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cheer up man its Friday)
Arhont

Cheer up? Heck, thinking about being the guy chosen to toss you over a cliff cheered me up considerable.

Bob#2
(Launching you)

))) yeah dude whatever))
Arh

I'm glad you got the last word in.

test))
Arh

if this test were in Sparta you'd be painting the valley wall by now.

Arhont,
you can't even be a tool here.
Sad but...tool.

The Master said: a gentleman is not a tool
Arhont

...and then the master tossed Arhont over the cliff.

))) i love it when people obsess over me)))
Arhont

)))me too.)))

Arhont, what's wrong with a fascist state?

In that sense, I whole-heartedly agree with Arhont. People who are not "hip" and "fasionable" shouldn't be forced to dress a certain way.

Where I disagree is saying Sparta was a sad place. It was only a sad place to those sickly, weakling babies who, without food or water, were only sad for a few days at most.

(and he had no place telling me to cheer up because "its Friday". he doesn't know me and has no way of gadging what neuroassociations I have for Fridays)

Bob#2

Injustice pain and suffering that it inflicts, Kenneth thats what is wrong
Arh

Deep arhonk. Tool, but deep.

If you were required by the government to wear pointy high-heeled shoes 2 sizes too small, you'd agree with Arhont.

What up buddy? A tool for what?))
Arh

Injustice, pain and suffering?? What are you talking about?

Bob #2- "you know, I dabbled in pacifism myself. Though not in Nam of course."

jason,

thats painfully obvious.

"say what you will, at least it's an ethos"

Back in the Nam they used to frag their lieutenants.

yeah, those were the salad days

May be beating a dead horse stance here, so to speak, but I would like to add my comments about "SIfu", "Dr.", "Captain", John "BIff" Painter. I was a student of this nut job back when he was merely an egotistical martial arts "master" wannabe. Having been out of the MA life for many years I was amazed and amused to see how for Dr. John and his medicine show have come. I was a student, or more aptly, a disciple of Mr. Painter in approximately 1978 and 1979. Back then his "institute" was billed as, "not a martial arts school", but more of a school of esoteric learning in non-combative martial skills (sort of an oxymoron). The style was called "Tao Chi Chuan", not to be confused with Tai Chi Chuan. As a 19 year old 5'10'', 140 lb. guy I was truly impressed and intimidated by this large, charismatic, confident kung fu "master". Interestingly enough, even in the infancy of this fledgling master, his story kept changing...the story of his martial arts lineage, education, general background, etc. He alleged to have learned his skills from a little old asian man in the neighborhood. Even though this man moved away, young "Biff" was granted the heir apparent to some esoteric and unnamed martial arts system. "BIff" somehow morphed into kung fu master of his own accord, and developed/created/whatever the Tao Chi Chuan system. Having faithfully adhered to the system and attended sessions on a regular basis I had many opportunities to deal one on one with this man. My most striking memory, and probably most revealing memory is the occasion of Sifu Painters demonstration of his chi power... I am not making this up, and as one of my friends was also a student in attendance that evening I have a collaborating witness to this tale: SIfu lectured us on his amazing chi kung powers, and then much to our pleasure, proceeded to demonstrate them. The whole thing was set up like a side show, complete with low lightin, lots of candles, plenty of incense burning, and a tape of shakuhachi flute music playing in the background... Sifu instructed an associate instructor to light a candle located across the room from where we were all seated, the candle being located on some kind of Hong Kong cinema version of an altar, replete with statues of Buddha and Lao Tzu, the "altar" draped in silky fabric embroidered with chinese characters, dragons, etc. It looked like something right out of the the previous weeks TV episode of Kung Fu. Sifu then struck an exotic looking kung fu pose/stance and began his chi gathering breathing exercises... He finally opened his eyes and in a direct mime of a hung gar move, he projected his chi energy/breath at least 50 feet across the room and extinguished the flame in an instant!!! The flame went out as though it had been blown out...hmmmmm. I seemed to recall that by his own admission, SIfu Painter had mentioned something about having been a drama major in college, and even to having done some stage magic. I/we did not know whether we had witnessed a truly amazing demonstration of chi kung, or just a small bit of an easily explained magic trick. Some time not too long afterwords, Sifu wanted to demonstrate his powers on an actual person...I thnks he correctly felt there were doubters in the room. Oddly enough, he chose me as the subject of this demonstration. Master Painter (we honestly never knew what to call him from one week to the next).After a detailed explanation to all gathered of what he was going to do, he had me stand upright, knees straight and locked, with my eyes closed, so as not to influence me as to what was going to happen he explained. OK, Im standing there, knees locked, afraid to breathe, with my eyes closed...this is a recipe for making someone fall over without the slightest bit of force, you try it, you get dizzy... Sifu, I mean Master (he wasn't Dr. or Captain America yet...Im sorry, I meant captain of the American Rangers)then began to perform some kind of chi gathering exercise around my body to collect my energy... all the while he was making a subtle running dialogue to the disciples, er students, as to what was going to happen...can you say "power of suggestion" anyone??? DId i mention I had on a blind fold? Anyway, he hinted at the fact that at any moment I was going to be forced backwards without his laying a finger in me, and fall into the waiting arms of my class mates. Well, to the point: I got a little light headed and right about the time I could hear him exhaling his kung fu breath on me, I fell, in fact practically fainted, FORWARD, not backwards, as "planned"! Of course it would seem my involuntarily going, excuse the joke, against the flow, sort of went against the whole point of his forcing me in a specific direction...I went forwards, not backwards,sort of disproved the his point. In fact there was some very uncomfortable but spontaneous laughter at the whole thing. What was worse for me,is no one really caught me until i practically collapsed face first on the floor. I am sure in his eyes I had made him look bad. Of course, he soon went into damage control mode, and explained that I had been so completely drained of my life force that I simply collapsed before he could finish the demonstration. Damn... he really was good! The power of suggestion is an amazing thing... Because, despite my own doubts, I (sort of) belived him, until I grew older and hopefully wiser. Your comments are welcome. I have more to say on this subject, but am open to discuss whatever...

In the middle 70's there was one of these in my hometown. He said he was teaching Tai Lung Kung Fu which he translated as Ultimate Dragon. He supposedly learned this martial art from a gentleman who had been a cook in one of the local Chinese restaurants during the 8 or 9 months the guy cooked there. Half of the population of the town fell for it but their only contact with CMA came from the television series. That series may have done a lot for the arts by bringing them to the attention of the public but the phonies came out of the woodwork and set up shop on every street corner.

I'm sure I wasn't the only martial artist who was tempted to walk into one of these schools and make a fool of the would be "master" but I didn't. I figure a fool and his money are soon parted and if his "students" weren't smart enough to do a little investigation then it was their problem. I had a 16 year old student who had been in my class about four months. He had a friend who was a member of this "Tai Lung Kung Fu School". His friend said he was allowed to bring a friend along for a free lesson. My student agreed.

The day came and he visited his friend's class. The assistant instructor of the school made fun of him because he wasn't yet able to do a full split. He took it in stride. They had a striking ball in this school, you know one of those with an elastic tether top and bottom. The "assistant instructor" was kicking this ball but was only landing one in three or four. My student asked if he could try. He landed his kicks one after the other, embarrassing the "assistant instructor" who got mad and challenged my student to spar. By this time the kid had taken all he was going to take. He had a few words for the "assistant instructor" (who was in his twenties) and then accepted the challenge. Long story short he absolutely wiped the floor with the guy. While this was going on the "Master" of the school happened into the room and saw his "assistant" getting his butt whipped. My student was so PO'd that after finishing with the "assistant" he turned and asked the "master" if he'd like to be next. The "master" declined.

There were two dozen "students" who witnessed this affair and the word spread like wildfire around town. The school was defunct in less than six months. The last I heard of this "master" he was travelling around with groups who show up at the "psychic fairs" pretending he could read people's futures.

I guess some people will do anything to get out of performing an honest day's work.


Charlie