Uechi-Ryu.com

Closed off the last topic due to length. Thought we might continue with what might become a fairly heated discussion, involving Dr. "X", "J.D" and "the editor"!

The editor appears to be the most rational of the trio. . . probably uses the services of an acupuncturist, chiropractor and faith healer. . . and J.D. the most conservative.

Perhaps Dr. Paul or Dr. Bill can help us try to understand the multiple personalities of our esteemed colleague from California.

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GEM

Bill-san...know exactly the comedian of whom (who?) you speak...was privy to his show this summer at Dave Hunt's Atlantic Karate Camp (which, by the way, was excellent!!!). Jackie had the audience members screaming with laughter - I actually cried a few times. More than a few of my friends actually thought his little wooden pal was real. Jackie is very talented. I believe he might have even done some of the same routine (unfortunately, Sensei Maloney was not present, however, Clarence Wilder was - and a very good sport I might add!!!!) I have heard a great deal about Sensei Maloney's pressure point seminars (healing touch? - that's good!!)and have not had the opportunity to experience one... yet.

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The three personalities of J.D.-san. It is so hard to pick a favorite. They each cater to a different sense of humor. But if you had a gun to my head...I would have to say the editor. But he wouldn't be nearly as entertaining if he didn't have J.D. to play off of. I'm not sure though, which one is the pervert...Dr. X or J.D.?

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Shelly

Or Shelly...

how about this...he embodies the three conflicts of mind body and spirit... Mind (I would saw dirty :-) !!), body (obviously not in touch with...) and spirit (a great sense of humour that keeps us all going!!!) I think too the ed. comments are the best I have seen...

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Ding, Ding, Ding, I thank we have a winner!
Excellent Mary. I believe you have debunked the mystery known only as Dr. X.

Sorry about the knee, hope it is feeling better.

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Shelly

Bob Hope used to poke fun at his humor by explaining it. The idea was that if you have to explain the humor (because the audience didn't laugh at a joke), the joke is dead. Kaput. But somehow he made this self-depricating exercise funny. Humor laughing at itself.

This literary device is very obvious to me. I'm jealous I didn't think of it first. Copying his style would be insincere.

Humor is quite an effective weapon. I used to give incredibly long written tests to the UVa Uechi students. I made them so nobody could get a perfect score. I maintained that record through several thousand students. Then I moved to Richmond and Rich got the first 100% score. Anyhow...through the ridiculousless of the test, I would have one really, really absurd question. It would be something like "What distracts you most during sanchin?" or "What do you want for Christmas?" Extra points were given for entertaining answers. Yes, humor is an effective weapon.

More than one skinny kid saved his rear growing up in a tough neighborhood by being incredibly funny. Make Bruno laugh and he won't steal your lunch money.

An excellent example of this "technique" was displayed at a camp a few years back. As I recall, sensei Malone was teaching one of his "healing touch" seminars ;-) This one skinny black kid from Canada turned out to be one of the "squealers" in the crowd - he grimaced and made noises when you hit his pressure points. Sensei Malone loves to demonstrate his technique with someone who is dramatic like this. Later on that night, this gentleman - who was a professional comedian - gave a show. Sensei Malone was there in the front row, along with his beautiful wife. So were many of his buddies. He did a ventriloquism routine with a black dummy. Let's just say that this wooden dummy said things that this fellow never ever could have said and gotten out of the room alive. And everybody laughed - including sensei Malone.

Other examples of this type of device include "Mr. Hat" in Southpark, or "the evil twin" when describing one's behavior.

I will not torture prima facie humor. I'm no Bob Hope.

- Bill

P.S. On the other hand, I can't vouch for their sanity.

Mary I can give you a bit of advice if you should have opportunity to attend a "Maloney pressure point class". I am one of the supposedly 4% that Jimmy says does not have these pressure points. He tried over and over to find them on me and nearly killed me!!! Then in our next class here in Falmouth Art Rabesa tried to find them too!! So the advice is,,squeal, hollar, cry, any drastic reaction, DO NOT ignore or you may die. Van Canna also "Looked" for them on me. I can still say, either I dont have them or dont react to them, whatever,, next time I will gladly fall to the floor in pain, and LIVE.
Bill

Bill...you are telling me you are an academy award winner? I understand I would do the same thing...survival of the smartest. Some of my pressure point areas are rather deep and I have had several people "dig" their fingers deep into the neck region just to try and find them. OOWWW!!!! By the way, I made a mistake further up the thread. It was "Mike" not Jackie who made us all laugh so hard!!!

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Now you say something...I was stupid enough during class when sensei asked, "Feel that?"...I said, "No"...to only realize a few seconds later my fatal error in judgement. I have also learned not to volunteer to be the uke when he wants to demonstrate something without FIRST asking what he's going to do. You know someone should write a book with all these little hints in them...I know I'd buy it.

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Shelly

True, but Shelly think of it this way...you know what the technique feels like so you are a step ahead of everyone else. Also, you get a sense of how it came at you (again you are ahead of the game, no?) Read an interesting quote this weekend:

Tell me and I will be informed
Show me and I will visualize
Involve me and I will understand

Sometimes I find that I only fully understand when I am on the receiving end of a technique and then I can grasp (yes, painfully) how it is supposed to feel. That understanding helps me to see the dynamic of the technique and how it should be delivered.


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I do believe there is a lesson here for martial arts instructors. Sorry, I don't have the reference right here in front of me. But Bruce Miller - a healthcare practitioner himself - makes a very good point about applying "pressure point" techniques in the dojo, or on the street for that matter. Pressure points that work via pain will not work on everyone. But just because a "nonresponder" is not responding (in the short run) does not mean that there is no damage being done (in the long run).

So if at first you don't succeed in your dojo demonstration, do not keep beating on the poor student. Find another willing squealer.

And just because you are doing lots of damage to your opponent in the street (in the long run) does not mean (s)he is going to stop trying to kill you (in the short run). That's why they invented the 45 after the Spanish American War.

- Bill G.