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Old 06-17-2005, 06:30 PM   #1
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Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Discuss the article, "Serious Martial Artists" by "The Mirror" here.

Article URL: http://www.aikiweb.com/columns/themirror/2005_06.html
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Old 06-17-2005, 08:39 PM   #2
xuzen
 
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

This article by Susan is very entertaining and humourous. Thanks Susan. By the way, the so called Serious Martial Artist is only 19 y/o; when he is 39 y/o he will look back at his silliness and smile. And not to mention the act where they jump up the trampoline to do some high kicking action... well they are good acrobats, I will give them that. As for being serious martial artist? Nah... not convince enough.

Boon.

SHOMEN-ATE (TM), the solution to 90% of aikido and life's problems.
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Old 06-18-2005, 12:27 AM   #3
RebeccaM
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

I wasn't sure from the article...when they hit the pie tins did someone hit the gong? Because that would have been good for a giggle or two.
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Old 06-18-2005, 02:31 AM   #4
maikerus
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

I enjoyed that. Thank-you

Hiriki no yosei 3 - The kihon that makes your head ache instead of your legs
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Old 06-18-2005, 07:47 AM   #5
Chuck Clark
 
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Great story Susan. I've had several experiences of a similar nature years ago. Very entertaining to say the least. One "nineteen year old" kung fu expert came up to Aaron and I when we were training in a park about fifteen years ago. With no introductions, he boldly stated, "I know 200 forms. How many do you know?" I said, "Just a few... I keep having to do the same ones over and over so I can learn them and someday I might get them right." He was very smug and said that his practice was his "way of life" and that he had "mastered" all of the forms he knew...would we like to see him do any of his forms? We said no thanks because we have very little time so we need to practice. He began doing front flips and round-offs as he made his way through the park. The lesson in this story is we had 30 people join us within a month and our first dojo in a new city was born in that park.

Thanks for a great article this month. Please pass on our regards to your group.

Chuck Clark
Jiyushinkai Aikibudo
www.jiyushinkai.org
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Old 06-19-2005, 07:08 AM   #6
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Xu Wenfung wrote:
This article by Susan is very entertaining and humourous. Thanks Susan. By the way, the so called Serious Martial Artist is only 19 y/o; when he is 39 y/o he will look back at his silliness and smile. Boon.
Thank you. I have to admit I used my writer's license and stretched the truth just a bit. However, all the most outrageous quotes the last guy really did say.

Good point about looking back and smiling at ourselves. Thankfully when we are 39 we have often forgotten much of our 19-year old silliness.
Susan
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Old 06-19-2005, 07:10 AM   #7
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Rebecca Montange wrote:
I wasn't sure from the article...when they hit the pie tins did someone hit the gong? Because that would have been good for a giggle or two.
Yes, they did. And they were incredibly athletic. The crowd loved them. I did not want to take the stage after that demonstration.
Susan
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Old 06-19-2005, 07:27 AM   #8
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Chuck Clark wrote:
Great story Susan. I've had several experiences of a similar nature years ago. Very entertaining to say the least. One "nineteen year old" kung fu expert came up to Aaron and I when we were training in a park about fifteen years ago. With no introductions, he boldly stated, "I know 200 forms. How many do you know?" I said, "Just a few... I keep having to do the same ones over and over so I can learn them and someday I might get them right." He was very smug and said that his practice was his "way of life" and that he had "mastered" all of the forms he knew...would we like to see him do any of his forms? We said no thanks because we have very little time so we need to practice. He began doing front flips and round-offs as he made his way through the park. The lesson in this story is we had 30 people join us within a month and our first dojo in a new city was born in that park.
How funny! And sad, really. That guy was so invested in showing off that he missed an incredible opportunity to learn something from you and to have the chance to practice with you and Aaron.

You had good answers. I got a little stuck. With the first guys, I couldn't tell if they seriously wanted to learn something from me or if they wanted to take over my mat. I'm still not sure. And I was so flabbergasted at the last guy's asking me to spar that I didn't know what to say. But I did notice that he asked the almost 50 year old woman rather than our burly student, the ex-Marine combat instructor! Good thing he didn't ask Kelsey after he swiped the jo and rolled through the children because I think she would have taken him up on the offer. He might have needed those secret techniques.

Thank you for your kind words.
Susan
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Old 06-19-2005, 07:36 AM   #9
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Michael Stuempel wrote:
I enjoyed that. Thank-you
You're welcome. Thanks for reading it.
Susan
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Old 06-20-2005, 09:13 PM   #10
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Wonderful story, Susan. I'd say I wish I could've been there to see/hear it myself, but unfortunately, I've already been there in other places, other times.

A guy once told me that he felt he had been born 500 years too late. He dreamed of going back in time and travelling the land, testing out his warrior skills (i.e., a green belt in "ninjutsu"). I just kinda smiled.
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Old 06-21-2005, 09:22 AM   #11
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Thank you Susan, I really loved that story. Embellished or not (and all good stories should have a little embellishment), it is a good laugh and I'll long remember that... I'm not a serious martial artist either.

Tarik

Tarik Ghbeish
Jiyūshin-ryū AikiBudō - Iwae Dojo

MASAKATSU AGATSU -- "The true victory of self-mastery."
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Old 06-21-2005, 10:29 AM   #12
Joost Korpel
 
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Thanks Susan, this article made my day. I belong to a University dojo and have long ago come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a serious 19 year old martial artist. When you have trained 20+ years and can still step onto the mat with a smile, then I would consider you a serious martial artist. Until then, please spare me the stories of your "months" of dedicated training at some super secret shaolin temple.
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Old 06-21-2005, 04:38 PM   #13
MaryKaye
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

My first-kyu sempai asked me, "Mary, do you tell people you do aikido?" I told him yes, when it came up, sometimes even when it didn't exactly come up. He laughed and said that he'd done that too, but the impulse had worn off after the first five years....

So I'm 41, but it's a new thing for me and I'm excited, and wowed, and a little dizzy, and I can see myself quite clearly in your serious young men. Except I'll never be as athletic as they are. But the yearning to show off, to have other people share your experience of "Wow, this is SO COOL and I CAN DO IT"....I get that too.

They'll grow up eventually, but in the meantime it's nice to enjoy their enthusiasm.

(Great story, BTW.)

Mary Kaye
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Old 06-21-2005, 07:16 PM   #14
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

I used to be a serious dancer. And a serious yoga student. And a serious tai chi student. And I did all my practices in very public places to make sure that everyone knew how serious I was.
And as I got more "mature" I started noticing people doing yoga or tai chi in very public places so people could see how serious they were. And they annoyed me....

Its always the ones that remind me of me....

Q
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Old 06-22-2005, 05:40 AM   #15
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Michael Hacker wrote:
A guy once told me that he felt he had been born 500 years too late. He dreamed of going back in time and travelling the land, testing out his warrior skills (i.e., a green belt in "ninjutsu"). I just kinda smiled.
Thanks, Michael. Yeah, how much warrior skill does one need to take a jo away from a very small eleven year old?
Susan
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Old 06-22-2005, 05:43 AM   #16
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Tarik Ghbeish wrote:
Thank you Susan, I really loved that story. Embellished or not (and all good stories should have a little embellishment), it is a good laugh and I'll long remember that... I'm not a serious martial artist either.

Tarik
Thanks, Tarik. I promise that all the very best quotes the serious martial artist really did say.
Susan
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Old 06-22-2005, 05:47 AM   #17
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Joost Korpel wrote:
Thanks Susan, this article made my day. I belong to a University dojo and have long ago come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a serious 19 year old martial artist. When you have trained 20+ years and can still step onto the mat with a smile, then I would consider you a serious martial artist. Until then, please spare me the stories of your "months" of dedicated training at some super secret shaolin temple.
My sensei makes a good point, that I couldn't really figure out how to get into the story and doesn't really belong anyway: the difficult people, the ones most on our nerves, are the ones we should welcome because they're the ones who most need aikido. My sensei would have handled this guy more brusquely but also better than I did.
Susan
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Old 06-22-2005, 05:49 AM   #18
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Mary Kuhner wrote:
So I'm 41, but it's a new thing for me and I'm excited, and wowed, and a little dizzy, and I can see myself quite clearly in your serious young men. Except I'll never be as athletic as they are. But the yearning to show off, to have other people share your experience of "Wow, this is SO COOL and I CAN DO IT"....I get that too.
Mary Kaye
And they may have sincerely wanted me to teach them something; they were just so much more athletic than I that I wasn't sure what I could teach them in a minute and a half.

Keep that enthusiasm! That's wonderful.
Susan
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Old 06-22-2005, 05:53 AM   #19
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Jo Adell wrote:
Its always the ones that remind me of me....
I was the person who wanted to be perfect and do "right" in front of my teacher. I always had a "Yes, but, Sensei, I was trying to..." when I got instruction. That behavior gets on my nerves because I see beginner (and not so beginner) me.
Susan
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Old 06-22-2005, 10:34 AM   #20
fullerfury
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Hi Susan...

I was giggling through the entire story - you are quite an excellent story teller.

Reminds of a guy who came through my dojo about 2 years ago who said he studied with a master of Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Karate, Ninjitsu... I said wow...to be a master of so many arts your teacher must be pretty experienced. How old is he and where is his dojo? This guy replied "oh he is 36 and has a secret dojo where he is paid over $200 an hour to give private instruction"... and on and on...

It took about 15 minutes to get this guy to shut up and another 15 minutes to get him out the door.

Say hi to all the folks at the dojo for me...

-Garrett

Last edited by fullerfury : 06-22-2005 at 10:38 AM.
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Old 06-22-2005, 11:46 AM   #21
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Garrett Fuller wrote:
Hi Susan...

I was giggling through the entire story - you are quite an excellent story teller.


It took about 15 minutes to get this guy to shut up and another 15 minutes to get him out the door.

Say hi to all the folks at the dojo for me...

-Garrett
Garrett! It's so good to hear from you! How's the dojo? You probably didn't recognize any of the folks in the story except me and Elizabeth, but I'll tell all the "old folks" you said hello. And thanks for the compliments.
Susan
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Old 06-22-2005, 11:58 AM   #22
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Susan Dalton wrote:
Thanks, Michael. Yeah, how much warrior skill does one need to take a jo away from a very small eleven year old?
Susan
That would depend entirely on who the 11 year old is.
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Old 06-22-2005, 12:28 PM   #23
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Michael Hacker wrote:
That would depend entirely on who the 11 year old is.
heheheheheh

Janet Rosen
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Old 06-23-2005, 05:05 AM   #24
Susan Dalton
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Michael Hacker wrote:
That would depend entirely on who the 11 year old is.
Excellent point! He chose the tiny, sweet one.
Susan
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Old 06-23-2005, 05:56 AM   #25
j0nharris
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Re: Article: Serious Martial Artists by "The Mirror"

Quote:
Susan Dalton wrote:
Excellent point! He chose the tiny, sweet one.
Susan
Takes after her father, does she??

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