Props for the kobold comparison. Long live RPGers.

The thing that I think is really sad about Phil is that I think he genuinely dosen't actually understand the criticisms that are made about him. He keeps claiming that the essence of the criticism is a basic "not qualified in terms of belts or fight records" argument, and then further claims that the content of his book stands on its own.

But, why does the content of the book stand on its own, according to Phil? Apparently, because it's World War II combatives, including the almighty chin jab.

I don't think that Phil understands *why* a chin jab or a hammerfist are not really good essential techniques. He also didn't understand JKDChick's critique of his forward motion directive. His defense was that forward motion is a principle, but sometimes he steps back to set something up. JKDChick's point about counteroffensive lateral or diagonal motion was totally lost on him. I don't think that concept exists at all for him.

That's what makes Phil such a sad figure. He's a bit like a mentally retarded person being tormented with insults by a bunch of 17th century French courtiers. He knows he's being mocked, but he dosen't understand the content of the mockery at all, and he keeps screaming, "ITS BECAUSE MY HEAD'S BIG, ISN'T IT!?!?!"

Well, now I know that Phil, as much as he talks about retinal detachment being the "reality", he himself is out of touch with reality.



Although 6% of the general population have retinal breaks, most of these are benign atrophic holes, which are without accompanying pathology and do not lead to retinal detachment. Incidence of retinal detachment is 1 in 15,000 population, with a prevalence of 0.3% in the US.


http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic504.htm

Phil has just been epidemi0w3d. He cites reality and talks about retinal detachments to try and make it seem that JKDChick isn't realistic, but in reality the incidence of that eye problem is very low.

If Phil is worried about something that occurs in 0.3% about the population, and uses that as an excuse for why he dosen't spar, why isn't he worried about being overweight, and why dosen't he do something about that? In gross contrast to retinal detachment, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, according to the CDC. (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00017276.htm)

In a CDC study,



Death was the incident CHD event among 18.6% of men, compared with 12.5% of women.



So why is Phil worrying about something that happens to .3% of the population while continuing to be obese and ignoring something that affected 18.6% of men in a CDC study?

So much for Phil's grasp on reality.

Yeah, and how much of the .3% is from being PUNCHED? Rentinal detachment from car accidents, industrial accidents, construction accidents ... yeah, blunt force trauma to the head causes it. It's just the the human fist ain't very likely to produce it.

It's just the the human fist ain't very likely to produce it.

Sugar Ray Leonerd had a small retina deattachment in his fight against Thomas Hearns. He TKO´ed Hearns in the 14th, BTW.

Just to be a smartass. :coffee:

Actually, you're a dumb ass. That it CAN happen is not the point. It HAS happened in boxing. HOW OFTEN DOES IT HAPPEN?

THAT IS THE POINT.

Phil asserts the point several times that a normal person cannot afford to get punched in the head so hard they go blind ... as though it's LIKELY. COMMON. It CAN happen. So can getting hit with a fucking meteorite. I'm not wearing a crash helmet whenever I'm out side, thanks.

Actually, you're a dumb ass. That it CAN happen is not the point. It HAS happened in boxing. HOW OFTEN DOES IT HAPPEN?

THAT IS THE POINT.


Damn Girl...no need to get all agro on the poor dude. He cited one boxing reference. How many boxing matches take place daily? Lots, i'm sure. Yet that .3% figure remains. Way I see it, he supported your argument. Geez!

I am a dilletante. I've been through the "starving artist" phase -- it's ass -- and I have a good, solid job in a growth industry with lots of potential. I like my life. I have money to get out of debt and time to train and I'm surrounded by athletic men with nice bodies. What more can a girl want?
Phil?

*ducks*
*hides*

Actually, you're a dumb ass. That it CAN happen is not the point. It HAS happened in boxing. HOW OFTEN DOES IT HAPPEN?

THAT IS THE POINT.

Phil asserts the point several times that a normal person cannot afford to get punched in the head so hard they go blind ... as though it's LIKELY. COMMON. It CAN happen. So can getting hit with a fucking meteorite. I'm not wearing a crash helmet whenever I'm out side, thanks.

Precisely, the point is that it took a boxer like Hearns, who usually DESTROYED HIS OPPONENTS to cause a retina deattachment.

How many people can cause said injury FROM A SINGLE BLOW WHEN HEARNS NEEDED NINE ROUNDS OF CONSTANT POUNDING LEONARDS HEAD?

Are we paranoid lately, my dear?

EDIT: And since you´re such a prick, I´ll add something more.

The retina deattachment argument by Phil means "I´m too scared to fight". Only the very deluded wouldn´t understand that by now.

However, this injury is not unheard of among the MA practitioners. I can cite at least one case of this injury, from a single blow. A guy back in my hometown suffered this when competing in karate, he received a nasty kick in the eye.

Now, this does not validates Phil´s fear of retina deattachment, since it´s still a rare injury (even with full contact sparring), altrough one should be aware that it´s a rsik, as many more injuries which are more prone to occur, due to the nature of the sport/art whatever.

When you engage in a physical demanding activity, as MAs should be, there is a risk of injury. Each sport has it´s own risks, some more than others. If your training doesn´t involve certain risk of injury, is not training, it´s LARPing.

Also, I´d like to add that I usually post trivia in this kind of discussions, as a curiosity, and to show how smartass I can be.

:fist: watch out for the retina!

I'd lighten up some there Chickee pooh
You will find some will, to heck with you
You need to have a tinfoil hat on your head
I don't think it needs to be a helmet, yu said
Phil is pointing out that taking shots to the eye
Will make your day and life for later wonder why

But, why does the content of the book stand on its own, according to Phil? Apparently, because it's World War II combatives, including the almighty chin jab.

Anybody who’s interested in seeing authentic WW2 combative need only view a fight scene in any episode of the original Star Trek series. You can only imagine just how much a hardon phil must get after seeing Captain Kirk go a couple rounds with a klingon. :jerk:


I don't think that Phil understands *why* a chin jab or a hammerfist are not really good essential techniques.

Tools or techniques? A hammerfist is essentially the same principle of movement used to stab with a knife held in the downward position.


He also didn't understand JKDChick's critique of his forward motion directive. His defense was that forward motion is a principle, but sometimes he steps back to set something up.

Not very smart to back up, especially if the attacker has superior command of the variables, not to mention faster and more skilled.


JKDChick's point about counteroffensive lateral or diagonal motion was totally lost on him. I don't think that concept exists at all for him.

Well, it only demonstrates phil’s lack of skill and knowledgebase. Also, it’s beneficial to move in a rotational or elliptical fashion, this enables one to close distance easier than moving laterally or diagonally (depending of course on the situation involved).


That's what makes Phil such a sad figure. He's a bit like a mentally retarded person being tormented with insults by a bunch of 17th century French courtiers. He knows he's being mocked, but he dosen't understand the content of the mockery at all, and he keeps screaming, "ITS BECAUSE MY HEAD'S BIG, ISN'T IT!?!?!"

phil would probably be more believable if it weren’t for the fact he looks like a nerd and is grossly out of shape.

So why is Phil worrying about something that happens to .3% of the population while continuing to be obese and ignoring something that affected 18.6% of men in a CDC study?


Well, phil did state the martial arts cured him of being a hypochondriac, ultimately, that's a good thing. Hopefully, he'll develop diabetes, go blind, then the rest of the world will be saved from any further acts of his stupidity. :lol:

Yes folks, it almost makes you ashamed to be a fellow American....

http://themartialist.com/images/elitism01.jpg

HOW TO SPOT A VIRTUAL SENSEI

By phil elmore

A Virtual Sensei is any teacher who claims to be something he or she is not, or more than he or she is. A Virtual Sensei may be relatively benign, though if he or she is selling as the ultimate fighting system some set of techniques that do not work as advertised, students will be both disappointed and ripped off.

The Major Warning Signs

A VS usually exhibits one or more of the following warning signs. These are guidelines, not definitive descriptors. Nonetheless, a teacher who exhibits more than one of these signs should be viewed with healthy skepticism -- and approached with caution.

I Am The Greatest!

Only rarely could a VS be described as falsely modest. No, a VS has a healthy ego, and he's not shy about telling you just how talented he is. Often, the VS will post self-important and self-aggrandizing material under the guise of starting topics. Invariably, the topic is merely a pretext for telling the world how great the VS is.

A good VS also (almost) always manages to turn any discussion to one revolving around his …abilities, regardless of the subject.

1.
Years ago, before The Martialist was born, I maintained a martial arts section at PhilElmore.com. It was there that I wrote and published my first product reviews and editorials. It was there that often-cited articles like my troll guide and How to Spot a Virtual Tough Guy (the VTG article appeared in the Electronic Journal of Martial Arts and Sciences) were first made publicly available. (It is a point of very personal satisfaction to me that some of the people who criticize me online even use the terminology that I popularized in those martial-arts-troll-related articles.)

2.
Since that time, of course, I've risen to some notoriety in the martial arts community. The Martialist is tremendously popular and logs high activity even when it is not updated with new material. My writing has been featured in several 'zines and in more than one hardcopy publication, such as Concealed Carry magazine. One of my essays was included in the extremely popular and prestigious collection, Warriors: On Living with Courage, Discipline, and Honor. Google the name "Phil Elmore" and you'll be amazed at the number of hits.

3.
Oh, how my critics hate and despise the legitimacy conferred on me by Paladin's inclusion of my essay in Warriors: On Living with Courage, Discipline, and Honor.

4.
I love the fact – dearly, I do – that those who "despise" me cannot help but grudgingly admit that I am a damned good writer. These words, coming from someone whose hatred is so palpable, would translate to the offer of one's virginity if coming from a fan. I like the term "florid" as it relates to my writing. I even wrote an entire column in defense of verbosity, quite some time ago, acknowledging my fondness for such elaborate prose. While my admirer manages to couch it as an insult, the unavoidable fact is that, yes Virginia, I am a good writer and even my enemies can't help but admit it.

5.
Here we come back to such people's inability to accept that which is earnest, that which is genuine, as honestly offered in good faith. I include my martial biography in Shorthand Empty Hand specifically so as not to misrepresent myself as an "expert." I don't consider myself an "expert" and will never appoint myself one. I would reject that description if it was applied to me – even if it was applied in the context of a field in which I do have impressive credentials, such as technical writing. (I have been a technical writer for 12 years and I am very good at it. I am well-paid.

6.
but it always helps to know that people will read what you right (even if they don't agree with it). For a writer, knowing your words will be read makes you feel powerful – for your opinions, the opinions of one person, are being considered (even if they are rejected) by an audience that could number in the hundreds or the thousands.

7.
I've said before that I've been debating and arguing online since the old UseNet days. I'm very, very good at it. I was never on the debate team in school, but I think I should have been; I think quickly, type almost as fast, I'm good with rhetorical tools, I recognize rhetorical ploys, I'm logical and methodical, I can be humorous when need be, and I enjoy arguing with people. I know that sounds arrogant, but it's also true, so I can't apologize for it or diminish it. I don't try to respond to my critics; I demolish them. I do so easily because they make it easy. Take this incredibly lengthy piece to which I am responding. It's almost completely childish personal attacks (and what little substance it contains we'll address presently). That's not hard at all to ridicule, to refute, and to dismiss – for all you have to do is explain the truth and throw in some counter-insults.

8.
It's a fact that people with impoverished vocabularies become easily nettled when confronted with someone who enjoys words, who uses them to good effect, and who enjoys uncommon or complex turns of phrase. There is little I can do about that.

Name Dropping

The VS is a shameless dropper of names. He is proud of the association he has had with the big names in the self-defense industry, and he'll tell you all about them no matter how brief that contact might have been.

1.
What would "JKDChick" care if I showed him, her, or it pictures of me training with respected instructor Kevin Seaman at a seminar largely devoted to stick work?

2.
In "Warrior Lessons Learned and Unlearned," I delved deeply into my own emotions and my own personal struggles in order to deliver to Paladin an essay I thought worthy of the honor they were granting me. Many of the contributors to the collection are quite famous – luminaries in the martial arts field whose work includes many texts now sitting on my heavily laden bookshelves.

3.
I don't think the book's editor, Loren Christensen – a veteran martial artist, soldier, and law enforcement official with many excellent books to his credit – would be taken in by a lot of false posturing. Do you?

Because the VS likes to maintain the illusion of enlightened wisdom in the Arts, he or she often will behave politely in public, perhaps acting as if any criticism is beneath his or her notice. (A popular retort is that "the best around" always take unfair abuse for daring to be "the best around," misunderstood as they are by their inferior fellow students and teachers.)

1.
This, too, is not important to people who want so desperately to think ill of me. If I am some sort of weakling, some sort of lightweight, it is easier to dismiss me and thus to minimize what I have managed to accomplish. In this way, my critics can feel better about themselves and not feel quite so inferior when comparing what they've done (or would feel authorized or able to do) to what I do.

2.
What my critics seem to miss – and what I am happy to have them ignore as I quietly go about continuing a decade and a half of training in unarmed and armed arts, styles, and systems – is that even when I move from something to something else, I keep training. I am now and always will be a student. I will always learn. I will always strive to accomplish new things. This is something they do not, have not, and probably cannot do.

3.
As I predicted, none of this deals with what I've written. Rather, it deals with whether the reader grants his, her, or its approval for the fact that I wrote what I did. I cannot overemphasize the frequency with which criticism of my book revolves around the statement, "Well, I would not have written a book with my experience..." Implied every time that is said is that the critic believes himself superior to me, more skilled than me, more experienced than me. If he would not start a system, my starting one is an affront. What this means is that everyone making this statement is not judging my work; he or she is reacting to his or her feelings of comparative inferiority.

*dancing and giggling*

I REALLY pissed him off, didn't I?

*twirls around on her heels, hands in the air*

:headbang:

*dancing and giggling*

I REALLY pissed him off, didn't I?

*twirls around on her heels, hands in the air*

Must have, given the fact he contradicts himself with both articles, 'How to spot a virtual sensei' and 'a woman scorned.'