What you should do is post the lineage traceable to the sources of “African Wrestling” and “European Boxing” and whatever else is in the Mix.
Something like this:
Goju Ryu was developed by Chojun Miyagi, who learned Naha Te from Kanryo Higaonna, and also learned from Seisho Arakaki and Crane concepts from Gokenki.
Show a traceable lineage.
I think that as human beings, we should be skeptical in general. Keeps us from buying into things that aren’t true.
52 Blocks, to the best of my knowledge, has little to no written documentation. As an historian, I can tell you that anything passed down primarily via oral tradition is met with criticism. If I’m told that a martial art is made up of elements of X, Y, and Z, but there’s no hard proof, then I have to at least acknowledge that it’s hearsay and possibly made up. If I’m told that a system is so many years old, but the earliest evidence of it shows up later, I have to admit that the later date is solid while the earlier date is possibly complete BS. And finally, the ultimate test of whether a martial art is legit or not is if it’s been used effectively. I don’t know, aside from some anecdotal tales, if 52 Blocks in particular fits this requirement. Some of the stories I HAVE heard about it don’t give it any more credibility; one gentleman in a Youtube video describes seeing a guy catch a punch, kiss the fist, then send it back at the puncher, which really just seems like a load of crap for a few reasons.
With that said, I try to keep an open mind about 52 Blocks. I’d like to see some better demos than what are available at this time. I’d like to see someone use it exclusively, or at least primarily, in a full-contact fighting context. If there was a guy offering to teach it near me, I’d at least try to pay him a visit, if not train for a few months. As a proponent of Western martial arts and someone interested in obscure fighting styles, I’d LOVE for this to turn out to be legit. I just don’t have enough evidence one way or another to really make a call on it at this time.
I also differ with the views of Phil Elmore on many things. Without seeing the video I can’t say for sure, but based on some comments he’s made in the past, I can guess that the odds are I differ at least a little on his views of 52 Blocks.