37724229-Combat-04-April-2007

APRIL 2007Vol. 33 No. 4 £3.50

APRIL 2007Vol. 33 No. 4 £3.50 THE BEST IN MARTIAL ARTS COVERAGETHE BEST IN MARTIAL ARTS COVERAGE

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DUELISTCostumes Dazzle! Blades Flash! Duelists Duel!

Costumes Dazzle! Blades Flash! Duelists Duel!




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CHUCK NORRISA legend with a social conscience!CHUCK NORRISA legend with a social conscience!CHUCK NORRISA legend with a social conscience!CHUCK NORRISA legend with a social conscience!CHUCK NORRISA legend with a social conscience!

BOXING’S BIGGEST FIGHT!Will MMA ground and pound the noble art?

GLORY DAYSA nostalgic look at the martial arts

MASTER OF COMBAT RETURNSWith a challenge for the World













001_132_Combat0407 19/2/07 12:30pm

COMBAT April 2007

COMMENTCOMMENTRegular readers of my editorial (hi mum) will

know that many of my scribblings are as aresult of the news I hear whilst travelling towork (it is a 250 mile round trip) and this most

recent news item hit me hard-the fact that we are theworst of twenty one industrial nations when it comesto looking after our children and bringing them upproperly. I felt bad for a number of reasons, not leastNational pride, but also because I don’t believe the fig-ures can be right, especially when so many peoplechoose to come here from their own native countryfor a better future. With that in mind, I thought wecan’t be doing that bad, can we?

Then you look at the crime and the teenage preg-nancies (yes, something we are the best at in Europe)and you think maybe even if we’re not the worst inEurope and the statistics are wrong, so is a lot withour countries youth. We advertise about the benefitsof martial arts, we talk a good fight but I don’t believewe truly realise what a force for good we really couldbe. All that stuff we pay lip-service to in our advertsis true! Many from the older generation will tell youthat everything started to go wrong with the abolitionof National Service, well, without realising it we pro-vide a natural and viable alternative when it comes todiscipline, respect, team-work and hard work and ifwe were to truly live up to our talk, we really couldmake a difference to the youth of today.

With schools tentatively reaching out to martialarts instructors to fill after school slots, there hasnever been a better time for us to prove we canmake a difference. I was part of the last generationthat had boxing as part of the gym structure intheir school. Wouldn’t it be great if we were alsothe first generation that says we have martial artsas part of the school curriculum? Back to thefuture for the good of society, sometimes the olddays really were the best and maybe just maybe, anold dog can teach a young kid old tricks-such asrespect, self-discipline and self-worth.

The opportunity is there, we just have to seize itfor the right reasons-to make a difference to a kid,not our own bank balance.

Malcolm

COLUMNISTSMike Finn

Dan DochertyMichael Tse

William SandersSimon HazeldineDr. James FisherAnton Van Thomas

Chris SamuelKeith Gilliland

Dan GreenDon HeatrickBrian Dossett

Andy HopwoodAndy BryantJohn Graden

Nino Bernardo

Sean VieraPaul Allen

Richard DimitriHelen Stranzl

Mark CortnageKerry Louise Norbury

CONTRIBUTORSPaul BurkinshawMatt SylvesterFrank MensahTom HibbertPatrick RaultCarl FisherMic Clark

Rob Nutley

Neville WrayJim Fung

Leon DoganPeter Lewis

Paul HenneseyIain Abernethy

Alfie LewisIain Armstrong

Julian DaleDanny Guba

Richard ThomasRhee Ki Ha

Steve ProctorNeil Holden

Gavin MullhollandRoss IannocarroCris Janson-Piers

Jeffet Jenkins

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COMBAT April 2007 Page 5

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PUBLISHER/MANAGING DIRECTORPaul Clifton

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Blades flash! Costumes dazzle! Duelists duel!

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DUEL

IST

Blades Flash!Costumes Dazzle!Duelists Duel!

Page 12 COMBAT April 2007

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TThe appreciation of World Cinema by Western audiences has never been greater andsome of the most critically acclaimed films of recent years have come from the Far East.At first it was the Japanese and Chinese directors of note, such as Takeshi Kitano, Ang Leeand Zhang Yimou but the second wave included notable Korean directors including Chan

Wook Park with his awe inspiring ‘Oldboy’ and Lee Myung Se, who garnered internationalacclaim with his ultra-stylish thriller ‘Nowhere to Hide’. Basically ‘Nowhere to Hide’ was anelongated chase movie that emphasised Se’s mastery of movement and rhythm and visual flair,his chase and fight sequences as precisely choreographed as vintage Hollywood musicals.

‘Duelist’, a fantastical historicaldrama, continues to explore similarthemes but gives Se even more scopewith its dazzling costumes, vibrantcolours and diverse settings to create avisually stunning film that is the ulti-mate in style over substance, despitethe excellent acting on display. Set inan imprecise Korea of old, ‘Duelist’follows the doomed love between thejust and the criminal, as young femaledetective Namsoon, played by HaJiwon, and her trusty companiondetective Ahn, Korean super-actor AhnSung-ki, investigate a case involvingcounterfeit money.

Namsoon goes deep undercover,involving a variety of disguises, totrack the criminals, which leads herthrough a trail of corruption that takesher all the way to the top and theMinister of Defence, who hopes toseize control of the country. Her inves-tigation is consistently hampered by anenigmatic swordsman known only as‘Sad Eyes’, played by Gang Dongwon,

and their persistent cat and mouseduels spark a fragile romance that canonly end in tragedy as the handsomeassassin is loyal to the Minister. Withthe net closing in, Sad Eyes knowsthat to protect the Minister he muststop the Detective but by the time oftheir final and deadly duel, the two arehopelessly in love.

The first point to mention is thatwithout prior knowledge of the plot,through review or synopsis, the storyis almost incomprehensible. The sec-ond point to mention is that it reallydoes not matter, as this is a film to beenjoyed for the love of cinema, a visu-al treat that consistently dazzles theeyes with its verve, colour and move-ment. There is plenty of swordplayand it is highly stylised, the choreogra-phy reminiscent, as mentioned, of thevintage Hollywood musicals, especial-ly those directed by Busby Berkeley,with their intricate patterns and kalei-doscopic effect. Each duel is differentand reflects the characters changing

moods and levels of gravity, theswordfights taking on a balletic gracethat is mesmerising.

Character takes precedence overplot and emotion over narrative, thus,at its heart, ‘Duelist’ is ‘Romeo andJuliet’, star crossed lovers doomed tofailure because of their allegiances toopposite sides of the political spec-trum. As a result, Se draws the viewerinto the overall experience rather thanthe plot, the counterfeit money casesimply a coat hanger for the antago-nists emotional journey that is con-veyed in their duels. The duels there-fore end up as the narrative device andthey are the film’s highlights, as eachcolour scheme and setting are carefullychosen to reflect the emotional content.

The highlights are the central andfinal duels, as they are the most emo-tionally charged. The central dueltakes place in a narrow alley in thepouring rain and is a courtship ritual, asword fighting tango that is exquisitelyfilmed and choreographed, as the two

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:41pm Page 13

potential lovers spin and twirl aroundeach other in ever more intimate cir-cles. The final duel takes place in theheavy snow and is extraordinarilybeautiful, a rough comparison beingthe final fight scene between UmaThurman and Lucy Liu in ‘Kill BillVolume 1’. Here, however, a smallarmy of detectives led by Namsoonand Ahn storm the Minister’s hide-away, Namsoon knowing that SadEyes will be there ready to defend hismaster to the death.

With film the most visual ofmediums, the rule of thumb is showdon’t tell and this is what DirectorLee Myung-se takes to heart with‘Duelist’ and it would be easy to seethe film translated into a ballet or anopera, where the actual language ofthe dialogue being spoken is irrele-vant. The visual brilliance of thefilm, the constant fascination withrhythm and movement, ensures thatthe film moves at a brisk pace, evenif the narrative is virtually indeci-pherable. In this respect, the leads

have to act very physically, muchbeing told by body language and it isto Ji-Won Ha and Dongwon Gang’scredit that they do virtually all theirown stunts, especially as the swordfights are so intricate and dynamic.

Body movement adds immenselyto Sad Eyes character, especially asDongwon wears a mask for the earlypart of the film but his natural graceand easy movement define him, themask forcing the viewer to concentrateon the ‘sad eyes’. Ji-Won is suitablyfeisty, yet beautiful and vulnerableenough for an audience to believe thatshe could fall in love with this enig-matic stranger and he with her. It’s atough balancing act but Ji-Won nailsit, working well as both an action heroand a woman in love. In support, AhnSung-ki, the Korean Robert De Niro,is as watch able and dependable asever, grounding the film with everyscene that he is in.

As with ‘Nowhere to Hide’, LeeMyung Se has taken a popular genreand put his very distinct mark on it,

the result being that ‘Duelist’ is notsimply a straightforward swordplaymovie made by an action director forhire but a film made by a man with avery distinct vision and visual style.As a result, the film must be seen onthe big screen to be fully appreciated.It is rich, vibrant, colourful anddynamic, with a director utilising aUniversal concept, the detective story,to interweave his personal passions.Lee Myung Se is a commercial direc-tor with an artists sensibilities and thefilm is the ultimate visual experience,overcoming plot deficiencies withverve and imagination. As a bonus,the swordplay sequences are verygood, so even die-hard martial artsfans will not be disappointed.

Take a chance and go see ‘Duelist’on the big screen. Don’t worry toomuch about following the plot, its sec-ondary here, simply sit back, relax andlet the visual splendour wash over you.

‘Duelist’ is released theatrically byContender March 30th 2007


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BBruce Lee is known to martialartists and movie-goers alike asbeing a finely tuned fightingmachine, which has been

emphasised through the films thatmade him an international star. In thisissue, part two of the Sylvia Lai special,we continue to see the other side of theLittle Dragon, candidly, through theeyes of the camera. His meteoritic riseto fame worldwide came suddenly, likea tidal wave of excitement, lighting upthe action cinema genre in a way wehave never seen before.

Bruce Lee has been quoted as sayingthat the word ‘superstar’ really turnedhim off, preferring to be known as a‘super actor.’ Many fans admit his influ-ence has changed their lives and in thewords of Fred Weintraub, the WarnerBros. producer on ‘Enter the Dragon’,“Before Bruce, every town had a churchand a beauty parlour! But after Bruce,every town had a church, a beauty par-lour and a martial arts school”!

One thing I have discovered withBruce Lee, is that when the cameralens captures him, even if the photocontains many people, the focus ofthe lens as well as the eyes of theviewer, get directly drawn in to hischarismatic and stoic aura that seemsto always surround him.

The candid photos seen here inCombat Magazine, Britain’s numberone martial arts publication, are seen forthe first time in this quality and magni-tude. As a fan and follower of the mar-tial arts, my life has been deeply affect-ed by Bruce Lee. My extensive pictorialarchive consists of thousands of images,all diverse, but seeing these candid shotsdisplayed here of Bruce Lee the familyman and friend for the first time, givesus an insight rarely seen. Through mycolleague and good friend Bruce Leeauthor and historian David Tadman, webring you more from the private collec-tion of Sylvia Lai.

If you are a fan of Bruce Lee, thegood news is much more unseen materi-al in the months to come will be gracingthese pages, so stay tuned for moreBruce Lee action within the worlds lead-ing martial arts magazine - COMBAT!


Bruce Lee the idol of millionsAction Star Supreme!Combat presents the Sylvia Lai photograph collection

Once again this picture speaks for itself but it is always amazing to see Bruce doing his martial arts moves.

Bruce with his wife Linda attending the show “Legend of the White Snake’

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L to R: Grace Lee (Bruce’s mother), Bruce holding Brandon, Sylvia & Betty LaiBruce with Sylvia at Bruce’s Family’s home at 218 Nathan Road in Hong Kong.

Bruce with Sylvia Lai at the park.

Bruce Lee with a friend at a local park

Sylvia Lai with Brandon and Bruce at a local park in Hong Kong

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Title: Beginning Wing Chun Author: Alan Gibson

Price: £12.99Published by: Summersdale

ISBN: 1-84024-546-8Format: Paperback

www.summersdale.com

About the Author:Alan Gibson founded the WingChun Federation in 1990, with theexpress purpose of developing hischosen art and creating a relaxedatmosphere for his students. Alanhas a black belt in Wing Chun andhas been teaching Kung Fu andwomen’s self-defence for manyyears. He is also an establishedtechnical author, as well as produc-ing a series of DVD’s.

What’s it about?Basically, the book looks at how WingChun works, why it has been provento be so effective in practice and whyits methods are so different to otherarts practiced. It includes trainingdrills, concept linking methods andaspects of strength and conditioning.

What’s good about it?Alan Gibson’s book is as direct andno-nonsense as the art it is explainingand the author manages to pack in anincredible amount of information intothe 150 pages, with a literate butinformal prose style. The book isexcellently structured, the differentelements broken down into detailedbut easily digestible sections. Theresult is an excellent fusion of thetheoretical and practical.

What’s bad about it?There is little to fault here, asGibson is well respected and knowl-edgeable in the Wing Chun arenabut if there is a problem here it is aminor one and it is the fact thatwhilst the photographs are num-bered they are rarely referenced inthe text and the photographs them-selves are relatively small, a possiblehindrance to a raw beginner.

Conclusion:Alan Gibson’s book is as compact ashe art he practices and is both user-friendly and practical, the mainfocus on the drills, footwork andtechniques, with the theoretical sec-tions short, sharp and focussed inthe early chapters. To round the bookoff, he also looks at a number ofstreet scenarios, taking the conceptsdiscussed into real life situations.

Title: Warrior Arts of the PhillipinesAuthor: Reynaldo S. Galang

Price: £24.99Published by: Bakbakan

ISBN: 0-9727679-1-6Format: Large Softback

[email protected]

About the Author:Reynaldo S. Galang is one of thedesignated Senior instructors of theart of Kali Illustrisimo, byGrandmaster Antonio Illustrisimo.He is co-founder of BakbakanInternational and is the organization’sInternational Director. Galang is alsoone of the premier organizers anddevelopers of the art of BakbakanKali which is a highly structured andexpanded version of Kali Ilustisimo.

What’s it about?A comprehensive look at the arts ofescrima, arnis and kali, from a prolif-ic author widely respected as a prac-titioner in the field. Within each art itlooks at the defining figures throughoverviews and interviews, whilstincluding numerous pictorial drills toillustrate the interviewee’s skills.

What’s good about it?This is an obvious labour of loveacross 350 pages and will be ofimmediate interest to anyone prac-ticing the ‘warrior arts of thePhilippines’. The book’s greateststrength is the fact that its ‘who’swho’ approach means that it can bepicked up and browsed through dur-ing any spare moment and some-thing learned about a leading figure.

What’s bad about it?Again, as with Alan Gibson’s book,there is little to criticise here but whatlittle there is to criticise is identical,namely the photographs. Some of thedrill photos are small and ‘muddy’but latitude has to be given here, dueto the historical nature of some of thephotographs. Overall, however, this isanother strong entry from Galang.

Conclusion:The structure of the book is the win-ner here, focusing on the art throughthe practitioner, to build an overallpicture. Those that have passed awayare given overviews, whilst manythat are still alive give personalinsights into their own careers. Theresult is a whole that is an absorbingread for practitioners of these uniquestick fighting arts and in that respect,a must purchase historical piece.

Book of the monthTitle: Shotokan Karate;

Unravelling the KataAuthor: Ashley Croft

Published by: Crowood PressPrice: £14.99

ISBN: 1-86126-873-4Available through:www.crowood.com

Format: Large Softback

Ashley Croft is a 5th dan inShotokan Karate and a 4th danin Aou Denkou Jitsu. He hastrained with some of the topinstructors in the world and studied in China under a Masterfrom the Shaolin Temple. Ashley has taught Karate for overeighteen years and is currently the Chief Instructor of theChiltern Karate Association.

The book focuses on the first six Shotokan Kata, providingdetailed movement instructions alongside full colour photographsof the movements in sequence. Once the kata is absorbed, theauthor then illustrates at least one kata bunkai application perkata, for each of the movements. Alongside this, Croft also looksat the history of Shotokan in no little depth, before adding a sec-tion that looks at the contribution to the development of Karatemade by the pioneering masters of the art.

The first thing to say is that on a production level the book isright up there with the best that Crowood produces. The layoutand design is superb, the paper glossy, the printing top notch andthe 450 plus photographs crisp, clear and in full colour. From thestylish cover to the final heian-Godan applications, the book isbeautiful to look at and will grace any shelf with pride.

The layout impacts on the technical elements too, as anincredible amount of information is smoothly imparted withregard six kata across 150 pages. The balance between text andillustration is spot-on and, as mentioned, the accompanyingphotographs are very clear and aid the explanation. The text isstraightforward and concise and the real bonus here are theextra chapters that look at vital point striking, history, pioneersand the relevance of kata without detracting from the book’smain thrust in any way. The term comprehensive is often over-used but with regard to the Heian kata, more than apt here asAshley Croft’s book is en excellent mix of style and contentand a template for how it should be done.

MartialArtinMedia BOOKS

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:42pm Page 19


Title: Last Hurrah for ChivalryCert: 15

Price: £16.99Stars: Damian Lau, Wei Pai,

Lau Kong, Lee Hoi SangDirector: John Woo

What’s it about?A tale of double cross andrevenge, ‘Last Hurrah’ sees ayoung man vow revenge on theevil Master swordsman who mur-dered his father. Unable to beathim himself, he hires two travel-ling swordsmen to do the job forhim. Once they have killed thevillain, however, the two realisethat they have been tricked andthat their employer is not theinnocent he may have seemed.

What’s good about it?This is an excellent example ofthe genre from Woo, showingtouches of the assured style thatwould anchor his later and verysuccessful gunplay movies. Theaction comes thick and fast andthe choreography is solid. Thetwo heroes, played by DamienLau and Wei Pai have realchemistry and Lee Hoi Sangshines as the villain.

What’s bad about it?For a film of this vintage verylittle, as the element that usuallylets this type of movie down, thescript, is actually pretty strongand coherent. The theme may beover-familiar but the executionis strong and the cast, whilst nothuge names, are genrefavourites, especially the afore-mentioned Lee Hoi Sang..

Conclusion:Overall, this is an excellentopportunity to see a great direc-tor honing his craft in a rareforay into costume drama. As aresult, ‘Last Hurrah forChivalry’ is a solid genre moviethat has dated well, whilst illu-minating the themes of honour,loyalty and above-all, brother-hood, which would define Woo’smost famous films. It’s all herein this mini- classic.

Title: Magnificent BodyguardsCert: 15

Price: £16.99Stars: Jackie Chan, James Tien

Director: Lo Wei

What’s it about?Jackie Chan stars as LordTing, a superb warrior whoagrees to take a woman andher sick brother across notori-ous badlands, so he can see aneminent doctor. Along the waythey meet a motley cast offriends and foes, only to findthat when they reach their des-tination, all is not as it seems.(What a surprise!)

What’s good about it?The film has plenty of well-choreographed action that con-sistently distracts from the plotweaknesses and keeps the filmmoving briskly. Jackie ablyleads an ensemble cast and is atthe heart of the actionsequences, utilising a variety ofweapons with his usual peerlessdexterity and cheeky charm.

What’s bad about it?This is one of the last pre-fameChan movies, one where he hasto relinquish control to thedirector, in this case the infa-mous Lo Wei and, as a result,he is more restrained, in termsof character and outrageouschoreography than fans of hislater work may be used to see-ing, playing a much more tradi-tional leading role.

Conclusion:Chan fans will want to add thisto their collection for its histor-ical value and it does havevalue as it shows the raw talentthat would manifest itself asgenius later still being mould-ed. Whilst the studios were stilltrying to find the new BruceLee, Chan was just about togive them a totally differentcharacter, one who would revo-lutionise Hong Kong cinema. Itwasn’t with this film but it wasremarkably soon afterwards!

DVD of the Month

Title: My Wife is a GangsterCert: 15

Price: £12.99Stars: Shin Eun-gyeong, Park

Sang- MyeongDirector: Cho-jin gyo

This domestic smash-hit isthe Korean equivalent of theSandra Bullock action comedy‘Miss Congeniality’, utilisingthe same fish out of water sce-nario, with Shin Eun-gyeongplaying the notorious female gang boss Mantis, who hasto become a ‘normal’ woman to attract a husband, as aresult of the dying wish of her beloved sister, who onlyhas a short time left to live.

This is the basic premise of the film and it works well,mainly due to the versatility of Shin, who not only convinces asa fighter but who also displays excellent comic timing in thescenes where she has to hide her gangland power from herpotential suitor, also excellently played by Park Sang Myeong.The courtship and eventual marriage of the two offer the moviesbest comedic moments and the humour is truly universal.

In fact, such is the strength of these moments, that you wishthe film concentrated solely on them, rather than also focus ona gang war sub-plot, as the screwball type moments whenMantis switches from reservoir dog suit wearing gang boss tosplit-skirt and high heel wearing wife to be are the strongest inthe film. Once married, her husband’s attempts to consummatethe marriage are equally funny, as are the moments whenMantis has to juggle both personas in the same scene.

Overall, the film just about pulls together all its elementsand the action is well choreographed but quite violent, giventhe tone of the rest of the movie. Shin kicks ass convincinglyand the choreography is reminiscent of Sammo Hung’s workin the mid-nineties, which is no bad thing. That said, a bitmore focus on the truly important elements and a subtler inte-gration of the fight action into the tone of the main story and‘My Wife is a Gangster’ could have been a great film. As itstands it is a good film with some truly memorable comicmoments and solid action.

MartialArtinMedia DVDSZhang Ziyi (left) & Shin Eun-gyeongZhang has a small cameo roll in‘My Wife is a Gangster’

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:42pm Page 21


Title: Total Self-DefenceProfessional Jiu Jitsu (red belt

syllabus)With: Stephen McDase

Price: (see website for details)Contact: www.totalselfdefence.co.uk

What’s it about?This DVD is a compact intro-duction to Professor McDade’ssystem, obviously (as the titlesuggests) concentrating on thered belt syllabus, which includesbreak falls, locks, throws andblocks, finishing with a sectionon dojo etiquette and rules. Assuch it is a valuable guide tothose looking to take their redbelt and to those simply curiousabout the system’s techniques.

What’s good about it?The presentation, in terms ofproduction values, is excellent,as is to be expected from theTwo Dragons Production houseand the DVD utilises their veryfunctional martial studio. Interms of content, McDade is aconfident host and the tech-niques are well displayed,shown from solid angles andbenefiting from repetition and avariety of training partners.

What’s bad about it?From a technical and productionviewpoint, very little, as ProfessorMcDade explains everything con-cisely to camera and demonstratesfluidly. The picture quality is clear,as is the sound and the structure isstraightforward and user-friendly,the DVD running to a succinct butpractical 45 minutes.

Conclusion:As mentioned, this will be a valu-able purchase for student’s ofProfessor McDade’s Jiu-Jitsu sys-tem but it will also have a widerfield of interest due to the numberof techniques needed for the gradeand so it will appeal to anyonewho has an interest in locks, holds,breaks and blocks, not only from amartial grading perspective butalso with street application inmind, something the DVD consis-tently refers the techniques back to.

Title: Pride Bushido 1-5 DVD box set

With: Various Pride fightersPrice: £16.99

Contact: www.fightdvd.co.uk

What’s it about?Pride Bushido is an off-shoot ofthe Pride fighting champi-onships that showcases both thetop talent within the organisa-tion and the newer, rising stars.The format is also slightly moreflexible, to allow for excitingteam events, such as three orfive man teams from Japan tak-ing on teams from Brazil, forexample, including TeamShutebox and Team Gracie.

What’s good about it?The DVD series highlights thecomplete range of fighting to befound within the Pride rules, fromstrikers to grapplers and, as aresult, features some of the mostdevastating stoppages you couldwitness, highlighting the destruc-tive ability of the knee strike,upright and on the ground and thesimple but effective knockoutpower of the ‘soccer’ kick.

What’s bad about it?There is nothing to complainabout here. Production valuesare high, there are quality extras,all the fights include commen-tary and pre-fight interviews andacross 5 discs the viewer gets acomplete cross-section of thestyles and fighters that grace thePride organisation. With eachdisc a full fight card, the price isan absolute steal.

Conclusion:Pride Bushido is both a perfectintroduction into the world ofMMA for those that are curi-ous about its phenomenalgrowth and a must have bar-gain purchase for those thatare already big fans. The discsinclude many technical fights,across all ranges, as well asthe brutal knockouts and thetwo stars of the show areMirko Cro-Cop and Japanesesensation Takanori Gomi.

DVD of the Month

Title: Cage Rage KnockoutsWith: Host of World Class fighters

Price: £8.99 (Each)Contact: www.fightdvd.co.uk

Many of you reading thismust be thinking how did ‘CageRage’ Knockouts find its wayinto this section? The answer isdouble-barrelled; first the art ofthe knockout is possibly the ulti-mate technique and here youhave twenty one examples of thedevastating finishing power ofgood technique, as demonstrated by some of the World’s greatestmixed martial art fighters. Second, this DVD will appeal to anyoneinterested in full contact fighting, as, once again, it is the art’s ulti-mate expression and I know that there are many of you out there,from all disciplines that follow MMA and this DVD is a perfectintroduction to the ‘Cage Rage’ arena and its stars. At £8.99 it isan absolute bargain and guaranteed hardcore entertainment.

The DVD includes a wide range of knockouts, some very cleanand technical, others very brutal and basic, some with fast hands,others with fast feet and some with just sheer one punch/kickpower. The fights also vary in length with ‘Cage Rage’ opting toshow the Knockouts in context, often illustrating that a win cancome explosively from the jaws of defeat. As mentioned, a widerange of knockouts feature but a number of ‘knockout artists’shine, including Mark Weir, Curtis Stout, Melvin Manhoef andAnderson Silva, now the UFC’s Middleweight champion but hereshowing his stuff for the Cage Rage fans as their World champion.

Edson Drago provides the quickest knockout, Tengiz hisunfortunate victim, while Stout bangs them out; his knockout ofSol Gilbert guaranteed to be replayed many times. Home grownsuperstar Mark Weir demonstrates his superb Taekwondo kickingskills until he too becomes a victim of Stout, whilst the latter alsotastes defeat at the hands of Anderson Silva.

In fact, the DVD belongs to Silva and Manhoef, two giantsof the MMA World, as Manhoef beays Cyborg Santos in a bat-tle that many believe is the greatest fight in ‘Cage Rage’ historyand then rolls over Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman in chilling fash-ion. For his part, Silva tames both the big hitting Stout andJorge Riveria before stopping Tony Fryklund with an elbow thathas become a talking point the World over. Buy this DVD andwatch it over... and over... and over…

MartialArtinMedia Technical DVDSMelvin Manhoef with one of the featured ‘Knock-Outs’, his unluckyvictim... Evangalista ‘Cyborg’ Santos

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:42pm Page 23


TThis is one of those articles that

you wish you never would have towrite, but write it I must becausethe subject matter deserves noth-ing less. It is with great sadness that

for my article this month I write about thetragic death of one of my senior students,Steve Jarvis. This article is written from theheart and is written especially for Steve’sMum and Dad, our thoughts are with themboth at this difficult time.

Steve Jarvis was every instructorsdream, he turned up for training every timea class was on, was always cheerful andapproachable; Steve was one of those whoclearly enjoyed his training. In the threeyears that Steve trained with us I never onceheard him bad mouth anyone nor did any-one have anything bad to say about Steve.Hard-core would be an accurate way ofdescribing his attitude to training and themartial arts. Steve’s place in the car waspermanently reserved for him as we trav-elled up and down the country attendingseminars, in fact we always took it forgranted that he would be there. When wetravelled to Kettering to train at AndyGibney’s he would be there, when we trav-elled to Coventry or Birmingham he wouldbe there. He attended and supported all oursupplementary training sessions with boxingcoach Tommy Thompson and Judo coachPaul Young. He never missed a seminar andgrading with Mo Teague, in short Stevecould be relied upon for support every sin-gle time I tried to arrange anything.

Steve joined us in 2004 and came with avery impressive martial arts background, hewas graded Black Belt 1st Dan in Tae KwonDo, but this was not the McDojo type ofTKD popular nowadays, no this was hard-core TKD with legendary instructor DaveGregory. I myself had trained with Dave inthe late 70’s and early 80’s, and believe methis was no easy task nor was it for the fainthearted! The training undertaken then wouldnot be allowed in the present day becauseno governing body would insure you! Assoon as I knew Steve was a black belt underDave Gregory he had my total and unre-served respect. That black belt would nothave been given away, it would have beenearned through blood sweat and tears. MoTeague is a very astute guy and has the

uncanny knack of sussing out a martialartists capabilities in around 5 mins or less.Mo had sussed Steve during his first gradingwith us and knew he had come from a cred-ible background, that’s why his black beltstatus was acknowledged and recognisedwithin Mo’s World Combat Arts systemimmediately and without question.

Steve had been having problems withhis back for a short period of time, but itdidn’t stop him training which was typicalof him. One night after class he looked abit down and was hanging around, I knewhe wanted a chat so I asked him what wasthe matter. Reluctantly he told me that he’djust been made redundant and wouldn’t beable to attend class for a while. I took himon one side and told him he could train forfree until he found work and that he would-n’t have to pay me back later either. I toldhim I valued him as a student and a friendand I wasn’t interested in his money, I’mno businessman I just like to teach andtrain. “that’s why I like to train with youMic, no monthly contracts or direct debitbusiness crap, just hard honest training.Thank you very much I really appreciate it,but if I can’t pay I won’t train” was hisreply. “Oh yes you will mate” I orderedhim. We both smiled and he was off homeon his beloved scooter.

Steve paid for every class despite myoffer and true to form never skipped a ses-sion. I was able to take this approachthanks to my Gung Fu instructor AlanFacer. Years ago whilst training under AlanI hit upon hard times, I was put on shorttime at work and we were struggling to paythe bills, my boys were just babies at thetime so something had to give - it was thetraining. After skipping class for a weekAlan rang me at home to see what theproblem was, when I told him he made methe same offer that I was able to makeSteve years later. It made a lasting impres-sion on me and to this day I thank Alan forteaching me the value of putting peoplebefore pound notes.

My last contact with Steve was when hesent a text saying he needed a few weeksoff because of his back problems, I repliedand told him not to worry and to rest upover the Christmas period and that wewould see him in January fit and ready to

go. I never communicated with Steve again.Steve was taken ill on Christmas day

and rushed into hospital. He was diagnosedwith severe problems with his spine, liverand kidneys. Steve fought bravely after aseven hour operation but lost his fight at7.30 PM on Thursday 4th January. Hisheart stopped under the strain of keepingeverything going- he was 35 years old.Prior to the operation he had been told byhospital staff that he needed an operationand that the operation could kill him, hewas also told that he would surely die if hechose not to have the operation. Steve wastold this as he lay in his hospital bed aloneand dealt with it bravely and with courage.

His Mum and Dad joined him and theytalked it over in private. Steve’s mum hassince told me that he told her that with herand his dads support he was good to go totheatre and to get the job done. “Anyway”he told her, “I’ve got Mic Clark yelling inthis ear telling me I should be ready, whenMic says get ready you better be ready!,and Mo Teague is yelling the same in myother ear, lets go” And with that Steve wastaken into theatre. I can’t tell you how hum-bling that was for me when his mum toldme. The World Combat Arts organisationwas a major part of his life and he was veryproud to be a part of it all, we were equallyproud that he chose to train with us.

At the funeral, and at his mothersrequest, myself and students from the classcarried Steve in his coffin from the horsedrawn hearse into the church and out againto his final resting place after the service.This was one of the most intense and pres-sured moments of my life and also one ofthe proudest. During the service the Vicarcommented about how proud Steve was totrain with myself and Mo and about howone of his happiest moments came when hetrained with Grandmaster Richard Bustilloand had dinner with him afterwards. I’m justhappy to have been able to help Steve get somuch pleasure in what he loved doing.

Steve Jarvis was buried on 19thJanuary 2007, in his World Combat Arts TShirt and his combat bottoms, he wouldhave been so proud.

Rest in peace Steve and God bless,you will be sadly missed.

STEVEJARVISAn Obituary By Mic Clark

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:42pm Page 25

PPresuming that you have established a solid balancebase and understand how to maintain balance fromdifferent stances, we can now move onto fightingapplications. The most common mistake made by

martial artists is trying to overcomplicate a fighting situation.Many people have so many ideas in their mind about defend-ing themselves, that when actually attacked, they becomeincapable of responding. You should not concentrate on howto defend against every possible move; rather you should learna simple method that will work against all attacks. The princi-ple is called, “fighting lines and areas”. The upper body canbe divided into a grid of defensive zones. To get started,imagine a line we will call the centre line that emanates fromthe exact centre of your body as you are facing your attacker.You will want to keep your hands on this fighting centre linefor the quickest response in any direction.

Generally, you will want to protect the right side of yourbody with your right hand and the left side with your lefthand. Now you will draw a line across your body at the lineformed between your elbows when they are hanging relaxed atyour side. The area beneath this elbow line we will call thelow area. Now imagine another line, which is even with yourshoulders. The area between the lower line and this upper lineis the middle area. Obviously, everything above this upperline is the high area. Remember the area below the fingertipsis defended with your legs.

These areas can be defended using primarily four moves


Wing ChunFightingLines andAreas“Generally speaking, inorder to attain the fullnessof Wing Chun, it is neces-sary to proceed in orderstep by step, first form andits concepts, second formand is concepts, and so on.”

By Ron Heimberger

WINGCHUN

TODAY

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Tel: 07973 507716or Fax: 01332 280286

For an information pack without obligation, call us, alternatively you can fax or post the coupon to the address below.

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Join the AMA now and get the best national andinternational recognition, the best access to cours-

es and competitions, national and world-wide. Over 31 years experience of growth.

Whatever the size or style of your groupor club you are welcome in the AMA.

We are here to serve you.

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(WUKO, WKF/Olympics)ICKF - International Chinese Kuoshu Federation

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Sole mandate GBWCJJO - World Council Ju-Jitsu Organisation

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AMA is the largest Martial Arts Organisation in the British Isles

It is the Governing Body for over 3,000 clubs and 90,000 members

Most of these have been with us for over 31 years

We must be doing something right!

AMA001/03

Tom Hibbert MBE, FSMAAMATEUR MARTIAL ASSOCIATIONS

66 Chaddesden Lane, Chaddesden, Derby DE21 6LP

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:42pm Page 26

that we will discuss. They are: pak sao (slappinghand), gan sao (cutting hand), tan sao (openinghand), biu sao (thrusting hand). The first of these,pak sao, can be used to defend the low, middleand high areas of the body against straight attacksalong the centre line. The pak sao makes contactwith the palm of the hand and is directed downand away from the line of attack. The handshould be held open with the thumb pulled backto avoid injury. A slight snap of the wrist at con-tact along with the arm’s extension should givesufficient power to deflect the attack.

The second move, gan sao is used to defendthe low area of the body. The gan sao startswith the arm extended and is pulled down to thehip level in a cutting movement. Contact withthe attack will be made with the lower forearm.This can be easily practised by breaking themovement down for instructional purposes.Hold the arm out slightly from the body and letit fall relaxed to your hip pocket. Now do themotion again but, this time, imagine flickingwater off your hand onto the floor. The gan saoworks by cutting down the centreline and redi-

recting attacks off to either side.Tan Sao, the third move, defends the

middle area of the body. The tan sao isapplied by bringing the arm in front of thechest, approximately a hand’s distancefrom the body. The chest is contractedwhich pulls the elbow into the centre line.

Now, using the centre line as a guide, thearm will move forward until the elbow is

approximately a hand’s distance from thebody. The arm must stay bent in

order to properly deflect the attack.The tan sao should contact the attacking arm

with the upper edge of the forearm. The tansao hand will be open and facing upward.

Finally, the high area of the bodycan be defended with a biu sao or thrust-ing hand motion. The biu sao is execut-ed by shooting the arm forward with thefingers extended. The contact area is theoutside edge of the forearm as the handwill be pointing down when extended.The biu sao is effective because it

attacks sharply into the side of an opponent’s attack. The biusao can be used for outside or inside attacks.

Remember, simplify self-defence by using simple movesand breaking the body into small areas for defence.

About the Author: Master Ron Heimberger is a direct disciple ofGrandmaster Ip Ching, he is one of the Directors of the Ving Tsun(Wing Chun) Ip Ching Athletic Association. Sifu Terry Estcourt rep-resents Master Heimberger in the UK, anyone interested in learn-ing and training Ip Ching Ving Tsun may contact Sifu Estcourt on07958451718 or visit us on the internet at www.ipching.org


C1 C2 C3

Photos C1 through C3This photo flow illustrates the Pak Sao or slapping hand movements and how they protect

the high, medium, and low areas of the body on the opposite side.t

D1 D2 D3

D1 through D3In these photo flows Master Heimberger demonstrates with his Sifu, Grandmaster Ip Chingthe correct use of the High Level Pak Sao seen in photo H1. Photo M1 Master Heimberger

and Grandmaster Ip Ching are in the Beginning position, called Jong Sao, M2 MasterHeimberger attacks with a right handed high level attack to the Grandmaster’s head. The

Grandmaster quickly reacts with a step and a Left High Level Pak Sao, while simultaneouslyswinging his right hand up and under Heimberger’s arm. Photo M3 continues with the

Grandmaster stepping into Heimberger’s stance and throwing him back and off balance, thisis when the Grandmaster makes use of a continuing technique by kicking Heimberger’s knee.

A1 B1 B2 B3

Photo B1 through B3This photo illustrates the Biu Sao or thrusting fingers movement used to defend the high areaon the same side of the body. G2 illustrates a Tan Sao movement or palm up position typically

used with a shifting movement to defend the middle area on the same side of the body. And G3 uses a Gaun Sao or cutting hand, this movement is used to defend the lower body,

on the same side, against attack.

Photo A1The body can be easily separated into

three areas for defence: High,Medium, and Low. The area below the

fingertips of the Low Area uses thelegs for attack and defence.

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:43pm Page 27

AA ll of our training to date has been focused on the posi-tive aspects of fighting. We see ourselves winning, wesee ourselves fighting to our strengths - but what if....?The time is right now to focus on the worst case situation.

As well as maintaining our training on our fitness and recovery,we need to provide extra focus on the worst case scenario.

Firstly, to understand the potential worst case scenarios weneed to understand what assumptions we as fighters are mak-ing. We need to understand which variables within ourassumptions are actually uncertain. We also need to appreciatethat our opponent, if he is well coached, will also be preparingequally as well. Our thought processes need to be one stepahead of our opponent.

The first step of the process is to understand the factorsthat our training has been based on. These factors are mosteasily identified by using the tvp “Wheel of Performance” cri-teria. These are shown below:

In addition to the above assumptions, we also need tounderstand the assumptions behind the fight strategy, based onobserving previous fights.

Discussion with our coach will help us identify all of thefactors and assumptions we have made in our training aboutourselves and about our opponent.

The next step is to now discuss the opposites of ourassumptions. This will help us identify the issues that we mayhave missed. The extreme views provide us with a usefulreminder of the points we may have ignored or forgotten. Forexample, we may make an assumption that the opponent usu-ally utilises a specific technique in a fight and we prepare forthis. However, what if he decides to use a broader range oftechniques? How does this affect your response? How doesthis challenge your mindset?

As you can see the focus is moving more and more in ourtraining to the opponent, as we get closer to the fight.

Case studyLet’s just look at a specific example, based on the new

Rocky Balboa film, as I think this demonstrates a number ofpoints: the analysis is carried out from the perspective ofMason Dixon - Rocky’s opponent.

As is?

Month 112 months to becoming

a champion in Combat SportBy Rocky Sondhi & Tommy Thompson

CHAMPIONS LOG BOOK

THECHAMPIONS

LOG BOOK

THECHAMPIONS

LOG BOOK

THECHAMPIONS

LOG BOOK

THECHAMPIONS

LOG BOOK

THE

Factor Assumption Assumption About Ourselves About Opponent

Focus

Determination

Stretching goals

Self awareness

Aerobic

Anaerobic

Power

Balance

Flexibility

Speed

Agility

Factor Assumption About Assumption About Ourselves - Mason Opponent - Rocky

Focus No need to focus too Too old. Has a small much as the fight is restaurant so could do merely an exhibition with some money.

Will not really want to get hit.

Determination Need to do something Why does he really to get popular, but want to get why should I bother. pummelled?

Stretching goals Just need to turn up He has already done and play around with it all, he is past it and him for a couple of is really just turning rounds and send him up to make up the packing. numbers. He has

nothing to prove!

Self awareness Why does no one Has he lost his love me? I am the marbles coming to a best! fight like this at his

age?

Aerobic Excellent Too old

Anaerobic Excellent Too old

Power Excellent. I have Used to hit hard,knocked out nearly but he is an old man!everyone.

Balance Excellent Well he was never really that balanced in his prime. It was his sheer will power!


Quickness

Technique

Variety

Predictability

Fight strategy

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:43pm Page 28

The above assessment suggests that Mason Dixon reallydoes not need to prepare too much for this fight. He is theWorld Champion fighting an old man. This is understandable.However, underdogs are dangerous because they are on edgeand will look to find a unique point in their fighting. This wasillustrated in the fight by Rocky training very specifically togenerate power, as he knew he had no alternative.

In many cases Mason Dixon’s assessment of Rocky maynot have been wrong, but this time it was! By carrying out theanalysis, him and his coach might have looked at the tableabove and asked themselves what if?

Rocky’s what if?

As you can see above a different dialogue now takes placewhich would change the preparation for the fight. Rememberthe fight is not lost in the ring, but in the gym!

(Concepts are taken from the writers’ book “tvp(tm) -Comprehensive Boxing Concepts” available from 01159555109 or www.martialboxing.com, priced £19.99 plus p&p.Rocky and Tommy are also available for workshops, consulta-tions and private sessions on the above number)

Flexibility Excellent Who cares?

Speed Excellent Will be slow due to age?

Agility Excellent Will not be mobile?

Quickness Excellent Will not be mobile?

Technique Excellent Should still be good?

Variety Excellent Well he was always fairly limited in his prime

Predictability I am very Too predictable. unpredictable Always was and

always will be


Factor Assumptions What If Test? - About Rocky Rocky

Focus Too old. Has a small This is his last chance. restaurant so could Has he really lost the do with some money. fighter in himself? Will not really want What if he sees this as to get hit. one more chance of

glory? After all he is a winner.

Determination Why does he really He never gives up. want to get pummelled?

Stretching goals He has already done Something inside him it all, he is past it and is burning. His desire is really just turning based on his last few up to make up the years could be numbers. He has unexplainable.nothing to prove!

Self awareness Has he lost his He is clear about his marbles coming to a strengths and fight like this at his weaknesses and knows age? what to focus on

Aerobic Too old He trains hard to get fit

Anaerobic Too old He trains hard to get strong

Power Used to hit hard, but He has not lost he is an old man! all his power

Balance Well he was never This was never that really that balanced important to himin his prime. It was his sheer will power!

Flexibility Who cares? Does not matter

Speed Will be slow due to Maybe he can use age? diversionary tactics

to deliver techniques

Agility Will not be mobile? How can he cut me off in the ring so that this does not become a factor

Quickness Will not be mobile? As above

Technique Should still be good?

Variety Well he was always How critical is this?fairly limited in his prime

Predictability Too predictable. What if have made an Always was and incorrect assumption always will be about the above? What

are the consequences?

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:43pm Page 29

Obviously not many people will haveheard of her, so the first thing I wanted toknow was how long she’d actually beenpromoting: “I have been analysing andplanning the event for the last eighteenmonths and been actively promoting sincethe first of this year.” Eighteen months is along time indeed to invest before you evenstart to promote an event but this can onlybe a good thing. Unlike many Cage Ragewannabes, Carla has actually taken the timeto work out where she wants to go and whatshe wants to do and isn’t in this to make aquick buck with a sub-standard fight nightthat leaves a sour taste in everyone’s mouth.

“Going into yet another market wherethe boys call all the shots does not intimi-date me, I am enjoying the challenge.”

Currently MMA is a predominantlymale dominated business, it’s the nature ofthe beast. Entering this market howeverheld no fears for Carla, “I’ve always beenin male dominated business as a CharteredAccountant. When I was twenty-two Imoved to London and worked for eightyears in Investment Banking (CanaryWharf) which is one of the most aggressiveand male dominated industries to work in.So going into yet another market where theboys call all the shots does not intimidateme, I am enjoying the challenge. I am con-vinced that although the MMA promotionsbusiness is a tough market, its one that isincredibly enjoyable and worth the fight.”

Being in such a male dominated marketcan however expose a woman to too muchtestosterone and fragile male egos, had shefaced any problems on this matter? “A lot ofpeople seem to be suspicious that someonewithout ten to fifteen years’ fight sport,experience can actually put an event togeth-er, yet Mark Stanton of Angrrr Management

and Ian Dean of Cage Warriors have bothbeen very supporting and have recognisedthat Fight First MMA has a really strongteam behind it, in terms of both fight andevent directorship. For this reason alone, Ihaven’t faced any real chauvinism or any-thing negative from these aforementionedmarket leaders in MMA promotions, insteadthey have all been fully supportive.”

Usually there is a catalyst for someonegetting involved in a new project such asthis and it’s also important to have aknowledge of the market both from a pro-motions background as well as a training(if not fighting) background. Carla agrees.

“I used to do karate as a child thenstudied JJ for a couple of years.

When I was older I went to Braziland studied BJJ with RicardoVierra, (six times World BJJ

Champion) in Copacabana for sixmonths. I just recognised the

opportunity. I saw that UFC in theUS and PRIDE in Japan were bigbusiness. When I came over to theUK and saw Cage Rage and Cage

Warriors promotions, I realisedthat there was spare capacity in theUK for another promoter and thatas long as I didn’t dilute the quali-ty of MMA promotions, launching

Fight First MMA was a soundmarket opportunity.”

The matter of dilution is a very impor-tant factor to consider and it’s a shame thatmany newcomers don’t consider this.Martial arts in the UK have been ‘amateur’

for a long time, usually with training heldin Church or Community Halls coupledwith instructors who ‘don’t believe inmaking money from the art’ and thereforeundercharge for their services. As a resultof this amateurish approach, many peopleseem to assume that they can put togethersub-standard shows (sometimes with littleor no medical support!) with sub-standardand ill-matched fighters. Such shows arereally nothing more than glamorisedTough Man matches dressed up as ‘CageEvents’. These events do nothing for theMMA as a whole and are damaging to thereputation of the sport as a whole.

“I realised that there was spare capaci-ty in the UK for another promoter and thatas so long as I didn’t dilute the quality ofMMA promotions, launching Fight FirstMMA was a sound market opportunity.”

It seems that Carla has done her bit toavoid this saying: “I built up a lot of goodcontacts in Brazil and France and (inassociation with Leo Negao) asked if theywere interested in coming over to the UKto fight. They have said yes and our firsttwo events will therefore be UK versusFrance and then UK versus Brazil.” UKversus France, can you think of a moreexplosive and exciting event? Nothing isguaranteed more to get the blood pumpingthan to either represent your country or tocheer your country on against the French.“COME ON SON!”

Most people seem to think that suchevents are gravy trains and that the moneyis like a constantly flowing river. Thiscouldn’t be further from the truth for start-up events and Carla has recognised andplanned for this. “Every event is financedriven really, for at least the next twoyears we will be doing 2 a year, summer

NNot only is there a new boy on the block in terms of Fight First, the latest mixed martial artsevent to start running in the U.K., but there is also a new ‘boy’ on the block in the form ofCarla Oliver. A former City investment banker, Carla brings a fresh approach to mixed mar-tial arts as well as some long needed glamour. Young, with long brown hair and tasteful

make-up, she makes a nice change to the over-made-up ring girls we have come to know and love.


CARLAOLIVER


The real dealbrings glamour to

the world of MMA!

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:43pm Page 31

and winter and the five year plan is tohave 4 shows a year but not necessarily inthe UK, our strategy is to be anInternational MMA promoter.”

Many shows put on mixed rule eventsand I wondered whether Fight First will befollowing this trend. “No, we are aboutdeveloping mixed martial arts so won’t befeaturing a mix of fight night rules, at thesame fight night, i.e. MMA rules, boxingand then say k-1 fights. If there is a moveto establish a Governing Body (whichthere is going to be very soon) that setsdown one set of MMA competition rulesthen we’d be quite happy to sign up. We’dlike to see the whole MMA industry use asingle set of MMA competition rules. Ibelieve this will help the MMA fighters.”

From talking to Carla it’s made clearthat the safety and well-being of any fight-ers in Fight First events is of the highestpriority. That said however, their rulesallow for kicks and stamps to the head of agrounded opponent. Surely this is a bit ofa contradiction? “We put the stamps andkicks because we train our fighters to pro-tect against such a thing and saw no rea-son not to put this in. We ask the gyms thatare looking to fight in our events as towhether their fighters are able or preparedto fight on these rules but if the gym feelsthat they can’t defend against this then wewon’t fight match. We want Fight FirstMMA rules to be as tough as possible,meaning as close as possible to Vale Tudorules, yet excluding any biting or head butttechniques, as we feel these later two fight-ing techniques are more akin to streetfighting rather than sport fighting.”

The reference to Vale Tudo comesfrom Carla’s business partner Leo Negao.Leo started to train at Carlson Gracie’sacademy in 1993 together with MurilloBustamante, Amauri Bitteti, Mario Sperry,Vitor Belfor and others. In 1998 he movedto Sao Paulo and stared to train at Allianceacademy together with Fabio Gurgel,

Alexandre Paiva and Romero ‘Jacaré’Cavalcanti. In 2000 Léo Negao moved toSweden and opened BJJ and MMAschools around Europe. Leo has over 300fights behind him and if that isn’t enoughLeo’s list of titles is also fairly impressive;World BJJ Champion in 1998, BrazilianNational BJJ Champion in 97,98, and 99,Estadual Champion in 97, 98, 99, and2000, ADCC 2nd place Brazilian Trials,and finally 1st place in Roma SubmissionWrestling. 2002.

“It’s all about the safety of thefights, the enjoyment of the

fans and a truly professionalapproach to MMA.”

Fight First’s national team approach isunique to MMA in the U.K. people aregoing to ask whether we can expect to seea Fight First National Squad. “We arealmost ready to unleash our attached fight-ers onto the International MMA scene.Our strategy is to first train our fighters atour own Fight First MMA (Fight Sport)Clubs, then when our Fight Director feelsthey are ready to represent the Fight FirstMMA Team, we will look to match makethem with other MMA Promoters. The bestfighters from our clubs around the worldwill be selected to fight for the Fight FirstMMA ‘International Top Team’. We havesuccessfully set up Fight First MMA(Brazil) and Fight First MMA (France) andthis year have launched Fight First MMA(UK). Until our attached fighters areready to appear on Fight First MMA pro-motions, our promotion’s fight card strate-gy is to have one nation versus anothernation i.e. (UK versus France, UK versusBrazil, UK versus Sweden) with novice,semi-pro and pro MMA fighters selectedfrom each nation’s TOP MMA clubs.”

Did I say this was unique to the U.K?This is unique to the world! The potential

for contentious grudge matches, maybeeven an ‘Ashes’-like event is limitless andguaranteed to draw large crowds and getthe forums flowing.

Dana White has stated that the IFL andEliteInc are nothing but upstarts and nothreat to the UFC. Did Carla think CageRage or Cage Warriors thought this ormight actually be worried about FightFirst? “I can not say for sure, I don’t thinkso... my best understanding about theintroduction of yet another MMA promoterto the MMA scene is that people who lovethe MMA sports may be a little nervousthat people are coming into the marketwith a cowboy attitude and they don’t wantto see the MMA market diluted/ruined inanyway through poorly organised showsand inadequate protection of the MMAfighters. This is something fifteen success-ful years in business has prepared me tounderstand. I can totally appreciate theirpotential fears. This is why we’ve takeneighteen months of in-depth research, net-working, fighter profiling, and holisticevent management research so that thelaunch of Fight First MMA can onlyenhance and compliment UK andInternational Mixed Martial ArtsPromotion. We’re not in it solely for themoney but to support the sport and run theMMA promotions business well.”

As part of her research and network-ing, Carla hasn’t been shy aboutapproaching others for advice and help:“Twelve months ago, I approached AndyGeer at a Cage Rage Contenders promo-tion. I expressed to him then that I wasplanning on launching Fight First MMApromotions. At first he said, “DON’T DOIT, you can lose a lot of money, it’s a lotof hard work, the game is not easy”... butafter speaking with me for a few minutes,Andy realised that I had already built aclear plan and done my research, Andythen spent a whole hour offering meadvice, which really did help me takeFight First MMA promotions to the nextlevel. I remain very grateful indeed toAndy for the time he gave me.”

Fight First isn’t an organisation that’sworried about either asking for help andadvice nor about offering more opportuni-ties for fighters to fight either in theirevents or in other promoter’s events. FightFirst’s approach isn’t to compete withother promoters but to work with them asCarla explains: “Without a doubt, FightFirst MMA will compliment the UK and infact the International MMA scene, supply-ing top quality MMA fighters to MMA pro-moters and providing more opportunitiesfor MMA fighters to actually compete. Weare a well run operation with a talentedand dedicated team, passionate and com-mitted to developing MMA at every angle.We’re not trying to go into competitionwith anyone else and we won’t put a fightnight on the same date as another promot-er’s fight night. We want to train morefighters in MMA and give fighters moreopportunity to fight MMA, simple as that.”

The media is increasingly taking a


Carla’s with her businesspartner former World BJJ

Champion Leo Negao

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:43pm Page 32

more positive interest in MMA with theSunday Independent on February 4thincluding a feature on how MMA mightwell be a competitor for Boxing and fea-turing a Dave O’Donnell interview. CageRage is obviously a well-known event andeven had its own show on Men andMotors, does Carla have plans for FightFirst being televised? “We have startednegotiations and there is interest but Ireally can’t say anymore about this! Wehave been commissioned to film two demosand then move onto a broadcasting dealfor our third show.”

“Without a doubt, Fight FirstMMA will compliment the UKand in fact the International

MMA scene”With Leo having been so active in

the fight scene in the past I asked Carlawhether Leo planned to continue fight-ing over here: “In March 07 our topfighter Leo Negao will fight against MattEwing in Angrrr Management and willalso compete in the 10K grapple compe-tition where Jeff Monson will be compet-ing. We at Fight First MMA are hopingfor a re-match between Leo and Jeff,who last fought against each other at theSeni (NEC) submission wrestling compe-tition, last year.”

As mentioned above, to put on such anevent requires a lot of backing both interms of finance and support. Sponsorshipcan play a big part in this. “We’ve beenfortunate to get sponsorship from On-sitemedical Services and also a privateinvestor from Italy. We are looking to getfurther sponsorship but because we’re sonew to the market UK investors are hold-ing back until the first two shows are over.We’d welcome the opportunity to speak toanyone that will to come to the table. Wewill have four suppliers coming to theevents with Merchandise stalls and havetwo stalls left over, for anyone interested intaking a stall at our London based showFri 23rd March 2007.”

When asked whether the UFC wouldfeature female fighters, Dana White wasvery emphatic in his answer. No. Theresponse to female fighters over here hasbeen very mixed with some shows featur-ing them but with the majority tending toshun female fighters. Carla seems to havemade another positive impression with lotsof female fighters being very interestedand excited about the fact that Carla ispromoting and have asked if they will havefemale fights etc as previously they haveoften experienced a lack of confidenceboth in themselves and from promoters.

“Whether or not this is a single ormixed gender event isn’t decided but it is adefinite that we will be featuring femaleMMA fighters. There is no room in theMMA for alienation and so long as we canfind top-level fighters and avoid any dilutionthen we’re going to push the female aspectjust as much as the male aspect. Those that

are interested can go to our site and fill outthe form and decide whether they want tofight under Fight First MMA or their owngym, either way they’re very welcome. Itcan be a bit of a minefield but we need to besensible about this and avoid flinch reac-tions and have a sensible discussion.”

As mentioned, Fight First is actuallymore of a holistic organisation and doesn’tjust concentrate on fight management.Carla explains “We have just opened upour first gym in the UK under Fight Firstbanner in White City, London. Leo Negao

(16 year black belt BJJ and World BJJChampion) is the instructor for BJJ &MMA classes and we have training ses-sions every night Mon- Fri 19:30 - 21:00,Sat 14:00 - 15:30 and Sun 17:00 - 18:30.Private Lessons with Leo Negao are alsoavailable. On top of this I’m also offeringFight Sport & Fitness Personal Trainingand this also includes Sports Nutritionsomething that I feel is often neglected.”

Fight First’s first event is the ‘UK ver-sus France Final Destination’ and is beingheld at Porchester Hall, London, Fri 23Mar 2007. Tickets are available for £25!Visit www.fightfirst.co.uk www.tick-etweb.co.uk for further details.


“Going into yetanother market where

the boys call all theshots does not

intimidate me, I am enjoying the

challenge.”

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:43pm Page 33

AAlot of people shy away fromjoining a boxing club or amartial arts organisation -because of one reason: Theydon’t want to lose their day-

job. Full contact sparring gives youbruises; cut lips etc. that your boss andyour customers (or clients if you’reself-employed) won’t appreciate.People you come in contact with on adaily basis will immediately ask them-selves why you keep running aroundwith such injuries. It doesn’t “lookprofessional “ when, for example, abank clerk sits opposite you with a bat-tered face. Right? Doing semi-contactsparing doesn’t solve the problemeither, since semi contact often turnsinto full contact due to lack of controlor too much ego!

Some people turn to “WhiteCollar” boxing. Here is another alter-native if you like to incorporate kick-ing techniques as well.

Grandmaster Choi of Choi KwangDo Martial Arts (CKD) came up withan alternative, which should satisfythose who would like to learn the artof fighting but also want to look“respectable” for their day-job thefollowing morning. In CKD we donot wear full boxing gloves; the oneswe use are lighter and less thick(called “bag gloves “). The Sparring -or as we call it: Defence Drills - isperformed by punching close to theirclassmate’s face and body. Non- con-tact but wearing the bag gloves just incase there is a slip; the other guy isblocking those punches. It’s gettingmore serious at Gold Belt level -moving around as in a street fightwith your gloves on and punchingand kicking real close to the body,whilst your sparring partner is block-ing what you are doing.

This kind of sparring (defencedrill) teaches you focussing, angling

off, targeting and “breaking some-one’s defence”. All good stuff if youwant to learn how to protect yourselfon the street. One of my students (ashop owner) had to use our art (CKD)in a real life situation when he had toconfront 3 thieves in his shop and Imyself had to use it on various occa-sions - in other words: this kind oftraining works!

For a full-contact `enthusiast` thismay not seem a “perfect solution”.But isn’t that better than sitting athome not doing anything or doingfull contact fighting and risking los-ing your job over it? I have a lot ofhigh ranking martial artists (brown

and black belts) who joined my clubfrom other martial arts because theygot tired of the injuries and takingtime off work or not being able tocontinue with their training. It does-n’t matter how good you are in thering - you will always get injured. InCKD we teach many “close range”defence drills, which are also veryuseful if you get into a “spot of both-er” (I’m demonstrating an elbowstrike technique with a student in thephoto shown).

This article is not here to convincepeople not to do full contact sparring.It just gives you an alternative youmay consider trying.

And an extremely good alternativeI think it is!

If you wish to know more aboutthe author Ralph Allison of CKDMartial Arts go to www.blackbeltschoolsuk.com


Article by Ralph Allison

FULL CONTACT SPARRING...An Alternative!

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COMBAT April 2007

THEWelcome to another instalmentof ‘The Combat Panel’. Withthe co-operation of the Inter-national Alliance of Martial ArtsSchools we field more ques-tions to the instructors.

Malcolm Martin (Editor)- P A N E L -- P A N E L -- P A N E L -

Paul KingStuart Anslow

SSadly, for the time being at least, regular panel member Sensei Ray Pulman has had to stepdown from the panel whilst he relocates due to work purposes. Hopefully he will be backrepresenting Judo in the future and until then we wish him all the best in his recent

endeavours. For the rest of the panel we field questions about grades and how they feel abouttheir own art, the differences between martial art and martial sport, where to look whenfighting and multiple dan grades. Let’s introduce the panel members...Gary Hoptroff: Gary has beeninvolved various martial arts whichinclude Jun Fan Gung Fu /JeetKune Do, Filipino Martial Arts,Judo and Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, Boxingand Kick-Boxing, Shaolin Kung Fu,Wing Chun Gung Fu. His instruc-tors include Guro Rick Faye, GuroDavid Onuma, Guro Bob Breen,BJJ Instructor Jason Davenport andTuhon Pat O’Malley all outstandingmartial artists and instructors. Heholds instructorships under GuroRick Faye in arts taught at theMinnesota Kali Group, Guro DavidOnuma in Jun Fan Gung Fu andFilipino Martial Arts, Tuhon PatO’Malley in Rapid Arnis. Garyfeels he would like to continueand develop in the martial arts formany years to come and first andforemost in his mind is that train-ing in the arts is enormous fun anda great work out. His main pursuitin the martial arts is JKD and Kalibut feels what all people mustrealise that no matter what themartial art they all have somethingto offer. He encourages all my stu-dents to train with other instructorsand attend any seminars that are ofinterest to them to help them growin the martial arts and in life.www.hertsmartialarts.co.uk

Stuart Anslow: Stuart is a 4th danand the instructor of Rayners LaneTaekwon-do Academy and author ofthe book ‘Ch’ang Hon Taekwon-doHae Sul’. He maintains an openmind and open heart towards fellowarts, students and instructors alike,hence the forming of IAOMAS.Although Stuart has been very suc-cessful in the competitive area of

Taekwon-do, winning a World gold& silver medal in 2000 and taking 7students to win World Gold medalsthemselves in 2004, his love lieswithin traditional Ch`ang HonTaekwon-do, teaching the systemas it was originally perceived, as amilitary based martial art. Stuart hasfeatured many times in `Taekwon-do and Korean Martial Arts` maga-zine and was inducted into the‘Combat Hall of Fame’ in 2003.www.raynerslanetkd.com

Sensei Paul King: Paul is onceagain our representative for Jujitsu.Paul is the Chief Instructor ofGoshin Ryu Kempo Jujitsu, whoseaim is a range of quick response,minimum effort, maximum effecttechniques, utilising modern formsof Kempo and Ju-Jitsu togetherwith devastating application ofnerve and pressure point strikingand manipulation. Paul started seri-ous training started in 1977 withMaster Bob Rose of Ed Parker’sKenpo Karate and has under someof the best instructors aroundincluding Grand Master Ed Parker,Master Bob Rose, Mr RainerShultze, Mr Rick Hughes, SenseiTerry Coughtrey, Sensei MalcolmKeith and Sensei Russell Stukley.www.kempo-jujitsu.co.uk

Sifu Oliver Van Overbeek: Oliver isrepresenting the Wing Chun world.Sifu Oli has been training in martialarts since the age of 8, starting withJudo in his native country ofHolland. Whilst seeking somethingnew he came across Wing Chunand found a new inspiration whichhe has followed ever since. Sifu Oli

has been developing new plans,with a new club and a freshapproach to the classical art astaught by his SiGung, AugustineFong. He developed the ideasbehind Wing Chun A.S.A.P.(Applicable Science andPhilosophy). Sifu Oli is also a quali-fied massage therapist, with severalyears of medical training, furtheringhis understanding of the humanbody. He has followed courses withthe Institute Of Self Actualization tofurther understand the human wayof acting and reasoning, completingtheir Graduate Intensive Training in2004.Sifu Oli has also beeninvolved with various other eventssuch as small movie productions,charity-based demonstrations andcharity-based self defence courses.www.wcasap.com

Garth Barnard: Garth is our nextpanel member and is the ChiefInstructor of Brackley FreestyleMartial Arts Academy, teachingKyukTooKi and Combatives.Garth, an ex-door-man, realised ina very short space of time that hissuccess at national championshiplevel did not equate to guaranteedsuccess on the Door and had tolearn the hard way, through expe-rience, to become a formidablefigure in local Door Supervision.After 25 years of Martial Arts,Garth teaches competition sparringand Reality Based Self Defence athis Academy. Garth has trainedunder some of the world’s bestinstructors including Dave Turton,Dennis Martin, Peter Consterdine,Richard Dimitri and Lee Morrison.www.bfmaa.co.uk

Sensei Andy Wright: Andy is backwith us again and has been train-ing in Karate and martial arts forover 19 years. He has overcomephysical disability, gaining his earlygrades under the legendary MasterEnoeda and continuing up to 5thdan. In 2001, whilst recoveringfrom a broken leg gained throughtraining, he studied holistic thera-pies (Reflexology and Shiatsu) andstudied the art of Reiki healingunder a Reiki master.Understanding their potential in thebigger picture, Andy decided toinfuse his base style of Shotokanwith the art of Reiki, which becameknown as Reiki Jutsu Kai.www.reikijutsukai.org.uk

Sensei Colin Wee: Colin, fromAustralia, returns as our guestinstructor and is the instructor ofHikaru Ryu Gendai Budo inWestern Australia. Trained primar-ily by Sensei Bryan Robbins ofthe American Karate andTaekwondo Organisation, Colin isa 4th degree black belt with 23years of experience in the martialarts and previously a national rep-resentative and coach in Archery.Colin is passionate about theChang Hon system of TaekwonDo and uses his unique perspec-tive to endear himself to thinkingmartial artists. Colin is passionateabout the Chang Hon system ofTaekwondo, as well as hisrenowned women self defencecourses he developed over a 15year period,. He also runs ‘TheMartial Arts Curator’online forum(http://cwee.proboards29.com).www.hikarudojo.com

Gary Hoptroff

Oliver VanOverbeek

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:43pm Page 38


With the panel introduced lets get onto the questions:

1. What does your belt/grade mean to you?

OLIVER VAN-OVERBEEK: Absolutely nothing, apart froma nice piece of cloth that finishes the uniform off nicely. Weuse them as targets for students so they have bite size chunksof material to study. Personally, I hold no value to the beltgrade or sash whatsoever.

ANDY WRIGHT: I value my grade more than others value theirs- you know the ones, they get to 1st Dan in a year and thinkthey know everything! Mine was hard earned over 20 years andI place a lot of value upon the work I did to get it. I don’t think itentitles me to any special privileges or rights, and it certainlydoesn’t mean I can sit back and rest on it, so it is only special tome, personally. But as you progress through the ranks, the needto take a grade becomes less of a priority; certainly I don’t feelthe same way as I did when I was 1st Dan. Sure, when its time,I’ll look for ways to take 6th Dan, but it won’t be high on my list.

PAUL KING: My belt represents to me that after many yearsin the arts, I can now begin to scratch the surface of what thereis in the arts and start to understand what I have been taughtover the years. ( oh and it helps to stop my gi flapping about)As a symbol the belt means different thing to different people.To me it is a milestone in my journey through the arts.

GARY HOPTROFF: It stands for a symbol of my achievement,ability, dedication, hard work and understanding of the martialarts I practice. I think you should be proud of what you havegained, but don’t be arrogant, use your skill to help others whoare interested in the martial arts. Be responsible with the com-bative knowledge you possess.

COLIN WEE: Since starting with the martial arts, all I’vewanted to do is train and learn. My rank is a nice recognition ofefforts over the past 23 years - and I’m proud to wear my belt.It’s disappointing to hear how the black belt grades are abusedfor commercial or political purposes; thankfully, I don’t havethose problems. The best advice given to me by my mentor SifuTim White - “Here’s your rank, now get on with your life.”

STUART ANSLOW: I tend to agree with Colin in that my grade isan acknowledgement of my efforts and dedication to my art overthe years and its sad to see and hear about grades are abusedsimply to bolter egos. My 4th degree is particularly special to meas it was a 100% form of recognition as I was tested over a num-ber of days without my knowledge and no fee’s changed hands, tome its rather special and assort of ‘olden days’ type of grading!

GARTH BARNARD: My belts mean a lot to me personallyas each belt was a goal that I achieved and shows my progres-sion through my chosen art, which I’m very proud of, howev-er, I honestly get more satisfaction out of my students reachinga higher grade that I ever did/do for myself.

2. What distinguishes martial art from martial sport?

ANDY WRIGHT: ‘Sports(men)’ get trophies, prizes, and hugeegos...martial artists are usually the ones practising 7-days aweek, all-weathers, for little or no reward except the personalsatisfaction of striving to achieve and perfect their chosen ‘way’.

PAUL KING: Not all will agree but essentially rules, etiquetteand effectiveness on the street. There are martial arts that aremartial sports but usually, and I mean in my own experienceas martial sport is a small subset of a martial art.

GARY HOPTROFF: I do not think there is a huge difference,just slight alterations, most people would say arts like Krav Maga,Jun Gung Fu/JKD and Keysi Fighting Method are martial arts,others would say TKD, Judo, BJJ, Muay Thai and Karate aremore sports. However the way I look at it is like this if you takethe knee kicks, groin kicks, eye jabs and trapping out of JunFan/JKD you’re left with Kickboxing. Just like if you started to addstreet fighting concepts to more sport based arts you could notuse those techniques in the ring or on the mat, as you wouldinjure you opponent. I believe it is more about how you applyyour art in a combative encounter, for example using an axe kickstraight away on the street not a good idea, same axe kick when

your attacker is on the floor or get-ting up is a different story.

COLIN WEE: While there’snothing wrong with martialsport, a martial art doesn’t focuson points. There’s no comingback for another round. While Ithink any good martial artistshould be pragmatic and profes-sional about their training pro-gram, it takes all sorts to makethe world go around.

Andy Wright

Colin Wee’s best advice was“Here’s your rank, now geton with your life.”

Colin WeeGarth Barnard

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COMBAT April 2007

STUART ANSLOW: To me both contain the martial aspects toa degree, but the difference is one is applied towards doingwell in a sporting environment to win trophies or gain recogni-tion in this area and the other, the art, encompasses the wholeof the spectrum which is often not just the fighting side, but the‘in-depthness’, the ‘aesthetic’ side, as well as the combativesides with less restrictions than a straight sport only. The keywords are obviously ‘sport’ and ‘art’ and both encompass a bitof the other as well!

GARTH BARNARD: For me that’s a difficult question toanswer, simply because the term ‘Martial Arts’ mean so manydifferent things to different people. For some a Martial Art is away of life, whereas for others it’s just a hobby or a way of keep-ing fit. And then you have some Martial Arts sharing the samename yet being taught differently, some with emphasis on thearty side and others on the sporty side, by different instructors.

OLIVER VAN-OVERBEEK: It’s clear and simple to me. A mar-tial sport strives to get good at the sport, a martial art seeksself fulfilment, inner stillness, and the martial part is mostly aby product. Training is much more than physical learning for amartial artist, honour and tradition play big roles.

3. When fighting an opponent do you think it is betterto keep focus into his/her eyes or to keep focus onthe T centre line on the opponents chest to helppredict what they will throw at you?

PAUL KING: Focus on the eyes and shoulders and reduceyour distance to limit the effectiveness of kicks but why waitto predict what the opponent is going to throw at you. If thereis a threat, either get in there first or get away, less decisions,guessing and you are more likely to survive.

GARY HOPTROFF: I think the best way is to concentrate onthe torso as the body as the eyes can be deceiving. Youshould be able to see the logo on the t shirt but not read it, ifyou get my drift.

COLIN WEE: I’ve never seen anyone with a ‘T’ emblazonedon their chest, but yes, that’s where my eyes float. My aware-ness however also includes my peripheral vision so I’m quiteable to see all of his/her limbs.

STUART ANSLOW: I seem to be the only one that is differ-ent here. I like to focus on their eyes, to read intent, thoughat first this isn’t that easy, with time the eyes give a lot away.For an intimidating opponent I may go to the chest (T line)but in the main, I advocate the eyes. This is especially usefulin a self defence situation.

ANDY WRIGHT: Isn’t the skill of martial arts to avoid thefight? Anyway, assuming not, I would keep my focus upontheir entire body, centralised on the middle - as it turns out,this is more likely to be the chest.

GARTH BARNARD: When sport fighting I focus on my oppo-nents eyes, but I also use my eyes to trick my opponent intomy supposed next move. When sport fighting I like my eyesto ‘smile’, to make my opponent feel uneasy, rather than givethem a ‘death stare’ as many do. For a ‘street fight’ my visionwill be ‘tunnelled’ by the adrenaline so my eyes will be danc-ing all over the place, monitoring the aggressors every move,watching our surroundings, looking for ‘signatures’ (shapes ofpossible hidden weapons on the aggressor), watching forother possible aggressors prepared to join in, looking forescape routes, etc, etc. When/if it kicks off then I’ll be morefocused on where I want to strike.

OLIVER VAN-OVERBEEK: Prediction of their motionsshould not be done by visual impulse, but should for 99%rely on the sense of touch. The vision should be aimed at thecentre line, but not for prediction but direction of energy,focusing on the eyes could be could if you wish to obtain theintention of the opponent, or wish to apply emotional trap-ping, during the fight however it becomes far less importantto sense intention. Your entire body should speak for your,including your eyes, make sure you’re speaking to your oppo-nent and aiming at his centre line.

4. The path of the warrior is often a lonely one, is thistrue for you and if so in what way?

OLIVER VAN-OVERBEEK: The warrior is often alone,because there are few others like him/her. Interactions withothers are often on a different level, the warrior spends most

his time training physically or mentally, and everything he/she does in life is thought over that much

little longer. Standards are high, however stan-dards of those around do not seem to be sohigh in the areas the warrior finds important.

Often it seems that the warrior is all alone outthere, with very few that truly understand him/her.If they would really understand him/her they

would lead the same life.

COLIN WEE: Few people are truly interested inthe martial arts. And having moved countries acouple of times doesn’t make for the most con-stant pool of training buddies. I myself left mymartial arts family back in Dallas, Texas. Mysecond family is more flexible, and supports

me online at www.iaomas.org.

PAUL KING: I find it quite the opposite, we like to pro-mote friendship and fellowship within the arts and find

many others of the same mindset and over the years wehave made many friends in the arts and this number increasesrapidly, hence why we joined IAOMAS.

Paul King: “I prefer toconcentrate on one systemand continuously improvingand evolving that system.”

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:43pm Page 40

ANDY WRIGHT: I certainly think some aspects of (my) train-ing should be done alone and cannot be enhanced with others,such as meditation. I also think that it can be lonely as onereaches the dizzy heights of senior ranks, especially if you’veavoided the rat race and politics of associations, and done themore frequent thing of ‘going it alone’; you certainly wont havea pool of other seniors to talk to/train with, unless you’ve culti-vated that as you went along - or joined IAOMAS of course.

GARY HOPTROFF: Quite the opposite for me as well really,as a JKD man one of the main concepts is to look to other artsand always to evolve as a human being and martial artist. Ihave met lots of different people all with different view points,just take IAOMAS for example this has brought together peo-ple from different systems and arts. So no I do not feel like thepath of the warrior is a lonely one. It is what you make it, thecup is always half full.

STUART ANSLOW: I don’t think the way is a lonely one,perhaps for many it is actually a more of a personal one. Thisis especially true as you go up the ranks and chose to evolveand perhaps take a different route from that of say large organ-isations and aren’t part of the committees etc. but spend yourtime and efforts on the art itself - this makes it a more person-al journey, for me at least. But its not lonely, I have manyfriends in the martial arts from both Taekwon-do and other artsand as others have already said, with things like IAOMAS alonely journey is practically impossible - unless you chose it!

GARTH BARNARD: I agree with Stuart, I wouldn’t say lonely,just personal. I’ve got out the arts what I’ve wanted to andnow I’m enjoying putting it back in. My Academy is like a closefamily, we all share each others ‘ups and ‘down’s’, but every-one has their own personal journey.

5. Do you specialize in one art, and one art alone, ordo you attempt to get as many 1st & 2nd Dan’s var-ious arts?

GARY HOPTROFF: No, as I have already said belts andgrades do hold something for me, see question one. I recentlyachieved the next rung on the ladder from my teacher GuroDavid Onuma. I was quite shocked, as like Stuarts 4th dan, Idid not even realise I was being tested. I just was training mystuff, working hard and doing my best. If you do that the Dangrades and instructorships will come. I am lucky as I do JKDwe get to look all time at different arts and concepts.

ANDY WRIGHT: I have one grade, 5th Dan, but what makes itunique is that my style incorporates different aspects of otherarts, so rather than doing full-blown styles I have the best bits.I think that there is enough to be getting on with within this onestyle, rather than dabbling in many; ‘jack of all trades, masterof none’ comes to mind.

PAUL KING: Many martial artists go down the road ofacquiring many Dan grades from different systems, there is noproblem with this, each to their own. For my own part, I preferto concentrate on one system and continuously improving andevolving that system. Like Andy said, the phrase ‘Jack of alltrades, master of none’ springs to mind.

OLIVER VAN-OVERBEEK: When you think of martial arts likeclimbing a mountain, do you aim for the top, or do you attemptand quit at the first foothill the first sign of difficulty? Only toattempt from a different side, and realise that at more or lessthe same height there are again difficulties. So you try a com-pletely different mountain all together. Or do you seek until youhave found the path to the top, no matter if it takes the rest ofyour life? Once you reach the top, not only can you see down

every single side of the mountain, also you can see all tops ofother mountains, and instantly everything makes sense to you.

COLIN WEE: There was once a time when I practiced twoarts simultaneously but now, there’s hardly enough time forthe one art. You can say I ‘specialize’ in it, though in realityI’m just doing enough to keep my foot in the door.

STUART ANSLOW: If an art is a lifetime journey, then howcan one study to a sufficient level in multiple arts and get themost out of them? I’ve no problems with those that want totrain/grade in multiple systems, as if its for cross-training pur-poses then that’s fine and from my experience, most still keepand study their base arts the most. To grade in different artsjust for ego is wrong but I do feel that perhaps by studying mul-tiple arts you may miss the ‘quintessential’ parts of your ownart!, so I prefer my study to be of one arts, but with an openmind to training and learning from others like these guys, toenhance it!

GARTH BARNARD: I’ve studied quite a few arts in the past25 years, but mainly Taekwondo, Muay Thai and Judo. NowI’m happy teaching and progressing in a combination of allthree, namely KyukTooKi. For me, and the way I teach it,KyukTooKi has it all and will now be my mountain path interms of a Martial Art. Alongside KyukTooKi, I teachCombatives, which isn’t an art, but something that I want tofurther my students and I in.

That concludes another ‘Combat Panel’ with some greatquestions from the regular readers of Combat (keep thosequestions coming and don’t be shy about what you ask, asall is relevant!), invoking some interesting, thought provok-ing (as well as the usual frank) answers. As normal, we’llleave you with a quote related to this month’s discussion.

“People seldom improve when they have no othermodel but themselves to copy after.”

- Oliver Goldsmith

Many thanks to all the instructors for taking part andfor the readers who has submitted questions. If you haveany questions you would like to put to the panel for futuresittings, please drop an email to [email protected]. Formore information on the instructors, please follow the linkslisted, for information on IAOMAS visit www.iaomas.com.

Stuart Anslow: “I like to focus on theireyes, to read intent, though at first

this isn’t that easy, with time the eyes give a lot away.”


001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:43pm Page 41

OO n the surface, Yoga and themartial arts seem to have littlein common; very different disci-plines and philosophies; but

look a little deeper and it becomes evi-dent that they are very much linked toeach other. Most of the Asian martialarts seemed to have originated from theShaolin Temple in Hunan Province,China. The monks at the temple haddeveloped excellent meditation tech-niques but they lacked a physical healthsystem to develop their bodies. A visit-ing Buddhist monk, from India namedBoddidharma, arrived by invitation inthe sixth century A.D., to teach a physi-cal system known as Yoga.

Boddidharma was thought to be amember of the Warrior Caste (a form ofmilitary that protected the ruling classesof the day). He would have had knowl-edge and skills of an Indian martial artof Kalarippyat, “Kalari” meaning school

or art. “payat” meaning skill training,exercise or practice. Not many martialartists realise the healing powers of yogadue to misconceptions; however, thesports and fitness industries are begin-ning to recognize the therapeutic valueof yoga asanas (postures) and pranaya-ma (breathing) exercises. Postures canbe used to supplement martial arts train-ing, and used to prevent injuries and aidexisting injuries.

I personally have benefited from thepractice of Hatha yoga; after years oftraining, I was suffering from back andknee problems. I even resigned myselfto the possibility of ending my karatetraining; regular trips to a Chiropractorseemed the only answer. Until I discov-ered a local yoga class; with correctinstruction from a qualified yogainstructor (who ensures that you are inthe correct and safe postures) you can-not go wrong. I fully recommend yoga

to any martial artist. No matter whatmartial art you practice, there will betendency to favour one side of thebody, which is considered to be thestronger side.

In karate and other kicking andpunching arts; more time seems to bespent on an already stronger side, whichresults in even more imbalance in thebody. If a person for example, prefers tokick from the right leg, he/she will havestronger yet less flexible hip flexors onthe right side than on the left side. Theright hip flexors will then pull on thelower back and hip, which then bringsthe whole pelvic area out of balance. Ifthis person starts to use the appropriateyoga asana routine, the weaker side willget stronger and the stronger side willget more flexible without losing theirrespective strength and flexibility. Thisbrings the pelvis back to its neutral andbalanced state.

Yoga asanas are ideal for simultane-ously training and developing flexibilityand strength. Instead of doing strengthand flexibility training separately, onecan do both at the same time with yogapractice. By including yoga in theirtraining, martial artists will be becomemore flexible, stronger, better focused;helping to become more competent intheir martial art.

Over time, many hours of trainingand competitions might lead to injuriesof the neck, shoulders, hips, back andknees. Regular yoga practice could pre-vent this. Patajali (widely regarded asthe founder of yoga) stated “Heyhamdukham anagatam” which translates to“The pains that are yet to come can andare to be avoided”. The many advan-tages and benefits of regular yoga prac-tice, regardless of martial arts styleinclude: Helps injury prevention andrecovery process, increase inflexibilitythrough the whole body, better corestrength and stability, breathing exercis-es to increase lung capacity andendurance, learn to relax, reduce tension,better balance from asana postures, heal-ing of the body from intense workouts,loosening of tight muscles.

To find details of local yoga classes andmore information about yoga, contact TheBritish Wheel of Yoga - www.bwy.org


Yoga for theMartial Artist

by Tan Gellatlyby Tan Gellatly

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 43

EliteXC who?It looks like the UFC has a new

contender! Pro Elite, Inc. andShowtime Networks Inc. justannounced a newly developed businessunit, Elite Xtreme Combat (EliteXC).Elite will take on the mixed martial artsworld by organizing events on the pre-mium SHOWTIME channel. Its firstvenue will pair Legendary ChampionRoyce Gracie’s younger cousin RenzoGracie against Frank Shamrock. It isscheduled to air live on SHOWTIMEon February 10, 2007.

“These events will connect with everymartial arts enthusiast in America, andultimately the world. Our goal is to helpthe sport continue to grow and flourish”explains EliteXC CEO Doug DeLuca.

And what does Dana White, famedhelmsman of the UFC and someonewell-known for his tact think about this?“EliteXC... are rinky-dink upstarts. They

don’t even really exist.” Ouch. That goesbeyond kicking a blind man when he’sdown. It seems these “upstarts” have along way to go before they even earn hisacknowledgment let alone his respect.

Have an MMA fantasy!Hearts were set a flutter when it was

announced that there was now an MMAfantasy website. Forget Gaydar this wasthe place to be! Word went out fast andeven my missus was diving onto the pcto see what all the fuss was about.

Oh dear. “Heartbroken”, “gutted”,“I was so looking forward to seeingOrtiz use a naked choke from behind inthe mount” were all comments that pop-ulated the forums.

Put simply, the new website allowsplayers to predict the outcome ofupcoming events and even gives you thechance to win $500.

All UFC and PrideFC events are fol-lowed and scored for the game, “bothPride and the UFC have really set thebar for modern MMA, possess the bestworld-wide talents, and have the largestfanbases - all key factors in making thegame appealing and easy to play for themajority of MMA fans”. With each ‘fightseason’ on the website lasting for 10events, Roberts predicts that the site willhave approximately 3 seasons a year.

Call yourself a MAN?Apparently Chinese Hardman

extraordinaire Jet Li is a bit of a wimpand says he struggles with love scenesin his movies because of his introvert-ed personality (I’ve never heard itcalled that before, I thought that was aThai thing but...)

While shooting the Chinese-languagemartial arts epic ‘Ci Ma (PiercingHorse),’ Li made the comment in hisWeb log. His character becomes roman-tically involved with the characterplayed by Chinese actress-director XuJinglei. Having seen a photo of her I canonly say what a complete glayrod he is.

The ‘hardman’ whines “Every time Istart a movie I don’t know how to have aconversation with the female lead. I’mrather introverted, so I don’t know howto communicate with her,” in his blog. Inthis case, Li said he tried to break the iceby asking Xu to help promote his charityfund. There’s certainly no better way toa woman’s heart than by asking her formoney to support your own charity.Maybe he’s slyer than I credit him for?

Damme, you wish!Ageing Kickboxer star, Jean Claude

van Damme, claims he and singer KylieMinogue had an affair on the set of oneof his most dire films, StreetFighter.Talking to Empire, the ‘Muscles fromBrussels’ revealed he and the princess ofpop became more than just friends dur-ing filming. “StreetFighter was corny tome,” and completely unfaithful to thevideo game, badly acted, badly choreo-graphed I could go on and on and on,“But there were nice things. I got to seethe land of Australia and had a mini-affair with Kylie Minogue.” “If you eversee her, say hello for me to Kylie,” headded. No doubt he flashed that cheekygrin of his as well. Kylie’s reply, barhysterical laughing, was unprintable.

Cooking, hair-dye techniques andworld peace at the IFL?

It seems that instead of being a placewhere top-level combat athletes can meetto bludgeon each other whilst wearingtight lycra and choking each other frombehind, the International Fight League isactually a meeting place for the WI. Godknows what steroids these ladies are on,perhaps it’s Boldenone?

Justing Levens aka ‘TheExecutioner’ from the SouthernCalifornia Condors says about the IFL,“It’s very character-driven,” Levenssaid. “You’ve got to sell your name.People have got to recognize you.”

To stand out, he dyes his hair halfred and half black. The hair part isalmost as challenging as the training.“The first time it came out an uglyorange colour,” he said, tears welling upin his eyes at the humiliation of it all.


He knows what’s going on !!!He knows what’s going on !!!The Keyboard Warrior

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 44

Now he knows the key to attaining proper col-oration: “Bleach that sucker out, man.”

Like many in the sport, Levens still believesit has to overcome negative stereotypes.“People think it’s like a cockfight,” he said.Obviously people don’t know the WI, unlessthe steroids are really strong. “It’s people whohave trained for years to learn the techniques,the submissions.” I never knew wielding ahandbag could be so technical.

Seagal, but not as we know itSteven Seagal, world famous Aikido action

start, has discovered where his natural abilityfor martial arts comes from - he was a 17thcentury Buddhist monk in a previous life. Hewas amazed to discover the exact identity ofhis former self, thanks to his Buddhist teach-ers. He says, “I subconsciously started leaningtowards the Orient and martial arts. My oldBuddhist teachers have identified the person Iwas in a past life. I was a 17th-century monkcalled CHUNGDRAG DORJE. I believe this istrue but I don’t dwell on it.”

Looks like he’s trying to model himselfon Buddha more than the monks we’re moreused to seeing.

‘Guilty your honour? Neigh not me!’Following a trend seemingly set by double

loser Stephan Bonnar, Lightweight Kit Cope test-ed positive for Boldenone, an anabolic steroidused to treat horses no less. Talk about a badday. Not only does he LOSE, he tests positive.This is after losing four out of five fights sincehe moved over from Thai boxing. Obviouslyhe’s more than a few cans short of a six- pack.

Hopefully he’ll be banned long enough torealise that he’s actually quite crap and moveback to something less challenging, likeExtreme Tai Chi.

Eye-toy Kinetic? Fat gamers beware!Are you fat? Lazy? Ever want to be able to

learn martial arts like they do in the Matrix?Well tough, you still can’t. However, EyeToyKinetic Combat claims that it can at least helpget fit whilst ‘learning’ Hung Gar Kung Fu

Anna and Matt from the first game return(EyeToy Kinetic) to guide you through thenew exercise routines, and admonish youwhen necessary (fortunately not in a physicalsense), while new instructor Leon teachesyou martial arts moves.

The game is built around a 16-week train-ing course, with pre-exercise questions aboutyour height, weight and fitness level determin-ing the intensity of the workout. Fat boys willprobably fudge their responses for an easyride. Real men can fudge it to make it harder!

Training is broken down into four ‘zones’,with four weeks of training dedicated to each.The Dragon Zone introduces you to the basicsof kung fu, the Tiger Zone gives you strengthand cardiovascular fitness training, the MantisZone is about agility and balance, and thePhoenix Zone is about putting the finishingtouches on your techniques.

How cool is that! Now, if only they had iton Xbox!

Now he knows the key to attaining proper col-oration: “Bleach that sucker out, man.”

Like many in the sport, Levens still believesit has to overcome negative stereotypes.“People think it’s like a cockfight,” he said.Obviously people don’t know the WI, unlessthe steroids are really strong. “It’s people whohave trained for years to learn the techniques,the submissions.” I never knew wielding ahandbag could be so technical.

Seagal, but not as we know itSteven Seagal, world famous Aikido action

start, has discovered where his natural abilityfor martial arts comes from - he was a 17thcentury Buddhist monk in a previous life. Hewas amazed to discover the exact identity ofhis former self, thanks to his Buddhist teach-ers. He says, “I subconsciously started leaningtowards the Orient and martial arts. My oldBuddhist teachers have identified the person Iwas in a past life. I was a 17th-century monkcalled CHUNGDRAG DORJE. I believe this istrue but I don’t dwell on it.”

Looks like he’s trying to model himselfon Buddha more than the monks we’re moreused to seeing.

‘Guilty your honour? Neigh not me!’Following a trend seemingly set by double

loser Stephan Bonnar, Lightweight Kit Cope test-ed positive for Boldenone, an anabolic steroidused to treat horses no less. Talk about a badday. Not only does he LOSE, he tests positive.This is after losing four out of five fights sincehe moved over from Thai boxing. Obviouslyhe’s more than a few cans short of a six- pack.

Hopefully he’ll be banned long enough torealise that he’s actually quite crap and moveback to something less challenging, likeExtreme Tai Chi.

Eye-toy Kinetic? Fat gamers beware!Are you fat? Lazy? Ever want to be able to

learn martial arts like they do in the Matrix?Well tough, you still can’t. However, EyeToyKinetic Combat claims that it can at least helpget fit whilst ‘learning’ Hung Gar Kung Fu

Anna and Matt from the first game return(EyeToy Kinetic) to guide you through thenew exercise routines, and admonish youwhen necessary (fortunately not in a physicalsense), while new instructor Leon teachesyou martial arts moves.

The game is built around a 16-week train-ing course, with pre-exercise questions aboutyour height, weight and fitness level determin-ing the intensity of the workout. Fat boys willprobably fudge their responses for an easyride. Real men can fudge it to make it harder!

Training is broken down into four ‘zones’,with four weeks of training dedicated to each.The Dragon Zone introduces you to the basicsof kung fu, the Tiger Zone gives you strengthand cardiovascular fitness training, the MantisZone is about agility and balance, and thePhoenix Zone is about putting the finishingtouches on your techniques.

How cool is that! Now, if only they had iton Xbox!


001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 45

Volume 1Offensive Techniques

Summersdale Productions are definitelystarting to put themselves firmly on themap and this is starting to show in thefiner details. Their DVD box-covers con-tinue to improve in design and now eventhe DVDs themselves are improving witha very new and tactile label beingattached. All in all these are some of thebetter-produced DVDs that I’ve bought ina long while and that includes normalfilm DVDs.

Who IS Pat O’Keefe?Pat is a leading trainer, TV commen-

tator and best-selling author in kickbox-ing. He has fought 28 times in the ringand faced three world champions.

What is good? Quite simply, this is an absolute

gem of a DVD. First impressions areoften shallow by nature and long last-ing and it takes a lot to change some-one’s mind. This is important becausePat is not the stereotypical young,toned, flexible and highly presentable‘kickboxer’ people expect. Instead he’sa rugged, ‘mature’-looking individualwho most young fighters probably

wouldn’t rate. This impression is veryquickly changed however as heunloads on one of his students givinghim a lovely combination ending in ahead-rocking punch within the firstseven minutes.

Pat’s teaching style is very effectiveand he is able to stay very focused onthe subject at hand. He is clear in hisinstructions and the camera anglesmean that the viewer gets the maxi-mum benefit from the DVD. His execu-tion of the techniques he’s demonstrat-ing is also very good and he has a lotof power.

I especially liked Pat’s use of stu-dents for both pad work and for showinghow to apply the techniques beingtaught. His demonstration of a spinningroundhouse to the head of one of hisstudents had me laughing my socks off,especially after the last one knocked himclean off his feet.

The presentation of the DVD is up toSummersdale’s usual high standardswith good video and audio quality andthey continue to prove why they are themarket leaders.

What is bad? Nothing. I was unable to find fault

with anything on the DVD.

Summary This is a great DVD and I can’t wait

to see the rest of the series as it lookslike it’s going to be the equivalent of a‘Collins Pocket Dictionary of Kickboxing’.For once a DVD title lives up to its nameas this is certainly essential viewing forsomeone studying kickboxing.

Volume 2Defensive Techniques

Who IS Pat O’Keefe?Pat is a leading trainer, TV commen-

tator and best-selling author in kickbox-ing. He has fought 28 times in the ringand faced three world champions.

He is also a rising cover star forSummersdale.

What is good? Yet again Pat has put together an

absolute gem of a DVD. As I’ve saidbefore, first impressions are often shal-

low by nature and long lasting and ittakes a lot to change someone’s mind.Pat is not the stereotypical young, toned,flexible and highly presentable ‘kickbox-er’ people expect.

Pat’s teaching style is very effectiveand he is able to stay focused on thesubject at hand. He is clear in hisinstructions and his assistants are of avery high quality with the result thateverything is very slick indeed.

I’m especially impressed with Pat’spresentation skills as he coaches theviewer rather than instructing him usingclear instructions and demonstrations togreat effect. This in turn not only makesit easier for the viewer to take in whathe’s passing on, but also makes theactual viewing of the DVD far easier anda lot more fun.

The presentation of the DVD is up toSummersdale’s usual high standardswith good video and audio quality andthey continue to prove why they are themarket leaders.

What is bad? The only thing that really niggled

was that the presentation was done in aring as opposed to in an open trainingarea as in the first DVD. For me, theropes of the ring got in the way and Ifelt that although this helped ‘establish’the DVD as being a kickboxing DVD Ifelt it wasn’t needed and impeded theinstruction.

Aside from that, this has yet anotherbig thumbs up.

Summary This is a great DVD and I can’t wait

to see the rest of the series as it lookslike it’s going to be the equivalent of a‘Collins Pocket Dictionary ofKickboxing’. For once a DVD title livesup to its name as this is certainlyessential viewing for someone studyingkickboxing.

You can buy both these DVD’s fromhttp://www.summersdale.com

BRUTALLYHONESTEssential Kickboxing Volume 1 - Offensive TechniquesEssential Kickboxing Volume 2 - Defensive TechniquesBy Matthew Sylvester


001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 47

SCHRAMM SPORT SIGNSAGREEMENT WITH WTF

The World TaekwondoFederation recently signed a5-year contract withGermany’s Schramm SportGmbH on taekwondo supportprojects. Signing took place atthe WTF headquarters in Seouland the men putting the ink tothe paper were WTF PresidentChungwon Choue and EdmundSchramm, President ofSchramm Sport. Schramm,which produces Taekwondoand other martial arts productsunder the KWON label, willsupport a Taekwondo demon-stration by athletes with disabil-ities during the opening cere-monies of the WTF-promotedWorld TaekwondoChampionships in 2007, 2009and 2011. Over the next 5years the German companywill also support Taekwondopractitioners with disabilitieseither through cash or in kind.

The agreement alsorequires Schramm to providefinancial and in-kind assis-tance to countries whereTaekwondo is not well estab-lished. According to the con-tract, over 50 percent ofSchramm’s total support in thiscategory will go to Africa.

Schramm will also pay theWTF 15% of its turnover ofWTF items such as shirts, hood-ies, tracksuits and bags. But itdoesn’t go all one way! TheWTF, in turn, granted Schrammthe right to use the title of ‘offi-cial sponsor’ in connection withthe two above-mentioned pro-jects. Schramm is also entitledto use the WTF official logo in

its public relations andadvertising purposes.“The signing is sure tohelp our efforts toinclude Taekwondointo the official pro-gram of theParalympic Gamesand to contribute tofurther globalisationof taekwondo,” saidWTF President Choue.

ABERNETHY IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Iain Abernethy taught his11th seminar for Chujo KarateAssociation in NorthernIreland. Venue was the SevenTowers Leisure Centre inBallymena. Iain has been com-ing to the province twice eachyear at the invitation of CKA’sChief Instructor, Dan Redmond.

The seminar attracted agood crowd, many of whomwere veterans of Ian’s earliercourses. It began after a pre-sentation Dan made to Iain andfirst topic was an explanationof kata and bunkai. Next Iaindiscussed the role of grapplingin self-defence. Featured tech-niques included close-rangestrikes, throws, take-downs,ground fighting, chokes andstrangles, arm bars, leg, ankle,finger and wrist locks, neckwrenches, combinations andlive grappling drills.

Iain Abernethy plans onreturning to Northern Irelandfor his next scheduled seminar.That’ll be on Saturday 3rdNovember, 2007.

BUSHIDO ACADEMY COACHING AWARDS

Senior members fromBushido Judo Kwai, SeghillJudo Club and Battle Hill JudoClub recently gathered atSeghill Judo Club to take partin the Bushido Academy ofJudo’s coaching course andexamination. The coursebegan at 10.00am with a 2-hour first aid course given bythe Academy’s medical advisor.Afterwards candidates taughtpre-selected techniques to

junior pupils from Seghill JudoClub and Bushido Judo Kwai.This allowed the panel to evalu-ate their skill and ability. Afirst aid examination followed.

The panel of examinerscomprised Barry McSherry (3rddan), Sharon May (4th dan)and Chris Dawson (6th dan).Successful candidates wereJimmy West (1st dan), KrisAnderson (2nd kyu), MickClark and Kevin Corden (both1st kyu). They received theClub Coach Award. MalcolmYoung (2nd dan) earned thehighest marks possible for hiscomposition on the benefits ofjudo kata. This earned him theIntermediate Coach Award.

WORLD FEDERATION KICK-BOXING’S PARIS MEETING

Cobra Academy’s instructorDell Mann travelled to Paris fora 2-day meeting of Europeankick-boxing representatives.The agenda focused on the pos-sibility of kick-boxing in theOlympics and a schedule ofWorld, European and title kick-boxing events during 2007. Thepicture shows Dell with Mr.Manucheri, the President of theWorld Federation of Kick-box-ing. The World Federation’skick-boxing title belt can beseen at the front of the table.Dell brought the belt back toBritain and it will be presentedto the winner of the first WKF

Title PRO Show to be held inthe UK later this year.

Dell is vice-president of theEFK European Federation ofKick-boxing but at the meetinghe was also elected Chair ofWFK’s European professionalfight circuit. Dell’s duties includeoverseeing all European titlefights. Kings Lynn was thevenue for one EFK show duringwhich Edward Krauklis lost hisbid for the European title toLincoln’s Shawn Burton. Shawnhas now been selected to fightfor the WFK World Pro Title inSouth Africa later this year.

Find out more about theWFK and about kick-boxing in general by visiting www.dellmannsacademy.co.uk.

RODING VICTORIES Roding Karate Club won

no less than 15 medals at the2-day Junior BritishInternational Championshipsheld at Kingston College lastJanuary. This was the highestmedal tally of any associationcompeting. Over 50 associa-tions competed, includingentries from Germany,Denmark, France and Slovakia.Roding medal winners were C.Wallington, J. Wood, G.Smart, B. Vargas, C. Lynn, C.Wood, R. Steadman, J.Steadman, and S. Beezley.

Find out more by e-mailingRay at [email protected]

martialartsnewslineBRINGING YOU THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WORLD OF MARTIAL ARTS. IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING WE DON’T THEN WRITE OR FAX IT TO US AT135 ALDRIDGE ROAD, PERRY BARR, B’HAM B42 2ET. FAX: 0121 356 7300. E-MAIL: [email protected]


‘WORLD FEDERATION KICK-BOXING’S

PARIS MEETING’

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 49

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON!Young Regis Sugden (aged

11), established his reputationas a future kick-boxing star bywinning an ISKA Englishnational title at a recent eventstaged by Neil Kelly (who justhappens to be an undefeatedBritish and commonwealthchampion). Regis’s proud Dadis none other than NMA’s chiefinstructor and world championDean Sugden. Dean watchedRegis’s star performance butthe roles will be reversed onMarch 10th when Regis watch-es his Dad compete for a sec-ond world title against LexEasdon. Lex is the mid-dleweight world champion sixtimes over and this epic matchwill be fought at the NewarkShowground in front of a4,000 seat capacity crowd.

Not content with winning atitle, Regis gained his black beltwith a near perfect score at theclub’s grading, held lastJanuary in Castlegate. But Regisand Dean were not the onlyfather/son team there. CharliePearson (aged 6) and Dad, IanPearson were each awardedbest junior and senior graderespectively for gaining thehighest scores in their white andblue and yellow belt gradings.

Other grading successeswere John Beckett, JordanFrost, William Woodward,

Bethany Barrett, GaryWorthington, Jared & VerityWood, Jordon Monks, JacobDerbyshire, Sam Walters, TomRich, Charlie Gillman, MatthewStevens, Ryan Pooley, LiamParker, Jimmy Gillman, BillySmedley, Ryan Sharp, ChrisIngle, Ryan Featherstone, DavidCross, Leigh O’Brien, VickyBultitude and Jason Gillman.

AMA SPLITS FROM MASAThe AMA has reflected

on its membership to MASAfor its coaching and decid-ed to adopt its own pro-gramme for continuingdevelopment in coaching.

DOCTOR HOEHLEBernd Hoehle is head-

master of Martial ArtsAssociation International andrecently he travelled toBeijing with his assistantDennis Diekmann on the invi-tation of his teacher,Grandmaster Gu Ping. GuPing is in charge of BeijingUniversity’s Wu Shu facility,which currently has around20,000 students on its rolls!Naturally the University’s wushu facility is recognized bythe China Wu shuAssociation. Training consistsof traditional Tai Ji, Qi gongand Wu Shu. The daily train-ing schedule takes place inthe university and classes aretaught by Gu Ping and LiuPeng - the Ching I champion.

Bernd gave some demon-strations with and withoutweapons in front of the teach-ers, students, faculty membersand leading political personali-ties. His performances weregreeted with much applauseand later, he was presentedwith the title ‘Doctor of Wu Shu’and the university’s gold medalfor sporting achievement.

This honour ranks withBernd’s others, conferred by TheWhite House & a Saudi Prince.

‘LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON!’

‘DOCTOR HOEHLE’

MBC001/01

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001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 50

TWENTY YEARS OF FSKThe Federation of

Shotokan Karate celebrated its20th anniversary with a ballheld at the Rutland SquareHotel, Nottingham. FSK wasformed in 1986 when AidanTrimble left the SKI. Since thenthe FSK has been very success-ful, having produced manychampions - some even worldchampions. For a relativelysmall group FSK has won areputation for quality both instudents and instructors.Instructors and guests to theblack-tie anniversary eventincluded those who have spon-sored the teams over the years.Each received a coloured histo-ry of the last 20 years and apresentation pen.

Aidan gave a welcomingspeech during which herecalled many anecdotes fromthe past two decades. Then hepresented FSK instructors withcrystal trophies - tokens of hisgratitude for their help andcontinued loyalty. Dave Owen(5th dan), a senior instructor inthe FSK took the mike and gavean impromptu and emotionalspeech in which he compli-mented Aidan for his leader-ship. Deb Beevers and SueBance presented Aidan with acrystal sculpture created by alocal artist as a gift from theFSK instructors.

UK MUAY THAI AUTOMATEDRANKINGS

This year sees the launchof UK Muay Thai AutomatedRankings - a computerisedsystem that can rank anynumber of fighters - even firsttimers! Can you imagine 100fighters named in each weightdivision? Thanks to this trans-parent system, fighters knowexactly who they need to beatto improve their ranking.

This is all about motivationand creating a level playingfield for everyone. It’s not about

titles or purses - but the origi-nator of the system, SidRemmer at [email protected] appealed to readers fortheir help.

The programme is all set upand running. All it needs noware data (results). Sid wants toinclude as many results as pos-sible, so please contact him ifyou hear of a show. It’s particu-larly important, says Sid, toinclude results from small localshows that don’t reach thenational fight press. At first Sidhas put the rankings onwww.FightVid.co.uk but he’llgive them a page of their ownonce he’s happy the pro-gramme is working.

The rankings will be free toeveryone and they are current-ly being discussed on http://message.axkickboxing.com/index.phtml?action=dispthread&topic=20675&junk=1168864571.30589 and http://message.axkickboxing.com/index.phtml?action=dispthread&topic=20675&junk=1168864571.30589

A WORTHY CAUSEGlen Corner was walking

with friends in South Shieldswhen he was stabbed todeath. That tragedy happenedon the lad’s 16th birthday andit was reported in the nationalnews. Now, Glen’s mother -Susanne Hilton - along withBarry Carr, her partner and theparents of three of Glen’s clos-est friends (Claire Carlson, JulieWalker, and Jennifer Brown)have set up a trust in Glen’sname. The aim of the GlenCorner trust is to raise enoughmoney to set up an office anda helpline for families rippedapart by murder or manslaugh-ter.

Barry is a karate dan gradeand he’s started the ball rollingby arranging a seminar withIain Abernethy to raise fundsfor the trust. The seminar will

take place 10am to 2pm onMarch 31st in the Ocean RoadCommunity Centre, SouthShields. The seminar will cost£20 and all funds go to thetrust. All places must be pre-booked. Make your chequepayable to Glen Corner Trustand mail it to 136 WestonRoad, South Shields, Tyne &Wear, NE33 3PF.

Contact Barry Carr on0191-422-9761 or 0772-574-0158 if you need more infor-mation. Even if you can’t makethe seminar, you can still makea donation to the Glen CornerTrust through any branch ofLloyds TBS. Just ask the staff fordetails.

SPORT TAEKWONDO’S NEWTECHNICAL MANAGER

Sport Taekwondo UK ispart of the BTCB and it recent-ly announced the appointmentof Humberto InguanzoArizmendi as the TechnicalManager for the Great BritainTaekwondo Team. Humbertocomes from Cuba and holds amaster’s degree in Theory andManagement of SportsTraining. He has held a numberof academic positions in bothCuba and Mexico and has arich history in combat sports atan elite level. Humberto wasresponsible for the tactical,technical and physical trainingof the Cuban NationalTaekwondo Team and in thatrole, he saw them achieve agold and silver medal fromtheir four qualified athletes atthe Sydney 2000 OlympicGames. This ranked Cuba sec-ond overall behind Korea inthe Sydney Games.

Humberto was Chief Trainerto the Mexican National Teamduring the 2004 AthensOlympic Games. His fightersthere won silver and bronzemedals. Humberto is leavingthe National SportsCommission of Mexico to join

Sport Taekwondo UK. He willbe based at the centre of excel-lence at LoughboroughUniversity. Aspects of his newrole include enhancing thedelivery and planning of ath-lete training, systems develop-ment for the identification andselection of athletes and con-tributing to the application ofscience within the performanceprogramme.

THE ROLLS ROYCE OF DUMMIES!A new free-standing or

floor mounted Mook Yan Jongis now available for purchase!This dummy is professionallyproduced to the correct dimen-sions and the free- standingversion boasts a steel base withpre-drilled holes for floormounting. The base aloneneeds two people to move itaround, so sturdy is it! The basepost is fabricated from laminat-ed tulip hardwood. It is bothbolted and glued through thebase and it comes sealed withtung oil for outdoor waterproof-ing. The bracket is welded fromsolid steel and the traditionallymade leg is extended rear-wards for anchoring throughthe base post. The trunk is con-structed to close tolerances thatmean it can never work loose.Furthermore the trunk sits on asolid round base plate and alarge steel pin locates it.

You can buy this beautifullymade training aid for £370 bycalling in your order toCameron at 0797-140-5582or 0128-070-1389.

THE IRISH OPENThe Irish ITF Open Black

Belt Championships will beheld on March 31, 2007 inDublin, Ireland. The competi-tion is open to ITF black beltsand it comprises individual pat-terns, sparring, power and spe-cial technique competition. Youcan find out all about it by vis-iting www.rita-itf.org/.


‘TWENTY YEARS OF FSK’

‘THE ROLLS ROYCE OF DUMMIES!’

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 51

UNDERSTANDING THE PATTERNTitan Taekwondo recently

hosted a BTCB PoomsaeJudges’ Course at the WestLondon Academy in Northolt.The course was run by NeilGuest (6th dan) and NigelHudson (5th dan), and it waswell supported by black beltsfrom local clubs. It is only thethird such course held nation-ally, and the first held at theAcademy. Brian Robinson(4th dan) runs TitanTaekwondo at the venue andthe idea for the course camefrom him. Poomsae has along history of competitionand keeping up with thechanges is very importantbecause how can you play agame if you don’t know therules? The BTCB recognise thisand that is why they support-ed seminars where studentsand instructors are taughtchanges within the poomsaerules and performance.

The course itself wasfocused on understanding thepractical side of what to lookfor and how to mark themwhen they are performed. Thisinvolved a practical sessionwhere poomsae wereanalysed, and a theory sessionwhen the rules were examined.The course concluded with awritten exam. Those whoattended the course were SteveMacrae and Robert Wye(black tags), Andy Daly, AlvinHo, Paul Holmes, KarenMcCrae, Peter McBrien, JohnMoran and Alex Reynolds (1stdans), Sara Foskett and BeckyGorden (2nd dans), LukeRobinson (3rd dan), Robin Bell,Alec Bryan, Brian Robinsonand Cara Smith (4th dans),Gemma Biescas (5th dan) andElias Biescas (6th dan).

Contact Brian Robinson on0208-423-6088 for informa-tion about taekwondo in theNortholt and Ruislip areas orvisit www.taekwondo.go.cc.

WTF AND KYUNG HEE UNIVERSI-TY JOIN FORCES

Kyung Hee University heldtwo short-term courses for ath-letes and two long-term cours-es for coaches during 2006.So successful were these thatthe courses will run again dur-ing 2007. The WTF has beenrunning these courses in con-junction with the InternationalTaekwondo Academy of KyungHee University. The pro-gramme, aimed at training athletes and coaches, is part of the WTF TaekwondoSolidarity Programme, which isintended to help membernational associations promoteand develop Taekwondo.

PATRICK McCARTHY VISITS THE UKThere are few mar-

tialartists as far-travelled andexperienced as PatrickMcCarthy hanshi. The 8th danhas taught all over the worldand has students that travelhundreds (if not thousands) ofmiles just to see him. The flowdrills that McCarthy hanshiteaches are based on theresponses to violence. The factthat they also happen to lookexactly like the moves frompopular kata should provideenough grounding and familiar-ity to tickle the fancy of allkarate-ka. This year, hanshi isonce again visiting SENI andthe day after, Monday 21st ofMay, he will be teaching a sem-inar in Devon for John Burke.The subject matter will be theusual mix of kata bunkai, flowdrills and historical content andit will be well worth taking theday off and travelling toNewton Abbot to visit and train.

The seminar is set to com-mence at 6.30pm and goes onuntil 9.30pm. The seminar isonly £20 to readers of Combatand Traditional Karate but asplaces are limited, you mustbook in advance by calling01626 360999

FEDOR EMELIANENKO EXTENDSHIS PRIDE CONTRACT!

Mirko Filipovic has officiallydeparted the Japanese mixedmartial arts organization forNorth America and the UFC.Now PRIDE, through its web-site, has announced that it hasagreed to extend Emelianenko’scontract. Speaking to Pridefc.com, Emelianenko said, “I amhappy to continue my career inPRIDE and look forward toadding to my unbeaten streakas champion.”

Terms of the contract arenot known at present.

UFC BACK IN BRITAIN!The UFC will be coming to

England in 2007! Dana Whitetold us that they plan to con-tinue expanding the UFC andbuilding on the success thatthey’ve enjoyed.

Mark Weir gave his oppo-nent a serious spanking the lasttime they were over here and inso doing, won UFC’s record forthe fastest knockout. Let’s hopeour boys show the Colonialsjust how good we are!

ITF NEWSThe ITF World

Championships (junior andsenior) will be held in Quebec,Canada during May 31st -June 3rd 2007. Visit www.itfwcquebec2007.com foreverything you wanted to knowabout the event - but wereafraid to ask!

ITF Austria has launched amedia kit for its instructors. Thekit includes an ITF poster witha blank space at the bottom soyou can add information aboutyour association before print-ing it. It also includes a 2007calendar with dates relating toITF events and a pocket-sizedcard bearing the ITF Credoand The Student’s Oath. Asample business card allowsyou to simply add your person-al contact information.

This is a free service for allnational associations!

The Presidents of the WTFand ITF signed an agreementon December 2nd, 2006 to setup the Co-ordination Committeefor Taekwondo Integration. Thisintegration was always veryclose to the late General ChoiHong Hi’s heart.

TAEKWONDO 8TH OPEN WORLDCHAMPIONSHIPS

Tae Kwon Do Internationalhas launched the website forthe 8th Open World Champ-ionships at www.taekwondoworldchampionships2007.com.This prestigious event will beheld Saturday June 30th -Sunday 1st July.

THE MAN, THE MYTHMany of Combat’s readers

will know - or have probablybought goods from - BernardChong of BCS Sports. Well,Bernard recently made a trip toHong Kong to visit family andfriends - but he also used thetrip to visit places with a mar-tial art connection. One of thehighlights was his visit toAvenue of The Stars, which isin Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.There Bernard saw first-handthe statue erected to celebratethe life and work of Bruce Lee.Bernard told us, “It’s worthgoing just to see that!”


‘UNDERSTANDING THE PATTERN’

‘FEDOR EMELIANENKO EXTENDS HIS PRIDE CONTRACT!’

‘THE MAN, THE MYTH’

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 52

THE STRIPPERTAGB black belt and World

Champion Ben Parr made hisdebut recently on our TVscreens as stripper ‘Freddie’ inthe soap opera ‘Hollyoaks’.His character has moved inwith the ever- feisty ‘NancyHayton’ (played by JessicaFox). “It was a really tough callon my first day on set” saidBen, who has trained withKenny Walton for the past 12years. “I had to do a one-to-one strip and as you can imag-ine it was quite a test of confi-dence, but all my years of com-peting really came into playand I managed to keep mynerve”.

PUMAPUMA Tang Soo Do

Coordinator Steve Weymanrecently went to tackle fourcriminals as they attempted tobreak into a car. He and hisson-in-law subdued two ofthem before the third stabbedSteve in the shoulder with ascrewdriver. Steve Weyman isnow recovering at home, whilethe two thieves he and his son-in-law caught are currently‘helping police with theirenquiries..’

Well done, Steve! And getwell soon!

BONG SOO HANBong Soo Han’s name is

synonymous with hapkido. Apioneer in the martial artsmovies, it was GrandmasterHan who made ‘Billy Jack’ oneof the most famous early mar-tial arts films ever released.Grandmaster Han felt it wasimportant to ensure that stan-dards never slipped so he pro-moted only 100 students toblack belt in the 35 years hespent teaching in the UnitedStates. Grandmaster Han final-ly lost his 2-year battle withcancer on Monday 8th January2007. He was aged 75.

A TRIBUTE TO ENOEDAIn conjunction with Kamae

the KUGB has produced aDVD tribute to former ChiefInstructor, the late SenseiEnoeda. The disc containsinterviews with Sensei Enoeda,Mrs. Enoeda and the KUGB’smost senior instructors. It con-tains much previously unseenfootage and is a must for allstudents of karate.

FIGHTING FIT IN SCHOOLSA school in Bury St

Edmunds is revolutionising PElessons with the help of amartial artist! Local man BillyWappett has been appointedto make PE lessons moreattractive to pupils! From nowon, pupils will be able to learnkick-boxing as well as the usualsports such as rugby, netballand football.

JACKIE, THE SONG & DANCE MANJackie Chan has often

compared his film fight chore-ography to dancing and itseems like the Hong KongDance Alliance agrees. OnFebruary 6, 2007 Jackie washonoured with a LifetimeAchievement Award for hiscontribution to body movementart. The Hong Kong DanceAlliance has members from allsectors of the Hong Kongdance community. “Mr. Chanincorporated diverse bodymovements into movies, facili-tating an exchange betweenmartial arts and dance.Everyone can see for them-selves the creativity of thisunique movie language,” saidAnna Chan, Chairwoman ofthe Hong Kong Dance Alliance.She also praised him for hisongoing support of the HongKong dance community.

TERRA COTTA SOLDIERS AT THE LOWRY!

Many say that the ChineseState Circus has changed tra-ditional entertainment forever.Whatever your view, acrobatswill be joining forces with mas-ters of martial arts, and fabledcharacters from the world-famous Peking Opera - includ-ing the Monkey King, will behosting an all-new productionthat includes flying warriors,acrobatic terracotta soldiersand the ‘woman of a hundredfaces’. The artists have beenselected from seven differenttroupes in China and you’ll seeback-flipping acrobats spi-ralling through rotating hoops,contortionists, Chinese polebalancing and a beautifully setand costumed performance ofthe Lion Dance.


‘BONG SOO HAN’

Federation ofMartial ArtsAre you a Martial Artist? Then Read This....

We currently cater for a membership of over 60Organisations, in which many of our groups havean open door policy wherein you will receive theirrespective circulations of Courses, Championshipsetc, direct from us. All it takes is a phone call to

determine eligibility. Why miss out!

The Council members of the F.M.A. are all timeserved Martial Arts practitioners, and have an in-house policy of low interference with the runningof their Clubs or Associations. All we ask is thatapplicants possess a minimum of 100 students toenable them to join direct, or if less, we can put

you in touch with one of our existing members toserve as an umbrella group until you achieve the

required status.

To apply direct to the F.M.A. all you need to do iswrite, phone or fax direct to the Hon. Secretary:-Mr. D. A. Carruthers (Alan), 198 Meadow Road,

Beeston Rylands, Nottingham, NG9 1JR -Tel/Fax: 0115 925 0167.

We look forward to seeing or hearing from you,and hope that you take this opportunity to become

part of our Federation. We cater for any size ofOrganisation who applies for membership.

Ring Now for Details....

� Full information and guidance on Dan gradings

� Full UK Registration and Insurance Cover� All Martial Arts catered for including

reputable Kickboxing clubs� On line support if and when required� Full access to our Multi-Style Federation� International Affiliations welcome� No over political activities, just Martial Arts� Don’t waste time. Telephone today!

The Federation of Martial Arts is an AffiliateMember of F.E.K.O. which is one of the Largest

Organisations within the UK.

Tel:0115 925 0167

Federation ofMartial ArtsAre you a Martial Artist? Then Read This....

We currently cater for a membership of over 60Organisations, in which many of our groups havean open door policy wherein you will receive theirrespective circulations of Courses, Championshipsetc, direct from us. All it takes is a phone call to

determine eligibility. Why miss out!

The Council members of the F.M.A. are all timeserved Martial Arts practitioners, and have an in-house policy of low interference with the runningof their Clubs or Associations. All we ask is thatapplicants possess a minimum of 100 students toenable them to join direct, or if less, we can put

you in touch with one of our existing members toserve as an umbrella group until you achieve the

required status.

To apply direct to the F.M.A. all you need to do iswrite, phone or fax direct to the Hon. Secretary:-Mr. D. A. Carruthers (Alan), 198 Meadow Road,

Beeston Rylands, Nottingham, NG9 1JR -Tel/Fax: 0115 925 0167.

We look forward to seeing or hearing from you,and hope that you take this opportunity to become

part of our Federation. We cater for any size ofOrganisation who applies for membership.

Ring Now for Details....

� Full information and guidance on Dan gradings

� Full UK Registration and Insurance Cover� All Martial Arts catered for including

reputable Kickboxing clubs� On line support if and when required� Full access to our Multi-Style Federation� International Affiliations welcome� No over political activities, just Martial Arts� Don’t waste time. Telephone today!

The Federation of Martial Arts is an AffiliateMember of F.E.K.O. which is one of the Largest

Organisations within the UK.

Tel:0115 925 0167FEK001/02

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 54

CAGE RAGE RATINGS CONTINUETO GROW!

Thanks to its fast-growingarmy of loyal fans, Cage Ragecontinues to be one of the UK’sbiggest MMA events - both inlive and in on-screen formats.Cagerage.tv is generous inthanking everybody who gavetheir time to be interviewed,including Mark Epstein, DaveLegeno, Lee Doski, GrantWaterman, Cabbage,Butterbean, Elvis Sinosic, theRing Girls etc etc. Let’s hopethat they are also able to getthis back to Freeview! Wouldn’tit be great to see the UK’s pre-mier event back in front of themajority of the population?

PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHAMP-TON KENDO CLUBS LAUNCHCHARITY COMPETITION

London, 5th February2007: South coast based prac-titioners of the Japanese mar-tial art of kendo (fencing) areheld a competition on Saturday,3rd February at the St. LukesCommunity Centre, Portsmouth,in aid of the Macmillan CancerSupport. The competition wasorganised jointly by theSouthampton and Portsmouthkendo clubs, with the support ofthe British Kendo Associationand raised £488 for the charity.The results were: 1st StuartGibson (UCL Kendo Club). 2ndWill Wright (London City KendoClub) 3rd Justin Ruddle(Horsham Club), TerashimaShuichi (Leader of PortsmouthKendo Club), Fighting Spirit:Neil Sharp (UCL Kendo Club)

Commenting on the compe-tition, Phil McLaughlin, leader ofthe Southampton Kendo Club,said: “This is the first year ofwhat we hope will become anannual competition. We aredelighted that the proceeds willbe going to such a worthy char-ity and hope to attract partici-pants from across the country.”

For further information,

please contact: Paul Gray, BKAPRO, Email: [email protected] Tel 020 7403 3990

Phil McLaughlin, Leader ofSouthamton Kendo Club,[email protected] Tel:07787 515341

THE TEESIDE TALLYTeesside’s Northern Tang

Soo Do martial arts club beat35 rival squads to win theteam prize at the WTSDAMidland Championships inBirmingham. In fact the clubwon 28 individual trophies andplaced third in team hyungs tocollect the award. Their tallyincluded 5 first places, 13 sec-ond places and 10 thirds.

They were also awarded theMost Supportive Club Trophy.

WORLD MARTIAL ART GAMES 2008The next World Martial Arts

games will be held in India dur-ing 2008 and WFK UK plans tobe there with a team! The WFKis the only kick-boxing organi-sation in the world recognisedto enter these games. ThePresident of the IOC will openthe Games because theInternational Martial arts GamesCommittee (based in Korea) isrecognised by the IOC and theWFK is now working closely withthe IOC towards Olympic recog-nition for kick-boxing. If this issuccessful, then kick-boxerswanting to represent the UK atthe Olympics will only be able todo so under the WFK banner!

ALEXIS MARKOKONSTANTINOSAETF Deputy Secretary

General AlexisMarkokonstantinos (Greece)died on Tuesday 2nd Januaryas a result of a heart attack.Alex worked tirelessly at promot-ing his art and is rememberedalso for his amazing ability tospeak nearly every Europeanlanguage! His warmth andfriendship will be greatly missedby the taekwondo community.

ON YER BIKE!Aidan Trimble (7th dan)

has opened the new FSKHonbu dojo in Nottingham.The Venue is the formerHumber Works - a large facto-ry built during the late 1800’sand famous for makingHumber bikes. The floor spacehas been extensively re-habbedwith a new lounge, changingfacilities, a large matted area,air-conditioned hall and recep-tion. The dojo has mirrorsdown one side of the hall andmakiwara on the other. Youcan watch training from thelounge area thanks to camerasin the dojo.

FORTY YEARS OF THE KUGBYou can buy the KUGB’s

40th Anniversary SouvenirPublication for £6 (includingpost & packing). The publica-tion contains 68 full-colourpages and it could well becomea collector’s item. It includesprofiles on Sensei’s Enoeda,Sherry and all KUGB 4th dansand above. There is also a sec-tion on the key events, whichshaped the KUGB since itbegan in 1966.

Make your cheque out toKUGB and mail it to PO Box 3Wirral CH43 6UU.

ITF IN OZGrandmaster Rhee con-

firmed the dates for his visit toAustralia in 2007 after hereturned from the EuropeanChampionships held inThessalonica, Greece. Rhee willteach at two seminars inMelbourne and in Queensland.The dates are May 19-20 and26-27, 2007.

IN MEMORIAMThe late Lily Rodriguez was

one of the most versatile feath-erweights in women’s boxingduring the 70’s and early 80’s.She enjoyed many successes asa kick-boxer, and came from a

famous family that pioneeredkickboxing. She was one of thefirst women to fight on the all-women boxing card inCalifornia on July 13, 1979.She is also credited with fight-ing at Madison Square Gardenin an event covered by the ABCWide World of Sports.

“She really changed martialarts for women,” said MichaelMatsuda, founder of theMartial Arts History Museum inSanta Clarita. “She was one ofthe few women champions inthe 1970s and one of a hand-ful of pioneers who spurredwomen into full-contact karate,as kick-boxing was originallyknown,” he said.

EKK NEWSSensei Enzo reports that

Andrew Kanias has opened asister club in Wales called‘Wales Karate Kan’ whileAnthony Everitt has openedanother club in Italy named‘Italia Karate Kan’.

EGKA’S 24TH EUROPEANGASSHUKU

EGKA’s 24th EuropeanGasshuku will be held inBournemouth between July21st and 28th 2007. SenseiHigaonna (9th dan) will leadthe training. He will be assistedby Bakkies Laubscher (8th dan)and Europe’s most seniorinstructors.

SPONSORSHIP NEEDEDThe good news is that

Chris Tully has been selectedto represent Great Britain atthe World UniversityChampionships, which are tobe held in New York duringthe summer. The bad news isthat he has to pay for the triphimself! This means raisingaround £1,000.00. TheBWKU is looking at ways tohelp Chris raise money - soplease contact them if you canoffer any help or suggestions!


‘CAGE RAGE RATINGSCONTINUE TO GROW!’

‘ON YER BIKE!’

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 55

DDell Mann, Vice President ofWFK and Chairman of WFKPro in Europe recently cameback from a meeting in Paris(Jan 16th -18th), where WFK

and EFK instructors from all overEurope come together to talk about theway forward. The biggest news for UKpractitioners is that they have establisheda Head Office for WFK/EFK UK andhave appointed the administration team.

Members of the team are:WFK UK PRESIDENT - Dell MannWFK UK Technical Chairman MasterGoff BatesWFK UK Secretary - Miss Karen MayesAll that remains now is for a VicePresident to be appointed.The UK Executive committee has alsonow been appointed and consists of:WFK UK President - Dell MannWFK UK Technical Chairman - MasterGoff BatesWFK UK Secretary - Miss Karen MayesWFK UK Executive Committee Member- Mr Phil SwanwickWFK UK Executive Committee Member- Mr Peter Parker Colman

What’s different about the WFK andthe EFK however? Unlike many otherorganisations they are truly non-profitmaking and with this in mind haveopened a bank account under WFK UK,where all money from sanctioned eventswill go. This means that every penny isaccounted for and that all members of

the admin team and the technical com-mittee are able to view the books andensure that the money is being used cor-rectly. The WFK UK guarantees thatALL the money goes back to the mem-bers, fighter’s teams and to further theorganisation of the art in this country.

When asked, what does the WFK UKoffer promoters and kick boxers Delreplied; “We offer all the official paper-work needed for the show at least fourweeks before the event. This includes allthe official score cards, weigh-in sheets,you name it, it’s all provided. Advertisingis also done in the magazines and on thetwo official websites. We also plan tooffer more international competitionsabroad. The World Martial Arts Gamesis held every 2 years. The last one was inKorea and saw 25,000 spectators comingto watch that event. There are videos ofthis on the WFK website.”

“We have the fighter’s best interestsat heart and truly want them to feel val-ued. All of our title belts are handmadeto order and come in a presentation caseand will be on show at the presentations.Every title belt is different. However, werecognise that not everyone can be achampion but can still be a good fighter.With this in mind, every show in whichthe judges think a fighter has done well(regardless of whether they win or not)the WFK and EFK will pay for a hand-made belt to be awarded on the night.How many other organisations can youname that do that?”

WFK UK has a trip to India planned!2008 will see the next World MartialArts games, which will be held in Indiawith WFK UK planning to take a team.The WFK is the only kickboxing organi-sation in the world recognised to enterthese games but even more importantly,opening the games will be the Presidentof the IOC. This is because theInternational Martial arts GamesCommittee based in Korea, is recognisedby the IOC and the WFK is now work-ing closely with the IOC towardsOlympic recognition for kickboxing.

Kickboxers interested in seeing kick-boxing gain Olympic recognition andrepresenting the UK at the Olympicswill only be able to do so under theWFK banner.

WFK UK EGMWFK UK sent out an invitation to all

their members in order to tell everyonewhat was agreed at the meeting in Parisearlier this year.

At this meeting Shawn Burton, whowon the first EFK title fight inNovember, and who was present with astanding belt due to issues with supplywas presented with the official title belt.

Master Goff Bates was also shown thehigh esteem in which the WFK hold himas he was presented with Honorary GrandMaster degree. Master Goff recentlyaccepted the position of TechnicalCommittee chairman which Dell Mannsays is a big honour for the WFK UK.


WFK COMESTO THE UK!

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 57

COMBAT April 2007

DOUBLE IMPACT!An open forum with

Master Cris Janson-Piers & Kerry-Louise Norbury









T

Outward Bound “A Bridge Too Far?”T his month Kerry-Louise and Cris Janson-Piers will be

talking about outward bound type courses, the directbenefits to martial artists, and the trials and tribulations.There are many martial arts schools and kickboxing camps

that run these types of courses throughout the country and manyopen them up to anyone, even members of the public. All areasare covered, such as self improvement, competitive spirit betweenoneself and another singular competitor, whilst not forgettingteam building, team spirit and group participation.

Self- improvement, self- confidence and self- motivation arekey areas in martial arts and indeed in all sports. Many times wehave seen a person in the gym leave out his last set of weightsbecause there’s no one pushing him, or he or she slows down atthe end of a run and doesn’t have that final push to try and betterhis own time. This type of course puts participants at the mercy ofthe organising instructors. They provide the push, create thedesire and the student has to come up with the goods - sometimesactually pushing themselves harder and further than they haveever achieved before.

Cris states “I expect from the student no more than thedemands I had to meet myself on similar types of courses in thepast. Being Ex- Forces, and also using an HMS Prison ServicesPTI, ensures the students reach their full potential, sometimes theparticipants actually shock themselves.”

Kerry-Louise, who still competes professionally in kickboxingand is to turn Professional as a boxer very shortly, actually takesthe indoor circuit elements to such courses as she is more thanqualified and trains on these and other gruelling sets of exercisesalong with her ring work six days a week.

Kerry-Louise states “I really enjoy constructing the circuits forthe competitors. I make sure that the participant is in for a full bodywork out, and that their cardiovascular element is tested to the full.”

Some of the courses have a one day element and some areover a weekend. Shorter basic courses can involve children butsome stipulate an over 18 year’s age restriction because of theseverity or possible hazards that cannot be ignored. Cris andKerry-Louise’s ‘Team Survival’ is split into three different mod-ules; the basic course, an ‘Elite’ and an ‘Extreme’. The latter twoallow participation by adults only.

As most of the courses which different organisations run havea huge fitness, stamina and hand-eye co-ordination element tothem, they usually include masses of physical exercises, whichmay include running. As all martial artists are not solely runnersand some not suited to excessively long distances the running ele-ment is or can be hidden within several of the exercises. A typicalbasic course could look something like the one below and theduration could be anything between 5-6 hours. All students mustbe physically fit and must have no illnesses or injuries that mayaffect their training or put themselves at further risk.

Gym SectionWarm up and stretch

2-3 Circuits, working in pairs to give that initial desire for acompetitive edge, with timed stations on a preset timer sothere is no time for rest apart from the appointed time of a 15second station change over. Consisting of:

1. Short sprint shuttle runs (lying down at the end of each run, thengetting up and running as your partner reaches your start line).

2. There are always specialised sections on Ply Metrics (Thisbeing a series of exercises that develop power and the musclesand fibres for explosive exertion). Examples such as MedicineBall against the wall, or thrown from the chest. Throwing aMedicine Ball back to your partner above you whilst they keepthe return continuous is another. The use of stronger exercisebands has the same effect and there’s the hurdle jumps.

Medicine Ball sit ups Blind ChaseElevated press ups in freezing cold running stream water.One slip or a fail and you’re in!

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 58

The list of this type of training is extensive and extremelybeneficial to the martial artist.

3. Press ups

4. Crunches

5. Medicine Ball sit ups

6. Relay floor cone touching

7. Weighted exercises (A large variation of weights must be sup-plied to suit individual needs and supervision must be by aprofessional)

8. Dipping is a good all time favourite, along with bar pull ups(used extensively in military or public services pre selection test-ing). Similar exercises also such as squatting or lunges, not nec-essarily with weights as these can be performed rapidly and light-ly with ones own body weight to affect the fast twitch fibres.

A short warm down from high level activity is employed and ashort water break is allowed, during which the instructors can visi-bly assess the condition of any participant before preparing themfor the second outdoor stage. The list of exercises above could beendless, but these are laid out just to give an idea of the demandsmade upon everyone. Notice the lack of martial arts techniques.This is for two reasons: one is so anyone from any walk of life canattend and participate and the other is because the exercises are allbased around the fitness, stamina, movement and agility neededfor our sport, whichever martial art you are involved in.

Cris then commented about the past when he trained under thetutelage of Sensei Phil Milner and John Robinson, saying, “thecourses today are hard and demanding, but the traditional ele-ment that was involved years ago would today be seen as possiblydangerous and high risk. However, with society’s acceptance con-stantly changing, the courses and their content have to be adapt-ed to suit allowances and requirements. We conduct a full safetyassessment before all our courses are allowed to go ahead andthe courses are as hard as we are allowed to make them withinthe guidelines.” Kerry-Louise added “I experienced the bruntend of the training Cris used to have to go through himself, as hiscourses were still accepted when I was a youngster but I havebeen here through all the changes. Although we are now morerestricted, our courses are still designed to get the best out of theindividual, but with safety in mind at all times”

With a superb location of a local wooded and recreation areaon hand, which is owned and maintained by the local council,made it very easy for such a course to be designed. May we addthat respect and care must always given to the local countryside! Ashort 1 mile run, mainly down hill, seems quiet easy on the waythere, but what the people on the course seem to forget is that afterthey have completed the course the run home is ALL uphill!

Outdoor SectionExercises and tasks for the outdoor section are dependant on

facilities. The courses are usually designed near February so theweather may be a little harder than usual, snow or rain, the coursestill goes ahead! Examples of some of the course sections arebelow, bearing in mind different courses throughout the countrydiffer in format, but the general idea remains the same.

A double sided mud hill run with a river bridge crossing inbetween always is a good start. Competitors have to go againstone another twice, not knowing who is being timed or when,ensuring they have to put 100% into both attempts. Safety mar-shals are at the ready with bump pads so the guys do not go in theriver, but it is still very daunting on the way down!

Another great individual motivator: Two students are placed eitherside of a circular set of trees. Unable to see the other person, theyhave to run round in a circle as fast as they can, catch sight ofthem and try to touch them. Then it is reversed.

A seemingly easy and deceiving exercise is an elevating ladderrun, when hands and feet must touch all rungs in a monkey runfashion. The fun starts when the participant turns around and startsoff downhill. The rungs are actually treads in steps in the hillside.

The nearest Cris’ course gets to the courses of the past is the ele-vated press ups in freezing cold running stream water. One slip ora fail and you’re in!

A military style press up over a mud bath, where one student triesto take the arms of the other competitor and sends them facedown into the mud. Three downs usually makes sure both get afair chance of dropping the other!

Games like TEAM Rugby or Tug of War are always used at theend of these types of courses, as it brings everyone back into aworking group and promotes teamwork. This is another area thatis so important to martial artists, as they often have to travelabroad and work with and support each other.

Two students give an account of the last course theywent on:Eliza Skill (Student):

“I must say that my dad, who is now in the veterans categoryfor points karate went on ‘Team Survival’ in Yorkshire and he saidif I can do it you are doing it! I am competing at the moment formy country and he is adamant that I prepare in every way possiblefor my future competitions. Hard wasn’t the word, but it was alsogreat fun. There were times when you think ‘Oh no, I cannot carryon’, but everyone gets behind you and you feel like you have to doit for them also. I would recommend this type of course to anyone.I believe I personally excelled and I feel that my efforts actuallygained me more respect from my club mates and team membersand vice versa! Taking part in rugby and the tug of war allowedme to show the guys that we girls have got what it takes also.”

Martin Wheatley (Club Instructor, Team Captain on the day):“Testing, rewarding and a great day are words and phrases I

would use for this excellent variation to a martial artists training.We are all used to getting on our Gi and going down to the gym.This system gives the benefits I require as a martial artist but addedan entirely different approach to my training. The course instructorswere firm but friendly and got the best out of everyone whilst ensur-ing their safety was of the utmost importance. I would highly rec-ommend my own students to go on this type of course and wouldcertainly do this type of thing again, great for team building”

More advanced and weekend courses can involve abseiling,canoeing, camping, route finding/map reading and high rope workor assault courses. All great fun, but professional instructors inthis field must be used. A welcoming sight after all this is homebase, where coffee or soup and a hot shower are always more thanwelcome! Contacting any reputable organisation will allow youaccess to this type of training; it’s not just fun but massively bene-ficial with a great sense of achievement gained by all. Maybeyour own instructor can devise such a course?

Good Luck!


The Team

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 59

SHAOLIN GONGFUSELF-DEFENCE TECHNIQUES

By Shifu Shi HenglongBy Shifu Shi Henglong

Party A and Party B stand opposite to each other. (Fig.1)

Party B attack: Party B grab Party A’s right wrist with his righthand (Fig.2)

Party A defend: Party A press Party B’s right hand with his lefthand (Fig.3-4) Then twist his right hand towards right and grabParty B’s wrist. Press party B’s wrist and make Party B unableto move (Fig.5)


(Supplied by Shifu Shi Henglong from Chinese WushuAcademy UK. For more info, please visit www.chinesegongfu.info)





3

1

2

4

5

TT his month we continue our new ShaolinGongfu self-defence techniques regularfeature and I am pleased that Shifu Shi

Henglong has afforded us the opportunity todisplay another aspect to Gongfu training inthese dynamic pictorial features.

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 61

AAthrowback to the glory daysof Nigel Benn and FrankBruno, World ChampionRicky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton isone of the few current British

boxers exciting the fans and drawingbig crowds wherever he fights. Hisassault on America continued success-fully when he regained his light welter-weight title from Juan Urango in LasVegas. Whilst the papers sports pagescovered his victory in depth, it was theside-bar in the Daily Mail’s report thatreally stoked the fires of a growing

debate, namely whether or not boxinghas lost its mainstream fanbase toMMA. The piece noted that in Vegas,spiritual home of the UFC, when JoePublic talks about the big fight or thechamp, they are not talking about theboxers anymore but the likes of ChuckLiddell and Matt Hughes.

This report reinforces the rapid glob-al rise of MMA in a very short space oftime, to the point that the boxing frater-nity is now recognising the threat pro-vided to its popularity from franchisessuch as The UFC in America, Pride in

Japan and Cage Rage here in Britain,with crowds of up to 8,000 packing intoWembley Arena for our home grownMMA showcase. Even professionalwrestling is now looking over its shoul-der, as its pay-per-view ascendancy isbeing eroded by the MMA machine.Showtime, a boxing stalwart has lookedat the maths and is now in negotiationwith Elite Xtreme Combat, the new kidon the MMA block in the States, giventhat MMA pay per view figures aretrashing those from boxing.

The rise of MMA has been phenom-


BOXING’S BIGGEST FIGHT...MMA!Will Mixed Martial Arts ground and pound the noble art?

Now MMA is mainstreamand as boxing and itsrival square off, who will win the battle forboth the fans and media coverage?

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 62

enal and shocking, as the early UFC wasraw, limited and self-defeating, tradingon the prospect of blood, guts and bru-tality to fill its seats. As a result, itseemed doomed to minor cult status,especially as the advertising backfiredand many States banned it as barbaric. Achange in ownership saw the emphasisshift and marketing dollars wereploughed into a charm offensive and, forthe first time, the battle lines were drawnwith boxing, as much of the UFC’s cam-paign centred on the fact that, statistical-ly, MMA was safer than boxing. Itworked too and a new user-friendly UFCburst onto the scene.

Now MMA is mainstream and asboxing and its rival square off, who willwin the battle for both the fans andmedia coverage, the Old Champ or theNew Kid on the Block? As it stands,everything seems to favour the new guyand boxing only just seems to be wakingup to the threat. Two major factors are atwork here. The first is that, with or with-out an MMA rival, boxing has been indecline for a number of years. TheHeavyweight division, boxing’s flagship,is at an all time low, with no one fightercapturing the imagination or gainingcredibility since Lewis battered Tysonand then retired himself. The gapinghole these two men left simply hasn’tbeen filled and doesn’t look likely to befilled in the near future.

Boxing will always have a hardcorefanbase, I’m a huge boxing fan myselfand there are credible champions in thelower weights and some real charactersbut nowhere near as many as in previousyears, for example the seventies andeighties, when every champ seemedcharismatic and worthy of coverage. Incontrast, the MMA champions are thenew superstars and poster boys for ageneration, as exemplified when ChuckLiddell was besieged by fans at lastyear’s Seni show. More youngsters, itseems, are aware of Chuck, Tito andWanderlai than they are the current cropof boxing champions, Hatton and JoeCalzaghe aside, and they are perceivedas more exciting and credible.

The second point was brought intofocus by the Daily Mail article, wherethe reporter seemed amazed that thisbrutal and barbaric sport was winningfans at the expense of ‘the noble art’.The article proved that boxing still seesMMA in its first incarnation and, as aresult, maintains an air of smug superi-ority, burying its head in the sand andfailing to recognise the changes the sporthas undergone, not realising that manybelieve MMA to be a safer alternative.This complacency could prove costly, asmore and more satellite channels fight toacquire mixed martial arts shows. ‘CageRage’ founders Dave O’Donnell andAndy Geer have a nightly magazine

show on the fight channel, when hasboxing ever had this?

A final factor that tips the balance infavour of MMA is something that box-ing has no control over and that is thefact that MMA is new. Whatever theindustry, whenever something newcomes along it has an advantage; afreshness, a novelty, whatever you wantto call it, that puts established brands ata disadvantage, as the only tools at theirdisposal they have to react to this newphenomenon is the same old toolsthey’ve always had and it can look staleby comparison. In this particular case,MMA has the vitality of youth, adynamic combat sport still growing andevolving, whereas boxing is simply box-ing, an institution we’ve grown up withand probably take for granted. Certainly,there isn’t the buzz about boxing thereused to be, a fact Sylvester Stalloneutilises at the heart of his Rocky Balboascript. Sadly the old or established tendsto only realise the threat once it is toolate-one day we’re all watching video,the next DVD’s are the thing and so it iswith Boxing and MMA.

Despite always being put forward asthe combat sport of the people, a blue-collar bastion, Boxing has always beenaloof when it comes to the fans. The near-est the fans often get to their heroes iswhen they make the long walk to the ringand the vision of the boxing champ sur-rounded by bodyguards as he gets out ofhis flash car is still a potent one. By con-trast the MMA fraternity has worked hardon rewarding its fanbase, the championsare perceived as working Joes and regu-larly mingle with the fans, even beforeand after big fights. This accessibility is abig factor and one that boxing could learnfrom; Cage Rage fighters are available forautographs and photos at the beginning ofthe show and this inter-action is reapingdividends in public relations terms.

Boxing cannot combat this new rivalsimply by claiming the moral high groundas ‘the noble art’, citing the brutal natureof MMA. Not only is the argument naïve,in real safety terms, MMA is coming outthe winner in medical circles, as previous-ly mentioned. On a wider note, as muchas I personally love boxing, when has itever really been noble? Entrenched Mobinfluence is well documented, Don Kinghas carved up the heavyweight divisionfor decades and the consistent battering aboxer takes to his head and the fatalitiesthat occur are indefensible when com-pared to MMA and the vision of the‘punch drunk pug’ is a universal staple incertain types of movies.

Boxing will never die-out as a spec-tator sport but I believe it will bottomout, just as interest in MMA will peak,however, by the time both these thingshappen I think a new world order willhave been established and it will beMMA that is in ascendancy...until some-thing new comes along, of course.

What do you think?

[email protected]


001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 63

A living legend with a dream


MM artial arts and action filmstar Chuck Norris is, quitesimply, fast becoming a leg-end. Many people believe

that he is a legend already. He is cer-tainly possessed with a great deal of self-belief and religious conviction and thesehave given him the ability to aim muchhigher than most people and to achievethe targets that he sets. Norris wasmoved as he watched Martin LutherKing on television as he spoke outsidethe Lincoln Memorial and now, likeKing, Norris has a dream.

King’s posing of ‘Life’s most persis-tent and urgent question is’, “What areyou doing for others?” has remainedwith Norris all this time and has beenthe catalyst for a lot of what he is doing.Norris states on WND “Your sphere ofinfluence may not be as expansive. Yourcause may not be as grandiose. Andyour sacrifice may not be as costly ornoticeable. Nevertheless, your calling toserve others is as inherent in yourdesign as it was in his.

That’s the one thing King couldn’t do- as powerful as a figure as he was, hecould not force anyone to follow suit inusing their influence to help others. Hecould inspire others to dream, but hecould not drive them to sacrifice for thosedreams. No leader can. As King said,‘Every man must decide whether he willwalk in the light of creative altruism or inthe darkness of destructive selfishness’.’’

Norris strongly believes that by usingyour gifts, talents and influence for oth-ers’ good, rather than your own you canhelp change the world and society as awhole. No matter how little, any changeis a good change.

Norris follows the 12 maxims below,using them to guide his life;

1. I will develop myself to the maximumof my potential in all ways.

2. I will forget the mistakes of the pastand press on to greater achievements.

3. I will always be in a positive frame ofmind and convey this feeling to everyperson that I meet.

4. I will continually work at developinglove, happiness and loyalty in myfamily and acknowledge that no othersuccess can compensate for failure inthe home.

5. I will look for the good in all peopleand make them feel worthwhile.

6. If I have nothing good to say about aperson, I will say nothing.

7. I will give so much time to theimprovement of myself that I willhave no time to criticize others.

8. I will always be as enthusiastic aboutthe success of others as I am aboutmy own.

9. I will maintain an attitude of open-mindedness toward another person’sviewpoint while still holding fast tothat which I know to be true and hon-est.

10. I will maintain respect for those inauthority and demonstrate this respectat all times.

11. I will always remain loyal to God, mycountry, family and my friends.

12. I will remain highly goal-orientedthroughout my life because that posi-tive attitude helps my family, mycountry, and myself.

He has also adopted these maxims asthe tenets of Chun Kuk Do (chung gookdo) using the creed of Discipline,Integrity, Loyalty and Respect. For 30years Norris has dreamt about turning theexcitement of the individual sport ofcombat martial arts into a team event thatwill capture the imagination of the mass-es. The culmination of this dream hasbeen the formation of the World CombatLeague (WCL). Norris states that “TheWCL brings together martial arts expertsby region in a team format - six combatwarriors against six combat warriors.Each team represents their city, theirteam, and their individual skills in an allout striking war. There is no wrestling orgrappling to slow down the action.”

In addition to this, the rules penalisefighters who waste time or avoid fighting.There is no gamesmanship allowed, theaction is non-stop and the website is fullof awesome knockouts. Norris isn’t stop-ping there however as this is one part thedream that he and his wife Gena share.The official charity of the WCL isKickstart. This is where Norris’ truenature shines forth. Not satisfied with cre-ating a new combat format that has excel-lent revenue prospects he has decided to

take all of the profits to help at-risk youthacross the United States.

Norris continues “That is what wehave purposed in our hearts and is ourlife’s mission, by far my most importantundertaking.” This isn’t just an importantundertaking, it’s a monumental and heart-warming undertaking from someone who(had he been inclined) could sit back andenjoy the fruits of their labour selfishly.It’s a shame that many other celebritiesand exceedingly rich people aren’t seen tobe doing this. Other notables known fortheir charitable nature include Bill Gates(see he’s not such a bad guy) and JackieChan (bet you expected that though).

Norris’ charity, Kickstart is a characterbuilding, life-skills program whose funda-mental purpose is to give students thetools to strengthen their self image. Theresult of a child developing a strong senseof self-awareness and inner- strength, isthat they are better armed to resist peerpressure, including drug and alcohol useand involvement in gangs. As we allknow, martial arts training provides stu-dents with the core values, beliefs andphilosophies that people associate withleading a productive and healthy life.With society going the way it is, isn’t thissomething that every country needs?

Norris’ continues “That is what weare all about: to give every child achance for a productive life in which theycan achieve their goals and dreams.Kickstart is actively working in 37 of thepublic schools in Texas. We have over5,000 middle school students learning thephilosophies of the martial arts in orderto live a more productive life and makehealthy choices for themselves.”

Not one to aim too low Norris says“Someday, it is our vision to have this pre-vention program in every school inAmerica! I want to see the 5,000 studentsmultiply into millions of students andbeyond.” This is indeed a great undertakingand indeed a breathtaking vision for any-one who wants to see the sport they lovespread whilst being able to help society.Norris continues, “I heard it said once thatit only took 2 percent of our population tocreate our nation ... So if you don’t likewhat you see, be a part of the 2 percent!”

It took somewhat longer and morepeople to found this country but the mes-sage cannot be denied. Society needsstrong role models and these role models

CHUCK NOR001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 64


ORRISneed to be part of society. Aside from reli-gious leaders who, in our increasinglysecular and non-Christian society haveless and less influence, martial artists areoften the most prominent members of oursociety. Who else has access to largenumbers of people on a regular basis fromsuch a diverse range of class, culture andoccupations than martial artists? Who elseis able to influence the views, thoughtpatterns and even physical condition (in apositive manner of course) of large num-bers of people on a regular basis fromsuch a diverse range of class, culture andoccupations than martial artists?

I can think of no other sport in whichthe coaches/instructors are viewed asbeing paragons of society and whoare expected to behave as per-fect examples of society. So,do you think we can makesuch a change? Are youwilling to do so?

by Matthew Sylvesterby Matthew Sylvester

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:44pm Page 65

IIrecently had dealings with an instruc-tor who for the life of him couldn’t fig-ure out why his club was failing and hewas losing money:As a martial artist he was excellent but as

a coach he couldn’t see past ‘macho’. Hewould run classes for 2 hours or more at atime and there is no denying that his sessionswere hard and full of technical content but hewas always bemoaning the fact that he could-n’t keep running at a loss for a handful ofdedicated students. The students that he hadwere undoubtedly fearless and craved ‘macho’but these were just a handful of dedicatedpeople who lived and breathed Martial Arts.

From my encounters with many instruc-tors over recent years, this is not an isolatedincident and I know of a number of themwho have given up, totally disillusioned withteaching Martial Arts. I was talking with anold acquaintance of mine the other week whois now a successful TAGB instructor, and weboth concurred that how we trained and whatwe did in training many years ago is nolonger acceptable today, albeit that MartialArtists may be the less for it.

Today’s society is totally different from theone when we began training in the late nine-teen sixties and early seventies, when classeswere ‘at least’ two hours in duration, if notmore, and the severity of the training regimewas somewhat brutal in the norm. The fabricof our social structure has changed and thedemands for time and attention in all spheresof our daily lives are so much greater. Peopleare now ritually accustomed to dividing theirtime up into small segments in order to jugglewith the demands placed upon them and this issomething that needs to be considered byinstructors if they want to be more successful.

Offering one 2 hour session two times

per week might be ideal, but in the realworld it might be better to divide this up intothree or four 45 minute sessions over a weekcovering various topics in each given periodset up on a rotating basis, perhaps as per theschedule shown below:-

In my opinion an instructor should aim togive ‘quality’ time instead of ‘quantity’ of timeduring a teaching environment and studentscan often put more effort into a shorter periodthan pacing themselves over a longer timespan. This is not just good physically but alsocreates a desire to learn as well as a necessityto acquire the necessary knowledge and skillsin targeted time periods.

Just as with the earliest development ofMartial Arts in bygone centuries, everythingis changing and evolving and nature has away of ensuring that which does not have theability to evolve and adapt is doomed toextinction. When I began training in MartialArts, it was an unquestionable fact that it was‘you’ who had to adapt to the demands of theMartial Arts and never the other way around.In contrast it is more often the case in today’stwenty first century society that instructorsneed to adapt to the demands of society ifthey wish to have larger groups of students ina bigger and more successful school.

With a vast majority of people in MartialArts being children, capturing their attentionspan for longer than forty five minutes or anhour is sometimes quite challenging and ratherthan allowing them to get bored and an instruc-tor become frustrated it is a simple solution toadapt the time frame to suit the child in orderto enable them to enjoy Martial Arts as a pro-ductive activity rather than see them becomebored and lost to another passing fad.

Likewise, parents, who might like to trainin Martial Arts but are deterred from doing

so because they have to pick up a son fromfootball or a daughter from gymnastics mightfind it more convenient to fit in a forty fiveminute session three times per week as partof a busy schedule. Keeping people happy ispart of the key to success, but that doesn’tmean you have to diminish your standards assome instructors might do. By creating alearning, and wanting to learn more, experi-ence students are more likely to stay withyou for longer during which time you canfoster the growth of your school and thedevelopment of your members.

Until the next time....


MONDAY (C) TUESDAY (A) WEDNESDAY (B) THURSDAY (C) FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

4:15-5:00 Kickin’ Cubs Kickin’ Cubs

5:00-5:45 Open House Tae Kwon Dowhite to yellow

5:45-6:30 Junior Kickboxing All Grades Open House Junior kickboxing All Grades

6:30-7:15 Tae Kwon Do Tae Kwon Do Senior Kickboxing Tae Kwon Do COMPETITIONSwhite to yellow white to yellow All Grades white to yellow & COURSES

7:15-8:00 Senior Kickboxing Tae Kwon Do Tae Kwon Do Senior KickboxingAll Grades Green to Black Green to Black All Grades

8:00-8:45 Tae Kwon Do XMA Weapons Tae Kwon Do Green to Black team only! Green to Black

8-8:45

A Class = Patterns/Forms B Class = Sparring C Class = Self Defence/Step Sparring

By Andy DaviesBy Andy Davies

INSTRUCTORS...EVOLVE OR FAIL!

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:45pm Page 69

COMBAT April 2007

B

A MISS IS ASGOOD AS A MILE! A MISS IS ASGOOD AS A MILE! The importance of blocks in martial art trainingThe importance of blocks in martial art training

B locks are one of the least studiedaspects of martial art training.They lag far behind attackingtechniques in the interest stakes

and the approach to them simply seemsto be ‘let’s get the opponent’s techniqueout the way so I can clobber him (orher)!’ As though reflecting this attitudefrom earliest days, blocks seem to be theleast refined part of syllabus. One typesimply smashes the opponent’s attackwith brute force. The other uses a primi-tive form of deflection to meet the oppo-nent’s force at an angle. In both cases,

the emphasis is on blocking the tech-nique. But in this article, we shall lookat ways of blocking the opponent, so hisfollow-up technique is made difficult.

I want to cover a number of generalpoints in this article. The first is that theblock must be made quickly enough todeal with a fast attack. This rules outthe so called ‘pulley-principle blocks’which rely upon the pull-back of thenon-blocking arm to generate power forthe blocking action. It also rules out cir-cular blocks. Both of these are great fordealing with the elbow-locking straightarm punches and strikes of basic tech-nique but they are totally ineffective in

a sparring situation, where attackingtechniques are drawn back immediatelythey miss.

The rule is that all blocking actionsmust use the minimum of movement.Only then can they be employed quicklyenough. If you think about it, thisreduces all blocking actions to a short,crisp action in which deflection isachieved not by force, but by skill.Therefore all the mechanisms needed togenerate force - pull-back, hip twist, cir-cular movements, double arm swings etc- are ruled out.

The second point I want to make isthat blocks must not only aim for theminimum movement, but they mustalso try to achieve maximum deflec-tion of the incoming technique.Novices often fail to achieve this, withthe result that a punch aimed at the jawis swept upwards by a rising block,into the forehead. Poor mid-sectionblocks deflect the techniques from thesolar plexus into the ribs. Ineffectivelower blocks sweep the kick into thehip. All these are symptoms of insuffi-cient blocking action. Contrast themwith the wide sweeps taught in basicblocks, where the attack is deflectedwell to the side. This is wastefulbecause it then takes longer to retrievethe blocking arm. Deflection musttherefore be adequate but not exces-sive. The old saying ‘a miss is as goodas a mile’ applies here!

The third point worth mentioning isthe specificity of blocks. Many blocksare fairly specialised or restricted intheir application and when they are

misapplied, the attacking techniqueis not deflected. Specialised blocks

are typically used by skilled mar-tial artists who are able to

correctly interpret the cuesthat tell them which

attacking technique ison its way. Often

these specialisedblocks use only a

small part of the

Blocks must also try to achieve maximumdeflection of the incoming technique.

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:45pm Page 70

body - such as the palm of the hand - tosweep the attack in the correct direc-tion. Now the palm of the hand has apretty small deflection surface cross-section and if you are inaccurate whenusing it. Contrast this with forearmblocks. These use the whole length ofthe forearm, giving a sweep of up to 12inches in height. Clearly this provides amuch wider margin of error. Doubleblocks increase this margin yet further.

The fourth point is that the blockingaction must be applied correctly to theattacking technique. Blocks are usuallyactive rather than passive. This is tosay that they apply controlled force todeflect the attacker’s energy. Contrastthis with passive blocking, where a limbis simply left in the path of the attack.Though deflection energies need not begreat to achieve an effect, they never-theless must be applied in the correctmanner. Thus a lower parry must meet afront kick at 90 degrees, so the force ofthe kick does not add to the force of theblock in terms of impact. Were thishappen (and it regularly does!), theforearm nearly always loses its battleagainst the shin. Still on this fourthpoint, I want to mention how the block-ing action can be made even moreactive by rotating the forearm. Thisboth stiffens the arm and adds an extrasharpness to the blocking impact.

The fifth point about blocks is thatthey should not be aimed solely at theattacking technique itself. I have neverseen this point mentioned in any martialarts manual or syllabus, though it is anobvious one if you think about it. Thusan incoming punch is met with a fore-arm block and swept to the side. Sowhat? If you have blocked on the wrongside, you have merely turned the oppo-nent’s upper body and encouraged himto use his other fist. Even if you blockhim on his closed side, he is still able towithdraw and counter-attack. You musttherefore always try to block into him -crossing his techniques as you do so.Your block must always travel outwardsfrom your body and towards the oppo-nent. Never block with a sweep thattravels from low to high, or from side toside. All truly effective blocking actionstravel diagonally.

There is a second benefit to doingthis. The incoming technique requiresboth time and distance to develop fullpower and going out to meet it meansdeflecting it before full power is on tap.Furthermore, blocking well out fromyour body gives you a margin of error inwhich to do something should the blockfail. Pity the poor martial artist who hasblocked close to the body. Keep yourchin out the way when going into theopponent! Many people lead with theirfaces as they close with the attacker.Keep your back near to vertical, though

a slight forward lean is permissible.Novices concentrate on the blockingaction and ignore what the rest of thebody is doing. Relax your shoulders butlet them curve forward and above all -keep control of how both arms operate ñnot just the blocking arm. Always moveboth arms together and be economicalwith their action, never moving eithermore than is necessary.

The sixth point is about always keep-ing your body turned so your centre linefaces the opponent. This is critical!Each time you block, project your block-ing energy through your own centre line.Do not do as so many schools do andturn your body away from the attack.This may cause the attack to miss but italso ensures that you are powerless torespond quickly and effectively. In manyof the scooping blocks for example, youare obliged, having twisted away andblocked, to twist back before you canuse a powerful strike. This violates thefirst rule of blocking in that you haveadded an unnecessary and time-consum-ing action. It is true that you could lashout with a back fist but you will find thatwhenever your centre-line faces awayfrom the opponent, the power your strikegenerates is limited.

Turn your body even as the opponentdoes, so you are always facing himsquarely. Use the principle of line tostand in front and slightly to the one sideof him, so you are facing him directlybut he is slightly turned from you. Onlyan imperceptible displacement is neces-sary. Indeed, step too much and he willsee what you are doing and turn to faceyou. Always keep your body directlyturned towards his.

The seventh point concerns the posi-tion of your hands as you block and itbegins where an earlier comment leftoff. Block in such a manner that at leastone of your hands is near the target.Only then can a counter attack beapplied quickly enough. Beware block-ing the opponent and then having toretrieve your non-blocking arm from thehip. Rather bring both fists close to theopponent so you can strike him quicklywith either. The most advanced blockscombine deflection with a counterattack, so the opponent’s punch is firstdeflected, then the fist of the deflectingarm carries on into the opponent’s face.Such techniques, however, require a for-midable level of skill.

The eighth point reiterates and addsto one we looked at a moment ago. Donot let your block cross your own cen-tre line. Not only is this unnecessary, italso makes the technique weak. Keepeach hand to its respective side of thebody and you will be able to use itdirectly. Lose control of your hands sothey cross the centre line willy-nilly andyou will first have to retrieve them

before you can apply a powerful tech-nique. ‘But,’ I hear you argue, ‘if myblock doesn’t cross the centre line, thenthe incoming technique will not beswept far enough to the side and it willstill hit me!’ This would be true were itnot for the fact that body evasion mustbe used to set you up in the correctposition for any block. Don’t just flailyour arms about and expect them tostop a determined attack. A blockresponse does not just entail movingyour arms; you must position your bodytoo. Re-read the paragraphs on centre-line and combine your block with anangled advance into the opponent.

My ninth point concerns the appli-cation of power during the blockingaction. Typically novices ‘focus’ theirblocks and go for maximum power atthe end of the movement. But what hap-pens if the attack is faster than antici-pated? Supposing a kick catches lowerparry before the latter has taken up itsfinal position? The novice’s arm ismoving fast but it lacks energy, so theblock fails and injury is likely. Trying toblock with a rigid arm does not workeither because taut muscles cause a lossof speed. The answer is to use whole-body energy and to move into theattack. Stepping back is not a validresponse because a skilled opponentwill then simply move forward andforce you further onto the defensive.

Aim to make the block effectivethroughout its range of movement, soeven if you are caught unprepared, youaren’t left defenceless. You must be wellguarded at all times. Remember - yourblock must be effective regardless of thecircumstances in which it is used. Ablock must not only work effectively inthe training hall - it should also work inthe cinema, or on the street.


The importance of blocks? Need we say more!

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COMBAT April 2007

Chokes and stranglesare part of variousmartial traditions, suchas Judo and Jujutsu,however, in the publiceye these type oftechniques are seen asunacceptable, especiallywithin law enforcementand similar professions.Let’s explore thetechniques, theapplications, and thescience behind this skill.

BUNBUSERIES

BUNBUSERIES

THE CHOKE ANDSTRANGLE Part 1

MMMMIIIIKKKKEEEEFFFFIIIINNNNNNNN’’’’ssss

LLLLEEEEAAAADDDDIIIINNNNGGGG WWWWOOOORRRRLLLLDDDD AAAAUUUUTTTTHHHHOOOORRRRIIIITTTTYYYY

The art of strangulation is inherent in mostcountries combative culture. In India there werethe Thugees, a sect derived from bandits, whoused a type of scarf garrotte, with either a knot,

or coin tied in the centre. In Victorian Britain, the used ofthe garrotte was common place among villains. Look atany picture of a Victorian policeman and you will noticethe high collar of the jacket covering the neck. Underneaththat a steel collar was often worn to minimise the risk ofbeing garrotted from behind. In Japan the manrikkikusari(weighted chain) included similar techniques in its reper-toire. The earliest type of strangulation technique was ofcourse performed with the bare hands and this is the sub-ject of these articles.

With many empty hand fighting arts, strangulation skillscan be found in the repertoire of techniques. In Japan thesetechniques were inherent in many schools of Jujutsu. Infact some schools made them a primary part of the system.In the groundwork kata of Judo (Katame-no-kata), there isa section called Shimewaza dealing exclusively with stran-gles. Old styles such as Daito Ryu and Tenshin ShinyoRyu, which Jigoro Kano (founder of Judo) studied, have a

In this 1980’s picture, Finn sensei has secureda strangle with manrikkikusari and is at

the same time throwing his opponent.ELI001/03

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:45pm Page 72


repertoire of strangles. Jigoro Kano formalized many ofthese and introduced them into Judo.

In these articles I will be dealing with the physics andphysiology behind strangles, as well as presenting evidenceof the non- invasive nature of application by experiencedexponents. However, in this month’s article I will talk aboutstrangles from my own personal experience as a police offi-cer in the 1960/1970 era. In this present age strangles arefrowned upon as a means of restraining prisoners eitherextremely violent or beyond the pain threshold. Withoutproper execution of the techniques by experienced expo-nents, I would agree. However, I believe there is a place fortheir use in certain areas of restraint, but again I stress, ‘byexperienced exponents’.

When I first joined the police in the early 1960s, wewere called to a man who drew a line on the pavement andsaid he would stab anyone who crossed it, in fact he did(not fatally) and police were called. The man ran into aroom in his house, still holding the chisel he used. A largegroup of officers ran in with truncheons drawn and hit himrepeatedly, he still held onto the chisel and chased themfrom the room. The police dog was sent in, but received aninjury. More officers rushed the room and repeatedly hit theman with truncheons, this was again to little effect.Eventually, a quick thinking sergeant armed the men withdustbin lids (no shields in those days). After more blowsthe man released his grip on the chisel.

He was taken away under escort by ambulance,his hands were black and blue, his head bleeding from the blows. It was clear that dur-ing the whole altercation, hisbody must have been pump-ing endorphins, making himinsensitive to pain. If I wereasked the question as towhat would be more harm-ful, hitting someone repeat-edly in this manner, orapplying a strangle (to thepoint of unconsciousness), Iwould say the latter was less

invasive. If I were asked, what would be worse for a personwith a weak heart (you must ask why a person with a heartcondition would behave in this manner), I would say thetrauma of repeated blows was as likely, if not more likelyto aggravate such a heart condition.

I can relate one incident from my direct experience inthe early 1970’s. I was called to a pub in the centre ofLondon, where other officers had a ‘Mexican stand of’ witha man who had a knife and had stabbed someone in thepub. When I arrived, the pub had been cleared, the doorsguarded, and the man stood at the bar with the knife. I wentin to talk to him, he thrust the knife forward and told me(using some Anglo Saxon) to get back. By keeping him inconversation, I got as close as I could and waited mymoment. As these things are a ‘one chance’ affair, I was inno hurry. I saw the moment and in an instant I grabbed theknife hand, holding his fingers on the handle so he couldnot change hands. I tried a straight arm lock, but becausehe was hyped up, the adrenaline rush had made him verystrong. I was committed - my only choice was a strangle(not a choke). I managed to secure the arm, and with theother hand effect a strangle hold. It only took 10 secondsbefore he fell to his knees, his hand released the knife, andfrom that point it was not difficult to hand him over to theother officers. There was no injury, no after effects, just afew moments being dazed and confused.

On one occasion a guy on ‘Angel Dust’ was pinned tothe floor by 8 officers, he just stood up and walked out ofthe police station with them hanging on. On this occasion Iused a rear strangle to take him to the point of unconscious-ness, which allowed the officers to secure him properly andget him in the cell. I reiterate here that it takes an experi-enced exponent to use this type of strategy. During my stayin Japan I attended a special course run by master Kotanisensei (10th dan). We were taught not only the correctapplication of strangles, but katsu (resuscitation skills). Iam sure those who did this training will remember that wewere paired up and had to strangle each other unconsciousmany times, as we took it in turns to effect the resuscitation(this was the 1960s, not recommended in today’s climate oftraining). In the next article we can look at the applicationof strangles in more detail.

A Victorian police officerarresting a suspect. Notethe high collar, which hid

a steel neck band thatprevented garrotting.

The acceptable modernday application of achoke, in the cage!

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:45pm Page 73

COMBAT April 2007

The Master of Combat ReturnsWith a Challenge For Every

Martial Artist on The Planet!After a 6 year absence from UK TV screens, it looks like

Neil Axe, the founder of BBC2’s Masters Of Combat andstar of the Amiga video game Master Axe... is back with a

vengeance! Here Neil gives us his first interview in 6 years.

All you have to do if you want to take part, is:1. Go to our website (www.AmericaQuest2008.com) andmake 1 of the top 100 bids, to buy a slot for your groupto be a member of our strictly limited “Hounds &Huntsmen” 100 Chase Teams.2. Agree to abide by our event’s ethos, code of ethics,rules & regulations during the full-term of your involve-ment with us.3. Pledge to be fully self-funded, physically capable, andtotally committed to taking part from April 4th to theMay 6th 2008.

NB. 100% of the entry money we raise will go to 3 sepa-rate charities;

1. In the UK we will donate 1/3 into establishing theNational Victims of Crime and Anti-Bullying Centre - as acharitable trust to combat violence.2. In America we will ask that the highest placed U.S.team (that finish our event), donate 1/3 via Virgin UniteUSA to an appropriate body.3. The remaining 1/3 will then be gifted in the name ofthe highest placed international team (that finish ourevent) to their choice of suitable body.

If you would like more info about getting involved inthe MOC America Quest 2008 event, please go to ourwebsite (www.AmericaQuest2008.com) or call Neil on078 3828 5498

COMBAT: Neil, prior to moving to New Zealand back in 1999for 3 years, you were the Chief Instructor of the UK’s firstever local government funded martial studio (1989 -1999). Based in Aylesbury, the A.G.K. Academy had a repu-tation for having one of Britain’s hottest demo’ teams andan enviable track record of some 700+ title winners and24 world gold medallists in events across the martialspectrum. So Neil, what are your plans for the future?

NEIL AXE: Well, apart from being intent on launching a cou-ple of new TV series, I’m in the process of founding the UK’sfirst National Victims of Crime & Anti-Bullying Centre, a resi-dential training and recovery program. We’ve already taken ona 5,000 square foot premise set in 20 acres of land).

COMBAT: Could you please tell us more about these?

NEIL AXE: Sure, my first priority is a project called‘America Quest 2008’ that will see a team of 4 of my ‘YoungMasters’ (3 of the 4 had parts in Neil’s BBC2 MOC TV series)repeat the journey of a team I lead across the USA in 1988.(Combat Note: The squad are made up of Neil’s 2 sons, Ryan(22) and Dale (17), alongside Byron Graham (25), the son ofMichael Graham, one of his original 1988 team mates, and lastbut not least, Sport Karate 3rd Dan, Gregg Oliver (26).)

Team Fox, as we’ve dubbed them, are set to cycle 3,300miles from New York to Los Angeles. They’ll be covering 100miles per day non-stop, over a 33 day period, and at the end ofeach day we aim for them to take on the daily “Chase Team”winners of our America Quest Challenge!

COMBAT: And what exactly is the America Quest Challenge?

NEIL AXE: Anyone who watched my MOC TV programswill remember that they aimed to provide a level playing fieldfor all styles of martial arts to compete fairly against one

another (the series was pulled after 9/11 due to its title). Thisevent is looking to do the same thing, but this time, every dayfor 33 days, the goal for each “Chase Team” will be to out-pace those others taking part and to thus win the right to com-pete against my MOC Team Fox members.

Please bear in mind that since I staged the original eventin 1988, no one has ever attempted to repeat it. Why?Because this challenge will mean you have to combine theendurance of a Tour de France cyclist, with the tactical brainof a Wizard at Chess, add a hint of the showmanship found inan American Gladiator, and cap it all off with the fightingskills of a true... Master Of Combat! I’ve studied the martialway since I was 5 years old, that’s 37 years for anyone who’sinterested, and I’ve seen most things it has to offer, the spiri-tual, the sporting, the combat and the corporate, but neveronce have I met anyone who could truly compare to those,often long dead, olden times heroes.

Where are the people like Pheidippides, Tsun Tzu, Nelson,Musashi, Churchill, Ike, Wellington, Shaka, Gandhi, Mandella,Luther-King, Ali & Bruce... Where are the marathon soldiersof our era? Where are the ultimate tactical strategists? Whereare the original thinkers? Where are the new legends? So, hereI am, providing you with your chance to write your team’sname on a piece of martial history, I don’t care what yourrace, your creed, your colour or your religious persuasion, Igive not a fig for your titles, your styles or your dan grades; asI, Neil Axe, dare you to step forward and meet my team in thehardest physical contest ever set before a group of moderncombat warriors. We intend to offer 100 teams (50 American& 50 International) the chance to compete against Team Foxover the 33 day duration of this event.

Please be warned, alongside the physically arduous natureof this event itself, all those taking part will be solely responsi-ble for their own health and safety, as on our original adven-ture in 1988 we had run-ins with dangerous drivers, streetgang members and hostile law enforcement officials. Not too

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:46pm Page 76

mention nature’s own; howling gales, dust-devils, hail storms,treacherous ravines, venomous snakes, poisonous spiders,scorpions and a few loose attack dogs! Still interested?

Well, all those successful teams that do sign-up will begintheir own epic task at the Statue of Liberty (on April 4th) andif they do not fall by the wayside, or get themselves eliminatedalong the way, will finish in Los Angeles (May 6th 2008)

COMBAT: We understand this enterprise is already quiteadvanced.

NEIL AXE: That’s correct; America Quest has some veryserious corporate sponsors and television distributors lookingover it, while the Young Masters of Team Fox are already gen-erating their own budding celebrity status.

COMBAT: Could you give our readers an insight into thenature of Team Fox’s current motivation, their receptionby the media, and what kind of scale you’re talking aboutpromoting them?

NEIL AXE: Certainly, Team Fox are highly motivated,they’ve already invested about 1,000 hours in 2006 gettingready for this Quest, add to this the fact that the lads are veryserious about honouring my sister (Susan Axe who sadly losther life as a result of violent crime in 1993) with regard rais-ing the needed funds for the establishment of the Centre thatwill carry her name. As long as all our intended fundingstreams come on line (as with events like this, life never runstoo easily), in 2007 Team Fox intend to put another 3,000hours each of prep-work under their belts and that doesn’tinclude the time they’ll spend doing the numerous press, radio& TV interviews that we are lining up for them to help buildthe event’s global profile.


L to R: Gregg Oliver, Ryan Axe, Dale Axe

& Byron Graham

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COMBAT April 2007

This is such a huge media driven event (it has the potentialto reach 500 million people on the internet alone), we areproud to announce that we’ve just secured a £100,000 spon-sorship deal from Smooth one of the UK’s brightest and mostpro-active PR / Marketing companies (www.smooth.co.uk).

COMBAT: With 100 teams on the road behind them, how doyou envisage you will thin out the other chase teamsalong the way?

NEIL AXE: As each day goes by, the endurance and staminaneeded to stay out in front of the pack will make the task getprogressively more exhausting and seemingly all the morephysically impossible. This event will make a triathlon looklike a walk in the park, thus we’ve introduced an element ofgood old- fashioned gamesmanship and public interaction justfor good measure. We are lending an idea from Big Brother, aswe intend each of our teams to be directly linked via web-cam’s to a dedicated internet site; where, for 33 days, web-casting will offer an unrivalled perspective of the trials andtribulations that the team’s various personas must enjoy andendure as they meet the challenge of what will prove to be theworld’s toughest martial arena.

Teams will then be eliminated in any one of the 3 follow-ing fashions;

1. They will withdraw from the event by their own volition.

2. They will be expelled for being the slowest chase team on agiven day.

3. The public will text-vote them off, because they don’tbelieve they have a winning team spirit or because they sufferfrom a poor attitude!

Please remember that our viewing audience could be asbig as the Super-Bowl (which exceeds 800 million), due tothe event being globally broadcast 24 hours a day onlineand its 33 day duration; so it’s fair to say that new martialstars could be generated from the global coverage thisevent aims to garner.

COMBAT: We understand that beyond the broadcasting viathe internet aspect of this event, you also hope to get aTV deal that will possibly put the event onto the world’stelevision screens on a daily basis.

NEIL AXE: That’s correct. Upon undertaking this endeavoureach 4 person team will be made painfully aware that they’ll beembarking on an epic 3,300 mile cycle ride (33 stages of 100miles) with no respite along the way. We are in talks right now,hoping to secure Nightly live TV broadcasts of Team Fox and theChase Team’s arrival at predetermined destinations, these willshow recorded highlights of the day’s drama & action, as well asfeaturing the winning Chase Team as they take on Team Fox.

COMBAT: Neil, what happens if you don’t get enough ChaseTeams willing to sign-up and try to take on Team Fox?

NEIL AXE: With an iron-man style contest such as oursthat’s always a danger, unfortunately staging an event thatmakes New York’s and London’s marathons seem like a jogaround the block is bound to scare-off a lot of the so calledmartial champions out there; though I will add that I’ve beencontacted by an American Team in Minnesota, who apparentlyare already in training for 2008! But, yes, I do have a fall-backplan; if we don’t secure the minimum amount of Chase Teamswe need (34), which would be pretty dire when you think ofthe millions of martial devotees in this world, we shall insteadarrange for Team Fox to compete against local martial artistsat each 100 mile staging post.

Though this won’t provide for the spectacular nature of eventwe’d hope for, this will still allow Team Fox the chance to publi-cise their charitable cause & to star in an event that it has taken20 years and yet another generation of Axe’s to inspire to hap-pen (as it was Dale who suggested re-doing the Quest & Ryanwho has been a driving force to make sure that it goes ahead).

COMBAT: Judging by your previous successes (Neil head-lined at the NEC Extravaganza as Mysterx, was the hostfor Sony Playstation’s Tekken 2 Official UK Tour and healso won a TV industry award during his time in NewZealand, as their “Best Newcomer”), it would be fair tosay that this event has the potential to be the biggestnews in martial arts of 2008, prior to China’s staging ofthe Beijing Olympics!

Next month read the second part of our excusiveMaster Axe interview, where our article will be shiftingits focus onto the future stars of the America Questshow... the Young Masters themselves... MOC’s Team Fox!

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I


Protection

I f you study martial arts, would you like to be able todefeat ten people or only fight one person? The answerthat most people will give is that they would like to beable to defend themselves against ten people. Thatwould also be my answer. If I could defeat one hundred

people even better! This is, of course, very difficult and so ifthis is our aim, we must think very carefully about how welearn our style of martial art.

First of all our martial art training should not injure us. Ithink that everyone would agree with that. However, today weseem to be going backwards. There are a lot of martial artistswho suffer from joint problems, back problems and otherinjuries that they pick up when they are sparring. We shouldnot injure ourselves in training. Otherwise, how are we sup-posed to learn how to defend ourselves if even before we learnhow to do this we get beaten up by our training partners orteachers. I have come across many people who have kneeinjuries which have happened when they have been sparring.Sometimes their injuries are so serious they cannot train anymore. Should we be learning a martial art like this? If some-thing injures you so badly that you cannot train then it doesnot seem very wise to learn this kind of skill.

In the early days, Chinese martial arts already had pro-gressed through this kind of training and developed theirmethods of teaching. The first thing we learn is to make our-selves healthy. We use forms and meditation to balance our

training. Forms particularly put all the fighting techniquestogether so you can train them. On the other hand forms alsoteach you to move the whole body, helping to develop yourbalance and coordination, making you healthy, fit and strong.Any stiffness in the body and confusion in the mind isresolved and so injuries are avoided and also healed.

We should always remember that studying martial arts isbased on respecting the skill we are learning. Skills of punch-ing and kicking will cause injury to others but also to our-selves. Think about it:- if you repeat the same punch hundredsor thousands of times, then your shoulders, elbows, wrist,neck, spine, waist, knees and ankles will become injured. Justlike a carpenter who has to use a hammer to hit again andagain. After so many times he (or she) will definitely injuretheir joints. Therefore, in order to train the fighting skill, at thesame time we must learn how to heal our injuries.

Chinese martial arts have been developing for over 5000years. In the beginning they even involved performing somespecial ceremonies. All the martial arts forms we have today,from bare handed forms to weapons, can all be consideredgood for your health. It is a pity to see people today goingbackwards in the way they train their martial arts. It is likebeing used to having a flat screen colour TV hanging on yourwall and then changing it for an old black and white TV.

Good martial artists over the last 500 years have developedtraining exercises like Chi Sau (Wing Chun’s Sticking Hands)and Tui Shou (Taijiquan’s Pushing Hands). These are wheretwo partners contact each other and train their sensitivity.Actually, this is a very advanced level of martial arts trainingas it develops all the fighting techniques without causing anyinjuries to either partner. Usually the two opponents are KungFu brothers or sisters and so they should not harm or try tohurt each other. Then they can safely develop their techniques,sensitivity, skill and footwork. However, today people do notunderstand this and they think that is it is not real fighting.This is true. Tui Shou and Chi Sau are not real fighting but theare preparation for the situation of a real fight. If we injureourself in training, before a real fight comes, then how can wemanage to protect ourselves when we do have a real fightingsituation if we have a bad shoulder or damaged knees?

If we want to have a high level of martial art skill weshould look after our body because we need it to defend our-selves. It is just like a racing car. If you are practising for arace you will not crash and damage the car. If it is reallynecessary to drive like that you had better use an old car. Thesame as your best party clothes. You will not wear thembefore the party in case they get dirty and torn. When wetrain martial arts we must not injure ourselves because if wedo, how can we fight? There is a very long history of martialarts, especially in China. Many very enlightened people havedeveloped safe ways in which to train and some even haveknowledge of Chinese medicine and healing skills so that ifsomeone is accidentally injured in training or in a fight, thenthey can heal themselves. Remember, you only have onebody. No one has a spare one to trade in for. We even needto take care of our fingers, toes and skin. This is a good atti-tude for martial arts training.

On the other hand, I have seen people wearing pads, hel-mets and even gum shields when they practise Wing Chun ChiSau. Why do they need to do this? From the founder of theWing Chun skill to Yim Wing Chun to Ip Man and his son, IpChun, none of them have had to do this. It is only since WingChun has come to the west that it has become like this. Somepeople have also the Wing Chun with other styles. This is likemixing up good Chinese food such steamed fish with other achocolate pudding. This is no good. We should keep them sep-arate, traditional and authentic. Beginners do not know what istraditional, but when others who do know see this kind ofdeviation, they will see that it does not make sense.

I am a student of Ip Chun who is the eldest son of Ip Man,

QQQQiiiiTTaallkkiinngg

&QigongQigong

WithMichael

Tse

Controlling an opponent withWing Chun techniques

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:46pm Page 82


the Great Grandmaster of Wing Chun, a founder who spreadWing Chun across the world. We need to respect the cultureand the hard work of all those ancestors who created the skilland continued to keep it so we can enjoy and benefit from itand also train without injury. I have heard some people say, “Ifwe do not wear pads, helmets and gum shields, how do weknow when we get hit on the head hard that we can stand it?”I completely disagree with this kind of thinking. When wetrain with our brothers and sisters we should not be trying tohurt them because they are helping us to improve our skill.You do not need to hurt them, only let them know that you canget them when training.

Secondly when you are wearing all this padding, you willonly think about attacking and not hold back and so you willnot know when you are hurt and when you have been hit andeven ignore it. This will make your partner hit you even hard-er. This means you will also start to use strength instead ofsensitivity and skill. Chi Sau is not fighting, my Sifu Ip Chunhas said this many times in many different seminars. Chi Sauis how Wing Chun brothers and sisters train together. Becauseit is not fighting, they should not try to hit or harm each other.We should practise to find out how to use the skill and how toimprove our positions. We should also develop our footwork,our sensitivity and learn how to use less strength in order todefend and attack. All these skills are repeated in a randomway and so all of them can be developed.

By doing this we can really develop our fighting skill andwe can use the skill properly. We can also save our energy andso use much less strength, just enough to win. A good cooktakes a long time to learn his skill. In fact, they do not startwith cooking. First they learn how to chop vegetables, cleanand carry things for the head Chef. A soldier does not learnhow to shoot a gun first. The first thing they learn how to do isobey orders, march together and become part of a unit. This isbasic training. Basics are very important preparation for anyskill as they start us out in the right way. If you train a mistakefor a long time, then it will be a mistake forever. In fightingwe can lose our lives, so training for good health is important.

When we have good skill, we should be able to avoid allkinds of attacks that are thrown at us. If someone is biggerand stronger, then we should be able to make them tired. Ifsomeone is faster than us, then we can make them slower.This is good skill and does not rely on strength. For goodmartial skill, we should not just try to make ourselvesstronger and faster, just because someone else is stronger andfaster than you. Nature is very fair in some ways. Usually, the

bigger and stronger person will be slower than smaller personwho will be quicker and more sensitive. However, if you arealways trying to do things fast, then you can easily be impa-tient and so make mistakes easily.

We should not compare our physique too much with ouropponent. If they are better than you, then it means they havea higher level of martial art skill. If you get into a real fight,even if you wear pads, a helmet and a gum shield, then youcan still be beaten as there are no rules in a real fighting situa-tion. An opponent can kick you wherever they want, bite you,even use a knife to stab you. All this padding and protectiononly makes you blind to the situation. It is not protection thatyou need. It is reaction and response. Whatever your opponentdoes, you have to have a way to respond and deal with it.When you wear protective gear, you feel safe and so do notmind when someone punches you. You may think that you canpunch them even harder and win but this is wrong strategy formartial arts.

With a good skill, your enemy should not even be able totouch you. In a real fighting situation, even the smallest touchwith a knife can mean the end. So you must know how toavoid any attack. When you wear protection, you feel that it ismore like real fighting because it feels like your opponentdoes not need to hold back. However, when you train this way,you are only thinking about winning. This is not good,because although you may hit your opponent, you will notknow how you did it because you are going too fast and areconfused. The same is true when you have been hit. You alsodo not know why.

This is why when we do Chi Sau (or Tui Shou) every-thing must be clear. It will be a little bit slower so you canbreak it down and learn. A good Sifu will let you do whatev-er you want and they will still be able to control you and hityou whenever they want. That is good skill. Do not hit with-out knowing how you hit. Do not defend without knowingwhy you defend. Good skill has a reason for everything andso it does not waste any time. If you can reach that level,then you will have more chance of defending yourselfagainst five, maybe even ten people in the end. Who knows,maybe even one hundred people? But you will already knowhow to be a good general, because you can manage one andeventually you will be able to handle five ten or even onehundred people or more.For information about classes and courses contact: Tse QigongCentre, PO Box 59, Altrincham, WA15 8FS Tel: 0845 838 2285Website: www.qimagazine.com Email: [email protected]

Sifu Tse applies a wristlock during Tui Shou

Appying Wing Chun againstmultiple opponents

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:46pm Page 83

COMBAT April 2007

RussianChroniclesRussianChroniclesRussianChroniclesRussianChroniclesRussianChroniclesRussianChroniclesRussianChroniclesRussianChroniclesRussianChronicles

TheTheTheTheTheTheTheTheThe

With Aran Dharmeratnam

StrengthThroughSilence!

GG oing back about twelve years, there was this gym Iwould train at. It had a crowded weights room and abare training room, where various fighters and martialartists would gather. In this training room there would be

boxers blasting away at the heavy bag; kickers firing their legsinto the air and other practitioners sparring, moving andexchanging techniques. But something else comes to mind whenI think of this place - the noise. People would train amidst loudmusic which blasted out of these powerhouse speakers. Themusic would blitz the entire gym. You could hear the thumpingbeats the moment you entered the building. The music seemedto charge, ignite and motivate people as they trained.

At this time, I was working as a bouncer at some equallyloud, crowded venues. This is where I would gain more expe-rience at countering aggression. So it seemed appropriate totrain at a loud gym. At least it would help me to get used tothe noise factor within the various venues where I worked. Butalso, came the realisation that the loud thumping music coulddisrupt the body on certain levels. And later, I heard some-thing similar conveyed by one of the Russian masters. It wasmentioned that some forms of music based on their volumeand erratic rhythm can affect the nervous system in a negativeway, thus hindering deeper levels of awareness. Notice howthe heart beats when listening to different music. So there issome food for thought! Anyway, the purpose of this feature isnot to criticise the music or training approaches people some-times use. But I do want to mention a useful ally that can addbalance to our training. This ally is silence...

Helping the learning experienceOne of the things I noticed while training in the Far East

and in Russia, is that the many of the instructors I trained with,would carry out their classes amidst a quiet atmosphere. Theywould still explain important principles to their students, butthey would do so in a calm, efficient manner. There would also

Training amidst nature in more

peaceful environmentscan offer various benefits

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WAKO started its activity in Europe in 1976. Thefounder was Mr Georg Bruckner from Berlin, whopromoted the first ever World Championships insemi and full contact karate (as it was called inthose days) back in 1978 with 110 competitors rep-resenting 18 countries. WAKO immediately createdthe rules and regulations for the new fightingsports and acted, since the very beginning, as theauthentic Kickboxing Federation of the world. Inour Championships, only national teams areaccepted. Each member country can present only1 competitor in each weight class. The WAKO WorldChampionships are NOT open competitions there-fore each representative is the premier competitorin that category, from their country.

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001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:46pm Page 84

be times, in certain classes, where the training would be carriedout with few words spoken; without excessive chatter from thestudents. The training was still relaxed and the students seemedcontent, but by reducing the noise factor; information could beabsorbed on different levels. So one step towards silence is totry and reduce unnecessary chatter during the class. When wetrain in quiet environments, the body can also relax on certainlevels and again this can enhance learning capabilities.

Silence as an objectiveIn some of the Russian martial arts, the instructor will

show students various ways of rolling and falling to theground. These movements can be used to relax the body. Theycan be used to remove certain types of fear and they can beused to escape from various attacks. Of course, students needto know how to fall without hurting the body. When it comesto rolling or falling movements, damage often occurs whenvulnerable parts of the body hit the ground. A harmful roll canbe a product of bad body mechanics, an overly tense body, orpoor timing. There are also emotional obstructions that canhinder the execution of the roll. Often, the instructor will havean idea of how effective the roll was, by observing the way thestudent makes contact with the ground. Also, if the student’srolling movement is noisy, this also indicates that there wasexcessive impact with the ground. That’s why some instructorstell their students to make their rolls as silent as possible. Byrolling in silent fashion, the roll should be smoother and ulti-mately it should feel more comfortable. The same thing couldbe said about walking. Even as we walk, if we can makeexcessive noise with our steps, it could be because our feet arelanding with too much impact.

Amidst natureTraining amidst nature in more peaceful environments can

offer various benefits. Of course, even here you don’t get totalsilence. Indeed, in the great outdoors, when far away frombuilt up environments, there are still plenty of sounds to beheard, but amidst nature you can move closer to silence tosome degree. By training in the great outdoors, you can atleast escape from many of the mechanical and electronicsounds that surround us and distract us in the cities andtowns. There are quite a few well-known martial artists whoacknowledge the benefits of training in nature’s peaceful sur-roundings. And for some people, one of the ways that theyconnect with silence is through walking. This is certainlysomething that is carried out in Systema. This art containsvarious walking methods that help practitioners to calm themind and revitalise the body.

A way to counter aggressionThere are some self-defence courses, where the instructor

will show students how to assert themselves when faced with

an intimidating aggressor. In these courses, the person willlearn how to project their voice with dynamic forcefulness.Using the right tone and volume, a person can convey confi-dence and a readiness to defend themselves. In some cases,using assertive, intense dialogue, a person can actually deteran aggressor. This approach has been used quite effectively.Though perhaps for a person who is by nature more introvert,it may be harder to apply. Now, there are also particular times,where silence can be used to quell certain situations. It’s worthremembering that sometimes it is dialogue or a verbalexchange that causes the situation to manifest into physicalviolence. Also, fear can hinder a person to the point wherethey are simply unable to use dialogue.

There are those moments when silence or more reserveddialogue can be used to prevent certain types of attackers fromengaging you in further conversation. The skill lies in knowingwhen to apply this type of tactic. Sometimes the silence willhave to be supported by movement and subtle body languageskills. And of course, it is not always possible to remain silent.In fact, some aggressors may get more provoked when theyare not given a verbal response. So we need to know when touse it. But silence still has its place.

Avoiding conflictSilence can also be a tremendous ally when trying to avoid

certain arguments or hostile debates, especially, if the otherperson is not willing to listen to different points of view.Sometimes, when we stay on the calm terrain of silence, weallow silence itself to absorb the agitated emotions or stress.There are times when silence can say a lot more. Silence canalso be embraced when our words may offend or cause harm tothose around us. It is not always easy to stay on the ground ofsilence at testing moments but I suppose, it’s a bit like a physi-cal exercise that just needs to be practised. It should also bementioned, that there are times when silence may be inappro-priate. Let’s refer to this as restrictive silence and it is connect-ed to fear. This type of silence can stop us from making afriend or from learning something. There are always going tobe moments when something must be said, asked or expressed.

A mystery...Silence can represent something of a mystery. It is some-

thing that can be explored on different levels. For the martialartist, it can provide balance and awareness. There are also dif-ferent types of silence from the awkward to the honest. Inunderstanding about silence, we can gain valuable lessons.And at a deeper level, it is possible to connect to silence; evenwhen moving through noisy, unpredictable terrain.

For all training related enquiries, Aran can be contacted by emailing: [email protected] or telephone: 07939 678 356 www.globalkick.com

Silence of the monastariesConnecting with

silence through breath work


001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:46pm Page 85

P

“Anyone, anywhere, ifyou’ve got something to

offer, we can help!”- Paul Alderson

Previously, ‘Fighters Inc’ foundersPaul Alderson and Joe Long dis-cussed the reasons behind theirmomentous decision to take the

Seni Show from its long-term venue atthe NEC to the Excel in the heart ofLondon’s docklands. ‘Fighters Inc’ havebeen around for a goodly number of yearsbut for many, all they will know is the dis-tinctive logo, despite the fact that theorganisation has been behind many martialarts promotional successes, from the aforementioned Seni Show to the MMA show-case ‘Pain and Glory’, the K-1 style ‘LastMan Standing’ and the traditional Karateextravaganzas ‘3 on 3’ and the ‘10KKarate Clash’, all prestigious events.

Now the ‘Fighters Inc’ team are look-ing to expand even more and tackle thegiant that is television, with a series of ini-tiatives aimed at getting combat sports reg-ular television exposure. Paul and Joe cuttheir television teeth with the innovative

Karate showcase ‘3 on 3’ with Sky Sportsin 1997 and this was followed by the‘10K’ and ‘Pain and Glory’, both receivinghigh-profile coverage with Eurosport.“Now we’re working on a specific Britishprogramme ourselves, in association withEurosport, which will hopefully go outonce a month as ‘Fight Night UK’, whichwill feature the very best of British acrossthe board, be it Traditional, Thai, Kick orMMA.” (Joe Long)

The pilot has already aired to acclaimwithin the martial community, the criteriafor the show a focus on the ‘A’ class fight-ers, the top fight cards, with the productionvalues monitored by ‘Fighters Inc’, theaesthetics of the show as important as thequality of the fights. The on-going idea isto lift the whole British fight scene and, asJoe states, “It’s probably our answer to‘Fight Club’, the European programme.”

With the ground work done over theyears, much of what Paul and Joe areworking on involves what they would term‘bolt-ons’, for example the 10K concept(32 fighters one winner take all cash prizeof £10,000), which they are extendingfrom Karate into a ‘ground clash’, workingclosely with Jude Samuel on this event, aprogression they see as natural since 1997.These years of experience are the equiva-lent of money in the bank, as Joe and Paulstrive to bring television more widely intothe fight game. They now know the strongpromotions and fight cards and they havedeveloped ‘Fight Night UK’ because theyfeel that the timing is now right in thiscountry, with top class promotions- “We’llbe in touch to let them know we have thisfacility to widen their audience and devel-op their sponsorship. We want people tocall us, to have a look at the website, toknow what we’re doing. Unlike many inthe martial arts we’re not divisive; wewant to work with as many people as pos-sible. Anyone, anywhere, if you’ve gotsomething to offer, we can help!”

To this end, Joe explains that as long asthe card is of the quality to interest televi-sion, ‘Fighters Inc’ would give the promotera standard quality sheet that details the

standards needed to be met to fulfil the cri-teria for the show. Once that is agreed, he isat pains to point out that the show remainsthe promoters, ‘Fighters Inc’ simplyenhance the production values of the showfor “whoever wants to go down that road”.

On the events side, ‘Fighters Inc’ madetheir name with Karate, the Seni Showopening them up to a ‘myriad of martialsports’ and now they are turning theirfocus towards professional event manage-ment across the whole fight arena and startto produce high quality product across thebroad spectrum of the arts. One of the rea-sons they have managed to be so success-ful at this cross-pollination is their abilityto work with various promoters, puttingegos aside to work together rather thantake the attitude of ‘well this bit is mineand I’m the man’ that can permeate thearts. In their time, Paul and Joe haveworked closely with Paul Hennessy, theco-promoter and matchmaker of ‘Pain andGlory’, with Neville Wray in the freestylearena and a wide group of people underthe Seni umbrella.

The move to London with Seni, hasseen ‘Fighters Inc’ re-evaluate certainaspects of their promotion, not least the‘Pain and Glory’ show, which has becomea brand in its own right. Paul Aldersonexplains - “It’s (Pain and Glory) aBirmingham based show and we’ve got adate for October 26th in 2007 and thefight card is taking shape already andwe’re still a year off.” He adds that one oftheir initiatives will be to ‘roll’ the ‘Painand Glory’ brand out into different showsand gain it exposure through the televisionlinks ‘Fighters Inc’ are creating.

Joe Long points out that this year,‘Pain and Glory’ is officially sanctioned bythe K-1 Organisation, with not only a K-1Eight man tournament but also the partici-pation of top K-1 Fighters; Albert Kraussis a distinct possibility, whilst KazuyaYasuhiro and former Taekwondo championYong-Su-Park (3-0) are almost certainly onthe card, to face Liam Harrison, LeonWalters or Craig Burke. With fourEuropean fighters squaring off against four


FIGHT NIGHT UKAND SENI 07Showcases for the fighting arts‘Fighters Inc’s’ boldest initiative yet!

Joe Long & Paul Alderson

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:46pm Page 86

Brits in the eight man, Joe is confident thatPain and Glory’ will raise the bar oncemore. “This year, with official K-1 sanction-ing ‘Pain and Glory’ has taken another bigstep in establishing itself as a major force inEurope.” As if to put the exclamation markon his words, K-1 Legend Ernesto Hoostwill not only be ringside at ‘Pain and Glory’but will also be doing a seminar and othermedia appearances at the show.

In fact, this year virtually every fightsport imaginable is represented, withKickboxing legend Don ‘The Dragon’Wilson promoting the newly establishedSeni Film festival, screening his latestmovie and making public appearances,whilst the full might of both The UFC andCage Rage will be present in force, with theopportunity to meet many MMA stars. Addthe second year of Ringmasters, the ThaiTournament and professional boxing andthe full contact arts are fully covered. Notthat the traditional Arts have been neglect-ed, with Wushu legend Wu Bin, who isdoing a seminar, a rare treat in this country.Paul Alderson states, “This is a real coupfor us and a once in a lifetime opportunityto train with a legendary Wushu figure.” Ifthis were not enough, there is also the firstLondon Wushu Open, premiering at theshow, alongside the Capoeira Campeonato,another first for Fighters Inc.

Olympic Taekwondo star MichailMouroutsos will also be at Seni to conducta seminar, two children’s workshops andtake part in a demonstration bout, whilstthe popular ‘Masters of the Mat’ will fea-ture World and Olympic champions in aseries of tough super bouts. With theGracie BJJ Invitational and the SeniKarate Classic, you can see why Joe feelsthat, “this year Seni is so exciting as, intournament terms we really believe wehave got something for everyone, tradi-tional, classical or otherwise, featuring toptalent across all disciplines.”

‘Fighters Inc’ have been around for along time but its only in very recent timesthat Paul and Joe have started to come outof the shadows and get their names about,putting names and faces to the distinctivelogo, going from strictly low-profile topublic, through interviews such as thisone. Paul points out that this was just theirway; they weren’t typical boxing promot-ers who wanted to be seen in front ofeverything and have their face in front ofthe cameras but now they recognise that,as they move into so many different areasthey are becoming known and the profileis a by-product of this success.

“If we are going to be known, we wantit to be for professional initiatives and pro-jects, not just events. There are a lot ofareas we’re diversifying into now, televi-sion being one, theatre productions anoth-er, and the film ‘Sucker Punch’, all with amartial arts theme.”

Joe Long was the hands on produceron ‘Sucker Punch’ utilising his many con-tacts to find locations, actors and publicisethe film in his own unique way, somethinghe sees as a natural progression from thoseearly days with the ‘3 on 3’. ‘Fighters Inc’will be launching a theatre production atthe Hackney Empire (home to some oftheir biggest successes) in 2007, whichwill tie-in with the Beijing Olympics,whilst their talent representation led to theinvolvement in ‘Sucker Punch’ - “this isthe start of a stronger foothold in the filmindustry. It’s a double-edged sword-with-out Seni we probably wouldn’t have hadaccess to the talents and contacts to bene-fit the film and now we’ve got the film, thatcan benefit Seni, as next year we’ll showthe film at the festival, which launched lastyear with the help of Tiger Beer.”

As to the future, both men see it as anevolution, a natural development of‘Fighters Inc’ and they believe they havegot into this healthy position is

because they haven’t ‘forced the issue’ andgone out with the intention of being thenext Don King. “If we earn the respect ofpeople it will come back and that’s whatwe’ve done.” With so many irons in aglowing fire, the future holds whateverexcites ‘Fighters Inc’ and as a companythey are not afraid to take a project to acertain level and then move on, “it’s some-thing that doesn’t scare us.” Case in pointis the ‘3 on3’, which will have its 10th andfinal anniversary this year, despite beingthe event that launched their careers.

“It’s all about what excites us as acompany, not what makes the most money.Fighters Inc is our lives.”

If you would like to contact Paul orJoe over any of the above, contact - Email; [email protected] phone 01375 650833www.senishow.com


Don ‘The Dragon’ Wilson

Don’t miss yourchance to train

with ‘Mr Perfect’Ernesto Hoost!

Or Else!!!

Action from ‘Pain and Glory ‘06’

001_132_Combat0407 17/2/07 2:58pm Page 87

TThe tenth and final Hasagawa Eishin ryu kata is

called Nukiuchi or Makkoh. Nukiuchi translates as‘surprise attack’, which is representative of what isgoing on in this waza. For those of you who studySeitei Iaido you will be able to see similarities with

the twelfth standing kata called ‘Nukiuchi’. If you havestudied Omori ryu you will notice that this kata is verysimilar to ‘Battoh’. The main difference between Battohand Nukiuchi is that Nukiuchi is performed faster thanBattoh. For those studying the Kuroda sensei method ofBattoh the draw in Nukiuchi is direct rather than being pre-sented to the front prior to Furikaburi.

Begin facing the front with your left thumb securing thetsuba in the saya. Sit in seiza with both hands resting onyour thighs. (pic 1) The imaginary opponent is sitting infront of you facing to the front. Respond to the saki or hos-tile intent of your opponent by cutting him down decisive-ly. Bring both hands to the sword and free the habaki fromthe koiguchi using koiguchi wo kiru with sotogiri. Start todraw the sword as you rise up to a vertical position whereyour thighs and body are aligned vertically (pic 2) In someschools the draw is almost straight up in conjunction withthe rising of the body. (pic 3 shows the application of this)However it is more usual to draw more to the front-sup-pressing the opponents movement with yout tsuka-kashirae. (pic 4 illustrates this point) As the sword isbrought overhead it covers the left side of the body andhead diagonally in Ukenagaeshi fashion. For a split secondthe sword is held above your head with the right hand only.Bring your left hand to the tsuka as you turn the sword andprepare to cut. (pic 5)

Cut down strongly to the front as you spread your kneesout. (pic 6) This action adds weight to the cut. In someschools the knees actively drop as you spread your legs-banging into the ground. This painfull practice is not adopt-ed everywhere though. It is common for the knees simplyto part as the cut is made. The kissaki is usually quite lowat the end of this cut-as opposed to the six to eight inchesadopted in Seitei iaido. This draw and cut are made rapidlyand smoothly. (pic 7 illustrates this). Complete yokochiburi to the side as you bring your left hand to your Obi(pic 8). Do not sit back at this point, but keep the bodystraight.

Next complete noto-the resheathing of the blade. This isdone slightly differently from usual. Begin by bringing thesword back, making contact with your hand about threequarters of the way down the blade. Bring your right handforwards still holding the sword horizontally until thekissaki is within the koiguchi. Begin to resheath the sword.


Nukiuchi/Makkoh -The finalHasagawaEishin ryuwazaBy Chris Samuel

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001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:46pm Page 90

Pause after about six inches of the blade are in the saya (pic9). Bring your knees together (pic 10). Relax your feet backto seiza. Now continue to resheath the blade,turning it backto the vertical as you relax back in to seiza. (pic 11) Securethe tsuka with your left thumb, before standing and relax-ing your right hand.

Nukiuchi is performed smoothely, but quite quickly. For

those who have studied Seitei Iaido’s Nukiuchi-you willnotice that the initial intent is different in this waza.

Anyone interested in training in Iaido or Kobudo inNorth London, or arranging seminars, can contact theauthor on 07958995979 or reach him at [email protected] The new website address iswww.northlondonbudo.co.uk


Pic 1 Pic 2 Pic 3 Pic 4

Pic 5

Pic 9 Pic 10 Pic 11

Pic 6 Pic 7 Pic 8

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:46pm Page 91

TThe Chartered Institution of

Building Services Engineers(CIBSE), held their annual dinnerat the Civic Centre in Newcastle onFriday 19th January 2006.

Marty Wilson was given the hugeresponsibility of arranging the event.CIBSE wanted something different for theirmembers and, being a very large profes-sional body, they expected the same stan-dards that they themselves demand. WithMarty having close working relations withCIBSE and, being the northern promoter forthe BFKKO, he decided that a kickboxingevening set in high class surroundingswould be the order of the night. During fur-ther discussion Marty was asked if hewould actually take part as a competitor bythe CIBSE Executive, which is a littleunusual for a promoter, however he decidedthat it would be a good move in regard togood business relations as he has very closeworking ties with CIBSE themselves. Hisparticipation would also give the members akey point of interest in what was promisingto be a really top night of professional kick-boxing. So, after agreeing, he involved BillySaul and Cris Janson-Piers to help run theevent in those areas he could not coverwhilst actually participating. The settingwas a 400-seat dinner venue with the ringtaking the central position.

Marty had employed a top qualityaudio-visual company to give multi-angledcoverage and produce a DVD of the event.This in turn was relayed to large plasma

screens in between every other table with amassive projected live image of the eventonto the main wall. The ring was also sur-rounded by a large gantry framework full oflighting and special effects. All the sponsorsfor the event had promotional DVD’s andMarty had a special tribute made, featuringhim training with Billy Saul and runningand training in and around Newcastle.The event was a great flagship not for justfor CIBSE, the BFKKO and the promoterbut for martial arts/kickboxing in general asit had brought together so many profession-als from different areas. Fighters, coaches,officials and promoters from differentorganisations all worked hand in hand toprovide an unparalleled evening of kickbox-ing and entertainment. Top promoters, TimIzli, Dean Sugden, and Cris Janson-Piers allplayed an active part in the event, bringingtogether some of their top fighters to com-pete against each other. The night’s fightersall had a hunger and a passion to win for somany different reasons.

Undefeated oungster Jade Grierson(Newark Martial Arts, Dean Sugden), wasto fight Kerry-Louise, in her first comebackfight since injury. Coaches Cris and Deanhad agreed a 3 round light continuous boutto enable Kerry-Louise (Falcon FightAcademy, Cris Janson-Piers) to shake offany ring-rust and give Jade that all impor-tant experience she is forever searching for.Kerry weighed in at 67.5 kilo and Jade at70.4kg, with the weight not being a concernfor either the fighters or coaches, as Kerry

is coming down the weights for her first fullcontact fight at her usual fight weight of -65kg and the bout was light continuous.

Ryan ‘The Hammer’ Hamer (FalconFight Academy, Cris Janson-Piers), a devas-tatingly strong fighter with a great skilllevel, existing WAKO British champion andrecent winner of the WKL world kickbox-ing title, was to fight Shensoy Dervis.Shensoy is another rightful champion fromthe well-known Tim Izli camp, due to fightfor the WKA European title in March. Bothfighters are training hard to make as muchground as possible this year. Ryan weighedin at 67.3kg and Shensoy weighed in smackon the nail at 67kg.

The next fight would tell all. Two awe-some, well- known, fighters, who are bothregarded and ranked as two of the top menin the country at cruiserweight. Mo Kargboof Bournemouth, WFKKO world and WKUWorld Professional Kickboxing championand holder of many other titles, fightingMarlon ‘The Game’ Hunt, who is the cur-rent WAKO British Champion, BFKKO ProBritish and WFKKO World AmateurChampion. Marlon, coached by RichardStevens in Suffolk and professionally man-aged and coached nationally by CrisJanson-Piers, weighed in at 83.5kg and Moat the heavier 86.1kg.

The main event of the evening broughtMarty Wilson of Felling Warriors (WorldAmateur Champion) trained by the well-known Billy Saul, two pressures to dealwith-promoting the event and then being


ANNUALDINNER

Becomes Martial Arts Showcase!CIBSE

Kerry-Louise Norburyvs Jade Grierson

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:47pm Page 92

matched against one of the best up and com-ing fighters in the country at the moment,Lee Morgan, (WAKO British champion,BFKKO British amateur champion) hailingfrom the Manchester club run by BrianBarnes. Credit goes to Marty for taking sucha tough fight in front of a home crowd andto Lee, who had it all to go for, knowingMarty would be more prepared and moreexperienced. Both fighters weighed in at66.4kg, again showing they had both pre-pared equally hard for the showdown.

With the weigh-ins and doctors checkscompleted, the evening started with openingofficial speeches followed by the fightersbeing welcomed into the ring together forall to see and applaud. The excitement wasalready building. The fighters all shookhands and Kerry-Louise gave Jade a smallgift as a sporting gesture.

The first fight was the Kerry-Louise andJade bout. Jade has earned herself a goodfight reputation training under WorldChampion Dean Sugden. Kerry-Louise, aseasoned pro, never underestimated heropponent, in fact quite the reverse, as Jadehad all to gain and Kerry-Louise all to lose,as Kerry-Louise had to live up to her nameas a good ring mover and very powerfulpuncher and kicker. However, power restric-tions may not suit her and her long absencefrom the ring was obviously going to be anissue. A 3 round bout was agreed on as notto push Kerry’s injury too far on her firsttime out, although she prefers to fightbetween 5 and 7 rounds.

Both fighters came out for the 1st roundand understandably were very wary of eachother. Both were offering feints and dum-mies trying to fetch each other in. A goodexchange of combinations followed, but itwas noticeable that Kerry was looking forwell- placed shots. Jade again came forwardand Kerry then displayed her ring craft, eva-sive and blocking work. The first round wastidy and it looked as though the ladies weregoing to keep it very tight. The secondround showed that both fighters were capa-ble of good defensive and offensive skills,each time one threw a combination theother answered it with a good reply. Kerrybroke through with two good hard bodyshots and Jade replied to one of them with agood head kick counter. By now the crowdhad got behind both ladies realising theywere very skilful and tactical fighters. Kerryagain showed good footwork, which some-times left Jade having to redirect her attack.

Round three went off at a good pace butagain it’s fair to say both fighters did not lettheir desire to win ruin their composure.The spectators were witnessing a good upand coming younger fighter taking on theexperience of a lady who has gained therespect of many by highly achieving up toand including World level. Kerry seemed toput in a few more two or three point combi-nations in this round, which could eventual-ly lead to the decision? The decision wentin favour of the blue corner and Kerry-Louise’s arm was raised on the announce-ment of what was a split decision 2 wins28-30/28-29 to Kerry-Louise and a draw of30-30 given by the other official showingwhat a superb fight it had been. The tro-

phies and purses for all the fighters todaywere substantial thanks to the support againof CIBSE and the other sponsors.

Kerry’s coach Cris stated, “That wasa great fight! Both girls showed mutualrespect and both will take somethingaway from the bout. Jade needs a specialmention as she accepted a fight threeother opponents declined!”

Kerry stated “I never for one minuteunderestimated Jade. She is a youngsterwith huge desire to achieve, and let metell you ladies, get ready because she willbe coming for you next! She lives inNewark, which is near me, and I think wecan actually train together in the nearfuture under the eye of two awesomecoaches in Dean and Cris. Well doneJade you put up a good challenge!”

Kerry and her coach were to use thisfight as a guide to the areas she now needsto improve in and what she wants to achievenext. As you may have heard previously sheis now also embarking on a boxing career,headed by pro boxing coach HowardRainey and Glyn Rhodes, who will alsohave input and influence.

Next up was Ryan ‘The Hammer’Hamer, again from Falcon Fight Academyand another fighter looked after by WhiteScorpion Fight Management. His opponentwas the very skilful and respectful ShensoyDervis, coached by Mr Tim Izli. Tim pro-duces top quality fighters on a regular basisand Ryan was aware of this. In the openinground, although Shen was aware of Ryan’spower and the danger he could face, heapproached the fight looking very com-posed and confident. The trademark steadyfirst round that most pro’s display wasapparent, each fighter trying to look at whattheir opponent has got to offer and thecoaches looking for information on theflaws of the opponent to impart to theirfighter during the break. In the secondround Shensoy caught Hamer with thetrademark kicks Ryan’s coach, Cris, hadwarned him of. Ryan came back with agood hand combination. Then leggyShensoy dropped an axe kick that landed onthe arm of Hamer and instantly deadened it.Although this was a pure accident it causedsufficient damage to weaken the arm andrender it useless for the rest of that round.


Ryan ‘The Hammer’ Hamervs Shensoy Dervis

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Shensoy capitalised on this and moved inwith attacks using various hand and foottechniques with Hamer now being unable toreturn the attack.

Rounds 3 and 4 saw Hamer in morepain due to the injury he had sustained andagain pressure was off Dervis whilst Hamercontinued to find it difficult to return anattack due to the pain he was in. Tim Izlihad picked up on the dormant arm, espe-cially as it was Hamer’s power tool, hencethe name the ‘Hammer’, and he hadinstructed Dervis to go to him. At the end ofa painful 4th, Coach Cris Janson-Piersdecided it was time to pull Hamer from thefight to stop any further damage. Hamerwas very upset but realised it was the cor-rect thing to do. After a doctor’s check itwas confirmed Hamer had a smallhaematoma forming under the now verynoticeable swelling. After receiving his win-ner’s trophy Shensoy was praised by Cris,who remarked he had improved immenselysince Cris had seen him fight last. As hardas it may be for Ryan, it was fair to say thatShensoy appeared to be in the lead at thetime of the stoppage. Ryan later asked Cris

to arrange a rematch for a later date but fornow Ryan will be taking a short rest periodbefore upping his training for his next titleshot in March on Dean Sugden’s show.Shensoy, a great sportsman, visited Ryan inthe changing rooms after to ensure he wasokay; neither fighter really wanted such aprestigious fight to end in this way.

The third fight was the battle of the twocruiserweights, and between them they haveso much silverware to show off its unreal.Although Mo Kargbo had officially retiredhe is already finding it hard not to be com-peting, but honoured the fight he had previ-ously promised. His opponent is a man whois constantly in the press and martial artsmedia at the moment, Marlon ‘The Game’Hunt. This ‘game’ is a team game, as threemen prove success can come in workingtogether. Mo, a well-honed and very cleverpro, knew Hunt would have had to do muchhomework, having even thought of thischallenge and the possibility of winning.

A very tense first round produced littlein the way of entertainment, but this wasnecessary in the further tactical plans for therest of the fight. Movements were watched,

habits registered, and faults noted for therest period prior to round two, where coach-es would advise the guys. This is exactlywhat had happened and Marlon Huntseemed to have done a little more listeningand came out with constructive attacks,sometimes picking just the odd techniqueoff. Hunt was not letting Mo get all his ownway and refused to allow him to determinethe flow of the fight. This fight went the dis-tance with a very technical cat and mousegame. Marlon’s corner were confident thathe had done enough to win the fight com-fortably and when his arm was raised as thewinner an upset Mo Kargbo soon showedhow much of a sportsman he was, visiblyapplauding his opponent in what was one ofthe hardest fights of Marlon’s life and cer-tainly the most rewarding.

Marlon later put out a challenge for theWFKKO Pro World title to Mo, but hemade it clear he has retired with his titlesintact and will not return to defend them.Mo Kargbo has expressed that he has nowone ambition left after achieving world pro-fessional level, and that is to actually repre-sent Great Britain abroad. Mo has trialled


Mo Kargbo vs Marlon ‘The Game’ Hunt

Mo graciously applaudsMarlon’s victory

TEAM HUNT - Cris Janson-Piers, Marlon & ????? Marty Wilson vs Lee Morgan

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before under WAKO National TeamSelector Cris Janson-Piers, who is now keento help Mo in his quest. There are alreadyproposals for professional challenges inIreland and America this year and then thePhilippines in 2008

Mo spoke openly after with Marlonand it was clear both fighters had gained amutual respect for each other because ofthis fight. Marlon quoted “It was great tobe given the opportunity to fight such anelite fighter as Mo Kargbo, a true cham-pion. I have ultimate respect for him andhave always looked at him as the best andobviously a person I would always wantto fight and beat to put myself in anundisputed position.” Marlon’s campbelieve he has set a new precedence in theWorld Cruiserweight division and will bea hard act to follow! Jamie Norkett is nowlined up to fight Marlon in March on theDean Sugden v Lex Easdon show, whichwill be another cracking fight, for a gold-en belt British title. Jamie came along as asecond to Jade Grierson, obviously so hecould also get a sneak preview of his nextopponent in the flesh. They met in thechanging room and offered each other aglance. Norkett towered above Hunt, butMarlon’s last opponent was the sameheight and Hunt came out of that victori-ous as a world champion!

The top of the bill was the vacant -67kg World Kickboxing League Britishprofessional kickboxing title. This fightbetween Marty Wilson of Felling Warriors,Newcastle and Lee Morgan fromManchester definitely lived up to every-one’s expectations from start to finish.Although both fighters still adopted a pro-fessional approach, it wasn’t long beforethey both made a major statement to eachother. They were here to fight and bothgave it their all from start to finish. Bothfighters administered a barrage of combi-nations. Marty had certainly upped hiswork load and his power since his last fightbut Lee is also a great mover and heanswered most attacks with good counters.The crowd, mainly made up of local andregional businessmen, applauded and sup-

ported Marty well. A few decided to sup-port Lee Morgan who was the underdog.

The last and final round of seven wasunfortunate, as Morgan placed a straightright, which came from nowhere, on thechin of Marty Wilson. Marty went to thecanvas but his gutsy character and fightingheart picked him back up to meet the 8count. This left Marty entering the last partof this round with everything to do. Heknew that the fight had been so close it lit-erally could be leaving him requiring aknock out to clinch the title. The last roundprovided an electric finish, with both fight-ers going head to head, again the amount oftechniques were still at a very high ratio.With both lads being very conditioned at notime did either of the two fighters relaxtheir power or technique. They had bothobviously done the required amount oftraining required for this type of challenge.The final bell tolled and fighters returnedback to their corners.

It is fair to say that as they came to thecentre for the result Marty signalled that hedoubted his performance had secured a defi-nite win, but in hope he stood with hisopponent and the referee Phil Dews andawaited the MC’s announcement. The fightwent to a split decision and it looked likethe knockdown was going to be the decid-ing factor in this tremendous fight. LeeMorgan was pronounced the winner. Hewas elated and Marty, being the true sports-man he is, immediately congratulated Leeand applauded the crowd for their support.

Marty has never turned away from aquality opponent, which is one of the rea-sons why so many people in the game haveso much respect for him, and today he metanother class fighter in Lee, in one of thebest fights he has ever experienced.After the fight Marty was seen socialisingand wished Lee all the best for the future.Marty also received so much praise fromall the spectators and committee ofCIBSE who seem to be keen to be ofsupport again. He did himself proud onthe day and the BFKKO would like topersonally thank Marty for all his hardwork. This event certainly ranks in

the top three events that have ever beenarranged on behalf of the organisation.

One of the most important develop-ments which has arisen out of this competi-tion and gathering of so much skill and pro-fessionalism is the display of inter-organisa-tion networking and acceptance. This issomething Cris Janson-Piers is workinghard with, especially within his post asWAKO team selector for amateurs and pro’salike. Tim Izli has said he will be invitingsome of the show fighters, or others fromthe camps involved, to his next show. DeanSugden has already placed Ryan andMarlon on his show, plus three of Cris’other own fighters. ‘A’ class WAKO refereesKaren Dews and Phil Dews said how pro-fessional the show was and that all thefighters had superb etiquette and were acredit to their coaches.

“All the fights were very close but thatshows that the fight matching was alsosuperb. There were no complaints about anydecisions and all left feeling inspired andready to meet another challenge under suchfair jurisdiction.”Another link in the chain has been forged inthis never- ending battle to try and bringeveryone together. Thanks to all of you whomade this evening possible.

For more photos and fight reports pleasevisit www.bfkko.co.uk .Anyone wanting tofeature any of their fighters on our nextshow or who want to invite a challenge on

theirs, please contact Cris on 07973 748907

or email him at:[email protected]


Marty Wilson WKLBritish professional

kickboxing champion

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:47pm Page 95


Wudang Mountain Monastery.After an overnight train journey

across China, we arrived on time at thenearest station in Xiangfan. A coach triptook us to Wudang town, which has seenbetter days. We had a pit stop at a wellstocked supermarket because up themountain there are no shops. Then weentered through an impressive modernarch and heavy security due to the areabeing a national park and WorldHeritage Site. After being given passes,we wound our way up for one hour, pastspectacular gorges and wonderful viewsof the hundreds of haunting peaks thatmake up this beautiful green terrain.

The group was efficiently bookedinto the Tienlu Resort Hotel where manyfamous pilgrims and martial artists havestayed including the Yang Family. Thehotel was comfortable and clean withwonderful views of the WudangMountains only a short walk from thePurple Clouds Temple where hosts of

Taoists have trained in martial arts andpracticed their devotions. At the entranceis an impressive well decorated with thePost-Birth pattern of the Eight Trigrams-Pa Qua- from the Book of Changes withLi-Fire trigram facing due South.

Wannabe Jet Li or Grand Master?There is a tourist school of martial

arts nearby, run by young graduates ofthe Wudang academies. I assessed,although physically skilled, theyseemed to me, more wannabe Jet Lis.However I managed to obtain theinstruction of Master Wang Li Shen,the 15th Generation Grand Master ofthe Xuan Men Clan of the Monastery.He had trained in several martial artsand for the last twenty years he hasbeen a leader at Wudang Shan. XuanMen is the Emperor of The DarkHeaven being an indigenous Taoistdeity, acting as a mercurial guardian ofthe temple’s mysteries of this Chinese

aspect of the unconscious.Nearly all the group did workshops

with Master Wang. Moreover I was for-tunate to spend ‘one on one’ time withMaster Wang discussing philosophy,Taoist science, healing, chi kung, martialhistory as well as alchemy amongstother things including an unusual lunch.During the workshops, he showed ussome moving chi kungs including theTurtle, Dragon, Crane and Snake. Theturtle is the totem animal of Wudang, asthe whole mountain enclave is supposedto be in the shape of a turtle as well as itbeing the sacred animal that brought theI Ching to mankind some five thousandyears ago. This reptile is a symbol oflong life with an ability to survive inboth the worlds of earth and water alike.The Brush Knee and Twist Stance clear-ly shows its origins to the turtle posture,as well as incorporating the Cranemanoeuvres. The brush knee hand, mim-icking the paddling leg of the numinous

A MARTIAL TRIPTHROUGH CHINATHE HOME OF TAI CHI CHUAN AND KUNG FU - Part 2

By Graham HorwoodBy Graham Horwood

Summit of Wudan Monastery

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COMBAT April 2007

amphibian, curling down and aside forpropulsion, thus its martial application.The third ‘fire’ hand -Shu Chang-of PaQua Chang - Eight Trigram Palm- hasthe same move which is also based onthe I Ching.

Wudang and The Chi of HeavenDuring that time he confirmed my

own training in Pa Qua and Hsing IChuan- Five Element Fist- as well asvalidating the chi kungs I was taught,such as solar energy breathing. It was abeautiful environment to do this exer-cise, when the sun was rising over a pur-pose built training terrace. It is best todo this exercise early morning, in a nat-ural environment with access to fresh,clean air. One faces the sun and imag-ines the chi of the Taiyang (great yang-

sun) to be streaming into the lungs thencontinue down the front of the body,along the Renmo (CV) to the Tantien atthe Chihoi (CV6), at the same time onedraws the Jing chi from the Huiyin(CV1)-perineum and mixes the two atthe Tantien. This reverse breathing willadd to the inherited chi of the organism.This ‘thought chi’ can be circulated withYi ‘mind intent’ through various organsand meridians as well as being con-densed into the bones like a battery..(Refer to Tai Chi Chuan and The Codeof Life Dragondoor Books) One canstore chi for about three months in theTantien or almost indefinitely in theskeletal structure. Chi is the basis for allthe biological phenomena of the anato-my as well as being enhanced into amartial or healing instrument.

Acupuncture or Poisoned HandIn my next trip to China in April

2007, including a retreat at Wudang, Iam taking students to Shanghai wherewe will witness acupuncture anaesthesiaat a state of the art hospital. This is pos-sible because when the chi flow ismanipulated, it can control the nervoussystem of a specific area, including mus-cle and tendon movement and even brainfunction. This ‘chi’ anaesthesia can alsobe issued by Chi Kung masters withtheir fingers instead of needles.

This is the basis of Dimmak poi-soned hand training, which is alsotaught at Wudang and corroborated byMaster Wang. I have film footage(BBC-2) of a young twenty one yearold factory worker who had open- heartsurgery, whilst conscious, with certainneedles placed in the heart channel inthe arm. The proficient surgery waspainless and successful. Surprisinglyshe was up and about, without any dis-comfort, after two days and home with-in a week. These amazing skills of chicontrol were passed down by the Taoist

Masters, now tested and confirmed bymodern Chinese scientific academies.These effective procedures are com-monplace amongst the population ofone and a half billion people. Nowbeing practiced, more around the world,including the USA such as the MayoClinic in Arizona.

Master Wang demonstrated WudangTai Chi, which is similar to early Yangstyle and Chen and Sun forms. Themovements incorporated the hard andsoft principles in slow and fast rhythms.However these styles were suitable forout of the way places and not the scruti-ny of the townships, hence the relaxed,slow and rhythmic movement of theOriginal Yang style, disguising its hid-den potential.

Taosit Summit of Chan San Feng andLaotse

I took the scenic route to the top ofthe mountain complex along a dramaticset of paths and steps with an amazing6kms upward trek to the Tianzhu Peaksummit at 1600 metres, highlighted bythe Golden Hall Temple complex. Thesteep walk was peppered with shrines,hermits’ caves as we passed the variousterraces some of which were scenicallyshot by Ang Lee in Crouching Tiger,being just as stunning in real life. Therewas a chance to see Chan San Feng’scave where Taoist immortals passed onto the monk, by way of dreams andvisions, secrets of Tai Chi and ChiKung. Amongst the many trails aroundWudang is the sacred cavern of Laotsethe founder of modern Taosim. HoweverMaster Wang told me that the traditionsof Tai Chi and the sacred sites go backmore than five thousand years.

Shaolin Temple or SchoolWe left Wudang town through an art

deco replica of a local temple, frontingthe train station. Another all night trainjourney took us to Dengfeng, where webooked into the modern Shaolin Hotelfacing large billboards of Jet Li advertis-ing mobile phones. The next morningwe were shuttled on a ten minute jour-ney to the Shaolin Temple. Our first stopwas a secondary school in which therewas a mock up of the Temple, due to theShaolin Temple now being a museumand no training is carried out there. Herewe were given the tourist treatment asseen in the West, featuring so calledShaolin monks acrobatically goingthrough forms and mock fights. Theseactually were students at military styleacademies numbering two hundred inthe area each with c. one thousand stu-dents. These two hundred thousandgraduates then would enter the army ormaybe gain security roles throughoutChina. This schooling is expensive,arduous and elitist.

Peking Opera

Guardia to Shaolin Temple

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Shaolin Monks


Shadow of a TempleWhen we arrived at the Shaolin

Temple itself the entrance and groundsare familiar, as they have been filmedmany times. The buildings and groundsare small and have lost their character.We could peer into a variety of pavilionsdedicated to various saints and theBuddha, such as the Pilau Hall wherethe monks of old, stamped dents into thefloor as they practiced their externalshouting techniques and punches, overthe last thousand years. Besides certainshrines there was the dubious rock onwhich the supposed shadow of thefounder, Damo, was imprinted in his tenyear meditation.

Hot, Dry and ToughThe students are up at five am, train-

ing in martial forms, including runs tothe summit of a nearby mountain whereDamo’s cave is to be found. The novicestake an hour and a half to do this gru-elling task in all weathers. When I wasthere in April 2006 the midday tempera-ture was 380 C and humid, the river hadall but dried up, in winter the tempera-ture drops to below zero, exposed to theSiberian winds. After a term the ascentand descent of the 3000 metre path withsteps, rising 1000 metres, is accom-plished in 45 minutes. These tough

pupils, mainly boys, then go about regu-lar schooling and again at five pm con-tinue their martial training to seven pm.Followed by dinner, bed and then upagain, repeated six days a week. Thisproduces a very determined, disciplinedand extremely fit set of young men, anyarmy would be proud of.

Two hundred metres from the tem-ple, I saw another skilled demo of saf-fron robed students, some as young assix years of age. As well espying severalthousand track suited pupils, practicingtheir martial drills in dusty compounds,nearby. An American kung fu instructortold me in China that he considered thatthe Shaolin Temple had become a cir-cus. I also assessed that soon Wudangcould also end up likewise. The rest ofthe town of Dengfeng is uninteresting,surrounded by industry as well as theusually poor and neglected farmingcommunity.

Jackie Chan, Beijing and OperaWe returned to the Jianguo hotel,

Tianmen district Beijing, which houses alarge theatre that features the Beijingopera. It was fascinating to see, albeit atourist version, featuring various snip-pets of this classic formula. It is per-formed all over China, including HongKong and Taiwan, formerly banned

under Mao. Jackie Chan, Samo Hungand Bruce Lee’s father, are amongstmany martial celebrities who weretrained in the opera schools, however notin Beijing. The show started with thefamiliar costumed performers dressed infantastic clothes, masks and make up,singing the familiar, extremely pitchedarias. Then lastly a slight, ornatelydressed woman gave a highly skilled,acrobatic and martial performance whereshe effortlessly tossed away attackingspears and projectiles, dealt with swordwielding adversaries, deftly and withaplomb despite her decorous costume. IfI had to compare this with the Shaolinshow, she won hands down.

If you wish to join my nest trip to Chinaplease visit my website for details:www.taichi-horwood.comq

Shaolin Temple entranceShaolin Temple entrance

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COMBAT April 2007

DDoes your self-defence train-ing including how to defendyourself against knifeattacks? Most martial artssystems do. However, when

your opponent attacks you with a rub-ber or plastic knife in order for you topractice a disarm, do you find that theblood all over your hands makes thetechnique more difficult? Right aboutnow you might be thinking - “Blood?What blood? Not in training!”

Jim Wagner’s Reality BasedPersonal Protection System uses stageblood when learning to defend againstfull speed, full contact and unpre-dictable knife attacks.

Why? Physically, blood is slippery and

makes even the most perfected tech-nique very difficult. The use of stageblood allows students to get used to thesensation and adapt accordingly. Psych-ologically, it prepares students for therealities of defending against such agruesome tool, because in reality, nomatter how well trained you are - youwill get cut. This is just one example ofthe revolutionary training methods deve-loped by the Reality Based Personal Pr-otection System’s founder - Jim Wagner.

Few self-defence instructors in theworld can come close to Jim’s back-ground. He’s a former soldier, prison

officer, police officer, SWAT officer,diplomatic bodyguard and a counterterrorist agent with the US governmentas well as having many years trainingin a range of traditional based martialarts systems. In addition, he is one ofthe world’s top police and militarydefensive tactics instructors. He hastrained elite units world wide, includ-ing the US Marshals, FBI SWAT,German GSG9, Israeli Special Forcesand the list goes on. In doing so, Jimhas obtained the very best techniques,tactics and training methods from theworld’s best and placed them into areality based civilian system that iseasy to learn, easy to retain and coversmore than mere punching and kicking.

But what is ‘reality based’?There are three distinct branches in

the martial arts, and they are 1. Traditional-based martial arts 2. Sport-based martial arts 3. Reality-Based martial arts.

Traditional-based systems, such asKarate, Tae Kwon Do, Kung-fu andothers, are ancient systems that adhereto ancient techniques and trainingmethods, typically wearing uniformsand requiring students to learn foreigncustoms, traditions and terminology.Found within these systems are funda-mental self-defence principals, but are

not structured to teach students to sur-vive modern conflict situations such askidnapping, bombings, armed rob-beries, stalking, car-jackings and gangviolence to name but a few. Sport-based systems, such as Ju-Jitsu, Judo,Greco-Roman Wrestling, Western box-ing, and others, have their roots in tra-ditional-based martial arts, but adhereto sporting rules in order to compete invarious tournaments, sporting events,or even the Olympics.

Like the traditional-based martialarts, viable self-defence techniquesand training methods can be gleanedfrom sport-based systems, but, like thetraditional-based systems, they lackmany modern conflict solutions.Reality-based systems are those sys-tems that teach the fundamental self-defence techniques that are found inboth the traditional-based and sport-based systems, but go a step further bytraining specifically for modern con-flict situations, and eliminating outdat-ed techniques and training methods.

Although there are many systemstoday calling themselves ‘reality-based,’ because they have abandonednon-essential customs and traditionsand wear jeans instead of a gi whentraining, few of them are actually com-plete reality-based systems. In otherwords, they lack Pre-Conflict andPost-Conflict training in their curricu-

AS REALAS IT GETS!Reality Based Personal Protection comes to the UK

1111 2222 3333

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:47pm Page 100

lums and their Conflict training maybe lacking simply because they haveno real-world experience with crimi-nals, abnormals, or terrorism.

Pre-Conflict training Is the foundation for all Reality

Based Personal Protection training andincludes: Threat assessment, aware-ness and avoidance, conflict cues(reading a person for hostilities),observation skills, the O.O.D.A.process (psychology of a conflict),legal issues, threat zone managementand much more.

Conflict trainingThe Reality Based Personal

Protection System gives students what

few instructors are qualified to teach:Defence against terrorist bombings andsmall arms attacks, conflict stress man-agement, criminal style stabbings, carjacking, drive-by shootings, kidnap-pings, third party protection, sexualassault, armed robbery, criminal chemi-cal attacks, school and workplace mas-sacres, child abductions, sniper attacks,scenario training - just to name a few.Of course, Reality Based PersonalProtection teaches all the strikes, blocks,and movements common to other sys-tems, but only those techniques that willactually work in the streets.

Post-Conflict trainingInclude those actions immediately

following a physical conflict, such as

self-triage and conflict first aid, victimrescues, citizen’s arrest methods, inci-dent recollection, evidence identifica-tion and preservation, police contact,dealing with post traumatic stress,courtroom survival, and the list goeson. Any instructor from any system canutilize Jim’s training methods and tech-niques to enhance their own training.

We are lucky enough to have Jimvisit the UK in June 2007 to train stu-dents and those who wish to becomeInstructors in this revolutionary sys-tem. For details on qualified UKInstructors, and upcoming Instructorcourses go to: www.jimwagnertraining.com Or contact Pete Lee, UKDirector at: [email protected] 07793 891533


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COMBAT April 2007

E

BACK INTHE DAY‘My style? I suppose you couldcall it the art of fighting with-

out fighting’Bruce Lee - Enter the Dragon 1973

E lton John was rocking hisCrocodile, Pink Floyd were onthe dark side of the moon andRay Stevens was doing thestreak, while the Bay City

Rollers were singing ‘Bye Bye baby’.We were all at least 5 inches taller bal-ancing on our platform shoes withgrace and dignity, strutting our stuff inour Paisley design polyester shirts withflairs the size of Piccadilly circus andsmelling of ‘splash it all over’ Brut 33.‘Kojak’, ‘The Avengers’ (with Joanna

Lumley), ‘Dad’s Army’, ‘On theBuses’, ‘Love Thy Neighbour’, thechopper bike, klackers and skate boardswere giving us hours of fun, while weindulged in such culinary delights asthe Aztec bar, Amazin’ Raisin andwere even ‘risking it for a Swisskit’.Weebles were wobbling but never felldown. Breakfast was Golden Nuggetswashed down with Cresta lemonade(‘its frothy man’), lunch was Snackpot(the pre-curser of today’s Pot Noodle)and a young Chris Tarrant was tellingus ‘Today is Saturday, watch and smile’on Tiswas, while the Wombles werewombling in Wimbledon. This was the70’s and a Martial arts storm was loom-ing and about to change some of ourlives forever.

I make no apologies to the youngerones of you who are wandering whaton Earth we were doing wearing Brut33 and balancing on our platformshoes! I have decided to write this arti-cle not just as a nostalgic piece but alsobecause the 70’s were an historic mile-stone in modern Martial arts.

The Japanese had the high groundon popular martial arts in the West fromthe early part of the 20th century withJu-Jitsu and Judo. Wrestling, Boxingand fencing were also our bread andbutter fighting arts during these years.Karate made it’s real ground during thelate fifties and throughout the 60’s.However no-one could have seen thepopularity explosion from a little knownmartial art called ‘Kung Fu’ heading

By Kru Shaun Boland

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:48pm Page 110


towards the gregariously dressed 70’steenager. It is generally agreed that thiswas singularly down to one man, LeeSiu Lung, the little Dragon or morepopularly known as - Bruce Lee.

He died in 1973 and never got tosee the impact and frenzy that he hadignited with classic films such as, ‘BigBoss’, ‘Fists of Fury’, ‘Way of theDragon’, ‘Enter the Dragon’ and hisunfinished last film, eerily named,‘Game of Death’. Through the releaseof these films in the West, the marketplace on South East Asian films espe-cially from Hong Kong was opened.Classics such as, ‘The one armedswordsman’, ‘King Boxer’, ‘5 fingersof death’ and ‘The legend of the 7 gold-en vampires’ were making it to ourshores. We didn’t care if the dubbingwas out of synch and that all the storieswere the same subject - revenge. It wasjust good action!

Many of us enrolled at the nearestKung Fu school (Kwoon) and the mostpopular arts of the day were Lau Garand Wing Chun. Other martial arts weregaining in popularity too, the Koreanarts of Taekwondo and Tang Soo Dowere making it to the fight circuit.Shotokan and Wado Ryu were amongstthe many popular styles of Karate andMasters Sken, Woody and Toddy wereamongst the first Thai’s to plant theseeds of Muay Thai here in the UK.

The martial arts were everywhere,magazine firsts such as Combat, Kung-Fu monthly, Clash and Fighting artsillustrated were hitting our newsagents.(First editions of these magazines arefetching high prices on E-bay and aredesperately sought by collectors today).The Nunchaku (Rice flail) was respon-sible for many elbow’s being crackedand receiving ‘dead arms’ as a result ofyour funny bone being hit when tryingto catch the ‘chucks’ under your armpit‘Bruce Lee style’. Even pop music wasinfluenced by the Carl Douglas no1 hit‘Kung Fu Fighting’. The Goodies got inon the act too and produced the hilari-ous ‘Ecky thump’ episode on their hitcomedy series. (Many Lancastrians arestill training in this deadly art and someare very proficient with their weapon ofchoice, the black pudding!).

Those of us who became engrossedin this maelstrom of fighting arts prac-tised every day. Training halls weregenerally school gyms or church hallshired out by our instructors and webought our training kit from them.Tokaido karate suits were the height offashion for the budding karateka, whilethe kung-fu practitioner opted for theBruce Lee style ‘white cuffed’ jacketswith ‘frog ties’, and trousers with elasti-cated ankles. Black ‘Kung Fu’ shoes

were also necessary additions to thefashion conscious martial artist. If wewere not at our respective training hallswe were practising at school with ourmates or going through our routines athome. We were consumed by it and as aresult of this, dare I say ‘obsession’, ithas become a way of life for most of us.

Every week we were glued to ourT.V screens watching the latest episodeof ‘Kung Fu’ starring David Carradineas Kwai Chang Caine or ‘Grasshopper’as we fondly came to know him.

The years have rolled on now and asthey unfolded we saw the boom of thesemi-contact and full contact circuit inthe 80’s. The 90’s marked the begin-ning of the UFC and cage fighting.While Ju- Jitsu, MMA, Muay Thai andPenjak Silat are the popular flavours ofrecent times. However I cannot help tofeel privileged having been through the70’s boom, everything was so fresh andnew and exciting, I guess it must havebeen akin to the music in the 60’s whennew sounds were being introduced intopopular music. Those of us who havelasted the course are into our fortiesnow and yet for some of us the excite-ment, thrill and learning continues toenvelop us.

It seems only yesterday when I firstput on my Judo Gi and felt proud to bepart of the Judo club. When I did myfirst spinning back kick without fallingover and when I stood in front of myschool mates and, in Bruce Lee style,sent my Nunchaku hurtling at breathtaking speed around my body and arms,finally catching them under my armwhile at the same time extending myother arm with an open hand Bruce Leestyle gesture, complete with compli-mentary sound effect of‘aooowwwwww!’

Those of you who were there canlook back with fond memories, of funtimes and innocence of youth but, athe same time, know that we gainedexperience along the way. Moreimportantly, we are continuing to learnand grow as martial artists irrespectiveof our ‘styles’. Let us also rememberthat our young protégés will also belooking back in 30 years time whenfilms like ‘Ong Bak’, ‘The Matrix’ and‘X Men’ graced their screens.Watching ‘Buffy’ slaying her adver-saries on TV while eating their potnoodles and drinking Cherry Coke,fighting to the death on the latest Xboxgame and by the week-end passingtheir fast tracked belt grade.

This, like ours, is their age of dis-covery and like our mentors before us(Thank you Sensei John Cully- my firstinstructor and mentor) we have thesame responsibilities to guide themtowards their personal liberation.

“Quickly as you can, snatchthe pebble from my hand”

Grasshopper tries and fails,“When you can take the pebble

from my hand, it will be timefor you to leave.”

Master Kan - Kung fu, the T.V series

Kru Shaun Boland is the ChiefInstructor and Founder of Chao PhrayaMuay Thai Academy in Cambridgeshire.If you wish to discuss any related topicsfrom his articles please E-mail:[email protected] in additionyou can visit his award winning web-site www.chaophrayamuaythai.com tolearn more

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:48pm Page 111

L


WUSHU TRAINING

IN CHINAMore than meets the eyeLiu Li has practiced Wushu from the age of 6 to the age

of 11. Wushu requires the flexibility of gymnastics, thespeed and power of martial arts and the elegance of theatri-cal performance. Practising Wushu has given Liu’s

body good flexibility and excellent co-ordination. After20 years, she still can perform cartwheels and high kicks!During the last 3 years Liu has introduced Chinese Theatre tech-niques into her training. She has also been to RADA for StageManagement training, which has really helped her on the organ-ising front.

COMBAT: How were you able to set up such great pack-ages training trips to China?

LIU LI: Fortunately I have found a great partner in Chen Lei,who is based in China and now runs the tour side of the busi-ness. This means that we’re able to offer much better deals, aswe have someone in-country who can work directly with thepeople involved. Chen Lei has been in Britain teaching Wushufor a number of years. His main role is geared towards ensuringthat every need of the attendees is catered for (languages,dietary etc) and that they are able to sample the visual and cul-

tural delights of China to maximum effect. Because he has avery good understanding of the British and their ways he is ableto smooth over any troubled waters and easily overcome the cul-tural barriers that you would expect with such different culturescoming together like this.

The holidays initially came about after a couple of BritishWushu practitioners found my website and called me saying thatthey would like to come to London for Wushu tuition. Because Ihave to pay for studio hire and administration, £30 per hour isthe least I can charge them. This meant that 6 hours trainingeach day, would cost £180 per day therefore around £1000 for aweek’s training. This did not include the cost of accommoda-tion, food and travelling. Obviously this is beyond most people’sability. I realised that if they could travel to China for the train-ing, it would cost half of the price for two weeks training!

In the end, they took up the training in China. They wereable to train with a different coach each time for different rou-tines, learning many new skills, and polishing their perfor-mances. Aside from the training they were also able to enjoynot only great Chinese food but also visited the Great Wall, theSummer Palace and martial arts master Huo Yusnjia’s Kwoon.They enjoyed themselves so much that they said they would like

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to go back again the next year! This inspired me and so I decid-ed to make a real go at offering these packages on a wider basis.

COMBAT: Have you had a good response?

LIU LI: We have over one hundred people booked to fly outthis Easter alone, which is certainly keeping us on our toes,especially as attendees are able to pick and choose the structureof the course for themselves. The feedback from this has beenexcellent with attendees saying that they were very impressedwith the standards and organisation. It is crucially important toget a product marketed properly nowadays. We have big plansfor the advertising campaign. Combat magazine alone reachesthousands of martial arts clubs and because it has such a bigreadership I expect a good response.

COMBAT: Wushu seems to be very theatrical, what do youthink it has to offer for the more fight-orientated students?

LIU LI: This is something that I must admit has caused someconfusion. For the Chinese, ‘Wushu’ basically means ‘martialarts’. When we say Wushu we mean Chinese Martial Arts.Within that term however is Modern Wushu, which most peoplein the West associate with Wushu. Wushu is very rich in formand content, encompassing hundreds of styles and Patterns andmany people enjoy learning them for many years.

Wushu has 4 elements: First, Wushu is a martial art. Mostgestures and movements can be explained in the term of attack-ing or defending. Some forms and routines are still used to trainthe police force and army today.

Secondly, Modern Wushu is a competitive sport. It hasdeveloped from traditional Wushu and has unified routines andmeasurable features that have made the art a sport that anyonecan compete in and so that it can gain recognition from theOlympic committee.

Modern Wushu is a wonderful style for young people tolearn. I always feel uncomfortable watching young girls learn-ing kickboxing and San Shou. I feel that Modern Wushu is moreappropriate for them. I think that many young boys and girlswould like to learn Modern Wushu if they were able to have thatchoice. Unfortunately, there are not many modern Wushu class-es around at all. This is why we feel the course is so good as wehave the facility for more British instructors and fans to havethis unique experience, help them in their promotion of the styleand aid the growth of Wushu in the United Kingdom.

Thirdly, Wushu is also a performing art. It is beautiful towatch on screen and stage. Gung-fu films are full of Wushuactions performed by Chinese Wushu masters. It is a shame,many Gong-fu film fans fail to find a Wushu class locally, andfall into other categories of martial arts instead. I have thoughtabout advertising the training in Dancing schools.

Finally, Wushu is a good physical exercise with obvious benefits.

COMBAT: Do you have plans to offer other arts such as SanShou, Preying Mantis etc?

LIU LI: Yes, our programmes include all traditional styles andall styles of Tai Chi, San Shou and Preying Mantis as well asModern Wushu.

COMBAT: You certainly seem to be very busy, are youinvolved in anything else?

LIU LI: Seni07 is going to be hosted in London, and I havetaken part in organising and promoting the Wushu aspect ofthe show. Master Wu Bin (Jet Li’s instructor) has been invit-ed to the show to teach Wushu. The lessons will be of bene-fit to people from any styles be they traditional or modern,empty-handed or weapon based and his course will be wellstructured with a lot of hands-on time. Every technique willbe demonstrated by CaoYue the next Jet Li! CaoYue haswon the Asian Youth Wushu Championship and is a memberof the Beijing Wushu team. This is obviously a rare andwonderful opportunity.

Master Wu Bin is honoured as one of the ‘TenInternationally Great Masters’. The DuanWei system is equiva-lent to the Karate belts ranking system and he has achieved the9th Duan, the highest rank. He is also the Chief Instructor ofthe Beijing Wushu team, President of the Beijing WushuInstitute, and holds other top positions in Wushu such asChairman of the Technical Committee of the InternationalWushu Federation and Chairman of the Technical Committeeof Wushu Federation of Asia.

Master Wu will also supervise the first Wushu OpenChampionship in Seni07, watch this space!

For further details, please go to www.ms-l.co.uk/


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COMBAT April 2007

APRIL1 Taishindo Defence Combat System, vertical grappling workshop,

Dumfermline, Fife. £15, 10am-1pm, contact Stuart 07877824003 or [email protected]

7/8 International Martial Arts Tournament, Douglas, Isle of Man.WUKO rules, no entry fees, start 10:00am. Contact FrankNewton 01624 612305.

7 Doce Pares Eskrima seminar with Grandmaster Danny Guba inCambridge. Tel: 01223 565020 or email: [email protected]

8 Disclosures of light from the core, Krishan Godhania presents thecore of sayoc kali, Church Stretton Secondary School,Shropshire. Contact 07899 801269

15 Open to all styles championship series, consecutive points, PeterPaine Sports Centre, Boston, doors open 10am. Call Andrew01733 810043 www.bostonseries.co.uk

15 BIKO Open Weapons Training Course, Maiden PlaceCommunity Centre, Reading. Authentic kobudo kata will betaught. Contact The Secretary 01227 369212.

17 Jeet Kune Do workshop, Merseyside with Sifu Alex Jameson,full instructor under Sifu Steve Golden one of Bruce Lee’s stu-dents. 0151 513 8745 ww.jeetkunedomerseyside.co.uk

21 13th Scottish Karate Alliance Children & Cadet Open, CitadelLeisure Centre, Ayr. 1-5pm shobu-ippon (hand pads) kata,kumite, contact Bill Hair 07979 222986.

21 Tsuyoi-Ryu, Knockdown seminar, East Grinstead dojo, start3pm. For details contact Gerry Bryan on 01243 266586

22 Combat Champions League, Event 2 - England. For details phone0121 344 3737 or Curtis Page 07939 217772

22 The Infinite group presents core trapping/anti grapple, ChurchStretton Secondary School, Shropshire. Contact 07899 801269for details.

22 AMA Northwest Karate Championships 2007, Buy Castle.Leisure Centre, Bury. For information Contact Peter on 0161797 1077 or 07939 289711.

22 Close-Quarter & Savate Defence seminar with Ollie Batts inCambridge. Tel: 01223 565020 or email: [email protected]

25 AMA Jujitsu seminar with visiting Jujitsu masters, Leeds & Bolton,limited places. Details from Colin Whitaker on 07759 837193.

28 UK Martial Arts Federation, combat weapons course, Nottingham.Instructor Phil Mead 6th dan, details from 0115 9702877.

28 AMA course with Oren Gorgov & Kube Mizrahki, Leeds MetUniversity, 10:30 till 4pm. £20, limited places, must pre book.Contact Colin Whitaker 079635 02424

28 Zazen Karate Academy, Kata application & kyusho techniquesseminar, 12-3pm, Eastbourne, East Sussex. Call 01323 736389or 07952 670349 for details.

28 Hokushin Karate Academy/Karate-no-Michi World Federation(GB) course, Glasgow. Contact Mike on 07879 238089.

28/29 Kanazawa sensei - Open course, Lilleshall National SportsCentre, Telford. Details 01952 201479 or www.wrekin-shotokan.com [email protected]

29 EMA 2007 Open Championships, Grand Championship TrophyDay, Boston, The Peter Paine Sports Centre, Roseberry Avenue,PE21 7QR. Tel 01142 747825 for details.

29 Northern Open Classic Karate Championships, Sutton LeisureCentre, Merseyside. Reg 9.00 start 10:00am, for details contactBrian on 07736 741332.

29 ‘Judgement Day’, Sheffield. Open to all styles, entries must bepaid by 13th April. Contact Brian Beck 0114 2640114 / 07791227075 or www.judgementday.co.uk

MAY5/6 “Hit harder, mover quicker” boxing concepts - tvp instructors

course with Tommy Thompson & Rocky Sondhi, Nottingham.Contact tvp Institute on 0115 955 5109.

6 Taishindo Defence Combat System, ground fighting workshop,Dumfermline, Fife. £15, 10am-1pm, contact Stuart 07877824003 or [email protected]

6 BSKI 1 day course, open to all Karateka, The Oldham SportsCentre, Lord St, Oldham. For details contact Fred on 07782345646 or [email protected]

10 Funakoshi Memorial training, 24 hours of training, Devon, £20.The Karate Academy, Newton Abbot, Devon. Call 01626 360999for more information

11 Prof Rick Clark, Cabra, Dublin. For details contact Jon Mackey085-7309740 or [email protected] or www.iutf-dublin.com

11/14 Tsuyoi-Ryu South Harting Spring course Friday-Tuesday(Camping). For details contact Gerry Bryan on 01243 266586

12 Prof Rick Clark, Rathfarnum, Dublin. For details contact PaulHughes 087-8053778 or [email protected]

12/13 International Chang H’on TaeKwon-Do seminar with ICTFMaster Mel Steiner 8th Degree, Merseyside. £20 per day, 10am-6pm. Contact Brian on 01704 876290.

13 The Infinite group presents the pro-active sphere, Church StrettonSecondary School, Shropshire. Contact 07899 801269 for details.

14 Prof Rick Clark, Ennis, Co. Clare. For details contact JohnTunney 087-1249616 or [email protected]

15 Prof Rick Clark Tralee, Kerry. For details contact Niall Wright on 086-0526319 or [email protected]

16 Prof Rick Clark Castleisland, Kerry. For details contact NiallWright on 086-0526319 or [email protected]

17 Prof Rick Clark Kenmare, Kerry. For details contact NiallWright on 086-0526319 or [email protected]

17 Jeet Kune Do workshop, Merseyside with Sifu Alex Jameson,full instructor under Sifu Steve Golden one of Bruce Lee’s stu-dents. 0151 513 8745 ww.jeetkunedomerseyside.co.uk

19 Prof Rick Clark Cork City. For details contact Paul O’Leary086-3545032 or [email protected] www.jungshin-tkd.com

20 BIKO Referee/Judges & Table Official course, Canterbury.11:00pm-3:00pm, Contact The Secretary 01227 369212 or07778-169212 www.bik.org.uk

19/20 Seni 07 - The Combat Sports Show, Europe’s Martial ArtsExhibition & Festival, ExCel, London. Tickets £8 adults £5 chil-dren. Ticketmaster 0870 6077477 or www.senishow.com

20 Pain & Glory, K1 Max Tournament plus MT & MMASuperbouts, ExCel London Docklands, tickets £25, £75 RS,Ticketmaster 0870 6077 477.

20 Prof Rick Clark, Waterford City. For details contact JohnMcGrath or Colette Kent on 087-9025141 [email protected] www.waterfordmartialaqrts.com

21 Patrick McCarthy 8th dan hanshi, flow drills & kata applications,£20. The Karate Academy, Newton Abbot, Devon. Call 01626360999 for details

22 Prof Rick Clark, Fermoy, Co. Cork. For details contact BrianToomy on 087-2500783 [email protected]/ijkaireland

23 Prof Rick Clark Bantry, Co. Cork. For details contact Les [email protected]

CalendarM A R T I A L A R T S

This section is provided as a service to all our readers. If you have information which you would like toappear in the calendar we must receive it six weeks in advance. Send your entry to “Calendar”,

Combat, 135 Aldridge Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham, B42 2ET. E-Mail: [email protected]

001_132_Combat0407 16/2/07 3:48pm Page 114


27 Steve Tappin presents the core of street effective escrima, Church StrettonSecondary School, Shropshire. Contact 07899 801269 for details.

JUNE1/2/3 WAKO 12th International Bestfighter Tournament. For any ques-

tions contact Gianfranco at [email protected]

2 Burakudo Open Children & Cadet Karate Championships,Citadel Leisure Centre, Ayr Scotland. 1-5pm, contact Bill Hairon 07979 222986 or [email protected]

3 Taishindo Defence Combat System, edged weapons defenceworkshop, Dumfermline, Fife. £15, 10am-1pm, contact Stuart07877 824003 or [email protected]

3 BIKO, Level One Coaching Course, Cambridge, must pre book,12:00pm-4:00pm, Contact The Secretary 01227 369212 or07778-169212 www.bik.org.uk

3 Doce Pares Eskrima seminar with Percival Pableo & Danny Gubain Cambridge. Tel 01223 565020 or email [email protected]

9/10 “Hit harder, mover quicker” boxing concepts - tvp instructorscourse with Tommy Thompson & Rocky Sondhi, Nottingham.Contact tvp Institute on 0115 955 5109.

9/10 Master Percival ‘Val’ Pableo 2 day seminar, Kent open to all.£80 in advance for both days, £100 on the door 10am-4pm.07932 746642 or [email protected]

10 The infinite group presents the re-active sphere, Church StrettonSecondary School, Shropshire. Contact 07899 801269 for details.

16 Hokushin Karate Academy/Karate-no-Michi World Federation(GB) course, Glasgow. Contact Mike on 07879 238089.

17 31st Cumbria Open Karate Championships, Carlisle. Juniorsstart 9am, seniors start 2pm. Entry through club or instructoronly. Contact Doug 016974 73239

17 Open to all styles championship series, consecutive points,Peterborough, Doors open 10am start 11 prompt. Call Andrew01733 810043 www.peterboroughseries.co.uk

21 Jeet Kune Do workshop, Merseyside with Sifu Alex Jameson, fullinstructor under Sifu Steve Golden one of Bruce Lee’s students.0151 513 8745 ww.jeetkunedomerseyside.co.uk


24 Combat Champions League, Event 3 - England. For details phone0121 344 3737 or Del Sampson 07836 555394.

24 Mick Coup BCA presents c2 core combatives anti grapple,Church Stretton Secondary School, Shropshire. Contact 07899801269 for details.

24 AMA National British Karate Championships, Harvey Hadden,Nottingham. Closing date for entries 11th June. Contact Peter on0161 797 1077 or 07939 289711.

24 Tsyuyoi Knockdown Fighting seminar (Bare knuckle full con-tact) For details contact Gerry Bryan on 01243 266586

30 Zazen Karate Academy, Wespons attacks - and how to survivethem seminar, 12-3pm Haywards Heath, West Sussex. Call 01323736389 or 07952 670349 for details.

JULY1 Taishindo Defence Combat System, stick fighting workshop,

Dumfermline, Fife. £15, 10am-1pm, contact Stuart 07877824003 or [email protected]

1 BIKO Open North Eastern Training Course, Cleveland.12:00pm-3:00pm, Contact The Secretary 01227 369212 or07778-169212 www.bik.org.uk

7 AMA Coaching course, Karate England HQ, Bisham Abbey, nrMarlow, Buck. For details contact Peter on 0161 797 1007.

7 “Hit harder, mover quicker” boxing concepts - tvp instructorscourse with Tommy Thompson & Rocky Sondhi, Nottingham.Contact tvp Institute on 0115 955 5109.

7 Tsuyoi-Ryu Knockdown seminar, East Grinstead dojo,start 30m.For details contact Gerry Bryan on 01243 266586

8 The infinite group presents the no-nonsense package, Church StrettonSecondary School, Shropshire. Contact 07899 801269 for details.

8 U.M.A British Open Submission Ground FightingChampionships, Carver Rd Centre, Burton-on-Trent. Entry fee£9, Jim McSherry, 01283 510321 or 07968 310970.


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