the mystic art of aikido?

[SevenStar]

As some of you know, steve seagal frequents my city and I am friends with his bass player. I was talking to him this weekend (my friend, not seagal, but hopefully I'll get to talk to him after he finishes filming this movie he's shooting right now) Anyhoo, he was telling me that seagal likes a challenge and it doesn't take anything more than "I bet I can put you on your back" to get him riled up. My friend isn't a little guy - he's like 6'1 and 265. said seagal just tosses him like a ragdoll. Also said that he reached under his armpit and lifted him completely off the ground - with one arm. Sounds like he is a pretty strong mofo.

He told me that while they were touring, they stopped in japan and he went with seagal to visit his sensei. the guy is 86, but my friend said he saw him free climb a coconut tree and pull down a coconut... said it was so fast it looked like he ran up it. He also said that the old guy outran him in a sprint, and that he saw him put seagal on his knees, which he hasn't seen anyone else do to date. He said the most amazing thing though, was that they were sitting in the middle of this man's house - there were no windows and they weren't close to the outdoors - and the man said "hmm....there is a deer in the back yard right now." my friend called BS, then went to the window in the other room - and there was a deer in the backyard. when he asked the man how he did it, his reply was simply that he was "one with nature".

you know I am generally a skeptic of these things, but the fact that my boy told me he saw it all with his own eyes has me curious. Anyone here know who seagal's teacher is and/or heard about his rep?

[MasterKiller]

sounds like your boy has a crush.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I've always been told that Seagal WAS hardcore, but then rumours came that he only got his 6th in Aikido because he married into it and that all those challenge matches in japan never happened, then there was the LeBell issue but truth be said, LeBell will choke ANYONE out if he gets the chance, LeBell is LeBell, enough said of that.

I have seen a few of his seminars and classes in Video and he know his stuff, but demos and structured classes are just that, you can't get a decent gauge of someone fighting skill from that, technique skill level yes, fightign level, no.

I only met him once here in Toronto, and he seemed cool, but a casual conversattion is just that and nothing more.

This is for sure, his first movies were way cool !

[Lucas]

there is a pretty long documentary u can get on seagal

he was the first westerner to be able to teach Aikido in Japan.

i believe his teacher was a direct studen of Usheba (sp)

but i may be wrong.

[HOKPAIWES]

There is footage of a younger seagal on youtube, demoing his MA skills. The mans core and uprightness was nothing to be sneezed at. Here is a link to get started with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5dDwzwb3-8

Here is a quote from a bio on him.


"In 1974 he was promoted by Kobayashi Sensei to Shodan in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido."- http://www.celebritypro.com/bio/steven_seagal_bio.htm

[sanjuro_ronin]

Seagals speed and technique in Aikido are never in question.

[stricker]

two words : gene lebell

[Lucas]

two words : gene lebell

means what?

can you beat gene lebell?

[unkokusai]

Quite a story there at the top of the thread. I wonder if they all rode the magic deer to find the dragon balls later?

[Lucas]

"In 1974 he was promoted by Kobayashi Sensei to Shodan in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido."- http://www.celebritypro.com/bio/steven_seagal_bio.htm

From that article, it also appears he got around quite a bit.

6 kids by 3 women

the sly dog.

maybe RD needs a new mentor?

[golden arhat]

do i really have to say it ?

stick him in the cage on pay per view then we'll see whats what

lol

[TenTigers]

do i really have to say it ?

stick him in the cage on pay per view then we'll see whats what

lol

well, since this is KFO, yes, you do have to say it. Everyone has to say it. These are the rules.(or so it would seem)

[TenTigers]

"i'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees"
cool quote. Could be an argument for stand-up vs groundfighting

[doug maverick]

do i really have to say it ?

stick him in the cage on pay per view then we'll see whats what

lol

to do what? get disqualified for breaking someones arm. cage matches don't show real skill. no won't say that i should say they onlyshow steroid freak skills.

[Mr Punch]

The answer to Seven's question is: I taught him everything he knows. Before he was born. I was the previous incarnation of Rimpoche before I came back as the man you don't see before you.

"i'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees"
cool quote. Could be an argument for stand-up vs groundfighting

No, don't be silly. Everybody knows aikidoka love being on their knees... it puts them at the right height for... suwariwaza.

It should be: "I'd rather die on my knees than live on my back"!