Coolest PhD Ever (That You Can't Get Anywhere)

[lordbd]

A hero of mine is Richard Francis Burton. Explorer, linguist, kinky sex enthusiast, writer, martial artist. Also he seemed to absolutely hate everyone, which is pretty hipster.


check out that 'stache

He influenced the martial arts wanderer that we all wish we could be: Donn F. Draeger. Ex-Marine, wandered the world training in every martial art ever, choreographed James Fuckin' Bond.



They both described a field of scientific (ish) inquiry that they called hoplology (and were both possibly a little racist in a "noble savage" sort of condescending way). Anyway, hoplology is the combination of military history, exercisephysiology, and martial arts history and application and has only beenmentioned in passing here from what I can tell. Bullshido really = the newcrowd-sourced hoplology. Real martial arts practitioners in angry intellectualdiscourse, which, if you're familiar with academia, is pretty similar toacademics arguing.


The website for the society is pretty lame looking
http://www.hoplology.com/

But the idea is cool.

[RurikGreenwulf]

Looks really interesting
what a dammed shame that old timey groups like this and Baritsu didnt have the sucess they deserve

[lordbd]

Let's face it, those of us who really like martial arts or even just martial history and culture, but aren't ever going to make any money from it are. just. oddballs.

But in an awesome way.

[RurikGreenwulf]

Let's face it, those of us who really like martial arts or even just martial history and culture, but aren't ever going to make any money from it are. just. oddballs.

But in an awesome way.

There is a certain dignity and pride that I really like into this humble search for knowledge into the combat skills

[lordbd]

There's a wandering monk, or just cool exploration kind of vibe to it.

[Eddie Hardon]

Draeger: I read somewhere (might have been in a book by a Dennis Martin, "Working With Warriors") that a japanese sensei was looking at Martin and others and asked if a certain person in the group was Draeger san. When confirmed, he said, "I thought so, I saw his arms" - layered in muscle. That's a pretty accurate of the pic above.

Burton. I think he's buried in Kensal Rise cemetery in London. It's a Tent-like grave arranged by his very religious wife. There's an interesting TV prog by the actor Rupert Everett on Burton was that shown UK TV a couple of years ago. It might interest you if you can find it. It might be on youtube.

[Permalost]

I was turned onto hopology a few months ago from a grappling + handguns enthusiast who wanted to learn some stickfighting from me (who I believe met me through Bullshido, but he's not a regular poster). Looks like an interesting field, but I still have yet to dive into it.

[DdlR]

IIRC (and I may well not be recalling correctly, this was a long time ago), the University of Hawaii was developing a formal Hoplology curriculum. I don't know if anything came of it.

[brclry]

This is just an awesome article

THE TWO FACES OF COMBATIVES, 

Hunter B. Armstrong

"affective aggression (in animals, predominantly displayed towards members of the same species) is typified by a high level of emotional display with comparatively little potential for lethal results. In contrast, predatory aggression, while often lacking overt display, frequently has a more lethal outcome."

Bullshido really = the newcrowd-sourced hoplology. Real martial arts practitioners in angry intellectualdiscourse, which, if you're familiar with academia, is pretty similar toacademics arguing.

This is the big draw to Bullshido for me, the insane level of accountability, and confrontation allow for a discourse to develop.

from the article
"Affective combative-systems are predominantly those fighting systems aimed at civilian, single self-defense, and agonistic (sport and/or display related). However, the dominant impetus for the development of non-battlefield combative-systems would have been civilian self-defense, from which would emerge the duel, the agonistic, etc., as historico-cultural influences dictated."

"With the development of more densely populated, agroindustrial societies, we would see more and more blurring of the distinctions leading to certain kinds and degrees of maladaptive application."

"These distinctive affective/pseudo-predatory behaviors are retained within the structures and functions of the fighting arts within socio-cultural traditions world-wide. In the traditional fighting arts of older cultures, especially, we are provided a window into the combative behavior of our ancestors. By comparison with modern fighting systems, we gain a further insight into the differential evolution of our own combative behaviors, contextually determined, as affective combat, pseudo-predatory combat, or, more likely, a blending of both."

I like the paradigm created in the article. I have read somewhere that Shotokan Karate is a dueling art, but always wondered what the circumstances leading to the development of a dueling art where, as compared to something like Wing Chun. Not necessarily discussing the effectiveness of an art, but examining it as a phenomenon within its cultural parameters.

Their Spartan acadamy is just a 2 hour drive from me, I think I might take a road trip.

[Hiro Protagonist]

I also hate everybody. And I am no hipster.

Because I didn't care if I hated you before others did.
I just hate.