As an adolescent I was torn between 2 instructors at my martial arts school. The head of the martial arts school was a traditional Korean master who taught classes in the old way. His version of martial arts was based on long standing tradition.

This man had a son who was also a master, but he was an Olympian. He practiced & taught martial arts in its sport form. His classes were completely different from his father's. Both had loyal students in the school, but the son was starting to fill up his classes and began to need more time slots which encroached on his father's teaching.

It was the traditionalists vs. the athletes and there was a lot of tension in this school back in the mid 1980s.

The best of both could cross the line and flourish in either arena. It was always the 2nd echelon goons that did all the real infighting. They had not yet proven themselves and were always out there in the classroom looking to one-up someone from the other house. You could tell they'd never make it to a mastery level. They couldn't appreciate the other side enough to understand why they were afraid of it.

Typically the masters were wise enough to respect fellow masters. The father and son of the martial arts school respected each other, but eventually divided into 2 schools so that each could have their own space. Both sides won a small victory perhaps. I always thought that both sides lost horribly though. Learning both styles made me well rounded. I was saddened to think that there no longer existed a place where someone could learn both approaches to the same fighting style.

When the school split, I went with the son. His teaching style was intelligent, effective, and precise. I missed the meditations, the stories of the ancients, and the feeling of being part of something timeless; however I carried that with me.

Perhaps there is no reason to share this story in a street performing joint. I dunno. It’s just that sometimes I get déjà vu.

I see your parallel Chad, and YES, there is a difference. A big one.

There are many modern day parallels: security guards vs. real cops; national guard weekend warrior vs. regular army; a 5-mile weekly runner vs. marathon competitor; a straight-from-the-box-and-to-the-street-in-10-minutes 'magician' vs. one who practises 3 hours per day in front of a mirror -- etc., etc.

It's a matter of degrees. Degrees of personal commitment and perserverence fought for, of pain and blood withstood, of multiple weaknesses and excuses overcome, of levels of self-awareness achieved. And without self-awareness we are nothing, no matter what our chosen walk of life may be.

It may sound snobbish, but these concepts can only be understood by one who has reached them under their own power. That's who a master really is. It's not a matter of rank so much as it is a matter of facing down one's worst inner demons. It's a cleansing process nothing else can come close to imitating. That's where the purist master can lead you: to ultimate self awareness & inner cleansing.

A true master will always be willing to show the way; no true master will ever turn away a mind struggling to awaken to its true potential (appropo my response to you now). But just as strongly, a true master will also never waste their time trying to justify their actions to a skeptic, and will quickly shut down all negative or counter-productive discussion.

The rewards a true master will help you to earn are totally invisible to outsiders. They will feel the change but not understand why. Most likely they will become intimidated, and not know why. Your old friends will call less often, and you will wonder why.

Until you one day notice how the quantity of friends may have diminished, but the quality has greatly increased. Words become far more binding than any written contract; being late to a meeting seems lost forever; phrases like "do you really mean that?" or "can I trust you?" or "don't be late!" or "do you really love me?" become antiquated, like a junk car sitting too long in the elements.

And yes, like your parallel, there are many pretenders here as well. And not only will they cheat on their way up, they will gladly try and knock you down at the same time.

But ultimately, who you trust is up to you. You can choose according to their public persona (rank), or you can choose according to their choices and actions (proven integrity).

Prior to becoming a full time cabinetmaker, I had the opportunity to study under 2 different master craftsmen in a scholastic setting. Both were excellent hand tool joiners and both also knew their way around power tools, though they used them sparingly.

When I entered into the cabinetmaking business, I was amazed how few of the other workers around me knew how to work with hand tools. Some of the shops I worked in didn’t have a single chisel in the whole joint, let alone a back saw or a hand plane. I knew how to work with modern methods and knew they were necessary to stay in budget, but didn’t enjoy the work any more. The methods used in the shops, and the people I worked with had lost all evidence of this being a generations old trade.

For the worker bee, this was fine. Other than total loss of job satisfaction, it didn’t really matter. The cabinets got made and the buyers were happy with their final product. This rift however, is what eventually made me switch careers. I just couldn’t work with wood, when it was simply thought of as an inorganic construction material. I had learned too much to find satisfaction in my job.

Modern professional woodworking for the most part requires one to employ cost effective techniques in order to remain competitive. Only a few masters are actually able to work with only hand tools and make a living in the traditional trade.

How many out there know of Ernie Conover, George Nakashima, James Krenov, Gary Rowgowski or Sam Maloof? Each of these men are/were hand tool masters. They can/did make a living entrenched in tradition. The rest of us are nameless, we must either adapt, parish, or survive on trust funds.

The Street Performers in our country are following the same path that can be witnessed in other trades. The traditionalists vs. the athletes; the joiners vs. the factory guys.


The real masters are masters of both. They are well rounded and adaptable. They know their history and maintain the flexibility to change with their settings. It’s the 2nd echelon guys that cause all the fuss, point all the fingers, and put the labels on things.

I’m no master, but I’d like not to be a 2nd echelon guy either. I don’t want a rank. I just wanna street perform and make it worth my while. Too bad the self appointed “masters” have to draw lines in the sand and fuel wars. It just makes it harder on the rest of us all to learn, share, and grow.

Makes ya have to talk all cryptically… and speak in code

These parallels have been causing me quite a bit of angst lately if that isn't already immediately obivious to the casual observer.

I keep thinking about how often I have seen this type of thing in the past:

When they introduced GPS units to our platoon in the Marine Corps and the lensatic compass started to get put on the back burner. There were advocates on both sides, but the old war dogs knew that adapting to new technology and SOP was just part of the way it was.

When the nation of Belize decided to institute a standarized curriculum for k-8 education and the younger teachers complained about how it wasn't fair to have to adapt, and the older teachers knew how educational psychology is a part of an ever-revolving pattern: micro-manage...macro-manage...

I would venture to say that we've all seen this type of thing in our own lives. Two sides of a debate:

One entrenched in tradition and the other simply going with "what works".

Are any of these conflicts new? Is anyone that is out on the wings of one of these debates ever correct?

This Internet bickering about street performing is at an ALL TIME LOW in my opinion. People aren't even talking any more. They have hunkered into their own corners, built their walls, and are free to talk their smack in their own cathedrals built for themselves.

It sickens me, that the students of Cellini are willing to shame his teachings by editing his words to meet their narrow views.

Thank you Kozmo for expending the energy you did to get as much of that man's works on film that you could. It's the only way that guys like me have had to learn from the man himself...without the skewed commentary of an interpreter.

Thank you students of Cellini for continuing to share his teachings with the rest of us. Just beware of your own short comings.

One last analogy and then I'm done.

You ever see the "what would $^%$% do" bracelets? Ever see one on some militant,conservative pyschopath and think to yourself...heh, heh...$^%$% sure as he77 wouldn't be hanging out with you. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

I have never blindly taken sides on these issues. Primarily because it didn't involve me in the least. But also because I wasn't sure who to believe. Whether it had to do with approaches to street performing, or the history of our craft, I think it would be fair to say that I did my best to listen to anyone that would teach.

However, when lies are being told, then my hand is forced and at that very moment (the moment I am lied to) I suddenly have a dog in the proverbial fight.

The trouble is that the lies are all partial. And those doing the lieing have convinced themselves that they are on the side of righteousness. What I've been trying to say on this thread is that I do not take sides lightly; nor am I knew this type of situation.

It is not my story to tell. But I've heard it from enough people that I feel like I know the truth. I'd lump the whole lot of ya if I thought I was being lied to by everyone. I'm great a being a loner.

However, there are students of Cellini that have ALWAYS told the truth...the WHOLE TRUTH. While I have come to understand that there are others that have woven true details into a slanderous story and attempted to ruin names and reputations under the banner of righteousness.

It's not my story to tell. But it is my time to call foul. This being the most neutral of places seems like a fitting place for it.

Eric, if you've found me to be "fake" in the past, then you should dismiss this as the rantings of a sheep in someone's flock. But, though we've never met, I think you know me better than that. I'm saddened by all this. I feel like I've had to lose friends that I didn't want to lose. But the Internet is not a pseudo-life. It, and the things posted on it, are real and carry real weight.

Well, since your talking so cryptically, I'm not sure but I guess you're referring to me when you're talking about slanderous liars.

My post above was just an acknowledgment of your pain in short joke form.

I guess it didn't come out right.

Just know that I've taken no pleasure in writing on this thread.