Posted by Observer on October 18, 2002 at 11:29:03:
In Reply to: questions posted by question on October 18, 2002 at 09:34:00:
No.
The very idea that there was ever any conformity or ranking structure is obsurd, and demonstrates a poor grasp of East Asian history.
Most modern ranking systems owe thier origins to the Japanese. Either Kano Jigaro's adoption of the grammer school 'belt system' or the Menkyo Kaiden (sp?) system used in classical fencing.
In Chinese arts you have students, teachers and experts. Sometimes you have cults with all kinds of familial relationships spelled out in great confucian detail.
My experience of the moo, is that they give directionless people a sense of belonging, 'position', and 'rank'. Like all true beleivers, the new student is given a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves ('higher knowledge') that is ill defined, and never demonstrated.
The most disturbing thing about the Moo, is the obviously fabricated nature of thier history and thier 'art.'
They seem to be getting past being a real danger to others, and have simply become a bunch of guys who have lied so much, they beleive thier own lies.
*; =qq(