fter making for years all the necessarytests (one month printed and sold innewsstands and the following monthpublished on-line), we decided we hadto make a free magazine on Internet. Wehad discovered that in this way there

were many more readers and that a new businessmodel was starting to be born. Sales of ourproducts (videos, DVDs, equipment) increased themonths we appeared on line; besides, there werenot few the masters willing to benefit from thefivefold diffusion all this entailed. The boldest ofthem bet, some by the trust and confidence placedin my person and others by an authentic forward-looking vision. We were right. Today we can say thatthis has multiplied tenfold!As a result of this success, we have had to make a

new decision that we hope it pleases all of you,offering you each month not one but twomagazines, always for FREE.The Internet world has nothing to do with the

paper world. Before, when we raised the idea ofmaking fortnightly editions, we encountered theproblem of the quick expiration date of the product.Before placing the next issue, we had to withdrawthe former one. As a result, it was very difficult toget enough readers, and publishers and advertisers;we regretted the effort we had carried out. Todayeverything is different because the magazinesremain accessible and this fact simply adds readersinstead of reducing them!It is true that all of this requires an extra effort on

my team, but we do it with tremendous enthusiasmand excitement, because in this way will also havethe opportunity to come into your homes and livestwice a month, bringing you the best of the martialworld and providing access and entry to newcollaborators, among the many of those who areseeking new developing ways for their teaching andlearning approaches.Following this line, with great resources and work,

we have devoted the last 8 months to unify in

language and content all our sites in a new websiteunder the name of www.budointernational.com thatwe have just released for you all with incredibleacceptance.Made under the most modern standards of

Prestashop, the magazine offers you weeklyinformation with exclusive contents and thepossibility of reading the magazine on the spot, aswell as weekly OFFERS on our products, and manyplans already underway, of which you will have fullinformation simply by registering. An addedadvantage of this registration (it will take you just afew minutes) is that you can receive full informationof each new magazine as soon as it is published,and exclusive offers for those belonging to this club.Our website aims to become a real portal for

Martial Arts, where you can have everything youmay need regarding our world. Please, visit it, youwon't be disappointed. Also, don't let pass by theopportunity to know our download website! There isa welcome offer for a few days of only 6 Euros pervideo! The number of titles available in downloadhas reached 400 and it's growing every week!For our readers this implies that, twice a month,

you will have a new magazine to read and also awebsite with exclusive contents where each weekwill present articles that will NOT come out in theregular magazine, some of them real gemspreviously published in our pages and that many ofyou didn't have the chance to read in due course.Don't forget to visit and subscribe to our YouTubechannel under the name of "videobudo", where lotsof FREE videos have helped us to gather today theincredible (and increasing!) figure of 18,000subscribers.All this has a common denominator, and it's

very simple: the generosity and affection withwhich all of you have treated us in this wholetransition process that culminates now with a newmodel of communication for the XXI CenturyMartial World. All I can say is a deep and fond THANK YOU!

"Change is the rule of life. Whoever sees just thepast or the present will miss the future."

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"Put your heart, your mind, your intellectand your soul even in your smallest acts. In this lies the secret of success."

Swami Sivananda

A

Alfredo Tucci is Managing Director toBudo INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING CO.E-mail: budo@budointernational.com

https://www.facebook.com/alfredo.tucci.5

his is a for sure controversial article. But as mydear old mom would have said honesty isalways the best policy.So after a few years of punching and kicking

here is my take on the subject.It really depends on what you study martial arts for

whether its sport, history and philosophy, self-improvement, weapons training and self defense, fitness,self- defense or just plain fun.If you're interested in sport it really does not matter

which one you train in as they nearly all have a sportingaspect these days. None though are in the Olympicsexcept Tae Kwon Do and Judo. So if you are a youngperson with eyes set on being a world champion orOlympic Champion join Tae Kwon Do or Judo.Now if your interested in pure self defense there are a few

that offer the best and that would be Boxing, Brazilian Ju Jitsuand Muay Thai as they really will teach you what it is like to behit and hit hard and this is what happens on the street.For fitness I would suggest Tae Bo or Karate Aerobics or

something like this.If philosophy and pure health then I suggest Tai Chi and

Kung Fu although several of the other arts have this aspecta well these I feel are the best.For weapons training and self defense I would stat in

Escrima as they specialize in stick and knife training beforegoing to open hand techniques and this is an excellent artfor law enforcement as well.For self-improvement as a young person the modern

mart ia l ar ts in Amer ica where they have mixed

everything into what they teach many of these areexcellent as they teach self-improvement, goal settingand camaraderie.If it is just plain fun then join the school your friends are

at and the fun will happen.Now in saying all that arts like Traditional Japanese

Karate are excellent at discipline and as well are good forfitness and sport but be prepared to study a long time todevelop self defense skills but once developed they arewith you for life.In summary I suggest always watching at least three

schools work out and watch the way the head instructorinteracts with students and see if his personality is whatyour after for your self or child.The decision you will make is an important one because

if you choose incorrectly you will be wasting time and a lotof it. The time you spent at the school, the time it will takeyour new instructor to correct the mistakes you haveacquired and finally the time to get you back to the levelyou should be at.So take the decision very serious and don't be in a big

hurry.When I started karate I was required to watch three

classes before I was allowed to start and pay the fee. Theinstructor did not want to waste his time teaching someone who was only going to be there for a few months andthen quit.Good luck on your martial arts journey. No matter what

art you study it always comes down to the quality of theteacher and the quality of the student.

T

CHUCK NORRIS, ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE LEGEND

arlos Ray Norris, better known as Chuck Norris, was born inOklahoma on March 10, 1940. Norris was brought up in the bosomof a modest and very religious family; in fact, he was named Carlosafter Reverend Carlos Berry, as a tribute to the spiritual minister ofthe family during those years. Norris has Irish ancestry on his

paternal grandfather and his maternal grandmother, and Cherokee ancestryfrom his paternal grandmother and his maternal grandfather. As a competitorhe used to joke about his origins, telling his opponents: If you can beat thecombativeness of my half Irish, my half Cherokee will rip your scalp. Nowseriously, he's always considered that his energy and vitality come from hisIrish blood, and his determination and stoicism from his Indian blood.

When Norris says that nothing has ever been given to him for free and thathe has always been a fighter, he's surely right, his own birth having been astruggle with life; after a long and difficult delivery, he was born with severebreathing problems and needed five days of attentive medical care tobe declared out of danger.

His childhood was not easy. On the one hand he developedan immense shyness due to the fact, among other things, thatfrom the beginning it was impossible for him to get lastingfriends: his family was constantly moving house. Before 15 hehad gone through thirteen different cities. The economic situation ofthe family was never too good, they used to rent small apartments inwhich they had to sleep huddled up together. Another big problem of hischildhood was his father's alcoholism: Ray Norris returned from fighting inWorld War II with severe drinking problems.

This resulted in many tense situations with his wife and children. "Fortunatelyhe never got to spank us - recalls Norris -, he was a peaceful man and when hewas not drunk he was nice. But when he was under the influence of alcohol(most of the day) he was very bleak and unpredictable. Sometimes hescreamed at us and threatened us, and that affected me a lot because I was avery sensitive and vulnerable child. Sometimes he disappeared for days andeven weeks". The situation became untenable and when Norris was 16 and hisbrothers Wieland and Aaron were 12 and 4 respectively, their parents divorced.Shortly after, his mother remarried and his stepfather managed to stabilize thefamily situation, a period during which he met Dianne Norris, who he wouldmarry years later.

Text: Nuria Ortiz Lpez & Pedro Conde.Photos: extracted from Budo & Don Warrener Files

He is beyond doubt one of the brightest stars in the martial firmament and has lefta definite mark on the sector films, a type of cinema in which he's always been in theright place at the right time, from his encounter with the Little dragon in thememorable fight at the Roman Colosseum, to a brilliant personal career that hasbeen riddled with successes in film and television. But Chuck Norris is much more.Behind the character there is a whole lengthy story, its the story of someonetouched by fate that we all want to know. For this reason, we asked Master PedroConde, our super skilled reporter, to deepen into the biography of the most famousRanger of history, and he has prepared this fantastic article, entertaining andcomplete indeed, that certainly will turn into a reference from today for collectors.

Alfredo Tucci

C

"Carlos Ray Norris,better known as

Chuck Norris wasborn in

Oklahoma on March 10, 1940"

After graduation, Norris decided he wantedto join the Air Force in seeking to get later aposition within the military police. He enlistedin August 1958 and was assigned to themilitary base in Lackland, Texas. It was therethat the other recruits, given the difficulty ofpronouncing his name, "Carlos", started tocall him Chuck.

Soon after, in late 1959, he was sent toOsan Air Base, South Korea. This move, veryproblematic in principle for he couldn't bringDianne (who he had recently married) withhim, proved to be decisive for the life and

future of Chuck Norris. Nothing would be thesame when he returned from Korea. "In theOsan military base there were only 4 activitiesto which you could devote your free time: playcards, go out drinking with other recruits, signup for academic training classes or learn Judo.Most recruits chose the first two options, Ichose the latter. The why is pretty simple: ourmilitary instructors cared very little whether wetrained or we were in shape, at the earliestopportunity they crushed you physically toexhaustion. So I decided to practice Judo (theonly Martial Art known at the time) to develop

Curious pictures of a youngChuck Norris in his phase of

competitor, when he was partof the elite of the Contact

Karate revolution that, alongwith Mike Anderson and other

big names of the time,"disjapanized" the Martial Artand gave birth to a new sport

concept.

my physical abilities and, in turn, to overcome theinsecurity that characterized me".

On a visit to the village of Osan, a strange sightcaught his eye: surrounded by lots of curious,young Koreans were conducting a demonstrationof Martial Arts, performing incredible kicks of allkinds, circulars, spinning, jumping, etc. Norris wasreally impressed by what he saw; he never thoughtthe human body could achieve such feats.

After much prodding, Norris gained acceptancein Tang Soo Do classes (that was the Martial Artpracticed by those youngsters) of the Koreanmaster Jae Chul Shin. "Shin imparted his trainingin the traditional style - recalls Norris with a smile -.That is, five hours a day from Monday to Saturday.There were about 20 students, most of themKorean black belts, and a few Americans. Thebeginning was especially hard; Shin and hisstudents knew little about educational psychology.There was no middle ground: either you liked andwere passionate about it making the utmost effortin every workout or after a week you left cursing.Fortunately, from the beginning to the end I wasand assiduous and persevering student. It can be

Bruce Lee launched hiscareer in the Cinema, inwhich he has left a deep

impression over a long andsuccessful career. Picturesduring recording, some of

them curious as the outtakeon the right. Above with Bob

Wall, his friend for years.

said, without wishing to exaggerate, thatthe spirit of Martial Arts changed my life.Within a few months of training I started tofeel much more self-confident and becamemore talkative and sociable with my basefellows. I even got to be elected once as"Soldier of the Month"!".

When Norris left Osan to return to theUnited States in March 1961, he alreadywas TangSoo Do black belt and brown beltin Judo. Back home he was appointedMilitary Police sergeant at the airbase ofRiverside. He then decided to combine hismilitary career with his passion for MartialArts. He continued to receive Judo classes(he even competed in different interstatetournaments) while he kept practicingTangSoo Do on his own, not knowing anymaster who taught this style.

He then began to impart classes of whathe first called "Karate", since at that time,when you spoke of Tang Soo Do peopleassumed you were talking about somekind of oriental food, so Norris wascompelled to look for a more familiardesignation for his art, even if it wasminimally known, as "Karate".

His first students were his brothers andcousins and military personnel from hisbase. He soon realized that there weremany people interested in Martial Arts, so

in 1962 he left the Air Force and decided todedicate himself fully to teaching. Heopened up a small gym but things didn'tgo as expected: "If I really wanted tosucceed as a Martial Arts teacher I had towin a few national tournaments. It was theonly way to make myself known in thisworld and capture the attention of thepress."

Oddly enough Chuck Norris wasdefeated in his f irst two attempts tobecome a champion. Far from beingcarried away by discouragement, heproved once again that perseverance andfaith in oneself, sooner or later, bear theirfruits; this is how in 1964 was proclaimedwinner of the tournament in Los Angeles. Itwas the beginning of an extraordinarycareer in which Chuck Norris soon madefashionable the spinning kick that gave himmore than one tit le, and he and hisstudents began to raze wherever theywent. Finally, in August 1966, he waspresented with the opportunity to competein the most prestigious tournament of thattime: The Long Beach Internationalorganized by Ed Parker, an opportunity hedidn't let pass and returned home with thetitle of the middle weights in his pocket.

That was when Chuck Norris realizedthat if getting to the top had made him

With Pedro Conde, in one of the several interviews thatauthor of this article has made to Chuck Norris throughouthis life.

sweat blood, remain among theelite was going to cost him muchmore. So he decided to plungehimself body and soul into the studyand practice of Martial Arts andstarted to train with the best Karateteachers of the American WestCoast: Fumio Demura, Shito Ryuexpert; Hidetaka Nishiyama,Shotokan Master, and TsutamuOshima, of which he has some veryspecial memories: "Oshima wasextremely tough. The level that heprinted to his classes was reallyimpressive; with him I learned toovercome the limitations that yourimposes you, and to base thephysical and technical progress inthe power of the mind, throughsacrifice and suffering." He alsotrained Hapkido and Aikido withMaster Jun Chung, and Ju Jitsuwith Al Thomas. Under the tutelageof Ed Parker he learned Kenpo-Karate, and Gene Lebell, an expertin American wrestling, Judo, Boxingand Karate, gave him a goodcombat basis in the short distanceand ground fighting.

In 1967, his talent and theteachings of such masters enabledNorris to defend his tit le ofmiddleweight champion, and alsoachieve the tit le of All Weightschampion by defeating the famousJoe Lewis. It was in this tournamentwhere he met Bruce Lee.

This tournament was followedby many other v ictor ies, andNorris soon became the colossusof American competition. On hissuccess in these sporting eventshe would declare: "There are threefacets to be a winner: mental,physical and psychological . Iprepare myself mentally trying toknow the strong and weak pointsof my opponent so that I can takeadvantage of. When I am mentallyready, I can see and be aware ofeverything going on around me. Iprepare myself psychologicallybelieving in my ability to beat him.I prepare myself physically training hard so thatI can execute my techniques in the bestpossible way. When I'm in excellent condition, Ioften hit my opponent even before my braincan register it. There where I see a gap, I gostraight in."

As a result of meeting Bruce Lee, they bothbegan to train three or four hours once or twice aweek, thus a friendship developed. Bruce Norrismanaged to convince Bruce that knowing how tokick high could always be helpful (at that time,Bruce, heavily influenced by the Wing Chun, onlykicked from the waist down) and taught himvarious techniques. In return, the Little Dragonexplained to him the mechanics of the direct

punch in Wing Chun, which Norris immediately included inhis repertoire of combat.

Chuck Norris achieved his first role to act in a filmthrough Bruce Lee, when one morning in 1968 he calledhim and said: "Chuck, I can get you a small role ideal foryou: you'd have to make bodyguard of actress ElkeSommer in the movie 'The Wrecking Crew'. Are youinterested?" In the film also acted Dean Martin and SharonTate... Obviously, Norris was enormously interested. Butthe first opportunity for a serious and importantinvolvement in the world of the 7th Art did not come until1972, when Bruce Lee called him from Hong Kongproposing him the role of co-star of his next film in "Way ofthe dragon" (titled Return of the Dragon in UnitedStates). Although Norris already enjoyed great popularity,he didn't miss the opportunity offered by Bruce Lee tobecome known throughout the world and entering the filmindustry. Norris traveled to Rome and then to Hong Kongto roll with Bruce Lee what has come to be called "thefight of the century", his duel at the Colosseum recallingthe ancient gladiators.

Having won practically everything, Chuck Norrisstopped participating in competitions in early 1974 to

With the author of this article, Pedro Conde, and thegreat Master Ral Gutirrez, years later.

devote himself to his work as ateacher of Martial Arts. "Sometimes,knowing when to retire fromsomething is almost as important asknowing when to start. At thirty four Ihad held the title of World KarateChampion for six consecutive years. Ino longer had the necessary intensityto compete again, so I decided to getinvolved fully in teaching Martial Arts.Whether the decision was influencedby the death of Bruce Lee or simplyby the desire to retire while I was ontop, I'm not sure, but official ly Iretired from Karate championships in1974, leaving the ring as six-timeworld professional middleweightchampion."

After his retirement he teamed upwith Bob Wall and they openedseveral schools, Norris took charge of

classes and Bob was responsible forrunning the business, but that did notwork. After the premiere of "Thewrath of the Dragon" in America, hisfame grew and in 1977 starred in"Breaker! Breaker! followed a yearlater by "Good Guys Wear Black ".After the death of Bruce Lee, thethrone of the "King of the MartialArts" became vacant; it seemed thatthere was no Oriental actor withsufficient talent to take his place,then, Hollywood sought analternative. Logically, the onlyWesterner with fame and enoughmartial knowledge to occupy theposition at the time was ChuckNorris. It was clear that the publicwas tired of so many oriental films, itwas needed a Western actor withwhich the audience could feel

identified. "A Force of One" was his next job (in which heacts with Bill Wallace), "The Octagon", "An eye for an eye",among others. While the first stage of his filmography isbasically reduced to Martial Arts films in the early 80s, Norriswill try to change the roles on which he seems to bepigeonholed and pursue starring action films in the lineStallone or Schwarzenegger. "Missing in Action", "InvasionUSA", "Lone Wolf McQuade", "Code of Silence" and "DeltaForce" are good examples of the second cinematographicstage of Chuck Norris. Regarding this change Norriscommented:

"A mid-70s, they immediately pigeonholed me as aKarateka-star. My purpose was to break with that topic andfor that I had to zoom out enough of Martial Arts in films. Ithink I've managed to make a name for myself among thegreatest of the action movie, and now I can think seriouslyabout re-including many Martial Arts in my films."

In 1987, before the filming of "Braddock. Missing in ActionIII", Chuck Norris had an experience that completelychanged his concept in Martial Arts. "Bob Wall and I traveledto Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on a diving trip. While we werethere I wanted to know about the different styles of MartialArts practiced in the country. We trained at several schoolswherever we went, someone told us about the amazingGracie family, local icons of Jiu Jitsu. "Nobody messes withthe Gracies", everyone said. "They are tough people!" Boband I decided we wanted to know the Gracie family and sowe started to look for their academy all over Rio. There wemet Helio Gracie, the father of the clan, a short man in hisseventies, and his son, Rikson, the leader of the youngGracies.

Bob and I asked them if we could train with them and theGracies gladly accepted. I had learned some Ju Jutsu withGene LaBelle in the United States and I am black belt inJudo, so I felt I could be on the level of these guys. Butwhen we entered the tatami, I quickly discovered that all myMartial Arts moves were not effective against the Gracies. Itwas as if I had never done Martial Arts in my life! It was themost humiliating experience I've had as a martial artist.Those guys left me at rock bottom! Helio Gracie came intothe mat and he wanted to have a combat with me. Wefought all over the tatami and for a moment I could be on topof him.

Then Mr. Gracie said, 'Chuck, hit me.' 'Uh no, Mr. Gracie,I'm not going to hit you'. 'No, no problem. Go ahead, hitme', the old man insisted. So I said, 'Well ... okay', as I raisedmy arm ... and that was the last thing I remember. Heknocked me off. When I woke up and looked around, Ithought the old man had applied me a neck lock and I wasknocked unconscious. I felt that my throat would be sore fordays. Mr. Gracie smiled and told me: 'Chuck, stay here in Riowith us and will make one of you one of the best Jiu Jitsupractitioners in the world.' 'Thank you, Mr. Gracie, but I reallyhave to go back to United States', I said as I tried to swallow.I was going to start shooting another movie so I couldn't staylonger in Brazil."

But that experience marked him to the point that as soonas he had the chance to do it he began training Brazilian JiuJitsu with the Machado brothers and, on occasions, with theGracies ... "Since 1978 I have led an organization of blackbelt practitioners of Martial Arts known as Federation ofUnited Fighting Arts. Every year in July, I invite all my blackbelt students to a convention in Las Vegas, where we traintogether for several days. For ten consecutive years startingfrom 1993, the Gracies and the Machado brothers havegiven seminars at the convention."

Referring to his film career, in the late 80s the figure ofChuck Norris as an actor and martial artist clearly went into

crisis. His last films ("Hero and the Terror,""The Hitman") did not get the expectedsuccess. In Spain for example theseproductions went straight to the videomarket without premiering in cinemas.

Nevertheless, he remained very popularin the United States: a personal friend offormer President Bush, developingextensive against drugs program byteaching Martial Arts to the young peopleliving on marginalized neighborhoods...

In 1992, when it seemed that othermartial film "heroes" were taking thelead, he was proposed a risky project: atelevision series whose protagonistevoked the character he played in 'LoneWolf McQuade'. "While in Israel filmingthe film 'Hellbound' in 1992, my agent,Mike Emery, called me and asked if Iwould be interested in doing a weeklyseries called 'Walker; Texas Ranger',with CBS, a modern story of a TexasRanger with old-fashioned values, andrepresented good versus evil. At first, Iwasn't too interested, but Mikeencouraged me when he told me thatthe series was about a cowboy type lawofficer fighting crime in modern Texas.'Let me think about it, Mike, I'm notsure I want to do television', I said,'After all, it would be a big risk. Also, ifthe series is not successful, it couldaffect my film career."

Occasionally Chuck Norris had statedthat he had identif ied and felt verycomfortable with the character he hadplayed in "Lone Wolf Mc". The idea of theseries attracted him but if he did not getthe expected success, being his career

the way it was, a fai lure could bring fatalconsequences. Chuck Norris had made many riskydecisions throughout his life and "almost" alwayseverything had gone well; that occasion was noexception, he agreed to star in the series ...Walker became the most successful televisionseries on Saturday nights, since the legendaryGunsmoke saga. It wasn't surprising that manytelevision critics assessed the series as being veryviolent. I was disappointed but not upset. We had ayesteryear cowboy type atmosphere in theprogram and our characters often got into fights,firing guns and of course, Walker winning manyfights by incorporating his Martial Arts knowledge.That made that he was seen as too aggressive bysome people. What critics chose to ignore, ofcourse, was the fact that the good guys in Walkernever showed a violent behavior if there wasanother way to arrest criminals, and even in thoseinstances, we always made clear that violence wasused as a last resort and only as a means toovercome evil with the good.

The series was a huge success not only in NorthAmerica, but also in all the countries where it wasreleased, turning Chuck Norris into the mostfamous character at martial level, his fame beatingthat of Steven Seagal or Jean Claude Van Damme.Walker, Texas Ranger, consisted of two hundredand three 45-minute episodes, aired between April21, 1993 and May 19, 2001 by the Americannetwork CBS. Internationally, it was retransmittedin over 80 countries around the world with anaverage of one billion viewers per episode.

"The last episode of Walker, Texas Ranger, agrand finale of two hours, was on 6 April 2001. Itwas a very emotional moment for everybody. Manyof us in the cast had worked together for eightseasons; we were like a family. When we finishedour last day of work, I spoke briefly to the staff andthe cast. I did not dare to talk too much for fear ofending in tears. However, there were many tears aswe say our good-byes. When we shut the sceneryof Walker, I looked at my wife Gena and I said:"Let's go home!" When we started working forthe show, I thought Walker had the potential to stayfor three or four years... I never thought it could getup to eight! CBS might have continued for anotheryear, but by then, Gena was pregnant and I didn'twant to be tied to the rigid schedules of the series.Gena was having twins and I knew she would needmy help."

After the birth of the twins, Chuck Norrispractically retired, starring occasionally in films (TVpremieres) linked to his series. In 2005 he shot thefi lm "The Mediator", which passed virtuallyunnoticed. Since then he has barely left his ranchin Lone Wolf Napisota, Texas, just for some publicevents. In 2012 he agreed to participate in "TheExpendables II", this being his last job.

At 74, he just wants peace of mind and enjoyhis family. Those who have had the honor ofmeeting him know he is a gentleman; he is simplythe great Knight, with a capital "K" letter, of theMartial Arts. Those who have had the privilege ofknowing him and talking to him can corroboratethat he has left the bar very high, both as aPerson and as a Master, in the latter area, of thefew which remain.

COMBAT HAPKIDO Tactical Pressure Points:Scalable Solutions for DiversePopulations

Text: Master Mark S. GridleyPhotos: www.budointernational.com

In this article my goal is to helpyou understand the scalability (orversatility) of tactical pressurepoints not only in self-defense butalso in every-day life situations.

d l ike to begin byexpressing gratitude to mygenerous and insightfulteachers, GM JohnPellegrini, GM George

Dillman, and GM Chris Thomas whohelped open my mind to the greatvariety of techniques and applicationsavailable according to the individual'sabil ity, situational need, oroccupation.

The well-known karate phrase onepunch, one kil l has become, inmodern societies, inappropriate formoral and legal reasons and, for mostof us, was always a difficult and highlylimited skill set to focus on due to thedifference in physical abilities and thelow probability of success in thedynamic realities of combat. Our timeis best spent preparing for the mostprobable situation with skills that areadaptable based upon the needs ofever changing scenarios. I wil li l lustrate this thought process by

using the same tactical pressure pointin different scenarios based on therole of the practitioner.

Combat Hapkido students comefrom all walks of life and vary greatly inlevels of physical ability as well as age,gender, size and personality. Todemonstrate the premise of my theory,I have chosen 3 very differentindividuals with 3 very differentmissions: a military operative in aclose quarter battle field scenario, alaw enforcement officer dealing with asubject in passive resistance, a nursehandling a person in an agitatedmental status, and a law abidingcivilian facing a bully who has watchedtoo much MMA (mixed martial arts).These roles could easily be expandedto include a wider spectrum ofvariables such as disability, sizedisparity, gender, age, environment,etc.. But for the scope of this article,our 4 examples should sufficientlydemonstrate the advantage of

including proper pressure pointapplications to your Martial Artstraining, regardless of style.

As we begin it is important to keepin mind the defining rules ofredundancy, responsibil ity andeconomy of movement (discussed inprevious articles). In addition,successful execution andeffectiveness require proper location,activation, and application of multiplesequenced tactical pressure points.

For your reference our target will beTriple Warmer 17 (a.k.a. Triple heater,Triple Burner, TW-17, or Facial NerveCluster) which is include in thegraphic below:

We start our first scenario as themost serious but also the simplest asthe choice of response is very limited.A soldier in an active combat zone isambushed and unable to deploy aweapon (perhaps due to malfunctionor proximity) and is now entangled ina life or death struggle. Given this

Anatomy: The posteriorauricular artery, the

superficial jugular vein, thegreat auricular nerve and thefacial (seventh cranial) neverat its point of emergence fromthe stylomastoid foramen.

Lateral view of adult male head with skull outline and major facial nerve.

Activation: Strike downdiagonally from back to front,hitting the target against the

back of the jaw bone, resultingin unconsciousness. This isalso a great press target for

pain compliance.

Caution: A hard strikemay dislocate

(sublusate) the jaw.

Location: Behind the jaw, inthe depression under the ear.

I

situation use of force limitations no longerapply and the soldier can and should use anymeans necessary to stop the threat. In this closequarter encounter a hard strike to the TW17utilizing the proper angle will dislocate thejaw and, more importantly, will releasethe head and neck making itsusceptible to injury or break. Incan also create the much neededspace to enable the soldier todeploy a weapon.

Next, a law enforcementofficer (LEO) must remove apeaceful protestor sittingcross legged and refusing tocomply. The protestor is muchlarger than the officer ruling outthe possibility of physicallylifting him. In this case, anexcessive use of force wouldresult in serious consequencesand escalation of violence.Utilizing good ergonomics theLEO approaches the subjectfrom behind with the weaponside back; the LEO supportsthe subjects head in the cradleof both hands using his middlefingers to slip into TW-17 whilesimultaneously pressing forwardtowards the nose and giving verbalcommands. The subject's natural responseto the pain will cause him to want to escape bymoving away from the stimulus. The LEO directs hismiddle fingers upwards as the subject stands andescorts him to safety while remaining in a safetactical position. Onlookers simply see theLEO walking the subject away in acontrolled manner.

On a late night in the emergencyroom, a patient is in an extremelyagitated state and will not or cannotfollow directions. During the initialexam, a head or neck injury hasbeen ruled out and a highblood alcohol level hasbeen confirmed.Now the nurseneeds the

patient on the table to move his headto continue the examination. Thepatient doesn't comply so the nurseuses her hand to support the headwhile the opposite hand presses intoTW-17. The patient immediateresponse to the stimulus allows her tomanually turn the head without injuryor resistance.

In our last scenario, you are in apublic place and accidently bump intoa person. This person turns angrilytowards you and as you apologize hequickly lunges and wraps his armsaround you in a bear hug withthe intention of taking youdown into a ground andpound position. As a naturalgesture, your hands went up asyou flinched so they were freeto grab his head and dig intoTW-17 with your thumbs whilerotating your hips to take himoff balance and throw him tothe ground. You escape tosafety.

These brief exampleshopefully illustrate that not allsituations are equal and thatyour responses should beeffective and scalable. In anyof the above scenarios, theversatility of the TW-17 targetallows for useful physiological,psychological and energeticresponses. And although onlyone pressure point washighlighted, you must keep inmind that true pressure pointfighting utilizes several pressure

points in combination. Properactivation of one tactical pressurepoint will expose many other usefulpressure point targets.

In conclusion, I hope to haveconvincingly demonstrated both theusefulness and the versati l ity oftactical pressure points in verydifferent situations. Confidence inyour skills allows you to be moreaware and emotionally prepared forany situation and to avoid moralconflicts resulting in hesitation. It alsofosters the empowerment to select

the most appropriate, efficient andeffective responses.

To learn more about CombatHapkido Tactical Pressure Points,check out our book and our DVDinstructional series at:www.combathapkido.com and

www.dsihq.com If you are interested in

certification, Combat HapkidoUniversity (online program), books,DVDs, seminars, or questionsplease contact; info@dsihq.com.

WADO RYU KARATE by Hironori Otsuka

Otsuka was born on June 1, 1892, in Shimodate City, Ibaraki, Japan. He was one of four children to Tokujiro Otsuka, amedical doctor. At the age of 5 years, he began training in the martial art Jujutsu. Otsuka's father took over his martialarts education in 1897. Then at the age of 13, Otsuka became Shinzaburo Nakayamas student. By 1911, while studying business administration at Waseda University in Tokyo, Otsuka trained at various Jujutsu

schools. When his father died suddenly Otsuka was unable to continue studying. He found work as a clerk at a bank.Although he wanted to become a full-time instructor, he waited, out of respect for his mother's wishes.On April 1, 1934, Otsuka opened his own Karate school - the Dai Nippon Karate Shinko Kai in Kanda, Tokyo. He

blended Shotokan Karate with his knowledge of Shindo Yoshin-ryu- jujutsu to form Wado Ryu Karate. With recognitionof his style Otsuka became a full-time instructor. In 1940, his style was registered at the Butokukai, Kyoto. Through the1950s, Otsuka held various Karate competitions. WADO RYU KARATE is a direct translation of the Japanese work by Hironori Otsuka. Masters Publication took on the

job of the translation in 1997. This book has since then become a best seller around the world. This book features Wado Ryu katas performed by the master himself, as well as information on the basics. 357 pages. $29.94 paperbackContact us at: masters@porchlight.ca or see our website warrenerentertainment.com

n this month's column I want to reflect on the Wing Tsun trainingsystems and, above all, explain our sparring training method thatcertainly has become one of the principles for the success of ourassociation: The Game of Positions.

Understanding the evolution of the Wing Tsun training systems isas simple as looking back and recall the first video graphics

documents (or even technical series photographs). On a walk throughmemory we will find that twenty-five years ago training Wing Tsun wasreally basic. The technical and training scheme was simplified to themaximum in a three-part plan: forms, chi sao and lat sao. We understandthis scheme as the basis of what some masters and schools define as"Classic" Wing Tsun.

Although, as I have explained in some articles in recent months, thenotion of classic not only DOES NOT exist in the Wing Tsun system, but Idare say is deeply inconsistent with the spirit and the idiosyncrasies ofstyle. I think that the hackneyed phrase "Wing Tsun is not traditionally

TAOWS Academy and its "Game of Positions"

Looking in perspective the evolution of thedifferent systems and training methods of WingTsun in the last 50 years, we will probably be in fora surprise to discover that those who cling to theidea of "classic" are absolutely confused for severalreasons. Because of my work in the SpanishFederation of Olympic Fights and AssociatedDisciplines and its Department of WingTsun, I keepreceiving countless inquiries about styles, sub-styles, branches and evolutions of a system ofwhich we can say without fear of error that hasmore enthusiastic followers worldwide. In anotherarticle we could assess what are the reasons forWing Chun to have that effect on people whoapproach its practice and study, and why thosewho try with a good teacher never stop practicingto the point that the style becomes an importantpart of their life. But we will talk about that someother day...

I

TRADITIONAL" defines hunky-dory a philosophy of work and becomes amotto we should recite aloud at the beginning of each class. But also, if westudy in depth how Wing Tsun has been trained in the last hundred years,we realize that may be is less DARING to label some of the styles as"Classic" Wing Tsun. Don't tell me it's not somewhat comical to define asClassic what fifty years ago was modern ... Because taking stock of the past25 or 30 years of a style that has over 500 years (as far as we know) andqualify it as "Classic", calls for a deep reflection...

Very often, it would suffice to ask masters of branches not of GrandmasterYip Man's lineage to realize that this statement can't be taken seriously. GMYip Man was labeled as "revolutionary" by his contemporary trainingpartners and marked with the scars of those who dared to make changes ontheir own in a style that had followed a direct transmission from father to son(one to one) until the opening of the first "public" school that Cham Wa Shunsaw fit to make.

The question is: why so many practitioners need to affirm or somehowlabel their Wing Tsun practice? Or rather, why is it so hard for them toaccept that other people from other lineages and "unoriginal" families cando an equal work or even better than theirs? When we speak about MartialArts we are talking about things that are easily verifiable if we only removeall these conditioning factors. Sometimes simply by testing to see if it reallyworks in a free sparring and others (if we don't want to do that free sparring)merely looking with some critical spirit and ask ourselves the six-million-dollar question: would it work with someone who was not my student orclassmate? Could I make all these techniques and theories of war withsomeone who didn't collaborate in excess?

I agree that they are a series of delicate questions that many peoplesimply don't even dare to face. I respect your view, but my intention is to"stir consciences" to try to do better this fantastic legacy of Chinese culture.

On many occasions, for that emotional engagement with our masters orschools we self-impose a braking to evolution and change. But Wing TsunKuen is, like the Taoist philosophy that defines the style itself, CHANGE ANDEVOLUTION. What doesn't change and evolve is approaching death.Interesting thought...

Of course, any evolution, in any of its technical or technological aspects,occurs with a rupture with established reality. Whether a new approach orway of thinking or even in the use of new techniques, materials, etc. Itdoesn't mean forgetting the origins, but rather reviving from its ancient basisan art that already in its conception was meant for being alive, flexible,adaptable. Or stated another way, let's say that what has been receivedfrom an earlier generation must be used to try to build something better. It isnot always possible, but I'm sure that you will agree that doing nothing isnot within the logical thing for any developments.

WingTsun

Maybe all these points, and some others, are those that oftenhave encouraged us to continue doing things the same way ourancestors used to do for the simple reason that "my master didthis way... and I must continue to do so."

Maybe all these points, and some others, are those that oftenhave encouraged us to continue doing things the same way ourancestors used to do for the simple reason that "my master didthis way... and I must continue to do so."

At a certain point, some of us end up asking ourselves what wecould do to make a better use of the style in real situations. WhenI talk about real circumstances, I should like to clarify that I don'tconsider as such situations in which it is assumed that theadversary (training partner) will throw us one or two attacks andthen he will stand still for us to do whatever we want, allowing usto hit him and do all sorts of "fantastic techniques." This mightseem a funny remark form my part, but just take a glance at thefantastic world of Internet and YouTube and you'll realize that thatin the vast majority of cases this is the way it is. I seek moreambitious challenges: Be able, after a period of study, review,training and adaptation (nobody ever said it was easy), to fightwhatever adversary with NO cooperation on his part. Moreover, bein disposition to use my own style techniques and tacticsregardless the opponent that I have in front. As I said at thebeginning of this paragraph: "nobody ever said it was easy..."Albert Einstein used the famous phrase: "If you want

different results stop trying to do the same things." Whenthree years ago we faced the attempt to substantially improvethese skills and the goal we set ourselves, it was clear for usthat if we kept using the classical system in which Wing Tsunpractitioners base their training:1. Perform Forms2. Practicing Chi Sao (90% of practice time)3. Carry out "applications" on an opponent with zero mobility

who "collaborates in excess"it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to get in front of

opponents who now handle all distances (including groundfighting) and practice regularly mobility, speed, power, focus, etc.It is important to note that what 30 years ago could be fullyfunctional, today may not be so because of a simple question ofevolution: PREDATORS have evolved...

After a glance at other classic styles, and especially the modernMartial Arts systems generated by the famous Mixed Martial Arts(in any of their conceptions or forms) we realized that the moreeffective systems in their application were today the so-calledcontact sports such as Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, etc.

Surely some fanatic uncompromising defender of tradition willanswer to me with one of those overused phrases like: But this isnot the same!!!

FORTUNATELY it's not the same, but you'll agree with me thatthese systems are there and I think that nobody or almost nobodywould dare to dispute their fighting ability and time adaptation. Idon't think it's possible to develop any system for real fightwithout looking the way these systems workout. In them, there isnot the figure of an adversary who collaborates in excess. There isno such thing as an attacker who stands still and let you hit him.There's just two contestants trying to give the best of themselveswith the technique and tactics they know to outdo their opponent.

It doesn't mean forgetting theorigins, but rather reviving fromits ancient basis an art thatalready in its conception wasmeant for being alive, flexible,

adaptable.

Every inch, every victory is sweated it out like in the war. THIS IS THE SPIRIT of MARTIAL ARTS.Wing Tsun also!!! This is what inspired me to "review" the incorrectly named "classic" method, to staywith those aspects that are very good (remember that they have served to form excellent teachers and

practitioners worldwide) but using anything that can make me stronger and more effective in combat,so that if one day any adversary wants to defeat me, he should fight and shed until his last drop

of sweat to earn every inch of his victory. But I also want to do it with the style to which Ihave devoted more than half of my life: Wing Tsun

When I say this, I do not want anyone misinterpret my words, but if I wasinterested in doing a MMA and know excellent teachers and specialists. If I

have dedicated many hours, I still do, to the study of an art, I wish itwere the same art that served me to grow in the art of combat.

When I started developing the "Game of Positions", I did it byfacing two students in very simple exercises. Drills of two or

three movements. Small battles in which I just put TWOconditions:

1. The technique should be pure, clean and becontent in one of the forms of the style

2. Each of the contestants had to fight witheverything he had to try to impose his role

(attacker / defender, ying / yang)Adjusting the speed and intensity fromlittle to much. From slow to fast. But both

of them giving all of themselves andwithout yielding an inch in defending

their position.I must admit that the outcome hassurprised me and exceeded my

expectations. The evolution ofstudents, instructors and

trainers is still surprising. This

dynamic training has not only generated that classesturned into much more physically intense workouts. It hasalso forced contenders to understand and analyze in deptheach one of the system techniques. Sometimes when oneof the contestants is beaten by his mate, he must askhimself: what's wrong? Why my opponent's techniqueexceeds mine? These questions take you immediately tothe style forms (where the own techniques of the systemcan be found in the form of "textbook") and to a deep andmethodical evaluation thereof.

I never liked the responses of some teachers to studentssuch as: Don't ask! Practice! I prefer another: Observe,understand and then practice!!

After nearly a year of this conceptual change andfocusing on the practice of sparring, I can say that the"Game of Positions" is one of the keys to the success of

our association and our schools. Students learn, enjoy andprogress in a record time. Furthermore, these dynamicsgenerate evolutions based on the experience in these little"war games". In this human chess that is based on thetechnique. And what is best... it continues and it willcontinue forever alive. In a constant reviewing. All thatwithout losing an ounce of respect for tradition, Chineseculture... respect for masters and schools before us ... Allthis putting a great emphasis on a phrase from Art of Warby Sun Tzu: "Know your enemies and yourself and youshall not be defeated even in a hundred battles."

Soon we will show you some examples through a newDVD in which we will offer you some keys. Thank you verymuch for your follow-up and support from all over theworld. It is an honor being able to inspire people who lovethis art and Martial Arts in general.

At a certain point,some of us end up askingourselves what we coulddo to make a better use

of the style in realsituations.

I never liked the responses of some teachers tostudents such as: Don't ask! Practice!

I prefer another: Observe, understandand then practice!!

LEADERSHIP IN MARTIAL ARTS:

What is martial? Martialis warlike and war was notinvented in the twenty-firstcentury, it has existed sincebeginning of humankind. Sodoes that mean we have tobe at war. Absolutelynot!

Hwa Rang DoSchool ofLeadership Part 2

Korean MA

Fighters fight because they like to fight;Warriors fight because we must.For us, a modern day warrior does not mean to be a

soldier, but to live life as a warrior, with courage, honor,integrity, respect, loyalty as outlined in our Hwa RangDo Meng Sae (code of ethics).

Hwa Rang Do Meng Sae (Code of Ethics)Loyalty to one's countryLoyalty to one's parents and teachersTrust and brotherhood amongst friendsCourage to never retreat in the face of the enemy.

Never to take a life (any life) without a cause.Hwa Rang Do Kyo Hoon (Nine Virtues)Humanity, Justice, CourtesyWisdom, Trust, GoodnessVirtue, Loyalty, CourageTo be a fighter or a soldier is not the end, only a

means. We use the Hwarang Warrior Discipline as ameans of becoming a better human being.

In the warrior mentality, one of the fundamentalprinciples is strength. From this point of view, a martialart leader has to lead by example, which is the hardest

Hwa Rang Do

t

yet most effective means of leadership. There are different typesof leaders: there are leaders who don't lead by example but wholead by speech, motivating his followers telling them something,but never going out there and personally doing anything. We asmartial artists cannot do that, we need to lead by example, livingour lives and doing things in accordance to our martial way. Wehave to be able to perform and demonstrate the right path andshow to our students what is possible, enlightening them to newexperiences that they never thought was possible.

Furthermore, a leader to me is somebody who is unafraid andselfless. I know very well that everybody has fears, but a leaderovercomes their personal fears, realizing that their mission is fargreater and beyond the mere self, driven by altruism. If one wereselfish then he/she would have to listen and answer to their ownpersonal fears, but because they live for others they must bewilling and possess the courage to sacrifice themselves for thebetterment of others.

LEARNING TO BECOME A LEADER: Following the path of least resistanceis what makes rivers and men crooked.You have to understand that you cannot gain strength by

doing things that are easy. Just a simple example: you can't getstronger by lifting light things; in order to be physically strongeryou must challenge yourself by lifting things that are heavier andharder to pick up. In the same way as your spirit, heart and mind,you must be challenged and do things that are difficult in order totruly get stronger.

STRENGTH AND UM-YANG: We believe that the interaction of two dialectic forces: UM and

YANG (Chinese Yin Yang) created all things and all life in theuniverse. It is said that the symbol of UM-YANG is arepresentation of two dragons (or a dragon and phoenix)swallowing or chasing each other in constant rotation, neverending and without any beginning or end. Hwa Rang Doabsolutely follows this natural law of the universe and teaches tothe students how to combine a soft and hard approach for theirlife style to receive extraordinary power. That's real strength! Thecapability to be both soft and hard when needed, to beadaptable and ready to change in accordance to the ebb andflow of nature as nothing is constant or absolute.

About the author: Hwa Rang Do Head Instructor,Lieutenant Colonel of the Italian Military Police Force(Carabinieri) and Engineer Marco Mattiucci is the Chief of theItalian Branch of the World Hwa Rang Do Association andone of the main followers of Grandmaster Taejoon Lee.

Hwa Rang Do

It is said thatthe symbol ofUM-YANG is a

representation oftwo dragons

(or a dragon andphoenix)

swallowing orchasing each

other in constantrotation

Great Masters

Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1951,Masayasu Sugihara started veryyoung to practice Judo andKarate. Later he discovered theShorinji-Kempo form hand of itsfounder Doshin So. As a child, hehad a rebel temperament, and hewon his 6th Dan in Shorinji-Kempowith only 28 years of age. He wasthe escort and a very closestudent of Doshin So, and he wassent to fight in numerous "open"tournaments where he acquired a

reputation as a tough man.

Great Masters

FU-SHIH KENPO. IN SEARCH OF THEAUTHENTIC COMBAT SENSE IN SOMEKENPO STYLES.BYAKURENKAI KENPO

Masayasu SugiharaUpon the death of the Master, he left the organization

and continued investigating different forms of Karate FullContact. He participated in numerous Inter-stylestournaments before creating his own organization. Todayhe is Kancho (President) of the International Kenpo KarateFederation. Even though he is outside the Shorinji Kempoworld organization, he keeps an immense respect for hisdeceased master.The remarkable spirit and tolerance of Master Sugihara,

equals his high technical level and his passion forteaching. Master Sugihara has set up a training programfor instructors and managers, these being chosen for theirpersonality and not their technical skills or businessacumen. In classes, Master Sugihara carries out combatpractices with all his students, without forgetting the rulesof the dojo. Thousands of students belonging to theirorganization with representation in USA, Brazil,Ceylon, France, Belgium, Netherlands...

The meaning of ByakurenKaikanByakuren means "White

Lotus". The purity ofthe Lotus

teaches every moment that he who develops the roots of"good" will achieve wisdom. Kaikan is organization.

The Byakuren styleThe style presents two major facets; the first is for

fighting with full contact atemi, which is ruled by aregulation system similar to that of Karate Kyokushinkai.And the other face of the system, which can be

practiced from black belt and is dedicated to self-defense,involves locks, joint dislocations, throws, etc.Championships are open to all styles;

moreover, Master Sugihara makes hisstudents participate in other opentournaments.Feet and fist techniques are a

characteristic of the Byakuren styleand don't come from otherschools. For example, punchesare given with the fist semi openat the beginning of the

Byakuren means"White Lotus".The purity of the

Lotus teaches everymoment that he whodevelops the rootsof "good" will

achieve wisdom.

movement and closing it at the moment of impact. The elbowremains closed, and the muscles that come into play are the latsand shoulders (not the hips). They are short punches that hurt, notat the site of impact, but behind. Punches are never performedfrom a long distance, leg are used for this, also without hip, chestremains to the front and the knee is lifted to the side, passingboth high and low attacks through the middle kick, which is thebasic kick.Body reinforcement is needed to absorb impacts, because

combats are always done to full contact, though attacks to thehead are banned. Competitions are to K.O., prioritizing fist-foottechniques, grips are prohibited as well as ground fighting or jointdislocations, but they can be used in "free" combat.

RYU KYU-KENPO / SHIN SHU HO RYU KENPO

Seiyu OyataThe term "Ryu-Kyu Kenpo", which can be translated as the

"Boxing Methods of Ryu Kyu," also also designates an amalgamof Okinawan fighting styles. For a time, a style specifically called"Ryu-Kyu Kenpo" was directed by Master Oyata Seiyu, who wasa disciple of Nakamura Shigeru (Okinawa Kenpo). Oyata Master,who emigrated to the United States, is 10th Dan and sole heir ofthe ancestor style of karate, the Tui Te of Uhugushuku No TanMei. This style comes from an old Bushi (warrior) who had beenexpelled from service when the Bushi class was disbanded afterthe Meiji period (late XIX century).The study of Tui-Te should be done through oral transmission

since, hidden as it is within the Karate Kata forms, it shows morethan just kicking and punching techniques. According to legend,within the kata was contained a fighting art, even its name waskept secret. These internal kata techniques, Tui-Te (graspinghand), were jealously guarded by ancient Karate masters, for theywere the key to overcome the effectiveness of hand and legtechniques provided in the superficial current Kata forms.Oyata later created the Shin-Shu-Ho-Ryu (School of the True

Hand Method). He's had two famous American students; GeorgeDillman and Joe Lewis. With him also studied Master EnzoMontanari, one of the pioneers of the Shotokan style in Italy anddisciple of Master Shirai and author of the book "UnknownKarate."Joe Lewis was repeatedly Karate World Champion (non-

contact, Light-Contact and Full-Contact) and pioneer of Kick-Boxing and Full-Contact in the U.S. and worldwide. Here's hisopinion on Okinawa schools:(...) Schools in Okinawa are the best in the world. I studied

both styles, Shorin-Ryu and traditional Kenpo. It was there whereI discovered the true combat philosophy and real effectiveness.You should know that in Okinawa Kenpo, fighting is to the KO,with or without protection. (1)

(1) Joe Lewis in "Joe Lewis, the Immortal", Karate-Bushidomagazine # 184, October 1991. Interview agreed with PatrickLombardo.

Great Masters

Every system has its limits and when you need to move from one system to another, you must learn anotherart and this is what the Kapap tries to avoid. This is Kapap, face to face combat, a bridge among systems. Itsfounder coined a phrase whose concept is widely used by other traditional martial arts styles: "Don't carry aweapon, be yourself the weapon." If your mind, your spirit and your body are the weapon, then you will be aweapon that will be equally effective when you carry a weapon. This "Avi Nardia Academy" DVD discusses theconnection between the "old school" martial arts and the modern CQB (Close Quarters Battle).His experience as a commander in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and official coach of the main Israeli anti-terrorist unit, taught Nardia that cultivating the warrior's mind and spirit must be considered a priority over thesimple body workout. Among other things, we will study gun safety as well as the convincing parallelism between Iaido and theproper firearm handling. Firearms are the ultimate in single weaponry, but do not escape the eternal wisdomand logic of the old school. Exercises adapted from the BJJ, disarming methods and intelligent body trainingusing special exercises, with explanations of its benefits and precautions. An educational, inspiring, andrevealing DVD, recommended to practitioners of all styles, both ancient and modern.davidgramage@gmail.com

REF.: KAPAP8REF.: KAPAP8

Discipline, Respect, Control, Courage andAttentiveness are but a few of the manymental attributes being taught at KUNGFU SCHULE MARTIN SEWER. LikeGrandmaster Martin Sewer's teacher,Kung Fu legend Chiu Chi Ling, used tosay: "Theres no use in being thestrongest and most skillful fighter, if nonobody wants to be concerned with youbecause of your bad character." But the

mental curriculum taught by Martin Sewerreaches far beyond just that. It's about

learning to take responsibility for one's own life,with the aim of not just improving the Kung Fu skills ofthe student but pointing his or her entire life towardssuccess. "You make your own luck" - a well-knownphrase, teaching us to take an active role in order tomake changes in our own lives. Of course not everyone

shares equal prerequisites or equal education. Or asGrandmaster Martin Sewer puts it: " It isn't

important to compare oneself toothers, but to one's own

possibilities". Marcel Fischer isa long-term student ofKUNG FU SCHULEMARTIN SEWERcurrently enjoyinglessons on mid-level,shortly before the BlackSash. He also believes inthis principle. Marceldidn't always have the bestprerequisites in his youth, ashe puts it himself. "Early in

Hung Gar Kung Fu - a Lifesaver

Grandmaster Martin Sewer is used toseeing his traditional Hung Gar Kung Fuproducing efficient defense his studentsmay use to protect themselves and theirloved ones. However KUNG FU SCHULEMARTIN SEWER supports and challengesits students on many other levels,

and sometimes even saves a life.

Kung Fu

my life it was evident that I couldn't deal well withconflicts, and was even out looking for confrontation. Ioften reacted aggressively, was easily provoked andfrequently started fights with other kids. "A difficultfamily background amplified Marcel's problems and hisparents were at a loss. Doctors tried to explain youngMarcel's behavior with Attention-Deficit-Syndrome andother diagnoses. But that was not of much use. Therewas just one thing Marcel had always loved and hadalways been calmed down by: physical activity. Long-known insight to Grandmaster Martin Sewer: "Theimportance of the connection between body and mind iswell-known in the world of martial arts. Joy is almostalways accompanied by body movement. This principlestays true for the opposite as well. People, who regularly

exercise for example in our lessons,are not only doing something

for their phisical health

but also for their mind. One of the reasons peopleexperience joy during physical activity is because theydon't have time to worry or be preoccupied during thattime" Also Marcel and the people surrounding him atsome point realized that regular physical exerciseproved beneficial. It was decided upon martial arts. "Ithelped me very much to gain a foothold in my own lifeand it provided me with a point of reference.Unfortunately I did not encounter the best teachers. Ateacher is supposed to live by what he teaches andsupport the student therein. Regrettably that was notthe case and I, by now a teenager, went back to my oldways." Professionally Marcel had tried everythingpossible given his references. He began multipleapprenticeships in the technical department, every timediscontinuing again and eventually went astray. Alcoholand parties became a big problem to the point where hewas unable to attend his lessons. "I can very clearlyremember how after one of the worst nights in smoke-filled clubs and way too much alcohol, I was looking intothe mirror at home and knew I had to make a change.Subconsciously I had already known then that I wouldneed to start again the most important thing in my life,

physical activity, martial arts, and needed to find anew school." Marcel went to look for a new,

better martial arts school and soon

found KUNG FU SCHULE MARTIN SEWER. Uponentering the lessons a new stage of life would begin."Lessons under my Sifu Martin Sewer were so differentthan what I had experienced until then. It was tough.Very tough. I had already shortly after entering theschool hinted at my past. I had attentively been listenedto. But I was not being treated differently. To the contrary.Today I am grateful for every single lesson. I wasvery fortunate to have encountered GrandmasterMartin Sewer, based on his education overdecades under his Sifu and the life and itstraditions and values I had a connectionto genuine traditional martial arts." Itdidnt take long until, motivated throughhard training, Marcel had a realization.He understood that martial arts andeverything connected to it was theonly thing able to bring outmotivation in him and provide himwith joy of living. "I had realized thatthis was my last chance to makesomething out of my life and that Ihad to work hard to advance inlife." He took up studies in Asianlanguages and other subjects. TodayMarcel is well on his way to the blacksash and the completion of the basiceducation in original Hung Gar Systemunder Grandmaster Martin Sewer. "I am verymuch looking forward to the final examsunder my Sifu Martin Sewer as well as theones of my istudies. And when I think backto the time when every thing was on edgeand how I made it thanks to Kung Fu, I telleveryone who wants to hear it: Yes, HungGar has saved my l ife."GrandmasterMartin Sewer is proud of his student:"Students like Marcel show that not onlyan education in f ight but also aneducation of mind and character areimportant and it is this part of thecurriculum which can make apositive change in a student's life.As my Sifu Chiu Chi Ling used tosay: There's no use in being thebest, if nobody wants to bearound you because of yourbehavior. People who know mealso know that every singleone of my students is a VIP tome and belongs to the family.Understandably, in myschool not only theeducation in fight but alsoan education of characteris close to my heart!"

Kung Fu

he Festival aimed to promote culturalexchange between China and Europe,through Kung Fu, Buddhism,Calligraphy and Chinese medicine,among other disciplines. Over 700people from more than 10 European

countries took part in the Shaolin Festival. Some ofthe participants came from Greece, Italy, Holland,Germany, France, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, amongothers.The Festival was organized by Master Shi Yanzi

and his school Shaolin Temple UK, in collaborationwith the Shaolin Temple in China. Other LondonShaolin schools also participated in theorganization.A group of over 50 people from China attended

the festival, led by Venerable Abbot and spiritualleader Shi Yong Xin, who is also the president ofthe Shaolin European Association (SEA). MastersShi Yan Ao and Shi Yan Zhuang, who were alsopart of the delegation, participated in the event,

Text and photos: Bruno TombolatoShaolin Cultural Center Spain

www.shaolinspain.com

Third International ShaolinFestival - London

Under the banners of health,compassion, equality and peace, itwas held in London the ThirdInternational Festival of Shaolin,second edition at European level.The f irst was held in Berl in inOctober 2012.

Events

T

together with the group of more than 30 monks of theMonastery.The event was held at the London Soccerdome in

Greenwich, an ext remely large p lace f i t toaccommodate the more than 700 people who attendedthe Shaolin festival. The Festival lasted a week, but the

most important days were on Saturday 11 and Sunday12 October, which was when most of the activities tookplace. Attendees could enjoy one of the biggestShaolin competitions worldwide, Shaolin Kung Fu andSanda workshops, Cal l igraphy exhib i t ions, TeaCeremony, lectures on Buddhism and Meditation,

The competition was one of the most interestingattractions, where students and masters displayed all

their skills on the mat.

stands of Chinese Medicine, books on Buddhism,Merchandising, etc.On Friday 10th the participants of the competition were

summoned in the school of Kung Fu Shaolin Temple UK,to formalize the registration and give directions for thecompetition that would take place during the weekend inthe London Soccerdome.On Saturday the 11th, all participants were present, and

after a brief opening of the Festival, the tournament beganat 10 am. The competition was one of the most interestingattractions, where students and masters displayed all theirskills on the mat. Many characteristic Shaolin styles wereseen, like Hong Quan, Luohan Quan, Tong Bei Quan, QiXing Quan, Taizu Chang Quan, among others, as well asforms with long, short and flexible weapons and imitationforms.There was also a team competition, hard Chi Kung, Dui

Lian (form of two) and Tai Chi. That same day in the

afternoon, at the end of thecompetition took place thepresentation of the medals.The Spanish representativesattained very good positions.On Sunday the 12th was

scheduled the Sandatournament, which was run bythe famous Shaolin Master ShiYan Lei. Although there was abroad participation, it wasn'tas large as that of Saturday,with over 300 participants.While some displayed their

skills in combat, others enjoyeda Shaolin Kung Fu workshopwith Instructor Shi Yan Hao andMaster Shi Yan Zi.Around noon, the leading

members of the ShaolinEuropean Association (SEA)and some of the newapplicants were called to ameeting with the VenerableAbbot Shi Yong Xin, who askedthe masters to recount theirexperiences with Shaolinculture. The meeting lastedabout an hour.About 14: 30h the official

members of the SEA were

Events

again summoned for a meeting to discuss different topics related to theAssociation, including the addition of new members and the followingEuropean Shaolin Festival. Only two candidates offered themselvesformally to take charge of its organization, in 2016, one of them acandidate for France and Master Bruno Tombolato Shaolin Cultural CenterSpain for Spain; that day was not decided where it would be, but we hopethat 2016 we can have the privilege to live an experience of this kind inSpain.After the meeting, the members and new applicants of the SEA went out

to the main building for a picture is taken. In the photo you can see theofficial members sitting alongside the Abbot, and standing behind, theapplicants.Throughout the rest of the day, workshops and arrivals continued. At

19h. began one of the most anticipated activities of the Festival, theclosing ceremony, led by Abbot Shi Yong Xin and the exhibition by themonks of the Shaolin Temple. The ceremony began with the blessing ofAbbot Shi Yong Xin, which lasted about fifteen minutes and continued witha set of traditional forms of empty hand and weapons, styles of imitation ofanimals, such as mantis, tiger, leopard, snake, etc. Undoubtedly, theexhibition was the best of the entire festival, leaving everyone wantingmore.Shaolin culture has crossed borders and this time it got into the heart of

the 700 people who attended the festival. Masters have taken great careto plant the trees in their countries and these eventually have borne fruit.Health, Compassion, Equality and Peace for every person and country.

Texto: Pedro CondeFotos: Antonio Mora y David Gramage &

davidgramage@gmail.com

On Friday September 26th, the City Hall of Madrid (Spain)awarded the actor, bodybuilder and former governor ofCalifornia, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the first 'DestinationMadrid Ambassador Medal' for his "extraordinary"international promotion of the city by deciding to hold inMadrid the Arnold Classic Europe (ACE), an annualmultidisciplinary sports convention that brings together 24 modalities of Olympic and non-Olympic sports.

Text: Pedro CondePhotos: Antonio Mora & David Gramage.

davidgramage@gmail.com

he event took place in the Town HallFunctions Room. The actor wasaccompanied by his girlfriend, HeatherMilligan, a young physiotherapist withwhom he shares his life for a year anda half now, and Rafael Santoja,

President of the International Federation ofBodybuilding (IFBB), authentic promoter for theArnold Classic in Spain.Pedro Corral, delegate of the Government

Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism was theperson in charge of handing over the medal tothe actor on behalf of the Mayor of Madrid,Ana Botella, who was on an official trip toBuenos Aires.Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his mother tongue,

declared he had decided to hold the event of theArnold Classic Europe (ACE) in Madrid againstother European cities such as Vienna, London orParis, because it was here where his film careerhad begun: "Nothing would have been possiblewithout Conan, who launched me to stardom."He recognized a before and an after in his lifefollowing the premiere of Conan and recalledsome of the places where it was filmed, endingup by showing his pride to receive therecognition that the city gave him: "It means a lotto me, because I love Spain".It was the fourth consecutive year that the

ACE convention is held in Madrid, providing agreat promotion for the city at an internationallevel. Each year, the former governor ofCalifornia visits the Spanish capital to attend the

T

festival and contribute to this sports eventthat was born in the United States in 1988 asthe Arnold Sports Festival, and in 2014 hascelebrated its twenty-sixth edition.The event gathered up to 5,000 athletes

from 60 countries, who met from 26 to 28September, "allowing a major promotion anddiffusion of Madrid in the local, national andinternational media", according to theCouncil.In its 2013 edition, held at the Madrid Arena

fairgrounds, it managed to attract up to40,000 fans worldwide.The multisport program featured countless

sport modalities such as Athletic Fitness,Strongman, Pole Dance, Cheerleading,Weightlifting, Gymnastics, Figure Skating,Powerlifting, MTB, Triathlon, Barbarrio, CrossFit, etc., and in Martial Arts, disciplines likeTaekwondo, Capoeira, Karate, Aikido,Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kung fu, Ju Jutsu, KravMaga, Lima Lama, Kempo Kembudo, HellenicKoryu Bugei, Ken Thay, etc.In contact sports there were exhibitions and

tournaments of K-1, MMA, Kickboxing, FullContact and Muay Thai.During the night it was held an exceptional

evening: a MMA championship where thewinner, Enoc Solves, received the first ArnoldFighters/Men of Honor Belt and 3,000 Eurosin cash. He also achieved a signed contractwith Espaa Imperial, by which he can accessM-1, the big Russian competit ion, and

participate in other top levelinternational competitions.There was also a K-1 tournament,

the winner of which was ChristopherOpazos, who apart from getting theArnold Fighters/MOH Belt, received 2,000 in recognition of his victory.On Saturday September 27 took

place the Arnold Classic Europe offemale and male professionalbodybuilding championships, whichbrought together not only European

bodybuilders but also professionals inthis sport elsewhere, as the greatchampion Mamdouh Elissbiay, theEgyptian giant better known as BigRamy, twice winner of the New YorkPro, Tanji Johnson (Fitness ACE Prowinner in 2013) and other great livinglegends l ike Dennis Wolf, DexterJackson or Shawn Roden, etc.Arnold Schwarzenegger's schedule

was too tight: Sunday September 28traveled to Almeria, 33 years after the

making of the movie 'Conan theBarbarian', to receive the honoraryaward "Almeria, Tierra de Cine"(Almera, Land of Cinema) from theInternational Festival of Short Films"Almera en Corto" (Almera in Short)and to inaugurate a star named afterhim on the Walk of Stars of theAndalusian city.He also gave a press conference at

the Almera Deputation in which heassured to more than 70 accredited

Events

journalists there assembled, that he kept very muchalive the memory of fi lming Conan in that place,recognizing: "I will never forget all that I lived in Almeria.Despite many hard scenes, like the vulture that peckedmy face, when I finished filming I said: I shall return."Schwarzenegger made a tour around the province

along with the producer of the film "The Legend ofConan", Fredrick Malmberg, who is in full search oflocations for filming in 2015. Recall that some of themost iconic scenes from "Conan the Barbarian "werefilmed in various places located in the Almeria capital, ElEjido and Tabernas.Arnold Schwarzenegger will reprise the hero in "The

Legend of Conan, whose premiere is planned for2016. Faced with the media, the actor has said thaton his return to Los Angeles, he will support theoption of Spain, and specifically Almera, to make thefilming.

"Arnold Schwarzeneggerwill reprise the hero in"The Legend of Conan",

whose premiere is planned for 2016."

Text by Chris Sutton

Let's face it, bullying is no longerl ike it was when you and I weregrowing up. In the old days, bullyinghad to happen face-to-face. You hadto actually be in physical contact withanother person to effectively bullythem or to get bullied.Today, f ifty percent or more of

incidents involve cyber bullying, whichtakes place online. Two people don'teven have to meet each other face-to-face for one to bully the other. It canhappen with the push of a button. Wehave Internet tough guys and girls,people who hide behind a screenname and think they can say anythingthey want. For kicks they try to wreakhavoc on somebody's life, withoutever having to meet the person face-to-face. Their victim may be a

classmate, or perhaps even acomplete stranger.The impact of bullying is very

real. Let's face it, we have kidswho are killing themselvesbecause of a change in status onsites like Facebook andnumerous other social mediavenues. Children and adolescentsare at an extremely emotionaltime in their life. Whatever isgoing on in their immediate worldwith their friends and in theirsocial life is everything to them.This makes them extremelyvulnerable to bullying.Oftentimes bullying is going

on right in under your nose, andyou don't even know it. Moststudents haven't been taught aneffective way to communicatethese situations with parentsand/or teachers, to clear the air.There isn't an easy-to-followand effective action plan inplace. Oftentimes the situationjust goes on and on and on,

until you see the end result. Then wecall it bullying, after the damage isalready done.Someone can get bullied for weeks

and months and years on end with nophysical contact. They're waking upnot wanting to go to school and in fearfor their life, because of somethingsomeone said about them in a socialmedia forum on the Internet. Thebullying may go on at night while thestudent is asleep, and when they wakeup the next morning they read all sortsof horrible stuff and then they have togo to school and deal with the looksand the laughing behind their back,because it seems like everybody in thewhole school has read it, too. There is face-to-face bullying. There

is cyber bullying. The reality is thatboth wreak havoc on the victims, notonly if they may be weaker physically,but because they are susceptible toinfluence by their peers, which mostchildren are. There are a variety of reasons why

bullies do what they do, but that's awhole other book. We don't haveroom here to go into psychologicalprofiles, domestic abuse, kids whohave been enabled their whole lives,kids who feel as if the world owesthem something, kids who won'tsettle for anything less than to be thealpha male or alpha female. Bullyinghappens for many reasons. We're nothere to discuss where it stems from.We are here to learn what we can doabout it prior to, during, and evenafter a bullying situation occurs, so

you can protect your child from thereality of today's world.Zero tolerance is the approach you

have to take with your child when itcomes to bullying. This is a must.There's no way around it. There are nohalf efforts here. Like a fire that starts outsmall, what starts out as a seeminglyminor confrontation between your childand a bully will only get bigger if you let itgo and don't take some kind of action.Eventually the problem becomes so bigthat it gets out of control. Instead ofstepping on a burning match, you'rehaving to call on the fire department. Orin the case of bullying, the policedepartment. And in many cases, by thattime it's just too late. You as a parent must look at every

single situation, address it, and attackit. There is no situation that is toosmall. Once you have identified it as acase of bullying, then you have toaddress it immediately. What exactly is bullying? The

dictionary definition is to use superiorstrength to intimidate or influencesomeone emotionally or physically.In real life, bullying can take on avariety of different forms. When wetalk about zero tolerance andaddressing things immediately, youhave to know when a situationqualifies as actual bullying. We don'twant to be overzealous, walking oneggshells all the time. Once you determine that bullying is

in fact going on, then you have to takeimmediate action steps. Remember,that fire can get out of control reallyquickly, and the effects of bullying canlast well into adulthood. It's up toparents and other responsible adults tohelp young people cope with the worldwe live in today. Every child deservesto grow up in a safe environment, andit's up to the adults in that child's life tomake that happen. It's up to you.

A former street cop, sheriff, andmaximum security prison guard.Chris Sutton is the founder ofCobra-Defense in Clearwater, FL.Cobra-defense is a lawenforcement based self-defensesystem. Cobra-Defense is theofficial self-defense system of JohnGraden's Martial Arts Teachers'Association (MATA-www.MartialArtsTeachers.com).Instructor certification in Cobra-Defense is atwww.SelfDefenseCertified.com.

Chris Sutton is availble forseminars and special training. Hecan be reached at 727-791-4111 orCobra@CobraDefense.com

The C Word A Minute MotivatorSpeech about Practice andCommitment.

Its important that you have a tool box of minutemotivators on respect, self-discipline, persistence etc...The Martial Arts Teachers Members area has dozens ofthese speeches already written for you atwww.MartialArtsSchoolOwners.comAt some time during your first or second intro lessons,

for children old enough to comprehend it, a short stumpspeech should be given about the meaning of commitment(the C word) and the need for practice. For commitment,the chat might go like this:

Johnny, commitment means you go beyond justtrying something; it means you find a way, regardless ofthe obstacles. Commitment is standing at the end of thediving board and leaning forward. Its locking the door andthrowing away the key. You MUST have commitment toget anything out of the study of the martial artswithoutcommitment, and you ask your Mom and Dad about thisafter your lessonyou almost always fail. Your Mom andDad know this well: Whenever weve been truly and deeplycommitted to something, weve almost never failed at it.Most of us fail when we lack commitment, so heres thedeal: You cant join this school and I wont teach you if youwont commit yourself to this program. Now heres what Imean by commitment: You must practice what you learn inclasses at least 10 minutes per day, on the days you dontattend (take Sundays off if you like). Also, you mustcommit yourself to a minimum of 100 attempts beforegiving up on anything I teach you, and that includes thenumber of classes you attend. Can you do that?

Now, of course, were presuming that youve built a solidlevel of rapport with the student, and that the student is ata peak of enthusiasm due to the instructors masterfulteaching. In other words, dont ask this question unlessyoure sure to get a YES, SIR!

Childrens Intro Lesson Plan: (Sample) Eye Contact Yes Sir, No Sir Attention and Bow (most important of Martial Arts) Polite Greeting Ready Position Switching Feet Slide Step (forward and back) Double Punch

Where to Punch and where NOT to Punch The Front Leg Stretch (You Can Always do Better Than You Think You Can!) The C Word a Stump Speech about Practice and Commitment

Ending Lesson 1 and BuildingExcitement for Lesson 2

One of the primary goals of the first lesson is to get theprospective student to come back for the second lesson.One way to do that is to show the student a front kick andside kick and let them know thats some of the fun andexiting stuff theyll be learning when they return next. Inaddition, youll want to remind them to practice as much ofthe first lesson as they can remember as youll be testingthem for their white belt at the end of the second lesson.

John Graden is the Executive Director of the MartialArts Teachers Association and the author of thebestselling books on how to run a successfulmartial arts school without selling out.www.MartialArtsSchoolOwners.com

MA Pro

eter Urban is without a doubt one of the mostinfluential martial artists of the 20th Century.Born New Jersey Urban began his karate

training in 1952 while a sailor in YokohamaJapan under the guiding light of Richard Kim andthen Mas Oyama and finally under The Cat

Gogen Yamaguichi. These three (along with the JKA) are theones who shaped the martial arts to become as popularoutside Japan as inside Japan in the 1950's and 1960's.It was the late Richard Kim that said Peter Urban is the

only man he ever met that knew no fear whatsoever.Urban was a Geijin or foreigner in Japan during the early

1950's and it was during this time he trained with best ofthe best.When he came back to USA in 1957 he was the official

representative for the Goju Kai headed by YamaguichiGogen. He represented the organization until the mid1960's when he had a falling out with Yamaguichi in a storymade for TV itself.By this time he was the biggest name on the East Coast

of the USA and was in great demand as an teacher in NewYork City where he had a 3month waiting list and as wellas the nations #1 referee in tournaments. Students of hislike Al Gotay, Chuck Merriman, Frank Ruiz, and LuisDelgado were the best competitors on the East Coastduring the Manhattan Center Days.Other students of his like Aaron Banks, Skipper Ingham,

and Bob Dalgleish were making names for themselves aswell in other ways.After the split with the Yamaguichi's in 1965 he started his

own organization calling it USA Goju Ryu Karate. Even thiswas started in yet another story made for TV as meat cleaversand guns were brought to the forefront in its inception.Things changed though after this point in time not only in

the training of students but also in his entire attitudetowards the martial arts.

According to Bob Dalgleish Urban vowed to personallyerase the validity of dan rankings in the USA and he did so.Urban claimed that there were always two types of blackbelts, those who earned their ranks legitimately and thosewho became slave black belts. These were the ones whowere given dan ranks and knew they did not deserve therank and who do whatever he wanted in eitherappreciation or fear of being outed so to speak.

The Maestro (as he preferred to be called) thru all thismaintained his sense of humor and kindness for hisstudents while continuing to write books to pass on hisunique way of thinking. Although he wrote several booksover the years none reached the popularity that his book

History

P

Karate

Karate

The Karate Dojo did. The book still in publication withCharles Tuttle out of Rutland Vermont is still one of thebest sellers the company has.Recent