Anyone ever notice that the longer ago and less verifiable a martial arts story is, the more unbelievable and incredible it sounds? why is that?

Is that Human nature? or is it a MA thing?

One of my early translations of a Dim Mak book (circa 1950's) told of the development of Dim Mak that included a doctor's name who was supposed to have done a procedure where he swapped the hearts of two men who were both ill and made them well. As this supposedly occurred during the reign of the "Yellow Emperor", it's a bit suspect...

That kinda what you meant, Ed???

Hello Wristtwister:

Nice!!!!

If you or I were not THERE at the time, the story(ies) might get twisted, enlarged, increased!

Different life experiences will provide different answers to the proverbial elephant, depending upon where one saw it from

It is my opinion, I'm sticking to it....
Jeff

Nah, it's definitlely human nature. Who remembers hearing their dad talk about walking to school uphill both ways in 10 feet of snow with no coat, attacked by dogs and wolves, etc.

Version A;

I went to the bar, got drunk, and hit the waiter. Then the bouncers threw me out. I threw up and fell asleep on the bench outside the bar.

Version B;
I accompanied some friends to the bar, when suddenly, the waiter assaulted one of my friends because he refused to give tips, and as the punch came, I parried it away from my friend's face into the concrete wall, and roundhouse kicked him in the face sending him flying through a window. Then some more waiters came, and I proceeded to judo-toss one over the bar, smash one's face into the wall, groin kick one and smash a chair over his head, and break the finger and wrists of the last one with a aikido wristlock. I then left a big cheque with my signed name and told the bartender to decide how much he wanted to be paid.

I wonder which one people would like to spend 5 minutes of their lives listening to.

-Taison out

It transcends all boundries.

Know what the difference is between a fairy tale and sea story?

A fairy tale starts "Once upon a time..."
A sea story starts "Gather 'round boy's, This ain't no sH*T..."

It's always been said that you can tell when a diver is lieing. How? His lips are moving

The martial arts corolloray of that is suredly "How do you know when a soke/Great Grand Master is lieing??

Page

Ed,
Honest to God, I went to a seminar one time where the "Sensei" showed up wearing a gold-lemay gi, wearing a gold belt. He wanted to fight with me because I kept laughing at him... true story.

"The master" may have been a shodan once, but I doubt it... his seminar was more basic than most of the classes I've attended.

Wristtwister,

Have you ever been to a seminar where you didn't have to guess who the sensei was? Like he looks perfectly normal but you can almost sense an aura around him, or some type of intense focus in his eyes.

Only experienced that once, Tom Sotis of AMOK! came to Thailand to hold a seminar in Bangkok Fight Club when it was located on 31st floor in the old locale. That man, you could almost sense something about him. Like a deterrence.

I didn't partake in the seminar, it was my cousin but I asked my cousin who that person was and he said it was the founder 'dude'.

WT, since your experience is far longer to me, can you share some stories of 'normal' looking senseis that you've met but showed something amazing?

-Taison out

Taison,
Shogo Kuniba comes to mind as one of those "normal looking guys" who simply had an aura about him. Kuniba Sensei was slim, moved very smoothly, and always smiling, and when training with him, he always looked like what he was doing was completely effortless.

He was such a nice guy to be around, but had some of the deadliest skills I've seen. He was a "regular" at one of our organizations' summer camp, and while you might not recognize him in street clothes, it didn't take long to see the special qualities he had, both in the dojo and outside.

He was a really cool dude, and I learned a lot in a short time from him... which is also the mark of a good teacher.