Antony Cummins - Latest News

What are Anthony's credentials anyway?

 

Good question. All we know is that he went to a university and got a degree. We know he can't even read a Japanese newspaper and there is really nothing to show that he did anything in Japan other than teach English, drink Asahi beer and chase women. For example, his claims of training with the Genbukan lie with him getting a book signed by Tanemura, which really anyone can get. It seems no one remembers him from training at either organization and he has nothing like a membership card he can scan. This is unusual considering his willingness to promote himself and post photos of him in a field that can be anywhere in a weirdly tied hakama as "proof" that he trained in Japan.

 

And the game goes on :hat:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axJQaZMne-I"]YouTube - Exploring the Shoninki - Introduction[/ame]

 

Mistakes, how would he know if something is a mistake in translation when he can't speak, read, or write Japanese?

 

I reckon that's where his translation team comes in? :thinking:

 

But of course, we really don't think he sat down with them and talked about this book, eh?

I realized this point a while back after I made a comment and within 90 minutes he had a youtube video up defending the translation he made. Not much time to double check with all the folks in his team on two continents.

I happen to have gotten the Schedler translation over the weekend. I have two books loaned to me and until I get through with them I do not have the free time to go over the book in detail. When I do I shall post a review. However, based on what I see so far of Anthony Cumming's stuff here and the stuff I see in the Schedler translation I would recommend the Schedler translation.

Anthony Cummings of course will disagree. And he will probably attack Schedler and me as much as possible to defend his ambitions.

Right from the start of that video I see the deception begin. He talks about how others probably rushed their translations out when they heard that he was coming out with one. Schedler's German translation came out in 2004. I think the other one was out around 2007-8 IIRC. I think it is safe to say that Schedler was working on the Shoninki before Anthony ever thought about becoming an author.

I can predict that Anthony is going to make mountains out of molehills whenever he can. The big, nasty mistake he uncovers barely makes me yawn. The central idea that you should pick those that are skilled remains the same. Knowing what I do about the language and the nuances (because unlike Anthony I can read the original) I really can't come down too hard on this little mistake. Of course, Anthony is going to try to make it seem like this type of thing is a major mistake while never admitting all the mistakes he has made.

He'll find out about them just as soon as the book is in print and/or there is definitely no time for him to contact an editor and get things changed. :evil:

I have to say that the Schedler translation is not without mistakes, but they are far less glaring than the ones we saw Anthony Cummings make. Obviously Schedler knows what he is talking about and he has a thick section on commentary at the start. I am so looking forward to reading a commentary by someone who can actually read the Japanese language and seems to have spent years studying the subject before he took pen to paper! We have been enduring the opposite here and I can see just how bad someone trying to rush out a translation without even being able to read a Japanese newspaper can be.

As I said, this work is far better than the stuff that Anthony Cummings has put out but it is not perfect. I will continue to put out translations of the Shoninki in my newsletter along with commentary. As I write, my wife is making an illustration on the disguise section. There is a lot of things that the folks at the time would have known as easily as we do about soccer scoring, but unless you spend a lot of time reading about history in Japanese would probably be missed. So I will continue to make it available to folks since I think (obviously) my version is slightly better.

However, I had considered putting out my own translation available to the general public just because I was afraid that the terrible stuff we saw from Anthony might become the standard and be widely accepted. Fu Bag kind of swayed me when he pointed this out. With the release of the Schedler translation, that is no longer the case. I no longer feel the need to put out a hard copy version available to the public at large. After I get through the entire Shoninki, I might do something like make it available as an e-book or just make it a PDF file to be sent out for free on the internet. I have a lot of time to think about what to do before I am finished and will decide later.

Anthony of course is driven by a desire to be seen as an expert. He will attack Schedler and probably me in his drive to be seen as an expert. His marketing is never ending. It should be obvious that someone reviewing and trashing a rival is probably doing it more out of self interest than an honest desire to find the truth. But I don't expect most of the narutards that follow him to have that sort of common sense. Personally, I am glad to not have to put out my version anytime soon. I have no financial interest in recommending Schedler over Cummings. I do not get even a penny or an ounce of fame by doing so. What I do get is time to pursue other projects I am much more interested in. Now that I know there is a better translation than Cummings, I feel a sense of freedom.

As for Anthony's continued claims to be also publishing the "complete" ninjutsu tradition of the Katori Shinto ryu, we know that it was actually a copy of something that Otake put together for a Japanese magazine. I would like to recruit people who read Japanese to acquire a copy of the Japanese article and put out an essay in PDF format on the same subject. I am not talking about a translation. I am sure that if we put out something like that Anthony would try to cause trouble with the legal system. But if we cover all the same material, and add in the background information that Anthony lacks about Japanese history and traditional martial arts, then we will put out a better product and do it for free.

If anyone is interested in helping, please contact me.

 

Regarding 若 / 若し; which is it in the text of the manuscript itself and which is it in Dr Nakajima's transliteration into modern Japanese?

 

Don,
Regarding the Katori Shinto Ryu's "complete" Ninjutsu teachings, I'd think that the focus of us all should be to avoid getting involved at all... Unless you're in the school, those teachings have such a minimal impact on life that aside from a browse in Hiden, it's not ever going to be worth the time to try and work out what it all "really" means... Those that DO know have no need to get involved, those of us that DON'T know, don't know.. So shouldn't pretend to, in my humble opinion..
If there were any great, uncovered secrets to be revealed in these teachings, Otake Sensei would not have published them in a magazine that is hardly what it used to be in terms of reputation... The fact that he did should speak volumes about the import he places on these words..
Putting out a "better product" is redundant... The "product" in question has been "put out" by Otake Sensei.. I know of NO ONE else better positioned to comment on the teachings than him, and I would honestly say that it's simply not worth getting into a flap about this.. Anthony did, because Anthony is a moron..
That's all there is to it.

 

Food for thought. Thank you.

My concern was pretty much the same as the one for the shoninki. If Anthony messed up the Katori Shinto ryu stuff as badly as he did the shoninki then the most available version in English will be of very poor quality indeed. But after reading the above, I see now why you don't think that is a great concern.

Thank you for giving me something to think about.

 

Hey supamix!

Thanks for posting this on page 24 in October and avoiding the forum since then because you were shown to be just attacking everyone that finds problems with what Tony says. How about you try to apologize with the false impressions you were trying to spread?

Many people might have forgotten how you acted if they are just joining us. But if they look at your past posts where you call everyone who differs with Tony "children", blindly defend Tony no matter how he is proved to be wrong and act like you know more than anyone else they can make their own judgements as to whether you have an agenda or not.

(Just so everyone knows, everyone else in this thread showed how supamix was wrong in what he said above. So since October we have not heard from him until his latest attack in another thread.)

 

Supamix,
I am waiting.
Can't you deal with all these matters on the table instead of just trying new tactics in other threads?

 

Don, Don, Don,
Sorry for the delay in answering, now I know that you would like me to apoligize for my referring to you and your gang as children, but first could you and as you mentioned everyone else look back at my posts, please look at the Shinobi Soldiers thread and check post 87 by Nutjob then mine at post 262, you will notice that he says "You are in our palyground now" which I thought suited your gang quite well.
Donny, I feel that a lot of people who once had a lot of respect for you, now no longer do, could that be because you no longer reside in Japan? or maybe it could be due to your attitude? (you decide). I have mentioned before that the people who once held you in high esteem now see you as nothing special, more and more you seem to be lowering yourself with your comments, instead of being impartial (I know you do not have to be) and demonstrating to others that your time spent in Japan was not a waste, you should be offering people advice or trying to stear them in the right dirrection, you do nothing but make scorn of them, take Mr Faulks for example, here is a young man, who I imagine has spent a lot of time, effort and money learning all that he can about the martial arts, instead of offering him advice you join in with people who cannot see that here is a man who actually wants to learn, instead you call him a "Moron" I wonder what your teachers in Japan would think of you for doing this? even Dr Hatsumi (who you trained with a couple of times), in fact I wonder if your students read any of your posts (I sincerely hope not) how are they going to turn out? I imagine they may become very good martial artists, but with bad attitudes and no respect.
With regard to your constant references to your being able to speak and read Japanese, as I have mentioned before I congratulate you for learning how to read Japanese, but knowing how to speak the language, I would have thought that after fifteen years of living and working in the country you should be able to, there is a lot more that I could say about your attitude and behaviour but I think that should be left to others to make their own decisions.


Remember, it is not the student who chooses the teacher but the teacher who chooses the student.

 

Jesus Christ....

What are you? His publicist?

Remember....

....who is more the fool, the fool or the one who follows him?

....you must unlearn what you have learned.

....he who controls the spice, controls the universe.

....the girls go crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

....with great power comes great responsibility.

....they may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom.

....this is what it sounds like when doves cry.

....the first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club.

....what we do in life echoes in eternity.

....is space no one can hear you scream.


Okay, that should do for now.


- Mark Spada

 

Good lord, you sound exactly like Keitaz......

*And yes I'm keeping my beedy blues on this thread*

 

Ok, so it is obvious that supamix has a similar agenda. I do not feel the need to lower myself to dealing with and answering his accusations. Seriously, if you are a member here you can see his past posts and see the pattern.

And the moderators are watching this thread.

 

So Don and Nutjob are in the same 'gang' because they posted in the same thread on a forum? Project much?

Actually it appears to me that he hasn't spent a lot of time, effort, or money on anything. Just did the very least he could do and imagined the rest happened.

He doesn't want to learn. If he did he would do what most people do and go to a real teacher for an extended length of time and actually learn something. There is nothing to suggest that Mr. Faulks did any of that.

This may surprise you, but even Japanese people often think other people are morons. In fact...

 

I totally disagree.

He is not interested in real Ninpo training.

His actions and such forth evidently show this.

His website, videos, books obviously show to anyone he has already decided he is a master Ninja (???) after a few years watching DVDs.

His aim is to become famous.

Have you read his book?

As I said before he's just another member running about in the Ashida Kim mad mountain monkey castle.



And he's a moron.

Just like Antony Cummins.

 

Well it would be to my opinion that this thread at least on current course has run out of steam. Trolls are starting to crawl from the beneath to make it interesting but not the kind of interesting we want.
31 pages is enough. Locked.