MythBusters "Ninja Special" Coming Soon

Discussion in 'Ninjutsu' started by Dale Seago, Jan 31, 2007.

  1. Dale Seago

    Dale Seago Matthew 7:6

    The Discovery Channel TV show "MythBusters" (http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/about/about.html) is doing an entire episode on fact vs. fiction about "the Ninja", and they got in touch with me for information. I shot three segments with them last Friday; was able to set them straight on a lot of things, though I don't know how much will get used that wasn't actually in the filmed segments. (They're also doing a lot of other stuff regarding "ninja gadgetry" that I'm not involved with.)

    Probably the most dramatic is going to be where they explore the myth (?) that shuko hand claws can stop a sword cut. None of my folks were available at the time they wanted to shoot it (10 AM), but fortunately judan Joel Elliott from the Sacramento dojo came out to help. It really wouldn't have been the same without him, as I needed someone who really knew his way around a sword to show the realism of it. And fortunately I was able to first explain on-camera the tactics that allow you to do something like this. They were surprised to find that we were going to be actually moving around, jockeying for position, etc.

    Insurers insisted we use a mogito -- steel blade but not sharpened, which could still be really nasty if it hits you. They also wanted me to wear a helmet, but I declined and signed a release for that.

    Then we just did it. Cold, no rehearsal with each other beforehand; and Joel was giving me such a good "real fight" feeling that it didn't even occur to me to just stop the sword -- I kept flowing and did the sort of thing I would have had it been a real situation and "killed" him. We did about 20 takes of that, all with the same result, as they wanted to get it from different angles.

    Then they said they wanted to have one of their crew try to get me with the sword. Much to my surprise it turned out to be Kari Byron. Again, we did it cold (but from a stationary start, and I didn't "kill" her), though I did first show her how to "get the distance" by placing the sword on my head in the "finished" position and then taking a step back. We did about ten or 12 takes on that one, and what she lacked in form and technique she made up for in sincerity as she tried to split my skull.

    In the afternoon we filmed some other stuff, starting with Adam & Jamie coming in and observing a class in session for a while, then asking me some questions, and finally Adam wanting to try some stuff out. I invited him to play with the Kukishin kata we were working on, but he said he'd rather just attack me and try to kick my @$$ (his own words) and see what happened. The results were predictable.

    I should have the air date in about a week; right now it looks like sometime in April. I'll keep you posted.
     

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  2. Bahng Uh Ki

    Bahng Uh Ki Valued Member

    Sounds wonderful! Keep us posted and reminded! I've had some great discussions about things Mythbusters do, and think they have proved or not. Look forward to it. I'm going to have to put a sticky on my monitor about the times and dates of the show so I'll not miss it. I should be in the habit of watching it anyway.

    Got any photos of the "Adam @$$" kicking for posting? :D Sounds so funny! Maybe we should keep our eyes on the "funny pictures" thread?
     
  3. bcullen

    bcullen They are all perfect.

    I love that show. Congratulations! Sounds like a great episode.
     
  4. acrux

    acrux vi et animo

    Dale Seago

    You got to work with that babe, you lucky, lucky, lucky bugger

    I'm extremely jealous, is she really a cute in person as on TV.
     
  5. Dale Seago

    Dale Seago Matthew 7:6

    No, actually she's not.

    We were unanimous in our agreement that Kari is a lot hotter in person than she is on-screen.
     

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  6. Dale Seago

    Dale Seago Matthew 7:6

    Alas, no.

    BTW, his ukemi is actually very good -- I could feel it the instant I first touched him.

    I'm thinking they may not use the first couple of things he tried with me, as all that seems to be happening is that he's just falling down on the floor for no apparent reason. As he got up the second time he said, "That felt really weird!"
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2007
  7. Keikai

    Keikai Banned Banned

    Was the wife on holiday ??? :eek: :D
     
  8. Dale Seago

    Dale Seago Matthew 7:6

    Well, it was the day before her divorcin' o' me **** was final, so. . .

    But alas, Kari is a total vegetarian, it could nivver work wi' a mon wha likes scrambled eggs wi' haggis (and hot sauce!) for brekkers.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2007
  9. 2E0WHN

    2E0WHN Valued Member

    Damn Mr. Seago. Going to have to get paying to the satellite channels to watch it. :D
     
  10. g-bells

    g-bells Don't look up!

    i'm not into ninja but the show and how you've explained it, and how you explain your art, sounds very interesting and keep us upto date with the air date
    ps you were lucky to work with her :D
     
  11. Keikai

    Keikai Banned Banned

    ahh that would do it for me as well however good looking they were!!

    mind you my wife doesnt touch meat, she doesnt know where the kitchen is!! :eek: :D

    Look forward to the program Dale, although in the uk you have to guess when its on.
     
  12. fire&steel

    fire&steel Valued Member

    No Washing That Gi :)

    Your not allowed to wash that GI Dale :) ! MB did a story that I suggested on their web site a few years ago.
     
  13. Cuchulain

    Cuchulain Valued Member

    Well, I think that's seriously cool. Well done Dale. I've no doubt that you have done the Bujinkan proud.

    (And Kari is very hot. And vegetarian too - which makes her even hotter if, like me, you're also a non-haggis eating vegetarian :) .)
     
  14. borg434

    borg434 Valued Member

    Just to re-iterate the most important point

    She is a legend around our part of the world, if only i had started training.....well before I was born maybe I could have beaten you to it.

    And once again

    :love: :love: :love:

    Ne ideas when it will air in the UK?
     
  15. Koyoku

    Koyoku I enjoy pudding!

    She is so hot! :love:

    Man you are a lucky son of a gun...

    I can't help thinking there is something very Freudian going on with the props in the pics...:)
     
  16. succubus

    succubus so hot right now

    wicked cool! i'm jealous. :D

    will definitely look out for the episode.
     
  17. adouglasmhor

    adouglasmhor Not an Objectivist

    You can get vegitarian haggis (MacSweens have been making theirs for more than 10 years), Wild haggis populations have fallen drasticaly due to global warming and loss of habitat and eating the vegitarian substitute is seen as a patriotic gesture by many Scots.
     
  18. Lord Spooky

    Lord Spooky Banned Banned

    Do you feel there is the possibility of the Haggis becoming a protected species?

    :eek:
     
  19. Cuchulain

    Cuchulain Valued Member

    Really? The wild haggis must be suffering from the same population problems as the less well known Pocari of Northern Honshu in Japan. I once had to explain to some visitors to Japan that the popular softdrink Pocari Sweat was actually illegal in most other countries, due to the cruel and unusual way in which the sweat of these small hairless rodents was collected. Yes, it was a little known fact that large numbers of pocari were hung upside down over smoldering fires in thatched smoke houses and then poked with a stick every few minutes to ensure a steady stream of slightly cloudy rodent sweat. They didn't seem to find it quite so tasty after that.

    (Seriously, that really happened. I could barely hold it together as we walked off leaving this group of sweaty buyu looking disgustedly at the bottles in their hands.)
     
  20. adouglasmhor

    adouglasmhor Not an Objectivist

    It is already likely that some estates will become reserves, but as always poaching is a problem in areas close to population centres.
     

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