"Karate guy" with a katana

[ScottUK]

Just wondering, isnt the katana a two handed sword only? One thing i dont like about samurai movies and stuff is characters handling massive blades with one hand and striking stupid poses.

No, many (if not all?) ryuha use katate-waza.

[rfoxmich]

Is it just me or is Obata sensei putting on a bit of uh.. hara?

[Trent]

I hang my head in shame as a fellow Australian (Mr. Foster in the video is an Australian). However, he is TaeKwonDo, not karate, so I guess I escape the shame there...

[Wraith]

Is it just me, or does it look like the bare chested model is trying to decapitate himself before having a shit?

[Wesley Myers]

Is this the continuation of the Haedong Gumdo Silliness thread?

[Ricky Arias]

I actually met Bren Foster when he showed up with Ernie Reyes, Jr. at a local school to demo the XMA stuff they do. My friend Bobby ran the dojo. Bren was a cool guy I have to say. No he does not know much about the sword from a Toyama standpoint as Obata does. What he does know is from the spinning XMA and alike stuff witch is very clear in his videos. But he does not pretend to be a sword master. He is however good with a Bo staff . Cant say that much for the sword, but again he is not a "sword master". He is a 5th Dan in Tae Kwon Do, 1st Dan in Hapkido and 1st dan in Hwarang do. Hwarang-do does teach the sword from a Korean standpoint so he can only do what he was trained to do. There was a talk about this on the shinkendo forum some years back where they all had their laugh. But Obata did not step up because as they stated he "did not want to put his art in the wrong view" buy does not mind making a Dodan strike at a persons head in front of a camera. He does not mind being in the Ninja Turtles, or Showdown in Little Tokyo, Walker Texas Ranger ex. It comes down to that Mr. Foster may not be what you guys like, but he has skill in hand to hand arts and trains on a daily basis. I was not shocked to find he used to be a body builder when he was younger. But shit man if I had a body like his I would walk around shirtless to Even though he did wear a Gi top in our seminar. Like all these dumb shows on spike and other channels if "real" top ranked swordsmen and alike wanted to show Bren how its done then they would have. But they didn't and almost never do. They would rather judge than be friendly and respect the man as a fellow martial artist.

Basicly guys Mr Foster has allot of skills I could never have. He may not see martial arts the same way as allot of us, but why talk smack about a guy you never met and a guy that would not have the sane disrespect for you?

[Fred27]

Just wondering, isnt the katana a two handed sword only? One thing i dont like about samurai movies and stuff is characters handling massive blades with one hand and striking stupid poses.

Like this one?
http://lisabernhard.files.wordpress....t-samurai1.jpg

Its a prime example of scientology-ryu.

[xvikingx]

There was a talk about this on the shinkendo forum some years back where they all had their laugh. But Obata did not step up because as they stated he "did not want to put his art in the wrong view" buy does not mind making a Dodan strike at a persons head in front of a camera. He does not mind being in the Ninja Turtles, or Showdown in Little Tokyo, Walker Texas Ranger ex.

Oh shit. Call your mothers. I actually agree with Ricky.

Bren, however, is still a tool. He may not have claimed to be a master but he sure talked like he was an authority in front of the cameras. One thing I found particularly amusing, other than all the hyperbole, was the deadly serious "one cut one kill" line that following him spinning around and hacking at the gel multiple times.
He may be a nice guy but he is clearly talking out of his ass and that is why people laugh at him.

[The great I AM]

Basicly guys Mr Foster has allot of skills I could never have. He may not see martial arts the same way as allot of us, but why talk smack about a guy you never met and a guy that would not have the sane disrespect for you?

Welcome to the interwebz, Ricky. Evidently, it will never be your friend.

[Ricky Arias]

A tool based on the sword "training" he has done does not match up with the norm of what we look on as real sword training.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcuqajjBnIU


I have seen this form under allot of critique from a few high ranking swordsmen from other dojos. But look at it. Some of you may not think so, but this form demonstrates a strong military combative view of sword technique that many would not agree with. In many ways the form is all Obata, but in some ways its pure Gunto No Soho era of sword form. One thing Obata does that Mr. Foster does not is have a live person hold the targets he cuts as obata does towards the end of the video. He is a slip away from taking off a hand and killing a poor student. Monkeys can fall from trees then Obata can have an off day with a sword.

Honestly with Mr Fosters control over his body and polished technique as far as hand and foot moves it would take the right Sensei maybe a year to teach him to cut with the control that Obata does. But as I said before most people will only pass judgment on others rather than be the teachers they claim to be. Really you could laugh at anyone who does sword arts because common study includes cutting rush mats and swinging at air rather than actually fighting a real opponent. Obata's head student talks about the tatami mat being like a "large arm". He makes comments on Shuriken when he demo's them and I am sure allot of people in Ninjutsu Dojos could really pick on him for.


I went to the local Junior College in the interest of Joining a Kendo club. But watching the Sensei there as he started spouting that he was teaching an art that was the "mainstay of ancient samurai" I am sure that allot of you would slap him upside the head. Not exactly a false statement per say, but just a "talking out of his ass" comment that until then I had never seen a kendoka make. I did not end up taking the class because most of the students were lazy and not really working all that hard. There were no sweat rings on the uniforms even at the end of class. It was not very "formal" to say the least Still looking for a decent club, but that was my 3rd stop and the search does not look to good so far.

[xvikingx]

What is your point Rick? No one here is revering Obata, and that most recent mess of a post does nothing to legitimize Bren Foster's (Australian for beer) skills. Are you just arguing for the sake of arguing?

[Ricky Arias]

What is your point Rick? No one here is revering Obata, and that most recent mess of a post does nothing to legitimize Bren Foster's (Australian for beer) skills. Are you just arguing for the sake of arguing?

Well that kinda is the point. People like Obata are considered beyond comment in a few circles I know. In his videos I see him doing this that are risky I no matter the skill level. He has people hold targets as do the sensei he trained. But yet no one says anything. A guy like Foster holds the same status among XMA people, but here he is a joke. But for doing something that is less of a danger to another person when he demonstrates.

I remember a site online that had a tutorial on how to make the gel used in the testings. Would one of you ranking kendoka like to attempt the same thing? Would you believe that one of you who has only done kendo using a shinai and bokuto for kata would not look just as foolish? Would you subject yourselves to the same harsh comments? I recently did some cutting and opened myself up to allot of comments from a few different sensei in different dojos. I am working on the list of things they gave me (long list) and currently waiting for my days off to shoot more video.

I have heard people make allot of harsh comments and not really show anything of their own. Can one of you show me where your skills in kendo or Iai ex. would do better in such a test? And then allow it to be bashed in open forum by people you have never met?

[stealth_monkey]

I remember a site online that had a tutorial on how to make the gel used in the testings. Would one of you ranking kendoka like to attempt the same thing?

Although I have no kendo rank. No, I would not. The reason is that I, like Mr Foster, have absolutely no experience in actual cutting techniques. I would be foolhardy to pass myself off as even capable of performing such a feat, let alone being prepared to perform it on tv.

Can one of you show me where your skills in kendo or Iai ex. would do better in such a test? And then allow it to be bashed in open forum by people you have never met?

As above, not particularly. I know I'm crap, I'm not going to jump on TV and attempt to represent an art I know little about

Basicly guys Mr Foster has allot of skills I could never have. He may not see martial arts the same way as allot of us, but why talk smack about a guy you never met and a guy that would not have the sane disrespect for you?

Mr Foster is a gymnast, not a martial artist (although this is my personal opinion, others disagree). We talk smack about him because he actively harms the martial artists of the world by his presence. If even one kid watches his demonstrations/katas/shows and believes either through misinformation or lack of factual information that Mr Foster represents actual swordsmanship, he has tainted japanese sword arts, and we all would have been better off had he never existed.

[Ricky Arias]

Although I have no kendo rank. No, I would not. The reason is that I, like Mr Foster, have absolutely no experience in actual cutting techniques. I would be foolhardy to pass myself off as even capable of performing such a feat, let alone being prepared to perform it on tv.


As above, not particularly. I know I'm crap, I'm not going to jump on TV and attempt to represent an art I know little about



Mr Foster is a gymnast, not a martial artist (although this is my personal opinion, others disagree). We talk smack about him because he actively harms the martial artists of the world by his presence. If even one kid watches his demonstrations/katas/shows and believes either through misinformation or lack of factual information that Mr Foster represents actual swordsmanship, he has tainted japanese sword arts, and we all would have been better off had he never existed.

Given that he has never trained in Gymnastics I am not sure how you could call him a gymnast? And saying it was better he not have existed... WAY to harsh.


[09/19/1981, Kashima, Japan]

6th Grade Student Killed While Watching Practice:

KASHIMA. On September 19th at around 8:35pm, Mr. Sakamoto Katsu (45 yrs old) was practicing Iaido in the Kashima Central Public Community Center when the mekugi [retaining pin] of his sword fell out. He swung the sword down and the blade flew out, striking the nearby eldest son of Mr. Nishi Toshikatsu, Takao (12 yrs old). A sixth grade student, Takao was killed when he was pierced in the left side of his chest. He was immediately rushed to the Japan Red Cross Hospital in Kumamoto City where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Takao had just finished practicing Judo, and was observing Mr. Sakamoto's Iaido.

-Compiled and Edited by Nathan Scott


Does that guy not taint Japanese swordsmanship? Yet he was a senior swordsmen who after years of training made a mistake in safety and a young boy lost his life. That guy had probably done his demo work many times, but on that day a slight mistake made a boy pay the ultimate price. Yes this was a very rare thing, but it can happen to anybody.

[xvikingx]

Well that kinda is the point.

Which is what? Could you be any more vague?

People like Obata are considered beyond comment in a few circles I know.

Sure maybe in some circles but this is not one of them. In fact I agreed with you earlier. So again, what is your point Rick?

Would one of you ranking kendoka like to attempt the same thing?

I wouldn't risk possibly ruining an expensive sword on a gel bust, but if one was provided for me I would give a go.

Would you believe that one of you who has only done kendo using a shinai and bokuto for kata would not look just as foolish?

No I wouldn't. I am not saying I'd be any more successful but I'd at least keep my shirt, not twirl around, and not make ridiculous noises.