Posted by Sean on April 23, 2003 at 22:58:04:
First, I was actually questioning you this time, not your old master. And since you won't share YOUR pics, you have no right to point the finger at others.
And, quite frankly, I'm not concerned so much with your grandmaster's martial skill, but his morality. I mean, he clearly lies about flying 11 stories. Why should we believe any of the rest of it, oh nameless instructor who doesn't grasp the concept of extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary proof.
As for pics, they can show flexibility and muscle tone, but both are tertiary to knowing usage. Remember the old tai chi(no chung at the end) adage, 4 ounces to deflect 10000 pounds? It's not about strength OR flexibility, it's about martial skill, positioning, and intent. If I know how to hit you in the eye better than you know how to stop it, then the only thing that prevents you from getting hit in the eye is my morality, not your ability to do the chinese splits.
Now, flexibility and muscle tone are good things, but in martial arts, they are not enough to prevent you from getting hurt, fighting skill is needed, and fighting skill comes from contact, not from forms practice without contact training, and all that pics can convey is form.
Now, one more time, let's see your pics, oh brave yet unnamed instructor, and proof of your so called principle, which you most certainly have led us all to believe you cannot substantiate, and then my pics will be right at hand.
All right, now you can waffle some more, instructor with woefully inadequate contact experience.