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COMBAT

VISIT: WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK

JULY 2010

Vol. 36 No. 3 £3.75

MARTIALARTSSHOW 2010 the

July 2010

Restricted on Training Time?

BLAST

Vol.36 No.3

YOUR BODY INTO SHAPE With The Turkish Get Up ...or ‘ TGU’ For Short!

The Greatest Martial Arts Show on Earth!

WIN a Sony PS3 and a Nintendo Wii inside!!!


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VOLUME 36 NUMBER 03 JULY 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 Welcome to another action packed issue of your favourite martial arts mag. Well, now that The Martial Arts Show has taken place and the manic workload that surrounded it has died down, I can report that it was a fantastic event that delivered on many fronts and had the FULL support from everyone that attended. We had some great names in attendance and our overall goal of staging a happy, enjoyable and uniting event was well and truly achieved. I would like to take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE that was either a part of the weekends activities or that attended in support, we were delighted with the show itself and even more pleased that YOU, our family, gave nothing but great feedback from your visit or involvement. I was inundated with thanks and praise although the show was obviously a huge event, spanning 3 halls and it was only our first year! I would also like to point out that a show of this size is not representative of the deeds of one man, there is just no way that it could be done. So, I would like to congratulate and thank my partners in the show, Kwoklyn Wan and Adam Jefferey for their hard work, attention to detail and the many, many long hours (month upon month) it took to ensure that we staged the greatest show on earth. I know that with your support and our continued drive and desire to see The Martial Arts Show grow, WE (you and us) have staged the launching platform for what will grow into the best martial arts event the world will have ever witnessed. So thank you and congratulations to you as without your support, it would never have taken place. You can read the full report in this issue and you can read the just how the JFCC championships, the Pro Kuo Shu, WEKAF, ARNIS ALLIANCE, and WTKA 8 man challenge events went, in next month’s issue so stay tuned. In last month’s issue we ran an article written by my old friend Sifu Yap Leong entitled “The origins of Kung Fu”. Well it certainly got the jungle drums beating. It would seem that some of you agree and some of you totally disagree. So, as always, I have offered to feature any of your letters (that are printable due in the main to the high emotions that you have expressed) in a future issue so get scribbling. Following a few e-mails about Reasonable force and its many misunderstood beliefs, I asked our resident expert Mark Dawes to provide you with the law and its guidelines so that you could be sure that you had the right details. It makes for very interesting reading so be sure to have a read, you never know, it might just prove to be a life saver. Before I leave you now to discover the many delights in store for you in this issue, make sure that you take a look at the article on pages 78 & 79. For a long time now, I have wondered when learning martial arts on the internet would kick in and just what impact it would have on the “Live” instructor. Well, I guess we are about to find out as there is now a very impressive app which has just been launched onto the market that has even been highly rated by apple itself. The app for Wing Chun really is something to behold and sets a brand new bench mark for all other apps to follow. If you are into Wing Chun (or not actually) you need to have a look at this high tech fantastic app! Be sure to check out the article on pages 78 & 79, you will be amazed.

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, Paul. Oss. 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

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REGULARS 6 14 16 20 28 32 34 36 40 48 52 55 -

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MARTIAL ARTS NEWSLINE THE NEGOTIATOR - By Aran Dharmeratnam JKD FOR ALL... - By Kwoklyn Wan COMBAT FILM - With Phil Hobden THE MAN SPEAKETH! - By Robert Devane LESSONS FOR THE CAGE - By Gavin Mulholland MIKE FINN - Real Life Encounters - Part 6 THE FORMS FORUM - With Joe Hallett THE SURVIVALIST - By Steven Timperley STAY SAFE - By Mark Dawes SHAOLIN COMBAT - With Iain Armstrong THE WARRIOR CODE - By Anthony Cummins

57 SHINOBI SOLDIERS - An Investigation Into The Ninja 160 - CLUBS DIRECTORY & CLASSIFIEDS SECTION

FEATURES 54 66 69 70 74

134

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78 80 83 84 88 92

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94 -

144

98 100 106 -

108 112 -

152

117 118 122 126 128 130 134

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THE MARTIAL ARTS SHOW The Greatest Show on Earth? F.I.T. 2010 AT TMAS ‘10 - By Joe Hallett THE KARATE KID COMPETITION TWELVE (12) - British Fight Film Takes on The UK! THREE IS DEFIANTLY A CROWD Surviving Multiple Assailant Attack WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF MARTIAL ARTS The Wing Chun App Arrives! JEET KUNE DO IN WHEELCHAIRS A Real Eye Opener! INSIDE LAU GAR KUNG FU - Grand Masters Meet THE DARTFORD DIARIES - By Fergus Dullaghan THE UNDERDOG - Why we Love ‘em FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT Healthy Living Through The Deadly Arts MODERN APPLICATIONS FOR SHAOLIN XIAO HONG QUAN CHOW GAR PRAYING MANTIS By Sifu Paul Whitrod PAT DAVIES - Internal Strength THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE A History & Evolution of Chinese Martial Arts, Zen Buddhism & The Shaolin Warrior Monks STANCE TRAINING - The Key to Wushu Excellence THE EVOLUTION OF A MARTIAL ART SYSTEM Traditional Martial Arts in The 20th Century NINTENDO WII COMPETITION HYL ENERGISER - Back to The Future For Health CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS - By Sifu Derek Frearson TAE-ROBICS - Hit’s The UK! DODGE BALL - Warm Up Games For All THE ‘RODNEY KING’ EFFECT - By Mark Dawes MMA’S TOP TEN HIGH PERCENTAGE FINISHERS

139 - NINTENDO WII COMPETITION 140 - THE ESKK COLUMN - With Chris Denwood 144 - KATA APPLICATIONS - By Sensei Charlie Neale STO001/28

152 - TANG SOO DO - By Master David Allerton 156 - GRANDMASTER M.K. LOKE - The Interview Part 2

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THE NEGOTIATOR By Aran Dharmeratnam

State of Awarness A perspective on Systema training When looking for a martial art to train in, people are usually keen to discover how a particular art or discipline can help them. Often people look for an art that can help them in a number of different ways. Some train in order to learn how to protect themselves. Others want to gain confidence or improve fitness levels. Then there are those who train as a way to gain a deeper understanding of mind and body. In the years I have spent training people in the Russian martial art, Systema I am pleased to have seen practitioners achieve a variety of goals and objectives. Through diligence and dedication, these individuals have overcome many obstacles, defeated various fears and conquered weakness. More importantly they have discovered something about them self in the process. As one gets to deeper into this Russian martial art, they start to see that it is an art that really enables practitioners to embark on a journey of self discovery. The variety of drills and challenging exercises found in Systema allows the practitioner to realise that tension and weakness can have a negative affect on tactical performance, as well as everyday life. The training can also provide ways of addressing or even removing certain weaknesses. In many ways, Systema is an art that connects people with a powerful state of awareness. This state of awareness is about awareness of the external world and the world within.

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Awareness- a familiar friend

In training

We have looked at awareness in previous features within The Negotiator. But often we have explored the type of awareness related specifically to self defence and the avoidance of aggression. At this moment in time, please try to consider awareness as a more multi functional tool that can help us in so many areas of life. And if we can project our awareness into different aspects of our life, it will help us to better understand our surroundings, our physical condition and the way we interact with others.

We strive to access a significant state of awareness in training. Within a Systema training session, students are encouraged to be aware of how their body responds within the various movement drills. They also need to be aware of their operating state. In other words, they need to be able to make sure that no negative emotions are obstructing their work. Furthermore, they should also be aware of their training partners’ general state. In realising the mental and physical state of the training partner, the student will be able to work that much more effectively. And in regards to solo training, it’s easier to select the right exercises to do, when you have a good understanding of your current state.

Optimising performance Whether it’s the actor preparing for a role, the student getting ready for an exam or an executive business person planning for a presentation, its quite possible that some tension or stress may enter during the preparatory stage, especially if there is lot of pressure on the person. But one thing this training addresses is a way for the person to detect and understand those tensions that can obstruct or hinder a person’s performance levels. By understanding how to increase one’s awareness, it becomes easier to spot how and why certain tensions enter. It also becomes easier to prevent them from negatively affecting one’s performance in carrying out certain tasks or activities.

Maintaining a balance In connecting with deeper states of awareness the Systema practitioner must also adhere to the principle of balance. If the person focuses too much on one particular form of awareness, their awareness may suffer in other areas. For example, a person could develop such an intense awareness of their own mind set or current physical state that they can end up being oblivious to what’s happening around them. Or, the person could be so connected to what’s hap-


pening in their surroundings that they fail to realise their own physical state.

How to access deeper states of awareness The first thing to realise is that relaxation is the key. Study how to relax mind, body and psyche. Through relaxation the mind is calm, the body is free and the psyche is steady. This allows the person to access a good state of awareness. In Systema there are exercises for each of these three areas and of course some exercises will work all three. Usually when I train people in the group classes or through private tuition, I can very quickly detect the state of awareness or level of relaxation they have connected with. I can then get a sense of the drills and specific aspects of training that will suit them at that moment; but often the students are encouraged to try and realise the drill or exercises that they need. In this way, the person has the chance to practise working with their awareness. Eventually it will become an accessible and efficient process. In training, another way to access deeper states of awareness is by working at slower speeds. At slower speeds it becomes easier to understand effective body movement. If one constantly rushes through certain drills, awareness can suffer. Of course, for realism, we will still work at higher speeds with certain tactical drills but in a manner that doesn’t inhibit awareness.

If a person feels that they have lost touch with the deeper state of awareness, then there are ways to reconnect. It is equally important that the person tries to get a decent amount of rest. Fatigue and stress are two factors that can jeopardise awareness or distract us from it. But as part of the restorative process to help the person reconnect with their awareness, there are, within some of the Russian martial arts, more specific exercises to harmonize the body’s awareness sphere and develop focus. And sometimes it is the most seemingly simplistic of exercises that can help recharge awareness. Quite often I will encourage many of the people who train with me to spend some time walking. What might seem like a fairly mundane form of exercise actually ties in well with some of Systema’s breathing drills. One of things that was taught to me by Russian master Mikhail Ryabko was how to use certain striking tactics as a way to help the person reconnect with their awareness. These are not destructive strikes; they are used to help the person rebalance their awareness; if it has gone too inward. On the other hand, there are also strikes that help the person connect with their internal life.

Different states of awareness Our ability to connect with deeper states of awareness also depends on discipline. With good control over mind and body, we will be more likely to

access the state of awareness necessary for that particular moment or upcoming task. I should also briefly point out that there are different states of awareness that in time the Systema exponent learns to access for specific tasks or specific settings. But the real vehicle that allows one to adapt their awareness is the breath. And capabilities gained through effective breathing are something that the student will start to explore from their very first session.

Awareness is part of the journey In Systema, awareness is a concept that will crop up at different stages of the training. Of course, awareness is something that can be honed regardless of style or disciplined studied. Certainly, on this journey, awareness will help you to see aspects of training that might otherwise go unnoticed. It can enable us to see what help, what opportunities and what allies come our way. It can also help us to be careful. There are many ways to connect with different states of awareness and this represents another interesting aspect of training to explore... Aran is a UK based teacher of Systema. 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

For the next part of this regular column why not take out a subscription, visit www.combatmag.co.uk/subscribe

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STAY SAFE By Mark Dawes

Reasonable

Force

Breaking the Myths and Misconceptions! With the laws surrounding “reasonable force” about to see some dramatic changes I asked our new resident expert Mark Dawes to shed some light on what is still regarded by many as a very grey area of the law. - Paul S Clifton, Publisher. Many people think the law is an arse. They have been conditioned to believe many things that are just not true. For example, on a course last week someone actually told me that you can only begin to defend yourself once someone has struck you first, otherwise you will be seen as the aggressor. Really? So if someone has a knife you have to wait for them to lunge at you first? That simply isn’t true. You can strike pre-emptively provided it is justified, but many people do not seem to know this. Another myth I hear perpetuated is that if you use force that hurts someone you are guilty of an assault. Therefore, you can only use force that is “non-harmful” because if you cause injury to your aggressor you will be guilty of an assault. Really? So if you are trying to strangle me (a life threatening attack) and I strike you with a shin kick and bruise or break your shin, or deliver a groin strike that would be seen as unreasonable in those circumstances? I don’t think so. 48 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK

God forbid you if you defend your home. Controversy over homeowners’ rights to self-defence has raged since the case of farmer Tony Martin who was jailed for shooting dead 16-year-old burglar Fred Barras in 1999. As a result of that case I continually hear people say that if you defend your home you will get into trouble. Apparently (according to one personal safety trainer) you actually have to drag the burglar upstairs to stop being arrested by the police for defending your property. The problem with this type of advice is that it manifests itself in people becoming confused about what they can and can’t do. It also manifests itself in physical techniques taught by some trainers that are designed to promote these myths. Sadly, many of these techniques will actually fail when tested in real circumstances.

So what are the true facts? Only 11 prosecutions out of 20 million crimes over 15 Years

In 2005, the Director of Public Prosecutions stated that during the previous 15 years (when the courts dealt with over 20 million crimes) there had only been 11 prosecutions against householders including one in which a burglar was tied up, thrown in a pit and set alight. There are many well-documented cases where an intruder has been killed without there being any prosecution of the killer.

The Case of Edward Pitkin For example, in 2008 Mr. Edward Pitkin was never prosecuted for the fatal, stabbing of 32 year-old Mark Woods whom he stabbed believing him to be a burglar breaking into his house. In this case Woods, who in a confused state after a 12 hour drink and drugs binge, believed that Mr. Pitkin was trying to stop him entering his own home. Mr. Pitkin, believing Mark Woods to be a burglar, armed himself with a kitchen knife and went downstairs. Mark Woods died as a result of a scuffle breaking out as he continued to try to enter what he believed to be his own home.


The Crown Prosecution Service announced that Mr. Pitkin would not be charged with the murder of Mark Woods because there was no proof he had acted unlawfully. The CPS further added that householders were entitled to use “reasonable force” in self-defence when facing an intruder. Rene Barclay, the CPS’s director of complex casework, said: “A person is entitled to use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances for the purpose of self-defence, the defence of another, the defence of property, or the prevention of crime.”

The Mr. Singh Case The Crown Prosecution Service has continually and repeatedly emphasised that people can use reasonable force to repel intruders. This resulted in no charges being brought against Lancashire shopkeeper Tony Singh after he stabbed to death a man who was trying to rob him. Liam Kilroe, who was attempting to rob Mr. Singh, was fatally stabbed with his own knife during the struggle in which Mr. Singh, who was also stabbed several times, was defending himself. The CPS said that in making its decision it was “determined” to ensure that those who used reasonable force to defend themselves were given the “full protection of the law”.

No Defence where force is used for Revenge But the law won’t turn a blind eye to wanton revenge. This was the stumbling block for Tony Martin, the Norfolk farmer. Martin fatally shot Fred Barras and wounded Brendan Fearon whilst they were running away. In addition Tony Martin had also told people in his locality what his intention was. It was not very hard therefore, for the prosecution to prove he was motivated by revenge for which there is no defence. No matter how understandable an individual’s desire for vengeance might be, it can never be considered a justified defence by a court of law, and the recent case of the Hussain brothers again highlights the courts view on this.

The Mr. Hussain Case Mr Hussain, a businessman from High Wycome, was overpowered at knifepoint by burglars and tied up while they ransacked his house and

put his family in danger. Mr Hussain managed to get free, pursued the robbers, and while two of them got away, the third robber, Salim, was cornered in a neighbour’s front garden. He was then set upon by Mr. Hussain and his brother Tokeer, with a metal pole and a cricket bat. He was struck so hard that the bat broke and he suffered a fractured skull giving him brain damage. In December 2009, Munir Hussain was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for violently attacking Walid Salem. In sentencing the Hussain brothers, Judge John Reddihough told them it was his “public duty” to jail Munir Hussain for 30 months and his brother for 39 months. “It may be that some members of the public, or media commentators, will assert that the man Salem deserved what happened to him ... and that you should not have been prosecuted and need not be punished,” he said. “However, if persons were permitted to take the law into their own hands and inflict their own instant and violent punishment on an apprehended offender rather than letting justice take its course, then the rule of law and our system of criminal justice, which are the hallmarks of a civilised society, would collapse.” The judge said it was necessary to “make it absolutely clear that, whatever the circumstances, persons cannot take the law into their own hands, or carry out revenge attacks upon a person who has offended them”. However, in January 2010, the Court of Appeal freed Mr Hussain noting that the case was one of “true exceptionality”. In “an act of mercy” and acknowledging the intense public “call for mercy” the Court commuted Mr Hussain’s 30-month sentence to one year and suspended it for two years. Mr Hussain’s brother, Tokeer, who had also been convicted of serious assault for the attack on the burglar and who was sentenced to 39 months imprisonment had his sentence reduced to two years on appeal, but not suspended, as it was relevant to recognise that the brother had not himself been the victim of any crime...

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MARTIALARTSSHOW the

www.themartialartsshow.com

By Paul S Clifton

The Greatest Show on Earth? So, did The Martial Arts Show live up to its expectations, did the event that everyone wanted to see happen in the Midlands go off without a hitch and was it really . . . the greatest show on earth? Well, and whilst I would simply love to say yes to all of the above, I would rather tell you the truth . . . So, here goes . . . Yes, it not only lived up to our expectations, it was better than we could have planned in many ways. And, whilst it did have a few teething problems, they were more about the smaller issues of the production values, and unless you were a part of the production team on the day, you would never have noticed. So from that perspective, yes it did live up to its expectations! Did it go off without a hitch? Well, no it didn’t, we had a few problems and to be fair when you consider the size of the event (two and a half halls) and that it was our first, I think that with all the support we received, we staged a fantastic (first of many) event. To be blunt, the problems we incurred were born from service providers and not the martial arts fraternity.

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The one thing that we wanted to create or gain from the show was for it to be an enjoyable, interesting and “must revisit” experience and I believe that we managed to do that, judging by the amount of compliments and “See you next year” quotes that we had both at the event and after it. As for the content of the show itself it was truly fantastic! Everyone that played their part did so with consummate professionalism and every demonstration, guest appearance and seminar, in fact every facet of the show was better than anyone could have hoped for! Having created and staged many large events I can honestly say that with regards to the martial artists who were involved in the show, they simply couldn’t have done a better job than they did, so well done to you ALL ! One of the highlights of the show was the Dragon and Lion Dance troupes that opened the event and as you can see from the photo’s, they

attracted a great deal of attention and rightly so. The audience were spell bound and the feedback was fantastic, something that we will have to repeat next year. Another feat of skill was the sight of Peter Love washing his hands, arms and face in a bowl of broken bottle glass!!! I think that this along with his successful attempt at setting a new World Record for breaking chopsticks on his throat captured the imagination of the massive audience in attendance. For anyone “into” Britain’s Got Talent (the TV show) The Martial Arts Show provided a superb surprise in the form of the TV shows semi final achievers Shaolin TEAM, who gave several highly charged and fantastic demonstrations throughout the weekend. Shaolin TEAM, (which stands for Together Everyone Achieves More) gave 100% every time they took to the stage and Mathew (together with the entire Shaolin TEAM crew) quickly became very firm favourites with all that attended and were followed around the event from the moment they arrived. There were many very senior martial arts practitioners that graced The Martial Arts Show with their presence, which for me, placed the event on the must see list of every “real” martial arts practitioner and fan alike. Amongst the many very supportive seniors were; Terry O’Neill, Ronnie Colwell, Yap Leong, Ed Parker Jnr, Alfie Lewis, Ronnie Green, Reny Latosa, Peter Consterdine, Braulio Estima, Pat O’Malley, Scott Adkins, Shaun Boland, Dragan Radovic and his son Rajko, Alan Gibson, Brian


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Dossett, Kevin Pell, Charles Longdon Hughes, Kevin Mills, Chris Denwood, Peter Love, Eddie Quinn, Frank Massar, Jamie Clubb, Jim Uglow, Paul Whitrod, Joe Hallett, Rick Hinchcliffe, Tony Vohra, Zara Phythian, Robert Devanne, Robbie Brookside, Robert Higgs, John Burke, Shaun Rawcliffe, John Ives, John Skillen, Julian Dale, Mandy Johnson, Mark Kirton, Mak Yuree, Matthew Ahmet, Matt Tucker, Mick Gooch, Mike Selby, Paul Drury, Paul Smith, Peter Brown and not to mention the fabulous Gok Wan!- Thank you to you all, you helped make a great event that much more special!!! Throughout the weekend there was a constant stream of people that took the time out to thank us for bringing martial arts back to the Midlands, making it more accessible to the wider community. We had people from Scotland, Wales and the Emerald isle travel to take part or witness the tremendous and vast array of martial arts talent that the show provided.

There was also a large amount of International visitors that made the trip to take part in the many FREE activities such as the seminars, Workshops and tournaments. We also staged the screening of Scott Adkins new film; Undisputed and whilst we had a delay in the screening everyone was very patient as was the truly fantastic Scott. You can be sure that you will be hearing a great deal more of Scott in the future as he really is one of the UK’s brightest acting talents! There was also an overriding air of happiness, a feeling of being a part of something that was “meant to be” rather than a business or commercial environment. Yes the companies that assisted the show in being able to take place, by taking a stand at it, had very a good response, but they too were a part of the atmosphere - It was more like a gathering of friends than a commercial entity. There were people there that hadn’t seen each other for

several years that expressed their delight at the way everyone had conducted themselves. It truly exceeded our expectations and I know that I say this on behalf of everyone involved, we too had the greatest time so, THANK YOU, you all made it a fantastic event and we look forward to seeing you all again next year at the greatest martial arts show. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my partners in crime on this event, Kwoklyn Wan and Adam Jeffery for they made it a most memorable and enjoyable adventure. Without them, not only would The Martial Arts Show not have taken place, it would not have been anywhere near as good as it was, congratulations partners. I would also like to give a special mention to Jan Harley, Jack, Craig, Nick, Eddie, Tracey, Nia, Mike, Sam, Dave, Lak and all the Urban team for their very hard work as well as my own family, Donna, Paige and Pierce, you all made the weekend a VERY special and enjoyable one, so, Thank you . I suppose the BIG question would be - if we had time to change the way we did some of the things we did at the show, would we do them differently - well, yes we would. But, if you were to ask me, would we change any of the people that were a part of the show - the answer would be a resounding NO - THEY WERE ALL TERRIFIC!!! I’ll leave you now to enjoy the photo’s from the event and look forward to seeing you all again next year when we will once again aim to stage the Greatest Martial Arts Show on Earth - With your support of course!!!

MARTIAL ARTS SHOW the

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MARTIAL ARTS SHOW the

THE NEC BIRMINGHAM 22ND & 23RD MAY 2010

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MARTIAL ARTS SHOW the

THE NEC BIRMINGHAM 22ND & 23RD MAY 2010

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Results on Line... Rules & Regulations on Line... Rankings on Line... Find out what makes it the most EXCITING, REAL & SAFEST format in Kickboxing! And its just for JUNIORS... The FUTURE is on line @ www.juniorfullcontactcouncil.co.uk

Visit our stand at

THE MARTIAL ARTS SHOW (Stand R10)


win - sony pictures home entertainment & combat magazine competition - win

Parts I & II

magazine has teamed up with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to bring you an amazing competition. We have a Sony PS3 plus copies ray movies and a karate kid t-shirt of both Bluto giveaway to one lucky winner! We also 3 runners up prizes of the 2 Blu-ray movies have & t-shirt to giveaway! For your chance to win one of thes prizes simply tell us the answer to e amazing the following question... Who played Mr. Miyagi in the orig series of Karate Kid movies? inal Email your answers to karatekidcomp@martialartsinpr int.com along with your name and contact number

The Original and the Sequel Sweep onto Blu-ray Disc on July 19 courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

© 1984 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved

A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in The Karate Kid. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobra Kai, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra Kai leader’s ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend, but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi (Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita), whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self, mind, and body and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi’s guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film. THE KARATE KID BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE: * Commentary with Director John G. Avildsen, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Actors Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita * Three Featurettes: “The Way of the Karate Kid”; “Beyond the Form” and “Life of Bonsai” * “East Meets West: A Composer’s Notebook” * Blu-Pop - ((tm)Activate the exclusive Blu-ray Exclusive) pop feature to reveal pop up trivia, interviews and more secrets from the film! © 1986 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita re-create the roles that brought them international acclaim in The Karate Kid II. Karate student, Daniel Larusso (Macchio), accompanies his wise and whimsical teacher, Mr. Miyagi (Morita), to his ancestral home in Okinawa. For the boy, it’s a journey to an exotic new world offering new clues to his mentor’s secret past. For Miyagi, it’s an opportunity to see his father one last time and to rekindle a romance with his childhood sweetheart (Nobu McCarthy). But Miyagi’s return also re-ignites a bitter feud with long-time enemy, Sato (Danny Kamekona) - a feud that involves young Daniel in a brilliant collision of cultures and combat. Now, far away from the tournaments, the cheering crowds and the safety of home, Daniel will face his greatest challenge ever when teacher becomes student and the price of honor is life itself. THE KARATE KID II BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE: * “The Sequel” Featurette * Blu-Pop - (tm)Activate the exclusive Blu-ray Exclusive) pop feature to reveal pop up trivia and more secrets from the film! “Oscar(r)” is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

For more information on this title contact: Cahir@dna-pr.com Tel: 01273 772 155

Artwork and digital clips are available for download at www.sphepublicity.com Visit Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on the Web at www.SonyPictures.com.

fantastic Karate Kid t-shirt courtesy of those nice people at

Viewers will have the opportunity to master Karate Kid-related trivia based on both films with the exclusive Blu-Pop feature, a picture-in-picture which includes “pop- up” interviews and trivia, fun film facts, anecdotes from the actors and martial arts information. The Karate Kid Blu-Pop feature also contains brand new interviews with stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka! Viewers can also reminisce via featurettes: “The Way of the Karate Kid,” “Beyond the Form,” and “Life of Bonsai” as well as commentary with Oscar(r) winning director John G. Avildsen (Rocky), writer Robert Mark Kamen (The Fifth Element) and stars Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita on The Karate Kid. The Karate Kid II also includes a “sequel” featurette “The Sequel”.


Official Website; www.12dvd.co.uk

‘12’

British fight film takes on the UK!

‘12’ (aka Underground) follows the fortunes of twelve fighters competing in an underground tournament for a winner take all prize of £500,000. The no holds barred ‘entertainment’ is staged at various secretly selected venues and broadcast live to an elite clientele who bet on the fights for their personal gain and amusement. What elevates the plot of ‘12’ above similar tournament films is the fact that between the impressive fights each of the twelve fighters has a different reason for fighting and is given a well-defined back story, ensuring that different viewers will root for different characters for different reasons. Writer/Director Chee Keong Cheung, through his own ‘Intense Productions’ and actor and producer Mark Strange, a former National Chinese Full Contact Champion and National Chinese Forms Champion, have together crafted an independent film that looks far bigger budgeted than it is, packing in the fight scenes and retaining a strong sense of Britishness whilst still appealing to a wider audience as proven by the fact that it has already sold healthily Worldwide, including the USA, Germany, Poland, Australia, Latin America and Japan as well as picking up an Accolade Award in the US for the action and screening in numerous festivals around the world. ‘12’ is a great advert for British inde-

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pendent film-making and both Chee and Mark have been able to bring a fresh new style and quality to the independent scene. The dramatic scenes in ‘12’ feature solid acting talent in the form of Danny John-Jules (`Blade II´, `Red Dwarf´), Sophie Linfield (`Football Factory´) and Leonard Fenton (‘Eastenders’). It is the high-octane and gritty fights, however, that will be many fans major point of interest and on this front ‘12’ delivers strongly as it seamlessly mixes balletics with brutality to give us the most consistent, kinetic and enjoyable fight action in a British movie to date; action that not only sets the benchmark for future filmmakers but guarantees the film cult status. Martial-arts aficionados

will find this no surprise as Chee and Mark brought top stunt-performer and fight choreographer Dave Forman on board to oversee the numerous and complex fight scenes. Dave’s career in front of the camera saw him play Leonardo in ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ and perform stunts in the Bond movies, ‘Tomb Raider’ and ‘The Mummy Returns’, whilst behind the camera he has worked on such projects as ‘Clash of the Titans’, ‘Batman Begins’ and ‘The Last Samurai’. To convincingly ‘sell’ the diverse and physically demanding fight sequences, the Director integrated genuine top martial artists into his cast, many of whom are well known to ‘Combat’ readers. Alongside the aforementioned Mark Strange, these include the irrepressible Nathan, ‘Megatron’ Lewis (former Combat Hall of Famer), Zara Phythian, Joey Ansah, Glenn Salvage and Shane Steyn. The results are some exceptional match-ups, which are both inventive and varied with the mix of fighters providing a diverse range of techniques, fighting ranges and styles within the tournament framework. Add a moody colour palette, a range of atmospheric locations and fluid cinematography and you have a feast for fight fans that moves with lightning speed to its brutal conclusion...


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Three is defiantly

By Kevin O’Hagan

a crowd

surviving multiple assailant attack When most people behind their journey into martial arts, they probably have visions of obtaining those magical skills, where they will be able to dispatch assailant after assailant with relative ease, just like the film or video hero from the many martial arts epics. Once they have journeyed a while they begin to realise that to achieve such things are nigh on impossible. Even with; many years of hard training under their belts, if they are honest they will admit handling; more than one attacker is very hard to do and come out unscathed. Others though that live in a fantasy world of; martial arts will still profess how they can easily do it. After all they have done it many times in the Dojo and on demonstration teams. But let’s just hold it a minute and go for a reali-

ty check here with these people and ask a few vital questions. Firstly were the attacks rehearsed, i.e. did you know what was coming at you. Secondly did the attackers take it in turns to come in and deliver their attack? Thirdly, did they dutifully fall down after your first blow, sweep etc. If so, then this is not what multiple attacks are all about. No doubt if you trained in the above methods it is great fun and

you will develop your technique and reflexes, but it will not help you against a real multiple attack scenario on the street. Why? Well, you must remember if your multiple attack strategies stem from film/ video, you must remember the stuntmen are getting paid good money to fall over for the star of the film, also they must make him/ her look their best. In reality your attackers will not be falling down for you. They will attempt to attack as a pack, all at once or try to blind side you, then, sucker punch you out. They will not line up in regimental order waiting for their turn to have a go, nor will they all circle you in fighting stance like one of the classic old time Kung FU movies. The attackers will be like a pack of wolves after a lamb. They will crowd, imitate, hurl abuse, push, shove and then attack in savage fury. If you are overwhelmed and fall to the floor they will kick and stomp you to bits and they will not stop. To many accounts in the media have illustrated this with innocent people dying as a result of being kicked relentlessly on the floor...

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Jeet Kune Do in

Wheelchairs A Real Eye Opener!

Martial arts for people with a disability took a major step forward recently when Spinal Injuries Ireland (who run a Jeet Kune Do self defence program) were privileged to host a seminar in Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, with Sibak Andy Kimura as the guest instructor. Andy Kimura, Senior instructor at the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute of Seattle is the son of Sigung Taky Kimura, Bruce Lee’s close friend and highest ranked student. The Jun Jan Gung Fu Institute of Seattle was founded in 1960 by the late Bruce Lee the founder of the Martial Art OF Jeet Kune Do. Spinal Injuries Ireland have being pursuing their goal to create a self defense program that “Really works” for wheelchair users since 2003. Spinal Injuries Ireland’s JDK instructors Declan Breen and Colm Whooley

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met Andy Kimura and Alain De Preter of Antwerp JKD at a seminar in Belfast held by Martin O’Neill of JKD Ireland. It was while attending this seminar that the seed of an idea was planted. Would it be possible to get Andy and Tacky Kimura to agree to hold a seminar for Spinal Injuries Ireland? The first step in this journey was last October when six members of Spinal Injuries Ireland JKD self defense program traveled to Antwerp in Belgium to train with Alain De Preter of the Antwerp School of Martial Arts . It is fair to say that Alain De Preter and his colleague’s were impressed with the technical ability and passion of the group. At the end of the weekend Alain agreed to ask Taky and Andy Kimura when he was next in Seattle if they would consider putting a seminar for Spinal Injuries Ireland together. Alain De Preter outlined how committed and passionate Spinal Injuries Ireland JKD self defence group where about developing a real and practical self defence program. Taky and Andy agreed to travel from Seattle to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin where Spinal Injuries Ireland run their JDK self defense program for both inpatients and individuals from around the country. Unfortunately a couple of weeks before Tacky and Andy where due to travel to Dublin, to quote Taky “I had a small heart attack” Thankfully

Sigung Taky has made a good recovery but under the advice of his doctors he was unable to travel. While Spinal Injuries Ireland’s JKD group where very disappointed that Taky could not travel, they were of course relieved that Taky had made a good recovery. We were delighted that Andy agreed to still travel to Dublin and were pleased to hear that Alain said he would travel from Belgium to assist Andy. As the date of the seminar drew close the group was anxious that they would be able to demonstrate to Andy what they where capable off. The group spent a weekend before the seminar training with a person in a “Redman suit” so that they could perfect and hone their skills. They were also anxious that Andy would see beyond their wheelchairs and disability and recognize them as fellow martial artists and brothers in JKD. They needn’t have worried because within minutes of arriving and meeting the group, it was clear that Andy like his father Tacky is a very special Sifu, who is without doubt going to continue the promotion and development of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do. To start the day Andy had a special surprise for the group. Taky had filmed and recorded a personal message for them. You could hear a pin drop as the group watched and listened to Taky apologies for being


unable to attend the seminar because of “a small heart attack”. It was a very special moment, one of the greatest martial artists and highest ranked instructors in Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do and closest friends of Bruce Lee acknowledged the Spinal Injuries Ireland JKD program. After the message from Taky the group got down to training. Andy regaled the group with stories about Bruce Lee and his father Tacky as he moved around the group working on an individual basis with the participants whilst also sparring with Alain demonstrating a particular move, before looking to see if it would work for us. From previous experience with several instructors who insisted on showing us techniques that would never work as wheelchair users. We knew what it was to have instructors “say it will work if you work on it, when we could see clearly that it would never work” Andy was so different, he listened and worked with us

he even suggested that himself and Alain got into a wheelchair while acknowledge that our balance is very different as wheelchair users. Alain drew the short straw. As wheelchair users we have seen able-bodied individuals hop into a wheelchair not allowing that they can tip right over if not careful, so we decided that Alain was expendable “only joking Alain” To put the day in context some of the participants traveled a round trip of 400 miles to attend. All too quickly the seminar was over, Andy just kept on going, anxious to impart as much of his skills that he had learned from his father Taky. I think it is fair to say that while the training with Andy was so special for the group more important was the fact that Andy took the time to travel over from Seattle in the USA to acknowledge the Spinal Injuries Ireland JKD program. The ultimate goal of Spinal Injuries Ireland JDK program is to continue to

improve its program for people with a disability but ultimately to create a JKD program that can be learn by any individuals with a disability anywhere in the world. The support from Taky and Andy Kimura has taken us one step closer to our goal. We hope that perhaps in the future the Bruce Lee Foundation might consider supporting and approving our program. To quote Bruce Lee: “If you always put a limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” As it has been said before when we write about our Self Defence Program, none of this would have been possible without the continued support of our good friend Sifu Martin O’Neill of Jeet Kune Do Ireland. For more details see: www.wheelchairjkd.com

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Dartford Diaries The

By Fergus Dullaghan

Fighters Correspondent Fergus Dullaghan recently joined the British Judo team in Dartford as they enter the final stages of their preparation for the judo World Cup in Sofia. His aim? To find out how elite judo players prepare for top events. Training with the British team for a week during their intensive training camp in Dartford, had seemed like an excellent idea when I proposed it to my editor. But as the time grew nearer the gravity of what I was about to take on began to dawn on me. When Patrick Roux (the legendary French judoka and current British national coach) sent me the training program, it finally clicked that I would be trying to keep up with Olympic calibre athletes for up to six hours a day over six days of the week. I would be fighting, rolling and being slammed into the unforgiving tatami’s at British Judo’s Headquarters by full-time elite athletes. Moreover, they would all be in peak condition as a result of being in the build-up for a major international tournament, whereas I had been off the mat injured for the best part of two months.

To be fair, perhaps I over-dramatised a little there: I am myself a former full time judo player, and I was looking forward to training with old friends. Still it had been eighteen months since I had tried to train at this intensity and I was surprised (and uncomfortable) to discover the butterflies were fluttering like dragons even though I used to consider training like this to be my job.

small rehab clinic...And it’s all for the exclusive use of the judo players! As a continual reminder of what the athletes should be focused on, in the foyer there is a countdown timer, which ticks down the hours minutes and seconds until the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. All in all, it’s almost certainly the most professional establishment in the country geared solely towards a martial art.

Day One: Monday

10:00 Speed Lactate circuit.

The facilities at Dartford are phenomenal! The dojo has permanently laid mats covering the size of three contest areas, complete with a sprung floor to help us ricochet off it when we are thrown. It also has a viewing gallery, weights room, sauna, cafe area, and an in-house physio and doctor who make use of the centre’s

Patrick Roux informs me that the purpose of the circuit is to develop lactate tolerance in a way that is sport specific. So rather than sprinting round a track we now overload our cardio vascular system with judo focused exercises, (rough translation: ...this is going to hurt...a lot).

Stream of consciousness: We begin the warm up with a jog. There is a cinema-size projector on the wall and (via some sort of technological wizardry) the heart rates of about half a dozen elite squad players are being projected onto it as a guide for the coaches...there can be no cheating it seems. Next onto the judo equivalent of shadow boxing. More warm up exercises follow for about half an hour. We then get into groups of three. I am lucky to end up with Tom Reed and Luke Taylor as both are nice guys and fantastic athletes. (Tom is an exteam mate of mine from Team Bath which relaxes me a bit). 84 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK


The circuit: (approx. 3 mins on with six minutes active “recovery”) * Lateral shuttle runs in a half squat (1 min) * Uchikomi (=drills) x 10 - throw on tenth (crash mat) * Resistance uchikomi (5x5sec) throw (crash mat) * Nage komi (throwing ) x 5

The circuits begin. One athlete goes at a time, the others in the group shout encouragement. I start off, skipping sideways in a figure of eight circuit around little plastic football cones. I find this surprisingly hard work on the adductors as a low semi squat position must be held at all times. Next: Uchi komi (drilling) ten super fast entries, throwing your partner on the tenth and then straight into the resistance throwing drills. Resistance throwing is when I (for example) turn in to throw Tom but our third man Luke is holding him down. I have to continue to drive forward, trying to throw both

of them with 100 % energy for five seconds. At the count of five Luke releases Tom. This creates the effect of an archer releasing the string on his bow and I smash Tom into the crash mat. We do this five times. Then I throw Luke and Tom until I’ve completed another five throws...(As ever the bit that drains you most is trying to get up out of the crash mat to continue). The circuit is totally anaerobic and I am already tired. The others go, but instead of recovering of course now it is my turn to be thrown. We feed the active player one after another, getting up off the crash mat as the next passive player crashes into it. You then run round the crash mat to get thrown again and repeat the process. This means that in your rest times...you are active, very active. On my third set (over 30 minutes into the circuit and almost an hour into the class) I notice that many players are dropping to their knees in exhaustion upon completion. This pleases me

as it means I can do it too. The lack of recovery time is starting to bite. A coach says to me (as I am on my knees) that I can stop after set four as I am only a guest. I appreciate the gesture - but that’s not the spirit in which I came. Set four. (I try to turn the coach’s comments to my advantage by making myself feel offended rather than tempted by them - this is difficult). Tom is encouraging me through the circuit... the man is a perfect training partner. Faster! Harder! Use that Strength!! I am getting sloppy on some of my throws; Tom forces me to correct myself. Finally I’ve finished...I am dizzy now. There is not enough oxygen coming in...I need a drink. I recover as best I can in thirty seconds or so as Tom does his shuttle run before I am needed as a training partner again...

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The

UWhny dWeeLorved‘eomg By Ben Cartlidge

pictures copyright

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It’s hard to define why the role of the underdog has such an important place in mixed martial arts. In a sport where anything can change in a split second and where an infinite number of variables govern the difference between having your hand raised and being woken up, it is inevitable that upsets will happen. In the sport of mma where a fight can end in so many different ways it is natural to expect a certain level of surprising results. With the rate that the sport continues to evolve, there is incredible talent all over the world away from the bright lights of the bigger shows. There are a number of reasons why fans are attracted to getting behind the underdogs and why some fighters perform well in this position. Randy Couture, perhaps the greatest achieving underdog in the UFC, often talks about his love for fighting the odds and looking at his record of title reigns in different weight classes it would be hard to argue this with him. Randy Couture’s victory against Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 back in March 2007 ranks as one of the great examples of an underdog victory. Couture was coming out of retirement after a year away from the sport following his second loss to Chuck Liddell. He was given commentating duties by the UFC and it was after watching Tim Sylvia’s lacklustre performances against Andrei Arlovski and Jeff Monson that he was spurred into action. Couture signed a new deal with the UFC and was given a title shot against the much favoured Sylvia. All the press before the fight had referenced the factors that stood in the way of Couture’s unlikely victory such as his age, weight, reach, stand up technique and power. A Randy Couture victory seemed a long shot at best. The fight was merely 8 seconds old when a punch connected that bought the crowd to their feet. Couture threw a leg kick and followed it up with a swooping overhand right which caught Sylvia on the button sending him flailing to the canvas. Couture quickly swarmed on his downed foe and took his back which he would keep for the entire of the first round. This incident seemed to dictate the whole of the fight as Couture defied the odds once again by out-wrestling, out-striking and outworking the heavily favoured champion. It was a performance that embodied the spirit of the underdog perfectly to the fight community. The fight community that remembered Buster Douglas, that cheered for the karate kid and would have bought the pay per view for David vs. Goliath if it was available.

Randy Couture is a perfect example of a fighter who takes the role of the underdog and creates a positive outcome from it. He realised that the pressure in this situation wasn’t on him. If he lost then this was expected by the public and the favourite was clearly meant to win. Neither party would gain or lose anything significant from this outcome. However if he won then he would be the era defining champion, who overcame the insurmountable odds. In this situation it is easy to see why the pressure is on the favourite as doesn’t have a great deal to gain from victory but stands to lose a lot from defeat. Couture also talked about the motivational aspect that this role can give by encouraging fighters to train hard to prove to the people who doubted their talent and ability. In the recent history of the sport there is one fight that still proves to be one of the greatest upsets of all time. It would come shortly after Couture’s epic encounter with Sylvia as TUF4 champion Matt Serra took on George “Rush” St Pierre at UFC 69. The bookmakers had St Pierre as a heavy favourite at -1300, 1/13

in fractional odds, which are incredible odds for any fight. George St Pierre was on a trail of destruction in the UFC and had recently stopped legendary welterweight champion Matt Hughes in two blistering rounds. He was the archetypal dominant athlete at 170lbs and one that seemed to represent the future of the division. Matt Serra had fought at 155lbs before and was giving away height, reach, athleticism and wrestling ability. Throughout the taping of TUF4 Serra’s never say die attitude had become a big part of his appeal to the fans. He worked hard for both himself and his team and his prize for winning the show was a shot at welterweight glory. As he made his way into the arena it was clear he was determined to make this opportunity count. Serra came in at +850, nearly 9/1, against St Pierre which still remains some of the longest odds ever given to a UFC fighter...

To read the rest of this article why not take out a subscription by calling +44 (0) 121 351 6930 Sylvia vs Couture @ ufc68

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Modern applica

Shaolin xiao In the region of the Song Mountain, Dengfeng City in the Henan province lays the Shaolin Temple. Claimed to be the birthplace of martial arts the temple is also referred to as ‘the number one temple under heaven’ and it is here where students, monks and practitioners of various styles of martial arts gather to practise Kung Fu and Buddhism. The Shaolin monks have been practising and refining their Kung Fu for over 1,500 years, originally stemming from an Indian monk called Dharma who taught the monks various methods to improve their health, and to stop them from falling asleep while meditating. Xiao hong quan (mandarin pronunciation) is known under various translations as; small ‘Hong’ fist, small ‘red’ fist and small ‘flooding’ fist, and in its original form is well over one thousand years old. It is one of the most traditional and oldest forms presently taught at the temple and around the world due to the popularity and spread of Shaolin Kung Fu. The name ‘Hong’ originates from Hongwu part of the Hong clan, this was the title of the reign of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Xiao hong quan consists of approximately 64 steps and there are internal and external versions for all techniques. The most beautiful part of learning xiao hong quan is that it embodies all the reason

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why martial artists practise tao lu (forms) by letting the individual express themselves through the movements, embracing ‘active meditation’. A great testament to this is the fact that there are so many slightly different versions of small ‘hong’ fist where it has been modified to meet modern times and the practitioner’s ability passed from master to student. Active meditation is one aspect of learning xiao hong quan that can be applied the modern day, some practise the form for this alone completely removing the techniques original purpose, only using them to channel their energy. This method uses external movements to train internal chi and the practitioners mind, making

them aware of their actions whether they are sitting, sleeping, eating and their surroundings but completely being relaxed and at peace. As times change forms continue to evolve to meet requirements of the modern day, I often get students asking me why we bother practising ma bu (horse stance) as they will rarely be on horse back, to which I usually say in time you will answer your own questions. Sure enough after one month of ma bu practise, they can jump higher, kick faster and harder, they are more stable and have controlled posture! It didn’t improve his stability on a horse but as a result his overall ability dramatically increased, the same student then approached me and said he uses ma bu to improve his basketball practise, isn’t this a perfect example of modernising a technique! Xiao hong quan is only one example of many forms that you can incorporate into everyday activities and why after so many years it is still standing strong. “Forms are an essential part of my training. shifu emphasizes the importance of learning forms to strengthen your stances and build explosive power. Teaching the fundamentals in balance, stance and fluidity, when practiced correctly they can build incredible core strength and have many practical applications...


tions for

hong quan

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The Evolution of a Martial System Part 6 By David Weeks

‘Traditional Martial Arts in The Twentieth Century’ [In Part 6 we look at the life of Wing Chun kung fu’s most iconic modern figure Yip Man and how his reputation as an instructor par excellence attracted a young man who would become Martial Art’s most beloved figure. 1V. ‘China Man’. The most important figure in modern Wing Chun kung fu history is undoubtedly Yip Man. Born October 14th 1893 in Fut Shan Province, China, Yip [or Ip] Man would grow up to deeply love and yet, ultimately, leave his ‘mother’ country. Some books have stated that Leung-Jong was Yip’s first Wing Chun instructor but in fact Yip was accepted as a student, when only a small child, by family friend Grandmaster Chan Wah Shun and via the tutelage also of one of Chan’s senior students Ng Chun Sao. [Note: The Chinese custom is to list the surname first.] The young boy showed great natural ability, quickly absorbing techniques and making great strides in his kung fu skills but, at the age of

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fifteen, Man’s father asked his son to go to British-ruled Hong Kong and study business there, in order that Yip could gain a respectable career for his adult future. Shortly after settling in Hong Kong Yip met Leung Pik - [or Bil, according to your source material(?)] - son of the late Grandmaster Leung Chan and their conversation soon turned to Wing Chun. Man had thought his skills quite advanced but was proven wrong in this assumption when Leung Pik evidenced skills and techniques which Man had never even seen before. Soon, Man was studying the art anew, under Leung’s tutelage and by 1914, when he’d completed his academic studies and returned to China, Yip’s Wing Chun was truly awesome. Back home in Fut Shan Yip found employment as a policeman; married and fathered four children and enjoyed an idyllic life with his large circle of friends, family and financially comfortable employ. Man also established himself as a formidable martial artist, attracting others from miles around to come and swap techniques with him. In 1937 Yip Man’s life - along with countless thousands of others - collapsed around him when Japan invaded China and began to rule the sleepy provinces tyrannically. No longer able to earn a decent living under the harsh economic climate created by the Japanese rule Yip resorted to teaching Wing Chun, in

order to provide finances to provide food for himself and his family. By 1945 the Second World War was over and the Japanese were defeated but things didn’t improve, as the stern rule of the Japanese was replaced by the confusing upheaval of the new Communist government in China. For awhile Yip remained in his beloved China; hoping that the ‘climate’ of fear would dissipate but finally, in 1950, Man moved his family to Hong Kong and at the rather advanced age of fifty-seven, opened his first commercial Wing Chun ‘school’ in Kowloon. As word of his skills quickly spread, a second school opened and Man’s reputation as the premier Wing Chun instructor throughout Asia blossomed. [Most of the world’s leading Wing Chun practitioners over the following years were trained at Yip’s schools, solidifying Man’s reputation as the ‘Father of modern Wing Chun’.]

III. Man trains Dragon! The most influential and celebrated personality in modern martial arts history was born November 27th 1940 in San Francisco, USA. His parents were touring America with a Chinese theatre company at the time and his mother named him Li Jun Fan [Return Again] because she had experienced the harshness of life in Asia and hoped that her son would one day return to ‘the land of the free’ and settle there.


The family returned to Hong Kong in 1941 and young Jun Fan soon became known simply as ‘Bruce’; a nickname which stuck with him throughout the rest of his life; along with the moniker his sister gave her energetic younger sibling ‘Little Dragon’...

To read the rest of this article why not order a back issue, visit www.combatmag.co.uk/backissue

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win - nintendo wii / all star karate competion - win

All Star

Karate New Nintendo Wii game

In All Star Karate, players will follow the life of a young, martial arts novice whose noble attempt to save an elderly man from a pack of ninjas brings him face-to-face with a true karate master. The sensei, a cantankerous old-timer, offers his services and teaches his new protoge the proper techniques and disciplines of karate and guides him toward achieving the black belt. In single-player, Career mode, players will execute and master various karate moves utilizing the Wii Remote‚ and Nunchuk, or two Wii Remotes, in order to attain the seven different colored belts or achievement levels in karate, including the black belt. Additionally, players can show off their hand, kicking and blocking techniques by sparring with a friend in Challenge mode or by creating their own move sequences to perform with the Kata Editor. All Star Karate will challenge players to punch, kick and chop their way through the game with play features based on real karate moves. With optional Wii MotionPlus‚ compatibility, the game offers a true full-body experience by allowing players to experience the life of a karate trainee who is under the guidance of a wise, but humorous sensei, and is on the path toward attaining a black belt, the highest achievement level in karate. Perform real karate moves in the all new All Star Karate. Train to defeat a villainous ninja under the (often humorous) guidance of your Sensei. Experience the excitement of competition and the achievement of earning a new belt! Key Features Wii Centered Gameplay: Choose between using the WiiRemote and Nunchuk or two WiiRemotes to play out different karate moves. Optionally, the WiiMotion Plus can be used to enhance the experience further in key game environments. Unlock As You Train: Develop your skills in Career Mode to unlock new challenges and awards. Work your way through the 7 different colored belts until you achieve black! Real-life Application: Players are taught real karate terminology and history in a fun and interactive way. The aim is to encourage youngsters to explore the discipline and practice of karate. Humour All The Way: Catch the random buzzing flies, and slap your Sensei when he starts to nod off. Learning karate couldn’t be more fun! Multiplayer Fun: Challenge your friends and family to sparring matches and more. Who will triumph?

COMPETITION Here at combat magazine with have teamed up with our friends at ‘All Star Karate’ to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a Nintendo Wii console and a copy of the ‘All Star Karate’ game! We also have 2 more copies of the game for 2 lucky runners up! Four your chance to win one of these fabulous prizes simply answer the following question...

Which of the following words means martial arts... a) Bado (b) Bido (c) Budo Email your answers to

wiicomp@martialartsinprint.com

s ective logo their resp arate and emarks of THQ Inc. K r ta S ll HQ, A rights ed trad HQ Inc. T or register ks, logos and copy rs. © 2010 T arks and/ ne ar are tradem . All other tradem their respective ow reserved operty of pr e th All rights e ar


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HYL Energiser Back to the future For Health By Sifu David Hefferon BDS Dip HomTox AIAOMT

Huang Di, the yellow Emperor, who reigned in the middle of the third millennium BC and is symbolically thought of as the founder of the Chinese nation is responsible for the writing of the Nei Jing. Through a series of conversations with Qi Bo, he brought about the writing of the Nei Jing. exercises. The HYL Energiser was developed by Sigung Yap Leong through his knowledge of Taoist Philosophy, Meditation, Healing, Spiritual Practice and Martial Arts. Sigung Yap Leong has incorporated his extensive years of Martial arts experience, understanding of the use of the Five Elements according to Chinese Philosophy and Qi Gong exercises to bring the development of the HYL Energiser to fruition. The HYL Energiser can be used to enhance the immune system to prevent illnesses and

‘‘

produce these changes in the body then they should be measurable. To remove the placebo effect I decided to test the blood cells and their immune response to the practice of the HYL Energiser. It is not possible to talk a blood cell into feeling better or to give a hug to make it feel better. A blood cell will only respond to a certain input in either a favourable or unfavourable manner. Blood was taken from a candidate before, immediately after a HYL Energiser session and one week later. The Blood was examined by Neurolab an independent medical laboratory in England. The results are published below. The Effects of Hyl Energiser on the activities of the nervous and immune system can be seen in the table on the opposite page. To put this experiment into context, your immune system can basically react in two ways. TH1 is an inflammatory response and TH2 is an anti inflammatory more allergic type response. Th1 and Th2 responses are the bodies’ yin and yang responses and like Yin and Yang they should not be excessive but they should be in balance. Your body should be able to respond quickly and efficiently whenever it comes under attack. This can be either from a virus, bacteria or even a physical attack in martial arts. A

‘‘

The Nei jing a combination of two works, the Suwen, “ questions of organic and fundamental nature” and the Lingshu which was once referred to as the Zhen Jing or Classic art of Acupuncture and moxibustion. The Nei Jing is regarded as a classic of Taoism and is a treasure of ancient knowledge concerning the natural way of health. The essence of the Nei Jing can be summarised by the following passage “Health and well being can be achieved only by remaining centred in Spirit, guarding against the squandering of energy, promoting the constant flow of Qi and blood, maintaining harmonious balance of yin and yang, adapting to the seasonal changes and yearly macrocosmic influences, and nourishing one’s self preventively. This is the way to a long and happy life.” The Neijing then concentrates on the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to bring about what we now know today as Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, what is missing from the Neijing is millennia of Taoist Qi Gong practices which are essential for the building up, balancing and harmonising the flow of Qi in our body. This is the essence of the HYL Energiser system. The HYL Energiser system allows us to tap into our own inner potential energy to regain our balance, energy and Health through a series of simple but very effective graduated

To better understand the future, we must first learn about our past

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fight infections, to improve breathing in asthma and bronchitis sufferers, to reduce stress, regulate and improve blood circulation, relieve back pain shoulders and other musculoskeletal problems and to improve overall health, sexual energy, vitality and confidence. Of course according to The Western scientific Approach to health these claims are bogus or any health benefits can only be attributed to the Placebo effect. That is why I decided to put the HYL Energiser system to the test. If the HYL Energiser can


proper inflammatory reaction (Bruising) is necessary for healing. The table shows that before the subjects TH1 and TH2 reactions are not working adequately in the first place so this person is susceptible to allergic type reactions. Immediately after a HYL Energiser session the immune system has responded to put the subject back into full working order. In this condition the subject can now adapt to any health challenges that may arise in a quick and appropriate manner. The strengthening of the TH1 response was still fully active one week later. The TH2 response returned to the original after a week which indicates that the subject was being exposed to an allergen, e.g., pollen. Of course the HYL Energiser should be a daily activity which would mean a person with hay fever would be able to cope with pollen on a daily basis and reduce the effects of the hay fever. The immune system also has certain white blood cells which are called natural killer cells. These cells will meet any foreign invader, kill them and keep your body protected. A reference for the quantity of natural killer cells is between 5,000 and 10,000 copies. Before the HYL Energiser was practiced the subject had only 234 copies and was therefore exceptionally low in soldiers to form the defensive army required to keep him healthy and was prone to a surprise attack by flu or bacteria etc. Immediately after the HYL Energiser the army got a massive reinforce and the ranks of natural killer cells rose to 294,902 copies. This was more than enough for the body to go to war and rebalance the level of TH1 TH2 responses...

To read the rest of this article take out a subscription, visit www.combatmag.co.uk/subscribe

Assay

Reference Range

Before Hyl Energiser

Immediately after Hyl Energiser

One Week after Hyl Energiser

Th1 (cellular) immune response IL-2, IFN-Y genes expression

3,000-8,000 copies /ul

838,166,147 copies

210 copies

3,474 copies

Th2 (humoral) immune response IL-4 and IL-5 genes expession

2,000-5,000 copies

131,044 copies

655 copies

152,817 copies

Th17 autoimmune IL-17 genes expression

10-1,500 copies

8,958 copies

26 copies

1,416 copies

NK cells response IFN-Y gene expression

5,000-10,000 copies 5.00-15.00ug

234 copies 59.8ug

294,902 copies 66.4ug

147 copies

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Tae-Robics By Paul S Clifton - Editor

Hits The UK! Could This Be The Answer To Empty Dojo’s? Every so often something new and exciting comes onto the scene and before you know it, it’s taken over the landscape leaving everyone not involved, scratching their heads and wondering ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ Here’s an opportunity for all those in the martial arts world to sit up, take note and become involved in an incredibly exciting martial arts based workout, which is brand new to the UK. It’s called Tae-Robics UK. Ian McCranor is a former Traditional Karate Magazine columnist and long time friend of Paul Clifton/Combat who has been living in the United States for the past ten years and has created and run incredibly successful group fitness classes there. Combat caught up with Ian on his recent visit to the UK and spoke to him about TaeRobics UK ‘The Fighters Workout’ and about the Instructors courses he is now holding here.

Hi Ian, for anyone who isn’t familiar with Tae-Robics UK, what exactly is it? IAN McCRANOR: Tae-Robics UK is a group fitness workout that is inspired by martial arts techniques and exercises. Its format is very different to what you would typically expect though. Group fitness workouts have been around for a long time and you would expect such a class to be taught exclusively by an aerobics instructor. This workout was created with the martial arts instructor in mind, although aerobics instructors can learn to teach Tae-Robics UK also.

Tae-Robics UK is known as ‘The Fighters Workout’. Is there any fighting involved, sparring or competition? IAN McCRANOR: No, this is a group fitness class. It’s called ‘The Fighters Workout’ because it encompasses many of the physical elements required to become a good competitor; it is packaged for the general public and is geared towards fitness and weight loss, a perfect addition to anyone’s dojo!

So, could Tae-Robics sit alongside a martial artists existing training programme? IAN McCRANOR: Absolutely! Fighters from all martial art disciplines will find this is one of the toughest workouts that they will ever do. It compliments a competitors training regime perfectly, through intense body conditioning and cardiovascular training. Whether an instructor wants to add the ‘edge’ to their competing karateka or they’re looking to attract a new type of client, this workout can potentially fill everyone’s classes. 126 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK

You have been back in the UK recently, conducting a TaeRobics UK instructor course. What response have you received and who is typically interested in learning how to teach Tae-Robics UK? IAN McCRANOR: We have had a fantastic response and a great number of enquiries from both martial arts instructors and gym fitness instructors. The first UK course was a huge success and we are looking forward to the next course on the 7th of August. Those who attended our recent course were thrilled to be part of something so new and unique and are now incorporating Tae-Robics into their dojo timetable. I’d like to quote to you, something profound which I read many years ago and firmly believe in: ‘Two shoe salesmen where sent by their company to the Amazon to see what business they could drum up. After a few days, one salesman sent a message back to head office: ‘We spent a lot of time and money coming here; it seems we have made a terrible mistake and won’t get any business. There are millions of people here, but none of them wear shoes!’ A day later the other shoe salesman sent this report to head office: ‘We spent a lot of time and money coming here and it seems we have hit the big time! This is a fantastic opportunity as the millions of people here don’t currently wear shoes!’ This is a very important message as the second perspective is exactly how the instructors, who took part in the course, see Tae-Robics UK. It is a phenomenal product and we have been very fortunate in that we have attracted the second shoe salesman. To put it a different way, there are millions of overweight, out of shape people looking to be inspired to lose weight. However, there are thousands of karate/martial art instructors who don’t yet see them as potential customers! One reason is because typically, martial arts instructors don’t teach group fitness! Our new instructors are now really seeing the potential that Tae-Robics UK holds for them; some are looking to quit their day jobs and becoming full time instructors. Others have mentioned that Tae-Robics UK is exactly what they were looking for as they are full time mums who now have a


great opportunity to earn good money in their own time, whilst building a social network of other mums in their community. Tae-Robics UK is far more than just a great workout, it’s a real opportunity to become self employed and to work minimum hours on a full time salary.

This is a far cry from your past life! As well as being an international standard competitor, you also spent many years on the front line of violence as a night -club bouncer. Does self defence fit into Tae-Robics UK? IAN McCRANOR: Not in the way you may think. Self defence is mostly about being aware and being one step ahead of potential problems. The real truth is no matter how you paint it, most people, and I am talking about Mr Joe Bloggs average on the street, will never be able to launch that pre-emptive strike when it is required, they are just not made that way. Self defence practitioners who really make it work are a different breed to Mr and Mrs Average. There is now a very blurred line between ‘real self-defence’ and ‘real combat’. Self-defence is not about fighting it is about not fighting. It’s about awareness and avoidance. I, like everyone else, get into my car and put on my seatbelt, just in case I have an accident. I then practise defensive driving, meaning I assume that everyone else on the road is a potential hazard and I work on predicting there next manoeuvre. I don’t have to take part in a stock car race everyday in order to become accustomed to how a crash is going to feel! The broken nose, cauliflower ears, self- defence brigade do what they do because they enjoy it. It’s a lot deeper than simply self-defence. So to answer your question; no, physical selfdefence does not play a role in Tae-Robics at all, although eating correctly and being in tip top physical condition means that you are defending yourself every day. Millions more people occupy hospital beds due to self inflicted health conditions than those who are victims of an unprovoked attack.

IAN McCRANOR: Well if the response that we have had so far is any indication, I would say that comment isn’t far off the mark Paul and not just in Great Britain. We have had a tremendous response and have been invited to host courses in Australia, New Zealand and Greece, so looks like we are in for a very busy time.

What would a traditional karate instructor for example have to do to become trained to teach Tae-Robics? IAN McCRANOR: The basic teaching format is actually very straightforward to learn and the course itself is a fun, informative day where there is plenty of time for practice and participation! For details of our next course on Saturday the 7th of August, go to www.taerobics.co.uk click on the link for more information and we’ll get back to you ASAP. Alternatively, you can email us at taerobics@live.co.uk or call/text Kerry on 07739 020100.

Thanks Ian, and good luck with the next course!

So is Tae-Robics UK the new craze to take over British gyms/dojo’s?

To read more articles like this make sure you get the next issue of Combat available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 127


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Dodge Ball Warm-up Games for All For most instructors reading this article, Dodge Ball may seem quite an unlikely game to warm up or warm down students in a Martial Arts class. After all, at first glance, it would appear that the game has nothing to do with a Martial Arts theme, apart from maybe a great deal of fun and enjoyment. However, scratch beneath the surface and there is plenty to test the skills, senses and reactions of every student - from White to Black Belt. To start with, it is essential that as an instructor, you have the correct balls! I managed to purchase 4 soft sponge balls from an educational shop, which have proved to be perfect, as they are hard enough to be effective during the game, but soft enough not to cause any pain on impact. Once these have been purchased, all that is needed are some focus mitts which are placed across the hall to divide the two teams. Now, I’m sure that I don’t need to tell you all how to play Dodge Ball and the game is easy to tailor to suit each club’s circumstances. But these are the guidelines that I have used at my club, which has helped to make the game hugely popular.

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1) I divide the class in to two equal teams, ensuring that both have senior and junior students.

3) Only under-arm throwing is allowed and anyone hit by an over-arm shot is not out of the game.

2) All 4 sponge balls are used at the same time to encourage awareness and to keep the game exciting and fast-flowing.

4) Head shots do not count. Even though the sponge balls do not hurt, I find it best not to encourage this practice. 5) If a student holds on to a ball for longer than 3 seconds, he/she is out. This discourages students from trying to hold more than one ball at a time.


6) If a ball bounces off a wall on to a player, they are still in the game. Only a direct strike will get the opponents out. 7) The last rule is possibly the most important, as it promotes HONESTY. If any player is caught cheating - for example, a ball hits them and they carry on playing, the game is stopped and they are removed from the game together with their nearest team mate. Students soon learn that if they do cheat, they are letting their team down and often find themselves low in the popularity stakes with their team mate who has been removed as a result of their actions! If like me, you have more than one ball in use during the game, be prepared for chaos! Always warn parents sitting at the sides to look out, as there are always balls travelling in all directions, bopping them on the head and knocking over any drinks container that happens to be on view. However, as I mentioned earlier, despite all the chaos, there are still

areas that the children are still learning which have relevance in the Martial Arts world. For example, the footwork and avoidance during a game of Dodge Ball are very simi-lar to what we teach in both sparring and self defence. Fast footwork and sharp movement can be used to avoid a large sponge ball just as effectively as a Turning Kick or weapon.

It has also never ceased to amaze me how many students will attempt to pick up a ball and turn their back to their opponents, right in front of the dividing line, leaving them wide open to being hit. Just as in sparring, I encourage them never to turn their back, so they can see everything around them...

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THE ESKK® COLUMN With Chris Denwood

Restricted on training time today?

...Try the TGU! If asked which fundamental kettlebell exercise packs the biggest and best punch in the shortest amount of time then I’d have no qualms in recommending the Turkish Get Up or ‘TGU’ for short. This functional full body blaster will not only train all of the major muscle groups, but also for karate-ka (and in fact all martial artists), it successfully challenges a number of key aspects that are all important for developing deep power from the core, joint stability, balance, co-ordination and efficient muscle firing sequences. Plus it can easily be combined with other exercises and performed in many different ways depending on what attributes you wish to focus on most. Finally, if you don’t own a KB or there’s not one around, then you can easily substitute with a dumbbell or as a last resort, pretty much anything with sufficient weight that you can safely hold in your hands. The TGU is really nothing more than a specifically designed way of getting up from a lying position on your back. The weight is raised with your arm straight above your body and then using your core, legs and free hand, the idea is to manoeuvre underneath the resistance while sequentially rising up until fully standing, before identically reversing the whole sequence back to the ground again in preparation for the next repetition. As the weight is always above the body during the exercise, you’ll quickly learn about lines of force and how to use your joints effectively in order to pass the resistance of the weight through the body and into the ground. A good example of this would be the correct ‘packing’ of the shoulder down 140 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK

into the girdle by employing the latissimus dorsi muscle. This provides a level of stability and strength to what is normally a very movable joint, ultimately ensuring a reduced risk of injury when under an increased load. For karate-ka, packing the shoulder is directly relevant to punching where being conscious of this on impact significantly increases the stability of the strike and helps to ensure that the resultant force generated from the shot can dissipate down through the body and back into the ground, rather than causing a sharp backwards jerk commonly seen when inexperienced punchers hit the makiwara or heavy bag with full force. The TGU also teaches another very important skill for self-protection and that is being able to pop up quickly from the ground using minimum points of contact. The main objective for ground work in karate and self-protection is to regain your feet as quickly as possible, thus minimising risk. If you can effectively do this under the demands of an increased load, balance and stability challenges of a kettlebell then the TGU becomes an excellent adjunct to your ground work training. To perform the TGU, start by lying down on your back with the kettlebell at your side. Roll to one side, pick up the weight safely and bring it back into the body. Next, press the kettlebell so that it is aligned over the shoulder and chest

area - not the head for obvious reasons. Bend the leg that’s on the same side as the weight and position the free arm on the ground at a forty five degree angle with the palm facing down (fig.1). Using your core, bent leg and free hand, drive up onto the elbow (fig.2). From here, rise up onto the free hand so that you provide a good base of support (fig.3). Now, lift the hips from the floor making sure that the weight of the kettlebell is travelling vertically through the arms and into the ground (fig.4). Pass the straight leg through the newly made gap and settle onto the knee (fig.5). Straighten up using the core (fig.6) and finally, stand up fully (fig.7). To get back down again, simply reverse the process. Once you’ve got the technique down and can perform five or more TGU’s with both hands, here’s a few ways in which you can make things a little more interesting: *

Focus on building specific attributes by isolating certain components. For instance, repetitively going back and forth from fig.3 to fig.4 or fig.7 to fig.8 will help isolate and develop the core much better than those boring old crunches!..

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fig 1

1 to 7: The TGU in stages

fig 2

fig 3

fig 4

fig 5

fig 6

fig 7

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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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