El Camino #19 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.22-12 from Montevideo Uruguay for the month of December. Thank you.

SOME HISTORY OF KOREA AND ITS MARTIALITY

Sbn Ramón Navarro

Happy christmas on this blessed year 2022 and I wish you all a prosperous and beneficial New Year 2023.

I, Ramon Navarro from the Republic of Panama with experience teaching for 46 years as SabomNim of Song Moo HapKiDo, I´m technical director for the International Song Moo Kwan HapKiDo Federation.

We are expanding seriously and responsibly, maintaining the discipline that KwanjangNim SongIL Park 9th Dan Black Belt has taught us, whom is the father of HapKiDo in Panama as well as the founder of this pure self-defense system for the street.

I am forming groups in different Latin American countries preferably, although I together with Grand Master Park expanding to any country in the world. For this the people interested can contact me by WhatsApp at the number +507 67808222 so I will let you know that we are not accepting or giving rank just for belonging to our organization since we work with a specific learning curriculum but if you already have experience teaching any martial art regardless of where you are from or

what your martial art is, I am willing to form a working plan by receiving a virtual class as long as you are a serious and dedicated person whom is willing to make changes, we are for you and your country.

All human race present in this era was due to its past history. Panama has a history as a country since November 3, 1903 and according to its history or where it came from, it was Colombian and before that from Spain. Well, this is not the subject here, however, the martial art that I train, learn and teach since February 1977 as assistant to Grand Master Park, SongIL whom started in this martial art, Hap Ki Do or HapKiDo at the school from DojuNim Ji, HanJae whom is known and accepted to be the father of modern HapKiDo.

For us, the father of HapKiDo is DojuNim Choi YongSul, who had the Daito Ryu Aiki Ju Jutsu with the nickname of Yawara, which indicates that it is an art of self-defense from ancient Japanese tradition. To this name its translation into Korean is DaeDong Ryu HapKi Yu Sul and it was known as HapKi Yu Sul but since punches and few kicks were added, fist or Kwon was added so it became

Hap Ki Yu Kwon Sul. We all know the history or those of us who know it know that this was approximately after the 2nd World War, that is, in 1945 and when he began to teach it and several years later in 1949 a boy began to learn this art during his high school until he graduated and when he returned to his hometown AnDong in South Korea was Ji HanJae.

Ji HanJae at about 19 years of age in his hometown AnDong had earned the 2nd Dan Black Belt from Grandmaster Choi, YongSul and there he did not want to teach to continue training because he wanted to learn, but no one taught this HapKi Yu Kown Sul there so he met Taoist Master Lee or Lee DoSa from whom he learned Tae Ki Yun or Tae Kyun in the art of Sam Rang Do in which he was able to advance rapidly from his previous experience in the HapKi Dojang of Grandmaster Choi. When he was about 23 years old, he quickly achieved the equivalent of the black belt and at that moment he thought about what he believed was or was not practical in these two martial arts and eliminated what did not seem practical and, let's say, mixed them, staying with what he wanted and called it HapKiDo.

He saw that this TaeKyun had many kicks, kicks with jumps and spins, as well as acrobatics plus self-defense techniques or what they call in Korean HoSinSul and by evolving and modifying them, he was left with a wide range of techniques and without such a long story he achieved the format for which this martial art is known for.

This martial art seemed complete and it really was. Worldwide it is taught in two ways either in pure form or

not and it is taught without a logical order or with a logical order even forms were added and it can be taught in the original way without forms. Some schools and organizations have combat competitions, others not even there are schools that do not do combat or DaeRyun and there are others in which they do practice it without going to competitions, there are also those that allow students to compete in open tournaments but they themselves in their organization have no tournaments.

Speaking of history, it is known that this land called Korea has written history since 2,333 BC, well, which brings us to the present a century ago, that is, around the year 1909 Japan took Korea, annexing it to its territory until the end of the World War II and there is no record of what arts were there before that can be said are Korean arts with the exception of these two: Sireum or Ssireum as well as TaekKyun or TaeKyun.

This Sireum is an ancient fight that by tradition is still trained today and it is said that it is where Sumo comes from, but this Sireum is totally different. The other Korean martial arts are based on the stairght line like linear Karate. In Korea there is YuDo that differs from JuDo in that pressure points are used to throw and punches and kicks are allowed in

addition to fighting on the ground.

Most of the Korean martial arts being linear in what it is strength against strength. I think the exception is in HapKiDo, which is more of a hybrid. Since the Yudo being circular and the TaeKwonDo of WT or from the KukKiWon like the one from the ITF or the TangSooDo and SooBahkDo are linear. In this case, HapKiDo has both linear and circular aspects.

I have wondered why and I think it is its military aspect in that in the middle of a conflict where one has to face several enemies, I will not say opponents since the enemy will do everything possible to take your life were you cannot lose in a confrontation against several and at the time in a floor fight or fighting.

There are other martial arts with different names that are HapKiDo with forms or weapons, whether they are martial or modern weapons, and even if they call it differently, that is progress. What else can I say lol.

I can only say that the circular type has a similarity and the linear ones too and if I said that there is only one style in JuDo and TaeKwonDo, TangSooDo too. In HapKiDo there are many styles and if you wonder why I think it is because the root of

this martial art was formed so that the student does not have to adapt to the method rather the method of this martial art was made so that it could be adapted to the person since it is based on the natural movements of the human being that the student when developing can form his own method or system. Of course, if you keep your base or your teachers, this will form a great organization and many activities can be carried out.

Once again, I am SabomNim Ramón Navarro 6th Degree Black Belt from the Republic of Panama, a member of the Korea HapKiDo Federation with the representation of KHF Panama Branch as technical director and the president of the International Song Moo Kwan HapKiDo Federation for the development and expansion of this system as well as an assistant to Grandmaster Park, SongIL 9th Degree Black Belt who is the founder of Song Moo Kwan HapKiDo since 1975 when he registered in Korea as a member of the Korea HapKiDo Federation since he started learning Sung Moo Kwan HapKiDo from DojuNim Ji HanJae in 1958.

Additionally, you can contact me on Instagram at @hapkido.panama or @rana_hapkido_panama, you can also call or write to WhatsApp +507 67808222.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous year 2023.

Myke Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a Jiu-Jitsu teacher from Los Angeles, his small school makes almost no money and expenses are piling up. In addition, his extreme honesty and his pure fighting spirit do not allow him to participate in the increasingly distorted competitions despite the fact that he could win them tied hand and foot because he is the host in verse. Even so, his life runs smoothly until an incident at school and his casual approach to movie star Chet Frank (Tim Allen), lead to a host of situations that will force him to participate in a dishonorable competition.

I love David Mamet, he cooks it all by himself and eats it. I've always heard that a writer shouldn't direct their own scripts because you end up making unnecessary concessions to your own story and blah blah blah, but Mamet has so much experience and cinematic vision that he makes great movies out of it. of his scripts. Also, his stories and his characters are so awesome that I think he's sorry that someone else comes to direct them.

In Redbelt David Mamet once again speaks to us about honor, honesty and the constant loss of values that we are suffering nowadays. The perfect character to convey this to us is a martial arts teacher, specifically JiuJitsu, incarnated by that acting genius named Chiwetel Ejiofor. 50% of the film is him, just by seeing what Ejiofor transmits through his gestures (for example, I love the mallet when he

ties his belt, that single action gives you tons of information about the character), his looks, his the way he instructs the students, how he treats his wife and the rest of the characters, etc... it's already worth going to see it. He exudes a simply mesmerizing charisma. Something similar happened to Val Kilmer's character in Spartan and that is the result of uniting a great script with a great actor, who is directed by a very intelligent guy.

The other 50% of the film is based on the plot, something normal in Mamet movies. I have read in some places that Redbelt is made up of very good but unconnected scenes, that the story is not coherent, that nothing is understood. Well, the truth is that it is not an easy film to catch because apparently it does not follow a specific course and at the same time it does not give you a moment of rest as a spectator. I mean that absolutely all the scenes tell something important and on top of that they are like puzzle pieces that you have to order to find the connection between all the plots and all the characters. I have enjoyed it infinitely more the second time I have seen it and I assure you that all details and subplots fit perfectly into the story.

If you go to see her looking for spectacular blowjobs, you won't find them. It is not an action movie but it has a few brutal scenes in which Ejiofor does a great job showing us the elegance and effectiveness of Jiu Jitsu. I find these realistic choreographies much more spectacular than seeing Van Damme delivering his flying kick from 15 different angles. Don't be surprised if after watching the movie you feel like signing up for Jiu-Jitsu classes, I searched the internet and everything to see where they were.

In his crusade in defense of the purest human values, Mamet delivers smacks in various ways. He gives the world of

cinema a little bit of power by showing a very badass producer and a star in low hours (Tim Allen), and also talks about competitions that are rigged with the intention of doing business. In short, he criticizes anyone who wants to cover himself in an ignoble way, even if it is harming others. The contrast that is achieved between the gang of gangsters who would sell their mother for four dollars and Mike Terry, the hero of honesty and respect for others, leads to an emotionally tremendous ending.

Redbelt is not an easily accessible movie, you have to make an effort on several levels to fully enjoy it. But when you enter his world, let yourself be captivated by his characters and solve the puzzle, the experience is wonderful.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=_LlkIRIQeuc

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

IT´s MASTER´s DEGREE DEMOCRATIC?

SBN Javier Acosta

several like this, they are usually seen in the company of friends and great teachers with affinities.

Let's start by analyzing what mastery is...

Master's degree according to the RAE: Great ability and skill to teach or do something. Master's degree and title, especially in a technical or manual trade. That being said, we can all become teachers, with or without a degree, obviously in some cases some institutions take possession of these decorations, which is valid but not fair. So, why would it be democratic? Because what is taught is the least of it, the experience you have will be the one that measures your mastery. Examples in today's times...

-A teacher who lives talking about the fact that others talk behind their backs, that they advance at the cost of the rest bothering their progress, that it doesn't matter if they recognize them or not, will be an excellent teacher teaching destructive mental habits , traumas, attachments, envy and egos. That yes, it can become a "FOURTEENTH DAN" in the matter, this is usually the most dumb of all and it can only be fixed by going back to study, however technical it may be, the mind and its spirit are condemned to a perpetual emptiness.

-The teacher who lives talking about

God, guilt and regrets, will be an excellent mystagogue on issues of social submission, purity of soul against others, he can even turn his dojo into the cathedral of holy remedy and will undoubtedly have followers, this is of the difficult cases.

-The teacher who spends his time inventing successes, after successes for the sake of feeling that he is on the horns of the moon or that he is a super saya yin of his own idea, will certainly not teach success, but rather the invention of unsuccessful events. palpable or rather exaggerated, they usually approach those who are ignorant, lacking in esteem, believe their feats, these will be excellent students of a great master in smoke, the ego needs attention. -On the other hand, there are teachers who usually spend most of their lives in great social silence, that silence that teaches prudence, they live with a low profile that teaches them discretion, they are congruent in harmony with thinking, saying and acting, fundamental steps for happiness, they grow organically without pause and without haste, they tend to give credit where credit is due and are usually always attentive to learning, I know

-There is also the YOYO teacher, the one who due to lack of attention has not been able to overcome the ego that appropriates his soul, the one who wants to show every step he takes in search of recognition, the one who wants the most expensive thing regardless of the price mental that pays for it, the one who is eager for collective applause due to the lack of self-applause, this teacher ends up surrendering to the passage of time or understanding that the universe allows you to be reborn daily, if he stays like this, he will end up alone and if adheres to the previous current will be extremely happy..

-The teacher SANTO TOMAS who flogs himself, the one who does not appreciate his job, who feels like a lady of charity for helping his students, the one who is teaching mediocrity disguised as charity, he hurts us all, no They want to get off the Good Samaritan pedestal, those are the ones who do not contribute to an organization and in order to be successful they must be alone and have a huge extra income, so they can continue giving away what some of us cost.

Without a doubt, we all have the ability to be teachers, where is the difference between equals? It is in the subject to teach and above all in constant preparation, alliances, love for the profession and oneself, honoring the nature is to live in peace, it is in your hands what matter and how you want to teach, the world is upside down, but your world can be improved.

It's how much.

Sbn Javier Acosta Serrano President CTAM World

CELLULOID: ANDOR

Maestro Jesús Ricardo Félix

I shamelessly confess that I don't know the difference between a prequel, a spin-off, a reboot, a sequel or a sequel. And it is that before we only had to deal with the term remake to know that they were not selling a new version of movies that we had already seen. I don't want it to sound like a criticism or complaint about the lack of ideas that pervades the world of modern cinema, but in a certain way it is. Star Wars fans have not been very happy with proposals such as The Book of Boba Fett or Obi-Wan Kenobi herself, although The Mandalorian had hit the nail on the head, subsequent productions have not finished filling the viewer's eye. That is why this week in Celluloid we will talk about the series starring Diego Luna: Andor.

Andor is an American series created by Tony Gilroy for the Disney company released last September. If Star Wars should give rise to the Rogue One prequel, why should we be surprised that Rogue One gave rise to the Andor series? Are we talking about the prequel to a prequel? Or the spin-off of a spin-off? In any case, and without delving into the infinite labyrinth of postmodern categories, let's start with this brief analysis.

If the roots of Star Wars go back to

Akira Kurosawa's samurai, the old west and Frank Herbert's dunes, Andor's proposal draws on classics like Blade Runner. The story is based on the adventures of Diego Luna's character: Cassian Andor. Cassian is a simple thief trying to survive in the midst of the chaos of a society that lives in the shadow of the empire.

Much has been said about the political roots of the Star Wars universe, its closeness to government models such as fascism or national socialism. The truth is that in Andor we see the faithful portrait of a totalitarian state. There is an empire that, although it does not control everything, seeks to conquer the galaxies whose forms of life are as diverse as they are unique. There is a rebellion apparently led by a group of citizens who belong to the working class. Many of them described as migrants belonging to racial minorities. In the series we travel back five years to what happened in Rogue One, to witness Andor's transformation from a simple criminal to a hero of the rebellion.

In the case of the villains, these are not Siths with dark helmets or colored sabers, they are rather military bureaucrats like Siryl Karn. These are in charge of trying to obfuscate the attempts of the rebellion to stop the

empire. Some may miss Dath Vader's super powers of moving objects with his mind or suffocating with his hand from afar, but these villains are closer to the human world. In Andor we also don't see Skywalkers or Grogus or Yodas or Chewbaccas.

Definitely recommendable, even if you don't expect the typical Star Wars story, since as we mentioned before, Andor leaves the known to experiment with different possibilities. The experiment works, although the beginning can be labeled "slow", you have to be patient as the series goes from less to more. It sounds like Cassian needs an R2D2-esque sidekick or a new breed of Chewbacca, but creator Tony Gilroy, with George Lucas's approval, prefers to take the story's course to darker places. It is a series that they have to watch and try to analyze if we can become one of those totalitarian states or if we are on the way to becoming one.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=o5j_aetA0nI

JUDO FOR LIFE

Ehrlich

Hello friends readers of the Martial Arts magazine "El Camino". In this note for the month of December, we will refer to what some call "Extreme Judo". And I want you to keep in mind that in these notes, I always contribute my personal vision, not only of Judo, Jiu Jitsu, but of Martial Arts, combat sports and combat systems, based on my experience, knowledge, continuous practice and an open mind for the constant evolution. I understand that what we can develop with the mechanics of our movements is limited by physical, energetic, structural forces of our bodies and that we must make the most of these circumstances, for the best result sought (which can be various objectives). If my goal is sports/competitive Judo, I stick to a competitive regulation, which It establishes what I can and cannot do, it protects me from everything it forbids! Me training aimed at that objective, is more than studied and maximized, to do what is allowed, without harming the rival and within what is morally established. The search of not harming the

opponent is an obvious and legal rule, injuring to obtain the victory over my rival, it is not necessary and I would go against the Spirit of Judo .. I train myself not to commit mistakes that impair my performance towards sporting victory. Everything within the rules, nothing outside! Today in sports Judo, I cannot execute locks or strangulations while standing up. Any of these ways and throwing the opponent to the ground, could seriously injure him. I can agree with that, or not, but the rules are clear and I can lose a fight for breaking the rules and thus the opportunity for medals, trophies, or rankings official international for my country. A few years ago it could be done, not now and I must abide these modifications or lose fights and chances of sporting triumph. Today technology is at the service of the administration of sports matches, I have access to repetition of conflicting or difficult-to-assess situations, which was previously subjective in a penalty or win decision, it is now instantly checked and awarded a target failure. Violations are seen, penalties are awarded, judgments of the referees, technical scores and violations of the regulations are modified, the administration of Justice is more objective and impartial. Of course, sports/

competitive Judo is much more advanced, fair, rational and professional, than many other combat sports, in terms of regulation of competitions, number of competitors, documentation requirements, registration, weighins, regulations, professionalization and training of people who work in the development of the championships, giving guarantee to all, in their development. From a simple championship at Club level, regional, friendly or official, national or international, has qualified personnel (table and weighing officials, referees, delegates, doctors, etc.) and the necessary tools, for the excellent performance of the activity sports, which guarantees transparency, objectivity and professionalism. everything is digitized, the competition braces are armed objectively, they are known with prior to the competition and are placed everywhere so that they are public knowledge and all precautions are taken. Schedules are respected and everything is on time. view of the public on digital panels so that everyone knows who is competing, the times of each combat, the scores, penalties and wins/losses. guarantees of good proceed! Those who are involved in this sporting dynamic see that it is becoming more professional, higher performance, athletes and

Prof. Marcelo

coaches, of the best level, all aiming to be in a ranking national and international sports that opens the doors to higher levels of demand competitive. This is one of the examples of an extreme Judo, the development of an empowered Judo to give the best as a competitor, leaving aside, everything that cannot contribute something to me tactics, strategy and planning of championship matches. For many years I train to use only the techniques allowed in sport and if I don't understand that there is something apart from the competition, I will be learning only a small part of Judo, which at the time is so broad and rich in so many aspects: technical, physical, psychological, cultural, historical and philosophical. And when I retire from competition, I will undoubtedly leave Judo, because it will not have meaning to practice for the sake of practicing, learning to know, to transmit the teachings and my experience to future generations. It is sad that many think like this and walk away from a activity that we can practice at any age.

And when they leave highperformance Judo, many fall into a depression, which needs professional help, to continue a normal life! Here and in the rest of the world.

Others begin the real learning of everything they did not see during their years of competition, great champions start with fundamental learning left behind for many years and realize everything that is in the world of Judo. Others resume the activity after many years, as adults, to continue with their preparation and learning, in order to learn and teach.

Others of us did the competitor stage in parallel, with traditional learning, with the arbitration specialization, coach, teacher, etc, seeing how everything is considered in the essence of Judo. Those of us who continue to this day without having abandoned Judo, not even for a day, know what it is about. treat this Path: Sacrifice, overcoming, effort, study, practice, training, learning, teaching, and in my personal case, testing everything, reality vs. the fantasy. And complement with other Martial Arts, combat sports and combat systems, to get a more complete view. Not everyone understands it that way and they just practice their whole life, their Martial Art, and repeating everything like two hundred years ago, without realizing that everything has changed. Each one understands it in their own way, but if they don't prove what they know with another dynamic, they will continue repeating everything as before, without realizing that evolution is constant in all things.

The practice of the Katas (pre-established Forms), is good, as a tradition, as saving knowledge passed down from generation to generation, that's good, but... otherwise we confront these Katas with real situations, we will only be doing a good choreography, the repetition of something, that really cannot

with the current and real violence. People who only do Katas and repeat and repeat that choreography, with a friendly partner and that everything is allowed to be done, they are also doing extreme Judo, but as the Competitor of high performance that we talked about before, that one, at least confronted his Judo against that of other people. The one who only does Katas and understands that he is doing something real, still competing in Katas Championships, if he loses a championship, he will only lose points against the other contending couples. He will not get hurt, nor will he lose his life. When I teach and train with people belonging to special forces, forces police, military and security forces, I cannot teach them fantasies, choreographies or things that we have tried, because his life depends on it! They will not be in a competition, nor in a movie, they will be in real life, trying to deter, contain, control, conduct, repel attacks against him or others, to whom they must protect. And if we did not give them the basic, elemental or special tools for their professional activity, they will face a reality of violence, for which they are not prepared.

If I don't practice situations based on reality, adapted to any violent movement or that may lead to them, I will not be

able to control the moment. Before attack with weapons or without them, I must be able to face them with the maximum potential, without causing serious harm if not warranted. As always, my life or that of those I protect, or those that are attacked, comes first. the lives of the offenders. I will try not to inflict unnecessary or fatal damage unless it is justified. Real Judo can provide very valuable tools to deal with these situations, not It will not be a sporty or unreal Judo based on choreography. I must adapt the techniques, applying if, the fundamental, technical, mental and moral teaching, which allows to control each situation. This is another extreme Judo, which I must study in depth in all its technical composition, adding and complemented with knowledge of other activities, to handle all kinds of Extreme situations. In the next note, we will already be in Judo and self defense rational. See you at the Dojo and in the magazine "El Camino"! Prof. Marcelo Ehrlich

ECONOMY

Tang Soo Do

By Elias Pulgar Olguin

SUCCESS IS IN UNITY

We are in the last month of the year, we learned a lot this year, a bit of everything regarding Martial Arts and certain visions that involve business and the way we live.

The way we live is completely dependent on others, a teacher without students has no school, a barber without clients, is just a person with scissors, combs, razors and hair clippers, that is, a person with tools without being able to use them and a martial artist unable to teach and practice. In this world we are all important, we need others, that is why Martial Arts Organizations need everyone, children, middle

adults and older adults to grow, to practice different techniques and perfect them, that is why it is essential good treatment and unity among all to deliver the best possible service, to those who give us the opportunity to share our experiences, in the different tasks we do.

A new year is coming where we must work together with a common goal, such as solving problems. When a child arrives with low self-esteem, physically and mentally weak, it is a problem for the child and his family, until he arrives at a Martial Arts School, where his parents look for a solution for the child, now nobody knows if that child will be the next world champion of Martial Arts or the future Pablo Escobar, the value that we must have for clients must go beyond thinking in the comfort zone, good students with talents, in business everyone is welcome and the more problems the better, as it builds customer loyalty and positive marketing.

Friends who read this magazine, the value of the nation is in its

people, in the people, it depends on us that a student learns, they should be valued as long as they allow themselves to be valued, just as Jesus taught that at the moment before praying he said, I am with the Father and the Father who is in heaven is with me, that must be the chain for unity, that is why to close a business there must be mutual interest, both the one who sells and the one who buys Although it sounds completely logical, putting it into practice is what is complex. In 2023 they must unite to open more schools, so that there are more tournaments, we must solve more problems and help more.

Next year must be improved compared to this year, but that overcoming must be in unity.

I send a big greeting to all those who train day after day and as the motto of the Special Combatants of the Chilean Army says "BEAT TO WIN".

Happy Holidays and a good end of the year. Tang Soo!!

PANAMA CONGRESS

By KJN Patricio Saavedra

I would like to tell you about our event that we held in Panama last October,

It was our first in-person event after the pandemic, and we are looking forward to the day we can meet with the instructors we have known for years and the new ones that have come to the organization.

The place chosen in Panama City was the Central Park Hotel in the El Dorado area, a very beautiful and central area in Panama City, two blocks away is the El Dorado Mall and around a very large variety of restaurants.

The first instructor to arrive was Professor Melisa Mulet from San Juan Argentina, then Professor Oscar González from Colombia, then Professor Héctor Grandon from Chile, Mary Cayte Reiland from USA, Lucas González from Mexico and finally Professor Juan Pellegrini from Argentina. .

The owners of the house, Sahbumnim Edgar Quiroz and El Kyosanim Eloy Tapia, completed the list.

On Thursday night we started with an informal practice, we reviewed some forms with weapons and some advanced combinations, this practice was out of the plan, but the desire to train and share together was stronger.

Friday morning Professors Quiroz

and Tapia had prepared a morning of Tourism for us. We started to visit the Miraflores locks in the Panama Canal where we could appreciate this marvel of engineering, the Bridge of the Americas, the Amador Coastway and finally the coastal strip where we could take a photo that for me is very beautiful since that all the instructors from the different countries appear in the letters of the word PANAMA.

On Friday afternoon we began with the training and training, the topics of teaching martial arts for children from 3 to 5 years old were touched on. In addition to marketing in martial arts.

On Saturday, extreme Bong and Nunchaku weapons were seen, as well as Kali techniques for students and instructors.

On Saturday night, the gala dinner was held where recognition was given to all the instructors who participated in the congress. At the end of the dinner, the country where the next congress and world championship would be held was announced, and the chosen country was Colombia.

In addition, the closing of this event was the delivery of the KOKORO AWARD, a special award from our

organization for an instructor who through these years has shown hard work and loyalty.

Kokoro in Japanese means heart mind and soul. That's why we chose that name for the award.

The Kokoro was awarded to Professor Melisa Mulet from Argentina for being with us for more than 20 years, always loyal and willing to help.

Sunday was the day for the black belt exams, on this occasion they gave Sbn Edgar Quiroz (Panama) for 5th Dan, Sbn Hector Grandon (Chile) for 5th Dan, Ksn Eloy Tapia for 3rd Dan. Ksn Juan Pellegrini (Argentina) For 2nd Dan. At the Middle the activities were already closed.

On Monday the instructors began to return to the different countries. Everyone came back very happy to have made new friends and full of new stories and anecdotes to tell.

I cannot close this note without thanking Mrs. Jessica Carmona, wife of Sbn Edgar Quiroz, who was a key player in the organization of this event. Without her, this event would not have been as successful as it was.

We will meet again in Bogotá Colombia in November 2023, Tang Sooooo!

Interview with Weapon Master Song MinJie

Eskrima is a Philippine martial arts based on swords and stick training. It is also known as ARNIS or Kali. Eskrima practitioners are called Eskrimadors. Today, Eskrima has become a martial arts that is popular in the world, and it has also been introduced by military and police in many countries.

Today, we are very honored to interview the famous Chinese weapon master and karate coach Song Minjie. He is one of the only three black belt instructors in the authentic Eskrima in China.

The COVID-19 has lasted for nearly three years. In this three years of being very unfriendly for martial arts practitioners, let us listen to how he insisted on promoting the development of martial arts movement.

Reporter: Hello, Master Song, I am glad that you can accept our interviews. First of all, I want to know your personal experience. When did you start practicing martial arts? What projects do you practice?

Master Song: I started practicing karate since 2006, when I was still in high school. Later, I also learned Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Eskrima.

Reporter: You have practiced karate and Kickboxing, why are you still interested in Eskrima?

Master Song: In my student days, I have experienced armed fights. I think that as a Budoka or martial artist, it is very important to master weapon skills. Learning weapons is not to hurt your opponent, but you can protect yourself.

Reporter: Where did you learn about Eskrima?

Master Song: I saw Eskrima in Bruce Lee's film. I didn't know its name at that time. I thought Bruce Lee used Chinese martial arts. In 2009, I received an invitation from a friend to participate in a two-day private shortterm training course. An American coach had a two-day Jeet Kune Do training, but I had forgotten his name. In the course, I heard the name Kali for the first time, and learned about the existence of Philippine martial arts. In the following years, I often reviewed the training contents of those two days, and I have been looking for teachers who can teach Filipino martial arts.

from Australia. Later, I also attended some other masters' seminars. Finally, I went to the Philippines's largest and oldest Eskrima organization DOCE PARES for training, where I met Supreme Grand Master Dionisio "Diony" Canete. And, I chose to join DOCE PARES.

Reporter: SGM Dionisio is a very great martial artist. Although I have never seen him, I often hear his news from others. Please talk about your impression of SGM Dionisio?

Reporter: So, who was your later Eskrima teacher?

Master Song: My first Eskrima teacher is Grandmaster Vincent Palumbo

Master Song: In the past, I saw SGM Dionisio on TV programs. But I didn't recognize him when I came to the Philippines. When he stood beside me in civilian clothes, I only thought he was a kind old man. Later, through the introduction of my friend Temple Cao, I knew that the greatest contemporary Eskrima master was in front of me. It is difficult for me to describe my feelings towards him in words. He is a very kind and approachable elder. In the place where I live, many martial arts masters are very arrogant and arrogant. I don't have a good impression on them. SGM Dionisio has overturned my impression of martial arts masters, and

he can be said to be my model.

Reporter: I know you have been actively participating in the Eskrima competition. Please tell me what awards do you win?

Master Song: From 2017 to 2019, I won the ranking in every official game of Eskrima in China, including: one champion, one runner -up, and one third place. In 2019, I participated in the PekaF World Invitational Tournament and won the third place of the two projects. At present, I am the best player of the Chinese men's 91kg+weight competition.

Reporter: Do you think a person who often awarded in martial arts competition means that he is a master of martial arts?

Master Song: I don't think so. Martial arts competitions are not all martial arts. Because the competition is just sports, it has many rules restrictions. If you only practice the skills allowed in the competition, it will be easier to win. I think the real martial arts master must not only win the competition. He must also be able to comprehensively teach all martial arts skills. In addition,

character and knowledge are also very important. In the eyes of many people, martial artists are just thugs.Because some martial arts practitioners have no higher education and poor personality, this stereotype is created. Such people are not martial arts masters even if they win many awards.

Reporter: It is really a great answer. There are many weapon martial arts in China. Why do you choose to practice the Eskrima?

Master Song: The length of the weapon used by Eskrima is more suitable for self -defense. It is easy to find an alternative to the Eskrima stick in life. However, in fact, I am also actively practicing Chinese swordsmanship. I just completed the test of the coaches and referees of China's "Wushu Bingdao" in China this year.

Reporter: I just noticed a new vocabulary. What is "wushu bingdao"

Master Song: "Wushu Bingdao" is a Chinese swordsmanship competition project. This project has been vigorously promoted by the country in recent years. The skills of Eskrima and BingDao can be well integrated.

Reporter: Talk about your development expectations for Eskrima?

Master Song: First of all, I hope that more police and security personnel can learn Eskrima and contribute to maintaining social security. Secondly, I don't want Eskrima to be too commercial and popular. Nowadays, there are many taekwondo gyms that have started selling certificates and belts, and you can get a black belt without even taking an exam, which I don't want to see.

Reporter: Thank you for your answer. Let’s move on to the next topic. I would like to talk about some current

situations. I believe that these issues are also concerned by many martial artsists. We all know that COVID-19 has caused a lot of losses to the world, and many martial artists have encountered difficulties. Is your Dojo affected by this?

Master Song: Covid-19 is a huge test for all martial arts and sports practitioners. I have a lot of members who have left Shanghai or cannot participate in training because of work changes. There are countless martial arts clubs closed down. However, my Dojo has not been affected too much. This is due to my Dojo does not have any commercial properties. It is just a small studio.

Reporter: What courses does your Dojo have? How many staff are there?

Master Song: My dojo has opened Karat, Eskrima, Kickboxing, Krav Maga courses, and the staff of Dojo is only me. Therefore, Dojo has no additional expenses.

Reporter: The two identities of coaches and operators are very different. Why can you hold these two occupations at the same time?

Master Song: Before 2017, I was an

operating director of an import and export trading company. Later, I resigned from my work and devoted to my hobbies. Therefore, I have many companies' operational experience. In fact, I am not just teaching martial arts now, and I still work part -time to some other jobs.

Reporter: You are not a professional Fighter, so do you think the identity of the professional Fighter is important to a coach?

Master Song: Both karate and Eskrima are not professional competitive projects, so they are not affected. In addition, I conducted a one -year -old professional Muay Thai training in 2017. I also participated in the professional Kickboxing training camp of Japanese coaches many times, but I did not participate in professional competitions. Because my weight is too big, and China's professional Kickboxing competition is mostly less than 75kg, so I can't participate. But I participated in the Kickboxing open tournament for four consecutive years and won the championship. I think the difference between professional Fighter and amateur Fighter is not the level of technical level, but whether you rely on fighting competitions to make money. In fact, many professions in Japan are not professional Fighter in a strict sense, and they will have another job. As a coach, it is not important whether you have participated in professional competitions, More importantly, whether your comprehensive ability is strong enough, and whether you are always learning new knowledge. I used to be a reporter from the martial arts media website. I have interviewed some professional Fighter and also participated in their courses. I found that in China, many professional Fighter cultural levels are not high. Their competitive competition is very strong, but it is difficult to effectively teach their things to students. Only

very individual coaches will go to tutoring cultural knowledge and sports scientific knowledge after retiring.

Reporter: Covid-19 caused many martial arts championships and open competitions to be canceled or delayed. How did you actively promote martial arts during this period?

Master Song: I joined the Ave Fénix World Martial Arts Organization and the Martial Arts Association - International respectively, and participated in their electronic championships. The electronic championship is uploaded to the sponsor by recording Kata (forms) video, and then scored by the referee.

I won a champion and a runner -up. In addition, I also actively held a seminar during the holidays. Even if only one person participated, I would continue the seminar.

Reporter: Final question. The situation of covid-19 has improved, but it has not ended. During this period, do you have any suggestions to other martial arts practitioners?

Master Song: No one knows whether the virus will mutate again, and no one knows whether the covid-19 virus will become stronger. In this unstable environment, I suggest that every martial arts practitioner should not give up your favorite martial arts, but you can find another part-time job to maintain your income. At the same time, you can also use your free time to strengthen the learning of cultural knowledge, which will also improve the quality of your teaching.

Reporter: Thank you again for accepting our interview. Through your answer, I believe more people can realize what kind of person is a real martial artist and master. Your method of promoting the development of

martial arts will definitely help many related practitioners.

BOKUDEN, A beautiful oriental story

This beautiful oriental story tells us about Tsukahara Bokuden, a legendary 16th century sword master in Japan. He was a practitioner of martial arts and became very famous for his talent for combat, but mainly for his wisdom.

They say that Bokuden had three children and wanted to put them to the test. He wanted to know how cautious and evolved they were. To check, he put a heavy headrest on the door and left it ajar. Then, he called his eldest son, Hikoshiro, with great haste.

The eldest son was a very appreciated young man by all. He had a sweet character and a reputation as a cautious man. This oriental story tells that when his father called him, he reached the half-open door and gently pushed it. He noticed that it was heavier and supposed that something had changed.

Cautiously, he began to feel around the top of the door. So he discovered that there was the headrest and gently removed it. Bokuden was pleased and just said something casual to her. Then the eldest son left the room, leaving the headrest just as he had found it. different reactions

A few days passed and Bokuden wanted to carry out the same test with his second son, who was called Hikogoro. Eastern history says that he was well known for

his great agility and dexterity. He wasn't cautious, like his older brother, because he was very confident in his abilities.

The father called Hikogoro and he quickly got up and went to the door. Without thinking twice, he pushed her into the room soon. The headrest fell, but the boy was so agile that he caught it out of the air. Then he put him back in his place. Bokuden was thoughtful.

It was time for him to take the test with his youngest son, Hikoroku. This was the most impulsive of all, but also the most joyful and loving. Bokuden loved him very much, but he was afraid that he would not be able to pass the test. He was right. The father called his youngest son, just as he had done with his brothers.

Hikoroku rushed out and pushed open the door with great energy. The headrest fell and hit the chomnaje, or traditional Japanese bow tie. The oriental story tells that when the boy felt the blow, he drew his sword and split the object in two, before it fell to the ground. Then he laughed and seemed proud of his reaction.

A memory in oriental history

According to this beautiful oriental story, Bokuden was worried about the

reaction of his youngest son. He thought that such an impulsive person would only bring misfortune and ruin to his house. Tradition said that he should disown him, since his behavior only showed a lack of conscience and wisdom.

Bokuden, however, called all of his children and told them about an episode that he himself had experienced years before. He had a student who was considered the most skilled of all his apprentices. Quick in mind and quick in body, he was used to winning in every fight.

It happened that this apprentice was walking one afternoon through a street in the village. He passed a rather nervous horse. So restless was the animal that when he felt the presence of his disciple near him, he kicked. However, the student was so skilled that he made a catlike movement and dodged the blow. Those who were present applauded.

A beautiful moral

That same afternoon, the outstanding student arrived at Bokuden and spoke to him about what had happened, with some pride. Bokuden listened carefully, but as soon as the apprentice finished the story, he expelled him from his classes. He said that he never wanted to see him again. Everyone else was surprised. How was it that he didn't appreciate the skilful action of his student?

The three sons of Bokuden listened to the story very carefully. The eldest son was silent and seemed to reflect. The one in the middle, he looked intrigued. And the youngest son seemed confused and restless. "How come you fired such a skilled man?... Were you afraid that he would take your place?" asked the boy.

Oriental history says that Bokuden replied: “A man who is not capable of foreseeing dangers, but only reacting to them, does not deserve to be my disciple. If he had been a wise man, he would never have passed the horse." The three sons were silent. The one in the middle and the youngest understood the message and without being asked by his father, they withdrew with their heads down.

LUTA LIVRE

Freakie-Do

Luta Livre is the other side of the same combat coin in Brazil, like Brazilian jiujitsu, it was born in Rio de Janeiro more or less at the same time. The main difference is that the GI is not used, but the submissions are 95% the same. Luta Livre is a mix of catch wrestling and Judo.

Its founder was Euclydes "Tatu" Hatem who defeated Jorge Gracie (Brother of Helio and Carlos) in a fight in the 1940s with a Key lock or also known as an American.

During the time of the vale todo there was a lot of rivalry, although the rivalry was born from the 40s, 50's and 60's Until the 80s and 90's with the new generations is that "Ardio troya"

Who until today is the most recognized bearer of the free fighting flag and who gave form to the system is the great master Roberto Leitao, who is considered to be responsible for the evolution of free fighting. Leitao, being a mechanical engineer, became obsessed with art, giving it a twist and structure.

His grading system is Beginner (White, Yellow, and Orange belts).

It is said that one day Leitao and Carlson Gracie fought for around 24 minutes, which was a tremendously competitive fight, both guards were passed but there was no submission.

Another representative of the next generation was Eugenio Tadeu. Eugenio was a great anything goes fighter, who had a fight with Wallid Ismael. This was generated because Wallid said in an interview that Luta Livre was a cheap copy of jiujitsu, at that time Wallid was not well known because he was barely a brown belt,

but a genius for self-promotion. After these comments several fighters got together and invaded a local jiujitsu tournament where Wallid would be participating. Carlson Gracie was the one who calmed things down and they agreed that he would fix himself inside the ring in an anything goes fight. Eugenio would be the one who would fight against Wallid. After a hard fight Wallid would be declared the winner.

Some time later the rivalry continued to grow and that was when Eugenio's match against Renzo Gracie was arranged. Fight that ended with a riot inside the gym where chairs were blown up.

At present, it can be said that the rivalry has ended, since many students train the two arts without any rivalry. Among the best known are Andre Pederneiras, leader of Nova Uniao (Carlson Gracie's black belt and Luta live under Roberto Leitao), Milton Vieira, Cara de Sapato, Jose Aldo himself from the UFC, among others.

It can be said that they are also sister arts as they fall within the submission grappling family.

Intermediate (Blue belt) and Advanced (purple, brown and black belt)

ROYCE GRACIE

Royce Gracie is a legendary jiu jitsu and MMA/ NHB (no holds barred) fighter, being arguably the sports’ most influential figure. Growing as the son Helio Gracie (a founding member of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy), Royce Gracie held the Gracie family torch high while helping to built the sport of MMA and bringing awareness to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu through his famous victories in the early UFC’s against fighters of other martial arts disciplines. In 2003 Royce Gracie was also inducted in UFC Hall of Fame.

Royce Gracie was born on the 12th of December in 1966 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Being a son of the famous Grand Master Helio Gracie, his introduction to Jiu Jitsu came when he was still a toddler, learning from his father and his older brothers: Rorion, Relson, Rickson and Royler (all important BJJ figures of their own merit).

He had his first competition when he was 8 years old, and started giving classes when he was 14. Because of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu’s federation rules, Royce was only awarded his blue belt when he was 16, and a few months before reaching the minimum age requirements to receive the black belt (18) his father decided to bend the regulations a little and awarded Royce his black belt in a ceremony cohosted by his brother Rickson Gracie. His debut as a black belt was not a successful one, being submitted on the first round of the Copa Company by Pachoal Magalhaes, student of Osvaldo Alves. He also lost to the more

experienced Fabio Santos, but soon after Royce joined his older brother Rorion in the United States where he helped teach the new Gracie Academy that was being set up there.

In 1993 Royce took part in the event that would change the face of combat sports forever and make Royce Gracie one of the most recognizable faces in the fighting world. The Event was called the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a challenge where martial artists would gather to decide which was the most dominant style in a no-holdsbarred style of event, similar to the “Vale-Tudo” fights that made his uncles (Carlos, Oswaldo and George), father (Helio), Cousin (Carlson) and brother (Rickson) famous before him. The event was planned out by Royce Gracie’s brother, Rorion Gracie with the help of John Milius and Art Davie. Royce won the tournament being the lightest fighter in the competition. This was one of the first official No-Holds-Barred events in America, though Royce had already been a part of a few closed door NHB encounters in his native Brazil.

Royce would fight again in the second, third and fourth event, winning the second and the fourth while failing to win the final of the third due to an injury that happened in the semi-final match.

In 1998 Royce accepted a Jiu Jitsu challenge, something not common for him. The opponent was Wallid Ismail, a student of his uncle Carlson Gracie, who had been challenging him for years. He (Wallid) believed the Carlson school of thought was stronger then Helio’s (to which Royce was a star pupil) and wanted a chance to prove it. Wallid had already defeated Renzo Gracie and Ralph in previous events, as the feud grew between the Amazonian and Royce. The fight was taken with special rules and many believed Royce to be untouchable at the time, but the fight proved that Royce’s long absence from grappling tournaments had taken its tow as Wallid finished Royce quickly with a

Clock Choke (Relógio).

The battle of words between Royce and Wallid didn’t stop after the event, but the two never met again in competition. Royce went back to MMA, where he had a successful career fighting in most important shows available, Pride FC, K1 Dynamite and a quick return to the UFC. His career ended only blemished by the positive testing for anabolic steroids (nandrolone) after his win against Kazushi Sakuraba in 2007. Royce refuted the California State Athletic Commission, but the stain on his resume was never removed.

After the death of Grand Master Helio Gracie, Royce Gracie decided to go back to the “old days” in honor of his master and father. He hanged his coral belt (Royce is a 7 Grau BJJ representative, thus black and red belt) and started wearing a navy blue belt, just like the Gracie Jiu Jitsu representatives used to wear prior to the creation of the Jiu Jitsu federation in 1969. During those early days, Jiu Jitsu had two colours, white (for students) and blue (for instructors).

Uechi-Ryu is born in Japan to defend himself against gang members

The Uechi Ryu is a style of Karate born for self defense. Historically, training as a sport was never thought of until very modern times. In fact, Kanbun Uechi himself began to teach his compatriots in Wakayama, Japan, after a series of incidents in which the Japanese attacked the Okinawans who lived in that area. I share the story of how this first dojo of what would later become Uechi Ryu (Sensei Kanbun preferred to call it Pangainoon Ryu) began to understand what the spirit of the time was. “In 1924 Kanbun Uechi arrives in Osaka to seek to establish himself without success, so he continues his journey to Wakayama where he gets a job in a textile factory along with a group of Okinawans. At that time, the Japanese did not look favorably on Okinawans, and added to the high crime rate in the area, this group was

Sensei Cecilia Salbuchi

the target of multiple attacks. This motivated Okinawans to unite even more to protect each other from beatings and robberies, forming the Okinawa Kenjinkai (Okinawan Citizens Association). There, a small group of people approached Kanbun Uechi to help control the insecurity. One of them was Ryuyu Tomoyose, a young man with a strong sense of justice who challenged those who beat up his fellow citizens. Ryuyu's son went so far as to say that his father challenged groups of up to ten gang members... of course, he didn't always win these fights. He was not the only Okinawan vigilante, other youngsters imitated him, for example Chosibe Motobu, the nephew of Choki Motobu (Motoburyu) was in the group that persecuted these gang members as well. After a while they managed to calm down against the Okinawans, and this earned them the respect of their own. Ryuyu Tomoyose was born in Ie-Jima, near Motobu, Kanbun's birthplace. Hence, he had an

idea of Kanbun's reputation. Ryuyu would have fun fighting with the local Japanese, then he would visit Kanbun to tell him his stories. Eventually they started talking about the techniques to use in the fights and Ryuyu realized that Kanbun knew more than he let on, so he started asking him to teach. Kanbun refused, but eventually relented and showed his new friend at his house. Tomoyose told a handful of his friends about the situation, and this led to the community formally requesting Kanbun to teach. Due to this pressure, Kanbun had to recount the mishap that caused him to stop teaching in China, where a student of his had murdered a neighbor after an argument. Fifteen years had already passed and the people who told him that so many years of regret was

UECHI RYU IS BORN IN JAPAN TO DEFEND HIMSELF AGAINST GANG MEMBERS

punishment enough. He now had to teach, especially so that knowledge of him would not be lost, and so that the Okinawan community could defend itself. Upon reflection, Kanbun saw that they were right in every way, so in April 1925 he formally opened a school in Japan under the name of Pangainoon. His dojo is called Shataku, because he lived in the company's (kai-sha) departments (taku). This new group of students spent their time training and regularly patrolling the area to keep out gang members who targeted Okinawans, becoming a kind of community guardian. One peculiarity is that Kanbun Uechi Sensei kept a small number of students in the dojo, and only accepted those who had serious recommendations from one of the other members of the dojo. He sought to guarantee a moral behavior of the student, and all were interrogated by Kanbun. The practitioners were forbidden to show what they had learned outside the dojo and the classes were held behind closed doors, which aroused even greater curiosity on the part of the young people who were aware of the fame of these guardians of the area. If a visitor dared to knock on the door, he would find a group of men sitting on the floor chatting amicably. This generated even more confusion and expectation.”

At this very moment Gichin Funakoshi Sensei began to start his dojos in the universities of Japan, to hold exhibitions and popularize what we know as

Shotokan. But Kanbun Uechi's karate remained secret, closed to a community of Okinawans who made their way as best they could in the midst of hostility.

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

also took time for fun activities like padded sword sparring. We asked permission before starting this of course, and someone always had a key to lock up afterward.

Camaraderie in Martial Arts

SBN Mary Cayte Reiland

Camaraderie in the Martial Arts

SBN Mary C Reiland, USA

Tang Soo readers, happy December! I truly hope everyone reading things has a great holiday, whichever holiday you celebrate. This month, our topic of conversation is camaraderie. Camaraderie is defined as “mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together.” Camaraderie cannot be avoided in the martial arts. Those that spend years training, sweating, bleeding, and working together develop a relationship that can only be defined as camaraderie. Today I will share some of my best stories of camaraderie with you.

The first instance where I really became aware of camaraderie was at my cho dan exam in 2011. We had a three day event, where we (meaning all black belts and cho dan bo) trained two consecutive evenings in a row (Thursday and Friday) and came back for our formal demonstrations on Saturday morning. It was a brutal yet beautiful event. We trained hard together for at least 3 hours each evening, then spent 5-6 hours on Saturday demonstrating. In those days, we supported, motivated and empowered each other. The day of our demonstrations, we cho dan bo had never been more in sync,

it was as if we actually shared one mind and moved as one. Afterward, we celebrated. I mourn those days, as each year, our black belt tests got shorter.

I’ve heard that out of every 1,000 people that start martial arts, only 100 will make it to black belt, and only 10 of those will make it to the master level. I recall through the years moving up the ranks, the gaping holes that were left behind as people either quit, retired, moved away, or for any other reason gave up on their training. It was as though a piece of myself was missing without those people in the lineup every week, the spirit in the do jang was not the same. The burdens of camaraderie…

We continued to grow together as a group of martial artists as we started having outings and events outside the do jang. A group of us ladies would get together and do things like go bowling, have potluck house parties, or even see the occasional movie or stand-up comedy show.

After I became a Kyo Sa and found myself teaching more, I got in touch with other Kyo Sas and we found time to train together when the do jang was closed, mostly on Sundays. We helped each other to know our requirements and we

Meeting KJN Saavedra was the best instance of camaraderie in my life so far. I had never met a person who cared so much, who inserted himself into our lives and hearts as quickly as KJN did. This is why I continue to follow him, and always will.

After leaving the school where I trained for 11 years, I found myself missing my friends and the camaraderie we had, but these things are never truly lost. To this day, I’m still in touch with the people who I got close with during those 11 years. We may not train together anymore, but the spirit of those times still connects us.

First allow me to say that I hope each and every one of you finds the spirit and camaraderie that I have found in my 18 years. No one in the martial arts is an island, we need our teachers and fellow students to succeed. Open yourselves to the people around you, they will support and guide you through your journey. Happy holidays to all of you and as always, Tang Soo!!

The beginning of the end. Moment Mori... If we stop to analyze the situation, reflect on the subject, we can notice two things; #1: Someday we will cease to exist, we will leave this plane to move on to the next, regardless of our beliefs or religion, philosophy of life or culture, we will cross the threshold to get out of this reality and lose all consciousness in order to redo ourselves interpretation on another plane and consciousness. #2: The other days NO; Therefore LET'S LIVE!!! Let's enjoy the day to day, let's be grateful Even with the little things that go unnoticed in our lives, the simple fact to be able to read this column, it means that you run with the blessing of the sense of sight and the intellect sufficient to understand the statements. THANK YOU! Because everything has an end. But what is the end, if not a new beginning? It is these dates where almost everyone looks forward to the new year and its festivities, many people celebrate more the end of a year that is somewhat tragic on a personal level, they celebrate that end a "dry spell" with the hope that the coming new year will bring

MATE and KARATE

you will be able to look your goal in the eye and say "I'm going again"; And when you manage to overcome that obstacle you will have gained enough experience to understand that only those who live on their knees see a giant adversity, at that moment you will know that you are ready to face the next challenge, because To overcome adversities, they must be faced one by one, if you face them all together, they will overcome you.

better times, great harvests. Ergo, hope is not to mark an end, but the illusion of a prosperous new beginning, and for this we must keep walking, we must keep moving towards what we want and/or need. Goals do not come to one by themselves themselves, the rainbow is very long and not easy to travel, it is one that advances and projects itself into In relation to the achievements that he wants to achieve, it is one who must go look for his pot of gold at the end of the year. rainbow, many times only to realize there was no such gold in the pot and it was just pure land, but what we learned on the tour matters a lot, that way we make the own path be the reward. Every day something new is learned, the walker is made by walking, no sailor He became a captain in a calm sea, THANKS for the storms because through them your heart will awaken. strength; Even green grass needs heavy rain to grow, ADAPT like the tree that falls after the storm and learns to use its branches as new roots for Hold on to the spot and get on with your mission. Raise your head when you fall, because only like that

In summary: Not long ago we were talking with my teacher about the organization's future Black Belts, many they consider that this will be the end of their training, when it is only the beginning of the same; Every time one reaches the degree of DAN is when he begins to understand the essence of art martial arts, just as the white belt is the beginning of training, the black belt is the beginning of understanding, but a black ribbon is nothing more than the white ribbon of a second DAN, and this 2nd degree is nothing more than the white of the 3rd, and this is the white of the 4th, and so on... Each goal reached is the end of a cycle but also the beginning of another, (just like the tape) and the end of this year is just the beginning of the next, it's just a matter of personal perspective, all changes are for the better, because even if the result is not the expected, surely at least he has left us a lesson, and that is a good thing.

REMEMBER... The top of a mountain is nothing more than the base of the next. When you think it's all come to its end, think that it is actually a new beginning, and that new beginning is only

MARTIAL ARTS and ME

(p. 14)

Professor Carlos Damasco

I meet Eduardo Castañares, 7th Dan of Taekwondo I.T.F.

HowaboutEdward?Tellmeabout your beginnings in Taekwondo.

Hello Carlos, my beginnings were in 1985 by the hand of Master Andrés Rivas at the Koryo Academy. In 1987 I began to give classes being an Advanced Green Belt in a social project in the Aires Puros area, more precisely in the Ipiranga Club, I point out that I was authorized by Rivas to teach classes. The condition was that, until I was Punta Negra, my students could not take exams. Therefore, until 1988, when I graduated, no one took the exam. The 1st. I obtained Dan in August 1988, the examiner was the 7th Dan Master and one of the introducers of Taekwondo in Argentina, K.D. Chung. Within the Taekwondo I.T.F. I participated until 1995 both

in Uruguay and in Argentina, mainly I participated especially in Forms (Tul) and special breaks, high and long jump, combined techniques in the air.

As an instructor I was in various low-income places such as the Ipiranga Club, as well as in the southern zone of Montevideo, Punta Gorda and Carrasco. This served me as an experience to see both realities and the importance of Martial Arts in the human part. This experience showed me that Martial Art helps to unify. And this is where my big change comes from, since at that time I was still competing and I realized that the competition is what stands out is the ego, for the one who wins and even more so if he wins very often it goes against the principles of Martial Arts.

I also had discrepancies with the referees due to inappropriate comments towards me, I chose to leave the competition and dedicate

myself to the martial part. That brought a lot of inconvenience, since the Taewondo I.T.F. It was seen more as a sport than as a Martial Art, so we were left out of several circuits, added to the separation of Andrés Rivas from I.T.F. after a discrepancy with an important Vietnamese teacher T.T.Quan, since my Master did not agree with granting black belts without the proper time and technique. That led me down another path, to study Chinese Medicine. Training it in a martial way led me to see the versatility of Taekwondo and that it adapts to all fighting systems, simply putting tulles into

practice. That also led me to have a technical exchange with Masters of other Martial Arts. With the first one that I had that Judo experience with Maestro Chiappesoni, I went once a month to his academy in the Rivera and Luis A. de Herrera area. The practices that we had with him became very interesting and I was able to notice that practicing another Martial Art, the similarity of techniques with Taekwondo, perhaps applied in another way. Thanks to the Master I met Daniel Bogado Master of Kung Fu and Robert Long of Full Contact and Kick Boxing with whom we work together having a very good experience. Already in 2012, a large group was assembled at Club Tuyutí where about 12 Martial Arts teachers taught classes. Among so many Masters I name Mario Da Silva and Ricardo García among others. The exchange experience was very good and enriching. I have currently practiced with Goju Kai Karate people under the supervision of Master Mario Alvarez, who train in a very martial way and I will

repeat the experience shortly.

On trips abroad, mainly to Argentina, I had the opportunity to participate in classes taught by the first 9th Dan from North Korea, G.M. Kwang. I also participated in classes taught by the G.M. Phap Lu who was General Choi's Technical Assistant in his Seminars. But here in time, precisely in 2019, I had the opportunity to participate and take the Master's exam, with the G.M. Orlando Vega, of Puerto Rican origin and based in the United States. In his youth he was a great competitor, but today he develops Taekwondo as a Martial Art. A Martial Artist trains so as not to have to use his Art, but in case of having to use it, he tries to win as quickly as possible. He trains to be a better person every day and always wants to avoid having a problem that involves him in a fight. As an INISA worker, I have realized the importance of control in a highly conflictive place, and being able to control situations without exercising any type of violence. Obviously it is about being in harmony with oneself.

The last Eduardo, what plans do you have for 2023?

I tell you that, an Argentine 5th Dan is coming for a walk and we coordinate to carry out black belt training, in the first week of January. At the end of that month, we have agreed training sessions with 8th Dan Ernesto Rucker, a Uruguayan but based in Argentina. Already in February I plan to take exams for grade changes. At the end of the same month, a practice

is scheduled for the weekend, with the already mentioned people of Karate Goju kai. In March, we will travel to the city of Minas to carry out a training session with our partner Froilán Dirón, who on that date will be a brand new 7th Dan, who will take his exam this December in the City of Buenos Aires, and I will go in his company. Halfway through the year, a student of mine in charge of the sports part will present competitors in a tournament to be held in Maldonado. I would also add that I am proud to meet people who were my students in their childhood, and some from very critical contexts, who today are Professionals, and they recognize how important I have been to them, partly influencing their training and being today, good people.

Eduardo, to finish, I point out that next year we will continue sharing Taekwondo I.T.F and W.T. practices on the last Friday of each month. It should be noted that I appreciate your time.

Until next time.

The 1st Cynthia Rothrock Premier Hall of Honors

By Sr. Master Guy Edward Larke

Halls of fame seem as common as finding a Starbucks near your office. There are events for every discipline, system, and state. The vast majority are in large urban centers and cater to superstars, world champions and the like. There is nothing wrong with that per se. Many people flock to these events so there must be a demand for them. A few them make a strong effort to take the norm and make something new and unique.

Among the many entrepreneurs in the industry, was a hometown boy by the name of Eric Kovaleski from a little place called Dixon City in the state of Pennsylvania. Through a combination of sweat, charm and sheer luck he successfully launched The Legends of the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2009 with the amazing Cynthia Rothrock. He wanted to bring the legends of the past to his back yard, so to speak, to allow regular people to meet action starts and Korean martial arts grand masters face-to-face. Celebrities or “Legends”

included Hwang Jung Lee, Bruce Lai, and Billy Blanks, in addition to GM Rothrock of course! The 2nd one was held in collaboration with a close friend of Eric’s Dan Allebach. The 3rd brought in Joseph Mertz. The 10th anniversary event unknowingly was to be the last hurrah for the event. In 2020 GM Kovaleski passed on. To make matters worse the world was experiencing COVID.

Towards the slowing of COVID in 2022, Rothrock, Allebach and Mertz wanted to restart the annual event under the same name one last time as a tribute to their lost compatriot. However, they wanted to institute a number of substantial charges to the point that it became a whole different event all of its own. All agreed upon the new name, the Cynthia Rothrock Premier Hall of Honors. They wanted to relocate it to New Jersey for logistics and so the people in Allebach and Mertz’s area could more easily take part.

In addition, the focus was changed from focusing on martial arts action stars or world champions to focusing on the silent majority of the arts as they are the present and the future. Not everyone is a champion or an action star. A lot of people can get frustrated or intimidated when faced with intense competition. Sometimes a moral boost such as this can give them the inspiration they need. Lastly it had to be AFFORDABLE.

Post COVID America is still recovering so the events had to be something an or family could easily fit this into their budget.

The 1st event was held at the Cherry Hill Holiday Inn in New Jersey. It ran October 7th to 9th and was a phenomenal success!

There was a FrightDay Night Halloween Party on Friday night from 7:00 - 9:00pm. Everyone jumped in on the craziness, as is evident in the photos. With all the chaos going on in the outside world, the hosts figured the guests needed to blow off some steam! As is evident, GM Rothrock loves dressing up as well.

Early the next morning, the Halloween Havoc Martial Arts Tournament began. It started at 10 am sharp and ran till 5 in the afternoon. All styles, ages, and ranks had a chance to shine. A fine example of Master Mertz’s vision.

Shortly afterwards, The Cynthia Rothrock Premier Hall of Honors Dinner was on from 7:00 – 11:30. As promised the focus was on “the people” not the top tier of the industry.

The next day was their Super Seminar Sunday from 10:00am -

2:00pm. Olando Rivera taught a kickboxing and fitness seminar. Grand Master John Pellegrini introduced his Combat Hapkido to seminar participants. Soke Bobby S. Briggs educated comers to Kidokime-Ryu Karate-Do. Last and definitely not least, he Lady Dragon herself, Grand Master Cynthia Rothrock gave a phenomenal Tang Soo Do seminar.

To say the least, the event far exceeded expectations and will see many more years of success!

tournament was very well organized and fun - lots of events for all ages. Competition was fierce but everyone was extremely supportive of each other. The level of talent across the board was a marvel, from youngsters coming to their first tournament to world class grandmasters. It was a privilege and a delight to compete.

The dinner and awards show were a great cap to a hectic day and felt very genuine, recognizing people at all stages of their martial arts journey, setting it apart from other such awards galas. No one had the chance to be bleary eyed for long the next day with four incredible seminars showcasing a variety of skills from highly engaging and knowledgeable masters. I could not recommend this weekend more - it was such a perfect mix of hard work and fun. Can’t wait to see what’s on the schedule for next year!

Natasha Tyers

It was amazing watching the competitors train for weeks and bond as a team as they did. They

helped each other tremendously, with guidance from the instructors, but also on their own. They worked together even as they competed head-to-head, and you don't often see that in other athletic programs.

You don't often see the black belt tournament division ages 35 and older as competitive as it was at Halloween Havoc. We had grandmasters who were retirement age yet performing amazing patterns, both weapons forms and empty hand. If this happens next year, that division will be run early so that all the contestants, even the youngest ones, can see what a lifetime in the martial arts can accomplish.

I heard about the Hall of Honors event through Cynthia Rothrock’s Martial Arts Association. I jumped at the chance to meet and train with some of the best martial artists in the world but wasn’t sure if I would join the tournament. That all changed when I met the students and teachers from Cherry Hill Martial Arts.

As an outsider (I’m neither from NJ nor study Taekwondo) I received an incredible welcome and felt like part of the family immediately. The Halloween party was super fun and a great way to kick off the weekend. The

Cynthia Rothrock has a fun personality and Halloween is her favorite holiday, so there were a lot of celebrations both at the costume party and the formal banquet. But don't forget that she's a tremendous martial artist and her seminar worked everyone hard. She spent an entire hour just on side kicks alone, and you don't often get a chance to train with the best in the world on such a granular level.

KSN Ryan DuBosar, Third Dan

I (Soke Bobby S. Briggs) and my wife Sensei Mary Beth Briggs was invited to the Cynthia Rothrock Premier Hall of Honors Awards 2022.  This event was held at the Holiday Inn Philadelphia – Cherry Hill on Oct 7-9, 2022.  The event was put on by Cynthia Rothrock of Ca, and Joseph Mertz & Dan Allebach of Cherry Hill, NJ and Cherry Hill Martial Arts.  The event was a “Class Act”.  We drove up from our school in NC, Kidokime-ryu Karate-do Hombu Dojo of Sparta, NC to take part in this outstanding event.  We also brought a few students up from our school to participate in the Martial Arts tournament during this weekend.

On Oct 7, Friday night, a Halloween style costume meet and greet party was at the hotel.  Saturday morning, Oct 8th, was the Martial Arts tournament at the hotel.  Many different schools and styles were at the tournament.  A great time was had by all while we competed and fellowshipped with each other.  Sat night at the hotel in the banquet room was the Cynthia Rothrock Premier Hall of Honors.  The room was full of Black Belts, Masters, and GrandMasters from all over the world, most receiving awards.  My wife was honored by receiving the Instructor of the Year Award, and I was honored by receiving the Platinum Lifetime Achievement Award.  What a great night it was.  Then, starting on Sun morning Oct 9th, kicked off a series of four Martial Arts Seminars taught by; Olando Rivera, GM John Pellegrini, myself (Soke Bobby Briggs), and finishing up with the Dragon Lady herself…GM Cynthia Rothrock.  The seminars were a huge hit also.  Very informative, and a good time had by all.  I would have to say this was one of the

best martial arts weekends that I have EVER seen or been a part of in my 55 years of my Martial Arts career.  I would highly recommend it to ANY serious martial artist regardless of rank, style, or experience. Osu!

Soke Bobby S. Briggs, Ju Dan Kidokime-ryu Karate-do

Presented by Grand Master Cynthia Rothrock in association with Grand Master Dan Allebach and Master Joseph Mertz, the Premier Hall of Honors is an elite martial arts event celebrating and honoring martial artists from around the world.  Throughout the weekend, over 225 martial artists competed in the tournaments, attended the honors banquet or participated in training sessions with celebrity martial artists.  Cynthia Rothrock said, “It is such a privilege to honor these up-andcoming martial artists. I’m inspired by their dedication and perseverance to strive to improve themselves in mind, body and spirit.” Grand Master Cynthia Rothrock

701 W Route 70, Marlton, NJ, United States, New Jersey (856) 872-7164

cherryhillmartialarts@comcast.net

cherryhillmartialartsandfitness.com

https://hallofhonors. cynthiarothrockofficial.com/

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 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 .

For more details:

Sa

Bum Nim Joseph E. Mertz Chief Instructor - Cherry Hill Martial Arts

The 2nd Annual Cynthia Rothrock Premier HOH 856-904-8466 - cell

https://association. cynthiarothrockofficial.com/ https://www.cynthiarothrockofficial. com/ https://www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100063532298164

Instagram/ Twitter/ Facebook

DOJO STORIES

The holy book of Karate: Bubishi (Myth – Legend or Fact)

If the Christian religion has a Bible, Karate also has its own: the Bubishi, a legendary book that has accompanied this martial art throughout its rich history. One of the greatest transmissions of knowledge in the history of martial arts took place in the kingdom of the Ryukyu— now Okinawa, Japan—when nomadic warriors from China crossed the sea from Fujian province, taking with them the seeds of a book called Bubishi: The Authentic Karate Bible. The Bubishi is a collection of essays that deal with the philosophical ideas linked to martial arts, as well as metaphysical, medical and methodological essays, as well as a bit of history. Although it is considered a complete work, it is very similar to other 'Bibles' in that there is no author: most

DOJO STORIES

Sensei Gerardo Balves

of the texts were compiled from other sources over time. The Bubishi is considered a sacred treasure by those who hold it dearest, the Okinawan karate masters, who in turn influenced generations of fighters in Japan, Korea and even the West. The Bubishi is originally Chinese. It is spelled '武备志', which basically means 'martial manual'. In researcher Patrick McCarthy's work The Karate Bible: The Bubishi, the manual was translated and presented with notes and an introduction exploring the various transmission options that could have brought the text to Okinawa. Here we should take a step back and point out the incredible breadth of knowledge that China offered back then. The Bubishi is a compilation of 32 highly varied essays that delve into a wide variety of concepts: it was probably compiled and

transmitted by Chinese exiles to Fujian, one of the southernmost provinces of a growing empire that stretched as far north as Russia, to Malaysia in the south and as far as Afghanistan in the west. To put this in context, another martial tome—also called a Bubishi—was put together at around the same time by a Chinese general named Mao Yuanyi. His manual cites more than 2,000 books, contains more than 240 chapters across nine volumes, and touches on every conceivable aspect of warfare: from generic questions—how to fight with and without weapons, how to organize armies, and how to manage skirmishes—to much more more specific. Of particular note are the descriptions of Kung-fu techniques taken from an even older document, written by a master named Qi Jiguan, whom no one outside scholarly circles had heard of.

The Okinawan Bubishi that forms the foundation for modern Karate is basically a drop of blood in the sea, a unique collection in an ocean of Chinese martial arts scriptures that managed to cross the borders of the empire…and ended up sparking a revolution in the world. Far East and throughout the world. The White Crane becomes Karate China and Okinawa have a long history of relations dating back to at least the 14th century, just before the establishment of the RyuKyu kingdom. Imperial emissaries from China used to visit the islands; there were merchants and fishermen traveling back and forth; Okinawan nobles used to send their sons to the mainland to receive a proper education. The knowledge of the martial arts could be transmitted at any time during the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Age. However, the most remarkable period was probably the one that followed the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644, when the Shaolin temple was attacked and its warriors scattered throughout the new Qing empire. According to the abundant legends told in dojos around the world, one of these exiles was

a Kung-fu master named Fang Zhonggong who fled to Fujian, on the south coast of China. This province, located just across from Taiwan and Okinawa, was for centuries a springboard of flight for adventurers and a place of refuge for China's defeated rebels. Shaolin temple warriors, like Fang, gathered there and created a community that would eventually give rise to the Southern Shaolin temple— Wing Chun—and the White Crane fighting style of Kung-fu. According to legend, Fang Zhonggong was killed by bandits; his daughter, Fang Qiniang, followed her father's martial banner and swore revenge. While conspiring, she saw two cranes fighting on the river bank: enraptured by their movements, she had an epiphany and mixed her father's Shaolin Kung-fu — itself, a mixture of Five Ancestors: Monkey Fist, Tiger Fist and whoever knows what else—with the techniques he learned from the cranes. Thus the Kung-fu of the White Crane would have been born.

(As a note, this story is remarkably similar to the legend of the creation of the Wing Chun style. It is noteworthy that the Fang family lived precisely in Yongchun village; in fact, Wing Chun is the ancient phonetic pronunciation for Yongchun (永 春) which means 'Eternal Spring').

The White Crane style of Kungfu is divided into a dozen components: the Whooping Crane, the Leaping Crane, and

several more. His techniques spread throughout Fujian and crossed the sea to reach Okinawa. McCarthy's book compiles ten different theories about how White Crane Kung-fu—and the Bubishi manual associated with the style—traveled through the straits and ended up in the hands of Okinawan masters. The natives of the area later mixed the Chinese styles (and their interpretation of the Bubishi manual) with their own native martial arts… and from there a kind of proto-Karate was born. Some theories are somewhat prosaic, such as the one that a young scholar from Okinawa traveled to China, obtained a book from a teacher, and brought it back to Japan without further ado. Others are positive, such as the one that claims that an itinerant Kung-fu master named Ryu Ru Ko—which in Chinese characters could mean

'walking brother'—was bathing on the shoreline when he saw a whooping crane, lit up, and began spreading the word. sacred text. It is also worth mentioning that the multiple clans that inhabited Okinawa at that time - 36, according to legend - already practiced martial arts; that community could have been transmitting the details of what would later be compiled in the Bubishi. Be that as it may, the result of the Bubishi transmission was an entirely new martial art, based on Chinese traditions but transformed into a unique style when the Meiji Restoration established military rule in Japan in 1868. Okinawa— already occupied for centuries by the Japanese forces— became an official part of the Japanese empire and assumed much of its cultural burden. Karate-jutsu becomes Karate-Do The Japanese had already developed Kendo and Judo ('the Way of the Sword' and 'the Way of the Hand', respectively) and for them the Sino-Okinawan hybrid of Karate-jutsu —as it was sometimes called— needed to become into something fully Japanese. The original characters for the martial art were 唐手 道, which means 'martial art of the Tang'; the name would be a reference to the Tang dynasty, which at the time was a common way of referring to the Chinese. In fact, the Chinese still refer to neighborhoods in their country as ‘唐人街’, which

means “streets of the Tang”.

In Japanese, this symbol is pronounced 'kara', but the Meiji officials decided to remove this hybrid and change the character from 唐 to 空. The new character is pronounced 'kara' the same, but means 'empty', and therefore removes the reference to China – thus completing the transformation of the new martial art on a linguistic level as well. So far, Japan had already endorsed this new martial art. The evolution, however, did not stop there. When martial artists after World War II tried to organize their own martial style into a coherent system, they turned to Okinawa and the Bubishi. The karate forms of the islands became the basis for what would eventually become Tae Kwon Do, another martial art that has swept the world and seeped into the mixed martial arts game. The resemblance between the five Shaolin ancestors of Kung-fu and modern Karate is scant, and even more so with contemporary Tae Kwon Do. At every step

of the way, beginning with the initial escape from the Shaolin temple in 1644, this martial art has changed and adapted to the environment, people, and time. At the center of this ever-evolving tradition remains a foundational book: the Bubishi. The infinite interpretations of the numerous teachers who read its pages have offered an immense richness to an already very rich text. No wonder the Bubishi spends much more time discussing metaphysics, medicine, and behavior than fighting: this isn't just any tome, it's a holy book!

Gerardo Balves

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

The Amazing Odyssey of GM Clinton Robinson

Part 2 – A Black Dragon Awakens!

By Sr Master Guy Edward Larke

Robinson - So rather than being reassigned back to Sacramento, I ended up getting stationed in Taiwan. Quite honestly, I have to say that it was a place that I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave the country. I mean, I was where I was. That was Taiwan, at that time. Taiwan was very kind of simple, I'll tell you. Very similar to Korea, because I also went to Korea back around that time.

Most of the people were doing ITF Taekwon-Do in Taiwan, because mostly of the Korean military instructors out of Vietnam and other places introduced TaekwonDo there. So, Taekwon-Do was at a very high level. In Taiwan. I trained primarily in a city called Taichung with the guy by the name of Ik Moo Kang. He was a great instructor with whom learned a lot of things that they were not doing in the United States. I mean, Taekwon-do was

evolving. At that time many of the instructors in the United States had not returned to Korea, when they were doing the new curriculum. So, we were basically doing old-style workouts or what can be referred to as nearly more of Japanese karatetype stuff. We had four kicks: front kick, side kick, what I would call a turning kick and a back kick. Then we did those four kicks, jumping as well. There were no lead leg kicks or anything.

So, I get to Taiwan and I'm sparring with a guy and I got hit with a hook kick to the back of the head, I'm gonna Oh my gosh. Because I'm like, you didn't just bring your foot up hit me behind here. So how do you learn this? So, I really wanted to train there with him. Later they entered me in a competition. There was actually a National Taiwan Taekwon-Do Championship, and it was there was me and maybe two other foreigners. Surprisingly, I won the championship. So that was shocking to me. But it got me a lot of publicity there. Then they asked me to begin teaching.

Larke - What do you think was your key advantage or edge?

Robinson - I think my head or my attitude. You know, I think I think there were a lot of guys in that competition certainly had superior skill sets. I was in, for lack of a better word, had been in real fights. For protection we had the hogu’s with the bamboo inserts. We also had to share one groin cup. We wore them on the outside. Yeah, that that was the order of the day. So, Guy, I did that and I continued to train and I think my skill set increased.

Larke - When did you test?

Robinson- I tested for second Dan, in Taiwan, in 1971.

Larke - What was testing like in Taiwan?

Robinson – Oh let me tell you, my friend, the testing was so difficult. Two things occurred to me upon completion, that testing number one, I did not pass this test. Number two, if I did, I'll never test again. Because it's got to be, it's gotta get more difficult. I literally had to sleep in the bathtub that night. I mean, my uniform had been ripped off. We did five-on-one sparring. After My conclusion was that the test was more about how much of a butt whipping you could take, as opposed to keeping going and not giving up. So that's what I felt at the end of it all. And I'll never forget, the instructor presented me with a Second Dan certificate. Oh, my gosh, thank you, sir. I know, I'm not worthy. That was a wonderful experience. I mean, I did not like it as it happened. But in retrospect, I see that having that type of experience, and that foundation was critical in allowing me to continue in many

aspects of my life.

So, after that, I again entered the Taiwan National Taekwondo Tournament and won it for the second time, in my particular weight class, which was about 145, 150 (pounds) back then. And from there, a group of college students went to Chinese college students approached me about teaching a class at a local university. So, I taught a class at a place called Donghai University, which was in Taichung City, and it's still in existence. It's well known for their Taekwon-do practitioners. Now, also, as a result of that, you know, when you're young you don't think about certain things. I actually appeared in quite a few Chinese magazines, but since I couldn't read Chinese and well, What the heck am I gonna do with this stuff? You know, not thinking, Well, gosh, maybe this would be useful later on to show my kids or grandkids or someone. But as a result of that, I got approached by a Chinese movie production team. I mean, I was sleeping These guys come to my house and knock on the door and I open the door. I recognize these guys. They were movie people. What were they doing in my house? They said, We'd like to cast you in this movie. Wow. Why the hell not? And that turned out to be an experience because, but then

again, it was a learning experience, because I got to see how things were set up and how they develop these fight scenes, how they practice and how you spliced everything together to make it work.

Larke - Could I get that name from you again? I know you sent it to me a long, long time ago,

Robinson - It was called The Black Dragon Versus the Yellow Tiger. More people have seen that than I ever imagined.

Conveniently for me when I arrived, and I'll tell you before, before I get to coming back to Sacramento, but I found out about the First World Taekwondo Championship that was taking place in Seoul in May of 1973. So, with that in mind, I mentioned to my base commander, Hey, they have a huge taekwondo event. I wonder if I could get some military orders to go? Because there was nothing specific sent out about this. I mean, different countries knew about it. But individuals weren’t made aware of it. So, my base commander said, Okay, we'll issue some orders. Perhaps you can represent the military in this competition. Fantastic! So that required taking a military hop. I don't know if you're familiar with how those work. But if they got seats on the plane, you can go. If they don't, you don't go. So I get the orders. Then I’m off to Korea. I ended up in the Philippines, in Angeles City. This

was when Marcos was the president. As a matter of fact they had martial law in Korea also. But I got stuck in Philippines and stayed at a hotel there and it cost me about 1 dollar 50 cents a night!

I will tell you the hotel was amazing. I mean, the first time I'd ever seen anything like this. To take a shower, there was a faucet like you have in your backyard. That was inside. You had a big pot of water. You put water in the pot, wash yourself, rinse yourself off and you're done. So, wow. I ended up staying there for three days. I was afraid I would make the competition. Then suddenly, there was an opening. It was supposed to fly into Seoul. I think airport for that time was called Gimpo . Well, Gimpo airport was closed. So, the plane got diverted to Daegu City (in the south). That was my first encounter with Oh Duk Kwan. I never heard of that one. So that was a military version of Taekwondo. So not speaking Korean, I had a hard time trying to get to Seoul. So, I forget how long it took. We went to Seoul. After we get there, I get a room at the Seoul YMCA as they had lockers there and you can put your stuff in and look around. Then here was the matter of figuring out how to get to the Kukkiwon which was pretty easy to find back then because it was the tallest building. You could see that thing from miles around. I mean, there was no development around it whatsoever. It was like open fields. We went up there. Wow, it was fantastic,

because they just finished building it in 1972. I recall that there were only 19 countries participating in this world championship, you know, and so, I started looking around for okay, how can I get involved here? So, I go and they say, Number one, there are no individual entries. You can’t come in here, and just enter the tournament. Plus, the competition already started. We're not going to rearrange anything. So, I ran into my instructor, Master Kang who was there with a US team. By the way, a lot of people are not aware the US had three teams at that competition. You had a West coast, the Midwest and the East Coast. Now, from my recollection, the most talented group was from the East Coast. You had guys like Gil Hayes, Mike Morin, extremely talented guys. They were on the East Coast team, and they did a great job. Matter of fact, I think that in my opinion, Mike Warren lost to a Korean gentleman. To this day I think that was quite unfair. Mike Morin was one of the better fighters I had ever seen. It's just tremendous. But overall, the competition was really, really good. The dominant countries were Korea, Mexico, the US and Chinese Taipei, called the

Republic of China back then. I did have an opportunity to watch the competition firsthand, because my instructor that was actually the master instructor from Taiwan, invited me to sit on the bench with the Chinese team. So, I got a really close-up view of the competition. There was some great competition there. I mean, it was it was inspiring to the point of like, wow, let's do this again.

But after that, I got my third Dan. I've got a Kukkiwon certificate that was hand written. I think I may have been one of the earliest foreigners to get a Kukkiwon certificate.

Larke - Did you test in Korea for that?

Robinson - No, I actually tested for it in Taiwan. I had no idea what the heck the Kukkiwon was. The instructor master role. Yeah, I had my Chinese Taekwondo Association certificate then they brought me this other certificate. Wow, this is good. That's the building. I watched the World Championships. I was really happy about that. So I had a test in 73, and I got my Kukkiwon certificate

in 1974. So I was excited. Plus, I had learned so many things. By this time. Also, I'd gotten married. By then it was time to return to United States and I ended up in Kansas City. And I was excited about Taekwon-do. So, I visited various schools in Kansas City, because I wanted to continue my training.

Larke - How did Taekwon-do change your character, your personality, and whatnot?

Robinson - You know, it was giving me more confidence is how I would describe it. The ability to overcome obstacles, I mean, it instilled in me a belief that nothing was impossible. That I can do anything. You have to be persistent. You may not necessarily get immediate results, you know, but you have to be consistent in trying to achieve whatever goal it is that you set on. I have to admit that along the road, you know, things got a little tough, training. At one point, I actually wanted to quit. I'm really glad you asked that question because when I was it was in Sacramento as a red belt, I was sparring with Byung Yu to be exactly. It was like he selected me as a sparring partner every night!

Larke - That's pretty amazing!

Robinson - Yeah. I mean, I thank him now because it really elevated my skills. But I left that school on this one night and thought, It doesn't matter. I'm never going back here again. And then Byung Yu hadn't been here that long. So, for about two weeks, I didn't go to practice. I told my mother, I said, Look, Mom, if any Korean people call the house, I am not here. Because I figured they tried to catch up with me.

So sure enough, one day, my mom says, The phones for you. And I go ahead and get the phone. It's Mr. Yu. Where are you at? I said, Well, heck, I got car problems. Then he scares me by saying, You want me to come pick you up? Oh, hell no. I thought. This guy has probably never drove a car in his life. I'll tell you what, Mr. Yu. I think I can be there in a a couple of days. I saw the problem. But I mean, I look at that, even in terms of my teaching students today that everybody gets discouraged. Sometimes, as an instructor, you say, Well, guys, I'm here. And it's their choice whether to show up or not. I've arrived at the conclusion that sometimes when people get discouraged, you got to reach out and offer them a hand. You got to pull them up. You can't let them slip off the mountain. Because I'm sure Byung Yu’s calling me kept me involved. Because I mean, heck, I degraded myself so much because his skill was so far superior to mine. I thought I’d never accomplish that. But I mean, you go on, and you continue. Sometimes it seems like you're getting no result.

Larke - Did you get to know him personally, or just more or less in a training aspect?

Robinson – Yeah, mostly in the training aspect. I think I adapted a lot of his attitude. It was like to him nothing was impossible. I mean, I've seen the guy go on regardless. I mean, just keep, keep plugging along. I think that's what you have to do. I mean, you have to do that in life in general. But many times, you don't see examples of that in real life; you don't have an opportunity to witness these types of things firsthand, and share that experience with people.

Larke - So, I think that was a that was so when you are primarily more of a fighter and less of forms, or am I right?

Robinson - Yes, yes. To be honest with you. I was kind of a cocky fighter. I did well in competitions. And as a result of that, there were certain things I feel were unnecessary. I don't need to do this. That's worthless. And it's funny because I hear that from people today. Oh, yeah. It's got nothing to do with fighting!!! So, I mean, I did like stretching. I didn't like forms or any of that stuff.

Larke - What were your best techniques at that time?

Robinson - My best techniques at that time were Side Kicks and Round Kicks. Those were the best techniques that I had. It was kind of interesting after I got to Kansas City in 1974. That was AAU Karate. There was no AAU Taekwondo at the time. I think Taekwondo was trying to get involved. You entered a competition in Missouri or Kansas. It was basically to win a free trip to Europe. So I went to the tournament, not knowing the rules not really knowing anything. Surprisingly, I made the US National Karate Team.. in Shotokan Karate! Know this. But that's how similar Taekwondo was to Karate. A guy named John Belcher was the coach. And he recognized something in me that I lacked what I see most Korean stylists today even lacking, the ability to throw a good Reverse Punch. They arranged for me to have training with a man to work with me on a Reverse Punch, which turned out to be a big plus. Because I found as I competed, and I had a huge competition career beyond that point, that that worked to my advantage. Because if I were

competing against another stylist, I always wore my Taekwondo uniform they expected you to just kick, and you know, I’d blast them with a Reverse Punch.

Larke - Did you ever get certified in Shotokan?

Robinson - No, I didn’t. And that's an interesting story too. Everybody talks about cross training. I'm the type of guy if you do something that works and it's effective, I'm gonna call it Taekwondo. It's not it's not a Shotokan move anymore. This is in fact; this is my taekwondo move. That's kind of always been my approach on this. I was delighted I did that. It gave me an advantage against Taekwondo guys, because they thought I was going to be fair and do only kicks with them. To this day, Master Larke I think I'm probably one of the premier groin kickers on Earth. I would absolutely castrate a guy with a kick to the groin. I was real good at it. Hey, it worked like a charm. That gave me an advantage because no one expected the Taekwondo guy to do groin

kicks. So that was an interesting part of my life.

Not getting into a Taekwondo school was tough. Because none of the Koreans were willing to recognize my Kukkiwon certificate. Can you believe this was in 1974 or 1975. Most of these people have never had hadn't returned to Korea, they got here and the stuff that they knew when they arrived here. That's what they were teaching. So, matter of fact, they were not doing the Palgwe or Taegeuk patterns. When I was there, they were still doing ITF before they were making the transition. So, with that in mind, I felt that, my gosh, I still enjoyed the competition, but I wanted to open a school. I felt I needed some guidance. So back in those days, they had all these different magazines, Official Karate, and all these other things. So, the American Taekwondo Association ran ads in these publications. So, since I wasn't accepted by any of the Korean instructors, I said, Well, guys, maybe I'll look at this ATA thing, and this was after I moved to California. They said, Well, we have to send someone out to evaluate you. I replied, Oh, fine. You let me know what I need to do for that. So, I met some people in Hayward, California, God did the assessment. Next thing I know they tell me, You what we'll take you and by the way, you should test for a higher rank. You been a third degree too long. So, this was in 1977.

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 since then. He lives in Seongnam city with his wife GiRyung and son Alexander. He holds black belts in Teuk Gong Moo Sool, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Taekgyeon, Bon Kuk Kumdo,

Korean kickboxing, Karate-do, 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 .

See next issue how a young warrior follows the road of master. It is a classic story, but one that changed Robinson’s life!