El Camino #18 English

El Camino Martial Arts Magazine was born with the aim of promoting martial arts and reaching the largest number of people in a digital way, according to the times and technologies. We hope you like it and join us in this beautiful martial universe, with the love of always: Graphic Direction: Mario Segnini Fursa. Commercial Address: Mario Segnini Fursa. Editorial Address: Javier Acosta Serrano. Main Editor (English Version): SM Guy E. Larke The opinions expressed in this magazine are the responsibility of each person who is published and promoted; is made and distributed with No.22-11 from Montevideo Uruguay for the month of November. Thank you.

WHAT AND HOW AS WELL AS WHY THINGS HAPPEN IN MARTIAL ARTS

Sbn Ramón Navarro

Hi everyone. I greet you from the Republic of Panama. I have been a Song Moo HapKiDo teacher since February 1977, that is, it has been many years since I have experience in this art, but before this time I was an assistant instructor of SabomNim Prospero Manuel Ellis (RIP) who is the father of TangSooDo in my country. Since the time my Master or SabomNim Park SongIL is KwanjangNim of his own style the Song Moo Kwan of the Korean martial art of self-defense known as HapKiDo. Before the pandemic started, I talked to my teacher about not wanting to rank up and he told me I should, but twice ago I told him I wasn't interested at the time. He told me that he was sad because for nearly 50 years in Panama none of us had helped him grow his HapKiDo and I assured him that I would take care of it and the pandemic arrived.

The internet, that is, virtuality, has made changes in the world and martial arts have benefited from this and from things that have been achieved, I started to

form the International Song Moo HapKiDo Federation, offering virtual seminars from which instructors, teachers have joined and We are doing classes one day a week, on Saturdays at 3pm and another group on Sundays at 10am Panama time. Martial artists from Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile and Argentina have been incorporated so we are expanding and anyone who reads this comment and is interested can talk to me on my WhatsApp +507 67808222.

There is martial artist and martialists. Well, I don't know the difference, but martialists sounds like a plural to me. The truth as it is told it´s not as important as what each one does in the martial art that they train and teach. I have seen that every martial art has a format that by following it, the base is learned correctly after it has a good root, but I have also seen that there are instructors or teachers who mix the teaching and it seems to me that this way the learning is distorted, what does

this do is confuse the student.

They also fail to teach some things that need to be learned at the right time, which is called method development. Many today want to create a club of black belts and from the white belt they go up in rank, even if they are not ready, which deceives all students such as instructors or teachers who are not upright in martiality.

I think we all have the controlled combat training, that is, when practicing combat, one must have certainty regarding the possibility of accidents happening. A martial school or Academy is not the street and there are several parts that make up each martial art and the competitions or tournaments in many martial art schools focus more on practicing this one of the segments that make up their martial art and neglect the practice of the forms, the discipline and the respect between companions and instructors.

There is nothing wrong in proceeding to teach as it should be, that is, calmly without giving exams so quickly or even with the necessary time to students who are not really prepared. There are students who learn what they are taught quickly and those who learn it normally over time, those who learn it slower than the others, just as there are those who find it easy to do what they learn as well as those who learn it normally and those who have it hard to learn or master. This indicates that the first three are three types and also three classes of students and there may be a mixture of these. The truth is not only to get the most out of these students, but also as teachers to cause their students to get the most out of their learning.

There are also masters or so-called masters who are under 40 years of age and are of high ranks such as 7th, 8th to 9th Dans in three or four martial arts and even worse, over 50 years of age and are noted to be out of condition with 10th They give in one or two martial arts that they have not invented or created but 8th or 9th in several others when in one life they do not manage to totally master the martial art that one with which they began to learn or well that martial art that they want be your forte and be the one you want to impart to the generations that follow.

There are ways or modes in which these individuals use to move

from ranks and that is usually moving from one federation or organization to another. They stay there for a couple of years and after they receive a new rank, they go to another one and in another couple of years they will be raised in rank. We all know that what happens here is that in addition to having different teachers who give them certificates, it causes the numbers to not match. In that way? The truth is that they lie to many people with the fact that if you reach the first Dan when you are two or three years in that rank, 'you can go on to the 2nd Dan; that when he reaches the date of three or four years, he can go up to 3rd Dan and so on up in Black Belt degrees.

This procedure is not true since one can take a short time to pass the rank at the beginning and the closer to the black belt the student is, the longer it should take to make his next exam and already in the Dan grades it is not that with a minimum time he passes to the next Dan grade because that is an

option for students who deserve to pass the rank before the time would be said to be necessary and be ready. First you have to comply with certain rules, although in reality they are not part of the regulations of that school or style of martial art and even the normal thing is that they are several years mora than the number of Dan grade that student has for example 5th Dan, and they pass to 6th Dan after having 5 years in that Dan rank which is not true or the right process.

In addition, whoever they come together with a buddy from other martialists and unite to form an organization among themselves and give degrees or rank being in different arts or styles of a martial art. You can imagine that for example I will say like this: Being myself a high degree in HapKiDo and as I or you have a Dan degree in TangSooDo, I formed my own organization and rank myself in TSD through you, but as a teacher of HKD and vice versa I also

incorporate other arts or styles arts martial and I give them a rank in their style or martial art and it is how many are doing now a days and worst of all is that they deceive other people, more so those who are beginners. Worse if they already have degrees that they give to others and follow this path of self-deception by seeking invalid recognition since their degrees are not really formally recognized.

This is not OK. I think that if I keep writing down more examples of the things that are happening worldwide, I will not finish writing and in this article, it is not the intention, but rather that we know that this is happening and to those who do not know it, due to some naivety, to open their eyes, to say the truth is that it is very difficult to have control of this situations.

I leave it for you there and I suggest you be formal in your martial path since this is a personal path and nothing like being upright,

disciplined as well as honest and loyal. Loyal to his teacher and his martial art, but more than anything to his students being a good example. This is how a Master does whether he is told as title of Shifu, Sensei, SabomNim or however that title is in the martial art that person is from and make it count. That way no one can talk bad about you.

I, HapKiDo SabomNim Ramon Navarro 6th Dan thanks to my

Grand Master the KwanjangNim: Park, SongIL; I am the technical director of the International Song Moo HapKiDo Federation expanding this HapKiDo system in the American continent or were ever people want to participate in this growth. I do not have all the answers nor do I know everything, but I do not believe in the falsehood in which we realize what is happening and hopefully someone will provide a way to stop this. Mine is that I am sure that each art, for example, if it is in Karate, is from Japan as a base and among them they could do something to expose or even stop these individuals or groups that are not exactly real, just as they can be from Korean styles and among themselves, they know who is who to do something about it.

The Traditional Center Martial Arts

It is born from the idea of not establishing a single system as unique and the study and teaching of the enormous variety of martial arts around the earth, the study, the practice, the history, the technique, the philosophy and above all the orderly opening are the fundamental bases of this construction, which begins to forge in 2012, with the interest of Sbn Javier Acosta and the full support of his Kjn Eduardo Martínez V. the latter a world legend of martial arts.

Accompanied over the years by masters of Japanese Jujitsu, Wing Shun, Aikido, Karate, Tkd, Kick Boxing, Muay Thai and Tang Soo Do and having practiced some of them for long periods and others for short periods, the doubt ideas are generated, aligned and this study center is formed that today offers its students the various variables of the Moo Duk Kwan school, as well as Aikido, Self Defense, Kick Boxing and a hybrid similar to MMA, that directs and studies Ksn Donovan Aguirre, in the studies of weapons Ksn Dr. Daniel Rodríguez and in the organizational support

the Ksn Melba Valenzuela and Ksn Taira Aguirre, all of them with the freedom to seek and bring to this project the ideas and concepts of those that orbit the same but are in different tribunes, some years ago the CTAM has crossed borders and has teaching relations with various countries, as well as its first subsidiary school in Las Tunas Cuba directed by Ksn Alexei Pérez who is also part e fundamental part of the study of martial arts, we have teachers endorsed by the CTAM in Uruguay and Argentina for Kick Boxing and Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo, today Sbn Javier Acosta, participates as a technical advisor to different organizations around the world in terms of teaching for the physical disability, thanks to his career as a volunteer teacher at the Mexico telethon foundation, he also directs the El Camino Podcast editorial and to this day remains faithful to his great teacher Kjn Eduardo Marinez who is part of the promotion of the Taekwondo Hall Of Fame 2019 and holds the highest degree in Mexico, as well as a Dan Bon Directo from Kjn Hwang Kee.

The traditional martial arts center is the greatest achievement of Sbn Javier Acosta and each of its

members, it is tangible and grows solid every day. Today, together with Sbn Mario Segnini from Uruguay, the learning and massification of martial arts through technology is studied and practiced fraternally, he is the one who today travels the do accompanying Sbn Acosta and learning at the same time for his students, As you can see, the important thing is not to be a giant, it is to walk with giants...

SBN Javier Acosta Serrano

PROFESSIONAL BOXING

SBN Javier Acosta

Professional Boxing - Minor labor market integration

At the very least, their occupational integration is complicated by exogenous factors related to economic conditions.

If you are good in the ring, it is normal to think that professional boxing can be a vehicle for you to integrate professionally. But going to a regular indoor training is a long way until you win the title of boxing champion! Unfortunately, very few boxers in the world make a living from boxing. Sporting success drives professional success, but boxing offers many benefits for physical and mental health. It will be difficult to become a professional. Very few people are successful. If you can live with your fists and earn thousands of euros per unbeaten fight, then you didn't become a professional boxer in the first place, someone who has the patience to do well. A professional level boxer is one who holds a professional boxing license. Also, to compete against the best boxers, you must belong to an international federation such as WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF or APB. Please note that the license prohibits the use of boxing techniques outside of boxing clubs. For example, Christophe Dettinger, the boxer who faced CRS

in the yellow vests athletic rally on January 5, 2019, defeated two agents of the Mobile Gendarmerie on the podium of Leopold Sedar Senghor. In February 2019, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison and 18 months of probation. In August of the same year, he was released for good conduct. So don't you dare!

Disadvantages of being a boxer Let's start with boxing's shortcomings.

Logically, the first drawback of this profession are the injuries, wounds and bruises that a boxer can suffer in a big fight. In boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing or French boxing, you have to accept that sometimes you get beat up or walk out of the ring with a broken or bleeding nose.

• Black eye.

• Open eyebrows. • Fractured jaw.

• Possible brain damage. We are talking at a professional level here. In amateur boxing, there is little to no body contact and fights are conducted with PAO gloves and shields. Professional boxers usually have one or more training sessions a day to master their defensive moves. He knows that he must pay attention to every move and can avoid punches and kicks from his opponents. But we all make careless mistakes. Even with all the boxing gear (mouth guards, shin guards, mouth

guards, gloves, armbands, boxing gloves), professional boxing injuries are common. For example, a blow to the head or a kick to the liver can knock out (KO) a boxer. Bruises are mainly related to poor concentration and poor posture during training. This is the reason why helmets in certain weight classes are used in combat. studying time

In boxing, the learning time is very long. Learn highly technical martial arts moves and techniques. In fact, we need to control a set of parameters simultaneously.

*Resistance and cardiovascular *Precision and power of the blows.

* Jump

*Avoid, dodge

* Guardian

*Put your feet on the ground

*Fast

*Breath

*Know your limits

Training and experience create the automation necessary to apply combat strategies. This irritates many opponents, since boxing requires great sacrifices.

Other drawbacks of professional boxers

Professional boxers must find opponents to fight in order to climb the ranks, win belts, and increase their income. Losing is learning from your mistakes. But for a boxer, it also means less income for him!

A professional boxer has to manage his career as if he were a businessman, pay for the necessary equipment (trainers, physiotherapists, etc.), and manage his physical condition and his schedule. Professional boxers, who are paid from bonuses accumulated from professional matches and sometimes from sponsors, need to constantly improve their physical condition.

Losing the game means losing the winnings. Losing is always important (you learn from mistakes for a reason, they say), but a professional boxer has only one goal.

ALL QUIET IN THE WESTERN FRONT

Maestro Jesús Ricardo Félix

Im Westen nichts Neues is a 2022 German film directed by Edward Berger. Berger is a writer-director who has made his career primarily in television. All Quiet on the Front is inspired by two aspects: the first is the 1930 American film by Lewis Milestone, winner of the Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture. The second is the famous novel of the same name by the German writer Erich Maria Remarque in the late twenties. Remarque is considered one of the most recognized antiNazi writers of the time. The author, vindicated over the years, narrates the experiences of a young soldier in the First World War. In those days the Nazis burned the copies of the novel and considered it not only anti-political but also anti-patriotic.

Paul Bäumer is a young teenager who has been convinced by his teachers to enlist in the war. He is barely seventeen but the propaganda, the love for his country and the promises of a better future are enough letters to encourage him to take the plunge. Accompanied by his young friends, Paul goes into the darkness of the trenches, going from dream to nightmare. The friendship between the soldiers

is strengthened with the proximity of death, from the humidity of the tunnels they dream, fantasize, watch their comrades being wounded by grenades or struck down by flamethrowers or mustard gas. The older generals try to instill in them the necessary courage to dodge the bullets in the name of a few meters of ground that are lost and gained as the days go by. At first, food is plentiful, tobacco is plenty, there are spaces to laugh, flirt with local women, but above all, dream of the long-awaited return. Later, the enthusiastic soldiers know the face of hunger, the roar of bombardments in the middle of the night, the innovative war toys such as armored cars, mortars, etc.

The soundtrack is not to instill nostalgia or terror, it stuns us intermittently as if to accompany the character through the trenches, a bit similar to what Christopher Nolan does in Dunkirk. At times we remember the Sam Mendes film 1917, because of the way we follow the protagonist through his ordeal, but also because of the technical deployment of the filmmaker Edward Berger, although the German chooses to highlight the

colors as if it were painting in motion.

Definitely recommendable, I think that just like Apocalypse Now, Dunkirk or 1917, All Quiet Front is a film to be enjoyed better in the movie theater. There are moments that can be considered cliché or predictable, to say the least, but in its favor I would have to say that it is difficult to innovate on the subject of the war genre. It is also a difficult film to watch because there are moments where the blood, the dirt, the misery of war explodes in our faces and we realize that young people are thrown to sacrifice themselves in the name of old politicians who proudly wear uniforms decorated with thousands of kilometers from there. Remarque portrayed the scenes of the first war in a masterful way, since he lived firsthand Paul's experiences when he was enlisted at just eighteen years of age. It is said that in the first war around ten million people died without the participants learning the lesson, since they would repeat the act years later with even more sophisticated machines, more lethal, quintupling the number of deaths.

JUDO FOR LIFE

Hello friends readers of the magazine "El Camino".

In this issue of the month of November, our note on Judo, tells us about the different ways of learning, practicing and teaching the activity that we could enjoy all our lives. The approach is different when we start as children or teenagers, or when we start as adults, or when I just want to do a little physical activity, or when I want to practice to know how to defend myself, or when I just want sports and become a top-level competitor, either when I just want an approach to the philosophy that I think supports it. In all cases, if I am still not clear about what I am looking for, I should get the best possible advice, investigate, ask friends, search the networks, visit training and learning places, see the classes, learn about the Professor's curriculum, your credentials, national and international organizations that support you, try some classes...

In this first part, we will give a snapshot of CHILDREN'S JUDO, its importance as a starting point for an activity for life.

Children's Judo is excellent for the physical and psychological development of children at an early age. Accompanying growth, providing security to our actions, seeing how personal and group effort is gaining importance and I am making it part of me.

The physical and technical development becomes palpable, and these changes can be observed, in a very short time. Attending a sports competition becomes natural, helping the development of classmates, being happy when I win a fight and when others do. When the Professor congratulates me because my techniques and behavior are improving in class, they are things that we will always remember. When I prepare for the grade pass exam, I do it conscientiously, so that it turns out as well as possible, and the day I change my belt, I realize that I am changing, but not only because of the color of the Obi (Belt) but because of how I interrelate with everyone and my family, he also notices.

In my first competitions I am nervous, the place is not my Dojo, it is a large gym full of tatami mats, full of children wearing judogis, the stands full

of people, the Administration of the championship, Referees, Teachers, the loudspeakers saying your name, the ritual of greetings, flags everywhere, my parents clapping, everyone taking photos and filming... it's stressful at first, but then it becomes normal, that day of the championship makes it special, desirable, enjoyable to the fullest. And surely his memory will accompany you, the rest of your life. Back in class, they talk about the championship, how we were, everything that can be improved, corrected, increased, copied, because at those children's levels we are already realizing that effort is part of the activity. And it doesn't matter if we win or lose, but we did the experience, we put it as one more activity within Judo, and we began to have a place at home where we put the first medals, trophies for participation and photos with our little friends.

At School and College, everyone asks me how I did, what medal I got…everyone already knows that I am a Judo competitor child! And I also start to be part of exhibitions, where the Judo team shows what we do, exclamation voices and surprise gestures, before the falls, the throws, and at the end, the applause. First there were the meetings with other academies, then the friendly championships, in our city, in other regions of the country, then the official championships of our

Prof. Marcelo Ehrlich

Federation, then the international friendlies, the official internationals, always with divisions by age, weight and category of belt. Already as a child I am making friends in other clubs (the meeting point: the championships, the joint classes with other friendly Dojos), I am making friends in other countries, and as I write this, I am remembering the trips in which buses, by boat, by plane... and as a child to see that you are representing not only your Club, Federation, but your Country!

Of course, not everyone wins, but we all do the activity, all in the same uniform, with belts of different colors, we have fun, in this playful stage, the game that has to do with Judo is super important, we are learning without know that we are doing it! Learning the falling exercises makes us lose our fear of falling, the correct way to fall (Ukemis) makes the ground friendly. I'm not competing with others, I do it with myself, to be better than yesterday (At least that's what my Professor says), and years later, I would understand that phrase that is one of the main thoughts of Judo philosophy!

So far we are seeing the essential,

academic formative stage, the Legacy of Judo, teaching, training, helping everyone. “Mutual Aid”, another of the great thoughts of the Judo! And all this, if we have a good Teacher, an Educator, a Trainer, whoI am interested in the integral and harmonious development of the little students... But, what if it were not like that?

If you were only interested in small judokas, being just competitors, training them from a young age to get medals, so that with their achievements, they would make sports propaganda for his club, his academy, his Ego...

Being at the top of the Podium as an Institution, so that the Coach continues to be hired by that club, sends him to all the championships, to all the trips. It teaches little athletes that the only thing that counts is victory, only the one who wins matters. There are even sports Institutions, which only pursue that end, they do not pretend more than to bring medals and cups for their club, and use sports achievements, as dissemination of supremacy! But as we said before, not everyone can win, they don't even care about that, those kids, they start to look different, I can't win a fight, the Professor doesn't treat me the same anymore, the team doesn't treat

me the same anymore, my parents think that I can't beat anyone, why am I going to class…why are they spending money sending me to Judo! And the moment of abandonment arrives, I don't like Judo anymore, or I'm not good for this, I'm going to do something else, without realizing that... "Judo is for everyone"! The one who didn't know how to teach me like that was the teacher I had! And, dear friends, I am in tears as I write this! As you will understand, I have lived Judo since I was a child, and as a young man and an adult I got to know it in various parts of the world and in many places it is practiced that way, pure competition sport! While in others, Judo is done for everyone, respecting the natural evolution of Judoka. The competition is bad, no! No way, what is bad, is leading everyone down that path! I grew up in the competition! And I saw many children, young people and adults disappear, who did not fit that profile! Today with more than 56 years in Judo, I can count on the fingers of my hands, those of us who are still active! What happened to those who dropped out, what led them to that, where did the governing

authorities of our activity go wrong?

What part did they not understand that "Judo for all" can help everyone!

And that only in the children's Judo category! They don't even want to know about youth or adults, as I reported on another occasion, Japan itself has suspended certain children's championships, because in them, victory was only sought, leaving aside the teaching of master Jigoro kano, "Judo for all ”, excessively seeking competitive achievement, already at these early ages! It is not only sport, it is philosophy, it is understanding, it is mutual aid, it is personal growth, it is harmony, it is friendship. When I teach a child a technique, it is not for them to use it in a championship and come out champion, it is for them to learn the fundamentals of Judo, from the base, so that they learn to unbalance, to enter the movement correctly, neither before nor then, so that he learns to use the necessary force, neither too little nor too much, so that he can shoot correctly, neither weakly nor rudely that could hurt, and little by little, we see his constant evolution, his joy at do Judo… And that is priceless!

Practicing with him, doing Randori

(Dojo sparring or free practice), letting him throw me, letting him immobilize me and seeing him with that smile, seeing that he does things very well in his exam, is priceless!... . And the little Judokas are growing up, now they are pre-adolescents and adolescents, many changes in their life, the pressure of the increasingly demanding study, the first boyfriends and girlfriends, many new distractions, many activities to choose from and many continue in Judo, others have dropped out. Those who continue, already more prepared for everything, see how the study has no end, the body has changed, now I am stronger, faster, more technical, I move differently, I accept victory and defeat. And my teacher, he keeps teaching me! I learn with new eyes, my understanding is greater, I see the example, I want to be an example, I want to help others, I also want to become a Judo champion, represent my Country, be a Black Belt, I want to be an International Champion, a World Champion, Olympic Champion, I want to be a Judo Teacher, I want to be many things

that I didn't know I could be before! The Magic of Judo, will allow you to be what you want!

See you in the Dojo and in "El Camino". Prof. Marcelo Ehrlich.

ECONOMY

Tang Soo Do

By Elias Pulgar Olguin

NEVER GIVE UP. GREETINGS TO ALL WHO READ THIS MAGAZINE AND THOSE WHO PRACTICE MARTIAL ARTS WORLDWIDE. I WANT TO SHARE A FRAGMENT OF A BOOK THAT CAN HELP US GET UP.

What goes through my head when I hear the word "no" “This book is about a topic that is very important to me: never give up. Needless to say, I have a lot of experience in this area, so I think I have some idea about it. I've already written several books, and I don't need the money, but it's a subject I consider worthwhile enough to take the time to write about.

The first big “No” that hit me was in Manhattan in the 1970s, when I was just starting my career, and everyone—and I mean everyone—told me that those were bad times. for the real estate sector. Even people

who were well positioned in the business told me. It was true; the market was showing clear signs of stagnation, and that fact could not be denied. Worse still, he seriously claimed that New York was heading toward bankruptcy. Then, the Federal Government announced a moratorium on housing subsidies. The city had been receiving them in abundance, and suddenly the source had dried up.

If I had only considered the facts, which were not very flattering, in no way would I have […]”

“The first big “No” that hit me was in Manhattan, in the 1970s, when I was taking my first steps in my professional career, and everyone—and I mean everyone—told me that those times were disastrous for the real estate sector. Even people who were well positioned in the business told me. It was true; the market was showing clear signs of stagnation, and that fact could not be denied. Worse still, he seriously claimed that New York

was heading toward bankruptcy. Then, the Federal Government announced a moratorium on housing subsidies. The city had been receiving them in abundance, and suddenly the source had dried up. If I had only considered the facts, which were not very rosy, there was no way I would have ventured into real estate. But I did it. Why? Because when I hear the word "No," it immediately becomes a challenge. I believe that the impossible is actually possible very often if you are willing to work hard, and if you are aware that problems can become opportunities. New York City had problems, but maybe I could do[…]” “people, from their stories, applying it to my own circumstances. My wish is that you do the same. May you learn from my problems and experiences, and do a better job of anticipating and solving yours. And remember, the way I see it, the bigger the problem, the better chance you have to prove your greatness.

The Amazing Odyssey of GM CLINTON ROBINSON

PART 1

By Sr Master Guy Edward Larke

When we think in terms of martial arts history, we often look to the Shaolin Temple in China, the Sengoku Era of Japan or even the Shilla Dynasty of Korea. What we tend to overlook is the renaissance of Asiatic fighting arts in North America.

Historians talk of the 1960’s being the British Invasion as far as music, but there was another phenomenon taking place. The introduction of the martial arts was sweeping across the continent. In movies, you saw Sean Connery Judo throwing baddies like no one’s business. British spies on BBC seemed to all be proficient in kicking, chopping and throwing. Most noticeable was the larger-than-life chauffeur and partner of the Green Hornet, Kato (played by the immortal Bruce Lee)!

At the same time unknown heroesto-be began popping up from places unknown. Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Mike Stone, and… my lifelong idol, Chuck Norris headlined a long list of aspiring warriors. Karate schools and competitions began to explode across the US.

Being born at the end of this so-called golden age I watched in amazement with my parents and brother. After many years I came to realize what a truly amazing time it was and how HARD it was for those rare gladiators to get any form of success. It wasn’t

until decades later at a Kukkiwon Foreign Instructor Course that I met one of those martial pioneers. Better yet was how truly approachable he was and willing to share advice and motivation with a much younger Canadian who felt more than a bit out of place. With that said, it is my honor to introduce a truly unique individual by the name of GM Clinton Robinson.

Larke

Thank you for your time, sir! It has been a long time since we met face-toface!

Robinson

Yes, it has! Time really flies.

Larke

For those unfamiliar with your story, could you give us a little background about yourself?

Robinson

Okay, well, I'd say that's probably a good, perhaps a good starting point. I was born in 1948 in a place called Mobile, Alabama. That’s in the “Deep South”. This was during troubling times. It was quite troubling in the South in the 50’s and 60’s. Matter of fact, I happened to live in Alabama at the time that a gentleman by the name

of George Wallace was the governor.

Larke

Yes. Interesting period.

Robinson

So, it was interesting times. I actually grew up there as well.

I attended a local college. Not actually not a local, but an Alabama college that at the time was called Tuskegee Institute. It's now called Tuskegee University, which was founded by this guy, Booker T. Washington. So, I was pretty much motivated to go there. Also, one of the principals at my junior high school had attended Tusky (Tuskegee University) and I had really, admired the guy. I thought he did really good things and I wanted to kind of follow in his footsteps to a certain extent. Then things got interrupted, because my dad, who was a civilian employee for the military, they shut down the base in the city that we lived in. So, my dad elected to move to California. My gosh, you know, having all of my friends and having grown up in Alabama all those years, I was somewhat reluctant to do that, but I didn't have any relatives I could stay with. So, the entire family went to California.

Larke

That must have been a culture shock!

Robinson

Yes, and at the same time, perhaps it was supposed to happen. Because in Alabama, it was somewhat difficult for

a black man to get a job. I mean, I was kind of like standing out on the streets like we see now here in California. see minorities hanging around, waiting on trucks to pick them up, and give them a job for a day. Well, I did not have any idea where I was going and what I wanted to do. So, I applied for jobs in California and ended up getting a job working at a Denny's restaurant, as a dishwasher of all things. That's where I got introduced to Taekwondo. So, this was in 1966.

Larke

Wow, we're going into the golden age of martial arts in America.

Robinson

So, you know, the guy that owned the restaurant, had sponsored an instructor from Korea. I never, being from the deep south of Alabama, had ever seen any martial arts, particularly in black communities. That in fact, got an even I've never seen or heard of any of these things. And so, this gentleman, a guy by the name of Jim Prather. He passed recently. He and I remained friends all these years. He encouraged me to participate. I'm going, Man I don't even know what this is. I'm trying to get through college. You asked me to go down this place. So, I said, I'll take a look. I went down, and took a look. It was the craziest thing I've ever seen in my life. I mean, people were walking around in pajamas, barefoot, and yelling. Well, this looks like a bunch of crazy folks to me, man. I don't think I want to do this. So, I didn't go back. Fortunately, he was persistent. He said, I think you'd be really good.

Larke

What was your first impression of him as a person.

Robinson

You know, he was a nice guy. I mean, he was very patient. He didn't force me, just gently twisted my arm. Yeah,

so I went down. I was glad he was insistent. Because once I took a class, I was hooked. So, I thought that it was the coolest thing. Ever! You know, the way some of those guys could move!

Larke

What was the name of the school? Do you remember?

Robinson

I know. It was. My first instructor was a gentleman named Myung Kyu Kang. He was a Moo Duk Kwan guy. Now, Taekwondo was not popular at that time. Matter of fact, it was not even taekwondo per se. More like Tang Soo Do. Things were in transition in the 1960’s around 1965 to 1966, when they were promoting the name, Taekwondo, and things of that nature. So, I walked into the school one day, and suddenly, we were doing Taekwondo. I was like, Okay, so it didn't make any difference to me. Because, number one, Kang was the only school in town, so like where else you gotta go. This is what you're teaching, and this is what I'm going to learn. So that began a very interesting experience. Fact is, as a younger man, my dad never allowed me to participate in athletics I was recruited for various sports, but I could never take part.

Larke

So, how old were you when you formally started training?

Robinson

I was exactly 18 years old.

Larke

What was it that like? What was harder? The training, the sparring, the forms…

Robinson

I'm glad you asked that. I’ll tell you a story about that. Because, you know, there were a number of other guys in there that were in my age bracket. We would sit there and… weight classes meant nothing… we did all the exercises. It was a very small dojo, and Master Khan would send me and three or four other guys outside. We had to go out on the sidewalk with a yellow belt as our instructor. So, at the end of class, we would go in, we bow out with everybody. Then we got to the privilege of cleaning the dojang. It was a hardwood floor. So, we met up and we had his army blankets, and kind of rubbed the floor. I can't believe we did that every night. Sometimes we watched some of the other guys from time to time. I remember this vividly, when they did sparring, my buddies and I would sit there and we'd nudge each other and say, You know, I think I can beat that guy. This guy is no good. That guy is no good. But Master Khan wouldn’t let you spar until you made Green Belt. So, with that in mind, he says, Okay, we're gonna stay here to at least green belt so we can display our skills. So sure enough, eventually we made green belt, and it came time to spar. We all got destroyed! We came back and sat down. The comment were like this, Man, that guy got good. No kidding. Me? Probably. We weren't that good. But it was like now he got better. So, he just beat the crap out of me. Yeah, I'm convinced now. But I made a lot of really good friends there and actually entered a competition probably two weeks after I began training. Yeah, with not understanding the rules. Not So, really knowing anything other than how to do some stepping and stand in

front of a brick wall and throw middle punches and rising kicks. But I went to this competition. They had all these white belts. There were tons of white belts. I mean, that was about 50 of us in the same category. So, we all lined up. The guy next to me, and I don't think things have changed these days, tried to intimidate me. He goes, How long have you been training? Uh, a couple of weeks. So, I respond to him, Heck, how long you been training? He says, I've been training a couple of years. So, I think he wanted to scare me. My thought was I'm gonna kill this guy. Two years, and he's still a white belt?

Larke

Looking back, do you find that growing up where you did it kind of toughen you mentally. So, the idea of pushing you around was like… good luck!

Robinson

Thank you. You’re right, because I did. You know, something that amazed me in the class was the students would ask the instructor questions that would puzzle me. One of those questions was, How would I use this in a real fight? I've never had to ask that question. Because everything I saw them do. I'm going, Okay, I could apply that here. I could apply this and that situation.

I immediately knew what situations because I'd been in tons of fights. For me, that was normal growing up. So that was amazing. My guy said people older though, never had a fight. That to me was amazing. So, but I stayed with it. I made some good friends there.

Larke

What was your first black belt test like?

Robinson

Oh, my first Black Belt test? See, I had an interruption there because I got up to Red Belt, at which point I ended up getting drafted in the military. Rather than go in the army, because I'd been involved in Army ROTC and knew that I would be sent to the frontlines of Vietnam. So, I decided to join the Air Force. So first, my intention of joining the Air Force was that I would go to basic training and come back home so I could resume my training with Master Kang. It did not work that way. I had to go to a technical training school and those kinds of things. So, I continued to train by myself, and in 1969, took a leave and went back to Sacramento and tested for my black belt with Master Kang. The black belt testing then was pretty strict, you know, very hard core. I mean, I recall, fighting multiple opponents. Half the guys were trying to kill you! We had to do brick breaking and Master Kang was using those old red bricks that you know, if

you weren't careful, for that matter, even if you knew what you do, you could conceivably hurt yourself.

I had an opportunity while training then to meet the first president of the Moo Duk Kwan right after the split from Taekwondo. and Master Kang to meet. It was a guy by the name of Kang Ik Lee. He came to one of the testings. So that was pretty interesting. Mr. Khan also brought several other instructors into in his school, and perhaps some of these guys may you may or may not have heard of, but me being with a guy by the name of Byung Yu.

There was a huge tournament in Sacramento in 1968. It was the USA versus Korea. Many influential people were at that event that actually had made a mark on Taekwondo in general.

The U.S. fighters were Joe Lewis, a guy named Ron Marchini. Robert Halliburton. There were a couple other guys. I don't recall their names, but the Korean fighters were Byung Yu guy, a fighter by the name of Dan. Dan Choi was the instructor of Ernie Reyes. Then was Jung Hwan Lee, who's the current Moo Duk Kwan president. And then there was a Yung Ahn and a guy named Jun Hu Kim. Ahn I think is back in Korea, but Kim is in Virginia, North Carolina somewhere. So those were interesting times. All the competitions featured all styles together. There were no individual Taekwondo tournaments.

since then. He lives in Seongnam city with his wife Gi-Ryung and son Alexander. He holds black belts in Teuk Gong Moo Sool, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Taekgyeon, Bon Kuk Kumdo, Korean kickboxing, Karatedo, Wushu, Cheonji-muye-do, and various other arts. Currently he teaches Taekwondo, Karate and Cheonji-muye-do full time in addition to writing for various magazines and running Kisa-Do Muye & Marketing. He can be contacted at kisadomuye@gmail. com .

Discover how a young man with a colored belt changes his life by being drafted and sent to Taiwan. Student becomes a master next issue!

Sr. Master Guy Edward Larke has dedicated his life from a young age to the pursuit of the martial arts, Asian culture and hoplology. It led him to Korea in 2000 and has lived there

By SBN Edgar Quiroz

Panama City was the venue for the First International Congress of the World Traditional Tang Soo Do Union Panama - 2022, the first event held in person by this organization at the international level, after the pandemic began. This event was held on October 28, 29 and 30 at the prestigious Hotel Central Park and Casino in Panama City, located in the El Dorado area.

Teachers from the United States, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Panama participated. This activity was led by the president and founder of the World Traditional Tang Soo Do Union, Grandmaster Patricio Saavedra, 8th Dan in Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan. It is important to note that one of the main objectives of this organization is to transmit the Korean Traditional Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, reinforce pedagogy, the correct teaching of Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan techniques and update its members regarding the changing , evolutionary and diversified world of Martial Arts. On this occasion we had the great opportunity to organize this event together with Kyo Sa Nim Eloy Tapia (Tang Soo Do Spirit), myself

an important pillar for the congress to achieve the success obtained, in addition to the collaboration of Yady Loaiza, a sales executive at the Hotel Central and Casino. The Congress was held in a punctual, orderly manner and following the schedule of activities already established, under an atmosphere of camaraderie, simplicity and humility of all the participants and especially of the Masters, an attitude that is an evident reflection of our leader, the Grand Master. Patrick Saavedra. During the Congress, already acquired knowledge was reinforced and we learned very important topics of Tang Soo Do, among them: physical techniques, philosophical aspects and teaching methodologies, where KJN Patricio taught the correct use of external force and internal force during the execution. of the techniques, also the use of weapons (kali, bong, nunchaku, fan), Methodology of teaching Acrobatics in Martial Arts, and traditional forms. The KJN Patricio Saavedra explains the importance of the correct teaching pedagogy for martial arts within our organization in a professional, structured and methodical manner

according to the age groups to which each student belongs.

During the morning sessions on Saturday, October 29, the focus was on reviewing and updating Traditional Tang Soo Do techniques for all school students, including

Edgar Quiroz (Tang Soo Do School Panama) and the important help of my wife Jessica Carmona, since was

children, adolescents, and adults. He also taught the use of different Traditional Tang Soo Do and nontraditional weapons, among these, Sabonim Mary Cayte (4th Dan) taught the handling of a Kali (Short Stick) to students and double Kali to instructors. The management of a Nuchaco to the students was dictated by the experienced Sabonim Melisa Mulet (4th Dan). The use of the fan as weapons and the use of the bong (long stick) was dictated by the KJN Patricio, who also taught an interesting combat system and techniques to the Gup students. On Saturday afternoon, we had one of the most appreciated, striking and complex seminars, advanced weapons or better known in (USA) as extreme weapons, where two weapons of the same type are used simultaneously, where the KJN Patricio Saavedra, he taught and demonstrated the use of two Bongs and also the two Nunchakus.

In this congress there was a small demonstration of our school Tang Soo Do School Panama of acrobatics and a seminar Workshop on the Methodology of teaching acrobatics for Martial Arts for instructors. Here it was demonstrated with the help of my students, the fusion of Gymnastics and Tang Soo Do, since they are disciplines that I have practiced and taught for many years and for the year 2000 I was selected for Tang Soo Do and Men's Artistic Gymnastics of Panama , simultaneously. In 2002 I retired as a gymnast from competitions as National Sub Champion in all apparatus, in the Elite Men's Category, what I want to point out with this reference is that this type of discipline should not be improvised and should be guided by professionals. who are dedicated to the correct teaching of Martial

Arts and Acrobatics. We hope that in the near future the Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, manages to have in the vast majority of its schools, the teaching of Acrobatics within its curriculum, as a way to disseminate, improve and enhance the physical abilities of its exponents of safe, fun and dynamic way.

Saturday ended with a pleasant gala dinner attended by instructors, parents and the guest of honor, Shihan Edith Martinez, a Karate Teacher with a long history in Martial Arts in Panama and internationally, who also accompanied us during part of the Congress with some of his advanced students. At this dinner, the Masters were recognized for their dedication in teaching Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, also this year, the Kokoro Prize was awarded for the first time, the highest distinction. This was given to Master Melisa Mulet of the Argentine Republic, a recognized Master with a great career in Martial Arts.

Before finishing the dinner, it was announced where the next international congress of the World Traditional Tang Soo Do Union and Tournament will be, with our sister country Colombia being the winner by vote, where our friend Kyo Sa Nim Oscar Gonzalez will be the host of this great event to be held in November 2023, in Bogota, Colombia.

By SBN Hector Grandon

Closing the year in the best way, Panama and Chile will remain in memory. The event in Chile was attended by schools from Argentina who wanted to be present. New black belts in Chile and Argentina who join a group that has been working very well. Verbatim words of KJN Patricio Saavedra I want to thank everyone who makes our organization what it is. today currently We will see each other in Colombia in November 2023. A big hug to all and thanks again. Tang sooooo!! This is how our Leader and founder of the World Tradicional Tang Soo Do Union says goodbye. We were energized throughout this year with his positivism, teachings that leave traces, values that reached the depths of our hearts in Panama, he showed his leadership in the most spontaneous way by sharing with everyone and always united and in Chile he closed the year as he knows how to do inviting friends like Pedro Hinojosa Samir Dorado and all his staff of black belts from our organization I as a Representative worked so that everything lived in

Chile would remain in his heart and all those who participated in the exam and the Gala dinner where recognition was given to the instructors from Chile, Argentina, it should be noted that we also had the visit of SBN Melissa Mulet who in Panama obtains the KOKORO Hall of Fame award which is defined as Mind, Heart and Spirit to loyalty to our organization Wttsdu I thank you for this great event held in Chile by the World Tradicional Tang Soo Do Unión Chile

KINTSUGI: THE ART OF REBUILDING YOURSELF!

I discovered this Japanese practice that became a philosophy of life. All of us have wounds, marks and scars that we have acquired over the years. That's what living is about. But, because of this very human and perhaps so modern issue where it seems not allowed to show everything that happens to us and only focus on success and happiness, we decided to hide those scars. Kintsugi is a centuriesold Japanese technique that consists of repairing broken ceramic pieces and instead of hiding cracks and break lines, they are given a new value and made more visible. using gold dust or liquid silver. This method exhibits those wounds from the past and thus understands, they acquire a new life. Also, so no two pieces are ever the same. It raises the wonder of individuality and the genuine. Today this technique has crossed the borders of pottery and has become a whole philosophy of life that revalidates the wounds of the soul and teaches us about resilience, a key competence of this

MATE and KARATE

era. No two people are the same and therein lies the wonder. The kintsugi philosophy teaches us that we can all rebuild ourselves and focus on our strengths. Instead of using gold dust or lacquer, we must build our selfesteem, discover our abilities for ourselves and be kind to everyone, but especially to ourselves. Don't be so critical, accept us with all our history and emotional baggage. If we learn from our past mistakes and traumas, letting those scars see doesn't have to be taboo, far from it. We are imperfect and that's okay. It is impossible to be "perfect on this plane." We have to be resilient and see how to learn from pain or mistakes; this is the best virtue we can always have. Encourage us to show ourselves imperfect, it makes us human, wiser and better people in all aspects of our lives. Recognizing and giving entity to our road map in life is what leads us to find the best path, no matter how many curves and detours it presents us with. The result of being transparent is always positive. Today, with the crisis we are facing as a society, where uncertainty reigns, we We feel battered and with wounds

that leave a mark, we have to bring out the resilience to be able to deal with these traumatic events in a positive way. Take advantage of the opportunities that life offers, reorganize ourselves positively and go through the difficulties that arise. Our experiences, our wounds, the teachings and learning are what make us what we are and what structures our personality. We are made up of all that and nothing should be hidden. You have to resignify and give it a value. as the poet says Leonard Cohen: "There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." You learn from everything, everything is learning, everything is in the mind and in the way of how to face adversity, it only depends on our attitude. Things happen when they have to happen and at the exact moment, the time is perfect, everything comes to its right moment with the sole purpose of teaching us, and in the process of winning experience, we also gain cracks, marks, wounds that when they heal with willpower and selfimprovement, leave us beautiful marks to remind us of where we came from, what we face and overcome to be exactly where we are today day. Everything is a learning!!!

KINTSUGI...

“What can you gain from practicing karate as an adult?”

Master Song MinJie

Karate's original name is "Tang hand" (唐手), Tang is a dynasty in China, which means boxing from China. The Chinese character "Tang" can also be read as "Kara" in Japanese. In order to clarify the relationship with China, the local government changed the name of "Tang hand" (唐手) to "Karate" (空 手). As an oriental martial art that originated in China and developed in Japan and finally spread all over the world, it has become one of the popular mainstream of martial arts fighting in the world. There are many karate players with outstanding performance in the internationally renowned fighting events RISE, K-1 and UFC. 2020 The Tokyo Olympics also brought karate into the public eye for the first time as an Olympic sport.

My name is Song MinJie, and

some people on the Internet call me ShiHan, others call me Grand Master, but I usually just use the title of Sensei or Master. I have practiced karate for over 16 years and am now a karate instructor with students ranging from 4 to 70 years old. While studying Karate, I also learned Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Boxing, Filipino Martial Arts, Krav Maga. However, only karate is the martial art I have studied the longest in my career.

Karate is an amazing oriental martial art, it is the crystallization of the wisdom of many oriental martial artists. I want to tell everyone in the simplest and most simple words what you can gain by learning karate, or what changes karate can bring to you.

01) Karate can increase muscle mass, enhance muscle power, endurance, and make your body more powerful.

02) Because karate exercise uses a lot of large muscle groups such as waist, abdomen, and legs, it can burn off excess body fat faster than human exercise. Sitting in the office for a long time is most likely to accumulate fat in the waist, hips, and legs. Practicing karate can allow you to see the most obvious results safely and effectively in a short period of time, allowing you to quickly reproduce your proud figure.

03) Karate can improve the flexibility and flexibility of your limbs, and can help you to solve physical problems

caused by sedentary conditions such as cervical spondylosis, frozen shoulder and lumbar intervertebral disc.

04) Karate can improve the coordination of your limbs. As we all know, all the activities of the

body are directed by the brain, and the coordination of the limbs and the trunk can only be achieved, and coordination is the degree of coordination between your brain and limbs. Coordination is actually exercising this important system of the body, and improving coordination can enhance brain function and improve your performance in any other sport.

05) Karate exercise can improve the function of your cardiovascular

and cerebrovascular system, improve your heart's blood supply function and blood circulation speed, and make you have a more powerful engine.

06) Karate requires not only skill and strength, but also wits and courage. At the same time, it is necessary to have the ability to respond quickly to changes. Long-term karate training can keep people awake at all times, have quick thinking and strong adaptability.

07) The stress of work and life makes you physically and mentally exhausted, and may be prone to illness, insomnia, forgetfulness, energy decline, short temper, dull skin, obesity and other conditions are bothering you, through karate

training, you can get rid of these troubles, energy Plenty of getting back on track for a healthy life.

08) In the karate class, each student interacts at any time, so the karate class is also a platform for making friends, allowing you to meet more friends and make your life more colorful.

09) Practicing karate, in addition to allowing women to have a beautiful and sexy body, can also improve self-protection and enhance their sense of security!

Yes, the above mentioned are only a small part. I believe that everyone can discover more of the charm of karate by practicing karate. I hope that many people can join the practice of karate together.

Dynamic Tang Soo Do

I was looking on Facebook when I came across a post from Master John Correlje asking for help with his book, he needed someone who knew the Tan Tui or Damtoi forms in Korean. The tantui are a series of short forms 12 in total that belong to Wushu and can also be found in many styles of northern China.

GM Hwang Kee learned these forms during his 14 month stay in China when he trained with Yang Kuk Jin and later trained for some time with Li De Jiang who was a Quanfa (kung fu) instructor. These forms strongly influenced Soo Bahk Do, which is why I became interested in studying them.

For this reason I offered to help Master Correlje in his book. It was a very enriching experience to be able to

cooperate with him. At the time I received the complete book at my house sent by the Master John Correlje from Holland in gratitude for my help.

There I could see the quality of the material that was in this book, during all the years of practice in martial arts I have had many books, but this book is simply the book of books in tang soo do. It contains a history of all the masters who created the forms and who in some way influenced these forms to be part of tang soo do. In addition, in some cases it contains more than one version of some forms, since it depends on the organization, sometimes the forms have changes.

The drawings are very good, they help you to see step by step the development of the shapes in question. I think every serious practitioner of tang soo do should have this book which has the cooperation of different teachers from different parts of the world. Then the Master John Correlje asked me if he could translate the book into Spanish, which I obviously agreed. Now they will be able to have this book in their language and be able to understand it even more. You won’t regret it.

KJN Patricio Saavedra

Why Tang Soo Do?

You have come this far, and that means then that you have opened your world of possibilities regarding martial arts, they are no longer those "few you knew".

Today you have the opportunity to offer in your recognized institution an innovative and original proposal, until now non-existent in Uruguay.

At the same time, offering ancient values and teachings through an art such as TSD, which has been transmitting a philosophy of life from generation to generation for hundreds of years.

You come to our meeting at a time when two of the best ingredients that an organization can offer you are combined: youth: we have been operating in Uruguay for approximately four years with sustained growth, and experience: the Uruguayan TSD is made up of a team of instructors who average more than fifteen years of being at the forefront of martial arts schools, working together with other institutions and betting on permanent training both within martial arts, as well as in various areas (first aid, education, nutrition and more).

Our commitment:

Without a doubt, the world is a different place from the one you and I remember from our childhood, even more so from that world that gave rise to martial arts. It is then necessary to take on the challenge and take charge of the role that we have in society when it comes to transmitting our teachings. Today we talk about some concepts that we believe are key:

Bullying - The reality of school and other areas is a fact and our attention is directed to that focus when it comes to the little ones

Self-defense - Of course, when thinking about daily activities, from leaving our homes, to the various situations that can also arise there, it is fair to think of tools to be able to solve these situations.

Sport - Leaving aside the great variety of devices that offer us "entertainment", the endless hours of work, in short, the routine. It can be a challenge, but we have decided to say NO to a sedentary lifestyle.

Meditation - Exclusive benefit for Tang Soo Do practitioners. It has not been placed on this list by chance, it represents everything that makes us unique as human beings, meeting our feelings, emotions, who we are, pursuing harmony and achieving

self-control in the broadest sense of the concept.

Values - We could mention endless articles on this list, but it is true that the fundamental basis of martial arts is values, act as a reinforcement and in some cases as a source of inspiration. - Respect - Trust - Selfcontrol -

If we could summarize all this in a dream, we would then speak of integration in the broadest sense, people of all ages, genders, creeds practicing in harmony to take today's society to another level, where coexistence and peace are the common denominator. . But we clarify, we need you in the process, you, EVERYONE.

Contact: SBN Mario Segnini: +598 98 731 076

HISTORY OF KICKBOXING IN

JAPAN, FROM MUAY THAI TO K-1.

This book marks the first publication in the West of a work dedicated exclusively to telling the exciting history of Japanese kickboxing. A chronicle that begins with the first interactions between karate and muay thai, and that leads us to relive the epic of the first challenges between both styles. Kickboxing was the result of the importation and adaptation of Muay Thai to Japan, carried out by the promoter Osamu Noguchi in the 1960s. In this paper, we will discover the background, the birth, and the different phases of growth and evolution of kickboxing in the land of the rising sun. We will also see its subsequent globalization, and we will reach the last kickboxing revolution, the launch of the K-1, by the master Kazuyoshi Ishii, in the early 90s. A vibrant story, full of unprecedented data outside of Asia,

that will surprise, and It will change the reader's perception of the history of this martial sport until now.

David Leonardo Bárcena after 10 years of compiling exhaustively, the History of KickBoxing summarizes it for us in an excellent self-published book.

You can buy it on AMAZON Product Details

Publisher : Independently published (December 18, 2020)

Spanish Language Paperback: 291 pages ISBN-10 : 1549802879 ISBN-13 : 978-1549802874

Efímero Observador”

It is a reflective philosophical work, its author exposes issues as controversial as they are common, taking them to extreme points, and always looking for a healthy individual balance in thought, no dogmas, die to radicalism and without hypocrisy or contracts, a look at the daily life of each one of us who inhabit the planet and the wornout concepts and customs waiting to be destroyed with a hammer.

BIOGRAPHY:

He was born in the city of Hermosillo, in 1976, the son of Juan Manuel Acosta and Yolanda Serrano (+), he develops in a context of traditional education, his early social relationship occurs in a certainly different way, attached to having friends from the elderly, always questioning the social changes that were seen in his contemporaries, as well as the prejudices and value judgments that occurred in a time overwhelmed by capitalism and consumerism in Mexico. A child with a lot of imagination, and even an inventor of non-existent events, someone who, based on fantastic odysseys, captured the messages that his teachers gave him, sometimes harsh, many others with laughter in between. Married to Melba Valenzuela since 1998, with whom he had four children, student of society and its behavior, insatiable reader and lover of balance of thought, volunteer for various causes of a social nature, martial arts teacher, seminarian, and international competitor in Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, etc. Today he debuts as a writer and continues in his social causes from his own trench, the traditional center of martial arts.

ENDORSEMENTS: “I recommend reading this book,

which reminds us of the values that are being lost today, the ways of teaching, the factors that influence one's personality and good customs. Order in your life as a fundamental stone, find your place in the world, meet your inner being and always seek the truth.

Mario Marcelo Segnini Fursa martial arts teacher Graphic Designer, Radio Panelist and Entrepreneur. Montevideo, Uruguay. “Whenever we talk about teaching, it is easy for us to think of schools, high schools, universities, but… What if the path we follow in our lives is marked by many more ingredients than those? You have to read this work then, and rediscover yourself with information that sleeps in your mind. I invite you to recognize and change old patterns.

John Suarez martial arts teacher Entrepreneur, Neurosales Trainer, Apprentice of life. Montevideo, Uruguay. "The Ephemeral Observer", a recommended reading in these times where the generation gap seems to get bigger and bigger Finding yourself, the importance of keeping

the values and roots of each being strong. Observe, describe, understand and never judge.

Daniel Rodriguez Garcia Medical Specialist in Rehabilitation Master of Martial Arts

Nine Instructors, Six Countries - WTTSDU International Congress, Panama 2022

SBN Mary Cayte Reiland

Tang Soo readers, happy November! Last month, we discussed my failure to get to Korea, but this month there is reason for happiness and celebration. The World Traditional Tang Soo Do had its very first in-person event post COVID, in Panama City, the weekend of October 28-October 30, 2022. Before I dig in, I have to say this was the most fun martial arts experience I’ve had the pleasure of attending.

Thursday, October 27 was my day of travel. I won’t bore you with the details, because they were truly boring, just the way I like them. Master Edgar Quiroz met me at the airport and took me to the hotel, where we met up with KJN Saavedra. After checking in and unpacking, KJN introduced me to most of the instructors who came for the event. We went out for sushi, we each got a different roll and then shared. Panama is beautiful, and also very cheap. The same sushi roll that I paid $8 for in Panama would have cost me $15-$20 here in Pittsburgh. On the advice of my boss, I downloaded Google Translate, and I’m very happy I did. It helped me to not only get by with ordering, but it also helped me to speak with the other instructors. KJN had some good laughs at our expense, typing messages to each

other on Google Translate and reading back and forth. After dinner, we had a short training session where we went over the 6 advanced combinations and the fighting fan form for the test being conducted on Sunday. I got to demonstrate the combinations and work on my fighting fan skills. Everyone put in a lot of effort and hopefully got something out of it.

Friday was our site-seeing day. Master Quiroz and Professor Eloy Tapia took us around Panama. We saw the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Lock, we saw the Bridge to the Americas, and we toured around downtown Panama City. Lots of photo opportunities, sampling the first snow cone I’ve had since I was a child, and just general fun. I managed to find an awesome shot glass to take home for my collection. The entire group clicked in a way that I haven’t experienced since my test for Cho Dan. We were all on the same page, having a great time, getting to know each other. We had some great Panamanian food for dinner and spent the evening chillaxing.

Saturday we had our seminars. I started the day working with the other instructors on the knife and fan forms, until we were

summoned to return to the seminar space for the kali and fighting fan seminars. The Panamanian students at the seminar were really good at following instructions, they successfully learned 6 basic strikes and 3 basic blocks with a single kali in about 40 minutes, an unparalleled success in my opinion, especially since most of them had never held a kali before. During the afternoon, we had advanced seminars in kali, nunchucks and staff, punctuated with breaks to rest, eat and practice our forms. During lunch break, SBN Melisa Mulet (my new bff from Argentina) and I retreated to the pool deck to relax and get some sun. The training was cathartic in a way I’d never experienced before. Perhaps it was a mix of endorphins, sun and good vibes.

The most uncomfortable I ever felt on the entire trip was on Saturday night at the banquet. KJN Saavedra told me months before that there would be a formal event, and up until the time I left for the trip, I was pondering what to wear for this event. Knowing it would be hot made my choice fairly easy. I wore a black sleeveless sundress with a sapphire beaded overlay, and black high heels that weren’t too high, but high enough. I’m normally not very comfortable dressing up, I guess I’ve always been a tomboy in that

I’d rather wear a suit than a dress or skirt. Still, being one of only two women on this trip, it felt necessary that I wear something girly but formal.

We had a few hours in between training and the banquet. Plenty of time to rest, shower, get dressed and girly up. I wound up wearing my heels around the room, getting used to wearing them since it had been forever since I last wore them. When it was time to go down to the banquet, we all gathered at the end of the hall. Some of the students from the seminars were there with their parents. They were all very gracious and sweet. There were three young ladies who took my attention, who enjoyed the kali seminar enough to attempt having a conversation with me, despite the language barrier. When we got downstairs, it was picture time. Everyone got a picture with everyone, on one device or another. I was lucky enough to be seated with KJN Saavedra, SBN Mulet and SBN Grandon of Chile. What I remember of that evening most of all was confusing poor KSN Tapia, who was supposed to be translating my words for everyone else as I gave a speech, but I ended up speaking way too fast for him to keep up. Despite years of running meetings and public speaking, I still get tongue tied and speed up just to get to the end.

The food was delicious, the company was even better, and my

new BFF SBN Mulet was awarded the Kokoro award, for her spirit and dedication to the art of Tang Soo Do and our organization. I got lots of pictures of her with the Kokoro, I don’t think she put it down once after receiving it. I was told she even carried it onto the plane with her on her way home to Argentina.

Sunday hit me like a ton of bricks, after spending all day training and all evening in high heels. We got up at the same time as always, ate breakfast and went directly to the seminar space to prepare for the testing that would happen that morning. I was told the testing instructors were very nervous because they heard that I was very mean. I tried to be hard but fair, they received the commands in Korean as befitting any black belt test. No English or Spanish, only the commands in Korean and no demonstration. In my opinion, everyone did well, except the part when they all forgot to bring the correct weapons with them to do their knife form. KSN Oscar Gonzales of Columbia was kind enough to let them borrow his knife, even though he was not testing, thus not required to have the weapon, which showed great spirit.

The test didn’t last insanely long, but KJN insisted on a hardcore old school endurance section. Each testing instructor had to hold a pushup position on their knuckles while KJN Saavedra came around and kicked each of them in the stomach. Honestly, I was awed by this, I don’t think I could have endured that.

Promotions followed directly after the testing (everyone ended up passing!), then we made some rounds around the hotel to take more pictures and then retreated to the pool for some much needed relaxing time. I kept thinking to myself how lucky I was to be a part of this. This amazing group of people welcomed me into their fold and treated me like family within a day of meeting me for the first time in person. I wondered where I would be without KJN Saavedra in my life, and thought about all the ways that his presence has enriched my life. Without him, none of this would have been possible. It takes a certain kind of person to have so many people from so many other countries follow his organization and take part in an event like this. I reflected quite a bit on how lucky we all are to have him.

All I can say in conclusion here is that I can’t wait for next year’s event, and that I hope even more people come to the event next year in Columbia. Thank you to everyone who took part in the event, SBN Quiroz of Panama, SBN Grandon of Chile, SBN Lucas Gonzales of Mexico, SBN Mulet of Argentina, KSN Tapia of Panama, KSN Pellegrini of Argentina, KSN Oscar Gonzales of Columbia, and of course KJN Saavedra of the USA. I love you all, Tang Soo!

SBN Mary Cayte Reiland, USA

MARTIAL ARTS and ME

(p. 13)

I meet Carlos García Arocena to tell me about his recent trip to South Korea, in order to practice Hapkido with Grand Master Ung Seo Ju, 8th Dan of said Martial Art, owner of the Eul Ji Kwan School. He himself is also the 7th Dong of Taekyon, a Martial Art with Korean roots.

Well Carlos, tell me how your interest in traveling to Korea arose? I met the Master at a Seminar in 2019 in Brazil, he invited me to participate in special classes in his country. In that year I got a ticket for 2020, in order to attend said event As a result of the pandemic, I changed the ticket for 2021 and finally changed it for this year, to attend the event set for the month of October.

I was very well prepared, physically and mentally, since since 2019 I have remained highly motivated to travel. I emphasize that communication with Koreans is difficult, since it is not like here, where we use various social networks. Until the last moment, with only one

month left, they told me that I had to apply for a visa online, and used to putting my identity card and not the Passport number, I found that the trip made stops in San Pablo, Paris and finally to the destination that was seoul. When I arrived in Paris, I had a problem with the number of the passport, which did not match the number of the Visa, which I had managed.

I was stranded in Paris for three days, until I was able to apply for a new visa online.

When it only arrived after three days, I was able to board, finally arriving at Incheon Airport, which is an hour from Seoul.

The only guidance I had was a photo to show at the help desk, to get a bus ticket to Chun Ju, on the bus that left at ten twenty in the morning. The particularity of these developed countries, that you cannot find people to help you, there are only digital vending machines, which give you the ticket through your credit card. There I was finally able to successfully solve my game. I tell you, there were about ten cities,

with a similar name. I sent a photo on Instagram, but received no response. The trip lasted two and a half hours, but I was already delivered, since I couldn't do much more. Lowering the suitcases, I found that the Master was waiting for me next to Mrs. He and I felt great relief. I arrived on a Wednesday, and I spent basically that week, in a cabin

Professor Carlos Damasco

in the mountains, since the Master has a Tourist Complex, which he owns. So I met and spent those days with his family. It was an incredible experience on a cultural level, and I felt very comfortable too. That week, I was training one hour a day, both in this city and in others where the Master has other dojang. Well, the other city we were moving to is called Jechion, there there are several Dojang, in which the Master's students teach, all black belts. Until Sunday I was training in several Dojang, and unfortunately the Hapkido Seminar had to be postponed for a week because many people left due to the war in Ukraine and others due to Visa problems and also due to COVID. Due to this, he offered me to participate in a Seminar carried out by the International Taekyon Association in a University that they have for the study of Martial Arts, where Taekyon is the main art. We were staying in a fully paid hotel and there were people of different nationalities, French, Italian, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Srilanka, Ghana and the Philippines. It was a group of very young people from different Martial Arts, who attend the Sem year after year. of Taekyon and its competition. From Monday to Friday we trained double-time, and Saturday and Sunday were the competitions.

I competed in a fight and lost with the one who was finally the Champion, but beyond the anecdote the prize was to participate and have had an incredible experience. In the third week, I returned to the mountain, to the apartments of the great Master. The participants in total were four, three French and me. Others participated in some occasional training, but in the entire Seminar, the four of us participated. We got up between 7 and 7:30 a.m., had breakfast and at 9 a.m. We were already ready for the morning training that lasted until 12:30 pm. Later we had lunch and at 2:00 p.m. and until 18.00 we did the afternoon training. It was a week of very intense training and I emphasize that I had never felt so much pain. With the days I got used to living with pain, it is noteworthy that this School works the joints of the wrists, to the limit. Sensation of pain that in Uruguay I had never felt. Until today my body feels and I add that this School is very aggressive, always working at the limit of pain in the joints. The particularity of the Seminar is that one day is dedicated in the mountains, exclusively to physical activity, I found myself very well there since I was very well prepared physically and mentally. At the top of the Mountain there are some kind of bridges with stairs and viewpoints. The stairs have many steps. We took them up and down several times, doing a series of 50 kicks with

each leg, which totaled about 700 kicks. Thanks to my preparation I came out of the training, which was extremely intensive. Finally, the Master offered some of us to take an exam, presenting Korean certification through and I took 3rd Dan, taking a very good exam.

Carlos, do you want to add something else?

Two points that remained pending, this trip is somehow the gateway for all the people of the Uruguayan Hapkido Center, who can easily access Korea, to train with the great Master Ung Seo ju, both in Hapkido and in Taekyon . And the second point that is important to highlight is that our level of Hapkido in Uruguay is very good because although new things are learned, in practice I felt like one more, without feeling diminished, and on a par with the others. French companions. One of them has been attending for 20 years and the others for the third or fourth time. It is noteworthy that any representative of the Uruguayan Center can go with his head very high with the knowledge he possesses.

Thank you very much Carlos! And I tell you, until next time.

The heart of Uechi Ryu is Sanchin (“Three Conflicts”), and from there it takes its base, its guard, its body posture and basic precepts to strike, among other things. So Uechi Ryu will use Sanchin Dachi 95% of the time, or more! The Sanchin position seeks to grant maximum balance, and the maximum attack and defense capacity with any limb. Hence his tremendous body frontality, he wants the practitioner to be able to comfortably develop techniques from both flanks equally. But... if Sanchin Dachi is such a perfect, balanced and stable position, why are there other positions in the style? And that is the question that we are going to try to answer in this space today. Whenever we are going to talk about applications, we must remember that the kata seeks to incorporate principles that we must later apply in kumite. These principles during the execution of kata are covered with an aesthetic that possibly ceases to exist in kumite. A real combat is always messy. If we analyze the forms of Uechi Ryu, we will see that a few bases appear in addition to Sanchin Dachi within the combat structure of the form, always omitting the greeting position (musubi dachi).

TACHI KATA in UECHI RYU

Sensei Cecilia Salbuchi

The first different position that appears is Heiko Dachi (parallel feet stance) which is used only when starting or ending a form. Generally, a formulated kamae already appears here, and it complies with the idea of allowing action with either flank comfortably. When starting a form, Heiko Dachi offers us the structure to enter combat. From there it will transition to a Sanchin Dachi and always forward, even in Kanshiwa that starts with a twist, the twist is forward. An idea contrary to what is presented in, for example, Fukiugata ichi from Shorin Ryu where the first movement is towards the side but

backwards if we take the starting line. At the end of all kata of Uechi Ryu, Heiko Dachi is used again, in reverse. The idea is to get out of the fight, take a distance but continue to observe the situation before "closing" completely. Another short position appears in the style: Neko Ashi Dachi. This stance has been slightly stylized over time to more closely resemble the Shorin builds. It is basically posed like a Sanchin Dachi with a floating foot, ready to kick or block. It is never used for a movement, it merely accompanies a specific hand and foot technique, which at the end gives rise again to a Sanchin Dachi. The idea that the foot is floating means that we have to have the weight of the body 100% on the back leg, making it different from the Neko Ashi Dachi of Shorin or Goju Ryu.

In the image that accompanies the note, we will see Kanei Uechi executing Neko Ashi Dachi and we can see that the front foot rotates towards the center, as if it were a Sanchin Dachi "suspended" in the air.

When mentioning the 100% distribution of body weight on one foot, we need to remember that the Uechi Ryu Tsuru Ashi Dachi is also different from its "cousins". While in Shorin Ryu we can see a Tsuru Ashi with the instep of one foot tucked behind the knee of the other leg, in Uechi Ryu we simply raise the "floating" leg fully, in a gesture of covering ourselves and perhaps threatening to a kick. In fact, some masters perform an ancient Seisan where they perform a sokusen geri while standing in this position.

And finally, we have two long positions that are used for very brief moments. On the one hand, we execute Zenkutsu Dachi on very few occasions, and to accompany a hit from Hiji (Empi - Elbow) vertical to the chest or armpit. And on the other, a Sue Goshi Dachi intended to accompany Hiji's forceful blows to the chest, or to get closer to the opponent's base to act on his legs. Those who are not used to reading about Uechi Ryu will wonder how Sue Goshi Dachi is executed. In the

words of George Mattson Sensei: it is a “deep” or “long” Sanchin Dachi. To guide the practitioner of other styles of Karate, we can say that it is similar to Shiko Dachi but instead of looking for total symmetry, the legs are placed diagonally and the hip is rotated forward. When profiling the rear knee will move slightly inward. The idea is to allow the hip to rotate slightly to accompany the actions of the arms. For example, when executing a Furi Hiji, the hip accompanies the movement by rotating inward, but when executing a Uraken or a Shoken, the hip remains forward. We can divide broad-based actions into two: on the one hand, those that execute elbow strikes regardless of whether they are Tate (vertical) or Furi (swing), and on the other, those intended to work on the opponent's legs. What changes is the emphasis with which the base change is made. In the case of blows with the elbow, normally the weight of the body is used to provide more forcefulness to the elbow, executing the previous technique in the air (mawashi uke) and landing with the elbow in position to execute it almost like a lunge. Of course, it is not the only execution mode, but it is the one that best depicts the idea of the weight transition. When the technique accompanying a long base is not related to elbow impact, it can be done much smoother by emphasizing speed and control of the transition. In the image of Sensei Kanei Uechi executing a Hasami Uchi, it is, in principle, a technique applied to the opponent's leg. It demands specific speed, precision and execution time, something different

from the crudest and most brutal idea of the previous proposal. In conclusion, for Uechi Ryu everything is Sanchin, especially when we talk about bases. In modernity, small modifications arise when executing Kata, we have modernized thanks to exchanges with the rest of Okinawan Karate. But we must keep in mind the spirit of the technique so as not to lose sight of the essence of what we do.

PANKRATION

Freakie-Do

Pankration, the most violent combat sport in Greece Pancratius means "total strength." In this fighting discipline, all kinds of kicks, blows and grabs were allowed.

It is considered the historical background of contemporary mixed martial arts. Some sources suggest that it was Theseus who developed the pankration during his confrontation with the minotaur in the labyrinth and who later transmitted it to humanity. In ancient times, from Greece to Mesopotamia, competitive and fighting sports were practiced, but none was as relentless as pankration. The Greek term pankration means "total force" and reveals the objective of the confrontation: to deploy the totality of one's own agonistic capacities to win the combat. The combat was won by the one who managed to completely reduce his opponent or in case of surrender (in this case, it was enough to lift a finger).

It used to be practiced by athletes

and experienced wrestlers, as the fighting could reach such ferocity that, according to ancient sources, some wrestlers even died. The boys trained with instructors, while professional athletes enhanced their abilities with coaches who reinforced their weaknesses. The pankration combined boxing and wrestling techniques. Kicks and blows to the face were allowed, and holds and holds were used to immobilize the opponent, reduce him to the ground and force him to submit. Bites and attacks to the eyes were the only prohibited maneuvers, according to Philostratus in his work Images, although the Lacedaemonians even allowed this type of attack.

The philosopher Xenophanes dedicated comments to the practitioners of pankration, who obtained food, drink and praise from their fellow citizens when they were victorious.

To the author, wrestling matches seemed frightening.

The discipline demanded physical strength, dexterity, and stamina. There were no internal

categories, for which corpulent wrestlers could face other fibrous or small ones, although two age groups were established: men and boys. They fought in a space of sand that was small enough to force hand-to-hand combat. The wrestlers faced each other undressed and under the sun, with their bodies anointed with oil and their hands bare. Since the matches were held outdoors and in full sun, the wrestlers looked for a favorable fighting position that avoided glare. They used to adopt a slightly forward leaning posture that favored balance and flexibility. Kicks were an essential part of common fighting techniques and punches to the stomach. Women were not allowed to participate as audience.

From the middle of the 7th century BC, the pankration became an Olympic discipline. During the exhibitions, the wrestlers demonstrated their courage, strength and virility. Pankration was not only a sport practiced in the city area, but was also used as a martial art in battles.

In his work Histories of him, Herodotus points out that, in the battle of Mycala, the Athenians used the pankration to confront the Persians. War often required soldiers to engage in hand-tohand combat, and the pankration was useful in those cases where no weapons were available.

In the pankration, there were two basic combat modalities, the anō pankration or fight in a vertical position and the katō pankration or fight on the ground. In vertical fighting, kicks gained essential importance, especially those thrown at the lower half of the body, which served to unbalance the adversary. The fight on the ground, on the contrary, resorted mainly to keys and holds.

As described by Luciano in his work Hermótimo, the couples who had to fight were cast lots by depositing tokens or beans marked with the letters of the alphabet (two alphas, two betas and so on) in an urn. Each contestant had to draw a token. When all the wrestlers had drawn theirs, the referee or judge checked the letter marked on each of them and established the pairs that had to face each other. Probably in tournaments each wrestler would go through several rounds before a victor was declared.

Details of the life and the most notorious combats of some wrestlers are known thanks to inscriptions and the works of authors such as Pausanias,

Herodotus and Luciano. Theagenes of Thasos was the winner of several Olympic games, while Marcus Aurelius Demóstrato Dama, one of the most famous pankration wrestlers in imperial Rome, won tournaments in Ephesus, Rome and Delphi. With the emergence of Rome as a sprawling power, pankration was adopted as a sport in the empire. Scenes of pankration are depicted on sarcophagi and pottery, and wrestling matches were often held during the funerals of famous people.

References

Strasser, J.-Y. 2003. La carrière du pancratiaste Markos Aurèlios Dèmostratos Damas. Hellenic Correspondence Bulletin, 127(1): 2003. pp. 251-299; doi : https:// doi.org/10.3406/bch.2003.7129

Zenou, T. 2022. Millennia before UFC, there was the brutal Olympic sport of pankration. The Washington Post (access: 02/23/2022).

FOR HISTORY LOVERS, GETTING CLOSER TO THE TRUTH SHOULD NEVER BE A DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT THE BEST WAY TO ASSEMBLE A COMPLICATED PUZZLE WHERE THE DOUBTS ARE MUCH MORE THAN THE CERTAINTIES. THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE ONLY PLACES IN DOUBT THE STAY OF A TEACHER IN CHINA AND NOT HIS ENTIRE HISTORY, SINCE HIS LEGACY HAS REACHED UP TO OUR TIME.

Gerardo Balves Tode Sakugawa by Andreas Quast

Recently, together with other karate practitioners from abroad, we discussed the personal story of one of the most prominent martial artists from Okinawa and hailing from the Ryūkyū Shizoku class. That person in question is Sakugawa Kanga, it is said that he went to China (during the Qing dynasty) very young to study Chinese martial

DOJO STORIES

Sensei Gerardo Balves

arts with a famous master for several years. He even learned several kata (tàolù) that he later taught upon his return to the Ryūkyū.

Since I have some knowledge of Ryūkyūan history, when I read this person's personal history I thought that there were many things that were not entirely credible. The article by Sakugawa Kanga (Tōdī or Tode Sakugawa) was published in the document “Okinawan Times”. I would like to start developing it in this first installment. In this article Mr. Dana Masayuki, an expert in Okinawan studies, analyzed the history of Sakugawa Kanga from various angles. But what interested me the most was the part in which mention is made of the study carried out by Sakugawa in China. It is quoted below: “As to the point in question, it is not entirely correct to say that Sakugawa traveled expressly to study martial arts in China. It is clearly known which Kanshō (governmentsponsored foreign students) were sent to China and in what year,

and Kanga is not referenced in any document. Since the Shinkōsen (Ryukyuan tribute and trade ships with China) carried high officials, it is known that the chief envoy was authorized to be accompanied by up to twelve attendants. While the mid-level officials and the Saifu could only carry a maximum of four. There were many cases of people who traveled as assistants and then did academic studies, etc. Based on the quote above, we see that the name of Sakugawa Kanga is not found in the Kanshō list. Therefore, it is impossible for him to study abroad in this condition. However, it is also said that there is a possibility that he served as an assistant in some tribute mission to China's Qing Dynasty. The following was written about the attendees: “Although the attendees were members of the tribute mission, their particular activities were naturally restricted. If it was a short stay, it was fixed at approximately half a year. And the most you could get to extend your stay was

a year and a half as the time limit.” "Therefore, it would seem impossible that some of these assistants would have stayed in Fuzhou for many years to train Karate." (Same source as before) In short, if Sakugawa Kanga went to China as an attendant on a tribute ship, he might not have practiced Chinese martial arts for several years, but it might have been half to one and a half years at most. Let's see what all the personal stories written about Sakugawa Kanga in various karate books so far tell us. He “he studied in Beijing and also at the Guozijian (National Academy of China). It is said that he was the first Ryūkyūan person allowed to enter the Shanpuying (martial arts training center) inside the Peking castle, and that he learned Northern School Kenpō there. And that after returning home, he became a teacher of the National Academy (Kokugaku) of the Ryūkyū royal government."

By the way, in the article quoted above it was also written that the teachers of the National Academy (Kokugaku) were only the Shizoku of Kumemura, and that the Shizoku of Shuri (Sakugawa was born in Shuri) could not be teachers there. Looking at it like this, from the perspective of Okinawan academic studies, we can see that most of Sakugawa Kanga's personal history that has been told so far was fiction. The aforementioned reasons also apply to the other karate masters

who are said to have practiced martial arts in China during the Ryūkyū kingdom. According to oral folklore, it is said that these masters have not only trained martial arts in China for several years - sometimes for decades - but some of them have even obtained the license of "complete mastery in the art". (menkyo kaiden) and even having mastered the "secret techniques". But taking into account the above, all these anecdotes become exaggerations or misinterpretations of the facts.

And so I ask myself the following, first of all:

Would it be possible to achieve "full mastery of the art" or master the "secret techniques" of an art by staying for a year and a half? I guess in that time period it would only have been possible to learn the basic training methods, and even if one was able to learn Kata, it would have been a Kata at best, like Sanchin for example. That's why I thought that the credentials of a certain Ryūkyū Shizoku presented at the beginning of this article have very poor credibility as well. Of course it is possible that the

story was exaggerated and that oral folklore was passing down the story based on those same generations. Therefore, even if the story of a karate school was not entirely true, it was not necessarily created in bad faith, but could have been naturally changed by oral folklore and told as if in whispers. It is necessary to consider oral folklore for what it is, when there is no compelling evidence to contrast it. And I think a similar attitude to the one described above is necessary when studying the history of Karate from now on. Thus the researchers of the history of karate, to some extent, will also gain knowledge about the history of Ryūkyūan. Translated into Spanish with the permission of Andreas Quast sensei by Gerardo Balves

Gerardo Balves

7th Dan Kobayashi-ryu Kyudokan Coordinator of the International Group of Dojos Kyudo Mugen Kyudokan https://www.facebook.com/gerardo. balves

MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE

Police Story (1985)

Main article: Police Story

Jackie Chan stars in the main films, as well as directing and co-writing some of them Police Story (警察故事 in Chinese) Directed by Jackie Chan and Chen Chi Hwa. Written by Chan and Edward Tang.The Royal Hong Kong Police Force is planning a major sting operation to apprehend crime lord Chu Tao (Chor Yuen). Inspector Chan Ka-Kui (or Kevin Chan in some versions) is part of the operation, along with undercover agents stationed in a Squatter neighborhood. However, the delinquents spot the policeman and following a car chase cut across the neighborhood on a hillside. KaKui persists in his pursuit, finally after walking away as the drug lord tries to escape on a double-

decker bus. Ka Kui manages to get in front of the bus and bring it to a close by threatening to shoot the driver with his revolver.

Ka-Kui is later reprimanded by Superintendent Li for letting the operation get out of hand, but he subsequently presented himself to the media as a model police officer. His next mission is to protect Chu Tao's secretary, Selina Fong (Brigitte Lin), who plans to testify in court about Chu Tao's illegal activities. At first, Selina insists that she doesn't need protection, but after Ka Kui has a fellow police officer break into her apartment and pose as a knife-wielding assassin, she becomes more cooperative.

When Ka-Kui arrives at his apartment with Selina, he is surprised by his girlfriend, May (Maggie Cheung) and her friends, who is throwing a birthday party for him, but May gets mad at KaKui after seeing Selina wearing only underwear and the Ka-Kui jacket. Ka-Kui later explains to May that Selina is a witness,

but after much clumsiness and embarrassment, causing her to leave the scene, even though she goes to Chu Tao's trial the next day. Meanwhile, Selina discovers that the attack at her apartment was a hoax, and she decides to cleverly record her confession about her work for Chu Tao that took place on the drive there. She sneaks out while Ka-Kui is sleeping and is not present at the trial the next day, which ends with the prosecution failing due to Selina's absence and tampering with the recording.

Although Chu Tao is out on bail, he wants revenge on Ka-Kui. He captures Selina and threatens to kill her to ensure her silence. Ka-Kui finds and frees her, but is attacked by several of Chu Tao's men. When his partner Police Inspector Man (Kam Hing Ying) arrives, he reveals that he had been working with Chu Tao and therefore Selina's capture was more than a ruse to catch Ka-Kui. To the man's grim surprise, the plan is also to include Tao's men killing him with Kui's gun to frame

him for murder. Now a fugitive cop killer, Ka-Kui must try to catch Chu Tao and clear his name, taking his superintendent hostage in order to escape custody, though he soon lets his superiors go. free.

Selina goes to Chu Tao's office in a shopping mall to download the incriminating data from Chu Tao's computer system. Chu Tao notices this, and he, and his men, rush to the mall to intervene. Ka-Kui and May are monitoring Chu Tao's activities. In the ensuing carnage, Ka-Kui defeats all of Chu Tao's minions (and destroys a good chunk of the mall). The briefcase containing the computer data falls to the floor of the mall, but Chu Tao retrieves it after attacking May. Ka-Kui, upstairs, slides down a pole wrapped in light bulbs to the ground floor and catches Chu, but the rest of the police force quickly arrives and prevents him from taking matters further into his own hands. . Selina attests that Danny Chu killed Inspector Man and the evidence of her crimes is in the briefcase. Chu's defense lawyer appears and accuses the police of misconduct, leading to a beating, which goes on to further the beating of Chu Tao before being stopped by his friends.

BENNY "THE JET" URQUIDEZ

Benny Urquidez, nicknamed "The Jet", is an American undefeated champion kickboxer, choreographer, and action film actor. He was born the second of nine children in Los Angeles, California, on June 20, 1952, into a family of Basque and Native American descent whose mother, Lupe, was a professional wrestler in the 1940s and his father, Arnold, a boxer. professional. He began competing in boxing when he was only five years old, in 1958 at the famous Olympic auditorium in Los Angeles, California, and at eight he began his martial arts training under Bill Ryusaki, although a year earlier his older brother Arnold had already taught him had entered the world. He also studied under Ed Parker, Tak Kubota and Clarence Akuda. He achieved the black belt at just 14 years old, having started the points combat competition in 1964. In the 1972 Santa Monica kempo open, Benny Urquidez lost in the final against Brian Strian and a year later he played the great international

title against John Natividad in one of the best non-contact matches in history. It was a game to 25 points and Natividad won 13-12. In 1973 he was part of Chuck Norris' United States karate team, called "The Los Angeles Stars", sponsored by Elvis Presley. In May 1974, in the PAWAK tournament, Urquidez lost a 4-1 decision against Joe Lewis. He also competed in England and Belgium as a member of Ed Parker's USA team. In 1974 he began his withdrawal from non-contact championships by winning the World Series of Martial Arts Championship in Hawaii, a championship with far fewer rules than those he used to participate in and no weight classes. He fought seven opponents in two days weighing in at 145 pounds, with opponents weighing in at 225 pounds. Before his participation in this championship he turned down an offer to become a professional boxer. By 1977 he had traveled the world defeating opponents from various countries including Japan and clinched the

PKA and WKA world kickboxing championships. During the next two decades he fought under different kickboxing organizations such as NKL, WPKO, PKA, WKA, AJKBA, KATOGI, Benny UrquidezNJPW or MTN, obtaining a creditable record of 58 fights won, 49 of them by KO and none lost. After having won five world championships in 4 different weight classes, he retired in 1989 undefeated. However, in 1993 he came out of retirement to win his last fight at the age of 42 against the 25-year-old Japanese champion, achieving his sixth world championship in 5 weight classes and becoming a legend.

In 1977, Urquidez traveled to Japan to fight under WKA rules. In his first meeting in August 1977, he defeated Katsuyuki Suzuki by KO in the sixth round. The rematch of this fight was carried out by the retired and undefeated Kunimatsu Okau in November of the same year, but Urquidez won by KO in the fourth round. In 1978, Black Belt magazine named Benny Urquidez "Fighter of the Year." He had sporadic fights throughout the 1980s. In 1984 he fought Ivan Sprang in Amsterdam under Muay Thai rules, defeating by TKO in the sixth round. After the year 1985 he faced each other only twice. One in 1989 against Nobuya Azuka and another in 1993 at the age of 41 against Yoshihisa Tagami, winning both by decision. From then on he devoted himself to film, teaching kickboxing and martial arts choreography. Reuben, Benny's brother, also took up martial arts and acting.

In Benny Urquidez's career as a competitor, there were three bouts as null (no-contest, NC). His first was

in Los Angeles in March 1977, in a nine-round WKA rules bout against Thai wrestler Narongnoi Kiatbandit. The second null match had a lot of controversy. In it he faced the Thai fighter Prayuth Sittiboonlert in August of the following year in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese and Thais gave the fight as won by Prayuth, who put Urquidez in difficulties with his clinch strategy and his aggressiveness with his knees. However, both Benny and the WKA gave the match a void claiming that there had been no pre-match weighin and that larger than normal gloves had been used. Officially, the fight concluded as a six-round no contest. The third no contest was a seven-round WKA-rules fight against Billy Jackson in West Palm Beach, Florida on August 8, 1980. Jackson was declared the winner by decision at the end of the fight, but was later declared the winner by decision. it changed to a technical draw and was later declared void. These bouts have raised controversy as to his undefeated status on Benny Urquidez's record.

Thus, the November 1984 issue of Official Karate Magazine lists Urquidez with a record of 56-1-1, with 47 victories by KO, as does the

September 1985 issue of the same magazine. However, in an article for Inside Karate Magazine from November 1985, Urquidez is listed with a record of 75-0-2, that is, without losing a fight. His track record can be summarized in the following list:

1970

Second place behind Byong Yu at the 7th Long Beach Internationals 1972

Defeated Datu Lowell Manabe Defeated by Brian Strian at the Santa Monica Open Kempo (karate) 1973

Defeated by John Natividad at the Long Beach International Karate Championships, August (karate) 1974

Defeated Buch Batie to become Grand Champion at the Mountains Karate Championships Defeated by Joe Lewis, 4-1 (karate) Defeated by Roy Kurban (karate) World Series of Martial Arts Championship in Hawaii, promoted by Tommy Lee. Tournament without weight categories with a prize of $5,000, December 20, 1974. Urquidez defeated Bill Rosehill by KO in 3 rounds, Futi Semanu by KO in 2

rounds, Tom Mossman by KO in 2 rounds, by KO in 2 rounds to Burnis White and by decision in 3 rounds to Dana Goodson. Benny Urquidez 1975

Defeated Butch Bell by KO in 2 rounds in Savanah, GA (NKL) in February

He defeated Ken Koolodziej by KO in 4 rounds in Milwaukee, WI, in March

He defeated Demetrius Havana by decision in 3 rounds in Dalls, TX (NKL World), in April

Defeated Tayari Casei by decision in 3 rounds in New York (WPKO World), on May 10

He defeated Roland Talton by KO in 2 rounds in Los Angeles, on May 16.

He defeated Bill Henderson by KO by 2 rounds in Los Angeles, on May 16

He defeated Sanun Plypoolsup by KO in 2 rounds, on June 21

He defeated Ken Riley by KO in 2 rounds in Honolulu, HI (WSMAC World), on June 20. He defeated Burnis White by KO in 2 rounds, on June 21

He defeated Sammy Pace by KO in 1 round, in Los Angeles in July

He defeated Bill Henderson by KO in 2 rounds, in October

Defeated Sanun Plypoolsup in 8 rounds, in May

Defeated Tayari Casel in New York on May 10

He defeated Marcelino Torres by KO in 1 round in New York, on May 10. He defeated Eddie Andujar in Los Angeles on May 28. He defeated Randy Sojot by KO in 3 rounds in Honolulu, HI, on September 21. Defeated Bill Henderson by KO in 2 rounds in Los Angeles, CA (WSMAC World), in October 1976

Defeated Eddie Andujar, on October 1 Defeated Ernest Hart Jr. in the first round in Los Angeles Defeated Sanun Plypollsup on points over 8 rounds in Dallas Defeated Ernest Hart Jr. by points in 9 rounds in Hawaii 1977

He defeated Howard Jackson by KO in 4 rounds, on April 23 in Las Vegas He defeated Katsuyuki Suzuki by KO in 6 rounds, on August 2 in Tokyo He defeated Kunimatsu Okao by KO in 4 rounds, on November 14 1978

He defeated Dave Paul by KO in 4 rounds in Vancouver, in April He defeated Takeshi Naito by KO in 1 round in Japan, in April He defeated Sammy Pace by KO in 1 round in Los Angeles, in July Null match against Shinobu Onuki in Tokyo No match against Prayuth Sittiboonlert in Tokyo 1979

He defeated Rick Simerly by KO in 6 rounds, on May 2 Defeated Frank Holloway by points in 9 rounds in Ensenada, Mexico He defeated Yoshimitsu Tomashiro by points in 9 rounds, in October 1980

He defeated Shinobu Onuki by KO in 7 rounds, on January 26 Benny Urquidez He defeated Frank Holloway by

points in 9 rounds in Vancouver No bout against Billy Jackson in Palm-Beach 1981

He defeated Kong Fu Tak by KO in 4 rounds in Hong Kong, China (WKA World), on April 9. 1982

Defeated Jessie Orrozo by decision in 6 rounds, on February 8 He defeated Yutaka Koshikawa by KO in 6 rounds, on June 21. 1983

He defeated Kunimasa Nagae by KO in 4 rounds, on January 8 He defeated Iron Fujimoto by KO in 6 rounds, on September 12. 1984

He defeated Ivan Sprang by KO in 6 rounds, on January 15 in Amsterdam 1985

Defeated Tom LaRoche by decision in 12 rounds in Northridge, CA (WKA World), on November 16 1989

Defeated Nobuya Azuka by points in 5 rounds in Tokyo 1993

Defeated Yoshihisa Tagami on points in Las Vegas As for his career in the cinema, Urquidez has participated in several martial arts films. His first appearance was in The Invincible Five (Force: Five) in 1981, along with Joe Lewis and Bong Soo Han. Later, he participated in two Jackie Chan films, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao: Los Supercamorristas (Wheels on Meals, 1984). and The three dragons (Dragons Forever, 1988). In both he characterizes the final character of the film that Jackie Chan must defeat. Both fights against Jackie Chan are considered some of the best in the genre, especially the one against the aforementioned Los Supercamorristas. He has also made appearances in films such as Ragin' Cajun (1991), Bloodmatch (1991),

Street Fighter (1994), A Something Special Killer (Grosse Pointe Blank) (1997), 1408 (2007), The Perfect Hit (Diggstown) or Spider-Man. He has participated in several films with John Cusack, to whom Benny gave Kickboxing classes for a long time.

Benny Urquidez holds the black belt in nine different styles, namely: judo, kajukenbo, shotokan, taekwondo, lima lama, white crane kung fu, jujutsu, aikido and karate. In addition, he is the founder of Ukidokan karate, a style that mixes all of his martial arts knowledge and techniques. He owns a gym in California, called The Jets Gym in which he teaches his knowledge. He has produced several instructional videos and books and has been featured in a multitude of martial arts and contact sports magazines.

Extracted from: http:// www.los3dragones.com/ biografias/benny_urquidez. php#ixzz7lHVP3uMn - Follow us: LosTresDragonesDeOccidente on Facebook