03/01/2013
ATTU News Press Sifu Steve Kraselsky Sifu Richard Mieir-King Professor Dave Castoldi Sasha Schreiner Kim Young Mi O-Sensei Alexy Kunin Barbara Finney Hansen Sinclair & Cindy Garcia
T By RAD ; S IT ifu IO S t NA L ev T e K EA ra CHI s e NG ls ky
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Internal Dit Da Jow Many people understand and may have used EXTERNAL Dit Da Jow during Iron Palm development and training. They might have used it on injuries sustained during training. Still others might have found and see the benefits of EXTERNAL Dit Da Jow as a first aide liniment that can be used on many injuries. One subject that is very infrequently covered is the use of INTERNAL Dit Da Jow. This is a formulation of herbs that is meant to be taken INTERNALLY. You will learn: • About the author, Sifu Richard Mieir-King's, background • About what you will need to prepare these herbs • About the herbs and their properties so you will understand why and how it works • About how to prepare these herbs • About how to take the herbs and dosages and how long you should take them • About many additional herbs and formulas that may assist you in day to day life and your martial arts training • About vitamins and supplements that will boost your recovery time and healing speed which can be used alone or with your herbs • And more. Available in download as a PDF and coming soon in Kindle format.
www.KingsKungfu.com and www.KingsTaiChi.com
Introducing Sifu King's Dita Jow & Iron Palm Bag's Dita Jow's are aged for 2-yrs to ensure their effectiveness and come with instructions for application. Iron Palm Bag's come unfilled and in various colors. Screen printing is available upon request.
ORDER YOURS TODAY ! Receive 10% discount when you submit our discount code -----> (ATTUSRMK1212)
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Sifu Richard Meier King Traditional Chinese Art's Dit Da Jow - Iron Sinew Jow Nerve Balm - Peaceful Muscle Jow Massage Oil 2 Ounce Bottle $8.50 4 Ounce Bottle $14.95
Chi Li San Herbal Powder 2 Ounces $8.25 4 Ounces $13.50 9 Ounces $23.40
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Hanging Iron Palm Bag /Tiger Bag Single Grommet $19.99 ea. Unfilled
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Hanging Iron Palm Bag / Tiger Bag Three Grommets $19.99 ea. Unfilled
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Made of heavy, durable canvas, being coarse, provides just the right amount of friction and conditioning. Unfilled with an opening for filling. Instructions come with bags to instruct you in proper, safe and easy to find substances to fill the bags. Multiple seams for durability. This bag is made to be hung up and struck with multiple hand and palm techniques as it freely swings and moves. This also provides practical applications and eye hand coordination along with Iron Palm training, not just vertical slaps. Comes with instruction sheet. 12" long 6" at the widest points of base. Available in: Colors: Tan, Red or Black. Specify when ordering.
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Sifu Richard Meier King Traditional Chinese Art's Iron Palm Bag/Tiger Bag Made of heavy, durable canvas, being coarse, provides just the right amount of friction and conditioning. Unfilled with an opening for filling. Instructions come with bags to instruct you in proper, safe and easy to find substances to fill the bags. Multiple seams for durability. This bag is used in hand training for striking, tossing, catching and more. Comes with instruction sheet. All bags are 10" X 10". This bag comes unfilled. Shapes: Square, Round or Octagonal. Colors: Tan, Red or Black. Specify when ordering. Iron Palm Bag/Tiger Bag $19.99
Discount Code: (ATTUSRMK1212) Screen Printing Available ! E-mail us for a basic price quote at;
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By; Sifu Richard Mieir-King
Learning the ancient art of Iron Palm can be a vary hard task without the proper and insightful instruction from a highly qualified instructor such as, Sifu Richard Mieir-King.
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Grandmaster John Wooten is a seasoned screenplay writer, producer, writer of organized crime novels, creator and host of TV shows. Most recently he has wrote a children's book titled “The Adventures Of John Wooten Worlds Strongest Man, Master of Masters soon to be published. Grandmaster John Wooten is looking for serious investors for a TV pilot, which is a combination of a talk show, reality show and verity show raped up in to one. He has secured a TV network and distributor for this project. Serious investors wanted! Contact Grandmaster John Wooten at; no.1strength@gmail.com Please leave your full name and phone number and Grandmaster Wooten will contact you personally. URL; www.johnwooten.net
STRONG TALK
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HIGHLIGHTS
Cover Advertisements ATTU News Sifu Steve Kraselsky Sifu Richard Mieir-King Professor Dave Castoldi Sasha Schreiner Kim Young Mi O-Sensei Alexy Kunin Barbara Finney Hansen Sinclair & Cindy Garcia Advertisement Back Cover
ATTU News Press IMPORTANT NOTICE: 03/01/2013 Founder / Publisher ATTU UPDATE Anthony Elam / Sha Poe Ryu Elam ATTU once again is under going some dramatic changes within its Executive Branch. Currently due to irresolvable differences we are sad to inform everyone that the following members are no longer with our organization; Robert Zellner, MaKina Taylor, Chris Wilcox, Tonya Jackson, Khaaliqu Wilcox, Oliver Antoine. Further, all the aforesaid individuals have relinquished their titles and standing within ATTU and in no wise represents our organization in any way. As we move forward in our reconstruction, other vacancies and/or relinquished positions may take effect. Furthermore, it has came to our attention that due to our political standing concerning the current administration and our Constitution, that some within our industry have questioned our integrity ! I take this as a direct insult “not only” towards me personally “but” ATTU in whole as well as many Americans across our great nation. These individuals with in our martial community whom consider themselves to be so timed that a personal statement and an individuals right for standing up for what they believe in offends them to the point they lash out with insinuations that are hateful, racist and out right lies, simply because they don't like an individuals Constitutional Rights are “NOT” the type of individuals ATTU needs or wants within its organization. ATTU has always prided its self on being a help to its members and I know for a fact that we have accomplished that goal many times over and above what our members expected ! As I have stated many times ATTU is “not” driven by money, nor is it a free lending library, we are a for profit organization. Therefore, we intend on reconstructing our standing to a more formidable one that is not taken for granted by those who have little to no intention on supporting our organization or our members. Also, ATTU was founded on the King James Bible and the Constitution as well as the moral concept in which our countries foundation was both laid and built. ATTU will “NOT” compromise its interpretation nor its steadfastness in defending its Constitutional rights as an individual or organization. Therefore, we ask that anyone who dose not agree with our foundational principles, feel free to resign and/or relinquish your standing with our organization immediately. It is my personal and inequitable belief, that it is better to stand alone upon ones principle and belief, than it is to submit to fear, greed or acceptance and recognition of those who do not hold the attributes in which a man would lay down his life fore ! Therefore, after much consideration, I have concluded that I take “GREAT OFFENSE” concerning these individuals and will seek to remedy their actions in both a manner they are accustom to as well as legally if needed !
ATTU News Press ATTU UPDATE
03/01/2013 ATTU's NEW PUBLICATION ATTU has developed and is setting forth a second publication on 03/01/2013 called, RESISTANCE COMMAND, 777th CONSTITUTIONAL MILITIA, which is dedicated to political education, current news based on verifiable facts, the defense and reinforcement of the Constitution and other founding documents. The publication will add various elements within its composition to allow for various columns to be developed and expanded upon as the publication moves forward. Further, the publications development structure allows for it to work with various news medias as well as political leaders. Also it is intended to give the American public the opportunity to interact in polls that will cover various issues that effect our nation. It will also allow for readers to make suggestions as well as contributions to various issues based upon facts.
The publication will also offer various products, training, networking and much more as it continues to evolve as well as links to petitions and various politicians in an effort to set forth political changes on a Federal, State or Local level of government. Further, we fully understand that some material may be construed as bias by various individuals due to their personal opinion or political view, in which we make no apology for presenting any and/or all facts or facts of record. We also understand that cultural division due to political actions may also offend some, however, the cultural view points taken will basically be derived from current events, news, political action and/or inaction, in which case the facts of the given matter will constitute the article, statement and/or graphical representation of the subject. It is our aspiration that Americans across our great nation will find our publication informative, educational, inspirational and beneficial within their every day lives.
I would like to start off by thanking Grandmaster Anthony Elam and the ATTU for putting me on the cover of the March, 2013 issue. It is a great honor to be on this cover, as there are many great Martial Artist and other talents out in the World, and many belong to the ATTU. My article for this month delves into the internal system of Baguazhang and also Wing Chun Kung Fu. Both systems are highly efficient as far as economy of motion and attacking the opponent from all angles.Baguazhang is a system of continuous movement using circular motion, as the basic beginning practice of Baguazhang entails walking in a circle. As you learn the art of Baguazhang you must cultivate the Chi in your body by practicing Chi breathing while walking around the circle. When walking the circle concentrate on your Dan Tian area, and circulate the Chi energy from this point. This cultivation of energy will strengthen your internal organs, and also develop internal strength for Martial Art applications when needed. Walking the circle also strengthens the legs and develops great rooting power.There are many benefits to learning Baguazhang, and I feel like the most important ones are the cultivation of energy for both your Martial Art and the health orientation it develops. My other system I would like to speak about is Wing Chun Kung Fu, and it also is a system where Chi energy breathing can be practiced while learning the system. It takes many years of hard practice to master Wing Chun, and as you progress your speed and power become lightning fast. It is almost unbelieveable how much power you can develop in what is known as the one inch punch, which Wing Chun is so famous for. It is not uncommon after many years of practice to be able to punch up to 6 times per second. This type of speed is also developed by practicing on the Wing Chun Wooden Dummy, along with rapid fire punching practice and the forms of Wing Chun. Wing Chun is a highly effective Martial Art and has devastating power.The goal of any Martial Artist is to be able to finish an altercation as quickly as possible, and just one punch from Wing Chun using Chi energy can accomplish this.They say in China that if Chi Energy is used in your punch, that your punch is 8 times the strength of a normal human being. I would like to finish my article by saying that if you can find a good teacher who can explain how Chi energy works, then this is the path to better health and cultivation of the Martial Art you have chosen. Best of luck to everyone and see you next time. Best Wishes, Sifu Steve Kraselsky
My story on how I discovered I could perform chi healing on people began five years ago after my Wife, Elizabeth had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer. The cancer had spread in her lymph nodes under her left arm, and shortly after the removal of the lymph nodes under her arm Elizabeth developed swelling in her left hand .The swelling was so bad that her veins disappeared and also created severe pain in her hand. I had been practicing Qigong for the past 29 years and using it for Martial Arts only, and I decided to see if I could perform Chi Healing on my wife’s hand to help her. I waved my hand over her hand for approximately two minutes and emitted Chi from my hand without touching her, and the swelling disappeared and the pain vanished. We were both amazed that energy could heal someone like this so fast, and thus my journey began in the art of Chi Healing. I had cultivated Chi to a point that the motion I used over her hand pulled the swelling and pain from her. Over the next five years I continued to teach Qigong and did not engage in Chi Healing on anyone. I have been in the Insurance business for 28 years, and I was running into a lot of customers with carpel tunnel and arthritis .About 10 months ago I decided to perform Chi Healing on some of my customers .I just waved my hand over the area without touching them and transmitted Chi Energy, and the swelling and pain disappeared within 2 minutes just like my Wife’s hand. After performing Chi Healing on a few customers I wanted to help anyone in pain, and I started doing Chi healing on the street. I was doing Chi Healing on a daily basis now, and as of January,2013 I have performed up to 700 healings and I want everyone to know that I have never charged for doing Chi healing .I have been told it is part gift and part energy by my friend Master Shawn Liu ,a 32 generation Shaolin Monk who now lives here in Atlanta, Georgia. He told me it is very rare to see someone my age able to heal people in this manner. His teacher at Shaolin Temple could heal people but in a different manner. I am currently getting ready to start working with two Chiropractic firms in Atlanta, Georgia and will be doing Chi Healing on the patient’s that cannot be relieved of pain by Chiropractic work. Also I have a program that I teach that prevents the pain from possibly coming back in some cases, which entails Chi Breathing ,Tai Chi exercises for health, the Six Daoist sounds to strengthen the organs, and Baguazhang’s 8 serving tea exercises to develop integrated and coordinated strength. Recently I was introduced to a young lady who was clinically paralyzed from the waist down from a skiing accident two years ago. I was introduced to her by a radio show host who was a friend of her’s and her husband .Her name is Betty and she was only able to walk with steel leg braces and two walking canes. Betty’s spine was severed and this was the cause of her paralysis. I told Betty I was going to perform Chi healing over her lower spine, front legs, and feet. After waving my hand over these areas for about five minutes without touching her, Betty told her husband that she could feel tingling in her legs, and this is the first time she had felt anything in the past two years since her accident. Betty had removed the leg braces prior to me doing Chi Healing on her by my request. I then held Betty’s hand and her husband held her other hand and I told Betty I wanted her to walk across the room without the leg braces. She started to walk slowly as we held her hands and she turned around and walked back to the room we were in. She also held on to a chair and stooped down and bent her knees, and then sat down and lifted her legs up. Betty’s husband and the radio host almost feinted. Betty was so happy that she could walk without leg braces and overjoyed that she could feel something in her legs again. I was so happy for Betty and I will continue to work with her. This is just one of
many cases I have worked on with Chi healing. I am now performing Chi Healing on around 15 different illnesses which include arthritis, carpel tunnel, stroke, paralysis, multiple sclerosis, fractures, non malignant tumors, Parkinson’s Disease, and other pain related illnesses. I do not do cancer or severe nerve damage. I would like to personally invite anyone suffering in pain to call me and come and see me for Chi Healing. I do not charge for Chi Healing, but I do charge for my program to prevent future pain to possibly occur in your body. My number is (770)875-7177 and gmail is sak5400@gmail.com. I have 9 documented videos on utube and just type (utube chi healing steve kraselsky) to see people being healed from various types of pain. Best wishes, Steve Kraselsky
http://members.webs.com/MembersB/editAppPage.jsp?app=videos&pageID=287596158&token=null#videos/videos/show/17645110-bagua-milittary-title1
http://youtu.be/l_Yg43h3dh8 http://youtu.be/MTp1pHtrSvI Part-1 http://youtu.be/22eUr_YG9KA Part-2 http://youtu.be/T6WBD2rM1Wg http://youtu.be/_WM66PtErY8 http://youtu.be/8U8MW5_f0C8 http://youtu.be/RCH6X9zs93s 17
Have you ever injured a finger or knuckle in training? Strained your back? Tweaked your knee? Over worked or overstretched a muscle? Then there is the tedious wait. Waiting for that injury to heal. Doing the usual things. Taking Advil or aspirin if it doesn't hurt your stomach. Applying ice packs. And elevation, that works great at work doesn't it. Your leg or foot is injured and you do what, prop it up on your desk or whatever/wherever your workstation might be. Maybe you teach classes and you are on the go, now how do you elevate that body part, much less ice that part of the body or apply compression to it. Besides the down time, it can be a real pain, no pun intended. There are some solutions that might just speed up this process though. And it is certainly worth a try, wouldn't you agree? In most systems of martial arts, there existed healing methods which were vitally important. Beyond the obvious fact that you simply want to get better, feel better, and be back into working out and doing all that you need to do, there were other reasons that people of the past needed to heal injuries as quickly as possible. In the past if you were injured you were at the mercy of your environment, of predators and your enemies. Being in a weakened state made you susceptible to attack and a ready target for any enemies that might be waiting for that opportune moment to pounce. This made methods for getting better as quickly as possible high on your priority list. Practitioners in the past had to use whatever plants they could find, employ any healing methods they knew, and use any healing exercises and chi kungs they had to expedite the healing process. As you learn about these herbs it is important to not just know what herb does what but also to know the properties of the herb and why it does those things. With some knowledge of what the herb is used for and what it's properties are you can then go about discovering plants and herbs in your environment, that are indigenous to your part of the world and your locality, that might have the same properties which you can use. After all, when the rubber hits the road, that is what you might have to fall back on. It is also good to know all the properties that any given herb has – both minor and major applications. When you have multiple uses for a given herb you can consolidate the number of the herbs you have to keep on hand. Not that you want to cut corners on the quality of what you have on hand. But if the quality is there for multiple purposes, then you are in luck and can multitask that herb into service and consolidate what you have on hand or need to keep with you. The Role of Chi Kung Before getting into herbal products and single herbs I'd like to point out that another good first aid method is a discipline called Chi Kung and Tai Chi. Besides the benefits to the bodies internal energy, the Chi, many other systems of the body are benefited. The breathing techniques of Chi Kung also lead to a calming of the mind and moves the practitioner from the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). In the parasympathetic nervous system the body is more
capable of performing numerous important functions not the least of which is healing, and healing more quickly. It has also been found that the practices of Chi Kung produces an enzyme called SOD (Superoxide Dismutase), which is a powerful antioxidant known to counteract free radicals. Chi Kung does all of this, and more, that space and time prohibits mentioning. It creates an environment for the body and mind to harmonize and allow the body to employ its natural healing powers and abilities. Also, as your sleep patterns are improved you, again, enable your bodies natural ability to start the healing processes and do so more expeditiously.
Qi Gong Useful Herbs Herbs, used individually or in combination with other herbs, can be very powerful. Sometimes it isn't realized the connection herbal knowledge has to modern medications. Plants such as white willow bark has given rise to aspirin. Yet, in many regards white willow bark is better, it is not harsh on the stomach but retains all the properties of aspirin. Donnatal is a stomach medicine derived from the plant Belladonna/Deadly Nightshade. Digitalis, a heart medication, is derived from Foxglove. Some blood pressure medicines are derived from garlic. There are many people who use garlic to help regulate blood pressure and cholesterol. There is even a medication called “Marinol� which is based on Marijuana and caffeine as strange as that sounds. And the list goes on. In addition to the herbal products we will list, we will include many individual herbs for your consideration and possible inclusion in your first aid/herbal toolkit.
Premade Products To Have On Hand There are a number of premade items that you can have on hand that will be extremely useful. One of them is Dit Da Jow. Dit Da Jow is often relegated to just Iron Palm conditioning but it has far more uses that just hand development. Externally applied Dit Da Jow is an extremely useful, general purpose, herbal liniment. It can be used on all kinds of bruises, contusions, swellings, sprains, aches,
pains and more. Our Dit Da Jow is even safe to apply to cuts and other open injuries such as blisters, scrapes, abrasions, etc. This is not the case will all jows. Some jows contain poisonous herbs and, therefore, cannot be applied to broken skin. Some jows also contain caustic herbs that can cause necrosis and ulceration of flesh if it is applied to broken skin. Not so with our jow which is pictured below. We will also discuss another herbal solution in this article called Internal Dit Da Jow, which is an herbal recipe for internal usage that can greatly expedite healing of injuries and is the subject of our recently released book which is also pictured below.
King's Dit Da Jow
Our new book on Internal Dit Da Jow and many other herbs
Besides External Dit Da Jow liniment, there are some other herbs that you can find close at hand which will help you with things like cuts, scrapes and burns. If you have a cut that seems to keep bleeding, it isn't really deep, and does not require stitches, but continues to bleed, there is an herb that is a good styptic. Many times people are reluctant to use the herb but it does work. The herb is powdered Cayenne. It does burn for a few minutes, but it will stop the blood flow. Another common thing to help the blood coagulate is corn starch. Besides stopping the blood flow you probably want to it to heal as quickly as possible. For that you can use the juice from the heads of marigolds or calendula. Just take the flower head and either squeeze it a bit or grind up the flower head and apply it to the cut. You can also put this on a scrape. Everyone probably knows this one but it is worth repeating. If you have a burn you can simply break off an Aloe leaf and apply it to the burn. You can also apply it to a scrapes and abrasions for quicker healing. And, it is likely that you have these plants, cayenne, marigold, calendula and aloe nearby. Spicy herbs, such as cayenne, are also good for colds. So is ginger root and orange peel. This is good to know because down time from colds is time taken away from your training and working out time. Shorten the duration of that cold and you will be back in the swing of things sooner. For bruises and sprains, of course, Dit Da Jow is the great way to heal, and do so quickly. If you need something for discomfort, white willow bark works as good as aspirin and it wont upset your stomach. For a compress, arnica is great and can be found in the health food stores in the homeopathic remedies. Don't get arnica in open cuts though. Learn to recognize what these plants look like, you might just have them growing freely where you live. If they are not growing where you live maybe you should do some planting. You can also wet some gauze with Dit Da Jow and apply that as a compress. Deep Bruises and Injuries For those deep bruises I really like an herb that might not be indigenous but works great. Dipsaci and drynaria for internal use. Put some in capsules. If you are in a hurry or don’t have capsules you can add a small amount of water so you have a solid little ball that can be taken with a good dose of water. Also, Internal Dit Da Jow can help deep bruises and injuries heal quicker. To help the internal formula along, use external Dit Da Jow liniment and/or Zheng Gui Shi liniment. Zheng Gui Shi liniment is discussed next. Zheng Gui Shi Other products you can have on hand that are very useful are Zheng Gui Shi. Zheng Gui Shi is an excellent rub for after stretching and working out. It helps increase circulation and, traditionally considered to encourage the healing of tissue and bone. It can also prove beneficial for swelling. This is a warm to hot liniment which can be a very soothing sensation to a painful area as well.
Zheng Gui Shi Another excellent product to have on hand is White Flower Oil. Zheng Gui Shi and White Flower Oil are both considered rubifacients to varying degrees. That simply means that they relieve pain by creating sensory stimulation in the area of the pain. Overloading the nerve impulses helps to quite and/or slow down and/or jam up the pain signals. White Flower is also a great rub for sore muscles, stiff joints and can temporarily relieve aches and pains and can be useful for stiff, sore and aching necks. If applied around the hairline and temples it can prove to be useful for relieving headaches. Some have found White Flower to even be useful for stress. These aromatic oils have a relaxing effect for some. Simply put some of the oil on the back of your hand, or a handkerchief, or even a paper napkin. Place it near your nose and breath gently breathing the aromatic fumes. For some, this proven to be very useful as a relaxing strategy. And, using White Flower in the same way can prove effective in helping to open up clogged sinuses. Again, gently inhale the fumes of the oil to clear up sinus congestion, or any other condition where your breathing may feel slightly obstructed. And, here is another application for White Flower. You can use it as a mosquito repellant. Simply apply a few drops to exposed skin before going out and you should be safe from these pests. If you do get bit by a mosquito, simply put a drop of White Flower oil on the bite and this should relieve the itching. You might ask, how do these things apply to martial arts? Have you been in outdoor classes or attended a seminar outdoors? Could you have used an insect repellent? Has sinus congestion and/or headaches kept you out of class and put you behind on training? Could you have used something to speed up your healing, open up your sinuses and get you back into things quicker? Those are just a few examples.
White Flower Another product that I have found to be very useful to have on hand is called Yunan Pai Yao. This special herbal product is useful for deep, traumatic injuries. And it has been tested and used by the Chinese army. Yunan Pai Yao is traditionally used for injuries on the battlefield, but it can also be advantageously used by you. If you have a cut, but not severe enough for stitches, simply open a
capsule of Yunan Pai Yao and pour some of the powdered substance on the wound. This should stop the bleeding very quickly. I know that many readers will cringe at this but I have also used powdered cayenne pepper to stop bleeding as well. It burns a bit but has proven effective on many occasions. While a black eye should not hold you back from training or other activities it is still something you want to heal as quickly as possible. Yunan Pai Yao should provide quick healing for that black eye. Arnica is another useful herb which you can apply as a compress to a black eye, or other areas where the skin is not broken. Arnica is also available as an internal homeopathic solution. Yunnan Pai Yao reduces the bleeding, pain and swelling of injuries, wounds and surgery. It will not interfere with surgery drugs or painkillers and is not habit-forming.
Yunnan Pai Yao Sometimes an injury can be very deep. It might be sufficiently deep that it is difficult or impossible to reach with a topically applied liniment or oil and might be to difficult to reach with massage. It could be that the area is too painful to apply massage to. There are some solution to that as well. One such solution is Internal Dit Da Jow. It is often thought that the term Dit Da Jow is exclusively dedicated to Iron Palm hand conditioning. This is not necessarily so. Dit Da Jow is also, as indicated previously, a healing liniment, one that can be use to heal and condition the hands during the conditioning process, yes. But also an herbal liniment that can be used to heal and condition injured areas of the body as well. By the same token, there is an internal version of these herbal mixtures which is excellent for injuries that are to deep to reach with the previously mentioned methods. The making of Internal Dit Da Jow is outside of the scope of this article, and we have covered many herbs and items that can be used in a pinch to help with any injuries. But Internal Dit Da Jow is well worth knowing and understanding and we do have that information available in our e-Book “Dit Da Jow: How To Make Your Own Internal Healing Elixir�, pictured below. This is an excellent book in that it has covered not only the Internal Dit Da Jow formula but a number of other herbs that can benefit you in your martial arts training as well as everyday life.
Internal Dit Da Jow Book Our book is available and details the making of Internal Dit Da Jow, the herbs and their properties, what you will need, how to prepare the herbs, dosages and how long it can be used as well as many other simple herbs that can be used for a number of other things. Contact us for more information on this book and how you can get your copy, available in downloadable format.
Conclusion As we look backward to old traditions, we carry them forward to the present. We receiving the baton of knowledge as it is handed off, but we also add current knowledge and wisdom to it, improving and surpassing the existing results / being ready to look forward to new information, assimilate it, take it in, learn it and integrate it because as the quote says, "the total sum is stronger than it's parts". Sadly, how often people do not see and actualize this great truth and they become stagnant, stuck and languishing in their old ways, their old methods, they even become servant rather than master of the discipline that they practice. We live in a great society, with great traditions, where we can be innovators, blazing new trails knowing that each individual has great value to add to a given discipline. That is why engineers have more than one engineer on a project, and think tanks and brain storming. So experiment with your herbs, look to many traditions and what they used and what you can find locally and indigenous to your environment. Returning more specifically to our, we have the great opportunity to be introspective and examine old and new traditions and combine the best of them all. There are times when we might go to an herb, other times a supplement, other times an exercise or chi kung, using the total sum of all parts. Our book contains many herbs and we have broken the Internal Dit Da Jow formula so you know what herbs are used and what their properties and purposes are. Knowing this helps to open the mind to find more herbs that have similar properties. Why draw from the straw of knowledge when there is a haystack? If other wish to crawl when they can fly, so be it, but I hope that you will choose to soar. "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho About the Author: Sifu Richard Mieir-King is a Kung Fu Instructor in California teaching 5 Animal 5 Family Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Chi Kung, meditation, breath work for stress management and corporate health and wellness and working in clinics. Many of our products can be found through ATTU and we will have many more coming including the ebook mentioned in this article. www.KingsKungfu.com and www.KingsTaiChi.com
The Double Axes, the wood cutter or wood choppers tool. As with many weapons, it started out as a tool. But, in times of upheaval, this tool was called into duty as a weapon of life or death, of survival, a weapon of necessity. This wood cutter was more than a mere chopper of wood! This wood cutter was, and is, a force to be reckoned with. We see many variations on the axe and in many cultures. Ranging from smaller hatchets and tomahawk configurations to long handled axes much like one you’d use to split wood, and a long handled pike configuration with an axe on it. Hatchets, tomahawks and the axe, a somewhat larger variation, could be used single or in pairs. And these are no minor or simple differences. There are many things that can be done and accomplished with 2 axes in hand as opposed to 1 axe. And there are as many different things that can be accomplished with one axe and one free, “live” hand that cannot be done with 2 axes. So, while one might consider the forms to be close in performance and technique, they are actually quite different and each worthy of careful study. The difference in configuration between hatchet, tomahawk and axe also lend themselves to variations that make learning the difference in technique and concept worthy of study as well. Below are some variations from a single and double bit hatchet and a tomahawk. There are many features shared among these configurations making techniques transferable and, at the same time, giving each of those variations their own unique qualities and strengths. But we will look at the standard, most widely seen and used configuration for this article. Below are 2 images that are
closest to the configuration we typically see as the Battle Axe and is the configuration we will be focusing on. Again, however, these techniques can be transferred to any axe configuration with insight and understanding.
Axe Design and Function It is the purpose of this article to acquaint the reader with the reason for the design and configuration of the axe which leads to an understanding and appreciation for how the axe(s) can be used. While we might look at a battle axe and appreciate the design as something of a work of art, there is a great deal of function built into each and every part of the axe. Understanding “why� a weapon is made as it is, is an important step in actually learning how to use it to its fullest advantage.
The illustration above shows the components of the axe which we will examine. Let's look at one of the features of the battle axe. This feature is labeled "C" and is called the "Weapons Catcher". Note that ahead of the "C" is "D". "D" is considered the "Throat" of the weapons catcher. If this throat, or opening, is too small you will not be able to utilize the weapons catcher. Ideally, the throat of the weapons catcher should be 1.5 to 2 inches to function best. If I block and pull I can trap the offending weapon in the circular opening, and I can twist and lock the opponents weapon in this weapons catcher. As you can see, above the "C" weapons catcher is an inversely positioned weapons catcher labeled "C". It is possible to manipulate a weapon from one to another opening in a variety of ways to trap and strip the weapon from the opponent. Besides the ability to catch weapons in this area, it is also very effective when chopping and swiping to pull and hook/snag/tear the opponents body into the pointed tips of the weapons catcher which we see labeled as "E". Note in the axe design that you have 2 main blades opposite of one another, your primary blade and a secondary blade. I have labeled each of these blades "F" for reference. Sometimes these blades are equal in size, sometimes one is smaller. Regardless of this
design element, the axe will be used the same with little if any variation. The purpose here is what is known as the backswing. For example, if you swing with intent to chop with the primary blade and the opponent leans away, you can reverse your swing and chop the opponent with the returning back swing. Anytime you swing your weapon and the opponent blocks it, say with a stick, that is an opportunity to jerk downward and, again, lodge your opponents blocking tool/weapon inside of the weapons catchers (areas marked "C"). Lets also take a look at the top of the axe. Many times the top is fitted with a dagger like blade or point of some sort. Naturally, this is used for stabbing. This is labeled "A". Another possibility though is for upward blocks. Directing the top of the axe up to intercept a downward strike can also allow us to, once again, trap the opponents weapon in the upper weapons catcher. Lastly we will look to the "butt" of the weapon, the lower portion of the axe handle which is labeled "B". Many features are seen here from a plain, blunt, wooden butt, a metal butt cap or a small point or dagger like blade. Naturally, the wooden butt, or metal butt cap, provides a good surface to hammer with. If there is a point or blade, then we have a stabbing tool as well. As you see, there are a many features to this weapon that can be exploited to great advantage.
It is now good to consider our grip on the axe. One factor of grip is where exactly on the handle the hand should be holding the axe. This is important as you do not want to be too close to the blade or too close to the butt. Holding the shaft of the axe close to the butt can make the weapon unwieldy. While you can generate a powerful swing holding on close to the butt of the handle, as in driving nails with a hammer, we are not driving nails, and you can easily loose control of your weapon. A swing holding the axe in this position can put you in an overextended position leaving you in a compromised position and slow to return on the backswing. If holding the axe too close to the blade, the problem is that this part of the axe can be used to block and drag weapons into the weapons catchers as discussed earlier. Having the hands close to this area puts them at risk for impact. Having the hands in between these 2 zones is ideal. Let's look, again, at our illustration above. You will see that the axe handle is labeled with the letter "H". The letter "H" is almost where you want your grip to be, just positioned on the bottom end of the letter "H" is the perfect position. This allows for solid but controlled swings, both forward and backward, returning to an guard position, and the ability to use the weapons catchers and other elements of the axe to full advantage.
If we now consider using double axes, the manner in which the 2 can be used in concert truly increases the utility of the weapon. Enough so that it goes beyond the ability of this article to adequately describe or illustrate. There are, however, techniques which are extremely useful and puts the wielder of this weapon in the driver's seat of the encounter.
I hope that this article has instructed and opened the eyes of the reader and turned on many light bulbs over their heads on how this weapon can be used. Naturally, it is difficult to show all that this powerful weapon can do in a short article. We do hope that those who can will take advantage of our upcoming seminars on Double Battle Axes which will be coming up in California in the months ahead. Contact us to get on our mailing list and to find out more about the Double Battle Axe seminars and the various ways which you can benefit from this seminar and information. This is useful information regardless of your style, is a great workout and is one of the infrequently/rarely taught weapons of the Chinese system of martial arts. Don't miss out, make sure you know this information as well so you can cut, or chop your way to victory! “Even the highest tree has an axe waiting at its foot.� Ancient Proverb
The Double Battle Axes are unusual and rarely taught form An excellent workout and excellent weapon This seminar will be approximately 5 or 6 hours in length During which time we will be covering: • The various components of the axe • Grip of weapon • Hand transitions • Preliminary exercises • The full form, and breaking it down in to learning segments • Applications for each movement For our students this is a great opportunity to acquire a new form and the knowledge that comes with it. If you are in a forms based system and do not have a double axe form this is an opportunity to add this set to your knowledge base. If you are not interested in forms, simply focus on learning the applications and the techniques. You need not be in a system based on forms. You can bring your own ax (it must be safe, contact us for details) or you can purchase an ax from us, contact us for details. Reservations are held for students of our school and our sister schools. Therefore, try to make sure you reserve your spot as soon as possible. For more Information: Contact information – Sifu Richard Mieir-King mieirking@gmail.com (562) 425-3168
Professor Dave Castoldi For three decades, Prof. Castoldi’s school has been widely recognized as one of the top self defense schools within the national Jujitsu organization, Jujitsu America. The school has turned out many of the country’s top Jujitsu technicians, several of whom now run the most highly regarded Jujitsu clubs in the nation. Professor Castoldi is an instructor to numerous law enforcement and correctional officers including local and state police, FBI, U.S. Marshall Service, U.S. Secret Service and the military police. 10th degree Grand Master of Castoldi’s Street Self Defense – Awarded by Prof. Wally Jay, Prof. Willy Cahill, and Prof. Joe Souza 8th degree black belt – Jujitsu America – Awarded by Prof. Wally Jay, Prof. Willy Cahill, and Prof. Joe Souza 7th degree black belt – Small Circle Jujitsu – Awarded by Prof. Wally Jay 6th degree black belt – Jujitsu – Awarded by O-Sensei Phil Porter 5th degree black belt – Judo – Awarded by O-Sensei Phil Porter 2nd degree black belt – Karate & Kung Fu – Awarded by Master Winchell Woo Regional Director – Jujitsu America for the Northeast US, Florida, and the Gulf Coast 1964 – Began training with his father, Al Castoldi, the first American to bring Jujitsu to the New England area (circa 1945). 1974 – Founded the West Suburban YMCA Jujitsu School 1978 – Formed association with Professor Wally Jay 10th dan and founder of Small Circle Jujitsu. He began study and instruction of Small Circle Jujitsu theory, integrating its painful effectiveness into his own unique system of practical, no-nonsense street self defense. 1983 – Jujitsu America Instructor of the Year 1988 – Inducted into the Jujitsu by I Want This" America Black Belt Hall of Fame 1991 – Inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame 1991 – Awarded Jujitsu America’s Outstanding Ambassador Award 1991 – Inducted into the Zen Do Kai Hall of Fame 1998 – Inducted by Shihan Rocky DiRico into the International Black Belt Hall of Fame 1998 – Awarded Professorship by Jujitsu America 1998 – Recipient of the flag flown over the Capitol in honor of Jujitsu America 2002 – Awarded Jujitsu America’s Wally Jay Award 2004 – Awarded Jujitsu America’s Spirit of Kodenkan Memorial Award in memory of Professor John Chow Hoon 2005 – Awarded Jujitsu America’s Distinguished Service Presidential Award 2005 – Inducted into the WWKO (World Wide Karate Organization) Hall of Fame
Prof. Castoldi is a real survival story. At a young age he suffered from Polio and doctors told him if he survived he may not be able to move around properly. He began his martial arts training when his sister dragged him into the YMCA and introduced him to weight lifting and a Karate class. Prof. Castoldi slowly began understanding the martial arts system and began training in karate and kung fu simultaneously. He overcame the Polio epidemic with no problems to his movement and soon enough he was training in seven different styles of martial arts all at the same time. He would go from class to class and have each of his teachers yell at him because one of the styles he was taking would be the complete opposite of what he was learning in their class. One style said be fluid and loose while the other style said be firm and rigid. In 1978 the 6’4” 225 lbs Dave Castoldi was introduced to the 5’3” 110 lbs Prof. Wally Jay who needless to say, manhandled Dave Castoldi. It was here Castoldi began training with Prof. Jay and integrated everything he had known into what is now Castoldi’s Street Self Defense System. The key to this system is practicality. drawing heavily upon the principles of Professor Wally Jays Small Circle Jujitsu. Castoldi’s style works for everyone: men, women, and children. Women have found great confidence in learning the style because it teaches them self protection from all situations, including rape attacks, multiple attackers, and weapons defense. Castoldi is world renowned for his weapon defense techniques because he has introduced weapon disarmament and developed it thoroughly.
http://www.castoldijujitsu.com/multimedia/our-videos/knife-mugs/
Contact; E-mail; dcastoldi@castoldijujitsu.com Website; http://www.castoldijujitsu.com/
http://www.saschaschreiner.de/ Successful Year 2012 for Renshi Sascha Schreiner, Germany and his Team Los Angeles February 2012 The yearly World Class Black Belt Championship was held in Ontario, California, USA. The German Team was there with 2 Participants Nationalcoach Germany Renshi Sascha Schreiner and his Student Martin Habermeier spent 5 weeks in El Paso, Texas and compete at the Games. Both did a really good Job. Sascha Schreiner gets one 1st Place in Self Defense and one 2 nd Place in Continous Fighting. Martin Habermeier getw two 1st Places, one in Self Defense and one in Continous Fighting. But this should be only the beginning for 2012 for the Tiger & Dragon Team Germany. During the first two Quarters of the Year the whole Team get a lot of Trophies at some German Tournaments. The whole Team was really good in Fighting, Forms and Self Defense during the Year. At the end of June the Team fly again to the USA to compete at the US Open. They bring home three 1st Places, two 2nd Places, one 3rd Place and two 4th Places. Only with 4 Competitors. This Tournament was the first one for Christoph Hartinger who was new in the Team. He did a really good Job in Self Defense and gets the 2nd Place. In August the Team travelled to Telford, United Kingdom to compete at the World Games. Just three competitors for this time. But they were very successful again. Stefan Habermeier get the World Champion Title in Fullcontact Kickboxing, Christoph Hartinger won Gold in Self Defense and Sascha Schreiner won Gold at the World Games and two Days later he won the World Champion Title in Self Defense. The German Team shows imposing how strong they could be and the other Countries brim them over with enthusiasm for the German Team. A lot of new Friendships could be contract at the Games and Tournaments. All together came home with a lot of new experience. The whole Games and Tournaments was full of Friendship, Honour, Peace, Sport, Exchange of Experiences without competitiveness. At the End of the Year the World Association have another Surprise for Renshi Sascha Schreiner. He gets his promotion to his 5th DAN in Hu Long Wu Shu.
The Dragon Sword Short Story written by Kim Young Mi, December 29-2012)
The clouds are pink. The pale winter sun tries to penetrate the boiling winter sky. I feel a touch on my hand and a voices telling me everything will be alright. Suddenly everything becomes black but it turns into normal daylight after seconds. As I close my eyes, I take off getting rid of my fat Korean body transforming into the slim Yuokosan with long hair. The woman I never dare to be on Earth and she is the woman I really am in my heart and dreams. Tall and slim. I have never dared to show a man on Earth my true "me". Only one man deserves her..... My wings lift me and cool winds surround me. I see the continents as I fly...fly and fly....above the red clouds seeing the blue sky above, the red ball of the sun. White fog covers the oceans of the Earth....a flash and I fall towards a many colored light.....I land on the staircase that leads up to the external hall way. I forget who I was. I concentrate on the beautiful woman I am now. I focus on where I am now...I am in a complex similar to the construction in Japan or South Korea. The stone is cold against my bare feet. I hear noise, music, kids and loud voices from the apartments around here. The sirens of a police car are heard a distance far away. My nostrils are filled with scent of kimchi, sesam oil and fish. I look around. I feel so home. This warm feeling of belonging somewhere. Suddenly a door opens and light and warmth come out from one of the apartments. A long shadow of a figure that I know so very well comes out. I lift my head, eyes filled with tears and a soul torn apart. I look at the man I love....he looks at me. I see the dark shape of his face against the green-blue light from the street lamps.
The dark figure looks at me reaching out his hand. His long black hair blows softly in the wind. I run over to him and embracing him. I feel his arms around me. His kisses so softly. I both laugh and cry. "Welcome home lovely!", he says with his soft voice. Tears running down I am just able to nod. Gently he dries them away with his love and existence. He asks about my kids. I tell him that they are doing great, spending their Holidays with their dad. I feel so happy. I tell him that I spend a good time in another country with good friends. I tell him that I train sword art as long as my back does not hurt. He says that he watches over me and he feels that it is a good Dojang where I train. He would have gone with me and joined the Haedong Kumdo training if he could. I know. He would have supported me in everything if we could be together on Earth. I tell him about my failure as a host for my Haedong Kumdo seminar in Denmark. "Don't ever look at yourself in that way. Your Grandmaster on Earth understands fully. You couldn't have done otherwise. It's not your fault that people didn't treat you well. You see, your Finnish friends are still there, the Greeks are there, and your Grandmaster knows that it was the fools in Denmark who betrayed you! So do I! If I could I'd have been in Denmark to arrange it and many more!" Akira-san says with his firm but still soft voice. His warm hand holds me and he caresses me again. He is so happy for me. I am so thankful to him. Then I look into his eyes.... "Akira-san!"...I start but cannot continue. Now I just look away avoiding his gaze. He smiles waiting for me to continue while he caresses my face. "Can we go to your Dojo?" I ask. He smiles, not only with his lips but his smile is also reflected in his dark Asian eyes. "This is also your Dojo, Youko! Together you and I train there. I know it is my certificates hanging on the wall and my Grandmaster but your heart and soul live there as much as mine!", he finishes gently and softly. I listen to Akira's heart beat and my sorrow and sadness are replaced by new dreams, hope and true love. He is right there. We stand for a while. "I'll get our gi's, they are packed and ready, I knew you'd come today Youko!", he says and goes into his apartment to get the backpack. I look inside. It all looks as it did when I left. I smell newly made rice from the rice cooker. He knew I would come indeed. Dinner will be ready after training. This time we take the elevator 15 floors down. I wonder how my small wings could carry me so high up. But they did! I look at Akira-san in the mirror of the elevator. He seems so calm and well balanced all the time. I am so proud of him. He takes my hand. We continue across the parking lot and further we reach his garage. He opens the door slightly as a ninja. Fast and soundlessly. His black motor bike is ready. It feels good to sit on it again. He drives out of the parking lot continuing down the road. I have nearly forgotten the way to the Dojo. We drive for about a half an hour up in the hills away from the city. We pass by the small place where we met for the first time. "I love you, Akira-san", I whisper softly. It is great to be here. I do not need to wear a belt here. Just the gi and that is it. I feel free and I feel that I can breath and be me. Like in the Dojang where I train now on Earth. We warm up. My love gives me massage and my back pain vanishes. We warm up for 15 minutes. He is so flexible. We talk and laugh while we arm up. I speak about Christmas. He worked during his Christmas volunteering in the dormitory for homeless people. He tell about the sad mom with her kids who live under the bridge. They were so hungry. He gave them double ration and extra blankets. My heart reaches out for them
After warming up we train Taijustsu, Bujinkan, Saijutsu and do Zen. His candle lights on the shelves shine in the Dojo below the picture of his Grandmaster. I feel so warm and comfortable. I feel so loved. He shows me Taijutsu Naruto and body movements. The low stances are too low and it starts to hurt in my back. But he knows that I always gives a little more effort than I should. We take a sparring with staffs. Two hours have suddenly passed. We do the ritual and bowing off. The silence around us feels good. We sit on the floor stretching. He gives me pressure points and massage. I do not need to tell him where it hurts. He just finds it and heals me. It is like magic. "Thank you for a wonderful training," I say. He reaches out a hand and smiles. "You don't have to thank me lovely. I'm proud to see the kunoichi you're! You do very good. I've missed you in the Dojo for a while. It's empty without you!", Akira-san answers. I give him a hug and a kiss. I touch his chin and his eye lids. Tracing with a finger his nose and lips. He is like an Indian with his long black hair. After stretching I rise to my feet and going into his office. The shelves here are lined up with books, figures from the Feudal Japan. I see his forged Katana on it's beautiful stand shaped like a dragon. It is forged in Japan and is passed down from generation to generation of Akira's family. The family long ago named it "The Dragon Sword". It is not only for combat or war but also for art itself. A shinsakuto Katana it is. Akira has told me not to draw it out. It is too sharp and dangerous. I turn around as he stands in the doorway and smiles at me. He comes to stand at my side. He kisses me gentle while he takes the Katana down. The same dragon is engraved on the black sheath of the Katana. He draws the sword with speed and ease still looking at me. As he draws it I see the shining blade. I have seen him fighting with this on a video. I am very impressed of his skills. I follow Akira-san into the Dojo. He has known what I was just thinking. He shows me ancient techniques. They are similar to the Five Rings ( Go Rin No Sho ) of Miyamoto Musashi. Akira-san does it so very well. He fights the elements like rage, forgiving, powerful and healing too. The blade reflects the candle lights on the shelves. He is fast...extremely fast. His strikes and cuttings are so precise. Ku-Zu-Ryu-Sen is done like rage. He hits the attacker nine times. I cannot even move. I can just sit there looking. After a while he asks me to take a sword and joining him. He shows me the five Katana holding techniques and I try with my wooden sword. Over and over again. I am so grateful and I am proud of my lovely man. While we practise techniques I know from Kenjutsu he tells more about "The Dragon Sword". Such a lovely but also sad history. The war came and went and it has been difficult for the family to survive in the mountains. It was predicted that only a man with a dragon's heart could defeat evil. Akira's courageous ancestor Myotshi-baek-san went off to the emperor's palace with a group of rebels. He carried "The Dragon Sword" with him. He was followed by a large group of brave men. The amount grew very fast and they traveled the country. These men had enough of this tyranny in the country. They had enough of seeing their loved ones dying as slaves or killed. The villages were burned down if the evil emperor knew that people turned against him. The group of rebels had grown large as they reached the emperor's palace. They fought the samurais and soldiers. Many came to join. More and more people got courage to fight and turn against evil. Myotshi-baek-san fought with the dragon's heart and brave he was. He defeated the soldiers with his techniques in which Akira-san still teaches his students. This is my love's heart and soul. As the country now was in war and flames raged the continent the emperor fled with only few samurais and soldiers. His palace was burned down. The emperor was assassinated shortly after at the boarder. His body was thrown in the river. His group of men joined Myotshi-baek-san's growing army. One night it happened. The country became free after many years of tyranny. "The Dragon Sword" has saved many and killed many.... Akira's voice is so enchanting. I love to train while he speaks about his background and history. He can see that I am tired and we end the Kenjutsu training with the ritual and bowing. With "The Dragon Sword" in his belt he kneels down and makes his special bow and ritual to his Grandmaster. The light is now turned off in the Dojo, silence...peace...
It is cold outside. Akira-san embraces me and telling me his love. I tell him that he means so much to me. I take his hands and kissing them. We drive back to his lovely home. It feel great to sit behind him on his motor bike while I hold around him and looking as we drive home. Lights shine in the valley. All the street lamps shine in a competition with all the stars on the now clear and black night sky. We have only a couple of hours before I have to wake up again...He takes my coat and lays it on the chair in the small tiny kitchen. I take a shower and change to wear this beautiful Kimono he gave me for my birthday. I hug him. He warms a soup in the microwave. I prepare the rice in two bowels. Finally we sit down. The floor is covered by straw mats. We sit on the floor and eat at the low table. We talk about my kids. He tells me that if he could he would have been there for me and my kids. I move to sit close to him. That is all I need for now. Just appreciating every second with him. I lay my head on his shoulder and holding his hand. His kisses are so soft and gentle. I am filled with love but also with a hurting sorrow because I have to leave him and return to my own world. "I love you so much", I whisper in his ear. He smiles and kisses me even more. We sit for a while. Just him and me. The darkness has surrounded us. He falls asleep after his love and a joyful time with me. I kiss him goodnight with my heart full of tears. I whisper my love in his ear. Slowly I remove the arm that he pulled around me before he felt asleep. Kissing him and holding him one last time I close my eyes and pray for him. I rise to my feef. The other Katana still hangs on his wall. Before he went to sleep he told me that I did not have to do the dishes. But I turn off the rice cooker. I go to the window and open it. I look back at sending Akira-san all my love. "Goodbye, my love!" I take off out of the window. I let the wind carry me up. I fly up through the white fog. I see his world disappearing under my feet. I fly towards the stars. They shine so brightly. I fly....fly...and ahead of me is the many colored and magic light. It swirls around itself waiting for me. I fly toward it faster and faster though I do not want to go. Blinded by tears I am falling towards it and all it surrounded by darkness. I try to see and sense. Now...under my feet I see dark clouds. I feel cool winds from north. The continent below my feet becomes bigger and bigger.... Kim Young Mi I open my eyes. My soul is light and my heart is filled with a special kind of happiness I will always remember "The Dragon Sword". We all fight our battles against what we think is evil. I fight with Akira-san. We must keep our heads high and follow our own Dragonheart Kim Young Mi
AJJIF GLOBAL - AJJIF MOROCCO 2013 10 - 13 JANUARY, 2013 CASABLANCA & RABAT, MOROCCO AJJIF - MOROCCO Opening Ceremony. AJJIF International Katabami Ryu Ju-Jitsu Seminar with O-Sensei Alexey Kunin 10 Dan Ju-Jitsu ( USA ), Founder & President of AJJIF GLOBAL, Headmaster / Head Family of Katabami Ju-Jitsu Clan, Master Abderrahim Mazouzi 8 Dan Daito Ryu Aikijutsu, AJJIF Representative Aikijutsu ( Morocco ), Master Mehdi Hijaouy 7 Dan Atemi Ryu Jujitsu, 7 Dan Daito Ryu Aikijutsu, AJJIF Representative Ju-Jitsu ( Morocco ), Member of Katabami Ju-Jitsu Clan, Sensei Sidi El Ghali Elamrani 5 Dan Atemi Ryu Jujitsu, AJJIF Member ( Morocco ), Sensei Sidi Mohamed Amine El Idrissi 5 Dan Atemi Ryu Jujitsu, AJJIF Member ( Morocco ). With the Moroccan National TV Coverage. Sanctioned by AJJIF GLOBAL - ALL JAPAN JU-JITSU INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION and KATABAMI JU-JITSU CLAN
View O-Sensei Alexey Kunin's Moroccan Seminar Photo's at; https://plus.google.com/photos/118366672904121588598/albums/5833805659946067057?banner=pwa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q06IWC3ovNU&hd=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpBkUCas6cI&hd=1
THE PHYSICS OF KATA By Barbara Finney Martial artists practice kata as a way of perfecting technique without a partner. Most do kata after a while on automatic pilot, using "muscle memory" to let the kata be performed often in a meditative frame of mind. Seven years ago when I learned my first form or kata, it stymied me for many weeks. this surprised me as I had been a member of high school and college bands and we often performed complex dance patterns to music during half-time at football games. I felt that Kata had a lot in common with the moves I had once performed with large bands, in particular the University of Houston Cougar Band. The U of H band was specifically a dancing formation band. I did well with this, performed with my fellow band members weekly in the old Houston Astrodome and in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium the year U of H went to the Bluebonnet Bowl and or Cotton Bowl. So why did a simple kata like basic star form trip me up so bad? Perhaps it was my age when I took up martial arts full time. I began to pay close attention to how I felt doing kata once I had begun to master it because,....I was FEELING something. As I began to do basic star form without error and began to do it faster, though all my instructors kept stressing katas are best done slowly, I felt this pull, this inexplicable energy that I began generating during the execution of the movements of the kata. What was this? For many years I had been a researcher in topics in the field sometimes called parapsychology. As such I had run across some interesting ideas that seemed to apply to any energy one might generate when performing katas. It seems there are fields of study that look into the properties of shape. In the field of Physics this subset of energy physics is called "cymatics." In certain shamanic or spiritual practices there are rituals for walking patterns and in things like labyrinths to attain spiritual wisdom and insight. IN the realm of shamanic arts there are patterns
known as sigils. I began to find some interesting correlations between these lesser known fields of inquiry and the ancient art of kata. Patterns can be established in physical space that are purely energetic. These patterns can be drawn on paper and can have real physical effects. Spirals are the most common pattern. And the spiral drawn on paper can wither weaken someone or strengthen them when the paper is placed against their body. These experiments can be read about in a classic work on the topic by an engineer named Harry G. Stine. His book was titled MIND MACHINES YOU CAN BUILD. How is it possible that a mere drawing of a spiral on paper can effect someone's overall strength? Well that is a complicated question. For the purposes of relating odd quantum mechanical effects to kata we will go with what is happening in most katas. In a kata one is seldom standing in one spot to do the techniques. Usually there is specific footwork with each move, some katas are more complicated than others but all have in common the fact the practitioner is moving and drawing out specific patterns or sigils with their foot movements and really in the air with arm and hand movements, all are akin to drawing patterns on paper, disturbing the molecules of a specific spot in a structure way and this seems to effect the surrounding energetic molecules in sometimes predictable ways. I began to feel that the movement of kata was capable in some cases of helping the practitioner to gain more energy from the exercise and feel more energized at the conclusion of some katas than tired as one might expect. I would like to know what if any impressions other martial artists might have noted during practice of katas. I have thought that using laba notation might be a good project to try to capture on film any energies that change around someone doing a kata. It has been on my "to-do " list. I learned that the same unseen energy that one sometimes feels when performing a kata is also related to the unbendable arm demonstration in many fields of martial arts. But my conclusions are that there is a quantum physics aspect to kata specifically. in time this will be bourne out with further study. Those who are involved in Qigong spoke of these unseen energies for a long time. They say that "chi" likes to travel in spirals. Those who practice Feng Shui are aware that the earth has its own type of chi. Some speak of earth energies. others speak of "Ley Lines" and so on and so forth. It would seem that martial arts principles dovetail nicely with many other fields that deal in what are called "subtle energies." Those would include the field of Feng Shui, acupuncture, acupressure, and dowsing or water witching. In any case there seems to be a subtle physics to the practice of kata. For further reading: MIND MACHINES YOU CAN BUILD - by Harry G. Stine available at differing prices on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Machines-You-Can-Build/dp/1560870753/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357682020&sr=1-1&keywords=mind+machines++you+can+build
Labnotation defined - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labanotation Cymatics branch of physics. - http://www.cymatics.org/ Sigils - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigil_(magic)
Common signal but is also a common pattern formed by movements of many katas.
Mudras are shapes that are formed by the hands and fingers and are used in meditation exercises by both Yoga practitioners and used heavily in Ninjitsu. Ninjas would form various mudras with their hands to help them meditate upon a particular skill or power to enhance their ability to carry out martial arts tasks. A Mudra appears to be a 3-D signal.
Scott Shannon performing a weapons kata for the movie TALOS.
Tai Chi is a great example for both kata and chi cultivation, the simple fact is by focusing on the various movements and internal aspects of breathing and cultivating the kata becomes the tool to utilize in obtaining grace, strength, speed and power. When looking at various katas, we can plainly see the relationship between the physical and spiritual aspects consisting of both the endeavor to perfect the movements and to understand the reason, thereby focusing on enlightenment through the spiritual aspect of understanding the inner warrior.
Grandmaster Eddie Thomas and Selena Strickler demonstrating kata at the AFK dojo in Salem, Virginia.
WARRIOR
GIRL-JITSU Girl-Jitsu is the brainchild of journalist Hansen Sinclair, a practicing martial artist in the discipline of Brazilian jiu jitsu. The company was founded in June of 2012 after Hansen realized just how many issues were plaguing the Women's MMA scene. Along with his business and training partner, Cindy Garcia, Hansen set out on a mission to make a significant difference in the sport, and ultimately help open more doors for women in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Girl-Jitsu prides itself on being “Dedicated to Supporting Female Combat Athletes.” They have done so in the form of creating the very first ever All Women Fighters Calendar, developing a clothing line (Pretty.Tough.) and by sponsoring female fighters through gear and services. Girl-Jitsu does not only cater to the top tier of female combat athletes, but the every day practitioner as well. Girl-Jitsu will continue to emphasize its mantra of “Pretty.Tough.” by going the distance to provide – within its means – any services and support for those women who train and/or compete, from novice to professional.
HANSEN SINCLAIR CEO When Hansen Sinclair was born, the doctors told his mother, “Your child won't live past the age of six months. Take him home; there is nothing we can do for him.” Three decades later, he continues to prove them wrong. Not that life hasn't been a tumultuous roller coaster of ups and downs for him. Hansen was born with a congenital heart defect. Simply put, anything that could be wrong with a person's heart was wrong with his (a hole in it, murmur, two-malfunctioning chambers causing blood not to flow properly throughout the body therefore depriving him of oxygen, etc). Before the age of 30, he had suffered two strokes and a heart attack, and had undergone numerous heart procedures, including total heart reconstructive surgery when he was 11. He even had a pacemaker installed to keep his heart functioning somewhat normally. But, you would never know it by watching him train. “I've always wanted to do some form of martial art when I was younger, but my heart condition limited my activities. However, jiu jitsu has afforded me the opportunity to train in a discipline designed for people such as myself.” Hansen was introduced to MMA in 2010 by his business partner, Cindy Garcia. He eventually switched his discipline to Brazilian jiu jitsu, and found it to be a more accommodating sport for himself. “With MMA, I always had to tell people not to strike me too hard in the chest because of my pacemaker. Most people were understanding, but I've sparred with a few who had no consideration for my condition. To me, it wasn't worth risking a potentially devastating injury that could sideline me permanently. I still love watching MMA fights, and I train with a select few people I trust.” Although skeptical about Hansen taking up MMA, doctors have come to realize just how much he has benefited from it. “My doctors begged me to quit. I was stubborn at first, but later on I compromised. I gave up intense MMA sparring, but kept jiu jitsu. Now, they can't believe how much my cardio has improved; I haven't had a 'heart episode' since I started training, and I'm literally in the best shape of my life thus far. With jiu jitsu, I can control my training, even if I'm up against someone twice my size and extremely aggressive.” Hansen has competed and placed in no-gi tournaments and is looking forward to competing in gi. “Switching from MMA-style jiu jitsu to traditional jiu jitsu is a challenge, but it won't stop me from training. I like uphill battles. Besides, what's the worst that can happen? I've already survived a six-month death sentence before I could even walk. The rest is just icing on the cake.”
CINDY GARCIA CFO My name is Cindy Garcia. I currently live in Miami, Florida. I started my journey into the world of martial arts in the spring of 2007 when my boyfriend at the time convinced me to sign up for a 3 month trial plan at Lee's Tae Kwon Do Academy in West Palm Beach. At the time, I had just graduated with my Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering and had moved from Miami to West Palm Beach to start my career as an engineer. After the three month plan, I decided to stay and sign a one year contract. The first 6 months were the scariest and hardest for me. It took a while to get used to people kicking and punching me as well as working to improve my cardio endurance. I doubted my abilities all the time. After 6 months, I finally mustered the courage to take the Saturday morning competition sparring class. After a few Saturday mornings I was hooked! I fell in love with the sport! I was promoted quickly and was halfway to my black belt when destiny stepped in and I made the decision to move to Philadelphia, PA. When I moved to Philly, I took a year off from martial arts. I visited a few Tae Kwon Do schools in the area but I couldn't find anything that compared to my school in Florida. One day, my roommate suggested I should try MMA (mixed martial arts). She said, “You should try it, it seems to be the next big thing�. So I walked in to Tiger Shulmann's in Feasterville, PA and after a few introductory classes signed a contract. It was there that I was introduced to the sport of jiu-jitsu (no-gi submission wrestling). For the first 6 months, I just drilled with my training partners. It took a year before I felt comfortable with the physical aspects of jiujitsu. After my first year at Tiger Shulmann's I fell in love again with this new sport I was introduced to. It was at that point that I found what I was meant to do and decided to dedicate my life to martial arts. In June 2011, I moved back to Miami and started training at Freestyle Fighting Academy. There I was introduced to other disciplines such as wrestling and judo; also, to my main discipline: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. My life has changed in many ways since I started training. I weighed 220 lbs in 2009. I lost 65 lbs since then and look and feel better than I did when I was in my 20s. I have a sense of confidence and well-being that I never had before I was involved in martial arts. I've competed and placed in local and school tournaments. Whether I win or lose, I always look forward to the next opportunity I will have to compete.
Cindy Garcia
Hansen Sinclai
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