Stories

[gallenbenson]

Hi,
GGM was always willing to demonstrate his skills. I recall a student I met a few times at his house in Albuquerque, who took him up on a claim that he could jump onto the roof of his house. GGM scheduled a time for him to come to his house to demonstrate. This student told me he brought his camera and met GGM at his house. I believe he suggested, or new, that GGM had been meditating beforehand, and that his complexion was very pale. He said that GGM proceeded to get into a standing horse stance, and in one movement, from the static horsestance, jumped up onto the roof.
The student failed to snap the photo, as he was too affected by demo to snap the picture! If I remember right, he actually got sick to his stomach watching. Although I didn't see this personally, I don't doubt it. I accidentally caught him moving once, and something about it didn't make sense regarding normal physics. There was no 'blur' to the movement. A beginning, a single frame shot of the technique at its peak, and back again. No middle, no blur of movement. And, he was able to look at me entering, while he was doing this technique with someone else, and let me know I wasn't supposed to be there. Too much seemed to happen all in one instant, and I too felt quite queezy, and had to grab the wall to catch my balance.
- Gallen

[kungfujoe]

originally posted by Christoph

That's a great story Gallen, I have heard about GGM Reeders doing this. Keep the stories coming .
Peace

[gallenbenson]

GGM Reeders always spoke about the speed of a movement. He would talk about a demo he did when he was teaching in NY. Having a policeman from the audience try to shoot him. He always said a 'good' kung fu movement happened in 1/4000 of a second, and a bullet only travelled at 1200th. So, no contest. I believe he also mentioned that someone couldn't shoot you and talk at the same time either. Regardless, I believe he would strike in response, first, then disarm the shooter.
Regarding the speed, I recall a practice of punching at glass to try and break it, with speed , not actually hitting it.
I remember him offering to knock me down without touching me. It had to do with speed. One characteristic of training with GGM Reeders, was that you got faster and faster in your technique.
-Gallen

[gallenbenson]

No I didn't. I never doubted his ability, and wasn't interested in being on the receiving end.
I recall him talking about, I believe, Artis Simmons in regards to speed. Something about his tournament fighting, and how he would notice his big toe move before he would punch, and that it was a done deal at that point. You could watch his toe and call the point for the subsequent punch.
Relative to Shaolin animal styles, he would talk about the monkey form as the fastest, several hundred moves done in so many seconds... I did not practice that, as it was for a smaller body style than I had. It seems to me that the speed in his technique came from a few sources of training/theory.
I have read about someone's comments on Kuntao, and striking first, before the opponent barely begins to move. I remember practicing that. Sort of exploding with a strike/strikes the instant you sense movement/intention starting with one's opponent. Very much to do with speed too, but not connected to what I saw in the Shaolin animal styles. At least in attitude. The explosive speed aspect seemed to be in everything, and maybe the attitude of encounter varied. There were retreat movements, and up against the wall movements. Maybe the philosophies behind the movements came from differing family or Shaolin styles. -Gallen

[The Red Ant]

I hope to offer some stories as told to me by Tiny Sealy in regards to Willem Reeders, but will add those a little later. However, here is something I always wondered and finally asked my teacher Tiny about in regards to Reeder's physical ability: What sticks in your mind as the most amazing thing about Reeders? Tiny's reply was: his mind! Reeders spoke seven languages, was an engineer, and a brilliant man. Moreover, his ability to always know where you were and how you were positioned at all times was unbelievable.

My best,

Brian Barone