Posted by O_YD Regional Instructor on March 03, 2003 at 09:11:25:
Something I've always wondered about when reading the anti O_YD chat rooms is why many of the posters claim to be unbiased yet all they will post and all they will recognize concerning O_YD is negative. I have been in O_YD for much longer than most of you if not all of you on this site and I can honestly say that mistakes that were made throughout the years I've been around are dwarfed by the positive benefits
experienced by ones who have trained and are training. I can say the same thing regarding the communities in which O_YD schools reside. Let me give you some personal examples:
-I have seen countless numbers of students lose weight, reestablish strength and flexibility, develop better focus and confidence and learn self defense skills.
-I have seen the schools fund local charities such as MS Society, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Alternative Schooling, Women's Shelters, Etc.
-I have personally watched Students recover from disease and illness through practice (back, shoulder, arthritis, heart attack, stroke, etc)
-I have watched children taken off of ridellin and bring their grades up through improved focus.
-Etc, etc, etc.
There are 2 specific examples I would like to share with you:
1. I had a Student sign up with his three children following their mothers untimely death. No other martial arts school would take them. His only demand was that they be able to train together. Within a few months he was able to reestablish his own health, his kids behavior at home improved, their grades went up and he made the comment that he believes the school helped save his family. His kids eventually stopped training but he stayed on his practice. He was no longer taking cortisone shots in his hips from injuries caused by riding dirt bikes in his youth. He
reduced his alcohol consumption. Overall his quality of life had improved.
More impressive than all of this was what he experienced when he began training in Nae Gong. He explained to me in private and then later to his fellow students that since he began the practice of Nae Gong, track marks and puncture wounds he had from abusing heroin were disappearing. He lived with these scars for 12 years following his sobriety. It was a great source of pain and embarrassment. He got quite emotional during his explanation. He told me that for the last 12 summers he has been unable to wear short sleeve shirts b/c the scars become more pronounced when his skin tans. After 3 months of consistent Nae Gong practice there was no trace of the scars.
2. The second example I will give you concerns a friend of an Instructor. He brought him into the school and signed him up. He explained to me later that the gentleman was depressed, angry and failing his studies. He hoped training would help him get back to where he was. 2 weeks into his practice he attempted suicide. When he finally got back into the school I said nothing to him regarding the event but I made sure he practiced very very hard. After the lessons I would explain something positive to him about my own experience with my training. How I was able to overcome many of my own weaknesses. We constantly talked about the importance of developing his mind and body so tha he could be successful with whatever he was involved in. I always emphasised the importance of self respect.
To make a long story short he reached 1st Degree Black Belt, graduated with honors from a very prestigious university and was the platoon leader of his ROTC unit.
These 2 stories are not exceptions. Students and Instructors have been benefitting from O_YD since G_randmaster began teaching in the 70's. It is my hope that the lies and misinformation posed on these sites do not confuse and fool others. Anyone can say anything. If you want to truly understand something you must go to the source. I hope you do that and if you decide to train in O_YD I hope you have the same positive benefits I have recieved. If not good luck to you.
Take care.