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Old 12-03-2009, 12:34 AM   #1
Michael Hackett
Dojo: Kenshinkan Dojo (Aikido of North County) Vista, CA
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Steven Seagal Lawman

I just finished watching two full episodes of the A&E Network's new show "Steven Seagal Lawman". For those who haven't followed, Seagal Sensei has reportedly been a Reserve Deputy Sheriff in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana for twenty years. This reality show depicts him working the streets in uniform. He apparently is high ranking as a reserve officer, wearing the two stars of a Deputy Chief. Usually the rank worn by a reserve officer is honorary and he has no authority over regular officers of any rank. The military reserve components are different of course.

Before I go further, I have to admit that I detest reality shows in general and really get my big boy pants in a bunch over reality cop shows. I watched this program simply because I thought it would really be terrible - and it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. While I doubt I will ever watch again, it showed officers doing their jobs without going overboard, fawning on Seagal Sensei. He seemed genuine in his interest in the profession and in his relationship with the other officers. He said all the right things, and if this is scripted, the scriptwriter certainly read "Municipal Police Administration."

There is a smattering of Aikido shown during each of the two episodes that aired tonight. Nothing on the street, but in the gym and in the academy. If you hope to see Aikido, you will only see a moment or two depicted and then not on the street.

Three things stood out and caused me to yell at the TV as I am wont to do with cop shows. Neither Seagal Sensei nor his partner wear their seat belts although it is the law and the greatest single danger of police work is motor vehicle accidents. Seagal Sensei was riding shotgun and the camera showed him looking out the driver's side throughout the program. The passenger officer "owns" from the middle of the windshield to his side of the car. The driver gets the other half. Lastly, he was shown carrying his flashlight in his strong or gun hand throughout the program.

While I don't recommend it, it probably is worth watching ONCE out of curiosity. YMMV.

Michael
"Leave the gun. Bring the cannoli."
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Old 12-03-2009, 05:56 AM   #2
DonMagee
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

All I know is every other line in the dialog was "My extensive martial arts training has allowed me to do ______"

I was waiting for him to go to the bathroom and tell me how his extensive background in the martial arts made that even better then normal people going to the bathroom. That plus the whole slow motion zoom of the 'segal super eyesight' was kinda annoying. Ok not kinda, it was annoying.

- Don
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough" - Albert Einstein
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Old 12-03-2009, 06:40 AM   #3
Fred Little
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Don Magee wrote: View Post
All I know is every other line in the dialog was "My extensive martial arts training has allowed me to do ______"

I was waiting for him to go to the bathroom and tell me how his extensive background in the martial arts made that even better then normal people going to the bathroom. That plus the whole slow motion zoom of the 'segal super eyesight' was kinda annoying. Ok not kinda, it was annoying.
"In my extensive training as a martial artist, I've learned that you have to apply the training everywhere, even in the bathroom. You have to be like the Zen Masters of Archer. They don't pull the arrow, they push it out."

FL

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Old 12-03-2009, 06:46 AM   #4
chillzATL
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

I'm actually looking forward to seeing the show. He'll eventually crank a sankyo on someone!
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Old 12-03-2009, 08:36 AM   #5
Michael Hackett
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Don, you're right. I had overlooked that line and now it's stuck in my mind forever. Thank you VERY much. In response I will see your "In my extensive martial arts, etc" and raise you Disney's "It's a small world after all....." So there! Just try and get that out your mind now.

Exits, with an evil laugh and mustache twirl....

Last edited by Michael Hackett : 12-03-2009 at 08:38 AM.

Michael
"Leave the gun. Bring the cannoli."
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Old 12-03-2009, 08:47 AM   #6
Keith Larman
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Fred Little wrote: View Post
"In my extensive training as a martial artist, I've learned that you have to apply the training everywhere, even in the bathroom. You have to be like the Zen Masters of Archer. They don't pull the arrow, they push it out."

FL
Just remember that in my extensive training as a martial artist only true masters know they must aim to the side of the bowl to hit the center drain. The Tidybowl Paradox.

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Old 12-03-2009, 08:58 AM   #7
RED
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

At Winter Camp last month, Sensei, myfiance and Iwatched a Steven Seagal movie in Spanish... sweeet.
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Old 12-03-2009, 08:59 AM   #8
JW
 
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Keith Larman wrote: View Post
Just remember that in my extensive training as a martial artist only true masters know they must aim to the side of the bowl to hit the center drain. The Tidybowl Paradox.
Nice. Now I'm going to think of *that* every time I go to the bathroom at work and see that somebody missed!
--JW
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Old 12-03-2009, 09:56 AM   #9
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Don wrote:

Quote:
That plus the whole slow motion zoom of the 'segal super eyesight' was kinda annoying. Ok not kinda, it was annoying.
What, you mean you can't do this yet? I thought everyone above 5th Kyu had developed this zoom eyesight.

Hmmm, maybe I have such an extensive martial arts background I have forgotten that there are people that can't do things I consider to be normal now.

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Old 12-03-2009, 10:26 AM   #10
ninjaqutie
 
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

My husband and I were watching these last night. I fell asleep.... he woke me up at one point yelling "He's doing aikido!" I groggily opened up my eyes as my husband proceeded to tell me "That's nikyo, that's kotegaeshi, etc" I eventually got annoyed and told him I knew what he was doing before falling back asleep.

~Look into the eyes of your opponent & steal his spirit.
~To be a good martial artist is to be good thief; if you want my knowledge, you must take it from me.
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Old 12-03-2009, 01:31 PM   #11
DonMagee
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote: View Post
Don wrote:

What, you mean you can't do this yet? I thought everyone above 5th Kyu had developed this zoom eyesight.

Hmmm, maybe I have such an extensive martial arts background I have forgotten that there are people that can't do things I consider to be normal now.
I tried to develop it, but everytime I attempt to train the zooming eyesight with aliveness I just see a REALLY BIG fist punching me in the face

- Don
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough" - Albert Einstein
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Old 12-03-2009, 01:53 PM   #12
lbb
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

So how long will it be before people start showing up at aikido dojos wanting to learn "that Lawman stuff"?
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Old 12-03-2009, 02:03 PM   #13
Keith Larman
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Mary Malmros wrote: View Post
So how long will it be before people start showing up at aikido dojos wanting to learn "that Lawman stuff"?
You rang? Oh, ooops, you said Lawman... Sorry...

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Old 12-03-2009, 05:59 PM   #14
ChrisHein
 
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Mary Malmros wrote: View Post
So how long will it be before people start showing up at aikido dojos wanting to learn "that Lawman stuff"?
Depends on how well the show is received. From what I saw I think we're in for a long wait...

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Old 12-03-2009, 07:51 PM   #15
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Don Magee wrote: View Post
I tried to develop it, but everytime I attempt to train the zooming eyesight with aliveness I just see a REALLY BIG fist punching me in the face
It takes a while to get the whole timing and distance thing down. It seems like they are coming faster than they really are since your vision zooms in faster than they are moving, but eventually you learn to compensate for the zoom factor. There are some really good kata and exercises you can do to work on this.

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Old 12-04-2009, 12:02 AM   #16
Aikibu
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Who's Steven Seagal?

William Hazen
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Old 12-04-2009, 12:15 PM   #17
Cliff Judge
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Seagal is an interesting guy. I think I actually respect him, but whenever I see him in front of the camera he is clearly ACTING like somebody I should respect, and I don't respect that.

"In Zen we still get angry, but then we acknowledge it and let that feeling go. This guy is not a very good Zen practitioner."
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Old 12-04-2009, 02:32 PM   #18
Anjisan
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Ai symbol Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
William Hazen wrote: View Post
Who's Steven Seagal?

William Hazen
I just heard on the radio that Seagal sensei's new show set a record for A&E reality show debuts at 3.5 or 4 million viewers. So I am guessing that there are a few people out there who seem to know. The question then becomes do they know who you or I are--probably not.
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Old 12-04-2009, 05:06 PM   #19
Rob Watson
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Yawn ... basically a lame episode of 'COPS' - is that redundant? Now, If I can just push it out ...

"In my opinion, the time of spreading aikido to the world is finished; now we have to focus on quality." Yamada Yoshimitsu

Ultracrepidarianism ... don't.
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Old 12-05-2009, 10:00 PM   #20
Aikibu
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Jason Rudolph wrote: View Post
I just heard on the radio that Seagal sensei's new show set a record for A&E reality show debuts at 3.5 or 4 million viewers. So I am guessing that there are a few people out there who seem to know. The question then becomes do they know who you or I are--probably not.
Well I think I took Ukemi from him once or twice. But that was a long time ago and in a galaxy far far way...

William Hazen
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Old 12-06-2009, 02:47 AM   #21
Michael Varin
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Well, I finally saw the show.

It was about what I expected.

Steven Seagal is an interesting man. I see so much talent (ok, not for acting) and discipline, mastery in fact, but something went wrong somewhere along the line. And I still don't understand why he can't apply some of that discipline and lose some weight.

For what it is worth, I'd like to see him come back to aikido full-time. I think he has a lot to offer.

One thing I will tell you for sure, Seagal can shoot!

Putting a bullet in a bullet hole isn't easy. I've tried many times.

Probably 12 or 13 years ago, I had heard that Seagal was quite the marksman and was talking to my step-father (retired cop/director of the local police academy) about it. He said it's expensive to become a good shooter and a guy like Seagal has the money to do it.

Man, I'll tell you the older I get, the more I realize that guy was right about almost everything!

-Michael
"Through aiki we can feel the mind of the enemy who comes to attack and are thus able to respond immediately." - M. Mochizuki
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Old 12-06-2009, 11:46 AM   #22
Ron Tisdale
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

I take it that the last line of your post refers to your step-father, not Seagal Sensei....
:O
Best,
Ron

Ron Tisdale
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Old 12-06-2009, 11:49 AM   #23
mathewjgano
 
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Michael Varin wrote: View Post
He said it's expensive to become a good shooter and a guy like Seagal has the money to do it.
Why is it expensive to become a good shooter?

Gambarimashyo!
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Old 12-06-2009, 12:00 PM   #24
Ron Tisdale
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Purchasing amo, time at the range. Unless you make your own amo...

Best,
Ron

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Old 12-06-2009, 12:47 PM   #25
mathewjgano
 
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Re: Steven Seagal Lawman

Quote:
Ron Tisdale wrote: View Post
Purchasing amo, time at the range. Unless you make your own amo...

Best,
Ron
Well I'm sure Seagal can afford the rising cost of ammo I keep hearing about! I hadn't thought ranges might be expensive. We always just went up into the mountains (30 minute or so drive) so I always think of shooting as relatively inexpensive.
I guess I was just curious if there were costs beyond the basic needs of shooting (ammo, gun and range fees).
That's impressive Seagal shoots so well, but it also makes sense from a certain perspective. I started shooting at 4 years old and my view is that the meditative quality attached to shooting is really quite amazing. Breath, timing and the "squeeze vs. pull" of triggering seems well-suited to budoka.
...In fact, just thinking about it makes me want to go meditate with some cans!

Gambarimashyo!
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