It's unfortunate that I have to tell you this, but a lot of people are
The deception I'm referring to is the continued creation and posting of Kung Fu videos by you that are about as authentic as George Dillman's no hand knockouts -- from across the room, and as offensive as offering a pulled pork sandwich to a devout Muslim. What's the reason for all of this you may be wondering? It's because Kung Fu practitioners who've invested years in their training are tired of being associated with fake martial arts like what you're promoting on your Youtube channel.
Many times Kung Fu practitioners from authentic, well documented lineages have pointed out the errors in what you have referred to as Kung Fu. Ranging from your body mechanics, to movement, to forms the consenus is that you don't know and aren't teaching authentic Kung Fu. At first I joined in the laughter and watched your seemingly endless catalog of different so called Kung Fu systems and styles, but as I kept watching a thought crossed my mind -- does he know he's teaching Kung Foolery?
I then remembered that many months ago you were asked if your school was associated with Shaolin-do to which you responded with a resounding "no." Being quite familiar with Shaolin-do myself, I noticed many similarities, dare I say exact rip offs from Shaolin-do in the arts you teach at your Phoenix Longevity Arts facility. I was willing to write things off as a coincidence until one day while I was perusing martial arts videos on Youtube and came across a video titled, "Chain Whip Kung Fu Testing with Grandmaster" seen here:
Then I came across court documents starring guess who? Jason Rydberg aka Jake Mace and Sin Kwan Thé:
What's interesting is what was revealed in the court documents. Sin Kwan Thé revealed the following truths about Shaolin-do:
- it is not a martial art with an ancient lineage
- It was created by Sin Kwan Thé when he got to the U.S.
- the countless forms which were previously said to be of ancient origins were made in the U.S. approximately 30
+/- years ago.
I sense you may have been at a cross roads when you made the video titled "'Kung Fu & Martial Arts' the Trademark and Copyright!" 4 months after the deposition:
We are in the information age where the only reason for not knowing something is because you choose not to know. Well Jake, you know the truth, and you have a duty to your students; teach them real authentic Kung Fu. Don't continue the cycle of deception that started (and still going on) with Sin Kwan Thé. You have a chance to make things right and possess something Sin Kwan Thé has none of -- integrity. Make the difficult decision to do away with the nonsense you've been teaching and seek out competent teachers from well known lineages, and learn what you've been missing all these years. It's been said that you get your material from books and videos, which I doubt because even the worse student who learns from books and videos wouldn't end up with the monstrosities you display in your videos that you try to pass off as Kung Fu.
The intention of this letter is not to poke fun or degrade you, it is to inspire you to do the right thing -- learn and teach real Kung Fu. After all, the greatest satisfaction a teacher will experience is knowing that in their student's greatest time of need, the training they received from their teacher didn't let them down.
18 Chambers
well said brother, this dude is all kinds of wrong!
ReplyDeleteI am a 60+ senior who followed Jake's tai chi video on youtube about a year ago and I can't thank him enough for posting these video online. It has helped me so much with my arthritis and joint issues.
DeleteI have also watched some of his martial arts videos and enjoyed them.
Compared to other similar videos I found on youtube, I prefer watching Jake's video as he seems to be sincere in teaching something that would help the public.
Note to the anonymous senior, bad tai chi training can damage your knees! The benefits of the art are great if practice with proper guidance...
DeleteNone of you know life movements of the true way, martial arts is about Tao and Wu Wei
DeleteIt's me jake, dont worry I got yo back mighty lee style
DeleteHe never claimed that he was or is a master. He is simply a guy who trying to learn things here and then and put them together to help people and make a buck. I am not a fan of Jake but I do know that not everything he is teaching is proper but NO ONE is PERFECT. Even the masters make mistake. Like someone posted on one of his you tube, Jake is not a bad guy, he is simply just a misguided person. Just to be fair, 90% of the people he called him fake CAN'T even do half of what he can.
DeleteYou said a whole lot of nothing, Vuken.
DeleteRemember that "[n]one of you know life movements of the true way" or know what the hell that clown is even talking about!
DeleteWell said. I'm certain he will continue, his ego will not allow him to change course.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your thoughtful letter and agree with you. The biggest problem is that the average person interested in martial arts will see the semblance of form and think there is something worthwhile there.
ReplyDeleteJake looks to be in good shape and seems to be not lacking in enthusiasm or dedication, and he seems sincere... so he has the potential to develop into a competent martial artist. However, as the proverb goes....if the cup is already full, there is no way to add anything...One must continually empty oneself, or have humility and beginner's mind. I don't see that here. My experience is that once I (ego) think I know something, I have nothing, and vice-versa. Jake would do well to humble himself, stop teaching these flawed forms, and find a real teacher who could set him on a true path. I don't know if one can teach integrity.
Cult leaders tend to be charismatic or charming in some way.
DeleteIf his instructor and the school he went to was fake, that does not make him fake. So your telling me its impossible that he cannot be self taught? If you really do train in martial arts you should know that joint manipulation is not the same for everybody LITERALLY!! Every ones body mass, mindset and posture to what makes yourself are different. Everything Jake is teaching are the general things you should know to perform these techniques doesn't mean you'll do them the same. Regardless he learned from somewhere legit or not he has skill, he can teach. His movement proves that he can do it. If you really think he cant do it. Spar him its that simple of an answer or ask him repetitively instead of spreading you uneducated hate, to spar somebody. intsead of mentioning of creditability which to be honest its damn piece of paper anybody can get a piece of paper and claim to be something more. Its all based upon skill not a paper from a business or Dojo telling you that you have the skill. This is growing tiresome to see blogs like this spreading hate because of creditability or you think it doesn't work . Joe Rogan said kung fu is bullshit is he right? NO!!! although people will listen because hes known in the MMA community. To sum this up if you have skill you have skill and if you want to prove there creditability spar.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for the typo's
DeleteThanks for your comment. Jake isn't a fake merely because his teacher is a fake; however, the moment he found out that the material he was learning wasn't authentic kung fu and he kept teaching it as if it were kung fu, he became a fake and fraud.
DeleteJake isn't claiming to be self taught in kung fu, he made mention that he was taught kung fu. His teacher was Shaolin-Do's Sin Kwan The which he has distanced himself from. Sin Kwan The admitted he made up the Shaolin-do art -- as a matter of fact in the 60s it was Karate.
Your example of joint manipulation being different for everyone is a bit miscomprehended -- joint manipulation will be the same for everyone as the human body has not changed over the years (1 head, 2 arms, etc.). In other words if you were to bend a joint in the opposite direction it was made to bend then the result will be locking and then breakage, for everyone. What you may have been trying to describe is everyone's martial expression being unique. In order to even get to a unique martial expression you must know the content of the martial art. Even in that case Jake Mace still fails the test because he hasn't learned authentic kung fu.
Does Jake have talent and ability? absolutely! Is here promoting real kung fu? No! What's the harm? It's a moral issue all about integrity.
Looking at this from another perspective, in society different industries have different licences, certifications, etc., that when a person meets the training and experience requirements can obtain the license, certification, etc.
If you sustained an injured on your eye and needed emergency eye surgery who would you want to operate on you, a guy who claims to be an ophthalmologist yet lacks the credentials and experience, or a guy who has all of the credentials needed to be an ophthalmologist?
Any reasonable person would pick the latter because that person went through the training and whatever else it entails to become an ophthalmologist, and as a result it can be expected that he can do what he has studied/been trained to do.
The same is true for martial arts. If you claim to study say ITF Taekwon-do then I'll expect to see evidence of that training. Everything from proper chambers, body mechanics, weight distribution in stances, etc. will all be noticed rapidly among fellow Taekwon-do practitioners. The same is true with any martial art. Real martial artists with time invested in their martial art can always spot a fake from a mile away.
No hate being spread, just facts. Remember truth invites investigation.
Well, there is a major problem because of a thing called poor technique. Like you mentioned joint manipulation, which is a technique, has to be learned correctly, practiced correctly, in order to executed correctly. Jake can be healthy and look great doing forms but forms aren't the technique. The techniques are within the forms and have to be learned properly.
DeleteHe looks good (healthy) but his forms and techniques are poor. So, when he's teaching, he's teaching techniques wrong, wrong for the situation, and wrong for the person doing them. If you're trying to learn martial arts for practical purposes like sport fighting, real fighting (military combat, the police, selfdefense, security), or real demonstrations I would suggest seeking out another resource for your martial education.
It's not just a moral issue, he could very well get someone seriously injured, or killed. Again, there are other martial art forms that are quick to learn, easy to use, and very effective. If any of his students were to run into someone lightly or seriously trained in more practical methods; the outcome is going to be ugly for his students and possibly him.
Basically, he doesn't know Kung Fu. He doesn't know self taught Kung Fu. He's learned to dance around and be pretty; which is dangerous.
The largest problem I have with anyone claiming to teach any of the traditional Chinese Martial Arts, especially the internal styles is simple.
DeleteIf you do not understand the body mechanics and subtle postures and alignment, you can damage yourself as you train. To teach improper methods to students is unacceptable and is why most teachers have 10 years plus of training JUST that art before passing along the techniques. They also traditionally require permission to do so.
Anything less than passing along proper form is disingenuous at best and potentially dangerous and debilitating at worst.
I'm all for genuine, enthusiastic people sharing the traditions and spirit of Chinese/any martial arts. Anyone who has properly trained in these arts however needs only a moment to see that Jake has not aquire the skill or knowledge to share these systems with the world. His shameless marketing aside, he is a capable practitioner in his own right but should in no way, shape or form be passing along any Chinese martial arts.
Simply put, if he really knew anything, he would know how wrong and disrespectful what he is doing truly is.
Cheers everyone and good training.
Totally agree with you! enough with these bullshit certificates. I admit that Jake has a big ego but he moves incredibly well and what it teaches is at least interesting to the general public. I would like to see the jerk who wrote this letter how he moves... he is most probably a sucker and a troll ... the type of sucker who needs a certificate because he does not possess any self confidence.. Live and let live.
Deletewell said sir. I agree with you. no need to down anyone if your true to yourself! when we look back who thought/developed these many styles of martial arts anyway? My answer is men and women involved in deep meditation and practice practice practice with a bit of intuition.
DeleteTraining and sparring and competition are all different from real world situations. You cannot simulate fighting. In any of the above categories, you would all teach differently. Am I to suppose you are all frauds?
Deleteyou can only learn a few things by self teaching methods. a real martial artist with knowledge, skill, and understanding NEEDS formal instruction and training. its impossible to be a serious martial artist who is self taught. its the same as being a neurosurgeon who learned by himself watching videos of medicine on youtube.
DeleteSome of you need to remember, this all started somewhere. It's not as if "true" martial arts spontaneously came about. To think otherwise, is to assume that a tulip that has a different color than all the rest is not a tulip.
DeleteWho cares "how he moves" or how enthusiastic he is? He's a fraud.
DeleteThat's why he has changed his con to being off grid and in nature - a complete contradiction to doing everything online and continuing to post pornography for money in his video descriptions.
DeleteWho paid the original replier to write that terribly constructed reply?
DeleteWhile I appreciate the core of the message, where I get lost is this "authentic kung fu" bit. What does that even mean?
ReplyDeleteThanks for you question. Authentic Kung Fu is kung fu from a traceable lineage. It's just that simple. A person who claims to know hung gar for example will be able to trace their branch's lineage to a specific line in the Hung Gar family tree.
DeleteThis is true across the board with other martial arts as well. For example, I studied ITF Taekwon-do and my instructor was a student of a teacher who is under Grandmaster Hwang. Why is this important?
I like to liken this to colleges accredited vs non-accredited... If you study at a non-accredited college you may or may not receive quality instruction. You degree may not hold the same weight as the same degree from an accredited school. You may or may not know the information required in the course of study, etc. This is the same for the martial arts.
If you get a black belt in brazilian jiujitsu from the Gracies then that black belt means something because it's an authentic branch of martial arts whereas if you earn a black belt from Joe Billy Bob's jiujitsu school it may not be worth anything meaning they give black belts instead of people working their butts off to earn the black belt.
In regards to what's more important, truth will have to be equally important as lineage. If a teacher will lie to you about the origins of their art what else have they/will they lie to you about? That is an issue of integrity and honor. Lineage is important for sake of authenticity, historical value, and track record for the example I used above with the Gracies.
So, if I manufacture a new telephone, I have to be linked to the original invention by Alexander Graham Bell to be authentic?
DeleteIf I manufacture a new car, I have to be linked to the original automobile that was first created by Karl Benz to be authentic?
If I manufacture a new aeroplane, I have to trace my lineage back to the Wright Brothers to be authentic?
Sorry, but the only truth is workability and common sense.
Everything today is far more advanced than it used to be.
Only martial artists who trace lineages in order to copy their moves and philosophies remain stagnant and never progress in their art.
You make a good point. If you wish to be caught up in lineages, then you beg the question, "From what lineage did the person who originated the style come?" It is just like the red herring of "My style is better than your style." It is how well known the style is, but how well you know the style. Likewise, it is not how "authentic" your lineage is, but rather how effective it is when fighting that counts. I have studied since I was 19 years old (I am 61 now), taught for over two decades, have the equivalent of black belts in two styles, have studied over five systems, including a Vietnamese family style used by a Captain in the ARVN during the war (if his style did not work he would be dead), taught to me and my housemates because we took Bau and his pregnant wife into our house to live when they were homeless, etc. etc. etc. I have studied authentic lineage styles, (GM Jay Huan in Minneapolis (TKD), Robert Smith in DC (Pau Kua), GM Robert Sprackland in Kansas (Northern Black Crane), GM J. Michael Moore in Santa Fe (KaJu Kempo). . . among others) in other words, but I teach what I know, a combination of everything I have learned, NOT a "lineage style." So you would say the same things to me? Would you say that Jeet Kune Do was junk because Lee was not passing on a pure linage? BTW "Do" is a Japanese word, not Chinese, so "Shaolin-do" is incorrect, it should be "Shaolin-tao," I would imagine, although I could be mixing dialects.
DeleteI am NOT saying that studying an authentic lineage style is bad, ineffective, or somehow "less," if done well, it is certainly an excellent thing -- just that there is more to martial arts than lineage, and that is called "mastery."
Averagebum is right, the only people hung up on lineage are the people with something to hide behind, and it usually ends up being "my style is better than your style" BS. Jake is in good shape, has good form, understands applications of body movements. A lot better than what I see in almost EVERY TKD school, and he's in a lot better shape with better movement than the majority of "authentic kung fu masters" with traceable lineage you can find all over YouTube. He clearly takes himself more serious than the pot belly grandmasters.
DeleteEveryone has this idea that martial arts came from some divine being from ancient times, completely ignoring the fact that every single martial art was MADE UP in the first place. The logic that he's not authentic because he can't trace his lineage to a person YOU deem authentic is beyond silly, and in actuality, if he made it all up then he's even more authentic than you. After all, he's doing exactly what they did, they MADE IT up.
If we use your logic in every field of expertise then no artist should ever paint or draw, no musician should play an instrument, no one should ever fabricate anything from their imagination or experience, EVER, you shouldn't be able to do anything unless they trace their "lineage". Otherwise its not authentic eh? Silly.
You don't seem to understand this issue on multiple levels.
Delete1. We are not saying you have to have a lineage to be a good martial artist or fighter, if you mad eyour own style and it works for you, great, however its the claims he is making that the things he is teaching is traditional chinese martial arts, named ones.
So, lets say you invented your own car, but then started going around and saying to everyone "this car was manufactured by Ford", its a complete lie, but because you have said "Ford" people start flocking to you to buy this Ford car and paying you big bucks. claiming the fame from the actual company. That is what Jake is doing with his teachings. He hasnt learned traditional chinese martial arts, he learned Shaolin-Do, the made up art from Sin The' but is branding his stuff as traditional and saying all his techniques are signature traditional ones when the are not. We would have 100% no problem with him, if he just said "This is my style martial art, based of traditional chinese martial arts" but instead he is selling you his home made wooden bicycle and then just slapping a Harley Davidson logo plate on the front it.
Delete2. The 'actual importance' of lineage when it comes to Traditional chinese martial arts.
All the arts he claims to teach, you 'must' have real linage to have any type of authenticity in this area, and I will explain why in detail.
These arts were not just born of one man or magical myth, they are a collection of real experiences complied over the hundreds, even thousands of years from ancient battlefields from Chinese military.
Its not necessarily the age that counts ("Oh because its old its better!" not at all), but the fact that it works and has working principles that are applicable to real fighting is the important part, having a "historical lineage" to an art is preferable since I know it would have evolved from those times where many wars were fought by men who dealt with hand to hand combat and weapons, and so such an art would of been developed by people living in those times and experiencing those things around them first hand as opposed to what is "now" a modern envisioning, creations by people simply knowing modern forms and then creating applications from them with no real combat to the death, experience, or even seeing such things around them like the masters of old would of had when creating arts like Taiji and Xinyi, they all originate from military origins, historical arts with a lineage going back to those times are evolutions of real experiences that moulded the arts into what they are, we can adapt arts but first we must learn the orginal recorded way of doing it, passed down from generation to generation, where it has adapted from in the first place, from people using the methods in those times as opposed to a literal brand new creation/art of "our times", though not saying that modern creations cannot be be effective or "genuine" either but when it comes to these arts, its important to learn from the teachings/writings from people who would of lived in an age and taught/developed their art from first hand experience of living in those times and being involved, as opposed to a martial art created from scratch today by people who have no idea what its like to actually be in a battlefield.
And thats what Traditional Chinese martial art lineages are, to say "im learning taijiquan" is to say "im learning the collection of skills and experiences from generations upon generations before me of real wars and bloodshed."
So what Jake Mace does, is not only lie about knowing real Kung Fu, using real kung fu styles as as staple name, but he spits in the face of all those who worked so hard, generations ago, blood being spilled and experiences of real war and suffering that went into these arts, bastardising them by making a mockery by teaching his own version without being taught the real thing, but claiming to teach the real thing. Its disgusting.
Again, no problem would be had with him if in the first place he just said "this is my art" instead of claiming to be part of a legit lineage and passed down art.
Meh. The Chinese copy so much from other cultures and claim it as their own. Isn't this the same?
Delete...and no I didn't mean that to sound offensive or racist. Many cultures steal...but let's take tech for instance. How is that any different?
DeleteI also want to add is it more important to be old, ancient and have lineage? Or is it more important that it's the Truth?
ReplyDeleteAll martial arts is made up by men,so what's the big fuss? If it works in real combat then surely that's all that matters. Exercises for the body's health is not martial arts, they're just exercises. The actual combative moves are what counts and they were all discovered eons ago.
ReplyDeleteSo who gives a shit? It's up to each human being to decide if what they invest their time and efforts into is valuable or a crock of shit. Yes it is unfair in a way that a greenhorn may just have the misfortune of walking into a charlatans kwoon to cut his teeth so to speak, but for the guy to stay training with a fake for many years then there must be something that the rookie likes about shit.
Mace is indeed a tosser who couldn't punch his way out of a wet brown paper bag but... all of us who can, already know that. So leave the ponce brigade to join his tutelage there's an instructor for every kind, if you want to have homophobic dalliances then do grappling, if you want to do moving meditation and pretend to be a fighter then do Tai Chi, if you want to do roly-poly join an Aikido club, if you want to pretend to be 'James Bond' take up Krav Maga, if however you want to know how to really survive a violent life threatening confrontation, then learn simplicity and directness and prepare your mind to do what it would not normally do.
Sincerely,
Jimi.
Finally...the truth, well said.
Deleteyeah all martial art is made up by men, but what Jake did was steal, steal regurgitate and steal again, you say what he teaches work in combat?
DeleteIt does not.. for a few simple reasons:
1. do you know how long it takes for kung fu to become combat capable?
2. do you know why the very long and painful foundation exercises are there like squating a horse stance for 2 hours exist?
You diss Krav Maga, a military killing art they are using very effectively by the Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza right now.
you say: "if however you want to know how to really survive a violent life threatening confrontation, then learn simplicity and directness and prepare your mind to do what it would not normally do."
learn simplicity and directness is a direct copy and paste from what Bruce Lee said and since Bruce Lee is the grandfather of MMA
then what your saying is take up MMA, something that covers striking, grabbing and ground which if used without rules, is fast to learn and easy to use right?
Hey, I stop reading your comment early on. I actually just bumped into this article as an ex pupil of master Jake I can assure you what he teaches works. He started teaching me when I was 16 thru 17 I ended up having to pay more attention to school and well I had to quit going saddly. I ended up joining the military and thru everything that I learn since the last day I was in his class his training stuck with me and saved my life. Okay maybe it isn't all authentic and maybe there is few moves from other art in it if that is so he should call it the Jake are because he is a damn find sensei and a leader by nature. Martial art is the art of expressing oneself to have the tool available in your repertoire when the time is needed and that he has accomplish in teaching his student.
DeleteHe did not create the art and will never desecrate what was taught to him by respect of the art itself. Bash it all you want it don't matter you are fighting a political correctness war and to that extend congratulation my friend you are the Victor. Bash on the efficiency of the art and baby you got a long road. Take his class than try to talk ;)
I'm agreeing with james craig, before you criticize something, try it first
Delete🙄
DeleteToo bad your former cult teacher wouldn't take challenges to prove what he teaches "works."
DeleteJimi doesn't get it.
DeleteI bet he has more skill than most here posting about him. Let us see the haters and their youtube channels to compare... oh they don't have one? No surprise.
ReplyDeleteskill? you call what he does skill? he calls real fighting choreographed movements, he calls 2 finger push ups impossible when I practised it doing Jeet Kune Do
DeleteHe calls kung fu forms "katas"
he claims to make kung fu combat capable when we all know anyone doing kung fu for less than 3 years in a SINGLE style of kung fu can't even beat a Muay Thai practitioner who's done 3 months.
let alone first he released videos on taichi, bagua and soft styles then not long after (within 1 year) he posts a set of movement claiming it to be tiger style (when there is no trace or origin of any of those) except you can find that on book shelves and certain dvd's on ebay.
that don't make you qualified to teach.
the funniest and most outrageous video he made was first his trip to Hua Shan in China then not long after post a video of him teaching Hua Fist
Hua Fist doesn't exist, it's a fictional (means made up) sword art by renowned Wuxia book writer "Jing-Yong" who wrote Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre, Condor Heroes, Swordsman.
he ripped off Hua Shan Sword style and made up Hua Fist direct copy and paste from the t.v series
that makes Jing Yong and the t.v series producers eligible to file a international lawsuit for stealing intellectual property!
you can't make a kung fu style combat capable for real life within 1 year let alone teach it.
he has ZERO lineages, even his fake sifu who went to jail for making up Shaolin Do (the book)
he is doing exactly what his sifu did ... A SCAM and FRAUD.
Also:
Deletein his Hua Fist video he explained the word "Hua" as flower, when a person that knows chinese (E.G me) know that the actual word has a upward sounding tone, written completely different "華"and means glorified
not the flat sounding "花" which is the word he claims flower.
with his limited knowledge of the language and he posts them as fact, you the viewers believe this bastard?
Jake's master plan:
1. scam money
2. destroy Chinese Kung Fu authenticity
If you knew anything about kung fu and especially taiji, you would know that Jake Mace is a clown.
DeleteI agree - I have no kungfu lineage - but I have sparred and fought with no issues. It's self-discovery - even with pure lineage it doesn't mean that a person can fight. I have sparred and fought so-called martial artists from pure lineages who have trained with 'masters' all over the world for over 10 to 15 years - and they could NOT fight. Jake has a good foundation and it seems he does get the concept of martial arts. He just needs to look deeper into practical aspects, but I wouldn't go as far as to call him a fraud. He isn't telling people he can catch bullets or that they should take on every boxer they meet.
Deletethere is a 花拳。
DeleteHerman Chang, you do have a point in him pronouncing the word wrong, but keep in mind that many people white know Chinese but can't pronounce the words properly.
DeleteAlso there IS a style based on tigers
DeleteAnyone who thinks Rydberg has a good foundation is a clown.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdWwVYgEMIw
ReplyDeletethe truth
You guys just need to spar. Two old sayings come to mind. Put up or shut up. ( and that goes both ways) and The proofs in the pudding. That's the traditional way of proving your validity, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that Rydberg refused challenges, isn't it?
DeleteHey, everyone can argue about lineage and association. All this stuff started somewhere and developed over time with practitioners copying from each other and adding their own twists and philosophies. Usually techniques that worked for their body mechanics and body styles/strengths. There is no right or true path for everyone. There are many paths for each individual. Each person needs to clearly evaluate whether or not a system or set of techniques is benefiting them or not. Because in the street, no one, no one will be doing techniques like they do in demonstrations. And that's the combat self defense portion. The other stuff is personal training to keep in good shape for self defense against disease and stress.
ReplyDeleteSo one can argue all day about who's lineage is true and what exactly is true martial arts. It's like arguing about who has the purest bloodline ..... no one. We're all mongrels! LoL!
So each person takes what they need from each technique and practitioner and leave the lineage and all that BS to the people that want to sit around and argue the picayune. Just get out there and keep jabbing!
Old American Proverb: There is no lone mountain in Asia with a cave and an old bearded man sitting amongst incense dispensing wisdom. It's located in a place called hollywood.
Your whole comment is nonsensical trash.
DeleteI have studied Northern Eagle Claw with Grandmaster Shum Leung in NYC, and that system has a completely solid and codified set of forms and techniques. Sure, it started as just a grappling and striking combat form, and then a monk took those techniques and combined them with the leg techniques of Fan Tzi and created the Eagle Claw system as we know and study it. There are two branches of it, yet virtually no difference in form or application in these branches because they came from the same root. There is also a Southern Style Eagle Claw where the claw is formed differently than our style, but it still has its roots in the Southern Shaolin temple, or Sil-Lum as it was known in the south of China. Yes, masters can eventually add their own spin on the art, but without a real basis and understanding of what works and doesn't work, it is just moves and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteLineage is important, because it establishes who the masters really were, and that they were recognized as such by other masters. Lineage can trace its art somewhere, with real people who taught things passed down for generations. Even Bruce Lee had some lineage, having studied with Yip Man in Wing Chun, which formed the basis of his Jeet Kune Do. Yip Man's lineage could be traced. So Bruce Lee didn't come from nowhere. He had a basis for his own art.
Jake's "lineage" is a fraudulent teacher named Sin The. Sin The claims lineage from a Grandmaster Tai Djin who existed, who had excessive hair looking like a werewolf, and so was abandoned by his parents, and adopted by the Shaoling temple monks and became a master. From that point it gets real shady, because he claims that his Grandmaster, Le Chang Ming, learned from Tai Djin and had to flee China and go to Indonesia because he killed 10 Manchu soldiers in a fight. The odd thing here is that he supposedly died in 1976, yet there is not a single photo of him, just some cheesy drawings and paintings depicting him. Was he afraid that being photographed would steal his soul? More likely, he was made up, didn't exist so that he could claim some kind of lineage to some master. Even the story of why the system uses karate gis and Japanese terms is totally bogus.
As for Jake, I watched a video of him where he is claiming to teach Eagle Claw. It's total bullshit! There are two types of Eagle Claw formations. Our style uses a closed grip, for grabbing and pressure point attacks. The southern form uses a more open position, with the thumb and first two fingers extended out for eye or throat gauging. Jake's "Eagle Claw" form is actually a Tiger Claw formation, and even his moves are based on Tiger Claw, not Eagle Claw. The rest of what he does is really a mish mash of kung-fu, karate and Tae Kwon Do stuff. Also, much of what he shows really is nonsense. He overloads techniques in one application where only one, and at most two techniques would be needed.
I personally don't give a rat's ass whether his stuff works or not. If it works, great! However, much of what I see him do is nonsense. However, the problem here is that he is making shit up, just as his "master" did. Calling it Kung-Fu and saying that he teaches all these styles when he hasn't mastered a single one of them is fraudulent. Yes, he's in great shape, which gives him the physical ability to mimic other styles he gets from books and videos. However, his forms are bogus. I don't care if he makes them up, but he should say so, not make claims about what they're not.
👍
DeleteThis article is bullshit. Ancient lineage doesn't matter in combat. Hell, MMA isn't ancient and it's still super effective. Just because you are pissed off because of something someone else is doing doesn't mean that everybody has to adhere to your standards of ancient lineage. Get a life and quit draining the joy from others.
ReplyDeleteSuck a lemon, stooge. You don't even know that MMA is absolutely based on ancient traditions.
DeleteI wouldn't mind so much if the Jake Rydberg (or Mace or whatever he's calling himself today) didn't know he was scamming everyone, and he is/does. He cheated his students out of thousands of dollars of donations, promising things that never appeared, but he somehow went on several personal trips to China. Notice how he upped the donation goal and then just took the money and ran: http://phoenixlongevityarts.com/Site_2/Donate_to_Our_New_Floors.html and this is just one of many donation campaigns he went on. This narcissist has no moral compass and will lie about anything as long as it makes him look good. As many have said before, his so-called kung fu and tai chi are just dances, with no foundation whatsoever. He seriously deserves to be taught a lesson.
ReplyDeletehe never scammed anyone out of money. see his comment against haters in his videos. honestly i practice ninjutsu, tai-chi and tae-kwan-do. the guy's videos are helpful and movement differs from person to person. there are so many different paths to practice and the guy has his own path. all these kung fu styles are themselves paths of the various masters who founded them. anyway whether he really is faking or not doesn't matter zilch if you can't face him in a fight and beat him. either put up or shut up. all i am seeing is serious hate against someone who is really enthusiastic about martial arts and that's all that matters regardless of lineages or fakes. i have actually seen worse video channels for martial arts. a whole lot more people like his videos than hate them including a lot of martial artists and majority is authorty. that many people can't be wrong. any way use his videos to actually pick up some essential tips to help further your own training. stop hating them and look for the helpful bits. but it is completely up to you and all this was "IMO". thank god ninjutsu absorbs anything.
Deleteright because you are big brother and you have cameras installed in my house giving you a live feed so that means you know everything about me. all i see is waah waah waah!! on your part. all talk no bite.i am not even gonna argue this. those who practice an art know more than those who bust their eyes reading about it online.
DeleteI enter in here because I am in the public arena of teaching a new evolution of Chi Kung which has medicinal and martial aspects. Much soul searching is always needed. I always teach history and mystical stories along with techniques.
DeleteI Practiced several styles of Tai Chi from traditional lineages and never did any contact sparring. But when I healed enough to begin Kung Fu, sparring is required.
In Shaolin-Chin Na, I was required to spar with my 7th degree Sifu. I learned so much, and learned that I have things to teach others.
I am 66 now, I do offer some controlled sparring, but I also know that a proof of validity is health and healing, such as healing from untreatable, terminal diseases.
Preying Mantis included serious risk, no protective gear, personal training. I will always cherish that level of validity.
My teachers always come disguised as students.
The idiot above who "sees only haters of someone enthusiastic about martial arts" is blind, deaf, and dumb.
DeleteThis is funny. Honestly I don't care. I studied mma, focused on Brazilian Jujitsu. Did I learn forms, katas, whatever you want to call them, back when I studied in a dojo for 3 months, yeah. Everything after that when I studied elsewhere was strictly combat. If he mixes, matches, makes up, whatever, I say let him do it. If it works for him it works for him. Just because I know how to fight doesn't mean when faced in a situation with a gun pointed in my face I'll win. But I have a better chance of getting myself to saftey than if I didn't know any self defense whatsoever. I enjoy the videos. The people that don't are not obligated to watch them. Nobody forced them to watch his videos. On that note, if you don't like it then don't watch it. Go away. It's quite simple. To the true martial arts 'authenticity' people, you should learn from the wise elders and pick your battles. Is arguing online about who is right and what is better really something worth fighting for? I highly doubt it. Even if you win or prove a point, you've accoplished nothing. You've changed nothing. It's just time you cannot get back that you wasted. On that note I shall not waste anymore of my time ranting because I have a great life to get backc to that invloves doing something productive. Ciao
ReplyDeleteCowards like you always say "go away" or "just don't watch it" in an attempt to silence criticism. So, idiot, if you had a brain, you'd realize that people like Rydberg need to be called out for who they are. You're one of those who is dumb enough to defend him.
DeleteI studied Marine Corps martial arts while I was in the US Marine Corps Infantry, along with mixed martial arts, Brazilian Jujitsu, wrestling, and some boxing. I've watched this guy's videos. I don't even know any style of Kung Fu, as I'm only interested, and yet immediately I knew something was wrong with this guy. The problem with what he's doing is that he's insulting something that is considered sacred to many, even those who don't possess it. Kung Fu and other ancient martial arts are not only studied for their use in combat, but for their moral and philosophical application in life. If this guy were teaching lousy forms and techniques of boxing or wrestling, most people wouldn't care. Why? Because they are not deep cultural philosophies that have been passed down through the corridors of time from family to family, friend to friend, as a gift and as something to be held sacred and practiced as a true art. Sadly, it is partially a cultural clash that has caused him to exist. He epitomizes the dumb American stereotype and continues to make us look stupid and ignorant of deeper more profound truths. Any man with a shred of respect for himself and for the art form he is counterfeiting (knowingly, as is apparent), would hang up his sword and shield, and return to the foundations of what he was attempting to learn in the first place. He obviously let the prospect of money continue to carry him down the road of dishonesty and lack of integrity. The sad part is all the people who fell for his smoke and mirrors act and footed the bill for his vacations. I think what he's doing should be considered illegal and I believe if someone who gave him money brought him to court, they'd likely win. I certainly respect this article. It was well written, respectful, and humble. Thank you for taking your time to expose and ultimately rehabilitate such lost shady souls.
ReplyDeleteBe quite your making Marines look bad, yeah I was a Marine also and what they trained isn’t a martial art relax. Go try a class with Jake he will show you how to fight
DeleteFrom your terrible sentence construction in your reply, it's clear you were paid $.03 to write it from a country that was exploits you. This is also what Rydberg did with fake comments on his videos to falsely inflate his positive ratings. Everything about him is rotten and phony.
DeleteI was led here by an internet video I somehow got to after watching a real grand master, and I too realized immediately that something is wrong with this fellow. Looks like a bastardized hodge podge, which is fine for a practitioner who mixes and matches and picks up tricks when and where he can; it is in presuming to teach that he has crossed the line. Authentic artists who notice a move or form that he has ripped off and is teaching incorrectly have a genuine grievance and WILL come a calling.
ReplyDeleteI was browsing YouTube the other day and a video came up with this guy Jake Mace (later I found out that his real name is not Jake Mace, it's Jacob Rydberg). Anyway the video was about flexibility and I was rather impressed with his flexibility and personal trainer type charisma. I didn't watch the kung fu videos at that time because although I have deep respect for kung fu I'm more committed to other martial arts training. I thought the guy is too young to be a Sifu of anything anyway. Little did I know about the bogus kung fu and McDojo madness. So I watched this guy kicking and the techniques appeared to be solid and legit. Of course they were pretty basic and I believe that I could execute some of them in a more effective way myself, but the form of those techniques seemed fine. It wasn't until later when I watched a so called kung fu clip that I thought "Wait a minute, this guy does not appear to know what he is doing". Instinct told me something wrong with the form, and I don't even know a squat about kung fu. Then I read the whole story fascinating stuff indeed. I think it's sad.
ReplyDeleteJake Mace sucks and so do his videos. Don't waste your time or any money on this fraud.
ReplyDeleteJust saying the joint manipulation is called Chi na
ReplyDeleteJake Mace is the biggest fraud in tai chi today. Anyone who knows real tai chi can see that this fool is just imitating the movements with no understanding of the internal aspects. This is why all his moves are so WRONG WRONG WRONG! But he fools the n00bs and then brags about being so wholesome when he is nothing but a shameless liar. And people buy his BS so he can enjoy a nice house and a fancy garden. I also heard he is now using his students to go through his youtube posts to remove all the comments he doesn't like.
ReplyDeleteYou work hard at your job, they give you a check, you take it to the bank, and the bank gives you fake money--unbeknownst to you. Now you've used this bank for years, and the money has passed as legit all this time. One day you find out the money is counterfeit--and has been since day one. Your kid's birthday is coming up, and they would like money to spend with their friends in Vegas at the casinos. Do you break ties with the bank, find a new one and start cashing your hard-earned checks there--or do you stick with the bank you've always done business with even though they've been screwing you, and give your kid bullshit money that isn't backed by your government? Now, while it does pass for real money day to day, you know your kid could find himself in a situation that he might not be able to buy his way out of. And what about that bank that has been giving you something that passes for real money after all those years of hard work? When put to a real test, your money doesn't measure up to the real thing... does it matter?
ReplyDeleteWhile I also think this should come down to a trial by combat, sage smith, I can't help but laugh at the whole affair. You'll have to do more research on your own, but all or most of the Asian schools of fighting are a sham. I hate to admit it, because I love Kung Fu, but long story short, we've found that as the Roman empire fell many Roman legionares spread east and kept...going...east. They taught their skills and it continued to spread. You're all currently just ripping off the Greeks and Italians, who have also been beaten countless times since. I hope you have fun bickering, I'm gonna go play with my longsword :)
ReplyDeleteWell said bro 100%
DeleteThat's some fine evidence you got there, stooge.
DeleteDon't waste your time with Jake Mace unless you like prancing about doing fake kung fu. He is a lying fraud and clearly has a narcissism problem. The Kanye of Kung Fu? Fishsticks for all!
ReplyDeleteLots of you do not even read the court transcripts. The` never said he created shao-lin do forms. He took the forms he knew from China / Indonesia and made his own curriculum composed of those styles and forms he learned. None of them were created in America. He also stated he did not know all 900 forms his Master knew but never said he had made up anything.
ReplyDeleteFrom the transcript:
DeleteQ: And those 29 different forms are those ancient techniques that were passed down to you as part of your training or were these forms that you created yourself?
A: Form that I created myself. (transcript, p. 44)
One of the 29 forms was a form that contains 30 different kata.
Q: Those 30 different kata were not something that you created yourself; correct?
A: Not correct. I created myself.
Q: Okay. Don't you in your book say that these 30 Kata are part of a system of 108?
A: That is a legend that they have 108 short form, but nobody ever seen it.
Q: Okay, So you don't know how to do the 108 form?
A: That is correct.
Q: Okay, and of the 30 that you teach, those are part of the 108 form?
A: No. That's the part I created.
according to jake's Linkedin page, he is adopting a child! he has been "adopting" that child since 4 years now! what a liar!!!! and he's a pro golfer too! hahahahahaha!!!
ReplyDeleteI came here as a youtube-user who let´s himself get inspired by the stuff other practitioners share openly. But YT is always offering me the annoying shit from Jake Mace.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of good material out there, shared by highly experienced practitioners. Than there is stuff which is so-so. And finally there a videos like those of Jake Mace.
While I`m a traditional oriented practioner for 25 years, I always was looking for stuff that worked for real.
In my opinion the "traditional methods" generally known don`t work for real, because mostly there are several things missing- not because authentic "kungfu" didn`t work when it was developed.
These "missing things" are in my expierence:
- principles of body mechanics
- fightingconcepts/ -strategies
- real combatexperience/ pressuretesting
There is only a very small number of "styles"/traditions and a handful of teachers who is teaching this stuff today.
But to those who do, and to those who are with them, somebody like Jake Mace is totally insulting.
He definitly knows nothing about the "styles" he claims to teach. Wrong body mechanics/ dynamics. Totally illogical techniques. Exactly the kind of stuff, MMA guys always laugh about. They are right. It`s simply bullshit- but its NOT authentic TCMA.
In conclusion: The only reason I had not visited Jake Mace, to show him what I think of his stuff, is because I live in Germany.
So hopefully an american defender of TCMA will do this favor to all of us, who suffer from this shit.
Unknown brother please give this a--hole a kick in the butt, while showimg him the real stuff... ;)
CHEERS!
I have mixed feeling about Jack Mace. On the one hand it is blatantly obvious that he isn't teaching ligitimat chinese martial arts in any way shape or form. Period!
ReplyDeleteWhich as others have pointed out above is fraudulant deception. No getting around that, if you know it's fake and continue to sell it as genuine then you are a fraud.
On the other hand he does come accross as a genuninely nice guy, on video at least. So if he was to focus on the flexability/fitness/conditioning side of things and name it something else like "kung-Fit" (that's my copyright now Macey boy! I'm watching you!) The i would have absolutely no problem with him at all.
I am someone who has spent over a decade researching 'genuine' internal arts including living for 7 year in China, i have to say that his body mechanices are so far off course it is like comparing a Di Vinci masterpiece to someone cleaning the toilet (real IMA being the Di Vinci, just in case that wasn't obvious). However...and this is the unfortunate truth of CIMA is that the vast majority of people who do and teach internal arts do not have a body that feels any different to the likes of Jake Mace, even after many years studying under 'legitimate' teachers. But that is going off topic.
As others have mentioned, he knows what he was taught is BS so he can either go down the route of 'Kung-Fit' (back off Mace-mister). And its all good. Or he could seek genuine IMA teachers such as He Jinbao, Li Chugong, Liu Chengde, Chen Yu, Ren Zhongxin, Zhai Weichuan, Kimura Tatsuo or US based Dan Harden, have his eyes opened and discover just how much better, harder and more fun real stuff is.
Or he could just take the easy option and continue to be a fraud until the crows come home to roost. Who know maybe someone will file a lawsuit against him int he same way he did to Shaolin-Do guy and have any reputaion he has completely destroyed.
FWIW.
You spent over a decade studying martial arts but arent anywhere as successful as Jake is, so I dont think he needs your advice. Find any video of Dan Hardon sparring by the way, wont happen.
DeleteYour definition of "success" clearly shows how stupid you are.
DeleteHas anyone seen anything about Gary Grooms? Or his student ex-pro football player Michael Reid? As I understand he was a part of Shoalin-do, and broke off for differences and changed all of the mixed-up japanese stuff back to Chinese (calls it shaolin-tao, wears chinese garb, etc...)
ReplyDeleteFrom the little I can find of him on youtube, he seems to do all the same pseudo-martial forms that The' invented, but he eliminates as much of the overwinding/overextending and the flowery bullshit as he can and focuses on the mechanics of lining up footwork for strength, power etc...
To someone who knows what they're talking about: Check him out. Is he at all legit? just curious
Check him out for a laugh, yeah.
DeleteCome on everyone - so much vitriol. let's all learn what we can and trust ourselves. Beware Tradition, Authority and Revelation.
ReplyDeleteGeeez - hide under a blanket until you're not around "vitriol" anymore.
DeleteJake Mace is pretty cool! I think that this whole blog is because of one thing, and that's JEALOUSY.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wish some of these people claiming that he's a phony would post videos of themselves doing it the "authentic" way if they know so much.
DeleteGood job parroting what the cult of personality Rydberg tells his cult followers what to think, morons.
DeleteJust did a hiit matial arts conditioning vid. Seems ok. Seeing all this hate on this guy and other vids. As a neutral assessment, I don't know this guy. His form seems pretty solid though odd quirks in form as you see from experienced martial artists who adapt techniques to how it suits them. I'd rather trust what I see and experience from a teacher than someone automatically with some grand master 100th origami macrame black belt title. He seems ok basic foundational stuff for the layman starting, seems like an enthusiastic structured teacher, though I can't judge fully as I haven't done lengthy training around this guy but seems ok. PS from 20yrs of various Kempo, Kung Fu Mantis and Tiger style, Muay Thai
ReplyDeleteIs that you, Rydberg? It sounds like you.
DeleteAs a person looking into the martial arts community from the outside, seeing people bash Jake like this is very off putting.
ReplyDeleteI would think a community such as this would be more accepting to new methods of teaching and sharing knowledge.
Just because something isn't derived from an ancient "authentic lineage" doesn't make it ineffective. I've never heard him claim that he is the all knowing source of truth on any martial art.
He clearly puts a lot of work into his videos and I'm not sure how anyone can say he isn't skilled.. Have you seen his bo staff or chain whip videos? You don't just get up and do that kind of stuff on a whim. Even if his forms appear sloppy or incorrect to the "trained eye", it looks like he's doing a lot more to help the martial arts community gain interest than any of these haters.
So what's wrong with him sharing his passion and knowledge for free and simply asking for a like or subscription in return? Seems fair to me. His videos have inspired me to make some better life choices like eating healthier, working out more often, and just trying new and fun things for a workout.
Although, I believe anyone in Jake's position would be a target to lots of nit picky arm chair critics.
They are jealous they arent as successful as Jake is, it eats them up inside!
DeleteYour idiotic comments have "stooge" written all over them, stooge.
DeleteJake Mace, the extraordinary narcissist and fraud! I remember meeting this fake with his cup so full! He might be able to fool people with his athleticism but his tai chi and bagua are so horrible, they make any real student of the the art want to vomit!
ReplyDeleteJake is not just "sharing his passion". He is making a living off everyone who clicks on his phony videos. He is lying to people about the arts he claims to teach and misrepresenting them. Anyone learning from this fake is being ripped off. He is only teaching bad habits that must be undone later.
But Jake seems very happy to lie to people to make money and other people here think it is ok because he likes himself so much, so more power to him, right?
Well said!
Deletelets see, in his "Chen style taiji" he does high kicks, the splits, etc. I'm pretty sure they don't do that, because it is bullshyte.
ReplyDeleteI have been a student of Jake Mace for years and he has never let me down and has always inspired me to be my best and work towards improvement. This is just a hate article with no real merit nor real evidence. All teachers take what they learned and use their own take on it. Jake doesn't teach traditionally for a reason. I never felt the need to call him master but I will likely always call him friend.
ReplyDeleteHow much were you paid to write that stupid comment?
DeleteIt's a shame that people like "jake mace" are out there taking advantage of people and disgracing an art form.
ReplyDeleteI watched a video of him working on a jong. By his movements I can tell he knows nothing about wing chun.
It's a shame that people like "jake mace" are out there taking advantage of people and disgracing an art form.
ReplyDeleteI watched a video of him working on a jong. By his movements I can tell he knows nothing about wing chun.
from what I gather, most people don't actually have a problem with his martial arts per se just that he proclaims to be master of several arts which he is clearly not, at least in their traditional forms (tai chi, wing chun).
ReplyDeletePerhaps if he declared that all of his arts were "shaolin-do" it wouldn't be an issue. ("shaolin-do wing chun"? "shaolin-do taiji"?)
I don't think this a bad thing to do. Ip Man's wing chun was not strictly traditional (and he was harshly criticised for teaching it) and so it was re-titled "Ip Man Wing Chun", Bruce Lee developed his own system.
"Not a problem"? He poorly demonstrates what he calls "real" or "effective" when those of us who know the real thing can easily see his terrible technique. His conditioning and charisma don't mean anything; a fraud is a fraud.
DeleteGong fu by definition is achievement through diligent and continuous hard work.Having done many workouts, demonstrated by 34th generation Shoalin
ReplyDeletemonks all the way to Jake Mace, the underlying theme and philosophy is to do the work. At the core of every school is the work. Variations occur within all schools whether you are trainning Lohan, Praying Mantis, Monkey Style ect ect. To judge one school, shifu or instructor as fake or ineffective is subjective and personal opinion. It reduces things to an us versus them, my style and school is better than your style or school argument. When, through experimentation and self expression, new and effective fighting styles are developed.
As long as there is hard physical work based on good form and conditioning then that is the essence of Gong Fu.
JAKE MACE WON'T EVEN TELL ME WHO AND WHERE HE GOT HIS BLACK BELT FROM? ONE STORY HE SAID HE TOLD ME WAS HE RECEIVED A BLACK BELT FROM SHALIN DO. JAKE MACE SAYS HE'S BEEN STUDYING MARTIAL ARTS SINCE HE,WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.
ReplyDeleteComes off as a snake oil salesman. Hopefully, he's not. It's all about clicks these days. His girlfriend is really hot though:)
ReplyDeleteI've known Jake Mace for years. I can see this conversation has been going on for many years. He has put in years of hard work and done a lot to teach himself in addition to what he has been taught by instructors. He is in great shape and has dedicated countless hours to educating others to improve their lives whether through martial arts, exercise, diet, or other lifestyle choices. Overall, I can't see much room to criticize his mission or purpose. I do believe he does the best and gives the best of himself that he has to offer. I am a student of the Shaolin-Do system currently, so I might be biased in my account of that but am happy to answer any questions. I am not sure if folks are still tuned in to this discussion.
DeleteRydberg's fraudulent past is well- established fact. So is his violations of YouTube's policy of advertising pornography, which he at least did for years (maybe still does). He has been conning people of their money, suckering them into supporting him. It's pathetic that people don't realize this.
ReplyDeleteAs of today, he still posts links to the pornography he and his wife make, and they still get suckers to give them money. But they clearly don't need it. It's pathetic how gullible people can be.
ReplyDeleteGreat and that i have a swell present: Where To Start Home Renovation updating exterior of home
ReplyDelete