Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 - January 2016 2 i Black Belt Magazine

Let’s travel back in history a bit. Shortly after the VHS and Betamax videotape formats were developed in the mid-1970s, martial artists jumped for joy. Now they could see the best instructors on earth demonstrate the moves of their arts with precision. Not only that, but they could watch the techniques over and over, even in slow motion to analyze all the hard-to-see parts. In the late 1990s, the DVD was unveiled, and its digital technology began to displace the videotape, but things didn’t change much for information-hungry martial artists — except that now they could do those rewinds without fear their VCR might eat the tape. Yes, the resolution was significantly better with DVDs, but for the most part, the user experience didn’t change: You watched at home, usually…

In life, we do the same thing. Whether it’s because of nature, biology or some mysterious force, our brains seem programmed to favor one hand and one side of the body. This right/left bias shows up practically from the beginning. Infants are not taught right-or left-handedness. They simply reach for things with a favored hand, and that hand goes on to become the one that writes, that holds a fork, that brushes the teeth. If you’ve ever imagined how much better life would be if that perfectly good hand on the other side of your body was as nimble as your favored hand, consider: True ambidexterity is quite rare. Practiced attempts to develwas op it can improve your skills with your subdominant hand, but you’ll never quite match, let alone…

There was no better way for Burton Richardson to begin his martial education than under the tutelage of Dan Inosanto at his original kali/Jun Fan gung fu academy. It put him on the right path physically — who could go wrong with Bruce Lee’s top student as a teacher? It also put him on the right path mentally because Inosanto has always believed in keeping an open mind with respect to arts and techniques. That started in 1980, and Richardson hasn’t slowed down since Not willing to limit himself to the vast pool of martial arts talent in Southern California, Richardson set about traveling the world to bolster his skills. Wanderlust took him to China for sanshou lessons, Japan for shootfighting, the Philippines for kali and escrima, France for savate,…

I had been to Bangkok before — for the king's birthday in December 2001. It was an insane trip in which the celebration, staged in front of 100,000 people, included a nonstop cavalcade of muay Thai fights that started in the afternoon and bled into the wee hours of the morning. They even managed to sneak in a Burmese bare-knuckle boxing match just before sunrise. Then, nearly 14 years later, I found myself being cast in Never Back Down 3, the second sequel to the hit 2008 MMA movie. My good friend Michael Jai White, with whom I’d worked on Exit Wounds (Steven Seagal) in 2000, was once again set to star and direct — like he did for Never Back Down 2. White hired me to portray the main…

• Martial arts movie news! Ed Parker’s Seabo and Kill the Golden Goose are about to hit theaters. Parker announces that he’ll soon be working on a project with Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. • Black Belt introduces Kenneth Funakoshi to the world. Before he even knew an art called shotokan karate was founded by one of his ancestors, he and his brother were studying kenpo in Hawai. • “Knowledge of taekwondo is more important to a smaller man than a taller one,” says 5-foot-tall Sun Duk Choi, the master on this issue’s cover. • The iconic poster labeled “Karate Striking Points” is selling for $1.95. Fast-forward to 2015: The poster still can occasionally be seen in dojo constructed for movies and TV shows. • The fourth and final volume of…

It means that one’s weapon (ken, which can be written to refer to a sword or a fist but which really applies to any weapon), one’s spirit or energy (ki) and one’s body (tai) must all be ichi — “one.” All must be employed in coordination and at the same time. If your weapon reaches the target but your body positioning is poor, it’s un likely your strike will be immediately or convincingly effective. If you have a strong spirit but lack the proper weapon — let’s say you cannot make a solid fist — once again, the chance of failure is significant. It’s very common to see less-skilled karateka poke or jab at their opponents in sparring. They’re delivering weapons, but their bodies remain unconnected, so it looks more…

They comprise 21 percent to 53 percent of injuries in sports that involve a lot of jumping and 17 percent to 29 percent of injuries in sports that involve less jumping. Participating in a barefoot sport such as the martial arts also increases the risk of suffering an ankle sprain. Ankle sprains typically happen when you land off-balance on one foot. They’re more likely when you’re working out on an uneven surface, such as the edge of a mat or the seam between two mats. Ankle sprains are also common when one person lands on the foot of another. People whose ankles roll in or out while walking have weak ankles, and their risk is higher because tight Achilles tendons rotate the anklebones to a position in which they’re less…

Retired Lt. Col. Dave Grossman is a former Army Ranger and psychology instructor at the U.S. Military Academy. In 1995 he wrote a book about the process and ramifications of killing in combat. Titled On Killing, it wound up being nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Although elements of the book remain controversial and are debated even 20 years later, no one doubts that Grossman broke new ground with his examination of a shunned subject. With both On Killing and his followup book On Combat, which examines the psychology and physiology of people involved in violent conflict, he’s brought to light misunderstood aspects of human violence that can have great importance to martial artists. Recently, Grossman sat down for an interview with Black Belt. Can you tell us about your background…

CENTURY CUSTOM-FIT MOUTH GUARDS Made of sturdy, energy-absorbing material, these mouth guards can last up to five times longer than boil-and-bite designs. Included instructions tell you how to make the mold at home and send it in to receive a personalized guard. Choose from five designs. $150 CENTURYMARTIALARTS.COM THE COMPLETE BOOK OF YIQUAN The author of this manual is Hong Kong–based C.S. Tang, a master of xingyi, bagua and yiquan. The illustrated text hits all the bases with respect to this internal Chinese art, including history, training, stances, postures, strength, footwork, push hands and free sparring. It even has a short chapter titled “Bruce Lee and Yiquan.” 415 pages $50 SINGINGDRAGON.COM ISRAELI TRACKER KAPAP DESIGN This survival knife is designed by Avi Nardia, the martial artist behind Black Belt Books’…

After suffering a knee injury early in her judo career, she developed an aggressive style that sought to take the fight to the mat as quickly as possible, where she’d dispatch foes with brutal efficiency. By now, everyone knows Rousey’s story, her rise to become the toughest female MMA fighter in the world. But what’s less well-known is the tale of the fiery woman who taught her what it means to be tough — and how to break an arm. ONLY FOUR AMERICANS have ever won the World Judo Championships: Kayla Harrison in 2010, Jimmy Pedro in 1999, Mike Swain in 1987 and AnnMaria De Mars (then known as AnnMaria Burns) in 1984. That makes her the first American to garner judo gold, and she did it like a true…

MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, SAGE PROVED HE’S CAPABLE OF WINNING WITH A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES, AND THAT KIND OF VERSATILITY IS WHAT THE MARTIAL ARTS ARE ALL ABOUT. MMA FIGHTER OF THE YEAR Over the past year, Sage Northcutt has been the fastest-rising star in the MMA universe. The ascent started on November 14, 2014, when the Houston-based martial artist made his pro debut in Legacy Fighting Championship 37. It took him just 27 seconds to win by TKO. Six months later, the 6-foot-1-inch, 155-pound Sage embarked on an MMA rampage. In April 2015, he knocked out his opponent in just 55 seconds. In May, he scored another strike-laden TKO, but it took him a bit longer — about four and a half minutes. In June, he won via a…

In the early 1960s, the world’s library of English-language books about the Japanese martial arts could have fit on a small shelf, with room left over. Don’t believe it? Look at the ads from that era in old copies of Black Belt. By the end of that decade, however, things had changed — for a few reasons. For one, judo was included in the 1964 Olympics, exposing the Japanese martial art to millions worldwide and creating a dramatically larger audience for books on the subject. For another, the arts began showing up in movies, and that led to dojo opening all over the United States. Furthermore, Japan’s economy had recovered sufficiently from the second World War, which meant publishers there could invest in more luxuriously produced, more comprehensive books, many…