Black Belt - February-March 2017

INTENSIFY YOUR STRIKES WITH THESE 12 COMBATIVES PRINCIPLES
PLANON
I
OF ACT
TO
YOUR GEUAIDLTEH,
HIP H T 2
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BRUSH UP
SPECIAL ON YOUR
ISSUE!
Legends
of the Martial Arts
FACTS
CYNTHIA
ROTHROCK
FEB/MAR 2017 Display until 3/21/17
blackbeltmag.com
FUMIO DEMURA, GENE LEBELL,

BILL WALLACE, RON VAN CLIEF
Tree of Shaolin
Kung Fu
With Fighting Monk Wang Bo
Delve into traditional Shaolin kung fu with Buddhist monk Wang Bo, who began training
at the famed monastery when he was 8. In this course, he teaches the philosophies of the
martial art and the fighting methods Shaolin monks have used for the past 1,500 years. The
foundation of the course is the tree of Shaolin.
Roots Just like a tree needs roots to connect with the earth, a martial artist needs stable
stances and powerful legs. Wang Bo covers the horse stance, cat stance, bow stance and
fighting stance, as well as the ankle cut, back sweep, cutting knee kick, low front kick,
roundhouse kick and side kick. Extra: Wang Bo teaches the Shaolin tui fa form to develop
your roots!
Trunk Just like a tree needs a sturdy trunk to withstand attacks, a martial artist needs a
torso that can absorb strikes, facilitate counters and move quickly when evasion is required.
Wang Bo draws on the movements of the monkey and the snake. Extra: He teaches
essential Shaolin exercises for fortifying your trunk, including the traditional shen fa form!
Branches Just like a tree needs branches to thrive, a martial artist needs effective hand
skills. In Shaolin kung fu, they include the tiger claw, snake hand, eagle claw, leopard claw,
mantis hand and monkey hand, as well as punches and palm strikes. Extra: Wang Bo teaches
all these moves, along with the Shaolin shou fa form.
Self-Defense Combinations Just like a tree needs roots, a trunk and branches to grow,
a martial artist needs all three components to create a body thats healthy and capable
of fending off threats. Wang Bo demonstrates 10 self-defense options for dealing with
common attacks.
BONUS! You get instant access to a story titled The Shaolin Whole-Body Workout.
You also get A Concise Guide to the Tree of Shaolin, along with the original article that
accompanied Wang Bos induction into the Black Belt Hall of Fame.
Sign Up
NOW!
aimfitnessnetwork.com/shaolin
FEATURES
34 FUMIO DEMURA
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40 BILL WALLACE
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DEPARTMENTS
BLACK BELT - FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 - VOLUME 55 - NUMBER 2 16

COMBATIVES
Black Belt+DOORI)DPHU.HOO\
McCann sounds off on combatives
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to amplify your effectiveness and
how to engage your mind.
18
FIT TO FIGHT
Ever wonder why Eastern martial
arts are so popular while Western
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about lineage and tradition.
20
DESTINATIONS
In Getting (Ka)Popped in 24
KARATE WAY
Singapore, %ODFN%HOWV Asia
correspondent hits the mat in a top-
notch training hall that specializes in
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kapap and catch wrestling.
oldest martial art and that bouts
can be won in only two ways.
22 7KDWVJUHDW1RZKHUHDUHVRPH
FIGHTBOOK VXPRIDFWV\RXSUREDEO\GRQW
Meet Greg Thompson, MLXMLWVX NQRZFRXUWHV\RI'DYH
coach, MMA trainer, self-defense Lowry.
teacher and, perhaps most
important, CQB instructor for the
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8 EDITORS NOTE
10 TIMES
60 ESSENTIAL GEAR
62 BLACK BELT PAGES
66 FROM THE ARCHIVES
Photo by J. Henning Buchholz/Shutterstock.com
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ANY VOLUME 55, NO. 2 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017
GROUP PUBLISHER Cheryl Angelheart
DAMN
BRAND AND NEW MEDIA DIRECTOR
Alexander Norouzi
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert W. Young
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FOOL
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Mark Hatmaker, Mark Jacobs, Dave Lowry,
I
n response to one of %ODFN%HOWV daily social media posts, a reader who evi- Kelly McCann, Keith Vargo
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WULJJHUKHZURWH,PQRWXVXDOO\RQHWRWHOORWKHUSHRSOHZKDWWRGREXWWKDW CONTRIBUTORS
SHUVRQPLJKWZDQWWREHFDUHIXOZKHQLWFRPHVWRWKURZLQJDURXQGSLWK\VD\ Tom Callos, Christopher Cockrell, Peter Lueders,
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WUXHMXMLWVXIDVKLRQWREHXVHGDJDLQVW\RX Terry L. Wilson
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PDQ\WLPHVKDYH\RXKHDUGDQRQSUDFWLWLRQHUDVN\RXDIWHU\RXUGDLO\PDUWLDODUWV EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
ZRUNRXW:K\GR\RXVSHQGVRPXFKWLPHOHDUQLQJKRZWRNLFNDQGSXQFKSHRSOH" Andrew W. Clurman
+RZPDQ\ZD\VDUHWKHUHWRGRLWDQ\ZD\" PRESIDENT & CEO
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WDFNV\RXUSDUWLFXODUDUWLVWRRIIHUWRVKRZWKHSHUVRQZK\LWVFDSWLYDWHG\RXIRUVR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
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PXFKIXQWDUJHWSUDFWLFHFDQEHRULWFRXOGHQWDLOLQYLWLQJWKHSHUVRQWR\RXUdojo VICE PRESIDENT GENERAL MANAGER
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In the martial arts, as in so many facets of life, ignorance disappears when a VICE PRESIDENT OF IT
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VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH
Robert W. Young
Editor-in-Chief
8 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

The constant pursuit of perfection is what drives us every day
to deliver the best possible equipment and apparel for combat.
Unparalleled performance, protection and quality is achieved
through pushing the boundaries of design, materials and
research. We understand you are serious about your training.
We are just as serious in providing you with gear you can trust
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H AYA B U S A F I G H T. C O M
DOMINICK CRUZ, 2X MMA CHAMPION

WEARING NEW HABURI COMPRESSION & TOKUSHU KATANA GLOVES
Black Belt began following the career of Ron Van Clief, EHHQFRPSOHWHGE\7RP/HH+RZHOODQGP\VHOI,WVP\OLIH
73, long before he took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu, earned his blue story. It will be produced in 2017.
belt under Honolulu-based Relson Gracie black-belt Ronn :HNQRZZHUHQRWDORQHLQDQWLFLSDWLQJWKHUHOHDVHRIWKH
Shiraki and restarted his winning ways in competition Ron Van Clief story. We hope it goes back to the beginning
often against guys half his age. We began to his tour of duty in the U.S. Marine
following him before he was featured in the Corps; to his very personal battles
documentary The Black Kungfu Experience against racism; to his martial studies with
in 2012. We began following him before Peter Urban, Moses Powell and Leung
he was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Ting; and to his 900-plus tournament per-
Fame in 2002 as Instructor of the Year and formances, the culmination of which was
before he appeared on our cover in 1999. his farewell appearance at the Henry Cho
In fact, we began following him even before $OO$PHULFDQ2SHQZKHUHKHSODFHGUVW
he stepped into the octagon on December in sparring and forms at age 60.
16, 1994, to face Royce Gracie, 23 years One thing the biopic might not include
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the mag has known Ron Van Clief since WLRQRQWKHKLW1%&VHULHVThis Is Us, but
the 1970s when he was just an instructor WKDWV2.,QFDVH\RXPLVVHGLWKHUHV
Color Photos Courtesy of Ron Van Clief
teaching Chinese goju. how it unfolded: An African-American

This ad hoc list of accomplishments is youth was deemed in need of a male
important for two reasons: It shines a light on African-American role model, so he was
the path Van Clief has taken to get where he taken to a dojo. The instructor took a
is now, and it explains why we have so many moment to cite the record of Van Clief,
photos of him exhibiting different martial arts JLYLQJJUHDWH[SRVXUHWRDPDQZKRV
personalities. clearly a role model in real life.
It also makes us take note when we receive an announce- &RQVLGHULQJDOOWKLVLWVKRXOGEHREYLRXVZK\ZHYHLQFOXGHG
ment like this: My book The Hanged Man was optioned to be Ron Van Clief in this special issue devoted to the legends of
PDGHLQWRDIHDWXUHOP9DQ&OLHIZURWH7KHVFUHHQSOD\KDV the martial arts.
BLACKBELTMAG.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 I BLACK BELT 11

PROMOTED
COLD STEEL PRESIDENT
During the 2016 Cold Steel Chal-

lenge competition, Cold Steel Presi-
dent Lynn C. Thompson received an
unexpected surprise: His instructor
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apprentice level 4, equivalent to
second-degree black belt.
I have trained privately with guro
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most two decades, Thompson said.
We train in Filipino martial arts, silat,
wing chun, jeet kune do, shooto,
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master Russell Seveney and sensei
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Luke LaFontaine and this recogni-
tion has inspired me to train even
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NEWS BITES
On November 12, 2016, Jackie Chan Jean-Claude
Van Damme
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Jackie
Chan
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Cain Velasquez. Alain Moussi stars.

excursion to Antarctica.
Ste
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al

Kirby will celebrate his 50th
learning the art.

The (O5H\1HWZRUN continues to push mar-
tial arts on cable television. It recently ran
several Chinese-martial arts movie marathons,
as well as a Bruce Lee marathon.

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A Down-and-Dirty Guide to Striking at a higher velocity over a longer dis-
tance creates a greater impact. To take
advantage of this formula, maximize
This excerpt from Kelly McCanns Combatives for Street SurvivalRHUV each variable in it.
invaluable insight into an essential component of self-defense.
ENGAGE MORE MASS. Always strike
UILD AND CRASH THE GAP. THINK CAR CRASH. The worst type
B
with your whole body and not just a
Continuously build gaps of car accident is a head-on collision. limb. Exploding off your rear foot in the
space or distance between Thats because the aggregate speed direction of your strike is called vault-
you and your attacker to is determined by adding the speed of ing. Its far more powerful than standing
increase the power of your elbows and
in place and striking with only your
knees. To build the gap, get control of create head-on collisions. You may be arm. It doesnt matter what hits your
him and then shove him away. If you wondering, Yeah, but wouldnt we

cant push him away, push yourself both get hurt equally? No, because an open hand as long as it conforms
away. Then violently jerk him back into youre colliding your knee or elbow to the principle of choosing the correct
Photo by Thomas Sanders
your strikes. If you cant, yank yourself with his unprotected face, ribs, groin personal weapon. Violence of action and
back into him, leading with a knee or thoracic cavity. putting your bodyweight behind each
or elbow strike. If you dont create strike are critical to generating power.
gaps, your strikes end up just push- USE FULL BODYWEIGHT. Striking is
ing against your attacker rather than partly the application of physics. In CREATE MORE VELOCITY. Vault-
impacting on him. the simplest terms, more mass moving


your body crashes into an attacker. mula, know that involving your hips and VISUALIZE. Imagine your striking
Seeing you literally explode off your shoulders when you strike improves hand and your off hand as pistons
back foot and then experiencing you the result of your action. Maximize the attached to a crankshaft (your shoul-
plowing into him can inspire fear in kinetic-energy transfer into what you ders). As one piston reaches top dead
an attacker. Dont step forward, pull- strike using rotational torque. Generate center, the other reaches its lowest
ing your weight behind you. Instead, torque by twisting and then untwisting

explode off your rear foot to propel your hips and shoulders. the other ascends with equal force.
yourself into the strike. Attack with No matter what, while one hand
your whole body. VISUALIZE EVERY STRIKE PASS- cycles, your off hand should be doing
ING THROUGH THE ATTACKER. No something.
STAY LOOSE. Consciously avoid matter what technique you throw,
tightening up. Breathe. Be a little visualize it exiting the other side of BE FEROCIOUS AND INTENSE.
sloppy. Fighting isnt demonstrating your attacker like a bullet. If you dont, Cycling strikes is all about ferocity and
a form for points. When you stiffen youll unnecessarily limit the depth of intensity. If youre moving as fast and
up your hand, speed is detrimentally the strike, resulting in a surface impact

affected, and so are your reactions. rather than penetration.

Visualizing all this helps lower your stay married to your attackers chest,
anxiety level. STRIKE REPETITIVELY. Called keeping him within range even as he
cycling, this refers to quickly falls away. Youll have plenty of time to
DEVELOP YOUR FOOTWORK executing the same technique two land one or two more strikes before he
AND TIMING. Ensure your body- or three times. If you stagger your hits the deck.
weight drops into your strike as it attacker with a right hammerfist,
makes contact, which should occur immediately chamber your left hand For information about Kelly McCanns
when your lead foot lands. With (your off hand) and smash it into new combatives course, which can be
some practice, this will become sec- his face. Retract your off hand and streamed anytime, anywhere to your
ond nature. smash his face with another ham-

merfist, and so on. Cycling works
LOAD AND UNLOAD VIOLENTLY. In well with hammerfists, slashing gram and his original course and get a
addition to the aforementioned for- elbows and knees. big discount.
FIT TO FIGHT
sible and long line of tradition to draw

from, but this very characteristic can
$

with their less-clear delineations, force
many practitioners to experiment with
concepts, ideas, tactics and techniques
because nothing is handed down on a
silver platter. Again, this is not to say
that all Eastern arts fall outside this
experimental category, but its far more

$

Western methods.
ESSENTIALLY, all martial artists are

autodidacts. We are all self-taught.
Whether we learn at the feet of a guru
or from a DVD, its the practitioners
who choose to take the information and
make of it what they can. Autodidacti-
cism seems to exist to a greater degree
in Western combat artists because shal-
low lineages often call for exploration.
This exploration leads to a form of com-
bat archeology in which students de-
vour every book, DVD and manual they
can lay hands on. They scour any and all
Martial Arts Archeology resources, whether that means studying

reproductions of old woodcuts, peering
at photographs of wrestling postures
and the Way of the Autodidact cut into the rock tombs at Beni Hassan,
reading the latest boxing manual or
I admit thats a title that needs some explaining. It may sound like an odd popping in a new DVD.
label for an analysis of Western combat, but I can think of no better way to Autodidacts are, in this sense, mar-
UHIHUWRZKDWZHGRDVHQWKXVLDVWVIRU:HVWHUQZD\VRIJKWLQJ tial arts archeologists as they attempt
by Mark Hatmaker
to piece together obscure or forgotten
ideas and reassemble them. Only then
E
astern arts, for the most part, impromptu friendly (and unfriendly) do they synthesize those ideas in a
have a built-in hierarchy of matches as opposed to journeys to manner thats pertinent and valuable
adherence to lineage and temples and pilgrimages to a gurus to their life.
tradition. In other words, My
master was taught by this master, and

TODAYS METHODS of archeology
he was taught by and so on. Dont error and by self-study, the less-pomp- and autodidacticism can, in a sense, be
get me wrong! Direct lineage can be ous word for autodidacticism. We have called a direct lineage to that spirit of
an excellent index of quality informa- numerous examples of these self-guid-

tion transference, but it isnt a guaran- ed scrappers in action, including John of our wrestling, boxing and Western-
tee of excellence. L. Sullivan honing his skills in pickup combat forerunners. Todays archeolo-
matches and Ed Strangler Lewis try- gists have available media and technolo-
WESTERN COMBAT ARTS have less ing out holds he learned from a guide gies that were undreamed of a mere 30
of a grounding in lineage. Oh, its out written by Evan Strangler Lewis. years ago, let alone a century ago. Its
there, but its just not as dogmatic in We also can credit the fact that many their never-ending thirst for knowledge
most cases. It can be speculated that Western arts fell into disfavor like that makes the diligent hard-training,
this obliviousness to lineage not dis- when real pro wrestling went fake. cyberliterate autodidacts of today the
regard for it in the United States is Further, many, including a number of direct lineal products of men such as Ed
rooted in the concept of the self-made sword styles, faded from common use Strangler Lewis deciphering that Evan

- altogether. Thus were lineages busted Lewis booklet 100 years ago.
dence that this nation fostered in its in the West. Its a grand tradition, one we should all
early years. Whatever the reasons for this lack of be proud to be a part of. I know I am.
We can see evidence of this notion emphasis on lineage, it hasnt staunched
in our frontier wrestlers and pugilists,

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: For more infor-
people who learned their trade via the may be a boon for the Western arts. The mation about Mark Hatmaker, visit extreme
bumps and bruises that came from Eastern arts often have a readily acces- selfprotection.com.

SILAT
Renowned for its effectiveness in Indonesia, the land of its birth.
Proven throughout Southeast Asia in thousands of ghts.
For the most part, unavailable in the West until now!
Introducing Burton Richardsons Silat for the Street online course from
Black Belt. Richardson has an impressive martial arts pedigree. In addi-
tion to being a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame and a disciple of
Dan Inosanto, hes trained in jeet kune do, as well as Brazilian jiu-jitsu,
kali, muay Thai and MMA along with silat. That gives him a more real-
istic understanding of the types of attacks used on the street, as well as
the best solutions.
In this course, which streams videos to your cellphone, tablet or com-

puter whenever and wherever you want, Richardson presents the most
relevant tactics and techniques of silat. He selected them so 21st-century
students of self-defense can add them to their arsenal at will. Among
the topics he covers are:
The
The differences between pencak and silat
roles of levers and triangles in self-defense
The essential self-defense principles of silat
Silatstomany
How catch kicks in combat
Takedowns, theformsbreadof and
ghting footwork
Silats 10 most useful entriesbutter of the art
Brutal ghting techniques for use in the clinch
No-holds-barred combat on the ground
Silat techniques that use the karambit knife and sarong
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DESTINATIONS
brother had known how to defend

himself, hed still be alive. A successful
businessman, Teo discovered that many
of the companies he works with have
concerns about their executives being
attacked overseas. He wanted to rem-
edy the problem and help save lives, but
he said he didnt know what to teach.
He already had a black belt in tae-
kwondo but thought the art lacked
street applicability. Also, in neighbor-
ing Malaysia, machete attacks are
fairly common, and theres nothing in
the taekwondo arsenal to prepare a
person to defend against that type of
attack. He decided to train in a system
that could prepare him to handle the
unpredictable.
Getting (Ka)Popped in Singapore TEOS SEARCH for the right martial

art led him to kapap. Developed in the
When you think of Singapore, you might imagine an exotic Asian locale where 1930s for the Israeli army, it focuses
sailors, pirates and assorted colonials orchestrated trade deals with Hong

-
Kong, Japan and Southeast Asia 150 years ago.

weapons skills. To do so, it draws from
E\$QWRQLR*UDFHR
boxing, judo, jujitsu, karate, and knife
M
y recent experience there, and never have to venture more than

however, revealed that its a few miles from home. Unfortunately,

a hypermodern, excessively I didnt have a lot of time, so I focused
+
-
clean and incredibly safe on two relatively rare styles: kapap and cate under Col. Chaim Peer and Maj. Avi
island nation off the tip of the Malay Pen-
8
Nardia, then studied the Dynamic Com-
insula. In spite of its small population these seemingly unrelated arts taught bat Method under Richard Ryan and
of 5.5 million, Singapore has one of the at the same chain of academies. catch wrestling under Tony Cecchine. He
highest income levels in the world and a

correspondingly high quality of life. THE FIRST TIME I shook hands with All those components were then
For martial artists, Singapore is a Teo Yew Chye, he rotated his mitt merged into Modern Street Combatives.
gem awaiting discovery. As I learned,

I know what youre thinking: Most of the
its home to hundreds of martial arts

arts Teo studied are renowned for their
schools, and all of them are just a

street effectiveness, but one catch
subway-ride away from wherever you like hed ever touched a barbell. He wrestling sounds like a sport. The
happen to be. wasnt even sweating. This, I discov- version of catch wrestling Teo learned
ered, is the fundamental difference and now teaches, however, is a type of
SINGAPORES MAIN ethnic groups

fast grappling in which you instantly
Chinese, Malay, Indian and European defense. To be useful, a self-defense move from setup to submission attempt
each brought its own brand of martial technique has to be sudden, simple

4

arts into the country. Chinese styles and intelligent. It must allow a smaller
taught there include tai chi, wushu, wing

I NOTICED that most of Teos training
chun and san da. The Malay arts are defeat a bigger, stronger opponent. scenarios were based on common street
represented by silat. The Western ways Those are the goals Teo keeps in attacks such as an assailant grabbing
include fencing, boxing and wrestling. mind when he teaches at the Modern you from behind. To escape, he might
Singapore is also home to one of the Street Combatives academy. His focus launch into a standing submission
largest MMA promotions in Asia, called is kapap, an Israeli art whose name +
One Championship. means face-to-face combat. The sys- or kimura. He ended almost every self-
Photo Courtesy of Antonio Graceffo
At least a quarter of Singapores tem is used by anti-terrorism police, defense sequence with, Or you can just
workforce is foreign. That means it but everyone is free to train in it. Even grab his balls. When he demonstrated
also hosts people who teach aikido, those who lack physical strength can on a student, the man immediately
judo, karate, kendo, taekwondo,

- released his hold and collapsed into the
capoeira, sambo, kali, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, ticular its small-joint manipulations. fetal position, cupping his privates.
krav maga and muay Thai. Teo began studying kapap after his
Obviously, a person could spend years brother was attacked and killed in probably teach people that groin grab
in Singapore learning martial arts Johor, Malaysia. He believes that if his in 20 seconds, and then they would

never need to learn anything else. But an empty-hand attack, he said, is Not surprisingly, Teo showed a num-
what fun would that be? you cant make any mistakes when ber of techniques that began with the
Some of the self-defense techniques

defender raising his hands in appar-
Teo taught me were based on wrestling you sometimes have to take a few ent surrender. But those hands were
for example, gaining control of the punches to deliver some, but against now positioned for an attack like
arm, stepping to the outside and then a knife, you cant afford to take even a downward strike to the opponents
pushing up on the opponents chin one. Its imperative to gain control of knife hand, which would pin it against
until he falls backward. In self-defense, the weapon as quickly as possible and the persons body. Hed then step to
he said, instead of pushing the chin, without being touched by it, he said. the outside so the opponent couldnt
you can apply upward pressure against Against a knife, Teo teaches his stu- counter with a punch. Finally, hed

dents to use their forearms to strike or swing up from underneath and smash
into an eye until he topples. Teo is a push the arms of the attacker and thus the assailants groin.
master of attacking the eyes, manipu- redirect the slash. Catching a knife is Seeing a true master of self-defense in
lating the small joints, assaulting the almost impossible, he said, so its better action made me consider my own situa-
throat and, when all else fails, biting. to redirect, drive the attack past you and

then take control of the arm. Once the

AN ELEMENT of catch wrestling that knife hand is under control, numerous

differs from Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the submissions and takedowns are possi- different. I realized that I lacked many
wrestlers habit of taking his opponent ble. Just make sure you prevent him from of the basic concepts and techniques
to the ground and then kneeling on him switching the blade to his other hand. needed for functional self-defense and
in a way that causes maximum pain. For that many of the moves Id regarded
example, Teo would take down a stu- THE KEY THING in self-defense is as go-to techniques would have been
dent and place his shin on the persons deception, Teo explained. When an detrimental to my survival in a street
ankle or calf. A variation entailed kneel- attacker comes at you with a knife, altercation. I had much to learn.
ing on a shoulder or elbow. you dont want to show your hand
Armed attacks, of course, are some- by acting aggressively, he added. Its

better to pretend to be compliant or ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Antonio Graceffo
Teo has managed to account for them, afraid so hell relax his guard a bit. LVWKHUVW$PHULFDQWREHDZDUGHGD3K'
LQZXVKXIURP6KDQJKDL8QLYHUVLW\RI6SRUW
too. The primary difference between Often, this will create an opportunity +LVERRN:DUULRU2G\VVH\LVDYDLODEOHRQ
defending against a knife attack and for you to counterattack. $PD]RQFRP
We know
your risks.
Are you protected?
Get a quote today!
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martialartsinsurance.com 800-866-7403
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FIGHTBOOK
These days, the U.S. military has access

to state-of-the-art combatives instruction
courtesy of the martial arts community.
Thats Combatives Spelled With Four Cs

Greg Thompson doesnt consider himself a jiu-jitsu coach, an MMA trainer or a self-defense teacher, although hes
worn all those hats. Closest might be combatives instructor, but thats only because hes best-known for the close-
quarters-battle courses he designed for the U.S. Armys Special Forces and other elite military units.
by Mark Jacobs
B
ut hes uncertain about even ods, doesnt like to pigeonhole his job style and techniques and dont want
Photo by Nazar Gonchar/Shutterstock.com
that title because he also description any more than he likes to to rebuild their knowledge base
trains people in law-enforce- restrict the martial arts he teaches. when it becomes necessary. But as a
ment agencies who prefer I have a masters degree in indus- teacher, Im designing a product for
their hand-to-hand combat instruction trial design, and, doing that, youre an end user, whether thats a soldier,
to come with a less aggressive-sound- taught to run everything through a a professional fighter or a soccer
ing appellation. design process so you dont have an mom. All their lesson plans are going
emotional attachment to any one to be different.
THE TRUTH IS Thompson, one of the part of it, he says. Thats a problem
worlds most sought-after teachers of for a lot of martial artists. They have ALTHOUGH THOMPSON, 48, started
>
an emotional attachment to their training as a child in traditional karate

A lot of schools have great techniques, but they
dont put the reality of the environment or the
circumstances into their training.
and taekwondo, he became a student of When the soft foam obstacles the involved in an operation overseas in
Brazilian jiu-jitsu early on and eventu- Special Forces used to create mock which he entered a room containing
ally achieved a black belt under Royce furniture in shoot houses proved loft-like bunk beds. As he walked in, an
Gracie. He went on to study a variety

enemy combatant leaped off the top
of styles, including muay Thai, wres- They were so soft theyd just disap- bunk and landed on him, leading to a
tling and kali with a host of renowned

desperate scramble that saw the men
instructors like Randy Couture and he created his own safety obstacles

Greg Nelson. At every step, he showed called Combat Cubes. Theyre essen-

a remarkable open-mindedness and tially 20-pound blocks of heavy-duty to draw a knife and stab his opponent
a willingness to adjust his martial art foam that can be stacked like Legos to before reaching for his sidearm and
to the realities of the situation he was 4
shooting him.
dealing with. and around.
After 9/11, I got hired to work with

BECAUSE EVERY self-defense situa-
the U.S. Air Marshals, who are respon- look like what gets taught in most tion is different, Thompson says its

martial arts classes. It primarily con-

Thompson says. Right away, I could sists of establishing a superior grip interested in practical self-defense to
see there were going to be differences on an opponent and using that to get work on their decision-making rather
in what you could teach them given to a position of leverage. For soldiers than memorizing robotic responses

and law-enforcement personnel, the

them I really needed to get in a plane ultimate goal is not to beat the enemy comes down to learning when not to

with empty hands but simply to get

-
will work. So we got access to a plane, to a position where they can draw a

weapon. Much of this clinch work is scenarios in which a trainee might be
inside it with a wrestler and a jiu-jitsu based on a combination of judo and

Greco-Roman wrestling with a smat- that the proper solution another time

tering of other martial arts thrown in. is to avoid violence. He suggests mar-
From that experience, Thompson Well use things like knee strikes, tial arts schools that teach self-defense

$

- but you have to be much more conser- try a similar approach.
ing at very close range, focusing on vative in your approach when youre A lot of schools have great tech-
clinch work. That was where his mili-

4
niques, but they dont put the reality of
tary and law-enforcement students says. If you throw multiple knees and the environment or the circumstances
often encountered problems, either your opponent manages to catch one,

trying to keep an opponent from get- he may just run you right over a cof-
-
ting to a weapon or trying to deploy

their own weapon while fending off hands [that] theyre slow to go for a
an attack. THOMPSON SAYS- weapon when they need to. [Mean-
Unlike typical martial arts instruc- ing around obstacles necessitates a while], others will go for a weapon too
tors who do the majority of their more conservative approach because quickly and not be able to dial back
teaching in a relatively open space, of the fear of being taken down, it can their aggression.
Thompson prefers to work in tight open up more opportunities to take If the only thing you ever do is solve

your opponent to the ground. If youre scenarios with violence, youre more

aware of the location of such obstacles likely to resort to violence. But if you
arts are taught in wide-open, obstacle- and know how to use them, it becomes spend some time practicing de-escala-
free areas when such terrain is rarely possible for even a novice to take down tion techniques, youll be better able to
what you encounter in the real world. a skilled wrestler. do that. Then having a range of martial
Such unpredictable terrain comes arts skills will enable you to adjust if
I CALL IT THE FOUR CS, he says. up in real-world combat more often

Theres always a coffee table, a couch, than most martial artists imagine.
a curb or a car in the way, and you need Thompson offers the example of one For more information about Combat

of his Special Forces students who was Cubes, visit txcombatives.com.

KARATE WAY
Some Things You Should Know professional bout in sumo going back
to the 17th century.
About Sumo Obviously, there are lots of records

in sumo. Even so, theres no clear
You know that sumo is Japans oldest martial art. evidence that one of the aforemen-
tioned strategies is better than the
by Dave Lowry
other. Oshi-zumo, driving the oppo-
T
hat it goes back to Japans ear- Overall, there are two strategies in nent before an onslaught of slaps and
liest civilization. That sumo sumo. Yotsu-zumo refers to a style of shoves, has been more successful in
bouts are mentioned in the sumo in which the wrestler, or rikishi, more bouts. However, when one adds
Kojiki, Japans mythological seizes the belt of his opponent and other relevant factors, such as the
stories of its creation. grapples, trying for a throw or some strategy used by the opponent does
You know that sumo bouts can be related technique. Oshi-zumo calls for he also try to push, or does he go for
won in only two ways: Force your a forceful, driving action, accompa- the belt and try to effect a throw?
opponent out of the ring, or cause him nied by slaps or shoves, that sends the

-
Photo by J. Henning Buchholz/Shutterstock.com
to touch the ground with any part of opponent reeling backward, either out cal advantage in pursuing one method
his body other than his feet. of the ring or to the ground. over the other.
You know that while professional Which is the better strategy? If you
sumo gets much attention, sumo as a think that baseball fans immerse ITS EASY TO THINK of oshi-zumo
sport is pursued by hundreds of thou- themselves in a sea of statistics, as simple, unilateral force and yotsu-
sands of amateurs in Japan and that studying batting averages, left-handed zumo as clever manipulation of tech-
many high schools and colleges have vs. right-handed pitchers throwing nique. But the truth is that one style
sumo clubs or teams. fastballs on cloudy days, and so on, includes elements of the other. There

are subtleties in the way a rikishi
NOW, HERE ARE SOME things you with such things even stranger. Statis- directs his strikes and changes just
may not know. tics have been kept on literally every fractionally his direction of force.

There is tremendous brute strength refers to the crashing charge a rikishi through his own effort but because
involved in even the most sophisti- makes to force his opponent back and of a mistake made by his opponent is
cated throw or takedown. Very large out of the ring. His opponent shifts, intriguing. Sports do not include words
rikishi early in their careers often and the rikishis momentum carries for this sort of thing. A soccer player can
concentrate on oshi-zumo, using their him forward so fast he cant put on the score an own goal if he accidently puts
size and power. As they mature and brakes. He runs himself out of the ring the ball in his own sides goal. The resul-
move up in the ranks, theyre expected and into defeat. So isami-ashi is a tant victory, if there is one, though, is
to moderate this and begin working on colloquial way in Japanese of describ- just a victory. Same for a baseball game
throwing techniques. ing someone whose excessive enthusi- if a passed ball goes by the catcher and
asm gets him in trouble. allows a run from third base.
by body type. Those who are massive To win because of a mistake made In sumo, however, a notation is made
and blubbery are called ankogata. by ones opponent, as in isami-ashi, in the records that the win was not
Slimmer, leaner wrestlers are called is called kimarite dewa nai kimarite. normal. Why? Is it because sumo, even
suppogata. These words, incidentally, It means winning without winning. though its a sport, is something more?
are invariably written with katagana, Another instance in which this term is Perhaps its a nod to sumos ancient
the form of shorthand used for foreign used is when a rikishi trips or falls on martial past, when winning was
words, so its impossible to say where his own, known as koshikudake, or the more than just a matter of sport.
exactly they came from. (The gata on hips are smashed.
the end is just like kata, or form.)
To purchase Dave Lowrys books, visit
used to denote that someone won not amazon.com.
IS IT POSSIBLE to win a sumo bout
even if a prohibited part of your body
touches the ground before your oppo-
nents? This is a good trivia question. *|8b8O8obYVt|VFFY
The answer, surprisingly, is yes. If
you throw your opponent in such a b,|b|8b8b8 YFFFb
way that youre going to fall atop him,
endangering him, you can break your 8bO8bY8 t88+bVb8 bbb
fall with your hand. You can prop your-
self up using the ground of the ring to 8bO8bYt88
keep your weight off your opponent
below you.
This act is called kabaite. It was seen
most famously in 2004, when the 350-
pound Kotonowaka threw Asashoryu
conclusively but used his straightened
arm to keep his weight from crush-
ing Asashoryu. In an act thats still
debated, the referee called for a restart.
Asashoryu then threw Kotonowaka and
won the tournament. Kotonowakas
fans were outraged; their heros con-
cern for his opponent had cost him an
important bout, and they insist the call
should have been kabaite.
HONBASHO, the professional tourna-

ments of sumo, are held six times a
year, lasting all day for more than two
weeks. While the matches of the most
senior rikishi are wildly popular, many

dawn to watch the moshi-ai geiko of
the junior competitors. These are actu-
ally warm-up sessions. A rikishi takes
on a steady stream of opponents, stay-
ing in the ring king of the hill fashion,
until hes defeated. The action is lively.
is an odd term heard in

sumo. Literally meaning brave feet, it

Photos by Cory Sorensen
TIME CAPSULE
In 1983 Cynthia
Rothrock was named
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Competitor of the
Year. Shortly there-
after, she high-tailed
it to Asia, where she
high-kicked her way
into showbiz. She
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star in a Hong Kong
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drive made her the
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well, with Hollywood
scrambling to cast her
in movies.
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later, Rothrock is
still going strong. In
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in 0HUFHQDULHV with
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I
n the past four decades, Cynthia Rothrock has accom-

-
plished what many of us dream of but few of us achieve,
4-
and that is to nurture our traditional martial arts skills

competition 4

Rothrock was a force to be reckoned with on the East

-
$

>

-
national scene, where she continued to dominate in

weapons and kata.

have their arms up and stretched outward, I like to trap

tang soo do, taekwondo,wushu and

-

pened to catch the eye of a Chinese movie producer in
8

$-

herself into a better athlete and vowed to be in top physical

-
Delaware, to parlay her tournament-honed skill set into on-
>

>

>

4

$

Black Belt Photo
Although she's best-known for forms

and weapons, Cynthia Rothrock was a
sparring champion in her early days.

Cynthia R
oth
2016, dem rock in
ons
ing that he trat-
r
and exib skills
ility
still top-n are
otch.
Black Belt Photo Inset Photo by Cory Sorensen

athleticism

$

IF THERE COULD BE ONLY ONE

8 We asked Cynthia Rothrock which one martial arts

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have time to train or condition their
body for battle. Her answer? The

palm strike.

$ When people hit really hard with a

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>

TLW

$

>

>

4

believability

>

>

$

4

Yes, Madam!],


Lady Reporter

as Female Reporter), they wanted me to jump off a two-

story building in high heels with a fake baby in my arms, wanted me to stick the landing like a gymnast.
Rothrock says. That was hard enough, but there was also Like a trooper, Rothrock did everything the director asked,
going to be an explosion behind me. but that evening, she paid a high price. I started feeling as if
The director said, If you dont jump when I say action, I was going to pass out, she says. I went to the doctor, and

4 44

Id ever done, and they had me landing on a stack of card- organs. I was like, What?! Jumbled organs dont sound like
board boxes. We didnt have big air mats that let you land everythings OK!
nice and soft. I was really nervous. When he said action, I Rothrock went back to her room but couldnt sleep. I kept
4

with the fake baby, landing on the cardboard.

On impact, Rothrocks knee smacked her squarely in the she says, laughing. I just knew I was going to have to do that
nose. Her vision blurred, and the pain nearly caused her to scene again.
pass out. She thought her nose was broken.

-
I was a martial artist, not a stuntperson, she says. placed, purloined or digested. The Hong Kong premiere was
Nobody taught me how to jump off a two-story building in a success, and it propelled her farther along the road to star-
heels while holding a fake baby. Then the director decided dom. It also drove home the notion that even though she was
he didnt like the camera angle, so we had to do it again! no longer taking a beating in the dojo, punishment was par for

$

the course if she wanted a career in action movies.
knew I had almost knocked myself out and nearly broken
my nose. This time, the director said I had to once again ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Terry L. Wilson is a freelance writer and
jump off the 10-foot ledge in high heels, holding the fake jujitsu practitioner based in San Diego.
TRADITIONAL FIGHTERS ARE SPORTSMEN AND SPORTSWOMEN;

THEYRE GUIDED BY RULES AND REGULATIONS. IT ISNT A FIGHT TO
THE DEATH.
Black Belt Photo

ADVICE FOR NOOBS
Experimentation is good: the instructors. [Watch] how in forms. I was doing the most says. Point sparring is good
I started at 13 years old, discipline is handled. Talk with basic forms, and they were for kids, too, as long as the
Cynthia Rothrock says. I had the instructors. See if you can so advanced. She ended up WRXUQDPHQW>RIFLDOVDUH@LQ
some friends in tang soo do, take a couple of classes for placing second. Rothrock still control and looking out for the
so I gave it a try. [Before that], free. Check out a couple of JHWVEXWWHULHVEHIRUHSHU FKLOGUHQVVDIHW\
I tried everything piano, different places before you forming in front of groups. I
music lessons, other sports start at one. always get nervous, but then I Appreciate the style you
but the martial arts were the tune right in, she adds. chose: When you take a
UVWWKLQJ,UHDOO\VWXFNZLWK Its OK to be nervous: I martial art, try to learn the true

was nervous as anything, When youre young, stay art and keep the tradition,
Shop around: Find a couple VKHVD\VRIKHUUVWWRXUQD away from full contact: she says. Each style has
RIVW\OHV\RXUHLQWHUHVWHG ment. I was an orange belt Forms competition is better something different to offer.
in, Rothrock says. Watch competing against black belts for young people, Rothrock Clay Morgan
FUMIO
DEMURA
How
Life
Put Him
on the
Martial
Arts
Path
BY CHRISTOPHER COCKRELL
THE WORD LEGEND conjures up
images of

Black Belt

shito-ryu

8
Land of the Rising Sun

Black Belt Photos

>


4

the All Japan Karate Championship. In addition, hed begun
studying kobudo, or traditional Okinawan weaponry, under
Taira Shinken.
And then the Americans entered the picture.
Donn F. Draeger, a martial arts practitioner and world-
traveling scholar, became acquainted with Demura through
the Japanese martial arts grapevine, and soon after, he
introduced Demura to Dan Ivan. Ivan operated a handful
of karate schools in Southern California, and after getting

way to get this guy to the United States.

in the States in 1963, but it wasnt a permanent relocation.

which his visa ran out and he was forced to return to Japan.
Almost immediately, Demura longed to go back. This was
a mistake, he said to himself on arriving in his home coun-
try. I shouldve stayed in the United States.

karateka. In
America, he felt he had more room to move and room to
grow the martial arts.
Demura found his way back in 1965 and settled in Califor-
nia, where he opened a dojo. He built a reputation for rivet-
ing demonstrations that displayed consummate skill, speed,
accuracy and technique. The performances garnered the
newcomer some badly needed attention.
It was badly needed because of the national mood. For
most Americans, World War II was fresh in their memory.
4

Demura was viewed with suspicion by many Americans. He

4

ing so hard to become part of.
The successes outnumbered the setbacks, however, and
he persevered.
Call of Hollywood
With his growing reputation as a martial arts master,
Demura eventually found his way to Hollywood courtesy
of his friend, a professional wrestler who competed under
then name The Great John L. Demura landed an audition
for 1977s The Island of Dr. Moreau. Before starting work,
he signed an agreement without taking the time to digest

Around that time, Demura recalls, he had a neighbor
named Asano, who was a kendo teacher. The martial art
fascinated the boy, and he longed to take lessons. Sadly, his
family lacked funds to buy the necessary equipment. In the
spirit of improvisation, the youth set about carving a tree
Photo With Chuck Norris Courtesy of The Real Miyagi
branch into a makeshift shinai so hed be able to practice. It

was a lesson hed remember.
Later, when Demura was introduced to a famous shito-ryu
karate practitioner named Ryusho Sakagami, his martial
arts career was poised to blossom. Sakagami, third master
of the Itosu-Kai organization, took the promising pupil into
his charge, unknowingly launching the boy on what would
become the adventure of a lifetime.
Journey to America
By the early 1960s, Demura was gaining fame as a karate


would involve lions, tigers and bears. The experience proved
an interesting one, to say the least.
Throughout the 70s, Demura worked with a number of
martial-artists-turned-actors, including Bruce Lee, whom he
personally trained in the use of the nunchaku, and Chuck Nor-
ris, who came to him wanting to learn traditional karate to
supplement his kicking-based tang soo do skills. Hes a super-
4
a martial artist. I respect Chuck, and he respects me.
But it was Demuras association with Pat Morita, as well

that led to his involvement in what would become one of the

Demura was initially eyed for the role of Mr. Miyagi in The
Karate Kid. As you probably know, Miyagi is the wise old
master who takes the awkward Daniel-san under his wing
and teaches him martial arts. But there was a problem. I
look through the script, and I see Miyagi, Miyagi, Miyagi,
Demura says. Realizing that he didnt have the language
skills to carry such an important role, he bowed out, and the
part went to Morita, who went on to receive an Oscar nomi-
nation (Best Supporting Actor) for his efforts. But Demura
stayed on as Moritas stunt double and assisted with the

Miyagis Mission Demura also takes issue with the way karate is often
For Fumio Demura, America really has been the land of viewed as merely an activity for children. Referencing mov-
opportunity. By all accounts, his life here has been a success. ies and TV shows like Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant
He runs an established dojo and karate organization with Ninja Turtles, he says, The image today is that karate is
students around the world. Hes rubbed shoulders with only for kids. Its shown as a kids game, but its not. Its an
nearly everyone whos anyone in the martial arts, and hes adults game.
found success in Hollywood. But perhaps more than anything else these days, Demura
But as has been the case since he was a child, life still is focused on the challenge of preserving his legacy. I dont
throws down the gauntlet and presents him with challenges want to lose my art, he says, which is why hes pouring
that need to be overcome. Such was the case in 2011 when his energy into propagating the style. Having become, in
he suffered a stroke that put him in the hospital and took essence, a shito-ryu missionary, he wants to make sure it
away his ability to move his right arm and right leg. Or doesnt pass away when he does.
when he experienced kidney failure in 2015, which required For that reason, when Demura was approached by his
him to undergo daily dialysis. But he met both challenges student Kevin Derek about making a documentary a few
head-on, as a warrior. Demura has regained much of his lost years ago, he was thrilled. The result was The Real Miyagi,
movement, and his kidney functionality is greatly improved. released in 2015. Demura says that he was honored to be
Despite those health setbacks, Demura devotes consider- part of the production and hopes that, if nothing else, view-
able time to the martial arts as hes always done. Unfor- ers will walk away having learned one crucial life lesson:
tunately, thats left him with some concerns about the state If something happens, dont give up, he says. Look at me
Photos Courtesy of The Real Miyagi
of karate. I set the example.

There are not too many traditional groups left, he says. He hopes the many ups and downs of his life in the martial
With karates push to become an Olympic sport which, on arts will provide inspiration for everyone who watches The
August 3, 2016, achieved success he fears that the art is Real Miyagi long after hes gone.
losing its -do, the focus on being a way of life rather than just

a mean, strong guy; its about being a better person and a ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Christopher Cockrell is a freelance writer
better citizen. and martial artist.

Pat Morita and Fumio Demura
Fumio Demura
Stars in NEW
WEAPONS
COURSE FROM
BLACK BELT!
Q&A WITH THE DIRECTOR OF 7RKHOSPRGHUQPDUWLDO
THE REAL MIYAGI DUWLVWVEHWWHUFRP

SUHKHQGWKHFODVVLFDO
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VLOYHUVFUHHQ+HVDUVWGHJUHHEODFNEHOWLQVKLWRU\XDQGWKH Steven Seagal and Dolph Karate Weapons of
director of the 2011 documentary Empty Hand: The Real Karate /XQGJUHQ+RZGLIFXOWZDV Self-Defense: The
Kids (see the December 2010 issue of Black Belt). it to round up this cast of Complete Edition,WKH
characters and get them PDVWHUMRLQHGIRUFHV
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$OYDUH]DQGWKHUHVWLVKLVWRU\ SURFHVVVLIWLQJWKURXJKWKH Real Miyagi? VWUHDPWR\RXUGLJL
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a legend in the martial arts 6HQVHLKDVVXFKDYDVWKLVWRU\ HQFHGWKRXVDQGVRISHRSOH ODSWRSRUGHVNWRSFRP
world. What was it like to LWZDVGLIFXOWWRFRPSUHVVKLV DURXQGWKHZRUOG SXWHU6LJQXSDWDLP
work with a person of that OLIHVWRU\LQWRPLQXWHV WQHVVQHWZRUNFRP
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DWUVWEXWZKHQ\RXJHWWR views with a number of tary, visit therealmiyagi.com.

BILL
If We Knew
Then What We
Know Now!
BY FLOYD BURK
Black Belt Photo

CE
Bill Wallace is a true living legend, a man whos regarded as used in Okinawa was softer need to use combos. Mike
the worlds greatest kicker by nearly everyone in the martial than what people use here. Tyson hardly ever knocked
arts community. Superfoot is universally respected for his It had a lot of give to it. I anybody out with one shot.
professional full-contact karate record, in which he amassed still dont think its a good He would come in and blast
23 consecutive victories before retiring undefeated. Hes also practice because of your the guy with a punch, then
perhaps the most popular martial arts instructor in the world odds of getting arthritis. follow up with another one.
and has been for decades. Whats more, he accomplished He always relied on combos.
all that despite suffering a potentially devastating knee injury If you want to make your I say the same thing about
that forced him to adopt an unorthodox sideways-facing com- shins into weapons, you kicks. You can always get
bat stance early in his career. should condition them by lucky, but dont count on it.
Those are some of the reasons for this martial arts truism: hitting them with sticks. During an exhibition bout
When Wallace talks, people listen. That observation prompted Thats just sick. I wouldnt with Joe Lewis, I hit him
Black Belt to devise a list of frequently heard statements do it, and I didnt do it. with the hardest side kick
about the arts, many of which stem from the early days when I ever threw. I really nailed
everyone talked about karate but no one had ever done it, and One reverse punch is him. He just backed up a

enough to kill a person. foot or two and said, Ouch,
exchange is the martial arts newcomer who may be tempted You may get lucky, but then plowed right back into
to believe such things, as well as the old hand who likely heard who wants to have their me without any sign that it
them decades ago but never subjected them to critical think- life depend on just luck? had hurt him. A better strat-
ing. In either case, enjoy. How many times have you egy is wear them down with
sparred and buried the multiple hits.
A karate practitioner can who want to condition reverse punch into the other
easily kick a knife out of their hands. guy and he says, Good To kick with maximum
the hand of an assailant. Hitting the makiwara does shot! and then keeps on power, you should lock out
Bull tuckey. What if you teach you to keep your going? If youve done much your leg.

wrist straight, but thats sparring, its probably hap- I learned early on not to try
going to show you the knife about it. You do it too much, pened many times. It takes to put too much power into

and its going to cause multiple shots to do much a kick. All that power tears
does show the knife and arthritis. The makiwara we damage, which is why you up the meniscus and liga-
youre far enough away to
kick his hand, turn and high-
tail it out of there.
The martial arts will

enable a 90-pound person
with training to defeat
anyone who hasnt
trained.
Im not buying that one. A
good big man will beat a
good little man every time.
This is because the big man
has the weight, power and
movement to do so.
Board breaking is good for

helping a martial artist be
a better ghter.
Not although there are
some fantastic board break-
ers who put on a nice show.
Breaking may tell you that
people have the guts to hit
something hard, but if they
could hit that hard and knock
someone out, some of them
would be using their skill to

seen any of them do that.
Black Belt Photos
Hitting the makiwara is

good for martial artists

take a good one and get a
concussion, take the time to
get better. Take all the time
you need.
When youre a martial art-

ist, you should expect to
get injured.
We all get bumps and
bruises. The thing is, if you
have an injury, let it rest.
If you let the injury heal,
it will heal. Ive found that

things heal. One key to
longevity is dont get hurt.
Also, dont think its cow-
ardly to try to avoid getting
hit or tweaked on by out-of-
control training partners.

$ -
ity is one of the best things
you can do to help avoid
most of the injuries that
creep up and then linger.
When you work on your
$ 4
and easy.
ments. I never really liked the high block, dont block to practice some moves that Any adult black belt can
locking out the leg because so high. Make the rest of could save your life or that of run a martial arts school.
its so hard on your knee, them shorter, too, and dont someone you love. Keeping Not if the black belt cant
hips, back and neck. When block so hard. Use your up your skills will give you teach and isnt able to retain
I tried to throw kicks too blocks to move your oppo- peace of mind. students and recruit new
hard, things never seemed nents attacking arm just ones. A teacher needs to be
to work out. Instead, I a bit. Youve got to modify No pain, no gain. diplomatic, work with the
raised the knee with my foot your techniques because The guy who said that is parents of young students
cocked in a tight chamber, nobody is built the same. an idiot. and help students get what
then just snapped the kick Im only 5 foot 8. How do they want out of going to the
out and back.
Getting hit in training or

Snapping the kick out all those guys who were 6 competition is part of life lot of black belts dont know
and back generates a lot as a martial artist. how to do all that, which is
of speed. With speed, the my techniques. Hey, theres still life after why so many schools strug-
kick is hard to detect until competition. Your head and gle and fail.
its too late, and people A couple of years of your body can take only so Quite a few people can
will run right into it, which training is all you really much contact. Sooner or run a school for a year or
increases the impact. Its need because that will later, you wont be able to

not my fault you ran into enable you to defeat any take it anymore. You dont However, running a school
it. Ive had a lot of success untrained person who want to be crippled when for the long haul say, a
kicking this way, and if you attacks you. youre all done. When you decade or longer takes a
want to be able to kick your To me, martial arts is a get knocked out or see real good black belt instruc-
whole life, work your speed lifelong event. You cant do stars, you just had yourself tor. Thats commitment, and

$ some training and then for- a concussion. Brain cells I commend any black belt
get about it and get rusty. Its die, and they stay dead and whos done that.
Traditional karate blocks easy to learn the techniques, you dont know where they
done just the way they are but to keep from getting went. When you get old, all
in kata will work in self- your butt kicked, you need that damage could cause ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Floyd Burk is a San Diego-
defense and competition. to develop and hone the a brain bleed leading to based 10th-degree black belt
Not unless you change nuances such as distancing a stroke. It could happen with 45 years of experience in
them up a little. If you and timing, and you need to sooner, even. the arts. To contact him, visit the
Independent Karate Schools of
do that, then I say karate stay at it. It doesnt take that I say, try your best to avoid America at iksa.com. To contact
blocks are fantastic. With much time out of your week shots to the head. If you Bill Wallace, visit superfoot.com.

REFLECTIONS ON
A LIFETIME OF
MARTIAL ARTS
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Plus!
New bonus material
featuring this
legendary master of
karate and kobudo.
ALL THE CLASSIC

FUMIO DEMURA WEAPONS VIDEOS
COMBINED FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Watch them as many times as you like
on your smartphone or computer.
Photo by Rick Hustead
Gene
LeBell
In Wrestling, Judo
and Movie Stunt
Work, Judo Gene
Has Accomplished
More Than Most
People Could in Two
Lifetimes and
He Isnt Done Yet!
BY TERRY L. WILSON
Photo Courtesy of Gene LeBell

would have been longer, but in a moment of exuberance, he
accidently hit the Texas wrestling commissioner in the head
while swinging his newly won belt.
I tried to explain to the guy that it was an accident,
LeBell says with a grin. But he was really steamed, and he

here are people who swear Judo Gene became a champion for 12 seconds.
LeBell has practiced martial arts for so His experiences in those grappling arts led LeBell to de-
long that an image of him putting King velop his own style of combat, one that merged what he
Tut in an armbar can be found etched in deemed the best of wrestling with the best of judo. As a re-
sandstone in an Egyptian tomb. LeBell in- sult, many of his trademark submission holds cant be found
sists that isnt true: No, Im not that old, in any rule book or textbook. But then, Judo Gene has al-
but I was a bodyguard for Genghis Khan. ways been a guy who makes up the rules as he goes.
From the time he was big enough to
choke out the schoolyard bully, LeBell has
been coming to grips with his destiny as PRETTY IN PINK
a martial arts legend. And as a Hollywood stuntman, hes LeBell raised more than a few eyebrows when he bucked
rubbed elbows with Tinseltowns elite and tangled with the rules and wore a rather untraditional pink gi to a very
some of the roughest, toughest wrestlers ever to slip into a traditional judo tournament in Japan. When he bowed onto
pair of tights. the mat wearing pink, the martial arts fashion police were
His mother Aileen LeBell was an icon in the ring: As the outraged. LeBell just smiled, then set about pinning and

tossing his opponents, proving that real men do wear pink.

The pink gi wasnt something I did intentionally, LeBell
Consequently, young Gene was able to pal around with some says. It happened while I was training in Japan. I acciden-
of the best boxers and wrestlers in the business. tally washed it with a red shirt and some other brightly col-
I was 7 years old when I started wrestling with the pros, ored clothing, and my gi came out a deep pink. When people
LeBell recalls. My mother sent me down to the Los Angeles started teasing me, it gave me a good excuse to get them on
Athletic Club to play, and at the club were a handful of really the mat and stretch their bodies a bit.
good shooters. This was serious wrestling, a lot of technical One Japanese judo champion and his entourage were less
skills none of the clown stuff or gags like you see on TV. than impressed with the larger-than-life gaijin in pink, so

much so that they traveled to Los Angeles armed with an
The owner of the club took a liking to the spunky redhead attitude and a challenge.
and asked him what hed like to learn. His answer: Greco- They came to my dojo at Los Angeles City College, and the
Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, savate, karate or judo. interpreter said his friend was some kind of a champion in
Well, karate wasnt that popular at the time it was Tokyo, LeBell recalls. I really didnt pay too much atten-
mostly kata and what they called judo was like wrestling

without a gi, he says. For example, when you grab for a do randori? He said, No! We do newaza, which is mat work.
harai goshi (sweeping hip throw), you hook the neck and So I lay down and told him to get his best hold, and he put
use it as a handle. me in a side pin.
Back then, wrestlers referred to body parts like the ears, The Japanese champ was a bit taken aback; he never ex-
mouth and nose as handles because they gave the grappler pected LeBell would give him the opportunity to put him
something to grip, LeBell says. Its a very effective way to in a hold at the start of the match. With the Americans
make someone say uncle. judo students sitting against the wall watching, LeBell
calmly asked his opponent if he was ready. That apparently
ticked him off, and he muttered something in Japanese to
12-SECOND CHAMPION his interpreter.
So began a legacy that reads like a script from a Hollywood He said you need to have a doctor standing by, the inter-
movie. In 1954 and 55, LeBell won the National AAU Judo preter explained. That didnt sit well with LeBell, as would

soon become evident to everyone.
divisions. His path to the podium included a triumph over We started, and I just rolled him over, and since he had
John Osako, who at the time was the top judo player in the an attitude, I choked him out real fast, LeBell says. When
United States. he came to, I turned around, and the guy and his entourage
At the AAU event, LeBell won 18 matches in two days, 17 took off without even saying goodbye.
with standing throws. To this day, that feat hasnt been du- What was the secret of LeBells escape from the side pin?
plicated in a sanctioned judo competition. Gene LeBell may From my wrestling days, I knew how to get out of that hold
have walked onto the mat as an unknown, but he bowed out easily which isnt the Kodokan way of getting out of a
as a judo legend.

LeBell also competed in wrestling. He holds the dubious you squeeze his balls a bit while you roll the guy over. Since
distinction of having held a world title for 12 seconds. It theres no referee, you just do what you gotta do.

FIRST MMA FIGHTER

Long before the Ultimate Fighting Championship made had to be careful not to get tagged.
the Gracie name a household word in the world of grap-

4
$-
pling, there was a contest that pitted a nationally ranked ed an explosive maki komi harai goshi, dumping the surprised
heavyweight boxer against a world-class judo player. The boxer on the mat. The grappler then applied one of his famous
boxer was No. 3ranked Milo Savage, and the judoka was chokes, putting the pugilist to sleep. Judo Gene had made
Gene LeBell. history and he had to slip out the back as a riot erupted. He
It all started in 1962 when a man named Jim Beck boasted did, however, pocket a grand for his labors.
to a room full of karate students that he could beat any mar-
tial artist in the world. A black belt named Gene LeBell ac- HOLLYWOOD FALL GUY

As Gene LeBell devoted more of his life to the martial arts, the
instead of Beck. The winner of the bout would take home arts were kind enough to give back. They catapulted him into the
$1,000, a hefty purse back then. movies, where he worked as a stuntman, television sportscaster
Black Belt Photos
Plenty of intrigue and backstabbing is connected with

what ensued. LeBell and Savage agreed to face off in a box-

ing ring, and Savage may or may not have had an advantage motorcycle into a big rig or, my personal favorite, sinking in a vat
or three. He used brass knuckles under his gloves, LeBell

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.

4
Lassie

Lassie

Raging Bull,

>

$

4

-

4

>

- BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

Black Belts

The Green Hornet

-

-

ness and martial arts. One of them pertains to showbiz: rides when he isnt crashing one on a movie set. For
LeBell belongs to an elite club called Stunts Unlimited. decades, hes worked as a test rider for Yamaha, Honda
There are only 50 individuals in Stunts Unlimited, and BMW and frequently hangs out at a motorcycle shop
he says. All the people are running shows and theyre in Hollywood, talking to customers.
world-class stuntmen and stuntwomen. Im still doing Never one to sit still, LeBell can be found every Monday
stunts, but I am getting older, and since it hurts when evening in North Hollywood, California, engaging in an
I tie my shoes these days, I dont want to roll anymore activity thats even dearer to his heart. There, at Hayastan
cars. But I still enjoy sliding them through a plate-glass MMA Academy, he and longtime friends Gokor Chivichyan
window. and Benny The Jet Urquidez train the next generation
When asked about the changes hes seen over the years, of grapplers and MMA stars at Chivichyans dojo. After
the martial arts icon mostly focused on how much more all, when he retires for good, someone will have to take
hes paid now for abusing his body in movies. I used to get the reins from Judo Gene LeBell, and they might as well
$50 for stunts, but now its $903, he says. Last week, I did learn from the best.
a job and had six hours of overtime and a stunt adjustment
at $400. I ended up making three grand and didnt even
need to put on a stunt pad. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Terry L. Wilson is a freelance writer and
jujitsu practitioner based in San Diego. To learn more about Gene
An avid motorcycle enthusiast, LeBell often can be seen LeBell, read his autobiography The Godfather of Grappling, avail-
two-wheeling around Southern California on one of his 40 able on Amazon.com.
TOUGHEST
MAN ALIVE
In our April 2006 issue, Lito
Angeles lifelong martial
artist, law-enforcement of-
FHUBlack Belt contributor
and author of Fight Night!
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to Mixed Martial Arts, wrote
an article titled Tough-
est Men on Planet Earth:
Ranking the 20 Best Street
Fighters in the Martial Arts
World. Gene LeBell came
in at No. 2.
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grappling arts he knows
professional wrestling, judo
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taught in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
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enough to encapsulate his
knowledge. Everyone who
talks about him holds him
Photo by Rick Hustead
in the highest regard, and

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Editor

NOW
READY TO
STREAM
TO YOUR
DIGITAL
DEVICE!
GREG JACKSON
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
CORE CURRICULUM
SIGN UP TODAY!
AIMFITNESSNETWORK.COM/BLACKBELT
T 2
AR
P
GUIDE TO
HIP HEALTH
Learn the Warning Signs
of Joint Degeneration
and Devise a Plan of
Action to Possibly
PREVENT PROBLEMS!
BY TOM CALLOS
Black Belt Photo
Don Wilson
How can martial artists
vigorously train without
causing undue wear and tear
on their hips? How can we
perform the repetitions needed
to attain mastery without
wearing out our bodies?
STARTED TAKING FORMAL MAR-
I

TIAL ARTS LESSONS IN 1971 AT

>

AGE 11.

gree black belt in 1979, I was already starting 4

4

4

ment takes place

$

4

+

$

>

$
44


In other words, instead of hitting 1,000 balls in a single
practice which was common among the professional
golfers in the study they were advised to hit just 100
balls in a session with complete and absolute focus. The
study determined that, done mindfully, less practice could
yield the same results without causing unnecessary wear on
the joints.
That said, not everyone who trains hard with high repeti-
tions of vigorous exercise will require surgery.
DON WILSONS HIP STORY:

RECOVERY WITHOUT REPLACEMENT
Don The Dragon Wilson is 62 years old but looks and
moves like a much younger man. In college, he wrestled
and played football and basketball. In 1980 he had his

$

years, he garnered 11 world titles. In 1998 he came out of

a problem.
The way the pain felt was like a screwdriver digging
into my hip, Wilson said. It hurt every time I took a step.
I had to, literally, walk out of the gym. I couldnt train
through it.
But instead of going under the knife, Wilson turned to
nutrition and it worked. I didnt improve in a few days,
but a few months in, I started to feel better he said.
The Dragon also began eating better, which he believes
is essential to healing and rebuilding the body. I eat fruits
and vegetables but mainly leafy green vegetables he said.

only one who can change his diet and repair his body.
Cynthia
Rothrock
CYNTHIA ROTHROCKS
HIP STORY: SHES GOOD!
Some martial artists will not, despite the extreme work-
their hips? How can we perform the repetitions needed outs they take part in, suffer hip degeneration or hip
to attain mastery without wearing out our bodies? I pain. The medical profession doesnt know exactly why
turned to medical professionals, as well as prominent two people who undergo the same training wont neces-
martial artists. sarily suffer the same injuries, which is why many attri-
bute it to genetics.
While conducting research for this article, I spoke with
SOUND ADVICE: MINDFUL PRACTICE

+-
numerous martial artists who, for one reason or another,
had to turn to hip-replacement surgery to deal with their
pain. I also spoke with lifelong practitioners who work out
tor, Norman Young, How do I keep this from happening just as hard and long as anyone else but have never known
to my students? His answer gave me information I should hip pain people like Cynthia Rothrock.
have known decades earlier but didnt. It might be the

very thing you need to hear if you want to save yourself part of the Ernie Reyes West Coast Demo Team. Back then,
and those you teach from suffering the crippling pain of she was the No. 1 female forms competitor in America, and
sports-related hip degeneration. from there, she built a successful career in the Hong Kong

4

$

study of professional golfers suffering joint pain, including pain Despite all the training Ive done and the intense stunt
in the hips and pain from hip-replacement surgery. He said

the study determined that the best way to avoid injury was to with my hips, Rothrock said. I dont know what to attri-
focus on the quality of practice rather than the quantity of it. bute that to except maybe genetics.

PLAN OF ACTION
Despite Rothrocks good fortune, the wise course of action
radically change the training I did. When youre young and
full of vitality, you almost have to grab life by the collar and
live, move, stretch, jump and kick the hell out of everything
is to take precautions. From my own experience with three within reach. While Id like to teach my students to live
hip surgeries, the recovery from those procedures and the today with an acute awareness of what it could mean for
exchanges Ive had with others who were forced to deal tomorrow, part of being young is thumbing your nose at the
with hip pain as well as many doctors Ive collected future and living to the best of your abilities here and now.

No one can tell you if youll be one of those people who
tecting their hips.
>

Know that rest and recovery are as important as intense injuries. However, I can assure you that living with gusto is
training. Training to exhaustion may be the code of some better than playing it so safe you never push yourself, never

feel the pleasure of being an elite martial athlete.
plete recovery afterward. At 57, I still love the martial arts despite my injuries.
Know that your diet is connected to your health. The Im still able to get on the mat and go hard, just not as hard
body needs the right nutrients to rebuild itself after a
+

$

are exceptions to the rule, all warriors in some way will
addition to rehydrating tissues.
Know how various joints work, what theyre made of ence between reckless and safe training, then practice with
and what their limitations are. When it comes to staying your bodys preservation in mind. Meanwhile, make sure
healthy, ignorance isnt bliss; its a pathway to injury. you enjoy the years when you can move like a leopard and
Know that more isnt always better. Better is better. kick like a mule. For me, it would be more painful to not
Dont make the mistake of regarding thousands of reps have tried to be the strongest, fastest and toughest martial
as better than hundreds of reps done with focus. Its the artist I could be. I suspect you are the same.
quality of practice that matters.
Know that there can be a high cost associated with high To listen to the interviews Tom Callos conducted for this
impact, as well as high repetitions. story including exchanges with Bill Wallace, Billy Blanks,
Testimonial: I havent enjoyed the hip breakdown and Dr. Allan Smith and Christine Bannon-Rodrigues visit
pain Ive suffered over the years, but that doesnt mean Id tomcallos.com.
Don Wilson believes

DIET IS ONE KEY to h.
maintaining hip healt
Black Belt Photo

NO NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS,
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# A
64 BLACK BELT FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM
BLACK BELT PAGES

From
the
A rchives
Vol. 16, No. 10, $1.25
The 178th issue of Black Belt
was dated October 1978. It was
76 pages long and featured
taekwondo pioneer Hee Il Cho
on the cover.
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INTENSIFY YOUR STRIKES WITH THESE 12 COMBATIVES PRINCIPLES

FUMIO DEMURA, GENE LEBELL,

54 A MARTIAL ARTISTS GUIDE TO HIP HEALTH, PART 2

BLACK BELT - FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 - VOLUME 55 - NUMBER 2 16

62 BLACK BELT PAGES

66 FROM THE ARCHIVES

Photo by J. Henning Buchholz/Shutterstock.com

VOL. 55 NO. 2.%/$&.%(/7 ,6618636 LVSXEOLVKHGELPRQWKO\E\&UX]%D\3XEOLVKLQJ,QFDQ$FWLYH,QWHUHVW0HGLDFRPSDQ\$GYHUWLVLQJDQGHGLWRULDORIFHVDW$Q]D'ULYH8QLW

GROUP PUBLISHER Cheryl Angelheart

8 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

DOMINICK CRUZ, 2X MMA CHAMPION

teaching Chinese goju. how it unfolded: An African-American

BLACKBELTMAG.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 I BLACK BELT 11

During the 2016 Cold Steel Chal-

Cain Velasquez. Alain Moussi stars.

learning the art.

12 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

Knife Fighting: What You Need

When Should Your Kids Start Mar-

14 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

EMAIL OR CALL FOR THE

BREATH FOR ESCAPE FROM HOLDS CONTACT, IMPACT

FIGHTING IN DEFENSE IN GUN DISARMING

MOVEMENT AND YSTEMA CLASSIC PERSONAL

BEAT THE ODDS IMPROVISED RUSSIAN STICK SUMMIT OF MASTERS

16 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

sible and long line of tradition to draw

ESSENTIALLY, all martial artists are

Martial Arts Archeology resources, whether that means studying

18 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

In this course, which streams videos to your cellphone, tablet or com-

brother had known how to defend

Getting (Ka)Popped in Singapore TEOS SEARCH for the right martial

20 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

Specialty insurance for

These days, the U.S. military has access

Thats Combatives Spelled With Four Cs

22 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

BLACKBELTMAG.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 I BLACK BELT 23

About Sumo Obviously, there are lots of records

24 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

HONBASHO, the professional tourna-

  is an odd term heard in

BLACKBELTMAG.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 I BLACK BELT 25

Although she's best-known for forms

BLACKBELTMAG.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 I BLACK BELT 29

Black Belt Photo Inset Photo by Cory Sorensen

BLACKBELTMAG.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 I BLACK BELT 31

TRADITIONAL FIGHTERS ARE SPORTSMEN AND SPORTSWOMEN;

Black Belt Photo

32 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

UVWWKLQJ,UHDOO\VWXFNZLWK Its OK to be nervous: I martial art, try to learn the true

36 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

branch into a makeshift shinai so hed be able to practice. It

BLACKBELTMAG.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 I BLACK BELT 37

of karate. I set the example.

38 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

THE REAL MIYAGI DUWLVWVEHWWHUFRP

BLACKBELTMAG.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 I BLACK BELT 39

Black Belt Photo

The martial arts will

Board breaking is good for

Hitting the makiwara is

42 BLACK BELT I FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 BLACKBELTMAG.COM

VOL. 55 NO. 2.%/$&.%(/7,6618636LVSXEOLVKHGELPRQWKO\E\&UX]%D\3XEOLVKLQJ,QFDQ$FWLYH,QWHUHVW0HGLDFRPSDQ\$GYHUWLVLQJDQGHGLWRULDORIFHVDW$Q]D'ULYH8QLW

During the 2016 Cold Steel Chal-

is an odd term heard in

UVWWKLQJ,UHDOO\VWXFNZLWK Its OK to be nervous: I martial art, try to learn the true

THE REAL MIYAGI DUWLVWVEHWWHUFRP