What's missing in the martial arts?

[Mugenjin]

Do any of u guys speak chinese? Just wonderin

[doc]

I've tried to learn on multiple occasions. I keep getting to about 175 words, and then I start forgetting 1 through 50. My memory is not the best anymore, but, I will admit, I've tried.

It's a beautiful language, especially if you try to learn the writing aspects of it.

[shaolinstylee]

The best I can do is counting, and a few phrases, oh and kung fu stuff.

[dave]

i can speak a little cantonese - just general things, some food, MA related etc. as well as a little mandarin (the same as for canto). i can write a little and have learned some chinese calligraphy, but not that much. I think if you actually have a chinese teacher its pretty hard not to pick up a few words here and there

im trying to learn some arabic now - can already read and write - just no idea what the words actually mean (arabic has an alphabet system like english, unlike chinese which just has thousands of characters - 3000 for daily use or something crazy like that).

dave

[doc]

There are something like over 66,000 characters in Chinese. To be "fluent", five thousand is enough. For simple basic conversation, five hundred will get you by.

I still can't remember how to write more than ten of them...

LOL

[shaolinstylee]

Too much time praying
and rewriting...

[Maestro]

azzins

i work with alot of asins and it seems like they all can communicate pretty well

even though im not even sure they are from the same place..

and..

i dunno about chinese being a beautiful language..i mean how do you think its beautiful or whatever you said doc?

cause when these chinese people talk to me they dont even know english most of em and they raise their voices to me as if im doing something wrong when im just standing wondering wtf they want..

its like "DO YOU WANT SOME ****ING SOURCROUT OR CHEESE" and they just speak all fast and point at stuff

and they make these huge outrageous orders and their probably the most indecisive people ever..

or maybe im focusing to much on the race i dunno...its just after awhile hearing that language over and over its just like i wanna stab myself in the head

the japs arent as bad they arent as indecisive..but they do make really big orders..maybe the big order stuff is for their familiys but i mean its not like regular people dont have big families..and they are like the only ones doing this..

dah im getting off topic..


anyway the point im making is alot of these asians i work with and i interact with ingeneral all seem to speak the same language..and i know a couple of em arent chinese..theyre like veitnamese and stuff..

so maybe you dont need to know that much chinese to communicate with these people..

im starting to think differently about it just because of what i see every damn day..

i figure if you learn the basics just like these foreigners do about english then you can basically get what you want out of the language..unless you want to be fluent..

i think being understandable is better in the long run..since you probably have to work at a language like chinese for some odd years..and i mean if oyu dont live in china your never really gonna use it unless your always around asian that only speak chinese..

but meh..rant over

[doc]

Don't confuse a higher volume of voice for emotional content. We Americans will raise our voice when we want to make a point ("Your MOTHER! Yea, I did YO MOMMA and yo SUSTER too, mother****er...."). Oops, sorry, had a New York moment. In Chinese, you'll notice that even when they speak normally, they raise their voice. When I go to Thailand to get away from them, inevitably, you find some wealthy Chinese families, all with screaming little bastards for children. The kids just don't know how to talk in a low voice, neither do Chinese girls or women. Or, drunk men for that matter. I think it's all a part of the tonal changes of their language, more so, than trying to emphasize what they're saying.

But, that's my opinion. I'm far from an expert on any kind of language other than "New Yorkese".

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to look for a cat named baby in my back yard. Some very large breasted kind of young woman just knocked on my door to ask me if she could wander around my backyard looking for her cat, which her ex boyfriend stole. The cat has been seen in my backyard, along with many other cats. (They like the foliage and the water). I've got a veritable pussy palace in my house boys and girls. Imagine, a very large and very shaven bald guy wandering around a very well landscaped backyard, looking for a cat that hates men. A cat named baby.

This is going to be ****ing fun folks...

[dave]

Mandarin is spoken all over china, hong kong now and even in taiwan. its called "pu tong hua" which means like the peoples languge. most, especially the richer people speak it (ie. people who can afford to send their kids abroad to study etc.). in my experience most everyone speaks mandarin, yet also their own local dialect wether cantonese, hakka, fujian or whatever. of course it depends where you are though, most everyday people especially in the south speak their dialect and have rudimentary knoweledge/varying degrees of mandarin.

vince: if these people were chinese but from vietnam then most usually speak chinese as well as vietnamese or whatever other language. i have many chinese malaysian friends and they speak something craxy like malaysian, cantonese, mandarin and english or more! absolutely amazing

dave

[dingodog1]

It's about the FUN man!

Like most of you I also appreciate a movie that has a premise that gives the movie a reason for being. I mean, I appreciate movies based on the philosophy of Takuan, Musashi or Buddhist themes especially when it involves good acting, realistic sets period dress and credible scripts. In "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", when Chow Yuen Fat's character finally succumbed to the poison coursing through his body, I had to go get some more soda as he uttered his final words to Michelle Yeoh! A great scene! But that was not what powered the movie or most martial arts movies. It's the fights. Yes, the occasional poignant moments definitely complements these fight scenes but ultimately fans/martial artists who support these movies want to see the various forms of combat(realistic or no), because It's about FUN, entertainment. I know everyone doesn't have the same sense of entertainment,some folk like documentarys, etc. Just my take,my opionion; Let's hear yours.

[daodejing]

What's missing in martial arts....... difficult question. I'd have to say wuji. But its not missing, its always been there, it is simply that most martial artists miss it in turn.

The poin of ma is to have no point.

The greatest technique one can ever achieve is to have no technique.

The grandest extremity you can exhibit is to have no extremity.

The Way of Heaven is to return to the source.

There is an old chinese proverb on the creation of the the world, from Wuji there came forth one (taiji), from there came two (yin and yang), from the two there came three, and from the three came all the ten thousand things.

Wuji is the source of all things. It is literally translated as meaning no extremity. But this is like literally translating jing, qi, or shen. It is a gross approximation at best.

[daodejing]

films that rocked....

As for gongfu cinema, yes Hero was ****ing cool. I love the ending. I just wish the dvd rip I have of it on my computer was in english. Maybe then I could figure out why Maggie Cheung's character (i think her name is fei shi) keeps stabbing the man she's in love with. Yet more proof that Zhang Zi Yi is a dancer and not a martial artist, it shows in her wushu, frankly she's too damn beautiful for me to care much though.

And also, Drunken Master with Jackie Chan is an incredible flic from the golden age of hong kong cinema with NO WIRE TRICKS and nothing wushuey. That's Drunken Master, not the more recently released Legend of Drunken Master (though that was good too, but this one is not about wong fei hong).

[SongshanMonk]

What's missing in martial arts??

my answer:

I agree that the deeper meaning of martial arts is missing these days. Missing too (I feel) are loyalty and dedication. Loyalty/dedication one should have to themselves (to master the art) and loyalty/dedication one should have to his sifu, the art he is learning and what roots it has. You know I have watched dozens of martial arts schools and I have seen many just focus on learning a certain form to achieve their next level or belt without focusing on the individual movements and what they mean;how they apply etc. The instructors just focus on the kicking and punching but very few even explain the history and what they mean during class. The "Mc Dojos" on every corner put too much emphasis on belts and some mix tae kwon do and jujitsu and call it kung fu.

[timmothysmith01]

More diversity and mindfulness could be missing in martial arts. What do you think?

[mfkgf55]

Fire Kirin offers a high level of entertainment value. The game features vibrant graphics, exciting sound effects, and engaging gameplay click here to access, which can captivate players for hours on end. Whether you're playing solo or competing with friends, Fire Kirin provides an immersive gaming experience that keeps you entertained.