Heard of Lau Tsai Fat?

[Yogicmotion]

I am a bit conflicted after watching one the videos in question. For me I am not so much a traditionalist and agree with a good bulk of what this video says.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgNygnOkxeQ

However, to me the dialogue seems to conflict regularly with what the message is. "true traditionalism" is a argument I have heard many times before. "The art is too deadly for MMA" well yes, but if your skill is so high, then you should be able to get in the ring and at least defend yourself against an aggressive opponent without losing the match or at the very least not get completely thumped. Hiding behind the idea that "I have nothing to prove, therefore I a don't need to step up and show you, but I still am going to talk down about a sport where many, many well conditioned athletes spend much of their lives developing their fighting skills" is just BS to me.

I do agree with some of his concepts of training. The idea that a complete core system to develop the body with proper technique and training, is feel spot on. Some of the videos in the youtube account has info that I actually really agree with. He seems to applying modern sports science using some traditional methods that I find very cool.

What do you think of your teacher? Does he have skill, do you respect what he stands for? Sorry to highjack the thread.

[littlewazz]

My teacher has been doing Hung-Gar Kung-Fu since he was 13, he will be 50 next week so he has been doing complete Kung-Fu systems for almost 40 years. I say systems because he learned Yang Style Tai-Chi and Long Fist from his best friend Mark Seidel who was one of Dr. Yang's top students in fact he is in the Long Fist Video featuring Gung Li Chuan he was about 30 when this was filmed. They both have learned Hung-Gar together from Lau Fat in Philly.

Allan Ondash and Mark Seidel are both explosive when they demonstrate their skills, doing forms, and explain when, why, and how certain techniques are used. These two men are very honorable and knowledgeable. They are both very in depth and detail and precise about their movements. Al is always correcting my mistakes. It is the only way you will be a better martial artist. He still works out 4 hours a day to maintain his 80+ forms. During class he will work out with the students.
Allan used to be a bouncer at various different bars so he has had to defend himself and other people. I'm not saying he like to fight, he doesn't.

As far as the MMA fighting goes my teacher really does not like it. Because it does not show the true essence of martial arts. I am not saying that the MMA guys do not train hard, they do. If MMA is a true martial art how come it does not look like a particular style, it looks like a bar fight in a cage that is my teacher's argument. His other argument is that a lot of these MMA guys like to pick and choose their techniques from different styles and try to make their own. Also the MMA guys want fast results with minimal work rather than take the long road to get true deadly power. A lot of people forget that the fully intact systems have been battle proven thousands of years ago. So why mess with perfection. The other problem is when the Chinese government tried to abolish feudal martial arts during the Qing Dynasty and burned Shaolin Temple this only happened about 200 years ago. Back then if you were caught doing hard style lethal martial arts you were killed because the government did not want another rebellion. The third problem is the development of firearms which also helped to dwindle away the feudal traditional martial arts. That is why some teachers now look choppy because the deadly waist power is removed from their movements.

This is the purpose of Dr. Yang's training camp in California is to preserve traditional martial arts his place is like an modern day Shaolin Temple. The only problem with his place is that you have to devote 10 years to him and his training schedule. Which is hard for many people to do.

[Yogicmotion]

The question I would ask is what do you consider the true essence of martial arts?

[Yogicmotion]

Also, I would like to make it clear that I am not trying to insult or put down your sifu. He seems earnest and has some really great things to say.

[Daifong]

Congratulations on identifying (?) Mr. Lau Sai Fat.