Here is a question that we don't ask ourselves often enough in the martial arts.
If a teacher lies to his students and they play along, who is more dishonest, the teacher or the students?
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Brad Warner talks about the recent news involving Joshu Sasaki, and I think it is apropos. There is an undercurrent in both sets of students' attitudes of wanting to escape from responsibility. Surrender to the all-knowing teacher and receive truth, do not engage critical thinking skills. While it is never okay for the teacher to lie or abuse trust, it's also not okay for the student to abdicate their brain.
http://hardcorezen.info/joshutown/1721
Posted by: Kevin Heckman | February 27, 2013 at 05:07 PM
I went to a taiji school (chen style) in Shanghai whose teachers' taught the body mechanics to a tee. They would adjust every part of the body to make legs burn and would test the connection to ground for every posture.
The thing is they fully believed that the higher level of taiji was the control of the 'mystical chi". They had a news report on the main teacher who preformed the non touch stuff. Needless to say, he drew a lot of attention and old school sign smashing challenges almost daily. He and the school came out fine from the challenges. At least their fighting skills and push hands cannot be called fake.
I have experienced their push hand and its legit from my point of view(done years of judo and bjj).
From your posts (love the info), you make it out to seem that one cannot believe in both the fighting and the more 'mystical' aspects of it.
I know where u stand from your posts. But what do you make of a legit taichi school that believe in it and whos master can perform the non touch stuff?
The news report:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDE0Nzk5NzE2.html
The master's master playing crazy flute from long tube at 11:30.
Posted by: Eric J | March 24, 2013 at 12:49 AM
This teacher is a fraud. Anyone with a brain can see this. The students who play along are as dishonest as the teacher. I want to see him with an MMA fighter.
Posted by: Ken | March 24, 2013 at 06:52 AM