March April 2006

[GeneChing]

I hope by now that most have you have at least seen our Most recent issue on the newsstand or whatever. It's an experimental cover for us - the photo is by Lou Reed. Lou Reed just opened his photo exhibit in NY, so this is sort of the lost photo in that collection. Keep an eye out for Reed on at the closing cermonies of the Winter Olympics...

[zuiquan1]

I like it, Its different, modern, unique


A friend of mine saw me reading it and asked if that was akido on the front cover, he was awstruck when I told him it was taiji(he is one of those boxing,karate,bjj type martial artist who thinks down on CMA's )

interesting to see taiji mistaken as akido

[kwaichang]

Was looking for my letter to the Mag about training the wrong types, what happened Gene KC

[GeneChing]

You emailed me your letter on 1/10/6. The Mar/Apr issue went to press on 12/27/5 and went on the newsstands 2/2/6. We'll run your letter on Good Training for Evil Deeds as promised, but it will be appearing in our May/June issue, which will be on newsstands 4/6/6.

Publishing time is different then real time. Right now, it's already July August for me...

[Shaolinlueb]

something about the cover of this issue reminds me of inside kung fu. i dont know why. the picture was okay. maybe it was the whole incorporating aol like colors i didnt like. this issue soley because of the cover i was less likely to pick it up again. didnt do anyhting for me. but hey, cant win em all.

[GeneChing]

ooohh, i hate that comparison.

Speaking of the Olympics, I was watching the womens skaters last night and it hit me really hard who much we blew it with olympic wushu. Olympic wushu would have been awesome - beautiful, artsy, extreme, physical - just imagine. But I don't think wushu has anywhere near the drama of the figure skating - imagine a 4-minute form final. Plus it's still way too rigid - there's so little real self expression in it - so little ballet, so to speak. There's no way wushu was ready to stand next to the other sports, it's still way too secular of a sport, but it would have been glorious.

As for all those 'traditionalists' who said wushu was going to spell the end of traditional, I still think that's timid - it reveals a basic misunderstanding many traditionalists have of their power in the world. In a past article, my co-author Matt Polly compared wushu and sanda to figure skating and ice hockey. I really don't think hockey players feel threatened by figure skaters in any way, do you? So why should traditionalists feel threatened?

But I digress - thanks for the input, Shaolinlueb. I appreciate your honesty.