Post by Victor on Dec 30, 2004 20:21:37 GMT -5
Hi everyone,
I too am a new member to this discussion group, and while sharing the same last name am not related to Russ Smith (Hi Russ), but we have shared on occassion.
I've been practicing Isshinryu karate for the past 31 or so years (teaching youth for 25 and a small adult program too all of whom have been studying over 15 years).
My martial interests are great, my ability definately far less than great. I've been doing Yang TCC for over 25 years, and am a student of Ernest Rothrock. The form I practice might be called the 108 but I see tai chi as more one continuous flow you enter and occassionally leave. I teach this to a very few people who've been meeting on my driveway the past 17 years on Sunday mornings. As I live in New Hampshire we've gone from 115 deg. f. in the summers on occassion to -20 deg. f. in the winters on occassion too. The only time we don't meet is in rain.
My bio can be found on a web site a friend created years ago at www.funkydragon.com/bushi . Roughly I've trained whenever I could, wherever and learnt perhaps something.
After reaching my shodan in Isshinryu I began my tai chi studies. A year later I approched my instructor and asked if I could study some "Kung Fu" forms could I could judge better. Over the next few years he shared some studies from his Sil Lum, Pai Lum, Tai Mantis and Ying Jow Pai background. Wish I could say they stuck but as I've not lived near him for over 20 years, much of them are more background training these days. I only share a very little with my current students as their needs don't move there.
I've certainly followed his studies in Faan Tzi Ying Jow Pai over the years, he trained with Shum Leung for 25 years before he began teaching it, and am very impressed at the depth of Northern Eagle Claw.
The past 6 or so years when I've seen him I've added an intitial study of the Wu Tai Chi Chaun teaching form to try and keep somewhat up with his own studies.
A large part of my studies came from 10 years I studied with Tris Sutrisno, an Indonesian Shotokan stylist. His background in Shotokan, Aikido and Tjimande has certainly helped shape my understanding of the arts.
I also met the late Sherman Harrill about 8 years ago, he began in Okinawa alongside my original instructor, and for over 40 years he worked very hard on the application potential within Isshinryu itself. At clinics in my school I documented over 800 application potential within Isshinryu's 8 kata. His approach, more akin to fractal mathematics in technique study, was more advanced in a way I had already been going and as a result really shaped my later study.
I'm a business analyst by professions, a family man and a martial artist out of love of all the arts. I only teach for free, waiting for the next lifetime to consider teaching for cash.
But we have many interests. I love classical music and jazz, I read a lot of science fiction, I participate on various martial discussion groups, focusing on more tradtional interests and occassionally write on them at www.fightingarts.com when the spirit rises.
I also have a little secret, I'm a looooooong time fan of the Destroyer Series (Murray and Sapir), and occasionally write fan fiction in their universe. Too much as one of those intersested in the series has a fan fiction web site where he's collected my work. When I saw it I found I wrote several books by accident and still continue to do so.
There's nothing lower than an author plugging his own work, so I guess I'm pretty low, but if you're really desparate to read bad writing (and as the Destroyer series is about the greatest assassins in the history of humanity) that often has a martial parable, I may fit the bill.
Those scribblings can be found at www.plansofmice.co.uk/destroyer/
just remember I warned you. Frequently my friends have found themselves written into my stories, and sometimes they even survive.
I'm quite impressed with this site and hope I can offer something worth discussing from time to time.
Pleasantly,
I too am a new member to this discussion group, and while sharing the same last name am not related to Russ Smith (Hi Russ), but we have shared on occassion.
I've been practicing Isshinryu karate for the past 31 or so years (teaching youth for 25 and a small adult program too all of whom have been studying over 15 years).
My martial interests are great, my ability definately far less than great. I've been doing Yang TCC for over 25 years, and am a student of Ernest Rothrock. The form I practice might be called the 108 but I see tai chi as more one continuous flow you enter and occassionally leave. I teach this to a very few people who've been meeting on my driveway the past 17 years on Sunday mornings. As I live in New Hampshire we've gone from 115 deg. f. in the summers on occassion to -20 deg. f. in the winters on occassion too. The only time we don't meet is in rain.
My bio can be found on a web site a friend created years ago at www.funkydragon.com/bushi . Roughly I've trained whenever I could, wherever and learnt perhaps something.
After reaching my shodan in Isshinryu I began my tai chi studies. A year later I approched my instructor and asked if I could study some "Kung Fu" forms could I could judge better. Over the next few years he shared some studies from his Sil Lum, Pai Lum, Tai Mantis and Ying Jow Pai background. Wish I could say they stuck but as I've not lived near him for over 20 years, much of them are more background training these days. I only share a very little with my current students as their needs don't move there.
I've certainly followed his studies in Faan Tzi Ying Jow Pai over the years, he trained with Shum Leung for 25 years before he began teaching it, and am very impressed at the depth of Northern Eagle Claw.
The past 6 or so years when I've seen him I've added an intitial study of the Wu Tai Chi Chaun teaching form to try and keep somewhat up with his own studies.
A large part of my studies came from 10 years I studied with Tris Sutrisno, an Indonesian Shotokan stylist. His background in Shotokan, Aikido and Tjimande has certainly helped shape my understanding of the arts.
I also met the late Sherman Harrill about 8 years ago, he began in Okinawa alongside my original instructor, and for over 40 years he worked very hard on the application potential within Isshinryu itself. At clinics in my school I documented over 800 application potential within Isshinryu's 8 kata. His approach, more akin to fractal mathematics in technique study, was more advanced in a way I had already been going and as a result really shaped my later study.
I'm a business analyst by professions, a family man and a martial artist out of love of all the arts. I only teach for free, waiting for the next lifetime to consider teaching for cash.
But we have many interests. I love classical music and jazz, I read a lot of science fiction, I participate on various martial discussion groups, focusing on more tradtional interests and occassionally write on them at www.fightingarts.com when the spirit rises.
I also have a little secret, I'm a looooooong time fan of the Destroyer Series (Murray and Sapir), and occasionally write fan fiction in their universe. Too much as one of those intersested in the series has a fan fiction web site where he's collected my work. When I saw it I found I wrote several books by accident and still continue to do so.
There's nothing lower than an author plugging his own work, so I guess I'm pretty low, but if you're really desparate to read bad writing (and as the Destroyer series is about the greatest assassins in the history of humanity) that often has a martial parable, I may fit the bill.
Those scribblings can be found at www.plansofmice.co.uk/destroyer/
just remember I warned you. Frequently my friends have found themselves written into my stories, and sometimes they even survive.
I'm quite impressed with this site and hope I can offer something worth discussing from time to time.
Pleasantly,
