How do attackers choose their victims? James Field, a seventh-degree black belt in shotokan karate, has taught self-defense for four decades. During that time, he’s carefully studied how predators pick their prey.

“While in college, I worked in recreation centers and talked to young thugs,” Field recalls. “They told me they could simply look at certain people and see they were easy targets.

“There was something about these potential victims: their posture, demeanor, the way they walked. Many avoided [making] eye contact.”

One way to prevent an attack, then, is to avoid looking like an easy victim. “Walk with energy and self-confidence,” James Field says. “Make brief eye contact with people you encounter, but don’t act aggressively and don’t try to stare them down.”

Watch free videos about shotokan and other styles of karate shot in the Black Belt studio!

Your body language often reveals whether you’re a potential victim. Rest assured that the bad guys are watching you — always.

If your efforts to avoid conflict fail and you must take physical action against someone, hit and run. “If you do strike an attacker, don’t prolong the situation and exchange punches,” Field says. “End the fight quickly and leave.”

“Ideally, when you’re attacked, you’ll react automatically. The further you go in your shotokan training, the more your techniques will become reactions. They’ll become second nature to you. At the junior level of training, you learn basics. But when you graduate to the upper level, you learn the reaction of application.

“We don’t teach you how to fight per se. Rather, we teach you how to defend yourself.”

(Photos by Sara Fogan)

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Martial arts training can place more stress on the hips than any other sport. Therefore, it’s crucial that all practitioners familiarize themselves with the most common types of hip injuries, as well as the causes, treatments and, most important, strategies for preventing them. Doing so not only will enhance your physical performance in the short term but also will ensure a healthy martial arts career that spans decades.

Dr. Robert Klapper, the clinical chief of orthopedic surgery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, is an innovator in the field of joint care. The author of a book titled Heal Your Hips: How to Prevent Hip Surgery, he’s patented many new surgical instruments designed to perform hip arthroscopy and has successfully treated celebrity athletes such as basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain and former middleweight karate champion Chuck Norris.

“The martial arts are the No. 1 cause of injuries to the knee and hip, particularly amongst older athletes such as those in their 30s and 40s,” Klapper says. “I am seeing an epidemic of hip replacements, especially in those over 50.” He identifies the roundhouse kick as the most common culprit.

Photo by Peter Lueders

Those problems, along with chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, are caused by the dislocation of the labrum, a crucial tissue within the joint capsule that’s housed in the pelvic bone. Attached to the capsule and labrum, which are closely tied to the meniscus in the joint, are the large muscles of the thigh and hip.

“When a person executes these [kicking] movements, particularly with great force, the labrum can be shifted or pulled out of place within the capsule if he does not possess a high level of muscular strength [and] flexibility or if he performs the movement incorrectly,” Klapper says. “This is the single greatest cause of martial arts hip injuries.”

“Karate Sensei: Should They Be Respected or Feared by Students?” Download this free guide now!

Recognizing the signs of injury is crucial, Klapper says. “Athletes come to me when they are having pain in or around their hips and point to one of three areas: their groin, their side hip area (the pocket) or their buttock. Groin pain means damage to the hip, the pocket means it is bursitis or tendonitis, and the buttock indicates the injury is to the lower spine.”

He recommends that anyone who experiences pain or soreness in that area immediately consult a physician. “Athletes wait too long to seek help for a potential injury because of the no-pain-no-gain ethic of some martial arts,” he says. “Successfully treating your body is about listening to it on a daily basis, not waiting for it to shout.”

Photo by Robert Reiff

Perhaps more important than recognizing the symptoms is implementing a plan of action that will enable you to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Klapper endorses the following strategies:

•     Control your weight and body-fat levels.

•     Maintain appropriate strength and flexibility for your activities.

•     Avoid running and other hard, repetitive-impact movements.

•     Engage in balance training such as tai chi chuan, especially if you’re older.

•     Take a vitamin C supplement because it’s the main antioxidant responsible for joint health.

•     Try recumbent biking and water workouts to improve your conditioning.

“Water workouts are of particular benefit not only in preventing hip injuries but in treating them, as well,” Klapper says. “Warm water, up to about navel height, affords an opportunity for your joints to be almost weightless, and it provides many unique angles and loads of resistance.”

Click here to get a free guide titled “MMA Workouts 101: How to Start an MMA Conditioning Program for More Effective MMA Techniques and Self-Defense Moves.”

Finally, consider how well your art matches your physiology. “If you have a joint and bone structure that is not well-suited to the sport, the joints will begin to deteriorate much sooner and at a greater rate,” Klapper warns. If that’s the case, you may want to switch to a gentler style.

Pat Pollock is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, personal trainer and Thai-boxing instructor.

Source: Black Belt Magazine

When it comes to the Japanese way of the sword, it’s fair to say there’s more to it than meets the eye. Obviously, external movements play a major role in drawing a blade and effecting a cut, but the internal skeletal and muscular mechanisms are every bit as important.

Often called the “inner principles” of movement, they have four main components.

1     Breathe

The primary element of action is breathing. The flow of air into and out of your body is directly connected to how smoothly you flow from movement to movement and how polished you look.

Your inhalations and exhalations should be calm, smooth and full. It’s essential to observe the transition from moving air in to moving air out. If you lack proper muscle control, it will be noticeable to an opponent who’s looking for an opening to attack or to a judge who’s grading you as you cut. Beginners tend to gasp for or gulp in air because of nervousness or overextended action.

It takes time and effort to cultivate the ability to stay well oxygenated. Try repetition drills that raise your aerobic levels and stationary meditation that calms and centers you.

2     Footwork Places Stance

Don’t stand flatfooted with your feet relaxed. The bones of your feet can move a considerable distance within the skin that encases them. Their musculature must exert firmness to take up that slack. Use your muscles to anchor yourself to the surface you’re standing on. Grip it with your toes and brace yourself as if you’re resisting a strong wind.

You should allow your heels to settle onto the surface so they provide a direct connection from the bones in your legs and hips to the ground. Then, when you drive from your heels, you can move with minimal delay.

Imagine a wild animal, coiled and ready to spring into action. It’s poised, with its breath flowing in and out, muscles ready to strike. Use your breathing to relax and energize your muscles and to keep them fresh. Release the tension in your body to avoid stiffness and cramps.

3     Stance Supports Posture

Your posture should provide balance for your intended direction. Feed it too much, and you telegraph your intentions. Give it too much angle, and you lose your balance point. Give it too little, and you stress your structure and fatigue your muscles more quickly.

Samurai Swordsmanship: The Batto, Kenjutsu and Tameshigiri of Eishin-Ryu is written by Masayuki Shimabukuro and Carl E. Long. Order your copy today!

Don’t let contracting muscles shrink you. Strive for height in your posture. Use the length of your arms and legs to enhance your stature. Your hips and core are the connection and energy-transfer point for generating power and moving it through your swing.

Carry firmness in your hips, the small of your back, your buttocks and your tailbone area, but it doesn’t stop there. That firmness must wrap all the way around and up through your pelvic girdle, where it contains your energy. With practice, you can create energy and hold it in place before spreading it throughout your body.

4     Posture Supports Swing

Strive to ground your structure from the waist down and elongate it from your torso to the base of your skull. This may sound contradictory, but the balance of power and unified articulation of these areas depends on your inner awareness. That connection and the energy of your grounded structure are transferred to your shoulders during the downward swing. Your shoulders and the rest of your being must “cut down” through the target.

Advanced Samurai Swordsmanship is a 3-DVD set from Masayuki Shimabukuro and Carl E. Long. Order from Amazon now!

You should strive for technical clarity in sword action. Effective cutting technique doesn’t require a big demonstration. Time and practice will refine the inner principles until they’re invisible. In ancient times, they had to be, for when two samurai dueled, a stiff or cumbersome action was all that was needed to telegraph a man’s intention and allow his foe to end his life.

Russell McCartney is a seventh-degree black belt and the founder of ishi yama ryu battojutsu.

(Photos by Rick Hustead)

Source: Black Belt Magazine

No American-made TV show — whether it’s produced by Netflix, the networks, cable or the premium channels — has come close to capturing the essence of Hong Kong cinema’s frenetic-paced, over-the-top, highly stylized martial arts action. Until now.

I am, of course, raving about the outrageous and audacious martial arts action served up by the hit AMC series Into the Badlands. More than 8.2 million people tuned in for its premiere in November 2015, making it the top-rated new fall series on either cable or broadcast television. It was also the third-largest audience for the launch of a cable series.

I interviewed Badlands star Daniel Wu a wee while ago for the cover story of the February/March 2016 issue of Black Belt. He discussed in depth his martial arts pedigree and philosophy, as well as how he got into filmmaking and why he wanted to do the series.

Don’t worry! This blog won’t give you deja vu if you’ve already read that article. All I’ll say is that Wu, a Chinese-American, is a legitimate martial artist who’s famous in Asia for his non-martial arts roles. His latest film, a doctor-and-patient-who’s-going-to-die tear-jerker called Go Away Mr. Tumor, is China’s 2015 Academy Award contender for Best Foreign Language Film.

Inasmuch as there’s been some decent martial arts action in series like Netflix’s Marco Polo and Daredevil, several fair stabs with ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a few good seasons of the CW’s Arrow, none has gone beyond the call of duty the way Badlands has.

Photo by James Dimmock/AMC

Badlands is being labeled a martial arts drama, akin to Chinese television’s lien xu zhu, or “kung fu soap operas.” It just so happens that this is the genre in which I honed my choreography skills while attending National Taiwan University circa 1979-81 as a graduate student. (Yes, I fake-fought my way through college.)

Because I’ve seen so much in this wonderful genre, I knew the martial arts world would love Badlands as soon as I watched the opening episode’s first fight. In it, Sunny (Daniel Wu) takes on a band of Mad Max-ian, apocalyptic ruffians using a combative tai chi skill that’s never been seen on American television. The technique was first featured in Hong Kong cinema by Donnie Yen in his debut film Drunken Tai Chi (1984). Yuen Woo-ping choreographed the scene, in which Donnie Yen kills a crazed villain named Iron-Steel, played by Yuen’s brother Sunny Yuen.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the fight choreographer for Badlands is one of Yuen Woo-ping’s disciples, a man named Dee Dee Ku. He choreographed Donnie Yen’s fights in Iron Monkey (1993) and Jet Li’s action in Tai-Chi Master (1993), both of which were directed by Yuen Woo-ping. It’s an interesting yet convoluted tie-in.

Photo by James Dimmock/AMC

Filmed in Louisiana, Badlands takes place 500 years into America’s future, during a time when a feudal society known as the Badlands is run by seven barons. Each baron controls a vital resource and owns a private army of enforcers called “clippers.” Sunny is the head clipper for the most powerful baron. No wonder all Daniel Wu’s fights end up being close shaves!

I’m not joking. I’m referring to the rain-drenched sword showdowns, slice-and-dice mayhem, blood-squirting gore and broken-bone bashing that viewers get in every episode. “We had six days to do each fight, compared to two weeks in typical Hong Kong films,” Wu told me. “When we got into it, we were like, Now we know why no one else is doing this — because it’s so hard!”

Image Courtesy of AMC

Unlike his Hollywood counterparts, Badlands executive producer/action-unit director Stephen Fung, who directed Tai Chi Zero (2012), doesn’t have to use the “earthquake cam” effect or extreme close-ups to hide the fighting ineptitude of the star. That’s because Wu is a skilled martial artist!

Instead, Fung uses wide angles so you can see that, in this case, it’s actually Daniel Wu who’s fighting 10 opponents in one scene. Furthermore, Fung ensures the stunts are filmed so you can tell that Wu (and a few other talented Badlands actors) really have been knocked backward by a strike and really have crashed into a wall.

Photo by James Minchin III/AMC

It’s rare to see a fresh Asian-American face burst onto the American small screen. It’s ever more rare to see someone do it by busting the Asian-American stereotypes that the major networks seem to be perpetuating. Daniel Wu is doing both. Yet there’s an ironic conundrum attached to his portrayal of Sunny.

“He’s Asian but not an Asian character,” Daniel Wu said. “There’s nothing Asian about him — Sunny could have been black or white. So on the cultural side, it wasn’t the point for him to be from Asia or have a Chinese accent. He’s born and raised in America, like me, so you won’t see any Asian-ness. But then it’s tricky because one might argue that an Asian doing martial arts is a stereotype.”

The way Daniel Wu manages the challenges associated with Into the Badlands seems to be resonating with audiences. It’s just been confirmed that the series was picked up for a second season. If you’re wondering where Wu might take Sunny’s character in Season 2, read the story in the February/March 2016 Black Belt.

Go here to order Dr. Craig D. Reid’s book The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s: 500+ Films Loaded With Action, Weapons and Warriors.

Subscribe to Black Belt here.

Source: Black Belt Magazine

For this story, the staff of Black Belt asked some of the most prominent instructors in the West to name what they regard as the highest teachings of the martial arts.

All the responses were fascinating. However, we were forced to weed out the duplicates and keep only the ones that likely would apply to the most people.

Half were presented in Part One, and the rest are listed below for the benefit of all our readers.

<<Cross-Train

“Knowledge is a powerful thing. The more knowledge you have, the better martial artist you become. Cross-train to learn the strengths of other styles. Always make sure your cross-training is goal-oriented, though. Ask yourself what you want to learn from a particular style, then focus on that.”

— Julius Melegrito, Filipino martial arts, star of the Philippine Fighting Arts DVD set

Intelligently Increase Your Speed

“There’s no advantage to striking several times or being the first person to hit the other person unless you get the job done. If you hit someone 20 times in less than 10 seconds and he’s still looking at you, you’d better run because you’re doing something wrong. Speed will come with practice.”

— Steve DeMasco, Shaolin kempo, star of the Shaolin Chuan Fa DVD set

<<Research Your Martial Arts Family History

“Discover who your teacher is, who your teacher’s teacher was and so on, as far back as you can. Knowing what they learned, from whom and why helps you relate to your style. You’ll find common threads that will make you feel connected and motivated.”

— Karen Sheperd, wun hop kuen do

<<Master a Multitude of Weapons

“Learn how to use a knife, sword, stick, staff, gun, Taser and pepper spray. For guidance, look to Olympic fencing, kendo, iaido and medieval styles of sword fighting.”

— Maj. Avi Nardia, author of Kapap Combat Concepts, star of the Kapap Combat Concepts DVD set

<<Acknowledge Mind Over Matter

“Your mind is your most powerful weapon. Understanding reality and putting that understanding to work will get you far. Without a focused mind, the body is useless.

“The pursuit of martial arts mastery always leads down a path on which mental abilities eventually exceed the physical. Your body will age and your physical skills will diminish, but there’s no limit to the development of your mind.”

— Richard Ryan, Dynamic Combat

<<Maintain an Open Mind

“If you use the sporting aspect of mixed martial arts as a base, you can add things to it for very effective self-defense. For instance, the two most common reasons MMA matches get stopped are eye gouging and getting kicked in the groin, so we know those techniques are effective.”

— Greg Jackson; MMA coach for Holly Holm, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones and others; star of the Greg Jackson MMA Core Curriculum online course

<<Know Your Enemy

“Your enemy could be your opponent — or your self-confidence, your girlfriend, your wife or your job. The word covers a lot of territory. Being a great technician with a great mind isn’t enough; you’ve got to know what you have to compete against.

“Your enemy is whatever you use your skills against. Ascertain that and you’ll be able to focus on defeating it.”

— Bill Wallace, kickboxing

<<Be Able to Control Distance

“If a situation is worsening and you can’t defuse it, maintain enough distance to give yourself time to muster a counterattack. It’s essential to keep your hands up and your opponent far enough away that he has to step forward to make contact with a punch. Without that buffer zone, which is called ‘fighting measure’ in JKD circles, chances are he’ll be able to hit you because of the time lag between his punch and the initiation of your parry.”

— Tim Tackett, author of the Chinatown Jeet Kune Do book and Chinatown Jeet Kune Do DVD

<<Intention Is the Mother of Technique

“If you know what your goals are, you can create techniques that will work. Here’s an example:

“I had a student in a half-day self-defense workshop whose goal was to snap her would-be attacker’s head back, but she couldn’t quite get the hang of the palm strike, the only technique she’d learned thus far. One day, much to my surprise, she rammed her fingers up his nose. It worked like a charm to send his head snapping back. Then she promptly torpedoed his torso with knees.”

— Melissa Soalt, self-defense

<<Have a Backup Plan

“Realize that grappling is important to know in case you go to the ground in a fight. If you can knock a guy out with one punch and the fight is over, perfect. That’s a beautiful fight. But if the guy is bigger and stronger and can absorb your punch, you’ve got to take him to the ground and choke him out.”

— Royce Gracie, Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Be Humble

“Know that on any given day, anyone can get his or her butt kicked.”

— Kathy Long, kickboxer

<<Add Power to Your Moves

“Everyone has power. The challenge is learning how to use your power. The science of the martial arts teaches you how to deliver techniques with power. Remember, however, that without technique, power is mostly wasted.”

— Steve DeMasco

<<Be Prepared — Always

“You need to learn equally about when you’ll be expected to fight and how you’ll be expected to fight. You might be able to do a certain technique every time in a safe environment — and then completely fail on the street in an unfamiliar environment [because you’re] under duress and in a compressed time cycle.”

— Kelly McCann, star of Kelly McCann’s 5-Volume Combatives Self-Defense Course

Have Techniques to Fall Back On

“Build an arsenal of techniques that don’t rely on strength, speed or coordination. This is where Gracie jiu-jitsu enters the picture.”

— Rorion Gracie, Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Master Unarmed Combat

“Take advantage of any chance you get to study a proven form of fighting. Of particular interest are Brazilian and Japanese jiu-jitsu, sambo, judo, Greco-Roman wrestling, Mongolian wrestling, aikido, hapkido, karate, muay Thai and Western boxing.

“Also devote time to close-quarters combat as taught by the police and military. And for serious survival, learn how to navigate unknown terrain, make a fire, camp, hunt, fish, cook and administer first aid.”

— Maj. Avi Nardia

<<Target Your Opponent’s Balance

“When you’re in a conflict, stay calm as you make plans to attack your opponent’s balance while protecting yours.”

— William Cheung, star of the Wing Chun Kung Fu DVD set

<<Cultivate Mental Karate

“Karate is not just physical self-defense; it’s also mental self-defense. Through physical training, you develop the ability to use blocks and counters to fend off mental attacks. You become what you think.

“The real lesson of karate is to empty the mind of defeatist attitudes.”

— Dr. Jerry Beasley, author of Dojo Dynamics: Essential Marketing Principles for Martial Arts Schools

<<Develop Strength of Mind

“Be confident in yourself, possess instantaneous tactics to outthink your opponent and have a thorough understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. Never underestimate any foe. Be in control at all times — there’s no room for anger, fear or doubt.”

— Jim Arvanitis, author of The First Mixed Martial Art: Pankration from Myths to Modern Times

Source: Black Belt Magazine

The external lessons of the martial arts are obvious. Use a jab to strike an opponent in front of you. Practice kata to polish your basic techniques and movements. Lift weights to build your strength. You probably know them by heart because you’re exposed to them every day in the dojo. What you’re not exposed to as often are the deeper, more esoteric lessons — the ones your instructor acquired after years, even decades, of training. Black Belt polled 23 martial arts masters to learn their secrets. Presented below are the most inspiring ones.

<<Learn Which Techniques Are Appropriate for Which Situations

“Mixed martial arts for competition and mixed martial arts as a form of self-defense are two different problems, but you use a lot of the same techniques. Mixed martial arts for sport is an intense one-on-one situation in a static environment, but it’s very intricate in the one-on-one.

“A self-defense situation is much bigger. You have to observe the room constantly because there might be more than one person. You have different environmental concerns to address: Where’s the furniture? How can I get to an exit? However, it’s usually not as intricate as competition. Usually, you’re not going to try to pull a deep half-guard in a street fight because your opponent’s friend will kick you in the head. Knowing which techniques are appropriate for which situation is very important.”

— Greg Jackson; MMA coach for Holly Holm, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones and others; featured in the MMA Core Curriculum online course

<<Know Why You’re Training

“This sounds obvious, but some martial artists train in a way that doesn’t at all match their stated goals. They say they’re training for self-defense, yet their teachers emphasize things that don’t reflect the realities of fighting.

“Know why you’re training. Does it give you a sense of adventure? Are you seeking self-perfection? Do you simply enjoy the thrill of competition or relish a challenge? Is it because you get to spend time with inspiring people? If you’re clear as to why you train, you’ll be more likely to find the best teachers and lessons.”

— Stephen K. Hayes, ninjutsu, to-shin do, author of The Complete Ninja Collection

<<Explore Your Mind

“Be clear on what you want out of the martial arts. Some people want to be a kicker, while others couldn’t care less about kicking. Some want to do forms but don’t care about fighting. Some prefer to concentrate on weapons. You have to understand yourself because to be successful, you have to develop the right mindset.

“When I was competing, my mindset was, if you were going to beat me, you were going to carry me out of the ring. I’d say to my opponent, ‘You’re fighting a losing battle already — you can’t beat my mind.’”

— Bill Wallace, kickboxing

<<Have Patience While Mastering the Basics

“Learn the fundamentals and perform them to the best of your ability before moving on to more advanced techniques. The basics — stances, punches, kicks and blocks — form your foundation.

“If your foundation is weak, whatever you build on it will collapse. For example, you must be able to hold a perfect horse stance to be able to move in and out of it or to perform hand techniques from it.”

— Karen Sheperd, wun hop kuen do

<<Develop Patience

“The martial arts aren’t a form of recreation; they’re a way of life. After a month or two of lessons, don’t expect to conquer the world. Plan to stay with your style for the long haul.”

—Lisa King, muay Thai

<<Know That Reality Isn’t Open to Interpretation

“If you don’t understand reality, it will work against you. Although everyone can have a point of view, there’s only one reality, and it’s not open to interpretation or personal preferences.

“Someone may believe he can fly and talk all day about flying. He can discuss various theories on how to fly and even jump off an 80-story building and ‘fly’ for the first 79 floors — until reality hits. Resistance separates reality from fantasy. Reality-test everything before you adopt it.”

— Richard Ryan, Dynamic Combat

<<Study the Most Likely Attacks

“It does little good to learn defensive techniques to counter moves that your opponent may never launch. Know how a street criminal attacks, how a mentally ill person attacks, how a terrorist attacks and so on. Seek that information from people who’ve been there.”

— Sgt. Jim Wagner, reality-based self-defense, author of Reality-Based Personal Protection

Bolster Your Determination

“Through the testing processes that are inherent in the martial arts, you learn humility. Losing does that to you. However, every loss should push you to train harder so you can be better than you were. Don’t dwell on losses; learn from them.”

— Lisa King

<<Keep Your Hands Up

“This is obvious to anyone who’s been kicked, punched or otherwise whacked in the head. But if you haven’t fought much, you need to make an effort to remember it.”

— Frank Shamrock, mixed martial arts

<<Learn What It’s Like to Be Hit

“Become familiar with being struck. Condition yourself through drilling with a medicine ball, striking a makiwara and engaging in impact sparring with kicks, punches and grappling maneuvers.”

— Maj. Avi Nardia, author of Kapap Combat Concepts, star of the Kapap Combat Concepts DVD set

<<Don’t Get Hit

“The most important skill

you must have is

the ability to avoid getting punched during a fight.”

— Rorion Gracie, Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Get Intimate With Your Moves

“Don’t just do a technique; mechanical repetitions have no meaning. To truly own it, internalize it. Realize its potential, especially if you plan on relying on it.

“Connect to each technique’s rhythm and nuances until you find the sweet spot, that place where its power crackles and pops. You’ll know it when you feel it.”

— Melissa Soalt, self-defense

Know Your Body

“In fact, know all its capabilities. You can make your mind strong, but if there’s something wrong with your hips or shoulders, it will limit your performance. Of course, you might be able to work around the problem.

“Another example: You might think you can start training at age 50 to become a competitor, but chances are you’ll lose a lot because the other guys will have much more experience.”

— Bill Wallace

<<Contemplate Your Navel

“More precisely, contemplate the region just below your navel. Lower your center of gravity and move it into your hara. It translates as ‘belly,’ but the word denotes your physical and spiritual epicenter of power. It’s the source of and connection to the primordial life force. Practically speaking, it’s your center of mass.

“By lowering your center of mass and cultivating hara, you develop an internal, shock-absorbing base of power. That helps you hit harder, remain calm under fire and move economically with purpose and speed. It also shortens the rise that naturally occurs when you’re surprised or threatened.”

— Melissa Soalt

<<Master Your Technique

“Martial artists often sacrifice technique for power and speed, but power and speed are no good without technique. Technique gives precision to your hand strikes and kicks. It also leads to better control, which is essential to the philosophy of the martial arts.

“Technique and philosophy are the qualities that differentiate you from a street fighter.”

— Steve DeMasco, Shaolin kempo, star of the Shaolin Chuan Fa DVD set

<<Stay Balanced

“As you practice, think about art, sport and self-defense. It’s easy to get carried away with just one aspect of the martial arts. Too much focus on sport or fitness will slow your thinking about the practicality of things on the street. That can create an error in judgment.

“Likewise, too much focus on the artistic part of your style can cloud your mind and keep you from seeing other things.”

— Julius Melegrito, Filipino martial arts, star of the Philippine Fighting Arts DVD set

<<Be Aware of Your Surroundings

“Know where you are and if that man who’s approaching you is likely to ask for directions or jack your wallet. If it’s the latter, look for escape routes or begin doing what you need to do to stand your ground and fight.”

— Tim Tackett, jeet kune do, author of the Chinatown Jeet Kune Do book and Chinatown Jeet Kune Do DVD

Remember That Ability Is Knowledge Applied

“In other words, knowledge plus repetition equals training. To achieve greatness, first acquire realistic knowledge, then put it to work through repetition. The more reality-based knowledge you acquire and the more you work at it, the more skilled you become. Once you have a firm grasp of reality, you need to work at it to become good.”

— Richard Ryan

(To be continued.)

Source: Black Belt Magazine

The external lessons of the martial arts are obvious. Use a jab to strike an opponent in front of you. Practice kata to polish your basic techniques and movements. Lift weights to build your strength. You probably know them by heart because you’re exposed to them every day in the dojo. What you’re not exposed to as often are the deeper, more esoteric lessons — the ones your instructor acquired after years, even decades, of training. Black Belt polled 22 martial arts masters to learn their secrets. Presented below are the most inspiring ones.

<<Learn Which Techniques Are Appropriate for Which Situations

“Mixed martial arts for competition and mixed martial arts as a form of self-defense are two different problems, but you use a lot of the same techniques. Mixed martial arts for sport is an intense one-on-one situation in a static environment, but it’s very intricate in the one-on-one.

“A self-defense situation is much bigger. You have to observe the room constantly because there might be more than one person. You have different environmental concerns to address: Where’s the furniture? How can I get to an exit? However, it’s usually not as intricate as competition. Usually, you’re not going to try to pull a deep half-guard in a street fight because your opponent’s friend will kick you in the head. Knowing which techniques are appropriate for which situation is very important.”

— Greg Jackson; MMA coach for Holly Holm, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones and others; featured in the MMA Core Curriculum online course

<<Know Why You’re Training

“This sounds obvious, but some martial artists train in a way that doesn’t at all match their stated goals. They say they’re training for self-defense, yet their teachers emphasize things that don’t reflect the realities of fighting.

“Know why you’re training. Does it give you a sense of adventure? Are you seeking self-perfection? Do you simply enjoy the thrill of competition or relish a challenge? Is it because you get to spend time with inspiring people? If you’re clear as to why you train, you’ll be more likely to find the best teachers and lessons.”

— Stephen K. Hayes, ninjutsu, to-shin do, author of The Complete Ninja Collection

<<Explore Your Mind

“Be clear on what you want out of the martial arts. Some people want to be a kicker, while others couldn’t care less about kicking. Some want to do forms but don’t care about fighting. Some prefer to concentrate on weapons. You have to understand yourself because to be successful, you have to develop the right mindset.

“When I was competing, my mindset was, if you were going to beat me, you were going to carry me out of the ring. I’d say to my opponent, ‘You’re fighting a losing battle already — you can’t beat my mind.’”

— Bill Wallace, kickboxing

<<Have Patience While Mastering the Basics

“Learn the fundamentals and perform them to the best of your ability before moving on to more advanced techniques. The basics — stances, punches, kicks and blocks — form your foundation.

“If your foundation is weak, whatever you build on it will collapse. For example, you must be able to hold a perfect horse stance to be able to move in and out of it or to perform hand techniques from it.”

— Karen Sheperd, wun hop kuen do

<<Develop Patience

“The martial arts aren’t a form of recreation; they’re a way of life. After a month or two of lessons, don’t expect to conquer the world. Plan to stay with your style for the long haul.”

—Lisa King, muay Thai

<<Know That Reality Isn’t Open to Interpretation

“If you don’t understand reality, it will work against you. Although everyone can have a point of view, there’s only one reality, and it’s not open to interpretation or personal preferences.

“Someone may believe he can fly and talk all day about flying. He can discuss various theories on how to fly and even jump off an 80-story building and ‘fly’ for the first 79 floors — until reality hits. Resistance separates reality from fantasy. Reality-test everything before you adopt it.”

— Richard Ryan, Dynamic Combat

<<Study the Most Likely Attacks

“It does little good to learn defensive techniques to counter moves that your opponent may never launch. Know how a street criminal attacks, how a mentally ill person attacks, how a terrorist attacks and so on. Seek that information from people who’ve been there.”

— Sgt. Jim Wagner, reality-based self-defense, author of Reality-Based Personal Protection

Bolster Your Determination

“Through the testing processes that are inherent in the martial arts, you learn humility. Losing does that to you. However, every loss should push you to train harder so you can be better than you were. Don’t dwell on losses; learn from them.”

— Lisa King

<<Keep Your Hands Up

“This is obvious to anyone who’s been kicked, punched or otherwise whacked in the head. But if you haven’t fought much, you need to make an effort to remember it.”

— Frank Shamrock, mixed martial arts

<<Learn What It’s Like to Be Hit

“Become familiar with being struck. Condition yourself through drilling with a medicine ball, striking a makiwara and engaging in impact sparring with kicks, punches and grappling maneuvers.”

— Maj. Avi Nardia, author of Kapap Combat Concepts, star of the Kapap Combat Concepts DVD set

<<Don’t Get Hit

“The most important skill

you must have is

the ability to avoid getting punched during a fight.”

— Rorion Gracie, Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Get Intimate With Your Moves

“Don’t just do a technique; mechanical repetitions have no meaning. To truly own it, internalize it. Realize its potential, especially if you plan on relying on it.

“Connect to each technique’s rhythm and nuances until you find the sweet spot, that place where its power crackles and pops. You’ll know it when you feel it.”

— Melissa Soalt, self-defense

Know Your Body

“In fact, know all its capabilities. You can make your mind strong, but if there’s something wrong with your hips or shoulders, it will limit your performance. Of course, you might be able to work around the problem.

“Another example: You might think you can start training at age 50 to become a competitor, but chances are you’ll lose a lot because the other guys will have much more experience.”

— Bill Wallace

<<Contemplate Your Navel

“More precisely, contemplate the region just below your navel. Lower your center of gravity and move it into your hara. It translates as ‘belly,’ but the word denotes your physical and spiritual epicenter of power. It’s the source of and connection to the primordial life force. Practically speaking, it’s your center of mass.

“By lowering your center of mass and cultivating hara, you develop an internal, shock-absorbing base of power. That helps you hit harder, remain calm under fire and move economically with purpose and speed. It also shortens the rise that naturally occurs when you’re surprised or threatened.”

— Melissa Soalt

<<Master Your Technique

“Martial artists often sacrifice technique for power and speed, but power and speed are no good without technique. Technique gives precision to your hand strikes and kicks. It also leads to better control, which is essential to the philosophy of the martial arts.

“Technique and philosophy are the qualities that differentiate you from a street fighter.”

— Steve DeMasco, Shaolin kempo, star of the Shaolin Chuan Fa DVD set

<<Stay Balanced

“As you practice, think about art, sport and self-defense. It’s easy to get carried away with just one aspect of the martial arts. Too much focus on sport or fitness will slow your thinking about the practicality of things on the street. That can create an error in judgment.

“Likewise, too much focus on the artistic part of your style can cloud your mind and keep you from seeing other things.”

— Julius Melegrito, Filipino martial arts, star of the Philippine Fighting Arts DVD set

<<Be Aware of Your Surroundings

“Know where you are and if that man who’s approaching you is likely to ask for directions or jack your wallet. If it’s the latter, look for escape routes or begin doing what you need to do to stand your ground and fight.”

— Tim Tackett, jeet kune do, author of the Chinatown Jeet Kune Do book and Chinatown Jeet Kune Do DVD

Remember That Ability Is Knowledge Applied

“In other words, knowledge plus repetition equals training. To achieve greatness, first acquire realistic knowledge, then put it to work through repetition. The more reality-based knowledge you acquire and the more you work at it, the more skilled you become. Once you have a firm grasp of reality, you need to work at it to become good.”

— Richard Ryan

(To be continued.)

Source: Black Belt Magazine

The external lessons of the martial arts are obvious. Use a jab to strike an opponent in front of you. Practice kata to polish your basic techniques and movements. Lift weights to build your strength. You probably know them by heart because you’re exposed to them every day in the dojo. What you’re not exposed to as often are the deeper, more esoteric lessons — the ones your instructor acquired after years, even decades, of training. Black Belt polled 20 martial arts masters to learn their secrets. Presented below are the most inspiring ones.

Learn Which Techniques Are Appropriate for Which Situations

“Mixed martial arts for competition and mixed martial arts as a form of self-defense are two different problems, but you use a lot of the same techniques. Mixed martial arts for sport is an intense one-on-one situation in a static environment, but it’s very intricate in the one-on-one.

“A self-defense situation is much bigger. You have to observe the room constantly because there might be more than one person. You have different environmental concerns to address: Where’s the furniture? How can I get to an exit? However, it’s usually not as intricate as competition. Usually, you’re not going to try to pull a deep half-guard in a street fight because your opponent’s friend will kick you in the head. Knowing which techniques are appropriate for which situation is very important.”

— Greg Jackson; MMA coach for Holly Holm, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones and others; featured in the MMA Core Curriculum online course

Know Why You’re Training

“This sounds obvious, but some martial artists train in a way that doesn’t at all match their stated goals. They say they’re training for self-defense, yet their teachers emphasize things that don’t reflect the realities of fighting.

“Know why you’re training. Does it give you a sense of adventure? Are you seeking self-perfection? Do you simply enjoy the thrill of competition or relish a challenge? Is it because you get to spend time with inspiring people? If you’re clear as to why you train, you’ll be more likely to find the best teachers and lessons.”

— Stephen K. Hayes, ninjutsu, to-shin do, author of The Complete Ninja Collection

Explore Your Mind

“Be clear on what you want out of the martial arts. Some people want to be a kicker, while others couldn’t care less about kicking. Some want to do forms but don’t care about fighting. Some prefer to concentrate on weapons. You have to understand yourself because to be successful, you have to develop the right mindset.

“When I was competing, my mindset was, if you were going to beat me, you were going to carry me out of the ring. I’d say to my opponent, ‘You’re fighting a losing battle already — you can’t beat my mind.’”

— Bill Wallace, kickboxing

Have Patience While Mastering the Basics

“Learn the fundamentals and perform them to the best of your ability before moving on to more advanced techniques. The basics — stances, punches, kicks and blocks — form your foundation.

“If your foundation is weak, whatever you build on it will collapse. For example, you must be able to hold a perfect horse stance to be able to move in and out of it or to perform hand techniques from it.”

— Karen Sheperd, wun hop kuen do

Develop Patience

“The martial arts aren’t a form of recreation; they’re a way of life. After a month or two of lessons, don’t expect to conquer the world. Plan to stay with your style for the long haul.”

—Lisa King, muay Thai

Know That Reality Isn’t Open to Interpretation

“If you don’t understand reality, it will work against you. Although everyone can have a point of view, there’s only one reality, and it’s not open to interpretation or personal preferences.

“Someone may believe he can fly and talk all day about flying. He can discuss various theories on how to fly and even jump off an 80-story building and ‘fly’ for the first 79 floors — until reality hits. Resistance separates reality from fantasy. Reality-test everything before you adopt it.”

— Richard Ryan, Dynamic Combat

Study the Most Likely Attacks

“It does little good to learn defensive techniques to counter moves that your opponent may never launch. Know how a street criminal attacks, how a mentally ill person attacks, how a terrorist attacks and so on. Seek that information from people who’ve been there.”

— Sgt. Jim Wagner, reality-based self-defense, author of Reality-Based Personal Protection

Bolster Your Determination

“Through the testing processes that are inherent in the martial arts, you learn humility. Losing does that to you. However, every loss should push you to train harder so you can be better than you were. Don’t dwell on losses; learn from them.”

— Lisa King

Keep Your Hands Up

“This is obvious to anyone who’s been kicked, punched or otherwise whacked in the head. But if you haven’t fought much, you need to make an effort to remember it.”

— Frank Shamrock, mixed martial arts

Learn What It’s Like to Be Hit

“Become familiar with being struck. Condition yourself through drilling with a medicine ball, striking a makiwara and engaging in impact sparring with kicks, punches and grappling maneuvers.”

— Maj. Avi Nardia, author of Kapap Combat Concepts, star of the Kapap Combat Concepts DVD set

Don’t Get Hit

“The most important skill you must have is the ability to avoid getting punched during a fight.”

— Rorion Gracie, Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Get Intimate With Your Moves

“Don’t just do a technique; mechanical repetitions have no meaning. To truly own it, internalize it. Realize its potential, especially if you plan on relying on it.

“Connect to each technique’s rhythm and nuances until you find the sweet spot, that place where its power crackles and pops. You’ll know it when you feel it.”

— Melissa Soalt, self-defense

Know Your Body

“In fact, know all its capabilities. You can make your mind strong, but if there’s something wrong with your hips or shoulders, it will limit your performance. Of course, you might be able to work around the problem.

“Another example: You might think you can start training at age 50 to become a competitor, but chances are you’ll lose a lot because the other guys will have much more experience.”

— Bill Wallace

Contemplate Your Navel

“More precisely, contemplate the region just below your navel. Lower your center of gravity and move it into your hara. It translates as ‘belly,’ but the word denotes your physical and spiritual epicenter of power. It’s the source of and connection to the primordial life force. Practically speaking, it’s your center of mass.

“By lowering your center of mass and cultivating hara, you develop an internal, shock-absorbing base of power. That helps you hit harder, remain calm under fire and move economically with purpose and speed. It also shortens the rise that naturally occurs when you’re surprised or threatened.”

— Melissa Soalt

Master Your Technique

“Martial artists often sacrifice technique for power and speed, but power and speed are no good without technique. Technique gives precision to your hand strikes and kicks. It also leads to better control, which is essential to the philosophy of the martial arts.

“Technique and philosophy are the qualities that differentiate you from a street fighter.”

— Steve DeMasco, Shaolin kempo, star of the Shaolin Chuan Fa DVD set

Stay Balanced

“As you practice, think about art, sport and self-defense. It’s easy to get carried away with just one aspect of the martial arts. Too much focus on sport or fitness will slow your thinking about the practicality of things on the street. That can create an error in judgment.

“Likewise, too much focus on the artistic part of your style can cloud your mind and keep you from seeing other things.”

— Julius Melegrito, Filipino martial arts, star of the Philippine Fighting Arts DVD set

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

“Know where you are and if that man who’s approaching you is likely to ask for directions or jack your wallet. If it’s the latter, look for escape routes or begin doing what you need to do to stand your ground and fight.”

— Tim Tackett, jeet kune do, author of the Chinatown Jeet Kune Do book and Chinatown Jeet Kune Do DVD

Remember That Ability Is Knowledge Applied

“In other words, knowledge plus repetition equals training. To achieve greatness, first acquire realistic knowledge, then put it to work through repetition. The more reality-based knowledge you acquire and the more you work at it, the more skilled you become. Once you have a firm grasp of reality, you need to work at it to become good.”

— Richard Ryan

(To be continued.)

Source: Black Belt Magazine

This blog post will test your knowledge of kung fu films, challenge your understanding of who’s had the greatest impact on the development of Chinese martial arts movies and maybe even cause you to examine your kung fu film “nerd quotient.”

My first question is, What ever happened to Tony?

Tony the Tiger? No, but he was g-r-reat! Tony Jaa? Too much of a suit-and-Thai guy to be linked to Chinese cinema. How about To Ni? Nah, he was a background actor often seen in old films but rarely credited.

My question refers to the first actor to bear the brunt of Bruce Lee’s iconic death blow: Tony Liu, aka Liu Yong.

Tony Liu in Adventures of Emperor Chien Lung, Courtesy of Celestial Pictures

Tony Liu co-starred in three Bruce Lee films, all of which scored big at the box office. In Enter the Dragon (1973), Liu wore a yellow gi and fought John Saxon in Han’s martial arts tournament. In Return of the Dragon (1972), Liu played Tony, one of the Chinese waiters at the restaurant Bruce Lee was protecting from the Mafia. Liu’s most famous character — at least, in the minds of many Americans — was the son of the big boss in The Big Boss, aka Fists of Fury (1971).

Now available! “Bruce Lee Quotes on Philosophy: An Excerpt From the NEW Bruce Lee Biography and Your Guide to Four More Bruce Lee Books!” Click here to access this free download.

That Tony Liu–Bruce Lee scene in The Big Boss turned out to be a defining moment in Lee’s career. It unfolded as follows:

It’s nighttime at the ice factory, and Tony Liu and Bruce Lee are going at it. Liu lunges in with a desperate punch, but Lee blocks the blow — and then it happens. Lee unleashes a gut punch in what will become one of his signature moments. For the next 15 seconds, we see Lee’s muscles tense as his outstretched arm is frozen in fury. Then he turns to the camera, his snarling lips and eye-growling face reflecting nothing but anger and the desire for revenge.

Bruce Lee in The Big Boss

After a run of look-how-handsome-he-is movies, Tony Liu signed with Shaw Brothers in 1975. The following year, he was selected to portray a real person, one who arguably had the greatest impact on the development of Chinese martial arts. Was that Ta Mo (Bodhidharma), Zhang San-Feng, Ip Man, Huo Yuan-Jia or even Bruce Lee? Nope. It was Emperor Chien Lung (1711-1799).

Four films on the life and times of Chien Lung have been made, and Tony Liu played him in each one. They are Emperor Chien Lung (1976), The Adventures of Emperor Chien Lung (1977), Voyage of Emperor Chien Lung (1978) and Emperor Chien Lung and the Beauty (1980).

Have you updated your Tao? Go here now to order Tao of Jeet Kune Do: New Expanded Edition by Bruce Lee.

Just who was Chien Lung, and why was he significant?

After the brutal 13-year reign of Emperor Yong Zheng, perhaps best-known for razing Shaolin Temple and slaughtering most of the monks, his fourth son Hong Li rose to power and became Emperor Chien Lung, the fifth ruler of the Ching dynasty. He governed China from 1736 to 1796.

Emperor Chien Lung is famous for secretly visiting southern China six times while dressed as a commoner. His goal was to learn how his subjects felt about him and how he might improve their country and their lives.

Due to his expertise in the martial arts, Chien Lung also was known as the last kung fu emperor. In Adventures of Emperor Chien Lung, we bear witness to how he learned to defend himself while growing up in the cold lands of northern China and how, as a teen, he saved his grandfather from a ferocious black bear during a hunting trip.

Emperor Chien Lung

Emperor Chien Lung’s contribution to martial arts filmdom is enormous though inadvertent. Recognizing that what his father had done to Shaolin Temple was tragic and wrong, he took it upon himself to rebuild the monastery and revitalize the Shaolin martial arts. He also commissioned the creation of Beijing opera schools, which became the training ground for Hong Kong’s stunt performers. That group, of course, includes the likes of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Ching Siu-tung.

Back to Tony Liu: He’s now 63 years old and still living in Hong Kong. His career has spanned 45 years and 75 films, and it’s not over. For that, Mr. Liu deserves, ahem, a Tony Award.

BRUCE LEE is a registered trademark of Bruce Lee Enterprises LLC. The Bruce Lee name, image and likeness are intellectual property of Bruce Lee Enterprises LLC.

Go here to order Dr. Craig D. Reid’s book The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s: 500+ Films Loaded With Action, Weapons and Warriors.

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Part 1: If you read the cover story of the June/July 2015 issue of Black Belt, you know who Greg Jackson is. Of course, if you’re a follower of the biggest names in MMA, you probably already knew. The reason you’re reading about him here is he’s much more than a successful MMA coach, as you can see from the comments he’s made in past interviews.

“We, as mixed martial artists, can’t be saying traditional martial arts doesn’t give us anything. In true mixed-martial-arts fashion, we need to take the best of all, and we especially need to grab the social value of traditional martial arts. It has a lot of techniques that we’re using all the time, but the social thing is a big deal. When you learn traditional martial arts, what do you think of? Respect, bowing, discipline — things that are important to the world. We need to absorb that into our culture.”

Greg Jackson on the cover of the June/July 2015 Black Belt

Those sentences indicate that although Greg Jackson spends much of his work week in Albuquerque, New Mexico, coaching MMA fighters like Holly Holm, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Andrei Arlovski, Diego Sanchez, Tim Kennedy, Clay Guida and Sarah Kaufman, his involvement in the martial arts is much more profound than cage fighting. Perhaps that’s why he’s investing so much time to promote his concept of MMA as a martial art. It entails taking octagon-tested techniques and tempering them with the traditional components he mentioned — respect, discipline and so on — to yield what he believes is a superior system of self-defense, one that develops the qualities the arts have pushed for centuries.

Sign up for the Greg Jackson Mixed Martial Arts Core Curriculum online-education program today. It’s brand-new!

The reason Jackson sees his system as superior is the dynamic nature of self-defense. “It’s context driven, meaning that there are times when you need to be precise and accurate and there are times when you need to sacrifice some of those things to claim the initiative,” he said. “Our system of mixed martial arts, in addition to teaching techniques, also teaches you to think tactically so you can make decisions like that in real time.”

Greg Jackson signing autographs at the 2015 Martial Arts SuperShow

Greg Jackson’s approach is refreshing. It teaches that most MMA moves were borrowed from the traditional martial arts. It teaches that many of the moves that work in MMA are also great for self-defense while others are not so useful.

It also teaches that not all traditional techniques are still relevant for self-defense because of the way society and technology have evolved. So why not cherry-pick the best techniques of MMA and teach them in a progressive manner while reinfusing them with all those treasured intangible qualities?

Greg Jackson enters the Black Belt Hall of Fame

Scores of schools are already on board, and more are sure to follow in their footsteps. For all that he’s done and continues to do to advance the martial arts — both traditional and mixed — Greg Jackson is Black Belt’s 2015 Instructor of the Year.

— J. Torres

Part 2: Greg Jackson Featured in New Online Course From Black Belt!

As you know from reading the first half of this post, Greg Jackson has developed a systematic approach to teaching mixed martial arts that parallels the one that’s often used in the traditional martial arts. In other words, it’s not a random sampling of techniques. It’s a progression that lays a foundation of exercises, drills and basic techniques, then adds more challenging moves. It’s all about taking time to build a skill base that makes sense within the confines of competition and self-defense.

Greg Jackson (top) and Joe Stevenson in a Black Belt photo shoot

We, the people who bring you Black Belt, managed to corral the in-demand coach in our studio, where we had a crew point three video cameras at him. After a lengthy editing session, we ended up with a polished online-education program we’re calling the Greg Jackson Mixed Martial Arts Core Curriculum.

The advantages associated with this set of streaming-video lessons are several. First, every video features Jackson, the talented coach who’s trained Holly Holm, Jon Jones, Tim Kennedy, Rashad Evans, Frank Mir, Keith Jardine and Clay Guida, to name a few.

Greg Jackson tying up the arms of Joe Stevenson before executing an elbow strike

Second, the course uses 21st-century digital technology to beam the lessons to your smartphone, tablet or computer. That means you can learn new techniques or review the ones you already know anytime and anyplace. There are no VCRs or DVD players to lug around and no tapes or discs to keep track of. As long as you have your digital device and an Internet connection, you’re ready to throw down.

To get early-bird pricing on this cutting-edge course, go here now.

— Robert W. Young

(Studio Photos by Ian Spanier)

Source: Black Belt Magazine