saxgentleman67

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Posts posted by saxgentleman67

  2. Posted

    On 11/29/2022 at 4:13 AM, cherrydao said:

    I have just signed up to Spring Forest and I can say I feel quite disappointed at how basic and simple these forms are. 

    I totally agree. There is some good, but there are much better systems to study for the more serious internal arts practitioner. This whole thread very much sounds like a sales pitch for SFQ, NOT someone's objective experience. I would not be surprised at all if the person who started the thread was on Chunyi's staff.

  3. Posted

    On 6/23/2023 at 9:46 AM, Vajra Fist said:

    Honestly, if you're doing Thanissaro Bhikku's stuff, you're already practicing in a very legitimate tradition.

    Before Adam Mizner started teaching his own meditation material, senior students would typically recommend Thanissaro Bhikku to those looking for a meditation practice. Imo both systems are quite complementary.

     

    Adam charges $1000 for his meditation program. Can I get most of the concept from Bhikku's site that is free? Thanks.

  5. Posted

    21 hours ago, Creation said:

    Since you mentioned the quality of instruction on subtle points, I did Frantzis' online programs for years and got a lot out of them, but I now study from Damo Mitchell's online program and haven't looked back. 

    I like Damo, but he has a fraction of the material that Bruce does. I'm curious which EA courses did you study? I thought the Bod's in the Clouds was really good. And the heart-mind meditation.

  7. Posted

    I don't know if this has already been said, but I think you are over-analyzing this. It would be easy to spend a long time continuing to do this. Hopefully you see the folly of that.

     

    Use the heart to guide your decision. Forgot the logical reasons why or why not.

     

    Meditation is perhaps the highest level of these arts. Either you are moving closer to what you are looking for...or further away....if you are honest and pay attention I think you'll know what to do pretty quickly.

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    Yes, the material is fantastic. The teacher not so much. They are two entirely different things though. IMHO a person tends to start to pick up unwanted energies from their teacher. That is one reason why I left my first long term tai chi teacher. I found him to have some beliefs that were contrary to my own. 

     

    How much time did you spend with Bruce in person? I have spent none. I love the knowledge and insights he gives. I hate his teaching style, his ego, and his personality. For me, he often comes across with great negativity and very little love in his heart He often seems to be really out of balance. I think that's why his negative traits become overly emphasized. For me that is a clear cut deal breaker for having him as a teacher. I know plenty of people whose focus is purely martial and they are willing to overlook almost anything if they think the teacher has great skill and can help them get great skill. Personally, I think that is a mistake in the long run. 

     

    I'm curious though...if you really like the system and have put in a lot of time in it...why not study more with someone like Paul Cavel...who has the knowledge without all the issues.

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    19 hours ago, liminal_luke said:

    The ideal, I suppose, would be to find a teacher who knows something worth learning and how to teach it -- and is also an exemplary and nonannoying human being.  Perhaps it's worth holding out for this ideal.    YMMV 

    Annoying is a dramatic downplay of what I have seen. I have studied with several different teachers live and via zoom. I have never ever found anyone close to the abrasiveness of Bruce Frantzis. Many others say the same thing too. He is very much a self-appointed master of the West. You never ever hear any credible 3rd party speak highly of him. It's only his students, which I find suspicious.

    • Like 2

  11. Posted

    41 minutes ago, Robin said:

    Hi Dwai,

    Another take though is that I'm getting old and hopefully a little wise, am more aware of the alternatives and less willing to put up with things that jar me for the sake of gaining knowledge that may or may not be as unusually valuable as I've allowed myself to be led to believe.

    I would suggest that your higher self already knows what to do. Perhaps you were unaware before or had resistance because you had so much time/effort invested with Bruce. If you've been at this for many years you should have a sense of what the next step should be. Let it unfold however it does.

     

    When I left my teacher I found another. Then the opportunity came to lead a class. Then the class fell apart. Then I found a different system that was much more in alignment with my personal goals. I believe that if you really pay attention you will find out where to go next.

     

    • Like 5

  12. Posted

    Hi Robin. I responded to your post on the EA Forum. It is very easy to get banned on there for saying anything bad about Bruce.

     

    Bruce has some great knowledge. And I have enjoyed watching his material for a long time but never fully delved into all his stuff. I have always believed that it's much better to have a good in person teacher than one strictly on video. I have had that for several years before departing on my own.

     

    Bruce has good marketing and lots of self-praise and a few teachers/students who sing his praises. Outside of his little circle though, not so much. 

     

    I have felt for a long time that he has an issue with ego. The best teachers in internal arts are egoless. Bruce has some issues that interfere with what he has  learned IMO. And the lineage and transmissions from his teachers is limited by his own issues.

     

    I study Bruce for his ideas NOT for practicing his stuff. As a supplement to my own understanding of what I am doing.

     

    You seem to be looking for answers outside yourself for what to do. Look inward. And be willing to fully let go of  .

     

    I don't know what you are looking for. That's the first thing to figure out. Know this though. You do NOT need to go to a martial artist or kung fu this or that to for great health and spirituality. I have found a few different things lately that are either meditation or qigong that are great. Also, you do not need a particular system or lineage or expert teacher.

     

    I don't know what you are looking for. I started in martial taiji and quickly got tired of that because of the emphasis on power. About a year about I got into Emei Qigong, which seems really simple but is profound. Much more focused o health and spiritual enlightenment.

    • Like 5