Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2018 i Black Belt Magazine

On July 27, 2018, respected grandmaster Roger Greene passed away. He battled several health issues in his final years. Greene began training in 1964 in a school in the Kang Duk Won organization. “My first class, they had me sit in a low horse stance for an hour,” he said in a 2017 interview. “In those days, the hardcore schools would give you something difficult to do the first time to see if you could take it. And if you could, then they’d let you train there.” Greene received his black belt from Bob Babich, then switched to kenpo under Al Tracy. Greene earned a black belt from Tracy, as well, and went on to open a Tracy-kenpo school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2000 he left his commercial school and…

• Donnie Yen posted on his Instagram feed that he has finished filming Ip Man 4. • Black Belt’s Japanese-swordsmanship group on Facebook now has more than 1,000 members. Join us if you haven’t already. • Iko Uwais will star in a Netflix martials arts series called Wu Assassins, and he's currently co-starring in an action flick titled Mile 22. • The new Black Belt website has soft-launched. On it you will find the Black Belt Store, your No. 1 source for martial arts books and DVDs, as well as all things Bruce Lee and Black Belt’s stylish T-shirt line. • Officials in the Japanese city of Iga are worried that they’re running out of ninja, which is the reason most tourists visit. • At the 2018 Martial Arts SuperShow, Black Belt reconnected with…

Zen seems to describe a state of mind, for many Westerners, of perfect calm, deep insight, and mysterious and exotic power. When linked to Japanese budo, as it very often is in the West, Zen appears to connote some spiritual element that elevates the art into the realm of the metaphysical. ZEN BUDDHISM is one form of that religion. In brief: Buddhism teaches that much of life’s suffering comes from illusion. We suffer because we don’t think we are successful or handsome or rich enough, because of this or that external circumstance. In reality, Buddhism teaches, these are illusionary distractions. The primary concern of that religion, then, is to find a way to cut through these illusions and see reality as it is. There are many approaches in Buddhist thought…

The early Greeks prohibited hair pulling in pankration — except when it was permitted. Combat hair pulling — or pugna capillos trahens, if you’d like to gussy it up a bit with Latin — was permitted in more than a few organized endeavors through the years. And in some cases, it was out and out encouraged. Before we continue, if anyone doubts the efficacy of hair pulling in sportive combat, please stretch your memory back to UFC 3, specifically to the iconic match between the up-to-that-point mighty dominant Royce Gracie and the ponytailed behemoth that was Kimo Leopoldo. Gracie gamely took the win in that bout, but if anyone thinks that would have been the outcome had not that handy ponytail been available, I suggest a second look and a…

Biceps, chamber, hip, point. Thrust, slash, cover. The rhythmic shouts come from a kali master instructor, and they’re echoed by hundreds of students who are mimicking his every move. It’s part of the training that’s taking place at the 2018 Martial Arts SuperShow in Las Vegas. In attendance are police officers, former SWAT team members, Special Forces operatives, U.S. Marines and ordinary martial artists representing disciplines that range from krav maga and taekwondo to Brazilian jiu-jitsu to kung fu san soo. Men, women and children from all walks of life have assembled in the Bellagio ballroom to learn pekiti tirsia kali from one of the most visible exponents of the art, a man named Apolo Ladra. Let your mind wander, and the clack of their kali sticks can evoke images…

He’s the inheritor of a martial art that literally is being used by millions of military personnel around the world, but he’s as humble and approachable as anyone you’ll ever meet. Now he’s investing a good portion of his time and energy to spread the art of pekiti tirsia to civilians in need of functional self-defense. “I decided to bring it out because I saw what was happening in the Filipino martial arts, how things were being bastardized,” Leo T. Gaje Jr. said. “Some of what people think is Filipino martial arts is just a combination of judo and karate and a lot of blocking techniques. It’s very dangerous because nobody can do that stuff on the street against a knife. “In contrast, my grandfather and his brothers developed pekiti…

It’s a recurring theme in the martial arts: A young person is in need of self-defense skills — perhaps he or she lives in an area rife with threats — and that person is fortunate to be taken under the wing of a teacher who’s a whiz at analyzing violent scenarios and then finding solutions to physical problems. The young person demonstrates an aptitude for learning the master’s lessons, which of course gets noticed by the master, who assigns the young person teaching responsibilities. When the master leaves this world, the torch is passed. The art continues to evolve, only now it’s under the leadership of a new visionary. That, in a nutshell, is the life of Eyal Yanilov. At age 14, he began learning krav maga under an instructor…

As I pull into a parking spot in front of the worldwide ameri-do-te headquarters, a smile spreads across my face. The dojo door is locked, but that’s OK because a banner sporting a familiar tiger tells me I’m in the right place. I snap a few pix for social media, then drive off to kill time until my appointment with Master Ken. I return a little early and run into him and his sidekick Todd, who just drove up and are still stuffing burgers and fries into their faces. As I follow them inside, I’m accosted by the aroma of onions, which for some reason does not seem out of place. A kids class is going on — yes, the tiger’s lair is a functioning martial arts school. We walk…

Thousands gathered at McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia, to remember Jhoon Rhee, the “father of taekwondo in America.” Rhee died on April 30 at age 86. Emceed by his oldest son Jimmy Rhee, the service featured testimonials from many of the master’s notable students and friends. Among the speakers were Chuck Norris, Allen Steen, Linda Lee Cadwell, Jeff Smith, Michael Coles and Charlie Lee. Other well-known people sent video greetings, including prominent life coach Tony Robbins (a Jhoon Rhee black belt), Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland. Rhee’s children from his old “Nobody Bothers Me” TV commercial (available on YouTube) added touching observations on the grandmaster as a father. Cadwell spoke about the hours that her husband Bruce Lee would spend with Rhee,…

The combat-sports world has a new organization that will be vying for the attention of fight fans, but this one has an angle. It’s called the World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation, and just like the name says, its bouts will involve gloveless combatants. The inaugural event is planned for October and will be available on pay-per-view. “This all started from our passion for hand-to-hand combat and to give fans what they deserve,” said John Carbonaro, COO and director of operations. “We’re going to give combat sports fans what they want and deserve: integrity, passion and fairness. WBKFF will soon become the biggest, most popular [event] in combat sports.” The WBKFF rule structure will allow holding and striking, spinning backfists and hammerfists in all fights, which will take place in a…

Alaska Juneau Karate Academy 8800 Glacier Hwy. #106 Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 723-7314 sensei@juneaukarate.com California American Martial Arts Academy 6360 Pacific Ave. Suite 1 Stockton, CA 95207 (209) 952-4000 stocktonkarate@aol.com MAQ Pack Martial Arts 16965 Monterey Road Morgan Hill, CA 95037 (408) 779-4797 mr.maqpack@gmail.com Colorado Community Karate and Fitness 5631 North Academy Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80918 (719) 599-7024 mrsc@communitykarateandfitness.com Georgia Kombative Academy of Traditional Martial Arts 210 W. Victory Drive Savannah, GA 31045 (912) 495-8689 katmadefense@gmail.com Illinois Yi's Mixed Martial Arts Fitness Academy 18 East Ferguson Ave. Wood River, IL 62095 (618) 251-5425 usakick1@gmail.com New Hampshire National Institute of Modern Martial Arts 140 North Street Claremont, NH 03743 (603) 542-1733 sartwellsensei@yahoo.com New York Master Gorino's Tae Kwon Do 839 Niagara Falls Blvd. Amherst, NY 14226 (716) 836-5425 cgorino@gorinotaekwondo.com Ohio…

Once he got to the top of Kilimanjaro, he pulled out a new Bellator contract and signed it there on the highest peak in Africa. Wren hasn’t competed in MMA since a spectacular victory over Roman Pizzolato in 2017 because of a tear in his shoulder that required surgery. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to fight to save the lives of thousands of Mbuti Pygmies in the Congo and to bring clean drinking water to impoverished people around the world. THAT’S NOT TO SAY Wren can’t get it on in the cage, as well. Just ask some of the opponents he’s punched, choked and slammed into oblivion. The heavyweight got started in wrestling as a youngster after seeing videos of the first UFC events. Having been pushed around…

If you’re reading this article, it can be assumed that you’re either a martial arts instructor like me or a practitioner. (If you’re not already a martial artist, I highly suggest you join a program — there’s nothing more empowering!) Through your martial arts training, you have the ability to defend yourself, which means you already have a last-resort plan of action should you find yourself confronted by an active shooter. However, it’s very unlikely that you will ever face such a criminal in a fair fight because an active shooter, by definition, has the advantage of possessing a firearm — and he’s already using it. That’s precisely why my team and I developed an active-shooter training course that teaches students to place their focus on being aware and devising…

Apolo Ladra has been a martial artist for most of his life — he started training informally in the Philippines when he was just 7. In 1979 he moved to Baltimore and began training and eventually teaching taekwondo. But soon he heard the call of one of his country’s native arts: pekiti tirsia, a system that’s helmed by Leo T. Gaje Jr. Ladra couldn’t resist. “I needed more of a combative art, and I wanted to learn about my heritage,” he said. He stopped teaching taekwondo and plunged into pekiti tirsia. And as you can see from this article, he’s been riding the wave ever since. He’s built his following to the point where it includes 460 schools that teach his Kali4Kids program and more than 5,000 people who are…

To get a better idea of how long Kim Soo has been active in the U.S. martial arts community, consider the following: He started writing for Black Belt back in 1964 when it was printed in black and white on the magazine equivalent of newsprint. He moved from South Korea to Texas and started teaching in 1968, the same year he received his seventh-degree black belt from the Kang Duk Won organization. In those days, taekwondo was so new in America that instructors typically billed themselves as teachers of “Korean karate” — which explains why, when he set up shop in Houston, he called his facility the Kim Soo College of Taekwon-Karate. That’s not to say Kim is a relic from a bygone era. Far from it! The lessons he…

“Don’t try to imitate anyone. Focus on what your skills and passions are, and that will take you a long way.” The Competitor of the Year award is different. It’s traditionally bestowed on a rising star. Yes, that rising star needs to have a track record, but half a century of success in the arts is not a prerequisite. Which, in this case, is fortunate because Jackson Rudolph isn’t even close to being half a century old. That’s not to say he lacks experience. Rudolph, 20, started training at Hwang’s Martial Arts in Paducah, Kentucky, when he was 6 — at the urging of his first-grade teacher, who happened to be a black belt. “I signed up for a silent auction at a school carnival and won a two-week introductory…

Century Martial Arts has teamed up with Justin Wren to recruit martial arts schools to raise funds to provide clean drinking water in areas of Africa where it’s lacking while promoting an anti-bullying program aimed at American martial artists. “The ultimate goal is 100 martial arts academies, 100 water wells and 100 anti-bullying campaigns,” said Wren, who is Black Belt’s 2018 MMA Fighter of the Year. (See Page 20.) “The Fight for the Forgotten campaign will provide water wells in the Congo, as well as Rwanda and Uganda where our support teams are based. We want to bring access to clean, clear, safe and much healthier water resources to the gracious people in need of those services.” The effort could serve 30,000 to 100,000 people, Wren said. “We will lead…

The Professional Fighters League announced that it has received a $28 million equity investment from a group of sports, entertainment and business titans that include Kevin Hart, actor and comedian; Mark Burnett, producer of the TV series Survivor and The Voice; Tony Robbins, speaker and author; and Ted Leonsis, majority owner of the NHL 2018 Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals and the NBA Washington Wizards. The Professional Fighters League is the first to bring a fan-friendly sports-calendar format to MMA, in which individual fighters compete in regular-season single-elimination playoffs and then a season-ending championship. It’s the same format used by major-league sports. “I once said, ‘If you get kicked in the face, you deserve it, since you saw the foot coming,’” Hart said. “That was before I became an investor…

On Our Last Cover Novell A Williams Jr: WMAC Masters! Tomoi The One: That’s Willie “The Bam” Johnson! I’ve been a fan of his since WMAC Masters! One question. Where’s the ponytail? On a Plan to Remake Enter the Dragon BLACK BELT: Been thinking about the remake.… I’d skip it if the star was a Bruce Lee look-alike — because you know he’d fall short. But I’d watch if it was a TOTAL reboot with Tony Jaa. Or Michael Jai White. Or JeeJa Yanin. Who’s your pick for the star? Chris Wisniewski: Enter the Dragon is a martial arts classic, featuring a one-of-a-kind superstar … Bruce Lee. No remake necessary. The original is still a cult classic. Maurice L. Zackery: Why a remake? They can make a new movie based on the…

At one point, a wrestler charged me and shot a double-leg takedown. I caught his head and rolled backward, landing on top. Unfortunately, under kushti rules, when I rolled on my back, I officially pinned myself. Therefore, I lost. The same thing happened when a wrestler attacked me with a bear hug. I trapped his hands against my body, threw myself backward and rolled on top of him — which once again counted as a pin. After I had pinned myself five more times, I told Deepak I should be considered the most successful wrestler of the day because I had seven pins on my record. He didn’t buy it. FINALLY, I was pitted against a wrestler who, despite being built like a piece of stone, allowed his guard to…

UPGRADE Directed by Leigh Whannell, this film is a revenge-filled, sci-fi horror thriller that supports the argument that we should steer clear of some high-tech. It does that by showing us how computer hacking can lead to bloody human hacking when technology goes awry. When old-school car mechanic Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) and his tech-loving wife get amorous in their self-driving car, the car goes haywire and crashes in an area that belongs to vicious hooligans. Moments later, Trace watches his wife being executed as the thugs laugh and leave him a quadriplegic. An artificial-intelligence expert helps Trace regain mobility by implanting a computer chip called STEM. It has the ability to command his body to execute lightning-fast, ultra-violent martial moves, which are used to wreak revenge on his wife’s…

Forty-five years ago, the martial arts world was largely a boys club. Almost all the instructors were male, almost all the famous competitors were male and almost all the martial artists everyone talked about — like those who got featured on the cover of Black Belt — were male. Then a tournament competitor from Northern California, at the time known as Malia Dacascos, became the first female champion to grace the magazine’s cover. Dacascos, who’s now known as Malia Bernal, was not only the No. 1–ranked woman in the country in both forms and fighting for several years running, but she also had the temerity to begin challenging — and beating — the best male forms competitors. She ended up being rated the fourth best kata competitor in the United…

I went to the Battle of Atlanta not only to cover it for Black Belt but also to see if I could add one to the win column I started keeping track of when I returned to sport karate after a 45-year layoff. Although I earned a gold medal in the over-50 division at the 2017 World Police & Fire Games, a win at the Battle would provide me with something to brag about when I hit my rocking-chair stage. I entered the over-60/under-190-pounds sparring division. Because I regularly spar with members of the Canadian national karate and muay Thai teams, I wasn’t concerned about getting injured. In my prelim, I faced a Joe Corley black belt who quickly gained a two-point lead. To even the score, I unleashed a…

Vol. 17, No. 8, $1.50 • Talk about bad luck! His mother was born in Hiroshima, his father in Nagasaki. When the atom bombs fell, 14-year-old Tsutomu Ohshima, a direct student of shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi and the martial artist on the cover of this issue, was living between those two cities. • Was Ohshima, who’s now based in Southern California, bitter? No. “Even though I lost my cousin, there’s no personal or emotional hatreds,” he says. “That’s not man’s way. That was a war, very clean cut. In a way, that was heaven’s will.” • More from Ohshima on the state of the arts in postwar Japan: “Only karate survived because it was not popular. We kept a karate dojo open, and yet all the practitioners were ex-judo men…