Mentalism in martial arts instruction

Please view with "annotations on" as I have added some text during a segment of poor sound quality. This video constitutes a discussion of how biomechanical principles can be subverted by unscrupulous martial arts instructors into "mysticism" and "supernatural phenomena" through "mentalism" - the art of distracting your audience through clever stage management. From the Academy of Traditional Fighting Arts - see http://www.traditionalfightingarts.com and http://www.dandjurdjevic.blogspot.com

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  Howto & Style

[brentpieczynski]

The term of Chi is a cultural term for vital energy bringing questions about defining the term. A tensing of a body part draws attention to that body part. While relaxing completely is for gathering this vital energy. Those are complementary skills and moving chi to a specific body part needs to involve the physical training of the body part. If an instructor can not relax then control over chi is not likely because that is the most fundamental level of training.

[Dan Djurdjevic]

Thanks Brent. I'm speaking in this video of people who attribute what they can do to a kind of "magic" (ie. something supernatural) and call it "chi power". What most Chinese medicine practitioners and traditional neijia quan teachers in China think of as "chi" is quite a different kettle of fish.

[staninfire1]

Keep it real nice job.

[Dan Djurdjevic]

Cheers mate!

[Simone Ravenda]

wonderful job but there's no mentalism here..

[Dan Djurdjevic]

Thanks - I appreciate your kind words and encouragement!

[Susanoo58]

I like it ... this is an awesome video!