My Shaolin-Do Experience

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 6/15/2006 3:07pm

Originally Posted by neoaevum

Brief history: I was in the Phoenix Arizona school for a year and a half. I obtained the rank of 1st Degree Brown belt.

Shaolin-do is kinda like a Fisher Price "My first Martial Arts class". It uses icons such as the Karate style Gi's, the name "Shaolin", very reasonable pricing, and crazy off the wall stories to lure in the average Joe off the street.

Thats not to say you aren't going to learn martial arts. Some of the forms remain pretty solid, many have suffered the pains of being passed down from poorly trained black belt to poorly trained black belt but still retain many of the basic concepts. The instructor in Phoenix was kind enough to point out the "real-life" application of every move in a form so it wasn't like you were just doing some kind of crazy kung fu dance. In fact every class had a 30 minute sparring session where we were instructed to only use techniques from the forms we were practicing.

The real problem with Shaolin-Do is quality control. Much like the 12year old "wussy" girl blackbelt, my particular school had some 400lb 2nd degree black belt. The thought of seeing this guy execute a monkey roll or any kind of crane stance scared me. Asside from perhaps some kind of "Elephant sits on mouse" form I couldn't imagine how this guy could fight. I saw student after student granted higher ranks with little to no skills above what they came in with. As long as you show up for your rank advancement and put forth a little effort to get through it, it seemed they would pass you. I tested to Brown Belt under Sin Kwan The himself. He was even more forgiving than the usual instructors. All that aside though, if you actually make a point to learn and practice regularly you will strengthen your body, increase your flexibility, and come out with a good variety of kung-fu(ish) techniques.

I do recognize the problem with someone who half-asses their way to Black Belt in Shaolin-Do and develops a cockiness that will inevitably get them a nice ass whooping, but really that personality type kinda deserves it. There are some really skilled black belts in the SD school, but they are the ones who put in the time and effort and have no reason to be cocky.

I fell that people who take martial arts seriously will see the problems of Shaolin-Do and move onto a school that is more focussed and doesn't rely on a BS history for its marketing.

So, was your instructors initials JR?

**Doctor X** · Posted On: 6/15/2006 3:12pm

Originally Posted by neoaevum

Asside from perhaps some kind of "Elephant sits on mouse" form I couldn't imagine how this guy could fight.

BWA!HA!HA!HA!HA!

--J.D.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 6/15/2006 3:16pm

Right now, until this person posts again, they are trolling.

Although there is some verification possible.

Was 400 BW?

**Doctor X** · Posted On: 6/15/2006 3:25pm

The line made me laugh.

--J.D.

**xingyifa** · Posted On: 6/15/2006 4:04pm

Originally Posted by Ronin.74

Congradulations on reviving a 2 yr old dead thread.

Look, if he had started a new thread, you a dozen other assholes would be yelling SEARCH FUNCTION NOOB!!! He had something relevant to say about SD and he added it at the end of an already existing thread. He did exactly what more noobs should be doing.