Dog Brothers Public Forum

Woof All:

  El J, nice quote from PG Edgar!

  G, although I thank you for your kind description of us as "on top", I prefer to see it simply as a matter of continuing to grow.  As we say in DBMA "If you ain't the lead sled dog, the view is all the same.  No one beats everyone.  Everyone looks at someone's ass sometimes-- so be not humble, be not proud.  Do if for yourself and not in reference to others."

That said, putting oneself on the line on a regular basis seems to be very useful to continued growth.  Dilemas -- which is written in Chinese by combining the characters for "danger" and "opportunity" I am told-- present themselves all the time and the search for answers is perennial

One of the great advantages of being a student of Guro Inosanto is the vast network of superb people and systems with which he is connected-- for example my connection with Tuhon Chris and Sayoc Kali began due to his introduction.

That said, that is not necessarily enough-- it greatly helps if there is common thread.  For example the Sayoc system's understanding of what in DBMA is called "Snake Range" is very high.

Sometimes random luck and curiosity play a role.  I had briefly met GM Ramiro Estalilla of Kabaroan Eskrima in 1988 and in the late 90s attended a seminar of his that led to fruitful learning with common thread-- he too had a sense of snake range, as well as good material with large weapons which was a weak area.

Sometimes its just an itch (often provoked by Guro I.   ) in search of a scratch.  The awareness of the need for scientific grappling was provoked by Guro I around 1989 when he brought in Shootfighting, but it was through other channels that I found the Machado Brothers and brought the BJJ in to our fighting.  In this case I am very proud to have been able for once to return a favor to Guro Inosanto-- I am the one who introduced him to the Machados and persuaded him to start with them.

Mostly though it is a matter of always being on the lookout combined with honestly assessing oneself, one's students, and others for strengths and weaknesses.  Juan Matus spoke of hunting with intent-- something like that , , ,

Does this help?
Crafty Dog

Woof All:

These things seem to have a certain circularity, so may I be forgiven if I repeat what I said earlier?

BEGIN

It seems to be a tradition in FMA to have terminology disputes with near religous fervor. To this American, it often seems analogous to an American and a Mexican over the word "negro". For one it is considered an unpleasant racial term, for the other it means "black". What an odd debate that would be!

Terminology is certainly not a forte of mine, , , , Concerning Kali, there seem to be many Filipinos of the opinion of our anonymous guest, and certainly its use is a minority one, but I am of the opinion that the term does have proper lineage. This point having been debated many, many, many times before I am uninterested to go into yet again. In that we use the term Kali, I merely note this diversity of opinion for your awareness.

, , ,

There are various reasons for the use of the term "Kali". Some are as described by the critics of the word. And some are not.

When used in the critical perjorative way against those who have other reasons, what communicates is a personally insulting tone/intent, and demands of proof can come across with a tone of "justify yourself to me" which tends to lead to "go fornicate yourself rejoinder" and Voila! -- a conversation devoid of forward purpose.

For the record, I believe the term to have historical merit. If you don't, I have no urge to persuade you.

But some of those that don't believe the term to be historically accurate, take an additional step and cast aspersions upon those who do.

Whatever.

The simple fact is that there is very little agreement about many, if not most things in Filipino history-- yet many seem determined to believe theirs as the one true version.

I've been around a while and I've heard countless times about Filipinos saying that the term is a fraud. Of course, the next stop in the syllogism is "How dare you, a euro-american, dare to disagree?!?"

OK, here's my teacher PG Edgar Sulite from an interview in Martial Arts presents "Filipino Martial Arts" (Graciella Casillas on cover)

ES: "In Mindanao, "kali" was the term used, but that doesn't mean it was the only one. , , , We must remember that according to the region where you live, the terms change and others apply such as 'estocada' and 'pagkalikali' and more"

Amongst the informed, the depth and breadth of PG ES's travels and trainings in the RP are well known, and many of these people may have heard of his book "Masters of Kali, Arnis and Eskrima", an amazing collection of interviews and essays on various masters of the arts from around the RP.
, , ,

So anyway, what are we to do? Have a duel?!? Oh whoops, we can't do that-- no one challenged/disrespected PG Edgar's or GM Villabrille's use of the term to their face while they were alive. Well then, how about a trial by compurgation to solve the discrepancies amongst the sundry Filipinos with opinions on this?!? That would really settle it. Oy vey.  

BTW, currently Roland Dantes writes of indigenous use of the term in the south. Go find him in Mindanao and tell him how and why he's wrong.

Like these people we think the term is historically valid, we like it and we use it. If you don't, it is perfectly OK by me and I have no need or interest in changing your mind-- but it really is beyond me how anyone, Filipino or not, can claim to speak authoritatively on matters linguistic throughout the entirety of the Philippine Archipelago-- and into Indonesia to boot!

If you want 'proof' I ain't the man to give it. Go elsewhere. But if you tell me this proves that there is no proof, , , ,

END OF QUOTED MATERIAL

One of the ditties that I use in teaching is that "Intelligence is the amount of time it takes to forget a lesson."  By engaging in this conversation I have revealed a short memory. At first I was intrigued by QE's perspective and background, but unfortunately things have gone the way they usually seem to with all this.

I thought by saying TWICE that no personal dig was intended that the simple, sincere transparency of my question about whether being a white mormon would affect his access would be apparent, but apparently it set off quite a stream of consciousness that as best as I could tell was more related to prior experiences in QE's life than to the spirit in which the question was asked.  

Oh well.

Moving on to the next point I'd like to address: perhaps when QE says "the difference with KALI is that it is arrogantly promoted as the historic title of the ancient art of the Philippines" we get to some of the reason for his emotion on this subject.

 Like I said in my earliest posts of this thread "There are various reasons for the use of the term "Kali". Some are as described by the critics of the word".  I thought it clear enough at the time, but perhaps this needs to be rephrased so that the point better communicates-- there is no disagreement here that the word Kali is sometimes used in a way which is unsound and braggadocious.  (In that we are dealing with the mad, merry world of FMA how rare is that?)

However, this does not mean that ALL use of "Kali" is such.

There seems to be more than a little heat in certain quarters-- displayed here in the references about Maphilindo, Majadpahit, Kali, certain grandmasters who've never been the to Philippines, etc-- aimed at Guro Inosanto.  I confess puzzlement at the ire of his use of the terms Maphilindo and Majadpahit-- the very point of the terms is to not lump non-Filipino arts in with FMA!   It seems that Guro I. is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

There have been repeated claims of "Prove it here and now!" on this thread with regard to "Kali".  

This kind of reminds me of some FMA tournament held in Bumf*ck, Delaware a few years back that was billed as a "World Championship".  Calling it such, didn't make it such and I say this even though my students won most categories (although a year after the fact, the promoter also reversed a ruling in one of my students favor in order to make himself World Champion.)  It wasn't a world championship because the best weren't on hand.

Similarly why call on me to make the case for "Kali"?

My knowledge of these things is such that I was trying to think of the name "Yambao" but was afraid I might confuse it with the samurai movie "Yojimbo" and so said nothing LOL  

Why not seek out those qualified to speak in this regard instead of me?  

I've seen the Villabrille people defend Kali well on the ED, my teacher PG Edgar Sulite thought it sound, GT Leo Gaje thinks it sound, Roland Dantes thinks it sound (my emails in this regard were vaporized along with three months of other emails-- big bummer ((  ) Guro I., who studied with 26 FMA GMs/Manongs from around the RP , many of them born well before 1900 (including the well-travelled Manong LaCoste) thinks it sound.  

Concerning this last point, it may be worth noting that language changes-- especially in the Philippines.  The usages to which a Manong LaCoste was exposed in his travels in the late 1800s PROBABLY are different than current ones.  How dispositive can it be then that QE has not heard the term?

Next point:

"Bored" writes

BEGIN

"you are right, we do fundamentally agree, that the modern usage of kali is a modern phenomena with roots more likely in the US, rather than PI. My own feeling on the matter, is like any other historic claim. It is not the burden of the doubters to prove (sic) its validity, but those bringing up the claims. In much of the same vein in which the code of kalantiaw was disproven by Scott, without historic basis kali claims lack reality."

END

He may well be right-- unless the recording of the historic basis is cloudy.  In which case the claims would be true, but not really provable.

In closing, a brief statement of the use of terminology in this regard of Dog Brothers Martial Arts, of which I am the founder.

We use the following terms

1) Kali: because we like it, because in America it has come to be the most common term, because IMHO there are technical matters more suitably described as such than as eskrima or arnis, because of the reminder that there was a part of the Philippines which was not really conquered by Spain, because my teacher uses the term-- take your choice.

2) Kali-silat & others: because silat is a part of the system too.  Whether its Filipino Silat or Indonesian or Malaysian or whatever we're less clear.

3) FMA based:  Because there are substantial parts of the system which are not FMA, but we consider FMA to be the heart and soul of the system.

4) A Majadpahit system with some BJJ too:  Probably pretty precise although it understates the FMA role, but also pretty useless with anyone except the tiny handful of people who know the term Majadpahit.  The purpose is to communicate, not befuddle or trigger MEGO reactions (My Eyes Glaze Over)


If you tell me there are logical inconsistencies in this, I will agree.  I just use the term that best facilitates communication with the person with whom I am talking.  I don't do/discuss/debate history.

Allow me to close with a story, the point of which I leave up to you, dear readers.

I named my second Akita "Moro".  My intention was to equate the brave warrior spirit of the muslim resistance to the Spanish and then American rule with the brave warrior spirit of the Akita.  Then I was chastized on the Eskrima Digest for using a disparaging term equivalent to sounds-like "negro"-- the complete opposite of my intention.  "How could this be?" I asked.  "What about the MILF of today?"

Now at this moment those of you out there who occasionally skim porn spam    may be puzzled.  Doesn't MILF stand for "Mothers I'd Like to Fornicate?"  Well yes it does, but it also stands for "Moro Islamic Liberation Front" too and my point was "How can it be wrong for me to use the term if they do?"

I confess to never understanding the answers I was given to this question (analogous to the rap band "NWA"-- "Negroes with Attitude")and puzzled over what to do.  After all, the dog was imprinted on thinking his name was "Moro".  Upon reflection I renamed him "Morro Bay" (a famous bay here on the California coast) and call him "Morro" for short and he still comes when called.

with this, it is my sincere hope to be outta here,
Crafty Dog

All:

I will have more to say later but for now found this, from a well-travelled Filipino teacher, in my files.

FOR THOSE WHO SEEM TO HAVE MISSED THE POINT STATED PREVIOUSLY, I AM NOT TRYING PERSUADE ANYONE OF ANYTHING.  THIS IS NOT OFFERED AS PROOF, IT IS OFFERED AS A COURTESY TO THOSE LOOKING FOR PIECES TO THE PUZZLE.

Crafty Dog
====================


A. Kali is authenticated as follows:

Kali is found in the language of the filipino
alphabets. In the first four Alibata or Babayin the
original filipino language: A ba (ka )da. Open the
yahoo search for Alibata and you see the explanation.

Meaning the filipino language is full of meaning and
the two letters as spelled KA =a prefix for verbs in
filipino words: As Ka-lipay or happiness, Ka-lisod for
sadness, Ka-libutan for the world, Ka-limutan to
forget, ka-lirungan meaning, knowldege and etc.

KA-IS WORD FOR RESPECT for Sir, your highness,your
excellency,your honor.

All persons in the early days were addressed as
Ka-pedro or Ka Jose or Ka Juan. As Ka-Marc. Ka Dan or
Ka leo.The word KA is a word to address the head of
the Iglesia ni Kristo , a religious group in the
Philippines with more than 5 million members. The head
of the Church is KA FERDIE MANALO.

The rebel group in the Philippines( NPA) they address
their leaders as KA like Ka Roger. This word Ka must
be express with sincerity and greast respect.

Ka- is found in the flag of the first katipunan group
who revolted against Spain. The Ka-tipuneros or the
revolutionarios against the Spaniards in 1800 use the
sign K in their hats and all the flags displayed
during the assaults.

Kali was more of a Philosophy of the early filipinos.
This philosophy was a major drive in the filipinos
bravery  using the bolos charging  against the
Spaniards guns and spanish blades that demoralizes
every assualts surprised the Spanish officers and the
whole Spanish regime in the Philippines. Spain lost
the revolution selling the filipinos at $ 3.00 dollars
per head in the treaty of Paris in 1889.

Kali found its landmark in Panay Island where the
first constitution of the land was established by Datu
Kalantiaw: The Code of Kalantiaw and the Code of
Maragtas.The influence of kali as a Philosophy were
found among the natives of Panay and the arrival of
Ten Datus from Borneo established the gathering of the
early inhabitants at KALIBO now the captial of Aklan
province where the famous Boracay White Beach Resort
is found, an international well known beach resort
found in Panay.Another remarkable place as a landmark
of Kali is the town of KALINOG- where every year the
celebration of the festival called PINTADOS is held to
celebrate the famous battle in Kalinog-meaning
earthquake where the filipinos rebels painted their
faces as disguised to infiltrate the Spanish garrison.
In northern Luzon province of Kalinga Apayao , a place
where the Kalimen settled in the north and today the
natives practice Kali in form of PIKA_PIKA.

To check the working Philosophy of Kali, known as
distinct bravery, during the Marocs time, the Army
soldiers that fought in Mindanao against the Muslim
rebellion were all the Ilongos soldiers from Panay and
Negros, other tribes like the Ilocanos and Tagalogs
were moved out to Manila. The only group of tribes in
the Philippines that the Muslim in MIndanao resepcts
is the Ilongo. Even in the Marines now, only the
Ilongo marines can infiltrate Muslim rebels.

KALI as a art is accepted by the Armed forces of the
Philippines recognized by the President of the
Philippines, Former President Ramos, Secretary of
National Defense and the Present President ( open
pekiti-tirsia.net ) check the blackboard.

Every year the town of Salvador Benedicto in Negros
celebrates the kali-kalihan festival.

 Kali is blade oriented fighting discipline. No
disarming, no blocking, no kata no judo throws no
aikido or jujitsui nor kicks is applied during the
fight.
===========

Thank you for the interesting posts QE.

A couple of questions and/or observations:

1) Like I've said, there's more than one reason for the use of the term and more than one theory as to its origin.  Sun Helmet has his reasons and that they do not include a historical basis, does not mean that there is not one.

2)  Allow me to repeat and underline what I have said from the beginning of this thread: I am not the man to make the historical case and that I have not done so proves nothing.  I have not sought to do so.  I have only directed you to other sources and challenged the assertion made here that the case against kali had been closed.  It has not.

3) I am not "exoticizing" diddly.  I've given sources, which I regard as worthy for those of you who want to follow up on it.  

4)  Concerning your analysis of the Villabrille use of the term, you mention the Illustrisimo clan.  Are you familiar with the portion of Tatang's Ilustrisimo's life spent with the Muslims and its importance to his art?

4)  Can you explain for us the repeated appearance of "kali"  in various FMA names from various dialects?  I understand your point that the term may have been imported and your theory that it may all have been brought back from 1970s California and diffused to the boondocks of the Philippines.   I confess this seems to me to be a bit of a stretch.  Are all of these terms of less than 30 years use?  Is there anyone out there who can comment upon all these terms?

5)  Any theories as to why Edgar Sulite (of whom I was a private student during all of his years in the US btw) saw the term as historically valid?  I assure you, he wasn't 'exoticizing' it.  

6)  Any theories as to why Roland Dantes, who has/does live in the south states that the term is indigenous?  Or is he exoticizing it too?

7) GT Leo Gaje of Pekiti Tirsia Kali uses the term.  Don't tell me he used to use the term "Arnis"-- I know that-- but feel free to contact him and ask him why he now uses 'Kali' and what he believes to be the historical basis of the term.  

No dig here QE, but the question must be asked: what sense do you have that being a white mormon may have affected your exposure to indigenous arts in Mindanao?  How much exposure did you have?  Again, no personal dig.

For those of you looking for "proof", my sense of it is that there is much in the history of the Philippines that cannot be "proved".  We know of sophisiticated ancient Filipino alphabets, yet have virtually no record of them or what they were used to write.  We know that the Spaniards sought to destroy much in this regard.  We know who wrote most of the history we do have and gave them the name of their art.  

This leaves oral tradition-- and the Filipino tradition of arguing about language and terminology.  

Crafty Dog

Woof Folks:

  Let's play nice now please , , ,

Crafty

Woof All:

I am thoroughly jet-lagged and if I growl a bit in what follows, , , ,

My dad taught me that if you repeat yourself, you teach people not to listen.  

Please forgive me, but I have been through this so many times, that I am done with it.  EVERYTHING said in this thread I have seen many times before and has been thoroughly responded to many times over the years.

Yes of course some use it for marketing, and yes many FMA people in the Philippines have never heard of it.  So what?  This does not disprove excrement.  IMHO, not lightly formed, the term "Kali" has legitimate roots.

I am not about the theology of terminology and have better things to do with my day.

Grrr,
Crafty Dog

Woof Mike and Lenos:

  Tail wags for the kind words.  It was my pleasure to be hosted by Krishna once again and to meet new friends.

  Tomorrow I leave for Italy!

Woof,
Crafty Dog

PS:  I'm trying to talk Krishna into coming to the Gathering in November!  He's thinking about it  

Woof Ringo et al:

  Tail wags for those words of support!

  I cruised by there to take a look.  What can one say?  I am reminded of a quote on one of the thread's here recently from one George Silver to the effect of "Don't bother to throw rocks at every barking dog."

  But the thread does raise some matters that may be of interest here.

Concerning the personal aspersions:

  Do I get tapped?  Sure, lots of people make me tap-- especially in Rico's Vale Tudo class at RAW.  I'm 51 and the class over time has people like Vladamir Matyushenko, Frank Trigg, Walid Ismael, Fernando Vasconcelos and other world class fighters -- these guys I don't even bother with sparring-- and Rico himself who has been a great help to me (also thanks to FT for help on unmatched lead, VM for clinch) -- etc.  Virtually everyone in there is an active MMA fighter.  In such company I am often like the fat kid who gets picked last.   And occasionally I have moments where it all comes together , , ,

Many of the guys that I do train with could overwhelm me with their superior youth, conditioning etc. but as real fighters they do not find the need to engage their ego in sessions with me and they simply match my level of physicality.   This allows them to develop their stuff and I mine.  

The Kali-silat applications I am developing in this context I then share with my students.  For example Lonely Dog sparred in Rico's class this past summer using this material and was well-regarded for his performance.  

Concerning the comments about the Dog Brothers--  Counting live audiences and our videos, I think it safe to say that many tens of thousands of people have seen us fight.  It is natural that not everyone agree about what it is or isn't.   Is there anything I can say that could or should make a difference?

Concerning the derision expressed about our nicknames in the thread on the other forum, the same principle applies.  We think it is fun and funny, others think it is silly.  Whatever.  What they think of us is none of our business.

When I had the vision for the Dog Brothers, a lot of people thought I was weird, crazy, etc.  Now I have an idea that kali-silat can really be applied in the cage and as I wave my arms around like two sticks I get a similar reaction from some-- especially when I crash and burn.  It goes with the territory.  Unlike stickfighting, which I was young enough to begin testing my ideas, now I am too old. Like I tell the young ones the first time I spar with them-- "I'm just an old man having a good time."  

So I research a bit and share with my students.  I think we are beginning to manifest results, but time will tell.

The adventure continues,
Crafty Dog

This article addresses some aspects of this:

--------------

Israeli women won't see combat
Study finds females can't lift as much, march as far as males

Posted: October 20, 2003
2:55 p.m. Eastern
? 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

A military study conducted by the Israeli army has concluded women are a weaker sex, which means they will continue to be barred from most combat duties.

According to the study's findings reported in the Washington Times, women safely can carry 40 percent of their body weight compared with 55 percent for men. Because military-age women weigh 33 pounds less than men on average, the total weight-lifting disparity between the sexes amounts to 44 pounds on average.

In terms of endurance, the study found while men could handle 55-mile marches, any trek longer than 32 miles was found to be too arduous for women. Researchers attributed this to the fact that the amount of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in women's blood was more than 10 percent lower than in men's blood.

The Times reports Israeli army doctors assessing these limitations recommend women not serve in front-line infantry positions, artillery units or tank crews.

This comes as the Israeli government has called up 10 battalions of reserve soldiers to handle the escalating violence in the region.
The army study mirrors the earlier findings of Israeli scholar Martin van Creveld, a specialist in international conflict and author of the book "Men, Women and War," who found that women lacked the physical strength needed for fighting at close quarters and that their relative weakness could, in some cases, put themselves and their comrades in unjustifiable danger.

Van Creveld concluded sending women into frontline combat units would reduce efficiency, increase costs and could prove "criminal." His opinion largely swayed British officials in their 2001 decision not to lift the ban on women in combat.

The Israeli army study also fuels the long-simmering debate over the role of female servicewomen in the U.S. military. Proponents of women in combat historically point to the experience of Israeli servicewomen who fought alongside men in the 1948 independence war as an example to be emulated.

Retired Navy Capt. Lory Manning, director of the Center for Women in Uniform for the Women's Research and Education Institute, argues some women are strong enough and physically capable of serving in infantry and Special Forces and that, given training, those who aren't can make up for their weaknesses.

Manning cites British studies in which women were called upon to run six miles carrying 55 pounds on their back. After approximately three months of special conditioning, they could do it.

"The only difference between men and women is that you have to invest more time and training for women," Manning told WorldNetDaily.
Citing anecdotal evidence, van Creveld calls the lore of female "Amazon" soldiers myths.

"There is no more reason to believe they ever existed any more than Barbarella or Wonderwoman," he told the London Sunday Telegraph.
Van Creveld, who has studied the historical experiences of women in the military dating back to the Roman era, works to "explode the myth" about Israeli women in combat serving as ably as men. During the 1948 independence war, for example, women only served a brief couple of weeks on the frontlines before a group was ambushed and the desecration of their bodies prompted officials to sideline women warriors.
Israel is the only country in the world to have compulsory military service for women. While men must serve three years in the Israel Defense Forces, all women are required to serve 21 months.
Despite a 1995 Israeli court ruling that struck down the "men-only" rule for combat units, women have not served in combat since 1948, and integration into combat-support platoons has been slow. According to IDF statistics, 84 percent of female soldiers still serve in administrative roles with only 1 percent training for combat roles, and 82 percent of female soldiers have had no weapons training.

Israeli servicewomen point to their sisters-in-arms in America to push for further integration in Israeli forces. Since the elimination in 1994 of the United States Department of Defense "Risk Rule," which held that women could not be placed in combat-support units that had "significant risk of capture," American servicewomen have been serving among combat-engineer companies on the ground, populating combatant ships and sitting in the cockpits of jets, bombers and Apache attack helicopters.
"In the U.S. Army, you see the girls going everywhere and doing all things," a 20-year-old Israeli trooper told the Austin American-Statesman. "I know it sounds bad, but one day I hope they'll transfer us to the hot places, too. I want to have a chance to prove myself and show everyone what I've learned."

"We are a nation that has to take war seriously," van Creveld testified in 1992 for a U.S. presidential commission studying the ramifications of allowing women in combat. "We are proud of the fact that we have not had women serve in combat [since 1948] even in the most desperate of times."

Military advocates opposed to women serving in combat in the U.S. welcome the Israeli army study as additional ammunition for their fight.
Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, an independent public-policy organization that specializes in military personnel issues, and a member of WND's Speakers Bureau, said the disparity in physical strength between men and women matters. She pointed to the Army's fielding of a new rucksack for soldiers estimated to weigh 120 pounds when loaded to full capacity.

Operation Iraqi Freedom was the first combat test for the new Modular Lightweight Load-bearing Equipment, or MOLLE. The Army Times reported the excessive weight of the rucksack hampered a 101st Airborne Division air assault in May as "infantrymen staggered under the load."

"If women can't carry their own backpacks, then men must carry them, which adds to their burden. The physical limitations are practical realities," Donnelly told WorldNetDaily.

Donnelly recently launched a petition drive calling on President George W. Bush to roll back Clinton-era "social-engineering policies" she says undermine readiness, discipline and morale.

The "Americans for the Military" petition, which has gained approximately 15,000 signatures, asks Bush to direct Pentagon officials to "objectively review and revise social policies" such as:

?Assignments of female soldiers in or near land combat units with a high risk of capture;

?Admittedly inefficient co-ed basic training;

?Prolonged family separations and pregnancy policies that detract from readiness;

?Gender-based recruiting "goals" and quotas that hurt morale and increase costs.

Donnelly hopes to present the petition in a personal meeting with Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. While she has met with White House officials, no meeting is yet scheduled.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAW OF THE LAND
Court flips middle-finger verdict
Man found guilty for 'shooting the bird' has conviction overturned

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: October 16, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern



? 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

A Texas man feels like he's No. 1 now that his conviction for "shooting the bird" has been flipped.

Robert Coggin, 34, had been found guilty of disorderly conduct for making an obscene gesture with his middle finger in a road-rage style incident in the town of Lockhart two years ago.

But an appeals court has overturned the verdict, saying while the gesture may be rude, it does not necessarily rise to the level of disorderly conduct.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Coggin flashed his lights to pass a slow-moving vehicle driven by John Pastrano, a Caldwell County jailer.

Thinking he was being pulled over by a police officer, Pastrano moved to the right lane. As Coggin then passed Pastrano, he allegedly used the finger gesture many consider obscene.

Pastrano called 9-1-1, and Coggin was subsequently issued a citation for a Class C misdemeanor.

The Chronicle reports Coggin was charged under an obscure law that says "a person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly makes an offensive gesture or display in a public place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace."

Coggin denied he ever flipped the bird, but was fined $250 upon his conviction. He also spent $15,000 fighting the charge.

The 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin not only ordered Coggin's acquittal, but it offered some historical context, quoting a Merriam-Webster definition of the "bird" as "an obscene gesture of contempt made by pointing the middle finger up while keeping the other fingers down."

According to the Chronicle, jurists further explained that "the middle finger jerk was so popular among the Romans that they even gave a special name to the middle digit, calling it the impudent finger: digitus impudicus.

"It was also known as the obscene finger, or the infamous finger, and there are a number of references to its use in the writings of classical authors. ... " the jurists continued. "The middle-finger jerk has survived for over 2,000 years and is still current in many parts of the world, especially in the United States."

Woof Enganyo:

  Thank you very much-- it is the one I had in mind.  

  There were a couple of things I didn't understand:

1) Does "atracar" mean "atacar" or something else?

2)  What does "arrebatar" mean?

3)  What does "propino'" mean?  I would have guessed "tipped" as in "he tipped the waiter" (propina, propinar) but that does not seem very logical here

4) What does "arma blanca" mean?  The literal "White weapon" does not seem to make much sense.

Thank you,
Crafty Dog

Updated: 10-06-2003 12:39:05 PM

Backfire Ignites Dog, Dog Sets Grass Fire in Idaho

CULDESAC, Idaho (AP) -- This dog was having a bad fur day. The dog, whose coat caught fire when the owner's vehicle backfired, ignited a grass fire just off U.S. Highway 95.

Firefighters doused the grass fire and reported the dog was unhurt, only smelling of burnt hair.

``I have been in firefighting for many years, but I have never seen anything like this happen,'' Culdesac Fire Chief Gary Gilliam said.

It happened Saturday when a motorist who ran out of fuel put gas in the tank and then primed the carburetor. On restarting, the van backfired, throwing sparks into the cab and igniting the dog's fur.

A passenger let the dog out, and it rolled in dry grass, putting out the flames on its coat but setting the grass afire.

Wuff All:

  Jet lag has caused me to wake up in the wee hours (a little after 3:00 A; local time) so until the valium kicks in here I am.

  As always with Lonely Dog and his wonderful Cornelia and son Robyn, I am made at home.  The seminar is about two thirds returning players and we are quite the international group- seven countires are represented:  Switzerland, Germany, Framce, Holland, Italy, Poland, Canada, and the US.

Yesterday after opening with "the Prison Riot" training, we did the recently named "Single Triques loop" and then went into "Los Triques Double stick", working particular on the blocks of material known as "the bat" and "the redondo variations."  

Wuff,
Guro Crafty

Wuff All:

  I'll be in Bern with my good friend Guro Benjamin "Lonely Dog" this weekend.

Wuff (German spelling)
Guro Crafty

An article covering his death may be found at http://www.dogbrothers.com/teachers.htm

Woof All:

At the core of the attraction that the FMA hold for me is that they produce men who "walk as warriors for all their days".  

Of all the stories of Guro Inosanto, in one of many that have touched me deeply, he tells of watching old manongs hobble out to demonstrate their art.  Amongst his many skills Guro I. is an extraordinary mimic (of accents as well as movement BTW) and as he mimics their movement one can see the effects of time.  But then!-- they pick up their sticks and begin to move and it is as though they were young again:  the movement live, dynamic and full of grace.   And then they finish and become old men again, and hobble off.

The thought I apply to myself for my personal mission (and that of DBMA) of "walking as a warrior for all my days" is to train so that there is a place in myself that is forever young-- a place that I can access should I ever need to.  If I remember my readings in NLP correctly, this may be called an anchor.  In FMA perhaps this may be considered an anting-anting.  

Regardless the name, it is the place that is forever young.  If one has done little in youth, it seems reasonable to me to think that it will be of less value than if one has done more-- without having done "too much"..   Perhaps some of the training that is derided by some today  may be better seen as what those who "did more" in their youth use to keep the rust off their skills?  Of course this interpretation implies that these methods may not suffice in the absence of seasoning experiences.  

Just a rambling rumination.

Woof,
Crafty Dog

WND AT THE WHITE HOUSE
An Army of 1 ? and 1
in the oven
Spokesman asked about level of pregnancies among U.S soldiers in Iraq

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: September 16, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern


By Les Kinsolving
? 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

At today's White House news briefing, WND asked presidential press secretary Scott McClellan about columnist David Hackworth reporting on the level of pregnancies among American service personnel in Iraq, and followed it up with a query about Pfc. Jessica Lynch.


WND: The Department of the Army spokesman at the Pentagon said yesterday that retired Col. David Hackworth is a heavily dedicated combat leader who is not regarded as undependable. And they have also seen his column where he reports, "Apparently more than half of the women deployed to Iraq are now pregnant." And my question: While Army spokesmen from the Pentagon and Baghdad would neither confirm nor deny this pregnancy rate, surely the commander in chief will not try to evade this very serious problem, will he, Scott?
McCLELLAN: Les, I'm not quite sure what you're referring to, but it sounds like it's a matter to address to the Pentagon. (Laughter.)

WND: I want to know how does the commander in chief ? is he concerned that all these women are getting pregnant?

McCLELLAN: Les, I haven't heard anything about this.

WND: Col. Hackworth also reports thousands of angry e-mails from veterans protesting the awarding of the Bronze Star to Pfc. Jessica Lynch after propagandists conned the Washington Post into reporting that she was shot and stabbed, but continued to kill Iraqis, which never happened. And I wonder, how does the commander in chief react to thousands of veterans' complaints?

McCLELLAN: Les, I think that the president knows that we have a lot of heroes, including Jessica Lynch. They should all be commended for the service and sacrifices that they make.

Kam et al:

I'm bringing your post starting a new thread over to here.

Crafty

PS:  I have very high regard for Sled Dog.  Enjoy your training with him!
----------------------------

Hello Guru Crafty,Mike.Thanks for the prompt and honest reply regarding the new kali & Krabi Krabong video.I went ahead and ordered the tape, I should get any day now.I`ll let you know what i think once i watch it. I currently train under Guru Bob Carver who was also taught by Guru Dan Inosanto. Also a couple of us from the academy have been in touch with  Guru Phil "Sled Dog" we are going to start training with him sometime in october. He's about two hours away from us so it's just a matter of working out our schedules.Since we are going to be taking privates with him.Actually he brought us back a couple of shirts from the last gathering he's a great guy.Anyhow that's enough for tonight. Have a good one!

Woof All:

  Apparently the show was broadcast yesterday or today.  They didn't bring my copy to the shoot today so I still haven't seen it.  They SWEAR they will send it to me tomorrow    Dog Milt says he saw it and it was really weak-- 10 seconds wherein nothing was clear.

  The shoot today had its own energy.  The girl's silicone mounds were brighter than her and tighter than a drum.  For some reason they planted her mike there and didn't bother giving me one.  They told me to just be sure to be close to her and to look at the mike when I was speaking.  

I got more playful with the banter this time (Against the headlock: "Hit him in the big head, the little head, and then give him a cameltoe."   Apparently the folks in the trailer loved this.

I find out in a month when it airs.

Guro C.

http://www.pressaprint.com/som/WeSupportU2.htm

Woof All:

A couple of points:

1) What Mookie refers to as the DBMA videos are properly called either "The Dog Brothers videos" or "Real Contact Stickfighting".   They comprise our first series.  The DBMA videos are our second series.\

2) Many people prefer to develop their dominant side first and many of them have good results.   My concern with this approach is that, unlike boxing/kickboxing where both hands/feet are active, it tends to increase the disparity between dominant and complementary hands/sides and, for many people, to develop only linear footwork.

Some systems, e.g. LaCoste, solve this by teaching long and short first.

3) In DBMA we teach double from the beginning.  Apart from the fighting benefits of this, it develops the body evenly (and if you train with gusto imbalance is a risk in training only one side IMHO) and opens the door to footwork that changes lead.  Not to say that the off-lead in single does not have its place, but if it does not matter which side is forward then all triangles become possible.

4) The skills developed by this approach we feel have importance in 360 degree situations.

Woof,
Guro Crafty

 and when working single stick usually teach the complementary hand first.  This transposes readily to the dominant side (vice versa not doing so in our experience) and yields a natural comfort with the motion(s) in question on either side.



3)

Jackass warning after horrific firecracker accident

Doctors in Australia have urged people to not to attempt Jackass style stunts after a man burnt his genitals in a firecracker accident.

The 26-year-old Australian man suffered a fractured pelvis and severe burns when a firecracker exploded between the cheeks of his buttocks.

The incident has left the man, from Illawarra, New South Wales, incontinent and unable to have sex and he is expected to remain in hospital for several months.

Dr Robert McCurdie, who operated on the man when he was taken to Wollongong Hospital, likened the man's condition to "a war injury".

Dr McCurdie said he believed the man had stumbled while the firecracker was in his buttocks, and fell down on it.

"By virtue of the fact that the explosion was confined in an upward direction, it went up into his pelvis, blasted a great hole in the pelvis, ruptured the urethra, injured muscles in the floor of the pelvis which rendered him incontinent. His pelvis was also fractured."

It is not known whether the man was imitating the cult prankster film Jackass in which men place firecrackers in their buttocks and shoot them into the air.

Acting Senior Sergeant John Klepczarek said the danger with movies like Jackass was that some people were tempted to try the stunts at home.

"They're putting themselves at risk, and other people. We do caution people strongly against following these acts," he said.

Woof All:

  This thread started concering violence against women, but it seems pertinent to me to touch here upon the matter of sexual violence against men.  If the cited datum of 20% of men in prison being sexually assaulted is correct and there being many millions of men in prison, the numbers of men raped etc is quite large.

  The following article is not particularly deep-- but it does report on new legislation regarding rapes in prison as well as present a fair question to society.  

Woof,
Crafty Dog

------------------

AMERICAN IDENTITY

Nation Cherishes Rule of Law, Yet Unmoved by Prison Justice

BY DELIA M. RIOS
c.2003 Newhouse News Service

\

More stories by Delia M. Rios
 
What was perhaps most surprising about the sudden, brutal prison killing of the defrocked priest John Geoghan was the utter lack of surprise.

Convicted of molesting one child, accused of preying on as many as 130, he was the emblem of the child molestation scandal roiling the American Catholic church. The conclusions drawn about his slaying were certain if hasty, and the word "predictable" was bandied around to describe the target he must have presented to other inmates.

The commentary in news coverage was almost blase, as if this were not only expected, but accepted.

Geoghan's slaying once again exposed a parallel justice system inside the nation's prisons, administered by inmates according to their own codes of conduct and mores. Child molesters, among the most reviled members of prison society, are likely to face jailhouse retribution.

How can this be, in a nation that prides itself on the rule of law?

Criminal justice professionals say the reason has everything to do with the management and culture of prisons, a sense of inevitability about violence within prison walls, and public attitudes.

"It's beyond acknowledgment -- it's a tacit acceptance," said Paula C. Johnson, professor at Syracuse University's College of Law and a former prosecutor and defense attorney.

But to accept this dual system is to concede a failing of American justice. "The fact of being a prisoner does not mean that you have forfeited those rights that the legal system has not taken away from you," said William Galston, director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at the University of Maryland.

Philosophers, Galston explained, would say it's a duty of care; lawyers that it's a requirement of due diligence.

So how has it come to this?

"You have to start with the reality that prisons are to some degree run by the inmates -- they're not a zoo with everybody behind bars 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Frank Hartmann, executive director of the Program in Criminal Justice Policy at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Prison officials are most concerned with the perimeter -- or outside walls. Inside, there is greater freedom of movement and inmate control than the public supposes, Hartmann said -- especially in prisons that are ill-managed, understaffed and overcrowded.

"There's a kind of balance of terror," Galston said. "Guards have tools at their disposal, but prisoners have tools at theirs."

Prison society, like any other, has a pecking order and a set of norms. That's true whether inmates are men or women. In women's prisons there is special scorn for mothers who have abused their children.

"There are sanctions ranging from shunning people to hurting them," Hartmann said. "It's always been immensely interesting to me that for people who don't abide by the law outside, there's a very strict set of norms on the inside."

He cites a New York case in which an inmate serving time for robbery and rape was exonerated, based on new DNA evidence, of the rape charge: "He was very proud of this; he said, `Look, I'm a robber, but I'm no rapist.' Both are against the law, but that's not the issue."

The most extreme inmate sanction, of course, is death. It doesn't happen as often as it once did. There were 56 homicides in prisons in 1999, compared with 124 in a much smaller 1973 prison population. There were five homicides for every 10,000 inmates in 1999, but 61 for every 10,000 inmates in 1973, according to Steven Barkan, a University of Maine sociologist and co-author of the new textbook "Fundamentals of Criminal Justice."

Assaults are a different story. A survey of inmates in three Ohio prisons, published in 1998, reported that 10 percent had been physically assaulted in the previous six months.

From his reading of surveys conducted from 1996 to 2000, Barkan concluded that one-fifth of prison inmates had been sexually assaulted.

The Rape Elimination Act of 2003 recently approved by Congress would require a comprehensive accounting of prison rape, which is now lacking. Said Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Alabama Republican who sponsored the legislation, "We all agree that punishment for a criminal defendant should be set by a judge and should not include sexual assault."

But all this begs an unanswered question.

"What do you do," asked Bill Pooler of Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, "when you lock up that many people prone to violence?"

The problems are daunting. For one, Pooler said, it's not possible to completely control every prisoner, all the time -- the thriving prison economy, whether for drugs or cigarettes, is proof.

As Hartmann points out, there are always places where inmates can hide from guards, and prisoners have nothing but time to study guard movements.

Syracuse's Johnson says a key limitation is the need to maintain order and security in an institution where prisoners outnumber prison staff. However counterintuitive that may sound, keeping order depends to some degree on the inmates. It's one reason the inmate hierarchies are tolerated, though there is an effort to keep them in check.

Those in the criminal justice field suspect that the general public, rather than being outraged by all of this, is quietly content to let things go on as they are.

"A lot of people feel they get what they deserve," said sociologist Barkan, who studies public attitudes toward crime and criminals.

The problem with that argument, he said, is twofold: Many prisoners are in for non-violent crimes and suffer worse fates than the courts intended; and most inmates eventually leave prison to live again among their fellow Americans. If nothing else, Barkan said, people on the "outside" should consider the long-term public safety issue.

Maryland's Galston says these issues should be morally troubling.

"Our society, like any society, wants certain unpleasant jobs done in a way that the majority doesn't have to pay attention to," he said. "That's true of garbage collection and it's true of prisons -- we don't want to know where it goes or what happens to it when it's gone, we just want it to be done."

But from time to time, something penetrates the physical and psychological isolation of prisons from society at large. In Galston's words, the "seal is breached." That happened with the news of Geoghan's death.

It remains to be seen whether Geoghan was singled out because he was a child molester or for some other reason. But whatever the killer's motivation, Johnson is struck by an ambivalence in the reactions of the ex-priest's accusers.

"That is not the justice they had in mind," she said. "The tragedy is now compounded by the way his life ended. They can't exactly be satisfied that this is the way the system should have worked."

Sept. 1, 2003



(Delia M. Rios can be reached at delia.rios@newhouse.com.)

Summer Gathering 2003 Report

A Howl of Greeting to All:

On Sunday July 13th, the ?Dog Brothers? Summer Gathering of the Pack? was held once again at the RAW Gym in El Segundo, CA--- on the heels of the ?Dog Brothers Martial Arts Training Camp? held July 10-12.

Each Gathering has its own unique rhythm, part of which is each fighter?s preparations.  To know that you have given your word to yourself that at time certain and place certain you will be , , , .

In the months prior to this Gathering, Top Dog announced that this would be his ?last time?.   The summer Gathering last year there was an exciting fight between TD and Tom Kier.   With the word that Tom was returning to fight again (advertisement: in conjunction with his appearance as Tuhon of Sayoc Kali covering ?Medical Management? at our DBMA Training Camp the day before) there was considerable anticipation amongst the cognoscenti  of the return engagement?which poetically enough would take place on TD?s last day.

Curious glances were cast from around the room as Eric and Tom greeted each other when Tom arrived at the Camp.  Alas, due to back and knee problems the fight was not to be.  After Tuhon Tom?s morning presentation (a fascinating and highly practical presentation on the near totally neglected area of Medical Management?we thank TT for his help) the afternoon session was one of GM Gyi?s famous get-ready-to fight Dhanda yoga sessions.  The ever-playful GM Gyi paired the two Eric and Tom together for the session.  During one position (think Child?s Pose facing Down Dog with Down Dog?s front paws on his back) TT had to walk his hands down the length of TD?s back, deep massaging the spinal erectors as he went.   TD is a long body type and Tom had to really reach. ?God, you?re long? he commented.

TD, reciprocating, complimented Tom?s hand strength as Tom worked on his back muscles.  ?You?re very strong.?

Hot Dog, never one to miss a beat, continued with ?And you?re very pretty.?

GM Gyi cracked up.

But I digress , , ,

The fighters were:

Top Dog
True Dog
Lonely Dog

Gerald ?C-Heretic? Dog Boggs
Dog Brian ?Porn Star? Jungwiwattanattaporn, a.k.a. ?Jung?
Dog Mike Barredo

Roger Tinkoff
Milt Tinkoff
Richard Raphael
Bryan Lorentzen
Joseph Artigas
Greg Brown
Philip Vilasis
Carlo Arellano
James Wilks
Will Bohrer
Steve Feng
Maynard Ancheta
R. Kalani Grimm
Kam Kasmsei
Cameron Lamprecht
Amal Jasen , , , ,
Dennis Hall
Eric Johnson
and Linda Matsumi (knife)

After several years of lapsing in this regard, we will once again be listing all fighters on the Fire Hydrant page of our website.  If I have missed anyone, please email me so that your name can be included.

Yours truly and Salty Dog served as Ringmaster; GM Gyi was available for injury management; as usual James Stacey was Timekeeper and Master of Arms; Underdog?s son James Salter was on Camera; and we were once again fortunate to have Mark Mikita on Djembe drum.  In attendance also were Original DBs Sled Dog and Surf Dog, and Hot Dog.

As always, my Pretty Kitty was In Charge of Reality.

The crowd/tribe was in full strength.  We were honored by the attendance of Grandmaster Atillo of Atillo Balintawak and introduced him to the crowd.  The number of the fighters was a bit less than usual?(approximately 25) but when the dust cleared, the time spent fighting was longer than usual.  Also greater than usual were the number of injuries-- more on this below.

For the opening talk I had intended to underline my words about realistic behavior in the knife fights by waving a real knife around in front of people?s faces, but, well, I forgot the knife and had to use only words to make my point.  Whatever the cause, I would say that the level of realism in the knife fights on the whole was good.  

A few Gatherings ago we introduced using aluminum training blades.  The first time we did this, nearly everyone used them.  However the percent of people using them has declined substantially since then.  This is understandable?a good whack with an aluminum blade on the hand carries with it a substantial chance of breaking bones?not to mention how much it hurts wherever it hits or the chance of a power thrust doing damage.  I should mention that the trend towards ultra-light hand gear continues?with several fighters using ski gloves, moto-cross gloves and such both against knife and against stick.

  There were many exciting and skillful knife fights demonstrating good technique as well as athleticism.  A disarm by kick was seen, as were traps, and kills from both long range and close.  Linda Matsumi, our efforts at helping her find women opponents for stick having come up empty this time, faced her opponent?s hard plastic knife with aluminum.  She showed excellent ambidexterity switching from left to right for a kill slash to the neck, and later made another kill after a disarm.  

Top Dog?s son Matt (14 years old and already taller than me L ) made his Gathering debut facing his father?and gave a very good account of himself.

Bryan Lorentzen and C-Heretic Dog opened the Stick fights with a fight that went to clinch and grapple in fairly short order.  Once there, both men showed well on several levels including skillful headbutts and headbutt defense.

Dog Brian Porn Star went sinwali against his opponent?s single and showed good array of outer-range-in-to-media-range-and-out-again techniques.

Pinoy Maynard Ancheta came in with an interesting and different structure that allowed for good range control via chamber and footwork shifts.  When I asked him in class the next week what he had been using he told me it was his interpretation of Hsing Yi empty hand  Interesting.

James Wilks and his opponent were up next with some large sticks.  James showed a varied game including a KK kicking close and sound vale tudo kissakatami (sp?) on the ground to submission.

Lonely Dog and his opponent fought Staff.  Lonely is pretty formidable on staff and looked good as he drove the fight went to Vale Tudo clinch in the corner.

True Dog and Dog Greg had a hardcore KK siniwali fight going that was cut short as the fight clinched and Greg?s shoulder dislocated.   When I called him a few days afterwards he told me that the doc says it was relatively minor and all should be well.
In a single stick fight that included both Right against Left and Right against Right, Kalani Grimm of the Hawaii clan of the Dog Brothers dropped his opponent.  Blood flowed freely during the post-fight commentary.

Top Dog dropped his first opponent of the day with a kidney shot.

Dog Mike Barredo adapted his usual structure to fight with a sprained ankle and showed well.  Achieving the close and takedown, his mount dominated his opponent?s stick to submission.

Pinoy Dog Carlo Arellano had a sweet KK roof teep combo but had to stop soon thereafter as a knee injury reactivated.

Dog Brian Jung and C-Heretic, who have been working on their clinch games, had an interesting clinch and ground based fight for those with the eye to see it.

Dog Bryan showed some quality stickgrappling in his next fight.

Top Dog continued to lift his leg in his next fight with several strong shots to the head and elsewhere.

C-Heretic, after being driven in the crowd while having half guard, reversed and submitted with a shoulder lock

As part of a well-varied attack James Wilks scored an excellent knee shot in his next fight, a technical takedown and another kissakatami finish.

The knee shot theme continued as True Dog got in a couple in his next fight?not to mention a groin shot.  Throwing in kick on the close and some strong vale tudo striking pressure, True got the submission.

Top Dog and Lonely Dog were next.  These two always have a fine fight.  Lonely is one of the very few people who can threaten Top?s knee or foot, but this time Top closed as he did so.   A surprisingly long clinch (after all, Top has 80 pounds on Lonely) staggered into the pads that were stacked up against some weightlifting equipment and his movement muffled by the pads Lonely had to submit to the Fang.

Matt Knaus had his first stickfight and showed very well.  The glow of the altered state was obvious in his post-fight interview.  We?ll be seeing more of Matt I think.

Dog Bryan scored a clean hand shot and a pair of knee shots before a wild close put him on his back.  Again showing good stickgrappling, he reversed and calmly finished with a nutcracker variation.

Dog Brian?s teacher had promised him that if he used the new ?Los Triques Siniwali? material that it would appear in the next DBMA Siniwali video and apparently he took it to heart.  Against a worthy opponent (who scored well too) he displayed a nice mix of attacks?until he lost one stick.  Closing with a shout after taking a good hit, he was able to achieve arm bar position from which he pummeled his opponent into submission with both stick and empty-handed strikes.

After taking one to the head, James Wilks and his opponent clinched.  Although he was swept on his effort to sweep out of clinch, he kept his focus and went for an arm-bar that flowed very nicely into a leg/inside heel hock that was applied both skillfully and with excellent safety awareness.

Top Dog continued on his rampage against in a siniwali fight with True Dog, dropping him with a fluid attack reminiscent of the famous one that dropped Salty Dog at the beginning of the first video in the first series (RCSF #1 www.dogbrothers.com J )  True?s post-fight commentary was priceless?he?s a medical technician and his description of the symptoms of his concussion was hysterical.

Dog Bryan siniwali caught Lonely Dog?s staff thinking too much about the snake and his explosive charge got him inside the range of Lonely?s justly feared staff.  It cost Lonely some work, but eventually he reversed and passed guard and stunned Dog Bryan with a kick to the occipetal (sp?) that brought matters to a close.  Although the kick was substantially pulled, timing and placement were superb.

The closing fight of the day was Top Dog with his son Matt?a very special moment for both.  The fight went to clinch and the crowd roared as Matt pulled off a hanging arm throw!  TD was able to reverse and take side control, which Matt (who wrestles for his high school team) momentarily reversed.  

There were many more fights than these and all in all it was a fine day of warrior spirit.  The tribe (and that includes those there to witness) is strong.



That said, over the years in my role as Guiding Force I have had occasion to offer some thoughts for consideration and would like to do so now.

When I give the Magic Words at the beginning of a day?s fighting to the Fighters I will say ?The idea is that we are members of the same tribe, helping prepare each other to stand together to defend our land, women and children.  Thus if you go too hard on a man and break him or whether you go too easy on him and leave him inadequately tested and seasoned, it will not serve you well when you stand together in battle.?

No doubt people who think the fencing masks to be helmets will not note the point, but the number of probable concussions in this Gathering (GM Gyi, who assisted injured fighters, estimates at least 6) was too high.   An occasional concussion is to be expected at this level? and certainly Top, Salty and I all have been concussed but my sense of things is that this level of concussions is too much.  At this rate, the tribe will weaken, not strengthen, from the experience.

Stickfighting IS dangerous and injuries WILL happen, but there is a difference between someone who genuinely understands the risks and takes them anyway, and a young male in a testosterone frenzy thinking he is invulnerable.    One may be crazy, but the other is foolish.  It may be crazy to do this while genuinely appreciating the consequences risked, but that understanding informs the training and gives it power.  What one then brings to a day of fighting allows for an extraordinary experience.  But if one simply comes sailing in without the awareness of what a shot to the head can mean and lacking the training to minimize its likelihood, then one is not brave, but foolish.

Why is this happening now at this time?  

It is not because some fighters are taking shots that should not be taken.   I am proud of the character, composure and awareness shown by the fighters in not taking shots that should not be taken.   There is no problem on this front.

The problem, in my opinion has two basic causes.  First, with the trend of manufacture of the fencing masks tending towards ever heavier, many of the current masks have large zones of substantial protection, thus leading to unsound habits.  Thus it may come as a surprise to a fighter when he gets hit in a zone that offers little protection.

Second, in my opinion is that there is a tendency at the moment to bypass the rigorous training methods that yield sound defensive skills.  

What to do?

When it comes to a Dog Brothers Gathering, only you are responsible for you.  If you wish to fight, it is up to you what to do about this.  I do suggest you think about it and train well.

The adventure continues,
Crafty Dog
Guiding Force of the Dog Brothers

Woof WD:

  Details, details!

10-12:30 Train
12:30-2:00 eat together
2-4:30 Train.

In other words, no crack of dawn nonsense, a leisurely lunch of good companionship, and 5 hours of the best training we can do.

Woof,
Guro Crafty