial to the wandering monk thing. But I always wondered why monks tended to wander?
I mean, did they finally make "Monk status" and the head guy said "Go forth and wander?"

In the story, the monk is always wandering so that nobody tries to go out and find him to ask about the truth of the story. Fellow could be anywhere, including dead in a ditch in the middle of Oklahoma.