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BRINGING MARTIAL ARTS TO LIFE!!!
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MARTIALARTSSHOW the
DRAGON December/January 2011
Zara Phythian Teams up With...
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2011
LADY The
Vol. 36 No. 6 £3.95
W W W. C O M B A T M A G . C O . U K
THE NEC BIRMINGHAM 7TH & 8TH MAY 2011
TMAS live
Vol.36 No.6
X FACTOR’S WAGNER Martial Arts Helped me to Bounce Back!
MARTIAL FITNESS
Add an Extra Dimension to Your Training
What is, Who is British Karate? - Head Guards, Yes or No? - Big Fight Nerves... How to Overcome Them!
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IT’S BACK! RTIAL MAAMRRATTIA SL M A R T IA A L MAARRTTIASRSTLHSOW M ARRSTTIASSLHOW RRSTATHIA SOLHWOW MAAMRRATATIA S ARSTHSSOHWOLW SHOW the
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THE NEC BIRMINGHAM 22ND & 23RD MAY 2010 THE NEC BIRMINGHAM 22ND & 23RD MAY 2010
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THE NEC BIRMINGHA M 22ND & 23RD MAY 2010
Live
THE NEC BIR MINGHAM 7T H & 8TH MAY 2011
& THIS TIME IT’S
BIGGER at the NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM, UK
Saturday the 7th & Sunday 8th May 2011 www.themartialartsshowlive.com
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VOLUME 36 NUMBER 06 DECEMBER 2010 PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Paul Clifton paul@martialartsinprint.com
SENIOR DESIGNER Mark John Davies
GRAPHIC DESIGN Kevin Thompson
ADVERTISING/SALES EXECUTIVE Jan Harley 0121 351 6930 HOW TO GET WORK PUBLISHED To have your submission published in COMBAT couldn’t be easier. Supply your written material either on disc (ASCII), typed or on audio tape. Send it together with a covering letter and some good quality photo’s (digital photographs must be 300dpi) to the Head Office (address below).
NEWS ITEMS For all news related items, simply mark your envelope “COMBAT NEWSLINE” and together with a photograph (if required) and a covering letter, send it to: COMBAT, Head Office. or E-Mail: combat_news@martialartsinprint.com
CALENDAR If you have a forthcoming event that you would like published in COMBAT Calendar. Send your entry, giving dates, times, and contact numbers, to “CALENDAR” COMBAT Head Office.
HEAD OFFICE: COMBAT, Unit 20, Maybrook Business Park, Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1BE. Tel: 0121 351 6930 E-Mail: combat.magazine@btclick.com
CLUBS DIRECTORY Advertise your club, school, group, Association for as little as £15 per month. Simply layout your details (using current advertisers as an example) including a good example of your logo/emblem if required and send it together with a cheque to the Head Office. Please mark the envelope “Clubs Directory” or E-Mail: combat_clubs@martialartsinprint.com
ADVERTISING DETAILS If you would like details about advertising in COMBAT please write, telephone or email the Head Office to obtain details, deadline dates and costs etc...
DISCLAIMER COMBAT is published by M.A. Publications ltd, Unit 20, Maybrook Business Park, Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1BE. The publishers reserve the right to reject editorial and/or advertising material as they see fit. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. However, the Publishers will endeavour to return such matter providing that it is accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. Any material accepted by the Publishers shall be revised or altered should the Publisher deem it necessary to do so. The act of submitting manuscripts and/or materials shall be considered an express warranty that such material is original and in no way infringes upon the rights of others. It is expressly forbidden for any part of the magazine to be reported whatsoever without the permission of Editor / Publishers. The views or comments expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of the editor or Publisher. Distribution by COMAG, Tavistock Works, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE.
COMMENT I would like to begin this month by apologising for the shortfall with recent issues of Combat, due to a serious print issues although all is back on track now, I would like to thank those of you it affected for your patience and understanding, THANK YOU. Inside this months issue, you will find a rather belated article which details some of the life of the late Pauline Bindra. Pauline passed away whilst I was on my annual holiday quite literally the day I set off and because of this I didn’t get to hear about her passing until well over 6 to 8 weeks later. I state this because the delay in carrying this article was in part due to this and that I wished to gain the Bindra families permission to do so. I have known Lee and Pauline for a great many years and have some very fond memories of their early days in building the now famous Blitz martial arts supply business, one of the UK’s biggest names in martial arts supplies. Pauline, her husband Lee, their children, Elida, Jason, Danny were and are now all involved integrally in the business and continue to push boundaries, develop the industry and give 110% in all that they undertake, just as Pauline and Lee have always done. I haven’t seen Pauline for a long time but I will always remember her with affection and respect for above all else she led from the front and ALWAYS did what she thought was right - The martial arts world will, along with a great many friends that she made along the way, will miss her although her legacy will, I’m sure, will continue to assist the industry. God bless Pauline and my heart felt condolences go out to Lee, Elida, Danny, Jason and their respective families. Xx We have launched the new Martial Arts Show Live web site now (www.themartialartsshowlive.com) and have already had a fantastic response but would love for you all to join us next year so take a look and play your part in it, it is after all your show! We have learned lessons from this years show and have implemented a whole host of new interactive options from; How to get your club/school/gym a FREE STAND to getting a slot at the show to let everyone present see what you do! So, get involved and let’s see what we can do in 2011 because as I said, “IT’S YOUR SHOW”!
MARTIALARTSSHOW the
Live
THE NEC BIRMINGHAM 7TH & 8TH MAY 2011
As usual, there is a great deal in this issue for you to digest including a lot of interesting, educational and insightful material. But should you think that we are missing something, just drop me a line and let me know.
ADVERTISING DETAILS To take out a subscription to Combat magazine, just send your cheque for the correct amount made payable to M.A. Publications Ltd. to: Subscription Dept. Unit 20, Maybrook Business Park, Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1BE. or telephone: 0121-351 6930 12 issues = UK @ £44.95 EUROPE @ £75 (Airmail) REST OF WORLD @ £90 (Airmail)
COLUMNISTS Aran Dharmeratnam Chris Crudelli Gavin Mulholland Joe Hallett Kerry-Louise Norbury Mike Finn Mike Murphy Phil Hobden Silvio Simac CONTRIBUTORS Brian Dossett David Wing Guy Holland Jamie Lee Baron Mick Clarke Noel Crowley Peter Browne
Rich Hinchcliffe Richard Thomas Stuart Rider Tom Hibbert FILM MEDIA Phil Hobden Mike Murphy KUNG FU Derek Frearson Iain Armstrong Jeremy Yau Michael Tse Rash Patel Shi Yan Lei Simon Lau Vince Hinde Yap Leong
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Until next month, Oss. Paul.
KARATE Andy O’Brien Chris Denwood Gavin Mullholland Iain Abernethy Mike Finn Neil Horton Peter Allen Rannoch McDonald Ronnie Colwell Steve Arneill
FULL CONTACT Bill Wallace Cris Janson-Piers Dean Sugden James watling Joe Lewis Kerry-Louise Norbury Neil Holden Paul Hennesey Steve Humphries Tim Izli
THAI BOXING Bob Spour Dan Green Lee Green Richard Smith Shaun Boland Tony Myers
HEALTH/STRENGTH/FITNESS Drew Price Gavin Sibson Neil Rosiak Philip Malin Silvio Simac Jon Watson
KOREAN ARTS Con Halpin Dave Oliver David allerton Hee Il Cho Keith Evans Nigel Hudson Rob Govern Tony Vohra BOXING Luke Calvert Mark Wilson-Smith MMA Carl Fisher Dave O’Donnell Gavin mulholland Rob Nutley Sam Dyson
SELF PROTECTION/DEFENCE Aran Dharmeratnam Kevin O’Hagan Morne Swaenopal Peter Browne PHOTOGRAPHY Carrie Austin Martyn Skipper SPORT MARTIAL ARTS Brian Beck Curtis Page Humphrey Broome Joe Hallett John Swift Neville Wray Peter Edwards Rob Smith
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CONTENTS REGULARS
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MARTIAL ARTS NEWSLINE COMBAT LETTERS COMBAT FILM - With Phil Hobden MIKE FINN - Real Life Encounters - Part 6 CHATTERBOX - With World Champion Kerry-Louise THE MAN SPEAKETH! - By Robert Devane THE NEGOTIATOR - By Aran Dharmeratnam THE FORMS FORUM - With Joe Hallett
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STAY SAFE - By Mark Dawes LESSONS FOR THE CAGE - By Gavin Mulholland SHAOLIN COMBAT - With Iain Armstrong SHINOBI SOLDIERS - An Investigation Into The Ninja CLUBS DIRECTORY & CLASSIFIEDS SECTION
FEATURES 46 -
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12 (TWELVE) Critically Aclaimed British Action Film Takes The Fight Community and Movie Fans by Storm 52 THE LADY DRAGON TEAMS UP WITH TMAS LIVE Combat Talks to Zara Phythian 58 JACKIE CHAN Don’t be Like Jackie, Their is Only One Jackie! 66 PAULINE LAVILLE-BINDRA In Loving Memory 70 LEARNING TO FALL By Rick Hinchliffe 72THE EVOLUTION OF A MARTIAL ART SYSTEM Black Belt and Beyond... The Beginnings of Modern ‘Cross-Training’ 74 WHAT IS, WHO IS BRITISH KARATE By Ian McCranor 76 PAISLEY ACADEMY - The Quiet Men 78 MARTIAL FITNESS - For Martial Athletes 82 WISDOM THROUGH ADVERSITY “Knowledge is Only Worthwhile if You Share it” 84 RAY BATES - With The Passing of Time Comes Experience 88 CRB - Common Sense RIP 94 SIFU NEIL PARRIS - Wing Chun Kung Fu 96 FIGHTING LINES - Control Your Opponents Balance 100 - INFINITY SOUTH WEST & BEYOND ISKA South West Championships 102 - A MIX OF STYLES - at The IBA Autumn Course
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THE ESKK COLUMN - With Chris Denwood KATA APPLICATIONS - Locks Within Kata ROBES & BELLS - By John Broughton SENSEI LUCIO MAURINO - By Andrew Kanias SEN NO SEN Dealing With a Situation as it is About to Happen 128 - KEVIN DON - Kyokushin Karate & Kickboxing
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132 - TANG SOO DO - By Master David Allerton 138 - A UNIQUE TRIP TO KOREA By Niall P. Grange
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BRINGING YOU THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WORLD OF MARTIAL ARTS. IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING WE DON’T THEN WRITE OR FAX IT TO US AT Unit 20 Maybrook Business Park, Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1BE TEL: 0121 351 6930 E-MAIL: newsline@martialartsinprint.com
BFKKO TEAM GB SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF! Kicking their way to success. Compared to the past when the BFKKO GB team has had over 100 kickboxers travel to Championships all over the World, on the weekend of the 20th August a small team of just 15 Great Britain fighters competed in the World Martial Arts Games Held In Killarney, County Kerry in Ireland. Four of these fighters were from the Local Dinnington club known as Falcon Fight Academy of Victoria Street, Dinnington Sheffield and despite the small number GB proved they are World class leaders in their sport! First up was Dinningtons Muay Thai Instructor Leif Taggart fighting outside his regular style of K1 rules. He attained a World bronze medal as he lost in the semi finals against the eventual winner of the category, the fight was strong and high paced and the decision was very close. However, he took away very valu-
able ring time in preparation for his up and coming International WAKO K1 Rules bout. Next up was Kerry Louise, Falcon Fight Academy’s Chief Instructor. Again fighting outside her regular fight style of K1 rules she fought her way to the finals and beat a very tall Local Irish girl to become Ladies World gold medallist. Kerry is from Anston, Sheffield and soon will be fighting again for a WAKO Pro Intercontinental title against a strong opponent from South Africa under her favoured K1 rules. The second day was time for Katey Adams from Langold, Worksop, to show what she could do. Katey got into the semi finals and fought her heart out against a very strong and well experienced fighter with the judges giving her the decision and she then beat a fellow British fighter from Nottingham to attain World gold medal in 1214years light continuous kickboxing. Shortly after Courtney Barrett from Thurcroft, Sheffield was up in
her chosen style of grappling where unfortunately as it was her birthday it put her in the 15-17 years category so she had to fight much bigger opponents, however, she excelled and gained a World bronze medal. The next day Courtney was up again in Sport Ju Jitsu and she fought her way to the top, beating an Irish fighter in the final to give her a second and World gold medal. Although Courtney has had the least time training out of the local fighters it just goes to show that the tuition at the centre in Dinnington under some of the Worlds best is second to none. Team GB as a unit had the possibility of winning 28 medals and won 24! 9 Gold, 9 Silver and 6 Bronze. Kerry-Louise Norbury was entered into the Grand World Championship belt category, which is open to every adult female, but none of this years fighters wanted to venture there. So Kerry ended up not fighting in the prelims and then due to a no show of last year’s title belt winner on the Finale evening Kerry was awarded the title belt as is the norm with boxing and will now have to await next year’s challengers with her being the rightful holder of this beautiful belt. A totally outstanding performance by all...if you would like to come and train with the champions then contact Kerry-Louise on 07973 748907 for classes in Kickboxing, WAKO K1 Rules, MMA, Submission Wrestling, Kick Jutsu, Grappling, Karate and all types of circuit and fitness work. Pictured are the fighters with one of the centres coaches and Chief Instructors Glyn Smith. See them at www.falconfightacademy.co.uk Photography by Janson-Piers Imaging.
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newsline COALVILLE FAMILY’S HIGH KICKING ADVENTURE TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CHIL DREN WITH LIVER DISEASE The Sleigh family from Coalville, Leicestershire will climbed Mount Snowdon recently, prior to an exhausting Karate class at the summit to raise £1000 for Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF). Ethan Sleigh, eight, who is taking on the challenge was diagnosed with the rare childhood liver disease Alagille syndrome at just one year old. The family were joined by a band of nine dedicated members and instructors from the GKR Karate International class in Ashby-de-laZouch. As they ascended the 1000m mountain, just weeks after Ethan won bronze at the GKR Central Zone National Qualifier. Ethan’s mum Danielle said: “It was my husband Douglas’s idea. He has been into Karate for years
and we have all recently joined in; we thought throwing Snowdon into the mix would make it tougher and raise more money for the Foundation! “Ethan was deeply jaundiced for many weeks after birth and our midwife thought this needed investigating so Ethan braved exhaustive testing at our local hospital for many weeks. It wasn’t until we were sent to Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH) that Ethan was finally diagnosed. “Not knowing what was wrong with Ethan was a nightmare and we were fraught with worry. Although Ethan will need a lifetime of care and attention, at the moment he is just great. Karate is his world; he regularly takes part in tournaments. We’re incredibly proud of him.” When asked why she is supporting CLDF Danielle said: “We were visited in hospital by a CLDF family officer who was able to listen to our concerns, offer advice about the
road ahead and put us in touch with a family dealing with the same childhood liver disease. The Foundation has been a real lifeline so fundraising for the charity was our way of giving something back and helping other families.” Douglas added: “There are over 100 childhood liver diseases and there is so much we don’t know about what causes them. Because CLDF is the leading charity funding research into these conditions, supporting it gives us hope for the future. “I really hope the good people of Leicestershire and the GKR Karate community sponsor us and help fight childhood liver disease.” Catherine Arkley, chief executive of CLDF, the UK’s leading organisation dedicated to fighting childhood liver disease said: “This is certainly a unique challenge! In spite of Ethan’s rocky start to life it’s wonderful to hear he is doing so well. In the past
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newsline his outlook would not have been so bright and this is down to continued research, much of which has been funded by CLDF. “At least 75 per cent of the Foundation’s funds are raised by events like this, allowing our information, research and family programmes to continue. And, as a small, efficiently run organisation, supporters can be assured that every penny really does count.” Based in Birmingham, CLDF has three core areas of activity: it is the lead charity supporting medical research into all aspects of children’s liver diseases, acts as a comprehensive information hub for healthcare professionals and the general public and provides a tailored support service for young people with liver disease and their families. CLDF gives thousands of families one strong voice to effect change in the diagnosis and care of childhood liver disease. For further information please visit www.childliverdisease.org or call 0121 212 3839. Facts 1. More children in the UK are currently diagnosed with a liver disease than childhood leukaemia 2. At least two children are diag-
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nosed with a liver disease every day in the UK Most childhood liver diseases are life threatening; all mean a lifetime of care There are over 100 different liver diseases that can affect babies, children or young people For most childhood liver diseases the cause is unknown Liver disease has no cure
CLDF is the only organisation in the UK dedicated to stamping out childhood liver disease
KUNG FU SISTERS CHALLENGE SUITORS A pair of kung fu sisters have given traditional dating the chop - to hold a challenge tournament where only the survivors will get the chance to date them. Marital arts experts Xiao Lin, 22, and little sister Yin, 21, are to stage a three day fighting festival in Foushan, south east China, where only the toughest suitors stand a chance of getting through. First, contestants must show off their archery skills, then they must carry a heavy weight over sharpened bamboo spears, and finally they’ll have to defeat one of the sisters in full- contact combat.
Only then will contestants earn the right to remove the girls’ masks and propose to them. “They can chose open hand or any weapon they wish but we won’t be holding back. If they can’t beat us they aren’t worthy,” explained Lin. “We tried dating agencies but the men we met were all too weak. We could beat them easily,” said Yin. “So we went back to ancient ways called Bi Wu Zhao Qin - which was the way warrior princesses would find their men.” But so far, only a trickle of brave contestants has come forward. “I’m a very good martial artist but I think I’d want to see them with the masks off before I decided whether I wanted to fight for them,” said one doubtful suitor.
HOXTON PENSIONER ZAPPED SIX TIMES IN ATTACK FIGHTS OFF HAPLESS ROBBER A ROBBER who electrocuted a 71year-old man six times in a bungled robbery fled in terror when the plucky pensioner shrugged off the assault and rained down punches on the thug. The hapless crook tried to force his way in to the Arden Estate, in Hoxton, home of the man after knocking at around 8.30pm on Friday October 15. The hardy septuagenarian answered the door and found a white man, 25, 5ft 9ins tall of slim build with brown mousy hair standing there asking if he had a leak. When the victim told him he did not, the thug threw a number of punches at the resident and tried to enter the home. The 71-year-old dodged the first punch and began throwing haymakers at the terror who, realising he had bitten off more than he could chew, pulled out a stun gun and shocked the man six times in the neck. This did not put the man off his stride who continued to hammer down blows on his assailant who ran off with his tail between his legs. He was last seen walking off into Minton Street. The victim was taken to hospital as a precaution but released soon after.
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newsline Martial arts teacher and expert Bob Breen, 61, of Bob Breen Academy in Falkirk Street, Hoxton, said: “Absolutely I would congratulate this guy, he is fantastic. This is great stuff. He has landed a blow for righteousness and for older people. “I think it is all about your attitude and not getting older in the mind. I’m 61 and still sparring with people. “Hopefully the person who tried this will have a new opinion of older people and change his life.” Police are appealing for help in tracking down the thug who was wearing a black three-quarter-length coat, a scarf and blue jeans and was carrying a white plastic bag. DI Rob Plumb, Hackney’s Robbery Squad, said: “It’s a nasty attack on a gentleman in his own home. He is doing very well and he is trying to put it behind him. “It is very unusual for this to happen and we would appeal for any witness or people with information to come forward.” Anyone with any information is asked to contact DC Catherine Mason on 0207 275 3232 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF KETTLE BELL TRAINING Almost every bodybuilder and athlete who can perform extreme forms of exercise can get frustrated with their workout at one point of time or the other, and while the conventional forms of exercise when performed regularly become boring, one can turn to the lesser known form of training called the kettle bell training workout. So, here are some of the benefits of kettle bell training that can not only alleviate one’s boredom when exercising but also provide greater results as well: Benefit #1: Helps you lose weight Despite the fact that this form of training implement is not known as much, it is best training equipment known to man that will help him or her lose weight. Not only does this
type of workout help you build strong core muscle with a set of ballistic kettle bell moves but it also doesn’t need as much time that other types of workouts need. Benefit #2: Strength training and muscle building While the barbell is the ultimate training equipment that will increase one’s strength and build muscles rapidly, kettle bells might not be as good, but the fact of the matter is that this training equipment can be used to support the barbell workouts that you already do for increased strength, grip, coordination and endurance. Benefit #3: Increases athletic performance Movie stars like Jennifer Lopez and Madonna have been known to train with this equipment for a rock hard body along with a host of MMA athletes and football stars as well. The reason for this is because the exercises that are performed using kettle bells not only increase one’s strength but also flexibility and speed as well. Benefit #4: A complete workout Kettle bell workouts are known to focus on all major muscle groups on any given day, and while they almost burn 20 calories a minute, it also challenges you both mentally and physically to control a piece of iron when in full flow.
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MARK WAHLBERG SET FOR THE CROW REMAKE? Mark Wahlberg has been offered the lead role in a remake of cult 1994 film The Crow, according to internet reports. Singer-turned-scriptwriter Nick Cave is working on a screenplay for the film, which Stephen Norrington is slated to direct, according to BloodyDisgusting.com. The original movie, which starred martial arts legend Bruce Lee’s son Brandon as an undead avenger of his and his fiancee’s murder, was marred by tragedy - Lee was accidentally shot and killed in North Carolina during filming.
GIANT BRUCE LEE STATUE WELCOMES KUNGFU FANS BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhuanet) — At 18.8 meters tall, the world’s biggest Bruce Lee statue is ready to greet global kungfu lovers in the master’s hometown in Jun’an town, Foshan in Guangdong province.
Created at a cost of nearly 2 million yuan and requiring about two years of effort, the bronze is the latest masterpiece of Cao Chongen, one of the nation’s top sculptors. It is likely to become a superstar itself at Bruce Lee Paradise after it is inaugurated on Nov 28, the day after the 70th anniversary of Lee’s birth. The title King of Kungfu is carved in the towering statue’s foundation along with a summary of Lee’s life and the list of donors and sponsors. While Lee is renowned around the world as a martial arts star in action movies and the one who brought the word kungfu into English dictionaries, his legacy remained low key back in his hometown in China until the local government recently invested millions to build his namesake park. The government hopes it will become a major tourist draw and further promote kungfu culture. The area now home to Bruce Lee Paradise, which began operation in 2005, was first developed as an ecological park in 1998. It has about 2 square kilometers of scenic beauty with lakes, mountains and rare birds. The park is also home to a museum filled with Lee’s weapons and books, posters and other memorabilia related to him. Bruce Lee Ancestor’s House less than a 1 km from the park is another stopover for Lee’s fans despite its humbleness and sparse furnishings.
Built by his grandfather, Lee lived in the house for only a short time. The residence is typical of the local style with gray bricks and black roofing tiles. A bedroom, hall, kitchen and yard together cover only 51 square meters. More hotels and a convention center are also planned. “We are ready to welcome more friends from around the world to pay a visit here,” said a tour guide at the Bruce Lee Paradise.
JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME VIDEO: IS ACTION STAR DOING A LEGIT MMA FIGHT? He’s known his for his kicka*s mentality on the big screen and is one of Hollywood’s ultimate action stars, but it appears Jean Claude Van Damme is taking his on-screen persona to real life. The 50-year-old actor released a video on YouTube in which he talks about dropping the tough guy acting gimmick and bringing that intensity we see in the movies back inside an actual ring. Yes, you read that right. Van Damme may be halfway to 100, but that’s not going to stop the action star from participating in his first legitimate contact fight in 27 years. But don’t expect to see him stepping foot inside the octagon in the UFC. Van Damme will take on Thailand’s Somrak Khamsing in a professional kickboxing match. The match, which will be promoted by Japan’s K-1, is scheduled for April 2011 in Russia. Prior to his movie career, Van Damme participated in 22 full-contact Mixed Martial Arts fights, compiling an impressive 20-2 record.
NIALL SIGNED DONOR CARD WEEKS BEFORE HIS DEATH THE kickboxing champion who was kicked and beaten to death after he was attacked by a gang in Dundalk is inspiring people to carry organ donation cards. All of Niall Dorr’s organs were donated after he was murdered because he took and signed a donor card a few weeks before his death. Niall’s family are now hoping that his decision to carry a donor card
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newsline will become his enduring legacy by encouraging others to carry cards. It appears the Dorr family’s hopes are coming to fruition as at Niall’s funeral mass, many of the mourners took organ donor cards that had been placed on tables near the church doors. Niall was walking down Castle Road on Wednesday, October 13 at 9pm when a row broke out which left him with serious head injuries. He was rushed to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda for treatment and later transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. He was then returned to Drogheda where he died on Thursday, October 14 at around 3pm. His loving family had to make the difficult decision to switch off his life support machine due to the nature of the injuries he sustained in the attack. The 18-year-old’s organs were then donated to sick patients on donor waiting lists promising them the chance of a new lease of life.
He was also a PE teacher at Leasowes Community College, Halesowen, for a year from 2006 to 2007, since when he has done supply teaching. “He has been through a lot of bad luck,” said Mr Nock, a general builder from Quarry Bank, adding: “He was a bit down when he split up from his girlfriend, but he bounced back, that’s what he’s like.” Wagner, who has been in touch with Mr Knock by text since he went to London to compete in the live X Factor heats, has revealed that Simon Cowell is not as nasty behind the scenes as he makes out on camera.
X FACTOR’S WAGNER BOUNCED BACK FROM KNOCKS, REVEALS FRIEND FLAMBOYANT X Factor showman Wagner has found national fame after overcoming the break-up of a long-term relationship with the mother of his son and a failed business venture in Cradley Heath. The 54-year-old Pensnett singer, who was picked as Louis Walsh’s wild card in the over 28 category, split with his girlfriend, who lives in Rowley Regis with their four-year-old son Cassius, about two years ago. He was also forced to close the Martial Arts and Dance Gym, which he ran with close friend Richard Nock in Elbow Street, Cradley Heath, because of dwindling numbers. Mr Nock, who took mixed martial arts classes, said the pair ran the gym for three years until it folded a year ago. Brazilian-born Wagner Fluza Carriho, who moved to the Black Country about 16 years ago to make a better life, is a fourth dan karate expert who trained youngsters aged from six and adults at the gym.
Mr Nock, who has already voted several times for his friend and will be rooting for him again on Saturday, said the songs he had been given so far “didn’t do him justice.” “I think if they left him to do his own thing like classical, opera, Cuban and Brazilian he would do really well,” he added. Wagner, who has also worked in call centres and as a double glazing salesman, qualified as a teacher in his homeland, where he also learned to sing and to play the bongos which have featured in his X Factor act.
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letters
IF YOU’VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY THEN SAY IT! WRITE, FAX OR EMAIL US AT
Unit 20, Maybrook Business Park, Maybrook Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 1BE. TEL: 0121 351 6930. E-MAIL: letters@martialartsinprint.com
THE MARTIAL ARTS SHOW WAS FANTASTIC!
MY BELT’S TOO LONG...
I would just like to let you know I feel that The Martial Arts Show was a tremendous success considering it was the first one. I also think it is true to say that the whole occasion had a very warm and professional family type atmosphere about it. Everyone that attended wanted to be there and give of their best and behaved as true Martial Artist should. I think the show will form the standard for the whole Martial Arts community, and the show will become the Premier event for all of the best Martial Artist both in the UK and Europe to show their skills to wider audience at large. It was a privilege to be part of this great new and refreshing event and I look forward to attending the next one which I know will be bigger and even more successful. Finally, Paul what you have created in putting this show together will show (I am convinced) for many years to come what Martial Arts can bring to the lives of many people by promoting positive attitudes of Respect, Integrity, and Discipline. All the best for the future. Yours Sincerely Mark Kirton 5th Dan Jitsushinkai Karate
OK it’s my own darn fault because I let my ego take over but to begin with it wasn’t entirely my fault because I was at a seminar two years ago and as it was a mixed martial arts seminar with a mainly Ju-jitsu flavour I had elected to wear a belt (I think it was Orange) as that was my current rank in a style of Ju-jitsu that I had then been training in for about six months or so. Well, at the end of the seminar the organiser had everyone line up in rank order so that we could all bow off and then all shake hands with each other (lowest grade walks along the rows shaking hands then next lowest - you get the idea). So there I am lining up with other Orange Belts and he comes up to me and says “No, no, Sensei, you must line up with the other Black belts” - so off I race to my bag, pull out my Black belt and put it on and line up ‘appropriately’. I got some funny looks from some of the students they must have thought that rank inflation had happened even more quickly than it sometimes does... After the seminar that’s when my ego kicked in, it took well over a year of niggling prodding thoughts that said... ‘I am a 5th degree Black belt in Protectics Karate Jutsu, so I should get a belt that shows my rank for high days and holidays’, so I sent off to my favourite martial arts supply store for an embroidered belt. When it arrived it was HORRIBLE the embroidery looked OK on one side but really ugly on the other. So that was no good at all. That’s when my ego, which should have realised (from the state of the first belt) that embroidered belts are not for me, went into overdrive... I found a UK source of embroidered belts who assured me that their belts looked fantastic. So I ordered one. Now in fairness I did mention that my name “Robert AgarHutton” seemed to me to be a bit long and I was worried about how it would look and I did order a belt that was a bit longer than my plain black belt as that one was too short. So I waited and waited and in due course my new belt arrived. This was the belt that I would wear when teaching seminars or at posh multi-style events where I wanted my peers to notice me... It looked lovely and although it was just a little bit too long, I thought “well it will be OK”. Then I decided to lose some weight and in particular focus on getting rid of my middle age spread... I am now, a few months later, thinner and weigh over a stone less, and I have a belt that almost touches my ankles. So if your name also happens to be ‘Robert Agar-Hutton’ and you are a fifth dan Black belt, and you are a little on the chubby side then I have an unused belt going cheap.
IN SEARCH OF LEW I am wondering if you can help me trace one of my former instructors... Around 1982-1984 I trained in Bournemouth, Dorset in Lau Gar Kung Fu under an instructor called Lew Wilson. At the time he was a second degree black sash and had competed in full contact kickboxing and held several titles. A while ago I started training again and wanted to trace Lew. I have scoured the web and can’t find any trace of him. I was wondering if you could help in anyway - if you had any info on what happened to him, where he is now etc ? I know it’s a long shot. Kind regards Gavin Bagshaw. Ed’s Reply: Hi Gavin, Thnk you for your e-mail and although I don’t know where he may be now, may I suggest that you visit the Lau Gar website and pose the same question. I have included your letter in the hope that someone will le us know where he is now so that we can assist you. Yours, Paul.
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Predators Review by Will Strong
In this 3rd installment in the Predator franchise (or fifth if you count the two Alien vs.. Predator films), a motley crew Earths toughest badasses are abducted and unceremonially dumped on a distant jungle planet to serve as sport for the bloodthirsty Predators. What follows is a desperate fight for survival against, not only the fearsome alien hunters, but themselves as well. Featuring a surprisingly strong cast which includes an Oscar winner (Adrien Brody -oddly very good in the hard man lead role) an Oscar nominee (Lawrence Fishburne-mad as a meat axe) and a sitcom star (Topher Grace- creepy), and produced and written by Robert Rodriguez, Predators is, to say the least a rather odd beast. On one level its a complete homage to the 1987 original, right down to the jungle setting, familiar one liners and note for note use of the Predator theme music. On the other level it seems to be a film that could have been so much more than the sum of its parts. For example - its called Predators but there only seems to be four of them in the entire film, the jungle planet is unoriginal, looks like any other earthbound forest and not the least bit alien, also the whole thing seems to have been restrained by a lack of budget meaning that the action scenes, whilst very good, are simply not as big as the film’s trailer seemed to indicate. On the plus side - its never less than entertaining, the performances are very good - especially Brody and Fishburne, the SFX are top notch and it rockets along at a fine old pace meaning one is never bored. So how does it rate against the original Schwarzenegger original? answer: nowhere near as good, but its certainly on a par with Predator 2 and alot better than the AVP movies (however I must be the only person in the universe to be a fan of those!). Recommended ACTION 3/5 FILM 3.5/5 If you liked this see: Predator; Predator 2; Aliens
Shoot The Hero! Review by Mike Parkin This is one of those movies with different storylines that converge for the big finale. A team of bank-robbers double-cross their leader, a bickering couple are caught up in the robbery and manage to make off with some of the loot, a pair of assassins accidentally trespass on a highly armed and dangerous militia’s compound, and a crime boss tries to keep a tight hold of his empire. The cast is pretty interesting, including a nice guest appearance from Fred “The Hammer” Williamson. Whilst Christian Sesma doesn’t quite cut it in the director’s chair (too much shakycam and stupid camera angles), his script is pretty good in places, especially the dialogue scenes between Nate and Kate at the beginning, and anytime The Smith Brothers are on screen. ACTION 2/5 FILM 2/5 If you liked this, try: True Romance, Date Night, Pineapple Express
30 Days Of Night: Dark Days (18) Review by Richard Hawes Striking Alaskan landscapes and a high-calibre cast are sadly missing from this sequel to David Slade’s 2007 adaptation of Steve Niles’ vampire comic. But while there are budgetary differences there is at least creative continuity and credibility here. Creator Niles’ adapting the second part of his original trilogy with writer/director Ben Ketai who has a history with the franchise of his own; he wrote the web-series 30 Days of Night: Blood Trails (2007). Picking up where the first film left off, unknown Kiele Snachez steps into the role previously played by Melissa George and delivers a strong performance as the vengeful, vampire-hunting widow. There are a handful of impressive money shots but as a whole the film feels as unremarkable as most other direct-to-DVD sequels. ACTION 2/5 FILM 3/5 If you liked this try Against the Dark, Vampires: Los Muertos, Blade: Trinity 14 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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By Phil Hobden http://combatfilm.blogspot.com
COMBAT FILM/REVIEWS
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Freight (18 tbc, DVD) Reviewed By Matt Duddy Businessman Gabe Taylor, (Billy Murray) falls foul of a Romanian gang who are illegally trafficking Eastern European women into the sex trade. Initially Gabe thinks that their dispute has been concluded, however, when his son is killed in an illegal cage fight run by the Romanians and his daughter kidnapped on the eve of her wedding day, Gabe decides that it is time to fight back and show the Romanians the true face of his business empire. In the same vein as “Taken” this is a tough no holds barred British thriller that hits you like a freight train. A mesmerising performance from Danny Midwinter as the leader of the Romanian gang ably supported by Billy Murray and Craig Fairbrass, this is another of the recent crop of British indie films not to be missed. ACTION 4/5 FILM 4/5 If you liked this, try; Taken, Dead Cert, Rise of the Footsoldier
Jaguar Lives! (15) Review by Richard Hawes After Enter the Dragon (1973) combined kung fu with Bond movie conventions, producers churned out a whole slew of imitations, where possible employing cast members from legitimate Bond films (notably George Lazenby) to aid in marketing. The makers of Jaguar Lives! hedged their bets by recruiting not one, but three major Bond villains, reserving the lead role for an unknown they hoped would turn out to be another Chuck Norris. American karate champion Joe Lewis failed to make much of an impact with audiences as globe-trotting secret agent Jonathan Cross, codenamed Jaguar, and his only adventure was consigned to obscurity soon after its release in 1979. Now available on DVD, though sadly not in widescreen, it’s lively stunt-packed nonsense and perfect for late night viewing. ACTION 3/5 FILM 2/5 If you liked this try The Man from Hong Kong, Death Dimension, Operation Cobra
31 North 62 East (DVD, 15) Reviewed By Matt Duddy When an SAS unit in Afghanistan is attacked, the sister of its Captain, Jill Mandelson (Heather Peace) embarks on a dangerous mission to uncover the truth. Realising that the unit’s position was given up by a high ranking member of the UK government in order to securely broker an arms deal which will inject funds into the economy, Mandelson kidnaps a government spin doctor hoping that the truth will be revealed via an internet confession. Focussing on current issues and asking more questions than it answers, this could easily be a DTV film (especially with the inclusion of Ultimate Force’s Heather Peace). A simmering political thriller with half decent performances but sadly no real answers. ACTION 1/5 FILM 2/5 If you liked this, try; Bravo Two Zero, Ultimate Force TV Series, Soldier Soldier
PHIL’S ROUND UP: UFC 115: LIDDELL v FRANKLIN (DVD, £17.99) featured what would be the legend Chuck Liddell’s final octagon performance as well as an stacked under card with Paulo Thiago, Martin Kampann, James Wilks and Mirko Cro op RICKY STEAMBOAT: LIFE STORY OF THE DRAGON (DVD, 15, £29.99) is another career documentary/review on another WWE great. THE LOVED ONES (18, DVD, £15.99) a horror film starring one of the blokes from the Twiglet films. KANDAHAR BREAK: FORTRESS OF WAR (15, DVD, £10.99) “With relentless thrills and an action-packed story, Kandahar Break: Fortress of War is a gripping and exhilarating adventure-ride from start to finish.” So says the Press release. THE PACIFIC BATTLESHIP YAMATO (DVD, 15, £15.99) is an interesting naval tale that comes sans extras. BLACK CHRISTMAS (DVD, 18, £15.99) is the mother of all slasher movies ... influencing Scream, Halloween and others. WWE Corner: Three big WWE releases this month. First up IRON WILL (DVD, £29.99, 15) focuses across it’s three disks on the Elimination chamber matches that have become a WWE hallmark. Next up IS MONEY IN THE BANK (DVD, £17.99, 15) this years new pay per view headlined by two... er... money in the bank matches. RICKY STEAMBOAT: LIFE STORY OF THE DRAGON (DVD, 15, £29.99) is another career documentary/review on another WWE great. Finally we have FATAL FOUR WAY (DVD, £17.99, 15) featuring this years news PPV event headlined by a series of... oh well you get the point. 16 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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By Phil Hobden http://combatfilm.blogspot.com
COMBAT FILM/REVIEWS
The Karate Kid 2010 (PG) Review by Richard hawes 1984’s much-loved The Karate Kid has already had a handful of sequels, including a rehash that introduced a new, female character that flopped badly. But it’s hard to keep a good franchise down and it was really only a matter of time before a new episode was made. What is surprising is just how different this remake is. Rather than a straight imitation of the original and its iconic characters and moments, it’s a complete conceptual makeover. Perhaps due to the fact that Never Back Down followed the original film’s template so closely and unofficially two years ago. In fact it’s only called The Karate Kid because the title is a recognised and exploitable property. Reworked to appeal to tweens, this time the young hero doesn’t relocate from New Jersey to California and learn Karate, but from Detroit to China (!) and learns Kung Fu. Older viewers will find it much harder to connect with Jaden Smith’s Dre than with Ralph Macchio’s Daniel-san and the overall tone of this overlong film is surprisingly serious; note the hand-held camerawork. But it’s hard to resist the perfect casting of Jackie Chan, as the teacher whose methods echo those of Pat Morita’s Mr Miyagi. He doesn’t do much fighting and the focus is firmly on the occasionally annoying young lead, but his supporting performance is a surprisingly moving one. The Karate Kid 2010 will feel unfamiliar and alienating to fans of the original series but the next generation will find much to enjoy. ACTION 3/5 FILM 3/5 If you liked this try No Retreat, No Surrender, Showdown, The Next Karate Kid
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Brother (DVD, 18) Reviewed By Daniel Gibberd After his Yakuza clan is wiped out, Yamamoto finds himself marked for death and on the run. Faking his own death, he flees to LA to seek out his half-brother and sets about organising his sibling’s motley crew of petty dimebag drug dealers into an elite multi-ethnic mob operating under Yakuza rules. This doesn’t sit to well with LA’s existing crime families, and thus all-out gang war ensues, leading to the inevitable bloody denouement. The no-nonsense brutality is depicted in a clinically matter-of-fact style, and blackly comedic elements successfully offset the otherwise detached and dispassionate tone of the film. Like most of Kitano’s films, it’s an acquired taste, but I rather liked it, an intriguing arthouse gangster movie hybrid. ACTION 3/5 FILM 4/5 You may also like: Goodfellas, Godfather Trilogy, Battle Royale
Higanjima - Escape From Vampire Island (DVD, 15 tbc) Reviewed By Matt Duddy Based on the manga series of the same name, Higanjima focuses on Akira and his school friends who head off to the mysterious aforementioned island in search of Akira’s brother who disappeared two years earlier. On arrival at the island they are greeted by a hoard of vampires led by the ancient Miyabi who is intent on firstly experimenting on them before feeding on them. Akira et al are saved by his brother Atsushi who has banded with the surviving inhabitants to rid the island of the vampires once and for all. The film goes off on too many tangents in its attempt to copy every other horror film of recent years. The CGI effects are laughable and the action and acting can only be described as mundane. This is a poorly conceived attempt to cash in on the spate of recent vampire movies and one to avoid. ACTION 1/5 FILM 2/5 If you liked this, try; Thirst, The Machine Girl, Blood: The Last Vampire
COMPETITIONS
This month we have the following titles to give away:
To win a copy of KANDAHAR BREAK: FORTRESS OF WAR all you have to do is answer this very easy question: Where is KANDAHAR? a) Afghanistan b) Iraq c) London Answers on email to kandahar@martialartsinprint.com To win a copy of 31 NORTH 62 EAST all you have to do is answer this very easy question: Who stars in 31 NORTH 62 EAST? a) Craig Fairbrass b) Craig Bross c) Craig from the chippy Answers on email to 31n62e@martialartsinprint.com To win a copy of EVIL DEAD on Blu Ray all you have to do is answer this very easy question: Who stars in Evil Dead? a) Sam Raimi b) Ted Raimi c) Bruce Campbell Answers on email to evildead@martialartsinprint.com To win a copy of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT DARK DAYS on DVD all you have to do is answer this very easy question: Which creatures feature in 30 Days Of Night? a) Werewolves b) Vampires c) Zombies Answers on email to 30days@martialartsinprint.com To win a copy of BLACK DEATH on DVD all you have to do is answer this very easy question: Who stars in Black Death? a) Sean Bean b) Mr Bean c) Sean Sherk Answers on email to blackdeath@martialartsinprint.com 18 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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By Phil Hobden http://combatfilm.blogspot.com
COMBAT FILM/REVIEWS
Connected (DVD, 15) Review by Andrew Skeates Now Hollywood has been remaking hit Asian films for some years now with such titles as Ring, Dark Water and A Tale of Two Sisters being remade for the American market. Well, Hong Kong has been doing the same thing for years as well: remaking hit Western films for the Eastern market. Everything from The Bodyguard to Leon has been remade and Connected follows suit, itself being a remake of the not-so-well-known but underrated flick Cellular. Based on an original story by Larry Cohen, Cellular was a short and sharp B-movie thriller about a regular joe trying to help a kidnapped woman. Director Benny Chan sticks pretty close to the original, delivering plenty of tension and some decent action thrills. While Cellular was not necessarily crying out for a remake, Connected is still a thrilling interpretation of its story with added Hong Kong style action and another great flick from the always reliable Benny Chan. ACTION 3.5/5 FILM 3.5/5 If you liked this, try: Cellular, New Police Story, Who Am I?
IMPORT CORNER: Beatdown (2010) Review by Andrew Skeates Run of the mill, low budget fight flick about a bad ass fighter taking part in an underground fighting scene in order to pay off the debts his dead brother left behind to an evil mob boss. Nothing new or exciting in terms of story, Beatdown is nevertheless surprisingly watchable and entertaining thanks to its easy going pace and engaging turns from Rudy Youngblood (finally appearing in another film after the awesome Apocalypto) and the always reliable Danny Trejo. The fights are frequent and refreshingly bone crunching but the makers almost ruin them, and the rest of the film, with ridiculous and unnecessary editing tricks and “enhancements.” Other than that, Beatdown isn’t half bad and provides some decent, uncomplicated and fight heavy action entertainment. ACTION 2.5/5 FILM 3/5 If you liked this, try: AWOL, Shootfigher, Gutter King Beatdown is available on import from all leading DVD importers
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BUNBUN SERIES By Mike Finn - Leading World Authority
The Journey... the Path...
& the Destination
Part 2
I began martial arts around 1954, went by train across Siberia to Japan in 1968, there I studied with many of Japan’s leading masters. I could not afford to go back to Japan till the 1980’s and at that time continued my studies. In total (in lay persons terms) through endeavour and hard work, I qualified in Japan with 40 black belts in 10 martial arts, this was both my great personal achievement and my curse. On my return to Britain in the 1970s my knowledge and qualifications were met with vehement hostility in the martial arts world, this led to a whispering campaign directed at discrediting those qualifications, which in truth were so easy to verify. If I had known the result I would never have sat any exams in Japan. After all, a belt is something you wear round your waist, but training with Japan’s leading mas-
ters and attaining their knowledge is both enduring and incomparable. In this series I will talk frankly about martial arts, the masters I have trained with and the truth about martial arts training. I began Judo around 1955, training at the London Judo Society, however, as a child I was fascinated with the samurai and the Japanese sword. In the early 1960s I started training in Kendo at the Shinto Ryu
The Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei was founded in 1928
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dojo, under Roald Knutsen Sensei, it was his excellent tuition that gave me a sound background on the subject when I went to Japan in 1968. My kendo dojo in Japan was the Sangiin (House Of Councillors, at the Diet building). I recall my early lessons under Master Hayashi 9th dan, being taught fastidious details and repeating them many thousands of time. Alas, by the time I returned in the 1980s he had passed away. I continued my training under the auspices of Senator E. Yano 7th dan, at the same dojo. He was an excellent teacher and passed on a great deal. I have always found Kendo no Kata to be an inspiration in my Kendo studies, but unfortunately in modern times so many exponents only train in this kata before an exam. In reality it is a rich tapestry of knowledge for anyone interested in the matrix martial arts. The background of the Kendo No Kata is interesting. Between 1895/96 the Dai Nihon Butokukai (Great Japan Martial Virtues Organization) was established, then in 1899 the Butokuden was built as the focal point for martial arts activity in Japan. In particular, the development of a Kendo Kata was instituted, in order to keep the traditions of Kenjutsu alive within the Kendo fraternity. However, taking one more step back, the Japanese police had
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already developed the Keishicho Ryugekiken kata around 1880, which consisted of 10 techniques, drawn from a number of classical ryu. By 1912 the Butokukai had established its own initial kata, called the Dai Nihon Teikoku Kendo Kata, consisting of 7 long and 3 short sword forms. This kata was reviewed in 1917 by a number of eminent sword masters, including Nakayama Hakudo, Naito Takaji, Takano Sasaburo, and others. In 1928 the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (All Japan Kendo Federation) was established and accepted the Teikoku Kendo Kata, re-naming it the Nihon Kendo Kata. From this point on the general form remained the same. The early traditions of Kendo No Kata were deeply immersed in the more esoteric aspects of Kenjutsu. Much importance was placed on the Kamae (postures). In fact the first Kamae accepted within the Butokukai Kendo Kata in 1906 were, Gedan (earth); Chudan (water); and Jodan (heaven/fire). These reflected the much earlier paradigm of the Inyo Gogyo precepts. Than is, the Inyo (Yin Yang - Active and Passive) principles, combined with the Gogyo (five element) concepts. The Gogyo were: fire (Jodan); wood (Hasso); water (Chudan); earth (Gedan); and metal/gold (waki). By way of example, let’s look at the 6th technique of Kendo No Kata. Initially Uchidachi takes up Chudan kamae (water), Shidachi then assumes Gedan kamae (earth), which absorbs water. As this takes place, Uchidachi moves to Jodan kamae (fire); then subsequently
Shidachi assumes Chudan (water), which extinguishes fire. The process is complex, but the structure is allegorically sound. Within the Kendo No Kata are many strategy and principles can be used in actual Kendo practice (or in fact other martial arts). The kata is a balance of ‘Ri’ theory and ‘Ji’ technique, expressed in the term Jiri-Ichi. Understanding and perfecting this balance with ultimate dedication, will lead to the goal of self realization. Kendo No Kata can help anyone understand the underlying essence of breathing with your opponent. In respect of maai (correct distance), the art of avoiding with one step, and attacking with one step, can be clearly understood. The kata can develop the strength and inner confidence to project, and in turn control the opponent. These forms will enhance the natural ability of attack and counter attack with relation to seizing the moment. You can learn to control the opponent with kamae, and while maintaining total awareness, be relaxed and spontaneous. The kata is a powerful tool for martial arts perfection. However, if practiced as a wooden shell of movements, it will have no practical value at all. Over the last 50 or so years, whilst it has retained its outward form, I have seen innumerable changes within the Kendo No Kata. In modern times many exponents simply focus on the ever changing technical points required to pass the next exam, this is a natural part of the organization orientated martial arts world, and I have no problem with these practices. However, for
Kendo No Kata was a progressive development of clasical sword skills
Finn sensei with Senator Yano sensei at the Sanginn dojo in Tokyo
me I like to retain the lineal constants that pervade the Kendo No Kata, in the same way I was shown by the various masters, during my early years in Japan. The book I wrote in 1985 called Kendo No Kata, Forms Of Japanese Kendo, was a reflection of my early teachings. I believe it has for many years been out of print. I wrote the book that it might, at the time, inspire others to follow and build on my journey, extending the richness and depth of martial arts for others to share. Article By Michael Finn (see club directory Or www.elite-int.com)
The basic concept of Inyo Gogyo applied to the Kendo No Kata
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CHATTERBOX With Kerry-Louise Norbury
Welcome back to yet another Chatterbox, I am pleased to see that after a several years it is still as popular as it ever was. I think mainly because every day and every week and so on we all face a different problem or obstacle in our training, or it maybe that we just feel as though we want more out of what we do. I am constantly learning all the time also and I love passing on old and new founded techniques and principles on..... on to this months questions....... Head guards yes or no? This is a subject I feel very strong -ly about. Would you take off your shins to spar in class? I would say most people will say no and this is just one of your leg bones so why should your skull be any different? You must have a correctly fitted head guard even the highly recommended Top Ten head guard if not fitted correctly will be no use and will spin around you head. Doing Oriental rules and also Muay Thai myself I fully understand the disliking of head guards because as
Left handed right footed which stance should I train in? It just depends on if your style is a predominately leg or boxing style. If it is boxing style eg kickboxing then stand in southpaw as this style is 80% boxing. If it a kicking style eg Oriental type rules or Muay Thai then stand in orthodox. However you could try switching stances and finding combinations
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soon as you get into the clinch you can’t see anything. However as far as amateur full contact fighters go they are not experienced enough to not protect themselves against blows to the head and in training I think it is as important. Also I would like to state that most pro boxers I have trained with wear head guards in training. I have read many a report even from medical bodies, that say the headguard has not shown any further or at least significant protection from impact, however it is my that suit each stance to make you a more rounded fighter. This is slightly than it sounds as you then may be placing yourself in a position that you find hard to defend yourself from and if someone rushes you in this stance you may have difficulties. Simple answer, try it, train it and do not use this until you and your coach are happy you are efficient.
choice and my opinion and until it is officially stated or headguards are outlawed I will be wearing mine in training full stop!
How hard do you spar in class? I recently started going to a new kickboxing gym due to moving areas. I am an advanced student but I haven’t fought before. My old gym was not really a fighting gym and now I fancy learning how to fight. I’m wanting to start but when I watched them fight in class they are really trying to pain each other and although I realise that will happen in the ring I don’t think I want that every sparring session I this right or should I look for somewhere else to train? I have trained at many different gyms and the gyms that produce the best fighters are from gyms who spar at low - medium level power. Some of the gyms train that relaxed and careful it is almost like they are being sarcastic! In my own gym we train at a good pace but at light contact level as this allows both students to learn at improve. You will find especially at novice level that is you spar with full power you will end up turning you back, shutting your eyes, covering up and being a human punch bag. In MMA training they do what’s called “slow rolling” where they go through the motions but relaxed so you don’t get hurt unnecessarily and both people can learn and try new things. We do however have conditioning and high intensity sparring days every so often for the fighters only where they can take up the pace and power and see what each one is capable of and how they cope with it as it is important but is only necessary for the fighters.
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I’m starting out in Oriental rules and want to get my shins conditioned. What is the best way to start as I tried rolling a bottle down my shin and it really caused me a lot of discomfort so maybe I need to build up to that. Your advice please. Through trial and error and listening to fighters and coaches I can safely advise never to roll anything down your shin as you are just causing unnecessary trauma to the bone and muscles that may end up seriously damage later on in life. The idea of shin condition is to condition the shin, not to damage it, you want to help the nerves become less sensitive around the shin area, using a damp hand towel is the nicest way of doing this whipping the shin quickly with the end of the towel. Also using a heavy bag or a 4 x 4 tyre and shin kick it, starting lightly at 20 and working up to 50 or 100 per leg then building up the power in the kick. If you do too much too soon you will find you cannot train correctly and may put you out of action for days so little often is far better.
for my next big fight. It will be a WAKO Pro K1 Rules bout of 5 x 3 minute rounds for an Intercontinental title. It has already been agreed and luckily I am to be fighting in my own country in front of a home crowd. This makes me feel a lot better but at the same time adds pressure knowing that I will have a big turn out of fans who
I have asthma and want to do something to help as I don’t want to be dependent on my inhaler forever can kickboxing help and will I ever be able to fight? I know many a world champion, me included, who has asthma so yes it is possible to fight and yes kickboxing does help and in some cases some people completely get rid of this annoying and horrible condition. I only have problems in extreme weather conditions either hot and humid or really cold. Breathing has a lot to do
will expect so much and MORE out of me! Well I will, as always give 100%. I might add some pre-fight training tips to some future Chatterbox articles which in turn will generate some more questions. Enjoy your training Regards Kerry-Louise with it. A lot of people forget to breathe correctly so don’t get the correct amount of air into the lungs where ever possible breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth filling up the lungs to the max and emptying the lungs until they are almost empty. Also keep hydrated as this helps performance. Food intake also makes a difference in how your organs perform so seek help from professionals or check out some of the very helpful asthma websites.
I am due to fight in 8 weeks time for the very first time in low kick rules and already I am really nervous and all I can think about is this fight and nothing else. Is this normal? It is completely normal to have pre fight nerves. I am fighting in 4 months and it is constantly on my mind. However you need to control the nerves and channel your energy into your training. I am a very nervous fighter and unfortunately no matter how many fights you have it never get any better but I have just learned to control it better. You could try NLP mind coaching which has definitely helped me in the past and I personally recommend this. Try thinking of this fight like just another training session because if you are too tense and worried about the fight you will not perform as good as you can. Breathing exercises also help things like Qigong is very good for the mind and body. It is normal but there are things out there to help you. I am just about to step up my training and sparring in preparation WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 23
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THE MAN SPEAKETH! By Robert Devane
Big Fight Nerves!
I’m writing this article just a couple of days after BAMMA 4. I was lucky enough to be a part of this historic fight night. I wanted to give a special congratulations to Tom ‘Kong’ Watson who had an amazing scrap with Alex Reid. I’m firmly on Team Kong and I thought Tom did an excellent job. Kudos to Reid for proving a lot of people wrong. I also fought on this same show and I’m delighted that it went my way. DEALING WITH THE NERVES Everyone looks impressive when hitting the pads. Watch fighters training highlights and they all look good but how come some very good club champions don’t perform well when in a competitive environment? What’s the difference between training and actual competitive combat? Why are some martial artists great at sparring but then crumble when it counts? It’s all in the mind. It’s all to do with how you deal with your own mental process leading up to and during a fight or competition.
Robert does the weigh-in in his boxers
I’ve been competing since I was 13. I’ve lost count of the amount of karate and kickboxing competitions I’ve been in and now I’m delighted to be a professional mixed martial arts fighter. The question I get asked all the time is; “Do you get nervous?”. Now, maybe the people asking me are expecting me to be the macho man and say; “of course not you weakling!”. Or, maybe they want me to tell them the secret to never getting nervous. Well, I reckon I disappoint them on both counts. The title of this article is ‘Dealing with the nerves’. It’s not called ‘How to completely get rid of nerves’. The reason for this is that you will waste your time and energy and ultimately fail if you try to deny yourself of any anxiety or nerves. Nerves are normal. Nerves are your friend. We’ve all heard it said that the day you don’t get nervous is the day to give up competition because you’ll be a danger to yourself. Everyone also knows that being nervous releases adrenaline and much is documented on the ‘fight or flight’ syndrome associated with it. In short, adrenaline helps reduce pain and can increase strength and speed and ready the body for combat. Who now doesn’t want adrenaline when it matters? Of course you do. Therefore, you need to have nerves. It’s not being nervous that’s the problem. Nerves are a simple and necessary human process. It’s all about how you deal with the nerves that counts. Here is how you do it:
ACCEPT THE NERVES: As soon as some athletes start to feel the butterflies, they can start to doubt themselves. Being nervous does26 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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n’t mean you are under prepared. Simply remind yourself that everyone gets nervous and it’s the way it is meant to be.
GO TO THE TOILET: As many times as you need to! Adrenalin will shut down the blood supply to your digestive system. That’s also why you won’t feel hungry. A full bowel or bladder can add to that ‘butterflies in stomach’ feeling or even worse, make you feel sick.
DON’T OVER THINK: Running through complicated techniques and out comes will only panic you even further. Keep your thought simple and focused.
RELAX: How do you relax when you are nervous? Listen to music. Chat with friends. Watch T.V. Remember, keep it simple.
BREATHE: We all forget to breathe properly when we are nervous. Fill your body with oxygen by breathing in deeply and inflating your whole chest.
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH FRIENDS: Just before you are about to perform, it’s brutal to be asked; “Are you nervous?’ or ‘Will you win?’ Only have people who you like and trust around you.
ANSWER YOURSELF BACK: Don’t allow yourself to say anything negative about yourself. If a negative thought creeps into your mind, let your inner voice beat it back with a positive response.
BELIEVE: Believe in your training. Believe in your coach. Believe in your strategy. Above all believe in yourself. A lot of us are walking around with feelings of inferiority. Don’t let doubts hold you back when you’ve already put in the hard work. Now, go forth and conquer. It doesn’t have to be a fight. Don’t let nerves hold you back from doing the things you wished you could do. Susan Jeffers wrote a best selling book called ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’. You might find it worth a read. Before I leave you this month, I’d just like to give my sponsors an official thank you. Bruce Shaw, Mercury Engineering and HeadRush have all supported me and made things a little easier for me as a professional fighter. Thanks again. Robert ‘The Man’ Devane is a professional instructor and fighter. He runs Martial Arts Incorporated which has 3 full time Dojos in Dublin. Robert can be contacted through the website: www.martialartsinc.com
The vaseline is applied before Robert enters the cage
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THE NEGOTIATOR By Aran Dharmeratnam
Effective Training In Systema, it’s understood that sometimes people are limited in the amount of time they can allocate to their training. On this basis, the Russian martial art has various ways of making maximum use of training time. It allows practitioners to connect and absorb both the core levels of training; as well as more diverse components. In this way, each session whether it is a group class or private tuition can be used effectively to help the person grow and develop along their training path. So let’s consider some of the ways that training is made more efficient... Systema’s training methodology It is recognised that people learn in different ways and so within a Systema training session there will be a variety of methods of sharing the art’s key principles. Some students will connect with the movement through observing the instructor’s demonstrations; others will gain much through the concise explanations or through working with the drill and exercises. And the art allows people to grow through discovery; through connecting with
the art’s freedom of movement. There are also more subtle ways for information to be conveyed. (We will look at the more subtle ways of conveying training principles in a future feature). Generally though, it is the combination of different training methods that help the practitioner to absorb information and train effectively.
Systematic approach Often there will be something quite methodical about the training exercises and drills. In other words, the various stages of the training session will prepare and lead to the practitioner to some of the key principles or tactics being conveyed. So for example, in a session focusing primarily on ground work, the starting drills and initial stages may be used to get practitioners to a state where they will feel more comfortable on the ground and some of the drills may provide ways of moving that that can be used in the more tactical part of the session. Or it may be that a key part of the session is on disengagements and redirection so the exercises leading to this may be designed to help the student access a calm state where they can see the work being demonstrated more clearly and they will be able to work with the required level of relaxation and fluidity of movement.
Diversity and accessibility Now although I mention this systematic approach, please also understand that while some sessions will aim to address a key subject, skill or 28 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
tactical realm; it is also possible that a Systema training session will be quite varied. Often a selection of principles or tactics may be conveyed. This reflects the diversity of the art and it also keeps the training interesting for the practitioner. If training is kept interesting and diverse; it can enhance the learning process. The training also works on different levels addressing mind, body and spirit. In this way the principles absorbed by students will vary depending on their own level of understanding, their objectives, experience and state of awareness. The other thing to consider is that while exercises can help prepare the student for certain movements and help them better absorb what’s being conveyed; there is also something about Systema training that makes it very accessible. Once the student understands the core components such as the relaxed movement and work with breath; they will find it fairly easy to get involved in the various training drills and exploration of tactics. So yes there is a methodical aspect to training but there is also this sense of spontaneity and accessibility that allows for fast learning.
Progressive training One of the things that makes the training time very efficient in this Russian system is that the exercises gradually help the person to see the art more clearly. Also the different drills allow the practitioner to work at a level they are comfortable with. From this point they can progress onto increasingly more challenging
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or more dynamic training scenarios. The other factor is that many of the drills work on different levels. On the surface one drill may look at a way to increase mobility or improve coordination; but it may also be helping the student to understand more about their breathing or it may be preparing them to avoid attacks more efficiently. Sometimes, it may not be immediately clear just how many levels a drill works on; but then as time goes on, it becomes more apparent just how deep a certain type of drill may be. And in this discovery; there is something quietly rewarding and inspiring. Training is also progressive in that it helps prepare the person for increasingly more demanding situations or scenarios. Students learn how to work with situations where unexpected factors or the surrounding themselves may prove challenging. As a simple example, the person may learn how to deal with grabs amidst more standard conditions;
then they may work in a situation where they must avoid grabs within a more confined environment or while faced with two opponents. There are also training methods in Systema that help the person prepare for more everyday challenges or stresses such as those found in the workplace.
Systema basics The other beauty of this Russian approach to training is that it always gives practitioners the chance to work with those important foundation principles that might be referred to as ‘the basics’. The truth is these are core principles that each session will convey in some form or another. Principles such as: effective breathing, form, spontaneity and economic, natural movement are always close at hand. Students don’t have to worry about memorising set patterns or set techniques, they just connect
with the principles and the movement and tactics will grow from this. Sometimes in my training sessions, I will have the person work with certain drills for an extended period; this could be so that they have the chance to just keep working with a certain concept and learn through exploration.
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Or by working with a specific drill it makes the mind focus on deeper levels; it helps improve concentration and it allows the person to really get to grips with a concept or self defence scenario.
Allowing... Within Systema there are also multiple training methodologies working at the same time. These methodologies work on different aspects of the person’s life. And so if the person is diligent with their training; then progress will certainly occur. Sometimes in Systema, progress will happen and training will be more effective; when the practitioner allows things to work for them. To allow is to flow...
Recognised for his dynamic, free flowing approach; Aran Dharmeratnam is a UK based Systema instructor. He is also the author of Safety Response the Essential Guide to your Personal Safety. If you would like to find out more about Aran’s Systema classes in London or Stamford or to book workshops or private lessons: contact: 07939 678 356 email: aran@globalkick.com or visit www.globalkick.com
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FORMS FORUM By Joe Hallett
The Beginning Over the last few issues I have pushed the idea of forms competitors coming together to train and compete without all the politics that seems to come with this sport. To be honest I thought I was hitting my head against a brick wall, that people would just read what I say and agree with it then carry on exactly the same without change. If this was to happen my dream that one day forms would be the forefront of sports martial arts would never materialise and become a reality, just a dream. But I kept telling myself you have got to have a dream to have a dream come true. Sunday 15th August saw an event in Leicester at New College Gymnastic Centre, which proved that people are listening and are willing to work together to achieve forms recognition. I am talking about a 9 hour Open Session hosted by Team Resurrection member Mikey French which was open to Forms Competitors, Martial Art Trickers, Free Runners, and Gymnasts, anyone who wanted to come along and train. Like I always say, if there is an event trying to push the sport forward I will be there, however far I have to travel. This event was no different so here is my report on what I call “The Beginning” of the forms revolution. The week beginning 9th August saw a lot of hype and anticipation from various parties surrounding the 9 hour gym session open to EVERYONE! By the day of the event everyone was pumped right up and had so much adrenaline running through their veins, which they definitely needed to survive this long session. 7am that morning, forms competitors from different regions of the country were travelling to New College Gymnastic centre in Leicester. At 11am the session commenced with everyone warming up and stretching all ready to bust out their first move of the day. I arrived slightly later at 1pm expecting the percentage of the participants to be already drained from the first 2 hours of training but no, I was proved wrong. When I walked through the door the atmosphere was electric with everyone supporting each other clapping every time some one performed a trick. I told my self “This is what the UK forms world has been missing”. After greeting everyone, I got my gear on and started warming up. In the first minutes of being on the floor I watched competitors attempt some death defying tricks which I can honestly say they wouldn’t have tried without the energy and the buzz in the room. Looking around I saw smiles on every ones faces, no one was left out, competitors helping competitors, playing tricking games and networking, when do you often 32 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
see this!?. In attendance there were members of Sheffield Dragons, Team Resurrection, Team Pro Kickz, Team Fusion, Apex Media, Free Motion, Jason Baird’s Black Belt Academy, Trickstyles, the list goes on. People look to the USA and Europe for forms and tricking inspiration but I can tell you look to the UK. We have some amazing talent which is being unseen. Moves were being developed and created that day and everyone who attended learnt something new and met new people. By the end of the session people were leaving already aching from pushing their bodies to the limit, I caught up with some of them and asked their opinion on the day; this is what they had to say. Chloe Michael - “It’s good to get together and train as one instead of all separate teams. Nice one Mikey French” Paige Cerson, Team Fusion - “I loved today because it was really good to trick with different people and learn new tricks; also everyone was really nice” Jason Baird - “This was a fantastic event, there isn’t enough of this sort of thing in the UK and there definitely should be more. Myself and my team of students enjoyed every minute of it. Definitely be at the next one!” Scott Elliott, Sheffield Dragons- “I have been waiting a long time for an event like this to happen where all the UK forms competitors and trickers can get together without any politics or back biting. It has been a brilliant day and just shows that the level of tricking over here is improving leaps and bounds! Can’t wait for the next one, it’s going to be even crazier!” Georgie Devaney, Sheffield Dragons - “Today’s event was brilliant, it’s great to see everyone bounce off each other, pushing boundaries. The next one will be bigger and better!”
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Jordan Whitehead - “It’s good to see everybody together finally, helping each other train and hopefully it will continue as I think everybody enjoyed it and can already see everybody improving hugely.” Joe Pitman, Infinity Martial Arts - “It was great training with other trickers and forms competitors from around the U.K without any political nonsense! There was a great atmosphere throughout the day which made it enjoyable for everyone who attended. Looking forward to the next one, thanks Mikey French Blaze Hughes, Apex Media - “I think events like this just prove that the tricking community has such a positive feel in the sense of people coming together, learning and teaching one another with the different sets of skills they have. Hopefully this event will continue to grow and bring the sense of community I have felt today to more trickers and forms competitors.” Alistair McDonald, Team Resurrection - “It’s always good to see people from all over the country working together. The trouble with similar sports is their team focus. What we aim to achieve here is a ‘Real’ united ethos. There is, of course, competition, but as a means for learning from one another; not an end. Thanks go to Mikey French for organising a truly united day!” (Organiser) Mikey French, Team Resurrection “Always said I would get everyone together. And this event just shows that being as one is far better than sticking to your team. Everyone was just bouncing energy off each other all day, the level of tricking was just amazing it was such an honour to see everyone smiling
and training together. Also a great performance from Paige Cerson, can not wait to have the next one thank you to everyone.” At the end of the day everyone who was left decided to sit down and have an in depth debate about the current situation forms and tricking in. Overall it ended in the fact we need a bigger and stronger community who need to support events putting their necks on the line for us and show the martial arts world we are here. Other urban arts have got themselves sorted for example the Break dance community. When the media was striking out at them they pulled together, free running have built strong organisations to put their skills on a platform for the public to enjoy, We must do the same. This event proved there is a community out there so let’s build on what we have achieved in such a little amount of time. If you want to be part of this revolution get in touch, attend the next open session and be part of the future because this is only THE BEGINNING. Thank you to everyone who attended: Jordan Fung Trickstyles, Mikey French - Team Resurrection, Lewis Joyce, Scott Elliott - Sheffield Dragons, James Munden, Jonathan Woodhead, Jordan Whitehead, Matt Dawson, Joe Pitman - Infinity Martial Arts, Drew Bell, Paige Cerson - Team Fusion, Luke Hubbard, Owen Johnson, Richard Higgs, Josh Lewis - Team Resurrection, James Antony JBBBA, Chloe Michael, Aimee Spinks, Andrew Ward, Joe McPartland - JBBBA, Scott Stuart - JBBBA, Ruth Hallett Team Resurrection, Darren Heap - JBBBA, Georgia Devaney - Sheffield Dragons, Alistair McDonald - Team Resurrection, Philip Campbell - Team Pro Kickz, Jason Baird - JBBBA, Robert “Blaze” Hughes - Apex Media, Tom Small, And of course Joe Hallett - Team Resurrection. WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 33
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STAY SAFE By Mark Dawes
Reasonable Force
and The Law of
Unintended Consequence I have recently had the privilege of interviewing three of the UK’s leading lawyers for content for our new Reasonable Force Audio MP3 Product Set that is being released in October this year, and the exercise has been absolutely illuminating. So far I have interviewed John Wadham who is one of the UK’s leading legal experts on Human Rights and a former Deputy Chairperson of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) as well as being a Director of Liberty (a Human Rights Organisation) where he lobbied for a body like the EHRC for many years. I have also interviewed Professor Gary Slapper who is currently the Professor of Law and Head of the Law Faculty for the Open University, who regularly writes and comments for the Times Newspaper and is also
Michael Mansfield
a member of the Corporate Manslaughter Team at 36 Bedford Row. Finally, I have just interviewed Michael Mansfield QC, who has made his name fighting cases no one else would touch. He is famous for representing clients such as those wrongly convicted for the Guildford bombing and the family of Stephen Lawrence. As you may already know Michael Mansfield is one of the most respected QC’s this country has ever produced. As the Times put it: “Michael Mansfield QC, icon of all that is enviable about British jurisprudence: a battler for truth and the little man, a perennial defender of the outsider against the Establishment’s vested interests.” I was very lucky to interview Michael as he is currently in the process of stepping back from his day to day practice (he doesn’t like the word retiring), so I consider myself to be very fortunate to have had the opportunity to interview this ‘giant’ of lawyers who has never been afraid to take on the establishment in his pursuit of truth and justice.
They are not the laws solely for the use of the police or government to enforce, they are ours, and they work in the vast majority of cases in our best interests. I also learned that it is not lawyers or politicians that create the greatest changes in society, but ordinary everyday people who have taken on the might of the establishment and who have had the courage and tenacity to see that fight through. I also learned that even today, many miscarriages of justice still occur, imposed on many people by the state and its agents which would go unnoticed if not for the courage of individuals like you who are reading this right now. And you don’t have to look too far for evidence of this to see what I mean. The case of Stephen Lawrence, the black teenager who was murdered by racists is one example of how individuals when brought together under a common cause, have the strength and tenacity to challenge the State and to change the world they inhabit for the better.
So what did I learn about Reasonable Force from these great men?
The Stephen Lawrence Case
One thing I did learn was this. The laws that protect us are our laws. 34 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
For example, prior to Stephen’s death Neville Lawrence, Stephen’s father, was a pretty unassuming and
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quiet man whom you would probably not even notice if he passed you on the street. After Stephen’s death however, Neville and his wife Doreen were thrown into the public spotlight. They had to console themselves with not only the loss of their son but a huge task ahead of them, namely that of bringing the murderers to justice. They faced mountains of obstacles - even from the police whose handling of the case was less than professional to say the least, but as Michael Mansfield put’s it in his book - Memories of a Radical Lawyer; “I was affected by two ordinary, yet exceptional individuals who displayed remarkable courage and tenacity, changing perceptions and agendas for this and the next generation”. There are many phenomenal examples of how ordinary everyday people have challenged the socalled experts and Michael Mansfield’s book should be on everyone’s reading list.
The Kevin Callan Case Another example of courage was that of Kevin Callan, wrongly convicted and sent to prison. Yet from within his prison cell, from where every last liberty and freedom had been taken from him, he found the strength and tenacity to challenge the experts on whose evidence and expertise the
Gary Slapper
courts had relied upon that resulted in him being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Even after he lost his initial appeal he carried on until eventually he found an expert who proved that the experts who had provided the evidence in the original trail were wrong. This resulted in him being released from prison. But what if he had have given up? What then? Well not only would he have remained in prison but many others could have been wrongly convicted and sentenced too. One man did this. He changed the world he lived in by challenging the experts that shaped it up until then.
Many of you know that many agencies are teaching skills that don’t work. For example door supervisors now have to be trained in physical intervention but only in ‘nonrestrictive’ physical intervention skills and ‘non-aggressive’ defensive skills. In short skills that are nice but which are limited. I hear time and time again from people who regularly complain to me about how poor their training was and that “it will never work”. Well my advice to you is this. Do something about it!
What Has All This Got to Do With Reasonable Force? Now why am I telling you all this and what does it have to do with reasonable force. Well it has a lot to do with it.
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“Silence is the Handmaiden of Oppression” In Michael Mansfield’s brilliant book he quotes the following statements: “Silence is the handmaiden of oppression” and, when quoting Edmund Burke, the Irish born eighteenth century politician; “it is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph”. If any of you reading this have either had training that was useless or inadequate, for goodness sake, do something about it. Stand up and be heard. Do not sit there wallowing in the mire of your moans as your silence is deafening. But it is worse than that, you are being oppressed by your silence and the evil you are being oppressed by (in this case poor training) will continue to exist as long as good people like you and I do nothing about it. Yet everyone can make a difference as the Lawrence family and the case of Kevin Callan proved. There is not only a legal responsibility on all of us to ensure that whatever skills we use work, there is a social responsibility too and the two are intrinsically linked.
Best Practice or Minimum Standards? What Professor Gary Slapper also commented on is that any Government sanctioned training should be based on a model of best practice and not minimal standards. This means that any training provided or sanctioned by a government department or agency must work. It would be socially, morally and ethically flawed if it did not, as it would invoke what is known as the law of ‘Unintended Consequence’. What this means is that training that is inadequate and ineffective carries a huge social consequence and a potentially huge taxpayers bill, because any failure to adequately protect staff and others carries an increased risk of injury and even possible death, and this has a ‘social on-cost’ because it is the taxpayer that foots the bill. In short, if you are paying for training that doesn’t work you are also likely to pick up the costs as a taxpaying member of the public when a case is challenged in the courts. In other words, if, in an attempt to minimise risk a Government agency errs on the side of caution by providing less than adequate training,
because they possibly believe that if they give staff more effective techniques they will abuse it and intentionally harm others (I personally find this model of thinking totally corrupt and contemptible as it shows how little faith they have in the people they license and what they truly think of them), what this will result in is that when explosive or aggressive situations do occur staff will be ill equipped to deal with them. And if these situations are not adequately controlled then we end up with a greater level of collateral damage which would possibly not have occurred had staff been trained to a more effective and competent level in the first place. In essence, the attempt to reduce risk by providing less than adequate training has done nothing more than serve to increase it, and you my friend pay for it!
Firing Blanks In my world view of things this type of thinking it is the equivalent of sending our troops into battle to face an enemy who is firing live rounds at them in an attempt to kill them, but giving our troops blank ammunition because our Government doesn’t want to be sued in case they injure or kill the enemy. I have always been motivated to provide the best value training I can which means my organisation and I continually invest in what we do. To this extent we have just invested a lot of time and money in record-
ing all of our course lectures as well as interviews with John Wadham, Gary Slapper and Michael Mansfield.
New Reasonable Force Audio Mp3 Set This audio Mp3 set that I was referring to earlier will be available for purchase on the 25th October as a Limited Edition Set at a Special Offer Discounted Price for one week only. I believe that we are all better than what we, and indeed others, think we are, with a capacity to do great things. My hope for this set is that it will place knowledge, support and power directly in the hands of those of us who work the front-line, allowing all of us to challenge those who wish to oppress us into accepting less than what we are or who wish to intimidate and bully us into doing what we know to be wrong, providing us with a true freedom of insight into what we know to be right, from some of the most eminent lawyers this country has ever produced. How much is this set worth to me - for me its priceless and I hope that it will be worth as much to you too. When you consider now that a serious death and injury carries with it a potential fine of no less that £500, 000 and a much higher chance of ending up in prison the information provided on this audio set is invaluable. If you are interested in obtaining one of these exclusive audio sets then please visit our web-site at: www.nfps.info Mark Dawes Director, NFPS Ltd www.nfps.info markdawes@nfps.info
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LESSONS FOR THE CAGE By Gavin Mulholland
Attacking from the back
Guillotine
(Gyaku ude-garami)
Last month we started talking about the concept of fighting from underneath your opponent and went through the positioning and control needed to secure a Figure 4 Kimura lock from this situation. We are again starting from a position on our backs with our opponent held firmly in our guard (soko shiho). To control your opponent from here, you need to control his hips so as far as possible, keep your ankles crossed and your guard closed (Fig 1). We are going to follow the same sequence as last month when we attempted to secure the Kimura lock so once again, as your opponent postures up with both his hands on your belly, pull his hands apart and force them both to the mat by your hips (Fig 2). Take hold of his right wrist, in your left hand and immediately sit up and back slightly. Without opening your guard and sitting back
slightly, you will not have enough space to execute this technique so do not neglect this detail - the technique will not work without it. Turning slightly to your left as you sit up, reach high over your opponent’s right shoulder so that your armpit is as high up on his shoulder as possible (Fig 3). Last month, from this position we reached down to grab our own wrist before falling back to secure the figure 4 Kimura lock. This time, we are going to go the other way. From our position, sitting up with our right armpit high on his right shoulder, reach right around his head, and place your right forearm across his throat (Fig 4). Grab your right fist in your left hand and
Last month’s Kimura
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re-securing full guard by crossing your ankles, sit back and stretch him out to complete the Guillotine and obtain the tap (Fig 5). If you are having trouble with this, sit back up, reset your position, and try again. You could also try adding in a slight twist to your right as you apply the pressure to the neck. This is often enough to secure a submission from someone who has managed to hold out while the choke was head on. As with all chokes and strangles (this is mostly a choke as it cuts off the air supply rather than the blood), you have your opponent’s life in your hands so train hard, but carefully and under professional supervision. Next month we will look at how to get out of this position using the same basic movements as the last two submissions. Until then.... Gavin Mulholland is the Chief Instructor for DKK Fighters and author of the number one bestselling book, Four Shades of Black - The Traditional Path to Building the Complete Fighter which can be purchased from Amazon. He is also joint Chief Instructor for Daigaku Karate Kai based in Central London. DKK can be contacted via www.goju-karate.co.uk or directly on 07976-411-901.
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Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3
Fig 4
Fig 5
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from the Tat Moh Mountain Training Camp In the remote mountains of Mae Hong Sorn (The Land Of Mist) lies the Tat Moh Mountain Training Camp where the original fighting arts of the Shaolin masters are still being taught - the old way! Each month Combat magazine invites you to join in with a specially selected piece of this training!
Iain Armstrong
Escape techniques
This month I will demonstrate some simple but very effective techniques to escape from some common holds. Many assaults, robberies etc start with someone holding you so that you can not run away. In some ways, this is good news for you since you probably won’t sustain immediate injury, your assailant ties up at least one of his hands and you get a few moments to plan your response.
Wrist holds. 1. Right Hand to Right Wrist. This is one of the most common restraints which you are likely to encounter. It is also a precursor to many joint locking techniques - arm bars etc. When an adversary grips your right wrist with his right (fig 1) perform an upper block movement, which is basic to most martial arts (fig 2). Needless to say, you will need to use as much force as you can muster and try to get the element of surprise to stand the greatest chance of success. Making this move puts a strain on the assailant’s wrist and prises open his fingers. From here, open your hand and grab your opponent’s wrist, turning the tables on him! As you do so, it is important to pull him off balance to prevent him pulling out of your grip (fig 3). From here, you are in a perfect position to step behind his extended arm and apply an arm bar (fig 4). Use the bone of your left wrist to dig into the pressure point just below the triceps muscle, on the back of the arm - this way you should not need much force and should easily be able to manipulate a larger opponent. Obviously, this works just the same the other way around if an opponent grips your left with his left. It is worth practising the technique on both sides as attackers have an annoying habit of not doing what you expect! 2. Right Hand To Left Wrist. If your opponent grabs your left wrist with his right hand it is even easier to escape using a simple upper block because you are naturally working against the thumb 40 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
the weakest part of the grip. From the initial grip (fig 5), perform an upper block (fig 6) using the bony part of the wrist below the thumb to press hard against the thumb. By the time the technique is nearing completion, you should have opened the grip, freeing your wrist (fig 7). You can easily continue circling your hand until you are back to your starting position (fig 8), thus maintaining control of your opponent’s wrist. fig 1
fig 2
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Master Ang Lian Master MasterAng Ang AngLian Lian Lian Hwat Founder Master Master Master Ang Ang Lian Lian
Grip to the neck. There are many ways to escape from a grip to your throat. This is one of my favourites as it is so easy and yet very effective. If you are grabbed by the throat (fig 9) swing a straight arm up behind you assailant’s elbow from the outside, (fig 10), thus applying pressure against his joint. Continue the swing until the grip releases (fig 11); it is surprisingly easy since the throat is actually quite difficult to get a firm grip on. By continuing the swing further (fig 12) and then stepping in behind the assailant’s arm you can easily apply an arm bar by stretching his elbow joint back hard against your chest (fig 13). For the arm bar to be fully effective, you must push back hard against the neck with your left hand, pull back hard on the wrist with your right hand and push forwards hard with your chest so as to overextend the elbow joint. Needless to say, to make these techniques work commitment is required - trying to do anything half heartedly is a waste of time! Here is also no substitute for practise, especially against someone who does not know what you are going to do, so encourage some of your friends to try these grips on you!
Current Master Master Tan Soh Tin
fig 4
fig 5
fig 6
fig 7
fig 8
fig 9
fig 10
fig 11
fig 12
fig 13
More from the Mountain Training Camp next month. In the mean time, whatever your art, train diligently and I wish you success.
For more information and to watch video footage: www.combatmag.co.uk www.namyang.co.uk http://uk.youtube.com/user/namyang1954 http://uk.youtube.com/user/learnshaolinkungfu http://www.woma.tv/channels/3N/ iain-armstrongs-guru-channel.html
fig 3
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By Antony Cummins MA
Episode 8: Ninja Questions!
An Interview with Nakashima Sensei Friday the 25th of September 2009 saw a sleepy Antony and his trusted aid Yoshie Misawa at Hanada internal airport as the sun rose over Tokyo city. The destination was Hiroshima, the man to meet was Dr Nakashima. Dr Nakashima is one of Japans leading experts on the subject of Ninjutsu and holds a large percentage of its treasures, from scrolls to hand held weapons. Having written two books on the subject and been an advisor to TV and being one of the few men who have translated the ancient Ninja Documents into modern Japanese Dr Nakashima is the one man to answer the questions that we need to dispel the myth of the Ninja and to gain a true picture of what they really were like. The interview consisted of 12 hours of eating meals, driving around the splendid coats line and chatting way in seaside restaurants. Thus, as an interview it was hard to record. Therefore, I have recorded it in two parts, the first section is a collection questions I asked during our beautiful drive around the coast. The second is a selection of statements that Nakashima sensei said throughout the day and will be published next month in Shinobi Soldiers Episode 9. Do you believe that the Ninja have existed into the modern day and is their an unbroken linage from then until now? DR NAKASHIMA: No, in my opinion, the Ninja died out and blended out of society during the Edo period and eventually their skills diminished and until they were no longer in existence.
So what happened to them? DR NAKASHIMA: It’s my belief that the Ninja moved into areas such as firework display teams and other entertainments like that. Their skills were highly sort after and the knowledge of explosives was a premier one. I think that they moved into this type of field and then their skills continued but not under the name of Ninja. At this point Nakashima Sensei produced a ‘Ninja rifleman’s scroll’ that he had on him. Showing how in the later periods they moved to more firearms and other activities.
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DR NAKASHIMA: No, there are no historical documents that support what martial arts they did. Ninjutsu of course used martial arts but Ninjutsu itself is not a martial art. It’s strange but a ninja was a farmer/spy until he was hired by a samurai then he became a Bushi, or of the warrior class while he was a retainer of that lord. Fujita Seiko claimed that the Ninja used nabansato-ryu but it’s quite erratic and would be of no use against a sword. Also, my master warned me about Takamatsu and Fujita Sensei, he trained with them, and to be polite he said they could not be trusted 100%.
What about assassination? Is their evidence for Ninjas as assassins? DR NAKASHIMA: Not really, all the scrolls point to infiltration for information, there is nothing about killing. However, they were adept at poisons, so it’s possible. If a Ninja was to kill, it was probably if he was to be caught, or needed to get past someone. It’s more then likely that the Ninja did not get into any sort of duel but killed from behind and quickly so he could continue to spy.
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Did the Ninja ever use the iconic Devil mask that we have seen? DR NAKASHIMA: the what?
Some ‘Ninja Masters’ claim that people used a devil mask to create fear, it’s quite a well known image in the west. DR NAKASHIMA: It’s possible, but I have never heard of it, there is no evidence for it.
How can you tell a fake Ninjutsu teacher or someone who does not know much about Ninjutsu, from an academic level? DR NAKASHIMA: Well, I suspect that Ninjutsu died out in the Edo period, so by teacher if you mean someone who has researched Ninjutsu then one of the best ways to know if someone does not know very much is the subject of , high, middle or low Ninja. In Japanese we say Jonin, chunin, genin. These three words do appear in the Ninja scrolls but years ago they were interpreted wrongly. Most people think that there is hierarchy in this order and that they give orders via this system. This is incorrect. The NIN in Jo-nin, is the kanji for Ninja but the kanji in the other two mean person. Thus its ‘High-ninja’ ‘Middle person’ or ‘lowperson’. So, Jonin, means a person who is a Ninja and has amazing abilities, he is a Jo-nin. However, his status in the clan may be very low. Remember Japan was a clan state where family blood ties and social rank come from your birth, so a Jo-nin could be low born but be an amazing Ninja. and a genin or ‘Low-person’ simply meant the common folk that you get to do sections of infiltration for you, it has nothing to do with being a ninja, it is their social status. If a person has told you or wrote about the three stage system then they are not correct and you should take what they say with a pinch of salt.
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12 (Twelve) Part 1 - By Mike Fury
Premiere at The Odeon Printworks, Manchester 12 (Twelve) is the new, critically acclaimed British action film that’s been taking the fight community and movie fans by storm. From maverick director, Chee Keong Cheung and up-and-coming action star, Mark Strange, 12 (Twelve) is a groundbreaking, independent British film that blends the best old-school fight action from the golden age of Martial Arts cinema, with an aggressive, gritty streak of indie filmmaking. The film showcases an impressive array of systems, including Wushu, Karate and MMA, also offering a diverse representation of Martial Arts in the UK. The recent premiere event at The Odeon Printworks in Manchester launched the film to a huge audience of action fans, comprising film talent, professional fighters from the UFC and Muay Thai arenas and world-class trainers and coaches. This prestigious charity event was also held in support of Help For Heroes and The Christie. Featuring Martial Arts demonstrations, a star-studded premiere and after party at The Hard Rock Cafe, the event was a huge success. Historically, the North of England has a strong track record for producing some of the finest athletes on the global stage. From UFC stars like Michael “The Count” Bisping and Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson, through to EBU European Welterweight Champion Matthew Hatton and world-famous Muay Thai instructor, Master Sken Kaewpadung, the North offered the perfect arena to host such a grand-scale celebration of Martial Arts. The premiere was a totally unique event that brought together clubs, promoters, trainers and their fighters for a very special evening. Reflecting on seeing 12 (Twelve) hit the big screen and the impact of this landmark event, we caught up with just some of the diverse talent on hand to talk about their thoughts on the film and the premiere event. This was undoubtedly a star-studded night to remember, during which time many would come to realise the future of Martial Arts in the UK.
which I’d owned for a number of years when I was invited to Hong Kong to work with Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen. This was my first step into the film business!
Favourite fight film? Jackie Chan’s Armour of God was always one of my favourites because the choreography is amazing and he had so many fantastic action scenes in the film. Jackie did a lot of great films but this would have to stand as one of the best.
What did you like most about 12 (Twelve)? From an audience perspective, I think it was very gritty and very real. It was also admirable how much effort and genuine passion went into putting the film together because we had some amazingly talented people working on the film.
Favourite fighter in the film? That’s really difficult because you’ve got fighters with different skills, be it practical, traditional or flashy! I’m going to say The Soldier was my favourite for solid, practical and very aggressive fighting and The Foreigner was my other favourite for pure grace and beauty in his fights.
What did you enjoy most about the premiere? Mark Strange Actor (The Homeless) & Producer, 12 (Twelve)
Could you tell us about yourself? I started off in Chinese Martial Arts when I was very young and was always a big fan of action movies. I trained in China in the Shaolin Temple and later moved over to competition and competed all over the world. As I was always interested in film, I later closed my gym 46 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
I was really pleased that everyone enjoyed the event. At the end of the day it’s all entertainment so the fact that everyone liked the film, had a great time at the after party and really enjoyed the whole experience means we did our job! It was great to have so many talented, well known names there like Michael Bisping and Ross Pearson from the UFC, Master Sken who is a legend of Muay Thai and the team from Salford Thai Boxing Club. It was a really special event.
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Could you tell us about yourself? I was born in the UK and my family are originally from Hong Kong and China. I’m a UK based writer, director and producer of action films, including Twelve, which was my introduction to the action and fight world. It’s a small independent film but one which I think has a lot of heart. I also directed the action / drama, Bodyguard: A New Beginning.
Favourite fight film? Ong Bak is certainly one which stands out for me. There was some phenomenal talent on display by both Tony Jaa and the stunt team. I really felt for some of the screen fighters and stunt guys. It was a real spectacle!
What did you like most about 12 (Twelve)?
Would you like to see more of these films coming out in the UK? Definitely! There’s a big shortage of action movies in this country and Chee [Keong Cheung] and I are trying to create a new wave of old-school action cinema in this country. Old school in the sense that the fighters do their own stunts and the action is all real! Chee did a great job in capturing the amazing quality of action on display and I’m already looking forward to our next film!
Where do you see your sport growing? Martial Arts in this country is continually growing and movies definitely fuels this. As long as you’ve got Tony Jaa, Jackie Chan or Jean-Claude Van Damme on screen, people will always aspire to be like their heroes. It could mean aspiring to be a star or simply wanting to train and learn self-defence, but it certainly provides the energy and inspiration to keep going. In the fight world, the growth of Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC has definitely relit an interest in the competition side and presents some of the best fight action we’ve seen for a long time. It’s really exciting!
Chee Keong Cheung Director, Writer & Producer, 12 (Twelve)
For me, Twelve presented the opportunity to bring a diverse array of Martial Arts talent from across the UK together and showcase their impressive skills. There were no wires used, no CGI, no stunt doubles and this was a very conscious decision from the beginning. All the performers on camera did their own stunts and fights sequences. Personally, it was a really rewarding process and great experience seeing the film come together.
Favourite fighter in the film? I don’t think I can comment on that one, but all the fighters really did a great job! They all pulled out the stops and gave 110%. For a film like Twelve to work, you really need that and their talents are what made the film possible.
What did you enjoy most about the premiere? It was great to see so much support from the fight community and everyone coming together to support both the film and the event. I wanted the evening and audience to celebrate the diverse mix of fight talent from the North, from MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling to traditional Martial Arts and it was great to have that mix in attendance as well Martial Arts demonstrations from clubs from across the region.
Would you like to see more of these films coming out in the UK? I think the UK has some amazing fight talent which has been either untapped or underutilised. From talking to audiences, fight fans and Martial Artists I think there’s certainly a real interest and demand for more action and fight films in the UK and also internationally. I hope Twelve has also helped show that, as well as prove to critics that a British Martial Arts film really can work!
Where do you see the sport growing? I’ve been fortunate through both the production and promotion of Twelve to have the chance to meet with practitioners, clubs, trainers, promoters, managers, fight photographers as well as be invited to and attend events across the country. The number of clubs and live shows staged across the country certainly proves there’s a real demand and with so many enthusiastic and passionate individuals involved within the sport, it can only keep growing. I think also with the introduction of MMA, this has created more mainstream appeal but I think there’s still real opportunity to push the sport even further. I think the fusion of both film and Martial Arts provides a unique opportunity to potentially bring this together and hopefully I’ll have the chance to contribute. 48 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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Joey Ansah Actor (The Model), 12 (Twelve)
Would you like to see more of these films coming out in the UK?
I was born and raised in London and started my Martial Arts training in Taekwondo at the age of nine. Later I trained in Bujinkan Ninjutsu which I’ve been heavily involved in ever since. I’ve also trained in Capoeira, Wing Chun and Boxing.
Of course! It’s really hard because the UK isn’t known for producing action films so you have to fight against the current. Chee and his team have shown what can be done and really delivered the goods with this film. As a filmmaker, myself, having brought resources together to make Street Fighter Legacy it’s impressive and inspiring for me.
Favourite fight film?
Where do you see your sport growing?
For recent films, Undisputed II and III and Ong Bak were all amazing! Dragons Forever is my favourite Jackie Chan film. Bruce Lee’s films were also really inspiring for me. The original Blade was excellent! There are so many!
To be honest it’s not going in a good direction. I go to a lot of martial arts events and I hate about 70% of what I see! It’s become a money making business. Outside the UFC there are very few athletes willing to dedicate their lives to it and I feel it’s really lost its hardcore element. I’d love to see a return to the old days, back in the 1970s, when people actually wanted to be pushed to breaking point. If that happens today unfortunately you see a lot of people leave the class!
Could you tell us about yourself?
What did you like most about 12 (Twelve)? Taking into account the budget and resources available it has a really beautiful finish and feel to the film. It’s got a great style, atmospheric music and some really impressive fight scenes.
Favourite fighter in the film? The fight between The Foreigner and The Delinquent is probably my favourite because it had the most emotion and showed off some great work by Liang Yang and Beau Fowler. There were a lot of great fighters!
What did you enjoy most about the premiere? They put on a really great show. It was the kind of event you just don’t see for an indie film. They managed to book The Odeon and showed the film on the big screen followed by the after party being held at the Hard Rock Cafe. Then they had UFC stars and others well known fighters in attendance. It was really impressive!
Nathan Lewis Actor (The Ex-Convict), 12 (Twelve) and 3 times World Kickboxing Champion
Could you tell us about yourself? I’m from Bristol and before I began studying Martial Arts, I belonged to a theatre company where I did acting, drama and music. While I worked at the theatre company I also originally trained in Lau Gar. It was one of my instructors, Lloyd Allen, who got me involved in competition. He taught me that to prove yourself in martial arts; you couldn’t just have the traditional side. You also had to fulfil the competitive side! This is how I became more heavily involved in competing, while pursuing my interests in acting.
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Favourite fight film? I tend to watch a lot of the older, traditional movies. I really like The Prodigal Son and Warriors Two, both with Sammo Hung. I’m also a big fan of Kid From Kwangtung with Hwang Jang Lee. These films are very good because you see the great elements of styles like Lau Gar, Wing Chun and the love of Martial Arts.
What did you like most about 12 (Twelve)? My favourite elements from the film are the fighting because we pretty much had to get struck in and do it! I was also able to express myself and a lot of my character through the fight scenes and based on the budget and timeframe, we sometimes had to fight semi-real. We also don’t see many British Martial Arts films so it’s nice to have that to share.
Favourite fighter in the film? It’s hard because I like elements of all the fighters and all the fighting styles seen in the film. I really liked the fight between The Homeless and The Triad because it’s very aggressive and the fight between The Model and The Teacher because it’s shocking and unexpected! But it would be too hard to choose an individual fighter. They were all very good!
What did you enjoy most about the premiere? I really enjoyed seeing all the people I worked with on the film and catching up with old friends. I was quite overwhelmed by all the people who came out to see and
support the film and acknowledge the work we did. I really appreciated that.
Would you like to see more of these films coming out in the UK? Yes but I’d also like to see more money invested in British film. I’m working on a number of projects at the moment, not just action-based, and it would be nice to see more people acknowledge that Britain really does have talent!
Where do you see your sport growing? I think there are two sides to Martial Arts. One is competition and I think competitive Martial Arts needs to be more professional because fighters deserve better prizes and rewards. The other side is purity and wanting to better yourself. Today I follow this path more than ever. You aspire to continue training, pushing yourself and bettering yourself and this is the only reason you do it. I train virtually every day and this is the process I follow. I’ve got some great projects on the way and a series of seminars covering screen fighting, training, kicking techniques and more. The advice I give to any up and coming Martial Artists or stunt performers is that you need to bring that high standard to the work you do and aim to raise the bar! See next month’s issue of Combat for Part 2 of the article where we talk to Mike Bisping, Ross Pearson, Master Sken and more of the cast of 12 (Twelve).
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The Lady Dragon
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Teams Up with e v i l TMAS
She’s a movie actress, multi style world martial arts champion, school owner, team gbr director and was recently nominated by local press for top young Business Woman of the year and Leading Entrepreneur of the year, known as the Lady Dragon, She is ZARA PHYTHIAN one of the UK’s fastest growing martial art celebrity’s of this generation and now the tournament director and face behind the New and Exciting TMAS Live Tournament Series. TMAS Live Tournament Series launches with TMAS ONE on the 28th November at the Wildcats Arena in Nottingham and we quickly grabbed the opportunity to speak to Zara about what people can expect from this new format of martial arts tournament First of all Zara, thanks for speaking to us today, we know you always have such a busy schedule ZARA PHYTHIAN: Least I can do for the # 1 Martial Arts mag in the world (creep creep)
To keep our readers informed about just how busy you are these days, what are you up to at present within the martial art industry ZARA PHYTHIAN: As you know, along with running my full time academy in Mansfield, I’m pretty busy at present on my Z Factor Seminar tour which started out in Turkey and currently finishing the year off in Northern Ireland, Jersey, Bristol, Wales, Nottingham and then hitting Egypt and USA in the new year and possibly Australia, those air miles are clocking up :) . Plus I’m launching a couple of franchise schools in Jersey and Hull area soon.
At the MAF and Martial Art show events it was noticeable that your workshops were among the busiest at both events, you are becoming quite a popular seminar celebrity in the UK and Europe as well, could you tell us a little bit about your current Z Factor Seminar tour which once again has proven to be very popular. ZARA PHYTHIAN: Sure, basically I run workshops for school owners or associations who are interested not
only in the usual type of seminar like Reality Martial Arts or Kicking seminars, but also a variety of workshops that they can use to integrate new classes and growth within their schools such as age specific children’s character development workshops, modern forms and performance workshops including weapons, and another popular one is the fast growing Screen Fighting workshops, where schools are now offering Action Actor classes not only for martial art students but actors as well. The Z Factor euro / Asia tour has involved all these different elements at some point but my busiest schedule is the reality martial arts concepts and screen fighting workshops. This year has been really demanding regarding bookings for seminars, so next year I’m going to lighten the load and schedule less workshops to allow me to concentrate more on the media side of my career and of course my school.
That’s another thing, Film and TV, you seem quite busy with that too? ZARA PHYTHIAN: This year I did a couple of TV commercials for sky, but most of the year has been taken up working on my first major lead in a horror film called ‘ The HIKE’. It was a tough one, people that know me know I do my own stunts and action sequences, and without giving too much away as I know combat magazine have some exclusive articles coming up regarding the film, it was very demanding both on the drama and high octane terror elements of the film. I’ve seen bits and pieces of the final cut and can’t wait for its release, I’m really pleased with it and owe a big thank you to Producers Ben Loyd-Holmes and Rupert Bryan for keeping faith with me and casting me for such an important role as well as helping and guiding me through it all. WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 53
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Zara at TMAS ‘10
I’ve also just finished a film in Turkey called S2P (Spirit 2 Power) which is Directed by Gulrukh Khan and I’m waiting to start on my first major martial arts lead role in a film written by Ben Trebilcook (Die Hard , Mission Impossible) called Candy. Really excited about this as the character I play requires a good solid acting performance and that’s actually what attracted me to the part. It’s looking like an exciting year ahead, some TV and DVD projects so you can understand why I really need to cut down on the seminar series for next year.
And the T-MAS Live Tournament Series, it’s beginning to turn some heads I understand? ZARA PHYTHIAN: Indeed it is, it has had a great response thus far from school owners and clubs, I’m really pleased with the support and understanding of what we are trying to bring to the circuit.
How did the TMAS Live Tournament Series come about? Zara in UK film ‘Underground’
ZARA PHYTHIAN: I ran my first event back in April, the Robin Hood Series, and Kwoklyn Wan came along to support the event in fact combat and the Martial Art Show sponsored the medals for the event. I invited schools and instructors to try out a new family friendly style tournament aimed at providing a platform for novices and advanced coloured belts to compete as athletes equally on a national basis as the black belts or elite sport martial artists do without having go out of the current ability range but receive the same respect and competition as the elite. We had a great turn out, but better still a fantastic response post event, people could see what we were trying to achieve with this tournament, students and clubs were going home with the same medals as those elite black belts and the same titles, and had the same amount of competition and sense of achievement. Kwoklyn seemed to enjoy himself as well, presenting medals and getting in to the spirit of the event, I was delighted he understood and supported what we were about at the tournament, and I was delighted with the support of the clubs and Instructors especially after the event as I know for many it was a different type of tournament they were used to and I was apprehensive if some of the differences would be appreciated. Anyway, as pleased as I was with the tournament, I was concerned about how we could bring this type of event to the masses of martial art schools that still believe in healthy competition in a professional traditional method, this is when I was called in to the offices of Combat magazine for a meeting with Kwoklyn and Paul Clifton and they told me they would like the robin hood series to now be the TMAS Live Series event. Being one of TMAS live strongest supporters anyway, well it was a simple decision for me, it would provide me the support to not only grow the event but provide an even bigger platform for the athletes, schools and Instructors to be part of.
So give our readers a basic idea of what the series is about ZARA PHYTHIAN: A good healthy sport environment for martial art athletes of all levels, a tournament circuit that is suited to today’s modern sport and traditional martial art academies, where grandma’s and Granddads can actually go watch their siblings competing and taking part in a specialised sporting event like they can with most other sports and see the respect, discipline and empowerment at these events in the same way that so many schools advertise and show in their own schools without compromise. We want the martial artists competing to feel like athletes, by this I mean an organised structure of competing from registration, pre warm up , actual compete and award ceremonies. We provide 100’s of divisions to allow for a wide range of competition for all levels and age groups and we want to treat the very young first timer as equally as the elite seasoned black belt athlete to encourage the participation in the sport and actually grow spectator awareness in the sport too. Thanks to TMAS Live we are also providing a platform for sport martial artists to compete the what I believe to be the Wembley Arena of Martial Arts, The NEC, where thousands of martial art practitioners and fans will be at the amazing Martial Art Show Live in May 2011, and qualifiers from the series will compete live on stage for TV.
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Zara modelling one of the new range of Combat t-shirts available in 56 different colours from the online combat shop by visiting
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Zara modelling one of the new range of Fighters t-shirts available in 56 different colours from the online fighters shop by visiting
www.fightersmag.co.uk/shop
What we want to do is provide a platform for schools and instructors to actually benefit from their students competing at the event, such as media attention and marketing for their schools. One of the tools for this is our media stand at the TMAS Live series where we schedule TV interviews and PR slots for School Owners and Instructors supporting with their students, and also Student interviews too! The idea is that we look after each other on all levels and enjoy a true sporting event and we put back in to the support we get.
You Even Have A Lil Dragons Sports Day, Is That True?
Providing a tournament circuit that professional school owners can feel comfortable with is also important. As a successful school owner myself I totally understand the views of many school owners I talk to about tournaments and if you think about it, a lot of it makes sense. For instance I have a tournament team that travels to many tournaments in this country and abroad, they have a lot of experience so it’s easy for me to let them go without me being there etc. However I have a lot of students that want to compete , they are novice and intermediate level but there are too many events I feel where they are just fodder for experience sport martial artists to beat up etc, they need more experience, but don’t have too many tournament options for that. Another thing is the lack of respect shown to judges and refs at some events, even though the standard is very high technically I can understand why school owners get very concerned about this, after all you wouldn’t expect your student to go to some ones school and disrespect their Instructor or system, so why should they witness the same kind of lack of respect aimed at judges, after all, most of those judges are actually school owners and instructors themselves.
ZARA PHYTHIAN: haha Yes, we did this at the last event and a few friends on the circuit raised their eyebrows when I announced it, and to be honest I was a bit apprehensive about it, but it was great a real winner with the kids, parents and spectators. So many schools run a pre Martial Art type school programme, be it Lil Dragons, Samurai Sam, little ninja’s, Tigers etc, anyway they are mostly aimed at introducing kids aged 4 years to 7 years in to the martial arts through fun drills and obstacles. Not all schools say in kickboxing or freestyle karate use a curriculum of their main style for such a young age, some do some don’t, I personally don’t start my young ones on a full martial art programme generally until 8yrs old. Anyway I thought wouldn’t be nice to have the little ones have competition too so we held their divisions at the same event and I have to tell you, it was busy, much busier than I thought it would be and took up a lot of the day even though we had our own designated mat for that event. Again the parents and grandparents loved it, and what a great site seeing the Lil Dragons on the same podium as the elite black belt fighters receiving their well earned medals bless them. We have learned from that event though, and at TMAS One the Lil Dragons will have their own separate sports arena to compete in on the day with designated staff only for that event so it doesn’t interfere with the running of the rest of the tournament time schedule. I strongly advise if any school owners, Instructors have one of these type of programmes at their school to contact me regarding this event, we really want to encourage this sport for the little ones, we do obstacle courses, and mini martial art drills and competition, in the same spirit you do at your schools, a separate National Sports Day for them to enjoy, it really is great fun!
You’re also promoting a new combat sport at TMAS One called CSW, what is this about? ZARA PHYTHIAN: CSW is quite popular in the USA, I think it came out of Japan originally as a fun alternative sport to Kendo. Anyway CSW stands for Combat Sport Weaponry and is a great new fun sport a little like Kendo but without all the armour. At TMAS One we will be running the long sword CSW event for anyone to get involved in. Because the sport is new in the UK we encourage all levels and styles to participate, it’s a very simple scoring system where both competitors use specially designed padded swords (provided at the event) and Headgaurds and aim to score 3 points for the win in sword combat. Actually it’s like Point Fighting but with weapons haha, it’s a lot of fun, safe, and a favourite among spectators, especially parents. 56 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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Every competitor that enters TMAS One gets a free second division to enter if they want, so, for those who enter one division such as Kata, Point Semi Contact, why not make your entry go further, enter the CSW for Free, a chance at another medal, and you might find you actually like it, most do :)
So TMAS One is ready to go, can people enter on the day or just pre register? ZARA PHYTHIAN: Yep, Wildcats Arena, In Nottingham, can’t wait. With regards registration, well it’s cheaper to register your entry obviously but we are hoping to take registrations on the morning of the event, my only concern with this is the response we are having already, I don’t want to be turning away registrations on the day if it gets too busy, so please everyone, if you can pre register it would help a lot :) For full details of divisions, registrations and latest news of some of the amazing opening ceremony acts, go to the official website www.TMASLIVE.com You can download registrations from there etc. Also anyone wanting to get involved such as supporting the event we do have spaces left for stands so please contact Kwoklyn Wan regarding this.
You say response has been good to what you are aiming with TMAS Live, who can we expect there or is it all hush hush for now? ZARA PHYTHIAN: We have quite a few schools pledging their support not only from England but we are hoping to see Team Wales there as this event is also a team gbr qualifier for the WOMAA World games which next
near Team Wales will be hosting, also a team from as far as Jersey will be there and I am pleased to announce that World Champion and Action Actor Jason Baird has confirmed to take part in the opening ceremony with what should be an outstanding performance plus World Kickboxing Champion Lee Charles is heading down with his Elite Team. Many more but I don’t want to give too much away :)
Zara, there does seem to be a feel good factor about this event, what do you put that down to? ZARA PHYTHIAN: I think what we are trying to achieve with TMAS Live Series is not another tournament circuit but a Sporting Event for Martial Arts. I personally feel we have some great tournaments in the UK as it is, but there is a huge gap between the big tournaments and the inter clubs, I really feel that TMAS Live is more of a Sporting Event for the Martial Arts , something that will fill that gap sufficiently and like I say, provide a different platform for the sport martial art athlete on all levels. But like any event, it will need the support of the schools, not just the individuals that compete, but also the schools to get involved that will create a new sporting arena for everyone.
Zara, thank you so much for taking time out to talk to us, and we’ll see you at the new event for sure ZARA PHYTHIAN: Thank you guys, special thanks to Paul Clifton and Kwoklyn Wan for their vision and support for this as well.
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Jackie Chan Don’t try to be like Jackie, their is only one Jackie! Hong Kong’s cheeky, lovable and best known film star endured many years of long, hard work and multiple injuries to establish international success via his early beginnings in Hong Kong’s manic martial arts cinema industry. Now the Martial Arts superstar talks to Combat magazine about Hollywood, The Karate Kid and what it’s like being one of the most recognisable faces in the world. You have been doing action for so many years now, do you still learn new things yourself? For the basic things, we know everything already. You know punch, kicking, you cannot turn the punch, all those years I have done all kinds of fighting already. It is still exciting, there is a different location, different character, different fighting sequence. Different backgrounds, especially in action films they think about different weapons, me, I think about how to get rid of the gun, kick the gun, no gun! And that makes it different than some other action movie.
Do you ever feel type cast in Hollywood as the Hong Kong action guy? Now I am pretty lucky. Now I can do whatever I want to do. It is not like before. Like in a Hong Kong film, an Asian film, I am writing and directing, I do whatever I want to do! When I came to the US, I said, I don’t like ‘Rush Hour’, I don’t like this kind of script but everybody sent me the same scripts. In the end I pick up, “OK, ‘Rush Hour’, but I don’t think it will be a success”. Boom and it is a hit! Then after a big hit, then I have my own ideas, then I write my own script and I tell the writer. Then ‘Rush Hour 2’. In Hollywood at the beginning I had no choice but now, I pick up whatever I like. When you are getting bigger in Hollywood you can go, “No, I don’t want to do this, I like this and that!”
What do the insurance companies say when you do everything yourself?
They have a security guy on the set. Whatever I do they make sure... sometimes they don’t know what we are doing. I say, “What do you know about stunts? You from the insurance company, what are you doing?” Sometimes it is very frustrating, you tell the people, and these people don’t know action! But now they hired a stunt co-ordinator, then whatever I say, he knows, and he just makes sure that everything is more safe, that is all.
You are very famous yourself but when you meet other people that you admire do you think, “i can’t believe i am meeting this person”? Yeah, after all those years, I still do. A few years ago I met Steven Spielberg, “Wow!” But when I saw Spielberg’s face he look at me and went, “Wow, can I have an autograph, for my son”. When I saw George Lucas at the MTV awards, then I stood up, “Can I shake your hand?” Of course, there is so many people that I admire.
Did you talk to them about possible work? No, I didn’t. I made ‘Tuxedo’ with Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks, we had a meeting with him and Lucas, no. We just met at the MTV awards and then when I saw Ridley Scott, “Wow” and I looked at ‘Top Gun’ “Ridley Scott! Wow”. [‘Top Gun’ was directed by his brother Tony Scott] Now we have become good friends. When they see me it is the same thing, “Wow! I can’t believe that Jackie Chan is here!” I think it goes both ways.
Do you get recognised all the time? For the last 15 years I almost haven’t had a private life. Before I could go out on the street wearing my glasses and nobody would recognise me. I took off my glasses and still nobody recognized me. But today, I cover my face and people still recognize me. I just don’t know why. Some people tell me that I am the most recognized face in the world. But I don’t need to go shopping; I have my own clothing line, own glasses, shoes, whatever. I have almost everything. I now have a big house in here. In Hong Kong for $3 million you buy a little dog house. In America you get a mansion for $3 million. I enjoy staying at home by myself wearing underwear. I do some training in the morning, throw some punches, then I go to work in the garden, jump in the swimming pool and if I see some dead leaves, I clean the whole garden, then I go back to train. That’s how I spend the whole day, in the garden. And I love to clean. 58 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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Do you have a cleaning mania?
Most children are very fascinated with locks and keys.
I just love clean things. And I want to movie people look good. Especially in Hong Kong when you’re making a movie, nobody mentions who the people are. It’s a Jackie Chan group. But it’s not me, it’s the whole group. So from that time on when I finish the movie I want to make sure that all the crew members pick up all the tape and clean the whole street before going away. I want people to think that film people are good. I even wash my own underwear and socks if I stay in hotels, I still do it. I’m used to it.
Yeah, locks, keys, handcuffs! And miniature dolls. Now I collect big books.
You say you never go shopping? Sometimes when I go shopping the people keep following me, and there is more and more. If I go to the shop, the people will look at me and then run away and go, “Jackie Chan is here!” And then I have to go right away, otherwise I have to keep signing, keep signing.
How do you feel about that? Happy! Sometimes I ask myself, sometimes I do get frustrated. I want to go shopping and I only have half an hour but ah, I just run away. But sometimes I ask myself, “Jackie, no, OK, now I sign.” People look at me and I sign. Then I rather stay home. Sometimes if they are passing by, I ask them to go shopping with me. “Shop this, no, go back to change, no.” Then on a Sunday, nobody is on the streets, then I go and do window shopping. Then I tell them, “This, this and this.” Then they buy it and I look, “No, go back and change!”
What do you shop for? Most funny stuff like cups and saucers, vintage stuff.
Is that what you collect? I collect women’s bracelets and locks.
Where do you put everything? In my loft. I have a big loft about ten thousand square feet.
Are you going to open a jackie chan museum one day? Every year, all our friends come to Hong Kong and they will go to my museum. Sort of my museum. They will go in, take a look and I have a pool table inside, ping pong. That is my play room because in Honk Kong I can’t go anywhere. Wherever I go people mob me. So, I have my own loft with pool table, ping pong, basket ball....
And you can invite people? Yeah, they come to my loft and we have a cable TV room, everything is in the loft! I don’t go out.
Do you do karaoke? Yeah.
What do you sing? Mostly country songs like (starts singing) “Oceans away, day after day......” it is a slow song. I like rap, Hip Hop, the rhythm but I don’t like the words. I don’t understand! Everybody is the same! Everybody, women, boys, white, black and Chinese. Everybody, “ho,ha,he, ho...” Nothing! I only listen to the rhythm, for me it is training. I like the rhythm but I don’t understand what they are saying. But I like to listen to Celine Dion, Whitney Houston. I can learn English from the songs. (starts singing) “You are always on my mind, you are always on.....” See! You really know (starts singing), “I will always love youuuuu” They really are singers! But now the rap, they are just talking “bla, bla, hu, hu, ho, ha, hu....!” What do they sing? So, mostly I listen to country songs.
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You are very funny yourself, what makes you laugh? I like to make fun of people, yeah. I like to scare people. When people laugh it makes me happy. I want to make children happy. I collect jokes. If the joke makes me smile, then that is a good joke. If the joke is not very good I can modify it. Make it better. I am a very good joke teller.
What do you remember from shooting armour of god? I am glad that I have been there, I saw a beautiful place but now it is all gone!
Is it true that that was your worst injury of your life? What happened? Were you flying over the edge?
Can you dance too? Not yet. I can’t go to the disco because everybody mobs me and looks at me and it makes me very embarrassed. Even if I wanted to dance I would just sit there smiling. Because there are so many people that are better than me. Sometimes I just dance at home by myself and the mirror.
Are you still based in hong kong? do you have plans to move? I really don’t know where my base is. My family is in LA, my parents are in Australia. Myself, my office is based in Hong Kong, but all those years I have just kept travelling, travelling, travelling.
What do you always take with you when you travel? what do you always have in your suitcase? Wherever I go, exercise equipment. Just two gloves. Boxing gloves wherever I go. And one tiny exercise machine about this big. I carry it on the plane and I can train on the plane. I can train in my trailer, I can train wherever I go. These two things I have always with me.
What do you do on a perfect day off? I think half the day I sleep. Then I wake up and if some shops are open, some antique shops, mostly antique shops but most of the time they are closed. Then I go back to the hotel and train. Training is the fun part because nobody is bothering me. When you are training you really relax, you don’t think of anything.
No, about that high. From here, jump over there. But in between maybe it was a little bit wider, in between there was a tree and I landed on the tree and the tree bent and just like this, jump and boom. The jump was simple for me but the tree broke. A Yugoslavian camera man was below the tree. I asked if he could push me, then he just let the camera go and I fell and he ran. I got a hole in my hand and all blood the blood from my ear...nothing outside but the blood came out from the ear. Everybody was so nervous, they sent me to the hospital and then they sent me to another hospital and from 12 in the morning until the night, 8.30 I had an operation. They wanted to send me back to Hong Kong but the doctor said “No, you can’t go on an aeroplane, on a long flight. What about Paris?”
Why did they not believe the doctors there? I don’t know! First we wanted to go back to Hong Kong, but no it was too long, what about Paris? No, because of the air pressure I might have died, so what could I do? I don’t know what happened at that time! Outside, all my stunt team was crying, my manager was crying. I think I got an injection because I just remember that I had an operation.
How long were you in hospital for? Five days in the Yugoslavian hospital. In Zagreb. Then 10 days in a French, Paris, American hospital. A total of 15 days. Then from Paris I drove back to Yugoslavia.
You drove? Yeah, to film. We were half way through the film. The whole group were still waiting, we had to finish the movie. But I couldn’t but at least we finished some scenes, only half ways, then they moved back to Hong Kong.
You tried to get into hollywood before and didn’t succeed. What changed? Wrong timing. Wrong script. At that time I was huge in Asia and my company thought I should go to America and I said “Yeah, easy! Everybody likes my movies in Asia” Then when I go to America, first I don’t know English, second they always write the wrong scripts. You are ABC, American Born Chinese, I didn’t even speak English at that time! How can I? They didn’t concentrate on my fighting, and the fighting that I choreographed they didn’t like. The audience didn’t like it. At that time they like Bruce Lee and Cling Eastwood “Boom, make my day! Bam!” They like tough, they liked one punch, knock somebody down. Tough heroes. Jackie Chan, one kick, second kick and the guy is still standing there! His kick has no power! Do you want me to do one punch and knock somebody down, that is easy! But my kind of action is more difficult, ten times more difficult! But at that time the audience didn’t like it. Why? Why do you punch somebody and hurt yourself? You are a sissy! We like Clint Eastwood. But with time, slowly, slowly things 60 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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changed. I think it is like a circle. The people were tired of everybody doing “Make my day! Boom!” Then suddenly, word of mouth, from the video market, “There is Jackie Chan”. Stallone watched my movies, everybody. They wanted to learn things from me. Then now, whole of Hollywood is Jackie Chan style! Now everybody do comedy! I am happy. It is the right timing coming back!
Is there a specific director that you want to work with? Before I wanted to work with Spielberg, I wanted to work with Lucas, James Cameron, then my manager told me that if I work with them then I don’t have one percent control. Then I said “You are right” At least now, we can combine. He does the dialogue scene and I do the action sequence, good and bad I don’t know. Sometimes I want to try working with a famous director but I know that there are a lot of problems. But with a new director there is also good and bad.
You’re such a big star, so why do hollywood movies? Hollywood is the place to be no matter how big you are in your own country. Your career no matter how big you are, you have to come to America. Even if you’re a big star in your own country you come here just play a bad guy, a killer, maybe you’re a big actor, there you become an international star in your country. And you have your own award, you have your Hong Kong Oscar, you have a China Oscar but if you’re invited by American Oscar, wow! America is just too big, the whole world looking for Oscar but Hong Kong Oscar nobody watches! Just Hong Kong people watch. American audiences they don’t care. I have won two times Best Actor in Taiwan. I got Best Actor in China recently. Do you know? Nobody knows. If I got the Oscar, even the Supporting Oscar the whole world knows then you become wow, big star. Hollywood is the place to be everyone has to come.
Does being such a big star ever get to your head?
You can imagine 30 years ago and the biggest star in Asia they only get $20,000, I get half million. I go out and I have 40 stuntmen with me. Wherever I go I have no education. I go to a watch company and I buy seven diamond watches, all cash. I buy Porsche, Ferrari one day, I buy everything. I’m the king. And I come to America, I sit there, and the reporter asked me “What’s your name?” “Jackie Chan.” “Jackie, who?” “Jackie Chan.” “Oh, that’s like Bruce Lee.” I don’t even speak English, my confidence gets lower. Then I look at Burt Reynolds, $5 million U.S. Then I realized that the world is too big, I’m not the biggest star. The biggest star is Burt Reynolds, Sammy Davis Jr. Nobody knows me. When I walk in the streets in Asia (he makes a screaming noise) but in America, I can wear shorts, a diamond watch, gold chain, roller skates in Manhattan Beach and nobody bothers me!
Is it good to know that you’re not as easily recognized in America? Yes, and right after in America, how can I let audience know me. I make ‘Cannonball Run’ and I make ‘Cannonball 2’ and I make ‘Big Brawl’. When I go back to Hong Kong my character changed. I realized I’m not the biggest. The biggest is too many. Then I’m glad and then I go back to being humble. When I see the big star in Hong Kong now I say “Yeah, you big? Wait until you go to America!” When I see American (set) trailer, holy cow! Each star gets his own trailer. In Hong Kong making a film we sit on the street, we don’t have a trailer. In America everything is big and everyone wants to come big. When you come to America you become international star no matter how big you are. So that’s the culture.
What’s the secret in staying healthy after doing all the action scenes? The secret is non-stop making a movie. Right after ‘Rush Hour 2’ I made five or six movies already. Right after ‘Rush Hour 3’, the second after I finished I started ‘Forbidden Kingdom’.
Good question, the question is I was a big giant 30 years ago. I was a low class stuntman and one night I become a big star. Thirty years ago my salary half million U.S. a movie.
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The audience likes this kind of action or that kind of action, and I have my own audience. So this makes me continue working, so I cannot retire.
Does keeping so busy keep you in shape? Yes, I think so, because the movie keeps me young. On the set I’m just running around and I forget my age. Sometimes I teach people doing the stunts, Okay, you’ve got to do this, and I show them how to do it. And I just forget. I climb up and down just like I used to. If I can kick today I can kick tomorrow. But I know some people retire and boom, they are done and gone! For me I start the next movie, “Oh, the next movie is action, you’ve got to train...”
Do you expect some of those injuries to happen during these things? And next August 25th finished ‘Forbidden Kingdom’. September 15th we start ‘Shinjuko’ story in Japan until April. April 1st I start ‘Portrait Eagle’ - I direct again. Sometimes I ask them when should I stop? Ten years ago then five years ago I wanted to retire. You maybe hear I’m going to retire soon. But now five years later, the projects keep coming and good projects! Yeah.
Any plans for a third ‘shanghai’ film with owen wilson? We’ve been talking about it for so many years, like ‘Shanghai Noon’, ‘Shanghai Nights’, ‘Shanghai Dawn’, but it just never happened.
Are you surprised no one has tried imitating you? I think they changed the action now. Especially in Hollywood they use a lot of special effects like ‘Hellboy’ and ‘Superman’ and ‘Spiderman’. I think it’s clever. Hollywood can make everybody become an action star. So actually I’m lucky. If everybody was like me I’d probably be gone already. So everybody chooses the easy way, wearing a mask. Then we have so many different kinds of audience.
Yeah, hurting myself is my daily routine. When rehearsal hurts a lot, you just don’t see it, but we get used to it, all those years.
So, you are just taking care of yourself? Yes, because that’s my job. On the screen I’m doing action roles so I have to do those kinds of things. I think because I’m better than some other people because I had basic training when I was seven so this is why I know so many things like jumping, kicking for me is so easy. Sometimes I do some small things and people say, “Wow, how can you do that?” I do that every day.
What can’t you do? Well, I could watch you typing and say, “How can you do that?” I don’t know how to turn on a computer.
You don’t send emails? No. No emails. Telephone. Telephone for me is dial in and listen. That’s for me. I can’t even take a picture. I don’t want to learn. Why? Because the young children, the young generation are hurting themselves. Even my son, he sits down, laptop, emails. I sit there (watching him). They don’t watch TV anymore, they do everything on the internet. I say, “Get up. It’s been five hours. Training!”
Is your eldest son following in your footsteps? My son is right now in Hong Kong. When I work on a film my wife takes care of my son but now that he’s grown up, he’s becoming a star now. He’d rather be a singer but he’s willing to try... he’s a composer, he writes music. He’d like to try acting and he’s already done movies.
You’d like him to be an actor? I’d like him to do his own.
What is his name? JAYCEE. My initials - Jackie Chan. So he’s JAYCEE.
Is he good at marital arts? No, he’s good at tap dancing, break dancing. I trained him when he was young but finally I realised he didn’t want to train in martial arts. Then he told me, “Daddy, I like movie business, entertainment business. One day if I came into it, I don’t want to be an action star. I cannot beat you.”
How many years did you think he might go into martial arts and how old was he when he told you he didn’t want to do it? Actually, I didn’t see him that much. I was filming around the world, different places, and then my wife took care for him for 20 years in America and every time I come to 62 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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America it was usually for one week. The longest time I spent in America was for ‘Rush Hour’ and it was for three months. Even ‘Rush Hour 2’ we filmed in Hong Kong and Vegas and somewhere else, ‘Shanghai Noon’ in Prague, ‘Tuxedo’ in Toronto, not here. Maybe for a holiday and I’d see him for seven days, that’s all. When I’d see him for seven days, I’d be in such a hurry to teach him to punch and he’d say, “No, that hurt.”
But for the first twenty years they were living in america why did your wife want to move to taiwan? That’s long, long, long, long story.
Can you make it short? The paparazzi. Yes. First time I met my wife, a girl suicides. Every Asian press - everybody knows about it. First time I said, “I have a girlfriend...” then a girl suicides. Then a second girl suicides... So I got married and I said to my wife, “We cannot announce this, because they will hurt....” When my wife comes to America nobody talks, I never see my wife again because I don’t want to hurt my fans until the baby has grown up. So they stay here [America], went to school here, I travel around and I tried to bring back my whole family back to Hong Kong but then the paparazzi come. “Jackie Chan’s son is here... What time does he go to school? Where is the school?” They even show the driver’s license plate! One of my friend’s son got kidnapped! She’s an actress, she’s not rich, but she still got kidnapped, so what about me? So I said to my son, “Go. Go to America - more safe.”
So you never saw your son grow up? I travel around making movies and I never see my son. When he was 19 I was with my son in Japan on holiday. He ate the first bite and said, “Oh Daddy, 19 years and the first time we had a holiday!” First time because we were hiding from so many things. Now, slowly, slowly I let my friends know that I have a son. Very slow. I have to let them know I have a wife. I have to go to Japan to have a big meeting
with my fan club members - I said: “Look, I have to get married, I got to have a family. If you like me, as I understand, you support me, as I understand, I can’t marry everyone, I just get married once.”
Your wife must be very understanding. Yes.
To put up with all this and sacrifice her personal time. she must be an amazing person. It’s a long story. Very, very long.
Who is your wife? 20 years ago she was THE biggest star in Asia.
Where did you meet her? At a party. She didn’t even like me. I was a jerk (laughs). Her name is Joan Lin. 25 years ago I’m the biggest star in Asia, I have no education, I was just a stunt man and suddenly I became a big star. I suddenly had a million cash. Then, like I say, I had a pool, a Porsche, a Ferrari, wherever I go 20 people, diamond watch, diamond chain - wow. And I just want to show people how rich I am. I was doing $8 a day - every day I risk my life jumping for $8. Now I have 1 million in my hand. I go to a jewellery store - buy seven diamond watches, every single day I wear a diamond watch, then I buy a Porsche, Mercedes Benz, spend all my money...
Why did you have to buy all those things? I was very poor. I am from a very poor family, we never had any money, I want to spend on those kind of things.
What about now? Nothing. I don’t like shopping!
So what do you think when you look back on those days? I hate myself when I look back.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger said that when he was younger and he had the money and girls said he was a jerk.
Is it true you wanted to show real martial art in karate kid because there is none in the original?
Everybody has to go through this.
When I saw the first one, I was doing martial arts every day and it was entertaining because American people don’t know martial arts but it wasn’t it! It wasn’t popular in Asian but after I learned English I realized it was more about the story and the spirit of martial arts.
When did that change? After I came to America.
Don’t you get lonely filming on location away from your family? When I’m not filming it’s lonely. When I’m filming, I’m so happy. I have my stunt team with me - more than 10 people, you go to the set, the set is my home. When I’m not filming I don’t know what to do.
Are you in love with her? you don’t see her. Yes. Really in love. Before I don’t love, before it was just like a job, an accident, okay? Before was accident, what can I do? We hadn’t married yet, and then she was pregnant, then someone makes suicide, then I’m filming, filming, filming, then I find after 20 years, now I’m growing up, I know more things about humans, I know about people, relationships. Now I’m really in love, really respect her.
Are you more spiritual now?
It’s a darker role compare to the original... I just follow the script. Most of the time, I like to play on set, make fun of everybody so it was a little difficult for me to hold it and be quiet, thinking about sad things, my mom died, these kind of things...Sitting there all day. I have been making movies for forty-eight years so honestly, I’m very professional and I can get into character in one second.
Do you plan to do something darker? Yes. I’m looking for it. I hope some directors will give me a good script where it’s only acting. Not a kissing scene (laughs).
Was it strange not having one fight scene in this movie?
Apparently you’ve broken your legs 80 times?
There is one but they cut it because it was too long but they will probably use it for the sequel (laughs). Actually, I didn’t want any fight; I wanted pure acting because I really want to turn into an actor. I don’t want the audience to always see Jackie Chan in action movies like all the “Rush Hour”, I want to change! I want to be an Asian Robert DeNiro or Dustin Hoffman. I’m an actor who can act (laughs)! Everybody knows I do my own stunts, I do comedy, I want to change.
I don’t know how many. From my head to my toes - broken, broken, broken.
What are you gonna do for your fiftieth anniversary of filming?
Do you get scared?
Nothing, I’ll be filming. I’ll be busy with directing and starring my own movie “Chinese zodiac”.
Yes. Before I take care of her like my job - you get your per diem every month. I only care about my career at that time.
Are you addicted to the adrenalin of the job? Yes, because I like to do something different than other action stars. I want to be different.
Yeah. Everybody think - I’m not a superman, I’m an ordinary person. When I’m doing a stunt I’m scared but I want to challenge myself, I want to do it.
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Pauline Laville-Bindra In loving memory...
It was with great sadness that I learned of the loss of Pauline Bindra, a lady that had devoted virtually all of her life to progressing in the art of karate. Pauline always gave 110% to everything that she did including her devotion to God in the later part of her life. This article has been written by her family and they have given permission to me to feature it, together with some of the comments left on the Blitz web site. It is with great sadness that I am able to include this piece within this issue as I would much prefer to be able to report further on the success that Pauline seemed to achieve at whatever she undertook to do. My sincere condolences go out to Pauline’s immediate and extended family. God Bless you all. Paul S Clifton - Publisher. It is with great sadness that we are forced to face this day with the passing of a loving wife, mother, founder and President of Blitzsport Corporation: Pauline Laville-Bindra. BD/MA (Hons) in Theology and globally one of karate’s highest graded leading ladies, 8th Dan. The loss comes to a great shock to us all as she inspired many with her determination in the martial arts, her complete devotion to Christianity and her passion for her family’s strong involvement in the continuation of her life’s work. Her martial arts journey began in 1957 at Middlesbrough Judo club, shortly after gaining her brown belt and in 1961 she took an interest in karate in England’s first dojo. Her training became under the guidance of Sensei Kanazawa who awarded her, her 1st Dan. She then continued under Sensei Enoeda who out of honouring her spirit in the art presented her his own black belt. After many years she continued 66 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
her training with the help of Sensei Enoeda by moving to America becoming a student under the Legendary Sensei Richard Kim 10th Dan. She had often spoke about how the hardships of being a woman in a then dominant male art, which forced her to fight for her right to stay and compete. She stated that on more than one occasion, some wished she would quit as the presence of a woman in the dojo was mocking the art of karate. Despite this, she continued and proved that her spirit could overcome the gender battle, gaining respect and adoration from many of her peers._ In her life she achieved not only Dan grades in Karate but also was part responsible for the movement of karate throughout its growth in England. From being a founder member of all the governing bodies of Karate in England from the BKCC right up to EKGB. She was also the founder member of the KUGB, and started Thames Karate, which in the late 70_s was 10,000 members strong. She has taught many of England’s top Shotokan Instructors of today, who now head their own associations many National, International and JKA champions in Kumite and Kata. She was a feared instructor who continued teaching harsh and character testing lessons that she once herself had to endure. Students travelled from all over the country to train with her. As the highest ranking female in Europe and possibly worldwide she is a legend in her own right, proving that gender does not determine spirit.
In the last 7 years of her life, she slowly handed over the responsibility of Blitz to her family so she could completely devote herself to Christ and recently gained an Honours Degree and Masters in Systematic Theology. From this she started her ministry “The Children of Christ hope for the lost.” A charity based and outreach program helping those who were on the verge of giving up on life and empowering them with the knowledge and confidence to keep going. The confidence she acquired through her conditioning in karate. As we are coming to terms knowing that time will never heal the pain of our tragic loss, we understand the importance to continue her legacy living our lives through the words that she bestowed upon us: “For It is not the number of trophies or Dan Grades that I have won or achieved that give me a sense of success, it is the strength and discipline of my character which has been tempered through the art of Karate and the Love of God which has helped me survive and succeed in all that I do. I thank The Lord Jesus for everything that I am and have achieved”. May the Lord rejoice in the return of His loving child... and may her spirit be instilled within us all as we face our opponents. May she rest in peace on the passing of her final grading...? Amen. Sunrise: 8th January 1945 Sunset: 21st July 2010 In loving memory of Pauline Laville Bindra.
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Here are some of the many postings that people have left on the Blitz site, in memory of Pauline; Mick Dewey says: One of my first training lessons was in 1967 under Pauline Laville she and Ray Fuller would visit us each weekend at South Sea Community Centre. She made a big contribution to the early days of Portsmouth Karate Club and was a big inspiration to female Karate. Will be sadly missed. Dave O’Donnell says: God must have better places for this great lady of inspiration to look after. It is always with sadness when great people get taken away from us. SHE WILL LIVE LONG IN EVERY BODYS HEARTS RIP Ray Pulman 5th Dan says: So sorry to hear of the passing of this dear lady. I am so pleased that she knew the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal saviour for the scriptures tell us quite clearly “neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved.”
Though this is a sad loss for her family Pauline has simply gone home, to be with the Lord, which is far better eternally secure in the loving arms of Jesus, absent from the body, and present with the Lord. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved! Jamie O’Keefe says: Our thoughts are with you all. Jamie and all at New Breed Mick Billman says: A sad loss indeed. Pauline will be remembered as an inspiration to many. Sincere condolences to Lee, Elida, and all family members. Peter Spanton says: I ask that the Bindra family please accept my sincere condolences on their tragic loss. Pauline will be sadly missed and her impact on the karate world will not be forgotten. Ticky Donovan O.B.E. says: It takes so long to make good friends and it hurts that you can lose one so quickly. Love to you Lee and all your family. God Bless, Ticky.
Doug James says: This is very sad news. I have many fond memories of Pauline since the start of Blitz & only later did we find that we both started Karate at the same dojo, Middlesbrough Budokan, although myself not until 1967. An inspirational woman who made her mark in British Karate & we send sincere condolences to Lee, Elida & all the family. Cris Janson-Piers says: At this difficult time, I and all our members would like to pass on our condolences to all the family. God Bless and Rest in Peace Pauline. Cris Janson-Piers and members of BFKKO and WAKO Don Warrener says: Pauline was my friend and when a bright light goes out it simply hurts. God Bless you Pauline and God Bless the Bindra family. There is nothing I can say or do that will make this journey any easier on you but know that if there was I would do it. Your friend always. Tao Sports London says: We’re shocked and saddened to hear of your loss, and we send our deepest condolences. Om Mani Padme Hum
Pauline Laville-Bindra 8th Dan performing an attack on Hirokazu Kanazawa 10th Dan
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Rod Butler says: Rest in peace Pauline - a true pioneer of Shotokan Karate. Helen Pree (Raye) says: My condolences go to Pauline’s family and close friends at this sad time. I hope you find comfort from all the thoughtful messages and prayers left here. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. Welsh Karate Governing Body says: Our sincere condolences to the family of Pauline and all who knew her. Let her inspiration continue through all who she inspired. RIP Barry & Rita Nash says: We have known Pauline a very long time; she always had time for a chat even after years sometimes a sad loss to the karate world our prayers are with Lee and the family. God bless Jim Eldon says: Sorry to hear this news, I will be thinking of my good friend and when I am thinking of her she will live on in my mind, my condolences to all the family Mike Dinsdale says: This world has said goodbye to a wonderful individual, and heaven has gained one. Heartfelt condolences for your sad loss. Eugene Codrington says: Sincere condolences and all good wishes to Pauline’s family. Billy Higgins says: Shocked to hear of your loss, deepest condolences. Pauline was one on her own. Len Norman says: A sad, sad loss, my condolences to all the family British Judo Association says: The British Judo Association would like to offer their condolences to all of the family at this very difficult time.
Thames Karate says: On Behalf of Sensei Ray Fuller and Thames Karate we pass on our sincerest condolences to Lee, Elida, Danny and Jason. It is always sad to hear the loss of such a good Karateka especially one who was a founder member of our organisation along with Sensei Fuller. Rest in peace Pauline. Thames Karate Malcolm Phipps says: After returning from teaching in the USA I heard the sad news of Pauline’s passing. She was a pioneer for Shotokan karate in the UK and will be sadly missed. My personal and my Association’s (Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International) condolences go to Lee and the Bindra family. She will be sadly missed but is now in an even better dojo. God Bless. Michael Nursey says: It was with great sadness we learnt of Pauline’s passing. She was a great ambassador and inspiration to all karateka. One in a million. Our sympathy goes out to Lee and her family. Mike Nursey - English Shotokan Karate Association Frank Massar says: Just heard the news from one of my students. Sending the Bindra family, Lee, Elida, Danny, Jason my deepest condolences. A truly amazing women, who’s legacy, achievements and contribution to the martial arts world will always be remembered. ‘Rest in Peace Pauline.’ Paul Clifton says: Please forgive the lateness of this posting but I have only just heard of Pauline’s passing. There are a great many lovely memories that I could share about Pauline, Lee and their loving family
but I would prefer to keep those private. I would however like to state that Pauline was a very unique lady and had a great ability to make the amazing seem possible. She led from the front in terms of female martial arts exponents but she did it because of her love of karate and not for the glory. She was the greatest female karate and business woman this country will I believe, ever see but again she did all that she did, to push herself and provide a platform of security for her family and network of devoted friends. Pauline will be very much missed by those that knew her (and because of the reach of her influence) by many that were not as fortunate to make her acquaintance. My only regret is that over recent years I have not been in contact and I would have preferred to tell her this to her face; “Pauline, you made the grade in everything that you undertook to do, you set a path for all others to follow and you will forever be remembered for all that you achieved but more importantly by the people whose lives you affected in your uniquely positive way”. Thank you, Oss.x I will say a prayer for you; Lee, Elida, Danny and Jason. God Bless. Paul, Donna, Paige and Pierce. Xxxx Ray Wilson says: I was shocked to learn of Pauline’s death and truly saddened at this loss to karate. I always admired her dedication to karate. Pauline was a truly inspirational figure, whose karate was exceptional. A strong friendly and courteous woman. Over the last few years I had lost touch with her except for a couple of phone conversations, but my memories of her stretch back 35 years. She will be sadly missed. R.I.P.
Pauline Laville-Bindra 8th Dan with Masatoshi Nakayama 10th Dan
Terry Daly Uechi-ryu karate Assocoiation says: I did not know Pauline well but what I do know is that she was a true legend of karate. May I wish her family sincerest condolences from the Uechiryu Karate Association of GB. David Lowe says: It was with great sadness that we heard of Pauline’s passing and on behalf of everyone here at Bytomic Martial Arts Distribution we would all like to pass on our sincerest respects to all of you at this time. David Lowe, Director and fellow Karate-ka WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 69
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Learning To Perhaps one of the most useful skills in the Martial Arts is the art of breaking your fall (‘ukemi’ in Japanese). Sadly, it is also one of the most neglected. In most martial arts styles, breakfalls do not seem to be practised at all, and even in Judo, many instructors will tell you they are not practised enough. Why has this essential skill been so neglected? Is it simply conceit? Do we feel that we are so good that we will never be thrown or knocked to the ground? As practitioners of the martial arts, whether for sport or selfdefence, we are surely practical people. We are practising, at least in part in preparation for various kinds and levels of adversity. From the purely practical point of view, it is sobering to note that there are many well-documented cases of deaths occurring in street confrontations, caused not by the initial blow, but by the victim’s head striking the pavement when falling. In some cases, of course (such as when unconsciousness has occurred before one has hit the ground), one cannot perform a breakfall. However, when one considers that it is now generally accepted that the majority of violent confrontations will end up with one or more of the protagonists
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on the ground, we should surely be as prepared as possible for those times when we are thrown, pushed or struck down. Even when a fall does not cause serious or permanent injury, it can still result in severe (and distracting) discomfort. Furthermore, the more quickly you can recover from hitting the ground, the better your chances of survival. This ‘recovery’ may be manifested in the form of returning to your feet by use of rolling breakfalls, or simply getting into a more advantageous position on the ground. Of course, self-defence situations are not the only instances when breakfalls can save you a lot of trouble. Only last winter, I myself slipped in a notoriously icy local car park (where were my super-human ninja skills eh?). Over the previous two weeks, this car park had claimed at least three ‘victims’, one of whom had actually broken an arm when falling. I
went down hard, on my back, and the only injury that I received was to my ego, purely because, without thinking, I automatically broke my fall. I spread the impact with my arms, curled forward so as to partially roll, and tucked my chin in to avoid banging the back of my head. Breakfalls are very simple, but it does take practice for them to become automatic. This is why I believe every martial artist irrespective of their style, should spend some time practising them. Even if you practice a ‘stand up’ system, in which your objective is to stay on your feet, it is worth swallowing your pride and accepting that you will sometimes have your feet taken from under you. Even through Karate is an essentially ‘stand up’ art, I don’t mind admitting that I have been dumped on the floor of countless Karate Dojo over the years, and since taking up Muay Thai, I have developed an intimate knowledge of the gym ceiling from the amount of times that I’ve found myself staring up at it. In short, it can happen to any of us, so prepare! If your own style or association does not practice even the most rudimentary breakfalls, it may well be worth contacting your local Judo club to learn the basics safely. Most instructors will be more than happy to have students visit from other styles who genuinely want to learn even selected aspects of their art; others may even be prepared to run short courses, or visit clubs of other styles. Who knows? Such contacts may even be the beginning of some very productive exchanges of knowledge that could grow into long term friendships between styles.
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Fall
By Rick Hinchliffe
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The Evolution of a Martial System Part 9 By David Weeks
Black Belt and Beyond... The Beginnings of Modern ‘Cross-Training’ [This month we begin to tie the various strands of the previous articles together and look at how different martial systems can merge, by using the example of one of Britain’s modern martial pioneers.] V. Martial Blending. Brian Jones was born in Dalston, East London in 1938. At the age of eleven he commenced training in judo and eventually achieved his black belt in the discipline; whereupon the teenage Jones sought out a new challenge and began studying Wado-Ryu karate under the Japanese instructor Suzuki, earning his black belt in this martial art as well. Jones then served in Malaya with the British Army and it was whilst he was stationed in the Far East that Brian became exposed to other forms of martial art, such as Tai Chi, which he began to explore alongside his established systems of judo and karate. By the time Jones returned to civilian life he was already a wellrounded martial artist but it was a chance meeting years later which would change his whole outlook on self-defence. Jones was walking past a Chinese restaurant, near London’s Drury lane, when he spotted a young Chinaman performing techniques from a martial art which Brian had never seen before. Intrigued, Jones walked over to the man and asked him ‘what it was’ he was doing but the man merely turned his back and hurriedly disappeared into the restaurant. The images of the young man’s ‘strange’ moves, though, remained embedded in Jones’s mind. Although he had now achieved Second Dan status in Wado-Ryu and was still practising judo and Tai Chi, he had 72 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
been captivated by the flowing movements he’d briefly witnessed and so Brian returned to the restaurant and sought out the young man. Again, the young man refused to engage in conversation with Jones and exited the room but Brian refused to be deterred and he followed the man downstairs into the restaurant’s cellar, where he was confronted with the unexpected sight of his elusive ‘quarry’ tutoring a group of Chinese men in this mysterious art. Boldly, Jones approached once more and asked if he too could take instruction but was brusquely informed that he ‘wasn’t welcome’ and that the art ‘wasn’t to be taught to Occidentals’. [Westerners.] At least this time, though, the man deigned to introduce himself. Greco Wong had studied the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun kung fu under the Grandmaster Yip Man himself, back in Hong Kong and was a Wing Chun exponent of considerable skill. Wong had also inherited the traditional Chinese belief that their arts should be kept ‘hidden’ strictly within the Chinese community and so when he arrived in Britain in the mid-1960’s Greco practised his art secretively within the confines of the restaurant cellar in London’s theatre district. Refusing to be ignored though, Brian Jones continually returned to the restaurant over the following weeks and was ritually ignored until almost despairingly - an exasperated Wong agreed to reward the
Englishman’s dogged persistence by ‘showing him a few moves’. From that moment on Jones became a regular student in these basement classes; thus making a minor piece of martial history by becoming the first English student to be taught the hitherto ‘secret’ art of Wing Chun in Great Britain. This ‘breakthrough’ paved the way for other westerners to learn the art, for shortly afterwards Wong began to teach Rolf Clausnitzer, who was so entranced by the effortless fluidity of the techniques that he felt compelled to contact Paul Crompton, in an effort to make the art of Wing Chun better known. At that time, in the late ‘60’s, Crompton was editor of ‘Karate and Oriental Arts’ magazine and had been championing the spread of karate in Britain for years. At this period very little was written about the Chinese arts because they were so well hidden within the Chinese community but Crompton was greatly impressed with what he saw when he arrived at the restaurant and he tried to convince Greco Wong to allow him to produce a book, featuring photos of Greco performing Wing Chun techniques, in order to promote the art in Great Britain. To Wong this project was akin to heresy! It was bad enough that he’d relented and begun to teach westerners the previously closely-guarded ‘secrets’ of the art but to actively promote a book which laid bare the fundamentals of the system for alland-sundry to see was simply too
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much! This was exactly the kind of thing which would incur the wrath of Grandmaster Yip Man and the ‘elders’ back in Hong Kong. Over the following weeks Crompton and Clausnitzer followed the persistence originally shown by Brian Jones and eventually persuaded Wong that maybe positively promoting the Chinese arts was a ‘good’ idea. Thus, the book was compiled, featuring Greco performing the moves from the first form Sil Lum Tao. The book hit the stores just as the 1960’s drew to a close but it drew minimal attention and sold sparsely. Ultimately, it had been a lot of fuss about nothing! There was no sudden Wing Chun explosion in England, prompted by the book. British martial artists continued to embrace the Japanese arts of karate and judo and even the tight-nit Chinese community barely batted an eyelid at the book’s publication. Today the name Greco Wong means very little to British martial artists and yet - in his own small way - in a tiny cellar beneath a restaurant in London, Greco helped ensure that Wing Chun kung fu escaped the jealous clutches of outdated tradition and entered the latter part of the twentieth century as a living, breathing art relevant to today’s society. It would be several years though before kung fu would achieve mass popularity around the globe and that would be largely due to the influence of a man who had also been teaching the art to westerners, in America. Bruce lee was about to embark upon his short but legendary film career.
For Brian Jones much of the attraction of Wing Chun had been its mix of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ - external and internal - techniques. However, having experienced many years of martial arts training, Jones was shrewd enough to realise that no one system held all of the answers to man’s search for perfection in self-defence. Four years after beginning his studies with Greco Wong Brian began training students privately himself, then decided to open his own club. Although this started out as a Wing Chun club, there was already a seed of an idea in Jones’s mind. Brian’s vision was to combine different techniques but blend the same concepts of the various styles he’d studied, until he’d created a single devastatingly effective martial system. Using the same principle Bruce Lee had promoted in the States of removing all superfluous movements and keeping ‘only that which works’, Jones developed his new syllabus. The man upon whom Brian tested his new system was a local businessman named Bill Newman, who’d expressed an interest to him of ‘learning martial arts’. During his tuition Jones experimented with his hybrid Wing Chun style, assessing not only how it worked for him but how it would work for others. After several years of intensive tuition Newman received his black belt from Jones and began to assist him in the training of other students at the club; beginning a successful partnership which would endure into the late 1970’s.
It is unclear as to precisely when Brian Jones’s Wing Chun became Chinese Boxing but this is the term which eventually took precedence over Wing Chun. Jones’s new system comprised 80% Wing Chun kung fu and a 20% mix of Wado-Ryu karate, judo and Tai Chi; although these separate elements would change over the years as Brian continued to experiment and evolve his style, adding more techniques from Tai Chi and using what worked best for him as he grew older. NOTE: ‘Chinese Boxing’ is actually a phrase used by English ‘settlers’ to describe the unorthodox techniques used by the rebelling Chinese, who fought against British rule at the turn of the twentieth century. The unconventional punches and kicks they aimed - unsuccessfully - at the gun-wielding British, we now know to be forms of kung fu. Next Month: The ‘kung fu explosion’, as ‘Enter The Dragon’ hits the cinema screens. Meanwhile, Brian Jones consolidates the success of his own clubs and Jay Dobrin reaches black belt status. Article by David Weeks, author of ‘Tyson and I’ ISBN 978-1-4343-1471-0 and ‘Bullets, Blood and Broken Bodies: The extraordinary criminal career of ‘Buller’ Ward’ ISBN 9781904432425. Available form Jamie O’Keefe’s New Breed Books or eBay.
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What is, who is When you get into conversation with someone else that does karate, it’s not uncommon for you to ask, “So what style of karate do you do or what association is your club in membership of?” These questions are very straight forward to answer but imagine if someone asked you this “What is and who is British Karate?” The chances are that you would immediately think of something that you are personally involved in, your club, your instructor... well it’s really your only point of reference. Also, it’s very likely that you would mention high profile names within that particular organization as the people who are in charge, but ‘British Karate’ isn’t any one group or organization. As we work on building the image of British Karate, everyone involved is going to have to fire up their passion for the activity they love and put aside any bias they may have. It’s also important to look at where we are now and identify how we got here. The door-to-door karate salesmen are not responsible for making British karate look bad, they were merely vultures perched, waiting for British Karate to die so they could feed on its carcass. The British Karate club dropout rate had always been high, originally due to the seemingly high standards that clubs required. Students would quit as they couldn’t keep up with the physical demands placed on them. As standards dropped over the years, a new breed of student emerged and a new breed of instructor came to being. It was inevitable really if we are honest with ourselves. The high dropout rate continued, but now it was due to poor standards coupled with boring training sessions. This is where British Karate fell ill and the vultures began to circle. British Karate clubs were now
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seeing new students dropping out anywhere between two and five months into their training. The vultures recognizing an opportunity swooped in. Beginners became a huge cash cows and teaching them was easy so a highly qualified instructor was and is not required. As most new students are going to drop out within a few months anyway, who cares about their standard as long as they pay, right? Many British Karate clubs that are run by the talented, experienced instructor don’t do any better in retaining students either. Not surprising really when you look at how they attracted the students to begin with. British Karate club advertisements are a little like what you get in the estate agents window. The property location is pretty much the only thing that is true! Not that instructor’s lie, they merely embellish the facts. We’ve all seen or heard it. ‘Fitness! Self-defence! Dynamic art!’ ‘Fitness’ means that people may well get fitter than they were, but ‘fit’? Not likely. Most clubs don’t practice anywhere close to what is required when it comes to real fitness as the majority of clubs focus on training dictated to by a grading syllabus, which certainly doesn’t create the athlete within us. Self defence, well we all know about that one! Dynamic art... really? Unfit, out of shape people who have little to no athletic ability whatsoever are not going to be able to produce anything dynamic, well not until they get into shape and as just mentioned,
they are not getting in shape without some seriously tough workouts. British Karate’s talented, skilful karateka have to recognize what they have and become more business-like in selling it. Club instructors need to get excited about the future, as it is those who are ultimately responsible for the image of British Karate. The club instructor is the man/woman on the ground, the person who builds the relationship with the students and controls the calibre of their club. The club instructor IS British Karate, and British Karate can do a lot better in advertising what it is and what it offers the potential new student. Lose ‘Dynamic art’ and replace it with ‘fun sport’ then work on making each session fun and informative. Forget ‘self defence’, replace it with ‘camaraderie and friendship’, create a place were people make friends and build relationships. ‘Fitness!’ Add the words ‘lifestyle weight management’ then learn the basic principles of weight-loss and apply them to your club. Now you are speaking to the masses and not just a small percentage that have an interest in the martial arts. Now you are the new breed of instructor and you are attracting a new breed of student... you are British Karate! Send your comments, thoughts and ideas to me at: Comments @ British Karate Clubs.com britishkarateclubs.com the karate club directory
NEXT MONTH Why we don’t fight on the street
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British Karate By Ian McCranor
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Paisley Academy The quiet men John McKean & Matt McLachlan first got together in 2007, john had recently left Steve & Mike Krause after 12 years as Manager and Head Instructor, and Matt was already a well known Instructor and competitor in his home town of Paisley, after 10 years on the semi-contact circuit. As the story goes, they met after a phone call, 6 weeks later they had the keys to their own premises, 6 weeks after that they opened the Paisley Academy of Martial Arts and the rest is history.
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They have quietly worked since then, training with the best instructors in the country, working with bullied kids, junior & adult students at grass roots level, and carefully avoiding the trash talking and politics, the easy pitfalls of less experienced Martial Artists and Instructors. From their humble beginnings, a 3,000 square foot unit in Paisleys Clark Street, they now operate from an impressive 4,500 square foot premises in the towns Inchinnan Road, just next to the airport. The
Academy boasts 3 large matted areas, a 16ft boxing ring, bags, kettle-bells and more. The Academy offers a Lil Dragons program, Korean Kickboxing, Mixed Combat systems, Tae Kwon-Do, Muay Thai, Grappling & Bodyfit classes, with Matt & John single handedly teaching over 40 classes & private lessons every week. Open and friendly as people, this is mirrored in the Paisley academy atmosphere, which is tangibly different from many other MMA gyms or fight clubs. The “PA” logo is a simple derivation of the yinyang symbol, & although both men readily admit it mirrors their markedly different characters, both wryly avoid answering who is the light and who is dark. John’s pedigree speaks for itself, 12 years training in JKD, Kali, the Filipino Arts, Thai, Savate, Silat & related arts under Instructors Steve & Mike Krause, both highly respected Instructors in their heyday. John’s amiable, jovial personality belies his energy & passion for what he does on the mats. Watching him switch effortlessly through the gears, styles & ranges is, to the spectator jaw-dropping, and to his students nothing less than inspiring.
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Matt has a markedly differently energy. Years of door work, bodyguarding, traditional Tae Kwon-Do training & competition and teaching most of the kids classes, has moulded his teaching style into one of autocratic, structured, but ultimately fun ethos, in the kids and adults classes alike. Since starting their BJJ training under Edinburgh based Instructor Rick Young in 2009, both men admit to being greatly influenced by Rick, & being proud to have an instructor of his calibre & part of a proud lineage. Although both men were presented with their blue belts in BJJ by Royce Gracie in 2007 (and Matt again in 2010) both are humble enough to admit that they will only feel ready to wear their grade when they earn it through Rick, and are both are the happiest owners of a 3-stripe white belt you are likely to meet. Through their short history together, as well as Rick Young, Matt & John have been lucky enough to train with other World class instructors, such as Rodrigo, Royler, Rolker & Royce Gracie, Bob Spour, Mauricio Gomes and many more besides. They are about to add to that list the name of Wanderlei Silva, who will host a 2 hour seminar at the PA on Wednesday the 27th October 2010, the only one of its kind on the West coast of Scotland, something both men are admittedly excited about, as students as well as instructors. In the meantime, Matt & John continue quietly on their journey, working on honing their skills. John, just about to undertake his first competition in BJJ, north of the border, Matt about to step in the ring & compete in his first ever full-contact Thai bout in front of his home crowd. The thing which captures the PA ethos probably better than anything, are the eponymous hoodies with their famous phrases, which can be seen on the backs of everyone from the 4 year old Lil Dragons, to their 64 year old grannies. “Train hard fight easy” a firm favourite amongst the majority of the students. “Shut up and train” a retort to the internet warriors, trash talkers and philosophical martial artists, but the phrase which seems to encapsulate their quite confidence the best... ”Respect everyone Fear No-one”
Matt’s Biography
John’s Biography
Grades Held * 4th Dan - Tae Kwon-Do * 4th Dan - Korean Kick-Boxing * 2nd Dan - Brithai * 1st Dan - Kenjutsu Kai * 1st Dan - Karate (K.G.S.U.) * 10th Khan (Associate Instructor) - Thai-Boxing (Phraya Pichai) * White Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rick young * Green Belt - Mixed Combat Systems
Grades Held * 5th Dan Mixed Combat Systems * 5th Associate Instructor - Jeet Kune-Do * 3rd Year Associate Instructor Filipino Martial Arts * 3rd Degree Black Belt - Jeet Kune-Do * Blue Glove - Boxe Francais Savate * Phase 3 Part 4 - Filipino Martial Arts * 4th Dan - Korean Kick-Boxing * 10th Khan (Associate Instructor) - Thai-Boxing (Phraya Pichai) * White Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rick Young
Other Qualifications * HNC/SVQ III - Social Care * Qualified Fitness Instructor (HNC Sports Coaching) * PTC - Professional Trainer Certificate * ITEI (International Executive Technical Instructor) with the BNMAA * BWLA Leader (resistance training) * First Aid * Child Protection * Health and Safety * Coaching Diploma * Instructors Certificate (Martial Arts Specific) Other Achievements * 15 Scottish Titles - Tae KwonDo, Kung-Fu, Karate, Kickboxing and open events * 5 British Titles -Tae Kwon-Do, Kickboxing and opens * Twice Bronze medallist at World Championship level * World Champion - Malympex 2008 - Korean Patterns * Member of 2 Scottish Tae KwonDo teams - under 2 different associations * Received a National Award for contribution to the Martial Arts in the UK 3 times
Other Qualifications * HND Health Fitness & Exercise * Qualified fitness instructor (HNC Health Fitness & Exercise * SFA Football Coach (Level 4) * First Aid * Varios coaching awards, including cricket & rugby * Martial arts specific qualifications, including: Child Protection, Health and Safety, Coaching Diploma, Instructors Certificate (Awaiting Awards) Other Achievements Former Instructor at Krauseworld Academy Glasgow, with over 12 years experience as a Martial Artist, Instructor and Manager.
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Martial Fitn e for Martial Athletes Martial athletes have a new option to add to their conditioning arsenal: Log Training. Log Training, the brainchild of Marco Safakhoo, is an approach to personal fitness intended those who wish to build strength and stamina. It is a total fitness system for anyone looking to gain muscle definition, endurance, and those who desire a fun and revolutionary approach to physical fitness. But perhaps most importantly, Log Training is an approach to conditioning which is specifically tailored to the needs of martial athletes. The basic instruments of Log Training are the “long log” which is a long cylinder with two recessed offcenter handles, the “short log” which is which has fastened off-centered handles, and the “club” which is a cylinder with a cylindrical grip affixed at one of the two flat ends. Originally the log training devices were fashioned out of wooden logs, though over time the specific materials have changed, and current models are constructed out of durable hard plastics and metal. Safakhoo currently has patents pending for the log training devices and their mechanics. The off-centered handles create a degree of resistance that cannot be duplicated with conventional devices, including free weights. Additionally, the devices permit an unlimited range of motion-something essential Master Safakhoo
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if one is to be conditioning for martial arts. The placement of the custom grips allows for safe maneuverability while preventing the body from retreating to its comfort zone. Log Training is but one of several innovations Safakhoo has designed to supplement his Nabard Combat System, including the octopus-like Universal Training Dummy (UTD) and the Triflex Stretching Device, both of which he holds patents for. Though Log Training was initially conceived as a conditioning regimen for martial athletes, it has attracted wide attention from the body building community as well as from persons simply interested in keeping a toned physique. Martial Log Training is specialized application of Log Training for the combat athlete and is one part of Safakhoo’s compre-
hensive approach to training martial artists. The concept behind Martial Log Training is that the combat athlete would be best served by a fitness regimen and training devices specifically tailored to the needs of the fighter. The exercises need to be interactive and meaningfully make contact with martial arts. Traditional exercise equipment, by contrast, was not designed specifically for martial artists. Part of what makes Nabard Combat Systems unique is that it is the only martial art style with its own truly complementary fitness program, and this fitness program, while designed with a particular style in mind, is intended to refine the physique for the purpose of combat, regardless of fighting style. Hence, Log Training and Martial Log Training would be at home in any martial arts academy or gym where fighters train. If the martial athlete is to build strength where it counts, he requires tools and routines that engage the very muscles he engages while in combat. It seems to make little sense to do otherwise. For the body to be a functional fighting machine, and not simply a muscular showpiece, it must be properly honed for the purpose of fighting and this requires incorporating the full range of motions used in fighting as well as building the relevant muscle groups, e.g., stabilizing and assistor
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n ess muscles. Safakhoo’s thinking in developing Martial Log Training was that the most effective conditioning routine would mimic as closely as possible kinesthetic demands of a combat situation. Let’s consider a concrete example. While holding the short log punching drills are executed which helps to build stabilizing muscles in the shoulder. Strong stabilizing muscles promotes control and, hence, accuracy in striking as well as speed. Blocks can be drilled where the opponent strikes with a long log or short log. The advantage to this approach is that the blocks absorb force close to what they would receive in an actual combat scenarioagain the focus being on stabilizing muscles so that the block does not crumble under the force of an actual blow from a leg or punch in a real fight. Moreover, the person delivering the strikes engages stabilizing muscles both while delivering the blow and while maintaining control of the log training device while it is deflected by the defender. The ultimate goal: to become fit to fight. While there are many valuable tools available for building strength, however none, not kettlebells, not dumbbells, neither advanced fitness machines nor any gimmicky gadgets available on late night shopping networks, are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the combat athlete. These devices may more or less effectively serve the aims for which they were designed, but their aims are not straightforwardly those of the combat athlete. Now there is an option available-one that frees the combat athlete from the restrictions of exercise machines, one that targets the unique demands of martial arts. Log Training and Martial Log Training adapts to our needs as combat athletes so that we do not have to compromise and adapt our needs to the limitations imposed by the tools available to us. WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 79
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Wisdom through adversity “Knowledge is only worthwhile if you share it” Next year I will hit the milestone of becoming fifty years of age. As a young man of say twenty five you cannot envisage being that age. From the point of view of my Martial Arts career I never really gave much thought to the fact, that i might still be very much actively involved on the mats, still training and teaching some thirty five plus years down the line. Hell, when you look at it that is a long time. I have really lived and breathed the combat arts in every sense. I have had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and I have sought out every avenue to find it. On this journey i have run into many dead ends, barriers and obstacles along the way. I have been knocked down a few times literally and metaphorically but I have also discovered a wealth of information and have been lucky enough to meet some top class instructors and practioners of the Martial Arts world that have kindly shared their knowledge with me.
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Martial Arts are in my blood. I was recently asked by my friend and top Wado ryu Karate man Simon O’ Brian what I would have done if I hadn’t got into Martial Arts and I can honestly say I am not sure. I could never imagine a time where I wasn’t doing something Martial Arts wise simply because it has shaped my being and given me direction and discipline in my life. It has not only toughened my body but also my mind to face some of life’s ups and downs. To not be involved in Martial Arts would be like taking my very soul away. Martial Arts are me.
Through the vehicle of combat arts it has taught me much more than just physical skills. It has given me the confidence to write many books, articles etc and to stand in front of a huge class or a camera and talk and impart my knowledge and skills to others. It has broadened my travel horizons. It has forged a huge bond with my sons and also many Martial Arts brothers. It has also taught me to live by a code and creed. Martial Arts have given me much. I’m blessed that my reputation is good and people speak highly of me with respect and kindness. I have always tried to be honest in my approach to teaching and training but at the same time accepting my way may not be everybody’s way. So be it. It is a big wide world out there and each to their own. You won’t find me preaching or slagging off fellow Martial Artists. But if you come to me for real world combat knowledge I will tell you how it is. My knowledge is not based on hearsay or theory. It is based on an empirical knowledge of having been out there and tested my beliefs in the harsh arenas of combat. I truly have put my body and reputation on the line many times. I have trained myself to confront my fears and try to conquer them.
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I do not have all the answers and still thirst for knowledge. I still want to become a better Martial artist, even after all these years and am still up for a challenge. Why, recently I competed on a spur of the moment decision in a large submission grappling tournament.I was by far the oldest competitor and came away with a silver medal in my weight category. Not too bad for an old boy. It was great to still be in there having a go when most guys my age are happy and content with a round of golf and a pint. Mind you, my wife wasn’t too impressed as we were off to the States on holiday two days later and impressed on me what would have happened if I had picked up an injury! It was a fair point. But I did tell you that this Martial Arts thing is in my blood. Once a fighter always a fighter. Anyway, what are all these musings about? Is there a punch line to them? I hear you ask. Well, yes.
As I mentioned, I have accumulated some very diverse and hard to find techniques from some ‘proper combat sources.’ Many of my peers no longer teach. I try to uphold their teachings and their techniques. I have been fortunate to train with the best, particularly in Ju Jutsu, with many greats: Clark, Morris, Steadman, Tattersall, Turton, Roberts, Marshall, Upham, Vincent,to name but a few. All top drawer combat Ju Jutsu veterans. I have worked to hand down their knowledge and my own to many others. My syllabus is a comprehensive and tough one. Some individuals may not have the time to devote to the year in year out training it requires. So next year, for the first time ever, I plan to hold exclusively an instructor diploma course over a six month period to teach the core concepts of my combat Ju Jutsu, so individuals who attend these series of seminars will have officially registered and authorised certification
from me to integrate these concepts into their own style, system or art or just achieve the certification for their own personal Martial Arts growth. The six, four hour seminars will cover many areas of real combat and will give you a wealth of practical and hard sought information, tactics, strategies and techniques. The core of my Combat Ju Jutsu will be revealed. This is a unique opportunity. We will go for a small number of participants rather than a large group so that we can focus on your growth and progression. We want to get to know you on a more personal level rather than by a face in the crowd. The courses will be intense with a lot and information and technique imparted. If you would like to be considered as a candidate for an opportunity to work for this coveted diploma then please contact my son and business partner Jake O’ Hagan at jakeohagan@ymail.com or phone 07789865284 for more details.
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Ray Bates With the passing of time comes experience Firstly let me introduce my self, my name is Colin Davies and I am a student of Sensei Ray Bates 6TH Dan in Jyu Jutsu’Do. I was recently at the Martial Arts Show at the NEC in Birmingham with some other students and Sensei Ray Bates; it wasn’t too long before Sensei soon got chatting to Paul Clifton from Combat Magazine. Paul suggested he should put a small article together for Combat Magazine, now writing articles is not Sensei’s thing and it is certainly not in his character to write about him self. Therefore I decided to take it upon myself to put an article together, so the rest of the martial arts world can have a small incite into who I believe is a truly traditional and passionate Sensei. So here goes and I hope you find it interesting. Sensei, take me back to when you first started out in Jyu Jutsu and who or what was your inspiration? RAY BATES: Going back to the beginning I started out in martial arts some 35 years ago and passed my black belt examination when I was 19. (Please don’t try to work out my age). People always ask ‘what or who my inspiration to start in martial arts’ was? I always answer as truthfully as I can. The main driving force was that at school, like so many other kids I was bullied and I just wanted to be able to defend my self should the need arise. Bullying is something that is so traumatic for some people and I believe martial arts is a great way to build self confidence and discipline in a person, it certainly helped me.
Sensei, your now chief instructor of ‘Shido Gaku Kan’ but what other positions have you held?
RAY BATES: Over the years (a lot so bare with me) I have held a number of positions as a ‘senior instructor’. In the early eighties I spent about 6 years at the ‘Woolton Ju-Jitsu School’ and then in the late eighty’s and nineties I was ‘chief instructor’ to Merseyside Fire Brigade Ju-Jitsu School. I also spent time at ‘Speke ju-jitsu School’ and am a former ‘President’ of the ‘Liverpool Ju-Jitsu Society.’ I just love to teach and have run many ‘self defence programmes’ over the years including some for ‘Wirral Council’. It gives me great pleasure or using the modern phrase a ‘buzz’ in passing on skills to other people and see those people developing.
Sensei, you have been training for many years, what level have your students attained? RAY BATES: Over the years I have passed my skills on to produce high quality black belts and one former student is now a 5th Dan. I am also very proud to say that one of my students, Andy Cheyne 4th Dan is still training with me now. That’s over 25 years.
Sensei, when did you set up your own school of Jyu Jutsu’Do and why?
Ray with Terry O’Neill at The Martial Arts Show
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RAY BATES: It was about 6 years ago when I set up ‘Shido Gaku Kan’ a school for teaching Koryu Jyu Jutsu Do. I like to teach traditional ‘Jyu Jutsu’ with the Japanese traditions that are associated with it. I believe in a system of martial arts that combines both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’. The ethos of ‘Ju’ and ‘Go’ is fundamental to traditional Japanese martial arts. We however live in modern times and I’m a realist. We need to adapt systems and techniques that are effective on the street not the battlefield.
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This was one of the main reasons for setting up my own Dojo at home in Wigan. I can train when and with whom I like with no real restrictions and now there is only Friday’s where I am not doing some form of training.
Sensei, over time people sometimes change the way they do things, as this happened to you? RAY BATES: With the passing of time comes experience, this leads to changing views and thought patterns. From my own experience it seems to follow a ten year cycle, when you reassess your thoughts and teaching ethos. I have no doubt that that the cycle will continue. I have studied and analysed most martial art styles although I have never physically practised them. This along with training with other senior martial artists practising a variety of styles only enhances your own knowledge and thought processes.
Sensei, who has had the most impact on your martial arts studies?
about commercialism and getting as many students as you can. It’s about tradition and the quality and character of students. When I first wrote to Sensei Colwell asking him if I could be one of his students, he simply replied, ‘no’. Its was some 12 months later when I received a letter from him stating that ‘if you are serious about becoming one of my students, then write to me again. I did and it was again a while before I received another letter from him accepting me as a student. I think everyone who as been studying martial arts for long time will go though a period were they seem to have lost direction and that’s what happened to me for a while but sensei Colwell has a great wealth of knowledge and experience in martial arts. Under his tutelage I was able to refocus my mind and direction; it was also Sensei Colwell who examined me for my 5th and 6th Dans. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you Sensei Colwell for your continued support and guidance.
Sensei, how do you feel about the future of Koryu Jyu Jutsu RAY BATES: The person that has had the most impact on my martial arts studies as got to be when I became a student of Sensei Ronnie Colwell. This is also my proudest moment as well, as it wasn’t an easy or quick task to undertake. Sensei Colwell believes in tradition and you have to prove to someone like him that you are serious about becoming one of his students and you are of the right character. He has earned the right to choose only the students he believes are right for his tutelage. It’s not
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RAY BATES: I am often asked this question and you can only answer it with what you feel is happening around you. There is no doubt, that as time goes by I believe the number of practioners of the art in its purest form will diminish. Ju Jitsu as become so diverse, leaving me with mixed thoughts. On one hand Ju Jitsu as never been as popular but on the other hand Ju Jitsu now covers so
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many differing styles. Traditional Jyu Jutsu has to compete with the massive growth of Brazilian Ju Jitsu and the massive impact of MMA and all the television coverage revenues generated. Its up to people like my self to teach students all I know, as they will be the teachers of the future and it is so easy to loose all the traditions/history and the philosophy behind this great art. The way I train and teach in traditional Jyu Jutsu is to ensure first and foremost your attacker is defeated. It’s as simple as that. This is done by mainly smashing, breaking and tearing joints and ligaments .To be honest the aim is to seriously injurer or kill your attacker. The techniques I use would simply not be allowed in any competition rules. This therefore will always put the popularity of this form of Jyu Jutsu at a disadvantage over other forms of martial arts that have a competitive outlet. I totally respect that and all who participate in there own style of the arts. Let’s face it most human beings are competitive by nature.
Sensei, what does the future hold for Ray Bates and Shido Gaku Kan? RAY BATES: Well I believe I have reached that time in my martial arts studies that I can offer my wealth of knowledge and experience to a wider audience. I would love to produce a book and some instructional technique DVD’s. One thing on my ‘to do list’ is to do more demonstrations and show the world my style and interpretation of Koryu Jyu Jutsu. Seminars are also another area I would like to get more involved in. I really enjoy what I do and travelling round other clubs and schools is always so rewarding. The feed back I receive is always really good.
I have another passion but again it’s about martial arts. I produce traditional ‘Japanese art work ‘based on wood with a lacquer finish. They are all hand made (and I am taking commissions by the way) individual pieces of art work. As you can see from the photos above I have done one showing the World Kobukan Federation but any club, school, organisation or individual can choose what design they would like. This is another area I would like to expand on if I could.
Sensei, thank you for your time and may I take this opportunity to thank you for accepting me as one of your students and your continued support and guidance. Ray can be contacted via Email at raybates_33@hotmail.co.uk Mobile 07847898461 or Shido Gaku Kan School of Jyu Jutsu’ Do on Face Book
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Common Sense
CRB - RIP
Today, I’d like to pay tribute to a dear old friend of ours, who we will remember with deep fondness and great memories. I am, of course referring to our greatest ally “Common Sense”, who - over the years - has remained a stalwart in our clubs and society in general. Unfortunately, after years of neglect and tampering from overzealous politicians, we have seen the slow demise and now it seems the death of our good friend. So where do I start? Could it be the nation’s fire fighters, who have been told not to change light bulbs in their fire stations whilst using a ladder? Could it be the police, who need to follow a 5 step guide when changing theirs? Could it be the care assistants who have been told that if an elderly patient falls down the stairs, they must let them fall, in order not to hurt them-selves? The list gets longer every day, and inevitably, anybody working with children is always going to find themselves subject to some ludicrous legislation drafted in as a knee jerk reaction to situations which may not have even happened.
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Like many other instructors and black belts, I recently attended an Instructor’s course in order to renew my CRB certification. Now before I start, let me point out that when it comes to protecting children, I’m right at the front of the queue, wearing the T-shirt and waving my banner. However, listening to the course in detail, I seriously wonder whether the authors of the course have ever run a club in their lives! The cynical side of me has always heard the sound of cash tills ringing in the background of all the instructions, and this view was strengthened even further this time when we were informed that there will soon be a secondary form of certification needed at an additional cost of £60. This is on top of a completely different CRB that I had completed that week for work, which had cost me £35. I’m sure that the “powers that be” will wax lyrical about the reasons for not having a central CRB database that EVERYONE can use, regardless of work, recreation or leisure. There just seems to be an air of fear that if anyone speaks up against all the excessive guidelines that are being put in place, they are terrified of being compared to “one of them”! Let me take you back 4 years ago, when I was refereeing football matches at park level on Saturday afternoons. The FA suddenly announced that ALL referees needed to be CRB checked. Firstly, I pointed out that I was already certified through my Taekwondo club, but was told that this was not valid and
needed one through the FA at a cost of £10. Another member of the Referee’s Association told us about the Deputy Commissioner from Cambridgeshire Police, who was also refereeing during weekends. He was responsible for Child Protection in his county and held the highest Level of CRB in the country, but STILL needed the additional one authorised by the FA! I then pointed out that I only officiated at adult matches, but was told that I still needed to have the CRB from the FA, just in case a team fielded a minor (which is illegal!) who could be injured and “open to abuse”! This lead me to my main question - if match officials need to be CRB checked, what about the players? (No answer was offered for this.) Further research revealed that not one referee had ever been accused of abusing a child! Needless to say, the effect on the Referee’s Association was one of sheer disbelief, but the FA hadn’t finished! They were then planning to send any team coach who appoints a non-CRB checked referee to PRISON for 5 years, and this was on a week when an offender had just been jailed for two and a half years! This rule would also have applied to coaches who had asked one of their own non-CRB checked players to referee if the original match official had failed to turn up! This final ruling proved too much even for the FA, who withdrew it soon after. But the whole episode took its toll on the match officials, with a third of all referees
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By Tony Butcher
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reportedly quitting, disgusted with the constant abuse from players and supporters, and now the mistrust of the very people supposed to be supporting them. It was at this point that I’d also had enough, and decided to expand my Taekwondo club on to Saturdays, where the CRB seemed simple and the procedures less complicated. But now it seems that common sense has not only finished within the FA, but appears to be deserting every other organisation within the United Kingdom.
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The first area of concern that I have is the “Photograph and Recorded Images Usage Form”, which all responsible instructors will have completed for each student aged under 18, if they are to be featured on a club website. Does the author of this document not think that asking the child involved to counter sign and date it, is not just unnecessary, it is over the top? I’m always given strange looks from the parents of my younger students, aged 4-6 who can’t even write. Those who can though, often sign with their favourite
crayon, and their “signature” is normally accompanied by several incomprehensible drawings! I was then approached by the guardian of one of my students, who pointed out to me that their signature would be confirming that the child was not subject to a court order, to which he was. I subsequently phoned the number provided for the British Taekwondo Council, but the telephone was never answered, and I never received a reply to the email that I sent. Surely, if the BTC are going to implement these guidelines, they MUST assist instructors in dealing with these issues. During the course that I attended 3 years ago, (we weren’t reminded of it this time, so I am wondering whether it is still valid), all instructors were advised that they must inform the parents of new children starting that: “the child will be touched by us at some stage”!!! Luckily, I know that I am not alone in believing this to be woefully inappropriate, as everyone else on the course at the time looked at each other in disbelief! How many instructors have honestly stuck to this rule? I’m sure that any who have, would have needed to hold the door open for the parent and child as they run back out again, and down the road to the next martial arts club! One new instruction which really made everyone’s eyes roll to the back of their heads was that a child is not allowed to demonstrate a technique in class. Now, I’m not sure on the full extent of this. Hopefully, it simply implies that as an instructor, you are not asking a student to demonstrate a technique, only to show them up in front of the rest of the class by criticising or even ridiculing them. I sincerely hope that this does not include asking a child to demonstrate a technique, because you want to show the rest of the class just how good it is. By using certain children to demonstrate a technique under these circumstances, it boosts their confidence and can even improve on what they have demonstrated. For me, one of the biggest concerns was that all parents/drivers taking any children to competitions must be CRB checked. My club is based in a close community, which has a
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village feel and everyone knows each other well. Parents often take it in turns to bring or collect each others children to class each week, so to suddenly inform them that they can’t do the same for competitions would be insulting in the least! In a similar vain, all instructors were told that students must get changed in the changing rooms or toilets. In following this instruction, I realised that all children were now getting changed in close proximity to adults who were not CRB checked! Let me give you another example of an incident that recently happened at my club. One of the smaller boys took a knock, and being a bit tearful, I sent him to the toilet to put some water where he had hurt himself. As neither of his parents had stayed to watch the lesson, one of the other dads volunteered to check that he was okay. I have known this dad for some time, and know that he is CRB checked from the work that he does with the local football team. But what if he hadn’t been CRB checked? He kindly offered his assistance because I was busy running the class. How can I stop someone from helping me, or send in a second parent, without thoroughly insulting them?
Let me finish with another crazy example of the lengths local authorities seem to be going to in order to make everyone’s life even harder. A friend’s son recently went on a trip with his local Beaver Group. My friend had to confirm and sign for the following information which was needed: 1) Permission for her son to attend 2) Name, Address and Telephone Number of Doctor 3) Confirmation of any medication which was to be taken 4) Date of last tetanus immunisation 5) Confirmation whether child has any allergies to food, medicines or other, such as plasters 6) Confirmation of any special needs 7) Date of Birth 8) National Health Number 9) Emergency telephone number 10) Permission for child to be photographed 11) Permission for medical treatment to be given if parent cannot be contacted on emergency telephone number provided Now, many of you may think as I did, that this would be fairly standard in this day an age. However, when I learned that the trip was actually for ONE AFTERNOON, my first thought was how long it would take for most
of this to find its way into the paperwork used in Taekwondo? Most of the parents at my club know that children will at some point take a tumble, but always bounce back and are usually quick to want to get straight back in to class. However, if the “powers that be” continue to place such stringent measures in ensuring a child’s safety, how long before all clubs become Over 18’s only? EDs Note; Without wishing to cast aspersions, when you consider that the average martial arts class consists of 68% under 16’s - Could this be the latest attempt to murder martial arts in the UK? Just kidding but a worrying thought none the less!!! When are we all going to take a stand and say “NO”, enough is enough???
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Welcome to...
WAKO WORLD ASSOCIATION OF KICKBOXING ORGANISATIONS President: Tom Hibbert M.B.E., F.S.M.A.
Founded in 1970 WAKO is the largest unified kickboxing organisation in the World with over 100 nations currently in membership. WAKO World H.Q. is based in Milan. ★ WAKO History ★ WAKO started its activity in Europe in 1976. The founder was Mr Georg Bruckner from Berlin, who promoted the first ever World Championships in semi and full contact karate (as it was called in those days) back in 1978 with 110 competitors representing 18 countries. WAKO immediately created the rules and regulations for the new fighting sports and acted, since the very beginning, as the authentic Kickboxing Federation of the world. In our Championships, only national teams are accepted. Each member country can present only 1 competitor in each weight class. The WAKO World Championships are NOT open competitions therefore each representative is the premier competitor in that category, from their country.
World Governing Body for Kickboxing World and European Amateur Championships Title Fights held continually both Amateur & Professional Regional Competitions are held throughout the year British Amateur Championships to choose British Teams Full-Contact, Light Continuous-Contact, Semi-Contact, Musical Forms Licence, Membership and Insurance available to all of U.K., Southern Ireland and Republic of Ireland Coaching courses, Referee Training, Seminars and Training Dan Gradings and WAKO certificates for all Members For upto the minute details of all forthcoming W.A.K.O events visit our website To see national ama/wako listings of over 13,000 instructors/clubs on the web, type: www.bt.com/thephonebook then in ‘business’ type: martial arts and town
Contact: WAKO, 66 Chaddesden Lane, Chaddesden, Derby, DE21 6LP Tel: 07973 507716 / 01332 663086 (after 6pm and weekends) or Fax: 01332 280286 Email: info@wakogb.co.uk WAK001/24
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Sifu
Neil Parris Wing Chun Kung Fu Combat Magazine recently caught up with Neil inbetween his busy teaching schedule in central London to conduct a short but indepth interview to see just what keeps the 30 year old Wing Chun practitioner going from strength to strength. How did you begin learning Wing Chun? NEIL PARRIS: I began studying Wing Chun Kung Fu in 1993 at the age of 13. I’d never heard of Wing Chun before, but when I heard there was a Kung Fu school nearby I decided to try it out. On that first lesson I had no idea that Wing Chun would become a permanent fixture in my life but I quickly developed a thirst for this amazing system. I soon started researching any articles or books I could find and trained everywhere from my back garden to my school playing fields. When I got home from training I would practice what I’d just learnt again. It was what some people call the basic aspects of Wing Chun that drew me in and really made me question everything I thought I knew about fighting.
Have you ever had to use your skills in a real life situation?
NEIL PARRIS: Yes, I’ve used my kung fu before. Years ago I occasionally worked as a door supervisor and had to control and remove aggressive and abusive customers. Being of average build and not the stereo typical doorman, a few people tried to push boundaries from time to time. If it wasn’t for my Wing Chun training, I wouldn’t have had the ability to resolve the situations I was involved in. Needless to say, the best demonstration of self defence is being able to defuse a confrontation, before it begins.
What are your goals for the future? NEIL PARRIS: My Goals for the future are to continue passing on my knowledge and to share my passion for Wing Chun at every opportunity. I’m currently teaching in Central London and the classes are growing from strength to strength. I thoroughly enjoy teaching and am looking forward to training more students and hosting a range of seminars throughout the UK and beyond. Last year I did an article about how learning martial arts could benefit youths, and help to steer them away from crime. I’d like to work with young people and show them a different way to express themselves. Since the launch of the KeyKungFu.co.uk website I’ve come into contact with Martial artists from all over the world, and I would very much like to continue this trend and exchange knowledge with likeminded people on a global level. The self knowledge, self defence and philosophical values that come from learning martial arts are things which everyone should experience at some point in their lives.
How would you describe your approach to teaching? NEIL PARRIS: My approach to teaching is very direct. I’m continually searching for new ways to help the development of my students and improve overall quality in our 94 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK
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club. I welcome all questions from my students and encourage them to study what’s put before them objectively, rather than simply go through the motions because “sifu said so”. Chi Sau (sticking hands) is unique to Wing Chun Kung Fu and I believe that developing this area of ones training is essential for progression in the system. We focus heavily on contact reflex training and how we can apply those skills on the street. I put the information into the practitioners mind through word and demonstration but it’s the job of the student to practice and study, at which point their skills get embedded into motor memory and their kung fu can become functional. If anyone is interested in contacting me for tuition visit the site keykungfu.co.uk.
What advice would you give to those thinking about starting Wing Chun? NEIL PARRIS: My advice would be to take your time and find a club that you’re comfortable with. Be willing to ask questions. And enjoy it. Learning anything is a process of repetition, so when you start training be patient with yourself and be determined to get the most out of every session. If you rush your training for the sake of being able to say that you know lots of techniques or forms. You may find that when you actually need them, they will abandon you. If something doesn’t make sense to you, there’s probably a good reason. Ask questions.
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Fighting
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Lines
If you can control your opponent’s balance and if you can control your opponent’s lines, you are likely to win the fight. Some of the greatest fighters in history knew these principles and used them, and so can you. We are going to focus on a few key points in the principle of fighting lines. There are thousands of potential lines of attack and defense, but let’s focus on the basics. What is a line, how does it relate, and how do you control it? In this analysis a line includes both straight lines as well as arcs. Your stances and body positions have lines, your attacks and defenses have lines, and your footwork has lines. Since all of these things flow together, we will have to make arbitrary separations in order to analyze them. First, let’s look at stances and body positions.
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Stances and Body Positions: When facing your opponent, you will have some variety of side-stance or frontal-stance. For the sake of this discussion we are defining sidestance as one foot forward from the other with the line of your feet approximately pointing toward your opponent. We are defining a frontalstance as one where both feet are approximately equal distance from your opponent leaving your shoulders approximately square to your opponent. Some side stances have the shoulders approximately equal distance from your opponent and others have the shoulders sideways to your opponent with one shoulder
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much closer than the other. Each one of these options has strengths and weaknesses in the fighting situation. One of the arguments of having the shoulders sideways is that there are fewer and smaller targets for your opponent to attack. One of the arguments for having both shoulders squared to your opponent is that you have more weapons at your disposal. Everyone has their preference, but you better know how to capitalize on the strengths of your position and how to protect against the weaknesses of your position. Every position has strengths and weaknesses and if you do not study the strengths and weaknesses of your positions,
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you are putting yourself at risk. Your feet may be in a variety of sub-positions, but they will be predominantly in-line pointing at your opponent with one more forward, or they will be perpendicular to your opponent (illustration 1 & 2). This gives rise to the principle of strongside and weak-side of your stance. If you were to trace a line from the center of one foot to the center of the other foot, you would see the line of your stance (illustration 3). If the line of force creating pressure against your stance is striking you approximately parallel with the line of your stance, then you are receiving that force along your strong-side (illustration 4). If the line of force is approximately perpendicular with the line of your stance, then you are receiving that force along your weakside (illustration 5). Even though the side-stance is presenting the strong-side to your opponent in giving or receiving force, it also has the disadvantage of slower and fewer lateral or side-to-side options. Likewise, even though the forward-stance is presenting the weakside to your opponent, it has the advantage of faster and more numerous side-to-side options. The wise practitioner is comfortable and experienced with both stances and knows when and were to apply them strategically. We will explore these principles further in future discussions, but for now, let us move on to some of the basic lines in your attacks and defenses.
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Attacks and Defenses: There are literally thousands of attack/defense lines we could talk about, but for now let us break it down to the basic categories of direct and indirect. For purposes of this analysis, we will define a direct attack as one that goes into the body core in a straight line directly from you through your opponent’s defenses, or in other words, through the front door. An indirect attack then would be any attack that in someway goes around the main defenses of your opponent. Beginning fighters and large guys are often more likely to attack straight through the primary lines of defense of their opponents (illustration 6). This is a good illustration of Newton’s Third Law of Motion which teaches us that “To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction: or the forces of two bodies on each other are always equal and are directed in opposite directions.” We prefer to use this law to our advantage rather than trying to apply brute force against force. As a fighter develops more advanced skills and tools, they begin to learn the finesse of circumventing the main defenses and finding openings. For instance, utilizing footwork in conjunction with handwork, a skilled fighter will shift around or step around an oncoming attack and carve in through an unprotected angle (illustration 7). A less skilled-fighter, when fighting a highly-skilled master, feels as though they are fighting with a suspended dry-cleaning bag. No matter what
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they do, they cannot land a strike or get a hold of the master fighter, truly a frustrating experience for them. Let us touch briefly here on the idea of attack zones which we sometimes call gates. You can diagram the body into four horizontal attack zones and four vertical attack zones. So for the sake of analysis there are 16 primary attack zones (illustration 8). The legs constitute the bottom horizontal zone, from the bottom of the hand reach to about the elbows is the lower zone, from the elbows to the chest is the mid horizontal zone, and from the chest to the top of the head is the upper horizontal zone. From the center-line of the body to the edge of the body as you face it, both to the left and to the right, constitute the inside vertical zones. From the outside edge of the body as you are facing it around the sides and back constitute the outside zones. No matter how you stand and no matter how you move, you can only cover two hand zones and two leg zones at any particular instant. You may mix partial zones, but no matter what position you take, you can only cover a total of two of the twelve hand zones and two of the four leg zones. So no matter how they are moving or how they are standing, they always have eight to twelve zones open for attack. You should utilize your footwork and handwork to exploit these openings as they evolve. We will explore this idea further in later articles. At this point, let us move to the lines of footwork. WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 97
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BECOME A PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTOR WITH THE
WORLD JADO KUIN DO ORGANISATION Instructor training courses available, contact head office for more details. Please call: 01327 342611 or Email: info@wjo.org.uk
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Footwork Lines: We already talked earlier about strong-side and weak-side in your stance. Now let us talk about moving those lines around. Ideally, we want our footwork to keep us strong and stable while we navigate around the fight situation. We want it to move our hands and body out of unfavorable positions and into more favorable positions. We want to protect our weaknesses while exploiting our strengths against our opponent’s weaknesses. How do we do this? Fundamentally speaking, we change the lines. We put ourselves in a position to deflect strikes, or to circumnavigate them (go around them) entirely. The difference between deflecting and circumnavigating is mostly in how far we travel around our opponent’s line of attack. Let us first look at deflecting a strike. This principle holds true whether we are talking about a kick or a punch. For simplicity in explaining, we will focus on deflecting a punch. As our opponent lunges in to strike, we make a small movement with our footwork to position us partially
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out of the way of the strike and 9 simultaneously we strike at them (illustration 9). When circumstances allow, we may completely avoid our opponent’s strike using a slightly more dramatic shift or step and take advantage of an opening in their footwork, their handwork, or both simultaneously. Generally we should strive to move our footwork such that we are attacking our strong-side footwork against our opponent’s weak-side footwork (illustrations 10-20). Remember to practice clean simple movements. Fights get messy; complicated movements become difficult, if not impossible, to execute from rapidly evolving Master of Ip Man Wing Chun positions. Albert Einstein quoted Kung Fu as taught through Senior Oliver Wendell Holmes saying “I Master Ron Heimberger, disciple of would not give a fig for the simpliciGrandmaster Ip Ching, son of ty on the near side of complexity, Grandmaster Ip Man. Sifu Anderson but I would give my right arm for the currently has students in California, simplicity on the far side of comArizona, Utah, and Korea. He may plexity.” Let us strive for the simplicbe contacted at (760) 799-0006 or ity on the far side of complexity. by email at Sifu@TopUFCMMA.com Sifu Dan Anderson, JD, MBA, USLETS, Professor of Law.
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Infinity
South West & Beyond ISKA South West Championships Sunday 19th September 2010 Report By Joe Hallett
Sunday 19th September saw the ISKA South West Championships 2010 take place at Westland Leisure Complex, Yeovil; Hosted by ISKA Director for Forms Joe Hallett and his sister, Ruth. Many competitors from across the country travelled to the event to compete to take home a title, with all the advanced category winners receiving a title belt. As usual, the venue was fantastic, with facilities including hot food all day, roast carvery over the lunch period and a bar open all day. There were also stalls from Mannatech Sports Nutrition, Verve Martial Arts, DE Photos, together with goodies from girl band Candy Rock given out on the day. Oh, and let’s not forget an appearance from Woody and Buzz Lightyear!
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The day kicked off with the Kids semi contact divisions. In the Mixed all abilities -4’2” Laura Walters and Brad Franklin fought their way to the final where Laura took the top spot with Brad settling for 2nd. Category 5 Novice Boys +5’2” saw some close encounters with the final between James Martin and Pat Cahill. After 2 minutes both boys were tied, taking it into an extra 30
seconds with James scoring the crucial point winning victory over Pat. In the advanced sections Kam Bains Doyle, Cory Woolfrey, Joe Dadson and Joe Pitman all took home title belts in their chosen sections. The Girls intermediate/ advanced -4’10” was a close contest between Megan Mingle and Ishana Moores with both girls scoring point for point. Ishana took the lead in the last closing seconds to become South West Champion 2010. In the kids Light Contact divisions both Shannon Ryan and Ebonie Jones defeated their male opponents earning themselves the title. At 1pm the Kata/Forms sections kicked off with Traditional Hard Style -13years. After all the judges scored the competitors there was a tie for 1st place between S.Caines and Andrew Batstone. Both competitors performed again this time Caines proved her technique was better and took the 1st. In the Adult Traditional division Natalie Hughes received 1st with Craig Kelley a very close 2nd.
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Next up was -13years Creative Open Hand. Jacob Riva received top scores from all the judges earning him the gold, Joe Aisthorpe was awarded the silver. In the Extreme sections Jack Underwood and Josh Lewis took the top spots with their forms. Both competitors will be travelling to Alicante for the World Championships in November. To finish the forms sections off the crowd pleasing Extreme Martial Arts Tricks battle took place, all competitors defying gravity with some high flying flips and tricks. Josh Lewis raised the bar with a roundoff double full twist which earnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t him the 1st place. Back to the fighting divisions, it was the Mens time to shine. In the 75kg Mark Graham and Chris Green met for a non stop final, both men proving why they deserve the title. After the 2 minutes Chris took the win over Mark. Next was the Masters division with ISKA Semi Contact coach Paul Gilmore defeating Darren Bate, proving why he is coaching the best the UK has to offer.
In the Ladies advanced - 65kg team mates Haroulla Vasili and Aston Cook met in the final, Both Ladies showing off their skills making their coach Andy Cleeves proud. When time was called Aston beat Vasili by a few points. The highlight of the day was homeboy Casey Rodber from Infinity Martial Arts. After only 1 year of training he fought off all comers in the novice Mens +75kg to take victory. To finish off the competition, the adult tag teams. Still quite new to the UK competition scene, the competitors caught on well with tactics and worked as a team to score as many points on their opponents as possible. In the final were Team Watch Your Back coached by Dave Ryan against Bristol coached by Andy Cleeves. During the 5minute round there was some amazing fighting from both teams but Bristol reigned supreme.
The tournament finished just before 6pm, with all areas running smoothly throughout the day. Joe Hallett and Infinity Martial Arts would like to thank all officials and referees who made the day a big success, and everyone who attended the tournament. The next competition is being planned for the early part of next year. Pictures of the event are available at www.dephoto.biz. For more information on Infinity Martial Arts and their events visit www.infinitymartialarts.co.uk
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A Mix of St y at the I.B.A. autumn course
On Sunday 24th October 2010, Martial Artists from various Dojo’s around the North of England gathered at Glasshoughton Community Centre, Castleford for the I.B.A. Autumn Course. It was an opportunity for those present not only to train, but to catch up with old friends and share techniques from each other’s styles. After a very thorough warm-up and stretch, the actual course began with Josh Johnson, 8th Dan introducing those present to the basics of Okinawan Kobu-Jitsu. The first weapon that the students got their hands on was the Bo, the tapered six foot staff which is virtually identical to the British Quarterstaff. Josh took everyone through the basic five positions; blocks and strikes, each time pointing out the similarity of the movements to the empty hand techniques of Karate. It is an old axiom that Martial Arts weapons should be an extension of the user’s body, and Josh’s demonstration highlighted that this is literally the case in the use of traditional Okinawan weapons.
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After practising until everyone was comfortable with the basic principles of the movements, the students partnered up in order to put the techniques together into patterns of strike, block and counter. Everything was practised slowly at first, but as participant’s confidence increased, the rapping of wood on wood increased in tempo. Each of the techniques was practised and built on gradually, giving the students the chance to absorb them and put them together so that the simple building blocks became effective counter-techniques to the various attacks, with Josh pointing out how Tai Sabaki (body evasion), and simple footwork are as important as the blocking movement itself in
defending against an attack. The students were next asked to each pick up a pair of Tonfa, the Side-handle batons originally developed from rice grinding handles. Ian Windle then took charge and again the students were taken through the basic blocks and strikes. Once again familiarisation with their usage became easier as the similarity to the empty hand equivalent of each move was pointed out. This similarity is one of the great strengths of Okinawan Kobu-Jitsu, and something that is often of great interest to Traditional Karate stylists who have not previously had experience of weapons training. Josh then joined Ian to demonstrate examples of how the tonfa is used against the bo, and once more the students partnered up to try it for themselves. Although time allowed only this ‘taster session’, I’m sure many of those who were present will wish to learn more. As Josh explained, the weapons syllabus is usually practised in the order of Bo, Sai, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Kama (sickle), Tekko (knuckleduster), and Tinbe and Roshin (short spear and shield). Having had very limited experience of traditional martial arts weapons myself, the demonstrations certainly piqued my own interest. The next section of the course was more familiar ground to me, and I suspect, to many of those on the course. This was an introduction to Jujitsu with Sensei Tony Baker (9th
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t yles By Rick Hinchliffe
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Dan Karate, 8th Dan Jujitsu), who had travelled up from the Kang Han Combat and Martial Arts Academy in Nottingham to both teach and train on today’s course. Tony first demonstrated some simple takedowns and wrist locks from Small Circle Jujitsu. I have always had a great respect for the simplicity and practicality of good Jujitsu, and Tony’s methods did not disappoint. As everyone partnered up and practised what he had demonstrated, Tony moved around the group giving help and further instruction to each pair. He next introduced a sort of free exercise, in which the students would take turns in applying locks and holds by escaping from their partner’s grip and flowing straight into a lock or hold of their own. The partner would then find a way to break this hold and, in the same movement, apply another of their own, and so on, so that control was flowing back and forth between the partners as each performed their counters.
I have seen various types of sparring in Jujitsu, but have not come across this before. It definitely has benefits in allowing students to gain a better insight into the principles of the art, whilst encouraging them to use their imagination in finding fast solutions. Again, Tony moved about the group offering advice, and explaining the importance of circular movements in Jujitsu. To finish off the Jujitsu section, Tony demonstrated some escapes from common grabs and holds, again letting everyone practice and going around giving advice and correction where needed. The third and final segment of the course was an introduction to the Okinawan style of Uechi Ryu Karate, by Alan Holmes (3rd Dan). Whilst demonstrating, Alan jokingly refers to this highly effective style as ‘lazy Karate’, due to the economy of effort displayed. Whereas most Japanese Karate styles are visibly very dynamic, with big movements, Uechi Ryu is more understated.
Rather than stepping out and applying a ‘big’ block, then moving back in to strike, Alan makes the slightest deflection of the attack that is thrown at him. In this way the attacker’s forward momentum is not broken and is used to give the immediate counter added power. His strikes are thrown from a high stance, using whichever of his body’s natural weapons are closest to his attacker. The inclusion of fluid elbow strikes and wrist locks into the techniques, coupled with the high and mobile stances made it clear that Uechi Ryu is definitely a practical Karate style. It was clear by the end of the course that everyone who attended had not only enjoyed themselves greatly, but had also come away with an insight into some of the arts that are not practised as widely as most, but doubtless should be. The next I.B.A. multi style course will be held in March 2011 at Kang Han Combat and Martial Arts Academy. The courses are open to all styles and associations. For further information visit the I.B.A. website at: www.iba.eu.com
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WRS001/04
What Does the WRSA offer you? • Insurance for Fighters, Instructors and Promoters So you are fully protected
• Regular Tournaments around the country. Already 40 planned for 2009. See Website for details.
• Gradings with Specially designed certificates and badges. Each Belt Grade Certificate is Unique
• Courses for Judges and Referees. The WRSA encorages experienced fighters and coaches to take our judges and referees course so they understand what judges are looking for
• Regular Meetings Meetings so member can express their views of how the WRSA is being run. What they think is good and what they feel needs improving.
• Courses First aid courses run by qualified instructors. Training courses for ring craft, weapons course, etc.
• The WRSA does not interfere with how you run your club. It does not restrict you or your fighter as to which shows you fight on.
• The WRSA welcomes Kickboxing Clubs, Thai boxing clubs, Kung Fu Clubs, Traditional Karate clubs.
For Further Information contact the WRSA or Steve Humphrey, Cressdene, Evesham Road, Offenham, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 8SA Tel: 01386 48452 Mobile: 07881 784839 Email: ukcba@lineone.net
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T H E O N LY M A G A Z I N E D E D I C A T E D T O A L L K A R A T E K A
TRADITIONAL
KARATE
Vol. 23 No. 09 December 2010
Pro-Active Kata Bunkai The ESKK Column With Chris Denwood
Sensei Lucio Maurino Helping Develop Students of Karate
Kyokushin Karate & Kickboxing By Kevin Don
Kata Applications Locks Within Kata
Robes & Belts Why do we Wear & Answer to Them?
Sen no
Sen Dealing With a Situation as it is About to Happen
Visit the Traditional Karate magazine website at www.karatemag.co.uk
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THE ESKK® COLUMN With Chris Denwood
Pro-Active Kata Bunkai (Part 1 of 2)
The concept of pre-emptive striking for self-protection in traditional karate circles has in the past proven to be a hot topic for many practitioners. Certain legal, moral and ethical debates are often raised about whether or not it would be justifiable to ‘strike first’ with opinions and arguments voiced for both schools of thought. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own view and specific actions in a self-protection situation will always remain a personal choice or instinct, predominantly based on our own prior physical, mental, emotional and cultural conditioning. Over the next couple of months I’d like to discuss with you my own personal views on pre-emptive striking, why I think it’s important to practice what I call ‘pro-active’ bunkai and why I believe all styles of karate address this concept at their very core, adding some examples of applications where appropriate. For me, self-protection is all about making the best you can out of a really bad situation! Nothing is set in stone, nor is it organised or clearly defined and it’s certainly far from easy. Because of this, there are numerous grey areas that make scenarios typically ‘analogue’ by
choice as opposed to ‘digital’. This naturally makes the decision making process more challenging, plus with the addition of the increased adrenal release and stresses of combat etc, extremely difficult in most cases. Since there are often no clear right or wrong answers,
1 & 2: The distance of arms length is our natural conversation range and because of this, also the place where you are most likely to experience a physical threat to your safety.
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I’ve found that the best way to study self-protection is with reference to probability. That is, the probability of your actions to increase the chances of maintaining or regaining safety to an acceptable level - i.e. getting home in one piece. The two main components associated with all self-protection strategies are ‘distance’ and ‘time’. Generally speaking, the more distance and time we have at our disposal, the safer we’ll be. Ideally we should aim for miles and hours rather than feet and seconds, but quite often, the situation drives us to ‘maximise’ as much as possible because both of these components are in reality, fine luxuries. The way we choose to maximise this distance and time is dependent on many factors including personal ability, experience, confidence, environment, type of threat, severity and of course the specific situation etc. Our actions may include postural, verbal or phys-
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ical options, which again creates more grey areas and make the decision process challenging still. Therefore, to align a good selfprotection model to probability, the first thing we need to consider is how to go about making as many of those analogue situations and grey areas into digital (either one or the other) choices and in particular, the subject of pre-emptive striking is one that needs to also fall into this mandatory thought process. The first and most important issue to consider is that of range and associated human reaction. The term ‘maai’ can be defined as the interval between you and the threat (opponent) and as expected, takes into account those common components of ‘distance’ and ‘time’. At distances of and inside that of around arms length, reacting to visual stimuli becomes very difficult to achieve effectively. If you don’t believe this then try to react to your training partner against full speed strikes at close range. You’ll quickly find that the body simply cannot react in time. Add to this test also the elements of surprise, distraction or deception and visual reaction alone becomes a strategy that common sense should tell us never to rely on for primary protection. This range is also where most verbal exchanges take place and thus unfortunately for us, also where a physical attack is most likely to occur. So why does traditional karate have so many passive ‘blocking’ techniques? Well, in actual fact, it doesn’t. The whole reactive mindset found in karate dojo is based on modern long-range sport application and in these instances of exaggerated distance, blocks and parries based on visual reaction work rather well. They work so well in fact that they’re often used as useful tactics for ‘drawing in’ and exploiting the opponent to counterattack. Also, within the modern day ‘punch’, ‘block’ and ‘kick’ labels, anything that didn’t look like a punch or kick was ushered into the ‘block’ category. In more recent years, traditional pragmatic analysis (injected with a hearty a dose of common sense) reveals that these so-called ‘blocking’ techniques are actually best applied as anything but. What’s more, they can be used as extremely effective proactive striking tools that help support the familiar tsuki (thrust) perfectly.
3 & 4: Since action beats reaction, it’s important to control the maai (interval) and employ the use of pre-emption to help stack the deck in your favour.
The next issue to consider is that of the law. It has become a widely held misconception that anyone who causes injury by defend themselves physically will be arrested immediately and up on trial for assault quicker that you can say ‘it’s not my fault!’ In actual fact though, if you spend a little time studying UK law you’ll realise that most of it is based on clear common sense, often misconstrued by the public and also negatively influenced to a surprising extent by the media. The notion of being prosecuted for honestly defending yourself is simply not true. Firstly, UK law states clearly that we can (1) protect ourselves, (2) inflict varying levels of physical response to do so including the use of weapons and most relevant to this article (3) act pre-emptively. All of these being judged by the question: was the force used considered reasonable in the circumstances as the individual believed them to be?
Now I’m no legal advisor, but to me the law clearly states that if you genuinely believe to be in danger then you are perfectly within your rights to defend yourself using physical force. This right also extends to defending family members, friends and even complete strangers, so long as you believe them to be victim of an unlawful act such as assault for instance. The law also acknowledges the fact that these situations are extremely stressful and thus, mistakes of judgement are possible. If you truly believe that there is a threat of imminent violence then acting pre-emptively is perfectly within the law. However, there are instances where a mistake of judgement would not be taken into account, for example, if you were voluntarily intoxicated. Generally speaking, the UK offers a wide range of protection for honest law abiding people who are simply trying to protect their own (or someone else’s) safety.
5 & 6: A pro-active use of shuto-uke, which is often applied as a passive action or response to a given attack.
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AMA Amateur Martial Associations
AMA is the largest Martial Arts Organisation in the British Isles. It is the Governing Body for over 6,000 clubs and 90,000 members. Most of these have been with us for over 35 years. We must be doing something right! Join the AMA now and get the best national and international recognition, the best access to courses and competitions, national and world-wide. Over 35 years experience of growth. Whatever the size or style of your group or club you are welcome in the AMA. We are here to serve you.
DAN GRADES & CERTIFICATES VALIDATION ALL GRADES COMPETITIONS: REGIONAL, NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL BEST INSURANCE (and I mean best!) CLUB AND COMPETITION GRANTS ALL STYLES WELCOME CLUB AND COMPETITION GRANTS CRB CHECKS (Criminal Record Bureau clearance) ALL STYLES CAN BE INSURED & ARE WELCOME IN THE AMA AMA is affiliated to:
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WTF - World Taekwondo Federation
WKF - World Karate Federation
WCJJO - World Council Ju-Jitsu Organisation
SKGB - Scottish Karate Governing Body
To see national AMA listings of over 13,000 instructors/clubs on the web, type: www.bt.com/thephonebook then in ‘business’ type: martial arts and town For an information pack without obligation, call us, alternatively you can fax or post the coupon to the address below.
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AMA LICENCE RETURNS and CRB ENQURIES: AMA Vice President/Treasurer Peter Allen AMA, 169 Cotswold Crescent, Walshaw Park, Bury Lancs, BL8 1QL Name: Address:
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Please note, no details or correspondence to the previous Derby address.
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Not only is pre-emptive striking within the law, it is also in my view, complete common sense. In a situation where you believe a physical assault to be imminent then why on earth would you consider waiting for the first attack before protecting yourself? As we’ve already discussed, action always beats reaction at close range so a strategy based on countering would be fundamentally flawed and give over a huge advantage to the attacker. Nevertheless, fear and uncertainty can also play a huge part in the decision making process and these too need to be addressed on physical, mental and emotional levels through training so that the choices made when depended on will have a much greater probability of achieving the objective(s). To give a conservative estimate, I would say that well over 75% of karate practitioners in this country (and probably the rest of the world) practice kata applications entirely of
a reactionary type, based on responding to specific physical attacks, even if ironically, the very same practitioners also routinely throw pre-emptive strikes against pads etc for self-protection. If the attacker punches then do this. If the attacker grabs then do this, if the attacker kicks then do this, so on and so forth. Even though these reactive applications make up part of the overall strategy for self-protection, we have to also bear in mind that for the reasons outlined above; a pro-active analysis of kata has to also be considered deeply. Instead of an application being a solution to a particular attack (i.e. ‘component’ resolutions), we also need to develop answers to the overall state of affairs (i.e. ‘situational’ resolutions) helping to construct more complete protection strategy. After all, isn’t that what kata is all about? Next month we will continue on with this theme of pre-emptive striking to take into account the well-
known maxim of: ‘karate-ni-sentenashi’ (there’s no first attack in karate), discuss what the founding masters thought and specifically look at a number of practical ways in which you can alter your view of kata to take into account this very important principle through the use of proactive bunkai. Until then, thanks for reading. Chris Denwood’s new and highly praised comprehensive two-disc DVD set, ‘Acorns to Oak Trees: Essential Guidelines for Pragmatic Kata Bunkai’ is available to order now from www.eskk.co.uk or www.chrisdenwood.com. You can also join the Free ESKK(r) newsletter that’s packed with information, news, training tips, videos, articles and special offers! To contact Chris for any questions or seminar and workshop enquiries please email info@eskk.co.uk or call +44 (0) 7801 531 914.
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Kataapplications By Sensei Charlie Neale, 4th DAN Shotokan Karate
with Mountain Warriors
Locks Within Kata Attacking the joints - kansetsu waza - is in kata If the question to you was ‘Name an art which has locking techniques in it?’ then perhaps you would answer ‘Jujutsu, Aikido or Judo’ certainly Karate wouldn’t be the first thing to come to mind, however hidden within Karate and it’s kata there are numerous techniques that attack the joints (kansetsu waza) What is often taught with kata bunkai (applications) is the very basic ‘block and counter’ type answer to the question ‘what does this sequence of techniques mean?’ As an example - you attack me like this, I block it like this and counter that with this punch or kick - end of application. We can go deeper than that by exploring other elements like nage waza (throwing techniques) shime waza (chokes and strangles) kuzushi waza (unbalancing techniques) uchi waza (striking with natural weapons of the body - not just hands and feet!) and KANSETSU WAZA which can be accompanied with kyusho (weak points/pressure points)
Heian Shodan 1
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Even kata which is considered ‘basic’ level kata has locking techniques within it. This also destroys the theory that our modern day versions of kata are ‘school boy kata’ made safe for children with the dangerous techniques removed all together - but attacking the joints/joint locks ARE DANGEROUS! and are within kata, care should be taken when practicing such techniques. If you can’t get a locking technique to work DON’T force it! rather re-set and try to make it work for you or you run the risk of damaging your training partner (uke) Studying other arts such as Aiki Jujutsu, Ninjutsu etc has opened up
Heian Shodan 2
interesting and effective answers for hidden techniques within kata and other core techniques and principles and the beauty of it is - it doesn’t stop there, it’s ongoing, a constant cycle of study - it’s endless! Therefore there is no need for any ego with regards to the amount of knowledge or skill someone has as there is always something to research, learn and improve. In my opinion the key to Martial Arts is HUMILITY - KNOWLEDGE - APPLICATION - EXPERIENCE - and in that order, it all starts with humility, without that we can’t learn. The techniques shown are only one example of locking techniques for
Heian Shodan 3
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the kata’s mentioned, there are many more. #Readers are reminded to train and practice in a safe and controlled manner - be very care full when applying joint attack techniques. Be sure to warm the body up before training (that does not mean stretching)
Locking technique 1. Finger lock/yubi gatame: found in Heian Shodan kata (tesui - oi zuki / hammer fist - lunge punch) This sequence found in Heian Shodan is often taught as blocking a lunge punch or front kick and then striking uke with a hammer fist to the head and a follow up punch to the body. However what we should remember is that just because I perform a technique with closed fist it doesn’t mean that there is nothing within the fist, as we can see with this application. The punch (oi zuki) after the hammer fist is not head level (jodan) it is to the mid level (chudan) so by grasping the fingers, locking them and drawing the lock down through the elbow the head drops down to the mid level therefore making the mid level punch or strike relevant.
Locking technique 2. Wrist twist inwards/Sankyo/kote hineri: found in the kata Heian Nidan (koshi kamae uraken - yoko geri / cup and saucer back fist and side kick) This sequence is from Heian Nidan. What is commonly shown for this is simultaneously blocking a punch attack to the head with a back fist (uraken) and kicking with a side kick (yoko geri) to the throat or stomach. Originally in Karate the kicks were performed to a low level, not like we see today! Also within this kata technique of back fist and side kick, originally the kick was a front kick - not side. So perhaps the application of blocking a punch with back fist and side kick to the throat is some what unrealistic and not the purpose of this bunkai. What is also not usually explained is the ‘koshi kamae’ cup and saucer position before the back fist and side kick. It is also my opinion that even though the back fist and side kick are done simultaneously in kata - for applications these two techniques do not have to be done at the same time. There are many applications for this series of techniques however
Yubi Gatame 1
Yubi Gatame 2
Yubi Gatame 3
Yubi Gatame 4
what we are talking about here is ‘locking techniques’ so how do we get a lock using this? Take the fingers as shown in application 1 (Heian Shodan - finger lock) and draw down to the hip, now turn the hand over with a flicking action. with your free hand take the shuto/tegatana part of the hand (you will notice the cup and saucer position here!) - twist the wrist inwards, upwards and away, locking the wrist, you can imagine, done at speed, how dangerous this can be! Uke will
Yoko Geri 1
now be open for the side or front kick to the ribs, hip or knee.
Locking technique 3. Wrist turn in/Nikyo/kote mawashi: found in Heian Yondan kata (kakiwaki uke) This wedge block is often taught as a technique for when you are grabbed with two hands on your lapels! (ryo mune dori) if uke has a strong grip with intention - this doesn’t work! (try it in your dojo’s) pre grab maybe but not when they have hold of you.
Yoko Geri 2
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Sankyo 1
Sankyo 2
Sankyo 3
Sankyo 4
Sankyo 5
Sankyo 6
The application shown is a wrist locking technique. With kakiwaki uke (wedge block) you have one blocking movement one way and one the opposite way, a separating movement. In Heian Yondan you perform this in ‘kokutsu dachi’ back stance and therefore is symbolic of drawing something back wards or down, therefore ‘nikyo’ fits as an application. From the chest grab, atemi to the head first, take the little finger side of the hand and rotate it upwards (USE YOUR HIPS!) then draw the elbow back and bow to your uke’s belt/centre, the next move in kata is front kick - double punch, in my opinion, for long techniques in kata you can shorten them, in this case mae geri becomes hiza geri - front kick to knee kick/strike.
Sanchin Dachi 1
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Locking technique 4. figure 4 arm lock throw and wrist lock/Ude garami nage: found in Heian Godan - after the jump in the kata (gedan juji uke in kosa dachi / lower cross block in crossed feet stance) This is an interesting sequence of techniques. I have seen many applications based around these sets of techniques pretty much all of which show jumping over an object like a bo staff or jumping up and cross blocking down on a riffle (seriously!) or jumping, landing in crossed stance facing your opponent and blocking a front kick! I have seen many Martial Arts styles blocking a kick this way - to me this does not make sense. Why would I use ‘both’ my arms in a crossed over position and take a full on kick to my limbs whilst exposing my head to attack and at the same time being in a crossed stance! (Heian Godan) per-
Sanchin Dachi 2
sonally I find this application unrealistic, not effective and not very sensible to say the least. There are choking/strangulation applications for this sequence but again we are looking at kansetsu waza. I read a few years ago that most of the jumps, if not all, symbolize throwing techniques. That being said the jump in this kata could be ‘udegarami nage’ (arm entanglement throw) once uke has been thrown you can contain him using the wrist lock and pinning uke with the knees (head or ribs or both) you will notice the position is the same as landing in lower crossed block and crossed foot stance found in Heian Godan as shown.
Locking technique 5. Use of sanchin dachi (hourglass stance) straight arm pin and un-balancing (kazushi) Sanchin dachi and hangetsu dachi (half moon stance) can be used to
Sanchin Dachi 3
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pin uke face down. This is a useful pin as it completely locks uke’s arm and leaves you hands free! (you can however also lock the wrist in this position - recomended) This lock can be applied well from such techniques as ikkyo/ude osae. Bring the arm up through the line of the knee’s. Turn the knee’s inward and drop the body weight to pin and lock the arm. # a great deal of care should be taken as a mistake here can do serious damage to the elbow joint. Sanchin can also be used to unbalance your uke by entering in and placing your foot behind uke’s, a shift of weight forward and down can take the balance - as shown.
Kakiwaki Uke 1
Kakiwaki Uke 2
Kakiwaki Uke 3
Kakiwaki Uke 4
Kakiwaki Uke 5
Kakiwaki Uke 6
Kakiwaki Uke 7
Kakiwaki Uke 8
Udegarami 1
Udegarami 2
Udegarami 3
Udegarami 4
Udegarami 5
Udegarami 6
Mountain Warriors is a multi style Martial Arts Association, Karate (various styles: Shotokan, Goju, Kyokushinkai, Wado, yama bushi ryu) Aiki Jujutsu, Jujutsu, Ninjutsu, Kick Boxing, Boxing, Judo, Okinawan Kobudo, Tai Chi. Friendly Instructors, regular gradings, grade recognition, specialist courses, FREE Instructors training, club support/advice. Available for courses and seminars. Regular classes in many arts. Please contact us about our forthcoming bunkai courses in 2010/2011. Contact Richard Gillies on 07917 400 776 or richard.gillies @mountainwarriors.com www.mountainwarriors.com
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Rob e Many years ago a Zen teacher asked his student.. â&#x20AC;&#x153; Why do we wear robes and answer to bells? â&#x20AC;&#x153;. I have had some but too few proud moments in my 55 years, high amongst them was getting married and the birth of our 3 children. But at this point I must make a confession, and I feel safe to bear my soul and weaknesses to you as I know I am amongst kindred spirits. By John Broughton
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b es & bells As martial artists who like me you will have struggled, sweated and stressed your way through your gradinings you will understand me when I say one of my proudest moments was passing my black belt. Hollywood especially in the 60s and 70s presented an image of black belts as being almost mythical creatures that could kill with a single karate chop and jump over high buildings. I was not surprised but I must admit slightly disappointed to find that when I achieved my 1st Dan I could do none of these amazing feats. This did not stop me wearing my belt with immense pride and attending as many classes as humanly possible in my area to show of this new sign of infinite wisdom. I knew from experience that the beginners would be looking at me with the same level of awe that I had looked at the black belts when I first started training. This sense of pride has not diminished over the years as I progressed through 2nd to 3rd Dan and I still feel good being seen in a karate suit and black belt. As I read back through the above lines I realise this confession is maybe too truthful and incredible shallow, but whom amongst us could honestly say otherwise. Be honest with yourself and remember in these pages you are amongst friends, this is not Martial Arts Anonymous you don’t have to stand up and declare but accept how ever deep down you hide it this is the truth. Now here is a thought would I be a black belt if no one new I was a black belt, rather like does a falling tree in a forest make a noise if no one hears it. The saying that comes back to me again and again is that pride comes before a fall, I realise I have the foolish pride so were is the fall and when
will it be. Then it came to me maybe the fall has already happened and it is called old age, you see my Dan grade is also a weight around my neck, a standard I always have to train to. Now I have to meet a standard infront of the other students when I train aware that this old body slips further from that standard every week So why do we wear imitation Japanese or Chinese cloths and copy their traditions and etiquette whilst studying martial arts, why do I teach in Japanese while starting and finishing my classes with a painful kneeling bow. A friend of mine has studied karate for many years but they only use English, wear tracky bottoms, tee shirts and trainers. They never bow but great each other respectfully with a hand shake and refuse to adopt any Japanese culture, and yet his karate is very good. I was suspicious that maybe he had an irrational hatred of people from the orient, but no, he just explained to me that he felt bogging yourself down with learning unnecessary things got in the way of learning karate. To take his argument further why learn a Japanese or Chinese martial art when the British have a fine tradition of our own martial arts. An English bow man used to be the match of any foreign knight, and history is full of brave and valiant Lords decked in shining armour with martial skills honed to the highest level and equal to any samurai. So why are we not spending our evenings dressed in armour practicing fighting with sickles, staves and broad swords? We can’t blame it all on Hollywood, just look what they have done for Robin Hood and Brave Heart to boost our own heritage. In fairness there are a small but solid
band of people around the country immersing themselves in their own culture and martial arts, they can be seen at battle re-enactments and clubs just as diligently as us practicing their chosen fighting styles. I am a qualified amateur and professional boxing coach as well as a karate student and instructor, and I am sure that if all you wanted to do was learn to fight and even defend yourself then I could make you more effective much quicker by teaching you boxing rather than karate. Although boxing is a lot more complicated than it may seem it is a fighting style pure and simple and does not try to teach about British culture, concentrating only on what will legally win your bout. Of course like karate western boxing will teach you self control, confidence, fitness and agility if studied under the right influences. But lets go back to that question asked of the student all those year ago .. “ Why do we wear robes and answer to bells? “. Maybe for me it is a case of the grass being greener in the next field, and that what is around all the time is taken for granted but I know it is more than that. I am infuriated but equally enjoy the way Karate pushes me both physically but also mentally. I love the Ying and Yang of the culture; I am struggling badly with Zen and the beautiful simplicity of Chinese painting. I am trying to immerse myself in meditation and too desperately search for the empty mind. I am fascinated by the way every time I think I have reached the last door a good Sensei helps me open that door to be faced by another room full of doors. My ultimate goal is to reach that last door and know I don’t need to wear robes and answer to bells any more but I hope I never get there. WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 119
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Sensei Lucio
Maurino
by Andrew Kanias Mobile: 07917 420180 Email: info@kanseikarate.co.uk
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After spending one week with Lucio and his impressive team observing and learning many new methods of developing the young karateka with view of tranforming them into future champions, I have an enourmous arsenal of exercises to take back to my own Dojo, back in South Wales, and a renewed excitement that I believe will eventually catch on in the UK. Lucio, who has recently taught a number of courses in Surrey, England, has not only studied Karate and won many impressive titles in the World’s and European Karate Championships, he is a Graduate of Motor Science and Master in Sport. Along with his good friend Francesco Baldassarre, he has founded an association called SportivArt ( www.sportivart.com ) who’s aim is to help develop students of Karate and other Sports in order to improve their skills and strength for their discpline. Around 100 children have just completed seven days of training every day with the Italian Sportivart team and have made major steps forward in becoming future champions themselves. The Summer Camp which has been aimed at children who are interested in competitive Karate, was organised by Lucio and his team who managed to pack in hours of training per day, sporting games for the children, social events, seminars for coaches, demonstration rehearsals and a fantastic choregraphed finali that was enough to take anyone’s breath away. The event was held in Naples, Italy in the most amazing surroundings of a plush hotel.
To date, Lucio has won 2 World Karate Championships Team Kata Titles, 7 European Karate Championships Team Kata Titles, 2 World University Championship Team Kata Titles and 7 Individual European Championship Silver Medals. As well as these impressive achievments, Lucio has won a number of other titles including more than 25 titles in National Italian Championships and 80 plus in International Karate Championships. I caught up with Sensei Lucio Maurino to find out exactly what motivates him to create new ways of developing champions!
Firstly may I say thank you for the interview. LUCIO MARINO: Thank you, you’re very welcome!
Sensei, when did you start your training and why? LUCIO MARINO: I started Karate with my father, Domenico who was a Sensei in our local town. Because my father was a Karate teacher, it was natural for me to begin when I was just four and a half years old...and my father is still my coach 31 years later.
What style Karate did you study? LUCIO MARINO: From the beginning it was Shotokan but when I started to compete I had the opportunity to see all over the World other styles and in the year 2000 I began to study Shito Ryu and Goju Ryu. And for this reason I opened my mind to other styles so I could also compete and enjoy the various other methods that other styles had to offer.
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LUCIO MARINO: I was born in South of Italy near Caserta on 7th March 1974, a little City close to Naples, and still live there today.
Who Inspires You? LUCIO MARINO: My father was my guide and my Sensei. Now, people who inspire me are those that have achieved great things such as Mohammod Ali, Bruce Lee, or Michael Jordan. The way they have great motivation to succeed impresses me and inspires me to achieve my goals. Knowing at the same time, the sacrifices that have to be made to succeed in our sport.
Do You Still Compete? LUCIO MARINO: Yes, two months ago I won my 7th Title in the European Championships and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m currently preparing for the World Championships that will be held in Serbia at the end of Summer.
Give us an idea of your training regime? LUCIO MARINO: Usually, I train two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. My training is specially programmed depending on the time I have until a competition. I start with special conditioning and as the time nears for the tournament, I work more and more on the technical and tactical aspects.
Are basics a big part of your training when preparing for a tournament? LUCIO MARINO: Yes, basics are very important and I work with special exercises to improve the capacity to control the body and so improve performance.
Which aspects of Karate are most important to you? LUCIO MARINO: Kata and Kumite are very different from one another, however, they are both very interesting in their own right. In Kata, you train in relation with yourself and try to overcome your limits; Kumite, is important because it is a good way of training in relation with someone else and, of course, it improves your fighting skills, which is one of the meanings of Karate. I love both aspects equally.
Why has your Kata team been so successful? LUCIO MARINO: I think our team (Lucio Maurino, Luca Valdesi and Vincenzo Figuccio) is special because we are three excellent athletes with three different but good personalities. In individual Kata, a person does his best to win but when we are a team, we do our best to perform together. We work well together because we are able to talk about our performance. Our humbleness allows us to accept what we need to improve on in order to make our team better. We discuss what we need to do to make improvements.
I understand you now put a lot of your energy into teaching, especially to those that aspire to be successful in tournament; what motivates you to do this? LUCIO MARINO: Some years ago, my motivation was to win and be maybe to be famous...however, now it is to be an inspiring model for others especially for the young and be a good example to follow in sport and also in life.
What is SportivArt?
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LUCIO MARINO: SportivArt is a project I am building with one of my best friends, Francesco Baldassarre, and he was World University Champion in 1994 together with me and Luca Valdesi in Kata Team and we also trained together at my father’s club. Two years ago we talked about this project to build a new way to promote Sport Karate and other Sports and we came up with this association called SportivArt that would aim to promote and organise special events for people in competitive sports. For example, we are in collabaration with University of Sports here in Napoli and we work with a lot of Professors and Doctors in areas of Motor Science such as Neurology or Physiology and all aspects that involve sports in general. Then we have events that bring people together involved in sports such as a National Competitions for Karateka’s. Another event was the International Sportivart Camp that is specifically designed for children and young persons and is also very good for trainers and coaches that want to know how to train their young students to be stronger and more skillful in their sport as well as building the correct methodology to increase performance. The camp is also an excellent way to bring children together teaching them how to work together and improve social and communication skills. This project also promotes Karate and Kata in particular through what he call Sound Karate. Students will perform free Kata to music and specially choreographed patterns will show off the skills of each individual.
Yes, I understand...you have to imagine it before you can achieve it? LUCIO MARINO: Yes, everyone has to dream and to imagine that one thing can be possible...one desire that turns into reality but for this we have to start from our minds, our imagination...SportivArt was our imagination one year ago and in one year we have had four events. If you cannot visualise, you can never achieve it!
Sensei Lucio, thank you very much...is there anything you would like add before we end? LUCIO MARINO: I want to leave the message to people that they have to dream and to never give up because problems are normal in everyone’s course of life and are important to becoming a better person. And so we must always dream and believe that something can be possible.
Last question, some people say a champion never reveals his secrets..what’s your opinion on this?
Great thank you Sensei Lucio...I really appreciate your time to talk to me!
LUCIO MARINO: I think that a champion is a person that pays close attention to details...also being a champion is a way of life. Not only about training...everything starts from your awareness to have physical and mental skills. First of all, you have to believe in yourself, for sure, and then with this awareness you build your way of life; looking at all aspects of life...the way you live, the way you eat, the way you train, the way you consider every aspect of your life. In fact, this is the secret to be a champion!
LUCIO MARINO: And I appreciate as well and thank you for the interview! For more information on events that Sensei Lucio and his team will be organising please goto: www.sportivart.com. For information on courses that Sensei Lucio Maurino will be conducting in the UK in the near future, please email Enzo Quirino of England Karate Kan at: enzo@karatekan.co.uk
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Sen Dealing with a situation as it is about to happen
An awful lot is talked about the definition of the terms we use in martial arts and I am as much to blame as every body else, our senior training sessions are usually followed by indepth discussions on the fine details of basics that take as long as the training sessions and backed up with copious amounts of coffee and chips. But bear with me while I add even more talk to your training. In Wado Karate we put alot of emphasis on the terms we us for the different timings of counter attacks such as Inasu, Sen and Sen no Sen, I wont bore you with long and complicated discussion on their individual meanings as I understand them but I would like to look
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By John Broughton Evington Wado Karate Club
no Sen at Sen no Sen as a concept. Basically Sen no Sen means to sense your attackers intention and counter attack before the attack happens. To do this properly you will need a good understanding of body language and sharp reflexes and I am sure this is over simplifying the whole concept, but it is not the mechanics of this action but more the ethics I would like to consider. How far back can we take this action? and how far away from us as an individual ?. For instance is learning a martial art Sen no Sen as I am preparing for an attack that has not yet happened and hopefully will not happen, and lets take this argument further would that attack have happened at all if I had not learnt karate. If I was not confident that I could defend myself would I put more effort into making sure I was not in a situation that necessitated my need to defend myself. Surely if I learn to shoot a gun and own a gun I am more likely to shoot some one than if I don’t own or learn to use a gun. Some countries such as America belief in the right to bear arms and encourage training in weapons but still have one of the highest gun crime rates in the world where as at the other end of the scale when was the last time Switzerland had to go to war?. Lets take this argument away from the individual and to the state , is it Sen no Sen for one country to make a pre-emptive attack on another if they feel threatened but not actually attacked. Lets consider the legal implications of Sen no Sen , can you imagine the following argument in court standing up as a proof of self defence, Defendant “Your honour
I knew he was going to attack me so I hit him hard and fast first” Prosecutor “ So you admit to hitting my client first” End of case and claim of self defence goes out the window. Yes we all know the well practiced statements we all make to non martial artists that Karate ( or what ever your chosen style is) is not a violent style and is about disciplining your mind and body in the same way the tea making ceremony is not about making a cup of tea. But every demonstration I do usually involves kicking pads very hard and defending against multiple attackers wealding knifes and lumps of wood. This is what people expect but are we right to perpetuate this view, but in fairness are people interested in the other elements of Karate. By learning a martial art are we then fitting in with the view people will have of us being fighters rather than non fighters. Does the martial art attract a certain type of person or does a certain type of person make the martial art what it is. But is Sen no Sen about preventing or purely about being first, if people know you are experienced at a martial art is that more or less likely to provoke an attack. At state level the ultimate weapon , the ability to launch a nuclear strike is supposed to have done more for world peace than any peace rallies. So does Sen no Sen really mean dealing with the situation as it is about to happen or dealing with live so the situation never has to happen. Is Sen no Sen a reaction or a state of mind or possible both. So may be if you really want to know about the true meaning of a martial art you should add to your training and read a book such as
Zen Flesh,Zen Bones. Here is another question for you can you separate the thought from the action ?. can I really call myself a martial artist if I can fight well but don’t have the right frame of mind or can I call myself a martial artist if I have all the right ideas but cannot punch my way out of a paper bag. So what does this have to do with Sen no Sen, well if I can avoid the attack ever happening then I have truly prevented the attack and don’t need a counter attack. Is changing my attitude to other people true Sen no Sen and the definition of Karate as empty hand more to do with what we don’t do with that hand than the shape it is in. The founder of Wado -Ryu Master Hironori Ohtsuka when asked “what is the secret of karate” replied “looking for the secret of karate”. I hope in the spirit of my styles founder I have given you no answers but plenty of questions. founder of Wado -Ryu Master Hironori Ohtsuka
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Kevin Don kyokushin karate and kicboxing I was born in Glasgow and was introduced to fighting sports at an early age, trying out Olympic freestlye wrestling as a child, before finally settling on karate at age 12. I started in a club in Clydebank, just outside Glasgow. It was a traditional shotokan club and I stayed there for many years, taking gradings under Sensei Ohta, and, of course Sensei Enoeda. After initial success as a child in KUGB competitions (silver medals in the Scottish championships as a white belt), I began to grow weary of the scoring system in the competitions and I yearned to try my skills in a full contact environment. One of my friends and sparring partners was training in Muay Thai with 6 times World Champion and K1 fighter, Duncan Airlie James and he invited me along. I loved the realistic contact element, whilst it still gave me the freedom to utilise the techniques I had acquired in points scoring fighting, chambering my kicks, using combinations of different kicks which they were not used to seeing. After a year or so, I was introduced to Sensei Ross Frame (7th dan) a former member of Ticky Donovan’s GB team and a fighter with National and International titles to his name. I went to train with him and I was totally blown away, I had Kevin with MMA star Bob Sapp
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never realised karate could have such devastating power, speed and variety of techniques applicable in a realistic environment. Meeting Ross totally changed my ideas about karate and what I wanted to get from martial arts and I decided to continue training with him and his head instructor, Paul Harrison (6th dan) One thing I found very different about Ross’s classes were the emphasis on fitness and I had to really work hard on that, as well as lots of kumite, using sport karate and knockdown techniques, with a bit of judo thrown in. I guess that we were really doing MMA before that became in vogue. In 2004 I decided to come to Hong Kong a holiday. I met some people interested in karate and I was invited to represent Hong Kong in the 11th Asia Full Contact Karate Championships in Singapore. There I met the brother of the owner of the world famous Impkat gym in Hong Kong and I was invited to work in Hong Kong and teach at the gym. I was very excited and honoured. I couldn’t elieve that I would be able to do what I loved, my greatest passion and turn it into a career. So, I relocated to Hong Kong where I have been since 2008 now, teaching karate kyokushin, shotokan and kickboxing. The main bulk of my day is made up of training my clients, who all pay for one to one training. I do around 6 or 7 hours of this a day, teach a one hour group karate class and I do my own training.
I have learned to be patient and also learned to more outgoing. The former because I realise that sometimes the local populous find it odd that a Westerner is teaching them an Eastern Art, because there is a clash between their desire to follow their sensei’s instructions, but that they cannot accept advice, and critique from someone younger than themselves. I had to learn to be more outgoing and more willing to market and argue the case for karate, because, as you can imagine, Hong Kong is no different from any other country and everyone wants to learn Thai boxing! I have been ridiculed for doing karate, people standing around laughing as I did my kata. I have had to take it all in my stride and try to show them that karate is something strong, something good, which is a more holistic martial art, allowing character development alongside the physical, more tangible aspects. I have sparred with them to try and show them something different, new and dynamic. And now I have to say it is working, My classes and my personal training are growing, People are emailing me from other countries saying they are coming to Hong Kong and can they train with me. I have had the doors open for me, I recently was the ring announcer and television interviewer for Planet Battle, a huge Asian fight promotion, bodyguarded Bob Sapp and been introduced to so many passionate martial artists.
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I am enternally thankful that I found my lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion and that I have, through combination of hard work and good fortune, been given the opportunity to make it my whole life and to pass the knowledge i have onto a new generation of karateka. I am excited about the future and I can see really that something of a
renaissance is occurring in karate, people are coming back to traditional martials arts because I think they realise that whilst hitting pads for an hour can relieve stress and is a good workout, the positive messages, the team spirit and the precepts of karate can be applied in their work and personal lives, not just in the dojo. WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 129
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TAEKWONDO & KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS MAGAZINE
VOLUME 15 ISSUE 04 DECEMBER 2010
A Unique Trip To Korea
How to be an international TKD instructor without paying for a course
THE EVOLUTION OF TANG SOO DO
Warrior Scholar Speaks Out
Visit the TKD-KMA magazine website at www.taekwondomag.co.uk
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TANG SOO DO By Master David Allerton (5th Dan)
Moo Sa Do
the evolution of Tang Soo Do? Tang Soo Do’s Warrior Scholar Speaks out - Part 3 In this month’s column I would like to explore both your recollections of our founder Kwan Jang Nim Hwang Kee as well as the personal progressions you have in mind for the future of your Tang Soo Do school
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Moo Duk Kwan versions by name and source, there are a couple of similar motions here and there but that’s it.
If I were to ask you for guidance on how a technique or form can be progressed to a higher level. How would you respond? There are three levels of application 1) static 2) dynamic and 3) chaotic. Most Tang Soo Do students practice the static form. Everything is prearranged or choreographed. Take a wrist grab or a form application for example, after learning it in its static form; we then apply it in sparring. One person will spontaneously deliver a particular attack to their partner during sparring when we blow a whistle. They then escape and continue sparring. This progresses to multiple holds and attacks so you don’t know what to expect and you have to be dynamic. We then take a series of attacks, let’s say a choke, a wrist grab and a knife attack and have one person close their eyes and spin on their spot. Then the whistle blows and they open their eyes a little dizzy and they have to defend against the attack. Or we will place a defender in a circle of people and push them and turn them while yelling at them then when the whistle blows a designated attacker will attack the defender while everyone steps back. This is all controlled chaos. It develops the seventh level of centeredness (maintain your centre in danger). The point is to always test your technique and your centre. If we can maintain our centre during these kinds of challenges the minor ones we face on a daily basis will be much easier.
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Can you relay to us some of the complexities in translating and interpreting hyungs from the MYDBTJI ? It is particularly interesting because you have followed the same path as KJN Hwang Kee, yet produced something uniquely different. Well Chinese is not my native language and my Korean is functional but limited. So I had to translate character for character each line in the Kwon Bup section of the MYDBTJI and then make sense of it. This took a long time, using three different character dictionaries and various online tools. Many of the characters are very obscure and not used in modern times. I also consulted some Chinese friends to help smooth it out. KJN Hwang Kee was going for historically accurate hyungs, but most of these forms are only one or two sequences in length, so he added the majority of the movements built around a specific technique. Since it is impossible to exactly recreate the Yuk Ro without illustrations and more detailed descriptions I used them as themes and built hyungs around movements that characteristically illustrated these themes. This way I could encode our philosophy into the forms making them philosophy in action, not a separate part of our system. We have ten basic (Ship dan Khum) and Seven advanced (Yuk Ro plus the Kwon Bup form) representing the seven star philosophy of our system. Each hyung is assigned an animal (Bear, Monkey, Eagle, Tiger, Crane, Snake and Dragon) and each animal symbolizes one of seven virtues, attributes and energy centres in the body. It all ties together making our style very synergistic. They only resemble the
You cannot properly do a form if you don’t know what you are doing
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Based on my experience of Tang Soo Do there isn’t a mainstream attempt to interpret the hyungs for self defence, preferring instead a separate and unrelated system of grabs, restraints and strikes. This makes no sense to me. How do you teach Self Defence? We teach applications of our forms for every movement. You cannot properly do a form if you don’t know what you are doing. That is the exact reason why I developed a new series of hyung. I know the applications and I teach them. As I mentioned once the static technique is understood then we have two person energy drills which make each application dynamic then finally chaotic. We have a throwing take down set, a head control set, leg capture set, arm break set, wrist lock flow set and much more. These are all combined so our members learn Mun San Hap Ki or “spontaneous mastery”. We also require that all skills be demonstrated at the Master level in four ways 1) self defence 2) multiple attackers and 3) protecting others (body guarding) 4) as a tactical team.
personally hired a translator and helped him with the Moo Do aspects as well as the editing of the project then I surprised Grandmaster H.C Hwang presenting it to him at the national tournament. Sadly my role in this has been minimized after my leaving the Federation. But history is history and that can’t be changed. The first time I met Grandmaster, my instructor his son H.C Hwang, asked me to bring up some Pizza to him in his office at headquarters during a Dan test. I knocked on the door and said “Kwang Jang Nim” he then said ‘Ohh Peecha (Pizza)’ I had to laugh at how
Can you relate some memorable experiences with KJN Hwang Kee ? I assisted Grand Master Hwang Kee with various projects, including his instructor guides and my last project with the Federation was making an English version of Grandmaster Hwang Kee’s Philosophy book a reality. I WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 133
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excited he was about pizza, obviously he liked it. He offered me a slice but I said no thank you thinking I was not worthy of having lunch with the Grandmaster. This brings up an important point. Grandmaster Hwang Kee was VERY approachable, it was the Senior Korean masters that insulated him from everyone else, and they wanted him for themselves. He loved sitting and talking, enjoying anyone’s company. I think if he was not so insulated the Moo Duk Kwan would have progressed a lot further in its development. Often I would send questions to Grandmaster Hwang Kee through his son, my instructor, H.C Hwang. One time that was pretty funny, I asked him if there was a correlation between the eight key concepts and the eight trigrams of the I ching (four of which are on the Korean flag). A month later Master H.C Hwang called me over and said “Master Segarra, my father enjoyed your question and has responded”, I excitedly waited for the answer “My father said, yes there is a correlation” now very excited I waited for more and he said “my father said, you figure it out”, we both laughed. See a good teacher doesn’t just dole out information, he encourages the student to discover it on their own.
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Training under GM Hwang Kee once I was very impressed by his teaching style. I remember we were doing Chil Sung Oh Ro (Five) and one of the members near me was off in their posture. Grandmaster seemed to thread his hands and foot into the students posture and gently popped them into the correct position. It was pretty impressive from an instructor’s standpoint. Since our studio is right near JFK airport I always met Grandmaster Hwang Kee so he got used to seeing me regularly and when I was in Korea he spotted me waiting outside Joong Ahn Dojang (Headquarters) with my student Milo and friend Bill. He invited us up to his private area upstairs near the office to the left and he had some Yogurt drinks for us. He then brought out a photo album which blew me away. First, he taught Ko Dan Ja classes regularly way into his golden years. Second, the Masters were doing what looked more like Kung Fu than what I was learning in the United States. The postures and applications were not techniques we were being currently taught and I was a 5th Dan at the time. Another student of mine looking for me came up with his infant son; Grandmaster immediately took the baby and began playing with him. He (Grandmaster) was having a great time. Then a senior Korean master came up and asked us all to leave. I was not sure why in the beginning but then he verbally chewed us out, I mean flipped out! I waited for the appropriate time then I let him have it back in spades. I told him we were invited guests and if he ever pulled that crap in front of my students again I’d embarrass him so bad he’d regret it. See that was simply one example of insulating Grandmaster even when he was reaching out. When I asked about the postures I saw in the album I was told ‘don’t ask’. At that point I knew we were way behind in what Grandmaster Hwang Kee wanted us to know so I pressed even harder in my studies. I realized the direction Hwang Kee wanted us to go and we were nowhere near achieving this. First and foremost he wanted us to learn to be cantered because if you are not peaceful how can you positively impact others around you? He wanted us to have a masterful grasp of human relations through philosophy in action and of course be masterful technicians. I looked around and thought most of the “Masters” don’t behave like masters, most of the ‘Masters’ barely remember their requirements and are far from being cantered. I thought how could I get so much out of this art and so many ‘Masters’ missed the point? Then I realized the MDK was very simple back in 1945, over the years it became over complicated with too many one steps, self defence and forms. One steps should make sense and be easily applicable in sparring, that’s the whole point! Yet we had 18 techniques that many people got confused, had the wrong stance or side at testing’s, etc. Then self defence, Ho Sin Sool became static and most did not know how to flow from one technique to another. Then forms, I knew over forty forms. Your average member could not keep up with that number of forms let alone do them well.
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So it made me look back at how it was done in the old days and it was much simpler. One, steps were practical, Self defence was simple and flowed. As a matter of fact in the U.S we only did wrist grabs. In Korea, there was headlocks, chokes, ground fighting, weapon disarms. Korea had A LOT more material that was simpler; here we had a lot less material that was more complicated, just the opposite. I’ve actually posted some old MDK videos from the fifties up on the warrior-scholar.com website, which proves my point. Think about this if you are truly concerned with the well being of your students instead of making a fleet of cloned karate bots, why would you not teach them the skills to make them safer like Hwang Kee originally did? Why would you teach them only wrist grabs? Back in Korea you learned a variety of skills to make you a formidable opponent and a master of life. They were practicing, Ki Gong (Chi Gong), much more practical self defence, first aid, philosophy, hand conditioning, weapon disarming, they had such a well rounded curriculum, yet we were stuck learning one more form, one more wrist grab etc. Modern Tang Soo Do got away from the original vision! There is a concept for the most part not taught outside Korea called Su p’a ri (???). Su pa ri describes the three phase cycle of learning. It literally means protectdeconstruct-transcend. Basically after developing a sound technical foundation one must then develop the
deeper levels of the forms, and then learn how to apply them spontaneously. Almost every organization I’ve seen is stuck in the Su (standardization) phase. Understanding Su p’a ri helps us avoid the pitfall of getting trapped between the static but definable Forms, one step, ho sin sool etc. and the dynamics of actual fighting. The realities of real combat are very different from the controlled environment of the static aspects of martial arts training.
KJN Hwang Kee is acknowledged as a martial art prodigy ; I believe his son GM H.C. Hwang played a pivotal role in the development of the Chil Sung hyung (7 star forms). What would you say are the major achievements in your own Ryu Pa (development)? Actually I was in a class being led by GM Hwang Kee and his son assisting. GM corrected him (H.C Hwang) several times. So it was obvious to me who developed the forms. I know there were certain sequences GM H.C Hwang requested to be changed or altered because they were too athletic for the majority of practitioners. So maybe that’s where the confusion is regarding who developed the hyungs. GM Hwang Kee created the Chil Sung hyungs. The achievement I am most proud of is taking Tang Soo Do to a higher level, and I think Grandmaster Hwang Kee would be proud of what I have done. Our system is what I wished I had when I was a starry eyed young Dan
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World Taekwondo Federation, 4th Fl, Joyang BID 113, Samseong-dong, Kukkiwon, 635 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea. Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea, 135-908. Tel: 82-566-2505 / 557-5446 Tel: 82-2-567-1058,9 www.wtf.org/wtf_eng/main/main_eng.html Fax: 82-2-552-3025 Fax: 82-2-553-4728 www.kukkiwon.or.kr/english/index.jsp E-mail: wtf@wtf.org
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● Would YOU like to train with the UK’s most senior WTF graded exponent? ● Are you looking to study WTF style Taekwondo without getting involved in politics? ● Are you looking to grade up to Kukkiwon 7th dan kup and dan Certification? ● Would you like to receive help and advice without losing your independence? ● Are you looking to have your current grade acknowledged by Kukkiwon? ● Available for; Gradings, Courses, Seminars, Presentations, Training camps, Referees courses for Poomsae & Kyorugi, Advice, Help and Support. ● Also available; Summer school camps for the UK and abroard.
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member. I’ve not only uncovered what many senior masters would consider ‘secrets’ but I have broken down those ‘secrets’ in an easy to learn step by step system. Things like the Ship Sam Seh, Ki Gong or Chi, mental mastery etc. I’ve broken these down into easy to understand scientific steps in plain English not mysterious fortune cookie diatribe. Anyone can benefit from this no matter what level or rank. As a matter of fact some of the most prestigious Masters and Grandmasters of Tang Soo Do and other martial arts have wholeheartedly endorsed my meditation book which is just a small part of our curriculum. It is my mission to make real martial art masters and share the techniques and methodologies that have given me much success in Tang Soo Do. You can’t take knowledge with you when you pass, so I don’t believe in keeping the good stuff secret. I want to make the Tang Soo Do world better than when I came into it rather than the same status quo. It’s time to open the doors and share everything and make Tang Soo Do one of the most respected martial arts in the world again.
I have a new book on the history of our school coming out this year called ‘from Tang Soo Do to Moo Sa Do’ following that I have translated the Kwon Bup section of Korea’s ancient martial arts text the Moo Yei Do Bo Tong Ji (which GM Hwang Kee drew heavily from) which will be published soon as well and a Ki Gong book with the eight brocade and the various Ki Gong (Chi gong) exercises Grandmaster Hwang Kee published in the Soo Bahk Do Dae Gahm. We are currently filming an instructional video series as well so I have a lot of projects on the drawing board. It’s my mission to take Tang Soo Do to the next level and I am very excited to share this with my Tang Soo Do family around the world. Master Segarra, thank you for your insightful replies. Perhaps I could keep UK students informed of your future projects through this column. I’d love to share my experiences with your readers and I look forward to developing relationships in the U.K. I would also like to credit Christina Santucci for her work in producing the photos for this article.
What projects do you have in mind for the future?
Yours in Tang Soo ! allertondavid@yahoo.com
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A unique trip
to Korea Niall P. Grange
Or how to be an international TKD instructor without paying for a course For WTF Taekwondo practitioners it‘s not unusual or particularly unique these days to travel to the home of our chosen martial art. Many have done this before me and many will follow long after I can no longer get on a plane and travel for 16 hours. There have been many accounts recorded in magazine pages and on web sites over the years, of individuals experiences that have attended international instructors courses, or grandmasters (or just 1 st dan) testing, at the Kukkiwon and although not an everyday occurrence, to the foreign (wei-guk-in) TKD student it s still a very special thing to do and an experience to be treasured. You can be sure there will be the obligatory snaps taken outside the Kukkiwon in uniform, striking a pose of the best yop-chagi or kumgang maki. And, the displaying of the certificate to prove you have attended the course. What made my recent trip to Korea unique was not that I was there to attend an international instructor ‘s course, which for me is of very little interest. Nor was I there to take another Dan grade, another one of those is also of little use and after what I saw,Korea
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would be the last place I ‘d take a Dan grade. I was however, there to teach Taekwondo... So how did this come about? Well, my eldest son has lived in Korea for the past 3 and a half years; he works as an English teacher and a TKD instructor at the
ARIRANG International Taekwondo School. I also have another son that has also worked for a time as a professional TKD Instructor in Seoul. These facts alone are quite unique. However it was Alex (eldest son) that was helping an American friend training at the above club and teaching him some Hanbon Kyurugi and Hosinsul (one-step sparring and selfdefence) when he was asked by a Korean; what style he was doing? Alex’s teaching extended to others within the class at the request of, and greatly encouraged by, the Kwanjang-nim. Instructors from other clubs got to hear about this “new ” Taekwondo. Alex has now been teaching this since late 2009. He has introduced break-falling as part of the warm-up exercises. Alex explained to the other Sabom-nim’s and the Kwanjang-nim; Master Jin Sang-Eun 5 th Dan (affectionately known as TM) that this is not new, but in fact how he, his brother, and sister, plus other of my students over the years have always been taught.
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In short, how most good TKD clubs in the UK teach Taekwondo. So, as Alex’s Martial Arts teacher,I got an invitation and an air ticket and was asked to run a number of private “Musul ” Taekwondo seminars in Seoul, and I was more than delighted to do so. Perhaps I should explain something of the situation with WTF Taekwondo in Korea. Firstly; Hanbon Kyurugi and Hosinsul are no longer taught in the average Korean TKD dojang. In fact I’m not sure it ever was. So to do this the student needs to attend Hapkido classes (or attend one of a growing number of ITF schools in Seoul). Secondly; Taekwondo is very big business, with a dojang on every street corner, in some cases, directly next door to each other and all plying for the kids’ business. The clubs run 7 days a week with 6 or 7 one hour sessions every day. However these sessions are for children. It is also very unusual to find classes with adult students. This is where ARIRANG TKD School is unique, as is the man that runs it. The main ARIRANG dojang is only for adults and TM would like to drop his children’s classes altogether so he can concentrate fulltime on his adult students and the „martial art’ of Taekwondo. ARIR-
NAG TKD Club is also one of the only places where Korean adults can train in TKD in Seoul. Now I can almost hear you asking; how come the Koreans dominate the international and Olympic competitions ?Well,that’s because it is a degree course at Korean universities and the teams are selected from there. The university students that don’t make the teams are taught the business of running a TKD school. No international player comes from a local church hall or street corner dojang and there is a church hall on every street corner. Also these university groups don’t have the same grading system as the UK, Europe or America (In fact all Korean WTF gradings are very different from Britain, Europe and America). All university students will have done TKD as a child and will have graded to a minimum of 1 st poom and that automatically becomes a Dan grade at 15 years old. All children in Korea are expected to participate in Taekwondo, which is one of the many after school activities there, although some will opt for Hapkido, Gumdo or Taekkyun and all will be expected to become poom (junior dan) grades (particularly the students with pressuring parents). And, as there is little room
in Korean society for failure, to make sure, all that enter the Kukkiwon doors to take a dan grading will pass, as the powers that be make it so easy that failure is just about impossible, more on this later. So, after arriving at Inchon airport, Seoul very jet lagged, I had just one day to recover before my first session. That first lesson was to be with a small group of children that I suspect prefer to play dodge-ball or football for most of their lesson. So here I come, doing a typical session as I would do at my club in rural Devon, which proved to be something of a shock to their little systems (I was warned by both my sons, not to expect the same from the kids in a Korean TKD class as I would expect of my own young students). I must point out that the majority of these children were Poom grades and not beginners and will train between 3 to 5 times per week.
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So I thought I’d do some basics they don’t do, some (very old) paddle work, 1 for 1 sparring and then, some free sparring. But, the latter proved to be a mistake,because they don’t do sparring! (Except very light at dan gradings) So I had to rapidly adjust my teaching as I thought they might start crying and I don’t do crying kids very well.Well I don’t have to any more as mine are all grown-up enough to make me cry. Kwanjang-nim TM was very amused and he told them that this is how children train in England. At the end of my hour I handed out some letters from my young students and that made them warm to me (a little). It’s difficult to know if they enjoyed it but, from their body language they were glad they weren’t likely to see me again. I will say the children were impeccably polite and respectful at all times and they adore their AlexSabom, he takes them for two lessons a week. Also, Alex conducts these children’s TKD lessons in
English as it is part of their formal education. This, of course is also another commercial ploy to attract students which Kwanjang-nim TM is totally unashamed of, and why should he? As it makes excellent business sense if you’re doing it as a business. The next session I had was at TM’s main dojang,which is situated in the basement of the Korean War memorial and museum. It is a purpose built gym with a fully matted floor and gym equipment, with “attended ” changing and shower rooms, complete with individual soap, shampoo, towels, perfume and hair-dryers, And that was just for the boys! This class was for adults only. Although this was very daunting, being a little nervous and still struggling with time disorientation, there was a certain relief as I didn’t expect any of the adults to burst into tears on me.There was a mix of TKD grades from 10 th Kup to 6 th Dans
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I based the sessions on sections of Poomsae, showing how particular techniques can be used as practical defensive moves. Some basic knife defence (demo only) and allowing the pairs to develop each technique to suit their height and size etc. This was particularly useful for Hosinsul, although the non TKD people could understand and appreciate the concept that, not all techniques will work in all situations, depending on the size of the attacker etc, the Koreans initially struggled with this concept. They also had difficulty with the idea of what I like to call “self-development ” of techniques, basically they like things to be systemised and to be told what to do. But, once Master TM translated what I was saying “that a real attack is not going to be systemised or to a pre-arranged formula ”and attacks won’t come from a front stance,low block position,therefore all possibilities should be examined in the class room, they were on a roll and became very enthusiastically animated and kept wanting more. This changed my 2 hour lesson into 3 hours. All this was made so much easier having my son Alex to work with as he has studied both Jujitsu and Hapkido so he made an excellent Uki (I’m somewhat ashamed to say I don’t know the Korean equivalent). On Saturday morning I was invited to a Dan grading at the Kukkiwon. This was something I’ve wanted to witness for many years and, like most WTF exponents, would love to have taken a grade there. The dojang was a buzz of activity with literally hundreds (1500) of excited, expectant children and young adults. Seeing all the small kids in uniform running about, I asked TM what the age of the youngest child would be, his reply was “about 6 or 7 ”. It wasn’t too long before disappointment crept into this special occasion. The first reason is I have a built-in bias against babies wearing martial arts black belts from any style. The second is the time it took to grade these very young children. I would like to play the guessing game with the reader at this point, but... It took (on a stop-
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and a variety of nationalities. Although there were a number of white belts in TKD, all had done, and were black belt holders in, other martial arts. Due to the turbulent history between Korea and Japan there is little or no Karate, Aikido, Jujitsu etc in Korea (well there is, they just gave them Korean names).
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watch) 3 minutes and 52 seconds, from the time the first child walked on the mat, until they were exiting to their instructor or parents! The requirements for 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd Poom/Dan are: (with 20 students grading simultaneously) Horse riding stance, double punch 4 times, 3 turning kicks each leg, 2 poomsae, finished off with 18 seconds of non-contact sparring. Around 1500 candidates were graded in 5 hours at a cost of; 1st Dan 130,000 won = $130 or £76, incrementing up by 10,000 won ($10) for each subsequent grade including certificate. Very good money for 3 minutes 52 seconds, and this is repeated 2 or 3 times a month at the Kukkiwon and around other regions of South Korea with similar numbers. After 3 hours and feeling very despondent and sad at what I had just witnessed and in desperate need of fresh air (and a coffee fix), Alex and I left the Kukkiwon! Master TM could tell I was less than impressed (probably because I told him I was less than impressed). He did point out however, that less than 3% of these children will be active Taekwondoists past their early teenage years and less than 1% into their 20’s …I’m still less than impressed. However this experience has not been all negative, because it has almost renewed my faith in the British and European system of dan promotion.
It is much tougher and with far more Musul elements and there is the slim possibility you might just fail. Although I think far too many get through this system as well. A couple of days later I did attend a meeting at the offices of the Kukkiwon on another matter and broached the subject on what I had witnessed and was told by the Kukkiwon officials themselves (what I had long suspected) that “it’s a commercial venture ”. Nothing more needs to be said after that. I carried out one more 3 hour session the next day. The whole trip was a wonderful experience and being invited to teach 3 separate sessions in Korea was a greater honour (leaving aside and wishing to forget my Kukki experience). And, all this without a single piece of paper from the Kukkiwon to say I could be an international instructor …..What can I tell ya! Before I finish, a word about Master Jin Sang-Eun (TM). The “TM ” is his idea of a joke. What he wants to be is a Taekwondo Master, hence the TM. This man is one of the finest masters of Taekwondo I have had the privilege to ever meet, it is humbling to watch and listen to him. He’s a very quietly spoken man with incredible personal skill and knowledge (he is also a student of wing chung), and a quiet sense of fun.
Yet he is only too happy to allow a complete stranger i.e. me, free reign at his club, and he is happy to participate alongside his students, with great humour when it doesn’t quite work . He has a hunger for knowledge, hence, allowing Alex to show what he knows. Master Jin sang-eun (TM) is a student of Grandmaster Lee Kyu Hyun 9 th Dan WTF, the man performing on the official WTF poomsae DVD. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to my Korean host and friend Master Jin sang-eun (TM) for his wonderfully warm hospitably and for allowing me the freedom of his dojang, and students. It was a great honour.
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UK and Irish representative and closed-door disciple of Grandmaster Lee Kam Wings International Seven Star Mantis Association. Graded 10th Level Master by Grandmaster Lee Kam Wing. European representative of Wing Chun Master Lun Kai. UK representative of Yang style Taijiquan Master Ou Rong Ju. Certified Instructor and permanent member of the Ving Tsun Athletic Association of Hong Kong. Hon. Director of the Yip Man Museum Foshan China, Vice Chairman and Lifetime member Hong Kong Southern and Northern Chinese Martial Arts Association, Chairman Hong Kong Shandong Mantis Association. Lifetime Member Hong Kong Chin Woo Athletic Association.
(7/11)
Venue: Vestry Hall, 54 Cemetery Road, Sheffield, S11 8FP Lesson Time: Monday & Wednesday 7pm - 9pm. Saturday 10:30am - 12:30pm
(10/10)
WING CHUN KUNG FU ACADEMY
Bando San shou Eskrima Silat Krabi Krabong Lerdrit Muay Boran Muay Thai Qwan Ki Do Savate Systema Krav Maga Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Capoeira Kombato Luta Livre Maculelê Vale tudo Jeet Kune Do Kickboxing Mixed martial arts Shootfighting Arnis Buno Cinco Teros Dumog Eskrima (Kali) Espada y Daga Jendo Kali Sikaran Kombatan Modern Arnis Pananjakman Pangamut Sikaran Suntukan Yawyan
● ● ● ●
Junior, Adult & Beginner Classes Female & Male Instructors Fully Equipped Private Dojo Private Lessons Available
All Instructors operating within The Academy are Fully Qualified to the Highest Standard Beginners Welcome For details of your local club contact:website: www.mcallistermartialarts.co.uk e-mail: jamesgmcallister@yahoo.com
ACADEMY DO-JO: 01268 412044 MOBILE: 07752 298237 (7/10)
(7/10)
(7/11) • • •
Essex and the South East’s Premier Martial Arts Centre for Study and Certification in the following arts: KALI, JUN FAN GUNG FU, JEET KUNE DO, MUAY THAI, KICKBOXING, BOXING, JIU JITSU, SOMBO, JUDO, SELF DEFENCE
To arrange a free tour contact Laurence Sandum - 01245 467680 www.blackbeltmartialarts.co.uk www.thefitnessacademy.co.uk
JKD KALI & SILAT Group Classes - Private Lessons Training Programmes SE London & Kent Certified by Guro Dan Inosanto Qualified to the highest International standards
www.karasackali.co.uk (6/11)
10/10
• • • • • •
National Centre of Excellence for Martial Arts Enrolling New Beginners each week Essex’s best-equipped full time academy for the study of martial arts Friendly welcome and equal treatment for everyone Martial Arts Gym of the Year National Award Winning Martial Arts Academy Weekly beginners group and personal classes Regular seminars and workshops in all arts Nationally Recognised Instructor Training Program available
07906927770 1-2 church Road Boreham Chelmsford Essex
(7/10)
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ZEN MEDITATION TEACHERS WORKSHOP FOR MARTIAL ARTISTS
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A unique course that will teach you how to be more focused and skilled in whichever form you practice To ensure quality instruction, all workshops are limited to a maximum of 6 participants All participants will receive a manual of techniques taught on the day, plus a certificate of qualification Courses offered in York and London
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CLUBS LISTINGS Bristol Martial Arts Association, Chris Beaumont, Karate & Kickboxing, 08456434074, bristolmartialarts@live.com, Cobra Martial Arts Association, Hengrove, Bristol, BS14 9BZ Martial Art World, Master Bonthuys, Tae Kwon Do & Korean Kickboxing, 0800 0217712, inquiries@martialartworld.co.uk, United Kingdom Black Belt Schools, Andover, Hampshire, England ATEA-Association of Traditional Eastern Arts, Keith Edwards, Shaolin Kung Fu & Tai Chi (Yang Style), 01727 858469, keith.edwards@ atea.org.uk, AMA, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Black Mountain Kung Fu, Simon Griffiths, Mohando Short Fist Kung Fu, 07976526408, mswkungfu@hotmail.co.uk, Unlimited Martail Arts Association + Self Defence Federation, Neath, Port Talbot, South Wales Karate Leadership UK, Nathan Marsh, Karate & Kickboxing, 01634323850, enquiries@karateleadershipuk.co.uk, Leadership UK, Medway Towns, Maidstone Greavesend, Ashford Chang’s Hapkido Academy, Tammy Parlour., Hapkido, 07951 535 876, info@ChangsHapkidoAcademy.co.uk, Grandmaster Gedo Chang, Korean Hapkido Association Wol Ge Kwan.., London
Bandong Ryok Taekwondo, John Reeves, ITF Taekwndo, 07834169020, infro@ banongryok.org.uk, GTI Taekwondo, Andover/Hampshire/England Byrne Black Bel Academy Full Time Club, Edd Byrne, Sport Karate, 07816649179, mastereddbyrne@eddbyrne.co.uk, ITO, St Columb,Cornwall South East Freestyle Karate Do, Mike Harwood, Self Defence Karate based, 07727117029, sefkarate@yahoo.com, Cobra, Chislehurst, Kent & Avery, Eltham Chorley Shotokan, Chris Robinson, Shukokai Karate, 07854270569, cskcinfo@ googlemail.com, SSK, Chorley Lancashire
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(1/10)
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(9/11)
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