7th degree black belt in Goju-ryu Karate under Grandmaster Lou Angel
7th degree black belt in American Kenpo Karate under Master John Sepulveda
2nd degree black belt in American Kenpo Karate under Master Larry Tatum
4th degree black belt in American Kenpo Karate under Grandmaster Ed Parker (founder of American Kenpo Karate)
Suffers from a rare lymph disorder that fills his body with fluid causing him to gain weight rapidly
― gear (gear), Sunday, 28 May 2006 00:18 (nineteen years ago)
from a forum:
Hey guys,
I've been reading the boards for a while and I noticed a lot of subscribers complaining about Sensei's current condition (weight problems/hair style/robe?). Let me say off the bat that I agree that we need the good old Nico back. But, for those of you who don't know already, there may be good news.
Kenpo master and martial arts personality (not in Sensei's league!) Jeff Speakman has been waging his own personal battle against chronic obesity. What you don't see on the screen is Mr. Speakman's lifelong struggle with spontaneous lipocemic control deficiency (SLCD). In other words, his blood cells can't process glucose properly, which leads to puffiness, general flabbiness and bloated jowls.
Did anyone notice the three year hiatus Mr. Speakman took between 1999 and 2002 ("Hot Boyz" to "Night to Terror")? Not many realize that this was due to SLCD. In 1999, shortly after wrapping up production of Hot Boyz, Mr. Speakman, 5'7", ballooned to a record 280 pounds (though I've heard up to 330). And this was not his first brush with spontaneous obesity. The production of Street Knight was actually DELAYED for fifteen months after Mr. Speakman disappeared only to be found bedridden in a hospital outside of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was reported (I can't vouch for the sources) that Mr. Speakman, at the height of his career, had nearly gorged himself into early retirement.
So, what's the point? In September 2003, after living with SLCD for 45 years, a Brando-sized Speakman finally publicly addressed his disorder on his official website. The publicity of his announcement, which paid homage to long-time collaborator and friend, Professor Toru Tanaka, led some critics to conclude that the portly ex-wrestler might also have suffered from the same disease.
I don't want to state the obvious, but Sensei is probably an undiagnosed sufferer of SLCD and he may not even know it. One look at the beefy, (and frankly disheveled) Sensei of the later movies and we, Sensei's most loyal fans, must conclude with the experts that Sensei's weight has become an issue.
If anyone wants a solution, just look at the courageous efforts of Mr. Speakman. Already Speakman (a stocky man to begin with) has dropped a remarkable eighty pounds since his announcement, and is on the road to full recovery from SLCD. Although it's not entirely curable, doctors in Switzerland have managed to isolate the disease's triggering mechanisms and have formulated a special diet based on fish and nut oils, megadoses of legumes and citrus cures.
Who's to say that this wouldn't work for Sensei? We can't avoid the issue any longer by sending friendly emails. A simple diet may do the trick. Tell me what you think.
"sensei" = seagal
― gear (gear), Sunday, 28 May 2006 01:43 (nineteen years ago)
I just like the way it suggests it operates, this condition.
"Doo de doo, just walking down the street here..."
*FATTO*
"OMG I am obese!"
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 28 May 2006 01:51 (nineteen years ago)
"there are hundreds of cases of spontaneous human obesity each year, they're just not, you know, widely reported."
― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 29 May 2006 03:59 (nineteen years ago)