"A gentleman should be polite and never aggressive, approachable, but never daring; kill but never humiliate; no sign of dishonesty can be found in his dwelling; his meals are never heavy; even the slightest error is corrected, but with no indictment whatsoever. Such is the strength of will. " Guichin Funakoshi. verything changes, nothing stays the same. If the initial purpose of disciplinary Arts was the forming of fighters and warriors in order to defend their own people, isn't that what policemen and soldiers do today? Then... Why are there still Martial Arts practitioners? Weapons, on the other hand, have become so much more sophisticated and complex that the ancient arts of defense and attack, although not completely outdated (there will always be a moment in the final the hand-tohand in which they may be useful), have been limited to a training method to model the character of the "militia" rather than develop their physical skills. Cops on their part face enormous limitations in the use of their strength, so that their techniques have necessarily undergone such a peculiar adaptation process that keep little in common with the old forms of combat, creating de facto by virtue of the foregoing, a specific subgenus within them. The way I see it, there are just three reasons left for practicing Martial Arts: The first one is sports, certainly a sublimation of innate human violence, which turns it first into a spillway of tensions, especially linked to adolescence and the rise of hormones that accompanies it. Sports also serves the non negligible function of "taking out excess energy" of overfeeding of today's children (and not-so-children), and convert it, of course, into a spectacle, where adoration and worship to the hero don't go unnoticed, thus fulfilling another no less useful social function in the sublimation of violence. The second reason, outlined in the preceding paragraphs, is linked to the formation of character and discipline in the police and the military. The third is none other than the maintenance of traditions long-practiced and associated to ancient cultures and incidentally allow to accommodate rites, so necessary in modern cultures, where their abolition, result from the blends of the multicultural society, united to the pragmatic and prosperous vision of modern man, has orphaned several generations of young people from all and any reference and enlightening experience about their place on earth. Against all odds, Martial Arts, a glaring anachronism, persist in their practice and not only that, they're also spreading like wildfire among the younger population of modern societies. What possibilities have young people today to properly train their character? Which are the heroes to emulate? Which the models to pursue?
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"When concentration permeates mind and body, the breath power becomes one with the universe, extending smoothly and naturally to the absolute limit, but at the time the person becomes increasingly selfcontained and independent." Ueshiba Morihei.
The abolition of compulsory military service, lack of discipline in schools, parents being extremely busy and most of the times incapable to "educate", along with a social context where the prevailing values overexpose the idea of rights over duties, and in a background in general permissive and indolent, do the rest. You make walk the donkey with a carrot and a stick ... but today there are only cloying sweets and given at the wrong time. How can you mould the character with these raw? I do not defend physical punishment as a general recipe, but we are reaching the most frightful ridicule and the most harmful overprotection. In schools, poor teachers, castrated and without weapons, fight in an absurd battle to fill up the heads of our society's infants with just data. "Autoritas" doesn't exist any longer, because every power remains in the extreme with the credible threat of a real superiority. A friend of mine, a language teacher in England, told me how when she approached an eleven year old brat that was sabotaging the class, he began to shout: "She has touched me, touched me!"; "If I had really done it might even have been accused of pederast", she said. Martial Arts in any of its forms have become today a priceless and irreplaceable educational tool. The superiority of the Master is sustained in last stay in his effective ability to impose himself even physically, in an environment where violence is formal, but it is also violence. The Dojo, the Kwon, the gym or whatever you call it is thus transformed into a symbolic and somehow sacred space, ruled by its own laws, which are based on a real and verifiable authority. The display of such elemental power, easily resonates among the most reluctant and unruly pupils, whether elementary primary males or not, while the moral superiority of a true Martial Master, provides him that necessary model aura so that those more sensitive and awake can have a model to emulate. Martial Arts are an extraordinary medicine for these and other ills that afflict our modern society; those living from them (and within them) would be quite wrong not paying enough attention to these points. When something is useful it will continue to exist and although its usefulness can be changed over the centuries, nothing exists or remains without fulfilling any function. Martial Arts today are a wonderful gift for millions of young people, but also a way of life for people who have found in them a beautiful, uplifting and worthy reference to walk this earth as a whole human being.
Alfredo Tucci is Managing Director to BUDO INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING CO. e-mail: budo@budointernational.com
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The "Kyusho Tactical Control Program" (KTCP), was designed for Subject control escalation with Legal, Medical and Tactical Deployment research, field-testing and coordination. The scope of this program is for use by but not limited to, Law Enforcement, Security, Emergency Medical or Response, Coast Guard, Military, Governmental Agencies, Body Guards and Personal Security. This Basic Module is comprised of one set of 12 primary targets and integrated into 4 modules of escalating force restraint continuums. There are several weak structures in the human body that can be utilized by an Agent to simply gain control of a perpetrator more efficiently than conventional use of force methods. This would be in the protocol should a situation escalate past the verbal command stage. These Kyusho (Vital) points are where the Agent can make use of internal systems of physical control such as, Nerves, Tendon Structure and natural Nerve Reflexes of the body. Not requiring heavy force Fine or complex motor control or even sight… all of which is subject to failure and loss in high adrenaline states. This information is dedicated to the Brave and Resilient Members of these Agencies around the world… Thank you for what you do!
REF.: • KYUSHO 22
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Self-defense SELF PRO KRAV Evolution Developed fifteen years ago by the international expert Jacques Levinet, whose achievements in martial arts and combat sports are well known worldwide, the SELF KRAV or SPK PRO method is one of the most effective and realistic self defense systems existing today throughout the world. Two videos and a book support this discipline. Beyond the simplicity of its acquisition and adaptation to all groups (men, women, children, law enforcement), the SPK strength lies in its annual updating in order to adhere to the ever changing aggression patterns of our days. In Captain Lenivet's opinion, you can't freeze a martial arts or self defense method forever without risking transforming it into something obsolete and useless.
Self-defense Reminder of the origins of SPK The SELF PRO KRAV stems from the professional experience as a police captain and knowledge of fighting techniques of Soke Jacques Levinet. Among the many methods of self defense that he's created, Master Levinet has adapted his police method, the Real Operational System or ROS, with his sound knowledge of self defense to make it an operational method called SELF PRO KRAV: Self for Personal Self Defense, Pro for Professionals and Krav for Combativeness, in Hebrew. However, SPK is NOT a form of Kravmaga; it differs from it in many specific technical aspects and has a different approach in the field of personal defense and questioning. Captain Levinet retained the term Krav without adhering to Kravmaga, only because of the fighting spirit that prevails in this discipline. The richness of SPK also comes from the numerous seminars, exchanges, training sessions and experiences that the master has acquired and transmitted to units around the world (Israel, United States, Australia, Japan, South America, Canada, Cuba, Japan, Russia and Europe) and his exchanges with many teachers and experts like Haim Gidon, Gaby Shai, Aaron Elbaze, Jim Wagner, Darren Levine, Vincent Lyn, Taiji Kase, Keinosuke Enoeda, Hiroo Mochizuki, Shirai, Dominique Valera and many others. The SPK method includes the following 5 key points: Survival Instinct - Conditioning training - Operational technique - Self Defense - Evolution In other words: will to survive, means to survive, learning of natural gestures, respect for the law and questioning. The SPK is a discipline in itself, recognized internationally by the foremost Police experts and the greatest Martial Arts masters in the world.
The new SELF PRO KRAV or SELF PRO KRAV EVOLUTION The evolution of SPK is mandatory to update it against the new ways of aggression. The evolution of SPK is now essential to keep up with violence. It also comes from a feedback or permanent return of experiences that victims deliver to the founder of the discipline. The news of SELF PRO KRAV EVOLUTION is: • Acquisition of ambidextrous defenses to cope with any eventuality (facing a left-handed aggressor, in any position, standing on the floor, sitting, kneeling, hostage taking). • SPK Defenses against multiple attackers. • Defenses SPK in confined and enclosed environment. • Defenses SPK for law enforcement forces. • SPK Defenses against unconventional attacks (weapons and empty hands). • Defenses SPK in low light or darkness. • Defenses SPK with everyday life objects (umbrella, pen, briefcase, purse, keys, credit cards, cell phone, shoes, jacket, vest, magazine, etc.). • Adaptation of the SPK for women and children, since attacks against these groups are not the same as attacks among men. Without going into the details of these areas of development, here are some examples of the new SELF PRO KRAV ÉVOLUTION: • Percussion training of fists and feet on moving targets, complemented by an elbow-knee percussion work on a fixed shield. It doesn't mean that the SPK becomes a combat sport, but it requires a minimum of feet-fists percussion knowledge. The evolution of SPK is mandatory to update it against the new ways of aggression. The evolution of SPK is now essential to keep up with violence. It also comes from a feedback or permanent return of experiences that victims deliver to the founder of the discipline. The news of SELF PRO KRAV EVOLUTION is: • Acquisition of ambidextrous defenses to cope with any eventuality (facing a left-handed aggressor, in any position, standing on the floor, sitting, kneeling, hostage taking).
• SPK Defenses against multiple attackers. • Defenses SPK in confined and enclosed environment. • Defenses SPK for law enforcement forces. • SPK Defenses against unconventional attacks (weapons and empty hands). • Defenses SPK in low light or darkness. • Defenses SPK with accessories of everyday life (umbrella, pen, briefcase, purse, keys, credit cards, cell phone, shoes, jacket, vest, magazine, etc.). • Adaptation of the SPK for women and children, since attacks against these groups are not the same as attacks among men. Without going into the details of these areas of development, here are some examples of the new SELF PRO KRAV ÉVOLUTION: • Percussion workout of fists and feet on moving targets, complemented by elbow-knee percussion training on a fixed shield. It doesn't mean that the SPK becomes a combat sport, but it requires a minimum of feet-fists percussion knowledge. • Just a few weapon disarmament tricks because such techniques are too dangerous against knives, daggers, razors or other blades. Only percussion techniques are privileged in the SPK to disarm quickly and safely. • Using real blunt weapons (sticks, bats) to achieve higher grades and put the candidate in a real situation. • Using handguns and shoulder guns with gas, blank guns and balls (with helmet) for the upper grades to understand the disarmament procedure. • Firearms threats are made with real neutralized weapons, maintaining the finger on the trigger as do the bullies. • Using an aluminum knife to feel the cold and the danger of the blade in threats touching the body or throat. • Acquisition of a thorough learning to avoid any reflex action and complicated technique and keep only the defense reflex.
• Lear ning, from the 2nd Dan level, of ambidextrous defenses to assimilate the SPK against a lefty or a righty, as appropriate. A primary acquisition for instructors, who must be able to demonstrate and teach a lefty or righty and take into account every type of student. • Acquisition, from the 2nd Dan, of techniques for defending a third person and bodyguard techniques to train students in protecting their loved ones or a vulnerable person in case of aggression. • Defenses, from the 5th Dan, with everyday common objects, such as umbrellas, sticks, pens, bags, wallets, keys, cell phones, chairs, jackets, glass, footwear, magazines, etc.). It is important because defending yourself by any means is essential sometimes.
Self-defense Training and affiliation in SELF PRO KRAV • Technical Syllabus - With the acquisition of grades from yellow belt to black belt and then SPK Dan (from first to tenth Dan). Despite being sued, the SELF PRO KRAV Dan rank has been recognized. The SPK has become a trademark with the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property). • Access to higher level requires, in all grades, a technical test (finishing a defense with a locking technique to check the knowledge of the candidate) and a combat test (rapid defenses without finishing with a lock to fight in the street). • SPK Dans are delivered with the utmost seriousness, by an international Grade Commission, respecting the time between grades. All exams take place in front of an audience and jury to avoid any complacency. No grades by personal recommendation are granted. • Instructor program - For initial and continuing training, Instructor, Chief Instructor and SPK Expert. The Academy issues these professional training certificates for its registration as a training organization in the Ministry of Labour in France. • The instructor exam tests consist of written technical tests and teaching tests. The Academy Jacques Levinet takes into account the ability of candidates and refuses to issue certificates of convenience not to tarnish its credibility. Morality is required for SPK instructors, who respect a "gentleman agreement" and a code of ethics. • Affiliation program - Instructors from different self defense schools, martial arts styles and combat sports apply constantly to become a member of the AJL International Federation for recognition of their systems and eventually their rank. An approval gateway was launched for SELF PRO KRAV, given the supporting documentation provided. • An online training - Recently, there is an online training course for instructors and representatives of the Federation of Jacques Levinet, who teach in faraway countries of France. Written programs, video and corrections are made by Internet and Skype under the control of the French expert.
The Chief Point - Self-defense • SPK principles - Captain Jacques Levinet, through his training and compliance with the law, evidences in his SELF PRO KRAV method, an absolute respect for personal defense. It is not just about knowing the law, but knowing also how to apply it when the defense method is used. It is important to provide students with the legal means so that they can justify their actions in defense. Being able to demonstrate a legitimate defense is not easy in front of justice; for that reason, practitioners have some memento program to help them out. Some examples, under penalty of jail, even as a victim:
• Twist a knife against an aggressor, even after having disarmed him. • Respond with the aggressor's gun, even after having disarmed him. • Leave your fingerprints on the assailant's gun trigger during a bad disarmament (with a disarming technique, for example). • Reply with the aggressor’s bat, even after having disarmed. • Use an aggression gesture, like a head butt. • Respond to a benign aggression, with a defense to the genitals, like a grip. • Increase the fist or foot percussion defenses on an unarmed assailant on the ground, under penalty of cruelty and failing to comply with the law. • Respond in vital areas against a non vital aggression. *** In other words, being a victim doesn't justify the use of any response. The SELF PRO KRAV warns practitioners and gives them the legal means to justify. The end doesn't justify the means. The SPK adaptation to countries: • The SPK taught in many countries, takes into account their laws and respect them. For that reason the SPK evolves by continents. • As a result, certain defenses, banned in France or Europe, for example, are perfectly allowed in some countries.
SELF PRO KRAV POLICE Module There may be several ways to effectively defend yourself irrespective of whether you are a civilian or a cop. Only purposes change, hence the reason for the creation of the SELF POR KRAV POLICE module. Here are some aspects of the SPK POLICE learning: • Use of the equipment weapons for defending oneself in compliance with the law. • Acquisition of teamwork and protection. • SPK POLICE handcuffing, alone and in teams, in all places. • Complementarities of empty hand actions and weapon use. • Operational Keys of neutralization, alone and in teams. • Means of operational driving in emergencies. • Basic acquisition of the Police Training ROS method associated with the SPK. *** In other words, where the civilian SPK ends, begins the police SPK with own means of coercion and coercion characteristic of the ROS Real Operational System or method of the law enforcement forces. The SELF PRO KRAV POLICE module
Self-defense
Self-defense has gained full acceptance since many police units and special units in France (as ERIS) and abroad (such as GAD in Argentina and Spetsnaz in Russia) were trained in SPK Police and ROS by Captain Jacques Levinet.
A recognized international federation • Through the International Federation of Personal Defense and the Police Training AJL, SELF PRO KRAV is present in about fifty representatives in France and abroad (Spain, Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, England, Canary Islands , USA, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Canada, Mauritius, the Caribbean Sea, Russia, Siberia, Australia, New Zealand, China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Tunisia, Algeria). The official chart of AJL includes DTN (National Technical Directors), DTR (Regional Technical Directors) and DTD (Departmental Technical Directors). • The AJL has a registration number of the Ministry of Sport in France and a registration number in the Ministry of Labour and much institutional recognition worldwide.
• Real SELF PRO KRAV can be seen through the identical uniforms worn by the practitioners in France and the rest of the world. The only difference is the color in the logo of the country and on the belt to emphasize the country's identity. • Finally, the curriculum vitae of the founder, Captain Jacques Levinet, calls for a high level of credibility of his AJL federation. We end this article humbly saying that SELF PRO KRAV doesn't intend to be the best method of self-defense, but a method of interest.
International Federation of Personal Defense and Police Training. Jacques Levinet Academy AJL. Tel .: +33 (0) 467 075 044 E-Mail: contact@academielevinet.com Web Site: www.academielevinet.com
Video actors Captain Jacques Levinet President AJL, State title, 10th Dan Black Belt Self Pro Krav, 10th Dan ROS Police, Defense Baton 10th Dan, Defense Stick 10th Dan, Karate FEKAMT 6th Dan, French Boxing Monitor Pascal Tabaglio Instructor, DTR AJL Midi Pyrenees, Self Pro Krav 2nd Dan black belt, Defense Baton 2nd Dan, Defense Stick 2nd Dan, ROS Police 1st Dan, Yoseikan Budo and Karate 1st Dan, French Boxing Monitor.
Old and New I began the practice of WingTsun little over 20 years ago under the tutelage of one of the most important masters of the Leung Ting WingTsun branch in the world: Sifu VĂctor GutiĂŠrrez In these more than 20 years I've heard incessantly the never -ending discussion about the need for evolution of the style or, conversely, the compulsion to keep the system in one piece as it was taught by GM Yip Man. If we are to concur in something, it's surely in the fact that these two positions will never reach agreement. Indeed, in my humble opinion, these two "sides" of the same family (not to be forgotten) lived ignoring each other for many years, as if they were pretending that the other part didn't exist.
rom not too long, this trend has been changing towards a still more delicate subject: the confrontation between advocates of tradition and those of modernity. Again we are involved in a completely sterile debate that doesn't offer any possibility of understanding between both factions due in large part to the strength of positions among masters of one and the other option. I must admit that in truth, both options have firm and valid arguments for the defense of their positions. If you listen to a "traditionalist" master in his line of reasoning about the need to maintain untouched the style, with no change whatsoever, he will "almost" convince you. Similarly, if you sit down to hear the why's of an advocate of the need for changes to adapt WingTsun to the times and to the change of "predators", you will understand without any doubt that his reasons are not trivial either. But at this point we might ask: and what if they both have a part of the truth but none of them has the whole truth? Wouldn't it be this another issue that points to Taoism as the main philosophical influence of Wing Chun Kuen? Sure after this article, both positions will continue in their old uncompromising position, but if at least for a few minutes I could give pause for thought to advocates of both positions, we would already have made a great deal of progress. To be able to get a holistic comprehension of the situation, we should first listen to both sides and try without closed opinions to understand the why's. Sure, some of my readers of this column may ask: But what is your position? What option do you favor? And my answer today would be: Both... and
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“Anyway, where do we establish the limits of developments? Or, put another way: where does the style stop being called WingTsun and becomes something different?� none! To go on saying that next year I will probably think different ... or not ... My experience tells me that opinions change over the years and so does the perception of things. What I'm trying to say is that, almost certainly, when we adopt a firm attitude and make a fanatical and bigoted defense of a position (whatever) we're missing at least half of the truth. This is the main reason for which my opinion has changed a lot in recent years and I must admit that what enriched most my vision of the style was to keep an open mind and a flexible spirit to try to understand both positions. Personally I have been a defender of the evolutionary position of the system for many years. The influence of my master has been crucial in that. For us WingTsun is a Chinese system of boxing that must search the maxim in any Wu Shu system: Victory! Whether you get it or not (that will always depend on who is the enemy in front of you), the aim of the practice is pursuit victory. An art of war like Chinese boxing always seeks victory. Again I refer in this column to the chess game: the aim of this game, half sport half art of war is TO WIN. I don't know any player who plays to lose or just tries to play by moving pieces on the board for the simple pleasure of moving time. Nevertheless, winning or losing (again in this case, victory depends on the level of the adversary we have across the board) you always try to win. In this respect, it has proven necessary to consider some really important elements if we want to do it. The change of scenarios and techniques of our adversaries forces us to an adjustment in the training method in order to try to approach our goal of victory. This definition of our goal marks a path. Finally, goal and path is the cause of efficiency and effectiveness. To do this, sometimes we disregard some things considered "unhelpful" for the greater good: efficiency Although ... the position of the traditionalists is entirely respectable just the same: The more traditional currents claim that their obligation is to maintain the legacy of Grandmaster Yip Man for the sake of the art itself. They understand that if things remain such as the Great Master taught them to his direct pupils (there are still some alive) the essence of this fighting art will never be lost. Also, I must admit that basically have a big part of the reason. Had it not been for some extremely traditional masters, surely some of the technical work, but mostly some of the style strategies, wouldn't have survived. For many years, I asked some professors of the branch I studied about such important elements as the "Kuen Kuits", or about the history of the style, and the answer was always the same: "That's not important." Well ... in first place, I would like to be the one to decide whether something is important or not, therefore if I ask what a teacher is to teach me the whole system in the shortest time possible. In return I promise train diligently the rest of my life! The Wing Chun called "classic" is the fountain in which evolutionists have drunk and to which they must constantly return to understand some of the most important things in the efficiency of sense. In this aspect I want to especially outline the conservation of important elements such as the Kuits Kuen (Poems of knowledge that give us the key of the style strategies).
But in my personal opinion, the preservation of tradition is fundamental for an issue that transcends technique, tactics and even the idea of ??the pursuit of victory. Keeping the KNOWLEDGE of a former generation and take it to later one is a maximum liability of a martial artist, but especially, this responsibility falls on the shoulders of the masters of style. I imagine that many practitioners, who, like me, have spent half his life in the pursuit of efficiency, will not understand this concept, but today and for me (and my association) this is absolutely fundamental. We could in this column cite arguments on both sides to strengthen both positions, but then a curious thing would occur: the more we embrace one position, the further away we move from the spirit of this style: flexibility and adaptability. It is undeniable that the style has been continuously changing and evolving in its five hundred years of existence. If we look at the students of GM Yip Man in the first time in Hong Kong and those in his last period we can find sidereal differences among them. Although some claim that this is not entirely true, actually the distance is so great that it looks like they were practicing different styles. We are talking about a very short historical period (barely twenty years). It can serve us as a sample... although there are many more. After Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China in the second half of the last century, practitioners of different branches spread throughout Southeast Asia. If we take a general look at practitioners in Vietnam, Taiwan, Foshan or some of the branches that reached Australia, we can see that THERE ISN'T a unique and unchanging style. So, why shouldn't it be possible to make changes to the search for the famous effectiveness? Anyway, where do we establish the limits of developments? Or, put another way: where does the style stop being called WingTsun and becomes something different? Well, in my opinion the principles perfectly define this line. The four basic principles of WingTsun define the style itself well above even the same techniques. Although today I consider fundamental such
important elements as the strategic concepts, the origin sources of the elastic power, the style philosophy and some other elements which I usually call NON TANGIBLE. Perhaps in a future column we can talk about them. In short, despite being constantly confronted in a somewhat childish dialectic about what is or is not authentic WingTsun, I firmly believe that both positions need each other as a counterweight. By way of Yin and Yang. Both are opposites, both facing each other, but they require the other's existence to reaffirm their nature. We are aware of the notion of light by its absence... and conversely. Practitioners, who, like me, are in pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness, necessarily have to resort to traditionalists so as not to lose the real nature of the style. In turn, the defenders of tradition know in the depths of themselves that evolutionists are "effective" in combat situations and that forces them to not neglect this important aspect in Wu Shu. So, as you see, they both need each other. Here's where the title of this month's column places us: new or old? Traditional or modern? And why not at the midpoint? Why not drink from both fountains? That's my personal choice and I the one I try to apply in my Association. I am sure that embracing only one of them would make me miss the wonders of the other half. Thank you for your attention
“Health”, “Spirit” and are the “Fight” foundations of our martial arts lectures. All our techniques, forms and exercises are built upon these three ideas. U n d e r s t a n d a b l y, the r eputation of our school was greatly influenced by these basic principles. Other schools also market those principles for themselves. Likewise many masters and grandmasters declare their style and system to follow those maxims. But what do those the three words really mean?
KUNG FU SCHULE MARTIN SEWER - Health - Spirit - Fight
Over 100 years old Chiu Kow (Hong Kong), father and master of my teacher, grandmaster Dr. Chiu Chi Ling, was born in 1895 and passed away in 1995 a natural death. His wife, Shiu Ying, also a Hung Gar master, reached the respectable age of 98. Both were healthy and fit into their old age. Good genes alone were not responsible for their longevity: Their lifetime Kung Fu Training obviously had a substantial influence on both of their long and healthy lives. Today, Chiu Kow's sons Chiu Wai, residing in Canada and also a great Hung Gar master, is 85 years old and still in best of health. Even more remarkable is the story of Graham, one of Wai's students: Graham spent his childhood in a wheelchair. He is now 70 years old and has no need for a wheelchair thanks to his Hung Gar Kung Fu training. Tim, a Kung Fu brother of mine, was ill many years suffering from high blood pressure. After participating regularly in Kung Fu Trainings he lives today without his previous symptoms and the need for medication. These examples impressively reveal the positive effects of Kung Fu training and how this martial art strengthens ones health for life.
Chiu Chi Ling, grandmaster and doctor Whoever personally met the grandmaster Chiu Chi Ling received a positive impression of a great personality and is modestly amazed. The 72-year-old grandmaster bubbles with energy, zest for action and the enjoyment of life. Even long distance journeys around the globe and other exertions cannot drain his energy. Sifu Chiu is the living proof of the life energy, which can be won through Hung Gar Kunf Fu. He is rarely if ever sick and his worst health-related experience was a stay in the hospital after a major car accident.
What about other martial arts? This question is not easy to answer. It helps to consider the history of the relevant system and to ask the following questions: Were the masters of the relevant martial art/the relevant system healthy? Did they live long? Where they known for their vitality? What is with the current masters and grandmasters? Do they really live healthy? And how sincere are the promises of certain schools/styles in their advertisements? Could it be that not all is genuine or true? These questions could help to find out if a certain school fits our long-term needs.I would like to conclude with some statements of current students of mine. These students, who haven't been learning our system for a long time, can still confirm achievements of their goals and successes. Read for yourself:
“Before I started with Hung Gar, I weighted 106 kg (234 lbs.). My sense of balance and my body were greatly influenced by this very heavy load. After reading Sifu's book “5-3-1”, I continuously improved my nourishment. Loosing weight became enjoyable, because I felt mentally and physically good. It was so simple. One must only eat healthy and know what is correct to eat. After 7 months my weight was down to 81 kg (179 lbs.). I reached this goal thanks to the book '5-3-1' and training Hung Gar in the KUNG FU SCHOOL MARTIN SEWER. For this dear Sifu I thank you very much. Martin Chollet, student since October 2013.
“Doctors told me, that because of my high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels I wouldn't be able to live without medication. For years I had to take pills. Since I started training at the KUNG FU SCHOOL MARTIN SEWER, my blood values have steadily improved. Starting one month ago I have stopped taking my medications and feel better then I ever have. My doctor tells me, “Whatever I am doing, keep it up!” Jörg Schläpfer, Training Instructor. Student since November 2013.
“After a traffic accident and several operations I limped on my left leg for years. Hung Gar training not only strengthened my muscles again, it also gave me the mental strength to walk upright again, normal and self-confident. Something I did not believe in any longer. But with Hung Gar lessons from my Sifu, I did it! “Thank you, Sifu!” - Daniel Schabron, IT- and Marketing Consultant. Student since May 2013.
“Before I practiced Hung Gar, I suffered from a back problem; a herniated disc. Not watching my step by leaving a train could have easily caused me so much pain that I would have been incapacitated. 13 month ago I started classes at the KUNG FU SCHOOL MARTIN SEWER. 13 months later, I live without any pain. A priceless feeling. Thank you Sifu!” - Stephan Nyffenegger, lawyer. Student since December 2013.
Weng Chun
“Developed by the warrior monks of southern shaolin temple in the need of protection against pirates and robberies, weng chun was used by the rebbels on the red boats in underground fights�
Weng Chun Kung Fu s 6 1/2 principles for combat Developed by the warrior monks of southern shaolin temple in the need of protection against pirates and robberies, weng chun was used by the rebbels on the red boats in underground fights and later for selfdefence in the streets of Fatshan (China) and Hong Kong. It survived the cultural revolution thru the work of Grandmaster Wai Yan and is today taught internationally by weng chun s leader Grandmaster Andreas Hoffmann and his black Sash team for protecting themselves and others from violent attacks and for victories in full contact competitions (Sanda) and MMA. At the beginning I will give an overview about the Weng Chun s 6 1/2 Principles (Luk Dim Boon) used in combat: It is essential that each principle is meant physically and mentally, too! 1. Principle Tai ( "raise"): Disbalance your attacker by uprooting and maintain balance ! 2. Principle Lan ("lock"): Lock your attacker and maintain your own potential! 3. Principle Dim ("point"): Shock your opponent and learn to stay focused and in confidence! 4. Principle Kit ("tear"): Destroy your attacker s structure by tearing and maintain your structure! 5. Principle Got (" cut down"): Cut down your attacker s force and his attempt to connect you! 6. Principle Wun ("circle"): Borrow your attacker s force send him flying and if he pressures you change the angles by circling! 1/2. Principle Lau ("leak and flow") half point= 50% of the weng chun kung fu: Be like water, keep flowing and leak the flow of your opponent
Why does a fighter needs principles? The weng chun fighters found out that, if a martial art contains a large number of techniques but no principles, a practitioner might become lost among the innumerable methods. In combat or self defence, they become largely unusable,
Weng Chun
because in a real situation the confusion generated by surprise, fear and stress is too great. The solution is to fight with principles, which are general guidelines to combat action and permit the weng chun practitioner to defend himself with the sponaneously created techniques which were created from the principles. In special exercises (“kiu sao” and “chi sao”) the weng chun practitioner lear ns reflex responses to stimuli of a visual nature ( when the combat distance is relatively great) and of tactile nature (when the combat distance is relatively close). In weng chun training , the innumerable possible combat and selfdefence situations are trained again and again under relaxed conditions and under pressure,too, until each trainee finds the weng chun principles and is able to defend themself or is able to use them in a combat situation reliably, spontaneously, appropriately and directly, even without having to think about them.
Weng Chun s 6 1/2 principles in detail: Tai principle: If you understand that the base of everyones defence and attack is our center of balance you will
understand why the weng chun progress starts with breaking your opponents balance and maintaining your own balance. Our focus is on the spinal column, which we refer to as the centerline. Imagine an attacker throws at you a roundhouse punch. You absorb "Wun" his punch by pulling him and at the same time you lift "Tai" his shoulder or his head up. He will fall down or will loose his balance and you will leave him vulnerable to proper defend himself or he will be unable to attack you again.
Lan principle: In weng chun we learn to develop a steadfast forward pressure "Lan/Bik" and we learn to bridge the gap between us and our opponent and to block "Lan" his force and his potential of continue with our body structure. We constantly are eating "Lan" the space of our opponent. This is particularly easy if the
opponent is locked just at the moment when he is carrying out an attack. Stopkicks and trapping hands are fantastic tools for acting like that. Another good time to bridge the gap and lock him is when your opponent completes his attack for example with a blow but misses you. He needs a momentum to find his structure back or has to think about the next step for a while. That is the momentum to enter and to obstruct "Lan" him. In close range fighting it is interesting that if the attacker pushes your wrist you can lock him with your ellbow by "Wun" circling first. If he pushes your ellbow you can use your shoulder to "Lan" him. Sometimes we can use the push of our opponent with one of his hands to trap his other hand. Lan frustrates your attacker, so he feels like he cannot continue and if he gets into panic he blocks himself even more. Lan is
a nice strategy against a striker, who is using mainly the "Dim" principle, and needs a special space and timing for his blows and kicks.
Dim principle: The opponent is controlled at a weak point mainly by a blow but it is also possible to lock or throw him there. The main weapon for "Dim" is a strike. If you strike with an impact an attacker gets shocked and irritated, so you create a momentum in which he is not sure if he wants to continue fighting or you create a momentum in which he has to think about how he might avoid the next strike. This causes a delay in his
actions which you can use to strike and shock him more or to controll him completely. In body work you will face with "Dim" in the training to learn to create impulses with your body for striking with all areas of your body. So each part of your body becomes a weapon.
Kit principle: The attacker is made to lose his balance by diverting the direction of his force. It is diverted in such a way that he cannot use his force against you. You break his structure by separating his limbs from his torso or you break his structure from his upper and lower part of his body. If
you achieve this your attacker will not be able to continue attacking you and you create time and space to control him completely.
Got principle: With half circles made by your arms, legs or body you cut down your attacker s strikes or wrestling attempts. There are small "Got" movements with for example the wrist only or larger "Got" movements with your ellbows and shoulders. You can use them to strike and cut the opponents strike at the same time. The signature moves for that are the weng chun fingerstrike "Biu Chi" or the weng chun s backfist
Weng Chun "Qua Choy". If the attacker s action is cut in a half circle downwards, he will lose his force, balance and the impetus for further action.
Wun principle: Borrow your attacker s force by using circles and half circles. Let us use the same example as for "Tai". Imagine an attacker throws at you a roundhouse punch. You absorb "Wun" his punch by pulling him and at the same time you strike him. Your two shoulders and your hollow chest are building a half circle and your arms build an open triangle. If your opponent tries to strike you again with an uppercut by circling "Wun" around your "open triangle" arms, you can use his energy and send "Wun" him away using his own force.If you put your other arm on his throat at the same time you create a beautiful throw. "Wun" helps you to recover your force and energy when you strike. The strikes in weng chun are more like a whip rather than a pole. Hook strikes, ellbow strikes, roundhouse strikes are the main weapons of the "Wun" principle.
Lau principle: Be like water flowing down to the valley whose progress cannot be stopped by a stone. If your opponent attacks you, he gives to you something. You use your attackers action like a guide rail, in order to control him. Grandmaster Wai Yan also described "Lau" as skiing. If you touch the ground, your opponent, you slide into him using his pressure. Another beautiful weng chun saying is Fok Fu, which means in this context, riding the tiger - using the wildness of your attacker to ride him, to controll him. "Lau" is Weng Chun s heart it s the most important principle: it is said that in Weng Chun, the principle of "Lau" constitutes 50 per cent in all actions.
The form Luk Dim Boon Kuen - 6 1/2 principle fist form: Learn another way of doing forms: The goal of weng chun is to understand and to be able to use the principles which are needed to control your opponent effortless and spontaniously in combat. So the way to learn and to do the forms is different as in the technically styles. At the beginning of your weng chun you should learn the Luk Dim Boon Kuen form with which your body and mind get the basic principles as an imprint. From that base you will be able to lear n all other forms which contain a combination of these principles and you will easily learn the fighting applications of the principles. One form for all combat areas: The interesting thing is that in weng chun you learn the same form for empty hand, the use on the wooden dummy, with the double knives, with the long pole and in application for combat. In that way you learn to apply the principles in different combat areas until you get used to them.
Become a spiritual warrior with the 6 1/2 Principles: First, it starts with "Tai". It is the strong wish of us shaolin warriors to use our strength and power to protect other people, to inspire them, to give them strength in their struggle of life, to raise them that they suffer less and to help them to enjoy life more. Start with yourself, when you wake up, be thankful for your wonderful body and mind and bring your "Tai" raising mind in everything you do and to everyone you meet. After "Tai" we face "Lan". "Lan" is the joy and knowledge about our unlimited potential and space around us. With the power of "Lan" we block disturbing
Weng Chun
emotions like greed, hate and fear right in the beginning. With "Kit" we understand the connection and interaction with friends and all other living beings and finaly with the whole universe. This wisdom of being one with the universe gives us a lot of power and courage which is the base of our next principle "Dim". In "Dim" we find spontaneously the right time and space to do things and we learn the power of tension and relaxation. "Got" teaches us to cut down disturbing emotions, to let things go we cannot change so that we are able to focus what we can do. If we understand "Wun" we are able to live and act effortless without loosing energy, we understand that everything like for example our thoughts are raising from the space, playing in the space and going back into space. This gives us inner peace and we understand the natural law of the circle of life. That is what makes us ready for "Lau", to be one with the flow without fighting against it. We get an impression of the flow and so we can express our indiviual being as part of the whole. The result will be a joyful, peaceful, spontaniously and unshakable mind of a warrior, who can feel the "Eternal Spring" (Weng Chun) everywhere. If you try to transfer the 6 1/2 principles to your life you will be allowed to wear the white socks of the spiritual warriors in the weng chun family of Grandmaster Andreas Hoffmann.
History of Weng Chun s 6 1/2 principle: Weng Chun Kung Fu the epidome of the southern shaolin martial arts is taught in a simple conceptual way to learn fighting. Weng Chun means "eternal spring" and was the name of the special hall in the Southern Shaolin temple and the slogan of the philosophy meaning "be always fresh, alert and aware".This became the basis for effectiveness in combat which means being present in the moment without being distracted by expectations or fears. The direct
experience of reality, the return to naturaleness and simplicity was the main focus of shaolin weng chun monks. This contrasted with the philosophy of other fighting styles, which were (are) related to magic or to a belief system. As a result of the shaolin weng chun philosophy, only those approaches to fighting that operated in a simple direct manner and were proofed in real combat were collected in weng chun. After destruction of the Southern Shaolin After destruction of the southern shaolin temple,the home of the weng chun warrior monks, they fled and developed a lot of styles from weng chun and its 6 1/2 principles. The red boat became a refuge place for the warrior monks. According to wing chun legends, Leung Yee Tei learned the Weng Chun s Luk Dim Boon Kwun (6 and an half principles long pole) from Wong Wah Bo and became the historical founder of Wing Chun. Also in Hung Gar Kung Fu you can find the Luk Dim Boon 6 1/2 principles as a part of their Ng Lung Bagua Kwun. This is one more reason why a lot of researchers today see Weng Chun as the fore father of Wing Chun and Hung Gar.
Weng Chun after second world war: After second World War Grandmaster Wai Yan converted one of his commercial buildings in Waterloo Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong into the Headquarter of the Weng Chun
Clan. He invited all living Grandmasters of Weng Chun to work with him to safe weng chun for the future and to research the art. He got support from Grandmaster Tang Yick, Grandmaster Tam Kong, Grandmaster Lo Chiu Woon and mainly from his friend Grandmaster Chu Chung Man. According to his own words Grandmaster Wai Yan researched and trained with Grandmaster Chu Chung Man for a period of 20 years. The two Grandmasters invited also Grandmasters from other styles and inspired them with their research and knowledge, so they helped Taimantis Grandmaster Chiu Chuk Kai to create a wooden dummy form and they helped Grandmaster Yip Man with his wing chun.
Weng Chun s way into the west Grandmaster Wai Yan accepted the determined young German, Andreas Hoffmann, as his master student and involved him in his and Grandmaster Chu Chung Man s research. He sent Andreas Hoffmann to mainland China
to study with Weng Chun s Grandmaster Pak Cheung and Wing Chun s Grandmaster Pang Nam. Back in Hongkong Andreas Hoffmann had to show what he had learned and Grandmaster Wai Yan observed and made it part of his research. Andreas Hoffmann was personally trained by Grandmaster Wai Yan since 1986 until he reached master and grandmaster level. He was thus the last student of Dai Duk Lan and the only western student of Grandmaster Wai Yan. To emphasise unusual achievement, Grandmaster Wai Yan granted him a certificate, in 1995 in Hong Kong in the presence of numerous kung fu masters of various styles and over 70 western students from all over the world, legitimising him as his successor of weng chun. Today Andreas Hoffmann is teaching worldwide and keeps on the Dai Duk Lan research with his masterstudents around the world. Together they continue the tradition of Dai Duk Lan to help other masters and kungfu families.
Weng Chun
Like in the best Chinese martial tradition worth its name, the Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu system also has its own baggage of history and traditions, its people and its adventures; stories of men often different from each other, often with different lives, but with a common goal. All those who have been part of the La Choy Lay Fut system actually have in common the pure ability for combat, as well as the inclination to the socio-political revolt of their time.
Kung Fu
Its history can be written in different ways. One mode is the notional transmission, precise and literal, of the martial and technical history of others, often empty and anachronistic. This is what happens today in the Chinese Martial Arts, that is, the study of hundreds of forms (Tou Lu) and fighting with methods and techniques identical to any other moder n combat system (see Full Contact, Jiu Jitsu, Sanda or San Shou). The other way is to follow the path traced by previous generations and immerse into their concrete, real and direct experience, with awareness of the evolution of our own experience and system. This is the difference between the "Master" who brings questions and answers, cognition, logic and experience in the wake of the experience of a system, and the "Master Instructor" who simply performs and bears the experience of others, in whom answers are born and dead without asking, and where the system dogmas are the only visible path! Among the various characters who have traced the history of this ancient Chinese Martial Art, there is one who was given the nickname of "The legendary Fist of the North" whose real name was Sam Tam (譚 三). The history of Chinese Kung Fu is full of legends and popular folklore, which are often historically inaccurate. Tam Sam, however, was also recognized in life as a martial arts legend. A name and a story that was built on the field and on real and personal enterprises. Unlike other famous Chinese masters on which novels and movies have been made telling stories and legends often too distant from reality, Tam Sam (譚 三) can be considered a modern fighter who gave a huge contribution to the real Chinese kung fu, although his system Pak Choy Lay Fut Sing was and is kept jealously hidden in an old logic of "family and clan." Practice and experience, reality and consciousness, like in a Zen koan, this is the keystone of the Tam Sam's (譚 三) martial practice. Tam Sam (譚 三) was born in the Hoi Ping suburb in 1873 and grew
up in Toi Ting, a village of Canton. With a strong character and endowed with a remarkable intelligence, young Tam showed an innate will to learn Martial Arts since he was a boy. It was his father who introduced him to the study of Kung Fu under the guidance of a famous Hung Gar master named Chow Gum Biu. Tam Sam had a combative spirit. During his course of studies in Hung Kuen Kung Fu, he heard about the fame that the practitioners of the Hung Sing Gwoon of Fushan were gradually spreading around the Guanzhou area. Willing to test his skills, in particular those of the Hung Sing Choy Lay Fut system, he decided to pass by the Hung Sing Gwoon to meet Master Lui Tsan (雷 粲). Tam Sam entered the school and haughtily invited Master Tsan (雷 粲) and his students to train and fight with him. A senior student of Master Lui's named Wong Sum stepped forward and accepted the challenge. The fight started and Tam Sam succeeded to hit Wong Sum in the ribs; but the latter, thanks to the combination technique "Jo But Kwa Sow", managed to end the match pretty quickly. Despite being wounded in his body and his pride and unable to continue the meeting, Tam Sam, wanted stubbornly to fight Master Lui Tsan. Considering the advanced age of the Master, Tam Sam was convinced that it wouldn't be difficult for him to defeat old Lui. Thus, at least his wounded pride would be partially redeemed. But once again, young Tam sinned of excessive arrogance and poor training. In fact, the encounter with Master Lui lasted a few seconds and the young challenger found himself again on the carpet. This time, however, something in him had changed. Aware of the effectiveness of the Choy Lay Fut system, he humbly asked Master Lui to accept him as a student in his school. Lui Tsan, a senior disciple of Master Jeong Yim 張炎 (or Cheung Hung Sing, 18241839) accepted young Tam Sam as his pupil.
Kung Fu “The Master practices, beginners speak; the Master lives, beginners discuss; the Master savors the morning and the sunset, beginners are worried in the morning and tired at sunset... Where there are words you will find a man, where you find coherence in the silence there will exist your Master.�
Under the guidance of Lui Tsan, Tam Sam successfully continued his training until Master Lui Tsan personally promoted him to the rank of instructor at the Hung Sing Gwoon. His instruction course at the School was fast and intense; in a few years he earned the respect not only from his classmates (who called him "Sam Sook"), but also from practitioners of other systems present in Fushan. Tam Sam, however, retained his character and temperament along his instruction period. He never lowered his head, and even in front of strong positions, he would continue to be rather "direct". A major turning point in his life path was a famous episode known as "Kuen Da Sam Ngan," that is, "the punch that defeated the three Ngan." During an argument with Si-Sook Ngan Yiu Ting (his Kung Fu uncle) and some members of his family, Sam Tam came to fight and defeat his own Hing Dai (Kung Fu brothers) in a not too friendly meeting, and most importantly, not authorized by Master Lui Tsan. Fighting against another brother, and even more so against an older relative, meant breaking the code of ethics and morality of the Choy Lay Fut. Master Lui Tsan, who learnt of the incident, although with a heavy heart, couldn't help to fire him from the school. Codes and rules had to be respected, even if Tam had been right in the incident. Tam Sam had to leave the school even though his training under the guidance of the teacher he had not yet been completed. For a certain period of time he continued to learn and train in secret with some of his Kung Fu brothers of the Hung Sing Gwoon. But for him the only way to get a personal evolution and improve his Martial Arts technical baggage was to fight. Thus it was that he began a long series of bloody battles with fighters of other systems that forged his reputation as a solid fighter. His experience grew along with his fame. His fights were held behind closed doors or outdoors, but in any case they were real battles, the exploits of which could be heard throughout the region. Anyway, Tam Sam remained still friendly and respectful toward his former master and his Hung Sing
Gwoon companions, and so, when he realized that his reputation was beginning to cast shadow on Master Him Tsan and the School, he decided to go away from Fushan. He founded his own school in a temple in the north called Di Mew and named it Siu Hung Sing Kwoon Buk. Thanks to his fighting skills and experience, Tam continued to create new techniques and redefine old ones, surpassing the original system and making a personal contribution to the system, especially in the area of combat. In Siu Buk, Tam Sam ear ned the nickname "the unbeatable fist of the North", because of his invulnerability in combat. Over time, his students persuaded Tam Sam to shorten the name of the school and modify it in Buk Sing Choy Lee Fut for being too long, but especially as a distinguishing mark with respect to the other two branches of the same system. It was then that in addition to the Choy Lay Fut branch of King Mui and Fushan was born the Buck Sing branch. In the course of his studies, Tam Sam gave life to a real system within the system. His research was
particularly developed in the technical field and in the principles that were applicable in combat. Few Tou Lu (forms) many Kuen (techniques and principles): this was and still is the basis of the Choy Lay Fut Pak Sing system. Some of his techniques that made him famous in the martial world for their effectiveness in combat are, for example, the Kwa-Sow-Chop and the Lin Wan Chop Choy (cyclic attack with Leopard fists). Tam Sam loved so much fighting that he hired a biographer to record his meetings. The book should have been called "the record of 100 victorious fights", but the author died in Hong Kong during the early drafting stages and it was never completed. In 1912 was formed the Republic of China and in the following decades, under the promotional push of the new government, various associations for the Chinese Martial Arts in both North and South of China were created. The new government recognized the Chinese Martial Arts as a national treasure and it promoted publicly their spreading. It was a period of flourishing technical interchange among various systems and associations of traditional Martial Arts. The government itself gave rise to these transactions, particularly between the styles of the North and the South. One of the most famous "exchanges" between North and South systems was held in the city of Canton. Ku Yu Jeong, famous master of the Bak Siu Lam style and known for his body techniques and his iron palm, was appointed head of the delegation of the North, while in the South was appointed Tam Sam. The reputation of Tam Sam was also known to Master Ku Yu Jeong, who considered him like a national hero and at the same time a Martial Art brother. Ku Yu Jeong wanted to meet Sam Tam and train with him, but Tam thought differently and wanted to face Ku Yu Jeong in combat. After a famous meeting between the two "behind closed doors" of which nobody knows the final outcome, both masters reached an agreement of respect and mutual exchange between their groups of students. The two schools could freely exchange directly and indirectly their experiences. Tam Sam was an honest and direct man, but with a strong personality, and although he gave his students freedom to exchange experience with the School of Master Ku Yu Jeong, he never wanted to personally share his system with him because he
Kung Fu
would never accept in his heart to learn Kung Fu from the North. He was also a member of the Canton Martial Arts National Council. During the Second World War and the Japanese invasion, Tam Sam was elected head of the training camp "Di Dao (Big Saber)". He died in 1942 at age 69, from an incurable disease. Among Tam Sam's favorite disciples were Mah Yan, Kong On, Leong Ji, Chan Nien Pak and Lee Chow. His son Tam Fei Pang had a large following of disciples in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tam Sam (čš ä¸‰) was not only a great fighter, but also an educated man and an excellent calligrapher. He spent most of his life working as a clerk and a man of laws in various districts of Guangzhou. However his reputation as an undefeated fighter marked his path and his lifestyle in a substantial way. He didn't like schemes and dogmas, and he always supported individual experience as the only true road in the development of one's skills and technical background. He used to encourage his students to confront their technical level with other practitioners. His life experience and his thoughts created an effective and direct system in the true martial practice. Among his most famous sayings: "Arms should be like the wind blowing on the candles, legs are like walking on clouds", "Turn around your opponent like a tiger who raises his head and strike like a dragon who sinks his claws." "The Master practices, beginners speak; the Master lives, beginners discuss; the Master savors the morning and the sunset, beginners are worried in the morning and tired at sunset ... where there are words you will find a man, where you find coherence in the silence there will exist your Master." Sifu Gianni de Nittis
Kung Fu
Interview
He has one of the most brilliant careers in decades in Martial Arts, from a mining town in Spain and a mine cave-in that imprisoned him for nine days underground, to the big screen as a choreographer in many films and series such as "Batman Begins" or "Mission: Impossible III". But his work as a stunt man or chor eographer is only the r esult of his revolutionary fighting method, the Keysi, which he teaches all over the world giving seminars and opening new schools. After a painful separation from his former partner, Justo returned to the fray by setting his work and teaching among the best and most original of the current Martial scene. With this interview, this month begins a series of articles about his combat system, officially renamed "Keysi by Justo DiĂŠguez". Do not miss it! He's got a lot to offer...
Budo International: Tell us about your personal life, I think yours is one of the most amazing histories we've ever heard. Justo Dieguez: My name is Justo Dieguez and I was born in a small mining town called Villanueva del Rio y Minas, in Seville, in Southern Spain, although it was in Aragon, up in the north, in a small mining town called Utrillas, where I spent most of my childhood. It was a very special place where I soon discovered the hardness and the reality of life. From an early age I witnessed some brutal situations and I quickly realized that if I wanted to do something with my life I needed to escape from there, so at the age of 10 my parents sent me to a Salesian school, where I spent three years, after that time I came back home and when I turned 14, I started working in the mines. C.N.: Was it hard your experience in the mines? J.D.: The mine is a very difficult place for a child, there were people from all places and countries, that was good; but there were also
convicts who had been sent to work and serve their sentences in the mine, and although not all, some of these men lived without fear of recrimination, This was a particularly difficult period in my life, and it was in the mines where I lost many of my friends. I spend six long years in this extreme and violent environment in which is very difficult to love
yourself, it was then when I was caught in a mining accident, the mine collapsed trapping and killing most of the miners in the tunnel, I still remember the thrilling roar of the ground writhing inside. It was enough, I left the mine and I enlisted the special forces, and with my extreme character I quickly became a good soldier, doing the best I could do while learning to improve
Keysi
Interview
myself as a person, then I decided to leave the special forces. C.N.: How did you start in Martial Arts? J. D.: All those past experiences in the mines had taught me to seek answers to that type of violence; I already knew that the answer was not in the technique, it was on the instinct, so my next step was to learn how to use mine. It was not exactly easy, but it was always exciting, when I had a fight and I was dragged down I curled up in the fetal position and from there I started using my arms and legs as protection, and the gaps between the arms as windows through which I could observe the movements of the one who was hitting me and provoke his next move; it didn't always work but I got better and better, in these meetings I learned to use my hands like a monkey and also to grab my adversary's legs and climb seeking his back and, why not, use him as a shield; I created many of these tricks, which are now part of the Keysi’s teachings. I entered the world of Martial Arts seeking a philosophy that could show me a way to follow, seeking answers; at first it was interesting, but I didn't find the answers I was looking for and I soon resumed the reason why I had got there. I had been long dedicated to MMAA for a long time, had people following me and it didn't really matter what I taught them, but how I taught, so I decided to transmit my way of seeing and understanding the street. I focused on my experiences, I had my answer and it was very simple, I had begun an adventure without the vices of unnecessary technical knowledge, or from the disadvantage of an experience devoid of meaning and answers, so I have to give this adventure a didactic treatment based in
“Keysi is my own experience expressed in movements, it's my Spanish culture, flamenco music, the bull…”
Interview
methodology from the simplest, where technique is only a temporary vehicle, not an end in itself. So I followed the advice of my father: to climb a mountain, the first thing to do is take a small step, and then another, and another, and so, step by step, I learned that there are many paths to the summit, this in turn taught me that even losing direction in many occasions there’s no reason to miss the target. C.N.: Tell us about KFM. J. D.: KFM means Keysi Fighting Method. The Keysi Fighting Method was born in me and I am the one who created it. It was my way of expressing Martial Arts what attracted the attention of people and there were many who got interested in what I was doing ‌ for some it as something revolutionary and modern, a life model based
on the growth of human being, with a life philosophy underpinned by the human values, while others saw it as an outright business; this latter case was my experience with my partners during the period of the KFM... It's ironic, but for having believed in people and not having recorded on paper who was who in the company, now I cannot use my abbreviations KFM; everything has a consequence, I accepted it and I re-emerged with my nickname: Keysi by Justo DiĂŠguez. I have never left anyone to interfere in my creation, as it's my pensamientos and my way of expressing and understanding the street; this doesn't mean that there were not people close to me, collaborators, partners (who confused or manipulated "cofounder of a company" with "co-founder of a method") and also outstanding students to whom I even put above me, giving them credibility and
Interview
“The Keysi Fighting Method was born in me and I am the one who created it. It was my way of expressing Martial Arts what attracted the attention of people and there were many who got interested in what I was doing…”
Keysi power in the world; they had the privilege that I shared with them my pensamientos, the privilege of participating in the trial and error of the system implementation, the privilege of being present and being part of its development. C.N.: The Betrayal of a student is as old as Martial Arts. What went wrong? J.D.: Perhaps overconfidence and my open way of
understanding equality of human beings ... too bad they will never understand that my Keysi is my expression constantly evolving and that if I wanted to give the best of myself, I couldn't bear the burden of something in which I don't believe, it would have been fooling myself, and that's something I'll never do... Relying firmly on someone, believing in friendship and in the family, giving them the privilege and feel proud of having them, not as my students, but as my fellow
Interview
travelers in this adventure that I had started when I was a child... I believed in my friends and wanted to teach them everything, I wanted a correct transmission; I gave them the privilege of considering them my colleagues, so many hours talking to them about my Baby Keysi, the Code of Ethics and its values... The sad thing of people is that they come into your life, you love them, give them everything you have and as soon as they see the opportunity they steal you everything they can, try to supplant your identity, tell your stories making them their own. But not everything was that bad, I have to thank from my heart that all those persons are already out of my life, and I now I realize that the experience was a real "Master Class" for me; now free, clean of influences, the Keysi by Justo Dieguez method has begun to grow more strongly than ever, I'm making a lot of friends and I’m creating a large Keysi family. Those persons know that every time they try to explain these techniques claiming they're their own and lying about how they created them by telling parts of my history, every time they are applauded at a seminar they will know deep inside that they didn't even manage to touch the outer layer of the Keysi method, and no matter how they try, they will never be able to go beyond the surface, because they remain a flat, empty and rootless copy. Whenever they look themselves in the mirror, that inquisitive mirror that reveals our deepest identity in the most direct and obvious way, then, alone before the truth, with no masks, they won't be able to deceive their conscience, even if they repeat their stories over and over to the point of believing in their own lies. They know that the ovations they receive are devoted to me, the creator of Keysi method, and that their words and justifications are making me bigger every day. Keysi is my own experience
Keysi “The wish of who we want to be doesn't start from the idea of who we'd like to be or the hope that someday we will be, it starts from the conviction that we already are!�
Interview
expressed in movements, it's my Spanish culture, flamenco music, the bull and especially the passion for doing something that is born within you and in which you believe. C.N: Why all your techniques have the Pensador? J.D.: It's true, in Keysi by Justo Dieguez all techniques start with the Pensador, this has nothing to do with the position of the hands, or that we spend much time thinking. The Pensador has to do with knowing your body in a different way, from the inside, a place you can only enter with the mind and look at it from that perspective. Pensamiento is the spirit that can reach the deepest part of the body and the body is the outer part of Pensamiento. Body and Pensamiento are not separate entities, is only one, and that's why all Keysi techniques carry the Pensador. C.N.: A thought? J.D.: The wish of who we want to be doesn't start from the idea of who we'd like to be or the hope that someday we will be, it starts from the conviction that we already are!
Martial Arts
World Masters
'A fighter trains to fight... a Warrior trains to LIVE' 'Warriors fight not because they hate who is in front of them, but because they love who is behind them' 'Ethics and Morals make you a Warrior’
Today we face a new era in the Martial Arts with very disturbing trends in MMA circles - modern 'gladiators' calling for the taste of blood from their opponents. As Martial Arts teachers, we need to face this trend and deal with it each and every day with purpose. We need to discuss and explain to our students what the differences are between being a 'fighter' and being a 'warrior.' Many times a 'warrior' can be a great 'fighter' BUT sometimes he can be handicapped and fight each second to be alive, or have to deal with life, which can be a daily ordeal with life's work, fighting cancer and not about fighting another opponent. Text: Avi Nardia & Tim Boehlert Photos: Š Brian Wilder
Fighter or Warrior?
Martial Arts “It's important to understand that a soldier can be a good fighter, but that does not make him a good warrior�
World Masters he warrior is one who has been in war - to protect and defend his/her family, his/her life, his/her home, his/her society, his/her 'nation.' With war, as with many things related to conflicts, there are differing laws, codes of ethics and morals that a warrior embraces and embodies. A 'fighter' can be a great fighter, but he/she does not necessarily embrace OR embody those same laws, code of ethics and/or morals. As an example, a terrorist can 'fight' well, but doesn't adhere to the same ethics that most civilized people do. A prisoner can be a great fighter, but there are NO 'normal' rules in prison when fighting. This is why I don't like when we hear in Martial Arts 'no rules.' While it's true that in the street, there are no rules, but in the street we must
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still have a code of ethics, and adhere to a normal set of morals as we don't aspire to kill - mercy is a quality of a true warrior. I teach Budo, and yes, we can fight BUT that is not the point. The point is NOT to fight, but to prevent the fight, as that is truly self-defense. In war, confrontation is the fight, but we try to avoid that in self-defense. We strive for 'guard' style, not bully style. We know that soldiers can be warriors, but maybe some are just fighters - do they follow the laws, the code of ethics or the morals of engagement? The SS were great soldiers, but engaged in immoral crimes against humanity. Japanese soldiers committed atrocities in Nanking China in 1937, raping, torturing and murdering over 300,00 civilians and Chinese soldiers.
Martial Arts
This behavior is not embraced in Budo. It's important to understand that a soldier can be a good fighter, but that does not make him a good warrior. Today we see to many 'warriors' - fighters without good ethics, or morals. They are not warriors, even though they may portray themselves as such in the eyes of others, but mostly in their own eyes. Mercenaries are good fighters too, but they are not warriors. They too follow no laws, nor normal code of ethics. In the Avi Nardia Academy and through Kapap, we try to teach our students to be warriors, because it's more important to be a warrior than to be a fighter. When I was younger, and my ego was pumped, I thought about being a
good fighter, but as I got older and embraced better spirit and mind, and did not work solely on having a better body, I could see the importance of being a warrior rather than being a fighter. A few years ago I developed the Kapap knife - along with Fox Knives in Italy. My knife was designed with warriors in mind, not fighters. My knife is designed primarily to save life, not to take life. Too many systems embrace the knife as a tool for death rather than demonstrating how it is a tool for giving life. The Avi Nardia Kapap knife was developed from many ideas - originating from my personal history. My father was a combat paratrooper - the background color on his wings was red (as opposed to blue) signifying that he actually made combat drops. This is rare, since most paratroopers train for but do not actually deploy into combat in this fashion. As such, I grew up among the first paratroopers of the Israeli Defence Forces, absorbing their culture, history, stories, and pictures from the old days. One picture I have never forgotten - (see attached) - is that of the platoon
World Masters
Fighter or Warrior?
Martial Arts “By connecting my personal history, my way of life, and my principles, as well as a deep study of swordsmanship and knife fighting from the masters, I developed ideas as to what would constitute the ideal all around knife�
training-knife fighting of the 1950's, when KAPAP (Krav Panim El Panim - Face to Face combat) was the close-quarters combat system used by the IDF. As we developed Kapap and started to introduce it throughout the world to the civilian market, this picture kept popping up again and again in my mind as the reason for developing KAPAP. The picture is that of my father, which I adapted into my logo, as I carry my father's memory and tradition. This shadow of the knife has followed me since I was a small child. I remember how my father used the knife outdoors and indoors as a heavy-duty knife. _ I enlisted in the army in 1980 and was challenged to go to war in 1982. I served in a war zone for two years and the knife was a tool on my military vest. When I left the Army I gave it as a present to a friend, a Lt. Colonel. I ultimately traveled to Japan to study Japanese Martial Arts for almost 8 years and received my 6th Dan in Japanese swordsmanship and my 7th Dan in Aiki Kenpo Jutsu. I have studied many different Martial Arts, but I always see myself as a Combat and swordsmanship teacher. _My School of swordsmanship is that of giving life. When I
started to teach Combat, I noticed that many taught how to kill with a knife and would explain the knife in wrong way. You can kill with a stone. But, as I see it, the knife is the most important tool for humans. We use it for our survival every day. By connecting my personal history, my way of life, and my principles, as well as a deep study of swordsmanship and knife fighting from the masters, I developed ideas as to what would constitute the ideal all around knife. Based on the origin of the knife, gotten from my father, and with my experiences as an Olympic fencing coach and knife fighting teacher, as well as Japanese swordsmanship, I started to design this knife, which would be the basis for a workshop we teach in KAPAP called "Only Knife", whereby the students need take ONLY a knife and go into the woods all by themselves and survive.
World Masters
Martial Arts The design of the knife had to be one that not only was effective as a weapon, but also must encompass capabilities to allow one to build their own shelter, get their food, water, fire, and take care of all their needs to survive. The idea is that with my Fighting knife you can not only kill but you can also save lives and survive. This is the main idea for this knife - to give life, not to take life. One day a man travelled deep into the jungle and met a monkey. He said hello to the monkey and was surprised when the monkey returned his greeting with "hello my friend!" The man didn't know monkeys could speak, and so he asked the monkey about this. The monkey said, "yes we can speak, we just hide it." The man then said, "We humans say that monkeys and humans are of the same family." The monkey was really happy to meet his 'new' relative and didn't stop exclaiming "my family, my family!" Suddenly, out of nowhere a lion attacked both of them and the monkey pulled the man up into his tree and climbed high up to a safer place. The lion said "throw the man to me, and I will eat only him and I will set you free." T he mo nkey replied, "no way, he is my family." Through the long night the man eventually got tired of trying to out-wait the hung ry lio n belo w, and s o he as ked the monkey to watch over him as he slept and said that when the monkey would go to sleep and he would watch over him. While the man slept the lion asked the monkey again to let him eat the man, and said that he'd let the monkey go free. But the monkey replied again "No. We are family." When the man awoke, he told the monkey to sleep and stated that he'd keep watch over him. The monkey went to sleep and the lion asked the man to "throw the monkey down to me to eat and I'll set you free! The man didn't think twice, and he threw the monkey down to the lion, but the monkey woke up quickly and before the lion could set his paws on him he jumped back into the tree and climbed back up to where the man sat safely. This was really embarrassing to the man. Both knew what happened, but no one spoke of it. Then the lion fell asleep and the monkey said to the man "let's go!" and he walked him safely all the way back to the edge of the jungle and said goodbye. As the man started walking, the monkey called him and said, "Can I ask you favor?" "Yes!" the man said, happy that the monkey still considered them friends despite what the man had tried to do to the monkey. The monkey said to him "would you please not mention to anyone that we are family?" In the past, I have been stabbed in the back by 'friends' and other greedy people that were too ready to sell my friendship for almost no money and I decided to simply say, "Please don't mention that we're family." I have since built my own family called Avi Nardia Academy, as warriors follow their hearts and keep their values and morals! This is my family. It's a warrior family.
“I have studied many different Martial Arts, but I always see myself as a Combat and swordsmanship teacher.”
“I have since built my own family called Avi Nardia Academy, as warriors follow their hearts and keep their values and morals! This is my family. It's a warrior family.”
“We know that soldiers can be warriors, but maybe some are just fighters - do they follow the laws, the code of ethics or the morals of engagement? ”
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Hwa Rang Do速 Go Too Gi (Grappling)
Hwa Rang Do® Go Too Gi (Grappling) (MISSION STATEMENT OF THE WORLD HWA RANG DO® ASSOCIATION) HWA RANG DO®: A legacy of Loyalty, Relentlessly seeking Truth, Empowering Lives, Serving Humanity The Hwa Rang Do® Go Too Gi is one of the sport application of Hwa Rang Do®. It's for everybody, also for beginners (but limited to positioning for them).You can apply takedowns, sweepings, joint locks and chokings. The match is without stop for points and submissions are allowed to the ground or stand-up. More details in the next articles. The photo sequences show some practical applications. About the author: Hwa Rang Do® Head Instructor, Lieutenant Colonel of the Italian Military Police Force (Carabinieri) and Engineer Marco Mattiucci is the Chief of the Italian Branch of the World Hwa Rang Do® Association and one of the main followers of Grandmaster Taejoon Lee.
Hwa Rang Do速 Knife Self Defense
Always with the Ochikara, "The Great Strength" (called e-bunto in the Shizen vernacular tongue) or secret wisdom of the ancient Miryoku Japanese shamans, as a backdrop, the author takes us into a world of genuine reflections that are capable to move at once both the reader's heart and head, thus placing him continuously in front of the abyss of the invisible, as the true final frontier of personal and collective consciousness. The spiritual taken not as religion, but as the study of the invisible, was the way of the ancient Miryoku sages to approach the mystery in the framework of a culture as rich as unknown, to which the author has wholeheartedly devoted. Alfredo Tucci, Manager Director to Budo International Publishing Co. and author in the past 30 years of a large number of titles about the Warrior's Way, offers us a set of extraordinary and profound reflections, which can be read individually in no particular order. Each one of them opens up a window to us through which we can take a look at the most varied subjects from an unexpected angle, now dotted with humor now with forcefulness and grandiosity, placing us in front of eternal matters with the view of the one who has just arrived and doesn't agree with the common places in which everyone coincides. We can affirm with conviction that no reader will be indifferent to this book; such is the strength and intensity of its contents. Saying this is saying a lot in a world crowded with collective mangers, interested and behavioral ideologies, manipulators and, in short, spurious interests and mediocrity. It is therefore a text for big souls and intelligent people who are ready to look at life and mystery with the freedom of the most restless and scrutinizing minds, without dogmas, without transient morals, without subterfuges...
Many things have changed since September 11th, this indeed includes the concept of security on planes. The rules for taking action when confronting a highjack are no longer "collaborators of the hijackers". Each passenger is a potential soldier in this war and should be trained to take care of himself and help others. Jim Wagner, a well-known expert by our readers has reflected on this point from many angles. If you want to know what are your possibilities and how to react confronting an attack against your life, do not miss this magnificent article. n the 1970’s Arab terrorists wanted to humiliate and destroy Israel. War did not accomplish this, so the next best way was terrorism. However, the terrorists soon found that hijacking Israeli airplanes was not an easy task. The Israelis made their airplanes "hard targets" and were considered the most secure aircraft in the free world. Therefore, the terrorists chose "soft targets" – American and European passenger aircraft. The 70’s and 80’s was the era of hijackings. In the past, the terrorists would seize an aircraft, force it down in a sympathizing country, make demands (for free passage or the release of imprisoned fellow terrorists), then usually release the hostages after receiving adequate media attention. Back then no terrorist thought of flying an aircraft into a building. Then, on September 11, 2001 a new form of terrorism emerged on the world scene. Again, the terrorists had their sights on attacking Israel, but Israeli security was too tight. Therefore, the terrorists chose a "soft target" – American passenger aircraft. Only this time there would be no negotiations, and no releasing of hostages. It was a barbaric new form of terrorism – the suicide airplane. Not only was it the most horrific act of terrorism in history, costing over 6,000 lives, but also it was also the most dramatic martial arts story of the new millennium. What was the reason for the attacks? On October 8, 2001, during the American and British bombing of terrorists camps in Afghanistan, AlQaeda leader Osama bin Laden, released a video tape of himself declaring that the terrorist attacks of September 11 were the result of the United States supporting Israel.
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“The question now is, ‘What about if the airplane you are on next time gets hijacked? Are you better prepared than the terrorists, and do you know how to fight back?’”
Knife fight in the sky On September 11, 2001 four American civilian aircraft were taken over by Arab terrorists who were armed with knives and box cutters. The first airplane, American Airlines Flight 11, crashed into New York’s World Trade Center’s north tower. Eighteen minutes later a second airplane, United Airlines Flight 175, slammed into the south tower. Then, the boldest act of terrorism of them all, occurred. The center of American military might, the Pentagon building (just outside of Washington D.C.) was partially destroyed by American Airlines Flight 77. There was a fourth airplane that was hijacked, United Airlines Flight 93, which never made it to its intended "target." U.S. Intelligence sources
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believe that this airplane was heading toward the White House (the residence of the President) or possibly the Capital building down the street (the very seat of the United States government). The terrorists did not succeed, because a few passengers decided to fight back. They fought against the knives. When President George W. Bush addressed the U.S. Congress a week after the attack, he named passenger Todd Beamer as a genuine American hero. Beamer phoned his wife from Flight 93 during the hijacking and she told him about the incidents in New York and Washington D.C. He knew that the same fate awaited him and the other passengers. With this information in mind he told his wife, Lisa Beamer, that he and other passengers were going to attempt to take the airplane back. Other male passengers (people like Tom Burnett, Jeremy Glick, and Mark Bringham) called their families from air phones and told them the same thing – they were going to fight back, and try to take the airplane back.
What if it were you? If we have learned anything from history, it’s that terrorists will repeat "successful" acts of terror. The recent attacks in America achieved the effect that the terrorists wanted: it showed that buildings are vulnerable to suicide flights, innocent people are easy targets, it slowed down the economy, and it produced fear (which quickly turned into righteous anger). Therefore, similar attacks are inevitable. The question now is, "What about if the airplane you are on next time gets hijacked? Are you better prepared than the terrorists, and do you know how to fight back?" As a member of an elite law enforcement team in the United States, and an active police/military trainer for counter-terrorists teams across the globe, I am unable to divulge sensitive counter-terrorist techniques, but I can provide you with practical advice on things you can do as a martial artist, based
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upon my experience, which you can use in the unlikely event that you become a victim like those people of Flight 93.
A police & military perspective The type of fighting that police and military special operations teams do inside aircraft is called tubular assault. This term refers to any linear assault, and also applies to buses and trains. In other words, movement and action conducted in a narrow passage way. To fight in this environment requires special training and considerations. Before I go into the various fighting techniques used aboard aircraft, you must remember that there are three phases to combat: 1. Pre-conflict 2. Conflict 3. Post-conflict Most martial arts training focuses on the actual conflict (the punching and kicking), but they fail to train in pre-conflict
Self Defense (preparations before a conflict), and what to do immediately after (post-conflict). It is important that we cover all three phases when training for aircraft situations.
The training environment The ideal training environment is to actually train aboard a passenger aircraft, but unless you are on an elite police or military team that specializes in Aircraft Interdiction, this will not be possible. However, you can create your own "aircraft" for training purposes. When I was down in Brazil last year training the Air Force’s Special Forces team GEPA, we did nothing more than set up chairs and drew an outline of the airplane with chalk in an aircraft hanger. You can do the same thing to practice your techniques and to understand the spatial "feel" for this type of environment. Of course my Brazilian students later practiced their techniques on an actual aircraft with Varig Brasil Airlines, but they knew what to do inside the aircraft prior to boarding based upon our simple training model. If you wish to be more elaborate, you can even build yourself a small section of "aircraft" with walls made of wooden boards and plastic sheets (something which can be assembled and disassembled easily). You can ad push carts, and have other students play the roles of passengers.
Reality Based
Training equipment The hijackers that took over flights 11, 175, 77 and 93 were armed with knives and box cutters, but keep in mind that some hijackings also involve guns. As martial artists we already practice with training knives and guns (rubber, wood or plastic replicas). These training tools are also excellent for learning to defeat hijackers. To make your training more realistic (referred to as reality-based training by American police) all participants should wear the clothes that they would actually fight in. The "terrorists" should be wearing normal street clothes, in addition to protective equipment for contact, and the "victims" should be wearing travel clothes. The more realistic the training equipment, the more real the training will feel.
Before the hijacking In real situations, and in training as well, you want to always anticipate possible problems and prepare for them. Here are several suggestions of pre-conflict preparation: 1. Request an exit seat. Whether you select your seat by e-ticket or at the airline ticket counter, always try to request an exit seat over the wing, unless you are flying First Class. This is not only the strongest part of the airplane in case of a crash landing, but the wing is situated in the middle of the "tube." If trouble begins in the front or the back of the aircraft you will be able to react to it faster. 2. Always select an aisle seat. You do not want to be seated next to a window or in between people. You do not want to have to climb over anybody in the event of an emergency. Always choose an aisle seat so you can get up, or escape quickly. 3. Bring handcuffs. Although metal handcuffs are not allowed on passenger aircraft, you can bring alternative restraining devices in case you have to "arrest" someone (plumbers plastic tie straps, shoestring, duct tape, etc.).
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4. Observe suspicious passengers. Without looking obvious, or nervous yourself, always look for suspicious passengers. Do not assume that the next attack will be from Arab terrorists. Terrorists can be of any sex, race, or background. Rather, you should look for suspicious behavior patterns: nervous, scared, angry, or very focused. Look around for anyone making hand signals to other passengers. 5. Wear fighting clothes. Wear appropriate clothes for a fight, such as loose fitting clothes, long pants, and a good pair of shoes for kicking, running or stomping.
During the hijacking If, in the future, you ever become a victim in a hijacking there are no longer any guarantees that you will survive the incident. The hijackers may be from the "old school" and try to negotiate, or they may be of the "new school" and have plans to crash the aircraft into a building – with you in it. There is simply no way to know what the intentions of the terrorists will be since the "rules" have changed after September 11, 2001. If you do decide to fight aboard an aircraft, here are some tactics and techniques that may help save your life and the life of others:
1. Ambush the ambushers. When a criminal or a terrorist first jumps up from their seat to seize the aircraft they will be loud and violent in order to intimidate the passengers and flight crew. By doing this tactic the terrorists hope to control the aircraft as soon as possible through fear. Once they have control of the aircraft it is more difficult for the passengers and crew to resist or to counter-attack. In military operations soldiers are taught to attack the attacker if they are ambushed instead of staying in the "kill zone" where the attacker has the advantage. This move puts the attackers on the defensive, which can possibly stop the ambush.
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2. Take command. Every police officer in the United States learns about "command presence." It means that you control a situation with your appearance (confident look), verbal authority (strong verbal commands to other passengers ordering them to assist you), and commitment (certainty about your mission, which will influence others to follow). 3. Linear kicks. The seats of aircraft are taller than a dinning room chair, and the aisle between the rows of seats are narrow (about the width of the average adult forearm to forearm). Therefore, you will be restricted to front kicks and straight knee strikes. Round kicks, side kicks, or any type of spinning kicks are prohibitive. Your target should be a well-placed front kick or knee strike to the pelvic area. This target is a person’s center of gravity (COG), and a forceful strike will "stop or drop" most people. Do not do high kicks (above the pelvic area) or weak snap kicks. 4. Keep it simple. Use only simple, hard-hitting, closed-fist punches and devastating elbow strikes. If you do use open-hand techniques they should be to vital areas (eyes, throat, and neck). 5. Use a shield. On Flights 11, 175, 77 and 93 the hijackers were armed with knives and box cutters. Although airport security has improved since September, it is still possible for someone to conceal cutting and stabbing items on an aircraft, such as composite plastic knives, which cannot be detected by metal detectors. The only way to assure that nobody carries any weapons aboard an aircraft is to forbid all carry-on items, issue all passengers a jumpsuit, frisk them, then have them go through a Backscatter X-ray scan (a machine that can look through a person’s clothes, and produces images which are very revealing). Therefore, if you find that your hijackers have knives, you need to make a shield to protect yourself out of a jacket wrapped around your arm, a briefcase, purse or even a rolled up flight magazine. A shield will protect you from stabs and slashes. 6. Improvised weapons. I am not advising you to bring weapons aboard any aircraft (it’s against the law), but you need to think of items that you can use as a weapon in the event of a hijacking. I can think of several "improvised weapons," such as a belt with a large belt buckle (flexible weapon), a metal writing pen (stabbing weapon), a cowboy boot or air phone (impact weapon), an unopened can of Coke (throwing weapon), a handful of sugar, salt and pepper (distraction weapon) etc. The airlines may prevent you from carrying knives or other edged weapons on their aircraft, but they can’t take away everything – especially your warrior spirit. As the U.S. Marine Close Combat instructors say – One mind, any weapon. 7. Use your environment. The free access areas in an aircraft are quite limited, even in large aircraft such as the Boeing 747. Your fighting area will be very small, such as in an aisle, near a toilet, or by an emergency exit. Therefore, you must train in confined areas to know what techniques work and which do not. You must also learn to use your environment to your tactical advantage: brace yourself against seats for balance, shove the terrorist’s head into the overhead baggage rack, or push a terrorist between the seats and try to pin him there. Again, the only way to understand all of your options in an aircraft is to create your own "aircraft" using the same measurements. 8. Make the arrest. You must not make the mistake of thinking that all future hijackings will be like those of September 11th. You may be facing an army of hijackers or a single suspect who is mentally disturbed. If you do happen to subdue a hijacker, what are you going to do with him, or
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them? One of the most overlooked areas of conflict by traditional martial artists is the post-conflict phase. Although the immediate danger may be over, there are still other factors to consider – such as arresting those who you have defeated. Are you going to just sit on him the rest of the flight or do you have restraining devices? I personally carry nylon handcuffs (which are carried by many of today’s counter-terrorist teams) aboard each flight that I take. However, you can also use shoelaces, duct tape, a belt, torn strips of a shirt, etc. The important thing is to incorporate arrest and control techniques into your training just as you would ground fighting or weapons training. 9. Carry a "go bag." When I fly commercially I always have a small carry-on bag that I store under the seat in front of me. I can quickly place the shoulder strap over my shoulder and go with it if I need it in any type of emergency (whether a plane crash or a fight), that’s why it is called a "go bag" – it’s always ready to go. Inside my bag I have the following items: first aid kit, flashlight, water, food (protein bars), whistle, flexible handcuffs, smoke hood, and something I can use as a weapon (I will keep that to myself). I also put in some business papers to disguise its true purpose. 10. Team tactics. If you are traveling with someone, it is a good idea to discuss a plan of action together, such as roles and responsibilities, should a hijacking take place. Being prepared beforehand is much better tactically, then having to come up with a hasty plan at the moment of the conflict. Come up with key alert words (such as "Okay, I am your prisoner" indicates to your partner to start fighting in 5 seconds). Also discuss hand signals and the type of techniques you would use in various situations. Discuss these things quietly since you may be sitting next to a terrorist, and would not want to be overheard.
Train hard, fight easy Ever since September 11th, I have heard many martial artists say, "If it happened to me, I would fight back. Nobody is going to crash me into a building if I can help it." That’s a good attitude to have as a martial artist, but do you really know what you will be up against? When the day comes for you to act on your words, will your martial arts training have been sufficient enough to have prepared you for a real-world fight? Not just physically, but mentally as well? After all, 90% of combat is mental. Have you ever had to fight for your life before? Do you know how it feels to have adrenalin surge through your body, to get "tunnel vision," and to rely upon gross motor skills? They key to good combat conditioning is to train harder than your enemy. In the case of the American hijackings, the enemy (the terrorists) were devoted to their training. Hijacker Jarrah is a good case in point.
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Self Defense Ziad Samir Jarrah, the terrorist pilot of United Airlines Flight 93, was studying knife fighting and other martial arts techniques prior to his "mission." His American instructor, Bert Rodriguez (owner of US-1 Fitness Centers) said that Jarrah was a "polite," "dedicated," and a "good student." He also attended terrorist training camps in Afghanistan; probably near Kandahar, Khowst or Jalalabad. Of course, Jarrah proved that he was willing to fight to the death. Thus, when you’re practicing your techniques, remember that they may be used one day against someone like Jarrah.
No victory for the terrorists Three days after the four airplanes went down I was ready to fly again. Unfortunately my flight to Canada was cancelled because the United States gover nment (the Federal Aviation Administration) would not allow foreign aircraft into the country for security reasons. Then, two weeks later I flew to Europe to train personnel of the London Metropolitan Police. Afterwards I flew to Madrid to do the photo shoot for this article. Some of my friends and family were obviously worried about me in
light of recent events. However, I was not really worried about flying. I was not going to let terrorists achieve their goal by making me live in terror. Even though September 11th was horrible indeed, the chances of you coming face-to-face with a terrorist are statistically high. You are more likely to be struck by lightning then you are to be injured or killed by a terrorist. On the other hand, you can’t pretend that you are immune from crime or terrorism either. I’ve given you some ideas on how to train for aircraft incidents, now you have to put it into practice. Stay safe.
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Simultaneous Techniques found in Old Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate Kata Chinto Every generation of martial artists has to grapple with how they approach their training, short term and long term. Are they looking for quick, combat ready hand-to-hand training, or do they want to invest in something more long term? Okinawan Karate offers both, but its own longevity speaks for itself. The debate of the value of kata (form) for many has been beat to death, so to speak. Then, why after all these years, are people still focused on form? I'll assume most people reading this article would be looking for the meat on the bone, i.e., can this work today? Is there value in visualizing and practicing fighting sequences perfected over the centuries? You be the judge.
This article will take a look at the effectiveness of, and strategies found, in an ancient kata Chinto, from the obvious to the hidden, focusing on overwhelming an attacker with simultaneous techniques. According to legend, Chinto is named after a Chinese sailor, shipwrecked off the Okinawan coast. Chinto was being disruptive and Matsumura Sokon, a Karate master and chief bodyguard to the Ryukyuan King was sent to take care of him. There was a famous battle between them that ended in a stalemate. Matsumura was so impressed, he asked Chinto to teach him his techniques and put them together into a kata, practiced in many style of Karate today, particularly the Tomari-te and Shuri-te schools of Karate. One of the challenges of practicing traditional solo kata is what should you focus on? Should you focus on the physical attributes of power, speed, footwork etc. or the mental aspects of visualizing your opponent and the various selfdefense scenarios that you've been taught or can imagine? Both are valid and we'll explore both the self-defense applications and the value of mindful practice. A key component of the form is it is performed on a straight line, with numerous spins and turns, requiring a lot of focus and balance. Below I have outlined some of the strategies and techniques that Karatemen for centuries have been using for bunkai (analysis) of this ancient kata.
Some may be obvious (Omote) and some fall into the category of secret or hidden meanings (Ura). Analyzing and applying these principles takes kata out of the realm of a simple dance with physical benefits, to one with direct applications for self-defense. 1. Simultaneous block/strike 2. Dropping weight and simultaneous block/strike 3. Capturing and turning the tables on your attacker 4. Simultaneous arm grab reversal/arm break
Photo 1. Defense from a strike - The attacker strikes with a punch that is blocked and struck simultaneously struck with a palm heel (Teisho) to the jaw. Photo 2. Dropping weight and simultaneous block/strike - An attacker grabs both arms, followed by a punch. Defender employs the strategy of dropping his hands and weight, releasing the grab, followed by a simultaneous block/strike.
Karate Photo 3. Capturing and turning the tables on your attacker - When an attacker grabs a hold of you, immediately grab their arm and forcefully pull them into you as you simultaneously kick with your instep to the groin. Photo 4. Simultaneous grab reversal/arm break An attacker grabs your arm and you simultaneous turn their wrist and apply an arm break using the torque of a hook stance. As you can see from some of these applications, the goal is to use the opponent's aggression against them. These reactions of moving into the attack or reversing a grab and realigning yourself from a position of disadvantage to advantage are rarely natural, at least at first. However, with repetition, the bunkai (or analysis) will make these reactions automatic. The value of practicing kata mindfully (visualizing the fight) is priceless. You are training your body to respond in a disciplined, effective fashion. You are training all the muscles and reflexes necessary to perform the techniques effectively. But, most importantly, you are training the mind by what I will call active visualization. Many studies have been done on the benefits of visualization, but most of them have been in the sports arena, where you can see the outcome. Since Karate is intended to only be used in a real life or death situation, not in the ring or arena, it's hard to get data. How many people want to really get struck in the groin without a cup on, or have their arm broken to see if the kata really works? Not many. Beyond the combat is the art, of course. How many times does someone have to use their skill? Hopefully, they never have to. How important is the stress reduction, physical benefits, spiritual benefits or simply avoiding avoidable circumstances? The mature martial artist knows the answer.
About the Author: Todd Keane is a 7th Degree Black Belt in Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu (founded by Shoshin Nagamine) and has been training for 35 years. He owns and operates, the Academy of Traditional Karate, one of the largest traditional dojos on the East Coast in Wilmington Massachusetts, 15 minutes from Boston. www.Traditional-Karate.com 978-658-2077.
THE WEAPON OF THE VIETNAMESE TAILORS Since time immemorial, the Orientals have been the kings of elevating the daily to the category of the divine. The mere preparation of tea turns into a genuine Art; the same for calligraphy, and what to say about shooting with a bow! As a consequence, it isn’t strange that the traditional Arts are an inexhaustible source of surprises, such as what we pr esent today on these pages, fr om the hand of an internationally known Master of the Vietnamese Martial Arts, Patrick Levet. However, on this occasion and thanks to the film “KungFu-sion”, the Art in question will be familiar to many of our readers, a film in which one of the stars, the actor and teacher Chu Chi Ling, does a superb interpretation of a Chinese tailor. Vietnam is a jewel, the great unknown in the East in many aspects. It has been only thanks to the work of a few like Patrick and the recent commercial opening to the West that this gap has been closing little by little. The Vietnamese Arts have the strength and the authenticity that only poverty offers. In them, even today, all is pure will and genuine effort; a truth that is perfectly transmitted when one watches the video which Master Levet has prepared for us, along with the grand Master Van Vang—recorded in Vietnam—and who today we present to you through this report, not only for the enjoyment of the practitioners of Vovinam, but for all martial artists with interest in its history and mysteries.
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ne summer night in the XVII century in the south of the Indochina peninsula a carriage pulled by an old horse traveled peacefully on a country path between two big villages. After having passed the biggest rice field in the region, a forest appeared on the horizon. Little by little, the carriage approached this little wood. The driver of the vehicle is a tailor. He spends his life going from village to village offering his talented services to the people in the upper classes in the country, to the local bosses of the villages and to the big landowners, allowing them to buy clothes similar to those of the court. This tailor is very astute since he must make people believe that the clothes that he makes are copies of those from the emperor’s court, but he is meticulously careful not to make real copies because by royal decree, the people of the villages do not have the right to dress themselves like the nobility. This tailor makes a pretty good living; he’s not very rich, but he lives much better than his compatriots who work the land. Night was just falling when his carriage entered the forest. He didn’t even have time to light his lanter n when a loud shout broke the silence of the night. Simultaneously, some silhouettes, seeming like wild animals, appear from behind some bushes. In a fraction of a second, the tailor realizes that they aren’t animals, rather bandits.
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One of the robbers holds the horse of the carriage, and the other two, armed with sables, come toward the tailor. The filed blades shine in the light of the waxing moon in a night that would grow even darker. The tailor is not armed, the law prohibits him from carrying a sable. His scissors are always kept in the back of the carriage and he only had a wooden ruler. About 6 to 8 “tac” (from 60 to 80 cm), by 5 cm in width and more or less 1 cm thick, this ruler is the second most important instrument necessary for a tailor to make a living. In effect, if the scissors serve to cut the cloth to sew the clothes, the ruler is necessary to measure and bill his clients for the cloth, and that is where it has its most important benefit. He can’t afford to break it. However, in exceptional situations arise exceptional solutions. Some Vietnamese tailors have developed some techniques to defend themselves from
bandits and thieves, simply utilizing their wooden ruler. This oral legend says that our tailor saved his life, but for that he had to get rid of his opponents without ceasing to respect a fundamental principle for the techniques with the ruler: Never block the adversary’s weapon with the Moc Ban ruler. All the blocks are directed to the hand, the wrist, or the beginning of the forearm of the attacker. The base of the defenses with the Moc Ban ruler is that an attacker who has his hands broken, or a fractured wrist, can’t hold a weapon, and as a result, can no longer fight. There are 12 basic techniques of the Moc Ban ruler, also called “Cay Thuoc”. In Vietnam, they are taught after 2nd Dang and are asked for in the testing for 3rd dang in their application form against a sable attack; some years later, they are asked for in the testing for 4th dang in their Quyen (Moc Ban Quyen Phap) form. The way of holding the instrument is radically different from that of the long staff since no force is exercised with the hands on the Moc Ban. The
Traditional Arts wooden ruler is only held with a soft pressure of the fingers, which don’t squeeze. Frequently, the hand is practically open. There are two basic guards: one with the ruler high, protecting the head and symbolizing a roof; the other with the ruler low, pointed at the adversary, a bit like a sable. The basic techniques of the Moc Ban are formed
depending on the kind and angle of the attack: the direct strikes (attack to the head from above downward or the frontal thrusts); the circular attacks (in diagonal to the head or to the body, horizontal to the head or to the body); and the circular cuts at low levels (attacks to the legs or the feet).
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The dodges Against sable attacks, it is evident that the dodges are much more appropriate than simple blocks, especially if the weapon utilized is more fragile than the sable, so that the dodges have an important role in the Moc Ban techniques. However, the dodges by themselves do not eliminate the danger, they only allow one to dodge it or deflect it. For this reason, they are always combined with direct strikes to the area of the attacker’s wrist. This combination of dodge/strike to the wrist is sometimes too effective: during the training sessions these ruler
strikes to the wrists tur n out to be very painful, even if they are executed in a controlled fashion. To alleviate this problem during training, a number of masters and teachers block the weapon of the attacker instead of striking his wrist or his forearm. Unfortunately, with years of practice, some wind up getting accustomed to the blocks on the adversary’s weapon, to the point where it is frequent, even in Vietnam, to find masters or teachers who completely ignore the principle of the block to the wrist. The Moc Ban dodges are in the majority 90º movements from the opponent’s line of attack, but there is also a dodge with a circular movement of the body, moving oneself sideways. Later, there is also a very interesting kind of dodge which consists of avoiding the attack as if it were a circular punch at the same time that one enters into the adversary’s distance to give him a strike to the liver with the lower end of the Moc Ban. Here, too, the effectiveness is such that this technique cannot be correctly practiced in training. As a result, the
Traditional Arts practitioners transform the strike with the end of the ruler into a simple punch while they hold the Moc Ban in the hand that strikes.
The counterattacks The principle of Cuong Nhu Phoi
Trien (the harmony between the hard and the soft) is also applied in the counter-attacks to respect the fragility of the Moc Ban: in order not to damage the edges of the instrument, the parts that will be used for striking will be, in the majority of cases, the higher angles, that is to say, the “head” or the “tail” of the Moc Ban. In the continuity of the principle of the two opposite polarities, if we had our hand relaxed during the dodges, in exchange,
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during the counter-attacks, we squeeze the Moc Ban quite strongly with the hand that is close to the attacker, with the aim of making the strikes harder. As for the other hand, the one furthest from the adversary, this serves to guide and control the Moc Ban. One must always consider the two ends of the Moc Ban as integral parts of the fist. In order to grasp the concept of “ruler strike” during the counter-attack more easily, one has to think about a hammer strike (Dam Bua) or a reverse strike (Dam Bat Nguoc). To close the cycle of the Cuong Nhu Phoi Trien applications, the parts of the body that receive the counter-attacks are also chosen for their fragility or sensitivity. They will always be targets like the temples, the liver, the floating ribs, the back of the neck, the plexus, the throat, or the armpits.
The sweeps The versatility of the Moc Ban techniques is very interesting. It is not only about using as a striking instrument, but also as a very effective hook for throws and sweeps. For that, a kind of “V” is formed with our forearm and the end of the Moc Ban. In this “V”, the adversary’s neck will be blocked. Later, there are various possibilities of techniques like that of sweeping the opponent’s support leg or hooking this leg while we push the attackers neck.
The circular movements To understand the technical fundamentals of the Moc Ban, one must keep in mind that these techniques have been invented for defending oneself against various adversaries at the same time. So, it is very important to be able to impede these adversaries from focusing on their prey with precision. When one defends oneself against various aggressors, it is much better not to remain in one place waiting for the strikes like in the movies, rather to change the angle constantly at the same time that one always guards one’s overall view of the adversaries. It is for this that the movements and the angle changes are frequent in the Moc Ban techniques. The practitioner must avoid the attacks by way of the dodges and counter-attacks, keeping oneself as mobile as possible. In this way, one is less vulnerable, always moving. The rotations of some counter-attacks also serve for using the adversary’s own force to facilitate our defense. In effect, as is the case for numerous Martial Arts created for people of weaker physical constitution, the Moc Ban techniques put into practice the principle of absorption of the adversary’s force. The fundamental difference between the Martial Arts that are called “soft” and Moc Ban comes from the application of the Cuong Nhu Phoi Trien principle from the point of view typical of Vovinam: at the same time that a soft technique (dodge) is utilized, a hard technique is also applied (violent strike of ruler on the wrist).
A simple but effective weapon Combining simplicity and effectiveness, flexibility and hardness, circular lines of defenses and direct counter-attacks, Moc Ban is a fantastic weapon while continuing to be a simple wooden ruler.
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