Oops I bumped a MABS with nothing substantial

I definitely see a peepee taste video in Mr. Barvo’s future. When the UG Mob gets involved, it’s usually game over man, game over…

Looking for instruction

A couple of things…

I’m looking for a school that teaches effective martial arts and defense.

I’m also a musician and a studier of philosophy, and have encountered many teachers who are not teaching effectively. Two reasons why, bad teacher or what they are teaching is false.

I have always been a scientist in my approach to life, I use what works, not what sounds good or looks good, things that seem easier etc. can all be shallow and ineffective in the long term.

From philosophy I know that having the right system, IS as important as having the RIGHT teacher. A better teacher can make up for a less than perfect system, and a better system can make up for some teaching flaws, however a bad teacher will always produce bad results regardless of the system, and a bad system will fail to give results even if the teacher is amazing.

I have always been interested in JKD, because it is philosophically sound, it uses the scientific method, at least formally.

I have always been interested in your studio John. I have sympathies towards both camps of JKD, and I think both have reasons for being. Saying that, it seems to make sense to get a bit of what Bruce Lee thought was fundamental until I can develop my own criteria for what works and doesn’t.

However, I don’t have a lot of money to spend on things that don’t work.

Given this thread I’m now concerned with your school. I think while you have been jumped on, and because someone is threatening your livelihood and respect from an impression stings, the way you have handled yourself isn’t in keeping with what I’ve learned about effective teachers in general.

I’m ADHD, which makes learning complicated for me, I’m very sensitive to teaching style, I learn very fast with a good teacher and not at all with a bad one.

I’m worried about the way you respond, which is not directly. Philosophically I can tell when something is flawed if they cannot respond directly.

I have talked to you in email and over the phone once, a few years ago, but because I switched to a new job I never had time to follow up. At that time I was also a little concerned about the way you answered questions then, which is not directly.

I find it very telling of someones attention, or seriousness when bulletined questions are outlined and then completely ignored in follow ups… to me it is a respect question, in that you don’t have enough for me to concern yourself with answering me, or you didn’t pay attention to what I wrote.

Now I don’t know you, have have no way of knowing whether you are or are not something I want to get involved with. I think with as many false teachers out there, you’d be happy people are being critical, even if for the time being that criticism is focused on you.

I’m a very critical person, its how I learn, how i see the facets and attributes of something… if i was to enter your class, and be serious about it, I would be questioning why you were doing everything you were doing, not out of disrespect but because I want you to explain it to me. Thats how I learn. This conversation has made me feel that you would be hostile to this or answer me in vague generalities…

I take everything I do seriously and I’m seriously interested in your school, but I also have serious reservations. I would be very happy if you were to address my concerns. Feel free to PM if you don’t want to deal with the rest of the posters.

I’m just really skeptical of the whole Jerry Springer, "You don’t Know me, you don’t know anything about me, response… because I think ultimately skepticism is the martial art of philosophy, and I think everyone wants to make sure that what they are learning and who they are learning from deserves their time and money, because most people are short on both.

For everyone else, what are some good schools in the Detroit area, East Side or Down-townish? I’m really interested in JKD, but I’m also skeptical of the watering down of this system of thinking, however I’m also equally concerned about vulgar eclecticism that just pick and pulls things without regard to an underlying system. Given that I’m gonna have to make some compromises, what are good schools? I will be moving back to a rough area in Detroit, and would like real Defense training, sparring all that… I don’t want to wait through years of forms. Suggestions?