Tim, i have a question for you and or your followers.

Why you? of all the people one could study MA from. What makes people defend you as being 'real'?

If you were a beginning student of MA, and you had the the world of MA at you fingertips, through, say the internet. Assuming you can chase down any teacher that is available, why you?

Let's assume hypothetically, that location and money were not an issue, what makes you worth learning from?

What are you selling with spirit emptiness? Dont you think you lose some of the testosterone crowd by stamping Shen Wu on yourself and your teaching?
Why not just "Ass Kicking" or something?

It is cliche these days, that to become a good fighter, one should be fighting, I grant that.

It seems to me, that sheer combat ability is your claim to fame, and apparently rightly so.

You can not give someone ability, they have to get it for themselves.


You dont claim healing ability from IAs

You dont claim states of well being from meditation

You dont claim your fighting ability is powered by chi.

I have noticed a trend in some IMA people that are public

Many embrace chi stuff. This means that when mentioned, some people will perk right up, and follow, others will tune out.

The same goes for RBMA or MMA or FCF, NHB.

If you lay claim to NHB ability, you will attract a certain crowd and it usually is not the enlightened self help and holistic crowd or the meditation crowd.

So far, I havent heard of any tai chi, ba gua or hsing yi people go into and win UFC, Pride or any of that stuff.

Yet BBJ people are known for NHB stuff.

So, if you want to appeal to the spirit questers, you just insert chi/nei related buzzwords into your literature and presto, you get the qi huggers

So if you want to appeal to "fighters' you make sure your MA resume has BBJ, VT, boxing, etc in it. Just use the latest buzzwords and presto, you get the FCF crowd.

Many of the people I know that just fight for the sure joy of it will totally tune you out if you even mention anything remotely like 'internal energy' unless they are Hsing Yi players. Maybe.

My point is, why not just sell yourself as a wrestler or boxer or Hard stylist or BBJer?

Why associate yourself at all with "internal" arts?

Wouldnt keeping any and all internal references out of your PR give you more credibility in the MMA circles?

I am a believer that actions speak more volumes than any words, why not just be a boxer/grappler and have done with it? Maybe you should have kept your awareness and balance material to yourself as a private secret or advantage in NHB fighting. After all Helio Gracie doesn't practice tai chi (right?) and never heard of chi, so why not just stick to raw fighting practice itself and not bother with nei jia forms.

Are you guys all just boxing the hell out of each other down in SoCal or what?

One wouldnt train shen wu if they were trying to repair their bodies I assume. I dont see anything about mental and emotional repair from Shen Wu, just physical balance, and fighting. You can go to any boxing gym for that and you certainly dont need to do Ba Gua or Tai Chi for just smacking down people.

So, again, why not just focus on NHB stuff and leave all the taichi and bagua to the chi huggers

. You are still considered young in the IMA scene. no one is calling you the next Wang Shu Jin or Wang Xiang Zhai yet. Why are your fans so loyal?


***Disclaimer: I am not trying start anything with anyone. Its a small world in MMA or IMA somtimes.I am just curious because one of your loyalists told me in another post to get down to your school for 'real' combat, and I am wondering what have you got that makes you worth being loyal to. Are you just a good grappling coach? Do you see yourself as the next Yan Lu Chan? These are just simple questions and not attacks of any kind.

Oh, substitute all instances of 'BBJ' for "BJJ" apparently BBJ means something quite different than martial arts, I meant no offense to anyone, 'twas a typppo

J.A. I'm not a Timite or Timist but like most of what I've seen from him. One thing is very clear, you need to get a life.

Just stop Mark, there is no need for that, that is how honest discussion goes to flames in an instant.

I have time on my hands. I have questions. You dont even mention why I should get a life. So you are not helping anything or anyone.

Why not just stick to BJJ and NHB and forget about the IMA? Why add chinese words like Shen Wu to just plain ass kicking?

BTW, it is predictable, that anytime anyone questions anyone's teacher, their hordes come out.

So lets not.

Wow- I hope you wont take this as an insult, J.A., but your post above is so unfocused that it would be impossible for Tim or anyone to give you answers you'd deem sufficient. (a point I doubt is accidental).

I'll pick your first question and try to answer:

"Why Tim? of all the people one could study MA from. What makes people defend Tim as being 'real'?"

Tim is kind, funny, caring, generous and honest. He's fluent in Chinese and can read ancient Chinese. He can explain everything IMA related in simple, easy to understand terms. Tim can soundly defeat people without hurting them. He uses skill, care and caution managing not to hurt someone unintentionally, while letting you feel just enough to realize he could f* you up if he decided to.

As for being real- I've been around enough Chi-huggers and mystics to recognize 'real' when I see it. The fact that Tim's monthly rate is less than what I'd pay to take my wife to concert at the HollyWood Bowl, makes me happy to stick around. (and for that price I can attend any and all classes, 6 days a week). Tim wants to teach. He doesn't seem concerned with making more money than he needs to pay his rent- that to me speaks volumes of how 'real' he is.

One of the most adequate compliments I've heard about Tim happened like this: A fellow student, who studied with many other talented teachers, and was an Aikido teacher himself, was watching Tim spar one day and said to me "ya know, when I watch all my other teachers I know that, if I practiced hard enough, I could be better than them- but not Tim."

Let me know if you want me to attempt to answer the next question.

there are three types of MA teacher:

those that teach forms
those that teach healing
those that teach fighting

those that teach forms are the least qualified they know how to produce movements that look good and may win some form comps, but that is about all they are good for. those that teach healing focus on improving the physical and mental functions of those under them through forms or practice, this can improve you as a person and make you more confident in yourself. Which can have a knock on effect to make you more secure and sure of yourself which may be shown in times of physical or mental stress. Those that teach fighting do all of the above (usually) but they also teach you the most efficient way to use your mass and power in a fighting confrontaion.I would agree with shane (can not belive I am doing this).However I think the role of a good MA teacher is to help his students to be better than himself. I am sure this is Tim's wish. though it can seem a long way off when you are a student.

Qui has a very simplistic way at looking at MA teachers. (however, if one uses that view, Tim is three teachers in one... for a fraction of what many others charge! )

Tim teaches forms: (and explains the reasons for, and power of them) and Applications.

Tim teaches healing: (he's shown folks many excercises to help repair specific problems they're experiencing. And it's not at all unusual for Tim to adjust someone's back after a bad fall). If you consider Chi-Gung, "healing" he teaches it, very throughouly, to intrested students. (but doesn't focus most classes on Chi-Gung because those students want to learn martial skill rather than breathing skill).

Tim teaches how to fight: (he doesn't condone 'fighting' unless it's the last option)

If asked correctly- I think most of Tim's students will admit they have become better martial artists better people as a result of working with him. (b.t.w. most of Tim's students don't attend this descussion board).

J.A., I read somewhere on this forum that one of the Gracies (Royce, I think?) attributed his success to Tai Chi and Yoga (and some exercises by Aldo Cani).

Ditto what Shane said.

For me, Tim opened up the Pandora's box on the so-called internal martial arts. I will not vouch for Tim out of a sense of loyalty but will vouch for him out of a sense of awe.

Generally, when people in martial arts hear "internal", they conjure up images of people moving their bodies slowly in the park, or they think of someone who uses their "chi" to stop their opponent, or whatever. But the truth of the matter is that "internal" is just a label that has been misunderstood and misused.

Internal is also used to categorize styles and lump anything that commonly resembles BG, XY, or TJ under this term.

The truth of the matter is that internal is a type of body method whereby one uses his or her body in such a way to optimize it in use against an opponent. I strongly recommend going to your local bookstore and go directly to the sports section. Now look for the martial art books. There is a recently published book entitled Nei Jia Quan: IMA, composed by a Jess O'Brien. You don't even need to purchase this book. Read pages 2-37 in the store. From this reading you should get a really good sense of Tim's philosophy and his approach to the "internal."

Shane - as I said the last category normaly teaches forms,healing and fighting. It was a simple analogy and does not include all types of people who I have met who teach or practice MA. I was trying to simplify it to its 'barest bones' as it were.

I don't even know how to address the first poster... what?

Why loyalty to Tim?

I have not seen his kind of integrity, intelligence and humor, kindness, generosity, and honesty in any human.

There's only one other person in the world who I could think of who could match his ability to teach and use martial arts. He is that good.

He leads and guides people in the correct path of studying martial arts. He sets an example for everyone.

He's been a good friend. He's one of a handful of people I can truly trust.

He taught me how to understand martial arts. He also taught me to be able to fight.

J. Alexander,

Students need to feel comfortable with a particular teacher and learning environment if they are to get the most out of their training.

Students that feel comfortable training in my academy will more likely feel "loyal" in that they enjoy their training. You will find similar "loyalty" in any decent MA school. (Since a number of my students train with other teachers as well, I'm not sure "loyalty" is a good term to describe their motivations for training with me).

Why IMA. Because that's where the bulk of my standup training comes from. It was during my IMA training that I came to understand the principles I now teach (I believe it's good to give credit where it is due, why, it's downright loyal).

What I choose to call my school has nothing to do with wanting "credibility" with any particular group. I teach what I teach.

I've been very fortunate to attract quite a number of outstanding individuals to my school. They stay because they feel comfortable with my teaching methods and the training environment, and they feel the material taught is what they want to learn. Add to that my magnetic personality and boyish charm (at reasonable prices), you come up with the Shen Wu Academy of Martial Arts.

GEE... don't break your neck patting yourself on the back!

Just kidding of course.

Don't forget those of us who travel across a few states to train at your academy.

Hey thanks, that helped. I have nothing but respect for all my brothers and sisters in the warrior caste.

Again, I hope I didn't offend anyone

I am always curious about what teachers think of themselves.I travel to, and sit around shooting the breeze about MA with MA peeps all the time. There is a lot to learn by watching the attitudes of the people that train with teachers. You guys seem pretty civil and I will mention that if Shen Wu comes up.

I wish there were more right spirited fighters in the world.

Thanks for clearing that up Tim. I am studying business in college and marketing. I thought maybe there was a touch of mixed messaging after reading your stuff, but now I know otherwise. That's all. Peace

"brothers and sisters in the warrior caste" are they being held there against their will?
Is there a moat?

This touchey-feely attitude about Tim is precisely the reason I will not allow my students to join this discussion board. Granted, there is some good information to be found here, but teachers should be feared and hated- respect comes from terror. this is the traditional way.

sorry... I thought you said "in the warrior castle" (I'm lydexsic)

Bob,

Tim teaches plenty of fear. I know, i accidently made eye contact with him once and he flipped out.

Ditto on everything said above. Tim is a great instructor and Shen Wu is a damn fine academy

Is this B_ rad from Malibu?

B_Rad G from the 'Bu

And don't let me catch you on my private beach!