Blog Feed: Martial Arts Spectrum

Up for air...then back under the surface...

Published on 2011-08-02 14:26:00

It's been a little more than six weeks since my last post. If you noticed, you get a gold star! (Metaphorically speaking.) Unfortunately, it may be that long or longer before you hear from me again. Or maybe never. I just can't tell you at this point. Funny, isn't it: life has a way of carrying you along with it despite your best intentions otherwise. No need to elaborate. It is what it is. Because of life's pressures, I am placing the Spectrum on indefinite hiatus effective immediately. I hope [..]

Didn't See That One Coming: Suppressing Your "Tell"

Published on 2011-06-16 00:00:00

Recently, I purchased a copy of Rory Miller’s eBook Drills: Training for Sudden Violence, which I intended to review here on the Spectrum. For various reasons, I've decided not to review Rory’s book in one shot, at least not in the near future.

Rory Miller: "Tried By Twelve..."

Published on 2011-06-09 00:00:00

I'd rather be alive and someplace other than this I've always felt the phrase "I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six" to be ludicrous. Lo and behold, Rory Miller just posted another to-the-bone incisive post on this very topic: ...Wh

Groin Attacks: Overrated?

Published on 2011-06-02 13:38:00

Fantasy self defense? (Source: photobucket.com) Recently, I came across a news item about a woman who defended against a sexual assault by cutting off her attacker’s penis with a knife. It happened in Bangladesh. The woman reportedly been putting

Lest We Forget...

Published on 2011-05-30 00:00:00

Headstones at Arlington National Cemetery It’s Memorial Day here in the States, the day we honor all U. S. war dead. Those we memorialize gave their lives while doing their duty. No political litmus tests, no sitting around debating the “justnes

Ninjas on Vacation, Part 2

Published on 2011-05-28 00:00:00

Ninjas don't have to stop being ninjas to enjoy a good time. Here's a group of them relaxing at a water park. (Can't see them? More practice you need.) (Source: Very Demotivational)

KO at :08 of Round 1 (Self Inflicted)

Published on 2011-05-27 00:00:00

Here's a further tip on weightlifting that didn't make it into my guest post at TDA Training. When you're lifting, whether it's free weights or a machine, don't forget about safety. Use weight gloves (and maybe some resin). You should also have a spo

Imi Lichtenfeld, Founder of Krav Maga

Published on 2011-05-26 00:00:00

Imi Lichtenfeld (1910-1998) Today is the 101st anniversary of the birth of Imrich "Imi" Lichtenfeld, aka Imi Sde-Or, the founder of krav maga. Given the occasion, I'd like to give a brief homage to Imi and his contribution to martial arts. Imi was bo

The One-Inch Punch

Published on 2011-05-24 00:00:00

Here's an excellent exposition of the one-inch punch by Rick Tucci, one of Dan Inosanto's senior students. Mechanics are the key with this punch. Rick does a great job of breaking them down: Video frame broken? Click here to view it in a new window

Refractions 5/23/2011: Beware Sadists Carrying Umbrellas

Published on 2011-05-23 00:00:00

Random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Report from the Prism (aka MAS HQ) In case you missed Jules' announcement, your friendly editor made a guest appearance on TDA Training last Friday (5/20/11). Head on over and check it out

Armed Forces Day Salute!

Published on 2011-05-21 00:00:00

Here in the States, the third Saturday in May is Armed Forces Day. That's the day we honor the men and women currently serving in our military. Having spent a bit of time in the military myself (21 years active, 4 reserve), I have a pretty good idea

Food for Thought Redux

Published on 2011-05-20 00:00:00

When ninjas want to work on their tans, this is how they roll. (Source: Very Demotivational)

And Now, an Important Announcement from Jules...

Published on 2011-05-19 16:00:00

There are big doings here at the Spectrum. Rather than tell you about them myself, I'm going to turn things over to my good friend Jules. You may remember him from the 1993 movie Pulp Fiction. (If not, probably won't get this post, but just roll with

The Fairbairn Kick

Published on 2011-05-19 00:00:00

The Fairbairn kick is a leg attack that uses the exterior side of the foot to contact an opponent's lower leg. In close quarter combat (CQC) circles, it's also known as the "Fairbairn flick," the "flick kick," and the "'Chinese' kick." W. E. Fairba

The Loose Ends of Violence

Published on 2011-05-17 00:00:00

Recently, a story hit the Associated Press newswire that reminds us that real violence is messy and complicated. The story, in brief, is as follows: A man breaks up a neighborhood fight. One of the aggressors is allegedly a 13-year-old neighbor. Th

Refractions 5/16/2011: Krazy Karate Kapers

Published on 2011-05-16 00:00:00

Random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Report from the Prism (aka MAS HQ) Here at the Prism, we managed to shake off Google's nightmarish week of Blogger maintenance. Things are back to normal for the moment, although we lost s

Recent Technical Issues Resolved

Published on 2011-05-14 10:28:00

On Thursday and Friday, there was some strange behavior at the Spectrum. Articles (and their comment threads) were appearing and disappearing, and changing order on the home page. Also, our RSS subscribers received multiple copies of some posts from

Presidential Martial Arts in Action

Published on 2011-05-13 15:46:00

How many countries can say their president is a high-ranking martial artist? Apparently, the Russian Federation is one. President Vladimir Putin is a sixth dan in Kodokan judo, and has remained an active practitioner while in office. The last U. S. p

Martial Arts Changes Lives...Or Does It?

Published on 2011-05-12 00:00:00

Recently, I got a call from a fellow in his late 20s who said he was really interested in martial arts. He mentioned MMA, as is common for young men, but he said he was open to any style. He didn't really care where he trained. He just wanted someone

Food for Thought

Published on 2011-05-10 23:27:00

Source: motifake.com

Coconut Break Epic Fail

Published on 2011-05-10 00:00:00

File this one in the "boards (and other breaking materials) don't hit back, but they don't always cooperate" file. Ever tried to break a coconut? I haven't. I'm not that foolish, regardless of what they say on Reddit. Coconuts are said to be among th

Refractions 5/9/2011: Fun with Katana

Published on 2011-05-09 00:00:00

Random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Report from the Prism (aka MAS HQ) The Spectrum is back in business! On my way back from pneumonia, I still only at about 80% physically, and I continue to struggle with my other health is

Bare-Knuckle Karate Knockouts

Published on 2011-05-06 00:00:00

I am a complete, round-heeled pushover for a good bare-knuckle karate knockout. Imagine my delight to discover a five-minute video clip that contains a whole bunch of them. I have embedded the video below for your viewing pleasure. Mixed in among the

What is a "Diligent" Taekwondo Student?

Published on 2011-05-05 00:00:00

In a recent post, Bob Patterson at Striking Thoughts quoted an article on another blog regarding taekwondo styles. Please take a moment to read Bob's post before continuing. The article Bob quoted contained the following statement, about which he exp

UFC 129: The Triumph of Tradition

Published on 2011-05-03 00:00:00

Regular readers know that I don't address MMA much on this blog. That's not because I don't like MMA, but because I don't follow professional cage fighting closely enough to blog regularly about it. In any case, there are a number of excellent blogs

Refractions 5/2/2011: Return to Oz (Spectrum Remix)

Published on 2011-05-02 00:00:00

Random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Report from the Prism (aka MAS HQ) I am finally on the mend - not 100 percent, but getting close. It took a week of rest to set me right. And so, with apologies to Scissor Sisters, I've re

On Hiatus (Briefly)

Published on 2011-04-24 10:41:00

To regular readers of Martial Arts Spectrum: I'm sorry there haven't been any posts since Wednesday. As some of you know, I have been struggling with poor health for nearly a month. I recently went through a course of antibiotics, but my symptoms hav

Scenes from a Mall (Martial Arts Version)

Published on 2011-04-21 00:00:00

We did a mall event this past weekend. We don't do many of these - maybe two or three a year - but they've been a successful means of attracting new students and maintaining awareness of our studio in the community. However, you don't spend eight hou

Refractions 4/18/2011: Tax Day Special

Published on 2011-04-18 00:00:00

Random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Report from the Prism (aka MAS HQ) The illness that's been beating me down the past 2+ weeks turned out to be bronchitis. Antibiotics have me feeling much better. It'll probably take a wee

Editor Contracts Exotic Virus; Near Death's Door

Published on 2011-04-14 12:30:00

Okay, I lied. There's nothing exotic about it, and I'm far from dying. But the bug I've been fighting the past nearly three weeks has finally gotten the best of me. Again. So the Spectrum will be on hiatus through Sunday. I will be back this coming

Taekwondo Pioneers: Won Kuk Lee

Published on 2011-04-13 00:00:00

GGM Won Kuk Lee (1907-2003) The late Great Grand Master Won Kuk Lee, a significant figure in the establishment of the art of taekwondo, was born on this date (4/13) in 1907. In September 1944, Lee established the Chung Do Kwan (CDK), which is general

Refractions 4/11/2011: Dancing with Knives

Published on 2011-04-11 00:00:00

Random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Report from the Prism (aka MAS HQ) A bout of what appears to be "walking pneumonia," a recent burst of activity at the studio, and complications with my other ongoing medical problems have

Martial Arts Web Site of the Week!

Published on 2011-04-08 20:15:00

While doing research for the next Refractions post, I ran across this web site. I haven't laughed this loud at anything martial arts related since the last time I watched Kung Pow! Enter the Fist with the commentary track turned on. The site in ques

Iain Abernethy's "How to Spar for the Street"

Published on 2011-04-07 00:00:00

Iain Abernethy leading a seminar Recently, there was some discussion in this corner of the blogosphere about modern taekwondo sparring and its relevance for a self defense training. In addition to my recent post, TDATraining, Striking Thoughts, and

Martial Arts Video Fail-Fest

Published on 2011-04-05 00:00:00

I've been battling through two viruses this past week, and my resulting lack of focus has had me unable to generate much in the way of original content. I will probably not be able to post anything until early Thursday morning. In the meantime, here

Refractions 4/4/2011: Special Judo-Free Edition

Published on 2011-04-04 00:00:00

Random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Special Announcement for the Humor-Impaired Having trouble finding independent sources to back up the two articles posted to MAS last Friday? Take another look at the date, and consider y

Y. K. Kim Announces Partnership with UFC

Published on 2011-04-01 13:00:00

Y. K. Kim (Source: LAsThePlace.com) Marketing guru and martial arts grandmaster Y. K. Kim has announced a business partnership with the UFC to create and market a mixed martial arts summer camp curriculum for kids. The announcement came during one of

Judo Prodigy is Youngest Female Godan

Published on 2011-04-01 00:00:00

Katsumi Arai training at her home dojo Judo prodigy Katsumi Arai, age 18, has been promoted to Godan [5th degree], according to a recent article in the Japanese national newspaper Mainichi Shimbun. The following is the text of the newspaper article t

Customer Service Funnies, Martial Arts Style

Published on 2011-03-31 00:00:00

The vast majority of our interactions with potential clients are professional, if not outright positive. Every so often, thought, we have an encounter that is so silly, exasperating, or outright funny that all we can do is laugh in disbelief (after t

The "Soccer" Kick

Published on 2011-03-29 00:00:00

Wing Chun stylist practicing the "soccer" kick (Source: JerryDoughnut) The "soccer" kick is a kick where the interior side of the foot, near the instep, contacts your opponent's lower leg. It's common in southern Chinese styles, such as Wi

Refractions 3/28/2011: Sumo, McGruff, and Daniel-San

Published on 2011-03-28 00:00:00

Random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Sumo Match-Fixing Fallout Continues The panel probing the recent corruption scandal in Japanese sumo has finished its investigation and will now consider potential sanctions.A special inv

Kata Evolution: A Video Comparison

Published on 2011-03-25 00:00:00

Click the image to play Milon's unsu in a new window Loren Christensen posted footage of the late, legendary World Karate Federation (WKF) kata champion Michael Milon on Facebook recently. The video he posted shows Milon's 1996 WKF World Championship

Kyokushin Karate - 2011 IKO World Championship Video

Published on 2011-03-24 00:00:00

Kyokushin kaikan is a style of knock-down, bare-knuckle karate that is definitely not for the weak-minded. Accomplished kyokushin karateka are tough customers indeed, and I enjoy watching high-level competitors in action. International Karate Organiz

Help! Aliens Stole My Brain!

Published on 2011-03-23 00:00:00

Quick! Use the spectral eyeshields! It's your only chance! (Photo courtesy of bjortklingd) I was cleaning out my browser bookmarks recently, and came across this oldie but goodie: Grand Celestial Do. For those who don't remember, it was a little over

Avoidance

Published on 2011-03-22 21:30:00

Picture by VirtualEm I don't normally re-blog stuff, but Rory Miller over at Chiron dropped an outstanding post today that I thought captured the essence of avoidance:...Here's the deal: Unless you are making certain life choices, your chances of bei

Refractions 3/21/2011: Casey, Billy, Akshay, MMA, and the Blotter

Published on 2011-03-21 00:00:00

A sometime series containing random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Sorry, Readers - No Casey Heynes Article In Queue There will be no post on the Spectrum regarding the viral video of bullied Australian teen Casey Heynes turning t

Taekwondo for Self Defense

Published on 2011-03-18 00:00:00

Iain Abernethy demonstrates kata-based sparring (Photo courtesy of shotokankarate-magpie.blogspot.com) There have been several posts lately regarding taekwondo sparring's usefulness for self defense. Specifically, Bob at Striking Thoughts and Nathan

What Would You Die For?

Published on 2011-03-17 00:00:01

What would you die for? To further a cause? To protect a loved one? To defend your country? To stand for your values and beliefs? How about to keep your stuff? That's what happened recently to Rabie Muhammed, who fought a mugger for her purse contai

The Jumping Jack Brain Scramble

Published on 2011-03-16 00:00:02

The jumping jack (aka the "star jump" or "side straddle hop") is a near-universal conditioning and warm-up exercise used in a wide range of athletic activity, including martial arts workouts. But do jumping jacks actually do more harm than good

Shockingly Realistic Knife Defense Training

Published on 2011-03-15 00:00:03

My recent post about knife defense got a lot of attention. Someone reposted it to reddit.com (not me this time) and it generated a lot of good discussion about realism in knife training. As a follow-up, I thought I'd devote a post to an excelle

Refractions 3/14/2011: Rory Miller, TKD Sparring, & the MA Police Blotter

Published on 2011-03-14 00:00:02

A sometime series containing random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Rory Miller's New Scenario Training Drills E-Book I recently downloaded Rory Miller's new e-book of scenario training drills. It has been a revelation. Thank you,

Happy 71st Birthday, Chuck Norris!

Published on 2011-03-11 00:00:05

Chuck Norris turned 71 on Thursday (3/10). Most people born after 1970 know Chuck primarily as an actor. However, the man's original claim to fame was as a gigantic presence in full-contact karate in the glory days of the 1960s and 70s.

Core Training, Part 2: Measuring Strength and Stability

Published on 2011-03-10 00:00:01

As we saw in yesterday's post, the U.S. Army is dropping sit-ups from its revised physical fitness test. The Army did this in response to a study that a soldier's ability to perform sit-ups or crunches didn't accurately measure true core streng

Core Training, Part 1: Ditch the Sit-Up!

Published on 2011-03-09 13:01:23

From the Associated Press comes news that the U. S. Army is revamping its physical fitness test for the first time in 30 years. One major change is the elimination of a long- time military fitness staple: the sit-up. The Army study that

Refractions 3/7/2011: Airbus, Karate Chops, and Ralph Macchio

Published on 2011-03-08 00:31:36

A sometime series containing random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Okay, So I Lied I said yesterday there'd be no Refractions this week, but I'm feeling much better today, so I took a stab at it. A day late, but hopefully

Editor Calls in Sick - Film at 11

Published on 2011-03-07 00:00:02

Sorry guys, no Refractions column this week. Usually, after Bob Patterson makes his pass through the newswire (great post, BP, as always, and thanks for the shout out), there's at least two or three leftovers for me to riff on, but it's been a

Martial Arts Demos - More Epic Fail Footage

Published on 2011-03-04 21:03:57

From the "boards may not hit back, that doesn't mean they always cooperate" file: if you're going to make a DVD about breaking boards, either practice your breaking first, or get better holders. Click the picture to play in a new window. If th

Your Knife Defense Could Get You Killed

Published on 2011-03-03 09:45:26

My recent posting of Marc MacYoung's Street Safe clip got me thinking of another oldie but goody from "Animal." This one is about the nature of real knife attacks and how brutish they are: Click the picture to play in a new window. If th

Black Belt Workout Diary

Published on 2011-03-02 01:00:11

It was a great adult black belt class tonight. The spirit level, always high, was even higher than normal. I love it when that happens. When students are extra motivated, we can push them even further than usual. Here'

Street Safe: How To Avoid Becoming A Victim

Published on 2011-03-01 00:00:02

I stumbled across this snippet from an old Marc "The Animal" MacYoung video series on awareness and avoidance. A bit dated in the presentation, but still good stuff. How is it that martial arts instructors who claim to teach "self defense" are a di

Refractions 2/28/2011: UFC 127, Judo Controversy, and More

Published on 2011-02-28 00:00:07

Illustration by Cepheiden A sometime series containing random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum UFC 127 Results UFC 127 was an interesting fight night. The main even between B. J. Penn and Jon Fitch ended in a draw - thi

Martial Arts Demo - Epic Fail

Published on 2011-02-25 00:00:10

Boards may not hit back, but that doesn't mean they always cooperate. The same goes for bricks, as these Russian Spetznaz troops found: Click the picture to play in a new window. If the picture doesn't show in your reader, please click h

Six Martial Arts Blogs on My Short List

Published on 2011-02-24 00:00:13

Warrior Pen Style? Kwan Tak Hing and Lee Hoi San in Magnificent Butcher (photo courtesy of HKCinemagic) After lurking in the blogosphere for a year and a half, and blogging seriously for a couple months, I've found that martial arts is a crow

Want to Go to Jail? Don't Read This

Published on 2011-02-23 00:00:10

Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net I was partying at the club, minding my own business. All of a sudden, the guy was in my personal space. He was obviously drunk. He kept telling me I was "hot" and asking me to dance. I tri

Georges St. Pierre's Latest Self Defense Video!

Published on 2011-02-22 00:00:06

Georges St. Pierre's new self defense video...for sports mascots! Sports humor courtesy of ESPN: If your reader isn't showing the video frame, or it's not working, please click here.

Refractions 2/21/2011

Published on 2011-02-21 00:00:09

Illustration by Cepheiden A sometime series containing random thoughts and observations from across the Spectrum Warning: Traffic Spike Ahead I shared my recent "Bruce Lee" post on reddit.com a few days ago. It's been read by 190 unique

Martial Arts for the Over-30 Adult

Published on 2011-02-18 00:00:11

© Beatrice Murch Adults over 30 often resist signing up for martial arts lessons. They give a variety of excuses, such as being too old, being too overweight, or having nagging injuries. The common misperception among adults in the U. S.

The Thrusting Front Kick

Published on 2011-02-17 00:00:02

Today's post is a companion piece to yesterday's post on the snap front kick. The thrusting front kick (mae geri kekomi in Japanese, ahp chajirugi in Korean) is the close cousin of the snap front kick. While both kicks extend outward fro

The Snap Front Kick

Published on 2011-02-15 23:19:29

The snap front kick (mae geri keage in Japanese, ahp chabusigi in Korean) is among the simplest kicks in martial arts. Since it's delivered with the same natural motion used in walking, it's easy to learn, and is therefore typically the one of

MMA Legislation in New York Dealt Setback

Published on 2011-02-15 00:00:10

Article first published as MMA Legislation in New York Dealt Setback on Blogcritics. © U. S. Army With bills to make sanctioned MMA matches moving forward in West Virginia and in committee in Connecticut, attention now turns to the fate of

Refractions 2/14/2011

Published on 2011-02-14 00:13:52

A sometime series containing random thoughts and observations from around the Spectrum I Get It, Already Bloggers expect a fair amount of churn in their subscriber base. However, data trends like this get our attention: The MAS RSS subs

Favorite Kung Fu Flicks - #9: Fighting Ace (1979)

Published on 2011-02-11 00:00:11

Original Title: Hao xiao zi di xia yi zhao Alternate Title(s): Fighting Ace; Kung Fu Ace; Master of Death; Kid's Ace in the Hole Notable Cast Members: John Liu, Cliff Ching, Wang Tai-Lang, Wu Ma, Li Min-Chin, Kwan Yung-Moon, Doris Lung, Hon Siu Actio

West Virginia MMA Legislation Advances

Published on 2011-02-10 00:00:03

© Thiago Celestino The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill on Feb 5th that gives the state Athletic Commission the authority to sanction mixed martial arts (MMA) bouts. If passed by the state senate and signed into law, West Virginia woul

Bruce Lee Was Right (Sort Of)

Published on 2011-02-09 00:00:06

A style should never be considered gospel truth, the laws and principles of which can never be violated. Man, the living, creating individual, is always more important than any established style. --- Bruce Lee When someone asks me what style I

Rikishi Are People, Too

Published on 2011-02-08 00:07:59

From Japan comes word of the latest scandal to hit the martial sport world. As many as 13 sumo wrestlers are implicated in a match-fixing scandal. There have been rumors of match-fixing, mob ties, and corruption in sumo for decades. Howev

UFC 126: Silva Goes "Traditional" on Belfort

Published on 2011-02-07 10:09:23

Photo courtesy of chicagonow.com At UFC 126, long-time reigning middleweight champion Anderson Silva capped off his eighth title defense by knocking out Vitor Belfort in the first round. And he did it with karate. More specifically, a sna

Courtesy in the Martial Arts

Published on 2011-02-07 00:00:04

In East Asian cultures, courtesy, along with its close relative respect, is vital to the proper functioning of society. In Japan, for example, courtesy is so important that it's incorporated into the structure of the Japanese language. Th

Favorite Kung Fu Flicks - #10: Black Belt Karate (1979)

Published on 2011-02-04 00:00:08

Original Title: Karate Sabuk Hitam Alternate Title(s): Bad Guys Wear Black; Black Belt Karate Notable Cast Members: Lee Gam-Kwan (billed as "Larry Lee"), Leung Siu-Lung ("Bruce Leung"), Lo Lieh, Willy Dozan ("Billy Chong"), Leung Siu-Hung ("Tony Leun

The Head Butt

Published on 2011-02-02 00:00:01

The head butt is a spectacular technique that can do significant damage if landed right. In Europe, it's a common first strike in bar fights, so much so that it has the nickname "the Glasgow kiss."Here's some video evidence of how effective a h

Taekwondo Pioneers: Haeng Ung Lee

Published on 2011-01-31 00:00:11

October 5, 2010, was the tenth anniversary of the passing of Haeng Ung Lee (1936-2000), founder of the American Taekwondo Association. In keeping with the Korean tradition of gije (annual memorial for family members who have passed on), we take

Martial Artists and Kung Fu Flicks

Published on 2011-01-28 00:17:08

I love kung fu movies. We're talking more than just enjoying the occasional rental. It approaches the level of passion. It wasn't always this way. In fact, I never gave Hong Kong cinema a second thought until I began studying martia

The Open-Palm Face Slap

Published on 2011-01-26 00:00:09

The open-palm face slap is not discussed much in reality-based self defense circles. I've always found that puzzling, because it can be surprisingly effective. As Exhibit A, I submit an old internet favorite from a few years back: Element of s

How NOT to Choose a Martial Arts Studio

Published on 2011-01-24 00:00:08

Like most businessmen, I have mixed feelings about dealing with the public. On the one hand, if you want people to do business with you, you need to provide outstanding customer service. On the other hand, this requires providing that out

Effective Self Defense Training

Published on 2011-01-21 00:00:02

As part of their marketing efforts, many martial arts schools and fight gyms claim the style they teach is effective self defense training. It seems like a valid claim. After all, martial arts have their roots in combat. Sadly, it's

The Five Focuses of Martial Arts

Published on 2011-01-19 11:54:35

Of all the attempts at a working definition of martial arts, I like Marc MacYoung's the best. According to Marc's model, the martial arts are a broad class of activities that can be loosely grouped into five separate focus areas: Self-def

Martial Artists Behaving Badly II

Published on 2011-01-17 23:22:03

By Craig Willits Recently, a mixed martial arts fighter who won an important UFC match was asked who he thought his next opponent should be. He named the individual, questioned his intelligence, and challenged him to a cage fight, all on nation

Martial Artists Behaving Badly I

Published on 2011-01-17 23:21:05

By Craig Willits Recently, a mixed martial arts fighter who won an important UFC match was asked who he thought his next opponent should be. He named the individual, questioned his intelligence, and challenged him to a cage fight, all on nation

Are You The Next Karate Kid?

Published on 2011-01-17 11:07:12

In 1984, the release of the movie The Karate Kid changed the martial arts industry forever. The movie's emphasis on martial arts as a means of emotional and spiritual development created a sensation. Audiences saw Daniel learn as much abo

Building Self-Discipline Through Martial Arts

Published on 2011-01-17 11:06:44

By Craig Willits It's common for people to enroll themselves or their children in a traditional martial arts program to cultivate "self-discipline," although they often can't really articulate what they mean by that word. They just know self-di

Taekwondo Pioneers: Won Kuk Lee

Published on 2011-01-17 10:25:03

By Craig Willits In an era when millions of people practice taekwondo, it's easy to forget that this martial art would not have evolved to where it is without the effort of a small group of courageous and determined pioneers. In the 1940s, thes

The Honorable Martial Artist

Published on 2011-01-17 10:24:41

By Craig Willits In martial arts, the concept of honor is crucial. The easiest way to understand what honor means is to describe it in terms of respect and reputation: an honorable person has a reputation of being worthy of respect. To be

Book Review - A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do

Published on 2011-01-17 10:24:24

The Korean martial art of taekwondo is a direct descendant of Japanese karate that did not exist prior to the 1950s. The various modern styles of the art did not begin to take their current forms until the 1980s. However, most taekwondo o