Penn & Teller on martial arts

[Rising Crane]

[Itinerant_Phenomenologist]

[Asmo]

[Sifu at Large]

Here it is:

Part 1 of three [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_3BSk2TbK4[/youtube]

Part two [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB3y10i_T9E[/youtube]

Part three [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggroj7w9J5k[/youtube][/youtube]

[laukarfei]

retarded, why be a big fat lazy comedian who mocks everyone and talks shit. him and his goofy friend are the corniest comedians ever their cynical "bullshit" is a good name for them as a pair.

why post this stupid shit? i dont know anyone who trains with me who trains cause they scared of being attacked or cause they wanna shoot chi balls, its about having fun and doing something with your life instead of living at mc donalds like those 2 ugly fags obviously do

[Xiaobian]

[Sifu at Large]

[vtml]

[Asmo]

[Itinerant_Phenomenologist]

[Daifong]

I feel that Penn & Teller's approach to "debunk" something here was groping at times, and illuminating at others. For example:

I believe the lady Qigong expert had a great deal of vision and self-belief, largely based on traditional practice which, coupled with intuitiveness could go far in her professed area of assisting others with breathing exercises and visualizations for health (of which emotional positivity is a part)...

Her Tai Chi looked like it might be Chen Man Ching Yang style, and she may very well be formally accredited in some branch of TCM or other, "six healing sounds" (Mantak Chia?)...

That being said, even taken out of context, I hope she had a really good reason for that brockking like a chicken, or wooffing like a dog, and that "bobbling"...

Ok, so hopefully not too far from traditional?

"Jau Fo Yap Mo", quite possible!

The Isshin Ryu instructor, I feel that board breaking has its place, but that (even recognizing the demographic he was trying to reach, Guinness Book, etcetera) this particular presentation was a little hokey, and damaging his hand in the process most surely didn't help, although to his credit he didn't try to cover it up. Something like that is to be expected from exhibitionistic displays of force...

However, I don't find anything wrong with him grading with colored belts, or anything else in particular, good Isshin Ryu training, no more, no less...

I think that there is indeed a standard to be known of exactly what constitutes a "black belt" for all modern societal purposes, readily available to be understood by anyone qualified to recognize it. I respect the man for providing full transparency...

Also, although I do not feel that having a culture in one's school where "to assist the instructor" is an abuse, of itself, I think we've all observed enrollment situations which could better be described as "cultish" than as "spiritual", "academic", "gymnastic", or "sporting", ok!

The training I found most interesting was the "realist" Damian, although I didn't care him talking in such a way that he could apparently be professionally misconstrued, even jokingly, as to be espousing murder...but hey, he's a "man's man", and demonstrably effective at getting results, as was borne out by the fact he had all of those police and corrections officers in attendance...

Anyway, if the fellow "doesn't believe in Qi" (LOL) (or forms to train it), well, that's HIS loss (IMO)...

I don't feel it was fair for Penn & Teller to keep on panning to the Isshin Ryu instructor's school, when the "realist" McYoung was giving his opinion on "McDojo". Really, I don't recall seeing anything like a "one-year black belt" at that school...

Anyway, arguing that the likelihood of a training injury vs the remote possibility of ever having to actually use it somehow making a gun the more practical choice is irrelevant. If you don't have your "fear management" together, not even a gun is going to be much help...

If Martial Arts were not so broadly useful and appealing, it wouldn't have a following, period...

Really, if that is all they have to conclude with, IMO Penn & Teller are coming off more like "a conclusion looking for supporting theory" ("scientific process", indeed)!

In sum, I think what we who are involved in MA to whatever capacity can take from this is, it's the easiest thing in the world to come off as more than a little ridiculous by "trying too hard" in the name of self-promotion, then Penn & Teller start to come around!



Respects,

Michael

[Asmo]

[Daifong]

[HungGarAZ]

OH man... I love Penn and Teller, though I find half of their BS shows exactly that... BS. Yeah, sometimes they stretch pretty far to get the cheap laugh. Oh well... don't expect everybody to like them.

Penn is a pretty nice guy when you meet him. I have some of his old records (under the names "Bongos, Bass and Bob" and "the Captain Howdy") and I pretty much blew him away when I pulled one out for an autograph. He's got a mouth, for sure!

Teller is, IMHO, the real intellectual of the pair. He comes up with some amazing magic routines. He's got more class in his pinky than Penn has in his whole body. Teller will talk when he's away from Penn and he's a great guy.

The BS show is definitely trumped up and made to piss people off... which equals ratings. Both P&T are big on revealing truth to debunk the phoneys out there who are milking a greasy buck from the average Joe. BS goes WAY beyond that, though.