Innholdsfortegnelse for June - July 2015 i Black Belt Magazine

Having visited various martial arts tournaments during the past year, I have made some observations that I would like to share. Let us start with the forms competition at these events. I began training in South Korea back in 1963. The name of the organization I trained in was the Moo Duk Kwan, and the style I learned was tang soo do. A great deal of emphasis was placed on learning the basics and forms as a foundation for actual fighting, as well as for everyday self-defense. The forms (hyung in Korean, kata in Japanese) were envisioned as fighting moves against imaginary opponents. I have always followed this approach in my training and teaching. At the tournaments I visited, I noted that what was going on had very little to…

First up: Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film is titled Pound of Flesh. John Ralston and Charlotte Peters co-star in this motion picture from eOne Entertainment. Synopsis: In China to donate his kidney to his dying niece, a former black-ops agent awakens the day before the operation to find he’s a victim of organ theft. He sets out in search of his stolen kidney so he can save his niece’s life Release: On May 15, 2015, Pound of Flesh hit theaters and became available on iTunes and Video On Demand. Next up: Steven Seagal. His newest movie is Code of Honor. His co-stars include Craig Sheffer (A River Runs Through It) and Helena Mattsson (Iron Man 2). The film, which is written and directed by Michael Winnick and being made by…

Q: In the last issue, you talked about lifting conventional weights for enhanced martial arts performance. What about other forms of weightlifting? A: There is another type of weight training that deserves discussion. It entails attaching extra weight to your body — specifically, your ankles, wrists or torso — and then engaging in functional martial arts training. Before I begin, let me say this about “functional training.” All too often, people use the term to refer to a hodgepodge of movements that in no way translate to improved functionality in their athletic endeavor. However, that doesn’t mean the concept is without value. There are many simple and advanced exercises that really can result in improved martial arts. Some look similar to the movements they’re meant to improve, while others are…

One of the key technical elements MMA can teach traditional martial artists is how to disengage from an opponent, which can be crucial if you ever find yourself fighting two or three attackers, Greg Jackson says. “The getups we do in MMA are not that different from the get-ups you do on the street after someone has tackled you.” The crucial points include how to get your hips free, how to stand, how to remain ready to fend off a follow-up attack — all of which can be learned from studying what happens in the cage, he says. Another key element involves technique augmentation. Start with the jab, which you can learn in boxing, kickboxing or MMA. Develop your skills in sparring. Now add the eye gouge and practice on…

ABOUT THE DEFENDER NAME: Orned Gabriel BETTER KNOWN AS: “Chicken” Gabriel RANK: 10th-degree black belt BASE: San Diego, California PRIMARY ART: Chinese kenpo karate RESUME: instructor, former competitor, former champion LEGACY: founder of the United Karate Federation BEST-KNOWN STUDENT: Steve “Nasty” Anderson ABOUT THE ATTACKER NAME: Steve Anderson BETTER KNOWN AS: “Nasty” Anderson RANK: “I have no rank,” he says. “People have tried to give me sixthand seventh-degree black belts, but I’ve never cared, never worried about it.” BASE: Ottawa, Canada PRIMARY ARTS: North American freestyle karate RESUME: instructor, former competitor, former champion LEGACY: four-time WAKO World Championships winner, member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame BEST-KNOWN INSTRUCTOR: Orned Gabriel CALIFORNIA BLITZ VS. MMA SUPERMAN PUNCH Go to blackbeltmag.com to read an exclusive interview with sport-karate legend Steve “Nasty”…

Mark Shuey Sr.’s work with the cane has enabled thousands of people to defend themselves, but I believe he’s made a more important contribution to humanity: He helps the weaker members of society feel better about themselves and as such is a champion for all who perceive themselves as damaged goods. The media tend tofixate on people who are young and healthy. Those who are old, sick or out of shape are often left thinking their life is almost over. Through his canes, Shuey offers them a second chance. His message is simple and direct: If you’re a martial artist who did a high-impact art in your more active years but you’re starting to see your body slow down, you don’t have to quit. A cane may be just the…

Professor George Kirby — as senior jujitsu instructors are often called — is not one to relax in retirement. Since his career as a schoolteacher ended, he’s continued to putfinger to keyboard in an effort to share the knowledge he’s acquired over the past 48 years. His works include the following, many of which are available at blackbeltmag.com, amazon.com and select retail outlets. • Jujitsu: Basic Techniques of the Gentle Art (1983) • Jujitsu: Intermediate Techniques of the Gentle Art (1985) • Jutte: Japanese Power of Ten Hands Weapon (1987) • Jujitsu Nerve Techniques: The Invisible Weapon of Self-Defense (2001) • Advanced Jujitsu: The Science Behind the Gentle Art (2006) • Jujitsu Figure-4 Locks: Submission Holds of the Gentle Art (2009) • Jujitsu: Basic Techniques of the Gentle Art –…

HYPER VEST PRO In this issue’s Fit to Fight column, you read about the virtues of using a weight vest. This unit from Hyperwear is called the Hyper Vest Pro. Its weight ranges from 22 pounds to 64 pounds. The low-profile fit means you can hide it under a gi top if you’re so inclined. The compression fabric and elastic cords keep it in place during abrupt movements such as those encountered in kata, yet they don’t interfere with breathing or twisting. The frontmounted zipper makes it an easy-on, easy-off item. $200 HYPERWEAR.COM CENTURY BLACK BELT A person who has trained his or her way to the most prestigious rank in the martial arts deserves the quality and style of the new Century Black Belt. Available in several fabric finishes,…

On January 23-24, 2015, the International Academic Conference for Taekwondo took place at New Mexico State University. Presenters from the United States, South Korea, Mexico and Canada converged on Las Cruses to participate in the conference, which bore the moniker “Taekwondo as a Martial Art and Martial Sport in 2015: A Collaboration of Physical Training and Academic Discourse for All.” It was designed to celebrate the taekwondo community’s contribution to excellence in education and the art’s impact on children and families. The conference was sponsored by the World Taekwondo Federation, American Taekwondo United, NMSU College of Education, NMSU Honors College and several local entities. Dr. Ken Min, emeritus professor of the University of California, Berkeley, Martial Arts Program, also supported the event. In the academic forum, noted scholars and researchers…

To some degree, the samurai traded protection for mobility. Rather than using rigid, curved metal sections like the European knights did, the Japanese constructed their armor from an elaborately woven series of leather panels. Roughly half the size of a playing card, these flat plates were pierced, then overlapped and laced together with silk to create shapes that conformed to the body of the wearer. Few images are more romantic and evocative than that of the fully armored samurai, resplendent, often wearing a helmet decorated with fantastic horns or spikes, giant kite-like sheets protecting his arms, layered cuirasses wrapped around his body. As with many appealing pictures taken from history, the reality of this one was very different. FIRST, GETTING INTO such armor was complicated. Attendants had to tie the…

It says a lot about the genius of a self-defense system when the two martial artists who created it can emphasize different facets while remaining true to its roots. Case in point: In the American Cane System, we have Mark Shuey Sr. teaching with a Korean flavor because of his background in tang soo do, taekwondo and hapkido, and we have Dana Abbott teaching with a Japanese fl avor because of his background in the Japanese sword arts. Once you get beyond the basics presented in this article, their styles are as different as night and day, says Floyd Burk, author of this story. “Shuey will hit you upside your head 100 different ways. Abbott will just stab you in the eye or throat. It’s the circle of hapkido vs.…

▸ Disney plans to turn its hit animated movie Mulan (1998) into a live-action motion picture. No word on who might land the lead. ▸ The editors of Black Belt met with Tommy Gong, author of Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist, to discuss future book projects pertaining to jeet kune do. ▸ The Dubai-based Global Fighting Championship announced that the martial artist who earns his way to the GFC Grand Prix in December 2015 — and goes on to win the event — will walk away with $1 million. ▸ The martial arts–heavy Netflix animated series The Adventures of Puss in Boots has been renewed for a second season. ▸ Marti Malloy, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in judo, and Kayla Harrison, a 2012 gold medalist, helped…

Throwing flying knees and elbows, he demonstrated the incredible dexterity and agility for which his art is renowned. When he launched a high kick at his opponent and the man caught his leg, Dara jumped up and nailed him with a leg triangle. The fighters crashed to the ground, and Dara converted the hold into an inverted armbar. The opponent managed to escape, but Dara wound up winning by TKO, mostly because of his use of boxing punches and combinations. His boxing, like his wrestling, was new, and he obviously hadn’t mastered those foreign skills yet. But his bout was proof that the art of bokator had, in essence, time-traveled hundreds of years into the future. Fast-forward to the present: A young bokator master named Darith Ung is leading a…

Want to test for yellow belt in Greg Jackson’s MMA program? Among the things you’ll need to demonstrate proficiency in are the following: • STAND-UP MOBILITY (forward, backward, side to side) • GROUND MOBILITY (front and back shoulder roll, shrimping) • STRIKING (jab, cross, combination) • KICKING (lead-leg front kick, rear-leg front kick) • TAKEDOWNS (single-leg) • EXTENDED GROUND MOBILITY (sprawling) • GROUND POSITIONS (mount, guard, side mount, rear mount) • GROUND MOBILITY AND GROUND POSITIONS (including strike defense) • PLUS CLINCH WORK, GUARD PASSING, RANDORI AND FITNESS…

It’s not often that two big-name artists express a willingness to share the spotlight in an article. It’s even less frequent that we see two masters collaborate to create a self-defense system that borrows from each person’s expertise. Because it is so rare, Black Belt jumped at the chance to corral Dana Abbott and Mark Shuey Sr. — both bona fide weapons experts and Black Belt Hall of Famers — so the magazine could provide the public with the lowdown on a new system of practical self-defense. The editors chose me to research and write this story because I’ve known both martial artists for quite some time — in Abbott’s case, about three years, and in Shuey’s, more than 20. THE CANE MASTER In the mid-1990s at a tournament in…

“IN JUDO, OFF-BALANCING AN OPPONENT IS ACCOMPLISHED BY MOVING HIM IN ANY NUMBER OF DIRECTIONS. IT IS ESSENTIAL WHETHER YOU PLAN TO JUST MOVE HIM OR TO THROW HIM.” So writes Black Belt Hall of Famer George Kirby in his new book Jujitsu: Advanced Techniques for Redirecting an Opponent’s Energy. The concept is called kuzushi, Japanese for the act of off-balancing an opponent. It can be applied to jujitsu, Kirby’s core art, as well as to practically every other martial art on earth, he says. Most important, it works for selfprotection — in fact, it opens up a whole slew of options for the trained defender. “Your success will depend on how effectively and quickly you can destroy your opponent’s physical or even psychological sense of balance,” Kirby writes. “You…

There I was, standing in the ring with the greatest karate fighter in history. Not only the greatest karate fighter but also the first heavyweight world-champion kickboxer, I remember thinking. This man had trained with Bruce Lee, performed on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, even sparred with Muhammad Ali, and here I was about to go three rounds with him. “When the bell rings, should I go out and whack him?” I asked myself. “He’s a legend and he’s over 50 years old — I don’t want to hurt him. …” The answer came quickly. The bell sounded, and we both advanced. I noticed that his fighting stance was the same as he’d used in his previous matches. His feet were firmly planted, and he moved with purpose. His…

• Sporting a spiffy moustache, Chuck Norris, 37, talks to Black Belt about everything that’s been happening in his martial arts life. On moviemaking: The champ has appeared in The Wrecking Crew, Yellow Faced Tiger, Return of the Dragon, Breaker! Breaker! and Good Guys Wear Black. • On the subject of his past success in martial arts competition, Norris says: “In those days, I was going around training with all the instructors in town. I trained with [Tsutomu] Ohshima. I trained with [Fumio] Demura, with [Hidetaka] Nishiyama, with [Tak] Kubota, with everybody, trying to pick up things which would help me enhance my ability.” • A correctional officer from San Quentin State Prison says the facility’s staff is making plans to hold an inmates-vs.-theoutside martial arts tournament. Any takers? •…