It seems to me that most people spend to much of their time looking for magic to see what is truly magical about the martial arts. I always see tons of people talking about this magic chi exercise, or that mystical posture. Looking at martial arts like this will make it impossible for you to get good at it.
What is magical to me about the martial arts is, to watch a professional level martial artist spar with a novice (in particular a large novice) and watch the professional level proponent easily defeat the other. I have seen Judo guys throw people easily like this, I have seen full contact stick fighters do this. I've seen boxers do this, and I've seen tons of bjj guys do this. Is it because their styles are better, no. I Believe that it's simply because they train, allot. They spend tons and tons of time on the mat getting good at what they do. I hardly ever see Taiji people who can do this, or karate people, or Aikido people. Is it because these styles suck, no. It's because I live in America, where most people doing these styles are of the variety that like to sit around and talk about magic, and the skill of some master that lived 100+ years ago (A master by the way who probably trained his ass off, and developed real skill instead of talking about it all day, too scared to step on a mat and let his ego get a beating.) Playing dungions and dragons isn’t going to make you A gracie, a Uyeshiba, a Mifuni, a Kimura, or any kind of competent martial artist.

www.streetcombat.8m.com/main.html

"The volunteer took the gun and was ready to fire. Master Bristol quickly flicked at the volunteers wrist. The volunteer proceeded to pull the trigger. Then he realized that there was no trigger. He was now holding a banana rather than a gun."

How cool is that?

I also have a banana in my hand.

What bothers me is that he didn't want any kind of photography taken during his match with the Gracies'. He wants to keep his art as secret as possible, to me that raises red flags.

I think a style becomes ineffective when does not allow itself to learn from other systems through a combative process. Keeping it secret tells me it's already ineffective or most likely it will be sometime in the future.

I'd like to learn more about the "transcranial magnetic stimulation".

I did a Google search, but came up empty. The challenge was issued in September 2000. How well did the magician do?

This whole chi thing is such a mystery (with such misinformation as well!) I have been studying Bagua for about 7 months (switched from capoeira angola after 5 years) out curiosity over this internal strength thing. Sometimes it sounds like effective understanding of body mechanics and direction/ issuance of force and sometimes it sounds like use of bioenergy(?). All of the above? None of these? Magic?

Chris Hein,

I am not taking any sides because i believe in it all. The mystical and the practical. It would be really boring if there would be only practical because there would be nothing to talk about.
I am just on lunch and would like to work my mind a bit in some good old fashion argument.
Magic seems to me in your definition to be anthing that has to do with chi....(forgive my assumtion) Medical doctors are required to take a year of accupunture.
The guy that wrote the book "Take him down and knife them in the throat from folsom prison" He said something like"Thats not realistic what you see in the movies all of its a bunch of BS".
It makes sense how the guy was in prison and those martial artist are making alot of money doing something so ineffective. The point is really that martial arts encompass so many things.
Movies are magic. Sometimes you see an old man practicing a tai chi form can be magical.

Magic is a discipline as well. Magicians also take disciplines under there guidance. Magicians Also spend hours a day drilling there techniques.

Magic is not just poof it is all the work behind the poof.(maybe that is what you are talking about)
When a pro pool player runs racks it looks like magic but he put alot of hours behind the work.

Jack Johnson the boxer some say is the best boxer that ever lived but he is more than an acclaimed boxer. He is a represention of american culture. Everything has to look easy. Make the hardest thing look easy. Don't ever break a sweat.
Now that's cool.
To me you are not really talking about martial arts it self but actual life and death combat or maybe selfdefense. The world is changing all those people in china or taiwan that use to be chasing kungfu dreams are chasing AMERICAN dreams.
It is so difficult to get a green card to come to the US.
We now live in a society that the pen is definetly stronger than the sword and if you want to end up in prison that is another story.

Blood, Sweat, and tears that is the work ethic of every Olympic Athlete. Sports is great.
Gladiators of old definitely impressive.

Give the masses blood to quell there fears in the country.
The warriors have definely kept the peace. I am sure it is the intellectuals of this country that have made it great. Wonder if Bill gates ever played dungeon and dragons or chess for that matter. The war between the jocks and the nerds will never end. Nerds Rule!!!

All in good fun dude...

well, at the first glance, chi gong and all that good stuff, does come off as sort of "magical" in a sense. Though this is why for a long time i put it on the backburner, it wasnt until i pushed myself past the limits in my training that i finally understood the concepts of chi and breathing etc. and i still have an eternity of training left to do.

somehow, the ancient chinese(correct me if im wrong) discoverd a way to hone this vital energy, though i dont think that only the chinese possesed this knowledge, i feel that any great fighter in any age can discover this on their own, and it would not be a bastardization of chi gong because they dont even know what that is, i.e. the collesium fighter, or the aborigines from australia who can withstand extreme cold and hunger, or the african dancers who evoke spirits through dancing in a trance like state, the celtics had runes, etc.
its all about understanding yourself... but hey, if you have a good teacher then all the better. but beware false teachings.

Wow!!! Hey Bristol....Is that a Banana in your pockect, or...Are you just glad to ream me?
Sound's like more bull •••• to me....
sincerely,
Hollywood Hank

i assume that to you, everything sounds like bullhonkey,
to each his own thoughts and discoveries to manipulate.

i too have a banana in my hand... hey whats going on here...

that's totally awesome. I want to learn how to give people bananas!

I thought Torsten was going to pull a banana out of his ass. Everytime he got close and asked if I "feel it."

HEY BRISTOL BOY! IS THAT A BANANA IN YOUR POCKET OR ARE YOU JUST GLAD TA SQUEEZE ME?

Hey! a Banana a day..keeps the protologist away!

REMINDS ME OF THE BAND BANANA RAMA...ANYBODY REMEMBER THE VIDEO OF THE FINE BITCH SING'N 'I WANT CANDY'?

that was a boy.

and BOW WOW WOW

chicks with mohawks are sweet...

it depends where the mohawk is...

what's up guys it's my first time on this thing
and all this banana talk makes me wonder if it's a
mistake!!!
steve feng what the F are you talking about,if
you want to "work your mind a bit" do a crossword
puzzle or something,don't make us waste ours time
reading your nonsense bs.
back to the subject.
the first book i read about ima was b.k.franzsis
the power of ima.he says that the advantage of ima
is that it's easier on the body and that you can practice it well into old age,because it's powered
by chi and not the muscles.he also said that standing chi kung develops a power unattainable
with any amount of physical training.so to me it all sounded too good to be true(and you know what they say...)
maybe what he means is that you can spend a hour a day doing taiji in your livingroom dreaming that your life force is growing.but when the day comes that you got to throw it down with a 250lbs
steroids monster that can wrestle your in for a ride.the point i'm trying to make is that i thougth that IMA was the one way a smaller guy
could be able to beat a much more powerful one.
i know it's possible i'm a BJJ guy and tap out
big guy before.but what about guys that know what the hell they're doing(bob sapp or FEDOR)
is there any hope for small guy to develop a system that could beat any size and skills?????
if there is it must be on supernatural level,
mind over matter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!