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Post by Bob Davis on Oct 27, 2010 22:07:23 GMT
As Steve said at the last B&B course. It doen't matter how hard you punch, it counts for nothing without accuracy www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ2Xj2JLnckYou'd think he had enough of a run up at this.
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Post by fujicolt on Oct 28, 2010 23:46:58 GMT
I have posted a tennis ball and some string to him Bob.
I think the chap had been asked to do a break he was not confident about and thus his focus and concentration where all over the place. it could be argued that his subconscious made him miss to avoid serious injury!
part of me cringed cos stuff like this does make MA's wide open for ridicule but i also have to admit part of me wanted to laugh like heck.
SAD SAD SAD
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Post by Bob Davis on Oct 29, 2010 15:07:07 GMT
In which case fair play to him, (it's not a break I would have attempted). I've done some breaking (just so I know I can) but enjoy the use of my hands too much to push my luck. No sure this does so much (just one guy losing his bottle) as the constant public demos we see of people (even small kids) breaking baked to death and pre-scored half inch pine boards. Even the uninformed general public (gawd bless them) are not fooled by this and just laugh openly. As is often the way of coincidence my wife found this today, it made me chuckle (but then I've always liked Larsons humour)
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Post by fujicolt on Oct 30, 2010 14:49:12 GMT
I actually found the Cartoon to be quite unsettling.
No, i haven't had sense of humour failure but I do find it very sad that Joe Public cannot be overly criticized for seeing humour and a target for ridicule in Karate and other MA's these days. yes I am sure many like I would wish to shout out -
'That isn't the karate i have studied for decades! come and see the real thing'
but unfortunately it does seem to be the lower calibre 'playing karate' clubs that push themselves into the public eye via the media etc and therefore Joe Public will perceive Karate and other MA's to be as presented. A sad and painful to witness situation that i fear will remain as such until true Karate unites and makes the truth known.
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Post by Bob Davis on Oct 30, 2010 18:07:09 GMT
No, I understand exactly what you are saying Steve, the joke only works because everybody (meaning the public at large) associates karate with being about breaking boards and bricks.
Who's fault is that though? they only going on what they've been shown and this isn't a new peception, even as a kid I seem to recall back in the 60's karate was about breaking stuff as far as the public knew, it was the cliche that always came up in any TV or film reference at the time.
If that's what we show them that's what they'll think, it's a (very) small consolation I know but they do at least associate us with breaking "real" stuff (the TKD people are doing themselves no favors showing themselves as the kings of "Micky Mouse" breaking I think, you only have to hear the comments standing in the crowd at the annual demo our local TKD group do for the village fair to know they aren't fooling or impressing anybody ).
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Post by fujicolt on Oct 31, 2010 22:09:12 GMT
Sadly, Bob - if you look closer at that cartoon it is displaying a bit more of an opinion of karate but again at some clubs you could not blame them.
but you have raised some very pertinent issues - what can be done to change the quirky image into one of a worthwhile, productive and longterm activity?
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Post by fujicolt on Oct 31, 2010 22:13:43 GMT
From Bob's post a few places above:
Quote: it could be argued that his subconscious made him miss to avoid serious injury!
In which case fair play to him, (it's not a break I would have attempted). I've done some breaking (just so I know I can) but enjoy the use of my hands too much to push my luck.
again the sad fact is (and i have witnessed this) sometimes students are far too trusting of their Instructors and at displays they will blindly follow and carry out instructions to do things that are - well, dangerous! Often to a negative outcome.
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Post by Bob Davis on Oct 31, 2010 22:20:08 GMT
There are actually quite a lot of cliches in the cartoon if we look at as a commentary on public perception, from the ubiquitous "karate chop" also so favored in the 60's (and beyond), the straight line drilling at twice the effective distance and the oft' commented on "fat blokes" in the dojo (although I'd have to hold my hand up to that one ) As a cartoon though, it still makes me chuckle.
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Post by fujicolt on Oct 31, 2010 22:33:32 GMT
Bob, at your age be very wary of 'chuckling' - you'll either bring on some kind of body leakage, or some respiratory/cardiac malfunction, or they'll add points on your dementia evaluation and you'll end up in here with me, Dod Watt, Rod De Silva and Terry Oliver!
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Post by Bob Davis on Nov 1, 2010 9:14:17 GMT
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