Category: Martial Arts

Editor’s Note: The interview from which this segment is adapted was originally printed in the May 2008 issue of Black Belt magazine. (You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here). At the time, interviewer Bob Landers wrote, it was “fitting for Ted Wong, the man many consider the foremost authority on Bruce Lee’s art, to go on the record.” During the course of his interview with Ted Wong — who, sadly, passed away on November 24, 2010 — Bob Landers’ goal was to “ask the questions that [had been] on the minds of martial artists but that [hadn’t] been addressed by a person of Ted Wong’s clout.” Ted Wong, age 70 at the time, was still evolving in his physical and intellectual understanding of JKD and still “tirelessly toured the world, educating students on the finer points of Bruce Lee’s legacy and honoring the memory of his teacher and friend.” And so it is, through revisiting classic interviews such as this, that Black Belt honors the memory of Bruce Lee’s student and friend — and its own Hall of Fame’s 2006 Man of the Year — Ted Wong.

You were present at many of James Coburn and Steve McQueen’s lessons — any interesting stories there?

On occasion, I was with Bruce during their sessions. James Coburn was more philosophically oriented. Bruce could be very philosophical, and I think this was the main draw for James.

I saw more of Steve McQueen. One time Bruce took me to Steve’s house in Westwood, Los Angeles. His house was built like an 18th-century castle. We would work out in the big courtyard, which had sandstone rock with a rough surface. Steve tripped and cut open his big toe, and there was this big piece of flesh hanging there. It was a bloody mess, and Bruce said we’d better stop. Steve said, “No, let’s keep on training.” Steve was tough and very physically oriented.

Joe Lewis once said you were an old and close friend of his and the only student of Lee’s he ever met while Lee was alive.

Quite often Joe Lewis would come to train with Bruce [while] I was there. Joe was an excellent martial artist and the top tournament fighter at that time. Bruce was working with him on how to improve his technique for tournaments, so sometimes I would work with him. Usually when Joe would come for training, he was very serious, but sometimes he’d be in a joking mood and we’d have a little fun. Later on, Joe became the full-contact champion. Some 20 years after Bruce passed away, Joe and I connected again, taught some seminars together and became very good friends.

Joe Lewis recalls his glory days training with Bruce Lee and
competing on the circuit in this FREE download!
Joe Lewis: How the Bruce Lee Training Method
Made Him — and Can Make YOU — a Better Fighter

After Lee passed away, you must have had a void in your life. How did you go about putting JKD together to the degree that you have?

For me, it wasn’t easy continuing his art after he passed away because I had lost a teacher and wasn’t sure which way to go. Fortunately, I had my good friend Herb Jackson, who was also a longtime student of Bruce Lee, so we worked together on what we’d learned — mostly physical techniques. I managed to stay with what I learned from Bruce and never looked into other arts.

I also began to research his writings. It took me about 15 years to really understand what jeet kune do was all about and even more time to develop my skill. I really put a lot of time into it. Bruce left behind a lot of information, which served as a road map, but you have to study it and work at it to make it all come together. Through teaching for the past 15 years, I learned a lot about JKD and myself.

In your studies, did you discover things that Lee never taught you?

Having spent as much time as I have — 30 to 40 years — studying jeet kune do, I discovered many things in the art itself which Bruce never taught me. These are things within the structure of jeet kune do. Innovation is about understanding the inner workings [of the art]. When you understand this, you can further simplify. Everything I learned wasn’t from an outside source; it was inside JKD. Any discoveries I made were already contained within the art as Bruce designed it. Bruce’s notes and writings provide a road map, so by sticking to his principles, it’s still jeet kune do.

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14 Life Lessons: Kenpo and JKD Expert Dan Inosanto
Remembers His Martial Journey

Have you ever heard the term “jeet kune do lite”?

I heard of it back in 2001. What this particular JKD teacher meant was that most people were teaching a watered-down version of JKD. He was saying that people were over-commercializing JKD, kind of like a fast-food version of it. He was implying that people were motivated by greed, etc.

Some people charge from $2,000 to $4,000 for a two- to five-day course, after which the participants are certified as instructors.

I think Bruce Lee would turn over in his grave knowing people charge that kind of money for so little training and then promote people to be instructors of his art. The practice is absurd and motivated by greed. It takes years of training and practice to understand the art of JKD and be able to teach. If an instructor certifies someone after just one seminar, it shows a lack of integrity and respect toward the art and the martial arts in general.

What was Lee’s greatest gift to you?

I received so much from him; by nature, he was a giver, not a receiver. He spent all his life giving of himself and of his knowledge. I didn’t realize until many years later the magnitude of what I received from him. It took me many years to understand his art and realize that his art doesn’t just apply to martial arts; it applies to how you conduct yourself in all aspects of life. What I learned from his teaching — efficiency and other things — led to self-confidence, self-reliance and self-sufficiency. These are the greatest gifts I received from him.

Lee has been gone a long time. Do you still miss him?

Oh, yes. I miss him, but at the same time, he’s still here [even though] he’s out of sight physically. When I teach, read his notes or practice, I feel like he’s there with me. Of course, I miss his physical self, but I feel his presence. Even now, he’s still here teaching me.

About the Author:
A longtime student of the late Ted Wong, Bob Landers teaches a jeet kune do group in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Related Martial Arts Books, E-Books,
DVDs and Video Downloads

Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist	Black Belt Magazine: The Bruce Lee Collection	Tao of Jeet Kune Do: Expanded Edition

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Editor’s Note: The interview from which this segment is adapted was originally printed in the May 2008 issue of Black Belt magazine. (You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.) At the time, interviewer Bob Landers wrote, it was “fitting for Ted Wong, the man many consider the foremost authority on Bruce Lee’s art, to go on the record.” During the course of his interview with Ted Wong — who, sadly, passed away on November 24, 2010 — Bob Landers’ goal was to “ask the questions that [had been] on the minds of martial artists but that [hadn’t] been addressed by a person of Ted Wong’s clout.” Ted Wong, age 70 at the time, was still evolving in his physical and intellectual understanding of JKD and still “tirelessly toured the world, educating students on the finer points of Bruce Lee’s legacy and honoring the memory of his teacher and friend.” And so it is, through revisiting classic interviews such as this, that Black Belt honors the memory of Bruce Lee’s student and friend — and its own Hall of Fame’s 2006 Man of the Year — Ted Wong.

Bruce Lee studied wing chun for years. Why do you think he ultimately abandoned it?

Bruce learned wing chun as a youngster for about four years, so what he taught early on was basically wing chun. When he came to America, it really opened up his thinking, and he was able to look into many different martial arts, as well as boxing and fencing. He began looking into ways to modify wing chun, asking himself, “What is the best way to use two arms and two legs?”

Learn more about boxing, Bruce Lee and JKD in this FREE Guide!
Bruce Lee Training Research:
How Boxing Influenced His Jeet Kune Do Techniques

As Bruce evolved, he realized that a lot of wing chun was not functional because of its limitations and [because] it was very classical and tradition oriented. Classical and traditional arts have a tendency to not change and do things the way they were done for hundreds of years. So when he started to take his art more into a boxing and fencing direction, he looked to science — such as the laws of physics — and realized that wing chun didn’t fit the direction he was heading.

After a fight in Oakland, California, with a kung fu man from Hong Kong in 1965, Bruce realized there were a lot of limitations in wing chun. He felt he should have finished the fight in a matter of seconds instead of three minutes. This was a real turning point, and he started to examine more deeply his system as well as his physical conditioning. I think this event led to the birth of jeet kune do and an even further departure from wing chun. His wing chun base was acting like a ball and chain to his growth. He began to look for a better way — and that’s when boxing and fencing came in. When Bruce dropped wing chun and changed the stance, that’s when he excelled.

Some people insist that Lee could never really escape his wing chun roots and that the key to JKD lies in wing chun mechanics.

People who say that have no real understanding of Bruce’s art, or they’re saying that to promote their own art at the expense of Bruce Lee. The statement is ridiculous because Bruce had the physical and intellectual ability to change and adapt. The late Ed Parker, who was a close friend of Bruce’s, once said the first time he’d show Bruce something, Bruce could perform it as [well as Parker could], and the second time he could perform it better. Bruce once told me that to become a good fighter, the No. 1 thing is the ability to adapt.

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14 Life Lessons: Kenpo and JKD Expert Dan Inosanto
Remembers His Martial Journey

Most people don’t know that Lee lived with you for two weeks in your small apartment. How did you and his Great Dane get along?

The reason Bruce and his family stayed with me was the house he was going to move into wouldn’t be ready for two weeks and he had to be out of the house he was living in right away. Bruce told me he was going to have to move his family and dog to the school. I said, “Why not stay at my place?” Linda and Brandon had my bedroom, Bruce slept on my couch and I slept on a mattress on the floor. The big dog wanted to sleep with me. I would push him away, but he kept coming back. After a while, I gave up and said, “OK, you can sleep with me.” (laughs)

TO BE CONTINUED

About the Author:
A longtime student of the late Ted Wong, Bob Landers teaches a jeet kune do group in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Related Martial Arts Books, E-Books,
DVDs and Video Downloads

Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist	Black Belt Magazine: The Bruce Lee Collection	Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense — Revised and Updated

Source: Black Belt Magazine

“Dan Inosanto … is one of the people most responsible for keeping the jeet kune do flame alive. He has done a great deal to expose the art of jeet kune do to the entire world by holding seminars and writing articles and books since the passing of Bruce Lee.

[His] take on JKD is considered an added dimension in the jeet kune do timeline. He has followed his own light and found the best within himself.”

— William Cheung & Ted Wong, from their out-of-print book
Wing Chun Kung Fu / Jeet Kune Do: A Comparison Vol. 1

Such words of high praise from two of the martial arts’ most famous luminaries only serve to further highlight how proud we were when this talented and professional martial artist visited the offices of Black Belt magazine a few years ago to shoot a cover story and a wide range of other photography for future usage.

Below you can see exclusive footage from that day, pulled from our extensive digital-video archive EXCLUSIVELY for this presentation:

EXCLUSIVE DAN INOSANTO VIDEO
The Kenpo and JKD Expert, Filmed Behind the Scenes at Black Belt Magazine

Download your free glimpse into the mind of a master!
14 Life Lessons: Kenpo and JKD Expert Dan Inosanto
Remembers His Martial Journey

Related Martial Arts Books, E-Books,
DVDs and Video Downloads

Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist	Black Belt Magazine: The Bruce Lee Collection	Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense — Revised and Updated

Source: Black Belt Magazine

I was recently talking with a friend who’s a high-level taekwondo guy. He was telling me about a school he’d visited that really impressed him. It had a large, highly motivated group of students. Most were athletic and pushing to achieve as much as they could, regardless of age or size. The forms were crisp. The self-defense drills were sharp.

The school was excellent in every way …

… except one: There was no real contact in sparring, not even among the black belts.

My friend, who’s lived in South Korea and trained in the competitive atmosphere there, just shook his head. No matter how good a training hall is, he said, “you’ve got to have people hitting each other in the face sometimes.”

I’m mostly into mixed martial arts now, so my friend was preaching to the choir. I believe that all empty-hand arts benefit from some kind of sparring practice. Everything from aikido to wing chun gets better when you take practitioners out of their comfort zones.

Download your free glimpse into the mind of a master of many martial arts!
14 Life Lessons: Kenpo and JKD Expert Dan Inosanto
Remembers His Martial Journey

On the surface, it seemed like this is what my taekwondo friend was talking about. To him, learning taekwondo without sparring means you’re leaving out something important.

But I’ll go him one further: Learning any empty-hand art in an environment in which no one hits means you’re missing something essential.

In the striking arts, this seems obvious. If people are supposed to be learning how to fight with punches and kicks, they should be punching and kicking each other. Otherwise, you descend into the absurdity that Bruce Lee used to mock with his swimming analogy: Everyone is learning the crawl and the backstroke on dry land, but no one ever gets in the water because it’s too dangerous.

But it’s not just the striking arts that need the rough reality of contact to remain meaningful. The grappling arts need it just as much, if not more.

In some aikido and judo schools, people can train all the way to expert level and never encounter a real punch or kick. Granted, aikido is more about what happens when someone grabs you or attacks you with weapons, but all grappling arts are, to some extent, answers to the problem of someone beating on you. Practicing them in the complete absence of striking is like learning an answer without knowing what the question is.

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DVDs and Video Downloads

Combatives for Street Survival — Volume 3: Contact Training, Protective Equipment and Street Scenarios	Philosophy of Fighting: Morals and Motivations of the Modern Warrior	Reality-Based Personal Protection

This is especially true in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, an art that built its reputation through empty-hand challenge matches. The danger of getting punched or kicked into oblivion shapes virtually every technique in the style. BJJ schools that focus mainly on grappling competition and neglect MMA and self-defense seem weirdly out of touch with this. Without a little contact training, they’re swimming on dry land just as much as any karate or taekwondo school that omits sparring.

Just to be clear, I’m not advocating full-contact brawling in every school for every style. Even professional fight gyms discourage that kind of thing, although it does happen sometimes.

What I am advocating is confronting the truth of striking directly by acknowledging it and dealing with someone who’s actually trying to hit you in training. He or she doesn’t have to blast you in the face full force, but the person does have to really try to tag you and to make your life as frustrating and difficult as it would be in a real fight.

And that is the truth of striking: It’s frustrating and difficult to defend against. Getting hit is both dangerous and usual in any kind of conflict. This is because striking is the entry-level technique of fighting. Even a person who knows nothing can swing wildly and have a good chance of hurting someone.

There really isn’t any equivalent in grappling — there’s no such thing as flailing around wildly and getting a lucky finishing hold.

This leads to another core truth of fighting, one of the things that shape the empty-hand arts: People who know the least hit the most. When they do, it doesn’t have a clear, predictable pattern. So mimicking this in any kind of empty-hand training is essential if your goal is to be able to handle it for real.

About the Author:
Keith Vargo is a writer, martial arts instructor, active fighter and researcher based in Tokyo, whose columns and features regularly appear in Black Belt.. He is the only foreigner to earn a first-degree black belt from the world-renowned Takada Dojo, where he has trained with MMA legends like Akira Shoji and Kazushi Sakuraba. Keith Vargo also holds a degree in psychology and a certificate in multicultural self-defense from Radford University in Virginia. He is the author of Philosophy of Fighting: Morals and Motivations of the Modern Warrior, available now in the Black Belt Store.

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Vladimir Matyushenko discovered wrestling by necessity. He had to defend himself, had to get stronger. Wrestling has never been a recreational activity for the man from Belarus. Growing up in the former Soviet Union was a struggle, and the young athlete viewed the sport as his ticket to a better life.

“I got [beaten up] in school a couple times, then said that was enough,” he recalls. By the time he was 15, the young Belarusian had moved out of his parents’ home into a specialized school for athletes.

Family and school lost their priority as wrestling dominated his focus and his training intensified to several hours daily. Before turning 18, Vladimir Matyushenko had already beaten two Olympic wrestlers — Dave Schultz and Kevin Jackson — in the same year.

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Vladimir Matyushenko eventually debuted in the cage in September 1997, easily beating three opponents in one night, employing upper-body MMA techniques in each fight (neck crank in the first; punches in the second two). “I got $5,000 and I didn’t get hurt,” he says of his first fight for the International Fighting Championships (IFC), “so it kind of got me addicted.”

The Belarusian’s love of — and proficiency in — the sport hasn’t waned in the 15 years since his professional debut, as evidenced by the number of MMA techniques he demonstrated during his visit to the Black Belt studio. He plowed through a series of MMA techniques, one leading into another. We decided to keep it simple and start at the beginning with his demonstration of taking a kick defense to a takedown in this exclusive MMA techniques video:

MMA TECHNIQUES VIDEO
Vladimir Matyushenko Demonstrates How to Go From Kick Defense to a Takedown

Vladimir Matyushenko’s Quick Explanation of His MMA Techniques Video Demonstration of the Takedown

“When he kicks — [using a] low kick or high kick — you use normal-type technique,” Vladimir Matyushenko explains. “So when he kicks, I block him [with] my foot. And I move my foot back so I’m ready to shoot. In order for him to strike again, he’ll have to bring his foot back. But I’m not going to wait until he puts his foot down. I’m gonna go back with his foot and I’m already [in position].

“With a takedown, a lot of people make the mistake of driving forward without putting pressure [on their opponent]. You want to tilt over this leg, so you put pressure on it so [your opponent] can’t jump on it and push forward.”

As you push your opponent toward the ground, Vladimir Matyushenko explains, you have two choices: You can go with him to the ground or you can keep standing and resituate on his side to launch a strike from above.

Vladimir Matyushenko Has a Long History of Experience With MMA Techniques

Building a 9-1 record in smaller MMA promotions, Vladimir Matyushenko debuted his formidable MMA techniques in the UFC at UFC 32: Showdown in the Meadowloands. He faced Yuki Kondo and won by unanimous decision, which opened up the opportunity to face Tito Ortiz for a light-heavyweight championship title shot — which he lost by unanimous decision. Other opponents during his first run with the UFC included Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Travis Wiuff, Pedro Rizzo and Andrei Arlovski.

Vladimir Matyushenko later went on to display his powerful MMA techniques in the International Fight League. Vladimir Matyushenko’s defeat of Alex Schoenauer on November 3, 2007, made him the organization’s first-ever light-heavyweight champion.

Returning to the UFC in 2009, Vladimir Matyushenko has faced Igor Pokrajac, Eliot Marshall, Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. In September 2012, he tore his Achilles tendon while training and had to pull out of a scheduled bout against Matt Hamill.

Vladimir Matyushenko faced Joey Beltran in April 2014 at Bellator 116. Despite winning the first two rounds, He lost the fight in the third round due to submission after winning the first two rounds. Following this loss, Matyushenko retired from MMA competition.

More About Vladimir Matyushenko:

• Train With Vladimir Matyushenko in Person!
• Vladimir Matyushenko: Official UFC Profile Page
• Vladimir Matyushenko on Facebook
• Vladimir Matyushenko on Twitter

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Meditation is an integral part of many Asian systems of self-defense. As martial artists, we understand that meditation techniques can bring a sense of calm and centeredness that’s especially crucial in chaotic situations. Whether we’re talking about training, real-life combat or just everyday life, having the right state of mind in the face of adversity is something we all desire.

Like with any other skill, our ability in meditation techniques improves with practice. Those who practice meditation techniques regularly say they feel calmer, more resourceful and more prepared to handle whatever challenges they encounter. For centuries, martial arts masters have taught their students that meditation fosters an optimal state of mind and helps increase martial power. They’ve also preached meditation benefits such as improvements in overall health by bolstering stress management and even combating disease.

These meditation benefits that masters have always known are getting closer to being proven by science.

Get your FREE to famous Bruce Lee quotes and their interpretation by
Richard Bustillo, Taky Kimura, Ted Wong and others!
Bruce Lee Quotes: 10 Jeet Kune Do Masters Examine Bruce Lee’s Philosophy

A team of psychiatrists from Harvard Medical School is researching how meditation techniques can affect the genes and the brain activity of people who suffer from chronic stress. Through a rigorous five-year study using the latest neuroimaging and genomic technology, scientists are investigating how mind-body harmony through meditation techniques can turn on and off genes that have been linked to stress and immune function. This research into meditation benefits is exciting because it takes us deeper into the relationship between meditation and human physiology.

Other studies have reported the discovery of meditation benefits, but those findings were based on variables such as participant-reported feelings, heart rate and blood pressure. The Harvard study regarding meditation benefits is enabling us to examine on a deeper level the effects of meditation techniques on the human body. The evidence indicates that the reason we feel less stressed and healthier when we meditate is the genes that control stress and the immune system are being manipulated.

Inflammation and stress are generally bad for the body — particularly if they’re present for sustained periods. We know that stress is a natural part of life, however. As martial artists, we face it constantly in the dojo. What enables us to cope — and even thrive — is the subsequent recovery period during which the stress is removed. We desperately need time to recuperate so we can be ready and refreshed when we have to tackle another stressor. Meditation seems to control our genes in a way that helps shut down stress, thus allowing us to consciously bring about that recuperation period.

Need more evidence regarding meditation benefits? You’ve probably wondered why masters who meditate appear healthier, more vibrant and younger than others their age. Well, scientists at UCLA found that engaging in 12 minutes of yoga meditation daily for eight weeks increased the body’s supply of telomerase, which they’ve dubbed the “immortality enzyme.” Telomerase actually slows the cellular aging process.

As we live our lives, we should remember that although pharmaceuticals are necessary for the treatment of many illnesses and conditions, meditation techniques are a tried-and-true way to help us reduce stress and — when combined with proper nutrition, rest and exercise — avoid those illnesses in the first place.

About the Author:
Robert Wang, M.D., is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He’s an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine.

Related Martial Arts Books, E-Books,
DVDs and Video Downloads

Full-Contact Karate: Advanced Sparring Techniques and Hard-Core Physical Conditioning	The Complete Ninja Collection by Stephen K. Hayes	Bruce Lee: Wisdom for the Way

Source: Black Belt Magazine

1. When Bruce Lee died in 1973, Dan Inosanto — along with Lee’s brother Robert and close friends James Coburn and Steve McQueen — served as a pallbearer.

2. In 1975 Dan Inosanto, Richard Bustillo and Jerry Poteet collaborated to create a jeet kune do technique poster. The same year, Inosanto released a Super 8 film that covered angles of attack, trapping and use of the short staff.

3. Dan Inosanto has acted in many films and done stunts and choreography for many more. As recently as 2008, he played the jiu-jitsu master of one of the main characters in David Mamet’s Redbelt.

4. Dan Inosanto is regarded as one of the United States’ foremost krabi krabong experts. He studied under, among others, Col. Nattapong Buayam, a former Thai special-forces instructor.

5. Dan Inosanto’s interpretation of kali made the list of the top-10 self-defense arts according to Black Belt contributing editor Dr. Mark Cheng: “The Filipino system taught by Dan Inosanto is far more than just the sticks and knives that the casual observer sees. Including every possible weapon and range of combat, Inosanto’s system is one of the most sought-after and imitated arts in the world when it comes to practical self-defense.”

One of Bruce Lee’s most respected students shares his
modern take on his master’s art in this FREE download!
Dan Inosanto on Bruce Lee, Jeet Kune Do Techniques for
Grappling and New Directions for JKD Training

6. Inosanto is a four-time Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee:

• 1977 — Special Recognition Award
• 1983 — Instructor of the Year
• 1988 — Weapons Instructor of the Year
• 1996 — Man of the Year

That puts him in the same category as Chuck Norris, the only other martial artist who’s been inducted four times.

Related Martial Arts Books, E-Books,
DVDs and Video Downloads

Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist	Black Belt Magazine: The Bruce Lee Collection	Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense — Revised and Updated

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Thailand is renowned for its fearsome fighters. Kickboxing insiders often refer to muay Thai as the king of the ring because of its devastating shin kicks, elbow strikes and knee thrusts. Those familiar with the history of warfare have an equally lofty opinion of krabi krabong, the Thai art of weaponry.

In the Thai language, krabi refers to “short sword,” and krabong translates as “long staff.”

The meaning is concealed but clever: Regardless of the dimensions of the weapon, krabi krabong teaches you to attack or defend effectively by developing your ability to use fundamental movements and strategies. Whether armed with a stick, a blade or nothing at all, you have viable options and familiar answers.

Make your elbows deadly weapons with this FREE download!
Master Toddy’s MMA-Tested Muay Thai Techniques:
3 Elbow Attacks That Can Improve Your Fighting Game

In the United States, one of the Thai weapon art’s foremost experts is Black Belt Hall of Fame member Dan Inosanto. He studied under several masters, including Col. Nattapong Buayam.

KRABI KRABONG VIDEO
Col. Nattapong Buayam Demonstrates Krabi Krabong Double-Sword Action for Black Belt Magazine

The Colonel’s Pedigree and Expertise

A former Thai special-forces instructor, Col. Nattapong Buayam is no stranger to physical aggression and combat. Well-versed in modern Thai boxing and muay boran — the bare-knuckle father of muay Thai — the colonel has a special affinity for krabi krabong.

“In battle, in close-combat warfare, you are usually not fighting barehanded,” he says. “You have a rifle, bayonet, knife or some other implement. If you’re fighting barehanded, that’s a last resort. So an effective soldier should know how to use almost anything as a means of securing victory.”

That’s where krabi krabong comes in, teaching a variety of weapons — including the dagger, short sword, long sword, halberd, spear and mae sok, a tonfa-like device. The daab song mue, or double swords, are the trademark weapons of the system and often the first ones learned. (See the video above!) The training forces you to develop coordination with both hands, which facilitates the delivery of powerful attacks and a strong defense using either side.

“Krabi krabong is very old — from the days when the Thai people went to war all the time,” explains Col. Nattapong, as he’s known. “If one of your hands or arms gets cut, you still have to fight your way through the battle. So being able to use both of your hands and both sides of your body is a must with krabi krabong training.”

The Marriage of Krabi Krabong and Muay Boran

Because of that openness to using the entirety of the body while wielding a weapon, it makes perfect sense to develop maximum familiarity with the techniques of muay boran. Muay boran is known for its brutal strikes, many of which were banned in modern competition until the advent of no-holds-barred matches.

MUAY BORAN VIDEO
Col. Nattapong Buayam Demonstrates and Dr. Mark Cheng Demonstrate Muay Boran for Black Belt Magazine

During my studies with Col. Nattapong, he taught muay boran techniques during our “rest” periods. This allowed my hands to take a short break from the hours of gripping and swinging the swords.

Starting with defenses against punches, we progressed into attacks and counters using the whole body, centering on wickedly painful punches, elbows, knees and kicks.

After combining them with deft footwork, I found myself able to dart into striking range, even when facing an armed opponent. A truth of training: Knowing how to use a weapon helps you understand how to avoid suffering the punishment of that weapon.

About the Author:
Dr. Mark Cheng, Senior RKC, is a contributing editor to Black Belt magazine and the co-author of Hwa Rang Do: Defend, Take Down, Submit with hwa rang do grandmaster Taejoon Lee. For more information about Dr. Cheng, visit Dr. Mark Cheng’s Facebook page!

Source: Black Belt Magazine

The first time you watched your favorite martial arts star wipe out a horde of bad guys with a string of jump-spinning back kicks on the silver screen, you probably were impressed. I know I was. On the other hand, you probably weren’t quite as inspired the first time you saw a real martial artist knock out his opponent with a plain old punch.

There are so many martial arts moves that it’s only natural that some are going to work better than others as self-defense techniques. It’s also natural that some are going to look flashier than others. The following are my observations on the qualities of the most popular ones.

Jump-Spinning Back Kick

This is probably the most overrated martial arts move when it comes to being used as a self-defense technique. Don’t get me wrong — it’s an absolutely beautiful move. However, it has several problems. If your opponent is very quick, he’ll have no problem getting out of the way before you nail him with it. Or he’ll rush in and jam the technique before you make contact.

Because you’re essentially blind for a second while you’re spinning, you don’t know where the other guy is or what he’s up to. There’s no way to defend yourself if you miss or if he counters while you’re in the air. If you lose your balance during the landing and he punches you as you fall, he’ll get a point for knocking you down.

Learn four essential self-defense moves for
winning street fights in this FREE download!
How to Win a Street Fight: Four Self-Defense Moves From
Combatives Expert Kelly McCann

Rear-Leg Roundhouse Kick

The rear-leg roundhouse kick is very powerful because you can put your entire body rotation into it, but that’s not the end of the story. Because your kicking foot begins its motion so far away from your opponent, he has plenty of time to see it coming, then avoid and counter it. Experienced kickboxers like to throw a rear-leg roundhouse kick to the knee or body, but they seldom aim for the head because of the distance that must be traversed.

Front Kick

The front kick is one of the first techniques kickboxers learn, but hardly anyone uses it in a match. It’s a terrific self-defense technique for fending off an aggressor on the street, provided he doesn’t know any martial arts. However, another kickboxer will have no trouble countering it. Indeed, everybody I’ve ever seen throw a front kick in competition has limped out of the ring because his toes got mangled or because his elbow, hip or knee got caught.

Jab

The jab is easy to learn and execute. Not only can it set up virtually every technique you can think of, but it’s also very hard to defend against. It’s fast and subtle. As you snap it out at your opponent, he has to fight hard to deal with it, especially if he’s in a boxing stance.

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Nevertheless, very few people throw jabs in kickboxing bouts, probably because the association between kicks and knockouts is so strong. It definitely could be used more often. I know because I’m left-handed and left-legged and have used it to set up numerous techniques. For example, I can throw a series of jabs and then stick a side kick in right behind the punches, coming under the guy’s arms and hitting him in the gut.

Left Hook

Also known as the forward-hand hook, the left hook is a phenomenal weapon. It makes a particularly good counter because you’re already standing sideways; all you have to do is create the hook, bring your hand up and turn. Don “The Dragon” Wilson destroyed his opponents with this technique because he was so fast. Since I fought as a middleweight, I nailed my opponents with it because I could hit really hard.

Side Kick

The side kick is a great weapon because when you land it on the other fighter’s body, usually in the rib area, it really takes the wind out of him. However, it’s very difficult to throw if you’re in a kickboxing or boxing stance, which is facing forward. You must turn sideways before you can launch the kick. Unfortunately, shifting your stance will immediately warn your opponent that a side kick is coming, and he might be able to defend against it.

These brief descriptions are meant to be guidelines, not absolutes. Knowing when, where and how to throw a punch or kick is what ultimately wins the match. Timing and distancing count most in the ring as well as on the street.

About the Author:
Bill Wallace is a former kickboxing champion and Black Belt Hall of Fame member who now teaches seminars around the world.

Related Martial Arts Books, E-Books,
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Practical Kicking Techniques	Dynamic Kicks: Essentials for Free Fighting	Reality-Based Personal Protection

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Editor’s Note:The interview from which this segment is adapted was originally printed in the May 2008 issue of Black Belt magazine. (You can read Part 1 here.) At the time, interviewer Bob Landers wrote, it was “fitting for Ted Wong, the man many consider the foremost authority on Bruce Lee’s art, to go on the record.” During the course of his interview with Ted Wong — who, sadly, passed away on November 24, 2010 — Landers’ goal was to “ask the questions that [had been] on the minds of martial artists but that [hadn’t] been addressed by a person of Wong’s clout.” Ted Wong, age 70 at the time, was still evolving in his physical and intellectual understanding of JKD and still “tirelessly toured the world, educating students on the finer points of Lee’s legacy and honoring the memory of his teacher and friend.” And so it is, through revisiting classic interviews such as this, that Black Belt honors the memory of Lee’s student and friend — and its own Hall of Fame’s 2006 Man of the Year — Ted Wong.

You’re one of three people known to have received a JKD certificate from Bruce Lee. How did this come about?

It was a very special moment for me. One evening, I walked into Bruce’s house for a lesson. He pointed to the table and said, “This is for you; you should be very proud of it as I don’t give many of these out.” I realized it was a certificate in jeet kune do. I felt very proud and was at a loss for words.

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What were the private training sessions like?

Often, the private lessons were about working on what he wanted or what he was working on at that time. He might use me as a sounding board — for example, he might perform a certain kick and ask me about the speed, power and timing. Sometimes he would work with me on something I was lacking; I recall working on the side kick for two months. Sometimes we would work on fun things like movie choreography: timing, selling the shot, reaction and camera angles. We didn’t do a lot of physical training together, but he did set up a program for me to work on my strength. It had weightlifting, and sometimes he would show me specific exercises to work on for punching and kicking strength, and sometimes after the sessions he would take me running.

Do you recall any social events the two of you shared?

I have many fond memories of Bruce besides training. Many times after training, we would have a cold drink and discuss martial arts and philosophy. We went to movies and restaurants, and he liked to make trips to bookstores. He invited me, Herb Jackson and James Lee to visit him in Hong Kong in December 1972. James Lee was quite ill at that time and couldn’t make it, so Herb and I took the trip to Hong Kong and stayed at Bruce’s house for a couple of weeks. One of the funny things was that Bruce asked us to bring training equipment because he had nothing to train with. So Herb and I packed our suitcases full of training gear and didn’t pack any clothing or personal items. We figured we would get necessities when we got there.

TO BE CONTINUED …

About the Author:
A longtime student of the late Ted Wong, Bob Landers teaches a jeet kune do group in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Related Martial Arts Books, E-Books,
DVDs and Video Downloads

Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist	Black Belt Magazine: The Bruce Lee Collection	Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense — Revised and Updated

Source: Black Belt Magazine