Brisbane, Australia: Masashi's Bar and Grill MA Club - Issue needs to be addressed!

**Kuma** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 4:06pm

Originally Posted by It is Fake

So, do you teach at both locations or is your homebase Ohio?

Does Kuma take other MAs or is he beholden to you?

Good word useage, and no.

I have formal training under Nicola Bruno in Moo Duk Kwan (under the moniker "American Chung Do Kwan") and Arnis, and participated in Judo, Aikido, and Karate Clubs in college.

I've been out of the picture for several years, and would have appreciated not being dragged into this, but here goes - I have never called myself a "teacher." I have helped to run the Grill, when it was here in Toledo, several years ago. In that capacity, I offered advice on fundamentals and moral support to participants. I considered it then, and still do, to be more of a fight club than a dojo. In all honesty, it was fun. It was educational. Somewhere, things went awry and egos got huge. While I do miss it, I'd probably forget about it completely if I had the time and money to invest in a good local MMA gym. Sadly, the earliest that's ever going to happen is probably next Spring. I'm currenly in the applications process for becoming a corrections officer in the state of Ohio, and my First Aid certification from the Red Cross doesn't run out until 2010. (The CPR cert runs out next April unless I renew by taking the class again.)

I supplied a good deal of the content for the web page in an effort to bring the standards back up to what they once were, and tried to break some bad habits I saw developing, and I even mocked Monk for his weight gain. Sadly, these things are difficult to fix from half a planet away.

My schedule hasn't allowed any serious training for years, but the idea of the Grill keeps me interested in the Martial Arts. I want it fixed, and I for one am particularly grateful that you've all deemed it worthy (if that's the right word...) of a good bashing. These things all needed to be said, and for the most part you're all correct. I've as much as told Monk so on the phone. I truly wish I could offer a prediction on the outcome of the Deadmeat/Monk meeting, but all I can predict for certain is that at least one person will be surprised, and at least one person will be disappointed. I do hope to see video of it, as well.

Whatever the outcome, I hope that Monk improves his methods, completely revamps the way he "sells his product", and drastically alters the content of the web page.

Now if I may be permitted, I'd like to watch Monk sidestep more questions. He was always awful at lateral movement. (Deadmeat, take note.)

**kismasher** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 4:08pm

my prediction:

PAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!1

edit:

How do you feel you progressed as a martial artist, fighter, vampire, etc. during your time training with the Grill?

How about some of the other "students"?

**Kuma** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 4:34pm

Originally Posted by kismasher

my prediction:

PAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!1

edit:

How do you feel you progressed as a martial artist, fighter, vampire, etc. during your time training with the Grill?

How about some of the other "students"?

As a martial artist, it taught me the difference between point fighting and fighting. It taught me that hitting as hard as I'd been taught to never do to an actual person would not actually kill them, nor would them hitting back kill me. It caused me to modify my approach to the martial arts in general, and improved my ground game.

As a fighter, I became more confident and more aware. I got tougher in the Grill than I did at the Dojo, but it was an entirely different group back then. I've seen the vids, I critique the vids. There isn't one student there that even makes me nervous, so I completely understand all of your concerns with the quality of the fights.

As a vampire, I ended up sucking blood off my own lips several times. I don't know if that counts as progress.

As more and more people showed up, some structure had to be introduced just to keep things sane, and it changed from a fight club of like-minded individuals into something like a half-assed class. The little inside jokes became traditions. The fundamentals got lost in the esoteric chi flotsam. It went bad oh so very suddenly and quickly.

As a fight club, it was tits. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. As a dojo, I found it lacking. The participants (I won't presume to call them students, because we never presumed to collect a cent here) who came in early on gained a lot in terms of fundamental combat ability in striking, grappling, blocking, and evasion, and the participants who came in later got some lectures, learned some moves without context, and probably developed enough interest in the arts to think about joining a real dojo (and hopefully enough bruises to know how to pick a good one.)

**MAOakley** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 4:47pm

I gotta say it....WTF????????????????

Sorry to chime in so late, but these students are horrible. I would love to be charged like they do. Seems like the common technique is to duck their head, bend at the waiste and charge blindly into their opponent. One knee and it is all over.

I am sorry, but there is absolutely no legitimacy here. They are not being taught anything worthwhile....nor are they being taught habits that will allow them to not be hurt if they were to ever fight outside of "the grill." These kind of clubs are what spawn the worst of the worst....the cocky, arrogant a**holes that roam the local bars thinking they are unstoppable and press their luck every chances they get until someone hands their a**es back to them.

**MAOakley** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 4:51pm

what's with all these one handed, or strangle you with my fingertip style chokes? Sorry watching more comedic genius.

**djrand** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 5:07pm

Lmao, wonder where he was trained in lightsaber

**Deadmeat** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 5:31pm

Originally Posted by Askari

Is anyone a professional psychologist:

Ironically, I am.

I have no comment on the poetry or photography though.

**BackFistMonkey** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 5:33pm

Originally Posted by Kuma

\

As a fight club, it was tits. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. As a dojo, I found it lacking. The participants (I won't presume to call them students, because we never presumed to collect a cent here) who came in early on gained a lot in terms of fundamental combat ability in striking, grappling, blocking, and evasion, and the participants who came in later got some lectures, learned some moves without context, and probably developed enough interest in the arts to think about joining a real dojo (and hopefully enough bruises to know how to pick a good one.)

**** went bad if it was ever good .

I saw NO technical skill in the vids I watched .

Originally Posted by Deadmeat

Ironically, I am.

I have no comment on the poetry or photography though.

You may have a clue to the sadistic glee I am experiencing then ...

**DAYoung** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 5:43pm

Originally Posted by Deadmeat

Ironically, I am.

I have no comment on the poetry or photography though.

I have a comment on the poetry.

It's not very good.

But it's not the worst I've seen.

Actually, ditto for the photographs.

**BackFistMonkey** · Posted On: 8/15/2007 5:47pm

Originally Posted by BigPopp

Yeah, scyber clotheslining that poor girl was probably the most technical move I saw. The rest is mostly either overcomplicated defenses, flailing ground attacks or strikes so slow I'd be an old man before they got there.

Some stocky longish hair kid with his hands down had a decent lead leg foot sweep too ... but he was so flawed everywhere else , it wasn't worth mentioning . Their was nothing there except fleeting moments of clarity .

It almost looked like a parody .