Bullshido at Georgia State?

**oldman_withers** · Posted On: 8/25/2005 10:16am

My school (Georgia State University) is offering a few new classes this semester at the recreation center. I'm going to check a few of them out, some look promising, while some are obvious bullshido until proven otherwise. I'll report back once the classes start in a week or so.

Fu Hok (Yao Gong Fut Pai Kuen) - or Tiger Crane Soft Hard Buddhist Kung Fu. The website is funny. Looks like total bullshit, but I didn't really read much. My school's description is "a cross between Wing Chun and Tai Chi." Wonderful.

There's also one called Lotus Self Defense that claims to be a mixture of thai boxing, karate, kung fu and japanese jujitsu. Which makes me wonder.

Then theres a jap jujitsu class that is described as a "Traditional Japanese martial art utilized by the samurai encompassing all forms of attack, defense and weapons. Judo, Kendo, Aikido, Kung Fu, and Muay Thai" Gee, I didn't know the samurai knew muy thai.

Theres a Bando Kickboxing class that is described like this: "Simple, powerful techniques form the extremely effective self-defense and fighting style (similar to Muay Thai) of Bando, the ancient martial system of Burma. This class offers training in martial arts forms, weapons, and animal styles, as well as light-medium, and some full-contact sparring. Offered at GSU since 1973." That one actually sounds promising too, but I've never heard of Bando before. Might need to look that up.

Last but not least is "Moving Meditation Tai-Chi," and yes, you get to learn about ki/chi/chai lattes. I'm excited, I'll report back on how my energy blasts are coming along.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a good review of these classes in a week or two, I think I can take the first class free of charge, and if not I'm just gonna sneak in and stay quiet.

**jwinch2** · Posted On: 8/25/2005 10:22am

That sounds pretty sweet... Have fun! LOL

**TehDeadlyDimMak** · Posted On: 8/25/2005 10:26am

Whyy...would ANYONE want a mix of Wing Chun and Tai Chi? You want really really slow chain punching now?

A mix of thai boxing, karate, kung fu and japanese jujitsu sounds good, of course they could've just taken the eye gouges of all those systems and combined them into the ultimate suckfest.

**Cardboard Tube** · Posted On: 8/25/2005 10:51am

Tai Chi and Wing Chun?! I'd love to see that together. I'm looking forward to reading those reviews. :headbang:

**Psycho Dad** · Posted On: 8/25/2005 11:05am

Bando? You're going to get headbutted like crazy in that class.

**oldman_withers** · Posted On: 8/25/2005 12:10pm

No, I think I've seen the Bando class before, it was all fat girls running around and kicking the air. I'm not sure if that was it though, might have been a cardio kickboxing class or some silly **** like that.

**access1denied** · Posted On: 8/25/2005 2:16pm

Bando as in Muay Bando? I've heard of it. It's supposedly a lot like Muay Thai, but it uses headbutts and throws. I hope you done practice headbutts full contact lol, or at least wear head gear. Headbutts hurt crap.

**mpowell** · Posted On: 8/25/2005 6:19pm

Who's teaching the Bando portion?

**oldman_withers** · Posted On: 10/03/2005 5:54pm

Ok, I know it's been a while since I posted this, but I've finally had a chance to go to some of the classes. It took me so long because I actually have mandatory classes at the same time as most of the MA classes. So yes, I skipped class for Bullshido. It was worth it to see some of this ****. Ok, here we go:

Judo: This was an Olympic style Judo class taught by Brian Hoe. He trains in Atlanta at a traditional Judo school called Kokoro Tatsu . He competes and said he's won a few tournaments. Did a little google and found that he took 2nd in the masters division at a 2002 judo tournment called the Swamp. I'm sure he's won others. He was a great guy, very outgoing and ready to give instruction wherever needed. He was hard on his students, and made sure everyone got it or they would be verbally reprimanded (which, in my opinion, is a good thing. I see too many people with shitty form in all the other classes, and a lot of instructors are too lazy to correct them.) All I got to see was the warm up, which was pretty standard stretching and cardio/bodyweight excercise, followed by breakfall practice on the regular mats. Then he went over some basic hip throws and leg reaps with the class, 4 in total. Not bad for the first class. Overall, I think this was the highest quality class I've visited and I would take it if not for my academic obligations. Damn school. A for effort, A for effectivness of teaching.

Bando Kickboxing: First of all, let me say I went into this class with a preconcieved notion that I would be getting headbutted and roughed up by some dirty fighters. Adding to this was the fact that it is taught in a ballet room, on wood floors, and you are advised to wear shoes. So far, unconventional, but not bullshido. This class is taught by a man named Doug Finlayson, whom I can find nothing about on Google, who is a chubby, nerdy looking guy with the typical martial arts shirt on, it actually had some funny looking **** on there, fire and ice ninjas or something hilarious like that. Most of the class was him talking about how these techniques are so dangerous that you don't actually make contact in class... right. Also, he went on and on about each movement as if it needed an essay worth of explanation. I thought it was pretty obvious that a kick is supposed to do damage to the opponent, though maybe the way he was demonstrating could throw you off. It sure didn't look all that damaging/hard/fast. Also, they use weapons, but I didn't see that part of the class as it comes later on in the semester. Overall, the class was ok for basic techniques, but a lot of bullshido was involved. Blocking kicks with the foot and shin were heavily emphasized, but a lot of times people almost (or did) got kicked in the balls, even though it was at half speed at best. Also, there were some funny looking stance switching that I thought could have been incorporated more effectively into a punch/kick drill so that the stance switching could be somewhat useful/difficult. I was greatly dissapointed by the overally pussiness of this class. D for effort, F for effectivness.

Now for the fun one...

Lotus Self Defense : I knew this was going to be good when the instructor, Dr. Micheal Weeks (a rather large bellied gentleman), handed me a syllabus when he saw I was new. He just seemed too eager, and his class showed why (there were 5 people there, obviously none of them trained at all, and 2 were absent). The first thing on it is how it was developed in 1972 by Arjarn (teacher) Precha Mahachanavong in Ubon, Thailand. Apparently it combines elements of Aikido, Muay Thai Kick-Boxing, Kenpo Karate, and Judo. And I quote "The idea is to borrow effective material from each style, and use what works. The result is a unique martial arts style, empowering practicioners to defend themselves if attacked regardless of the situation" Ok, so it's a little over the top, but it sounds like a good philosophy to start with. However, this philosophy seems to have been discarded entirely and replaced with "Lets do the most "Deadly" techniques possible with bad form, slow, air-punching and eye gouging." Yes, I said eye gouging. Crotch punching was featured as well. I laughed at a few points throughout the class, but I managed to hold most of it in. Basically, the class was 50% warmups, 25% kata (5 step katas that only include 2 strikes, 2 blocks, and a flashy spin at the end for no obvious reason) and 25% "Self Defense Techniques". The strikes were all straight out of TKD/Hapkido (at least what I was taught). No hip movement, chambering of the opposite hand, backhands, ridgehands, etc... The kicks were TKD style too, but he only taught the hook kick, crescent kick, and spinning snap kick. So we've determined he likes spinning. A lot. Most of the stuff he taught involved spinning. Then the eye gouges, or "tiger two fingered strike"... right. Also, the kneel and punch in the cock was demonstrated. Lots of bullshido here, and the big issue for me was that he didn't even teach ANYTHING worthwhile from TMA. No side kicks, roundhouses, or effective punching was stressed. Not worth the time or the money. Overall, F for effort, F- for effectiveness.

Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way an authority and these are just my personal opinions from reading about, studying, and practicing martial arts (wrestling, tkd (non trad), hapkido, and limited bjj/muythai.) I'm a noob in most of those except wrestling, but I like to think I have a good head on me. Anyway, I'll be going to a few other classes when I can get it in, I still have to see the Jap. Ju-jitsu, Moving Meditation Tai-Chi, and Fu Hok self defense classes. They have judo for kids too, taught by the same instructor as the normal class, Brian Hoe. And this is just because I like it: :beatdead: