Craptastic National Geographic Documentary - Fight Science!

[MrBump]

I had fun laughing at this one.

http://www.videosift.com/video/Fight-Science-Last-Section-Katana

Not sure whether to feel sorry for Shinkendo's Obata sensei though. Heh.

[ben]

Sorry for Obata sensei? This is what he does for a living. Remember he was a fight arranger in Japan for many years. Showbusiness is his metier.

As for that Aussie hunk, well! If I played for the other team I'd forgive his atrocious skills in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I don't. So I won't.

The Youtube ninjers and samyureyes I can handle. It's when these people get money and production values that I get scared.

b

[Kaoru]

That's the one with David Boyd hacking away at that jello-like human makiwara isn't it? Or... well, I just can't remember. There's a couple of these shows that have been airing lately, and I've seen them all. But, can't remember which is which! I wonder why they keep having him of all people demonstrate koryu. In one of the
shows, he did an Iaido kata which looked very stiff and ungraceful. And, his bow was all funny.

All I know is, had I never seen Iai in person and never had seen videos of koryu Iai, and not known anything at all,(I know what a couple things really look like from what I was shown, but don't know anything beyond saying what basic waza I recognise like noto, chiburi, tatehiza, stuff like that.) I might have thought that that is how koryu kata is supposed to look like. Pretty scary... And, a bad representation of the art itself.

As to that makiwara, he hacked and hacked at it and all I could do was watch with horror at the very bad technique and too much strength used to cut. (It was too obvious NOT to notice!) Then, I started laughing. He looked like he wanted to murder it! It really was ugly to watch.

Why can't they stop mixing legit practitioners with karate JSA wannabes?? And, they should stop having the karate sword person do the kata demos and not let them cut, either. They send the wrong message to the average person who doesn't study koryu JSA, as to what koryu really is and what it actually looks like. It's sacrilege! :mad:

In defense of Obata-sensei: At least he doesn't look stupid when cutting! And, at least, for once, they found someone who takes JSA seriously. Ok, so he's not Dr. Friday or Sekiguchi-sensei or whoever else you guys would pick. But, at least he looked decent and kept a shirt on, for heaven's sakes!

Kaoru

[ben]

Yes, Kaoru, you're right. Full marks to Obata sensei for keeping his shirt on.
After all, he does live in LA. Not wearing a shirt is pretty de rigeur over there I believe.
b

[JCM]

Was the baby oil on his body really necessary?.

Oiled torsos are not the martial way...

[Oroshi]

I saw this once and can't bring myself to watch it again, but I remember seeing some cocky TKD guy twirling the sword like a baton, throwing in the air(!) and then attempting to cut as if he's never handled one in his life (choked up, no tenouchi, no control, all upper body strength...). I've seen people with no JSA training have a go at tameshigiri (under supervision) and do far better than him.

The whole show was a joke. About as unscientific as you can get. Maybe this sounds stupid, but as my training emphasises respect to the sword above all else, I actually felt a a little physically disgusted when I saw him twirling one about.



(I'm not really full of hate, don't worry).

[Gessho]

I had fun laughing at this one.

http://www.videosift.com/video/Fight-Science-Last-Section-Katana

Not sure whether to feel sorry for Shinkendo's Obata sensei though. Heh.

That was pathetic! Who can we spam at Nat'l Geographic to stop this kind of bile?

[Mr. T.]

This horrific show has been discussed a while ago:
http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12049&highlight=Fight+Science

It sucked then and it sucks now and it will allways suck. NGC screwed up, big time. Why could do a quallity show like the 8th dan exam (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afMAGsh83Xo)of Kenichi Ishida?

[pgsmith]

That was pathetic! Who can we spam at Nat'l Geographic to stop this kind of bile?
You can't forget what a television show is about. It is all about the number of viewers ... period. That's what TV shows are made for. Traditional sword arts would have a very small following anywhere in the world, even Japan. Entertainment is about flash, not necessarily substance. Fancy-pants sword twirling is much more exciting to the average TV watcher than the best swordsman in the world performing kata. No way around it, no way to change it, so just accept it and move on. :)

On a separate note, I'm a bit disappointed in the direction that Obata sensei is going with Shinkendo. It started out with very high hopes and standards, but seems to be going farther down hill every year in his attempt to further disseminate it and create new schools.

Pity really ...

[Oroshi]

No way around it, no way to change it, so just accept it and move on. :)

That's a great attitude. I should try to do that more myself. So long as it's not harming anyone I usually grit my teeth and try to ignore it... although if someone asks me what I think of it, I'll certainly tell them.

[ben]

This horrific show has been discussed a while ago:
http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12049&highlight=Fight+Science

It sucked then and it sucks now and it will allways suck. NGC screwed up, big time. Why could do a quallity show like the 8th dan exam (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afMAGsh83Xo)of Kenichi Ishida?

They didn't. NGC only screened it. NHK made it, then commissioned an English-language narration. You can see the same NHK doco template at work in the Eiga documentary.

b

[pgsmith]

... although if someone asks me what I think of it, I'll certainly tell them.
Hehehe ... I get in trouble for that one quite often! :)

[theicychameleon]

I love the way at the beginning they focus on his pecs rather than the sword while talking about its 'qualities.' Reminds me of the first time me and my friends saw crouching tiger. Every time they talked about the sword it was like they were talking about something else... or maybe it was just because we were filthy minded teenagers. Still, nice to see nothings changed. :D

[theicychameleon]

Just watched the rest, hilarious beyond words.

The true warrior knows that his most powerful weapon, is the heart, of a warrior!

Is that like some kind of grenade?

[Jon Palombi]

If the upper-class ancient Romans had access to this grotesque mockery, they wouldn't have had to induce vomitting with thier fingertips. They simply would eat too much, turn on this video and regurgitate. Someone should tell that kid to put his shirt on. What a hacking dumbass... Why wasn't Sensei Obata cutting the jello-man? Maybe by that time he had realized that the whole project was idiotic and quit the set? Good concept in general, poor casting in specific. (Excuse me while I go and heave-up breakfast.)

[Dave_petrucci]

That was fantastic. It's amazing how the general public will swallow that crap for the honest truth about genuine sword arts. Makes you feel a little like Neo after taking the Red pill doesn't it?

[Gessho]

If the upper-class ancient Romans had access to this grotesque mockery, they wouldn't have had to induce vomitting with thier fingertips. They simply would eat too much, turn on this video and regurgitate. Someone should tell that kid to put his shirt on. What a hacking dumbass... Why wasn't Sensei Obata cutting the jello-man? Maybe by that time he had realized that the whole project was idiotic and quit the set? Good concept in general, poor casting in specific. (Excuse me while I go and heave-up breakfast.)

Well-written and it echos my feelings as well! It sickens me to see this kind of faux-documentary which is becoming far too prevalent.

[Mr. T.]

That was fantastic. It's amazing how the general public will swallow that crap for the honest truth about genuine sword arts. Makes you feel a little like Neo after taking the Red pill doesn't it?

It's because they have never seen the real thing. before you know it they go to some "XMA master" go to one of those sad tournaments, become the martial champion of the world at some ridiculous local tournament and after a couple of weeks they think they are doing the real deal. Even when they are confronted with the truth they have become so deluded by their egos (and a closet full of plastic trophies) that they will never change. For a lot of these folks winning something is more important that learning a legit JSA, they need to have their self image confirmed by others all the time. Kind of sad, to be so insecure that you need to start doing armed ballet and call it extreme martial arts. It's like doing martial arts isn't enough, so let's call it extreme MA. As if it has anything to do with martial arts :silly:

Ever know test that these kind of events are always judged be some kind of non contact karate master. :rolleyes:

[Luke]

hey theres a docu-show with kelly osborne in it on you tube were she s goes to japan. one part of the show is her going to a iaido school.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vo8MzwXM0I8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=S3oXOl64pCM&mode=related&search=

i love the part where she complains that its a sword not a "wooden stick"

[Masahiro]

Not sure whether to feel sorry for Shinkendo's Obata sensei though. Heh.

i dont' think i'd turn down the chance to hack at a jelly human like tameshigiri.

[Kenzan]

On a separate note, I'm a bit disappointed in the direction that Obata sensei is going with Shinkendo. It started out with very high hopes and standards, but seems to be going farther down hill every year in his attempt to further disseminate it and create new schools.
Pity really ...

You totally owe me a Coke for me being right about that guy.
:D

[JoDuncan]

I thought it was some fine television.

Dan Inosanto is a bit of a legend! I heard from an MA colleague that Guru Inosanto was saying he was belting the rubber dude with his kali sticks harder than the guy with the 6' staff, which was swung like a baseball bat if i remember correctly... kerrrshhnaap.