Challenging Statements

[Ringo Funk]

I read on Fightsport.com there was a guy saying that he knew some of the Dog Brothers and that he had trained with several of them in grappling. Apparently, this person who goes by the name "Fatbody" on the Fightsport forum has claimed some pretty serious stuff in regards to the Dog Brothers. How do you handle it when challenging statements are made about how effective or "real" the stickfighting is? Fatbody claims that he would have no problem taking any of the main Dog Brothers down and beating them on the ground by submission holds or chokes. He says he trained at R.A.W.  I wouldn't even mention it except that he says things that sound like he can back up his claims. He said he has attended a gathering and beat his opponent easily with groundwork. The stick was no threat  as far as he tells it. See for yourselves.

http://www.Fightsport.com

and it's in the general discussion forum under the title "dog brothers."

Would you be willing to go there and refute some of these remarks?

[Crafty_Dog]

Woof Ringo:

  Just back from business travel and went to take a look but could not find it.  Which of the forums is it in? Do you have a specific URL?

Crafty Dog

[SB_Mig]

Guro Crafty,

Here is the link to the forum:

http://www.fightsport.com/fightsport/forum/discussion1/forum1.htm

If for some reason that doesn't work. The discussion forum is titled: No Holds Barred.

You can scroll down the discussion subjects on the left. "Dog Brothers" is about 35-40 subjects down.

Always interesting to read what people have to say. And always interesting to how you can gauge their age/maturity level by their written statements.

Peace,

Miguel

[carlo]

here's the discussion http://www.fightsport.com/fsport/jsp/message1.jsp?updateHit=yes&fromList1=yes&Id2=0&Id=73125&AuthorId=1

-c

[Anonymous]

Ugh. That place makes my head ache. So much goddamn stupid e-bickering...

[JKD Guy]

Yikes...have you seen the posts on that site?  Doesn't seem like it's worth a reply.  

And Fatbody sounds like someone who's pissed about RAW.  I've heard RAW is a top notch place.

Sounds like stupid sour grapes to me.

I hope I look like Crafty when I'm in my fifties!

[BJJ_for_me]

Fatbody doesn't say he's rolled with several Dog Brothers.  he said he rolled with Crafty at Raw and then one match with a DB who clocked him in the knee.

Sh*t, I'm 190 and if I rolled with a 224 guy I'd probably get pounded too.  

Each has their own opinion about their craft.  But talkin' sh*t is just that, talkin' shit.  

I like the Dog Brothers because they walk their talk.  They don't sit on the side lines and talk a bunch of sh*t about other MAs.  They do their thing, experiment, and have a good time at it.

I hope when I'm old as dirt (sorry Crafty!), I can still roll with the best of them!  

Stay the path brothers!

[james version]

fatboy is no contender.  i know this guy personally.  he is but an armchair warrior, infected with the green belt curse (he thinks he can beat anyone under the sun). he's but a young 'un, barking silly idiotic statements about things he knows nothing of.

[Crafty_Dog]

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

[PAT G]

I JUST READ THIS FAT GUYS POST ;     FORGET IT GUYS LET IT GO . WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE DB ARE ALL ABOUT AND WHAT THERE NOT , AND THEY ARE DEFINITLY NOT ABOUT THIS GUY. PERSONALLY I NEVER HEARD A DB SHOW DISRESPECT TO ANOTHER MA.   ALL MY RESPECT TO GURU CRAFTY AND THE DB'S.

PAT G

[carlo]

Here are a couple of quotes from my favorite quotable personality, Attila the Hun which sum up my experiences with Guro Crafty and how he handles these things.  More than anything he has taught me how to play well with others.  

"Great chieftains never take themselves too seriously."

"It is best for your friends and foes to speak well of you; however, it is better for them to speak poorly
of you than not at all."

"Every Hun is responsible for shaping his life circumstances and experiences into success --
no other Hun, and certainly no Roman, can do for a Hun what he neglects to do for himself. "

-Dog Carlo

[Guest]

Ugh. That place makes my head ache. So much goddamn stupid e-bickering...

If you don't like it, don't go there.  Simple as that.  There may be -ebickering over there but this smacks of complaining over here.  Do something about it or get over it.

[Kail]

Howdy to all those out there.

Not a dog, most likely never will be in anything other than spirit thanks in large part to geography.  Hitting the site, it reads like the same general sort of ego waving that crops up on a lot of MMA concentrated places.  Very much an insular group, demeaning and deriding anything other than sport fighting in the ring, generally grappling oriented.  Saddly the state of things in more traditionally oriented sites as well, an "if your not us, your not fighting" mentality.  

The negative comments made about the DBMA site here, its content as " self-aggrandizing text" that pushes for a deification of the Dog Brothers, I just don't see it.  My instructor and I have long discussed the DB as we get on the topics of weapons training.  What we like the most is not particular technique or even combative approaches, but the attitude that is fostered by those such as Crafty Dog.  Somewhere on the site, I think, the formative days of the DB are discussed, and how the hard fights were transformative, and in the same breath(figuratively speaking of course) that you don't have to go hard all the time, and only as hard as you want and are comfortable with.  Between that and the philosophy of fighting as play, its an attitude we get along with.  My instructor has talked about making the trip out to a Gathering of the Pack, and I've wondered about his chances of survival.  Neither of us is in any way skilled with sticks, enthusiastic yes, skilled, heck no!  So, if any of you dogs out there spot a redneck(Southern gent not blessed with as much money as respect for his fellow man=redneck) waving sticks like mad, be kind, its one or the other of us.

Thanks
Kail

[Ringo]

Thank you for your answers.

[dogfighter]

At the risk of sounding like I'm stealing my friend Dogzilla's lines, FATBOY sounds like a dick who needs his ass kicked!   GRRRRRRRRR.

[Arkangel`]

I read both forums and think the most telling comment was when FATBOY stated he left the RAW gym cause no one liked him.
If people know who he is personally, I think they should make every effort possible to encourage him to participate in a Gathering.  Just to show there are no hard feelings. Maybe introduce him to Dogzilla. Shit I'd like to meet him if I ever get down there.
Hurcum