Masato's BC Adventure

[Masato]

Geez Masato, I live in the village you know. You can almost hit my place with a rock from the dock.

I wish I had known about this now.

EY lives in Horseshoe Bay??

We got im cornered, boys!! Its a small town and only 1 way to run...

Unless he has a boat.

[Masato]

I don't know when you left Masato but greater Vancouver and southwest BC is choking on the smoke from several forest fires on the Island and up around Pemberton not far from Whistler and Squamish. Saturday and Sunday featured a heavy dust in the air around the village here, a layer of thick smoke visible against the cliffside for all to breath. The cloudless sky has been overcast, the sun an eerie red blotch behind the smoky pall. A little wind this morning improved things a bit but it smells like burnt potatoes. Feels a bit like end times around here to be honest. Moron neighbor still watering his lawn round the clock of course. People are fucking beyond help.

on the island everyone just let their lawns go brown. I kind of like it visually tbh

Except golf courses, and there was some debate on where golf courses get their water. If they use the public supply it would seem shameful to be using so much during a dry season... if they have their own supply that is interesting. My father thought they had their own reservoirs but wasn't 100%

[Masato]

If I have kids, I'm making them wear masks 24-7 as well!

Awesome pics. Hey, would like to hear more about that Bagua master too!

The dude was not just a Bagua master, he had been training special forces and doing all kinds of MA all his life. He is also some kind of expert in Tai Chi, which is interesting because his footwork really echoed it and its the first time I've seen someone able to use Tai Chi effectively into other techniques. Apparently he has a rep for being a famous bouncer, he told some gnarly stories

What impressed me most was his kindness.. I only trained (or mostly, watched my brother train) with him for 1 hour, but in my experience most dudes I've met that are high in fighting arts are kind of assholes (BJJ aside). High egos, kind of rude, etc. But this guy had a really warm smile and seemed to have a lot of love.

Which was weird, because it seemed at the same time that he'd happily cut your throat out if he had to.

My brother said flat out he is the best MA teacher he ever had, which is saying a lot because my bro has been rather obsessed with MA for a long time.

PS: I had never heard of Bagua, and still not exactly sure what it is. My brother described it as some kind of 'internal energy' style that focuses on circles and anchoring your chi in your belly or something (he says most martial artists in this form develop strong round bellies - interesting)... but then we got to the underground parkade and he pulls out a bunch of training weapons, lol

Oh - also, he drove a very tiny old beat up white Porsche :D

[Canuckster]

You should get me his contact info, I have family out there I need an excuse to visit.

[Professor Diet Butcher]

PS: I had never heard of Bagua, and still not exactly sure what it is. My brother described it as some kind of 'internal energy' style that focuses on circles and anchoring your chi in your belly or something (he says most martial artists in this form develop strong round bellies - interesting)... but then we got to the underground parkade and he pulls out a bunch of training weapons, lol

In the early UFCs there was a big fat Puerto Rican dude who claimed to be a Bagua fighter (he was listed as Pa Kua Chang... same shit). But obviously he was just some bar brawler and had nothing to do with the style. Similar to how Gary Goodridge wore a gi and claimed to rep Kuk Sool Won. Now you got to experience the real shit! 8-)

[Edge Guerrero]

- Island?
Is that tha island from that Van Damme movie that he is a criminal?

[What]

Thanks for sharing Masato, great pictures and lol at kids masks

[Luigi]

Welcome back bro!

[Som-Pong]

Cool trip.
I have some experience with Bagua footwork, quite similar to Kali/ Lameco Escrima. Tends to mess up strikers but doesn't fly well against wrestlers who go for the legs.

[Masato]

^ yeah, I couldn't help thinking most of the time the old 'TMA doesn't work' mantra, that its easy to do these moves on a willing dummy opponent, but try vs someone actually pumped and trying to fuck you up.

I don't know the answer. If these cats can make any of it work IRL, I would say the MMA game has thrown the baby out with the bathwater and should re-examine if any of it can be used. He showed some wicked-weird takedowns, he would circle around and manipulate your head in a way that you are totally off balance and helpless. How amazing it would be if someone could do this in the octagon! Totally different approach.

I asked him this and he too thought that MMA was too quick to throw all the TMA in the trash, and that lots can be used or at least integrated