Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
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
When Shaolin monk Wang Bo teaches his ancient art, he organizes the
techniques and drills into three categories: roots, trunk and branches.
Learn how they pertain to your practice as much as they do to trees.
After Black Belt Hall of Famer Leon Wright retired from the Marine
Corps, he elected to stay in Afghanistan to teach martial arts to our
servicemen and women. In 10 Guiding Principles for Self-Defense
Training, he shares his most important lessons with you.
DISCLAIMER: BLACK BELT COMMUNICATIONS, an Active Interest Media Publication, as publisher, does not endorse and makes no representation, warranty or guarantee concerning the safety or effectiveness of either the products
and services advertised in this magazine or the martial arts or other techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The publisher expressly disclaims any and all liability relating to the manufacture, sale or use of such products and
services and the application of the techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The purchase or use of some of the products, services or techniques advertised or discussed in this magazine may be illegal in some areas of the
United States or other countries. Therefore, you should check federal, state, and local laws prior to your purchase or use of these products, services or techniques. The publisher makes no representation or warranty concerning the legality
of the purchase or use of these products, services and techniques in the United States or elsewhere. Because of the nature of some of the products, services and techniques advertised or discussed in this magazine, you should consult a
physician before using these products or services or applying these techniques.
CONTENTS BLACK BELT - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 - VOLUME 54 - NUMBER 5
18
FIGHTBOOK
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NOT EVERY MARTIAL ARTIST
IS PREPPING FOR COMBAT VOLUME 54, NO. 5 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
T
he rise of social media has been a boon to the martial arts. Social media BRAND AND NEW MEDIA DIRECTOR
sites allow us to connect with our peers, to stay up to date on our favorite Alexander Norouzi
VFKRROVDQGLQVWUXFWRUVDQGWRJHWQHZVRQXSFRPLQJJKWLFNVDQGMXVW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert W. Young
about everything else. Of course, the best place to do your one-stop social GROUP ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
media shopping for all things martial arts is %ODFN%HOWV)DFHERRNSDJHIDFHERRN Donna Diamond Riekenberg
FRP%ODFN%HOW0DJD]LQH7ZLWWHUIHHG#%ODFNB%HOWB0DJDQG<RX7XEHFKDQQHO ADVERTISING ACCOUNT MANAGERS
\RXWXEHFRPXVHU%ODFN%HOW//& BJ Ghiglione, Julie Stone
Unfortunately, social media also can be a space in which people comment without SPECIAL PROJECTS ART DIRECTOR John Bodine
considering the big picture. We see it every day as we monitor exchanges on our SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Vicki Baker
)DFHERRNSDJHDVZHOODVFRPPHQWVRQ7ZLWWHUDQG<RX7XEH%HFDXVHPDQ\RIWKH COPY CHIEF Jeannine Santiago
people who post also read Black Belt,,JXUHG,GZHLJKLQRQDIHZWKLQJVWRSHU A/R MANAGER Alice C. Negrete
haps prevent future misunderstandings. PRODUCTION MANAGER Patrick Sternkopf
Over a span of several days, we might post three photos online. In response to ART DIRECTOR Paul Duarte
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VWDQDQG\RXOOJHWVKRWGHDG CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Floyd Burk, Mark Cheng, Antonio Graceffo,
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Mark Hatmaker, Mark Jacobs, Dave Lowry,
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competition. The third showed a move from a kata. CONTRIBUTORS
The thing these people tend to forget is that the martial arts constitute a world of Patrick Bamburak, Dr. Mark D. Harris,
GLYHUVLW\7KHDUWVDUHQWMXVWDERXW00$PLOLWDU\FRPEDWLYHVRUNQRFNGRZQGUDJ Peter Lueders, Bryan Mason, Robert Reiff,
RXWVWUHHWGHIHQVH7KHDUWVLQFOXGHDOOWKRVHFRPSRQHQWVEXWWKH\UHQRWUHVWULFWHG S.D. Seong, Michelle Washington, James Williams
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Photo Courtesy of Cynthia Rothrock
ROTHROCK
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, in
1957, Cynthia Rothrock grew up in
Scranton, Pennsylvania. As a child,
she probably harbored plans to live a
conventional life in a conventional town
in the East. Chances are she had no
idea that her path in life soon would
lead her to the Far East, where she was
destined to become an international
action star.
Rothrock began her martial arts
training in a local dojo at age 13, and
within 10 years, she was a national
forms and weapons champion. She
reigned undefeated on the circuit for
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moved to California and landed a spot
on the famed Ernie Reyes West Coast
Demo Team. Her martial skills popped
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the company quickly crafted her into
an Asian action star beginning with
VYes, Madam. Later, Hollywood
caught on and began placing her in its
movies and TV productions. She was
eventually dubbed the Queen of Martial
Arts Films because she appeared in
more than 50 motion pictures. Rothrock
was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of
Fame in 1983.
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have her sense of humor tested when
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event will be none other than martial
arts legend Malia Bernal-Dacascos.
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by consistently defeating men in kata
competition. In 1974 Bernal-Dacascos
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by Professional Karate magazine and
appeared on the cover of Black Belt. The
following year, she was the only woman
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rankings maintained by Karate Illustrated.
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California. On the roasters list are
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Rothrock Roast page on Facebook.
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DAN INOSANTO NEWS BITES
First-Generation Bruce Lee is honored again! This time,
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Defense in 2013 at age 67.
Introducing Burton Richardsons Silat for the Street online course from
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the best solutions.
The
The differences between pencak and silat
The roles of levers and triangles in self-defense
How to catch kicks
essential self-defense principles of silat
Silats many forms inofcombat
Takedowns, the breadand 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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FIGHTBOOK
T
scrambles for bragging rights were often
he name is a misnomer be- members of the Apache, including Co-
cause it refers to several tribes chise, Nana, Victorio, Juh and Geroni- ridden escarpments that called for fre-
that are collectively referred mo. Unusual for many Indian tribes was quent quadrupedal scrambles to get to
that Apache women were often war- the top and then make it back down.
- riors, too. In fact, there are many tales One method of increasing hardship
of their exploits, particularly those of had a combative purpose, an anaero-
sustained themselves by conducting
raids on settled pueblo tribes, Mexican Admittedly, the history of guerrilla component. Its called the mouthful-
villages and encroaching American set- warfare by the Apache and the cam-
tlers. The American settlers were often paign by the U.S. government to stamp The Apache primarily resided in harsh
immigrants with a strong contingent of them out is violent, almost shockingly regions where access to water was
German, Polish and French people. In- so. But even the men charged with scarce. To discipline children for run-
capturing and defeating the Apache ning with intent and to have a water re-
so captured the collective French mind soldiers such as Gen. Nelson Miles and source when it was really needed, as op-
that Parisian gangsters at the time re- Gen. George Crook had more than posed to merely sipped for convenience,
a begrudging respect for their tactics. Apache women (who usually directed
Many were more sympathetic to the this training) would give each child one
MANY LEGENDARY warriors were Apache plight than history reports. mouthful of water. They were then sent
on their run perhaps a long-distance scrambles and sprints that you suffer water in your mouth until youve com-
jaunt, perhaps a hill scramble, perhaps the most. pleted all 10 sprints.
a stalking exercise with orders not to The Four-Wheeler: Find a steep
swallow the liquid. HERE ARE A FEW DRILLS that will hill, one that requires a bit of hands-on
At the end of the drill, the children help you apply this fascinating condi- climbing. Scramble up and then down
would spit out the water in front of the tioning method to your cross-training. that hill as quickly as possible.
trainer and woe to those who failed. In each version of Apache running Under Load: Grab a sandbag that
In my experiments with this tactic, that follows, youll need to take a big weighs 20 to 30 pounds, take a sip and
Ive found the following: Your urge mouthful of water and hold it until the then hit a 2-mile run.
to swallow hits way earlier than ex- task is complete. Once you have some experience with
pected. Your pace becomes affected The Miler: Start with a stan- Apache running, youll likely notice
when youre about 20 percent into the dard 1-mile course to get your mind
run because your ability to smoothly wrapped around how youll respond to youll build discipline because of the un-
mouth-breathe doesnt exist. You learn the restricted breathing. If at any point comfortable nature of the drills, all while
to moderate your pace to compensate you feel the urge to swallow or spit, forging a historical bond with a training
for the reduced oxygen intake, which drop your pace until you regain control. method that was used by some of the
stems from being forced to nose- The 5K: This is the same as the Miler most resolute warriors on the planet.
breathe using a nose thats partially but with a distance of 5 kilometers (ap-
proximately 3 miles).
Becoming acclimatized to this type Intervals: Do a series of 10 50-yard ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mark Hatmaker
is a Knoxville, Tennessee-based trainer
sprints. Your rest between reps is the and the founder of Extreme Self-Protection.
requires work. Its when doing hill walk back to the start line. Keep the extremeselfprotection.com
DESTINATIONS
T
o demonstrate, he ducked the jaw. Done at full speed, the tech- Consequently, Khmer-wrestling teams
under my punch and pinched seldom had regular practice sessions.
the nerve beneath my lat, Most prepared only for a few days
then twisted his body and CHAMREUN EXPLAINED that the con- before a big competition. Sadly, the
grabbed my leg. He lifted me up and tinued existence of Khmer wrestling biggest competition was the Khmer
threw me on my back. Wrestler ultimately depended on the people of Traditional Wrestling Championship,
against boxer, the wrestler has to be Cambodia and that resurrecting any a rather sterile affair. To see the real
cultural asset in the provinces was art practiced the way it used to be, I
get hit several times, but then he can problematic. Most families were sub- was told, it was necessary to go to a
sistence farmers concerned more with village in Kandal province on a holi-
Chamreuns Khmer-wrestling re- earning a living and having enough to day known as Pchum Ben. It was my
sponse focused on a technique that eat than with sports, he said. The pov- next stop.
had him grabbing me around the mid- erty also robbed them of strength, mak-
section and turning his knuckles into IN THE VILLAGE, the wrestlers woke
the small of my back. When he applied Even for the national sport of bradal up at 5 a.m. and walked to the wat
pressure, I could feel bone grinding on serey, it was tough to keep the tradition (temple), where they tossed food of-
bone. Once again, he lifted me up and alive, he said. Most provincial coaches ferings on the ground to honor their
Photo Courtesy of Antonio Graceffo
threw me down. had students who trained only in the dry ancestors. Next, they made their way
In the old days, Khmer kickboxing season because the roads were impass- to a shrine and received a blessing from
bradal serey was done without able in the rainy season and because the -
ing in which the winner received about
These types of grappling moves were with kickboxing, there was a chance to $2.50, the men changed clothes, then lit
turn pro and earn an income. Wrestling incense sticks and inserted them into
had me clinch with him, then threw me had it even worse because rural families the ground to form a circle. Thus was
and landed on top, head-butting me in saw it as a dead end. born the wrestling ring.
F
Jigoro Kano in 1935. Bruno continued
or me, the moment to see wear modern Western clothing for to practice judo, and at the end of World
would have been the devel- instance, with leather belts tied around War II, the U.S. Air Force tasked him
opment of karate in the early their waists over untucked shirttails. with organizing a program that would
1950s. Ive always been fasci- It was also an era when Japan was allow downed pilots to defend them-
nated by the events that unfolded dur- selves against enemy captors. Bruno, by
ing this decade, not only for karate but the war and its immediate aftermath. then a sixth dan, decided to travel to Ja-
also for Japan and its culture. My sensei spoke of it as zassho shiru pan to recruit budo teachers. Of course,
Some of my interest was spawned by jidai, the time of weed soup. During he had numerous contacts in the judo
one of my sensei, who was a young man in this period, the Japan we know today world, but he wanted karate included, as
Japan at that time and whose stories cap- well. He called on Walter Todd, another
tured my imagination. He talked about
the comical sights of Japanese men, par- Japanese student of Hironori Otsuka,
ticularly in the countryside, learning to the likes of Gichin Funakoshi or Cho- founder of wado-ryu karate.
:LWKD*XQWR+LV+HDG
What happened next could have been straight
out of a Jason Bourne movie...
Self-Defense Is Genderless
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W
ere not being sexist ditional Japanese jujitsu relies on For that reason, we teach and preach
or denigrating either strength, but Brazilian jiu-jitsu was avoidance over all techniques. When
gender, but an honest
avoidance isnt possible, the event has
assessment of men and cie to rely on technique rather than two potential outcomes: The attacker
women reveals that actual differences strength. A sickly youth at the time, gets to do what he wants to do, or you
exist only in strength and mass. Gen- Gracie was forced to create a meth- get to prevent him from doing it. Any
erally, all other differences bal- od for defending himself that would relative difference in attributes is moot
ance, speed, agility, coordination, overcome his physical shortcomings. at this point, and dwelling on them
flexibility, intensity and so on have Combatives is similar. Remember doesnt change this fact.
more variability between people than that it was taught universally to men
between genders. and women in the British Special Op- ASK YOURSELF THIS: If an off-hand
erations Executive and the American
shouldnt rely on strength alone, al- World War II. One goal shared by both
though strength and power genera- genders was and still must be the it any less practical or effective for
tion certainly help when it comes to determination to prevail in a violent a man, who may be able to develop
effective application. Think of self- encounter regardless of any disparity more punching power than a woman?
defense in these terms: Much of tra- in size, power or other attributes. Should he disregard the technique as
W
hile everyone dreams -
FOR THOSE
IF YOU MANAGE
-
-
-
Photo by Ehab Othman/Shutterstock.com
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your risks.
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FIT TO FIGHT
S
longer to recover than adults.
tatistics tell us that in 2010, apparent damage on imaging studies
there were 2.5 million traumat- like MRI or CT scans. They cause short- AT LEAST 24 HOURS post-injury
ic brain injuries, many of them term changes in blood chemical levels and only if you have no symptoms
concussions. While the greatest
danger occurs in football and ice hock- While concussions were once thought conditioning. Workouts should last less
ey, practitioners of the martial arts and - than 20 minutes, and you should stop
combat sports are also at risk. ies have linked these injuries to cumu- immediately if concussion symptoms
Concussions are the most common lative brain damage, depression and recur. The goal is simply to increase
sports-related head injury and, sad- dementia. There have been cases in your heart rate and warm your muscles.
ly, often go undetected. They can be which an athlete suffered a second con- On the second day, you can increase
caused by acceleration/deceleration cussion before his brain had recovered the workout duration to 30 minutes.
(rapid front-to-back or side-to-side from an earlier one, resulting in rapid You also can begin simple and non-
movement), rotational motion (rapid brain swelling and sudden death. contact forms and sparring drills. The
turning) or a compressive force (direct goal is to gradually increase demands
impact) to the head. Concussions im- IN THE MARTIAL ARTS, concussions on your body while exercising sport-
pair brain function despite leaving no typically result from a blow to the head
I
ts not hard to envision an 8-year-old boy from ru- What makes our martial art different is its designed to
ral China being entranced by a giant tree, especially teach you how to protect yourself and to keep you from get-
when that tree is more than 1,500 years old, when it ting hurt as you work to develop your body and skills, Wang
Bo says. Thats a lot to learn, to be sure, but its doable be-
men with arms extended, when its root system is said to ex- cause the monks have organized their training in a way that
tend under half the temple complex in which the youth lives. parallels the anatomy of the famed tree of Shaolin.
That tree, a Ginkgo biloba, was planted at Shaolin shortly
seed in the soil, and then the roots start to grow until you
when young Wang Bo began his Shaolin training in 1997,
and its there now. For one and a half millennia, its provided branches develop, Wang Bo says. Shaolin kung fu is like
shade and sustenance for the monks of Shaolin, not to men- that because you need all three parts to thrive: your roots,
tion inspiration for the propagation of their style of kung fu. which means stable stances, fast steps and powerful kicks;
For
training
For self-
purposes, they
defense, theyre
can be aimed
usually kept low,
as high as your
Wang Bo says.
exibility
allows.
TRUNK
The cat stance is also recommended for rapid root growth.
Your weight is on one leg, and your other leg is slightly bent harvest the timber or simply cut the tree down to remove it,
Turn it into an exercise by lowering your body on your sup- cause the roots are buried and the branches are too high to
port leg, then rising up. This improves the balance you need
to kick dynamically and builds the strength you need to move
preserve the well-being of your centerline targets, he says.
ginner or master because it gives you better balance while You use your branches to protect your trunk. You use your
building strength in your legs, as well as your knees, ankles
would sometimes eat while in the horse stance. Try doing it
you improve your arms your branches and your roots
your legs you can better protect your trunk.
Mobility A properly conditioned trunk needs to be strong
tion as one.
you do that is by moving your trunk like a monkey. When
Speed
The posture of the
monkey, with the arms
tucked in and the cross
section of the trunk
minimized, facilitates
movement while
reducing the opponents
options for attack.
Wang Bo assumes
a low stance, then
shifts to the center
and the opposite
side before reversing
the exercise. Its
designed to build leg
strength, exibility
and balance for
better roots.
your body is slow, youll get hit, Wang Bo says. Likewise, if Next step Study the Shaolin shen fa form to improve your
your hands are fast but your body is slow, youll get hit. The
secret of being a good martial artist is being equally fast with trunk keep up with your roots and branches.
your roots, trunk and branches.
When somebody says forms have no usefulness in self-de-
While the [karateka] delivers his punches and kicks IHQVHWUDLQLQJWKDWSHUVRQGRHVQWXQGHUVWDQGWKHPDUWLDODUWV
straight forward with little side-to-side maneuvering, Steve DeMasco
the kung fu stylist is on the move, whirling and twisting
swiftly, coming at his opponent from all directions with a (In the October/November 2016 issue of Black Belt, Wang
barrage of techniques. Speed is considered as important Bo will discuss the Shaolin kung fu concept of branches, a set of
as power. techniques that includes punches and the famed animal strikes.)
Anthony DeLeonardis
To boost speed in all three areas, Shaolin kung fu relies on ABOUT THE EXPERT: Wang Bo began training in the martial arts
traditional training methods for empowering the body. One when he was 3. At age 8, he moved to Shaolin Temple to continue his
martial education. A Black Belt Hall of Famer, he now lives in Southern
of the best ones for beginners is to have a partner attack &DOLIRUQLD)RULQIRUPDWLRQDERXW%ODFN%HOWVQHZ7UHHRI6KDROLQRQ
you, Wang Bo says. You must avoid his strikes while mov- line video course in which Wang Bo teaches everything discussed in
WKLVDUWLFOHDQGPXFKPRUHYLVLWDLPWQHVVQHWZRUNFRPVKDROLQ
ing your trunk, but you cannot punch or kick. Youll discover
that moving your trunk and making it smaller at the same
time means youre less likely to get hit.
Flexibility For the trunk, we also can learn lessons from NEW FROM BLACK BELT AND SHAOLIN MONK WANG BO!
The techniques, training methods and forms mentioned in this
the snake, he says. First, a snake is very soft, but at the same
article are taught in their entirety in Tree of Shaolin, a new on-
time, it can attack and squeeze. When you hold your oppo- OLQHFRXUVHVWDUULQJ:DQJ%R%XWWKDWVQRWDOO7KHPRQNDOVR
nent, youre like a snake thats squeezing its prey. GHOLYHUVGHWDLOVRQWKHFRQFHSWVRIURRWVWUXQNDQGEUDQFKHV
Second, the snakes body moves from side to side like along with exercises designed to sharpen your self-defense
a wave. When your opponent attacks, dont move straight VNLOOVDQGWRQHXS\RXUERG\7RUHYLHZWKHFRQWHQWVRIWKLV
backward because thats what he expects. Instead, move streaming-video program which you can watch on your
your trunk in a wave tilting to the side to avoid the at- VPDUWSKRQHWDEOHWRUFRPSXWHUDVRIWHQDV\RXZLVKYLVLW
tack and then stepping forward so you can counter from DLPWQHVVQHWZRUNFRPVKDROLQ:DWFKWKHWUDLOHUDQGVLJQXSWR
EHFRPHSDUWRIWKH\HDUROG6KDROLQWUDGLWLRQ
in close.
1 ALWAYS EXPECT
THE UNEXPECTED
Wright likes to paraphrase this princi-
ple: When you expect the unexpected,
the unexpected is expected.
The notion of keeping an open mind
about what could happen next in a vio-
4 FIGHT WITHOUT
HESITATION OR
REGRETS
warriors are made of.
people who lack the qualities neces-
sary to responsibly use the knowledge
theyre given.
moral code, Wright says. It tells you to
If a person comes up to you to do be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly,
harm, you can walk away and let him
live another day, or you can stay and
take him out you have to be ready
courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful,
thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. When
you apply this code of conduct to your
8 DEVELOP A
WARRIOR SPIRIT
to act without hesitation because youll everyday life, it will steer you away -
only be able take control of the situa- from poor decision-making, wrong ac- it, the counterculture slogan make
tion by being proactive, Wright says. tions and a lifestyle that can lead to
trouble. More often than not, youll thought that comes to mind. But if you
utilizing your instinctive, emotionally achieve a better quality of life by simply
committed self-defense techniques. being a moral person. you might be surprised to discover
You also need to act without regret, If you apply this same code to self- that it begins with a genuine, although
he says. Your opponent already in- defense, it will encourage you to hon-
tends to do you harm. Hes acting with- estly dedicate your full effort to train- of love.
out regret by the fact that he started the ing and work cooperatively and effec- Theres no greater love than giv-
tively with your training partners. Most ing your life for a friend, he says. In
you regret the outcome of defending importantly, it will provide you with a the combat zone, warriors dont think
yourself? moral compass to properly guide your about self-preservation. Its not every
response to a violent confrontation. man for himself. Instead, we build the
Having a solid moral compass is es- bonds of brotherhood. We are a family,
5 TAKE AN HONEST
LOOK IN THE
MIRROR
sential to that decision-making process
because while your response must be
effective and appropriate to the threat
and we uphold the ideal that the leader
brings all his warriors home. Those
who embody the warrior spirit are
level, it still must be within the limits of gentle and kind but ferocious at the
Its no accident that the halfway mark morality and the law. same time.
in Wrights list of principles is the point Possessing ferocious martial arts
at which he directs you to perform a -
self-appraisal, to honestly assess the
results of your training.
Never ask others how good you are;
7 KNOW THAT
CHARACTER
COUNTS
arm in that you shouldnt arrogantly
display either one, he says. Instead,
be a silent warrior. Walk the walk and
youll know that when you look inside talk the talk, but always with respect.
yourself, he says. While its great to Your commitment to your training
receive praise and encouragement Wright pays close attention to the char- -
from your teachers and peers, youre acter of his students. Its for those who dence that true warriors possess. Be-
the only one who knows deep down if are between teachers that he created cause youve given all you have in the
youre giving your full effort to train- this principle. dojo, youll know theres nothing left
ing. It may appear to others that youre I pay close attention to how the to prove.
9 RECOGNIZE
THE POWER OF
KNOWLEDGE
techniques. You dont want to discover
that your instructor was incompetent
-
should be maintainable and repairable
by the average soldier, even under com-
bat conditions.
Its important to understand that
Wright warns that all knowledge is not youll never reach a state of instinctive
created equal. As a martial artist, you reaction unless the techniques that you
-
lidity of the knowledge you receive.
-
10 REMEMBER
THE BASICS
drill are simple and effective, Wright
says. The complexity of the technique
does not magnify its effect. So while
hand that the process of transferring there are many ways to do something,
valid knowledge among martial artists be step No. 1, but he put it at the end the variations that exist can always be
was nothing like the myth of it being of his SOP on purpose. This principle distilled down to simple and effective
the sharing of vague or mystical se- is the destination that the prior ones techniques.
crets, he says. It was not just the name lead you to, he says. Its not about re-
of the masters or where they lived that membering to get back to the basics but ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Patrick Bamburak
gave authority to their knowledge. rather sticking with them all along. is a professional musician, recording art-
What I call proper knowledge was As a Marine, Wright is a subscriber ist and martial artist who studies combat
isshin-ryu under Black Belt Hall of Famer
the result of the efforts of like-minded to the militarys KISS principle, which Gary Alexander. For more information, visit
people who worked together to devel- is often illustrated by the idea that a baitoven.com.
How the Classical
Samurai Sword Art
Can Offer Guidance
for Modern Edged-
Weapon Self-Defense
BY JAMES WILLIAMS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICK HUSTEAD
P
eople tend to underestimate the usefulness of feu-
dal samurai military arts in modern self-defense sit-
uations. They say the ancient weapons are no longer volved, an exchange of force is simply unacceptable because
practical and the movements needed to wield them the consequence of failure is death of you and maybe
are no longer effective. I counter by arguing that this is even your family and clan. Its not like in sport, where the
a misunderstanding based on the fact that few of these consequences that come with losing are minimal.
arts are still practiced with their original intent and that When I teach self-defense using a knife, I base the lessons
even fewer have been consciously applied to a modern on koryu, the classical Japanese martial systems, especially
military environment. when it comes to strategy and movement. Yes, a knife lacks
Weapons lay at the core of samurai training because the the sheer power and reach of a katana, but both weapons
goal was to prevail in lethal combat, whether on or off the can bring the same basic consequences in combat.
During most CLASSICAL COMBAT I started focusing on it in the 1990s while
engagements, Kenjutsu was the foundation of the samurais working with combatives instructors for
training. The reasons are self-evident: Feudal Naval Special Warfare. This assignment rein-
once a person Japan was a warrior society in which swords
moved, one were carried, and had the potential to be method is essential, especially when oper-
used, on a daily basis. The sword had been ating under time constraints. I also realized
or both part of Japanese culture for centuries. Blades
combatants and the training needed to use them domi- one thats needed to make ones skill set as
nated the life of a samurai from his Boys Day effective as possible. Since that time, Ive
would be
mortally year) until his death. Everything a samurai to these three principles.
did from sitting and eating to walking
wounded within and interacting with others was viewed
seconds. Mutual tactically with the sword occupying center THE STRATEGIC PRIME DIRECTIVE
You must not contest for space with vec-
killing wasnt his sword, manifested in his kenjutsu and tors of force.
uncommon implemented according to the warrior code Not contesting for space means dont be
of bushido. where force is being applied. In other words,
because, The kenjutsu of this period was radically dont think of blocking a blade attack and
despite its different from the modern arts that are de- never think of weathering the storm. Its
rived from it: iaido, kendo, aikido, jujitsu and the only strategy that works in every situa-
lethality, so on. One of the reasons for the difference tion, whether the attack entails a stab, slash,
a sword punch, push, grab or bullet. All threats are
During most engagements, once a person rendered ineffective if youre not where
frequently moved, one or both combatants would be force is manifested.
doesnt have a mortally wounded within seconds. Mutual My art of nami ryu doesnt teach the use
killing wasnt uncommon because, despite of blocks against slashes, stabs or any oth-
lot of stopping its lethality, a sword frequently doesnt have er forms of applied force. Contrary to what
power. a lot of stopping power. This means a cut ad- some instructors insist, I dont tell students
versary has the potential to kill even while that they should expect to be cut in a knife
hes dying.
- The belief that its inevitable comes from an
cy of movement and deception, which is why exchange-of-force mindset. I prefer to think
Weapons 101
THE TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION -
You must move in order to adapt. If one wishes to under-
stand the samurai war
- arts, the endeavor should
begin with some simple
GHQLWLRQV0DUWLDOUHIHUV
to war, which is about kill-
- ing people and breaking
WKLQJV:DULVZDJHGZLWK
WRROV0DUWLDODUWUHIHUVWR
your ability to kill or break
your opponent without his
kobo ittai, being able to do that to
kata are designed to - \RX%\WKHVHGHQLWLRQV
most of what we think of
-
as modern martial arts
otonashi no kachi, silent have nothing to do with
ZDU00$LVDVSRUWDV
- DUHMXGRZUHVWOLQJ%UD]LO-
ian jiu-jitsu, karate and so
RQ7KLVGRHVQRWPHDQ
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LESSONS FROM THE PAST 7KH\DUHQRWKRZHYHU
GHVLJQHGIRUZDU
:KHQ,VWDUWDFODVVZLWK
special-operations people
WAR IS A MATTER OF DECEPTION ZKRKDYHQWWUDLQHGZLWK
- - me, I bring out a sword,
Art of War more slice an 8-by-11-inch
piece of paper in half and
WKHQDVN:KRLVWRXJK"
- 0\UHDVRQLVWRFRQYH\WKH
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- ERXWLQZKLFKLWVDFFHSW-
- able to absorb punishment
RQWKHZD\WRYLFWRU\
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sword or knife touches,
LWFOHDYHV$QH[FKDQJH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: James Williams has spent more 55 years in the martial arts, 36 of which en-
of force is unacceptable
tailed studying the classical samurai military arts. He teaches military special-operations personnel, law-
HQIRUFHPHQWRIFHUVDQGPHPEHUVRIYDULRXVVHFXULW\DJHQFLHV:LOOLDPVD%ODFN%HOW+DOORI)DPHUDOVR when tools that can kill you
GHVLJQVNQLYHVEDVHGRQWKHEODGHVRIWKHVDPXUDLQDPLU\XFRPV\VWHPRIVWUDWHJ\FRP DUHLQSOD\
AS COVERED
EXTENSIVELY IN
THE WRITINGS
OF GICHIN
FUNAKOSHI,
MORTAL
COMBAT IS NOT
THE PRIMARY
CONCERN OF
THE ART.
THERE REMAINS
WITHIN THE ENDLESS
REPETITIONS OF KATA,
KIHON AND KUMITE
THAT MAKE UP
SHOTOKAN A VIABLE
AND POTENT SYSTEM
OF SELF-DEFENSE.
7 Black
Belt Hall of
Famers on
the Fringe
*
Studying
BY FLOYD BURK
If youve trained long enough, you might already know in student at the kwoon. Carradine said that after several
what youre about to read in this article. However, the months, hed regain his ambition and be ready to take on
information is so valuable, so life-changing, that its the world. He attributed his late-in-life showbiz triumphs
worth repeating a) so newcomers can see the big pic- including the Kill Bill movies to the power of the mar-
tial arts.
the dojo and c) so you can use it to recruit others to our cause. What mysterious attribute gives the arts the ability to do
In addition to teaching you how to defend yourself, martial this? First, theres the spiritual. All the success in the world
arts training prepares you for life. This applies to the young wont make you happy if you dont chip away at ego, pride
as well as the not so young, to those who strike as well as and other destructive factors in life. Then, theres the physi-
those who grapple. A good instructor in any art will have had cal. All the spiritual enlightenment in the world wont make
an endless stream of students report that theyve enjoyed
success in their professional and personal lives because of covered these two truisms more than a millennia ago right
their martial arts training. after Bodhidharma began teaching them that the mind and
body are inseparable.
in his life, he was on the brink of a breakdown. Fortunately, In the 21st
before doing anything rash, the actor sought out his kung
fu master Kam Yuen, who would prescribe a daily dose of martial arts training. Below are comments from seven of
martial arts to be administered while Carradine was a live- them, all members of the Black Belt Hall of Fame.
CHRISTINE BANNON-RODRIGUES When you earn your black
Former Karate World Champion Black Belts 1989 Female Competitor of the Year belt, you realize you can
achieve anything. Here in
5KRGH,VODQGZHYHDOZD\V
had a two-day test. You go
through hell, but then you
come out on the other end just
having survived, and you end
XSZLWKVRPXFKFRQGHQFH
This experience prepares
younger people for high
school, college life and then
the outside world.
I just came off double hip
replacements. I recovered
quickly, and I attribute that to
the martial arts. When I went
to the doctors for counsel-
ing, they showed me videos
of a girl walking around in
high heels eight weeks after
VXUJHU\,VDLGWRP\VHOI,P
a black belt I can do it in
KDOIWKDWWLPH,ZHQWLQZLWK
a positive mindset, and I was
teaching one week afterward.
7KHUHVVWLOOGHHSWLVVXHKHDO-
ing that has to take place,
which means no explosive
kicks or kicking the bag or
people with much contact, but
,PUHDOO\DFWLYH
Learn more: DonRodriguesKa
rateAcademy.com
BURTON RICHARDSON
Christine Bannon-Rodrigues Photo by Rick Hustead Burton Richardson Photo by Robert Reiff
Silat Instructor One of the Original Dog Brothers
Black Belts 2015 Self-Defense Instructor of the Year
Martial arts are re- WKLQJVJRZURQJ,WVHDV\WR
ally about overcoming be calm and serene when all
obstacles. Developing the LVZHOO,WVLQWLPHVRIDGYHUVLW\
mental attributes necessary to that our character is checked,
overcome impediments allows MXVWOLNHDJKWHUVDFWXDOVNLOO
\RXWRWUDQVFHQGJKWLQJDQG is revealed when in a real
better cope with the stresses JKWVLWXDWLRQ,YHGHDOWZLWK
of everyday life. a great deal of adversity in
If someone attacks you with my life, especially with certain
a punch, tackle or weapon, health issues. My martial arts
your techniques for overcom- training has allowed me to
ing that obstacle must be so manage these challenges and
ingrained that the response is focus on the positive. This has
automatic. When you practice helped myself, my loved ones,
against resisting partners, you and even those who were
become used to dealing with caring for me to be in a better
adversity while building the VWDWHRIPLQG
physical and emotional mus- Learn more: Sign up for Bur-
cles to handle such situations. WRQ5LFKDUGVRQV6LODWIRUWKH
You can then take your abil- 6WUHHWRQOLQHFRXUVHDWDLPW
ity to overcome obstacles and nessnetwork.com.
apply it to everyday life when
Kelly McCann Photo by Robert Reiff Sage Northcutt Photo by Thomas Coffman/Coffman Photography
KELLY MCCANN
Combatives Instructor )RUPHU0DULQH&RUSV2IFHU
%ODFN%HOWV6HOI'HIHQVH,QVWUXFWRURIWKH<HDU
GEAR
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Centurys C-Gear collection is made for high-level athletes.
The boots, gloves and headgear are constructed of foam
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In addition to his work for this magazine, he regularly puts out
instructional texts like this one. The book, which is 168 pages
long, addresses, in his own words, what you do in response to
punching [rather] than punching prowess itself.
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ook up hayabusa online, and safety, thereby ensuring a lifetime of egrine logo in training and competition.
youll discover that its the Jap- healthy training for their customers. Hayabusa has great relationships
anese word for peregrine fal- Hayabusa designs and produces with big martial artists who represent
con, a bird of prey that can be equipment and technical apparel for the arts with professionalism, Land-
found pretty much anyplace on earth all combat practitioners in the martial ers says. Staying in touch with martial
that humans inhabit. If the company arts, says Matt Landers, lead market- artists lets us hear what they like about
that bears the name of that powerful ing strategist for Hayabusa. This rang- our current products and what chal-
avian has its way, the products it makes es from MMA to individual disciplines lenges they face with existing products
like karate, jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kick- in the market. It also gives us feedback
will become equally ubiquitous. boxing and so on. on innovations we develop to push the
Founded in Canada in 2006, Hayabusa The best place for prospective buyers boundaries of safety and performance.
Fightwear Inc. is the brainchild of a cad- to lay hands on products that bear the Martial artists of all disciplines are
re of martial artists. One is a karate black bird brand its always nice to try be- encouraged to regularly visit haya
belt who cross-trained in judo and sam- fore you buy, right? is at major mar- -
bo and now competes in muay Thai and tial arts shows, conventions and similar taining to new products and product
jiu-jitsu. Another practices MMA and jiu- events, Landers says. Hayabusa is pres- lines the company is launching. Haya-
jitsu and is competitive in tournaments. ent at karate tournaments in key tourna- busa fans can expect lots of new cutting-
They hatched Hayabusa to manufac- ment circuits with our karate team. And edge products coming down the pipe-
Photo Courtesy of Hayabusa
ture and deliver to end-users gear and were a proud sponsor of International line, as well as some really big sponsor-
apparel of the highest quality, goods Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation events ship announcements, Landers says.
that would meet the needs of martial all over the world, as well as a premier Social media users can follow the com-
artists who have a habit of abusing partner at Glory kickboxing events. pany on Facebook at @HayabusaMMA
what they buy. Of course, the founders Martial artists who have eyes like a and on Twitter at @Hayabusa_MMA.
also wanted their products to promote hawk are likely to spot Hayabusa gear
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and Taiwan lists the home phone numbers for privacy-shunning instructor Willy Lin. The movements of tai chi must be slow and
organizers Sho Kosugi and Jun Chong. continuous, like silk from a silkworm or a shadow following its
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training! If you sincerely attempt to practice the philosophy and H[SHUWLVHLQNDUDWHZLWKRXWIXQFWLRQDOO\GHVWUR\LQJWKHIRRW
attitudes of karate in class, they will eventually become part of Thank you, Capt. Obvious.
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Shintani, a wado-ryu instructor who relocated to North America (Note: Back issues are not for sale.)
to spread his art.