Oct / Nov 2019

WINNING WITHOUT FIGHTING: THE END OF BULLYING?

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N A I L I Z A R B JIU-JITSU FOR LIFE!

Carlos Machado Leads the Way

contents

O October/November / 2019 - V Volume 57,, Number 6

36 E CO O B G COMFORTABLE BEING

LE WITH THE UNCOMFORTAB s about hiss Carloss Machado talks C h martial arts, y in the days earlyy d the keyy components off Brazil-JJ h BJJ d the j j u and ian jiu-jitsu way w y off life..

FEATURES S 44 7 WAYSS GEORGE GOG DILLMAN C G CHANGED T WORLD! O THE

1RW PDQ\ ÀJXUHV LQ WKH ÀJ modern d martial arts loom O ODUJHU WKDQ ³ DQG JHQHUDWH DV K G PXFK FRQWURYHUV\ DV ³ *HRUJH J Dillman. H Dill Here are seven ways DillDill PDQ KDV FKDQJHG WKH PDUWLDO DUWV GXULQJ WKH SDVW \HDUV

50 2019 U.S. OPEN KARATE TOURNAMENT

62 WINNING WITHOUT FIGHTING

56 BATTLE OF THE SEXES

68 THE DAITO-RYU MASTER VS. THE LOCAL HERO

When a woman spars with a man, not only does she take on an adversary who is likely physically VWURQJHU EXW VKH DOVR PXVW IDFH WKH enemy within. Katherine de Boda UHFDOOV KHU WUDLQLQJ LQ -DSDQHVH swordsmanship to make her point.

)UHTXHQW Black Belt contributor Scot Conway describes his de-escalation V\VWHP ZKLFK LV GHVLJQHG WR VWUDWHJLFDOO\ DQG VDIHO\ VWRS ÀJKWV EHIRUH WKH\ JHW VWDUWHG ,W·V D SURYHQ SUHVFULSWLRQ WR HQG EXOO\LQJ

,Q WKLV Black Belt Classic from 1962, \RX·OO OHDUQ ZKDW KDSSHQHG ZKHQ aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba, then a practitioner of daito-ryu aikijujutsu, IRXJKW LQ D FKDOOHQJH PDWFK

',6&/$,0(5 %/$&. %(/7 0$*$=,1( LWV RZQHUV GLUHFWRUV RIÀ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

Photo by Darren Chesnut

Perry William Kelly, aka %ODFN %HOW·V ÀJKWLQJ ZULWHU ÁHZ WR )ORULGD WR DWWHQG ³ DQG FRPSHWH LQ ³ WKLV monumental event, which attracted PRUH WKDQ FRPSHWLWRUV DQG VRPH VSHFWDWRUV

DEPARTMENTS 22

30

In “It’s Only a Movie,” Dave Lowry tells how the cheesy come-on for a 1970s horror film also pertains to the martial arts flicks we see in the 21st century.

Kelly McCann discusses perhaps the most important aspect of self-defense: avoiding situations in which you might be forced to use your physical skills.

24

32

Martin Kove — better-known as sensei John Kreese in the Karate Kid movies and the Cobra Kai series — is part of a new business venture that markets a variety of CBD-oil products.

For this issue, Dr. Craig D. Reid devotes his entire column to one film: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, directed by rising star Chad Stahelski.

KARATE WAY

FIGHTBOOK

COMBATIVES

SCREEN SHOTS

26

76

Antonio Graceffo concludes his account of his visit to the city of Weifang, China, a de facto sanctuary for former martial arts champions.

You have the skills. You have the teaching experience. Contributing editor Floyd Burk details 13 reasons you should make the next move and open a dojo.

DESTINATIONS

28

BETTER BUSINESS

FIT TO FIGHT

78

Want a quick way to boost your speed while conserving energy? Take this simple test created by contributing editor Mark Hatmaker and then, if you agree with his recommendations, find a better fighting stance.

In 1972 Jim Niland saw a karate demonstration at his elementary school, and he was hooked. Now he teaches martial arts in Florida with an emphasis on how sparring differs from self-defense.

DOJO SPOTLIGHT

EDITOR’S NOTE 10 TIMES 20 COMMUNITY 74 ESSENTIAL GEAR 80 BLACK BELT PAGES 82 FROM THE ARCHIVES 8

VOL. 57 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, $27.99. Canada: $39.99. Foreign: $51.99 (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 2019 by Black Belt Magazine 1000 LLC. All rights reserved.

Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

Photo by Niko Tavernise-Lionsgate

Screen Shots: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

VOLUME 57, NO. 6 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert W. Young

NICE TO GET NOTICED!

ADVERTISING MANAGER Kinzy Palumbo COPY CHIEF Jeannine Santiago A/R MANAGER Jennifer Rozon ART DIRECTOR Paul Duarte DIGITAL MARKETING DIRECTOR Patrick Sternkopf VIDEO EDITOR Alec Sprinkle

I

— Robert W. Young, Editor-in-Chief Black Belt • MASuccess 8

BLACKBELTMAG.COM § OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

CONTRIBUTORS Katherine de Boda, Scot Conway, Perry William Kelly, Chris Thomas, Terry L. Wilson

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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

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t’s been said that there are two kinds of people in the world: astronomers and astronauts. In the past, at least, astronomers would sit quietly at the eyepiece of their telescope and study the universe, while astronauts would hop onto the business end of a rocket and explore the universe.

A similar thing could be said about martial arts publishing. In this industry, there are two kinds of people: writer/editors and the masters they profile. As a writer/editor, I am most definitely a behind-the-scenes sort of guy, one who is perfectly happy to shine a spotlight on the skilled martial artists who are the stars of our world.

That said, it’s nice when something you do gets noticed by someone outside the martial arts industry, when you taste what it might be like to be a star. Case in point …

A few days ago, I Netflixed a movie titled Our Idiot Brother. The main character is a simple-minded but well-meaning man named Ned, played by Paul Rudd. Ned is somewhat of a martial artist. “Big deal,” you’re probably thinking. “The editor of Black Belt watched a comedy in which the main character is a martial artist.” I’m droning on about this because the movie has Ned studying an extremely rare Korean martial art whose name has been inaccurately rendered in English as kun gek do.

Back story: In the 1980s, I lived in Pusan, South Korea, where I taught English conversation to support myself while studying and researching the Korean martial arts. While there, I ran across this particular art and was told I was one of first foreigners to discover it. I wrote a couple of articles about kun gek do, which, as I mentioned, is a horrible transliteration of the hangul characters used to write its name. In my stories, I noted that a much better spelling, one that actually sounds like the word, is gwon gyuk do.

The Idiot Brother tie-in: In the film, a boy named River explains that he’s been practicing a martial art called “kun gek do” (using that pronunciation). He says, “Some moves are just like taekwondo — kicking and chopping. What’s special about it is the guys can also throw and choke.”

Moments later, however, Ned corrects the pronunciation of the boy’s mom, telling her it should be “gwon gyuk do” — which is the more accurate spelling I devised for my write-ups.

Now, as far as I know, my articles are the only ones — in English or Korean — that describe this martial art while noting its two “names.” My humble theory is that one of the writers for Idiot Brother came across one of my articles and decided to include the style in the film, perhaps in an effort to be exotic.

I fully realize that I could be wrong on this. However, I can’t think of a simpler explanation, so I will bow to Occam’s razor and continue to believe that something I wrote three decades ago in a martial arts publication left a minor mark on a major motion picture.

(If any member of the Black Belt universe knows otherwise, please don’t tell me.

Ignorance can be bliss. Now, back to my telescope to search for stars!)

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Floyd Burk, Mark Cheng, Antonio Graceffo, Mark Hatmaker, Mark Jacobs, Dave Lowry, Kelly McCann, Dr. Craig D. Reid, Keith Vargo

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

DONN F. DRAEGER’S RESEARCH

ANALYZED IN LECTURES IN JAPAN artial artists from all over Japan recently assembled in Tokyo for a series of lectures on the life and legacy of Donn F. Draeger. The American martial arts researcher and writer is best-known for his book Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts, co-written with 5REHUW : 6PLWK DQG SXEOLVKHG LQ 7KH WH[W ZDV WKH ÀUVW serious primer on the subject to reach a mass audience.

'UDHJHU·V PRVW LQÁXHQWLDO ZRUN KRZHYHU ZDV KLV WKUHH volume set on the martial arts and ways of Japan: Classical Bujutsu, Classical Budo, and Modern Bujutsu & Budo. Those ERRNV LQVSLUHG D JHQHUDWLRQ RI PDUWLDO DUWLVWV DQG VWLOO GHÀQH WKH :HVWHUQ ZRUOG·V XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKH -DSDQHVH ÀJKWLQJ DUWV ,Q DGGLWLRQ WR ZULWLQJ 'UDHJHU UHYLYHG WKH GRUPDQW ÀHOG RI KRSORORJ\ WKH VWXG\ RI KXPDQ FRPEDWLYH EHKDYLRU DQG SHUformance. The lectures that took place in Japan explored this OHJDF\ DQG JDYH QHZ LQVLJKWV LQWR WKH PDQ·V OLIH 7KH VSHDNHUV ZHUH XQLTXHO\ TXDOLÀHG WR GLVFXVV 'UDHJHU·V impact. Three of them were his students and friends: Hunter ´&KLSµ $UPVWURQJ /LDP .HHOH\ DQG 3KLO 5HOQLFN 7KH IRXUWK ZDV 'U $OH[ %HQQHWW D OHDGLQJ budo/bujutsu expert in the current generation of martial arts researchers and one of the many people inspired by Draeger to go to the source.

7KH ÀUVW WR VSHDN ZDV $UPVWURQJ DQ H[SHUW LQ PDQ\ -DSDQHVH PDUWLDO WUDGLWLRQV DQG 'UDHJHU·V VXFFHVVRU DV GLUHFWRU of the International Hoplology Society. His lecture focused on how Draeger took the lessons of koryu martial arts and generalized them into the more global perspective of hoplology.

Armstrong talked about all human combative behavior being HLWKHU FLYLOLDQ IRU VHOI GHIHQVH GHIHQGLQJ D YLOODJH VSRUW FRPSHWLWLRQ HWF RU PDUWLDO IRU PLOLWDU\ XVH DQG KH GUHZ FRPSDULVRQV ZLWK 'UDHJHU·V GLVWLQFWLRQ EHWZHHQ EXGR DQG EXMXWVX Armstrong also pointed out that although Draeger was a highlevel judoka, it was his combat experience in World War II that drove his interest in koryu martial arts and hoplology.

One thing Armstrong emphasized was that the civilian/ martial categories were not about ranking the effectiveness or VWDWXV RI ÀJKWLQJ DUWV 7KH FDWHJRULHV ZHUH SXUHO\ IRU XQGHUVWDQGLQJ ZKDW D ÀJKWLQJ DUW ZDV PHDQW IRU .HHOH\ ZDV WKH VHFRQG VSHDNHU +H·V DOVR D NRU\X PDUWLDO arts expert with advanced rank in the 600-year-old tatsumiryu and the naginata-focused toda-ha buko-ryu. ,Q DGGLWLRQ KH ZDV SDUW RI 'UDHJHU·V KRSORORJ\ ÀHOG UHVHDUFK JURXS LQ the 1970s and learned his approach during research trips to 0DOD\VLD DQG ,QGRQHVLD $IWHU 'UDHJHU·V GHDWK .HHOH\ FRQtinued this work through graduate study in anthropology and

10

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

ÀHOGZRUN LQ 6RXWK $IULFD WKDW LQYROYHG D =XOX VWLFN ÀJKWLQJ VW\OH called mhlabatini. He continues his hoplology work through the .RU\X &ROOHFWLYH D UHVHDUFK JURXS WKDW ZDV FUHDWHG WR LQVSLUH educate and support fellow practitioners of koryu. .HHOH\·V OHFWXUH HPSKDVL]HG 'UDHJHU·V SODFH LQ KLVWRU\ DQG detailed his research methods. It started with the origins of hoplology in the 1800s and traced the study of the Japanese PDUWLDO DUWV E\ :HVWHUQHUV IURP WKHQ XQWLO 'UDHJHU·V ZRUN LQ WKH V 1H[W .HHOH\ GHWDLOHG ZKDW PRGHUQ KRSORORJ\ LV DQG RXWOLQHG WKH UHTXLUHPHQWV IRU EHFRPLQJ D KRSORORJLVW .H\ DPRQJ WKHP LV ZRUNLQJ IURP WKH ´HPLF µ RU LQ JURXS SRLQW RI YLHZ LQVWHDG RI MXVW UHPDLQLQJ DQ RXWVLGH REVHUYHU 7R GULYH KRPH KLV SRLQW .HHOH\ VKRZHG YLGHR RI KLPVHOI LQ D =XOX VWLFN ÀJKWLQJ FKDOOHQJH PDWFK %HQQHWW ZDV WKH WKLUG WR VSHDN $ SURIHVVRU DW .DQVDL 8QLYHUVLW\ DQG D OHDGLQJ PDUWLDO DUWV SUDFWLWLRQHU UHVHDUFKHU DQG WUDQVODWRU LQ -DSDQ KH ZDV WKH RQO\ SUHVHQWHU ZKR GLGQ·W NQRZ 'UDHJHU personally. But given his high rank in seven Japanese martial arts DQG KLV PXOWLSOH VFKRODUO\ ZRUNV RQ WKHP QR RQH LV EHWWHU TXDOLÀHG WR H[SODLQ 'UDHJHU·V LPSDFW DQG KLV SODFH LQ KLVWRU\ )LUVW %HQQHWW WDONHG DERXW 'UDHJHU·V GLYLVLRQ RI -DSDQHVH PDUWLDO DUWV LQWR FODVVLFDO EXMXWVX FODVVLFDO EXGR PRGHUQ EXMXWVX DQG PRGHUQ EXGR %HFDXVH RI KLV ZRUN WKRVH FDWHJRULHV GHÀQH -DSDQHVH DUWV IRU QRQ -DSDQHVH SUDFWLWLRQHUV ³ DOWKRXJK PRVW -DSDQHVH GRQ·W XVH WKH WHUPV 7R PDNH KLV SRLQW %HQQHWW VDLG ´7KH ZRUG ¶EXGR· DFWXDOO\ PHDQW bushido, the ZDUULRU HWKRV DQG QRW PDUWLDO DUWV DV VXFKµ IRU PXFK RI LWV KLVtory. Although Draeger was criticized for the way he used JapDQHVH WHUPV %HQQHWW DUJXHG WKDW WKHVH GHÀQLWLRQV EURXJKW D PXFK QHHGHG FODULW\ ZKHUH WKHUH ZDV QRQH HYHQ LQ -DSDQHVH %HQQHWW DOVR VWUHVVHG WKDW 'UDHJHU·V GLYLVLRQV DFFRPPRGDWed the facts of history better than simply classifying everything as an old war skill (jutsu) or a modern means of character development (do), pointing out that many koryu martial arts were developed during peace and were seen as character building LQ WKHLU WLPH ZKLOH WKH VXSSRVHGO\ FLYLOLDQ EXGR WUDLQLQJ RI WKH early 20th century was used to support the Japanese war effort in World War II. 6HFRQG %HQQHWW VKRZHG KRZ 'UDHJHU·V ZRUN ZDV D YLWDO part of the continuous reinvention of Japanese martial traditions throughout history and how he helped unmoor budo from ethnocentrism and make it a worldwide phenomenon. Bennett did this by explaining that the period when Draeger was most DFWLYH DV D ZULWHU DQG SUDFWLWLRQHU ³ WKH ODWH V WKURXJK WKH ODWH · V ³ ZHUH WKH \HDUV ZKHQ WKH -DSDQHVH PDUWLDO

Group Photo by Keith Vargo • Donn F. Draeger Photo Courtesy of Black Belt

Left to right: Phil Relnick, Liam Keely, Hunter Armstrong and Alex Bennett.

Donn F. Draeger

arts reached the height of their popularity outside Japan.

Also, Bennett credited him with being one of the people most responsible for the fact that “there are far more budo practitioners in total outside Japan than there are in Japan.” He pointed out that Draeger actively worked to get many nonJapanese into different budo and koryu arts so they would be spread far and wide outside Japan and have a better chance of surviving.

7KH ÀQDO OHFWXUH ZDV JLYHQ E\ RQH RI 'UDHJHU·V ROGHVW DQG closest students, judo and koryu martial arts master Phil Relnick. It was delivered on a different level than the others because, in spite of his fame in martial arts circles and his many books, Draeger revealed little about himself. What 5HOQLFN JDYH ZDV WKH ÀUVW UHDO DFFRXQW RI ZKDW WKH SLRQHHUing martial artist was like as a person.

Relnick started by describing the end of his 20 years with Draeger. It was an emotional account of accompanying his PHQWRU DQG IULHQG WR 1DULWD $LUSRUW VR KH FRXOG Á\ WR +DZDLL for medical treatment. The martial arts icon had been experiencing persistent pain in his gut after a research trip to ,QGRQHVLD DQG KH ZDV ODWHU GLDJQRVHG ZLWK FDQFHU $W ÀUVW he was in denial about his illness and tried to carry on as usual. “In some ways, he was a very stubborn man,” Relnick recalled.

But after six months of physical deterioration, Draeger ÀQDOO\ DFFHSWHG WKH GRFWRU·V GLDJQRVLV DQG PDGH DUUDQJHments for treatment. While planning the trip to Hawaii, he DVNHG 5HOQLFN WR EH WKH H[HFXWRU RI KLV HVWDWH ´:H GLGQ·W VD\ it to each other,” Relnick said, trying to keep his emotions in check, “but I knew and he knew that it would be the last time we saw each other.” $IWHU GHWDLOLQJ KRZ 'UDHJHU·V OLIH HQGHG 5HOQLFN ZHQW EDFN to the beginning. He talked about things he learned posthuPRXVO\ WKURXJK FRQWDFW ZLWK 'UDHJHU·V UHODWLYHV DERXW KLP setting local swimming records as a child — records that still stand — and about his introduction to judo at age 8 courtesy RI D -DSDQHVH QHLJKERU 7KHQ KH VHJXHG LQWR 'UDHJHU·V OLIHlong interest in weight training, underlining that he possessed a supple strength and likening judo mat work with Draeger to trying to grapple with a snake. In addition, Relnick credited him with introducing weight training to competitive judo in Japan, pointing out the strength coaching he did with 1964 gold-medalist Isao Inokuma.

1H[W KH WDONHG DERXW 'UDHJHU·V SRVW PLOLWDU\ OLIH LQ -DSDQ The American lived a frugal life, inhabiting a two-room apart-

ment without heating or air conditioning. This frugality was SDUWO\ RXW RI QHFHVVLW\ ´'RQQ ZDV QRW ÀQDQFLDOO\ ZHOO RII µ Relnick recalled. “He had probably three sources of income.

That was a partial military pension, teaching English and what he earned from his books.”

But Relnick also attributed the Spartan lifestyle to the fact WKDW WKH PLOLWDU\ ZD\ ZDV LQJUDLQHG LQ 'UDHJHU·V SHUVRQDOLW\ ´+H KDG WKH SUHVHQFH RI WKH 8 6 0DULQH RIÀFHU KH RQFH ZDV « DQG KH ZDV D SHUVRQ ZKR SUREDEO\ ZRXOG KDYH ÀW LQ ZHOO with the samurai of the past,” he said. “He was very strict on manners and warrior etiquette, which he had learned from the Japanese teachers, and that was inside of the dojo and outside of the dojo. He was a Marine [and] he was like a samurai, seven days a week and 24 hours a day.”

That presence, combined with his deep knowledge of the martial arts, drew people to him. “When Donn did talk to us, it usually had meaning,” Relnick said. “He had an air of FRQÀGHQFH « EXW KH ZDVQ·W DUURJDQW « DQG KH QHYHU DFWHG as a teacher to us. You followed him and did what he did and listened to what he said.”

Relnick pointed out that none of the stories about DraeJHU·V ÀJKWLQJ DELOLW\ ZHUH H[DJJHUDWHG ´+H KDG KLJKO\ WHFKQLFDO ÀJKWLQJ VNLOOV ERWK DUPHG DQG XQDUPHG DQG QHYHU neglected minor details.” ,Q VSLWH RI KLV SHUIHFWLRQLVW WHQGHQFLHV 'UDHJHU ZDVQ·W perfect. “Donn told me a number of times that his books are WKH ÀUVW JHQHUDWLRQ RI ERRNV LQ (QJOLVK RQ WKH PDUWLDO DUWV and that he was sure he had made mistakes in them,” Relnick recalled. “He said that he [was] depending on the next generation of committed martial artists — us — to make any corrections necessary.”

Draeger also made mistakes in the dojo, and Relnick said that Draeger had told him many stories about them. He shared one in which Draeger interviewed a koryu master in his dojo and noticing some bo leaning against a wall. When the master excused himself for a moment, Draeger took the opportunity to put the bo on some empty racks. When the master returned, his good humor vanished. He demanded to know how the bo got on the racks. Draeger confessed to KDYLQJ SXW WKHP XS EHFDXVH KH ZDV DIUDLG WKH\·G ZDUS 7KH master looked scornfully at him and said, “Those bo have been leaning against that wall for 100 or 200 years. If they KDYHQ·W ZDUSHG \HW , GRQ·W WKLQN WKH\·OO ZDUS DQ\WLPH VRRQ µ — Keith Vargo

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 11

DOCUMENTARY REVEALS FINAL DAYS OF FUMIO DEMURA’S DOJO belt and actor — coincidentally, KLV ÀOPRJUDSK\ LQFOXGHV Karate Kid Part III — has made his GLUHFWRULDO GHEXW ZLWK D VKRUW GRFXPHQWDU\ WLWOHG The Last Dojo. 7KH VXEMHFW RI WKH ÀOP LV Black Belt +DOO RI )DPHU )XPLR 'HPXUD ZKRVH ODQGPDUN karate dojo VWRRG IRU PRUH WKDQ IRXU GHFDGHV EHIRUH LW ORVW LWV EDWWOH ZLWK HPLQHQW GRPDLQ )LOPHG LQ WKH ÀQDO GD\V EHIRUH WKH VFKRRO·V GHPLVH The Last Dojo is a love letter IURP )RUG WR WKH NDUDWH LFRQ DQG LW·V GHGLFDWHG WR 'HPXUD·V VWXGHQWV DQG WR DQ\RQH ZKR·V ever trained in a traditional PDUWLDO DUW 7KH ÀOP LV LQWHQGHG WR KHOS YLHZHUV H[SHULHQFH WKH LQVLJKWV DQG HPRWLRQV RI RQH RI NDUDWH·V JUHDW PDVWHUV DV KH VKDUHV WKH GHHSHU PHDQLQJ RI WKH PDUWLDO DUWV DQG UHPLQLVFHV DERXW KLV EHORYHG GRMR IRU WKH ODVW WLPH ´>,W·V@ D ZRQGHUIXO KRPDJH to a nearly 50-year-old historic NDUDWH GRMR RI D PDQ ZKR RYHUFDPH SUHMXGLFH DQG OLIH WKUHDWHQLQJ LOOQHVV WR LQVSLUH JHQHUDWLRQV WR D ZRUOG RI Japanese karate only to lose KLV GRMR WR HPLQHQW GRPDLQ µ VDLG .HYLQ 'HUHN GLUHFWRU RI The Real Miyagi. “Ford skillIXOO\ SUHVHQWV D KHDUW ZDUPLQJ SRUWUDLW RI D SLHFH RI KLVWRU\ WKDW ZDV ORVW µ The Last Dojo LV GLVWULEXWHG E\ 6N\FUDIW 6WXGLRV DQG SURGXFHG E\ 1DWH -RVHSK DQG &XUW $SGXKDQ ,W LV GLUHFWHG

by Ford, a 45-year practitioner RI 2NLQDZDQ VKRULQ U\X ZKR KROGV WKH UDQN RI ÀIWK dan XQGHU 5LFKDUG 5DEDJR 7DGDVKL <DPDVKLWD DQG 6KXJRUR 1DND]DWR 7R ZDWFK WKH WUDLOHU YLVLW WKHODVWGRMR FRP

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BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

Photos Courtesy of William Christopher Ford

Christopher Ford, a W illiam shorin-ryu karate black

RECENTLY POSTED ON BLACKBELTMAG.COM Highlights From the 2019 Martial Arts SuperS Show in La Las sV Vega egas g s Enjoy these behind-the-scenes cellphone photos the edi editor off Black Belt e t took ok at a the 2019 Martial Arts S SuperShow, the event organized annually by the Martial Arts Industry Asssoci ciation.

How Isshin-Ryu Karate Leader Gary Alexand de er Updated an Old Art for a New Millennium Black Belt Hall of Famer Gary Alexander has alw ways y been a get-on-the-mat-and-see-what-you-can-do o kind of guy. In the late 1950s, he began making a name for himself by beating the top karate stylisstss in EDUH NQXFNOH VSDUULQJ PDWFKHV 1RZ KH·V XSGDWLQJ J his base art.

Joe Lewis Takes Aim at the Myth of the Street ee et Fighter Joe Lewis writes, “Whenever access to facts is lim mited in such a way that people cannot investigate claims others make, myths arise. Of course, everyone in n the martial arts already knows that. Lurking within the DE\VV RI XQWHVWHG QRQVHQVH LV WKH ¶VWUHHW ÀJKWHU ·µµ How Martial Arts Can Combat Autism :LWK PRUH WKDQ ÀUVW SODFH ZLQV JUDQG FFKDP Ppionships, 44 world titles and 10 international title es, Tyler Weaver Jr. is used to standing at the top off the SRGLXP ,Q IDFW KH·V EHHQ GRLQJ MXVW WKDW VLQFH KH began competing seriously at age 9. One thing iss forr sure: He never lets autism hold him back.

Top 10 Mistakes Martial Artists Make in Com mpetti-tion Prepare to be schooled! The author outlines the mos st FRPPRQ PLVWDNHV KH·V VHHQ PDUWLDO DUWLVWV OLNH \\RX make at tournaments.

Top 10 Mistakes Martial Artists Make in the Dojo jo o And this is the second half of the story: The mostt common mistakes the author has seen martial artists ss make in training.

14

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

From Bruce’s beliefs regarding established styles, I learned to train with an open mind.

Essentially, he allowed me to be free from being closed into one particular style.”

— Richard Bustillo

More Words of Wisdom and Inspiration From Martial Arts Masters For all who love the martial arts but prefer to consume the written word in bite-size chunks, the Black Belt staff has collected these morsels from Richard Bustillo, Burton Richardson, Professor Mo, Aaron Banks, Tim Kennedy, Steve DeMasco and Russell McCartney.

Photo by Robert Reiff

Kenpo Legend Ed Parker on the Secrets of Spe Speed d Ed Parker writes, “To understand karate techniqu uess and how they function, you must have knowledge e of physics. You must study the body and learn how th he senses — through the principles of mass, speed, body alignment, angles, momentum, gravitational marrria ag ge, torque, focus, stability, power and penetration — can make the body function intuitively. An in-depth stu ud dy off these principles of physics will also reveal the sop phistication contained within basic techniques.”

What do all these gyms and athletes have in common?

They all use Zebra.

AT TOURNAMENTS. AT THE GYM. AT HOME. #TRAINWITHCONFIDENCE

NUGGETS OF WISDOM FROM STEPHEN K. HAYES

K. Hayes and I were talkS tephen ing about lessons that would help people live an honest and successful life. He said it all begins with selfimprovement and the ability to make good choices. The advice he gave revolves around carefully examining three key points.

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16

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

Photo by Rick Hustead

NEWS BITES

DOJO LISTINGS Alaska

California Juneau Karate Academy 8800 Glacier Hwy. #106 Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 723-7314 sensei@juneaukarate.com

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

Goran’s Karate Dojo 6395 Spalding Drive, Suite C Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 (404) 333-8808 goran@goranskaratedojo.com goranskaratedojo.com

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

Arizona DePalmaʼs TEAM USA Martial Arts 3107 S. Lindsay Rd. Suite 104 Gilbert, AZ 85295 (480) 892-3949 depalmas.sg@gmail.com

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

78 N. Cooper Rd. Suite 104 Gilbert, AZ 85233 (480) 892-3949 depalmas.g@gmail.com

MAQ Pack Martial Arts 16965 Monterey Road Morgan Hill, CA 95037 (408) 779-4797 mr.maqpack@gmail.com

2727 E. McKellips Rd. 104-105 Mesa, AZ 85213 (480) 892-3949 depalmas.mesa@gmail.com

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

11485 N. 136th St. Suite 106 Scottsdale, AZ 85259 (480) 892-3949 mrc@depalmaskarate.com 4720 E. Queen Creek Rd. Suite 103 Gilbert, AZ 85297 (480) 892-3949 depalmas.pr@gmail.com

Connecticut

21365 S. Ellsworth Rd. Suite 108 Queen Creek, AZ 85142 (480) 892-3949 Depalmasqc@gmail.com 13681 N. Litchfield Rd. Suite 134 Surprise, AZ 85379 (480) 892-3949 Depalmas.surprise@gmail.com

6616 E. 2nd St. Suite D & E Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 (480) 892-3949 Depalmas.pv@gmail.com

California American Martial Arts Academy 6360 Pacific Ave. Suite 1 Stockton, CA 95207 (209) 952-4000 stocktonkarate@aol.com BLACKBELTMAG.COM § OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

of Traditional Martial Arts

Kombative Academy of Traditional Martial Arts Savannah Mall, 1st Floor 14045 Abercorn St., Suite 1512 Savannah, GA 31419 (912) 459-8693 katmadefense@gmail.com Locust Grove Karate 91 Pine Grove Rd. Locust Grove, GA 30248 (678) 561-4099 staff@locustgravekarate.com

Illinois Yiʼs Mixed Martial Arts Fitness Academy 18 East Ferguson Ave. Wood River, IL 62095 (618) 251-5425 usakick1@gmail.com

Massachusetts

American Colleges of Kombido 24 Leete St. West Haven, CT 06516 (203) 623-1729 d.hodge@snet.net

Aikido of Bristol County 1 Chase Rd., #9 East Freetown, MA 02717 (508) 542-9437 aikidoofbristolcounty@gmail.com

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

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

Florida

67 S. Higley Rd. Suite 101 Gilbert, AZ 85296 (480) 892-3949 Depalmas.H@gmail.com

18

Georgia

All American Martial Arts & Krav Maga Academy 4255 US Highway 1 South, Suite 4 St. Augustine, FL 32086 (904) 797-2262 lessons@ staugustinetaekwondo.com All-Star Martial Arts 376 New Berlin Rd. Suite 10 Jacksonville, FL 32218 (904) 619-6681 info@karate4jax.com Martial Fusion 2902 Hyde Park Street Sarasota, FL 32218 (800) 311-7088 martialfusion@gmail.com

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

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

New Hampshire

Oklahoma

National Institute of Modern Martial Arts 140 North Street Claremont, NH 03743 (603) 542-1733 sartwellsensei@yahoo.com

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

New York The Fire Mountain School 53 Hudson Street Nyack, NY 10913 (845) 893-3160 ed@thefiremountainschool.com Master Gorinoʼs Tae Kwon Do 839 Niagara Falls Blvd.

Amherst, NY 14226 (716) 836-5425 cgorino@gorinotaekwondo.com

BEC OME A BL ACK BELT !

D I S T R I BU T O R

Core Martial Arts 1103 S. Ranchwood Blvd.

Yukon, OK 73099 (405) 464-5478 core.martialarts@yahoo.com

Tennessee

GET EXPOSURE to thousands of potential students by being featured in Black Belt magazine.

Limited memberships available, so ACT NOW!

Fugate’s Martial Arts Center 108 W. Ogee St. Tullahoma, TN 37388 (931) 454-9060 fugatesmac@earthlink.net Fusion Martial Arts 680 East Meeting St. Dandridge, TN 37725 (856) 253-3675 chazz982001@yahoo.com

Virginia Muhammad’s Boxing and Martial Arts 10208 Kings Highway King George, VA 22485 (540) 775-7555 info@ boxingandmartialartscenter.com

North Carolina Impact Martial Arts Academy 28 W. 4th St. Lexington, NC 27292 (336) 596-2248 impactmaa@yahoo.com

$289 VALUE

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t more info, go to

To register or ge

BlackBeltMag.com

Ohio The Academy of Self-Defense 1220 E. Tallmadge Ave. Akron, OH 44310 (330) 814-5058 tallmadgeselfdefense @gmail.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

/distributor.

REGISTERED MARTIAL ARTIST MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE: • 8 copies of each issue of Black Belt magazine for retail in your school • Retail countertop display • Official “Registered Martial Artist” metal membership card • Name, lineage and bio on the new BlackBeltMag.com • Your school will be included in Black Belt’s Dojo Listings • Special product and tournament discounts

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 § BLACKBELTMAG.COM 19

N COM MU

ITY

On Our 52 Blocks Cover Story Malachi Mutakabbir: I am reaching out to you about the June/ July cover of Black Belt. I want to express how happy I am to see that you guys recognize 52 Hand Blocks as a true martial art. I have been training in it most of my life.

Sensei Mo is like an uncle to me. I am the son of Abdul Mutakabbir, an undefeated kickboxing champion. I have several black belts in various martial arts. However, I always revert to 52 Blocks when things go bad. This art connects to the streets.

It is legendary because a lot of the older cats practiced the art back in the day and would pass it on to the youngsters — such as it was passed to me. A lot of practitioners have done time, and that is where the art was believed to originate from. It didn’t. It was certainly put to the test and perfected in the prison system but not created there. From the prisons, the guys would come home with this new fighting style and share it with the neighborhood or anyone willing to practice it.

I am a Hollywood stuntman that is an up-and-coming fight coordi-

nator because of my extensive background in martial arts. I incorporated 52 Blocks in a lot of my choreography, and it will be featured in several films I’m working on in the near future.

Stay tuned!

Respect to Black Belt magazine and what you guys do for all the martial arts.

Acie Mitchell: I have been a practitioner of 52 Blocks for most of my life. I’d like to thank you for maintaining the art’s integrity in that it is indeed an art of Africa.

As you clearly indicated, its supposed link to the prison system is misinformation and conjecture.

Indeed, your iconic presentation of Mahaliel Bethea, aka Professor Mo, on the cover and in the interview provided accurate information on the art’s origin. I really appreciate how on Page 36, the phrase “art of incarceration” is X’d out in red, and [the comment in the interview about] how this African martial art is stored within our (black people/ Africans in America) DNA with the comparison to break dancing and capoeira.

On an Old Pic We Posted

BLACK BELT: Can you decipher the action in this photo from a 1969 issue of Black Belt?

Josh Horne: Right-side roundhouse kick. Left side with a leg sweep counter.

Stefan Stoica: The guy on the left tried a ushiro-ura-mawashi, and the other dude used a stopping kick to the support leg ...

Køy Nåtahäñyel Sörianø: Spinning back kick counter to a side or front kick attack.

20

Mike Allen: Notice ... No pads!!!

Ron Irwin: Sweeping the leg in a counter to the round kick. Actually quite devastating.

Prentice Martin Southwell: One thing is for sure. Everybody WAS Kung-Fu Fighting.

BLACKBELTMAG.COM § OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

Furthermore, celebrities such as Larenz Tate and Ludacris have done movies to expose the art, but it’s early practitioners like Professor Mo and Wesley Snipes who are the true masters and pioneers, making this complete African martial art a global sensation.

Again, thank you for presenting our martial art on your prestigious platform.

Master Phoenix Le Grand: I would like to say that the 52 Blocks story was an incredible read! It laid down the foundation and information of African arts. It was well-needed in society today to show the different cultures and origins of the unknown arts.

Thank you so much for putting out such information. How do I get more of it?

On a Link to a BlackBeltMag.com Post BLACK BELT: Go here to read about Sean Kanan, the bad boy from Karate Kid 3!

Danny Singleterry Guevara Jr.: Really hope he makes a return in the Cobra Kai series.

Steve Hodson: Yeah, Mike Bad Boy Barnes needs a cameo for sure!!!

Michael Mckenna: We need more than a cameo.

On Breaking News BLACK BELT: The new issue is back in stock! Get yours while they last.

Karate Kid Photo Courtesy of Columbia Pictures • Kayla Harrison and Scott Adkins Photos by Robert Reiff

Mario Morin: After 46 years after his death, this man still sells because he was the incarnation of martial arts, not the portrayal of the latest film of Tarantino. One word, Respect.

On an Inspirational Quote We Posted Richard “Mack” Machowicz: “It all comes down to this: Everything you want in life depends on your ability to focus. No one ever really teaches you how to focus other than to say, ‘Focus!’ It’s your mind that says you can’t do things. Can is just as powerful as can’t. Will power is just as powerful as won’t power.”

Adam Hamlin: Overcome internal resistance, and solve problems. I hear him.

Larry Rose: Wise words ... Respect and honor to the man who said them.

RIP, Mack.

On an MMA Challenge BLACK BELT: [link to “MMA Star Kayla Harrison Calls out Cris Cyborg”] So would you pick Black Belt Hall of Famer/two-time Olympic judo gold-medalist Kayla Harrison or MMA veteran Cris Cyborg?

Mikey Seweyestewa: Kayla has good judo.

But, she’s in waaaaaaay over her head here.

No one she’s fought has been anywhere near the level of Cyborg.

Anthony Phillips: Kayla for sure.

Jonathan Reyes: Cyborg doubtless.

On a Movie Question BLACK BELT: Think of all the rising stars in martial arts cinema. Now, who will become the next SUPERstar?

Stella Stagaki: Scott Adkins (shown) already is!!!

But now it’s time for his big break.

MXRTPLACE: TJ Storm.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 21

WAY E T A R A K

It’s Only a Movie That phrase was a cheesy come-on for a 1970s horror film — you were supposed to keep telling yourself that in order to not be overcome with terror while watching.

These, however, are also good words to remember when it comes to movies supposedly depicting the martial arts.

BY DAVE LOWRY

O

F COURSE, we all know how

outlandish many of the scenes and plots in martial arts films can be. If most of the fight scenes in them were performed in real time, for instance, the participants would need oxygen to keep them from collapsing due to sheer exhaustion.

There are other elements of these movies, though, that are not quite so theatrically implausible and misleading, and it’s possible some viewers

22

might actually internalize them and expect the real world to work that way.

One such meme that seems to occur in nearly every martial arts movie revolves around the young disciple’s initial encounter with the old master.

These scenes are quite predictable.

The master faces the disciple. The disciple attacks clumsily. The master responds, effortlessly nullifying the attack and usually sending the disciple flying. The disciple is confused — but instantly comes in with another attack.

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

The master again stifles or evades and again tosses the disciple, looking distinctly bored with it all. Repeat, repeat, repeat until the disciple is in a gasping heap on the floor — or on the ground.

It doesn’t matter whether this takes place in some outdoor setting or in a shadowy “temple” or dojo.

The master must never lose his cool. Often, he never so much as ruffles a hair. He toys with the disciple, demonstrating how inadequate and ineffectual the disciple’s abilities are.

That kind of “one strike, one kill” does not translate into unarmed combat of the sort many of us train in today. demonstration as to his prospective teacher’s skill, he is unlikely to make much of a disciple.

SECOND — and this is far more impor-

The disciple eventually learns the first lesson: He must submit to the teachings of the master if he’s ever to amount to anything.

It’s dramatic — but mostly fictional nonsense. First, good teachers have never been plentiful. A good teacher, in the old days as today, was more likely concerned with turning away hopeful students than he was with “proving” his worthiness to a prospective disciple. Also, if a student needs or demands some kind of

tant for us to consider — the idea that there’s a level of skill or even an art that will allow one to engage in combat without breaking a sweat or even wrinkling one’s shirt is foolish.

Yes, there are many stories of great swordsmen in old Japan who engaged in duels and managed to defeat opponents seemingly without exerting any effort at all. That is largely because a sword, like a gun, has the potential to kill easily. One cut could have decided the outcome. (Not incidentally, many of those tales of sword combat are exaggerated. We know of several duels that ended when one participant lost his nerve and fled, only to be cut down from behind.) That kind of “one strike, one kill” does not translate into unarmed combat of the sort many of us train in today.

The reality is that nearly all encounters of the kind for which we train, no matter how skilled we are, are likely to be brutal and nasty and require a willingness to absorb some kind of pain or injury in order to do worse to an opponent.

“You can get out of any joint lock or pin,” one teacher of the Chinese grappling arts noted, “as long as you’re willing to allow the joint or bone to be broken in the process.” That sounds extreme, but it illustrates the danger faced in serious combat. Yes, there are some awesomely talented practitioners out there, and some of them are excellent teachers. But they are not magic. And in many cases, a part of their skill is the willingness to endure pain, to take hits in order to deliver their own weapons on target.

IT CANNOT BE REPEATED often

enough, particularly to young people who are just beginning their training,

that if there was an easy, effortless way to fight, to succeed in a violent situation, people would not be spending thousands of hours learning and then practicing how to do it. There’s no point at which one transcends physics or the limitations of the human body.

Against even a very unskilled opponent — no matter how good you are — you have to put everything into the encounter and expect to absorb your own injuries in the process of inflicting some. This is not an attractive picture, I know. It is in cruel contrast to the fantasies of hundreds of movies. But it is reality.

IT’S ALSO FOOLISH to believe that a serious contest of any kind, whether it is the old master besting the prospective young disciple or a duel or challenge, will not result in injury.

Notice how in these movies, the disciple is conclusively humiliated in his defeat — but he’s never significantly injured. He “learns a lesson” in the encounter. Somehow, though, the extraordinary skills of the master teach this lesson without doing any lasting damage.

Can you imagine how this would work in real life? A stranger comes to the dojo and requests a fight with the teacher. The teacher obliges — and breaks the challenger’s jaw. Or accidentally blinds him. How soon do you think it would be before the police and lawyers — lots of lawyers — were involved?

Encounters between old masters and young disciples are entertaining on the screen. Whether you’re either one, however, or you wish to be, it might be best to tell yourself this: It’s only a movie.

Dave Lowry has written Karate Way since 1986. For more information about his articles and books, visit blackbeltmag.com and type his name into the search box.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 23

OK O B T H G I F

psychopathic Kreese a cinematic icon, agrees with — at least partially.

“I’m the kind of guy who cries at supermarket openings,” Kove said.

“But at the same time, there’s no question the world does need some of that Cobra Kai attitude. Right now, too many people are getting trophies just for participation.

“As Martin Kove, part of me feels you deserve some sort of commendation just for trying. But the John Kreese part of me says there’s no place for that. You get your trophy for winning; you don’t request one.”

The man who would be Kreese started acting in elementary school and continued onstage in New York and then in television and movies dating back to the early 1970s. He managed to garner regular work, often in tough-guy roles. Kove, who prided himself on doing many of his own stunts, got his first exposure to martial arts while preparing for a role as a Viking warrior in a film called Lion of Ireland.

To learn how to wield a sword and ax realistically, he went to the dojo of Black Belt Hall of Famer Tak Kubota, who started him off with karate, then moved on to kendo. Although the film never materialized, just a few months later, Kove got a call to audition for a movie called The Karate Kid.

If you’ve had enough of this namby-pamby, hand-holding, everybody’s-feelingsmust-be-respected attitude that keeps telling you that machismo and violence are always unacceptable, maybe it’s time you started listening to that legendary sensei from The Karate Kid. No, I’m not talking about Mr. Miyagi. Start paying attention to the other guy, the founder of the Cobra Kai dojo: sensei John Kreese.

BY MARK JACOBS

A

S HE TELLS HIS FAVORITE STUDENT Johnny Law-

rence in Cobra Kai, the YouTube series that continues the Karate Kid saga, “Someone’s got to step in and stop the ass

24

kissing and start the ass kicking.

That’s why we’re here. The world needs Cobra Kai.” IT’S A SENTIMENT Martin Kove, the

Brooklyn-born actor who made the

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

the script and told me I had a week to prepare before meeting with the director John Avildsen,” Kove recalled. “Then they called me the next day and said, ‘Avildsen wants to see you today.’ I was livid, and my wife said to me, ‘Why don’t you use all that anger you’re feeling over them not giving you time to prepare and let it come out in the audition?’”

Kove went to the audition and immediately began cursing out Avildsen and the casting director for not giving him sufficient time. As he turned to leave, he snarled his trademark line: “Mercy is for the weak!”

Avildsen, the Academy Award–winning director of the first Rocky movie, loved it, and Kove got the role.

“That can work for you in an audition — but only if it’s a John Kreese type of role,” Kove said, philosophically.

Photo by Bryan David Hall

Why the World Needs Cobra Kai

“THE CASTING DIRECTOR gave me

THE ACTOR SAID he modeled many of Kreese’s physical mannerisms on the movements of Karate Kid fight coordinator Pat Johnson, but he added that the negative characteristics of Kreese are all his own.

“Where parts of John Kreese start surfacing in me in real life, it’s not always healthy,” Kove admitted.

“But when I find myself being taken advantage of, John Kreese just sort of comes up through my gut.”

Despite the negatives, Kove insisted that his cinematic alter ego is not entirely evil — he’s just misunderstood. As he’s done with other roles throughout his career, he developed an entire back story to explain the karate instructor’s more sociopathic tendencies.

“He was a karate champion in high school and college, then went to fight in Vietnam,” Kove explained. “That was the first time he wasn’t allowed to win. He saw his friends blown up in front of him. So ‘show no mercy’ became his way of life. That’s why John Kreese is the way he is — because of what he went through in Vietnam.”

try to revive the original cast for one more go-around. But the way it’s been done in Cobra Kai has added a whole new dynamic to the mythos. Instead of the black-and-white world of Karate Kid, Cobra Kai is designed to appeal to a 21st-century audience. Everything is painted in shades of gray. Even John Kreese, who’s back and just as hard and manipulative as ever, has a greater depth than we’ve seen.

“I wanted them to write him with a little more versatility and vulnerability this time, and the writers were already ahead of me,” Kove said. “You can only play a pure tough guy for so long before it gets boring. People refer to John Kreese as a villain, but I never saw him that way. Just because you can’t lose in his dojo doesn’t mean he’s not honorable. It’s just that in his world, mercy costs too much.”

HIMSELF A BIT OF A TOUGH GUY,

Kove, now 73, continues to do many of his own fight scenes in the show.

But years of stunts gone awry have taken their toll on him. He’s had two shoulder replacements and a knee replacement, but he said he’s able to

keep going and keep fighting in large part because of his use of cannabidiol pain-relief products.

Introduced to them by a pair of friends who had launched a product line featuring CBD lotions, creams and oils, Kove said they have been a blessing. He even lent his name to the line, which now goes by “Marty’s Cobra Kove.”

“I haven’t seen a nickel from this,” Kove said. “It’s just something that works for me, and I’d recommend it to any martial artist or athlete out there that suffers from pain or injury.

I haven’t found any side effects. I don’t smoke marijuana, so that was the first thing I wanted to know, but I haven’t noticed a buzz from it at all.

And it’s turned out to be terrific for injuries that bothered me.”

If Marty’s Cobra Kove products work as well as the actor claims, customers could find themselves repeating that immortal John Kreese line: “Pain does not exist in this dojo!”

For more information about Martin Kove’s line of CBD products, visit martyscobrakove.com.

KOVE’S PORTRAYAL of the driven

karate instructor was so memorable that he was offered additional roles in martial arts films, which he said is the reason he continued to train with various instructors. He credits Okinawa-te teacher Gordon Doversola and his student Branden Pender, in particular, with helping him prepare for some of the martial arts films he’d go on to make. Many were less than memorable as Kove admitted to having an unfortunate tendency to take roles in bad movies, thinking he could make them better simply by giving a superior performance.

Despite some of the more forgettable films, fans never forgot his John Kreese character. Kove first realized how significant a part of pop culture he’d become when, several years after his last Karate Kid movie, he appeared at a fan convention.

“People were showing up with T-shirts that had lines from the movie like ‘Sweep the leg,’” he said. “I didn’t realize how much people still worshiped that movie.”

With Karate Kid’s cult status, it seemed inevitable that someone would

If Marty’s Cobra Kove products work as well as the actor claims, customers could find themselves repeating that immortal John Kreese line: “Pain does not exist in this dojo!”

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 25

TIONS A N I T S E D

The Ex-Fighters of Weifang, Part 3

Z

HENGTONG’S girlfriend and

baby came to the sports school to watch us train. I made several jokes about his 2-year-old being almost ready to start grappling. The first few times, Zhengtong laughed, but later he said with uncharacteristic seriousness, “I think it’s good if my son wants to wrestle as a hobby, but I don’t want

26

him to be a full-time wrestler like I was because when it’s over, he won’t be able to do anything.”

His mother worked as an administrator in the city sports department.

Consequently, he and I were offered a city-owned martial arts school, rent-free, in which we could open an MMA gym. The Chinese government hopes to start promoting MMA so

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

the nation can excel in international competition. Consequently, opportunities like this exist — but even with free rent, I figured that we couldn’t afford to keep an MMA gym open.

The average pay in Weifang is $500 a month. Most gyms charge less than $200 a year. To be able to cover just the salaries, we would need 200 members, and there’s no way we could

Photo Courtesy of Antonio Graceffo

BY ANTONIO GRACEFFO, PH.D.

get that many. Yes, Weifang is a city of unemployed professional athletes, but it’s low on people who want to pay for training. Even the fitness gym I wound up joining — the nicest one in the city — never had more than 10 clients in-house at a time. Paying to exercise is still a new concept in China. Paying to fight is so inconceivable that I generally had to explain it several times before people understood. And even then, they often thought I was making it up.

AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS of training in the fundamentals at Weifang Sports School, it was time to move to Changle, the even more remote district where I’d be working. Desperate to find people to train with, I visited a san da gym that was open only on Saturdays. The coach turned out to be a heavyweight judo and Chinese-wrestling major from Weifang Sports School.

He said that apart from teaching san da to children, he hadn’t trained since he graduated and that he’d gained 65 pounds. I paid him to train with me, but even though his skill level was much better than mine, after just a few minutes, he collapsed on the floor. Why? Because most men in rural China, including elite athletes, smoke. Once they stop training, they often add alcohol and overeating to the mix. Consequently, they get out of shape.

I hoped he’d be as excited as I was to connect and therefore would be motivated to get back in shape, but he wasn’t. He just needed to earn money. Training with me was like hardship duty — he’d rather do anything else for the same pay.

AT THE GYM, I learned that a former national wrestling team member who also trained there had sent word that he wanted to work out with me.

I was excited when I heard that he weighed 240 pounds because it’s rare to have someone that big to wrestle with in China.

We did five rounds of pummeling and technique practice. After that short session, he was exhausted, but at least he said he wanted to train with me again. He seemed to have good, although not phenomenal,

strength, which I thought was odd for a former heavyweight. When I asked him for details, it turned out that when he was a national champion, he weighed 140 pounds. It’s insane to think that an athlete could gain 90 pounds simply because he stopped training.

His strength was good as he wrestled, which is as much a result of muscular development as it is of technique. If you’ve ever grappled with a 70-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt or an old silat or kung fu master, you know what I mean. In the exact pathways of their accustomed movement, they retain their strength well into old age.

After coming to Weifang, however, I really soured on the system. I saw firsthand how it chewed people up and spit them out.

WHEN WE FINISHED TRAINING one

day, I took Zhengtong and his brother out for dinner and asked them why they believed Chinese parents would send their kids to a sports school. They cited two compelling reasons.

Zhengtong’s brother said it was because when they were young, Weifang was still a third- or fourth-tier city.

Everyone was poor, and the parents often had no education. They saw very little opportunity for their children, so why not just send them to a sports school and play the Olympic lottery? If the child made it to the Olympics, the family would be rich.

If not, the child could return home and take the same menial job he would have had if he hadn’t gone off to a sports school.

Zhengtong added that when they were young, he and his brother were terrible students who misbehaved horribly.

If they hadn’t been sent to a sports school, they might have become criminals and dropped out of school anyway.

It made sense, and in some way, I wish we had sports schools in the United States because a lot of kids are just not suited for academics. On the other hand, it made me feel sad for my friends there. My monthly salary now exceeded the average annual income in Weifang, and as sports graduates, they might never even hit that average.

Paying to fight is so EVENTUALLY, I SETTLED my training- inconceivable partner issues by paythat I ing Zhengtong and his brother to drive generally had up to Changle several times a week and to explain it work with me. Zhengtong also helped me several times hire coach Wang, a graduate of Weifang before people Sports School whose understood. only source of income was teaching boxing to 20 students on the weekends.

Just like all the other ex-fighters I met in Weifang, Wang had gained 45 pounds since graduating. He smoked, drank, overate and never trained. To get through a training session of 16 rounds, I found that I needed to have at least two paid coaches who would alternate rounds — or else one of them would suffer a heart attack.

When I was at Shanghai University of Sport, I had a fairly positive opinion of the Chinese school system.

All my teammates had told me how happy they were to have grown up in a sports school. One of them said, “From age 9, I got to live with my friends, and all we ever did was eat, sleep, play and wrestle. What could be better?”

Antonio Graceffo’s book Warrior Odyssey is available at blackbeltmag.com/store.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 27

IG FIT TO F

HT

Boost Your Speed and Conserve Energy — by Killing Stance!

Before we get into the scientific nitty-gritty, let’s do a little experiment. Stand up right now and do 10 rapid Hindu squats. (For those who don’t know, this is a deep knee bend that is favored in the grappling arts.) Make sure you do 10 of them hard and fast. Now it’s time for a quick selfassessment. How do your legs feel?

BY MARK HATMAKER

T

HERE IS A POSSIBILITY that your lungs puffed a wee bit and that your heart rate rose, but I’ll wager that the low number of repetitions did not make any fatiguing demands on your legs. They’re probably good to go for another 10.

Since what you’re feeling is not leg fatigue but more likely related to ele-

28

vated heart and respiration rates, do 10 more — but this time, I want you to time them a little differently.

Rather than 10 hard and fast Hindu squats, go leisurely. Drop down for the first repetition and stay there for one minute before you return to standing.

Repeat for a total of 10 squats.

I’ll wager the majority who submit to this experiment will do the first set

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

of fast squats with no problem but will become a bit bored by the slow ones. However, it is the bodily sensations accrued by the second set that will pave the way for today’s lesson.

NOW, WHETHER YOU DID the experiment or not, here’s the upshot. The hard and fast set of 10 squats will feel noticeably less taxing than the slow

set. Why should this be? After all, in the slow set, you’re essentially in a resting position — the deep squat, aka the third-world squat.

The difference in effort is not one of mere perception; it is one of biomechanical function. When you squat with speed, the extensor muscles, although no longer required to remain standing, stay under tension all the same to control the rate of descent.

In the fast iterations of the squat in which an immediate turnaround is required (rising back to standing), the extensors still under load are able to increase the present tension and make the rapid rise easily. In the slower iterations, you stop at the bottom, and the extensors, which were under load during descent, disengage. In other words, the tension decays.

To return to standing, you must place them back under load, walking the scale back up from 0 percent to full use.

Fast iterations of the squat allow the leg musculature to use “elastic loading” in which your extensors behave like rubber bands stretched and tensed for use. Slow iterations involve slack rubber bands that

require full muscular engagement with zero elastic aid.

Elastic recoil aids speed and conserves energy. When you run, the associated calf muscles and Achilles tendon do not go to zero slack as a foot peels off the ground with each stride. There is still tension loaded in the toes, the feet, the Achilles tendons and the calf muscles, and that allows for elastic rebound once the next foot is placed on the ground.

HERE’S ANOTHER EXPERIMENT: Sprint

50 yards as hard and fast as you can.

At the conclusion, note your internal state. I’ll wager, just as with the fast squats, that you’ll have elevated respiration and heart rates. However, running 50 yards at full speed will not be experienced as taxing on your legs.

Now, cover that same 50 yards, but this time, take one bounding step and land on one foot‚ pause for three seconds, bound to the next foot and so on. It’s important that when you’re making these giant steps, you land with a flexed knee and remain in knee flex, which one would assume would aid the bounding task. However, the three-second pause allows for elastic decay.

After this is complete, again note your internal state: elevated respiration and heart rates and likely a remarkable increase in perceived leg exertion in comparison to the sprint.

Static stances and deliberate footwork are by definition slower and ultimately more taxing.

NOW LET’S TIE THIS IN to combat

— or any athletic endeavor. When your stance forces you to start from stock-still, by biomechanical definition, you cannot use elastic loading for speed or energy conservation. Any footwork of the slow, plodding variety will not use elastic load or, at the very least, will entail small elastic load assistance.

Static stances and deliberate footwork are by definition slower and ultimately more taxing.

I’m not advocating the use of bouncing or bounding footwork in which you are barely in contact with the ground. That’s always unwise.

Such overactivity can lead to inefficient energy expenditure, and the reduced contact with the ground makes weight transfers and direction changes less efficient.

What you may find, however, is that there’s a better method of movement that takes advantage of elastic load in a way that improves your speed and reduces muscle fatigue. It’s up to you to determine precisely what that method is and whether it meshes with your chosen martial art.

Mark Hatmaker’s website is extremeselfprotection.com.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 29

IVES COM BAT

Practicing Avoidance On the street, criminals have to get close to you in order to victimize you. They know they can’t reveal their intention too early or potential victims would vanish. A weapon has to be ready to use as they move toward their victim, but it still has to be kept concealed.

BY KELLY McCANN

30

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

C

RIMINALS ARE APPREHENSIVE. They don’t want to be

Photo by Peter Lueders

seen by eyewitnesses or be caught. These things manifest in demeanor and movement that can be identified once you know what to look for and once you develop sound situational awareness.

It’s even true in the case of an RPG. On the battlefield, a situationally aware soldier looks for anomalous movements at or around tactically sound firing positions. He scans for furtive actions made by people who know they’re going to be shot dead if they’re seen shouldering and aiming an RPG. That kind of apprehension and fear results in erratic movement. Soldiers are more watchful at choke points where it would make sense for any weapon to be deployed against them.

Situational awareness doesn’t negate the possibility of attack, but it does lessen the potential for being surprised.

THE APPLICATION of situational awareness is universal. Whether it’s in a hostile, war-torn country or here in the United States, you should look for the same kinds of behavior around the choke points that exist wherever you are. For example, in a permissive environment, an ATM continually presents targets of opportunity — people with cash — for criminals. You should have a heightened sense of situational awareness around ATMs because, in effect, they’re choke points and criminals will exhibit similar behaviors due to their apprehension.

An insurgent is going to seek a tactically sound firing position for the deployment of his RPG. A criminal is going to seek a tactically sound position from which to rob you at an ATM. A soldier scans for furtive movement in Baghdad, and you scan for furtive movements in Baton Rouge. Both of you have a heightened sense of situational awareness around the types of choke points common in your respective environments.

Victims often say things like, “I didn’t see him before he hit me.”

Actually, it would be more accurate to say, “I didn’t notice him.” Criminals

physically occupy space before they attack. They have to see their victims, so they’re usually in the victims’ line of sight. They’re just not noticed by the victims, who are preoccupied, disinterested or disinclined to believe any violent crime could possibly happen to them.

IN THE MONTHS FOLLOWING 9/11,

Tom Ridge, the newly appointed director of Homeland Security, frequently said, “Americans have to be vigilant and stay watchful.” But he never said what to be watchful for or what specifically there was to be vigilant about.

What he meant was Americans have to be increasingly aware of targeting

behaviors. In other words, pay attention to what experts say it looks like when a terrorist or criminal is conducting preoperational surveillance. Pay attention to what they say a “probe” (a non-intrusive test undertaken to gauge the awareness, alertness and potential responses of victims) looks like. Pay attention to what they say bad guys do just before they strike.

In this way, you will be able to prevent many attacks from even starting.

This was excerpted from Kelly McCann’s Combatives for Street Survival. Order your copy of this best-selling book at blackbeltmag.com/store.

Go to madrills.com for information about his streaming-video courses.

Americans have to be increasingly aware of targeting behaviors. In other words, pay attention to what experts say it looks like when a terrorist or criminal is conducting preoperational surveillance.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 31

OTS H S N E E SC R

With John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum ($75 million budget; $314 million worldwide box office as of press time), director Chad Stahelski has finally done it! He’s created a superbly made American movie, filled with innovative fight and camera choreography that matches the creativity of the man he accidentally learned from, Yuen Woo-ping. Yuen, you may recall, did the fight choreography for 1999’s The Matrix and is still considered one of best directors of cinematic combat in history. Now, you’re probably wondering what I mean by “accidentally.”

BY DR. CRAIG D. REID

F

OR THE MATRIX, the

Wachowski brothers wanted frenetic-paced, over-the-top, Hong Kong–style martial arts action, and they wanted to shoot it in a way that no one had shot martial arts action before. They needed two things: cutting-edge special effects

32

and a Hong Kong fight director.

Their first choice, a man named Ching Siu-tung, wasn’t interested.

Their second choice, Yuen Kwei, was busy. Yuen Woo-ping, their third choice, was reluctant. Not wishing to make the brothers feel bad and thereby cause the Hong Kong

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

SINCE THE MATRIX was made, it’s become standard for actors to engage in serious martial arts training for their fight roles. This notion didn’t escape Stahelski, who while serving as Keanu Reeves’ stunt double in The Matrix learned to embrace the importance of training the actors and quickly recognized the value Yuen placed on camera choreography as he put his fights together.

Stahelski understood that if actors did their own fights, they would be more engaging and forge a stronger emotional connection between the viewers and the characters. That notion shines though in John Wick 3

Photos by Niko Tavernise-Lionsgate

Director Chad Stahelski on John Wick: Chapter 3

film community to lose face, Yuen assumed that requesting an exorbitant fee would cause them to move on to their fourth choice. But they didn’t. Yuen then assumed that if he asked for control of the fights and insisted that the main actors train in martial arts for four months — thus precluding them from doing other film work — the brothers would pass.

But they didn’t. The rest is history.

in that even though he’s a ferocious killer, he’s still lovable.

The paradox of Parabellum is that what poor Wick suffered through during the past few weeks — as depicted in the first and second movies — is far from funny. His wife is painfully dying (which is the reason he left the world of assassination). His car has been stolen. His house has been blown up.

And he watched his dog get killed by Russian thugs (which is the reason he’s back in the world).

told me that fight choreography is like a dance and that you have to know how to move the camera like a dancer. Over the years, Stahelski has fervently tapped into this energy through his passion for ballet dancing and his respect for the long hours of training that ballerinas go through.

He gives a nod of grand reverence to these dynamic ladies in John Wick 3.

“It looks like martial arts, it looks like fights, but it’s really dance,” Stahelski said. “Ballerinas and gymnasts are some of the toughest athletes THE THIRD MOVIE BEGINS where I’ve met. For my choreography team, the second ended. Hours after Wick I insist they study from dance. You broke the cardinal rule of the assasneed an incredible memory to do it.” sin’s code, he’s excommunicated from That’s part of the reason John Wick the organization and a $14 million 3 is a step above every American film bounty is slapped on his head. Now that uses aggressive camerawork, every assassin and his pet cat will quick cuts and close-ups to obscure want to scratch him out! the action and hide the On a dark, rainy night fight-challenged actors. when the clock strikes In contrast, Stahelski’s [Keanu] Reeves 6, apocalyptic action, fights have less editmesmerizing mangling ing, use many widespent five and grisly grappling angle shots and, most months honing are only moments away, impressively, feature and Stahelski grandifrequent use of long his martial osely delivers with an takes that often include arts skills and exquisite 15-minute 20 to 25 techniques engaging in combative dance that’s per shot. This kind of worthy of any ballet fight is quite close to intense training company. dancing. Watch the old sessions with the black-and-white Fred Watching the fights of John Wick 3 is like Astaire films in which handgun, rifle watching a villain gettwo- to five-minute and shotgun. ting kicked in the groin. dance routines use Then, as the groin kicks become more stylized and gritty, you can’t help but laugh because it’s so outrageous.

The most impressive action sequences in the third film are the opening 15-minute use of book knowledge, the flying blades of death, the barnyard dance and the motorcycle chopfest inspired by the 2017 Korean film The Villainess; Sofia and John’s crazy gun fu–infused fight; and the last 20 minutes, which feature more bullets than a Rambo film, shattering-glass shenanigans, a karambit crunch with two silat stylists in which the whole affair climaxes when sushi chef Zero (Mark Dacascos) battles Wick.

three to four shots. Live shows that take place onstage — like in Beijing opera — have fight sequences that are even more amazing: one long take.

“It immerses audiences into the action,” Stahelski said. “With wide angles, you can’t hide the hits or misses when guys are swinging, punching and kicking. We do grappling and gun fu, so I can show you angles that most fight guys don’t because I don’t have to hide as much.”

STAHELSKI IS THE ONLY American director I know who includes the cameramen in the fight rehearsals.

In John Wick 3, they worked with the stunt team for several months, learning their own kind of choreography. “If the camera guy doesn’t know the moves, what good is it?”

Stahelski says. “Best way to fake good is to be good.”

For this reason, Reeves spent five months honing his martial arts skills and engaging in intense training sessions with the handgun, rifle and shotgun, which included shooting and moving with each weapon.

Evidence of his diligence can be found in the movie’s combat scenes, when Wick shoots and reloads, sometimes swapping five or six magazines in one take. Even more impressive are the rapid-reload sequences with the shotgun.

For Halle Berry’s role as Sofia, an old friend of John’s, it was

WHEN I FIRST MET JACKIE CHAN

on the set of Drunken Master II, he

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 33

34

THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE between John Wick 3 and the rage-and-blade films that star, for example, Iko Uwais and Tony Jaa is the intent that underlies the brutality. Both highlight violent fights, blood-and-guts gore and spurting-artery visuals, but the movies of Uwais and Jaa seem more disturbing because they’re meant to be taken seriously.

In contrast, John Wick 3 conveys no sense of atrocity or fear during its hero-vs.-thug duels because they’re comical. As they progress, the slicing and dicing gets more humorous — it shouldn’t be that way, but it is. The manner in which Wick tosses an ax across the room and whacks stuntman Roger Yuan is entertaining and furiously funny. It’s not bloody for the sake of being bloody but for the

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

absurdity of it. The scene shows that although Wick is a morose, scary, impending-doom-and-gloom sort of fellow, he’s also a likeable dude.

The way Stahelski balances the action between fight and camera choreography is superb. It’s not about opposition involving two adversaries; it’s about the rhythmic partnership of a waltz involving two choreographies with each contributing to the resulting battle. It’s a dance adage brought to life: It takes two to tango. Perhaps more appropriate in this instance, it takes two to tangle.

Dr. Craig D. Reid’s book The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s: 500+ Films Loaded With Action, Weapons and Warriors is available at blackbeltmag.com/store.

Photos by Niko Tavernise-Lionsgate

imperative for the ballistic-ballet and pugilistic-pounding duo to look like they’d learned the same skill set while growing up and plying their assassin trade together.

Berry’s seven months of training were designed so she would be able to fight like Reeves and perform side by side with him when they take on dozens of thugs in the desert compound.

Their shooting and grappling battles were filmed with long takes and wide angles. Berry is mesmerizing. She was candid about her role and its deeper meaning: “I wanted to shatter some stereotypes here.

There’s nothing I wanted to do more than to prove that women of my age can do exactly what we want to do. Age doesn’t define us.”

The Stop Hit

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CARLOS MACHADO and the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Way of Life

BY MARK JACOBS • PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARREN CHESNUT

W

hen I look back on the way we did things when I was a white belt, I can say that now we’ve improved the whole foundation of jiu-jitsu so that my white belts are much better than we were. Athletes today are better in every sport, so jiu-jitsu is no different.

But there have been quite a few upgrades in the mechanics and the teaching structure that make things easier and make students sharper. Students from when I started in the late 1960s wouldn’t last minutes with students of the same rank today. Today, they’re more conditioned, they cross-train in judo, they cross-train in wrestling.

“But I will say the core elements, the fundamentals — those have stayed the same.”

Carlos Machado, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu master who spoke those words, understands those core elements as well as anyone.

His aunt was married to Carlos Gracie, eldest of the brothers who helped lay the foundation for BJJ. Through this family connection, Machado — and later his brothers Roger, Rigan, Jean Jacques and John — began training with the best jiu-jitsu people of the era. Among those they learned from were Helio Gracie, Carlson Gracie, Rolls Gracie and Carlos Gracie Jr. Each instructor had his own style and emphasis, Machado said. For example, Helio stressed self-defense, Carlson and Rolls emphasized training for competition, and Carlos Jr. concentrated on the technical aspects of the game. The basics that Machado gleaned from each of them stay with him to this day.

While modern BJJ incorporates many new elements like exotic guards and intricate submissions, you can’t forget it has a core that should never be relinquished, Machado said. “There is a theory in jiu-jitsu that what starts as a crack in your foundation can become a huge hole as time goes by. What I mean is if you miss out on a basic move when you’re a white belt, you will have a crack in your knowledge. When you become a blue belt, you can disguise that crack by learning more techniques to cover it up, but the further along in rank you go, the bigger the crack becomes.”

He went on to cite an example: “If you have a poor escape from the mount as a white belt, that’s a crack. But other white belts may not have the skill to make you pay for it, so you can get away with it. When you become a blue belt, you may try to disguise your lack of skill at escaping from the mount by developing a better guard to prevent being put into the mount position. But you’re going to have more trouble the higher you go because a more skilled training partner will be able to take advantage of that crack.

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“The mat reveals your strengths but also exposes your weaknesses.”

A day of reckoning always awaits, even for skilled black belts, when that crack in one’s foundation must be paid for, Machado said. “The black belt can do very well using his strengths, but if he’s ever put in a place where he has a weakness, he becomes like a blue belt. So I always bring my students back to uncomfortable places and refresh them on getting out of trouble.

“That’s something you should always work toward: being comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

Coming to America Machado learned how to deal with uncomfortable situations early in his jiu-jitsu career. As part of the Gracie family — albeit with a different surname — he felt pressure to perform at a high level when representing the family in competition. His younger brothers, who followed him into the sport, were also expected to maintain the same high standards. The brothers became training partners and sounding boards for each other, coming up with their own ideas and eventually serving as their own coaches for one another.

In 1988 Machado first visited the United States while traveling with his cousin Rorion Gracie, who’d taught BJJ in Los Angeles for several years. Their destination was the annual Las Vegas convention that Chuck Norris organizes for his martial arts association. There, the duo taught a jiu-jitsu seminar, and Norris was immediately hooked. Carlos returned to Brazil, but his brother Rigan moved to America and began helping Rorion teach in his garage dojo and later at the first Gracie academy.

Not long afterward, Carlos and the other brothers joined Rigan in America. But then a dispute with Rorion led the Machados to open their own school in Southern California with Norris’ backing. The school was an instant success, largely because of the Machados’ thorough teaching method.

“We have a passion for teaching jiu-jitsu, and we want to make sure a student never leaves the mat with a question unanswered,” Carlos said. “If I don’t have the answer, I won’t budge till I find a way to give you a solution. I like to break things down so jiu-jitsu is so minute in detail that it becomes like a science. I think this makes students motivated because they see it’s such a fascinating art. It’s endless. You can do the same thing a thousand different ways, and you’ll never say you know enough.”

Simple Life Although BJJ is all about details, Machado said that the core of the art revolves around simplicity and

&DUORV 0DFKDGR ULJKW EHJLQV LQ WKH EXWWHUÁ\ guard (1) +H XQGHUKRRNV KLV RSSRQHQW·V DUPV (2) WKHQ OHDQV EDFN WR SXOO WKH PDQ IRUZDUG and break his base (3) 2QFH KH·V VWUHWFKHG RXW 0DFKDGR UROOV KLP (4) onto his back (5). He FRQWUROV WKH RSSRQHQW·V ULJKW DUP VR LW GRHVQ·W LQWHUIHUH ZLWK WKH WHFKQLTXH (6) )URP WKH PRXQW (7) 0DFKDGR SLQV WKH OHIW DUP DJDLQVW KLV ERG\ (8) EHIRUH SXWWLQJ WKH PDQ RQ KLV VLGH DQG HIIHFWLQJ WKH DUPEDU (9).

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0DFKDGR SXOOV WKH PDQ RII KLV EDVH (2) WKHQ UHSRVLWLRQV KLV ULJKW DUP (3) VR KH FDQ ORFN WKH RSSRQHQW·V ULJKW DUP (4) +H XVHV KLV OHIW OHJ WR H[WHQG WKH RSSRQHQW·V ULJKW OHJ (5) EHIRUH UROOLQJ (6) RQ WRS RI KLP (7, reverse view). From WKHUH 0DFKDGR XVHV KLV ULJKW OHJ WR LPPRELOL]H WKH PDQ·V OHIW DUP (8-9) 7KH %-- H[SHUW WKHQ VZLPV KLV OHIW DUP WR WKH RXWVLGH RI WKH PDQ·V ULJKW DUP DQG WUDSV LW (10-11, reverse view) +H FRPSOHWHV WKH DUP ORFN (12).

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effectiveness. If a technique takes too long to get the job done, it becomes prone to failure. For beginners, having more than three steps to follow can make for an almost insurmountable challenge. Even for black belts, he said, the odds of succeeding with any given technique decrease when the move involves more than three steps.

“The more steps a technique has, the more chances you give an opponent to mess up the situation,” he said.

“A fancy technique might be effective if you’re a world champion who can do it, but what good is it if you can’t pass that move on to your students because it’s too complicated? [That would mean] we’re starting to limit jiujitsu to people who have a lot of natural ability or those who can train way more hours than anyone else. A champion can do some of these moves, [but] they’re beyond the reach of the average Joe. “I don’t believe in that. It’s not the jiu-jitsu [way]. That’s why I try to stick to simplicity and effectiveness. If you can limit your moves to no more than three steps, you will have a 90-percent chance of success with them.”

Walker, Texas Ranger The success of the Machados has been nothing short of phenomenal since they moved to the United States.

Several years after establishing themselves in California, Norris invited Carlos to visit Texas, where Walker, Texas Ranger was filmed. Norris then convinced him to move to the Lone Star State and open a jiu-jitsu school in the

warehouse in which the CBS series was shot. To keep him busy while he established his school, Norris gave Machado regular work as a stuntman and fight coordinator on Walker.

“I’ve been beat up by Chuck Norris more than anyone alive — and killed several times, too,” Machado said, gleefully. “He’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had and is the reason I came to Dallas.”

Machado continues to teach at his Texas dojo and at events organized by the network of schools he and his brothers built around the United States. At a recent BJJ seminar in Las Vegas, for example, he guided more than 200 students, some of whom were complete novices, in the intricacies of the art.

“I came up with a theme: Big or small, sweep them all,” Machado recalled. “I tried to teach something that everyone could follow regardless of experience. We started with the butterfly guard and double underhooks as our premise. The butterfly guard is good for sweeping opponents, and the double underhooks allow for a lot more control. This blends well with both gi and no-gi grappling, so it didn’t matter if they were wearing a gi or not.”

Machado said the butterfly guard gives the user a distinct advantage when it comes to sweeps, but it also can be used to effect a submission or retain the guard. Like the best teachers in any art, however, he’s quick to point out one of the negatives associated with the position: It can lead to occasional problems in no-gi grappling

1 6WDUWLQJ DJDLQ IURP WKH EXWWHUÁ\ JXDUG (1) &DUORV 0DFKDGR OHIW XQGHUKRRNV WKH PDQ·V DUPV DQG OHDQV EDFN ZKLOH SXOOLQJ KLP LQ (2) 7KH %-- PDVWHU WKHQ ZUDSV KLV ULJKW DUP DURXQG WKH RSSRQHQW·V QHFN (3) DQG OLQNV LW ZLWK KLV OHIW KDQG (4) 1H[W 0DFKDGR UROOV KLV IRH RQWR KLV EDFN (5) DQG transitions into the mount (6) +H PDQHXYHUV WR WKH PDQ·V VLGH (7-8) WKHQ UHOLQNV KLV KDQGV (9). With WKH RSSRQHQW·V KHDG DQG DUP WUDSSHG 0DFKDGR H[HFXWHV DQ DUP WULDQJOH (10).

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7KH RSSRQHQW ULJKW NQHHOV ZKLOH &DUORV 0DFKDGR DVVXPHV WKH EXWWHUÁ\ JXDUG (1). Machado underhooks his arms (2) and leans backward (3). The BJJ master then clasps his hands (4-5) VR KH FDQ XVH KLV DUPV WR DSSO\ SUHVVXUH WR WKH PDQ·V VKRXOGHU DQG QHFN (6) to roll him over (7). Once he gets the mount (8-9) 0DFKDGR VLWV XSULJKW DQG VHFXUHV KLV KROG RQ WKH PDQ·V ULJKW DUP (10). Next, he maneuvers his left leg (11) into position for the armbar (12). To complete the technique, he lies back and extends the trapped limb (13).

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because a sweaty opponent might be able to slip out of your grasp. This is one reason he likes to employ the double-underhook clinch from the butterfly guard — it allows for good control even without a gi.

Survivor Once you’ve established the butterfly guard and the double underhooks, Machado said, you can attempt to sweep — but you also can go for a submission, with the key to both being to first break the opponent’s balance. He calls it “picking the low-hanging fruit.” If you’re presented with an easy submission, take it, he advised. Otherwise, you might want to opt for a sweep. The key to sweeping from this position, he said, is head control.

“If I want to sweep a guy and I have his head and arm trapped, first I’ll usually pull him in the direction opposite from where I want to take him,” Machado said.

“When he resists, I’ll move to the direction I really want to take him, rotating his head in that direction. When his head rolls, the rest of his body will follow.

“If you grab the ring in a bull’s nose, it will go where you want it to. It’s the same when you control your opponent’s head. Wherever you rotate it, he will go.”

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One key to making such moves work is being more efficient than your opponent when it comes to energy usage. Machado went so far as to say that this may be the most important element of jiu-jitsu. His advice: Search out ways you can expend less energy than your adversary. When in the top position, put as much of your weight as possible on your opponent, which forces him to carry your mass and thereby expend energy. When on the bottom, even against an opponent who’s trying to strike you, don’t panic or let yourself get claustrophobic because that can disrupt your breathing and cause you to burn excess energy.

“In jiu-jitsu, you survive, then you equalize, then you capitalize,” he said. “After you survive, you can create space, rotate, escape — but surviving comes first, and breathing is No. 1. Stay calm and don’t waste your energy.”

All in the Family Machado has dedicated his life to imparting lessons like that to his students, many of whom have gone on to become prominent competitors. One of them is Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Rafael Lovato Jr., a black belt under Machado. Another is UFC fighter Stephen

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Thompson, for whom Machado has served as BJJ coach.

He holds a special connection with the latter because the martial artist is, in fact, his brother-in-law.

Machado began conducting seminars for Thompson’s father Ray at his South Carolina karate school 20 years ago. “He was already doing some jiu-jitsu training down there,” Machado recalled. “I had a student who moved there and began doing karate with him, and he arranged for me to do a seminar in 1997. It became a tradition for me to go there a couple of times a year and teach. Ray became my student, but I didn’t meet his daughter Lindsay till three or four years later because she was going to college at the time. I finally met her in 2000. She was pretty good at karate, too, and beat Stephen until he was about 15.

“Anyway, we just started dating and ended up getting married. I’ll tell you that in jiu-jitsu, you meet the most awesome people — even your wife, if you don’t watch out!”

Mark Jacobs is a freelance writer and martial artist based in New York. For more information, visit his website maworldreport.com. For more information about Carlos Machado, visit carlosmachadojiujitsu.com.

In jiu-jitsu, you survive, then you equalize, then you capitalize. After you survive, you can create space, rotate, escape.”

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 43

George Dillman and Taika Oyata, his second pressure-point teacher.

Photo by Kimberly Dillman, Courtesy of George Dillman

(And Why It Matters)

BY CHRIS THOMAS

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ot many figures in the modern martial arts loom larger than — and generate as much controversy as — George Dillman. A member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame, he’s been a significant presence for more than 50 years and has made an indelible impact on the arts. The following are seven ways Dillman has changed the martial arts and why it matters.

down) a familiar term in traditional martial arts circles.

The result of this is that an entire generation of practitioners was freed from ineffective practices and given permission to interpret kata in meaningful ways. Ironically, all over the world, contemporary karateka are teaching courses and seminars, as well as generating countless YouTube videos, on kata bunkai, kata for self-defense, kata for the real world and so on — and many of them have no idea who Dillman is. But because of him, the lexicon and practice of traditional arts have changed forever.

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At George Dillman’s home in Reading, Pennsylvania, he and Taika Oyata pose with the certificate that proclaimed Dillman a seventhdegree black belt.

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LINKING THE PRESENT TO THE PAST One of the more alluring characteristics of the traditional martial arts is the promise of fighting secrets. Unfortunately, those who studied found few secrets, just techniques of varying degrees of effectiveness. Even karate’s so-called “lethal techniques” did not seem to work as advertised, and the notion of ikken hissatsu (to strike down the opponent with a single blow) seemed a hopeless ideal.

And so the karate community focused on performance and competition, on scoring points and demonstrating athleticism, and the art more and more has come to be populated by children and teens screaming their way through creative forms that blur the lines between martial arts, gymnastics and dance.

But Dillman brought karate back to its fighting roots by demonstrating that the traditional movements of kata are not only useful in self-defense but also valuable as a repository of information on pressure points (kyusho-jitsu).

“Kata contain the angle and direction for attacking the pressure points,” Dillman likes to say. This is something of a summary for beginners because what he teaches his students to recognize is that kata contain comprehensive information on pressure-point

Photo by Kimberly Dillman, Courtesy of George Dillman

POPULARIZING BUNKAI When Bruce Lee exploded on the scene, he roundly criticized the martial arts community’s practice of kata. He demonstrated convincingly that those movements could never work as they were taught. What Dillman did was to argue that the problem wasn’t with the forms but with how they were being interpreted. “There are no blocks in kata,” he insisted over and over again.

Dillman showed practical and realistic applications of those traditional movements.

Traveling the world, he demonstrated how kata were practical for self-defense, and in so doing, he made the word bunkai (break-

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fighting — a lifetime’s worth of study. The reason for this is that pressure-point expertise is not the result of knowing a few points; effectiveness comes from knowing the interrelationships that points share.

These interrelationships (and the pressure points themselves) are the same as those discussed in acupuncture. So pressure-point practitioners become knowledgeable in acupuncture — with a number of them having become licensed acupuncturists. And this means that karate becomes linked in a very practical way with its cultural roots: modern practitioners studying ancient healing methodologies.

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TEACHING “TOO MUCH” The first person who exposed Dillman to kyusho-jitsu was Hohan Soken. Soken demonstrated points and gave him a set of notes on pressure points. But understanding rarely comes with the first exposure. And so it was only after meeting and training with the great Taika Oyata, about 10 years after his encounter with Soken, that things clicked for Dillman, and he began to truly understand the art. Dillman trained with Oyata and received the rank of seventh degree from him. But eventually there was a break between them.

The conflict arose primarily from a cultural difference that became an irreconcilable rift.

Two main problems arose. The first is that in traditional Okinawan culture, the student is expected to wait until the teacher deems some new piece of information worthy of being taught. But in Western culture, the student gains the teacher’s approval by studying ahead — doing extra credit, so to speak. Dillman wanted to show that he was studying hard, so one evening at his home in Reading, Pennsylvania, Dillman brought out his homework to show his teacher. It included the notes he’d received from Soken.

When Oyata saw them, he was furious. By studying ahead, Dillman had unintentionally insulted him.

The second culture-based problem was that the traditional martial arts treat information in a way that forms layers of access.

Most students receive the external shape of things but no real information. Disciples receive deeper and more accurate, although incomplete, instruction. Family members receive what has been withheld from the disciples. And successors receive all the secrets.

However, Dillman, as a Westerner with schools of his own, believed that it was his duty to share with his students the best information he had so they could become the best students they could be. So he shared everything he was taught by Oyata with anyone who was eager to learn. As far as

One of George Dillman’s pressurepoint students teaches the art of kyushojitsu at the state police academy in Mumbai, India.

this writer has been able to determine, the last words spoken by Oyata to Dillman were, “Stop teaching so much.” And the last message sent from Oyata to Dillman (through a third party) was, “Tell George to stop teaching so much.”

As painful as the split was, Dillman has never been bitter, and he has persisted in singing the praises of Oyata’s skills. As a result, the name Taika Oyata is known and revered around the world, ensuring that this great martial artist and his important contributions will be recognized throughout the traditional karate community.

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CONVEYING COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE At a Chinese restaurant, a hostess once read a patch on my jacket and exclaimed, “My great-grandfather knew this! My grandfather also, but less and less each generation.” In that simple statement, she described what had happened to the art of pressure-point fighting.

Because these methods were held back as advanced, secret transmissions, they were intended only for a chosen few. But over time, teachers died off before having the opportunity to pass on all their knowledge.

And those who had received some instruction — increasingly incomplete with each generation — kept that knowledge to themselves to be passed on only as a secret transmission. So there was never an opportunity for notes to be compared or for gaps to be filled in so a complete picture of pressurepoint methods could be created.

But Dillman’s approach was to teach what he learned and to expect and require that his students do their own supplemental research. And then he would ask them to share their work at seminars and camps in OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 47

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LEARNING FROM ALL SOURCES Throughout his career, Dillman sought insights that would help him improve. This is why he trained with so many great mas48

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Taika Oyata knocks out George Dillman with a pressure-point strike.

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RESEARCHING THE NO-TOUCH KNOCKOUT The literature of the martial arts occasionally ascribes almost supernatural powers to master practitioners. Among them are historical accounts of methods of affecting an opponent without any physical contact.

E.J. Harrison, in his book The Fighting Spirit of Japan (1955), recounted a story about this ability: “[Matajuro] saw a few sparrows perched on a branch of a tall pine tree, and fixing a steadfast gaze on the birds, gave utterance to the kiai shout, whereupon the sparrows fell to the ground insensible.

When he relaxed the kiai, the birds regained consciousness and flew away. This particular feat is known in the Japanese fencing schools as toate-no-jutsu, or ‘the art of striking at a distance.’”

Practitioners of aikido are familiar with the accounts of Morihei Ueshiba that have him

Photo by Kimberly Dillman, Courtesy of George Dillman

order to increase the total body of knowledge on the subject.

When Wally Jay observed this, he was impressed that everyone was sharing everything. “Most people, they don’t show anybody,” Jay said. “That’s wrong. If you want to be a teacher, why be that way? If you share, he gains something, you gain something, too. And you advance more quickly. You don’t have to go through the same experiment he did.”

Now some people might be tempted to say that this has resulted in a “new” or “modern” kyusho-jitsu and that Dillman is a “pressurepoint innovator.” But that is not the case.

Dillman and his students are curators of historical knowledge. Everything they do is consistent with the principles of acupuncture and mapped into the movements of the traditional forms.

ters of the 20th century. He never cared about the differences between systems, never turned his back on something and said, “That’s not my style.” All he wanted were the insights that would help him become a better practitioner.

Early in his study of pressure-point fighting when he was struggling to get his techniques to work, he had Wally Jay teach a seminar at his school. As Jay explained a small-circle jujitsu technique, Dillman wondered if the concept would translate to kyusho-jitsu. Grabbing a student, Dillman stepped into his office, tried his idea and achieved his first pressure-point knockout.

For Dillman, this experience demonstrated that sound principles apply equally to all styles. And out of this came the “Big Three” training camps, a series of seminars featuring George Dillman, Wally Jay and Remy Presas.

Dillman likes to tell his own students, “You need the small-circle jujitsu to get the right torque on the points, and you need the modern arnis to get the right flow to stick to the points so you can transfer the energy.”

As a result, kyusho-jitsu cannot be considered an art or a style. Rather, it is a meta-art, a principled practice that knows no borders and excludes no system. The community of kyusho-jitsu practitioners is incredibly diverse in terms of styles represented. It includes every conceivable type of karate, jujitsu, kung fu, arnis, silat, kempo, systema and more. And within that community is a rich appreciation for the insights each style brings. In this atmosphere of openness, no style is diluted; each one is deepened. And often, they’re restored to a former level of effectiveness, with lost information reintroduced to a modern generation of practitioners.

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For years, Wally Jay (top right), George Dillman (left of Jay) and Remy Presas (left of Dillman) were renowned for their “Big Three” training camps, which took place across the United States and abroad.

Participants learned smallcircle jujitsu, modern arnis and kyushojitsu, as well as the ways in which the three arts augment one another.

KEEPING AN ART ALIVE Dillman has spent the past 30 years of his 50-plus-year career doing what he can to ensure that kyusho-jitsu is never again in danger of becoming extinct. In pursuit of this goal, he’s produced videos, written books and traveled the world to teach. But the most important thing he’s done is teach a new generation of master instructors and set them to teaching.

At age 75, Dillman no longer jets around the globe to pass on pressure-point fighting.

Instead, his most senior followers do that.

Dillman students like Dustin Seale, Will Higginbotham, Matt Brown, Steve Stewart, Bill Homann and Paul Bowman (as well as smallcircle jujitsu inheritor Leon Jay, and modern arnis masters Ken Smith, Chuck Gauss and Gaby Roloff) are recognized internationally.

And behind them comes yet another generation of teachers and practitioners who will carry on Dillman’s pioneering work and do their best to create a bright and vibrant future for the traditional martial arts.

Chris Thomas is considered one of the best teachers of kyusho-jitsu in the world. His work has appeared in Black Belt since 1981, and he’s co-author (with George Dillman) of a series of books on pressure-point fighting. Thomas is also the producer of the series Reflections From the MasterClass, available on YouTube, as well as MasterClass With Chris Thomas, a subscription series of instructional videos. For more information, visit kjk-karate.com.

Photo Courtesy of George Dillman

throwing students without making contact.

And karate practitioners are familiar with toate-jitsu from a famous story about Bushi Matsumura: Matsumura was challenged to a duel. When the challenger arrived at the appointed place, Matsumura was waiting for him. Gichin Funakoshi, in Karate-do: My Way of Life, wrote that as the challenger squared off with Matsumura, he was “immobilized by the intangible force that flashed from Matsumura’s eyes.”

Although a minor practice within the spectrum of kyusho-jitsu training, these methods have been explored and shared by Dillman in an effort to push the boundaries of martial arts study. In this way, he helped remind the community of the nearly limitless possibilities that can be achieved through dedicated training.

Sadly, this particular aspect of his study has resulted in numerous personal attacks.

And this has come despite the fact that he’s demonstrated the method on multiple people in multiple countries. And despite the fact that his students have also demonstrated this method multiple times. And despite the fact that there are many people from very diverse traditions who have demonstrated the same thing (shotokan’s Mitsusuke Harada and systema’s Mikhail Ryabko, to name two prominent examples). Yet, it’s Dillman who has been the focus of controversy and contempt. But naysayers notwithstanding, this boundary-challenging work by Dillman affirms again the depth and breadth of traditional knowledge.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 49

You Are About to Enter ...

THE HIGHLIGHT ZONE! PHOTOS COURTESY OFBY PERRY WILLIAM KELLY CENTURY MARTIAL ARTS

[You are about to travel to another dimension. A dimension of sights that include jaw-dropping martial arts feats. A dimension of sounds that include boards and concrete blocks being shattered with ease. A dimension of performances that include combative skills that are almost beyond imagination.

Your destination is the world’s largest martial arts competition, an event called the U.S. Open ISKA World Martial Arts Championships, also known as the Highlight Zone.

Before you begin your journey, we will look back at how this event came into being and how it grew to regularly attract more than 6,000 competitors from 70 countries, not to mention some 10,000 people who attend as spectators.]

Held annually in Orlando, Florida, on the July 4th weekend, the U.S. Open was born in 1973, when it was known as the East Coast Grand Nationals. In those days, it took place under the direction of Robert Trias’ United States Karate Association banner. An American martial arts pioneer, Trias opened the first public karate school in the mainland United States in 1946.

In 1980 the East Coast Grand Nationals got a new name: the U.S. Open. Since then, the tournament has changed hands a few times. In one Twilight Zone–esque shift that occurred in 1981, then-owners Ted and Kim Kresge sold the U.S. Open after Ted dreamed that the world was coming to an end.

A martial artist named Mike Sawyer had competed in the tournament as a colored belt and then a black belt

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since the 1970s. He and his top student Mike McCoy went on to become event promoters in Florida, and by 1981 they were helping run the U.S. Open. In 1983 they bought the show and have been managing it ever since.

[The next stop on your journey into the Highlight Zone will take you to the Hall of Sport-Karate Innovations, a museum dedicated to the many industry developments that were born at this tournament.]

“Ted [Kresge] was an innovator, and I remember that the U.S. Open always built its reputation on having something new and different than the other tournaments did,” Sawyer recalled. “Every year, he would have a grandchampionship trophy that was an inch taller than the year before so it would become a new Guinness World Record for the biggest trophy ever given away.”

Sawyer and company effected numerous other updates during their ownership. One key focus was to boost the safety factor by making protective gear mandatory. This started when Sawyer witnessed a potentially fatal accident.

“I remember standing on the podium in 1984 and watching an adult fighter slip during a match on the concrete floor and hit his head,” Sawyer said. “Although it did not knock him out and he was not seriously injured, it cut his head and there was a puddle of blood on the floor.

I remember specifically thinking to myself, Tournament, concrete floor, head, blood — bad combination!

“In 1985 we made headgear mandatory for under-belts and optional for black belts, and we had [extra] pairs at

Sandra Sanchez

officials and another 100 people we employ for that day.

There are 800 divisions and 30 rings. Without our team, it would be totally impossible. [And] we want it to get bigger and better every year.”

THE HIGHLIGHT ZONE

[You have arrived at your final destination: the 2019 U.S. Open Night of Champions.]

ringside. As soon as parents saw [that this was] safer for their kids, they wanted to know where to buy them.

“By 1987 it was mandatory, and this became the standard for every tournament. We would be very surprised if we went to a tournament [today] and saw people competing without headgear.”

Other changes instituted at the U.S. Open included requiring officials to wear uniforms denoting whether they can be a corner judge or a center judge and at which level of competition they are certified: under-belt or black belt.

The changes also meant adding a traditional forms division that was expanded to encompass creative forms and musical forms for both empty-hand and weapons competitors — something that’s taken for granted today.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Among its usual something-for-everyone offerings with respect to competition, the 2019 iteration of the U.S. Open featured a first timer’s division. It was designed to allow people who’d never competed — regardless of rank — to join the fray with less stress and more fun so they might become regular participants.

This year, those who fell outside that category and who like traditional karate forms and fighting had the option to compete in the newest Olympic martial sport by entering the Punok U.S. Open Championships, held on-site. Those who prefer to get their kicks from ITF taekwondo could have entered the U.S. Open Challenge Championships, also on-site. Those who are grapplers at heart could have rolled in the Kasai Super Series. And, of course, those who are into point fighting, continuous sparring, team fighting and practically every other subset of martial arts competition had dozens of divisions catering to all ages and skill levels.

Those who are like me in that they enjoy watching martial artists smash things into smithereens were in luck, too. The ISKA/USBA World Amateur Breaking Championships, also held at the U.S. Open, was awesome. In the power-breaking division, competitors demolished rows of concrete slabs so large they would not have been out of place on a construction site. One highlight came when Lexi Thompson practically stole the show in creative breaking by smashing two slabs of concrete with a front kick/jump spinning back kick combination.

Sawyer summarized the logistics of offering such variety: “The U.S. Open is a monster. We have 150

The best of the best went head-to-head in the ISKA World Championships. The action took place in forms, weapons, team sparring, team synchro forms, team synchro weapons and point sparring. The event was reportedly watched live by 85 million people in the Americas thanks to ESPN3 and Fight Sports Satellite and Streaming Network, which carried the competition in 53 additional countries.

Color commentary was provided by former Power Ranger Mike Chat, with post-victory interviews conducted by Caitlin Dechelle, who served as Gal Gadot’s stunt double in Wonder Woman.

The current world traditional kata champion, a Spanish martial artist named Sandra Sanchez, did a winning form that was simply breathtaking. In essence, she gave a clinic on what a kata should look like. Fluid and strong, her kicks and punches made her gi snap like a gunshot, and the sound was audible over the din of the crowd. Her next challenge is to win the gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

Reid Presley won both the ISKA men’s overall forms division and NASKA’s overall CMX forms division. Capturing those new titles in overall forms had been a goal of his, a way to showcase his diversity. Watching Presley do his thing onstage, it was little wonder this young man’s exceptional talent was featured on the AMC series Into the Badlands and on America’s Got Talent.

Mackensi Emory won the overall forms titles for ISKA and NASKA — for the second year in a row. That brings her tally of world championships to 14. The six-year member of Team Paul Mitchell displayed her roots in gymnastics while turning her two kama into a whirling-and-twirling blender. During her post-victory interview, Emory teased the audience by noting that Hollywood has been calling for her talents and that she’s about to move to Los Angeles. She’s already displayed her skills in the movie Streetlights; it’s not a stretch to imagine that soon she, like Dechelle, will be

Reid Presley

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Mackensi Emory

doubling for superstars.

If anyone is poised to fill the shoes of Emory, it’s her protégé Megan Butterfield. The 14-year-old from Ottawa, Canada, is a member of the AmeriKick National Team.

She’s been a NASKA top-10 competitor for the past two years and owns 11 world titles as proof. At the U.S. Open, Butterfield displayed nerves of steel and a composure beyond her years by executing her weapons form flawlessly. What’s so special about that? When she started, the DJ decided to play an upbeat tune for a musical form — which it wasn’t supposed to be. Nevertheless, Butterfield was so focused she didn’t even notice the music until her form was finished.

At the Night of Champions, the most popular event has always been men’s weapons. No doubt this is why the organizers save it to close the show. When asked how this category became the crowd favorite, Sawyer explained: “It has become the ultimate performance division, and the reason is that there is no limit as to how far you can go with that. It used to be you did something outrageous with a weapon and you won the division. Now, it is way over the top. They are like Olympic gymnasts at the same time they are doing amazing things with those weapons. They are doing double-release moves that are beyond comprehension, [not to mention] backflips [and] 720-degree kicks. I had a call from ESPN the day after the event and was asked if Jackson Rudolph had a string on his bo. I said, ‘No, he actually throws the twirling stick 30 feet in the air, turns his back and catches it!’”

Speaking of Jackson Rudolph: The Stanford University pre-med student and holder of 14 world titles closed the ESPN broadcast with a routine that bordered on “other 54

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worldly.” Rudolph, who admits to being influenced by magician Criss Angel, did so many spins, twirls and tosses with his bo that the form left the audience asking, “Did that just happen?”

For this writer, Rudolph’s high point came after he won the competition. As he was handed a gigantic winner’s cup, he walked to the edge of the stage, where he beckoned a young martial artist to come closer. Rudolph said, “While I was up here, the person I heard cheering the most was you. So this is for you.” When he handed the youth the trophy, the boy’s face showed a mixture of joy and shock — and nearly tears. The act demonstrated that Rudolph is indeed a superstar, and the gesture placed him firmly in the category of sports stars who can be called role models.

FINAL WORD

After watching what Sawyer and company showcased at the 2019 U.S. Open, it would not be a stretch to say that they’re poised to give tournament karate the kind of mainstream exposure the X Games gave to extreme sports. And that would be a welcome boost to the martial arts in general.

In these days of global conflicts and territorial disputes, the U.S. Open once again brought together nearly 7,000 competitors from 70 countries in the spirit of friendship and fraternity. This writer saw South Africans mix it up with American Southerners, as well as South American preteens getting their hair braided at the Paul Mitchell booth beside kids from South Jersey. Politics was put aside as competitors from around the world cheered on

Jackson Rudolph

their new friends from other nations. That’s surely one of the most important yet least talked about benefits of martial arts training.

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 2017 he was a karate gold medalist at the World Police and Fire Games, and in 2018 he received the Joe Lewis Eternal Warrior Award. His website is perrywkelly.com.

Perry William Kelly Photo by Erika K Photography

Caitlin Dechelle interviews Jackson Rudolph.

BLACK BELT’S FIGHTING WRITER AT THE U.S. OPEN

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BATTLE OF THE SEXES When Women Spar With Men, They Face the Enemy Within!

BY KATHERINE DE BODA PHOTOS COURTESY OF DANA ABBOTT

called shihan Dana Abbott on a Saturday night, never expecting him to pick up the phone. He did. I asked if I could gather a group of friends willing to split the cost of private lessons in Japanese swordsmanship. I said that I thought I could manage that once a month.

Long story short: After a single three-hour session with Abbott, all my friends dropped out. I was disappointed.

How could I afford private lessons? I called to let him know that the group was done. He said it didn’t surprise

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him — few people are willing to invest the time and effort needed to learn the art of the sword. I hung up, unsure of how to proceed with my dream.

A few days later, the phone rang. It was Abbott. “Do you really want to learn the sword?” he asked. Yes. “If you really want to learn, you’ll have to train five days a week with me and then go home and practice for a couple of hours on your own.”

After mulling the reality of his suggestion, I figured I could handle training three days a week and then prac-

with the sword. He said I would need this to round out my skills as a martial artist and eventually earn my black belt.

One day while sparring, he suddenly struck me on the head with a shot delivered with an ActionFlex padded sword. I barely recall the moment, but Abbott said that when he saw the look on my face, he knew that if he did it again, I would never come back.

For that reason, several months passed before he suggested we spar again. Of course, I agreed. We suited up with helmets and gloves, then entered the dojo. What ensued was some of the most transformational work I have done in my martial arts education.

You see, for me, there’s nothing more shocking — and at times enraging — than being hit by a man who’s faster, stronger and more skilled. Abbott clearly wasn’t working at full speed, but I couldn’t even get in a shot. I felt like I was trying to move through wet cement.

Whenever my teacher’s sword cracked across my head, my ears rang from the impact — even though we were wearing helmets. In the beginning, I sometimes fell apart. Tears rose up despite my efforts to keep them at bay. I tried not to let it show, but those tears would often mix with sweat and roll down my cheeks, which fortunately were hidden by my kendo mask. The little girl inside me was being beaten down.

In my self-pity, I questioned whether I could handle it.

Would I ever be good enough to score a hit? Would I be weak and slow forever?

Sparring with a man challenged me in every way — physical exhaustion, mind games and emotional trials, all of which were governed by what I considered my wimpy spirit. At the time, it didn’t occur to me that what I was experiencing would never happen in a public dojo, with all the concerns about political correctness and liability. It was solely the product of private training the traditional way.

The Swing of Things

ticing at home. Abbott said that would suffice. I knew that his wife had some injuries that required yoga sessions so, having taught yoga for 20 years, I proposed an exchange. Fortunately, the barter was a no-brainer for both of us.

First Lesson Our training began. I met Abbott at 7 a.m. several times a week. After the first year, he introduced me to sparring

In class, Abbott demanded that I kiai like female kendo players do in Japan. If you’ve never heard them, go to YouTube and check out some videos. Their high-pitched war cries are unique to the Western ear.

I learned that the proper kiai would give me energy and strength. I learned to use it to set up a shot, to execute a shot and sometimes to smooth out the aftermath of a shot. The kiai aligned my breath with my movement, announced my intention and allowed me to strike harder.

My gaze was often directed at my teacher’s mouth or throat, but sometimes he demanded that I stare into his steely, unblinking eyes. He told me to squint like Clint Eastwood, which was Abbott’s way of describing the Japanese concept of yama oh miru, which means “to look far at the mountain” as if one is utterly disinterested in the other person and is more intrigued by a mountain in the distance.

Many times, we would spar nonstop for more than an hour, to the point of sheer exhaustion. There were days when I would stagger out of the dojo, trying my best not to show it. I often found myself having to sit in my car for a few minutes before driving — I felt that depleted.

It didn’t take me long to determine that I’d never experienced such intense training in a dojo or in a private lesOCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 59

son. I was being driven to the edge of my abilities, and as the martial arts teach, engaging at the edge is necessary for growth. Only when the student approaches complete failure does he or she see improvement. The more time you spend at the edge, the more the edge expands and the greater you become.

Certainly, my stamina increased. Equally important, my spirit awakened and learned to fight back. There was a point at which my spirit had to shift gears from that of a little girl to that of a warrior. In retrospect, that entailed abandoning the perception that everything was happening to me and that I was a victim, and replacing it with the perception that I could and should take command.

In the dojo and in life, there is always a choice: Give up, or get up and fight back. In Abbott’s class, I discovered that my opponent was never the man I was sparring with; it was myself. In other words, I was battling the enemy within. That fostered a sense of autonomy within me.

Only I can exercise my free will to take command and choose my response. No one can do this for me.

When It Clicks Tears and sweat sting my eyes. My ears are ringing after being smacked on the head again. My liver aches from shots to the torso. I view it as a refinement of character, a way to tap into my energy reserves so I can engage and re-engage. No matter the obstacle in my path, my spirit, my will, can find a way through.

Sparring has become a process of improvement. A chance for me to give my best in every moment. An opportunity to be offensive at all times, rather than defensive and then offensive. An occasion to allow my warrior spirit to guide me.

I’ve learned to let the strikes come in and to be unconcerned about being hit. I now know that I must keep my eyes open at all times so that I can seize the moment whenever an opening is created. I’ve internalized the words of my teacher: “Keep your eyes open! It won’t hurt any less if you close them.”

I let the openings reveal themselves, and I manage to land some good shots. I feel as though my speed and

There was a point at which my spirit had to shift gears from that of a little girl to that of a warrior.

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accuracy are improving. In large part, this is the result of my teacher’s often-repeated line: “Good shot — now do that three more times!”

Like a katana that’s thrust into the fire to be tempered, I’m being transformed into a new person — a fighter. I’m hungry for it. I love the energy and adrenaline rush that accompany sword combat.

Ever since I found out that getting hit is no big deal, I just allow it to happen. I’m no longer concerned about being hurt. This knowledge has freed me to focus on what’s important: stalking my opponent, seizing the moment, springing forward with my whole body behind my strike, silencing my mind and relying on my intuition to act, just letting my body respond with what it knows how to do.

To get to this point, I’ve invested hundreds of hours in repeating basic moves, cutting the air with my sword, cultivating the whipping sound that’s produced by an unwavering blade that executes the eight directional cuts of happo giri, performing kata endlessly. I no longer think it’s strange to spend four hours to perfect one minute of movement.

I have become the weapon. The sword in my hands is just a tool. It’s important, but the human weapon is paramount.

It was through sparring with men, and especially with Dana Abbott, my instructor, that I met this ultimate challenge. It was through sparring that I got a measure of myself and the warrior that I am.

Katherine de Boda is an Arizona-based martial artist and writer.

From the Student 1

Recognize reality. That means you must keep in mind that your male opponent likely will be stronger than you. Therefore, you FDQQRW UHO\ RQ EUXWH VWUHQJWK WR ÀJKW KLP <RX PXVW EH IDVWHU <RX PXVW EH PRUH SUHFLVH Both attributes require consistent training.

Stay present. Always be in the moment.

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From the Instructor 1

Know your surroundings while you engage. Students often end up on the ground when they spar because they are too focused on one particular item or idea. In reality, you should ORRN DW WKH ELJ SLFWXUH ZLWK D FOHDU PLQGVHW <RX QHHG WR WKLQN fast on your feet.

TIPS for Women 2 Who Spar With 3 Men

Keep your eyes open. <HV ÁLQFKLQJ LV D UHÁH[LYH UHVSRQVH EXW LI \RX FORVH \RXU H\HV ZKLOH VSDUULQJ \RX ZRQ·W EH DEOH WR GHWHFW LQFRPLQJ VKRWV (TXDOO\ EDG LV WKDW \RX ZRQ·W be able to see where the openings on your opponent are.

The more you practice, the easier keeping your eyes open in a combative environment will be.

4

Look with intent. 2QFH \RX·UH DEOH WR NHHS \RXU H\HV RSHQ \RX·OO ZDQW WR IRFXV \RXU JD]H RQ \RXU RSSRQHQW·V WKURDW DUHD 7KLV ZLOO DOORZ \RX WR VHH KLV whole body and detect any telegraphing that occurs.

Practice your techniques at full speed. Students often H[HFXWH WHFKQLTXHV DW RQH WKLUG VSHHG WR EHWWHU XQGHUVWDQG WKH G\QDPLFV DQG SK\VLFV RI WKH PRYHV 7KDW LV ÀQH IRU OHDUQ LQJ EXW RSHUDWLQJ DW RQH WKLUG VSHHG FDQ EHFRPH VHW LQWR \RXU PXVFOH PHPRU\ 7KHUHIRUH LW·V RI WKH XWPRVW LPSRUWDQFH WR JLYH LW DOO \RX·YH JRW LQ VSDUULQJ

Breathe. Students often hold their breath when they spar, which causes them to lose their focus because they become fatigued, often within a minute or two. Breathing cor rectly will keep your energy levels up, thus allowing you to more UHDGLO\ H[HFXWH \RXU WHFKQLTXHV IRU ORQJHU SHULRGV RI WLPH

Develop discipline. Students often say, “I want to spar,” but when it gets down to suiting up and actually doing it, many are never to be seen again. Many people want to learn martial arts, but disciplined students are few and far between. Be that disciplined student.

4 5

Kiai. 8VH \RXU VKRXW WR HQVXUH \RX·UH EUHDWKLQJ and to rally your strength. Doing so on a consistent basis will enhance your energy and endurance.

Don’t give up. 6WXGHQWV RIWHQ ÀQG WKHPVHOYHV HQYLVLRQLQJ WKDW VWULNHV DUH FRPLQJ LQ DW OLJKWQLQJ VSHHG ZLWK HDFK RQH IHHOLQJ OLNH WKH\·UH being hit with a jackhammer. That can make it hard to maintain focus, hard to breathe and hard to keep your eyes open. But with training comes a UHGXFWLRQ LQ FRQIXVLRQ DQ LQFUHDVH LQ IRFXV DQG DQ DELOLW\ WR H[HFXWH WHFK QLTXHV ZLWK SRZHU ,W·V MXVW D PDWWHU RI SXWWLQJ LQ WKH WLPH

— Katherine de Boda

— Dana Abbott

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Use This Double De-Escalation System to Stop a Fight Before It Starts!

by Scot Conway, Ph.D.

The school bully confronted Jimmy. The boy stepped back into a casual posture and started to chat. As the bully’s actions intensified, Jimmy just talked. The bigger boy pressed up against him, and Jimmy casually pushed back. When the aggressor approached again, Jimmy off-balanced him. Afterward, the bully left his “victim” alone. No one got hurt. No one but the two of them even knew there had been a fight.

What really happened? Jimmy stepped back into a fighting stance. He used his arms to block the bully’s advance.

Then he used a simple pressure-point push to make the other kid back up. Next, a step-and-drop technique was used to off-balance the bully, who managed to regain his footing. Then he wisely chose to leave Jimmy alone.

It could have escalated into a serious fight. Bullies like to test their intended victims. In this scenario, the aggressor tested Jimmy, but Jimmy stood up to him with calm confidence. The bully ratcheted things up, but Jimmy did not match the escalation, nor did he back down. He protected himself without contributing to the fight.

John Maxwell, a renowned leadership expert, once said, “When there is a problem, the leader shows up with two buckets: one with water, one with gasoline.

Decide which one you’ll throw on the fire.” In this scenario, Jimmy threw water on the problem. He extinguished the situation, never fueling it into a fistfight.

Stair-Step Escalation

other person insulted you, and you retaliated with a comment of your own. When your words and his lead to escalation, you don’t want to look weak, so you stand up to him.

By then, you should realize that you’re a player in this game. Press your mental and emotional pause button.

Just stop. Examine what you’re doing. Ask yourself a simple question: Is this really worth it? Maybe it is. Probably not, though.

Just pressing pause can be enough to halt the escalation. Sometimes all you need to do is stand there and listen.

Tim was the manager at an auto-repair shop. One of his customers had a car with chronic problems. Having already put hundreds of dollars into repairs, the customer was understandably upset when yet another thing went wrong. He blamed the repair shop, and he showed up to express his anger.

Tim just listened. The customer yelled and screamed. He balled his fist and threatened to pound Tim into the ground.

He got in Tim’s face and cussed him out.

Through it all, Tim remained relaxed. After a few minutes, the customer ran out of steam and stormed off. He got in his car and left.

LET THE OTHER PERSON VENT. IF YOU GIVE HIM NOTHING NEW TO WORK WITH, CHANCES ARE THE TENSION WILL FADE AND THE MATTER WILL BE OVER.

A fight that isn’t initiated with a violent act develops one step at a time. Someone makes a snide comment to you, maybe in the guise of a joke. You reply, perhaps sarcastically, and the other person is offended. The person gets nastier, and his anger rises. You stand up, and in a moment, you’re in each other’s face. Words are exchanged, and then one party bumps against the other person’s chest or shoves him — and the fight is on!

Even if you “get off the stairs” and stop taking steps toward the physical altercation, the other person might take an extra step or two to suck you in. Most people will take a maximum of two steps beyond what you take — unless they are really intent on fighting. What does that mean? If you don’t play the game, you can stop most fights before they begin.

(If the aggressor keeps escalating even though you’re not joining in, you should take note. The fact that he’s intentionally moving toward violence means you’re almost certainly justified in protecting yourself now.)

Stop Taking Steps When you need to reduce tension, your first action is to simply stop taking steps toward escalation. Maybe the

Often, that’s all it takes. Just don’t play.

Let the other person vent. If you give him nothing new to work with, chances are the tension will fade and the matter will be over. This isn’t always done right. The following sequence unfolded in a church.

A church and a day-care facility had a dispute. Ultimately, the church evicted the day-care personnel. The parents demanded a meeting, but the church would not speak with anyone. Some of the parents assembled in the church on a Sunday to be heard.

The situation was already tense when one father stepped onto the platform to speak. He intended to tell the congregation what the church had done to them. The church leaders tried to stop him. Although it was charged, it was just words. Then one member of the church, a large man, stepped forward, got in the father’s face and bumped him. The moment they touched chests, the argument turned into a physical fight.

The two men toppled off the platform, crashed into the chairs and landed on the ground, where they wrestled. Fortunately, they landed at the feet of a martial artist who knew how to separate the combatants and talk them down before the situation worsened.

This is how many fights begin. It starts with words, then turns physical. Things get out of hand when egos are on the line, and people can quickly get hurt. For this reason, it’s important to be prepared for such situations.

Here’s how.

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Photo Courtesy of Scot Conway

Ready Without Looking Like You’re Ready A fighting stance that looks like a fighting stance can inflame a situation. Nevertheless, you need to be ready to fight just in case. The challenge is to be ready without looking like you’re ready. The solution is called “chat cover.”

When you use chat cover, it looks like all you’re doing is standing there, listening and chatting in a casual manner. Your front hand is at chin level or just under it, and your rear hand is resting near your ribs.

One foot is forward, and the other is back, where it supports most of your weight. The posture is similar to a cat stance.

FIRST KEY: Make certain your feet are not lined up like you’re walking a tightrope. You want to be able to, if you get pushed backward, slide your front foot back to recover your base.

SECOND KEY: Ensure that your lower hand is free to move. It should be able to snap straight forward to attack.

With a slight adjustment, this stance can become a fighting stance.

Specifically, move your front hand forward, shift your rear hand away from your ribs, and make your stance longer and deeper.

That means that chat cover is basically a fighting stance that’s been pulled in close and made to look relaxed — as if all you’re doing is chatting.

Your front hand still protects your face and body.

Your lower hand protects your ribs and groin. Both hands can attack or block.

Your front foot is light on the ground but still flat so you’re ready to kick without looking like you’re ready to kick.

Plan to assume this posture whenever a situation gets tense. It will prepare you in case things turn physical.

You don’t look like you’re getting ready to fight — which could make things worse — but you are ready.

Defending Without Looking Like You’re Defending When you protect yourself, you establish a guard between your body and your opponent’s. You occupy the space between the two of you and take reasonable efforts to keep him from grabbing your hands.

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“Talking with the hands” is one way of implementing this in a relaxed fashion. In short, you keep your hands in motion in front of your body. You express your words using your hands and arms. By filling the space thusly, you establish a guard.

While talking with the hands, keep your palms toward yourself most of the time. This looks less threatening and enables you to fill the space without appearing ready to strike. It doesn’t even look like you’re ready to push the person away — but, of course, you can.

A few relevant gestures will need practice. An “I don’t know” gesture is commonly done with the hands to the sides. This opens your centerline and gives an opponent an easy path to attack. Instead, shrug your shoulders and raise your palms just as you naturally do, but keep The chat cover your hands in front of you morphs into a rather than at your sides. fighting stance.

When you gesture toward yourself, keep one hand away from your body.

A “who me?” gesture is sometimes done with both hands touching your chest.

Make gestures like this with one or both hands far enough away from your torso to be useful for defense.

Keep your hands out where you can use them. If an akimbo stance (hands on your hips, elbows out) would be natural, use only one hand for it. Keep your front hand moving as you talk. Make sure your hand and arm are always ready to move.

The 3D2 System The name stands for three ways to double de-escalate.

Those three ways and the doubles are as follows: CHAT — TALK: The first double de-escalation entails maintaining casual verbal engagement. The name chat cover reminds you that you should be chatting. Talking with the hands reminds you that you should only be talking. You use those as ceilings for your encounter. Just chat. Just talk.

The physical movements help keep you relaxed and aware. The “doesn’t look like a fighting stance” posture helps you feel safer without agitating your opponent. As you feel safer, you will be more relaxed, and as you know, relaxed means ready.

COVER — HANDS: The second double de-escalation is to protect yourself physically at two levels. First, it puts you in a fighting stance so you’re ready to attack or defend.

Second and even more important, it puts your arms in

the way of your opponent. It gives him a visual and physstudy. The whole hand, fingers first, is thrust forward. The ical barrier to the most common “one step up” attacks. middle finger presses into the notch above the sternum.

(Initial attacks on escalations tend to be in the form of a Some call this the “cough point.” Pushing straight in is shove or a finger thump on the other person’s chest.) sufficient for many situations, but the real way to activate Chat cover and talking with the hands forces your this point is by pushing either down or up diagonally. adversary to skip a step. The need to make that leap may The progression of your push is to press in and down cause him to stop self-escalating, which is what he must with your finger, to let your palm push against his chest do to escalate because you’ve stopped playing the game. and, if necessary, to let your finger swoop upward. For While he’s getting himself riled up, he still will tend to most people, the press down will be enough to make move one step at a time. Forcing him to skip a step can them back off, even if it’s an escalating situation. If that lead him to rediscover his self-control. doesn’t work, the push option and the “flow upward with DEFEND AND DIAGNOSE: The meaning of “defend” is obvithe finger” option can be used to activate the point in the ous. You’re ready to move. You’re ready to block. You’re other direction. ready to attack. You’re ready to maneuver. While you The sternal-notch push back creates space. Do it casutry to listen your way through or talk your way through, ally while an adversary is getting in your face, and he you’re physically prepared for the fight should it occur. may have no idea what happened. He knows only that “Diagnose” refers to your ability to know the other you did something and he went back without being person’s intentions. Forcing him to skip a step facilitates pushed hard. That moment of confusion can give you this. If he skips past the shove and tries another chance to talk things down. to punch you, you know he means to get The final key is to keep your hands violent, and that is something you need open and casual so it doesn’t look like to know as soon as possible because it you shoved the person back. In his THE WHOLE HAND, gives you permission to defend yourself confusion, he’ll look at you in an effort at a higher level. to figure out what just happened. Your FINGERS FIRST, IS posture should give him no clues.

THRUST FORWARD. For many people, they’re done at this Following Up point. They may continue to make THE MIDDLE FINGER If the encounter is about to get violent, comments as they disengage, but the you have a number of options. From physical portion of the confrontation PRESSES INTO THE chat cover and talking with the hands, could be over with no one getting hurt. martial arts moves from almost any NOTCH ABOVE THE GROIN HUNT: This includes three possistyle can be used. Here are a few of the ble movements. The actual groin hunt STERNUM. SOME techniques I teach listed in order of is designed to remind you that you ascending violence. have a move that can drop the average CALL THIS THE STERNAL-NOTCH PUSH BACK: This is big guy, which means you can stay the move Jimmy used in the first case “COUGH POINT.” calm during the engagement. Depend-

Sternal-notch push back: (left) straight in, (top right) diagonally down, (bottom right) diagonally up.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 65

Photos Courtesy of Scot Conway

ing on the circumstances, you have three target options: muscle, shin and groin.

The method I teach is to use the ball of your foot against the thigh or calf. Feel free to use your instep or shin if that is more comfortable. The goal with a soft-tissue kick is to inflict pain and inhibit the person’s ability to chase you. You accomplish this without doing much actual damage. A soft-tissue kick with the ball of the foot is usually followed by a quick retreat.

A shin kick has a greater chance of doing damage.

If you happen to be wearing steel-toed shoes, you can break a bone even if you didn’t intend to. For maximum impact, kick parallel to the ground right in the middle of the shinbone.

Groin kicks do damage. Use this target only if the opponent seems dangerous or attacks suddenly. Immediately back away or follow up with more attacks, depending on the circumstances. If in doubt, back off. Don’t do more harm than necessary. Remember that in the heat of battle, the other person might not detect the damage, so never expect that this kick will incapacitate someone. Be prepared for it to go either way.

FORWARD BLAST: A version of this technique exists in many martial arts. To execute a basic-level blast, do a series of quick vertical punches to the face. Use circular 66

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

motion to keep your hands moving while you charge your opponent. As you increase your power and speed, it can become a sophisticated and dangerous technique.

Even at the basic level, however, all it takes is one solid pop to the nose to make the eyes water. Ten fast punches with the requisite circular motion, even done poorly, are sufficient to accomplish this. Once the eyes water, the opponent won’t be able to see clearly to retaliate or defend.

The Martial Arts Ideal The goal of the classical martial arts is to preserve peace and to recreate it if necessary. Even when we are forced to fight, our goal should be to protect ourselves and others using a minimum of force and not unnecessary violence. The methods outlined here are tools that can be dropped into any martial art to make the attainment of those goals easier.

Scot Conway, Ph.D., is the author of more than 30 books and 30 programs, including The Ohana Way and 4P360 Leadership. A licensed attorney, he’s a longtime martial arts instructor who is relocating to St. Louis. For more information, visit GQDojo.com.

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This artic le a Septeppeared in first mber o 1962 ur issue .

THE DAITO-RYU MASTER VS. THE LOCAL HERO When Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba Accepted a Challenge Match

By chance, Ueshiba noticed that the champ was blinking in the sunlight.

“What luck!” he uttered to himself, whereupon he conceived a plan.

O

ne morning in the early 1900s, a village located on the outskirts of Tokyo was filled with commotion.

Not since the era of the roaming samurai had this village been in such a frenzy. Sporadic shouts rang throughout the community.

“What’s his name?”

“Is he the mighty Wakayama fencer?”

“Is he challenging our hero?”

As the sun rose over the mountains, not a soul was working in the rice paddies. This was unusual.

Normally, the village was quiet and deserted, with only cats and dogs occupying the dusty roads. The men, women and children tended their rice paddies from dawn to dusk.

But today, the villagers rallied around their champion, who was challenged by a young upstart from Wakayama. They all anticipated that the upstart would be another victim on the long list of those defeated

70

by their champion. The village’s hero had met and defeated all comers, but never before had he fought in his own village. Instead, he had wandered from place to place seeking his opponents. For the first time now, his worshippers would see him in action.

As the crowd waited impatiently for the challenger to appear, someone yelled at their hero, “Tell us about your last duel!”

The champ, who was slightly built with patches of gray hair on the sides of his head, spoke softy: “I’ll always remember the last challenger because he almost beat me. He was built like a bull but was not quick with his hands.

He tried to wear me down, but I was a little too fast for him.”

As the champ walked toward a high, smooth rock to sit on, another question was directed to him: “What do you think of this swordsman from Wakayama?”

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

He slowly turned to face the person who had spoken, paused for a moment, wet his lips with his tongue and deliberately replied: “From what I have heard, he is young, strong and skillful with his sword.”

As soon as he answered one question, another was posed. For a while, the people forgot about the challenger as they listened to their leader. But as the sun rose and beat down on their bare heads, they felt uneasy. Sweat formed on their foreheads and rolled down their necks.

To show respect for their leader, they dared not move to a cooler spot. Once every few minutes, someone would shield his eyes with his hand and look as far down the road as possible, impatiently searching for the challenger.

THE CHALLENGER It was noon when a distant figure was sighted. Whether he was the chal-

lenger, no one knew. He was dressed in a black kimono (Japanese robe). A wide, round hat resembling a basket was tilted on top of his head. And a pair of geta (wooden sandals) protected his feet from the hot road.

As the traveler approached the crowd, anxious faces registered dejection. Their foreheads wrinkled.

Their eyes squinted. Their mouths curled. “This couldn’t be him!” they murmured with disgust.

The stranger, who could easily be mistaken for a sumotori (sumo wrestler), nonchalantly bowed to them and cheerfully introduced himself: “I am Morihei Ueshiba from Wakayama.

If you would pardon me, could I put aside my gear before we start?”

The champ nodded with approval.

The expressions of the villagers changed from dejection to near hilarity. While the challenger placed his gear under a tree, the people chuckled and commented among themselves: “He’s too fat — he’ll be butchered.”

After removing his hat and geta, the youthful challenger used a thin string to strap the baggy kimono to his body, then trotted to the center

of the unpaved road. In his right hand, he carried his favorite bokken (wooden sword). He stopped about six paces from his elder opponent and bowed. They both drew their bokken. The match was on.

THE SLAUGHTER The noisy crowd suddenly hushed.

With eyes opened and jaws drooping, they fixed their attention on the swordsmen. It was a long wait for them to witness the impending slaughter. Only the cool breeze, carrying the fetid odor of manure from the rice fields, prevented them from going into a trance.

The first few minutes were dull.

Both men, with swords drawn, stood motionless. Then unexpectedly, the challenger raised his bokken overhead and swung it directly toward the champ’s head. The champ, at the last second, sidestepped and countered.

But Ueshiba blocked the thrust.

The “tok” sound from the wooded swords and the “ugh” sound from the fighters shattered the stillness of the air. But the flurry ceased as abruptly as it started. Both men again stood motionless, sizing each other up.

Until now, the match was even.

But this waiting under the torrid sun was taking its toll. Ueshiba felt his throat burning and his arms getting heavy. Sweat trickled into his eyes and rolled down his back. His kimono was damp and sticky. He felt miserable — so miserable that he wanted to tear his garment off. But amid the discomfort, he kept repeating to himself: “Be careful, be careful, don’t be duped.”

By chance, Ueshiba noticed that the champ was blinking in the sunlight. “What luck!” he uttered to himself, whereupon he conceived a plan.

If he could attack the instant his rival blinked, he believed he could penetrate his defense. Slowly and cautiously, Ueshiba positioned himself so his back was toward the sun, casting a shadow in front of him.

The champ, unaware, moved simultaneously. Suddenly, he realized the trap — but it was too late.

Ueshiba, bellowing an “ee-ei!” that sent chills down the spines of the onlookers, swung his sword at the side of his opponent’s head, stopping the blow just before contact. A clean cut. The village hero

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 71

conceded defeat and bowed to the new champion.

The crowd stood still. The people couldn’t believe it. They just stared at each other silently. In a moment, one of them who had regained his senses shouted, “Banzai!” (hurrah) The rest whooped in unison, “Banzai! Banzai!” to the new champion.

Ueshiba put on his geta and headed for the tree where he’d left his gear. The men joined him while the women prepared lunches and drinks.

Rice, fish, meat, tea and sake were placed before the group. After serving the men and boys, the women, conforming to their custom, hurried home without a bite.

THE AFTERMATH Ueshiba drank cup after cup of warm tea and strong sake to quench his thirst, and he swallowed his food in great gulps. He drank and ate as much as three people. Finally, he could not eat any more. He was so bloated that he could hardly sit up. As he leaned against the tree, he felt the cold, damp garment on his back, giving him goose pimples. He removed the top half of his kimono and began to wring out the perspiration.

The villagers then got a look at the new conqueror’s partially exposed body. “He isn’t flabby,” they exclaimed. “Look at the bulging flesh rippling in the sunlight!”

As Ueshiba leaned his bare back against the tree, he felt content. Even the odor from the rice paddies did not disturb him. The cool breeze evaporated his sweat. Completely relaxed, he stared into the blue sky and watched the clouds playing peekaboo with the sun. Finally, he closed his eyes and began to reminisce.

Ueshiba when he promoted the lad to black belt.

During the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Ueshiba was inducted into the Japanese army. Although he was extremely huge yet short in stature — 5 feet tall and 195 pounds — he was an excellent soldier. He was even recommended for cadet training, although he refused.

The strenuous basic training of the Japanese army practically exhausted his whole company by each evening, but Ueshiba enjoyed it. He was finally being repaid for his continuous dedication to maintaining a strong and healthy body. He clearly remembered how he used to rise early each morning to lift heavy rocks and to uproot trees in his path.

THE FITTEST In his slumber, his mind wandered to

THE BACKGROUND Ueshiba recalled his first master in the martial arts, Tokuzaburo Tozawa, who taught him kito-ryu, an ancient form of jujitsu. Ueshiba was only a teenager then, but he became so fascinated that he vowed he would spend his life studying all the martial arts.

Later, at age 20, Ueshiba studied yagi-ryu under Masakatsu Nakai, a small but tough samurai. It was Nakai who taught him how to use the bokken proficiently. The small samurai left an everlasting impression on 72

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

the recent afternoon contest. Ueshiba felt sorry for the champ, but he believed in the concept of survival of the fittest. As one grows old and slow, he thought, the person will eventually face defeat.

Then his thoughts reflected on himself, and he became quite perturbed. “When will I fall?” Ueshiba wondered. Just then, a gust of cold wind blew, interrupting his reverie.

He lazily opened his eyes and was astonished to find no one around.

“I must have been alone for quite a spell,” Ueshiba muttered. As he glanced toward Tokyo, he was spellbound by the sunset. The fluffy white clouds turned a deep red and illuminated the entire sky.

Ueshiba slowly put on his kimono, gathered his belongings and strolled toward the big city, where he would seek another opponent.

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BETTER BUSINESS

13 Reasons You Should Open a Dojo You have the skills. You have the teaching experience. For some reason, though, you’re debating whether you should make the next move. Here are 13 reasons you should take the plunge and open your own dojo.

BY FLOYD BURK

S

CHOOL OWNERS OFTEN SAY, “I STOPPED WORKING THE DAY I OPENED MY OWN BUSINESS.” And they’re

right. You’ll get to do what you love: teach martial arts. No matter how many hours per day you may spend at your new school, chances are you won’t regard it as work.

have to answer only to yourself. You’ll have the freedom to set your own schedule and your own hours. You’ll get to choose all the people who help you run the facility — which means you can set up routines and procedures just the way you want.

THE DOJO WILL BE YOURS. You can

YOU WILL ENJOY BEING ECONOMICAL WHEN BUYING INVENTORY TO RESELL IN YOUR PRO SHOP. Of course you’ll

run it the way you want, and you’ll

also need mats, heavy bags, striking

76

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

shields, a few BOBs and some training weapons for the dojo floor, but you can acquire everything for much less than it would take to buy just one machine in an auto-repair shop, for example.

RUNNING A DOJO IS ONE OF THE MOST HONORABLE WAYS TO MAKE A LIVING.

You’ll be serving your fellow citizens by teaching them the way of the warrior, which will enable them to defend

be able to attend martial arts seminars and shows while writing off the associated expenses. The same goes for trips to train with an out-of-town instructor or master.

YOU WILL ENJOY A HEALTH AND FITNESS BOOST. These are the real

necessities in life because you have nothing without them. As a dojo owner, you’ll be immersed in an environment where being healthy is encouraged. Similarly, it will be a place that lets you evolve mentally and spiritually. You won’t be in the rut that most people find themselves in, where they’re surrounded by folks who don’t seek enlightenment or self-improvement. This is why most people come to your dojo, and you can follow the path right alongside them.

EVERYONE IS INTO SOCIAL MEDIA THESE DAYS; RUNNING A DOJO WILL SERVE AS THE IMPETUS YOU NEED TO GET UP TO SPEED ON THE TECHNOLOGY.

themselves, as well as their family and friends. You’ll be helping them acquire what you have: better health and skill at self-defense. The only way to get those benefits is in the dojo — so you might as well make it your dojo.

YOU’LL BE ABLE TO DO MARTIAL ARTS AS MUCH AS YOU WANT. You’ll

be getting paid, in essence, to train, teach and work. Furthermore, you’ll

and your spouse is into martial arts, your marriage can become even better. (Conversely, dojo life can be a good test for your marriage.) Do you have kids? If so, know that raising them in your dojo is a unique experience. There will be plenty of upstanding people to help out, and all of them can impact a child’s life in a positive manner.

IF YOU STILL ENJOY COMPETING — LIKE A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ANY DOJO’S YOUTH POPULATION PROBABLY DOES — YOU’LL BE IN LUCK.

Owning a martial arts school will give you many chances to participate in tournaments, not to mention help organize and officiate.

YOU WILL ENJOY CREATING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING — LIFE DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT. In no time,

IT’S GOOD FOR THE SELF TO BE CREATIVE, AND OWNING A DOJO WILL INSPIRE YOU IN THIS AREA. You

can create as many of your business and promotional materials as you wish: brochures, posters, signs, T-shirts, teaching aids and so on.

OPERATING A DOJO CAN BE A BOON TO YOUR FAMILY. If you’re married

As a dojo owner, you’ll be immersed in an environment where being healthy is encouraged.

You’ll also enjoy knowing that your social media posts will carry your positive message to masses far larger than your student body.

A GOOD DOJO WILL MAKE AN IMPACT ON YOUR COMMUNITY. Opening one

also will give you a platform to have a positive effect on the people in the community. When you see kids who were raised in your dojo go on to live happy and productive lives, you’ll take pride in the part you played in their success.

you’ll be making a good living for your family while you go about building your legacy in the martial arts. As rewarding as this can be, it’s even better when your legacy entails fostering enlightenment and happiness through martial arts.

YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO STOP. You can be 63

years old, like I am, and still go strong. If you wish, you can reach out and touch the stars well past the typical retirement age.

In essence, you can work right up until the end, if you so desire. Few people, even those who love their work, are fortunate enough to be able to say this.

Floyd Burk is a San Diego–based 10th-degree black belt with 50 years of experience in the arts. To contact him, visit Independent Karate Schools of America at iksa.com.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 BLACKBELTMAG.COM 77

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Sparring and Fighting: There Is a Difference!

In 1972 Jim Niland saw a karate demonstration at his elementary school. The third-grader in Meriden, Connecticut, was hooked from the first punch to the last kick. There was no doubt in his young mind that he would wear one of those white uniforms someday.

N

ILAND WOULD HAVE TO WAIT 22 YEARS for an

opportunity to embark on his journey. It was then, at age 30, that he finally got his chance to learn how to tie a square knot on a white belt.

78

Why such a long wait? Life got in the way of his childhood dream of becoming a martial artist. He wound up serving seven years in the Army National Guard, earning a degree in criminal justice, holding down a full-time job with a power company and doing a

BLACKBELTMAG.COM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019

myriad of other unexpected things — not too different from most people who experience life-interrupted.

WHEN HIS DREAM of taking up karate

was at its lowest point, Niland’s pal Dave Kremzar entered the picture.

Photo Courtesy of Jim Niland

BY TERRY L. WILSON

A student of kenpo, he took Niland to a class and introduced him to the instructor/owner.

“I signed up for lessons on the spot,” Niland recalled. “That was the day I took my first step toward my goal of becoming a black belt and toward my long-range goal of owning a karate school.”

Kenpo quickly became a lifestyle for Niland. He embraced it with unbridled enthusiasm and devotion — until a new job forced him to relocate to a city that offered no way for him to continue his particular martial pursuit. Once again, it was life-interrupted.

“I moved to St. Augustine, Florida, for a new job,” Niland said. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t a kenpo school anywhere near where I lived. Since I only wanted to train in kenpo, I stopped altogether.

“But as time went on, I began to explore different styles. That led me to taekwondo.”

That decision to try his hand at other arts would prove pivotal for Niland. It eventually expanded his knowledge of martial arts as a whole.

And the cross-training it precipitated would play an important role when he became a school owner, one who specialized in spreading the message that fighting for a trophy is very different from fighting for your life.

IN FLORIDA, Niland was exposed to another art that bears a strong selfdefense orientation. “While there, I met an instructor who taught hapkido,” he said. “After watching his class for a few days, I knew I had to learn that art, too — but not until I’d earned a black belt in taekwondo. I went on to receive my second dan in ITF taekwondo and opened a school called All American Martial Arts.”

Niland quickly learned that being a good instructor doesn’t automatically translate to running a successful school. He knew that he had to earn a different kind of black belt, one that revolved around business.

While struggling to make ends meet, he worked as a police officer.

He came close to losing his home at one point because the school wasn’t

bringing in enough revenue to sustain itself. Fortunately, he ran into Mike Metzger of the Martial Arts Industry Association. Using the group’s structured programs, Niland was able to turn things around. The school went from being in the red to being in a nice shiny shade of black. With 200plus students bringing in $35,000 a month, he knew it was time to turn in his badge and gun and become a fulltime martial arts instructor.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without Century and MAIA,” he said. “I’ve been with them for six years, and it was with their help and guidance that I’ve grown my school beyond my wildest expectations.”

TO ENHANCE HIS CURRICULUM even

further, Niland took up krav maga and eventually became a certified instructor. “It was at this time that I realized while taekwondo gave me so many valuable skills, I was using it mainly as a sport. I competed in many AAU and other sanctioned tournaments, and now I had my students doing the same thing.”

However, Niland wanted his students to be able to defend themselves outside the ring. “We sparred to score points and only kicked above the waist,” Niland recalled. “I said we were teaching self-defense, but was sparring really self-defense? I needed to re-evaluate my program.”

He began reviewing his kenpo notes, then did the same with his krav maga notes. Next, he combined the best of both worlds with the lessons he’d learned from taekwondo. “I incorporated the speed and balance with the long-range weapons of taekwondo,” he said. “Then I added the ‘thundering hammers’ of kenpo and the attack-the-attacker attitude that creates an aggressive mindset. From krav maga, I inserted RCAT, which is the ‘redirect, control, attack and take’ principle, along with various ground techniques.”

Where did that mix leave him?

To answer the question, he cited the example of the round kick: “If I could plant a perfectly executed round kick on my opponent’s head in a sparring ring, why not teach

the [kick with the] same speed and accuracy to the knee? Same kick, different location. Of course, utilizing more of the shin and not just the instep was something I needed to teach — that came from my krav maga background.”

HIS NEW AND IMPROVED WAY of doing things wasn’t limited to just kicks. “We would all agree that a punch is not just a punch,” he said.

“Just ask Hawaiian-kempo master John Hackleman. And in Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do by Gen. Choi Hong-hi, there are literally pages on punches and punching techniques.

“In kenpo, the ‘mace’ is the fist.

Kenpo means ‘fist method’ or ‘way of the fist’ — this is related to the fist acting like a mace. A mace is a blunt weapon that uses a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful blows. Each style gives a little something that, if bits and pieces are taken from each one, will create a well-rounded practitioner in both self-defense and sport fighting.

“As I look back at the very structured positions I was taught in taekwondo for just the side kick — that was all well and good for forms, but does it need to be this structured in an attack on the street? Usually not.

But by already having this type of exactness ingrained, students are better for it.

“On the flip side, when I try to teach students about keeping their hips square to the attacker — according to the attack-the-attacker mentality — they often revert to their Olympicsparring style, which looks much different. I must remind them of the difference between sparring and fighting for real.”

This is precisely the message — that self-defense overlaps with but does not equal competition — that Niland strives to convey at All American Martial Arts. And if financial success is a measure of his mastery of the material, he’s got a very good grip on the subject.

For more information about All American Martial Arts, visit staugustinetaekwondo.com.

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From the rchives

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Vol. 18, No. 2, $1.50 Vo

T 194th issue of Black Belt The w was dated February 1980. It w was 76 pages long and featured sshotokan karate stylist Emil F Farkas on the cover.

• “I became good at judo because of a fear factor, because I had WR RYHUFRPH P\ VPDOOQHVV DQG ODFN RI VHOI FRQÀGHQFH µ VD\V shotokan practitioner Emil Farkas, who grew up in the middle of the Hungarian Revolution.

• A show called Way of Action features the talents of Linda Lutes and Nelson Howe. The karateka are touring the nation to demonstrate martial arts–related feats.

• After the passing of Han Kim, Black Belt gets a new publisher: Robert Matheney.

• Jhoon Rhee Sports begins marketing its line of Bionic Chop sparring gear.

• “I simply cannot understand why there is so much rivalry EHWZHHQ WKH PDQ\ VW\OHV RI WKH PDUWLDO DUWV µ ZULWHV -D\ 9DQVWRQ RI /HKLJK 9DOOH\ 3HQQV\OYDQLD ´$UH ZH QRW DOO VWULYLQJ WKURXJK our respective styles to develop ourselves in both mind and body, and do we not also strive to spread our philosophy of a sound PLQG DQG ERG\ WR HYHU\RQH"µ • 7KH :RUOG 7DHNZRQGR )HGHUDWLRQ LV SODQQLQJ LWV ÀUVW :RUOG &XS &KDPSLRQVKLSV ,W ZLOO WDNH SODFH LQ /DV 9HJDV RU 1HZ <RUN &LW\ • Back issues of Black Belt now sell for $2 each. A one-year gift subscription goes for $12.50.

• The National Athletic Health Institute is teaming up with Sho .RVXJL·V /RV $QJHOHV 2SHQ .DUDWH &KDPSLRQVKLSV WR VWXG\ injuries that occur in martial arts tournaments.

• 0DVVDFKXVHWWV LV ÀQDOL]LQJ D ELOO WKDW ZRXOG OLFHQVH PDUWLDO DUWV teachers in the state.

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• “If you are totally aware of your situation and face your attacker with a calm mind, your body will be much better able to respond PRUH TXLFNO\ WR ZKDWHYHU PRYH KH PDNHV µ VD\V $QGUHZ /XP DQ instructor of the Chinese martial arts. “The worst thing to do is to DQWLFLSDWH µ • Lum continues on the subject of chi: “This is nothing VSHFWDFXODU 1RWKLQJ P\VWLFDO RU PDJLFDO ,W·V DOO QDWXUDO $Q\RQH FDQ GR LW ZLWK SUDFWLFH $ ORW RI SHRSOH PLVLQWHUSUHW WKH ZRUG ¶FKL· itself. Everyone has chi, but their aura only extends outward maybe a quarter of an inch. The masters learn to extend and SURMHFW D JUHDWHU GLVWDQFH µ • In a feature story, Chuck Norris extols the virtues of the Total Gym exercise machine.

• “If you want to make a sword, you do not take a lump of iron and SHW LW µ VD\V kenjutsu LQVWUXFWRU )UHGULFN - /RYUHW ´<RX KHDW LW UHG hot and then pound it with a hammer. The dojo must be a forge and the sensei WKH KDPPHU <RX VKRXOG QHYHU EUHDN D VWXGHQW EXW RFFDVLRQDO VXUIDFH GDPDJH LV JRRG IRU VSLULWXDO GHYHORSPHQW µ • Need to learn how to wield a nunchaku the safe way? Grab a Shodan Softchuk, made of foam rubber and costing just $5.95.

• ´)DFH \RXUVHOI IURP EHJLQQLQJ WR HQG µ VD\V shotokan master 7VXWRPX 2KVKLPD LQ DQ HIIRUW WR HQHUJL]H DWWHQGHHV DW KLV DQQXDO Special Training. “When you get tired, everyone else is tired, too.

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(Note: Back issues are not for sale.)

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