The Friday Night Test

Discussion in 'Tai chi' started by Polar Bear, Apr 20, 2006.

  1. tccstudent

    tccstudent Valued Member

    Some of you guys are way to uptight. This is an internet forum where I believe ALL language should be spoken. Liked or disliked, for better or for worse, if we are truly free I see no reason to ban Mr Dunn. It's not like this is a pregnant-women's forum or something. My god, this is a martial arts forum where some folks practice bashing people's heads in and such. Seems very strange to me to ban someone over calling someone and "idiot." Hell, my girlfriend called me that last night! Maybe I'm too liberal, or it's my American gene's but, I just don't think it's necessary.

    I guess the conservative movement has taken more ground that I initially thought. :cry:
     
  2. Aegis

    Aegis River Guardian Admin Supporter

    We on the staff disagree. Since this is our forum, we decide on the rules. One of the driving visions of this site is to create a community where martial artists of all ages can come along and ask questions, and as such we moderate language and attacks on other members where we see it.

    Where did you get the idea that you were truly free on this site from? When you signed up, there was even a list of rules that you had to check a box next to. Checking that box meant that you agreed to follow the rules, so it's not like this should come as much of a shock ;)

    Generally speaking we wouldn't ban someone just for calling someone else an idiot, but in this case the guy's attitude was way out of line on several levels, and as we decide who is allowed to stay, we made a decision to remove him from the forum before he created more work than we were willing to deal with.

    Meh, there are other sites out there if you don't like our rules. Like I said above, we're trying to create a forum where anyone can post, from kids to great-grandparents. I personally swear an awful lot offline, but on the forum, I obey the rules that the owners have decided on. It's not that difficult, and not being able to attack or swear at someone might actually mean people have to address the arguments or the questions rather than just being as rude as possible.

    I personally like that rule.

    Hope you can appreciate why we do this.
     
  3. Saz

    Saz Nerd Admin

    He's been warned multiple times by myself and other members of staff here that personal attacks are not allowed.

    He chose not to take notice of those warnings. We chose to remove his membership.
     
  4. cheesypeas

    cheesypeas Moved on

    As you well know, mr dunn rules his own personal 'art of energetics forum' with a rod of iron. Or should I say, as he owns it, runs it, administrates it, he decides what can and cannot be said. He does not permit and deletes any posts that are personal attacks.

    So when he came here he decided to (in his own words) BE NAUGHTY and wind up the mappers here.

    He has been rude and condescending to many people to the extent that he has single handedly caused many threads to be locked. There is no need to be rude to people simply because they hold a different opinion. Without civility MAP would enevitably descend into flamewars and cease to exist imo/e.
     
  5. piratebrido

    piratebrido internet tough guy

    I would defend myself with a degree of confidence.
     
  6. Sandus

    Sandus Moved Himself On

    Okay, this is not a thread about Richard Dunn's banning. Let's get it back on topic please.
     
  7. Aegis

    Aegis River Guardian Admin Supporter

    Yes Sir!! ;)
     
  8. liokault

    liokault Banned Banned


    It is still time to diffuse the situation as long as violence has not commenced. Even then, it should be about controlling the situation, not about punishing a person for threatening your 'son' (insert object of misplaced pride. I feel that you could insert the word car or beer here).


    To admit to yourself that you feel aggressive is not macho or stupid.....but to come onto an internet forum and brag about it is.
     
  9. inthespirit

    inthespirit ignant

    Who are you violent and aggressive towards? I assume strangers and maybe friends?

    Within myself I found that my aggression and violence towards others stemmed from fear or more precisely ego, and the need of such to dominate. This aspect of the ego is really quite unpleasant, if you can escape it, you can see how so. For example walking around town with an aggressive intent towards strangers (i.e. specifically blokes who look like they could put up a fight) is stressful and taxing on the mind and body. Hence, by practicing Tai Chi, I gained the awareness to see this mental process within myself, and then used Taoist principles to trace it back to its root, which was basically the fear of being weaker/the need to be dominant. Through Tai Chi I now know that it is irrelevant whether I “think” I am weaker or stronger, there is quite a lot more behind this, but I wont go in to it now. In any case, as a result, now that I no longer, or at least to a lesser extent have an aggressive/violent intent, I have more energy/focus/intention to put in to a fight or any other situation than I had before. Consequently, I can now deal better, naturally and more effectively with most situations that I come across.
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2006
  10. liokault

    liokault Banned Banned


    But being Ahem big boned, you are an unlikely target :D
     
  11. Taiji Butterfly

    Taiji Butterfly Banned Banned

    a.) you can't really be following the 'principles of Taiji' if you are violent and aggressive imo - the art simply doesn't work that way. b.) there is nothing natural about the way you're feeling and anyway, those kind of extreme emotions just get in the way of effective Taiji ime...
    'To accept violence isn't macho'- Nope, it's downright delusional, m8 possibly psychotic, even sociopathic. You could probably do with some anger management or counselling and staying away from MA until you learn some self-control tbh but that's up to you and whether your ego can accept it, I guess...
    The point of IMA (imho) practise is overcoming and neutralising violence, not accepting it. That's why historically these arts are so closely associated with Taoism: "The violent will die a violent death" "A good soldier is not violent, a good warrior is not cruel" etc etc
    Accepting the existence of violence as an activity/phenomenon is completely different to nominalising it and distorting it into a normal situation - it ain't. It's always a symptom of disharmony - the enemy of Tao and Taiji imo
    I'm a member of Amnesty btw and I think you'll find the Chinese Communist Dictatorship can be violent and does breach international conventions on Human Rights - to say 'the Chinese' is another distortion and one I'm sure the vast majority of peace-loving Chinese people would take great offence at. People aren't violent either, they are neutral, they have a choice - training in Taiji is one way of dealing with the violence inside us and taking a stand against the violence of ego/fear/aggression- driven degeneracy, unless of course you decide to dictate to the art from your own anger and fear as some have done in recent times in which case what you are doing ceases to be Taiji anymore imo
    Probably because he was famously severely mentally disturbed and spent the latter days of his life babbling in a mental institution...? Learn from his pain. Choose to change :)
    awwwwwww....
    :yeleyes: One small part of my ego that I have yet to master was itching to post until I read that.... :yeleyes:
     
  12. piratebrido

    piratebrido internet tough guy

    Pies are my Kung Fu, my reality self defence.
     
  13. Taiji Butterfly

    Taiji Butterfly Banned Banned

    The Way of the Pie is secret and profound indeed....
    In the last portion of the 16th chapter of the Lotus Sutra it says:
    Well, eating plenty of pies is a good start imho!! :D :D :D
     
  14. cullion

    cullion Valued Member

    Your gong fu is but a shadow of mine. A pale imitation. Were you to test my pie kung, you would start thinking you had a chance, like an innocent child. But it would end in tears. Yours.
     
  15. piratebrido

    piratebrido internet tough guy

    Pfftt. I have the skill of Empty Course. It's the meal you can't see, but feel within.
     
  16. steve Rowe

    steve Rowe Valued Member

    When Ajahn Sumhedo from the Amaravati Buddhist monastery was asked a similar question i.e. you preach non violence but what would you do if someone held a gun to your granny's head? He answered that no one is holding a gun to my granny's head as far as I know (because she's in America) - but if they were I would act approriately at the time.

    I think he was saying someyhing like, why have violent thoughts now when you don't need to. If you work on and develop a clear mind, you will be able to act more appropriately at the time.
     
  17. Taiji Butterfly

    Taiji Butterfly Banned Banned

    You're way too bright to be posting here Steve - and this thread was heading for the classic slide to the padlock of Sandus too.... :D
     
  18. tccstudent

    tccstudent Valued Member

  19. Polar Bear

    Polar Bear Moved on

    I complete respect all you notions of non-violence and I agree with your right to believe in them. I just disagee with you on this.
    I guess I am more of the way of thinking.

    "Si vis Pacem, Para bellum"

    I realise this is an unfashionable way of thinking these days and we a all supposed to be as docile as sheep until our government needs to spend lives on accumulation of oil and/or wealth.

    I think that acceptance of your violent nature is key in your development as a martial artist. We are an extremely violent species. I am not saying I go around bullying or randomly attacking people. I use martial arts to channel and control my violent nature. However, I do not want to change that nature, if I did I wouldn't be me anymore.
    I think the real delusion is the desire to make ones self at peace and one with the world. Strife is essential for growth and where there is no growth there is no life.

    I am choosing the complexity and challenges of life, I will have peace when I die.
     
  20. Johnno

    Johnno Valued Member

    Polar Bear,

    I think there is a world of difference between (a) being capable of using violence when necessary, and (b) having a violent nature - which to me suggest someone who enjoys violence for it's own sake.
     

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