Black Belt Oct/Nov 2020

Black Martial Artists and Their ONGOING STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY JOCKO WILLINK

POLICE AND CHOKEHOLDS

The Perspective You Need to Read! Fighting Philosophies of a Navy SEAL / BJJ Black Belt

Jocko Willink

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POSITIONAL SETUP

Learn This Proven Method for Predicting Your Opponent’s Attacks

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O C T O BE R/NOV E MBE R 2020 — VO L . 5 8, NO. 6

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MODERN MUSASHI

Jocko Willink is a former Navy SEAL who fought in the battle for Ramadi during the Iraq War. He’s a recipient of the Silver Star and the Bronze Star. He’s also a BJJ black belt.

These are his commentaries on the martial way.

FEATURES: 40 THE SAI

In the traditional practice of kobudo, students execute attack-block-counter sequences that are regarded as nobrainers. By adopting a classical approach to weaponry, however, you see potential moves that are hidden among the obvious.

48 POLICE OFFICERS, MARTIAL ARTS AND CHOKEHOLDS

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54 TOP MARTIAL ARTS FILMS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Years ago, Dr. Craig D. Reid wrote “Top 20 Martial Arts Films of All Time,” and it’s become one of our most popular web posts. Here, he offers his picks for the top flicks of the 21 st century — so far.

62 BLACK AND WHITE

Bruce Lee’s 1973 classic Enter the Dragon includes a scene in which African-American costar Jim Kelly is harassed by white policemen.

It’s a glimpse into an issue that’s affected the American martial arts from the very beginning.

68 POSITIONAL SETUP

Once a top-10 karate fighter, Dan Anderson now teaches a surefire way to discern which techniques an opponent will throw just by observing how he positions his body. Are you ready to learn his proven methodology?

DISCLAIMER: BLACK BELT MAGAZINE 1000, its owners, directors, officers, subsidiaries, successors and assigns, as publisher, do not endorse and make no representation, warranty or guarantee concerning the safety or effectiveness of either the products and services advertised in this magazine or the martial arts or other techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The publisher expressly disclaims any and all liability relating to the manufacture, sale or use of such products and services and the application of the techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The purchase or use of some of the products, services or techniques advertised or discussed in this magazine may be illegal in some areas of the United States or other countries. Therefore, you should check federal, state, and local laws prior to your purchase or use of these products, services or techniques. The publisher makes no representation or warranty concerning the legality of the purchase or use of these products, services and techniques in the United States or elsewhere. Because of the nature of some of the products, services and techniques advertised or discussed in this magazine, you should consult a physician before using these products or services or applying these techniques.

Photo Courtesy of Jocko Willink

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

The tragic death of George Floyd has ignited a worldwide controversy regarding police use of what are generically called “chokeholds.” For an insider’s perspective, we consulted a martial artist who’s also a police defensive-tactics instructor.

Photo Courtesy of Jocko Willink

I NNOVATORS LEAD A N D T H E R EST FA L L I N L I N E.

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Black Belt’s Destinations column is 10 years old!

Our intrepid columnist looks back.

DEPARTMENTS

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

What do karate students need to know about the Japanese sword?

Nothing, Dave Lowry says, but a little knowledge will help them, at the very least, distinguish a legitimate katana demonstration from a poor one.

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20 FIGHTBOOK

Back in 2000, the author, on assignment for Black Belt, spent a memorable few days in Vegas with Joe Lewis. The unexpected lesson he learned from the champ is one that has guided him ever since.

22 DESTINATIONS

Antonio Graceffo looks back on the first 10 years of the magazine’s popular travel column as he presents a few conclusions about the state of the martial arts around the world.

24 FIT TO FIGHT

If you collect historical weapons and have a penchant for training with them, you’ll want to read this cautionary piece by Mark Hatmaker in which he examines tomahawks and trade knives.

26 COMBATIVES

Kelly McCann defines “Intellectualization” as a defense mechanism that entails using reasoning to avoid unconscious conflict and emotional stress. He goes on to explain why it must be avoided in your self-defense training.

28 SCREEN SHOTS

Dr. Craig D. Reid discusses the new ESPN Bruce Lee documentary Be Water, then gets a little lighthearted as he reviews Donnie Yen’s Enter the Fat Dragon.

74 BETTER BUSINESS

Floyd Burk explains why school owners should strive to keep merchandise sales in-house and offers helpful advice on how to make it a success despite resistant students and parents.

76 YOUTH SPOTLIGHT

Having grown up in the martial arts, Willie Johnson is well aware of all the life-changing benefits. That’s why he believes the arts should be made more available to young people — and why training must cater to their unique needs.

8 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 TIMES 16 COMMUNITY 32 ESSENTIAL GEAR 78 BLACK BELT PAGES 82 FROM THE ARCHIVES

VOL. 58 No. 6. (ISSN 0277-3066, USPS 985820) is published bimonthly by Black Belt Magazine 1000 LLC. Advertising offices at 1705 National Blvd., Midwest City, Oklahoma 73110. Editorial offices at P.O. Box 20172, Sedona, AZ 86341. The known office of the publication is 1705 National Blvd., Midwest City, Oklahoma 73110. Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Black Belt Magazine, 1000 Century Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73110. Customer service: (877) 784-7661. Subscription rates in the United States are one year, $34.99. Canada: $39.99. Foreign: $49.99 (U.S. funds only). The publisher and editors will not be responsible for unsolicited material. Manuscripts and photographs must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. Printed in the United States. Copyright 2020 by Black Belt Magazine 1000 LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

Photo Courtesy of Antonio Graceffo

18 KARATE WAY

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

DIVERSITY IN THE DOJO A

s I sat in my Brazilian jiu-jitsu class, I looked around at the people I train with every week.

The group I once thought of as a bunch of strangers was now family. It’s the type of family every martial artist shares a special bond with. We train together, we sweat together, we sometimes bleed together and, when it’s called for, we celebrate together.

However, in light of the situations our country is facing, that night I took an extra moment to see my classmates in a different light. It had been brought to my attention by some peers in the Martial Arts Industry Association that our community may not be as impervious to racial issues as I had presumed. So I sat there, for the first time judging my classmates not by my experiences with them but by the color of their skin and the race to which they belong. I, as a Native American, found myself staring at a diverse group that included four Brazilians, four Blacks, three Hispanics, two white women and two white men.

On the surface, this provided me with my answer. How could such a diverse group possibly experience racism or appear as anything other than a solution for bringing together people of different backgrounds?

Then MAIA held a diversity roundtable at this year’s Martial Arts SuperShow Virtual Summit, and I saw the issue from a different perspective. The seminar was led by a Black martial artist named Damon Gilbert, whom I have respected for a long time. Joining him were two other Black school owners, Tommy Todd and Azil Azevedo, along with MAIA head Frank Silverman. The conversation gave me a new understanding of the hardships that likely had to be overcome for me to be able to enjoy my own eclectic gym community.

You see, I had always thought of martial arts as a “safe haven” from outside problems. For me, entering the dojo in many ways is about checking the issues that consume the media at the door so I can transcend them and enter a place of concentration and education. I have rarely stopped to think about the hardships that threatened to prevent me from practicing martial arts the way I do now — hardships suffered by the pioneers of the individual styles who, against all odds, integrated their martial culture into our own, as well as by those who have faced and continue to face adversity in their pursuit of the American dream even under the unified banner of martial arts.

The individual experiences revealed at the diversity roundtable were telling. Hearing the Black school owners share their stories of the hurdles they overcame flipped the switch for me. You see, from the perspective of a landlord, an investor or a financial institution, a martial arts school is by no means a stable business endeavor. Throw in ethnic diversity, possible gender disparity and perhaps the fact that the person is a first-time business owner, and the odds can stack up quickly.

Similarly, people do not always take into account the uphill climb some schools owners or instructors must deal with when running a business in certain socioeconomic areas. These experiences can be extremely polarizing given the nature of some regions of the United States.

Just saying the word “socioeconomic” can cause people to immediately assume “lower income.”

However, in regard to perception and stereotyping, we should not be quick to dismiss the ethnic martial arts school owner in a high-income area dominated by white households. They, too, face unique circumstances when trying to cater to a diverse group of students.

Schools in lower-income communities often face challenges with respect to making their businesses inclusive. These areas are arguably where martial arts schools are most needed to provide structure, values and leadership to those who may not have them elsewhere. This can be a shame when these adaptations are taken in a negative light or perceived by outsiders to be a reason not to train together.

These statements are not meant to be hurtful or derogatory. The reality is that stereotypes come into play and people do form opinions whether we like it or not. It is no different from two fighters squaring off at a tournament. One looks the other up and down before a match. He sees that his stance is a bit off, that his uniform could be the wrong size, that he has a certain demeanor. Before he knows it, he’s made up his mind that this will be an easy fight. But as any good martial artist knows, you shouldn’t be too quick to judge your opponent, and most certainly you should never underestimate someone you manage to back into a corner.

The martial arts industry needs to recognize these kinds of adversity so we can support one another as we work through them. We need to make the martial arts inclusive with respect to all people and all circumstances. This effort is necessary to ensure that the arts continue to thrive and remain accessible to all students, regardless of their situation, so the life-changing benefits can be experienced by everyone.

It is a critical time for all of us to be bold and posture up as the world continues to challenge us.

The next time you train, look around your martial arts class and think of your martial arts family in a different light. Take time to appreciate the hurdles the owner of your school may have had to overcome to enable you to take class. If you have time, talk to the owner about the challenges he or she faced, as well as the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. You may find yourself forming a different opinion about all the obstacles that were overcome — just as I did.

— Michael A. Dillard, President & CEO Black Belt

VOLUME 58, NO. 6 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert W. Young ADVERTISING MANAGER Donna Diamond COPY CHIEF Jeannine Santiago A/R MANAGER Jennifer Rozon ART DIRECTOR Paul Duarte DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND PUBLISHING DEVELOPMENT Patrick Sternkopf VIDEO EDITOR Alec Sprinkle CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Floyd Burk, Mark Cheng, Antonio Graceffo, Mark Hatmaker, Mark Jacobs, Dave Lowry, Kelly McCann, Dr. Craig D. Reid, Keith Vargo CONTRIBUTORS Perry William Kelly, Jackson Rudolph, Harinder Singh Sabharwal, Chris Thomas, J. Torres, Terry L. Wilson

Black Belt 1000 1705 National Blvd.

Midwest City, OK 73110 (866) 626-6226 Newsstand Distribution For more information about selling Black Belt magazine, contact MagDogs at (800) 365-5548. Back issues can be purchased from Palm Coast Data, (800) 266-4066

PRESIDENT & CEO Michael A. Dillard EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT David Wahl VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Robert W. Young VICE PRESIDENT OF DISTRIBUTION Darren Chesnut VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNOLOGY Mike Maloney

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MARTIAL ARTS NEWS YOU CAN USE. READ IT - KNOW IT - LIVE IT

MIKE TYSON to Fight ROY JONES JR. in Exhibition Bout Tyson’s training videos have caused a stir on social media over the past few months, and his reputation as the youngest heavyweight champion ever and one of the greatest boxers in history has fueled the public’s OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

interest in a comeback. However, his opponent is an extremely accomplished boxer, too. Roy Jones Jr. was different weight classes, an unprecedented feat.

Both athletes are older than 50, but they are confident that their extensive experience in the ring will prevent them from suffering any serious injuries. It is expected that the fighters will not wear headgear but For pop-culture fans, an exciting undercard has already been announced. YouTube star Jake Paul is set

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to fight former NBA player and three-time slam dunk champion Nate Robinson in a preliminary exhibition fight, The Athletic reported. Paul has some amateur

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boxing experience, having faced two opponents who wo legendary boxers are set to clash at the Dignity Health

were fellow YouTube personalities. Robinson has never

Sports Park in Carson, California, on November 28, 2020. The

boxed in an official setting. It won’t be the display of technique that

bout will be available on pay-per-view and Triller, a multimedia

Tyson and Jones will provide, but the bout is sure to be entertaining.

platform. Triller also will debut a 10-part docuseries leading up to the event, ESPN reported.

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— Jackson Rudolph

Photo by Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock.com

will use 12-ounce gloves.

Cobra Kai Photo Courtesy of YouTube • Archery Photo by Robert W. Young

once thought to be untouchable as he won titles in four

KOREAN ARCHERY DESIGNATED INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE The martial art of hwalssogi, or traditional Korean archery, has been designated as an intangible cultural heritage by the Cultural Heritage Administration in South Korea. Citing its frequent appearance in historical literature and records, the administration said that hwalssogi has played a significant role in the traditional Korean martial arts.

Although archery became a formal sport known as gungdo under the Japanese occupation during the early 20 th century, unlike taekwondo, which is primarily based on Japanese karate, hwalssogi does appear to have legitimate roots in a traditional Korean art of archery. The bow used in Korea is much shorter than the Japanese bow and closer to that used by Mongolian archers.

Cobra Kai Photo Courtesy of YouTube • Archery Photo by Robert W. Young

Photo by Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock.com

— Mark Jacobs

COBRA KAI MOVES TO NETFLIX YouTube recruited millions of fans to its streaming service to watch its flagship scripted series Cobra Kai, a sequel to the classic Karate Kid movies. The first two seasons of the series did extremely well and

has landed exclusive rights to season 3.

received two Emmy nominations for stunt

In addition to the production of a third sea-

coordination while providing nostalgia for

son, Netflix has announced that seasons 1 and

martial artists around the world. Now, Netflix

2 of Cobra Kai will be made available later this

year on a nonexclusive basis so fans can catch up on the series.

— Jackson Rudolph

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JOHN SAXON, CO-STAR OF “ENTER THE DRAGON,” DIES

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Best-known to martial artists as Roper, Bruce Lee’s roguish

Saxon would go on to practice tai chi chuan under Black Belt Hall of

in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The cause of death was pneumonia. A

Fame member Marshall Ho’o for several years. But his training didn’t

veteran of numerous B movies and TV shows, Saxon also was known

end there.

for his role in A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Although no expert, Saxon had a legitimate background in the

While working on a TV show in the mid-1980s, Saxon had another encounter with a martial arts bigwig. “I was on location, watching

martial arts before garnering his role in Enter the Dragon. He first

a man showing some extras how to grapple,” he said. “I introduced

studied judo in the 1950s — “I learned some things but didn’t pursue

myself — and it was Rorion Gracie. I started working out with him

it,” he said in a 2008 Black Belt interview — and then studied shoto-

once a week.”

kan karate with Hidetaka Nishiyama in the 1960s — “I trained there

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for four years, just missing black belt.”

co-star in Enter the Dragon, John Saxon has passed away at age 83

Photo Courtesy of Michael Worth

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

T I M E S

2020 DIAMOND NATIONALS CANCELED JLB Productions recently announced the cancelation of the 43rd

tact the hotel directly for a no-penalty cancelation. The press release

Annual Diamond National Karate Championships. The world-renowned

did not indicate that JLB Productions would organize any kind of virtual

event was originally scheduled for October 29-31, 2020. With this

event in place of the Diamond Nationals.

year’s iteration canceled, the next Diamond Nationals is scheduled

Although the understandable cancelation of the Diamonds may be

to take place October 7-9, 2021. In a press release, JLB Productions

disheartening for sport karate fans, there is still hope that other

explained that “normal operational activities are no longer possible at

world-rated NASKA tournaments will occur this season. The Battle

this time” because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

of Atlanta, U.S. Capitol Classics, Toronto International Tournament of

Competitors and spectators who already reserved rooms at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis in preparation for the event can con-

TERUNOFUJI WINS GRAND SUMO TOURNAMENT

Champions and the U.S. Open are all set to take place between September and December.

The 28-year-old had been demoted from the elite sumo ranks more than two years ago because of injury and illness, falling all the way to the second lowest division, where he began his comeback at last year’s spring tournament. A native of Mongolia, Terunofuji finished the summer tournament with a 13-2 record. This was his first tournament title in more than five years.

On the final day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, Terunofuji

— Mark Jacobs

clinched the championship with a win over Mitakeumi in what marked a long comeback to sumo’s top division.

SUMO RETURNS IN JAPAN DESPITE CONTINUED PANDEMIC FEARS Photo Courtesy of Michael Worth

Live sumo returned to Japan for the first time since March with the initial day of the July Grand Sumo Tournament being held in Tokyo before limited spectators.

Having canceled the May tournament because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, the July event, after being pushed back two weeks, was moved from Nagoya to Tokyo. The first day commenced in front of 2,500 spectators in the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena. Extra precautions were taken, including the wrestlers and fans being instructed not to sit next to each other or cheer.

— Mark Jacobs

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DOJO LISTINGS California

Massachusetts

Blain Cort’s Total Self-Defense 2955 McMurry Drive Anderson, CA 96007 blaincort@gmail.com

Aikido of Bristol County 985 Monmouth St. New Bedford, MA 02745 (508) 542-9437 hatch121@aol.com

Golden Tiger Karate 9501 Flushing Quail Bakersfeild, CA 93312 (661) 345-4371 goldentigerkarate@yahoo.com

1 Chace Rd., #9 East Freetown, MA 02717 (508) 542-9437 Tenshindojo1@gmail.com

Kuk Sool Won Rohnert Park Martial Arts 311 Professional Center Drive Rohert Park, CA 94928 (707) 494-1151 Kuksoolwonrp@yahoo.com

North American Kyokushin Karate Association 70C Bananno Ct. Methuen, MA 01844 (978) 683-4287 oyama24@live.com

Red Dragon Championship Martial Arts 1603 Garnet Ave. San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 263-4212 reddragonpb@live.com

Borges Martial Arts 122 West St. Winchendon, MA 01440 (978) 612-6272 Borgesmartialarts@gmail.com

Michigan Connecticut Allen Park Martial Arts Center 7318 Park Ave. Allen Park, MI 48101 (313) 928-5288 masterkevin@ allenparkmartialartscenter.com

New England Rendokan 1845 Silas Deane Highway Rocky Hill, CT 06067 (860) 628-1022 Info@ner1.net

Westampton Martial Arts 897 Rancocas Rd. Westampton, NJ 08060 (609) 760-4734 westamptonmartialarts@gmail.com

Ohio

Georgia

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NM

NC

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Lozo Karate 6395 Spalding Drive, Suite C Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 (404) 333-8808 info@goranlozo.com lozokarate.com

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Kombative Academy of Traditional Martial Arts Savannah Mall, 1st Floor 14045 Abercorn St., Suite 1512 Savannah, GA 31419 (912) 459-8693 katmadefense@gmail.com

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

All American Martial Arts & Krav Maga Academy 4255 US Highway 1 South, Suite 4 St. Augustine, FL 32086 (904) 797-2262 lessons@ staugustinetaekwondo.com

EE TS M O D E R N

FU

Impact Martial Arts 728 Meadow View Drive NW Canal Fulton, OH 44614 (330) 268-9345 ben.baroni@yahoo.com Lear’s Martial Arts 208 North Main St. Delphos, OH 45805 (419) 692-7717 slear89@yahoo.com 2368 Shawnee Rd. Lima, OH 45805 (419) 692-7717 slear89@yahoo.com

Pennsylvania Karma Karate 3626 Winding Way Newtown Square, PA 19073 (610) 356-5112 info@karmakarate.com 1 1

Fugate�s Martial Arts Center 108 W. Ogee St. Tullahoma, TN 37388 (931) 454-9060 fugatesmac@earthlink.net

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C O M M U N I T Y

ON A STORY POSTED ON BLACKBELTMAG.COM BLACK BELT: Go here to read “Too Busy Looking Good! In Memory of Jim Kelly.”

Steven Anderson: The guy who inspired me to train. RIP to the Legend Jim Kelly

ON OUR CLASSIC SHATNER FEATURE

BLACK BELT: Click to read “William Shatner’s Martial Arts Connection: When Star Jason McNeil: Weird coincidence — I was watching Big Bad Mama on Amazon Prime a few nights ago, and mid-’70s Shatner busted out a few fairly impressive fighting moves while Angie Dickenson and her daughters were making their getaway!

Aloys Bruggeman: He fought with a gorn. He must be good Rob N Kat Cirnigliaro: All those smarts and moves and Kirk could never grasp the Vulcan neck pinch.

ON BLACK BELT HALL OF FAMER HELPING YOUTH BLACK BELT: Willie Johnson is in the news again!

TommyJ: I love what he’s doing with point mma. Respect!

JuanTheMan: One of the most versatile martial artists I’ve met Jared Mills: WMAC Masters

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David Carradine Photo by Rick Hustead

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

Trek’s Capt. Kirk Trained in Karate!”

ON A MEMORIAL POST

BLACK BELT: Go here to read “Remembering David Carradine, Star of the Kung Fu TV series.”

John Grace: Terrific, quirky actor. Complaining that he wasn’t a real martial artist is like complaining Pacino was not a real mafioso in The Godfather.

Ron Lewis: Got me started in martial arts 40 years ago. Was one of the hit series of the seventies. Considering Caine was in every scene a remarkable achievement. Rate it highly, fantastic messages of humility, strength and courage. Long live Kung Fu. RIP David Carradine.

Ron Lewis: David Carradine was awesome in Kill Bill, he played the part exceptionally well! Rock star. The whole concept of the original Kung Fu series attracted droves of people to the martial arts. David wasn’t the best martial artist of that time, but made certainly it a hit series. Would love to see a modern version.

Sean Cullimore: I loved that show as a kid! I was so happy when the DVDs were brought out. I also have a book with the script in it. Caine was so peaceful, never looked for trouble. Also so many famous guest stars. One of the best shows ever!

Jeff Kehoe: There was a lot of great information released to the general public for the first time on Kung Fu. More Taoism than Shaolin Buddhism, but who knew?

ON A MARTIAL ARTS INSPIRATION BLACK BELT: How many of us took up martial arts because of this TV series? How many of us own the DVDs?

Dön: I own this set!

Hamilton community Initiative: I took up martial arts because of the show but no DVDs in my collection.

Rocky DiRico: I was influenced by the Kung Fu weekly show ... I started practicing karate around the same time.

Giorgio: Not me. This series had very weak fight scenes ... unlike Enter the Dragon movie.

Keith: I took up training because of @erniereyesjr. I was 10 when I saw what he did in Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon.

Dave Roman: The Karate Kid planted the seed of interest for me 36

David Carradine Photo by Rick Hustead

years ago

ON A NEWS POST ABOUT JOHN SAXON’S PASSING

ON A HUMOROUS OBSERVATION

ON A MOVIE QUESTION OF THE DAY

Jesse James Jacobs: Maybe he can once again

BLACK BELT: Time for a new computer? My auto-correct changed “sabaki” to “salami” — and the email was sent before it was discovered!

BLACK BELT: What is the Quicksilver Method?

try to win back the money he lost to Bruce in that bet on Hahn’s island. Godspeed

RJ: If you can’t stand, you can’t fight. If you can’t see, you can’t fight. If you can’t breathe, you can’t fight.

S.O.PAK: Long live Terry Silver!

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W A Y

WHAT KARATE STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE JAPANESE SWORD WHAT DOES A KARATEKA NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE JAPANESE SWORD? WELL, NOTHING REALLY.

It’s odd and sometimes unnerving to watch karate demonstrations given by sword “experts.” Assuming that a person can use a sword just because he or she has experience in karate is like assuming that because your basketball skills are excellent, you’ll be a good lacrosse player — they’re both sports that use a ball, after all.

In short, karate and swordsmanship are both fighting arts, but there’s little in the way of technical or strategic overlap. Nevertheless, it’s useful for the karateka who wishes to gain a wider perspective on combat to know a few basics about the katana. At the very least, the karateka will benefit from having the knowledge needed to distinguish a legitimate sword demonstration from a poor one. In that vein, here are some of those basics.

First, it might seem that the katana, given its fearsome reputation, cuts easily. It does not. Actually, it’s technically challenging to cut effec-

BY DAVE LOWRY

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tively, especially when comparing the katana to a weapon like a Viking longsword. Given the mass of the heavy Viking blade, if you swing it hard

arate’s roots are not in feudal Japan, where the katana was ubiqui-

enough, you will inflict injury. You might cut only superficially, but the per-

tous. Yes, there were plenty of swords in old Okinawa, but as an art

cussive damage done by swinging that big blade will crush flesh and bone.

directed mostly at unarmed combat, karate emphasizes movements

To cut effectively and efficiently, a katana must be wielded with its edge

and strategies that are, in many ways, incompatible with those used to

perfectly aligned with its spine, which is where most of the mass of the

make the sword an effective weapon.

blade is located. (This is why in cross section, a katana looks like a min-

Photo by Robert Reiff

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

K A R A T E

iature hatchet, with a thick ridge that provides stability and that narrows to a fine edge.)

Yes, a Japanese sword will cut even if the edge is not perfectly aligned with the spine. However, if you also factor in armor — or even clothing worn by an enemy — you can imagine how difficult it could be to make a proper cut that inflicts enough damage to eliminate a threat.

For this reason, a fundamental term in sword work is hasuji, which refers to correctly aligning the blade as it moves to the target. Without good hasuji, the weapon can twist or deflect. Even when cutting soft targets in practice, this can cause wrist injuries.

It’s also important to understand that the katana cuts by slicing, by moving horizontally at least slightly, through the target. Swordsmen in Japan sometimes demonstrate this by tapping the edge of their blade against the palm of their hand without doing any damage — so long as they make no pushing or pulling motion at all.

(Do not try this! If you pull or push the blade even a millimeter, you’ll risk not just a nasty flesh wound but also potential tendon damage.)

Different schools of swordsmanship approach this matter of slicing in different ways. Some cut in arcs that pull the sword back just at the

moments if an artery was severed, was a long,

moment of contact. Others teach you to extend the

hideously painful death from infection.

through objects — I once heard a teacher who

arms in a shoving action.

had just watched such a video say, “This isn’t

However it’s achieved, the result of a well-delivered strike from a katana are gruesome. Skin and

A fundamental term in sword work is hasu-

the layers of flesh beneath it have a tension that’s

ji, which refers to correctly aligning the

maintained by muscles. A cut interrupts that tension. Make a batch of gelatin and, when it sets,

blade as it moves to the target. Without good hasuji, the weapon can twist or deflect.

Yes, it’s impressive to see a blade go through rolls of wrapped straw. Likewise, it’s impressive to see

Hand someone a katana and ask him or her to swing it using both hands. It’s almost guaranteed

walnut’s meat, which will be smashed, as well.

The goal of a sword cut is to inflict deliberate,

was intensified when a blade had a wider spine

that the person won’t do it effectively. Chances

focused damage. One feat that demonstrates this

that added weight. Old teaching scrolls sometimes

are the top (right) hand will supply the power.

kind of control is cutting a roll of straw placed

use poetic language to describe the result, refer-

Because most of us are right-handed, this pro-

horizontally so the blade goes through all but the

ring to “scarlet blossoms blooming,” proving that

pensity is exaggerated even more. Watch videos

bottom few strands. That allows the roll to break

even hardened warriors felt some queasiness at

of people cutting straw mats or bamboo, and you

in half yet stay connected. This is control. This is

the prospect of such horrible consequences.

can see this dramatically.

focused energy. It’s an example of how powerful

The aftermath of these cuts — skin split into a Photo by Robert Reiff

or test-smashing.”

“feat” isn’t terribly productive if you want to eat the

“skin” split and widen. This is what happens when Historically, it was discovered that this effect

tameshigiri, or test-cutting; it’s tameshi-kudaki,

a hammer smash a walnut. However, the second

run a sharp knife along the surface. You’ll see the a katana strikes.

Speaking of those videos — the ones that display awesome tameshigiri feats that entail hacking

The left hand seems to be just along for the ride.

a sword can be when used properly — and how delicate is its destructive touch.

wide “V” — meant that wounds healed slowly and

A katana swing, however, is most effective when

poorly, if at all. Photographs of samurai from the

the left hand generates the power and the right

final years of feudalism show jagged scars that

hand guides the movement of the blade. One of the

Dave Lowry has written Karate Way since 1986.

arc like miniature mountain ranges. They were

most challenging aspects for teachers to address

For more information about his articles and books,

the lucky ones, in a sense. The more common

is to get students to use their left hand and arm to

visit blackbeltmag.com and type his name into the

outcome, aside from bleeding out in a matter of

generate power.

search box.

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I

G

H

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O

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K

A LESSON IN PREVENTION, COURTESY OF JOE LEWIS

THE FIRST TIME I MET JOE LEWIS WAS IN 1985 AT A SPARRING SEMINAR HE GAVE IN CORONA, CALIFORNIA.

BY FLOYD BURK

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T

Photos by Floyd Burk

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

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I

t turned out to be a great experience — even though he lambasted all traditional stylists (like me) who used formal stances (the

horse stance, for example) in their training. His comments didn’t bother me, however, because by then I’d learned to regard statements from martial artists with his impeccable credentials as constructive criticism. So I listened intently as he spoke, even though I never stopped doing those stances.

The next time I sat down face to face with Lewis came a decade and a half later. By that time, I was a regular writer for Black Belt, and I’d penned a few features about him after conducting telephone interviews. I had become a real fan — Lewis was a great champion, a smart fighter and a gifted teacher.

For that second meeting, the editor of Black Belt had arranged for me to meet up with Lewis in Las Vegas, where I would conduct an interview and do a photo shoot for an article. The champ was scheduled to teach at a training camp that was taking place at the Sunset Station. The plan called for Lewis to give his seminar, after which

For that second meeting, the editor of Black Belt had arranged for me to meet up with Lewis in Las Vegas, where I would conduct an interview and do a photo shoot for an article.

I would link up with him. Then one of his people would drive us to his dojang to do the photo shoot. where Penland was playing. He’d just won a

fighting techniques.

jackpot — more than a grand, I found out later. We

esce, Lewis pressed his hand on the gambler’s

all were excited for him. Afterward, we moved to

shoulder. With that deep Southern voice, he said,

the steakhouse.

“Sir, please don’t stand up. I promise you it won’t

Everything unfolded as planned, and I even got to spend time with some of the other martial arts celebs who were teaching, including Bill

After dinner, we milled about the hotel, first

end well.”

And that was that. The gambler relented, I

Wallace, Ken Penland and Larry Lam. I’d spent a

visiting some shops and then wandering back to

lot of time around Wallace, much more than with

the casino floor. At one point, I noticed a blackjack

decided I’d better keep my mouth shut and things

Lewis. That’s probably why I found it fascinating

table nearby where a guy was playing multiple

were cool. We did garner the attention of the pit

to see Lewis and Wallace together. Even though a

$100 chips per hand. I said to Lewis and Penland,

boss, but Lewis took care of that, too — again, with

bunch of people were present, Lewis continually

“Let’s watch this guy lose his stack.”

words only. I was relieved because I knew I was in

razzed Wallace. Now, Wallace is usually the one

Unfortunately, the man overheard my comment

the wrong for helping escalate the situation.

When all was done, Lewis just looked at me

razzing to the rest of us, but on this occasion,

— and proceeded to curse at me. My response was

“Superfoot” proved he could take it as well as

less than admirable: I jawed back at him, which

and said, “Hmmm.” It was another lesson I was

dish it out. He didn’t allow himself to get both-

caused him to unleash a few more choice words

privileged to learn from the champ.

ered at all and poked back when he could. It was

in my direction. Part of the reason I engaged the

Neither Lewis nor Penland said another word

all in good fun.

blackjack player was I had come with two of my

about it. We closed the night with lots of martial

martial arts seniors, so to speak, and I didn’t want

arts talk at one of the lounges.

By sheer luck, on my last evening in Vegas, I got to hang out with Lewis and Penland, whom I knew Photos by Floyd Burk

Sensing that the man was not about to acqui-

The story would be on Lewis’ latest and greatest

to back down in front of them.

So I figured, what the heck?! I let loose with a

Later, I wrote the story, which was published in the June 2000 issue of Black Belt. Lewis didn’t call

pretty well and had trained under some years

flurry of syllables and gave him the mean face. The

me to say the article sucked, so I deemed the col-

before. The camp had concluded for the day, and

change in the guy’s body language instantly upped

laboration a complete success. Although I would

the three of us meandered around the hotel lobby

my alert level from yellow to orange. I knew he

never see Lewis again, I will never forget that

before finding our way to the slot machines.

was about to do something.

wild and crazy weekend and the lesson I learned

I deposited some coins in a few slots, then turned to watch as a commotion developed near

That’s when Lewis took action. He walked over to the guy and said, “We’re real sorry.”

about the role self-control should play in the life of a martial artist.

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10 YEARS OF TRAVEL, PART 1

because they are superior in a fight; they exist because they are expressions of culture.

While investigating the grappling arts, for example, I’ve experienced Japanese judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Indian kushti, Balinese mepantigan, Korean ssirum and Chinese san da, along with plenty of others. Some practitioners

BLACK BELT DEBUTED THIS DESTINATIONS COLUMN IN 2010, AND DURING THE DECADE THAT FOLLOWED, I’VE TAKEN READERS TO A SERIES OF EXOTIC LOCALES, INCLUDING BORNEO, CAMBODIA, CHINA, INDIA, INDONESIA, LAOS, MALAYSIA, MONGOLIA, MYANMAR (FORMERLY BURMA), PHILIPPINES, SOUTH KOREA, TAIWAN, THAILAND AND VIETNAM. THESE JOURNEYS HAVE LED ME TO A NUMBER OF CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE STATE OF THE MARTIAL ARTS AROUND THE WORLD.

wear a loincloth, while others sport a wrestling jacket, a gi or a specially

BY ANTONIO GRACEFFO, PH.D.

they developed.

B

made belt. Some matches take place before tens of thousands of spectators, while others unfold in front of a few fellow practitioners. Some allow students to earn a good living — win a medal and retire! — while others provide practically no prize money. Yet many of the same techniques are present in all the arts. In fact, pick a random move like the fireman’s carry, and you’ll find it in every art I just listed.

Nevertheless, the overall look of the individual martial arts — for instance, kushti and san da — couldn’t be more different. I completely agree with Lee: The variations we see in styles are the expressions of the cultures in which

ruce lee once said, “i do not believe in styles.” He went on to

Two major strains of culture permeate Asia: Chinese and Indian. By fol-

explain that because we all have two arms and two legs, the

lowing the spread of these cultures, we can follow the spread of the martial

techniques that are available to us and that are effective

arts. Vietnam, Korea and Japan are among the countries that exhibit Chinese

against human opponents are basically the same. For this reason,

influences. We find Confucian ideals, such as hard work and dedication to

the styles we see in different countries do not necessarily exist

study. The languages and sometimes the writing systems are related to old

Photos Courtesy of Antonio Graceffo

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

D E S T I N A T I O N S

Theory two: Throwing an opponent to the

When it comes to hands, however, there really

Mahayana Buddhism. While kung fu, vovinam,

ground was an easy-to-see symbolic victory.

is only one art: Western boxing. Kicks may differ

karate and taekwondo look different, they bear

While a sport like Olympic wrestling can be

from country to country, but the hand techniques

more similarities than they do to the arts that

difficult to understand, anyone — even a person

we see in most countries’ martial arts are the

follow the Indian cultural path, including muay

in the middle of a large crowd — can follow action

same as in boxing.

Thai, silat and mepantigan.

that leaves one man standing and the other on the

Chinese. The religions often are linked to Chinese

In Southeast Asia, we find influences from Hinduism and Theravada Buddhism because of India’s

In some ways, boxing is the antithesis of the

ground. Yes, wrestling was already a spectator

traditional martial arts. Traditional arts generally

sport thousands of years ago.

have hundreds or even thousands of moves. Students learn forms, which they practice over and

cultural reach. The writing systems are similar to Sanskrit, and the languages often have words

Boxing has become universal. Debates over

over. The best practitioners are often those who

borrowed from ancient India. The martial arts

which martial art is better have raged ever since

can most accurately emulate their teachers in the

of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar resemble muay

human beings practiced more than one martial

greatest number of forms. In contrast, boxing has

Thai. In fact, the Malaysian art of tomoi, which

art. Consider the original purpose of the UFC: to

a handful of techniques, and the best practi-

predates silat, is related to old muay Thai styles

determine if karate could beat jujitsu, if kenpo

tioners are those who can combine that limited

from southern Thailand. Tomoi includes grappling,

could beat sumo and so on.

number of moves in new and creative ways.

as well as the typical muay Thai kicks, punches,

When we look at martial arts around the world,

It’s no wonder so many martial arts around

knees and elbows. Muay boran in Thailand is

we see countless kicking styles, all of which

the world feature the same hand strikes as

closely related to krabi krabong, the Thai art of

have their pluses and minuses. Kyokushin has

boxing. I view it as a testament to the efficacy of

stick and sword fighting. Burmese lethwei is a

vicious kicks, and they look different from muay

those strikes.

close relative of Thai kickboxing.

Thai kicks, which are equally vicious. Taekwondo kicks are faster and higher than savate kicks,

(To be continued.)

but savate kicks are extremely accurate. Dutch

Kicks may differ from country to

kickboxing has different kicks than does silat or

Antonio Graceffo’s book Warrior Odyssey is

country, but the hand techniques

kung fu.

available at shop.blackbelt.com.

we see in most countries’ martial arts are the same as in boxing.

Wrestling is universal. Some type of it exists in nearly every culture on Earth. It’s the oldest documented martial art. The earliest wrestling images are in the tomb of Beni Hasan in present-day Egypt. They date back more than 4,000 years. Amazingly, the images depict wrestling holds and throws that are still used today.

Most forms of wrestling award the win to the person who throws the opponent to the ground.

Some, however, are a bit more complex, requiring victory in two out of three bouts or three out of five. A few styles require the opponent’s shoulder blades to touch the mat. In the case of BJJ, wins

Photos Courtesy of Antonio Graceffo

can come from submissions, which is rare in traditional wrestling. Two theories attempt to explain this developmental path.

Theory one: Wrestling started as a way to train soldiers for combat. In ancient times, when two large armies, bristling with sharp weapons, clashed, those who fell were quickly killed. So when soldiers wrestled in preparation for combat, if one person put his opponent on the ground, the opponent was considered dead. Game over!

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UTILITY VS. COMBAT: TOMAHAWKS AND TRADE KNIVES A THOUGHTFUL QUESTION FROM MITCH MITCHELL, AN AFFILIATE COACH OF AMERICAN FRONTIER ROUGH AND TUMBLE, PROMPTED ME TO COMMIT TO PAPER SOME OBSERVATIONS REGARDING TWO COMMON TOOLS/ WEAPONS OF THE FRONTIER. FIRST, THE EXCHANGE THAT LED TO ALL THIS:

Q

uestion: “Am I on the right track or holding my danged knife wrong?”

My reply: “Bowie designs are manifold. My personal preference

falls toward a flat-spine knife with a half-guard because a spine-

side guard or broken spine jams up my thumb on a sincere stab in a saber grip. For me, anyway, a nice, straight, full-power stab with a hammer grip on the high line is impossible, and anyway it is a wrist killer.”

Mitchell’s question is a common one that can lead us one step closer to weapons wisdom. First, I will point out that discovering that certain tactics and grips are wrist killers is possible only when we invest time in hard training with hard targets. If we stick with mirror play, shadow play or tit-for-tat flow drills with a partner using mock weapons, we likely will never stumble on the realities that make certain tactics ill-advised. As they say, train real to find real.

Now, here’s my take on the subject of blades and self-defense in American history: First, trade-knife designs were myriad. Likewise, tomahawk designs

BY MARK HATMAKER 2 2

were myriad. Beyond a knife being a knife and a ’hawk being a ’hawk,

mass-produced, perfectly weighted commercial blades made specifically for combat were a rarity.

My final advice: Go with whatever blade feels

Never lose sight of the fact that tomahawks

right in your hand. When you find that a particular

were hatchets and knives were knives. They

tactic or technique jams a digit, hurts your hand

were designed for work, and fighting was just

lengths, guards, etc., in circulation. To survive,

or simply makes you feel uncomfortable, get rid

a blip on the radar. In modern times, it’s easy to

one had to be skilled with a variety of tool/weapon

of said move. If you don’t and you ever have to use

fixate on buying expensive items for fake fighting

interfaces. When modern afficionados fall into a

your tool for real, you won’t do it with conviction.

and lose sight of the daily utility they were

this-is-my-carry-blade mindset, they miss the

Remember that it’s perfectly OK to not know or

intended for.

point of training with these historical items.

use every trick in the book. It’s never OK to keep

There were a variety of designs, weights,

I say that because a knife was a tool first and foremost. Cutting rope, making fuzz sticks for

things just so you can feel complete or check a

Mark Hatmaker’s website is

move off a list.

extremeselfprotection.com.

starting campfires, skinning game and all the other actions one needed to undertake in order to survive on the frontier were of paramount importance. Having a knife that served only as a weapon was uncommon.

The same goes for the tomahawk, which we shouldn’t forget was primarily a hatchet or camp ax. Knives and ’hawks are similar in that both were tools intended for daily use. In all likelihood, the bearers hoped never to need to wield them for martial matters.

Knives and ’hawks are similar in that both were tools intended for daily use. In all likelihood, the bearers hoped never to need to wield them for martial matters.

Today, we tend to invert the tool-choice pyramid.

We often select blades for martial purposes that we envision. Often, we wouldn’t dare dull their sheen on mundane matters.

I’m not pretending that I use all the blades in my collection for everyday cutting and chopping.

With an eye on historical accuracy, I do own some pretty toys that I don’t ding. However, I have a variety of fair-to-middling knives and ’hawks that I’ve acquired in antique shops, and all are mighty functional.

I enjoy using them as the tools they were intended to be and training with them to take full advantage of all their martial aspects. I experience growth whenever I’m forced to modify my technique to deal with different weights and lengths as I discover which tactics shake out as functional across all weapon interfaces and thus are of high utility. It’s also beneficial to learn which tactics are specific to a single tool because they must be culled from my repertoire.

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C O M B A T I V E S

IN SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING, BEWARE OF INTELLECTUALIZATION!

INTELLECTUALIZATION IS DEFINED AS A DEFENSE MECHANISM THAT ENTAILS USING REASONING TO AVOID UNCONSCIOUS CONFLICT AND ITS ASSOCIATED EMOTIONAL STRESS — WHEREIN THINKING IS USED TO AVOID FEELING. IT INVOLVES REMOVING ONESELF EMOTIONALLY FROM A STRESSFUL EVENT.

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Photos by Rick Hustead

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

BY KELLY McCANN

I

ncreasingly, I notice the trend in combatives and other self-defense “systems” to intellectualize — actually, to over-intellectualize.

The definition of intellectualization that appears above perfectly captures the meaning as it applies to fighting.

In an effort to avoid the pain, consequence, damage and stress of fighting — whether in training or for real — instructors use constructed language to describe the impossible (what’s expected in the moment) and use pseudoscience to justify what they’re professing.

Those of you who have read this column for any length of time have heard me say over and over that if you want to learn to fly, at some point, you have to actually take off and land. The same is true of fighting: If you want to learn to fight well, you To the contrary, actually engaging in personal

fighting. There is no replacement for this.

combat in which both participants are free

who accrues maximum track time actually feeling

to try to execute whatever they feel like is

what his car is doing under various conditions

preparing you for precisely such situations.

and living with the consequences of his input has

Intellectualization takes this

Linking your techniques to principles throughout

the edge over the driver who can get only a third

rawness out of preparing for

a dynamic and evolving situation makes you far

of the track time but has every racing reference

more competent and prepared to face a violent

written and some great racing games that he

personal assault.

plays regularly?

a fight. It makes a fight appear to be a clinical event.

Problem is intellectualization takes this rawness out of preparing for a fight. It makes a

A balance of critical thinking, cerebral rigor and

fight appear to be a clinical event. Yes, it’s good

arduous training with consequences is what

Some of the tripe I’ve heard describes in exacting

to want to become a “technician,” but you can’t

we need to become proficient. The quality of the

detail “how a fight happens” and what you need

become a technician without repeatedly expos-

sparring is important, as well, which is why

to accomplish in equally exacting detail. It’s

ing yourself to the dangers of unpredictability,

mixed martial arts is the perfect medium with

laughable. Regardless of the reasoning behind the

uncertainty, consequence and fluidity that make

all natural weapons allowed in stand-up and

instruction or commentary — to assure students

up an actual fight.

ground fighting.

that they can fight without being hit <insert laugh-

Please don’t misunderstand this. I’m not saying,

Recently, a drop-in traditional martial arts

ing emoji here>, to minimize their fear, to diminish

“Don’t think!” — not at all. My point is that all the

practitioner visited our fight gym. He said

their stress over the scary event, blah, blah, blah

talk, all the nonsense, all the made-up words,

he was interested in getting some “sparring

— it harms students more than it helps them.

all the wonky science won’t develop your ability

time.” After watching three moderately intense

to adapt quickly to what’s in front of you. Yes,

sparring rounds between some of our fighters,

assaults. (Interestingly, this is possibly the best

understanding the physiology and psychology

he excused himself and said, “This is just a little

example.) People! Hindsight is 20/20. Reviewing

is important, but their roles are supportive —

more than I was interested in.” And they were

videos of attacks as they happen and videos of our

supportive to what you must physically execute

moderate rounds!

own performance in training is, of course, super

while under duress.

One example of this is breaking down video

My point here isn’t to impugn but to inform. The next time you’re listening to someone pontificate

instructive and revealing. Video is a tool that can’t

Photos by Rick Hustead

Doesn’t it stand to reason that a race car driver

have to spend a significant amount of time actually

be overlooked if we’re seeking our best levels of

Ask yourself this: If one person trains by review-

about the adrenal effect or any other topic and

performance. But preaching a textbook answer

ing video assaults, discussing ad nauseum the

realize that the narrative is just too much, wipe

(in particular, application of technique answers)

stressors involved and performing drills for very

the drool off your chin and glove up. You’ll be hap-

in retrospect isn’t impressive. What is impres-

specific events, then catalogs them and the asso-

pier — and many steps closer to being able to take

sive is applying principles in a sudden attack and

ciated “solutions” while another person trains in

care of business. <insert smiling emoji here>

adapting to a violent situation as it evolves.

the same way but weights sparring heavily in that training as he or she focuses on the consistent

Kelly McCann’s book Combatives for Street Sur-

address one very specific type of attack or event

application of principles against all manner of

vival: Hard-Core Countermeasures for High-Risk

isn’t preparing you for anything except failure.

opponents, whom would you put your money on?

Situations is available at shop.blackbeltmag.com.

Guess what? Droning over countless drills that

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S H O T S

BE WATER AND ENTER THE FAT DRAGON

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

BY DR. CRAIG D. REID

O

and thematically shaped by water. When his parents married, his father, then called Moon Lee, changed his name to Lee Hoi-chuen. (Hoi-chuen means “sea stream.”) Bruce was born during a freak hurricane-like storm that hit San Francisco. Later, as a lad who didn’t know how to swim, he had a friend teach him. After the trauma of nearly drowning, he never swam again.

That’s not all. Feng shui (wind water) is based on the notion that one’s environs facilitate good or bad chi flow. On July 18, 1973, during a typhoon, a bad feng shui “deflector” on Bruce’s Hong Kong home was blown away. Days later, he passed. Yet perhaps the most powerful

n July 20, 1973, Bruce Lee passed away in Hong Kong. On July

instance of water having an effect on his life occurred in 1959, days

20, 2020, in honor of his life and his profound effect on my life, I

before he departed for America.

watched director Bao Nguyen’s Be Water, an ESPN “30 for 30” film

that covers his life, career and martial arts philosophy.

What separates Be Water from other Bruce Lee documentaries is the

Concerned about moving to the States, Bruce became progressively introspective and looked to the martial arts for answers. Despite fearing

lack of narration. Instead, Nguyen provides insights via rarely seen videos

water and not having a life jacket, he found himself in the middle of a lake in

and home movies; diary entries; letters to friends; and interviews with

a wee boat. Dipping his fingers into the water, he had an epiphany.

Lee’s students, a former girlfriend, his daughter Shannon Lee, his brother Robert Lee and his widow Linda Lee Caldwell.

2 2

Be Water reinforces the notion that Bruce’s existence was metaphysically

After rowing back to shore, where his brother was waiting, Bruce’s content look forced Robert to ask what was going on. Bruce replied, “The

Be Water Photos Courtesy of Dorothy Street Pictures • Enter the Fat Dragon Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

S C R E E N

breeze, the willows, the water — this is what

whether he was involved. Nevertheless, I’ve been

him in his fight scenes, which often pair Bruce’s

martial arts is all about. You have to be like water

intrigued by the issue for some time. Last year, I

flair with Yen’s lifetime of training.

to survive. It penetrates rock and is the strongest

watched Chinatown Rising, a gripping documen-

substance in the world.”

tary directed by the Rev. Harry Chuck and his

This moment of enlightenment gave Bruce the

son Josh. It’s based on 10 hours of footage the

strength to tackle anything. It inspired one of his

senior Chuck, a Chinese-American, shot in the

most famous philosophical tenets — “Be water”

mid-’60s civil rights movement in San Francisco’s

— which he would go on to share with the world

Chinatown, Lee’s birthplace. After the screening,

and advocate as an approach to life as well as

I asked Chuck the burning question: “How was

martial arts.

Bruce Lee viewed by Chinatown back then?”

Although Be Water details the racism Bruce

has ever asked me that,” Chuck said. “He was a

In my opinion, Yen’s latest Bruce Lee homage

faced in Hollywood, it also covers how early

hero. And today we need a hero like that.”

contains the best martial arts fights in 21 st-

Bruce advocated using the martial arts to express oneself, along with keeping what is useful and discarding what isn’t, and in this zany flick, that’s precisely what Yen does.

“That’s a very interesting question, and no one

Chinese immigrants were mistreated and how,

Bruce likely had a profound effect on folks in

century cinema. I’m talking, of course, about

via the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), a specific

Chinatown during that period, and he is also a

nationality was singled out. For those who don’t

hero to me, to Black Belt readers and to those who

know, the act made it illegal for Chinese workers

don’t practice the martial arts. As I’ve mentioned

express oneself, along with keeping what is useful

to enter America and denied citizenship to those

before in this column, if not for Bruce and the

and discarding what isn’t, and in this zany flick,

already living here.

inspiration I derived from his life, I would have

that’s precisely what Yen does. He borrows the

died from cystic fibrosis back in 1973. Actor and

best of Bruce Lee, Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Jet

civil rights movement, but the attempt fizzles.

Black Belt Hall of Famer Donnie Yen also has said

Li, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais — and himself! When you

Bruce certainly was aware of it, but it’s unclear

he sees Bruce as a hero. That’s why Yen honors

watch the fights, you’ll recognize signature skills,

Bruce advocated using the martial arts to

Be Water Photos Courtesy of Dorothy Street Pictures • Enter the Fat Dragon Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

Nguyen tries to associate Bruce with the 1960s

Enter the Fat Dragon.

2 2

S C R E E N

S H O T S

L

T scenarios and camera shots from the classics,

apprentice with the Hong Kong action crew on

however, Yen fights with Ong-Bak brutality

and that’s the idea.

Hung’s CBS series Martial Law (1998-2000), I

and, interestingly, without blood and death. It’s

keenly observed how he moved during combat.

rock-’em-sock-’em robots meets Hong Kong

roles and going out on a high note with Ip Man

Yen’s postures, flips, kicks, spins, rolls and

comedic filmmaking.

4 (2019), Yen has returned with a kick-in-the-

punches mirror the Sammo Hung of that time.

groin high note. For Fat Dragon, he wears a

In part, it’s the result of the costume adding

Think Bruce Lee fighting Suzuki in Fist of Fury,

hot-and-heavy 70-pound costume that looks

size and weight to Yen’s frame, but it’s also a

where a nunchaku takes on a samurai sword in

like it was inspired by the one Mike Myers wore

testament to Yen’s skills

a Japanese dojo. Now, however, it’s Yen fighting

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

After retiring from traditional kung fu film

in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The

The opening scene has a speeding van

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

Shimakura (Joey Tee), with a nunchaku taking

suit reportedly took three to four hours to don.

trapped between two vans while it’s being

on a sai. The matchup is similar, but because

“I was sweating buckets,” Yen said. “The more

chased by motorcycles. (That might ring a

of the Chan influence, it happens on top of

I was in that suit, I think I became slimmer and

Raid 2 bell.) A skinny Fallon is trying to rescue

Tokyo Tower with an out-of-control helicopter

fitter as I had to exert a lot of force to fight

a fellow cop and ends up inside the van,

whirling around. Talk about taking things to

throughout the movie.”

where he battles a bunch of bank robbers

new heights!

armed with knives and guns. The difference

What’s refreshing about Fat Dragon is that

Loosely based on Sammo Hung’s Enter the

here is that it’s shot with wide camera

it never devolves into a series of fat jokes. In a

Fat Dragon (1978), the 2020 film is directed

angles so you can see everything. The way

way, the final words of the film reflect Lee’s “be

by Kenji Tanigaki. The plot has Fallon (Yen) as

the choreography introduces a hammer

water” philosophy. It purports that regardless

a diet-challenged cop who goes from thin to

and microphone into the fray is downright

of who we are or what we look like, we all can

portly when he’s dumped by his girlfriend, after

ingenious — and hilarious.

make a difference if we see events like water: “Whatever shape you put in it, whatever shape

which he’s sent to Japan on a case. There, he

the water will be.”

ends up battling yakuza members who are har-

All the fights — which appear to unfold on

assing a female sushi bar owner who’s helped

rooftops, lampposts and billboards, and which

by the corpulent Thor. (Hung was on tap to play

seem to rage on streets, between buildings and

Dr. Craig D. Reid’s book The Ultimate Guide to

Thor, but it didn’t work out.)

in the sushi joint — are staged on strategically

Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s: 500+ Films

built sets that permit the crew to pull off sight

Loaded With Action, Weapons and Warriors is

gags that scream of Jackie Chan. Unlike Chan,

available at shop.blackbeltmag.com.

The nature of Yen’s fat-suit rendition of Hung’s scenes is bizarre. When I was a fight-directing 3 3

The finale is phenomenal — and acrophobic.

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JOCKO WILLINK's Commentaries on the Martial Way INTERVIEW BY HARINDER SINGH SABHARWAL

did in the combat arena, you try to listen to people who have knowledge to

after my sensei gave me a copy of Go Rin No Sho, The Book of Five Rings.

pass on to you.

It was while researching Musashi that I first ran across the name Jocko Willink — I discovered an episode of his Jocko Podcast dedicated to the

You both give a first-person perspective on combat. That brings a

samurai and his writings.

completely different value to the teachings. In your experience, what

For the first time, I got to listen to an analysis of Musashi by someone

one lesson really stood out?

who had faced enemies in war and seen death up close. You see, Willink is

Being able to step back and detach and not get caught up in emotions. To me,

a former Navy SEAL lieutenant commander who led his team in the battle

this is the underlying thing that led to the rest of the discoveries I made about

for Ramadi during the Iraq War. He’s the recipient of the Silver Star and the

leadership and life. They are all founded on the fact that I am not going to get

Bronze Star. He’s also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

caught up in emotions. I am going to step back and see what is happening.

Listening to that podcast, it was as if Willink was channeling Musashi. The message of both men is so powerful because each describes a warrior’s

Most of us cannot begin to understand some of the observations that

experiences. It’s not a message gleaned from a book, not one learned from

you made during war. In that place of chaos, how do people get ahold of

a teacher. Musashi himself said, “I have no teacher in anything,” and when

their emotions and direct themselves with focus?

you listen to Willink speak, you hear the same truth. That’s why I jumped at

It starts off with something you have to be conscious of. I tell people to

the opportunity to interview him for Black Belt. It’s my hope that you gain as

physically step back. Before you can do it mentally, you have to train your

much from our conversation as I did.

mind by doing it physically. If there is some problem going on, physically step back. If you are in an argument with a co-worker or your spouse, physically step back and take a breath.

How did you become interested in Miyamoto Musashi? Was it before,

Put your hands to your side, open your chest and take a breath. This is the

during or after your military service?

opposite of a fighting stance. When you put your hands down and lift up your

It was during my service. You get interested in Musashi when you hear

chin, you open up and are exposing yourself. The opposite is getting in combat

about a guy who fought 60-plus sword fights — most of them to the death

mode by lifting your hands and tucking your chin. You don’t want to do that.

— and won them all and wrote about it. So when you spend your life like I

You want to see more, not less. When you go into combat mode, you see less.

Photos Courtesy of Jocko Willink

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

3 3

My obsession with Miyamoto Musashi began when I was 13 years old, right

What you want to do is see everything that is happening. You want to look

If you want to have freedom, you have to have discipline. I am not the first

around. By physically taking a step back, physically turning your head to take

person to say this; I might be the first person to use those specific words. It’s

a look around and physically taking a breath, you detach from the situation.

written throughout history — people have said the same thing. If you want

When you speak, make sure you are speaking in a calm voice. In the SEAL

financial freedom, you need financial discipline. If you want more free time,

Teams, it is sort of a sin to sound panicked on the radio, so I would always

you need more disciplined time management. If you want physical freedom,

make sure when I got on the radio, I was talking in a calm voice and not in a

you have to have the discipline to work out, train and eat healthy. So if you

complete and utter panic.

have discipline in your life, you will end up with more freedom.

Musashi said, “Understand the harm and benefit in everything, learn to

Another one of your books is Extreme Ownership. How did that title come

see everything accurately, become aware of what is not obvious.” Do you

about?

regard this as stepping back and detaching?

The title came from me explaining to someone that you cannot pass blame to

That is 100 percent. How accurately do you see things when you are super

anyone else. You have to take ownership when things go wrong. An extreme

emotional? How accurately do you see things when you are right in them?

version of that is extreme ownership. That means that everything that goes

It is like watching a football game: Anyone sitting in the stands can tell the

wrong when you are in a leadership position is your fault.

quarterback what he should have done because they can see the big opening and the open player. The quarterback didn’t see it. Why? Because he is on the

What makes a good leader?

field, in the game. That is life. If you spend your whole time caught up with

Good leaders are humble, and bad leaders are not humble. Bad leaders think

what’s going on on the field, you won’t see the bigger picture. So take a step

that they know everything, that their way of doing things is the best. They

back, detach, breathe and look around. When you see more, you’ll perform

don’t take any input from anybody else. A good leader has an open mind and

better. You’ll make better decisions.

listens to what others have to say. They don’t think they know everything and are always open to new solutions to problems. The difference between a good

When we detach and get into the flow, time feels like it slows down. There

leader and a bad leader is a matter of humility.

is no thinking. You are 100 percent the observer. What has your experience in this state been?

Can this be cultivated, or do you have to already possess it?

For me, that has been the goal all of the time, especially going into combat. I have to

It can definitely be cultivated. Jiu-jitsu is really good at humbling people. You

be in that mode where I am watching from the outside and I am seeing the big pic-

may think you are a big tough guy, and then you get on the mat and get choked

ture. Even if I get sucked into a tactical problem like a gunfight, I’m still the leader.

out by somebody that is 50 pounds lighter than you. You realize you didn’t

I’m not supposed to be engaging targets. I’m supposed to be leading.

I might have to crack off some rounds, provide cover for someone, engage a target, but once I have done that, my immediate goal is take a step back and survey the scene.

In my experience, you do have to really watch out for it because you can easily get sucked into things. But if you train yourself properly, when these pressure situations arise, you will be able to get in, handle the problem, and immediately step back out and detach from the situation so you can see the bigger picture.

The more you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, the more you realize that panicking and getting emotional is not helpful.”

For martial artists who don’t have combat experience, how do you teach them to adapt and overcome?

You want to train as realistically as possible. That means putting yourself in tough situations and bad situations. The more you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, the more you realize that panicking and getting emotional is not helpful. You have to relax. You have to do

Photos Courtesy of Jocko Willink

this repeatedly so you learn cognitively what you need to do when these situations are unfolding. I think martial arts, especially martial arts where you can spar with other humans, is a great way to put yourself in situations where you need to control your emotions.

Another similarity you share with Musashi is discipline. You say that discipline is equal to freedom. How does one find freedom in discipline?

Well, I wrote Discipline Equals Freedom because they are contrary. People would think that freedom is the opposite of discipline, but that is not true.

3 3

If there are things that make you uncomfortable, move toward those things and do them as much as you can until you get comfortable with them.”

moves. If you go to an extreme in one direction or another, that is going to throw you off-balance, and you are very seldom going to be correct. You must maintain your balance in jiu-jitsu, wrestling or any martial art. If you throw a punch too hard, you will lose your balance and your opponent will capitalize on that. If you overcommit to something, you will telegraph it

know everything you thought you knew. That is one of the reasons I really

and your opponent will capitalize on it. It is the same with leadership: If you

like jiu-jitsu: It is a very humbling thing to be engaged in.

overdo something, it’s going to be out of balance, and it is going to cause problems. So don’t hang out in the extremes; keep it in the middle.

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

Why do some people quit when they get humbled or when they feel uncomfortable?

Is balance a 50-50 thing, or is it more of a shifting-and-adapting thing?

Unfortunately, people’s egos get involved. Nobody likes to get tapped out.

You have to modulate your actions. If someone is pushing against you, you

No one likes to get beat. So they try to go through the rest of their lives

have to push back somewhat. Otherwise, you will fall over. But if you push

avoiding difficult situations. That is unfortunately a bad idea, and it’s

back with everything you’ve got and they step away, you are going to fall

pretty sad.

over. So you have to modulate according to the situation you are in.

It’s not just in jiu- jitsu. If you have ever boxed with a good boxer or a good muay Thai fighter, you are going to feel the exact same way. If you let your

What keeps you growing and evolving as a martial artist?

ego run your life and say to yourself, “I got beat, I don’t like getting beat, I’m

My training partners. It’s a constant war. Every time I go in, am I going to catch

never going to do that again!” — that’s why people end up going one or two

them or are they going to catch me? If I work harder, maybe I can catch them.

times to jiu-jitsu or to muay Thai and never go back.

If they work harder, maybe I am going to get caught. It’s the joy of training.

It’s very fun [and] very consequential because when you lose, you know

Rickson Gracie said, “Make yourself comfortable in uncomfortable

what that really means. When you tap out, if you actually think about what

situations.” When you are training students, how do you get them to

that really means, you don’t want that to happen. When that does happen,

overcome discomfort?

that is your opportunity to learn and try to prevent that particular thing

I trained with Rickson Gracie in the mid-’90s. One day when we got done,

from happening again.

when he got done smashing and annihilating me like a child, his compli-

My main training partner has been multiple-world-champion Dean Lister.

ment to me was, “You are very comfortable in uncomfortable positions.”

He is better than I am, so that means I get tapped out all of the time. That is fine;

Even though I was getting smashed, I tried to relax and utilize the

it doesn’t bother me. I like it and will keep training and keep getting better.

techniques that I knew at the time. It is definitely a good attitude to have: If there are things that make you uncomfortable, move toward those things

In your opinion, what is the X factor that makes a good martial artist?

and do them as much as you can until you get comfortable with them.

It’s different things for different people. You can have someone that is insanely flexible or insanely strong or has crazy natural cardio, and that can

3 3

In your book The Dichotomy of Leadership, you talk a lot about balance.

make them good. You can have people that have a natural mind for a par-

How would you describe balance for martial artists?

ticular part of the game. There are people who have a natural mind for grap-

To me, that means you don’t have extreme opinions or make extreme

pling but not a natural mind for striking. Some people have a natural mind

for striking but not a natural mind for grappling. There are people who have a

If you could give one message to martial artists, what would it be?

natural mind for mixing all of these things together in mixed martial arts, and

The message I always talk about is staying humble. If that is your mindset —

there are some people who have a hard time mixing everything together.

you stay humble, you don’t think you know everything, you stay open to change — that is the most positive way to go through life. That is the most positive way

In the effort to become a good martial artist, focus often is placed on

to get growth in your life. Think about training in martial arts: If you think you

techniques. In your opinion, are transitions being neglected?

know everything, you stop learning. So let martial arts be a guide for your

Yes. When I was a white or blue belt, I watched my first BJJ instructor Fabio

entire life. Have an open mind and listen to what other people say. If people

Santos training with Jeff Higgs. Fabio got mounted, and as Jeff was mounting,

have good ideas, incorporate those good ideas into what you know. If you do

Fabio was already escaping. That was the first time I realized how he was so

that in your life, you will end up in a good spot.

far ahead. What a normal person does when starting jiu-jitsu is this: Someone mounts you, then you think about what to do and then you start your mount

Listening to you now, I hear the parallels with Musashi again. Musashi

escape. And that is actually what you get taught. You don’t get taught to escape

said, “The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a

during the transition. You have to develop that on your own. These moments of

way that they will be useful at any time and teaching them in such a way

transitions are the keys to success.

that they will be useful in all things.” What are your thoughts on that?

If you know the way broadly, you can see it in all things. That is absolutely

When I read Musashi, Marcus Aurelius, Sun Tzu and some of your work,

true. For me, seeing and understanding jiu-jitsu gave me an understanding

I read about death being a great teacher. For those of us who have not

of combat, it gave me an understanding of human nature and it gave me an

observed death, what can we learn from your experiences? What does

understanding of leadership. When I talk about all those things, they are all

death have to teach us about life?

absolutely connected by a common thread. They are all the same; they all have

Being in combat, you definitely realize the fragility of life. You have to accept

the same premises. The reason I recognized those similarities, which then

death. I’m not saying you are not going to fight, that you are not going to try to

allowed me to see them with more clarity, was jiu-jitsu. In jiu-jitsu, I learned

live. I’m not trying to say that your life isn’t important. In fact, it’s the opposite:

that if I want your arm, I will attack your neck, and then when you defend your

Your life is important and you are going to die. It’s going to happen, so you

neck, I will take your arm.

better take advantage of the life you have. For me especially, losing my friends

I know that on the battlefield, if I want to take your position, I need to attack

in combat, young guys, the best guys in the world — when you live through

you from the front — but then I need to send a flanking element around to your

that, you realize how precious life is. You accept death, but you move forward

flank, and that is how I will take your position.

in life and do everything you can to make it a good life. You understand the finality of it all. You understand that there is no escape.

I know that as a leader, if you have an ego and are dug into an idea and are sticking to your idea, if I attack your idea, you are not going to relent. But if I

The worst thing that can happen to me is that I am going to die. I don’t know

massage your ego a little bit and come in from a different angle and plant a

when, but I know I am. So I am not going to worry about it. I am not going to be

seed that you think that my idea is your idea, I can win in that situation. I can

afraid of it. I am going to be ready for it. And the way you are ready for it is by

influence you in the proper direction.

living a good life.

[This is] just one example of the unified connections and principles that link all of these things. The reason I figured these things out was I saw them first

What happens if we cannot let go of our fear of death?

If you have someone that is really scared of dying, it is going to be hard for

through the simple, undeniable methodologies of jiu-jitsu.

[When we] find something that works, if our ego is so big that we can’t

them to focus on doing their job. If you have someone who is scared of death,

accept it, then we will lose. But if we accept it and see the good in a new

they will not function as well as someone that accepts death as a reality and

technique, a new form or new method, if we open our mind and learn it and

as a possibility and even as a likelihood. So definitely [it’s about] getting your

incorporate it into our game, not only will it not defeat us anymore [but also]

mindset to a point where you understand what can happen, you understand

we can use it to defeat others.

the consequences, you understand the outcomes and you are OK with it. Now you can focus on doing your job.

To read more from this interview with Jocko Willink, visit blackbeltmag.com.

Fear debilitates a lot of people. There are real fears, like the ones you have faced, and then there are projected fears, like people being afraid of the opinions of others. How do you help people overcome fear?

The way you do it is by exposing yourself to those fears. If, for example, you are afraid of the water, first just come to the river and look at it. The next time, you step in it. The next time, you go in up to your knees. The next time, you go in up to your waste, then up to your head. The next time, you step into the deep water and step right back. Then you start learning the stroke. Expose yourself to the things that are making you afraid, and you will realize there is

Seeing and understanding jiu-jitsu gave me an understanding of combat.”

nothing to be afraid of.

3 3

Photos Courtesy of Chris Thomas

Photos Courtesy of Chris Thomas

The Sai A Classical Approach to Wielding a Classical Weapon

by Chris Thomas

T

here has been a sea change in thinking among practitioners of the traditional martial arts in the past 30 years. Previously, students faithfully accepted what they were told and furiously

What We See With this understanding as a starting point, a few important conclusions can be made.

One: The sai is neither a dueling implement nor a battlefield weapon. The

practiced those methods — which might be of questionable

image frequently seen in movies of a black-clad ninja who is armed with

utility based on the interpretations commonly assigned to the

a sai and taking on an opponent who is armed with some other weapon is

movements within the kata. Then Taika Oyata showed that the common

a fabrication. The sai is a law-enforcement tool of pre-emption, control

interpretations were not at all what kata were supposed to be about.

and arrest.

Oyata’s teachings made only modest inroads into the martial arts com-

Two: The sai, as a weapon of the

munity until Black Belt Hall of Famer George Dillman began training with

constabulary, has the capacity for

him. Dillman took what Oyata taught and pushed it out to the world. The

applying varying degrees of force.

result: Teachers everywhere are now exploring realistic and practical

Many of the techniques of the sai are

uses for kata movements. (Such interpretation of kata movement is com-

brutal and even lethal, but the sai

monly referred to as bunkai‚ which means “analysis‚” or less frequently as

also can control, trap and restrain

oyo‚ which means “application.”)

with remarkable effectiveness. (A pair

But while the traditional empty-hand forms of the martial arts increas-

of sai can even be used as handcuffs.)

A pair of sai used as handcuffs.

ingly have been the subject of careful and thoughtful reassessment, the

Three: It’s often believed that ancient martial arts masters trained

same has not been true of the kata of karate weapons, or kobudo. In this

so diligently that they attained levels of skill that are impossible today.

area of practice, students and teachers continue the “traditional” prac-

This is a myth. The reality is people haven’t changed all that much. How

tice of clacking weapons against weapons in noisy — although emotionally

many modern police officers train in arnis because they carry a baton

satisfying — sequences of attack-block-counter. Perhaps it is time to read

as part of their tactical arsenal and want to be highly skilled in its use?

the kobudo kata anew and reassess the use of these defensive tools.

Most law-enforcement personnel have limited training in the use of their weapon, which is why police departments require periodic requalifica-

What We Think

in skill and practice.

It’s said that the weapons of karate are simply common implements used

For this reason, we might reasonably expect that sai techniques would

for self-defense. But this is not exactly the case. Some weapons do fit into

require only a moderate level of skill to perform. Otherwise, they would be

this category, such as the kuwa (field hoe), the kama (hand sickle used for

useless for an ordinary person to use during a stressful encounter. And

rice harvesting) and the eiku (oar).

so it should be expected that the design of the sai enhances the effective-

Others seem to have started as implements and evolved into weapons, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

tion. In general, officers count on the weapon to compensate for any lack

like the nunchaku (which might have evolved from an agricultural flail or a horse bridle) and the tonfa (the side-handle baton, which might have

ness of such techniques.

Four: Blocking is a bad idea. Yes, it’s better than getting smashed or slashed, but the concept of blocking as a strategy is naive. If a blow is

evolved from a grinding-wheel handle). But there are some that are purpose-built as weapons and have no other function. The best example of this is the sai.

The sai was an Okinawan weapon of law enforcement. Like its Japanese counterpart the jutte, the sai functioned as an allaround weapon for subduing and arresting criminals and as a symbol of authority.

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

(Only the local constable carried a pair.) The origin of the sai might lie in China, where it was known as the “iron ruler.” Evidence of this comes from a photograph that dates from 1895 and is now part of the John Charles Oswald collection at the SOAS University of London. Taken in Fuzhou province, China, the photo shows two Chinese constables with a condemned prisoner. Each constable is holding a sai, and the sai are of the same design as modern versions.

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Two Chinese constables with a condemned prisoner are shown in this photo, taken around 1895. (John Charles Oswald collection at the SOAS University of London)

sense because there would be a reliable set of techniques for the weapon that had proved their usefulness and thereby earned a place in every sai kata.

When these movements are examined from a law-enforcement perspective, a majority of them can be seen — as expected — as methods for dealing with a sword as it’s being drawn. We will consider three here.

One: When the sai is held with the point forward, the assumption is that it’s used as a simple stabbing tool. In reality, the very shape of the sai allows tremendous control as a subject draws a sword. The method is to thrust forward with the point of the sai slightly elevated so the weapon intercepts the sword at the hilt, with the shaft of the sai serving The conventional use of the sai, as taught in modern kobudo, entails blocking attacks from a sword or staff — and then quickly counterattacking. (The martial artist on the right is the author, and the man on the left is Chris Martingilio, a senior master instructor of Ryukyu kempo.)

as the contact point. When this is done, the collision of the thrusting sai and the sword-drawing motion forces the sword hilt to slide into the yoke of the tine and pull the tip of the sai down onto the drawing hand. Continued forward movement traps the

merely blocked — as most sources on the sai argue — all one can hope for is a do-over. But this is a poor premise to work from because a katana, for exam-

sword and the hand against the subject’s body.

Two: Another common technique in sai kata is a movement performed

ple, is a subtle weapon. Yes, it’s great for hacking off limbs, but it’s far more

predominantly with the left side: gedan-uke. Typically, this is interpreted as

effective for feinting in hopes of eliciting a block, after which a follow-up cut

blocking a low strike. However, a more practical application is to counter the

becomes the killing blow.

movement one sees when a person is reaching for a sword.

Five: Distance is the friend of long weapons, and proximity is the friend of

It’s often said that “there are no left-handed samurai.” That stems from the

short weapons. In a duel, with opponents meeting on an open field, it’s wise to

notion that Japanese culture, like European culture, saw left-handedness

bet on the longer weapon. So for the constable with a sai, it would have been

as an aberration to be suppressed, which meant that everyone who learned

important to crowd a suspect, to charge forward when acting to subdue.

the sword learned the right-hand version. (It’s been suggested that the great

The object was not to trade blows with an opponent — block, counter, block,

Miyamoto Musashi may have been left-handed but that because of the cultural

counter. The object was to dominate the encounter in such a way that when the moment to strike arrived, the opponent was helpless to defend. But control had to be total, with the sai itself doing most of the work.

Six: The first strategy in using the sai was to prevent the subject from drawing a weapon. Since the weapon a constable was most likely to face was a sword, the old kata could reasonably be expected to devote a significant amount of practice to methods for stopping the draw. And that is precisely what we see.

What We Do The traditional sai forms known as chatanyarano-sai, tawada-no-sai, hamahiga-no-sai and tsukenshitahaku-no-sai are fundamentally the same. With the exception of one or two moves that are unique to each kata, the majority of the

The conventional use of the movement called furi-uke‚ as taught in modern kobudo, is to catch and deflect a sword.

motions and sequences are identical. This makes 4 4

EXECUTION OF THE STRAIGHT THRUST: The martial artist holds the sai in the open position with the point angled upward. As he steps forward, he punches the weapon outward, allowing the tip to drop slightly at the end of the movement.

APPLICATION OF THE STRAIGHT THRUST: The opponent begins to draw his sword, and the defender pushes his right sai forward to intercept it at the hilt (1). As he pushes, the sword hilt slides into the yoke of the sai, positioning the shaft of the sai across the back of the man’s hand (2). With his left arm extended, the defender presses his weight forward (in the manner of a fencer’s lunge), driving the opponent’s right hand toward his body (3). At the completion of the move, the opponent’s drawing hand is pinned to his sword, which is trapped against his abdomen (4).

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EXECUTION OF GEDAN-UKE:

Beginning with the sai in the closed position, the martial artist moves it from an upright orientation (1) through a downward-sweeping arc (2-3).

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stigma, he learned right-handed sword techniques — with the result being

toward the outside. The typical explanation is that the sai is swung up to catch

that he became ambidextrous. This supposedly led to the development of his

a downward sword cut in the yoke and that this is followed by an outward roll

famous nito-ryu or “two-sword method.”)

and forward strike, which deflects the sword to the side before the shaft of

Because of this cultural element, one could predict that a sword would be drawn with the right hand from a scabbard on the left side. The sai response with gedan-uke is to advance with the left leg while holding the left sai vertically (supposedly a position preparing to block) and smacking the subject’s right wrist with the shaft of the sai.

With the draw stopped, the right hand then is used to grasp the sword by the

the sai strikes.

But using the context of pre-emption and control — the agenda of the constable — a more interesting application becomes apparent.

Furi-uke lays the forward-facing shaft of the sai against the blade of the sword as the draw is being executed. The architecture of the sai guides the blade into the yoke, while the swinging movement removes the subject’s hand

hilt. The downward sweeping movement of the gedan-uke is executed, not as

from the sword. The outward rolling movement hurls the blade away, leaving

a block but as an action to hook and yank the subject’s hand from the sword.

the subject defenseless against the follow-up strike.

At the same time, the constable’s right hand moves strongly to the right hip, pulling the sword clear of the scabbard.

Three: Our final example is called furi-uke. In the kata, this technique is performed by swinging the sai in the open position, from low to high diagonally

(Note: This technique is for use in settings in which no unauthorized people are present to pick up the cast-off sword. There are other interesting methods using this same movement that return the sword to its scabbard as a finishing blow is delivered.)

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APPLICATION OF GEDAN-UKE: The defender must stop his opponent’s sword draw. With his sai in the closed position, he uses his right hand to catch the hilt and his left sai to catch the arm (1). With his right hand, the defender grasps the sword and pulls it to his right hip (2). Meanwhile, his left hand presses down on the attacker’s arm. With his left sai, he hooks the opponent’s arm and pulls to the left, stripping his hand from his sword (3). The defender continues to move the man’s right hand away from the weapon as he pulls the blade from the scabbard (4).

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EXECUTION OF FURI-UKE: The martial artist

APPLICATION OF FURI-UKE: The attacker draws his sword, and the

begins with the sai in the open position, then swings it across his body with the tip pointing toward the rear diagonal (1). He brings the sai up to face height (2), then flicks it to the outside line, allowing it to circle back until the shaft lightly touches his shoulder (3). Finally, he attacks forward using a downwardangled strike (4).

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defender places the shaft of his right sai against the blade, causing the blade to slide into the yoke of the sai (1). Next, he flows with the motion of the draw while turning the sai to the outside. This causes the sai to act as a lever, stripping the man’s hand from the sword (2). The defender moves the sai back so the yoke catches the hand guard, which throws the blade behind him (3). He finishes by advancing and striking with the sai (4).

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4 What We Can Conclude

This wide-open inquiry is not an appeal to a higher authority or an attempt to

When we speak of Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, we might speak of

follow an unbroken preservation of style. It’s a search for practical, efficient

two approaches. One could be called the traditional approach and the other

and effective solutions to real-world problems. And this means that within

the classical approach.

the classical ryuha, many possibilities are recognized and accepted and new

The traditional approach — for which the term budo (warrior path) would be apt — asks a question of orthodoxy: What is the correct way to do this?

For this question, there is but one answer, one correct way, one

solutions are not considered challenges to the integrity of the system.

What has been presented here is a classical approach to the use of the sai — aka sai-jutsu — that seeks to place the application of the weapon into its

authorized method. The traditional arts do not describe their particular

historical setting. And such an approach inevitably yields methods that differ

orthodoxy as necessarily the only way. They simply understand that within

from what one sees in modern, traditional expressions of kobudo.

their own lineage, their own ryuha (style or stream), there is only this particular way. What other ryuha do is their own business.

The classical approach — and here the term bujutsu (warrior method)

Chris Thomas is a frequent contributor to Black Belt, a renowned instructor of kyusho-jitsu (pressure-point fighting), the co-author with George Dillman of the

would apply — asks questions of functionality: How can we effectively use

definitive books on that subject, and a student of martial arts with more than

this skill?

50 years of experience. His website is kjk-karate.com.

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Pol ice O f f icers and M a r t ia l A r ts

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ecent events have ignited a worldwide controversy

action will lead to unconsciousness. If the arteries remain constricted for

regarding police use of what the public is generically

more than 30 seconds, such techniques can cause serious injury or death.

calling “chokeholds.” Like most things in life, the big picture is complicated. Many watched the video that

SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERT

recorded the tragic death of George Floyd, in which an officer’s shin was

Damon Gilbert has spent more than 23 years serving the city of Oakland,

positioned against his neck for more than eight minutes, then started

California, as a police officer. His beat is considered one of the most violent

demanding that police be prohibited from using all chokeholds.

in the country. Gilbert, however, has an ace up his sleeve: an eighth-degree

Martial artists, however, know that this category of techniques is a

black belt in kajukenbo, bolstered by more than 40 years in the dojo. On more

broad one — some say it contains at least 13 types of strangleholds. To

than one occasion in the line of duty, he’s had to use his skills — which makes

better understand them, we break down the category into air chokes and

him the perfect person to consult about police use of chokeholds.

blood chokes.

Air chokes compress the upper airway, attacking the trachea and larynx, and therefore interfere with breathing. This can lead to asphyxia and even death.

Blood chokes are different. Frequently seen in judo matches and MMA bouts, they compress one or both carotid arteries. Within seconds, this

I asked, “Are chokeholds safe?”

“Absolutely not,” Gilbert replied. “But correctly applied vascular neck restraints are.

“Typically, in most police departments, chokeholds are prohibited, barring a life-or-death situation. The term ‘chokehold’ is something that does not work for law enforcement. A chokehold attacks the trachea.

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Photos Courtesy of Damon Gilbert

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

In the grappling arts, the rear-naked choke is a frequently seen technique. In police defensive tactics, it’s called the bilateral wrap. Damon Gilbert (left) describes it as a “neck compression of the carotid arteries and jugular veins at the sides of the neck. If used properly, this type of vascular neck restraint is absolutely safe — but like any technique, if abused or not done correctly, serious injuries can occur.”

“What we use is a bilateral wrap, or neck compression of the carotid arteries and jugular veins at the sides of the neck. No direct compression is applied to the structures at the front of the neck, and the subject retains the ability to breathe. If used properly, this type of vascular neck restraint is absolutely safe — but like any technique, if abused or not done correctly, serious injuries can occur.

I asked Gilbert to elaborate on the mechanics of applying the bilateral wrap safely. “You encircle the subject’s neck, making sure that [the crook of] your arm is perfectly aligned with the subject’s chin,” he said. “Then you slowly apply pressure. It should take approximately seven to 10 seconds to render a healthy individual unconscious. It may be sooner when under the influence of depressants or longer when under the influence of stimulants.

But if you are still squeezing for 30 or 40 seconds after they’ve passed out, you are looking at some serious, irreparable damage.”

That comment raised a key consideration, one the public might not be considering. “The biggest issue for law enforcement is not only the application of a vascular neck restraint but also understanding how long you’ve had the subject in that restraint,” he said. “That’s not easy to do if you are in a hostile environment with people screaming and throwing objects at you. I teach my guys to have a 20-second rule in their head: If you haven’t got control by then, let it go and try a different type of restraint.”

As with most martial arts techniques, it’s the details that matter. “That’s why I am very strict when it comes to encircling the neck and having that chin-to-elbow alignment,” Gilbert said. “When we do it that way, we don’t get that respiratory type of choke where the subject can’t breathe. We

The key to safely applying the bilateral wrap is making sure the crook of the arm is perfectly aligned with the opponent’s chin, Damon Gilbert says. “No direct compression is applied to the structures at the front of the neck, and the subject retains the ability to breathe.”

don’t touch the trachea; we’re doing a bilateral compression on the cardiac artery and the vagus nerve. This slows the flow of oxygen to the brain,

“The officer in that video is going to have to answer to that situation in

resulting in a sleeper hold like you see in MMA and wrestling. It’s a very

a court of law,” Gilbert said. “As a police officer, you must stay focused on

safe technique — when done properly.

the task at hand, even when you are in a position where there may be civil

“Currently, for police officers in the state of California, there is an actual

unrest or hostility. But in this case, it appears the officer had some kind of

test on the proper and safe way to use a vascular restraint. This test must

tunnel vision. I watched the video and observed bystanders clearly yelling

be passed in order to become a police officer. As a training officer, I teach

at the officer, requesting him to move — plus the subject was saying, ‘I can’t

guys how to do a vascular neck restraint on both the strong and weak

breathe, I can’t breathe!’ Yet none of that registered. There was some kind

sides because in a fight, you never know which side is going to be available.

of extreme neglect or disconnect from proper training that resulted in a

However, due to the recent events in Minnesota, there is a very strong

tragic loss of life.

possibility that the use of the bilateral vascular restraint will be prohibited in the state of California.”

“I can honestly say that having been in law enforcement for 23 years now and teaching arrest-and-control techniques, I’ve never seen anyone use their

Photos Courtesy of Damon Gilbert

knee or shin on someone’s neck as we saw in that video. The actions of the

LETHAL MISTAKE

officer were unacceptable, and I surely understand the outrage worldwide

“There are a variety of chokeholds, especially in mixed martial arts,”

with law enforcement and use of force.”

Gilbert said. “A few of the most common are the rear-naked chokehold, the

However, there are legitimate police methods that use the knee, Gilbert

arm-triangle chokehold and the guillotine. The guillotine is when you attack

explained. “I have seen different handcuffing manipulations such as the T-3.

the respiratory [system] with direct mechanical compression over the

That’s where you have your top knee near the upper shoulder-blade area,

anterior structures of the neck. That kind of chokehold can cause asphyx-

but that’s just long enough to get the handcuffs on one wrist and [then you]

iation by compressing the trachea and restricting the person’s ability to

transfer it to the suspect’s back.”

breathe. That’s the kind of thing law-enforcement prohibits unless lethal force is justified.”

The George Floyd video sparked protests and riots around the world

Gilbert, however, plays it safe when instructing new officers. “I don’t teach any shin connection to the back of the neck whatsoever,” he said. “The only time you’ll see a shin used would be across the lower back or on the belly, and

because an officer appears to be effecting a choke that obstructs his breath-

that’s used as a means to stay connected to a subject who is not handcuffed

ing by positioning his shin across his neck. The contact, which was reportedly

and resisting. By staying connected, you feel resistance and can make the

maintained for more than eight minutes, resulted in Floyd’s death.

proper transition or disengagement.”

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Defensive tactics are perishable skills, says Damon Gilbert (top). That’s why he created a program called Open Mat Training, which is composed of six two-hour refresher classes per month with the training designed to meet the needs of law enforcement.

COMPLIANCE RECOMMENDED

“Being a police officer is a tough business to be in, but you know what you

Anyone who’s watched a police reality show has seen situations escalate

are getting into when you sign up for the job. Everything always goes back

because a person who was stopped refused to comply with the officer’s

to training.”

can turn into a foot chase and a wrestling match — or worse.

“It’s unfortunate when those situations happen,” Gilbert said. “Many

Gilbert has devoted his life to police work and kajukenbo. When he’s not

times, things will escalate simply because the individual we’re talking to

serving as the lead defensive-tactics instructor for the Oakland Police

refuses to comply when we’re trying to get basic information. When we

Department, he teaches his art. And he coaches and competes — his 14

ask someone to put their hands behind their back and they say, ‘No,’ and

sparring world titles are a testament to his fighting skill. It’s not surpris-

resist, we now have a lawful arrest situation. And when that individual

ing that he regards the martial arts as an essential component of all police

fights us, we have to use some type of physical prowess to gain control. So

officers’ training.

if verbal persuasion doesn’t work, we have to move into a more physical

“I believe that the martial arts industry is a huge potential savior for

phase of a restraint technique, which can absolutely work — or it can go

law enforcement,” Gilbert said. “I see a major issue [in most departments’

totally south in a heartbeat.”

current training] when it comes to diminishing perishable skills. By that,

Noncompliance quickly can cause things to escalate, Gilbert said. “That

I mean most departments only mandate that you train once a year. Our

increases the chance of an injury to the officer and the individual — more

self-defense class, known as Arrest and Control or Defensive Tactics,

so for the individual, especially if you are dealing with an officer who isn’t

is held once a year for a six-hour block. Now, if I train once a year in one

well-trained or can’t handle stress.”

class, how good am I going to be in a real confrontation or even competi-

The overall physical environment is another element police need to contend with during a stop or an arrest. In addition to dealing with a

tively if we’re talking about perishable skills?”

To solve that problem, three years ago, Gilbert created a program for the

combative individual who may or may not be armed, the officers must be

Oakland Police that he’s dubbed Open Mat Training. “On top of the one man-

aware of potential threats in the form of bystanders who might jump in

dated class a year, we now teach approximately six classes each month

or angry onlookers who might throw objects. A hostile location creates

that are two hours in length,” he said. “These classes are not mandatory,

a scenario in which police must immediately detect rising tensions and,

but due to word of mouth, a large portion of our officers attend on a reg-

when possible, defuse them.

ular basis. I have personally witnessed our officers’ level of confidence

“Officers have a lot to process in a matter of seconds,” Gilbert said.

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PERISHABLE SKILLS

skyrocket — and the use-of-force complaints [decrease].

Photos by Robert W. Young

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

instructions. When a person refuses to obey a basic order, a traffic stop

“I was inspired to start Open Mat after attending several Gracie Survival

Not surprisingly, Gilbert’s kajukenbo and defensive-tactics skills have

Tactics courses with Rener and Ryron Gracie. I also teach defensive tactics at

helped him many times when his life was on the line. “I can recall one instance

my school, Best in the West in San Leandro, California. I teach this strictly to

where my martial arts training came into play and helped me save the life of

security, personal-protection and law-enforcement personnel.”

an elderly man who was being beaten to death by a car thief who was later

Gilbert is a staunch believer in officers receiving ongoing training with credible martial arts academies. “I believe officers should engage in martial

determined to be on probation for armed robbery,” he said.

“I was a training officer at the time and had a young man fresh out of the

arts schools where they are able to work on those types of perishable skills:

academy with me. We were assisting another officer who was chasing a sto-

takedowns, control holds, wrist locks and even self-control,” he said. “I

len-car suspect who had fled the scene. We were on foot pursuit in a residential

firmly believe that the martial arts community can help reduce the number of

neighborhood. I was very relaxed, and my breathing was slow and controlled,

excessive-force complaints.”

allowing me to focus on my surroundings. A lot of that came from my martial arts training and my days as a fighter: I learned to focus on my opponent, with

MARTIAL ARTS ON THE JOB “Oakland is my hometown,” Gilbert said. “I was born and raised here, and this

all my senses on full alert, allowing me to anticipate his next move.”

Heightening his awareness, Gilbert searched for clues. “I spotted a small,

is where I started my martial arts career. Oakland is near and dear to me, but

one-room studio, and the door was closed,” he said. “But I heard a sound. It

the fact about this wonderful city is that it has historically been in the top 10

was like someone was taking a faint breath. There were seven other officers

most violent cities in North America. So we have a unique challenge when it

with me, but I was the only one to hear it.”

comes to protecting people and being a peacekeeper.

He sprang into action. “I decided to trust my gut and made the entry,” he said.

“Out of my 23 years on the force, I’ve spent 20 of those years on the street

“In front of me was an elderly man being beaten by the suspect. The suspect

doing everything from patrol to undercover work for our Crime Prevention

was on top of him with a bloody pillow over his head, striking him in the head

Unit (Drug Task Force). Things are much better now than they once were, but

with his own wooden cane. We subdued the suspect, and the elderly man went

with that said, we have a high number of robberies, assaults and murders.

to the hospital with severe injuries — but he survived.

Unfortunately, there are people who seek out the weak and try to impose their will on them. And that’s why I’m here — and at the end of the day, I really feel

“It was my martial arts focus and discipline that helped me save that man’s life.”

Photos by Robert W. Young

like I’m making a difference. I’ve had multiple instances when I’ve saved a life, and when they thank me, there isn’t a better feeling in the world. That’s why I

Terry L. Wilson is a freelance writer based in San Diego. For more information

put my life on the line.”

about Damon Gilbert’s Best in the West martial arts school, visit bitwmma.com.

Damon Gilbert holds an eighth-degree black belt in kajukenbo. A martial artist for 40 years and a police officer for 23, he says the arts have enabled him to save many lives — including his own — while on duty.

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Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

By Dr. Craig D. Reid

TOP MARTIAL ARTS FILMS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

For Black Belt’s September 2005 issue, I wrote “Top 20 Martial Arts Films of All Time.” I based my selections on each movie’s impact on martial arts cinema, not necessarily on its acting or fight choreography. It wasn’t an easy process then, and it wasn’t any easier when the editor of Black Belt asked me to write this piece on the top films that have been released during this century. Nevertheless, I agreed.

Directed by Tsui Hark and starring

20 2012

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate

that didn’t have tiered seating, the hairdo of the person in front of my wife didn’t block her view of the subtitles

— they jumped off the screen! One engaging scene in the movie had a murder of crows seemingly fly from behind, over our heads and into OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

the screen. That had the people turning their heads to see whether any more birds were sneaking up on them. When that technology is used to depict Li and the villain engaging in a sword fight inside a tornado, it makes your head whirl.

Palace intrigue, deceit, power plays, doppelgangers and a wonky and stunning that I laughed at

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

its bravura. It’s Ten Commandments

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love triangle — these are the elements

This Bollywood hit is so outrageous

21 2017

Baahubali: The Conclusion

meets Ben-Hur in ancient India. The plot revolves around a queen who chooses

19 2019

Shadow

that put director Zhang Yi-mou’s Shadow on this list. The fate of Commander Yu’s (Deng Chao) home of Jing City hinges on defeating Gen. Yang’s

her adopted virtuous son Baahubali as

(Hu Jun) signature skills in a duel. Yang’s weapon is the masculine da

her heir over her contemptible birth

dao, a heavy blade that requires great power to wield. His secret skill

son Bhalla. Subsequently, Bhalla’s venomous deceit causes Baahubali to

is revealed when, in slow motion, he sprints away from his opponent

be exiled. As Bhalla becomes a power-hungry ruler, Baahubali returns,

with his weapon scraping along the rain-swept ground, bringing out

leading a stampede of flaming bulls with horns afire to destroy a dam and

the poetry of the movement. Yu’s weapon is feminine: an umbrella

wash away the army that surrounds the city. Holy cow! When Baahu-

forged with slashing steel blades. When wielded with an exquisite

bali wields a half-ton chain with each arm, no soldier, statue or wall at

touch, it becomes efficient at reminding male warriors what it feels

Bhalla’s palace is immune to the chain reaction. The fights feature plenty

like to get in touch with their feminine side. The yin-yang aesthetics

of speed-ramping, which accentuates the emotions.

are hypnotizing.

Baahubali Photo Courtesy of Great India Films USA • Flying Swords of Dragon Gate Poster Courtesy of Indomina Releasing

Jet Li, this is the best 3-D film ever made. Even though I saw it in a theater

Azumi Photo Courtesy of Vitagraph Films • Paradox Photos Courtesy of HKIFF • Chocolate Photo Courtesy of Magnolia Home Entertainment

Here’s my top-21 countdown.

When watching 14-year-old Yanin Vismitananda’s performance as the autistic character Zen in director Prachya

16 2008

Chocolate

Pinkaew’s Chocolate, her high-trajectory death blows that swoop toward her opponents like an eagle will blow you away.

Projecting a demure, empty face, Zen fights

in a manner that often begins with her arms down at her sides. Yet when she elevates into Ong-Bak-style insanity, it’s a new dimension of awe. She’s no longer a sweet, innocent girl; she’s a maelstrom. As the fights escalate, her female façade fades and the tempo accelerates into battles that are reminiscent of the ones that featured Yukari Oshima in mid-1980s Hong Kong films like A Book of Heroes. Zen’s outlandish duel against a capoeira Starring a 17-year-old non-martial

teen with Tourette syndrome is a gem.

artist named Aya Ueto (Azumi), this

18 2003

Azumi Photo Courtesy of Vitagraph Films • Paradox Photos Courtesy of HKIFF • Chocolate Photo Courtesy of Magnolia Home Entertainment

Baahubali Photo Courtesy of Great India Films USA • Flying Swords of Dragon Gate Poster Courtesy of Indomina Releasing

Azumi

movie has a psychotic opening, offbeat characters and a wry sense of humor thanks to director Ryuhei Kitamura. It adds up to exciting, stylized violence captured by bizarre camerawork and presented

with outrageous sight gags that make it one of the best samurai films ever.

Two items separate Azumi from other entries in the genre: the finale in which Azumi slices and dices 200 samurai (compared to the usual one-onone bouts) and a reverent note about Japanese women refusing to stay at home only to be culled by their male counterparts. With two months of fight training, Ueto exhibits skills that are spellbinding. It’s easy to understand why Azumi re-energized Japan’s waning fight-film industry.

In the vein of Chang Cheh’s male-bonding kung fu films of the 1970s and John Woo’s male-driven melodramas, director

17 2017

Paradox

Wilson Yip’s Paradox mixes Tony Jaa’s frenzied elbows and Louis Koo’s angst with Sammo Hung’s superlative choreography — and manages to reinvent the melees that

were popular in the 1980s. In Paradox, Hong Kong cop Lee (Koo) teams up with Chiu (Wu Yue) and psychic Tak (Jaa) to hunt down illegal organ traders in Thailand who plan to “dis-organ-ize” Koo’s daughter. Although Koo is not a fighter, Hung weaves charged fight choreography with sleight-of-hand

This film monitors a band of cops who

camerawork and edgy editing to make Koo ultra-kool. Brilliant combative

bring anarchy to a drug kingpin’s

action climaxes during the rooftop battle between Tak and henchman Sacha (Chris Collins) and during the high-octane meat-cleaver brawl that pits Lee and Chiu against Sacha and his gang.

15-story apartment complex. While Rama

15 2011

The Raid: Redemption

(Iko Uwais) searches for his brother, he’s forced to elevate his swashbuckling pencak silat into pummeling the pill-pushing pirates into a putrefied pulp. If that sounds

gross, the crazy thing is it’s exactly what he does as more blood spurts than at a vampire convention. Shot mostly in black and gray, the movie by director Gareth Evans boasts a palette that oozes grunge as each fight showcases darkness and viciousness. Shot with simple camerawork, the fights are connected logically and disconnected when necessary to reveal new levels of helplessness for the losers.

5 5

When high-production-value wuxia films shot in China were using hyper-imagined wire work and

Ip Man

maniacal sword fights to mesmerize audiences, Donnie Yen and Wilson Yip (director) proved with Ip Man that old-school choreography wasn’t out of

vogue. During Japan’s occupation of China, the mild-mannered pillar of the Foshan community, a master of wing chun known as Ip Man (Bruce Lee’s future teacher) is forced to wallop unruly outsiders seeking to gain fame and diminish his reputation. Ip fights with artful virtue and without malice. When pressed into dueling with the Japanese to defend If you love old kung fu films, this one

China’s honor, he humiliates his foes while maintaining his martial

will let you relive those nostalgic

convictions. Yen never loses his combative simplicity. (His three Ip Man

feelings. Directed by Stephen Chow

Kung Fu Hustle

follows small-time thief Sing (Chow), who aspires to join the underworld’s ruthless Axe Gang. He convinces the

gang to attack Pig Sty Alley. Yet when Sing learns secret kung fu from certain Alley inhabitants, he becomes their hero. From obvious Bruce Lee parodies to the not-so-obvious use of traditional Cantonese opera pieces from classic 1950s black-and-white kung fu films, it features several actors who haven’t been seen for decades, including a Bond girl.

Chow even satirizes Tom & Jerry, Road Runner, Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire — and delivers a farcical rendition of Neo battling a hundred Mr. Smiths from The Matrix Reloaded.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

Created by Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino while shooting Pulp Fiction, this is Tarantino’s homage

13 2003

Kill Bill: Volume 1

to Hong Kong’s old kung fu flicks. Kill Bill focuses on The Bride (Thurman), an assassin who, after being shot and left for dead at the altar, wakes up from a

four-year coma and seeks revenge on her lover Bill (David Carradine).

The most significant nods to Hong Kong cinema are Thurman dressed in Bruce Lee’s one-piece yellow tracksuit from Game of Death and The

Although SPL2 (aka Kill Zone 2)

Bride’s final fight against the Crazy 88’s, led by Shaw Brothers legend Gordon Liu. It looks like Golden Swallow meets Duel of the Iron Fists.

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

Although an American film, Kill Bill features fights that were choreo-

5 5

graphed by Hong Kong’s Yuen Wooping. In particu-

isn’t a sequel, it continues SPL’s

11 2015

SPL2: A Time for Consequences

combative grandeur. Wu Jing returns with more body-bashing breadth and joins forces with Tony Jaa and Zhang Jin. Directed by Soi Cheang, SPL2 sees Thai prison guard Chai (Jaa) search

lar, Thurman’s

for a bone-marrow donor for his daughter. Meanwhile, Kit (Wu) is a

throwdowns

drug-addicted undercover cop in prison, where sadistic warden Ko

are dynamic,

(Zhang) operates an organ-harvesting ring. Things go nuts when Kit’s

the result of her

found to be a match. The prison escape is nihilistic. During the finale in a

intense three-

high-rise building with plenty of glass windows, Kit tackles a loathsome

month training

knife guy, then teams up with Chai to wreak vengeance on Ko and his

regimen.

cohorts. The movie is full of Jaa’s signature close-combat ferocity.

Kung Fu Hustle Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics • Kill Bill Photo Courtesy of Miramax • Ip Man and SPL2 Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

14 2004

sequels are likewise well worth watching.)

and set in pre-revolutionary China, it

The Raid 2 Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics • Hero Photo Courtesy of Miramax • Ong-Bak Photo Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures • The Grandmaster Photo Courtesy of Annapurna Pictures

12 2008

Rama (Iko Uwais) is now an undercover cop in an even more savage work of brutality that’s comparable to

10 2014

The Raid 2 Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics • Hero Photo Courtesy of Miramax • Ong-Bak Photo Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures • The Grandmaster Photo Courtesy of Annapurna Pictures

Kung Fu Hustle Photo Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics • Kill Bill Photo Courtesy of Miramax • Ip Man and SPL2 Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA

The Raid 2

a slasher film filled with blood, guts and viscera, in which the killers are good, bad and ugly. In real life, Raid is an insecticide used to annihilate ants and cockroaches.

In the movie, Rama does the same thing to lowlifes and thugs. When they become resistant, the new-and-improved Rama relies on potent martial arts skills to beat them into submission. The utter filth and grime of the mud-soaked penitentiary fight is claustrophobic. Rama’s use of the karambit, a tiger-claw-shaped knife designed for close-quarters combat, facilitates the bloodletting.

Directed by Prachya Pinkaew and packed with influences from Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Panna Rittikrai,

8 2003

Ong-Bak

this Tony Jaa breakout film focuses on Thai warrior Ting (Jaa), who travels to Bangkok in search of the stolen head of a statue from his village’s guardian Buddha. During

training, Ting uses fighting skills related to Hanuman, a monkey God from the Hindu legend described in The Ramayana. Yet it’s the confrontations with muscle-bound foreigners in illegal bare-knuckle brawls that endear audiences to the gut-wrenching action. Jaa’s belligerence is emotionally countered by a gymnastic steeplechase through Bangkok’s back alleys.

Jaa’s final bout against a meth-using adversary, along with his knee-drop strikes, elbows of fury and fire kicks, went on to inspire other Southeast Asian countries to showcase their martial arts.

Jet Li reportedly cried after reading

As director Wong Kar-wai tracked

the script for director Zhang Yi-mou’s

9 2002

Hero

down old kung fu teachers in China to

Hero, then insisted that the film include a rematch with Donnie Yen. (They fought in Once Upon a Time in China II.) He also wanted Ching Siu-tung as action director.

He got what he wanted. In the movie, the

learn the art’s traditions, Tony Leung had

7 2013 The Grandmaster

three years of pain-ridden preparation (two broken bones) for what was to him an unknown role. The Grandmaster centers on the retiring head of China’s kung fu

fate of China rests with three warriors who are trying to assassinate

world Gong Yu-tian, who tests the worthiness of Ip Man (Leung) to be his

Emperor Chin. One of them is Lone Sky Iron Shield (Yen), with Nameless

successor. He does this via a battle of wits, cryptic physical combat and

(Li) standing in his way. Ching’s refined wire work and balletic choreog-

perplexing kung fu governance. It’s confusing because Wong wants only

raphy add mythical dimensions to Hero. The Mirror Lake fight took three

insiders to get the nuances of the combat and therefore hides the skills.

months to complete because the filmmakers could shoot only 20 minutes

Ip’s skirmish with 12 combatants at night in the rain was shot over 30

a day when the lake’s reflective properties were perfect. The Li-Yen

nights, during which Leung and the stuntmen were soaked until morning.

rematch was a fight without fighting. In kung fu folklore, martial artists

The finale between Gong’s daughter and a traitor confused Western crit-

with powerful chi would sit opposite each other, send their spirits

ics. They didn’t

outside their bodies

comprehend how

and direct them to

fa jing strikes can

do battle. A fighter

break one’s chi,

died if his spirit died

forcing fighters

— it’s an element

to lose their

of the tradition

abilities for life. If

that’s rarely seen

this confuses you,

on-screen.

learn real kung fu.

5 5

Sooh-hee (Kim Ok-bin) is a ballis-

The title that’s popular in the West

tic-bladed assassin coerced by

comes from the Chinese phrase Sha

an untoward agency to be a calm-

6 2017

The Villainess

but-deadly hatchet-slashing killer.

After Soo-hee’s opening fight on a

Po Lang, which refers to three words

4 2005

SPL

multi-floored building full of thugs, we become enchanted by director Jung

from Eastern astrology that tell us a star is capable of good or evil based on its position in the heavens. The film’s celestial stars are nut-case mob boss

Byung-gil’s novel choreography, what I call “pingpong camerawork.”

Wong Po (Sammo Hung); Inspector Chan, whose mission is to put Wong

Imagine a pingpong ball as a camera and, instead of being swatted back

behind bars; and Inspector Ma (Donnie Yen), Chan’s replacement who’s

and forth between paddles, it ricochets between fighters. The ball’s

known for bashing a suspect into a half-wit with one punch. Wong has a

POV images would be tight and shaky, with rapid zooms that create

hidden plan up his sleeve: Jack (Wu Jing), a psychotic, blond-haired hit

snappy rolling pans, tilts and spins. Now have the ball hit the ground,

man who enjoys using his knife to fillet his victims. The highlight of SPL

bounce up in the air, through a door or out a window three stories

is Ma’s fights, which involve Jack being pummeled with a retractable

up while recording the actors’ reactions. That’s how the fights in

baton. The grudge match between Wong and Ma is a meteor storm of

Villainess look.

powerful knocks full of eye-popping flair, with camera choreography to match.

Donnie Yen’s 11-year-long portrayal of Ip Man has improved like a fine wine. Director Wilson Yip’s bottle and pours out the franchise’s best wing chun action. When Ip arrives in San Francisco, he sees Bruce Lee

defeat a gang of white karateka and win them over. The best fight is a cinema first: Ip takes on Wu Yue in a bout that pits wing chun’s chi sao (sticky hands) against tai chi’s tui shou (pushing hands). When Wu notices Ip’s left hand is injured, Wu insists that he will use one hand, as well. The frays reveal that when Ip and Lee are forced to fight, they OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

maintain faith in what it means to be civil. The climax matches Ip against two bigots, played by Scott Adkins and Chris Collins, both of whom are eager to prove that kung fu is weak in real combat. Their comeuppance symbolizes that the Chinese will no longer back down.

The combat that distinguishes The BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

Protector, starring Tony Jaa, from all other films is a four-minute oner

5 2005

The Protector

— a continuous shot in a multi-floored restaurant — that was inspired by Bruce Lee’s Game of Death, specifically the scene in which Lee climbs flights

of stairs and fights on each floor. In Protector, each of the six floors featured a team of stuntmen who needed to attack Jaa at precisely the right moment. Yet in fight scenes in which timing was everything, the clock didn’t always strike at midnight. After eight takes, however, they succeeded. Nothing since can compare to Jaa’s dynamic performance.

6 6

John Wick Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate • Enter the Fat Dragon Photo Courtesy of Well Go USA

Ip Man 4: The Finale

fourth installment opens the combative

The Villainess and Ip Man 4 Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA • The Protector Photo Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

3 2019

John Wick Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate • Enter the Fat Dragon Photo Courtesy of Well Go USA

The Villainess and Ip Man 4 Photos Courtesy of Well Go USA • The Protector Photo Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

2 2019

John Wick: Chap. 3 — Parabellum

Directed by Chad Stahelski, this is the best

Wick (Keanu Reeves) realizes that his survival rests on apocalyptic action,

American-made martial arts film to date.

mesmerizing mangling and grisly grappling, and the combination is not unlike

Every fight has innovative choreography and

a ballet recital. Each fight has minimal editing, uses wide angles and features

beautifully crafted camerawork. The fights

long takes, often 20 to 25 techniques per shot. Stahelski hides nothing. Of note:

are so gruesomely violent and ballistically

At 53 and after having trained for six months, Halle Berry learned how to fight

brutal that they’re hilarious as hell. With

like Reeves while shooting and kicking dozens of thugs in a desert compound.

a bounty on his head, the loveable John

In a dance, it takes two to tango; in Stahelski’s fights, it takes two to tangle.

I nearly finished writing this article last night.

1 2020

Enter the Fat Dragon

Before bed, I watched this film.

Perhaps it’s my emotions speaking

— I haven’t left home in 120 days, COVID-19 is out of control and my county just dialed back its plans for reopening. (deep breath) After watching Enter the Fat Dragon, I told my wife, “This is the best kung fu film I’ve seen in decades!” I’ll save the details for this issue’s Screen Shots column. For now, think Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen all wrapped into one. It’s the kind of film I live for.

6 6

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s About More Than Belts and Uniforms, Part 1

BY MARK JACOBS

H

idden amid the glorious combat pyrotechnics that make

fighters of the era, a man whose hands were so quick that his personal

Bruce Lee’s 1973 classic Enter the Dragon such a memora-

fighting style became known as “the invisible fist.” He won his weight

ble movie is one scene in which African-American co-star

division virtually every year he competed at Ed Parker’s Long Beach

Jim Kelly, on his way to the big martial arts tournament, is

International Karate Championships, the most celebrated tournament of

stopped and harassed by white policemen. Viewed against

the day. But neither Muhammad nor any other African-American of that

the current backdrop of civil unrest gripping American

era ever won the grand championship.

society over police brutality and social injustice, Enter the Dragon’s brief foray into issues of race may well be the

film’s most lasting symbolic image.

“That scene is very, very timely, even so many years after the movie

“At that point, grand championships didn’t exist for us,” Muhammad said with only a hint of bitterness still showing through after all these years.

“And all of the Black fighters who came up at that time would tell you yes, it was because of racism.”

came out,” said Warrington Hudlin, a longtime martial artist and success-

Martial arts are, and have been, a part of American society for a long

ful movie producer. “The message wasn’t just explicit but implicit. But to be

time. And although it’s not a popular topic to address within the arts, just

honest, when I originally saw it, it didn’t stand out to me. I was already very

as with the society it’s a part of, race has always played a role in the arts.

familiar with that kind of racism.”

While Kelly’s confrontation with the racist policemen now stands out

the institutional memory of martial arts in America doesn’t go back any

a long time, nearly forgotten is the scene immediately preceding it: Jim

further than the founding of Black Belt in 1961. But it’s also because the

Kelly enters a dojo and says goodbye to another African-American man

accomplishments of African-American martial artists have often gone

in a karate gi. Displayed on the wall behind them is a large logo of a fist

overlooked. Born in Los Angeles in 1915, Lewis may well have been the

with a cobra. The logo is highlighted in black, red and green, the colors of

Jackie Robinson of the martial arts. Achieving his shodan in 1932 and

Pan-Africanism.

reaching the rank of nidan by 1936, he was almost certainly the first

Although the film is a work of fiction, the logo is the symbol of a very real group, the Black Karate Federation, and the sensei who sends Kelly off to Han’s tournament is one of the organization’s founders, Steve Muhammad

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

(then Steve Sanders). Muhammad was one of the greatest tournament

Steve Muhammad (then Steve Sanders) competes with Chuck Norris in 1967.

6 6

Warren Lewis is a name no one will remember. In part, that’s because

as a graphic reminder that America has wrestled with these issues for

African-American to earn a black belt in judo and quite likely the first Black person to earn a dan rank in any Asian-based martial art.

But as interesting as Lewis’ accomplishments are, his impact on the martial arts, and Black people in those arts, seems negligible. It wasn’t

George Cofield and his legendary Tong Dojo in Brooklyn, NY.

until the 1950s that Black Americans began to take up the Asian fighting arts in more significant numbers and then began to teach those arts to others.

Like their white contemporaries, many of the earliest African-American

The 1950s was still a time of segregation, and in places like North Carolina, it was technically illegal for Blacks and whites to mix in a dojo.

But some white instructors were willing to buck social conventions. John

martial arts instructors had limited credentials. While a handful did learn

Keehan (aka Count Dante) was a notable exception in the Midwest, while one

from expert teachers, many were forced to piece together their experi-

of Zulu’s teachers, Peter Urban, was willing to instruct anyone, regardless

ences with World War II military combatives and a bit of judo to teach their

of race, in the New York and New Jersey region. But Cates is perhaps the

own blend of fighting. Some of the earliest pioneers of this era included judo

one most fondly remembered by older African-American martial artists

champion George Harris and shotokan karateka Maynard Miner, as well as

because they have a deep respect for his willingness to cross the color line

people like Charles Elmore in New York, Ron Williams in the Midwest and

way back in 1957.

William Short in California. Formal training from qualified Asian instruc-

“I remember a young man walked through the door, and he was a shade

tors was limited for all Westerners, including Caucasians, during this

darker than the rest of us,” Cates recalled. “He wanted to speak to the owner.

period. Ernie Cates, a Marine Corps and armed forces judo champion in the

His name was Ronnie Duncan, PFC, and he said he wanted to learn jujitsu. Well,

late 1950s and early ’60s, recalled that when he began training in judo in

when I was in Okinawa, I couldn’t find an instructor until I met Matsumoto sen-

Okinawa in 1954, he could find only one instructor on the whole island who

sei. He was the only one willing to teach foreigners. So I felt I owed it to teach

would accept Western students.

him (Duncan), I owed it to the art and I owed it to a fellow Marine.”

But if some Asians were reluctant to teach any Westerner, many white

With curtains hung on the dojo windows to hide Duncan’s presence from the

servicemen who became martial arts instructors during that era had a

outside world — and students who happened to be local police officers turn-

reputation for being less than welcoming toward African-American students

ing a blind eye to the state’s segregationist Jim Crow laws — Cates trained

in particular.

Duncan and other Black students who would eventually return to the New York area and begin teaching.

Chaka Zulu grew up in Harlem in the 1950s, picking up a bit of judo at the local YMCA from Charles Elmore before joining the Marines near the end of the

“Martial arts is a microcosm of society. In some ways, it’s ahead of society,

decade. Although he would eventually learn goju karate and develop such a

but in other ways, it’s not. I’ve known people who wouldn’t study martial arts

fearsome reputation in the New York area that it’s said he was an inspiration

with a Black person. It had to be with an Asian or no one.” Those are the words

for the martial arts warlord Sho’nuff in the cult classic film The Last Dragon

of former tournament champion and Hong Kong kung fu film star Ron “The

(a role he claims to have turned down over its racist implications), Zulu’s first

Black Dragon” Van Clief.

exposure to karate came while in the military. Stationed in North Carolina, he

When Ronald Duncan returned to New York from his tour of duty with the

sought entrance into an isshin-ryu class that fellow Marine Don Nagle ran in

Marine Corps, he began teaching in Brooklyn at the St. John’s Recreation

Cates’ judo school.

Center. Commercial martial arts schools in general had limited prospects

“They had a school outside Jacksonville, and I made an attempt to train there

at that time, even more so if run by a Black instructor. So the St. John’s Rec

— but Nagle wasn’t having any of that,” Zulu recalled. “He didn’t say outright

Center became something of a mecca for aspiring African-American martial

that it was because I was Black. It was more a subtle thing. But he made it

artists in the New York area. Included among the lineup of instructors who

known in subtle terms I just wasn’t welcome.”

taught there were Duncan, Miner, karate teacher George Cofield and jujitsu

Years later, when Nagle attempted to greet him at a banquet, Zulu said, “He acted like nothing ever happened, but I remembered and cursed him out for it.”

sensei Moses Powell. Future martial arts stars like Black Belt Hall of Famers Thomas “LaPuppet” Carroll and Ron Van Clief got their start there.

6 6

“I began with Ronald Duncan, and he kind of gave me off to Moses Powell,” Van Clief remembered.

Powell would become possibly the most influential African-American

martial arts, said a number of African-American practitioners in the

martial arts figure on the East Coast, if not in America. He, and many of the

1960s sought ways to merge their arts with the growing political con-

other early Black pioneers in the region, got much of their training from

sciousness among Blacks.

Florendo “Professor Vee” Visitacion, a Filipino who’d studied Japanese

“Several of the early guys were associated with the Nation of Islam.

jujitsu, as well as some Filipino arts, and was open to teaching anyone

Besides Moses Powell, there was [chito-ryu karate instructor] James

who wanted to learn. Powell became one of his leading students before

Cheatham. And a martial artist named Mfundishi Maasi was the body-

founding his own form of jujitsu. Called sanuces-ryu, it developed a large

guard for [writer/activist] Amiri Baraka. There were people who were

and devoted following across the metropolitan area. But unlike many of

politically active, and they wanted some type of self-defense,” said Green,

his predecessors, Powell saw martial arts not just as a sport or form of

who also pointed out that beyond self-defense, the martial arts became a

fighting but also as a political tool. In the early 1960s, he began training

symbolic means of Black empowerment.

members of the Nation of Islam.

“Master Powell, himself, never refused to teach anyone because of their

Although continued interest in the martial arts by many in the Black community is now commonly attributed to the rise of Bruce Lee and the

race and had many white students,” said Darrell Sarjeant, a student of

wave of kung fu movies that followed, in fact that interest started well

Powell’s and several other prominent African-American instructors

before most of the general population had heard of Lee. It has its roots in

of the era. “But you have to remember, at that time, Black people were

the notion of Black empowerment through martial arts that sprang up in

dealing with a different level of discrimination.”

the 1960s.

Sarjeant pointed out that groups like the Nation of Islam were seeking to

6 6

Thomas Green, Ph.D., a professor of anthropology and one of the first Western academics to seriously explore the history and culture of the

“The fact of the matter is we had our martial arts heroes in the Black

empower young Blacks in the 1960s, and the martial arts were one of the

community before Bruce Lee showed up,” said Geraldine Chisolm, a

most significant methods they found for this.

student of Duncan’s who became known as Lady Sensei. (See the June/July

Photo Courtesy of Warrington Hudlin

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

Thomas LaPuppet appeared on the cover of the August 1968 issue.

2020 issue of Black Belt.) “Because we didn’t have any cinematic role models

that Moore became Trias’ best-known student and he initially got into Trias’

back then, gentlemen in our community who practiced martial arts like

United States Karate Association on Keehan’s recommendation.

professor Duncan, Moses Powell, George Cofield and Thomas LaPuppet were our superheroes.

“They were mythological to us, doing things like breaking boards. All the

“Keehan said to Trias, ‘You don’t have any Blacks in the USKA,’ and told him that I was doing pretty good and that he should get me in his organization,” Moore recalled. “So Trias said to me, ‘Let’s see how your fighting is. How

little boys wanted to be like them. Mothers took their teenage boys, who might

about fighting John?’ At the time, Keehan was one of the most feared fighters

be on a wayward path, to Powell and Duncan and said, ‘Please do something

around. So I fought with him, and I couldn’t beat him — but he couldn’t beat me.

with our son.’ Many men found that martial arts put them on a path to disci-

Master Trias said this boy is pretty good, so he accepted me and promoted me.

pline and making better choices in life.”

That’s how I got into the USKA.”

But while these movements took hold in the urban areas of the Northeast,

Moore said that he never experienced any racism from Trias and, in fact,

other parts of America sometimes lagged behind in matters of martial arts

that Trias took him under his wing and treated him like a son. However, he also

and race.

pointed out that it’s true there were no Blacks in the USKA prior to his joining.

He acknowledged that if he hadn’t been one of the very best tournament

In her acclaimed 2011 book The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson

fighters in the Midwest, Trias’ decision to accept him as a student might have

chronicled the “Great Migration” and the “Second Great Migration,” the mass

been different.

movement of Blacks from the South to, ostensibly, more welcoming Northern climes between 1915 and 1970. The book takes its title from a poem by author

But even being the best was sometimes not enough for African-Americans to make progress in the martial arts during this era.

Richard Wright, himself a participant in the exodus: (To be continued.)

I was taking a part of the South to transplant in alien soil,

Mark Jacobs’ most recent book is The Principles of Unarmed Combat. His

to see if it could grow differently,

website is writingfighting.wordpress.com.

if it could drink of new and cool rains, bend in strange winds, respond to the warmth of other suns. ...

Warrington Hudlin

As with other aspects of American life, martial arts practiced by AfricanAmericans in the 1960s seemed to find some regions of the country more conducive to growth than others. It wasn’t just Southern vs. Northern but often rural vs. city and the heartland vs. the coastal regions.

Film producer Warrington Hudlin began learning martial arts in his hometown of East St. Louis, Illinois, in 1968.

“Where I came from is really almost what you’d call ‘up south,’” he said. “Geographically, it’s Midwestern, but it was really more Southern in its attitudes.

The only karate instructors were white servicemen. I started training in Okinawan shorin-ryu in a dojo in the suburbs, and the attitude of these guys was just hostile toward me. When I came to the East Coast, I found the martial arts in New York much more integrated. But that’s because New York itself is more integrated.”

Hudlin’s experience is not unique. Victor Moore, one of the top tournament fighters in the country during the 1960s, recalled taking a trip with his Cub Scouts troop in Ohio when he was 7 years old and seeing a Black person left

Photo Courtesy of Warrington Hudlin

hanging in a tree, the victim of a crime committed by Ku Klux Klan members.

Years later, after receiving some initial training from African-American instructor Ronnie Williams, Moore managed to find white instructors who were comfortable teaching him: He learned judo from Ray Hughes and then karate from William Dometrich in the Cincinnati area. Upon visiting Chicago for a tournament in 1962, he was introduced to karate pioneer Robert Trias

by Trias’ one-time student, the infamous John “Count Dante” Keehan.

Trias is remembered by some Black martial artists as a racist, and part of his falling out with Keehan is sometimes blamed on Trias’ supposed objection to Keehan teaching Blacks in Chicago. On the surface, this seems odd given 6 6

Win More Fights by Recognizing What Your Opponent Will Do Next — Let “SUPER” DAN ANDERSON Show You the Way!

BY PERRY WILLIAM KELLY

Photos Courtesy of Dan Anderson

POSITIONAL SETUP

H

ow many times have you entered the ring at a martial arts competition and faced your opponent — and had no idea what he or she was about to throw at you? If you’re like most martial artists, you probably haven’t seen this particular opponent fight before. And because of the fleeting nature of most kumite matches, you probably won’t have time to “feel out” the person.

The result: In short order, you find yourself behind on points and on the brink of losing.

What if I told you that there’s a way to hack into the mind of your adversary and figure out what he or she is going to do

next? Would you want to know? Of course you would.

The key to doing this is to use a methodology known as “positional setup.”

It’s a system that was developed by “Super” Dan Anderson. In short, PSU is a prediction tool that examines how opponents position themselves and lets you know which techniques they’re most likely to deploy. Developing such a skill can put the odds in your favor almost immediately.

Weight distribution that favors the lead foot indicates that the person is probably an offensive fighter, Dan Anderson says.

At this point, you might be asking yourself why you should listen to this Anderson guy and what makes him so “Super.” Well, I could tell you that he’s a four-time national karate champion who won more than 70 grand championships and was rated a top-10 fighter by Black Belt. Or I could mention that his book American Freestyle Karate: A Guide to Sparring has been a go-to manual for fighters for the past four decades. Or I could note that after five decades as a black belt — he’s now a 10 th degree — he still kicks butt in tournaments against fighters who are one-third his age.

If you still need convincing, this should do the trick: When he teaches seminars across the country, Anderson routinely shocks attendees by predicting 97 percent of the time which techniques an opponent will use.

Based on a quick scan of how a volunteer positions himself on the firing line, Anderson can divine which guns will be used when the battle begins.

“He’s telling you with his body position,” Anderson said. “He might as well write you a letter and mail you a check. If you learn how to read his position, it’s that easy. And anytime you can tell that much about what your opponent is going to do, you have quite an advantage.”

Weight that’s distributed evenly on both feet means the person is comfortable fighting offensively and defensively.

Skill Development Never the biggest, fastest or strongest fighter on the circuit, Anderson developed PSU to gain the upper hand on the martial artists he faced in tournaments. Instinctively, he knew that he had to outthink his adversaries to offset their superior physicality and eke out the win. The concept came from an unlikely source, he said.

“Back in 1977, I was at home watching my favorite boxer Muhammad Photos Courtesy of Dan Anderson

Ali against the ropes doing his rope-a-dope, a favorite tactic of his since the George Foreman fight,” Anderson said. “Most people thought he was covering up against the oncoming punches. He was actually watching the punches coming in. He was watching his opponent’s hands! He would either pick off the blows or cover up at the very last instant.

“I went back to the karate school the next day and began to experiment.

I watched the hands of my sparring partner, and to my surprise, I could see everything he was going to do. It was from there that I developed my method of attack recognition.”

Weight distribution favoring the rear foot indicates that the person is likely a defensive fighter.

Four Factors Anderson said the success of PSU hinges on four factors that are based on information every martial artist reveals.

NO. 1 IS WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION. Most martial artists unwittingly tip you off as to whether they’re offensive, defensive or neutral, and they do this by the way they distribute their weight.

If more weight is on the front foot, chances are they’re an offensive fighter. If more weight is on the rear foot, likely they’re a defensive fighter.

If their weight is balanced 50-50, they’re probably a balanced fighter who’s comfortable being offensive or defensive.

“The nice thing about watching weight distribution is that a lot of fighters do not closely hide this aspect, and they present you with a tip on what they’re going to do,” Anderson said.

He went on to explain that weight distribution is a tool that provides valuable feedback against less-experienced fighters and those who are set in their ways. However, he noted that an experienced fighter can mask his real intentions. For example, he might rest his weight on his rear foot so he can throw a lead-leg kick.

NO. 2 IS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FEET. According to PSU, the distance between an opponent’s feet is a good indicator of whether he’s going to kick with his front foot without any other type of pre-kick preparation.

If his feet are one to one-and-a-quarter shoulder-widths apart, count on a lead-leg kick coming at you.

If his feet are wider than one-and-a-quarter shoulder widths, your opponent will need some sort of step before he can execute a front-leg kick. However, he might throw a rear-leg kick offensively. A defensive kick is a possibility, but from a wider stance, the person’s weight will need to be on his rear foot.

NO. 3 IS HAND AND FOOT POSITION IN RELATION TO THE POSITIONAL CENTERLINE. Key to PSU is reading the clues an opponent gives by the way OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

he holds his hands. How they are positioned in relation to his centerline will tell you what he plans to throw.

Are they up in a boxer’s position? If so, that’s useful information.

If he moves a hand away from the centerline, it’s likely to come back at you in a hook punch or an angled strike. If it crosses the centerline, it’s probably coming at you as a backfist. If the arm is parallel to the centerline, chances are the fist will be used to deliver a straight shot.

Does he have only one hand aimed at you? It’s likely he’s a one-handed fighter. Pay more attention to the hand that’s pointed at you and less to the other one.

NO. 4 IS WHERE THE FEET ARE POINTING. Knowledge of human anatomy

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and the natural function of body parts is key here. The foot, ankle, knee and hip are all connected. None moves independently of the other. As you turn your foot, you turn your shin, knee, thigh and hip, as well. The leg always functions as a unit.

The direction your opponent’s lead foot is pointing forms the basis of the PSU premise that a person normally won’t make things hard for himself.

If his foot is pointed forward, the easiest kick will be a lead-leg front kick.

When an opponent positions his feet one to one-and-a-quarter shoulder-widths apart, he’s more likely to use lead-leg kicks, Dan Anderson says.

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If his foot is pointed inward at an angle, the easiest kick will be a lead-leg roundhouse. If his foot is pointed sideways, the easiest kick will be a leadleg side kick. If he’s standing with his lead foot pigeon-toed, the easiest kick will be a lead-leg hook kick.

When an opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feet are more than one-and-a-quarter shoulder-widths apart, he will need to step or jump before executing a front-leg kick, Dan Anderson says. He can, however, elect to use a rear-leg kick.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

Dan Anderson demonstrates the setup for a straight punch (left), a backfist (middle) and a hook punch/ridgehand (right). In each instance, note the location of his lead hand in relation to his positional centerline.

Implementation

crosses the centerline before launching. A hook punch moves away from

While anyone can learn a new skill, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to

the centerline before it comes at you. A straight punch just comes at you.

immediately use it with success. Just because you can hit a baseball

So you drill [while] spotting the telegraph of a strike in its first 4 inches of

doesn’t mean you’ll be able to knock one out of the park in a major-league

delivery until you can recognize them easily. From there, you learn how to

game. Like any other physical skill, PSU must be practiced for it to flourish.

defend against them with blocking, moving, etc.

Gaining proficiency is best accomplished by following this sequence, BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

Anderson said.

“First, you learn about the positional centerline. This is different from

himself in a position that makes it difficult for him to attack from. Every

the centerline that everyone uses. The PCL is the exact horizontal split

fighter I have faced or seen follows this maxim. So what is the easiest

down the body in whatever position [a person is] in. Your PCL will be

attack to throw from any particular position is what I go by.”

different if you are in a horse stance than if you are in a boxer’s stance.

“Second, you learn to recognize what an attack will do in the first 4 inches in relation to the PCL. Very simply stated, it will a) cross the

Sparring

centerline, b) move away from the center line or c) do neither and simply

Anderson had additional helpful words regarding how to cultivate your

travel straight toward you.

PSU ability through dojo sparring:

“Third is recognizing the types of blows that will follow this movement regarding the centerline. An easy example is that a backfist strike 7 7

“Fourth is finding out what attack a person can throw when his body is in a certain position. Here is a maxim I go by: No fighter knowingly puts

“Developing this skill takes time, and at first, you need to go quite slowly in your sparring. Why? Because most people do not spar. Why? Because

most people do not know the difference between sparring and fighting.

“Sparring is working together on the development of moves, tactics and strategies to later utilize in fighting. Fighting is win or lose. When you collapse sparring and fighting into a semi-fight, way too many factors get in the way. Flinching, wanting to win or [seeking to avoid] pain are the most prevalent.”

So how do you develop your skill at PSU? Start by understanding what sparring really is, then get a partner you trust, he said. Pay attention to how your partner is telegraphing his attacks. Go slowly so you have time to analyze what he’s doing. When you’re able to respond appropriately, increase the tempo slightly.

If you’re diligent and have a partner who works with you instead of against you, it should take two to three weeks to learn the basics of PSU, Anderson said. Once you understand the PCL, it’s easy.

The beauty of this concept is that it’s not style-specific, Anderson explained.

It’s based on perception of the body and how it moves, so it doesn’t matter if your opponent does Japanese karate, Thai kickboxing or mixed martial arts.

The concept works across the board because it’s based on clues he gives you.

Other Uses Knowing that martial arts skills are not intended just for competition, I quizzed Anderson on how this methodology can be used on the street. He said that when grappling and takedowns are added to the mix, the only modification you need to make to PSU is to learn how a person might position or shift his arms if he’s going to grapple.

For use in self-defense situations, he said, “Positional setup is even simpler.

Go to YouTube and search for ‘street fights’ or ‘one-punch knockouts,’ and you

To mask his intentions, Dan Anderson (left) assumes a fighting position that enables him to execute a front kick with either leg. In contrast, Dom Holt (right) is in a position that allows only a lead-leg front kick. His lead leg is in the way of his rear leg.

will see the most prevalent types of attacks. They are mostly hook or arcing straight punches — easy to see. However, the closer your attacker gets, the higher you should hold up your hands. The most glaring error in nearly all these videos is that the guy getting punched has his hands down.”

Effort Required Much to the chagrin of some martial artists, there are no “secret deadly techniques” that will render any opponent helpless in seconds, Anderson said.

Tournament success and self-defense proficiency are achieved through quality instruction and by having the grit to endure hours of rigorous training.

That said, Anderson’s PSU methodology is a golden nugget of mind hacking that can accelerate your progress. And the best part is you now know how to begin training.

Practice PSU in dojo sparring, then try it in competition. The next time you’re facing a fighter who may be faster, stronger and more experienced, see how well Anderson’s brainchild serves you. It just might take you to the podium.

That’s where it took me when I competed at the 2017 World Police and Fire Games in Los Angeles — and won a gold medal.

Perry William Kelly has a sixth-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu and is an instructor in four other martial arts. He’s the former national coordinator for use of force for the Correctional Service of Canada. In 2018 he received the Joe Lewis

FULL CIRCLE

Dan Anderson said that being afforded the opportunity to offer an instructional article to Black Belt readers is gratifying, to say the least. That’s because as a youth, he regularly added to his repertoire of tournament techniques by studying the moves described in the magazine.

Back then, getting a copy of Black Belt every month wasn’t easy. The teenager had to walk several miles to downtown Vancouver, Washington, pick up the mag and then walk home, where he would read it from cover to cover.

From the pages of Black Belt, Anderson said he learned Chuck Norris’ spinning back kick, John Natividad’s low-high round kick and Joe Lewis’ backfist-side-kick combination.

“I am glad that Black Belt is still around,” he said. “Having my moves or concepts in an article 53 years down the road is amazing. It’s almost like what goes around comes around.”

To share his PSU methodology with an even larger audience, Anderson recently set up the Super Dan Online Academy.

Referring to it as “the virtual dojo for the 21st century,” he said that students can simply visit the site and type in the skills they want to learn to receive a private lesson no matter where they live. superdanoninelibrary.com

Eternal Warrior Award. His website is perrywkelly.com.

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B U S I N E S S

BEAUTY OF BRANDING: KEEP MERCHANDISE SALES IN-HOUSE!

ALL MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL OWNERS SHOULD MAKE THE MOST OUT OF SELLING MERCHANDISE TO THEIR STUDENTS.

BY FLOYD BURK

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Photo by Robert W. Young

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

B E T T E R

T

o do that effectively, you need to have a

school logo printed on the back should be the

say no. If you cave, it will only get worse. That

school merchandise program in place,

first thing you source. Such a uniform will give

student will tell other students — or other stu-

one that’s designed to steer customers

students a sense of pride and belonging. Never-

dents will notice — and in no time, everyone will

away from acquiring their gear elsewhere. The

theless, you might get pushback from parents

demand the same treatment. Then little Johnny

program should include an official equipment

or from students who transfer from another

will walk in with black sparring pads despite the

policy, the creation of branded merchandise

school and want to use the gi they already have.

fact that you allow only red and blue. You must

(uniforms, sparring pads, gear bags, etc.) and an enforcement policy.

I know — you don’t like to think of your students

Your policy and your response must be clear:

and posted it on our dojo bulletin board. This has

school gi. You wouldn’t join the Green Bay Packers

eliminated most of the problems.

as customers. That’s understandable. What you

and wear silver and black with the Raiders logo.

do is a higher calling. You teach a way of life.

The same goes for your karate uniform.”

by those training at this school must be

looking at your students as parts of an income

acquired here. In many cases, they will bear

stream. I’m the same. We have to get past all to change lives.

Before diving in, I’ll share two of the many stories that led to the creation of our program.

the school logo.

“You’re part of this school,

This policy/directive, instituted by the

and you must wear the

committee, is in place for consistency, safety

school gi. You wouldn’t join

and dojo solvency. It is in the best interest of all persons who are part of this school.

Our dojo was stocked with two pairs of each size

the Green Bay Packers and

Those who have acquired items elsewhere

of all the sparring gear. On display for everyone

wear silver and black with the

will have one year to comply with the directive.

Raiders logo. The same goes

A payment plan can be worked out for anyone

to see were bright red foot pads, hand pads and helmets. Everyone knew that they were supposed to buy their gear from us. Great place

for your karate uniform.”

needing assistance.

Be on your school team and help keep your tuition among the lowest in the county by

to be, right? Wrong.

purchasing all your equipment here. We

One day, I pulled up to the dojo and noticed a

appreciate it.

mom and her two kids wearing red hand pads and helmets with the wrong logos. That set up an

Sparring gear is the next item to consider. My

awkward confrontation: “They’re the wrong kind

advice is to follow the same policy you use for

Later, we added an abbreviated version of the

— why didn’t you buy them from us?”

uniforms. If you wish, you can implement a sys-

letter to our school handbook. For safety, we

tem of color coding for sparring gear (and for

included the following: “Oriental weaponry/

on the helmets to hide the logos, but what a

uniforms) that has color belts using blue or red

demonstration devices also must be acquired

hassle it was. Afterward, we decided to brand

pads and black belts using black or silver pads.

here at the dojo.” The reason? No school owner

We ended up having the family place stickers

can afford to allow students to bring in home-

our sparring gear with our school logo and get

It’s also recommended to brand gear bags

it that way directly from the supplier. Problem

and have plenty of them available. If you don’t,

made weapons, which could injure others if

solved, right? Wrong.

students will just walk in with their Everlast or

they malfunction.

One day, I was sitting at my desk when in

Nike bags and you’ll lose potential sales. (Note:

The bottom line is, the more direct you can be

walked the mother of an orange belt. She handed

We don’t require our students to buy a gear bag

in outlining your school’s equipment policy, the

me a printout from a website and asked whether

from us, but most do.)

better off you and your students will be.

the gear was the same as ours. I said, “Yes, but aren’t you going to buy it from us?”

She said, “No, I can get it a little cheaper online,”

Other products can fall into the branding category, including items that may not be nec-

For those school owners who lack the space to

essary for training but that make training more

carry a variety of sizes of everything they use in

comfortable. Think about bag gloves, mat socks,

class, I recommend contacting Century Martial

Although I thought I’d solved the problem by

martial art shoes and even COVID masks. T-shirts,

Arts. Its Century Direct program helps you set

branding our gear, I needed to come up with a

of course, are a no-brainer — whenever a student

up a website for your students to purchase

policy for enforcing it.

walks around town or school in a shirt bearing

equipment from you, and you get to choose the

your dojo name, it’s free advertising.

items they see. When they make a purchase, you

then drove off in her BMW.

Photo by Robert W. Young

SCHOOL EQUIPMENT POLICY Uniforms and sparring gear used/worn

It’s a noble ambition that precludes you from

that if we want to stay in business and continue

nip it in the bud — which is why I crafted a letter

“You’re part of this school, and you must wear the

get the commission. You never have to manage

The first step, however, is finding a supplier

inventory. It couldn’t be simpler.

that’s capable of branding your merchandise.

Eventually, problems will arise. Maybe Grandma

Your primary concern should be uniforms —

buys a piece of equipment as a Christmas pres-

that’s the first thing a new student purchases,

ent for her grandkid, who trains at your school.

For more information about Century Direct,

after all. Therefore, an official gi with your

When the kid brings it in, you should politely

visit cmasdirect.com.

7 7

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Photo by Cory Sorensen

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

Y O U T H S P O T L I G H T

KIDS IN MARTIAL ARTS: RAISE ’EM RIGHT!

belt to black belt. We have proved that kids can do a form of MMA and not get injured. They have a good time, and they learn all the lessons

WILLIE JOHNSON IS A PIONEER IN THE AMERICAN MARTIAL ARTS.

of the traditional arts. That’s one of the most

BY J. TORRES

clear that everyone holds on to the integrity of

R

important roles that teachers have: to make it the martial arts.”

aised on the East Coast, he trained under

in the martial arts when I was coming up, and

Dennis Brown, Tayari Casel, Tony Lin and

they made me tread a path that I’m not going to

Good and Bad Lifestyles

other Chinese martial arts authorities.

say I regret but that could have been different.

“The lifestyles we see in MMA have good and

Johnson then made a name for himself on the

Knowing that kids are more intelligent today, I

bad sides. The bad side has been around for a

tournament circuit, taking top honors at the

feel like it’s my duty to make sure that they don’t

long time. It was around when I was trying to

U.S. Open, WAKO World Championships, Battle

have to get beat up in class, that they don’t have

get out of the inner city. It’s about disrespecting

of Atlanta, PKA National Karate Championships

to go through that emotional beatdown that used

women, drinking, cursing — all the things that

and other events. In 1985 he became the second

to be considered normal. Instructors have a

go against the values of the traditional martial

American to be certified by the Beijing Physical

duty to tune the curriculum to a level that brings

arts. That’s why the most important thing in the

Culture Institute. In 2000 he was Black Belt’s Kung

solutions to our youth.”

education of kids is the teacher. That’s what we have to promote.

Fu Artist of the Year. Nowadays, Johnson spends

“It’s up to us to help kids grow. It’s up to us to

most of his time making sure our industry tailors

influence kids so that even if they go out and

its offerings to the needs of the next generation.

That was the topic of his recent conversation with Black Belt, which yielded the following comments.

Martial Arts Household “If you’re in my house, you’ve got to practice martial arts. You don’t have to become a champion or go into the movies, but you’ve got to go to a dojo and learn those core values that are missing in our society. Those values saved my life, and they

“It’s up to us to help kids grow.

It’s up to us to influence kids so that even if they go out and make a mistake, when they decide to turn their life around, they have a place to come.”

make a mistake, when they decide to turn their life around, they have a place to come. They have to know that when they’re ready to change their life, they can do it. Give me the baddest kids on the planet, and I guarantee they will be OK after training for a while.”

Propagating the Benefits “Martial arts training, whether traditional or mixed, is the best way to realistically get

are important for everyone to learn.

young people emotionally ready to take on life’s

“I’ve got five kids, and four of them have earned

obstacles. They learn how to think right, how

their black belt. All of them have worked in my dojo. They have learned all the elements needed

Popularity of MMA

to physically stay in shape, how to aspire to be

to be a complete martial artist, and that has made

“If you’re in martial arts, you know that MMA is

something higher than their dad or their teacher,

their lives better.”

one of the most popular things out there. Kids

how to be a leader — all those things!

think it’s cool. They get a chance to see a lot of

Photo by Cory Sorensen

“We have a point MMA curriculum that covers safe competition and takes students from white

“I’m doing all this because I want to express

Risk of Injury

new things — fighters, arts and techniques. All the

my love for the martial arts and pass it along

“When it comes to having kids practice traditional

techniques they know from the traditional arts

to the next generation. One of the problems is

martial arts or MMA, the teacher matters more

are being executed right there in front of them.

that we teach our art and don’t remember the

than the system. If the teacher is not willing to

It comes back full circle: Every art is effective if

people who made it possible for us to be doing

adapt what they’re teaching to the individual’s

you have the right timing, the right speed and the

what we’re doing — people like Joe Lewis, Chuck

level of comprehension and find a way to guide the

right coordination to make it work under pres-

Norris, Bruce Lee and Mike Stone. I always make

individual and allow that young person to grow

sure. That’s the enjoyment of watching MMA — for

sure my students know about them. If I hadn’t

and mature in their understanding of the system,

kids as well as adults.

been able to stand on the shoulders of these

“That’s why I believe in using MMA to help kids.

giants, I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t be able

can’t relate and adapt, you could get hurt in tai chi.

That’s why my wife Kimberly, who used to be one

to help our kids enjoy all the benefits of training

“That said, I believe our duty is to bring about

of the top female competitors in the country, and

in the martial arts.”

then I don’t care what system it is. If a teacher

a change in the way martial arts are taught

I ‘connected’ point MMA. I don’t like the term ‘cre-

and the way curriculums are developed. A lot

ate’ because I think we added structure to what

For more information about Willie Johnson,

of selfish and egotistical things were going on

was already out there so it became a curriculum.

visit pointmma.com.

7 7

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0610

VOL. 18, NO. 8, $1.50

BL ACKBELTMAG.COM

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020

The 200th issue of Black Belt was dated August 1980. It was 76 pages long and featured 40-year-old Chuck Norris on the cover. § Chuck Norris on cross-training: “The Korean style (tang soo do) was

purpose of enlightenment and personal development.” So says Stephen K.

good, but there is a lot more to learn than just that. So I started training

Hayes on the history of ninjutsu.

with a Japanese stylist, and I got my hand techniques down a lot better.

§ A one-year subscription to Black Belt is on sale for $10.

Then I started working a lot with the Chinese systems and learning the

§ In perhaps the first instance of the word “combat” being used to

mobility of the Chinese systems. Plus I studied judo for five years, and so

describe a supposedly more street-realistic interpretation of a martial

I started incorporating judo — the sweeping punch — and then I started

art, it’s noted that 35 years ago, Col. Rex Applegate referred to his style as

studying aikido. I was just trying to absorb knowledge.”

“combat judo.”

§ Likely the most expensive item featured in an ad in this issue of Black

§ “The people who’ve called me since my TV appearances almost always

Belt: a full-size replica of samurai armor, $2,995.

preface their questions by demanding that I tell them my ‘secret,’” says

§ The U.S. National Karate Team flies to France to compete in the WUKO

breaking sensation Richie Barathy. “I don’t have one. There’s nothing I do

World Championships. Chuck Merriman and Alex Sternberg are the

that is the least bit different from the mental training that can be gained

coaches. Among the American athletes is Billy Blanks.

through adhering to the requirements of any genuine martial arts

§ “The theory of ‘no first attack’ had no place in jujitsu,” Alan Kitay writes.

training program.”

“It is because of the flexibility and adaptability of all the techniques —

§ The featured fighters in Century’s new ad for Pro Pants and Sport Tops

which can be offensive or defensive — that this is so. To merely parry and

are Mike Genova, John Longstreet and Keith Vitali.

defend, as would be taught in an aikido school, has one major drawback: It

§ “Everyone has a handicap,” says blind judoka Jesse Pope, 25. “It’s just

allows your opponent more than one shot at you.”

that it doesn’t always show on the outside.”

§ On the subject of con men in the martial arts, Fred Hamilton of Jamaica,

§ After outing a person who submitted faked photos, the editor of Black

New York, sounds off: “What amazes me is that the kids are an incredi-

Belt reveals one way bogus breaking pix are concocted: “Pre-cut the ice,

ble barometer for seeing through phonies. Every person that a kid has

then use salt to join the block back together. The block then breaks very

warned me about has always turned out to be a lemon. As a rule, [kids]

easily when hit.” (You can guess what I’ll be doing this weekend.)

L R

w

have a good sense for people.” § “The reason that this art has survived, then, is not because of its

(Note: Back issues are not for sale.)

importance as a means of espionage but because it got back to the original

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POSITIONAL SETUP

Learn This Proven Method for Predicting Your Opponent’s Attacks