Getting to the bottom of Shaolin-do

**grond** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 10:24am

*Braaaak Braaaaak* I'm the slander parrot! Let me join the mob and trash on someone whos been dead for thirty years and can't defend themselves.

Naw, just kidding man. Relax. Why does joking about melted babies offend you? You did it a minute ago.

**WingChun Lawyer** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 10:28am

Not offended at all grond, just going out on a related joke. I would only be offended at the slanderous offense incurred at the expense of precious young lives if I believed that stupid BS story about melted babies in the first place.

**grond** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 10:32am

I hate the internet. :)

**Judge Pen** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 10:33am

Originally Posted by WingChun Lawyer

OK, what about the melted baby? Whatever it is The smokes, does he share it?

The melted baby story I've heard first hand. Actually he didn't say "melt" when I heard it, but he likes to embellish his stories. Anyway, the story goes that his first teacher, a sand-burn teacher, was practicing when his wife brought their child over. Without thinking about how hot his hands were he picked up the child and the child was burnt by his hands: killing the child. That's why he stopeed training in sand-burn.

GM The's english isn't the best: melt or burn it's probably the same to him.

**WingChun Lawyer** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 10:34am

Originally Posted by Judge Pen

The melted baby story I've heard first hand. Actually he didn't say "melt" when I heard it, but he likes to embellish his stories. Anyway, the story goes that his first teacher, a sand-burn teacher, was practicing when his wife brought their child over. Without thinking about how hot his hands were he picked up the child and the child was burnt by his hands: killing the child. That's why he stopeed training in sand-burn.

GM The's english isn't the best: melt or burn it's probably the same to him.

And you believe that story?

**Judge Pen** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 10:41am

No. Not necessarily. I don't believe everything my grandfather told me either, but he could tell a hell of a story!

The stroy could be true it could be false: how do I know. I wasn't there. It's all hearsay to me.

**grond** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 10:46am

Well, what does your experience and intuition tell you? Could someone kill a baby after training hot sand? Would they be dumb enough to do it? Would their student tell that story like it was some cool master-level badass kungfu?

**WingChun Lawyer** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 10:51am

Would someone´s hands ever get hot enough to kill a baby without burning off first? What do YOU think, Pen? Wouldn´t you say your GM is full of it at least regarding this story?

**Leodom** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 11:01am

Originally Posted by grond

Well, what does your experience and intuition tell you? Could someone kill a baby after training hot sand? Would they be dumb enough to do it? Would their student tell that story like it was some cool master-level badass kungfu?

I have also heard Sin The' tell this story . It wasn't told as some "cool master-level badass kungfu". It was simply an explanation as to why the sand-burn teacher stopped teaching. It's not important to me.

**octopic** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 11:09am

Originally Posted by Judge Pen

Also, if your school gave you a black in 15 months, your school stinks and your material stinks. It took me 3.5 years and that's the minimum you can go through at my school. And then you are considered just a student; before you are considered a begininer.

3.5 years!!! I smell McDojo! (Unless you've had a lot of prior training, in which case, I no longer smell McDojo). Anything under 5 is suspicious (unless you're a dojo rat), and anything under 4 is absurd (unless you've had prior training). If your school gave you black in 3.5 years, your school stinks and your material stinks.

The above paragraph was brought to you by People for Perspective. People for Perspective is a non-profit organization dedicated to over-exageration and hyberbole.

Seriously enough though, while I agree that 15 months is absurd beyond all belief, I do think that 3.5 years is not enough time as well. It is all a matter of opinion. Unfortunately, a black belt in one style does not equal a black belt in another. It has taken me 13 years to get to 2nd degree in my style (with some time off in the middle), does it annoy me when someone who's been doing a style for 5 years is a 3rd dan? Absolutely, but I know how hard I worked for the two stripes on my belt and that's all that matters to me. I know that there are 3rds and 4ths in other styles that aren't as good as me. I also know that there are 1sts in other styles that are better than me. I once was working out at a school where a woman had been a student there for almost 20 years and still hadn't gotten her black belt, and she was damn good. Comparing time to black belt isn't going to get you anywhere, so just leave it alone.