Hi all,
Does anyone have any info on Bruce Tegner apart from what is on his books?
He wrote several in the 60's and 70's?
I can't find any info on him on the net.
Madfrank
Bruce Tegner
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Bill Glasheen
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Bruce Tegner
Madfrank
A few books??? Bruce Tegner wrote a book on any and every martial art known to Western Civilization in the period of the 1960s and 1970s. He had a penchant for walking into a discipline, learning the very basics, and then firing off a book (complete with photos of Bruce doing the techniques) before going on to something else. A critical view of his technique leads a reasonably experienced martial artist to the conclusion that his incredible volume of works is little more than junk.
I'd be amazed if the guy is still alive. He made his fortune when the U.S. had a hunger for martial arts, but there was little expertise around. His books were quickly replaced by more substantive works, and he fell into obscurity.
The stuff is worth saving for curiosity value, if nothing else.
- Bill
A few books??? Bruce Tegner wrote a book on any and every martial art known to Western Civilization in the period of the 1960s and 1970s. He had a penchant for walking into a discipline, learning the very basics, and then firing off a book (complete with photos of Bruce doing the techniques) before going on to something else. A critical view of his technique leads a reasonably experienced martial artist to the conclusion that his incredible volume of works is little more than junk.
I'd be amazed if the guy is still alive. He made his fortune when the U.S. had a hunger for martial arts, but there was little expertise around. His books were quickly replaced by more substantive works, and he fell into obscurity.
The stuff is worth saving for curiosity value, if nothing else.
- Bill
Bruce Tegner
I did find this discussion on another forum, which indicates his parents were into the martial arts and that he started training at an early age. No clue how reliable the info is though.
http://pub6.ezboard.com/fcombatmartialartssurvivaldefense.showMessage?topicID=171.topic
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Glenn
[This message has been edited by Glenn (edited April 23, 2002).]
http://pub6.ezboard.com/fcombatmartialartssurvivaldefense.showMessage?topicID=171.topic
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Glenn
[This message has been edited by Glenn (edited April 23, 2002).]
Bruce Tegner
Interesting (to me) to compare your answer to mine on Van's Forum to the same question.
I think our opinions really overlap considerably, but I did and do not find the books to be so useless, especially the Tegner Method, Complete Self-Defense, or JuKaDo ones. When he tries to teach a martial art that he doesn't know, e.g. savate, aikido, karate...well....
From my own background, Tegner was helpful in a strategic sense more so than a tactical one. He also helped in combining techniques from different arts, an approach seldom taken before him. And he was helpful in my teaching a few things to my children at very young ages.
De gustibus non disputandem; my Latin's rusty, I fear. I can understand how one who dedicated himself many years to an art to reach a high dan level of skill would have reservations on Tegner's works. But in the context of their times and their outreach to the public, I believe they had their uses.
Respectfully,
student
[This message has been edited by student (edited April 23, 2002).]
I think our opinions really overlap considerably, but I did and do not find the books to be so useless, especially the Tegner Method, Complete Self-Defense, or JuKaDo ones. When he tries to teach a martial art that he doesn't know, e.g. savate, aikido, karate...well....
From my own background, Tegner was helpful in a strategic sense more so than a tactical one. He also helped in combining techniques from different arts, an approach seldom taken before him. And he was helpful in my teaching a few things to my children at very young ages.
De gustibus non disputandem; my Latin's rusty, I fear. I can understand how one who dedicated himself many years to an art to reach a high dan level of skill would have reservations on Tegner's works. But in the context of their times and their outreach to the public, I believe they had their uses.
Respectfully,
student
[This message has been edited by student (edited April 23, 2002).]
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f.Channell
- Posts: 3541
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- Location: Valhalla
Bruce Tegner
I had a Bruce Tegner book that belonged to one of my older brothers. Don't remember getting much out of it.
If it wasn't for that and the Kung Fu show with David Carradine I might have never gotten into martial arts.
If I ever find out who stole my Kung Fu card collection out of my 2nd grade desk, their in trouble......
f.
If it wasn't for that and the Kung Fu show with David Carradine I might have never gotten into martial arts.
If I ever find out who stole my Kung Fu card collection out of my 2nd grade desk, their in trouble......
f.
Bruce Tegner was a pioneer and writer and publisher
as well as other things. He was quite adept at judo,however, and there are some videos on his performances,a rough copy that I have shows this very well. His mother is also in the video. I have a number of his books, some published later by Bantam Books.but most through his THOR PUBLISHING CO. Tegner was hated by many traditionalists and military types who taught 'classical' karate. He was not, as some have claimed, a Charlatan. His methods changed over the years from board breaking to fencing,etc. He had other fairly well-qualified persons write the books on arts he,himself, did not practice. His books still sell apparently and he is well-known overseas as well and respected among those who can't afford to spend money on expensive lessons and memberships. Tegner apparently knew something of the Canadian versions of Savate and put out an interesting book on this which I have in my collection. Halford at http://arnis.homestead.com
Please try the site 'The golden Age of Iron Men'
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition ... dex.htm#ca
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition ... dex.htm#ca
Same old story
Despite all that Tegnér did in the martial arts he was never really "accepted" by the martial arts community. Perhaps this is due to his approach.
Tegnér's books exposed the many myths that exist in the martial arts, myths that many teachers of the arts would rather play upon in order to profit from or build their status from. He stripped much of this away and delivered a far different message.
Tegner recognized that much of what was (and still is) being taught was too rigid, too traditional, too impractical and too sportive.
Tegnér knew that to excel in a sport one must be a good athlete. In order for the average person to protect themselves they don't need to be athletes, they need to learn simple methods.
Methods that are easy to learn and easy to apply. The complex teachings of the martial arts are just not practical. So with that in mind it's easy to see why Tegnér would not be too popular with the martial arts crowd.
Interestingly enough a few years later a small Chinese man would come along and say much the same thing and the strong traditionists of the martial arts were just as angry at him as they were at Tegnér. However the Chinese man would go on to become a martial arts legend - Bruce Lee.
Van
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Bill Glasheen
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Has anything changed much?
I go into various book stores these days and see the number of books mass produced on martial arts and of the many,many out there, only a few have anything you can sink your teeth into,that is, have any depth and value. Many are simply coffee-table books, someone's idea of karate, tae kwon do,kungfu,etc. based on years of watered-down,commercialized teachings,etc. so looking at the bare,basic books of Bruce Tegner can be refreshing to the eye. The photos are as good, in most cases, as those being used today in many manuals. Tegner did train a number of 'hollywood' celebrities and did some movie work. Ed Parker and a few others followed in his footsteps. In his declining years, Tegner took to backpacking and hiking. Thanks! In his latter days Tegner went back to jiu-jitsu and
basic judo along with some practical self-defense. He tried to get the police agencies to use more efficient and less brutal means of dealing with aggression and in some cases was successful, if only through his books.
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
Perhaps we should take him in the context of the times. He was publishing when there was a vacuum of information on martial arts in this country. Indeed, Van, there was no other place to go for information when you were looking in bookstores in the 1960s.
Considering he was one of the earliest MMAs, we should give him some credit... By definition if you are a jack of all trades, you will be a master of none.
On the flip side, it's also good that individual martial arts got their own houses in order and perfected their own well-defined principles and groups of techniques.
- Bill
Considering he was one of the earliest MMAs, we should give him some credit... By definition if you are a jack of all trades, you will be a master of none.
On the flip side, it's also good that individual martial arts got their own houses in order and perfected their own well-defined principles and groups of techniques.
- Bill
