Morra: John Will Seminar and his thoughts...

Discussion in 'Brazilian Jiu Jitsu' started by Hissatsu, Jul 4, 2009.

  1. Hissatsu

    Hissatsu End of the Road: Moved On

    Hi All:

    Today I had the pleasure of training with John Will at the Huntington Beach Krav Maga studio (run by Beau Durocher).

    The seminar was from 6pm to 9pm - I arrived around 5:40 for registration. John hadn't arrived yet, I introduced myself to Beau as Daniel (the guy who had emailed them last week about the seminar). I had emailed John last week about the seminar in Long Beach - and John had put me in touch with Beau for the details directly.

    While I was signing the waiver - I mentioned to Beau that in addition to looking forward to training with John - I was also there to track down the truth about something that was said about John on the internet. He asked me what was said - so I told him about Morra's statement - he laughed and said "wouldn't happen." He added, "not that John couldn't do it, but he wouldn't need to do that...".

    The seminar started a couple mins late (John had flown over from Australia earlier - and had spent 3 hours at Universal Studios with his family and was running just a couple mins late) - and he explained his teaching style. He will explain everything at least 3 times (general description of how it works, then how one side of the partner drills worked - then the other side). He also said specifically that if you didn't understand something to please stop him and ask a question. He gave a quick example: If I say something like "underhook" because I assume everyone knows what that is - and you don't - please stop me so I can explain it properly.

    I am not going to go through the next three hours - but let me just say John is an amazing instructor who teaches things simply in a way that encourages students to take ownership of their training. He is a very good coach - and explained some things for the instructors in the group that were well worth the seminar cost alone (and had nothing to do with how to move into clinch / take-down). I will echo Dao's comments and say if anyone has a chance to train with John - to please take the opportunity.

    When the seminar was over - I waited for most of the people to wander out after buying his books. Then I approached him and asked him directly about comments made by Morra. I had copied both of Morra's statements down (spelling errors intact) - the original statement and the "revision". I gave him a copy of it so he could look it over directly (he read through Morra's original and Morra's revised version).

    He said directly that it never happened (that is the PG version of his words). He said specifically that he never aggressively put people down. More over - he said that people came to his seminars to learn - not to fight him. He also said (as I noted earlier) that he *encourages* questions from everyone (again, congruent with my limited experience with him).

    Even more interesting was he mentioned that during BJJ seminars he may roll with everyone (which, according to Morra's revised version - is exactly the opposite of his "expert" said).

    Anyway - I knew mid last week that there was a good chance I would have the opportunity to train with John Will - which is why I encouraged Morra settle on a specific version of his "story".

    This will be cross posted to the BJJ sub-forum as well - and I am emailing a version to John directly (I asked him beforehand if it was ok to post this on his behalf).

    Anyway - thought everyone out here should know.

    Take care - train safe.

    -Daniel

    PS. Morra - ball's in your court.
    [​IMG]
     
  2. CKava

    CKava Just one more thing... Supporter

    Wowzers...
     
  3. Spinmaster

    Spinmaster Valued Member

    Would it be out of line for me to ask which of Morra's statements you're referring to? It sounds to me like perhaps the TKD vs. BJJ one? Lately I haven't been following everything on MAP as closely as perhaps I should be! :D
     
  4. bassai

    bassai onwards and upwards ! Moderator Supporter

  5. Hissatsu

    Hissatsu End of the Road: Moved On

    The Original:

    The revision:

    The threads are here:

    BJJ forum thread:

    http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88227

    Ninjutsu Thread (starts on page 5):

    http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88139&page=5

    -Daniel
     
  6. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    I think even men are getting more health conscious these days, so I think it's important to warn you that you seem to have some sort of unsightly growth on your right ear Daniel.

    Mitch:D
     
  7. Hissatsu

    Hissatsu End of the Road: Moved On

    LOL. It's an old habit - I keep my mouthguard over my ear when I am not rolling. :)

    -Daniel
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2009
  8. Van Zandt

    Van Zandt Mr. High Kick

    What's that word I'm looking for? Oh yes, here it is...




    [​IMG]
     
  9. Morra

    Morra Valued Member

    Yeah, looks like the blackbelt who told me about this story was misinformed. Thanks for clarifying it directly - I wouln't have been able to without exposing/ embarassing my source. I don't think he had lied to me, I think maybe someone exagerrated a little to him, then he exagerrated a little to me. Still doesn't change a single thing about the original point I made using the Will example in the ninjutsu forum. I understand the enjoyment some of you are taking in this, just be careful of appearing petty / or obsessive internet sociopaths.
     
  10. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    This is not a terribly glib way of refraining from admitting to or apologizing for the fact that you persisted in arguing non-truthful statements. More to the point, you argued them in such a way that they were offensive or damaging to the party in question. Due to that fact, I really question YOUR motives in perpetuating claims against other practitioners or instructors (especially those on the seminar circuit). In all honesty, I think that your are making a classic "straw man" argument by labeling those who are jubilant at the fact that your false statement has been proven thus, are petty or obsessive internet psychopaths is even more telling of your position.

    I would not be surprised if you were on here slandering other practitioners and instructors to further whatever your motive is. However, now your credibility is shot to hell, and no one will take anything you say on this site seriously.
     
  11. Terrior

    Terrior Valued Member

    Thanks for your words of wisdom. :rolleyes:
    I believe it was your know it all attitude that got you into trouble in the first place so now you are trying to tell everyone how it is again are you? How about you face the possibility its the way you come across that causes the problems. To me it comes across that you are putting all the blame on your source to get some credibility back but really we will never know who the exaggerator was, it could still very well have been you.

    Either way it doesn't really matter who exaggerated the fact still remains your conduct has, as Yohan nicely put, shot your credibility to hell.

    I think its petty that you did not make an apology actually. IMO its the first thing you should have done when you found out the things you publicly put on the internet were inaccurate.
     
  12. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    QFT
     
  13. Nutjob

    Nutjob Jimmy Tarbuck

    No, you were misinformed, i bet you dont even have a friend, as i said in the othr thread i wouldnt get into a ****ing contest with Dan, after all the jibes and nasty ninja comments you came out with you cant even offer an apology.

    Why? he made you look a tool, or is he really real?

    Why? what ya going to do? line us all up and roll with every one of us?
     
  14. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Man... someone got the best flame roasting by the facts that we've seen in quite a while here at MAP! OUCH!!!!
     
  15. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    Damn those sneaky ninjas :vanish: and their undercover quest for the truth! :evil: :ninja1: :happy:
     
  16. Morra

    Morra Valued Member

    I have to agree. I got caught with my pants down blabbering about something I thought I knew about, but I was sadly mistaken! I play very rough in the ninjutsu forum, so I have no problem with this flame/ ass whupin'. Ninjas whined and complained about my cavalier and blunt comments, but no one really just dug in and said, OK, I am going after this SOB, until Dan took one little erroneous example I gave, and snow-balled it like this. A nice internet flame job backed up with facts and on-the-ground research. Impressive!

    In my defense, an internet post on a forum is not a university thesis. Also, I never lied, I thought the story was accurate. It's hard to appologize for being loose with research when people are slandering you, but I am sorry for spreading something about which I had no first-hand knowledge. If you did know the source of this story, you might be a bit more sympathetic as to why I believed it. I'm screwed though, and can't give his name. I'll eat that.

    The story on the internet, I still maintain, isn't the real issue. It was to attack me, twist me, flame me - and it's obvious that I indeed got got!

    Just remember: payback's a bitch... :evil:
     
  17. Nutjob

    Nutjob Jimmy Tarbuck

    It was the way you talked to Dan that requires an apology.
     
  18. Hissatsu

    Hissatsu End of the Road: Moved On

    Nah - Morra just needs to apologize to Mr. Will. My reputation wasn't being tarnished by the statements made.

    On that note - can a Mod please link the original post in this thread on Morra's other statements (so anyone doing research can find the truth easily).

    -Daniel
     
  19. Morra

    Morra Valued Member

    I don't see my statements as tarnishing John Will's reputation. Have you read any of his Rogue Black Belt books? In them, he discusses how he went through a neighborhood with his mates, and beat the crap out of random skin heads they encountered, and how he beat the crap out of a kung fu master in the guy's own school, and on the way out, smashed this huge candle in the doorway for good measure. What I mistakenly thought he did in seminars didn't seem that out of character from what I had read! (And I did appologize to Mr. Will for spreading a story I thought was true that wasn't, and having him waste his time answering questions about it).

    Anyway, I think what I said would deserve this attention if I made a whole thread dedicated to John Will seminars, and claimed he beat everyone before the seminar. Instead, if anyone even remembers, this started in the ninjutsu forum.

    They were claiming that you can't judge rank from ability. I had just heard this John Will story, thought it was true, and used it as an example to say, "No, ability can be measured and match rank. There's this guy called John Will who... etc., etc.".

    This whole thing is a good flame, but no one was saved from the "lies" of Morra. Anyone who believes a martial arts story, let alone on the internet, deserves to be fooled. I was because of the source, and have learned to be a bit more skeptical, even if the source is 100% legit.

    So, Dan, now that you've taken us all on this long crusade for the truth, and after rollilng with Mr. Will, would you agree that rank (he's a black belt) matches ability? Don't you think if he wanted to, he could submit an entire class of BJK students? And can you explain why so often the ability of people in the BJK often falls so short of their black belt, especially when compared to similiar level black belts/ ranks in grappling arts?

    Or is there some other factoid you'd rather investigate? Maybe start with the linneage of ninjutsu... that's all documented and 100% factual, but you never know... might have some BS in there too...
     
  20. Spinmaster

    Spinmaster Valued Member

    Dude... that is just... I'm at a loss for words. :rolleyes:
    True, you can't believe a lot of what is out there on the net, but to look at it according your statement above, is just crazy.
    Shouldn't one be able to believe "stories" told by one's teacher, for instance? Why does one "deserve to be fooled"? Why "martial arts stories" moreso than other subjects?
     

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