EFO

10 replies

• Bryan Zarnett · 12/18/2013, 7:42:38 PM

  This video and the one of the Kiai master always amazes me. Part of me wonders (hopes) that everyone in it realizes its fake and its all a big joke. Yet, that is not the case. I find it amazing how the student and the teachers fall into the game with 100% belief. I wish I could watch a class and see how they get people into that mindset.
  
  The fact that it doesn't work is not as important to me as how they get people to believe it works; including the instructors own mental perception of his skills and capabilities. That is wonderful (in a bizarre manner).
  
  It's always this balance of being pragmatic in what we do. Understanding if its useful, un-useful, or useless in a functional manner. I guess that means we have to be clear on our definition of functional. Hobby functional and street or professional functional are different.

• Skip Hancock · 12/19/2013, 4:31:35 PM

  I once was invited to an Aikido seminar. I took 2 students with me and we dressed in sweat pants. The teacher was a high ranking Japanese master - a guest teacher. We all lined up and knelt down waiting for the teacher.

  When he came out everyone bowed and then he gave a grunt and one senior Brown Belt bowed again and kept  his nose touching the ground. When the teacher grunted again, the Brown Belt scurried across the floor about 20+ feet, all the while keeping his nose touching the ground. The teacher had him stand up and then threw him.

  The Brown Belt then knelt down again, bowed, and with his nose touching the ground shuffled all the way back to the line.  WOW!

  I looked at my 2 students and we stood up to leave. Then the person who had invited us, asked why we were leaving. I said, "If you can get an American to do what that Brown Belt just did, then you can teach them anything you want and they will swallow it.

  And we left.

• Skip Hancock · 12/19/2013, 4:35:40 PM

  So, it is about Form to Function in this EFO. We need to know what the functions are of the instructor and students. They are alien to us, because they are not practical. That is practical has to match realistic. It is not realistic for Self-Defense, so therefore it is useless for Self-Defense.

  The part that is wrong with the presentation is that it is being presented as a Self-Defense system. They are wearing Martial Arts uniforms and Black Belts etc..

• Bryan Zarnett · 12/19/2013, 5:24:36 PM

  Saying its a cult is perhaps the most accurate system. Like a cult we have a figure head and a belief system that people follow blindly. Do they want to believe in this magically power so blindly that they forget all else?
  
  Years ago...whose kidding...decades ago...I went to a seminar just outside Toronto on pressure points. The guy giving the seminar was very famous (won't name drop). I lined up for my time at the pressure point knockout and crack. Wow, he hit my jaw hard. I assume he was trying to hit my Trigeminal or Vagus nerve. He said it doesn't work on everyone, looked at me disgruntled and I walked away with a sore jaw.
  
  People still flock to the fellow and practice it intensely. I agree, hitting nerves can cause flash knockouts and severe pain. I guess in any circumstance, we need to be careful that we are creating a positive belief system that is practical and not just one that controls people through their own wishes.
  
  I wish more people would enjoy positive and practical belief systems over delusional ones.

• Skip Hancock · 12/19/2013, 9:38:19 PM

  Bryan,

  As I wrote in Mastering Kenpo,,  If we do nothing else as this generation of Martial Artists than to define what is useless, expose it and dispel it.

• Frank Pollara · 12/20/2013, 1:52:03 AM

  Since starting our school some 26 years ago I have repeatedly had students come to us and give up their free will. They want the mysticism and they want to believe that our knowledge is more than study and hard work. It is actually difficult to have them move you off of the pedestal and to get them to think for them selves. Some look for someone to give control to.

• Skip Hancock · 12/20/2013, 3:32:10 AM

  Frank,

  Excellent insight. It takes a Teacher to turn this Attitude of the student around.

  We must always be on guard for this. Guard against our own Egos that might want to take

  advantage of such a student.

• Ron Cowan · 12/20/2013, 4:26:07 PM

  Like Skip, I to would like to see a beginning lesson to see how people are convinced of this. There has to be a point in the students training where the student questions this, especially with all that is out there on the internet. What are the students told for practicing on individuals who are not a part of there school or group? When attempting this type of self defense in a practice with a non believer will only build a contempt in the student toward EFO. I would like to see there structure for their lesson plans as well.

• Ron Cowan · 12/20/2013, 5:59:45 PM

  As another point: How would this power of Chi work against a projectile? Rock, stick, arrow, spear, bullet, etc... Would this master be willing to prove his point then? I watched the continuing video on his website (I am assuming the next day) in which he claims he started training in EFO 1 and half years ago. WHAT? And he is a master?

• Bryan Zarnett · 12/21/2013, 8:24:39 PM

  During the boxer rebellion in China, many Chinese Martial Artists believed that their Kung Gu could stop bullets. It didn't work. Ironically, they still believed it would work.

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