As you know, the purpose of this blog is to pick out various instances from the cartoon Dragonball Z where the Japanese creators have demonstrated knowledge of real life ideas related to kung fu. The point to make is that Dragonball Z does reflect some real life kung fu ideas because it was created by real life people.
This seemingly trivial idea was disputed by a large number of grown adults that I discussed it with. This blog is to demonstrate to these seemingly simple persons what I and other people consider obvious. That Japanese people inserted their knowledge of real life kung fu and kung fu principles into the cartoon Dragonball Z
In the following video, Bulma is being chased by the bad guys. The bad guys are flying in helicopters and shooting at her as they chase her down a road. She is cornered and turns to face her assailants. They bad guys move in for the finish which causes Bulma to lose all hope. When she does, she falls to the ground.
The way that Bulma falls to the ground is related to kung fu principles. Bulma does not fall down in a random fashion. She falls down in a very specific manner that would have had to have been drawn that way for a reason. The reason is related to the idea of internal martial arts. Men are considered naturally external, while women are considered naturally internal.
The specific way Bulma falls to the ground is a result of her strong internal nature. Just because all women are internal, they do not develop similarly. A woman who was developed internally would fall the specific way Bulma does. She might fall that way because she understands how to move properly, or she may do it simply because that is the natural and uncontrolled way a women who was developed internally would fall.
I will not discuss the mechanics of what is happening. That subject is too deep for this blog. It is more suited to The Secrets of Life blog. You can figure it out for yourself if you are observant. I have titled the video in such a way as to tell you the answer if you can see it.
6 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Down the Pole
The next video is a social training or moral lesson kind of video. I debated on whether it belonged here or not. The message can be seen as childishly obvious. The message is also an exactly accurate description of adult human beings.
In the video, the above mentioned bad guys shoot at Goku. Goku says "Only scaredy cats use guns". That sounds like and is a simplistic propaganda type of message. A public service type of message for young children. It also is an accurate description of adult men who have no confidence in themselves.
Men who are not physically fit, or are not trained in some manner of self defense, or who for some mental reason feel that they are weak will all turn to the gun for self defense. Any weapon will do. The gun is the most powerful personal weapon so that is what most men would choose.
The lesson here is not that cowards, as in name calling a person a coward, use guns. The lesson is that a man with no self confidence turns to the gun. Coward, or Scaredy Cat in Goku's lexicon, is not an insult. Goku is factually describing these men as having no confidence in themselves.
I enjoy this cartoon tremendously. This video is larger than it needs to be because I found the scene entertaining. There is nothing like a 3 foot tall kid jumping 50 feet thru the air, kicking thru the glass and steel cockpit of a helicopter, and kicking a bad guy right on the nose. ;)
17 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Scaredy Cats
This video is about quick hands. Android 8 goes to a scientist to have the bomb inside of him removed. The scientist is successful in removing the bomb. He is so relieved he wipes the sweat from his forehead. When he does, he drops the bomb. In the 1 or 2 seconds it takes the bomb to fall from the forehead of the scientist to Android 8's heart, Goku reaches in and grabs the bomb.
This is not a cartoon trick. Kung fu people will develop very fast reflexes. That is one way kung fu people are tested. There is a well known scene in the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. One kung fu person purposefully knocks a tea cup off the table. She watches as the other person catches the tea cup before it falls.
The kung fu woman purposefully did that to test the speed of the other woman. Then she would know if the other woman knew kung fu, and if she did, approximately what her level of skill is.
In life, people will try to control other people to make them do what they want. These people will employ any method that works.
In this video, Android 8 is being told by Ninja Murasaki that he must destroy Goku. Android 8 refuses because he is peaceful and does not believe in violence.
The video is very good in the way that it demonstrates how a controlling person will try to control another. It is also excellent in showing how a person who does not want to be controlled can never be controlled against their will.
Initially Ninja Murasaki verbally orders Android 8 to comply. Android 8 refuses. When verbal orders do not work, Murasaki then begins to verbally bully Android 8. Android 8 continues to resist. Murasaki then progresses to physical intimidation. His body becomes poised to attack and it vibrates with tension. Android 8 still says he will not attack Goku. Finally, Murasaki pulls a remote control out of his pocket. The remote control is for a bomb inside of Android 8. If Android 8 will not comply to Murasaki's wishes, Murasaki will blow him up.
This progression of events is very close to a typical situation in real life with real people. Except for the bomb. One person will order another person. If that person obeys, the first person controls the second person. If orders do not work the progression moves as described above. First verbal aggression, then implied phyisical aggression, then some type of obvious, unmistakable physical harm.
7 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Quick Hands
In life, people will try to control other people to make them do what they want. These people will employ any method that works.
In this video, Android 8 is being told by Ninja Murasaki that he must destroy Goku. Android 8 refuses because he is peaceful and does not believe in violence.
The video is very good in the way that it demonstrates how a controlling person will try to control another. It is also excellent in showing how a person who does not want to be controlled can never be controlled against their will.
Initially Ninja Murasaki verbally orders Android 8 to comply. Android 8 refuses. When verbal orders do not work, Murasaki then begins to verbally bully Android 8. Android 8 continues to resist. Murasaki then progresses to physical intimidation. His body becomes poised to attack and it vibrates with tension. Android 8 still says he will not attack Goku. Finally, Murasaki pulls a remote control out of his pocket. The remote control is for a bomb inside of Android 8. If Android 8 will not comply to Murasaki's wishes, Murasaki will blow him up.
This progression of events is very close to a typical situation in real life with real people. Except for the bomb. One person will order another person. If that person obeys, the first person controls the second person. If orders do not work the progression moves as described above. First verbal aggression, then implied phyisical aggression, then some type of obvious, unmistakable physical harm.
16 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Compulsion
Thruout the DBZ cartoons, when certain characters are surprised, their eyes will bug out of their head. The eyeball will appear to project out from the head for a few inches. This is not just a cartoon exxageration. This is based on how the human body is constructed.
The human body is said to be grounded when it behaves as if strings are pulling all parts of the body towards the ground. When a person becomes surprised, they lose control of these strings. That is why the eyes bug out of the head. It is as if the eyeballs have springs in the back of them in the eye socket. The strings I am describing hold the eyeball down against the pressure of the spring. When the person is surprised, they lose control of the strings and the eyeball is pushed forward by the spring in the socket.
This actually happens to real people in real life. It is to a much smaller degree that you have to look close to see it. The exaggerated cartoon eye bulge demonstrate that the cartoonists have a particular type of knowledge of how the body functions. This particular type of knowledge can be learned from kung fu.
Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Big Eye Surprise
This video shows Ninja Murasaki walking across a pond. He puts on some circular shaped shaped shoes, then walks across the water to the other side. This is really possible. If the shows are made lightweight and are wide enough, the person can walk across the water by shifting their weight in a certain way. This is not a made up for the cartoon imaginary trick.
A nicely filmed example of a person doing this kind of idea is in the movie The 36 Chambers of Shaolin. In that movie, the man walks on the water on plates that are wide and circular.
3 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Walk On Water
All human beings can sense, emit and receive energy. It is a natural function of the human body.
If a person has been taught there is no such thing as energy, their mind will override the sensations and clues their body provides. They will rationalize away any sensation that proves they can sense energy.
A kung fu person should believe in energy. They need to develop their own energy and their ability to sense energy. This is not something that a person sits down and practices intensely. The method is exactly the opposite. The person should be calm and relaxed and observant. Being observant is probably the most important thing a person can do.
There is a reason for everything. As you observe the world around you, you will begin to see the causes for the things that happen everyday. When people behave in a certain way, they will do so according to the energy of the situation. After some time, the kung fu person will be able to recognize these signs and see how and why a group of people react as they do.
A person can also sense the energy from other people passively. You do not have to look and observe to find energy. Energy is a physical sensation your body can feel like heat or cold.
In this video, Ninja Murasaki is hunting Goku. Goku is hiding behind a rock, looking for Murasaki. Towards the end of the video, Goku says "He is close, I can feel him". This is not a cartoon piece of dialog. The theme of this blog is that that Asian creators of this cartoon put their knowledge of kung fu into the making of the cartoon. When Goku says he can feel Murasaki, that is based on a real phenomenon in real life that the the Asian creators of the cartoon have personal familiarity with.
3 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Feeling Energy
This is a simple lesson that is and isn't kung fu specific. The lesson applies to anyone in life. It also applies to kung fu people specifically.
The practice of kung fu can make a person become serious and mean. The constant aggression during the training can seep out into their daily life. Various kung fu philosophies advise students to always be on the wonders of the world around them. To always observe and examine. This type of activity, a childish type of wonder, will offset or balance the aggression that the physical training generates. The person can then live a more balanced life. Their kung fu will be better and they will be an asset to the community instead of a problem.
This video also makes note of the fact that Goku grew up isolated on a mountain with his grandfather. In today's modern world, people grow up with so much stimulation that they are forced to ignore some of it so they can function in daily life. The people are purposefully blinding themselves. This is bad from a kung fu perspective because a kung fu person wants to be aware of everything. All the time.
Goku, because of his isolated upbringing, is enchanted and amused by everything and anything. The simplest of new things or ideas provide him with entertainment. This type of outlook on life is one of the things that contributes to the skill of any martial artist in real life. This attitude is an integral part of the good, wholesome, likable character that Goku is.
8 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Enjoy Life
I like this scene. The characters in the cartoon are consistently amusing and entertaining.
In this scene, Master Roshi has run out of energy. Goku realizes this means Master Roshi can no longer fly. Goku shoots him with a Kamehameha wave which knocks Master Roshi into the air. Goku then jumps up and kicks Master Roshi out of the ring. Every claps because Goku has won.
Then Master Roshi calls the announcer over. When Master Roshi fell, he stuck one of his feet into the concrete of the side of the ring. He then held his body erect over the ground so that none of the rest of his body touched the ground.
What he is doing can be called full body integration. This is a real life kung fu principle. It is possible to change your body so that it is all one unit that is under your control. A person with this ability can, in real life, lock their body and make it act as one big piece similar in the way that Master Roshi has locked his body into one big piece.
This concept is one of the ways that kung fu practioners can generate so much power.
15 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Full Body Integration
Master Roshi in his guise as Jacky Chun and Goku are in the final battle. Master Roshi is almost finished and must come up with an idea to win. He notices that Goku is short, with short legs, and challenges Goku to a final charge. The both kick each other in the jaw and knock each other out simultaneously.
You have to wait thru the entire sequence to reach the meaningful information. After the attack, they both struggle to get up and be declared winner. Finally Master Roshi gets up and says he wins. At about 3:55 in the video, Master Roshi says, "I could strike much deeper than Goku. That is the only way I won".
When Goku and Master Roshi charged, a person might think that Master Roshi's longer legs would hit Goku first, before Goku's short leg's could hit Master Roshi. They might believe that is why Master Roshi won. This is not true. Master Roshi won because he struck deeper as he said.
Internal Martial arts are designed to penetrate into the body. When Master Roshi says he struck deeper, he means that his foot might have penetrated into Goku's body by 8 inches whereas Goku's shorter legs could only penetrate into Master Roshi's body by 2 inches for example.
As usual the cartoonists with their knowledge of martial arts depicted what happened very well. If you look at Goku's foot, doesn't it look like it is just barely touching Master Roshi's chin? Master Roshi's head is still erect and facing forward. The only effect of the kick seems to be compression of one eye so that it is smaller.
If you look at Master Roshi's foot, his foot is in contact with the entire side of Goku's face. Goku's head is turned by the extra length of Master Roshi's foot instead of looking forward at the target like Master Roshi's head is. Master Roshi's foot physically occupies the position that Goku's head wants to be in. The amount that the face has turned from the forward position over to the side, perhaps a number of inches, would be described as the amount of deeper penetration that Master Roshi's kick does.
32 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Deep Strike
This video is of a recurring theme in DBZ. Whenever Master Roshi thinks about women, his nose begins to spurt like a geyser. Most people think this is humorous or an artifice of the show. It is based, like most other things in DBZ, on a real life idea.
People are grounded. That is to say they can be described as having something like roots that normally stick into the ground. The stronger a kung fu person is, the stronger their root should be. If these roots are cut or broken, they act like a rubber band. All the force that the roots hold onto by being anchored into the ground is freed. The force bounces back up into the body and can cause damage or ill health problems.
Master Roshi is a strong kung fu man with a strong ground. Thinking about sex makes him lose control of his ground. When this happens, because he is so strong, when all of that force snaps back up into his body when his ground is cut, the pressure causes his nose to spurt blood like a geyser.
When Master Roshi stops thinking about women, the sexual thoughts no longer interfere with his control of his ground. He regrounds himself and everything is back to normal.
32 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Nosebleeds
The second season of Dragonball begins around episode 29 or 30. I did not watch the show when it was originally released. I don't know the historical circumstances surrounding the production of the show.
On watching the show now, I see a change in the focus of the show. The first season felt like a pre planned show. The entire arc of stories was planned out. Particular goals were set for the characters and particular stories were told.
The second season so far feels to me like it is a commercial venture. I wonder if the first season was so hugely popular that a corporation offered the creator money to continue the cartoon. The creator did not have a goal or a story. He is creating stories as he goes along to satisfy the needs of a second season.
The new episodes contain a lot of mechanistic gadgets. There are tanks and planes and guns and spaceships. These all seem out of place on a cartoon about a young boy who won a kung fu tournament.
The mechanistic view of things is very popular in Japanese cartoons. Spaceships, changing robots, futuristic inventions populate most popular shows. I wonder if the creators of the second season threw these known popular items into the story because they felt that would insure the second seasons success.
The reason for this analysis is that the kung fu lessons have been very sparse in the beginning episodes of the second season. Out of 4 episodes I have watched so far, there is maybe one kung fu lesson. Quite a change from the first season where every episode was chock full of kung fu insight.
That is the reason for the time lag in posting new entries. Lack of material. New material will be posted if I come across any. I know that there is more material once Dragonball finishes up and the series changes to Dragonball Z.
This video is a continuation of the Hypnotism video in the previous entry.
In the beginning, Master Roshi walks towards Goku as he continues to make the hand motions. Look at the way that Master Roshi moves. He is drawn so that he seems to skip from spot to spot.
This is an attempt by the cartoonists to convey what the subject of a hypnotic attack will feel like.
As their awareness comes and goes, they lose contact with what is going on. When Goku loses awareness, Master Roshi is still moving forward. When Goku regains awareness, from his mental perspective, Master Roshi has teleported or jumped a foot or so to a new position.
As an added bonus, watch how Master Roshi's feet move as he walks forward. Nothing happens by accident. Master Roshi's legs and feet move as they do for a very specific reason. Not a hard thing to figure out or particularly mysterious. It is purposeful though, not just an accident of cartoon drawing.
6 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Hypnotic Attack
In this video, Master Roshi completes the hypnotizing. He puts Goku to sleep with what Master Roshi calls "The Sleepy Boy Technique". The announcer gives Master Roshi trouble because the fight ended with hypnotism, not physical fighting.
at :20 seconds, Master Roshi clearly says "The Sleepy Boy Technique(hypnotism) is a martial arts clasic. This is not a piece of dialog for a cartoon. This statement is true. Not that the Sleepy Boy Technique is a classic, but that hypnotism in general is one of the advanced techniques of martial arts.
At 36: seconds, Master Roshi makes another honest statement. The announcer continues to insist that hypnotism is not a fair end to the fight.
Master Roshi says "It is the boys fault for falling for it". This is true. A person can train themselves to become aware of hypnotic attacks and to resist them. It is not a big deal. Awareness of what is happening is usually enough to stop the attack.
Becuase Goku is an innocent child, he has no knowledge of hypnotic attacks. He is naive which is why the elderly and worldy Master Roshi succeeds in hypnotizing him.
4 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - The Sleepy Boy Technique
This video shows Goku being rescued from the Sleepy Boy attack. It is quite humourous the way it happens. It is also a depiction of how this process works in real life.
First Master Roshi describes why he has to beat Goku in the tournament. It is a good story so I put it in.
Goku is laying on the ground asleep. Everyone thinks the fight is over. Suddenly Bulma, who is in the audience has an inspiration. She shouts out "Goku, your dinner is ready!".
Goku wakes up and runs around looking for dinner. Master Roshi can't believe it. This is real life. If you are around a person who is being hypnotized, one way to stop the hypnotism is to talk about something important to the person. The person's love for the subject being discussed will bring his awareness back to the foreground and defeat the hypnotic attack.
5 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Breaking a Hypnotic Attack
This video shows Goku asking Master Roshi, "Where is the dinner?". Master Roshi is gets angry and shouts at Goku "Don't be a goofball, we are fighting".
When this happens, Master Roshi is drawn in a particular way. His eyes pop out of his head and other parts of his body also change.
If you can understand why Master Roshi's surprise is drawn the way it does, you will understand another very basic principle of martial arts.
2 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Loss of Control
I don't want to explain everything to you. If I do, you stop thinking and looking for yourself.
This cip is very special. It is a clip of Master Roshi and Goku both preparing to fire a Kamehameha wave at the other.
You want to watch Master Roshi and Goku as they prepare for the Kamehameha. Scrutinize, examine, inspect. Starting at about :33 seconds. The japanese creators of the cartoon purposefully drew what you see. They did not make it up or invent it out of thin air.
If you can understand what you are looking at, you will understand one of the most basic ideas about any type of kung fu.
Good Luck!
6 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Kamehameha Mystery
This video is of Master Roshi preparing for a mental attack on Goku. The Kamehameha attack failed which has forced Master Roshi to employ his highest level skills.
As with the above video, inspect, examine and scrutinize. You want to watch Master Roshi's hands and his body position.
If you can understand what exactly he is doing, you will understand high level martial arts. Mental and physical control over other people without touching them. The posture and movements are no accident. The Japanese cartoonists put their knowledge of kung fu and real life into this depiction.
8 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Mental Attack Mystery
In this video, Master Roshi is talking to Nam. Nam's village is without water. Nam is fighting in the contest to win money to buy water to take back to the village. Master Roshi says to Nam, "Here is a dynocap, it can be used to transport anything, including water".
Nam is astonished and says "How did you know I need water?". Master Roshi says "Minds are like books. Easy to read if you know how". Master Roshi is in disguise when he says this. After the declaration, Nam realizes that the man must be Master Roshi.
Nam does not question for one second that Master Roshi read his mind. Nam knows that a master can do such things. This is not just a cartoon gimmick. This is reality. If you practice kung fu, at some point in time you may develop mental abilites of various sorts. The japanese creators of the cartoon did not make this up. They have encountered or know of a situation like this in real life and they have used the idea in the cartoon.
4 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Minds are like Books
In this video, Nam and Goku are fighting. Initially there is a sequence of fighting that sets up the situation. Nam has hit Goku and stunned him. Nam says "Now is my chance", and begins to run at Goku for the final attack. This happens at about :27 seconds into the video.
Pay attention to how Nam runs. When Nam runs, his head is stationary. His body is twisting and moving as it runs. The head is rock steady, focused forward for the attack. Running in this manner is a high level kung fu skill. It is as if the head is on a peg that is stuck down into a hole in the neck. The body can rotate all around the peg as much as wants without affecting the position of the peg with the head on top.
It is really possible to run like that. To hold the head steady and focused while the body is moving violently or quickly. You can find real people moving in this manner in some Japanese movies.
8 Meg Xvid MPEG 3 - Isolated Running
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