Arrogance I think is kind of like an inbread disease in martial arts in general. It's easy for anybody to lose sight of how badly they are treating people and it seems to be more prevolent in higher grades who suffer this unfortunate condition. And for some people as soon as they hit black belt, the arrogance just takes over completley. I think arrogance is the ugley part in us all we have to be careful about. Another name for it might be ego.
To look at things a slightly different way... I think, in his prime, Segal was one hell of a martial artist. Watching the archive video of him (as well as his early films) I really think he had the eye. You could see him projecting his intent through the throw and that, at least in my opinion, he had earned his rank in the school of hard knocks. As the same time, I don't think that in any way takes away from the fact that he is by all accounts an arrogant person. I see no dichotamy between the two. People have their good sides and their bad sides. I don't think we should shy away from acknowledging either. - Matt
I totaly agree Matt. the only way to improve on your imperfections is to achknowledge they exist in the first place. Segals early movies did have their moments. But that's all they were. A fleeting glimps of what could have been. A wasted opertunity and wasted talent if he really was or is worth the credit some people here have given him. To this day I would say Nico was the best movie he made. I know it goes by another name in America but I can't remeber it.
"Above the Law." Yes, I too think it's his best movie. It's also his first movie. According to several interviews I've read, Seagal was running a dojo near Hollywood. One of his students was a high-level movie executive. Student thought Seagal had the stage presence and the physical moves to do an action movie, so he got him a interview/demo. Seagal threw all his uke's such that they landed squarely in front of the big-big movie executive, the one man with the power to get him a movie contract. Demo was good, "Above the Law" was made, it was hugely profitable, and so was born his movie career.
