Category: Martial Arts

A role model to millions, film star Michael Jai White has studied the martial arts for 30 years and is far from finished!

An observant fan once referred to White as “Denzel Van Schwarzenegger.”

The nickname is as accurate as it is hilarious — an amalgam that creates the perfect triad to describe White: actor, martial artist, fitness icon.

Plenty of celebrities have ascended to superstar status by standing atop just one of the three pillars that support White’s career.

Years of rugged training have produced a work ethic that enables him to nurture all three sides of himself.

The lifestyle is possible, White says, only because of the discipline he learned in the dojo.

MICHAEL JAI WHITE VIDEO
How Black Belt Magazine, Traditional Martial Arts Discipline and Working With Teachers Such as Joe Lewis Led Him to Success In His Life and Career

“I’m not one to spoil myself,” Michael Jai White says. “I’m living the life of a professional actor, but I train like a professional fitness person, and I do martial arts like a professional martial artist. I don’t have an assistant. And people who don’t do a quarter of the work I do have an assistant — sometimes two. People say, ‘How do you have the time?’ It’s all about discipline.”

Learn about the genesis of brutal tests such as
the 100-man kumite in this FREE download!
History of Karate: Inside Mas Oyama’s
Hard-Core Kyokushin Karate Conditioning Program

Click on the image above for a sneak peek of the October/November 2014 issue!

Click here for an inside look at the October/November 2014 issue — and be sure to pick it up today for more from White in his cover story, including his takes on:

• his “schizophrenic” career
• being a “martial arts nerd”
• training with Bill “Superfoot” Wallace
• his bucket list
• why Hollywood fight scenes irritate him
• traditional martial arts training vs. mixed martial arts training
• who the winner would be in a sparring match between his current self and his younger self

… and much more!

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

Full-Contact Karate: Advanced Sparring Techniques and Hard-Core Physical Conditioning	Shotokan’s Secret: The Hidden Truth Behind Karate’s Fighting Origins — Expanded Edition	Dojo Dynamics: Essential Marketing Principles for Martial Arts Schools

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Editor’s Note: “A lot happened in the jeet kune do world during the past 10 years,” as Bob Landers wrote in his introduction to the printed version of this interview, originally published in the May 2008 issue of Black Belt magazine. At the time, 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 engaged in enhancing his physical ability and intellectual understanding of JKD. In fact, his lifetime of contributions got him inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as the 2006 Man of the Year. At the time of this interview, Ted Wong 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, Ted Wong.

What was your life like before you met Bruce Lee?

I was very busy making a living and raising a family. I was interested in martial arts from an early age. I later became interested in boxing, which I watched on TV quite regularly. When I compared boxing to martial arts, I felt boxing was more realistic. I no longer had an interest in learning martial arts — until I met Bruce Lee.

In 1967 you trained at Bruce Lee’s Los Angeles school and with him privately. Shortly thereafter, you began training exclusively at his home. How did that come about?

When I started training at the Chinatown school, I had no prior experience in martial arts. Bruce Lee saw that I was short on skill and knowledge, but I think he recognized that I had heart, that I was dedicated and hardworking. He felt sorry for me because I was the guy that had little knowledge and skill compared to the rest of the group — some of them were black belts and boxing champions. Also, he found that I came from Hong Kong, and we spoke the same language. That’s another reason we became good friends.

You’ve stated that the two of you shared an interest in old-time boxing from the 1920s.

One time, Bruce was reading an encyclopedia of boxing, and he would ask me questions out of it — trivia questions, like the nicknames of champions. He was surprised that I knew the answers. Even though I had no experience in boxing, I had a lot of knowledge of boxing. I read a lot of magazines that had to do with it and knew the history of the champions. This was another reason he took me in. Later on, I found out that boxing was one of the subjects that Bruce was heavily interested in. JKD evolved along the lines of boxing and fencing.

What do Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis have to do with JKD?
Find out in in this FREE Guide!
Bruce Lee Training Research:
How Boxing Influenced His Jeet Kune Do Techniques

Was the material taught at the school different from what he taught you privately?

It was quite different from what he taught me privately, mainly because the school had a set curriculum, a lesson plan. The school’s material was a little more wing chun oriented. I discovered during the private sessions that what he taught me was what he was working on at that time. It was quite a departure from the more classical teaching offered at the school. The private teaching was more of the jeet kune do he was evolving into.

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

Specifically, how was the art evolving?

In 1967, the early stages of JKD, there was still a heavy wing chun influence in his art. Then he refined and simplified what he was doing, especially the stance. If you look at the stance in 1967 and then in 1971, you can see how he had streamlined it and made it more efficient. In 1967 his art was still wing chun oriented, and the stance was more square and open to allow for traps such as pak sao, lop sao and so on. As he evolved, he realized trapping wasn’t that efficient and didn’t fit his evolving structure of fighting. When he changed his stance to be more speed oriented, he pretty much eliminated the trapping. If you understand his JKD philosophy of simplicity and directness, [you can understand that] trapping was complex and not very direct. It also included a lot of passive moves — for example, taking several moves to get the job done.

So with the stance change, did trapping and the four-corner parry no longer match the direction he was heading?

The later stance is more for mobility and evasiveness, doing away with the need to parry or block. The earlier stance was good for four-corner-type moves, but it took you away from the power line. The principle of JKD is to not waste motion. Blocking and hitting at the same time is preferred over blocking and then hitting, which takes away your leverage and your power source. The later stance is designed for longer range, allowing you to use interception as the preferred way; thus, it’s much faster.

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.

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Bruce Lee’s jeet kune do is comprised of many principles, one of which is economy of motion through efficiency, directness and simplicity.

Second-generation Bruce Lee student Lamar M. Davis II, who studied under five of Lee’s original students (Joseph Cowles, Patrick Strong, Leo Fong, Jerry Poteet and Steve Golden), brings this concept to life in this jeet kune do technique video excerpted from his three-DVD series Jeet Kune Do for the Advanced Practitioner.
 

JEET KUNE DO VIDEO
Lamar M. Davis II Shows You How to Use Jeet Kune Do Trapping as an Attack!

As Davis explains in this video excerpt from his DVD series, Jeet Kune Do for the Advanced Practitioner, this approach to martial arts fighting is about attacking the hand(s) for the primary purpose of immobilization. “When we use trapping, it is as a result of the opponent’s defensive action, but it doesn’t always have to be that way,” Davis says. “I can preplan an attack based on my opponent’s position and based on the way I initiate my movement to draw him into position where I can attack with a trap.”

Get inside the mind of Bruce Lee with this FREE download!
Bruce Lee Quotes on Philosophy: An Excerpt From the NEW Bruce Lee Biography and Your Guide to Four More Bruce Lee Books

“Some jeet kune do practitioners prefer not to do this,” Davis continues. “Others don’t even know that this exists, as they always think of trapping as strictly a byproduct of hitting. But yes, trapping can be specifically a way of attacking the opponent.”

Davis demonstrates the trapping-as-an-attack technique with his training partner and longtime student Ken Jones, explaining, “One of the things that I might be tempted to do is what we call a double jom sao entry. … I cut into both of his arms with a double jom sao movement, forcing his arms in and then I trap and hit him [in the face].”

The history of Bruce Lee’s most celebrated book
is revealed in this FREE download!
Bruce Lee’s Biography and the Birth of Tao of Jeet Kune Do.

The jeet kune do technique of trapping for attack is an organic, efficient, fast and effective movement that immobilizes the attacker’s arms and hands, opening a direct line for Davis to launch a strike to the chin. Davis breaks down the execution: “[A] quick jut sao, pulling [the opponent’s] arm down; lan sao to shut both arms down, and then hit.”

For more information on this topic and others, such as …

• attacks
• defenses
• energy training
• timing
• mobility

… be sure to pick up a copy of Lamar M. Davis II’s three-volume jeet kune do DVD series, Jeet Kune Do for the Advanced Practitioner, available now in our online store!

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

Jeet Kune Do for the Advanced Practitioner — Volume 3: Trapping Hands	The Complete Chinatown Jeet Kune Do: Essential Elements of Bruce Lee’s Martial Art	The Ultimate Guide to Jeet Kune Do

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Taky Kimura (left) and Bruce Lee in a photo from the Tommy Gong book Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist.

Editor’s Note: This text is adapted for web presentation from Tommy Gong’s acclaimed book Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist.

The term Jun Fan jeet kune do was adopted in January 1996, during a landmark summit meeting in Seattle with Linda Lee Cadwell and Shannon Lee, along with many of Bruce’s first-generation students.

This meeting served as the precursor to the formation of the JFJKD Nucleus/Bruce Lee Educational Foundation. Actually, it was Shannon Lee’s suggestion to merge the two terms (Jun Fan gung fu and jeet kune do) to describe her father’s complete journey in martial arts, and everyone in attendance unanimously agreed.

Jun Fan jeet kune do serves as the definitive case study for Jun Fan gung fu and jeet kune do because it endeavors to give a clear and accurate picture of Bruce Lee’s legacy to martial arts — physically, scientifically and philosophically.

BRUCE LEE® and the Bruce Lee signature are registered trademarks of Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC. The Bruce Lee name, image, likeness and all related indicia are intellectual property of Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.brucelee.com.

I remember Linda Lee Cadwell paraphrasing a statement made by Pete Jacobs (a student of Bruce Lee’s in Los Angeles) during the Inaugural JFJKD Seminar held in 1997 in San Francisco: “We can’t possibly predict in what direction he may have gone, most certainly we can predict that he would have continued to grow, evolve, change, but we can’t say what that was [or would have been].” In this way, JFJKD serves as both the historical reference for what Lee practiced, trained and taught during his lifetime, and also the inspiration or catalyst encouraging followers not to follow blindly their sifu (teacher) and/or style, and to discover the truth for themselves.

Although Bruce Lee’s message prescribed having no boundaries when looking to improve one’s martial arts, it becomes increasingly important to document what he taught and practiced so future generations will have a chance to experience what the first-generation students did during their time with him. As a result, the art of Jun Fan jeet kune do showcases the common ground that first-generation students share so the historical reference and context of his evolution in the martial arts during his lifetime could be preserved.

When examining Lee’s personal notes and letters, and hearing the recollections from his students, one can discover the building blocks of jeet kune do. In this way, Lee’s body of work is basic source material, providing the beginning student some initial steps to study and explore, and a path to understanding JKD.

Get inside the mind of Bruce Lee with this FREE download!
Bruce Lee Quotes on Philosophy: An Excerpt From the NEW Bruce Lee Biography and Your Guide to Four More Bruce Lee Books

An interesting viewpoint is that — while some differences may exist between Bruce Lee’s martial arts when it comes to his time in Seattle, Oakland and Los Angeles — little delineation occurred in his evolutionary development toward jeet kune do. Bruce Lee developed JKD throughout his time in America. It was, by no means, a smooth, gradual process — but for him, change happened out of necessity. His process was akin to the modern evolution theory of “punctuated equilibrium,” which proposes over thousands or millions of years that species maintain a relatively stable existence — but when evolutionary changes occur, they are rapid and abrupt, not smooth and gradual.

Punctuated equilibrium appears to describe perfectly Bruce Lee’s methods because he was known to be inspired by something early on, only to drop it or even criticize it later. As he became enlightened through investigating various topics such as kinesiology (the science of movement), he came to fully understand how to use a certain fighting principle and then modified his methods accordingly. Furthermore, events such as an altercation in Oakland, wherein Lee was challenged by a Chinese martial artist, resulted in an abrupt change in Lee’s approach to the martial arts. Although he bested his opponent, Lee concluded the match lasted entirely too long due to his strict adherence to his previous training, and he immediately sought out more efficient combat methods.

Dan Inosanto (left) and Bruce Lee in a photo from the Tommy Gong book Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist.

In many ways, the exact timing of these inspirations is difficult to pin down, because much of what was happening to Lee was occurring simultaneously. For instance, he was already influenced by Western boxing and fencing in his early years in Hong Kong. The question is: When did certain elements come to full fruition in his development as a martial artist? Similar techniques were taught in all three schools, yet certain discoveries he found useful during his evolution were reflected in his private practice and training. Although it is convenient to chronicle Lee’s development by dividing it between his Seattle, Oakland and Los Angeles periods, much overlap exists between “eras” since he continued to have contact with students from all three. In fact, each era could be equally served by referencing the many students he had. Nevertheless, the three eras provide the reader points of reference for placing dates, events and Lee’s development into context so that each school provides a glimpse along the evolutionary path.

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

One must realize that Lee studied physics, biomechanics, nutrition and training theory, and he used scientific methodology to validate what he was doing. He researched what he did not know, developed hypotheses, tested his theories using himself as the test subject and then concluded whether or not they worked. One could say that Lee used the science of combat when formulating his style of “no style.” It was not simply choosing what he liked or preferred, but rather what was proven to be the most effective. In this way, not only the “what” and “how” were learned, but also the “why.” Perhaps the need to understand “why” is the most important lesson he left us.

We can use JFJKD as an invaluable tool because it provides a point of reference when discussing Lee’s evolution and various interpretations of it presented through the years since his passing, whether we’re talking about wing chun, Jun Fan gung fu, jeet kune do, JKD concepts, original JKD, etc. During the mid-80s, there was dissension within the JKD family over the purity of the art versus the infusion of different martial arts based on one’s personal journey. Today the focus has shifted to how much wing chun was done in Seattle, Oakland or Los Angeles, but the same negative criticism still continues, despite its pointlessness.

The book Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist places the various elements of Lee’s earlier and later training in context on the JFJKD timeline. Although trapping techniques had less to do with JKD later on, it was a central theme in Lee’s martial art during the earlier and even middle period of his development, serving as a valuable foundation for Lee, and it deserves respect as a valid part of JKD history. Placing techniques such as the pak sao (block), the straight lead, and the side kick with its accompanying footwork along the JFJKD timeline should help the reader see things in better context.

Ted Wong and Bruce Lee in a photo from the Tommy Gong book Bruce Lee: Evolution of a Martial Artist.

Since Bruce Lee’s passing in 1973, we have been fortunate that so many of his students — those he taught early on as well as those he taught later — shared his teachings with students around the world. During the past few years, their teachings have become even more precious because many of them have passed on. In just the past couple of years since work on this book began, some of Lee’s closest students have left us, including Jesse Glover, Lee’s very first student in Seattle, and Ted Wong, one of Lee’s last students in Los Angeles. These students have left us with a rich history that allows us to better understand Bruce Lee and jeet kune do. The first-generation students of Bruce Lee shared a lot in common, so where there were differences, maybe they were more like two halves of one whole that is the formless form.

Although Lee did not like to refer to jeet kune do as a style or system, his martial arts movements had a distinct character or flavor. Hence, the balancing act is not to forget his message of liberation and freedom, while being sure to recognize his many other contributions, large and small, so the complete picture of his life can be fully appreciated. In the spirit of being neither “for” nor “against” what JKD is, Jun Fan jeet kune do serves as the two halves of one whole, just like yin and yang, in joining together Lee’s legacies in martial arts, from the physical, technical and scientific to the philosophical principles eliminating the notion of self and ego, being like water, and adapting to “what is.”

For unfettered access to a Bruce Lee time capsule containing what Tommy Gong in the preceding text “a rich history that allows us to better understand Bruce Lee and jeet kune do,” be sure to check out the NEW epic collection of downloadable PDFs — Black Belt Magazine: The Bruce Lee Collection — containing 29 issues (3,500+ pages!) spanning 45 years of martial arts history.

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Is wing chun effective for self-defense on the street? In this exclusive preview from the DVD Grandmaster Cheung’s Wing Chun Kung Fu, grandmaster William Cheung and Eric Oram discuss wing chun history and how wing chun techniques developed over time. The kung fu moves they demonstrate focus on what William Cheung calls “the fourth center” — namely, how trained wing chun fighters can dominate this zone for maximum control over their opponents.

WING CHUN KUNG FU VIDEO
William Cheung and Eric Oram on “The Fourth Center” in Modern Self-Defense

Take your kung fu training to the next level with this FREE download
featuring William Cheung and Eric Oram!
10 Wing Chun Kung Fu Training Principles Any Martial Artist Can Use

“Before the wing chun system came along, [Chinese martial artists were] using three centers,” William Cheung explains. “You [would] protect your center, and then you [would] attack the opponent’s center, and [then there would be] the center of exchange. But when wing chun was developed, they said, ‘Ahhh. We’re doing a 1-2-3-4.’”

William Cheung proceeds to demonstrate the 1-2-3-4 sequence with a series of kung fu moves and explains a pivotal moment in wing chun history. “So they developed a fourth center,” the wing chun grandmaster explains. “When you throw a punch, then I can counterattack at the same time.”

Using his senior student, sifu Eric Oram, to demonstrate the role of the fourth center in wing chun techniques, William Cheung elaborates on how this development altered the course of wing chun history and elevated the art into an effective self-defense arsenal that is still popular today.

“So when he comes along, I block. I’m facing this point here,” William Cheung explains, having moved around Eric Oram’s punching arm to the outside of his elbow — which William Cheung refers to as the third center, from which he can readily access an impact point on Eric Oram’s head. This would be the fourth center.

“I free up [my] other arm to do the counterattack — so I don’t need to deal with [his] other arm,” William Cheung explains, demonstrating a strike to Eric Oram’s head. “You’re using the fourth center to fight on the blind side.”

The quick and fluid motion of wing chun techniques in action allows for minute gaps of time during which an opponent’s arm, although being contacted by the defender, is still relatively free. Some may ask: Is wing chun effective for street fighting or other close-quarters encounters if the attacker’s arm is not secured, pinned, bent or impacted by severe pressure-point manipulation?

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

Grandmaster Cheung’s Wing Chun Kung Fu	Modern Wing Chun Kung Fu: A Practical Guide to Combat and Self-Defense	How to Develop Chi Power

William Cheung addresses this concern, deconstructing wing chun techniques as applied to a simple attack/response scenario: “One of the strategies is to control the elbow, so the leverage can control the person’s balance. If [the attacker] throws a round punch, I face [the inside of his elbow] — the third center — [and his face becomes] the fourth center. I’m away from the free arm, [but] I’m controlling the blind side from the inside. And then I can still deal with [his other arm].”

So is wing chun effective for fighting opponents in “the real world?” Experience is the telltale answer. Share your thoughts with us in the comment fields below! Sign in and voice your opinion!

MORE KUNG FU ONLINE!

Check out these wing chun kung fu books and videos for a variety of awesome wing chun techniques from William Cheung and Eric Oram! Learn more and answer the question for yourself: Is wing chun effective for street-fighting self-defense?

• Wing Chun Kung Fu Techniques: Takedown Counter (video) by Eric Oram
• Wing Chun Kung Fu Techniques: Attack Against the Weapon (video) by Eric Oram
• Wing Chun Kung Fu Techniques: Defense Against Jab + Rear Hook (video) by Eric Oram
• Wing Chun History: William Cheung Tells the Story of Taking on a Choy Li Fut Fighter! (DVD preview)
• Wing Chun History: How Did William Cheung Survive Knife Attacks and Sword Attacks in Hong Kong? (DVD preview)
• Wing Chun History: Brass-Knuckled Muay Thai Fighters Threaten William Cheung’s Life in 1962! (DVD preview)

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Editor’s Note: The following text is an adapted excerpt from the samurai training philosophy e-book Budoshoshinshu: The Warrior’s Primer of Daidoji Yuzan, translated by William Scott Wilson (who also translated the samurai training philosophy e-book Ideals of the Samurai: Writings of Japanese Warriors). Budoshoshinshu: The Warrior’s Primer of Daidoji Yuzan is a collection of 56 essays promoting the ideals of the samurai class, which were fading from favor during the author’s lifetime (1639-1730).

It is essential for men who would be warriors, even if they are of low rank, to select a respected instructor of military affairs, receive instructions in the martial arts, and to come to a deep and detailed understanding of even the secret principles of military strategy.

Your path to meaningful samurai sword practice starts with this FREE download!
Samurai Weapons Philosophy: How the Samurai Sword Can
Enhance Life Rather Than Simply Take It

Although it may be thought by some people that the study of military principles is unsuitable for a warrior of low rank, this is a great misunderstanding caused by a lack of inquiry. The reason is that, in both past and present, among the men who were looked to as territorial or provincial leaders or received fame as great generals, there were any number who rose from obscurity and isolation to do great things. This being so, there could be warriors from this time forth as well who could come up in the world from low ranks and become generals.

Thus, it is desirable that even a warrior of low rank be given the knowledge and virtues of one of high rank. If a man will take a liking to and enter military studies, he will develop both wisdom and ability. By these means, a man who is clever from the beginning will become increasingly so.

There will also be a good effect for the man born a bit thick-witted, for if only he will study the martial arts for many years he will not be so slow after all.

If this is so, there would appear to be nothing that surpasses the martial arts in the studies of a warrior.

However, when a man abuses or practices amiss in the martial arts, he will be arrogant about the extent of his own ability, look down upon those around him, speak nothing but unreasonable and high-sounding theories, leading unpracticed youths astray and injuring their casts of mind.

Although such people speak words that seem just and correct on the surface, their innermost feelings are largely covetous, and their real intentions founded on measuring what will be profitable for them and what will not. Thus, their character gradually grows worse, and later they lose all sense of what it means to be a warrior. This is an error that comes from going only halfway in the discipline and practice of martial studies.

Start your samurai-sword training safely with this FREE download!
Samurai Weapons: Sword Master James Williams Shows You
How to Start Training With Japanese Samurai Swords

At any rate, if one is to study military matters, it is essential that in his practice he should not stop halfway, but by all means at one point or another, go as far as the secret principles of the martial arts, at last returning to his former “foolishness” where he will have serenity of mind.

It would be extremely regrettable, however, for those of us who do study, to pass our days in going only halfway in military investigations, letting the deepest principles of the martial arts slip through our grasp and becoming confused in our own halfwayness, and finally leading not only ourselves but even others astray in an unavoidable sequence.

What was stated here as “returning to foolishness” means something like one’s state of mind while he has not yet studied the Way of the Military. Generally, phrases circulated like “miso smelling too much like miso” and “a martial artist that reeks too much of the martial arts” come from old times and carry the meaning of “intolerable.”

These words are for the understanding of those intending to be warriors.

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

Advanced Samurai Swordsmanship	Budoshoshinshu: The Warrior’s Primer of Daidoji Yuzan	Ideals of the Samurai: Writings of Japanese Warriors

Source: Black Belt Magazine

The October/November 2014 issue of Black Belt is scheduled to hit newsstand and bookstore shelves — as well as our third-party digital-issue providers — on September 23, 2014.

Well … that’s three weeks away!

Why wait that long when you can get a sneak peek of the issue’s contents right here?

Why wait that long when you can get a sneak peek of the issue’s contents right here?

From our cover story with martial artist and actor — and now the Black Belt Hall of Fame’s 2014 Man of the Year — Michael Jai White (Watch him in action at his dojo in Burbank, CA!) …

… to a firsthand look at Filipino martial arts …

… and from an account of hapkido legend Bong Soo Han’s final years …

… to an analysis of two karate interpretations …

… this is an issue chock-full of traditional martial arts techniques, history, commentary and hard-hitting tips for improving your self-defense arsenal and your martial arts training overall!

COVER STORY

MICHAEL JAI WHITE
Once you read the kyokushin karate stylist’s views on martial arts, movies and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you’ll know why he was selected as Black Belt’s 2014 Man of the Year.

Editor’s Note: And in case you didn’t know it, Michael Jai White has had a long relationship with Black Belt magazine. He was featured on the cover of the February 2002 issue as well as offered comments on the influence of Black Belt on his martial arts journey for a retrospective video called “Black Belt Memories.” Watch two videos from the Black Belt archives featuring Michael Jai White below:

MARTIAL ARTS HISTORY VIDEO
Black Belt Memories: Martial Artists and Industry Luminaries Reflect on the History and Influence of Black Belt Magazine

BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO
Michael Jai White Photo Shoot at Black Belt

FEATURES

KARATE-JUTSU VS. KARATE-DO
What do shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi’s writings say about the two interpretations of karate? Read this comparison to learn more about the version you practice — and maybe the version you should be practicing.

BONG SOO HAN’S FINAL YEARS
This account, penned by a martial artist who spent 13 years training and teaching with the hapkido legend, reveals how the grandmaster labored to spread his art to the world until the very end.

Get the inside story on the genesis of a martial arts cult classic!
Billy Jack Flashback: How Tom Laughlin and Hapkido Techniques Master
Bong Soo Han Made a Martial Arts Cult Classic

INDOMITABLE SPIRIT
These two martial arts champions suffered potentially career-ending injuries, then battled their way back to the top. Let their stories inspire you.

KILL OR BE KILLED?
If you’re into reality-based training and your workouts are all focused on lethal force, you should familiarize yourself with the reality of violent crime — before you get in trouble with the law.

DOCE PARES ESKRIMA
Want to know why this Filipino fighting formula is regarded as one of the best in the world? A Black Belt contributing editor went hands-on with Dionisio “Diony” Cañete to find out.

SECRETS OF THE NINJA REVEALED!
Prepare to be educated! With help from Sho Kosugi, this article — titled “10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Shadow Warriors” — will enable you to impress all your martial arts friends with your newfound knowledge.

Explore the basic understandings at the foundation of ninjutsu
with this FREE download!
Ninjutsu Training: A System for Fighting and Living

COLUMNS

…

Well, we can’t give it all away, now can we?

To read the latest installments of your favorite columns, pick up the October/November 2014 issue of Black Belt at newsstands and bookstores or digitally through our third-party digital-issue providers on September 23, 2014.

Until then, be sure to visit and follow:

• Black Belt on Facebook
• Black Belt on YouTube
• Black Belt on Twitter
• Black Belt on Pinterest

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Left to right: Michael Jai White in Falcon Rising by Strohberry Films | Don Wilson in The Martial Arts Kid by Traditionz Movie 1, LLC | Donnie Yen in 14 Blades by Radius-TWC Visualizer Film Production Ltd. | Georges St-Pierre photo sourced from geekshizzle.com | Tony Jaa in Skin Trade by SC Films

On Wednesday, August 27, 2014, we posted a behind-the-scenes video of martial artist and film/TV actor Michael Jai White during his off time working with young students at Victory Dojo & Fitness in Burbank, CA.

That post was a huge hit! Thanks to everyone who liked the post on BlackBeltMag.com and on the Black Belt Facebook page, it’s become one of our most “viral” videos in recent memory.

It’s no wonder, then, that the Black Belt editors chose Michael Jai White as the cover story for the magazine’s upcoming October/November 2014 issue!

Until that issue comes out in late September, though, here are some sneak peeks of upcoming martial arts movies featuring not only Michael Jai White but a veritable smorgasbord of martial arts legends! Among these martial-arts-movie offerings you’ll find MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock and Donnie Yen.

MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES: SNEAK PEEK!
Michael Jai White in Falcon Rising — Release Date: September 5, 2014

According to the Falcon Rising Facebook page, Michael Jai White stars as John “Falcon” Chapman, an ex-Marine anti-hero tortured by a terrible secret. When he learns his sister has been brutally beaten in Brazil, he delves into an underground world of drugs, prostitution and police corruption to hunt down and destroy her attackers.

You think these guys are tough? Learn about toughness
that may be altering world events in this FREE download!
How Chuck Norris Films Seem to Bend the Course of History

MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES: SNEAK PEEK!
Dolph Lundgren, Tony Jaa and Michael Jai White in Skin Trade — Release Date: 2015

Skin Trade plunges viewers into the harsh world of human trafficking. After his family is killed by the Serbian boss of a global crime syndicate, New York City detective Nick Cassidy (portrayed by Dolph Lundgren) teams up with Bangkok cop Tony Vitayaku (Tony Jaa) to get revenge and take down the sinister organization.

MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES: SNEAK PEEK!
Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung in 14 Blades — U.S. Release Date: August 22, 2014

More than four years after opening in Asia, the Donnie Yen film 14 Blades finally debuted in America on August 22, 2014. According to TwitchFilm.com, the release will be brief and small-scale, followed by a home-video release shortly thereafter. This kung fu thriller set during the Ming Dynasty centers on a secret service agent (Yen) in the emperor’s court who is betrayed and then hunted by his colleagues, according to the film’s IMDb page.

Go behind the scenes of Bruce Lee’s final martial arts epic in this FREE download!
Bruce Lee Movies: The Making of Enter the Dragon

MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES: SNEAK PEEK!
Georges St-Pierre, Tony Jaa, Scott Adkins and Dave Bautista in Kickboxer — Release Date: 2015

According to Vice.com off-shoot Fightland, this reboot of the 1989 Jean Claude Van Damme movie Kickboxer will be filmed in 3D. Additionally, its impressive cast will potentially bring 20 different disciplines of traditional martial arts training to the screen!

MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES: SNEAK PEEK!
Don “The Dragon” Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock in The Martial Arts Kid — Release Date: 2015

According to the IMDb page for The Martial Arts Kid, the plot of this Kickstarter-funded film stars Don “The Dragon” Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock focuses on a troubled teen from Cleveland (played by Jansen Panettiere) who learns martial arts to gain confidence and self-defense skills to protect himself against relentless bullies. According to the film’s Facebook page, the film also features Bill “Superfoot” Wallace!

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

Full-Contact Karate: Advanced Sparring Techniques and Hard-Core Physical Conditioning	The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s: 500+ Films Loaded With Action, Weapons and Warriors	Black Belt – The First 100 Issues: Covers and Highlights (1961-1972)

Source: Black Belt Magazine

Victory Dojo & Fitness Chief Instructor Brian Bastien looks on as kyokushin karate black belt and film/TV actor Michael Jai White talks to the young students in attendance.

Kyokushin karate — the fighting art founded by Mas Oyama, a man who battled live bulls, occasionally lopping off their horns with his knifehand strike — has a reputation for toughness, including full-contact sparring with minimal safety gear.

But that never scared off Michael Jai White, a lifelong martial artist and actor who’s part of the Victory Dojo & Fitness family. In fact, White has always enjoyed the physicality and discipline of the art, calling it his “savior.”

“I had a lot of angst growing up, and martial arts just felt natural to me,” said White, who holds black belts in seven styles. “I enjoyed fighting when I was a kid. I used every excuse I could to fight.” He began studying shotokan karate at age 7, then switched to kyokushin under Shigeru Oyama.

The latter was the art in which he received his first black belt while still a teenager. He hopes Victory Dojo — located in Burbank, CA — will do for today’s youth what his kyokushin dojo did for him. To that end, when he’s in town during breaks from his busy schedule, he’s helping mold it into a school that emphasizes character development as well as physical skills.

And this month the Victory Dojo celebrates the 50th anniversary of its headquarters’ founding.

VICTORY DOJO: THE KYOKUSHIN KARATE HOME OF
MICHAEL JAI WHITE
Michael Jai White Takes You Inside the Kyokushin Karate School He Calls Home When He’s Not Working in Film and TV

Learn about the genesis of brutal tests such as
the 100-man kumite in this FREE download!
History of Karate: Inside Mas Oyama’s
Hard-Core Kyokushin Karate Conditioning Program

“Our school is very basic and very traditional — the way we train is the way they’ve trained in Japan for the past 50 years,” said White, who joined the venture as a “spiritual partner” with his teacher, Brian Bastien.

The headquarters dojo was founded in 1964, according to Robert Christophe, head instructor at Victory Dojo. Bastien opened his Victory Dojo branch at the Burbank YMCA, but he was forced to move because the staff wanted to eliminate sparring from his classes. “We’re a fighting style,” Bastien said, “so without fighting, it’s just like dancing.”

When White isn’t acting, directing or writing screenplays, he’s at the school teaching clinics in techniques and weapons. His message is simple: The discipline required to succeed in the martial arts transfers directly to the world outside the dojo.

“Discipline has helped me in all facets of my life,” he said. “You can pretty much do anything if you have discipline. When you push yourself, you realize you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”

After hopping from career to career, what White set his mind to was acting. He worked with Jean-Claude Van Damme on Universal Soldier in 1992, then starred in Tyson, Spawn, Black Dynamite and both Why Did I Get Married? movies. Among the newest notches on his belt are an appearance in The Dark Knight and the role of leading man and director for Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown..

But like a true karate master, Michael Jai White downplays his fame.

“I’m not a celebrity in my school,” White said. “That quickly goes out the window when you’re sweating together. It’s more about the fact that I’m a 230-pound guy who hits hard. I think that supersedes celebrity.”

White obviously takes his martial arts seriously, which is precisely what he conveys to his students. “If you’re trying your best, if you’re pushing yourself, I don’t care if you’re athletically gifted or not — it’s the effort you put out,” he said. “As long as you do that, I have respect for you.”

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

Full-Contact Karate: Advanced Sparring Techniques and Hard-Core Physical Conditioning	Shotokan’s Secret: The Hidden Truth Behind Karate’s Fighting Origins — Expanded Edition	Dojo Dynamics: Essential Marketing Principles for Martial Arts Schools

Source: Black Belt Magazine

For illustrative purposes, Kenji Yamaki is shown teaching
in his Yamaki Karate dojo in Torrance, CA.

Children’s karate classes are frequently concluded with the stern warning from their karate sensei that what’s practiced in the dojo isn’t for indiscriminate use. You’re not supposed to “do this stuff” at home or anywhere outside the dojo, the karate sensei says.

I never liked that.

To me, karate sensei teaching students to do something and then telling them not to do it is, well, a little dumb. If you’re teaching people to do something and then telling them not to do it, you’d better do some thinking about just what you’re teaching.

“Oh, so you’re saying it’s OK for a kid to go home from karate class and side-kick his little brother in the head? It’s all right if he tries out his reverse punch on a friend and breaks his nose?”

Please reread what I just wrote about the need to think. Are you as a karate sensei teaching the children in your classes to kick people in the head or punch others in the nose for no good reason?

“Well, no. But those kicks and punches are part of training. That’s what we’re doing in a karate class.”

Yes, that’s part of what you should be doing in a karate class, but it’s far from the only part, and it shouldn’t be the goal — not for kids and not for adults.

The age-old debate is yours to consider in this FREE download!
Karate Sensei: Should They Be Respected or Feared by Students?

“So you want to have a discussion of philosophy instead of hard training? You want karate class to be like a church service or a therapy session.”

Nope. There needs to be a whole lot less talking in the dojo, in my opinion. Karate sensei spend too much time trying to explain things intellectually that are adequately grasped only when you learn them with your body. We often hear the adage, “Shut up and train.” Good advice. However, the karate sensei ought to be saying to himself, “Shut up and teach.”

Some Things Karate Sensei Need to Realize

First, let’s look at the fundamentals of the situation: We have children who, because they’re children, don’t always behave in mature, reasonable ways. As children, they sense their relative powerlessness in society, and when they’re given power, they sometimes abuse it — like kicking their brother in the head. Karate affords them the ability to kick like that; it’s unrealistic to think that they won’t at least be tempted to do it.

Yes, you can lecture them. It might work. However, what I think is more effective, and what I learned when I was a child practicing karate, is for teachers and seniors in the dojo to be role models. The leaders don’t go around indiscriminately kicking others in the head. They don’t even play at it. When we’re kicking, it’s under the special circumstances of training. We reinforce the idea that we’re doing something special in the uniforms we wear only in the dojo.

The attitude in the dojo reinforces it. It’s never playtime. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, but it’s serious. Karate doesn’t get treated like an afternoon program at the YMCA. Karate is different. We approach our own training and the teaching of others, especially children, with that in mind.

How Karate Sensei Treat Dojo Time Sends a Message

If I were a grade-school basketball coach, I wouldn’t mind if one of my players shot hoops with his brother at home. If I were teaching karate, I would mind very much if that child treated the art like a basketball game. That difference has to be made clearly and consistently.

Think of it this way: Don’t use a karate class as entertainment for a kiddie birthday party, and you won’t have to worry as much about it being misused in other ways.

Second, if all we teach is kicking and punching, we shouldn’t be surprised when that’s the lesson children get. If children in a karate class get positive attention for showing aggressiveness, winning tournaments or being the center of attention, they’ll learn from that. They’ll learn what’s valued in the dojo and seek to identify with those values.

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

Full-Contact Karate: Advanced Sparring Techniques and Hard-Core Physical Conditioning	The Best of Dave Lowry	Bokken: Art of the Japanese Sword

The Karate Sensei and Principles vs. Ego

If self-control, poise and humility are highlighted, those are the values children will esteem and emulate. If the teacher struts about, his uniform festooned with insignia, demanding to be called “master,” the children will assume that power is primarily for boosting one’s ego and status. If they see a teacher who’s unassuming and who trains alongside the class, who readily admits his weaknesses and shows others that he’s working on them, the kids will learn to behave accordingly.

If the curriculum changes to meet whatever popular interest has been sparked by a movie or an Olympic competition, the children will learn that their art doesn’t have any fixed concepts or ideals and is instead a product. If the art is taught with consistency and within the framework of what has been taught in the past, however, they will learn to see themselves as part of something larger and more important.

There are a lot of lessons taught in a karate class that have little to do with kicking and punching. Integrity, respect for others, dignity and honesty — they aren’t only in the kata or free sparring, but they’re in the dojo, too. Or they’re not. There are consequences, either way, for those training there.

It’s absurd to think that no matter what we do to influence or direct them, children will always behave appropriately. We have to keep an eye on them and look for behavior that might demonstrate aggressiveness or a tendency to show off or strike out in frustration. And if we see that, we need to talk to them and their parents.

However, if karate is the “way” many of us think it is, then the best approach in getting others — especially children — to walk it is to lead by example.

About the author:
Dave Lowry is a freelance writer who’s trained extensively in the Japanese and Okinawan arts. He started writing the Karate Way column for Black Belt magazine in 1986. He is the author of Bokken: Art of the Japanese Sword among other books.

Source: Black Belt Magazine