Innholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2016 i Black Belt Magazine

Lee’s life read like a novel that frequently found him appearing at the confluence of historical events — from escaping the Communist takeover of China to working on formative flights in the American space program to becoming Bruce Lee’s first official Los Angeles student. THE OLDEST OF FIVE children, Daniel Lee was born in Shanghai in 1930. That meant he was destined to grow up under the Japanese occupation of World War II. He briefly studied kung fu as a child, but after being beaten up by a couple of older boys, he turned his attention to Western boxing. “Shanghai was a very international city, so he went to a YMCA to learn boxing,” said his son Robert Lee. “At the time, I don’t think Chinese martial arts were that…

It was Black Belt’s editor who proposed a story on how martial artists can become martial arts writers. My initial response was, “Can I say how you need to be a masochist who doesn’t want to make money?” Undaunted by my pessimism, the editor provided a couple of suggestions for people to interview, starting with Stephen K. Hayes. HAYES WAS THE FIRST American to train in ninjutsu in the 1970s after reading about ninja warriors in a James Bond novel and in the pages of Black Belt. Now the author of numerous books on the subject, Hayes is quick to admit that his life was changed by the writing of others. “They can do a lot with CGI in the movies, but it’s good writing that can really fire up…

The concept of the five animals — snake, crane, tiger, leopard and dragon — is thought to have originated early in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) at Shaolin Temple, says Black Belt Hall of Famer Eric Lee. “The animals of Shaolin made a huge impact on the development of kung fu and are still doing so today. That’s because the animals, like nature, offer the same insights today as they did centuries ago. “In the beginning, the old masters studied the animals and adopted many of their habits. Those habits included how they rested, how they gathered and released their chi, how they stalked their prey and how they fought. The five animals were chosen for their superior attributes for fighting and defense and for other mannerisms that contribute positively to…

DVDs? Easy to misplace, easy to lend out, easy to never see again. Videotapes? Ancient technology — and too tasty for many VCRs to resist eating, not to mention too bulky to carry around. Honestly speaking, I never really liked either one. That’s why I’m crazy about streaming video. You can stream it to your desktop computer when you’re in a mood to really study the techniques. You can stream it to your tablet when portability trumps a bigger picture. My favorite is streaming it to my smartphone, which is like carrying a whole library in my pocket. Kelly McCann, a former Marine Corps special-missions officer and subject-matter expert for the Corps’ close-combat program, recognized these advantages when he teamed up with Black Belt to make Kelly McCann’s 5-Volume Combatives…

Vol. 16, No. 5, $1 The 173rd issue of Black Belt was dated May 1978. It was 76 pages long and featured kenpo stylist J.T. Will (and Cecil Peoples) on the cover. • “I charge less than my competitors charge, and they teach nothing but groups,” J.T. Will says. “Eight dollars gives my students a private lesson, three groups and two sparring classes each week. And there isn’t anybody who can’t afford that. That’s why I’m very successful.” • Rainbow Publications — parent company of Black Belt, Karate Illustrated and Fighting Stars — receives the Outstanding Achievement Award at the All-American Open Championships, run by S. Henry Cho. • Wise words from chi kung master Lily Siou: “Fighting is for children. It is quite easy for one person to overcome…

Ever say to yourself, “I wonder what Bruce Leroy has been doing since The Last Dragon”? Well, wonder no more! On March 15, 2016, the martial artist who gave life to “Bruce” Leroy Green in the cult-classic movie will tell all in Taimak: The Last Dragon, from Incorgnito Publishing Press. The autobiography has been described as “an intimate look at the life and career of Taimak as he faced the challenges of racism, child abuse, a broken home life and low self-worth. It is a story of triumph over circumstance and how, through martial arts and self-determination, one young man rose above the fray to become one of the shining lights of today — a man who has found ‘the glow.’” Taimak’s interest in the martial arts blossomed long before…

ORIGINS Around 495, a nondescript Buddhist temple called Shaolin was constructed in Henan province in eastern China. Thirteen years later, an Indian monk named Bodhiruchi arrived with the intention of schooling the locals in Dhyana, his preferred form of Buddhism. ARRIVAL Some 30 years later, another Indian monk showed up at Shaolin. His name was Bodhidharma. (Tamo in Chinese, Daruma in Japanese, Dalma in Korean) [See: Bodhidharma statue at Shaolin] MEDITATION For reasons that remain contentious, Bodhidharma retreated to a cave in the nearby Song mountains, where he supposedly spent nine years meditating in front of a wall. When he descended to the temple, he noted the poor condition of the young monks and decreed that physical fitness was a prerequisite for spiritual fitness. TRAINING Most of Bodhidharma’s lessons focused…

GRAPPLE BUDDY After collaborating with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, Century Martial Arts created the Grapple Buddy. It gives young students an easy way to practice their ground techniques without the distractions that can accompany working with a human partner. This child-size dummy is made of high-density foam and reinforced vinyl for maximum durability. $80 CENTURYMARTIALARTS.COM KARAHAWK FOLDING KNIFE Western martial artists have been in love with the Southeast Asian karambit for a long time. Recognizing that, Spyderco set its sights on creating a carry-friendly version made of modern materials. Enter the Karahawk. Designed by Spyderco founder Sal Glesser, it features a thin profile and weighs just 3.8 ounces. The talon-like blade measures 2.35 inches long, which means it’s legal to carry in most regions. $290 SPYDERCO.COM ACTIONFLEX SCI-FI BATTLE SABER…

• The producers of Marco Polo announced that Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) will join the cast of the Netflix series for its second season. • MMA star and Brazilian jiu-jitsu stylist B.J. Penn has come out of retirement and started training with Greg Jackson to prepare for his return to the UFC. • Karate icon Christine Bannon-Rodrigues underwent surgery to replace both hips. Three weeks after the procedure, she reported that she was off her crutches, driving and doing rather well. • Black Belt Hall of Famer Willie Johnson is continuing to spread point MMA, his intriguing competition concept that’s intended to make mixed martial arts safe. point-mma-online.com • Shannon Lee gave a speech titled “How to Be an Action Hero: The Philosophy of Bruce Lee” at a TEDx…

Unlike some martial arts, Shaolin kung fu teaches not just physical skills but also methods for building inner strength and spirituality, says Wang Bo, a Shaolin monk who now lives and teaches in California. “Beating somebody is not that hard; loving somebody is harder. We say, ‘If I beat you today, you may hate me for a long time, but if I help you, you may remember me forever.’ “In kung fu, you don’t see people beating each other too much. More often you see self-practice — one person doing forms. The techniques are very powerful for fighting, but when you learn kung fu, your teacher doesn’t allow you to fight. You can fight 10 people and win now, but eventually you will get old. Eventually you can’t fight anymore.…