the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

Once the guy in the first clip sets up the little guys response he just pushes into his block with ward off
The little guy is expecting a straight punch but gets a push to his left

Interloper wrote:Hi amor,
My understanding is that David Falcaro heads his own system now, drawing from the jujutsu he learned previously. Looking at a number of his videos, he doesn't have any appreciable aiki though he has some of the very elementary rudiments.

It seems your new teacher appreciates his skills more than you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umcv9a8tQ_0

cdobe wrote:

Interloper wrote:Hi amor,
My understanding is that David Falcaro heads his own system now, drawing from the jujutsu he learned previously. Looking at a number of his videos, he doesn't have any appreciable aiki though he has some of the very elementary rudiments.

It seems your new teacher appreciates his skills more than you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umcv9a8tQ_0

I can see how you would draw that conclusion; you viewed a video without knowing its context. It's not about aiki, but something entirely different. My comment was solely regarding aiki.

It seems mr. David Falcaro now has attained superhuman powers in the art of....origami...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVbqMptA72A

Really don't like these types of demo's and the casual look these ' masters' have when throwing around people like ragdolls without using their hands..

Tiga Pukul wrote:It seems mr. David Falcaro now has attained superhuman powers in the art of....origami...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVbqMptA72A

Really don't like these types of demo's and the casual look these ' masters' have when throwing around people like ragdolls without using their hands..

How people demonstrate stuff I have no big concern about. But if your opponent always act a response, how can you ever learn to use a technique against a resisting opponent? ... Or even against a neutral or "non-acting" one?

Tiga Pukul wrote:It seems mr. David Falcaro now has attained superhuman powers in the art of....origami...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVbqMptA72A

Really don't like these types of demo's and the casual look these ' masters' have when throwing around people like ragdolls without using their hands..

I'm not too sure but in that video it looks like Salahuddin Muhammad is in the audience watching David's performance as if to say, "yes, this is MY student " with a satisfied look. But I'm not really qualified to say if there is any aiki going on in the video in-spite of previous comments. Maybe its another of one of those "you have to feel it to believe it".

Like his training. The way he takes the structure , Mantis or Baguazhang could benefit from this. This fits into anything. Good stuff.

Interloper wrote:Hi amor,
A lot of people have made similar comparisons between Salahuddin Muhammad and Dan Harden. They do share a lot of similarities in their approach to aiki, especially for pragmatic applications.

A LOT of people?
Who are THESE people?
I see no comparison whatsoever.

Bodywork wrote:

Interloper wrote:Hi amor,
A lot of people have made similar comparisons between Salahuddin Muhammad and Dan Harden. They do share a lot of similarities in their approach to aiki, especially for pragmatic applications.

A LOT of people?
Who are THESE people?
I see no comparison whatsoever.

"These people" are a significant number of individuals who have taken seminars with both you and him, and who have felt both of you hands-on, who have drawn this comparison.They wondered whether you two had met, cross-trained together, etc. The aiki world -- at least, the authentic aiki world -- is still a small and closed one, so when people get around and get their hands on a number of the leading exponents, it's a natural inclination to contrast and compare them, and to develop an "eye" for similar feels and methods.

Specific stylistic differences notwithstanding, the similarities cited are mainly the shared pragmatic (rather than dojo-ritualized) approach to applying internals to combat skills, as well as the body movement influenced by a fairly similar martial upbringing. The few videos of his work that are publicly accessible do not reflect the full range of his approach.

I've asked
I don't know anyone who has met him, but you.
Who else?
My people are usually pretty open... Shit... They usually can't wait to tell me when they have met someone; either discounting them or saying good things. So far Zip on this guy.
I've not met people who held back information or opinions.
I don't know any teacher who moves that way.

Bodywork wrote:I've not met people who held back information or opinions.
I don't know any teacher who moves that way.

Irrespective of the way he moves his art certainly looks effective for trapping/binding up to subsequently throw, strike or apply chinna and although I've never looked at your movement compared to his I'm sure your art is also just as effective from your writings, others' reviews of your teaching etc.

But how does your movement differ to his and what distinguishes your art from his, internally speaking. He mentions in one of the clips that being able to apply techniques the way he does requires a lot of work on the structure and you too have certainly mentioned the intense body workout to do what you have described previous as essentially changing the body.
Care to elaborate how your own body work differs from your perceived view of his?

Mine?
Is connected.
His?
Isn't.
I'll continue to say what I have said for decades, and?
Every, single, time, it has has proven true with several extremely highly thought of Japanese and Chinese teachers. So far, I have not bern wrong. Why? Because it is so obvious you can see it and simply be right.
Just because many low to mid level people "think it's so, doesn't make it so."
Case in point:
I have had myself compared to some big shots whom I have later felt and then.... Zip. I pop them easily. Other times I have said... He's got juice, and they did.
On a secondary note, for students, just because someone can do something... To you. Don't assume it's high level.

There are many guys with unusual skills who are ALL usually above the skill level of your average player. Then, the average player thinks THEY have the ability to actually judge and compare what they felt.
Additionally, there are so many failed you can see on film if you know what to look for. I can say things, but I won't.
I don't care about this guy one way or another accept to say he is nothing like me either internally or externally.

Geez, people, haven't you read anything Dan has written on this forum, ever? He is a special flower. Get it right.

This forum?
If you had you would read an opinion altogether different than you espouse.
I think there are thousands of others with skill sets above the norm.

*Do you think Chen Yu is the same as He Jin Bao?
*That Chen Xiang is the same as Chen Bing?
*Chen ZongHua is in the same league as Liu ChengDe?
*Do you think most teachers could have approached Feng
*Do you really think most mid-level people can tell the difference and how?
*Do you think even the above list could all fight with the skills they have?

Assessment issues
Some real issues may be:
*how come some can watch a man offside-unbalance himself while trying to move someone...
and
*Most others don't even see it until they are told where and when and how to look for it?
*Then suddenly they *see* it.
*How is it that you can state it -on the web- piss off their students and be told you are wrong
*Then go meet the guy. Do exactly as you said you would and throw him across the room in an open room?
*How?
*Because many/ most of these things are obvious, and most forum people (against all their denials)... when you finally meet them, all they really ever HAD was an opinion.

Reread the kua thread. I stated clearly that people didn't know what they were talking about. And... In the midst of the sarcasm and anger, I said go find it being taught by the big shots. It has nothing to do with a fold; its rotation.
You guys found five Master level teachers agreeing with me.
My question then was... Why don't you ( the collective group) know these things?
I say the same in person as from watching movement in a video. So much in a guys connection is revealed.

You can be as sarcastic as you like, but in person, all is made known. The guy in question moves nothing like me for a host of reasons and could not do any of that stuff too me. I walked away from that stuff years ago for detailed reasons I have never discussed on a forum.

I am well versed in the group dynamic of people patting each other the back for forum support even when continually proven wrong, both factually and in skill levels in person. I've met no one from a forum really skilled, yet. Although I would love to. I know there are skilled people here and others who read the forum.
Instead people would rather agree and support their opinions about many topics (however wrong they might be) and not just martial arts.

BTW, Notice, I have said nothing negative about Cady who offered the opinion.
I have discussed the assertion that *many* agree with her assessment. I also left out significant back story and how I even heard about this comment.
And all the while I have left room for dignity and grace, more than I have received with your sarcasm about me personally.

What remains, is that I remain... a better judge on how I move, than anyone I have met from the web.