Monday, September 28, 2009

Mike Patterson Hsing-I



This week we'll take a look at some of the work of Mike Patterson, one of the best internal martial arts practitioners in the United States.
Here's from his Bio:

He "began Martial Arts training at the age of six. He has over 42 years of Martial Arts experience, 32 years teaching the Internal Styles of Hsing I, Pa Kua, Tai Chi and Liou He Ba Fah. He is the highest ranking teacher in the United States Shen Lung Tang Shou Tao Association, and is Head of the United States Branch.
When he had barely turned thirteen, he moved to the island of Taiwan and began his formal studies in the Internal Arts under Master Hsu Hong Chi. He was with Hsu Shr Fu, as his primary teacher, until his untimely passing in 1983.
ShrFu Patterson was the All Taiwan Full Contact Martial Arts Champion in 1975-1976, an all inclusive contest open to all styles and all ranks. He was the youngest champion ever in the history of the event and retired undefeated. He has since trained Numerous World, International and National Full Contact Champions himself. He served as the West Coast Regional Director of the United States Chinese KuoShu Federation from 1996 to 2001 and now serves as a special advisor for the same organization on the internal martial arts, he was Men’s Coach of the 1996 World Team U.S.A. Inside Kung Fu Magazine chose him as The 1997 Coach Of The Year."

Here's his website

26 comments:

Man of the West said...

I've seen this video before, even saved it onto my computer. One of the things that intrigued me about it is that many of the moves he does, though not identical to the way we do them in RyuTe, nevertheless have some similarities.

Videos and applications like this have me pretty well convinced that the dividing line between "hard" and "soft" arts isn't all that easy to draw.

Scott said...

Look, this is Aikido, plain and simple.
If it were xingyi the opponent would either be injured or, if playing nice, be thrown back and off balance by the attack.
Internal applications don't require so many changes, you just do the move. It is possible play like this using internal power, changing direction over and over, but what we see in the video is Aikido.

Unknown said...

Good information on a good rather than best martial arts practitioners but i would like to have more information about martial arts movies.

Dojo Rat said...

MOW:
I think you are right. There is a fine line between different arts with similar techniques.
But as one who studied Tae Kwon Do for years, then Kenpo, I would say that nearly all hard blocks and force-against-force is missing from the internal arts, which rely more on neutralizing and blending.

And Scott:
I also did Aikido for two years. The Kote-gaeshi and Shihonage Patterson does are very much like Aikido. But notice he is striking the ribs etc., and doing shoulder locks that are not necessarily Aikido.
Furthermore, Chin na clearly predates Aikido as all those arts flowed through India-China-Japan in that order. Uyeshiba was recent history, and I believe his circular motion was influenced by Bagua he saw while traveling in China.

Scott said...

D.R. I agree with you. Let me put it another way. The playfulness we often see in Aikido, and in some schools of Bagua and Tai Chi, is replaced in Xingyi with a kind of efficiency of thought and movement. All these arts use similar techniques, what makes something xingyi is its direct simplicity; One move, possibly blending into a second move--with overwhelming explosive power.

JoseFreitas said...

Scott: I am not sure I would agree 100% with your post. Although I agree that the "ideal" XY is like you said ("finish the fight now with maximum damage") the fact is that XY implements a lot of softer strategies too, and this is clearly seen in a number of the Animal Forms (as well as in some of the Eight Skills, like Wrap, Turn and so on). So XY can implement a slightly softer, more playful method of moving, ESPECIALLY at the teaching level. Some styles are softer than others (Shanxi, f.ex.) but there is still a continuum, it is not all just at the hard end of the options.

JoseFreitas said...

OK, after watching the video, it does look like Aikido, and not at all like Xingyi. I still disagree on the fact that XY cannot be soft and sort of more indirect, but I agree with Scott that this isn't any kind of traditional XY. Although I know that M. Patterson is very good at XY.

Unknown said...

And please, for the record, state your Hsing I (xingyi) qualifications? I'm speaking specifically to: "Scott" and "JoseFreitas". I do so enjoy knowing from how and where such learned opinions derive.

Unknown said...

Btw.. although I do not understand why this blog posted my name as "Sami Nona"... appears to be a google thing? I am Mike Patterson, the person in the video. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

..
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Anonymous said...

MIKE Patterson is a fraud

Anonymous said...

mIKE pATTERSON IS A FRAUD, hE IS A LIAR ... hE NEVER COMPETED AND IS a sissy,,

Anonymous said...

Sissy Mike PATTERSON Has you all fooled ...

Fat Fred

Anonymous said...

Homo Sexual Mike Patterson

Anonymous said...

Seriously why would Mike Sissy Patterson compete? He never dis because he is blind as a BAT !!!! Bifocoled blind bat!!!

Jack Sifu for real said...

Michael Patterson claims world champion? After a little investigation we found Patterson's father was his instructor { a white belt rank } and there was never a world tournament. Patterson must have been 14 years old according to the dates that there were no tournament anyway. He also has never competed in any USA tournaments A B or C rated we found out. Is he a fraud as many claim? Plus where did he get all the ranks he claims. Certificates are easy to make up. Another white belt sifu?

Anonymous said...

Fraud

Anonymous said...

My name is Bill and I was a student of Mike Patterson for over 10 years. About 6
years ago I quit Mike's school to seek out a better teacher. The best teacher I
found was Sifu McNeil. His skills are superior to Mike's in every way. I know for a
fact Mike Patterson has for years been jealous of Sifu McNeil. Mike Patterson has
stole, cheated and lied many times. He stold (from Sifu McNeil) an 8mm video tape of
master Hsu Hung Chi doing Tien-Gunn and bragged about it to us black belt students.
Even knowing that, Sifu McNeil would have made him one if he had asked. He was so
jealous of Sifu McNeil he didn't want Sifu to have it back so he said it was lost in
the mail. But the joke was on Mike because Master Hsu knew all about the film and
made Sifu McNeil a better one.

Mike went to a Chi Kung master one day to get his back fixed and while doing a simple
horse stance, the master laughed and said to Mike "You don't even know how to sit in
a horse stance correctly".

There have been about ten of Mike Patterson's students who have visited Sifu McNeil's
school in seeking out a true teacher. Four of us have joined and the others come down
off and on to talk and learn. Sifu McNeil has done several seminars in San Diego and
all ten of Mike's former students were always there. None of Sifu McNeils students
would ever quit and downgrade themselves and go with Patterson.

I was even at Mike's house when Sifu McNeil and a man from Australia taught Mike
Patterson Ba-Kua in his house. To this day Mike still says Master Hsu taught him
Ba-Kua. The only thing is Master Hsu never taught anyone Ba-Kua.

I am closing this by saying I hope Mike will one day grow up. Stop being jealous and stop being a Girly man. We also have found no proof of Patterson's claim to his so called tournament record. Pure BS. To date Michael Patterson has no known history of competing in any USA tournament either. LOL

Anonymous said...

Agreed on your review of mike Patterson . he really was not a good teacher because HE was not taught the right way. His ego was always in his way also. we wonder what the real reason he left la mesa studio leaving all the gear and trophies behind. he left in a very fast fashion. Patterson use to go and watch tournaments but NEVER competed himself. his physical lack of shape and feminine looking body was not really a true kung fu body I believe. MP use to bad mouth other teachers all the time also. that's why I left him also. besides his style is mostly made up. JMHO

Anonymous said...

LOL, watching a crazy person have a conversation with themselves is always amusing.

Anonymous said...

A lot of slander in the comments. I know a black sash that was trained by Mike, and he is one bad dude. He's taken out multiple street thugs at the same time. Mike Patterson's credentials and qualifications are well known, and second to nobody. You guys are just jealous.

Anonymous said...

Mike Patterson is a panty waist that never was in any tournament. Hey Patterson have any pictures or videos of your claim to world champion? Post them or admit you are a jealous of real masters.

Steve l. said...

I was a Tai Chi and Qi Gong student of Patterson for 3 to 4 years although I cannot comment on his fighting credentials or ability as I did not train in those things with him I can say for what I studied he was a tremendous teacher and a very compassionate and caring human being. I did not get the sense in any way that he was a fraud the skills he taught me in Tai Chi and Qigong have increase my health physically and mentally and I still practice to this day. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude as his training has changed my life for the better. We also discussed at length Taoist philosophy of which I gained a great Insight through him as well as well as Concepts in Chinese medicine. I was also having tremendous back problems and out of the kindness of his heart asking nothing but for me to tell him a joke each time He adjusted my back on multiple occasions which was extremely helpful. I consider him to truly be a Taoist adept dedicated to his art very down-to-earth and practices what he preaches and training with him was a pivotal and valuable point in my life that I would do all over again in a second

Mark M said...

You should tell us who you are. I may know you because I studied with Patterson from 22yo and he changed my life. I left my brothers on sour terms over his lack honor at 30yo, but Patterson could beat every man in his studio, including Bill R. Steve C. Little Big Joe, and tough Big John C. And John C. could also beat every man in the school after time. Yes even mean Bill R. You might doubt it, but.... I aspired to be as good and spared with John daily. Politics and greed, and loss of brothership is what killed the best studio in San Diego. As Scott J. always said, Hot tea at Eight was replaced by contracts, jealousy and payoffs. But Patterson was a real good devoted teacher. He was also a friend.
No, we never saw his championship proof in my 8 years, but he is a champion in my history. He demonstrated skill second to none. Early on the school was tight and they accepted you if Patterson accepted you. He was a great guy, very nice guy, always concerned. His wife was the real boss. But schools like White Dragon were making big money gym style contracts which he swore against, but soon did buy into. Then it became greed over loyalty and tough guy over brotherhood and it trickled down to his black sashes. You paid fro advancement under the new system. They introduced stripes. They blocked my advancement. I ran into that wall and lost, so left the school. I went to study with Sherfu Love for a while with Big John C., Patterson's school did not ultimately survive. Sad end to a wonderful experience. At 45, I tested my Hsing-I skills against a 20yo trained wrestler my size. He beat me, because of his youth and skill, but said I was tough to beat. That was Patterson training. I'm 58 now, and still able to fight.

Mark M said...

Yes Bill, I am sure you have much to say. But you didn't know Mike in the mid 80's and 90's. Patterson was young and in his prime. I liked McNiel better, he was able to handle John C. which was impressive, but my loyalty to Patterson was strong then. He didn't like me going to visit McNiel. McNiel moved around a lot then, so I decided to stay with Patterson for the stable location. I don't think McNiel liked me anyway. But badmouthing the guy who turned you into a fighter is just wrong. Patterson was a good teacher. He did lose honor with me, but he made me a fighter.

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