I just caught a couple videos of this guy on youtube, and at first I was like; oh great another overweight starry eyed youtube gaijin, but then I was all; [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4HRZv5Z3N0"]YouTube- 虎倒æµéª¨æ³•è¡“ (ä¸å‚³) - Koto Ryu Koppojutsu (Chuden)[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXPnz4gm6VA"]YouTube- 虎倒æµéª¨æ³•è¡“ (åˆå‚³) - Koto Ryu Koppojutsu (Shoden)[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STks9s1D0oA"]YouTube- 玉虎æµéª¨æŒ‡è¡“ - Gyokko Ryu Torite Kihon Goho (Part 1)[/ame] I've never seen anyone near his size move so well.
Would be nice to see something that wasn't so "choppy". By that I mean the good old move pause move thing. I know it's probably because he's teaching just saying it would be nice seeing a bit more flow where he doesn't have to worry about students i.e. outside of a teaching scenerio.
I would say Mr. Severe was one of the best heavyweights to ever come through the Bujinkan. He could actually kick someones a#$. More accomplished than most, that goes for big as well as small people in the Bujinkan. Nice Kukishinden in the first three clips. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7_KXybvvys&feature=related"]YouTube- youtube Clip #3 Ralph Severe 1991 Sean Askew[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9NL1Hpy4Kk&feature=related"]YouTube- youtube clip #20 Ralph Severe DMTTOFD Kukishin ryu Bojutsu Urban Combative Training[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lpPlqpAupA&feature=related"]YouTube- youtube clip #135 Ralph Severe DMTTofD 1989[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEKWWhvt5Nc&feature=related"]YouTube- youtube clip #110 Ralph Severe Dallas Ninjutsu Academy part #2 Koto Ryu Koppojutsu Keiko 1991[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6YWa4G-wYQ&feature=related"]YouTube- youtube clip #131 Ralph Severe DMTTofD 1991 Dakentaijutsu[/ame] Love him or hate him but how many of his critics are more skilled than him.
Watching that video made my night. Seeing that dude kick people in the jimmy and do a double jumping front kick. Hilarious.
He was actually kicking him in the inner thigh, but yeah that double jumping front kick is chuckle inducing. Have you not gotten to the part where he nearly "full on's" an omote gyaku to a blonde girl uke? I should've clarified that I meant in the Takamatsuden, which kind of answers the second part there.
In Jackie Chan's memoir, he tells the story of how Sammo became fat in the first place. It's quite amusing. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxoJ-O1B2D0"]YouTube- Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon - First Fight[/ame] (Sammo Hung vs Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon)
Actually, there are many people who are critics of Ralph Severe who move much better than he ever could. And most of them can still see their penis. In what way do you regard Ralph as being "more accomplished" than most? Getting his gun off and hitting the drive thru and Dunkin Donuts with his dedicated apprentice "Mountainous"? Nice to see you again, JWills....I've missed you so much, buddy! Found a teacher yet? - Mark Spada
I thought 93.7% of the Bujinkan was that shape - does that make these chaps in the top 10 teachers of all time? Nice Tai [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhvOYL8SWYA"]YouTube- youtube clip #25 Ralph Severe May 2007[/ame]
Great. A big, fat sociopath wearing nothing but a t-shirt and lycra shorts standing behind a girl while holding a big stick. This is one gigantic warehouse full of wrong in so many ways. - Mark Spada
I could only watch the first clip, all I saw was a big fat guy kicking and slapping the crap out of smaller people who were putting up exactly NO resistence. Damn, I could look amazing if I'm allowed to do stuff to people who aren't trying to stop me YESSS SIR, BANG! Also the techniques at 24 secs, 1 min 15 secs, 2 mins 20 ses, 3 mins 16 secs and 4 mins 10 secs in are very suspect. Especially 24 seconds in, 24 seconds in could be the single worst technique for self defence I have ever seen. Ever.
Ok I'm going to be devil's advocate but saying that I do agree with the following point I'm trying to make. What makes you think any of that is for use in a self defence context?
@24 What exactly is your problem here? Is it the initial dropping hit/grab/squeeze/twist? You think he's just slapping him on his shoulders? @1:15 I hold no illusions as to the self defense application of the double jump front kick. I think I recall that this technique was the kind of thing done to take down a mounted opponent.(jumping off of a rock or something obviously) @2:20 Haven't you ever hit your funny bone? It's pretty obvious(to me anyway) that he's moving slowly and exaggerating the movement to teach. @3:16 Look at it from the perspective of an armored opponent wearing helmet/facemask. @4:10 Are you talking about the move to position or the actual technique? If it's the technique, watch his rear leg next time. and if you're going to critique what your seeing in videos over here, at least give this a once-over.... http://martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95139
Striking vulnerable points, eye gouges, kicks to the inner thigh, pre-emptive strikes, intecepting an opponent before they can attack. Thats stuff I associate with self defence. If its being done as a historical/cultural art or a performance art then obviously I'm judging it with entirely the wrong criteria.
Seriously, there are very few people in good shape in the Bujinkan - with that in mind are you saying that this guy is a good example of Taijutsu, or a good example of an out of shape person doing Taijutsu? They are both OK, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't be showing this to my mum saying 'hey this is what I do'... So, since the movement is OK, but hardly "wow" why is it so exciting to see? Bujinkan practitioner's seem to think that because it is an art that can still be effective when you are old and feeble that they forget that they aren't 80 years old right now... so chubby chaps and skinny mini's prevail. Funnily enough none of the people who I rate as being top level guys are in poor shape, Japanese and Foreigner included, young and old. What's so special here??
Its dropping to your back in front of someone. Is he trying to break the collarbone? Its just if the initial attack doesn't work he's in a truely awful position. Fair enough, I'd think it would be pretty tough to pull that off. Sure, I understand he was moving slowly but its the principle of catching somones arm in mid air, almost impossible if they've moving at full speed because you're essentially reacting to their action. Fair enough, I wasn't looking at it from that context. His move to the position, it bascially looks like he's putting himself in a 50/50 position to get taken down, if the other guy pushes forward he's going flying. having said that he doesn't do it full speed so its a little hard to judge. Nice post, well written. Okay, so these techniuques aren't so much techniques as movements that show the principles of the art? Have I got that right?
I can't comment on why the chap in the clip thinks he's doing it but the techniques themselves were not developed for a modern scenerio, you have to look at them, even if only in a small way, from the context they were intended for. Can they be used for self defence today? That's a whole other thread
Solid post and I don't disagree. Usually, nearly every video I come into contact with on the interbutts is filled with athletically challenged automatons, usually overweight sometimes waay overweight, that have no business teaching anyone anything let alone martial arts. I'm sharing the vid because; not only does he move well for as large as he is, but he moves well period. His kamae is solid, his transitions(along kamae/stepping) are smooth and well balanced, and he seems to really know the material, not just intellectually either, I can see a lot of dedicated practice evident in his movement. Why's he still so large then? Got me, but I'd go to his class. For comparison, take a look at these guys, and note the difference.(For me, it's night and day, it might look all the same to you) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqFDYX-hiAk&feature=search"]YouTube- 048 Kihon Happo, Musha Dori.Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu Paul Lugg & Colin Curwood[/ame] Edit: I was going to link more(cough*Cincinnati*cough ), but it looks like people are starting to get some sense, the classics all seem to be missing. Those guys'll do though I think. Course you could always be this guy... http://fr.truveo.com/The-Ninja/id/3773065988
@MarkSpada It is good to see you too. I don`t need to find a teacher. I have always had one. Ive been training as usual. You still don`t get it. I would like to see you say those things to Mr Severe`s face. He openly invites anyone to come to his dojo in Texas if you have any issues with him. I believe the owner of the Jigoku Dojo was going to meet him for friendly sparring match at one time but eventually changed his mind. It is easy to say things about someone or what you are going to do on the internet but one it comes to meeting face-toface that is a different story. Ask Mr. Hartfung about it. His attitude change when he learned I was in Japan. Those who criticize Mr. Severe do because of his personality not because of his Taijutsu. Even those in the Tenchijin dojos and other Bujinkan members who don`t like him still respect his ability. Accomplished means just that accomplished.
