Fang Shen Do

[n00b]

Askari: This is the first I've heard of the Silat bit (also found a post by Cdnronin on it on the web), I'd LOVE to hear more about that I you know anything.

[n00b]

The thread in question is here , nothing offered by way of proof (although that would be hard, I guess), but at least that's where the thread in question is. Did that guy ever come back and maintain or change his story?

[Simon McNeil]

Strangefellow:

$10000! For four years!

I did some quick calculations and I paid $3600 for four years at NBDMA and leaving certainly didn't make me persona non-grata. Master Chau even helped me plan my trip under the condition that I make it to Hong Kong (his home town) at least once before I come back to Canada.

His father was from Heilongjiang (the style we trained in there was named for the province) and I am going to contact him before I make a trip to Harbin to see if I can visit his father's hometown too.

Anyways sidebar...

I can understand why you have some grave concerns about this franchise. One of the most important (and forgotten) traditions of TCMA was evolution. Prior to the end of the 1970s China was a very dangerous place. These days this is not the case, it's about as safe as a country can be, but back then whew! :violent5: :qright1: :jihad1: :violent1: :5eek:

Go back to the late qing and people who depended on their fighting skills to survive rebellions, uprisings, invaders, bandits and warlords needed martial arts that actually worked. So for a Gong Fu school to claim combat efficacy while distaining contact with other arts either through the aquisition of techniques or through competition in tournaments is rather distressing and distressingly common.

I'll admit that I am a bit of a sinophile... hell! I live in China! My first martial art was not Gong Fu but Gong Fu has been the only martial art to capture my passion. The fact that the kenpo school I started martial arts in was a total McDojo (even down to the "use an X-Block to deflect a baseball bat" cliche) didn't help maters any but Gong Fu connected with me in a way that allowed me to approach my training rigorously. It's sad to see it in the sorry state it is in today. Stuff like this certainly does not help.

Peace man! :cya:

[Askari]

Hi nOOb,

I have heard the Silat story around the Canadian MA scene for years. It seems to have been one of those common knowledge things, unfortunately without a lot of proof. I dont know anyone that kept newspaper clippings from that period.

I guess we could contact the De Thouars group for details.

I found one reference in google groups to the Silat controversy.

Wonder what the FSD instructors that have come here have to add on that subject?

[PeterPantsless]

nOOb. Are you going to be alright, or do you think you will be kicked out of the club, for posting here?

[n00b]

Peter: Well, the way I look at it, I find out something important either way, right? But I also hadn't planned to really discuss it with FSD, as it's my personal business and not really something they have a say in. I'm just going to play it by ear.

I know I won't give up my grappling, as it's the most fun I have all week, however, it DOES prevent me from attending FSD as often as I used to, but I'm also no longer a teenager, I have other priorities as well, and life tends to intervene unless you become an instructor and buy a franchise so it's your job.

[PeterPantsless]

Good attitude, n00b. Good luck with the grappling.

[n00b]

Luck!?!! No luck involved! Just me getting choked out repeatedly until I learn. *grin*

I hope that all this puts a tiny hole in the 'Do Not Question The Master' attitude. It's an insular group from what I've seen, but I think the training isn't bad.

[Cdnronin]

Of course! Why didn't I think of it before? Askari, your post on buying rank has reminded me that anyone can be a Grandmaster - you just have to invent a new style! I'd therefore like to take this opportunity to announce that I've just promoted myself to Grandmaster in my brand new art which I call:

Kowtch Potai Do

It's very different from most martial arts. Our underlying belief is that when the body and mind is in a particular vegetative-type state (induced, say, by consuming a fair amount of beer and chips) and exposed to certain audio/visual stimulus (say, a UFC PPV event), that one can actually absorb the techniques through a sort-of osmosis.

Now, we'll have a belt system, but it'll be different than all others. Instead of colours, we'll simply use sizes. So when you start out you might be a lowly 32" belt, but if you practice every day for hours at a time you may eventually attain an esteemed rank like the coveted 44" belt.

You can become a sifu in my system by buying me nice presents. Surround-sound systems are a good choice, as are big-screen plasma TVs. I'll even take UFC DVD boxed sets if you get enough of them.

Of course, I haven't worked out the fees yet, but I'll probably make it about $6-7 an hour. That'll be a deal, right? Oh, and we don't believe in competitions (well, not participating in them, anyway). It's beneath us.

Who wants to sign up?

:ohyeah:

I'll sign up, but I'll have to start at a more advanced level than a 32" belt, because of my previous"experience in the arts". You will be cross-ranking, won't you?

[Stringfellow]

I'll sign up, but I'll have to start at a more advanced level than a 32" belt, because of my previous"experience in the arts". You will be cross-ranking, won't you?

Of course! There will be a test, mind you. You must attempt to beat me in a match I call "the century club". It involves beer and careful timing. If you can prove your worth, I will award you the belt.

[scott4]

[Simon McNeil]

They are not there.

No pictures in your gallery at all. Try again.

Seriously man my big problem is from what I've heard you pay WAY too much. You can get good martial arts training for less than half the price and from what I've seen the longer you stay in FSD the more it costs you.

The Chinese have an expression I use a lot...

Tai guei le!

[Askari]

Hi Scott,

Its kind of too bad that the other instructors from the Patenaude clan did not post in as forthright a manner as you did.

For example Stephane Patenaude's personal attacks on a former student, that may or may not have been a person posting on these threads. You see when people judge your club and they search it on the internet, what they are going to read are the comments by a member of your Sijo's family as he proves the statements that others have made about your club.

Overall, former students seem to get treated fairly poorly, even current students are reported as facing verbal abuse and threats directly from Jacques Patinaude during his seminars.

As well as S. Patenaude calling out anyone that wanted to come by his club and have a street fight. Last I checked inciting people to come to a fight in this fashion was on the opposite side of the law from where most of us like to opperate.

Overall we do not have a pretty picture of the organization that you are within. Even bad groups have some decent people within them, I guess the mark is what they do when they realize the problem.

Also, no pics in the gallery. Try putting them up as an attachment to your next post, it should work that way, you can attach multiple images.

[Stringfellow]

The gallery's are hosed right now (there's a thread in the support forum on it). You'll need to find one of those free services that will let you post stuff, or perhaps your ISP gives you some space. Unless someone here has a place they could put it.


I agree with Askari - I appreciate you being forthright, and you have my respect for that.

[Jaric]

Okay smartass which club in ottawa charges 1700 a year for fees? Fuck Bob Carvers charges 130 or MT and grappling 6 days a week. I dare you to find me a more expensive school that actually teaches real martial arts.