nop, its not like that at all, its just to show that the way of a martial artist can be ful of bitter hardship, and if you beleave deeply in yourself and the system you have chosen to really learn then the final results can be really sweet. Pior to my jr high school years and formal training I got my ass whooped every day. for being humble and putting the other cheek. even with informal training from books I got beat, becaused even though I got my respect at those teenage school brawls, I had to pay the price of a bruised face, black eyes, and fat lips...it helped me survive high school and the streets of NY, and although I didn't get real training until I was in collage, I didn't make me think "oh training is useless I rather go buy a gun". many of my friends of that time are either dead or in jail for not straightening up their actions. I followed my dream, and that was to learn a martial art, make it work for me and to be able to teach it to others. later even in the so called friendly challanges I learned from mistakes. wich means I saved face, but not with out learning some lesson, a bruised shine bone, or a slap in the face, for example. I did not say I clearly won unscratched, I just saved face for what I beleave in... my chosen martial art wich I have devoted many years in training, and now finally after being an old fart is that I understand how to make it work for me... I am not proad of my self for after so many years I should be in a higher level of knowledge, I feel I haven't reached the level of acomplishment I would like to see. but yet I haven't devoted 200% to training as I should have... I am just happy and amazed to see the results of my time and that dedication paying off. these guys that have come to my school to challange me, made their own mistake and that was to beleave that stiff body buiding and looking like "Van Dame" will win you a fight, they can intimidate and fool some people, but they clearly underestimated their oponent. I have learned through hard knocks and humilation, if they look though then they should be able to withstand some punishment, since I proberly can't. cause of my age, I consider myself a coach, not a fighter at this point in my life. But when some one young punk comes into your school and tries to ruin your schools name and families income. Boy that is serious business.
although this forum is about jkd, wing chun my chosen path (because their wasn't any jkd available at the point in my life). is very misunderstood aplication wise by many, I was one whom used to wait for the attacker to beginhis move, then block and counter, etc. later after acepting various challanges , I understood what master wong shun leung mentioned in a interview. once you undrstand bridging the gap , creating a bridge , attacking when none is present, etc. is that you realize that its like having a loaded gun. you cant wait for the other to fire first when the fight is on , you have to fire first, thats why it is considered an agrresive sistem. you have to be mercyless and take the fight to your opponet, for he that hits first hits twice and hits last.its a dog itsd dog world out there go to a bad neighborhood and try to be a peaceful monk, you will be someones breakfast quick! I am not saying to be an a**hole , but there are times when you cant be a pussy either.. thats whats we train for to stop being pussies, and fight back! heres one experience you proberly like to read, another wing chun teacher came to open a school in the neighborging town, I visted him and told him more less my level in training, he invited me over, for a friendly training session. we exchanged some hand drills. and soon it came to chi sau sparring,we began rolling at amoderate speed, but then he sped up and took the inatuitive to smack me across the face and punch my sternum, really hard. this guy was also a young and taller individual, (I'm only 5" 8")that when I reallized this was no friendly match, I retaliated by giving him no mercy and buried him in a blizt of combinations, and won. weekslater he invited me back and this time I had all ready proven to my self that I could handle him, so I wasnt there to go all out again . it was a friendly training session. Wrong , bad mistake on my part. he held bitterness for me beating him weeks before and when I put the other cheek he began taking advantage and beating me up for real! he swept me and we went to the floor, where he thought he had won, because I was down, but little did he know that I knew how to apply wing chun on the ground, and we ened up fighting for real, after a few exchanges of blows on the ground we broke it up and ended it there. we realized the neither one of us was going to give up. so we stopped. years later I came across him walking through town and he looked down and tried to avoid me. thats when I realized his ego was chattered. guess who won psychologicly? I can go on with the Hapkido black belt, and even a big amature wrestler. but I dont want to keep sounding as you percieved it. hope my writings will shine some positive light. and not start of on the wrong foot. peace!

Errrhhhmmm, what? I am not sure if you quite understand what humility means. It does not mean being weak and feeble or turning the other cheek. At a basic level it means not boasting etc. Once again in this post all you are saying is that you took some beatings but came out on top. You beat some guy up, who then came back and gave you a hard time in the next fight but luckily you were a great martial artist and was able to whoop his arse. Now look how your enemies cower before you.

Maybe I have misunderstood you, however I would recommend not writing essays on how you bested everyone that you encountered, it is really sad. No one knows you and therefore none of what you say can be independently verified. More than that know one knows the standard of the guys you fought. I have come across "black belts" who know nothing of how to fight, so even given reference to what belt they are is irrelevant.

It is nice that you want to help us kiddies, but sometimes it is better to listen first, and talk less often.

Question everything, Know nothing.