the way that Buddy makes points

I appreciated your note and your attitude. Maybe I don´t agree with all the content but, what the heck, that usually happens everywhere and with everyone a little bit at least. No problem with that at all. I especially enjoyed the way you talked about BKF´s classes. Well put, it seems to me.

Normally I'd try to stay on topic, but I'm compelled at the moment to butt my head where it doesn't belong and comment on this exchange. Namely, this is for the reason that I believe good topics get obscured by a volume of useless exchanges. Two things:

Useful Messaging:

Though I don't always agree with the way that Buddy makes points, he does generally make some. Witness the highly productive thread on alignment. Controversial...but specific, referenced, and useful. While your demeanor online is what I consider to be very pleasant and nice (you certainly have Buddy beat here), the content of your messages is usually quite thin.

I get the most out of posts on this board that are on a certain topic, specific, referenced by the experience of poster (i.e. it feels like this), and where the source of said material is mentioned. You may well have much to offer, but please do it in a way that is not only pleasant in language, but specific and applicable to group consumption.

Buddy, enough with whole "I don't give a damn" line. Those who don't give a damn, don't respond.

You know someone who doesn't give a damn...Bruce Frantzis. This board has his picture on it and is largely absorbed in posts that reference his materials. We say whatever we want about him and and his system, good and bad. We call him fat, and unpleasant, and highly skilled. This is just one corner of the internet. There are many others doing the same thing.

Yet, we will most likely never see Bruce personally commenting on this forum. He seems far too busy teaching, and generating books, web content, and learning materials on qigong, IMA, and meditation that span an entire globe. He says, "Here the best stuff I have to offer...in print, DVD, blog, and person. Practice it or don't. I hope that you do, but I don't give a damn."

And he doesn't.

That brings me to #2

Respect for one's teachers:

All of your gung fu is indeed your own, Buddy. Earned through blood, sweat, and tears. I might mention that all the gung fu that Bruce has accumulated is also through his own blood, sweat, and tears...and if there's one thing to be said for Bruce, he can really sweat.

Yet every training I've ever been to has always been closed with a dedication to his teachers, specifically Liu Hung Chieh.

To differ from the one's teachers in practice and mindset can also be a form of respect, a show of dedication to the improvement of one's gung fu above merely being a yes man to the dogma of a system or man.

We should just never forget that it's dumb luck if we manage to find a teacher who can lead us to an excellent gate to walk through.