My last post inspired me to do a theme on Hilljack martial arts videos. Since I'm trying to hang on to what little credibility I have left I think I'll exclude this series of videos from my side bar this month. Anyhow, lets kick off this cry for help with a different Hillbilly Jack. Since I am a high falutin inteelecteral I needed to start this series of videos off with some deep thought. So watch, listen, and learn as Hillbilly Jack discusses God:

Please note that many of the videos in this series have mild profanity. So if that kinda thing bothers you please skip this post.

Now lets handle the definitions:

• Hillbilly
• Redneck
• Hilljack
• Hick
• Hobo

I'll leave for you to decide whether this is satire and parody or a prime example of stereotypes gone terribly wrong. Regardless, the hilljack culture does appear to have extensive training in the martial arts.

Let's start with the Chinese martial arts. To do that first in the series is Master Hobo:

And follow this link to see how effective Master Hobo's training is.

We also have Kung Fu Hillbilly:

And Shaolin Redneck:

From Korea we have Red Neck Do and a variation  of deadly Red Neck Do at this link.

From Japan I bring you hillbillies, rednecks, and hicks with extensive training in Ninjitsu. But be wary of training in the Japanese arts hillbilly-style:

Finally, the transformative powers of the martial arts on the hick culture as evidenced by this last video.

Lets close this FUBAR study of hilljacks with the original Hillbilly Jack. He's got my vote for president because he subscribes to my personal philosophy.

~BCP

אני הולך לכתוב כאן גם באנגלית וגם בעברית ספציפית משום שמדובר בבלוג חו"לי ולא ספציפית משום שאין לי מספיק חברים\חברים שאוהבים בלוגים\חברים שמתעניינים בקריאה שלי כדי לקרוא את הפוסטים שלי כאן, וחוץ מזה, הסיבה היחידה שאני "עובר לבלוג עצמאי" היא סנטימנטלית: אני אוהב להיות עצמאי בתור פרילנסר מבחינת העבודה שלי, ותמיד אהבתי לכתוב, ואני לא יכול לכתוב בשום צינור "פופולרי" וstreamlined כמו בעבר.

עכשיו אני הולך לכתוב כאן פשוט את כל העולה על רוחי. אני לא הולך לתת קטגוריות לבלוג. זה פשוט הבלוג שלי, ובבלוג שלי, אני אכתוב כל מחשבה שחולפת על רוחי.

To whoever may be reading this. This is my first post here in WP. I believe I have quite a lot to learn. Firstly, I want to emphasize that I have no qualms regarding readership in this blog. For all I care, this blog can be entirely deserted and, AFAIC, be a personal diary, de facto.

This blog would mainly contain text regarding my ever-so-turbulent psyche. Thoughts and ruminations regarding, well, the world and beyond, and that's it.

This means that if anyone had any expectations that this blog would be full of shiny pictures and music videos, then I guess ya'll gotta move on to the next blog.

Now that I'm done with my little pre-exposition, allow me to introduce myself. (I'll be writing the rest of the post in English now, but I'll try fiddling with the Hebrew posts after I interrogate some of my Israeli friends as to whether or not they can read these posts and cross-check that with anyone from abroad reading this)

Name's Shai. That's as far as I go. That's my real name and although I've yanked lots of pen-names out of my ass, I think the true essence in whatever state of mind I had while thinking of any pen-name is now long gone. I've been writing behind a keyboard ever since I was quite young. Consider that with the fact that I ain't too old right now as it is (As of the writing of this post, I've turned 23 just yesterday)

I'm not a clean-handed man. I've seen some pretty nasty shit and at one point of my life, pretty much went crazy and for a period of about a year, done crazy shit on a daily basis, alienating my friends, loved ones, and eventually, the person I cared about the most - my girlfriend... This is one part of my past that I wish I could bury, but the least it does is moor me back to reality if my brain starts fizzing with anxiety and agony once more. I'll write more detailed posts about what could possibly lead a (more or less) normal dude into becoming a monster for one year and then jolting back into reality.

In the first post, I really want to give a little glimpse as to who I am. This is why this post is going to be, probably, but not assuredly, longer than the others.

I'm 23 years old. I've been born and raised in Israel all my life. For the most part of the last 10 years, I've been an avid Karateka, that is, a dude wearing a white robe and doing "Haiiiii-ya!" at randoms pedestrians. Oh, and push-ups. Lots of push-ups. Since I haven't done much of that in, say, a year or so, now I'm just a slightly plump rather heavy-set fellow with a very strong recollection of beating people to a pulp in a friendly sort of manner (in this junction, I just wish to say that I'm not naturally a violent person. But sometimes, people just push you to become that way. I've always tried to refrain from it, at least until I had no other choice)

I'm a science freak. I spend at least 3 times a day clicking my way through science and science-related blogs. I'm an avid "evolution-defender". If there's anyone out there who's been to the evolution-creation debate, he'd know what that means. But to be frank, the more science I learnt through university classes (I'm a first-year biology undergrad with miles of books read)  the more I figured out that the political attack against the theory of evolution is a lot more boring than the actual, well-proven science of evolution (and of course, biology)

Although this comes rather late in the post, it's probably the attribute that defined my personality the most, and that is: I was born to two deaf parents. The official language in my house is ISL - Israeli Sign Language. Sign Language, the deaf culture, and being a CODA - Child of Deaf Adults - are with no doubt key factors in the development of my psyche. I'm rather sure that posts regarding CODA-ness and deaf-ness will be a-plenty.

Other than that, I'm just your average eccentric, slightly-geeky, venom-filled-sense-of-humor-ish kind of guy. It's hard for me to step out of my brain and try to give it a thorough description, but if anyone should ever be interested enough as to not only read the blog, but investigate who the hell or what the hell I am, I'm sure answers will come promptly just by talking to me for a few minutes.

That's all for now. I think my next posts would be a redux of what I think about Batman.

Oh, and it's going to be in Hebrew, at first.

Jackie Chan, you never fail to amaze me.

Top Ten Reasons for Studying the Martial Arts

By My Kung Fu

10  Broken boards makes great kindling.

9   Breaking your nose during sparring is a great way to meet that pretty nurse.

8   You can wear your Gi around town and look cool.

7   You have an great conversation starter when you wear your white belt to the local bar.

6   If you get arrested in your Gi, the inmates wont mess with you.

5  Gi's make great pajamas.

4  You will be taller than your teacher.

3 You can finally enjoy Bruce Lee movies.

2  Counting in Japanese is fun.

And the top reason for studying martial arts:

1  You get to punch people in the face!

It's a good story, actually. There's a guy who sits in a yellow car that's parked close to where I work every single morning. It's a sketchy neighborhood. I just thought he was a pervert and sort of thought nothing of him. But yesterday, while walking in the rain, I realized headlights I'd noticed earlier hadn't passed me yet. I had a look over my shoulder and saw the perv in the yellow car. The dude then pulled up along side me and drove about as fast as I was walking, looking at me while I glared my "am I going to have to bust your melon?" glare.

I rounded the corner. He turned the corner. I started to think, Now what happens?

I started fumbling with the lock of the shop door and got inside. He drove off, cruised down the street, swung back, picked someone up from across the street and went away. Guh. I don't know what was going through his head, but I got his plates and gave them to our local bobbies who promised to keep an eye out. But, seriously. Just thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies.

The whole incident has also highlighted an unexpected side effect of studying martial arts. When I told people about the incident I got lots of support, but no one really seemed to respond to how frightened I was. When pressed, those folks admitted they figured I could look after myself. Yikes. In a fair fight with a fifty year old overweight and sedentary pervert, I probably could look after myself. The point, though, is that I don't want to have to.

I don't imagine that fighting for your life is any fun. And I certainly don't ever want to have to call my sensei and tell him that I've been in a fight.

Anyway, enough about that. On to writing.

Whining seems to have some magical quality when it comes to writing. After spending the week complaining about not hearing from my eds, I've heard from fifty percent of them. So now there's work for me to do. I won't be working today, I'm too tired (it was an early morning), nor this evening (karate tonight), so it'll have to be done on the weekend. Good thing it's a long weekend.  I need it.

"Joey " The Hybrid" Duarte is one of 32 fighters who will be vying to for 16 spots on this coming season's "The Ultimate Fighter" series on Spike TV. Only 24 years old, Duarte specializes in the Jiu jitsu and Muay Thai of Martial Arts fighting.

The new season will start on Wednesday, September 17th.  Spike TV just announced that  UFC heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo Noqueira and former UFC heavywieght champion Frank Mir will start in the new seaon as coaches.  There will be  light heavyweights (205 lbs) and lightweights (155 lbs).  Duarte will is competing for a slot in the lightwieght division.

Season 8 is being hyped as one with the best talent pool of fighters that The Ultimate Fighter has had in any season. Speaking to all of this,  the following is an exccerpt from an article that ran in the Pacific Daily News on August 29,2008:

"I could never compare myself to Anderson," Duarte said after being asked if he was the fighter in question. "Anderson is at the top of the food chain. ... I don't feel worthy (of that status)," he said.

Silva himself is rumored to make an appearance on the show, but the identity of the fighter White is hyping up will have to wait until the series premiere.

"I can't say it was me or anyone else, but I can say this: no one, no one is an 'Anderson Silva-type fighter.' No one is that good," Duarte said. The former Dededo resident did, however, say that this season has by far the deepest talent pool ever on the show.

"I can't tell you much else because I don't have $4 million to pay UFC (for breaching his contract)," Duarte said with a laugh.

Though talent is a factor, living in California has helped Duarte make his way up the MMA totem pole as he trains with the likes of TUF season one winner Diego Sanchez and WBC and WBO middleweight boxing champion Joey Gilbert.

"With the exposure you get (from being on a national TV show), it moves you up to the front of the line and you get a sense of notoriety that even some champions don't get," Gilbert said via telephone. Gilbert himself is a product of national fame after appearing on NBC's "The Contender."

"I'm really excited for him. Joe is a really smart and great fighter, and even though a lot of doors are open already, this can unlock all the doors for him," Gilbert said.

"It's happening to the right person. I'm lucky to have a friend like Joe. When you find people like him, you have to hang on to them."

 Duarte is a native Chamorro and originally lived in Dededo, Guam and was involved as an athlete at Simon Sanchez High School.  He now lives in California.

The Ultiimate Fighter Web Site: http://www.spike.com/channel/ufc

Scott Phillips – Notes, May 2008:

• Ideas/Concepts/Suggestions:

• Fascia links tip of tailbone to tip of xyphoid process

• Stick out the tongue to release muscles not under voluntary control (tongue is the end of all muscles in TCM)
• Levels of Taiji Practice:
• Ox Power Level (basic wrestling)
• Jin Level (precise differentiation and efficiency)
• Qi Level (seemingly undifferentiated efficiency)
• Shi Level (some doubt as to whether or not these are the same – has to do with timing and space rather than contact)
• Note: each level initially feels weaker than the previous one and hence is counterintuitive to practice.
• Alternate Description of Levels:
• Basic Wrestling (agrarian wrestling to bar fights)
• Differentiated Push Hands (basic Jin, Yang, Wu, soft, technical)
• ‘Moving from the Marrow’ (from the center, what Joseph is doing, what I am trying to do poorly!)
• Differentiation of Peng, Lu, Ji, An
• Peng: Balls of the feet, point on the wrist, vector up 45 degrees, qi beneath
• Lu: Heels, concave palms, qi beneath
• Ji: Balls of the feet, finger tips, vector straight out, qi above
• An: Heels, edges of the palm, vector screwing inward, qi above
• Note: qi here refers to intent (?)
• Push Hands Concept: Two Balls
• Increase size of ball turning out, decrease size of ball turning in, examples of Peng and Lu
• Levels and Types of Contact:
• Bone (grinding, like girders, like CLF)
• Skin (constant maintenance of light point of contact)
• Marrow (more fluid change in a smaller point of contact)
• Sliding (can be an error, ok if maintains contact)
• Note: open the elbow, i.e. don’t let it float up, but don’t push it down either
• Note: Scott performed a manipulation on the muscles and ligaments around my elbow joint to relieve residual tone that I could not control voluntarily
• Note: concept of the leg spiral, movement follows bone shape, this idea is still vague for me.
• Note: the shouyin used for the heart in one of Scott’s exercises is the same as the deermudra in Bharatanatyam. Scott says its referring to the same thing – warriors of old were encouraged to eat the heart of a freshly killed deer as a massive tonifier for their hearts.
• Note: Scott suggests the following mental gymnastics with respect to the Whole Body Arm Circle Exercise:
• Use the part of your brain that runs the left side of your body to run the right side
• Do it with gravity then reverse, i.e. with gravity, weight bearing leg is full, arm in lowered position is full, reversed, weight bearing leg is ‘empty’, arm in lowered position is ‘empty’.
• Note: I have residual tone in my upper chest which deforms its position and the clavicle is sore: ‘massage your clavicle notch until there is no more pain’, ‘roll in shoulders, relax chest’ in order to ‘connect your arms’
• Note: somewhere out there is a video of Su Dong Chen doing his kicking training and its really good!
• Note: When grabbing and gripping, extend the ‘nails’, catch the ‘meat’ with a wide grip, don’t grab the bones, grab the ‘meat’
• Note: to relieve residual tone in the knee, ‘gap’ the joint by going into flexion with something behind the knee – a hand, a small rubber ball...
• Note: my errors:
• I break structure
• Incomplete and lopsided weight transfers
• Pincering when touching with both hands
• Set on ‘automatic ji’
• Pulling elbows down
• Pushing out at the bottom of large outside circles (residual CLF habit?)

• Solo Practices:

Standing Meditation:
Virtually no instructions!
Parallel stance, hands rise by themselves
Empty stance, hands in front
Clap then rub 3 times to conclude
Scott: ‘this sorted out my spine with minimal instruction’
Bagua Mud Treading Step (kou bu/bai bu):
Outer step angled inward, inner step straight (opposite to B.P. Chan’s version)
Toe lands first, toe lifts first
Drill: 4 part ‘African’ feel pulsing step
Drill: ‘flat as a wall’ advancing
8 Sinew Lengthening Exercises:
hip circles, hands lower back, legs together
hip circles, backs of wrists into outer hip joint, legs apart
knee circles
side lunges
torso stretch, hands above head, fingers interwoven
press down, legs together, fingers interwoven
fold at hip, legs apart, hands palms down in front of feet, pull at ankles
‘crab’ posture stretch (from Paulie Zink?)
calf/Achilles stretch using a step
leg up on bench, hold toes, massage leg
one leg forward, chin to tibia
Whole Body Exercises:
Extended Draping Fist (similar to Chen) posture
Extended Drumstick Hit (similar to CLF) posture
One Hand Up, Sink into Empty Stance, Rub ‘3 li point’
Twisting into zuo ban mabu with Deer/Heart shouyin
Bow stance parallel grab, open to reverse bow stance, ‘snake creeps down’, ‘hide the body between the legs’, bow stance parallel grab
Head Searching (gaze sweeps horizon, body shifts in response)
Head Rolling (head circles, body recruited in response)
Head ‘Sucking’ Throat 3 (camel motion)
Pouring: Horse Stance, Spine parallel to ground, arms round at sides, shift weight to ‘pour’ liquid from one side of body to other
4 Become 1 (empty/fill)
Using the Body to Raise the Arms (‘nice cat’) sink qi while reaching up, raise qi while squatting down
Extending and Drawing Inward (shoulder width, ji straight out at diaphragm level, rise out, sink in)
Whole body arm circle
Wu 5 Basics (from video):
Sinking the kua
Lengthening Sideways (out, rise palms turn out, in sink palms turn in)
Twisting and Wrapping (sink wrap palms in, rise twist palms out)
Circle the Dantien (catch sparrow’s tail, bow stance, loop)
Folding at the kua, feet parallel
Folding at the kua, feet bow stance
Differentiating Jin Exercises:
Simple Weight Transfers:
Side/Side
Side/Side Turn
Front/Back
Front/Back Turn
Big Ball, Small Ball Turning
Five Phase Correspondence with Direction of Leg Spirals:
Both in = water (?)
Both out = metal
Right out, left in = fire
Left out, right in = wood
All are done ON earth
Differentiation of Peng, Ji, An, Lu,
Peng – qi down, go under person, long tempo (for this practice)
Lu – qi (?), go back and down, long tempo
Ji – qi (through?), go above person, short tempo
An – qi (?), go above person, short tempo
Differentiation of Peng, Ji, An, Lu,
Peng – up and out 45 degrees
Ji – out and straight 90 degrees
Lu – back and down, 45 degrees
An – back and straight, 90 degrees
(Note: draw the side-view zig-zags to see)
Differentiation of Peng, Ji, An, Lu, using a fence for contact
P, J, L, A as a crawl on the ground, initiating from the wrist
Dao Yin Frog Sequence (from Paulie Zink)
Earth: ‘frog’ open straddle position, resting on the ground
Wood: from Earth, extend through the limbs, lift head and spine, extension through hands
Metal: compress towards the centre of the body
Fire: raise feet, hands above ear level, fingers pointing up, ‘light-bulb unscrewing position’, mouth open, eyes fiery
Water: free, flowing movements in the raised limbs
Partner Exercises:
Basic Wrestling – matched stance, one hand over, one hand under,
Square Back and Forth, 1 hand ,2 hands
Hip Hit with the back of hand, Chen Mirror Stance
Hip Hit with Leg Sticking
Elbow Pull Chen Mirror Stance (stance?)
‘Hook Game’ push hands (begin with insides of wrists crossed, matching stance)
‘Da Lu’, Mirror Stance, Arms Crossed and Hands Gripped, Wrestle
‘Yi Quan’ Rolling Shoulder Push, Matched Stance, 1 hand, 2 hands
‘Rou Shou’, free push hands, add slaps on vectors of arms, slap velocity depends on your own force, mirrored back to you through partner
Arm Bar, aggressor’s foot in front, duifang runs around and reverse the bar, and so on reversing A and B
Arm Bar escape tracking exercise with a partner
Daoist View and Practice Notes
On trance:
What are the different types of trance?
What is the difference between trance and meditation?
What is the difference between trance and possession?
Ritual: ritual is useful because no matter how many times you try to do something exactly the same, things change and the unchanging frame of the ritual allows you to see the change.
Ghosts are weak commitments that still surface
Views:
Transcendental View: become a god, achieve something great, aimed at the future
Wu Wei View: right now, expressing natural state, not trying to change anything with practice
Subservient View: serve a god, become possessed, fear superior power
Speculative Origin of Martial Arts (and Demons!):
A medium is possessed by a demon, the demon is asked how it fights, the demon considers and comes up with techniques ‘I could twist and tear the joints like so, I could shake this bone so hard it shatters...’ and so we get qinna and fajin!
Sounds are used to call the demon army to order in Daoist ritual
The demon army is the muscles, the general is the intent/order/plan
Zhen Wu ‘yidam’ practice:
Is essentially similar to Tibetan Dzogchen related practices
Considered a winter and an outdoor practice
Should be done only after completing three years of one hour daily non-conceptual meditation

What is it about?

Japanese have taken the wild west. They are fighting guns with swords, the red against the white, trying to score them some gold, women and one gunman.

Questions I want answered!

Will this movie be my mommy, please?

Things worth seeing: hot Japanese guys, hot Japanese guy with a piercing, arrows vs. bullets, Quentin Tarantino covered in flour, cinematography.

Music factor - Oh yes, the soundtrack is a must have for playing loud in the morning before the everyday battle of your life begins once again.

Coolnes factor - unreachable.

Official movie site

In theaters: August 29, 2008

Your Silent Master is completely aware, infinitely Intelligent, and ready to give you all the insight, information, and direction you need to fulfill your dreams, ambitions, and goals.  In fact, this Consciousness is the Source of all your true desires.

Tae Yun Kim, Jung SuWon, NorthStar,

Seven Steps to Inner Power

1. Back-to-back chin na practice.

2. I was frantically typing in my vote for Black Belt Mama.

3. I'm on the Dojo Rat Cute Hippie Chick of the Month (tm) Committee.

Sadly (or maybe not so sad) it's choice number 1.

Last night I met with Tornado and started reviewing what I'm learning in my chin na class. The only time he can meet is Thursday or Friday. The former is the day after my chin na class where I already take a good beating.

Now I know why some of the senior chin na guys look irritated with us newbies! Much like Tornado we do not yet have our sensitivity down so we tend to over-crank. The end result--much like working with low belts in taekwondo--is you have a greater risk of getting hurt.

Tornado was actually pretty good but that's because we know each other. Still, my right wrist is strained pretty good. In fact, I could feel it throbbing last night as I tried to fall asleep.

Anyhow, I ran him through some warm-ups, horse jumps, finger tip push-ups, and what speed training we could do without equipment. I then showed him two breakaways from wrist grabs which are essentially the first parts of wrap hands one and two. The next step is to turn these into an uprooting-type throw so I showed him that as well. Finally, he learned wrap hands one and two while I reviewed. Small wrap hand one (cross hand grab) went pretty good but I'm still having trouble with small wrap hand two (same side grab).

Long story short: So far he seems interested and he even was asking about the regular class. It would be a good place holder for him but at some point he really needs to get back into a regular martial art and get his black belt.

Since we're free styling in the following weeks I plan to show him some finger strikes to the eyes and also some throat strikes. In fact, I may work some basic boxing combination with him as well. My main goal is to review my chin na and in the process teach him a few things but I can't pass up the chance to review old material.

~BCP

One of the forgotten rosebushes that I had replanted wasn't doing well at all.  It was getting enough water...but it didn't grow new sprouts...it didn't do anything.  Here is what it looked like and has looked like for the past 3 weeks:

So I gently wiggled the plant and it came out of the ground very easily.  The roots had been gnawed off!

A gopher had eaten the roots!

I realized that no matter how well I treated the stem of the plant, it would never survive because its roots had been destroyed.

What is the lesson here?  Always protect your roots.  It is what feeds you.  It is what supports you and gives you strength.  Without roots, where would we be?

It reminds me of training with Great Grandmaster Dr. Tae Yun Kim .

The root of my life has been my training in the martial art of Jung SuWon for the past 17+ years.  Through my training, I have learned self-confidence, self-control, self-respect, internal strength, external strength, and so much more.

I am grateful for the past 17 years and for everything I've learned and gained from my training.  I honor what I have learned and how much I have grown.  I will always remember the training experiences that I have had over the years.

When I was a green belt, I had many exciting sparring experiences facing the black belt instructors and Masters.  When I was growing up, I never considered myself to be a strong person.  I was more of the "98 pound weakling".  Though the sparring experiences were scary to some degree, I always knew that no one would intentionally try to hurt me.  The sparring that we did helped to build my confidence, my stamina, my courage... and it did.  Now, when I face sparring experiences....physically on the dojang floor or mentally in daily life, I have the confidence, the stamina and the courage to face the situation and to deal with it.

This is just one example in my life.  There are countless others.  I am eternally grateful for having these experiences to teach me how to be strong in life.  I wish others would give themselves the freedom to have and appreciate similar experiences so that they can benefit in their lives as well.

I am proud to wear my Jung SuWon black belt because I know that the path to becoming a black belt at Jung SuWon is not easy.  Anyone who has achieved this should know what it takes and how much they should be proud to have received one.  The training at Jung SuWon is about quality; it is solid and deep.  The tenets and philosophy of Great Grandmaster Kim are universal, yet she explains things in such a clear way that makes you think.

This is why it is so important to always remember your ROOTS...  take care of your roots...cherish them and nourish them.  It will help you live a long and fruitful life.

Just like the rose bushes...

You create something brand-new,

Ancient, and not-yet.

The mission of the “International Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Competition” is to bring forth the essence of traditional Chinese martial arts and provide contestants with an opportunity to advance their martial arts skills and improve their moral conduct based on martial arts principles. The competition also aims to promote Chinese culture and display true martial arts values to the world.

Date and Location

* Asia Pacific Preliminaries: August 2-3, 2008, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
* North America Preliminary: September 27, 2008, New York City, USA
* Semi-Finals and Finals: September 28, 2008, New York City, USA.
* New York Event Site: The Armory Center, 216 Fort Washington Avenue, Manhattan.

Introduction to Chinese Martial Arts

Chinese Martial Arts originated from ancient traditional Chinese culture, it therefore has rich inner content and meaning. It was initially derived from Daoism, which is closely related to personal cultivation (self improvement). Its foundational components include cultivating virtue, artistic technique, nurturing health and longevity, improving physical condition, defending oneself and preventing violence. Hence, the first character in the word martial arts is "Wu" (武), which is formed by combining the characters for "stop" (止) and "war" (戈).

In the long history of Chinese civilization, the first martial art to appear was "Jiao-di" style wrestling during the Yellow Emperor's battle against Chi-you (during 2852 BC to 2205 BC). Following that, many schools of sword techniques appeared during the Warring States Period...... (more)

Award Placement

1. Regional Preliminaries will have 40 categories. The top three winners of each category will be announced. The top winner of each preliminary category will receive US $200.
2. Distinguished performers will receive Honorable Mention Awards.
3. The Final Competition will include Male and Female divisions of External and Internal Style categories. Each category will have 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze prize.

Gold award winners will receive US $5,000 and an exquisite hand-made Nine-Dragon sword (estimated market value at US $10,000) from a renowned Asian sword smith. Silver award winners will receive US $3,000. Bronze award winners will receive US $2,000.

For details, please check the official website for the Competition:

http://martialarts.ntdtv.com/en

Sometimes, like right now, the weather is really really hot, and you don't feel like cooking - especially after a hard Jung SuWon sparring class.  You are too hot, still sweating, but you want something substantial to eat. 

Devoted Martial Artists, such as Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim, take care of body, mind and spirit.  She teaches that you need to keep your body healthy and happy, so that your soul is excited to live in it! 

So, here is something she taught me how to make, a food that is well balanced and will make you feel good inside and out.

As for quantities, well, I'll have to follow the directions of a funny, cute old Jewish cook book I ran across recently:  "you want a lot - you make a lot.  You don't want so much, you don't make so much."

With this in mind, have the following ready:

1. Thin slices of a beef roast (any leftovers will do, but in a pinch you can use the stuff you get at the store
2. a good brand spicy mustard
3. avocado
4. kosher dill pickles, or any pickles to your liking
5. cheese, cut into thin strips (this will depend on what you have at home, or what you prefer and come to think of it, usually you only have at home what you want anyhow.. :)  )
6. leaf lettuce

Spread the mustard generously onto the beef slices, add avocado and cheese "sticks", add thinly cut pickly strips, sprinkle a little vinegar, roll up and serve on a bed of lettuce, and with some (homemade) bread.

You can, of course, vary this quite a bit.  Instead of, or in addition to, the avocado, you can also put in refried beans.  You can cut olives into slices and add, or slices of tomatoes. 

This was just the basic recipe, which in itself is very good and very satisfying.  It will restore and rebuild your muscles, and get your body machine going again.  If you like this, go ahead and start experimenting wtih your favorite ingredients.  I hear it's really really good with Kim chi.......

As the good captain has put it What The Fraque Is this isht!? I occasionally come across WTF situations and when I do, guess who will benefit from it? You will, YAY applause for you. Enough, now on to the redicularity.

• Watching the Secret History of Kung-Fu on the History Channel. This guy pulls this plane with his crotch. Due to it's phallic nature the video is nowhere to be found, but since I know my word is not enough for you, you doubting Thomases, click the picture of Sensei Metal Shlong to read all about it.

• Mini James brown Jackie Chan amalgam dancing below.
• Need more of the lil guy? Want to fill up on your monthly dose of vitamin midge? There is violence, Jean Claude Van Damme-esque cinematography, campy western music, air kicking Kung-Fu and attempted midgenapping. Is all this bearable for more of the lil guy? if yes, click continue reading. I warned you so I am not responsible for any laughing headaches that may ensue. There is also a Bavarian treat at the bottom for those brave enough.

• I could not mention JCVD without giving him a lil shine. I luv how they're playing his fight scene on the screen in the back, it makes the video for the men and the ladies.

Beberapa waktu yang lalu, saya melihat sekilas acara di TV7 kalau tidak salah,tentang 10 beladiri terbaik dunia, salah satunya adalah krav maga. Saya hanya melihat sekilas tayangannya sehingga saya tidak tahu banyak. Karena baru dengar saya search di wikipedia dan beberapa situs lainnya dan inilah hasilnya, beberapa ulasan tentang krav maga secara singkat padat jelas. seperti mengisi ujian he he he.
Krav maga berasal dari bahasa Hebrew yang berarti "close combat", sebuah beladiri campuran dan hand-to-hand combat gaya militer yang dikembangkan israel, dengan asumsi tanpa ampun, dan menitikberatkan pada netralisasi ancaman dalam konteks kehidupan nyata.

Prinsip dasar
Dalam krav maga tidak ada aturan yang jelas dan tegas. Dan tidak ada perbedaan latihan untuk pria dan wanita. Krav maga bukan olahraga, tidak ada kostum maupun kompetisi, meskipun beberapa organisasi menyadari adanya kemajuan melalui latihan dan tanda pangkat. Semua teknik berfokus pada efifiensi dalam kehidupan nyata.Krav maga umumnya mengasumsikan bahwa serangan individual bersifat seketika dan tanpa jeda. Oleh karena itu sebagai respon serangan dan pertahanan ditujukan untuk menetralisisr dan meloloskan diri secepat mungkin dari situasi ancaman yang mematikan. Serangan mematikan ke bagian-bagian tubuh tertentu meliputi serangan ke mata dan selangkangan, serangan dengan kepala (headbutt) dan beberapa serangan efektif dan brutal lainnya, improvisasi pengggunaan objek-objek yang berada di dekat lokasi pertarungan dan memaksimalkan keselamatan petarung.Karena efek dari serangan ini mematikan maka petarung harus benar-benar mengatur tingkat serangan pada efek yang diinginkan, tidak harus menekankan pada efek maksimum.

Berikut ini beberapa teknik dasar dalam kravmaga:

• jangan terluka
• Secepatnya menetralisir penyerang
• Secepatnya berpindah dari posisi bertahan ke posisi menyerang
• Mengeksploitasi refleks natural dari tubuh
• Mengeksploitasi titik-titik mematikan dalam tubuh manusia
• Menggunakan segala benda yang bisa digunakan untuk bantuan

• Berdasarkan deskripsi yang ditulis sebagai publikasi pribadi dari media site Associated Content, premis dasar dari Krav maga adalah :
• Jangan kuatir terhadap kerusakan yang dalami oleh penyerang
• Lakukan kerusakan sebanyak mungkin, kemudian larilah

Jangan coba-coba memperpanjang pertarungan Premis ini dikembangkan dalam konteks situasi yang mengancam keselamatan. Instruktur Krav maga selalu menekankan keseimbangan antara response dengan bahaya atau resiko.Secara umum, krav maga mengharuskan petarung untuk mengurus dulu ancaman yang lebih dahulu muncul, untuk mencegah serangan berikutnya. Lebih jauh, beberapa kondisi mengharuskan petarung menyerang duluan untuk menghindari perkembangan situasi yang berbahaya.

Training
Meskipun Krav maga berbagi teknik dengan beberapa seni beladiri yang lain, latihan sangat berbeda. Latihan ditekankan pada situasi yang paling buruk atau dari posisi yang tidak menguntungkan, sebagai contoh melawan banyak musuh.Krav maga menekankan pada pembelajaran yang cepat dan retzev ("continuous combat motion") dengan tujuan efektifitas serangan maupun pertahanan.
Instruktur menekankan 2 aturan latihan:

• tidak ada aturan dalam perkelahian
• Seseorang tidak boleh melukai partner berlatih.

Latihan mengkombinasikan kondisi latihan aerobik dan an-aerobik. latihan selalu menggunakan pelindung sehingga bisa merasakan serangan maupun pertahanan pada tenaga penuh.Ini penting, agar peserta latihan bisa melatih teknik pada tenaga penuh dan merasakan efek dari teknik tersebut ketika diserang.Peserta juga menggunakan beberapa pelindung tambahan misalnya pelindung kepala, pelindung gigi, pelindung kemaluan dan lain-lain, untuk memastikan beberapa tingkatan kekerasan bisa dilakukan tanpa melukai peserta latihan. beberapa tempat latihan menggabungkan "Strike dan Fight" pada full body contact sparring, untuk membiasakan peserta latihan dengan tekanan dari suatu situasi kekerasan. latihan bisa juga dilengkapi dengan musik yang keras, dimaksudkan untuk mengabaikan usikan perangkat keras yang bisa mengganggu konsentrasi, dan tetap fokus pada situasi yang diinginkan. Latihan jenis lain adalah melakukan latihan sehingga petarung sudah habis staminanya baru diserang dan harus bertahan dalam kondisi exhausted. Latihan outdoor dibeberapa situasi lapangan yang berbeda juga harus dilakukan untuk membiasakan petarung dengan kondisi alam yang tidak terkendali.

Sejarah
Karav maga dikembangkan di Hongaria dan Cekoslovakia tahun 1930 oleh Imi Lichtenfeld. Dia mengajarkan cara bertarungnya pertama kali di Bratislava untuk melindungi orang yahudi dari para NAZI.Setelah datang di British Mandate of Oalestine, imi mulai menyebarkan cara bertarung ini pada Hagganah, Tentara Bawah tanah yahudi, dalam rangka pembentukan negara yahudi.Setelah israel terbentuk tahun 1948, Imi menjadi kepala instruktur Physical fitness dan Krav maga pada Israel defense force. Imi bekerja di IDF sampai 20 tahun berikutnya, sambil terus menyempurnakan tekniknya.

Ekspansi di luar Israel awal tahun 1980-an, semua ahli krav maga hidup dan berlatih dibawah Israel krav maga Association. Tahun itu menandai awal kontak ahli krav maga israel dengan penggemarnya di USA. Tahun 1981, 6 orang ahli krav maga pergi ke amerika untuk mendemostrasikan krav maga di Jewish Community center. Kemudian demonstrasi juga dilakukan di kantor FBI dan Pusat pelatihan Utama FBI di Quantico, Virginia. Hasilnya adalah 22 orang amerika dikirim untuk belajar dasar-dasar Krav maga Ke israel. Akhirnya krav maga menjadi seni beladiri yang diajarkan di jajaran penegak hukum amerika. tertarik?datang saja ke Netanya, isrel untuk ikut sertifikasi pelatih.

Anyhow, we did are usual basic warm-ups then rolled into walking finger tip push-ups. Basically we all get in a walking circle and one person yells out 15 in Cantonese. Then we all drop for 15. Then we walk in a circle again until the next person yells out 14 and so on. The push-ups I love. Counting in Cantonese needs some work!

During the water break before we started locks I happened to be walking by Scary. They finally partnered me with him in the warm-ups. Scary retired from Isshinryu Karate and has been doing chin na and Mantis for at least four or five years. I'm suspecting being partnered with him is some sort of right of passage because he is very intense. This guy rarely smiles, is hardcore, and really knows his stuff. I've worked locks with him before and have learned much. I can also say I'd not want to ever have to fight him and would think twice even if it was just a sports setting.

Anyhow, Scary half smiled at me with a nod and stuck his hand out. The bad news? I fell for it! What I thought was a hand shake turned into my introduction to the thumb press. Needless to say I was kissing the ground and it was so unexpected I did not tap as soon as I should have. There's a basic rule in chin na: The tap indicates you have the technique correctly and the other person should stop. If no tap we keep cranking. Let's just say my thumb STILL hurts!

Bob to Scary: "Remind me to never shake your hand again!"

Scary to Bob: "No, never shake the hand of someone who knows chin na!"

Oh and yes, one of the senior instructors yelled out: "Newbie mistake!" This was followed by laughter. After that I had Scary show me the thumb press. It's from material higher than level one but it worked so damn well I had to learn. Plus I still have my pride!

After class and before Mantis Scary chatted with me. I think he's wondering if I might like to try Mantis. Long story short: I'm very interested but still have concerns and not have fully retired from taekwondo yet.

Anyhow, I think I passed part of the test.

Aside from working some old and new level one material Smiley used me to demonstrate flow and something called "send the devil to heaven" or some damn thing. Anyhow, the devil goes there with what would be a shattered wrist. The visual image I had as this was being done to my wrist was taking a stock of celery and twisting. That's probably what my wrist would have looked like if he was serious. Oh, and like most of this stuff, it hurt like the devil.

Past that it was a really good class and I'm glad to be back in the swing of things. Tommorow night I meet with Tornado to review chin sa. Since we are freestyling it I may teach him how to jab and cross. We shall see.

I'll close with the thumb press. At 2:00 you can see it. This is not exactly how he did it. Regardless, it does not look like much until you have it done to you. This too is a dominant theme in many of the chin na techniques I'm learning: Subterfuge. You don't want to tip your hat to what you are going to do or you might not have a chance to pull it off. This is vastly different from taekwondo's step sparring where you go into a classical stance and end up giving yourself away.

(HT to YMAA. BTW, follow that link and check out their Taiji wrestling video at the top right of the YMAA page. Cool stuff!)

Sneaky is good!

~BCP

The Dragon Claw
The Dragon Claw is very well known, with the Chinese believing that this style comes directly from the ancient dragon. This style uses an open hand technique that is used for controlling the opponent through grabbing and throwing. Using an open hand technique, stylists may also use the fingers to poke as well. Dragon Claw is very fast, very hard to defend against - and nearly impossible to predict.

The Leopard Claw
The Leopard Claw style utilizes a half opened fist. The ideal striking method with Leopard is the ridge of the hand, which is formed by folding the fingers towards the palm of the hand, with the palm being the backup or secondary striking method. Leopard Claw is very fast as well, and very lethal if the stylist has enough technique and power behind his strikes.

The Tiger Claw
Tiger Claw uses an open hand movement that is used for tearing and grabbing. Tiger Claw is the most well known of the 5 animal system, and also one of the most well known forms of Kung Fu as well. It isn't affected by simply grabbing and gripping with the hand, but from the digging of the fingernails deep into the skin. Once the fingernails have been embedded in the opponent's skin, the Tiger Claw stylist can shred the skin right off the bone, tearing the opponent apart. Tiger Claw is very powerful - and one of the deadliest forms in the world of martial arts.

The Snake Head
Snake Head resembles the attack of a snake in combat, using an open hand technique which requires the fingers to be held together tight, fully extended. The tips of the finger form a very hard surface, used to attack the softest and most vital areas of the opponent. In order to be effective, both hands need to be used together at the same time.

The Crane Beak
Crane involves the fingers being pressed together tightly, forming a striking surface at the base of the stylist's fingertips. Although the fingers can be conditioned to a high level of strength, most attacks using the Crane technique are focused towards the most vital areas of an opponent.

The 5 animal styles of Kung Fu are very popular, and very deadly. Martial artists that know any of these forms are very deadly - and more than capable of defending themselves against anything that comes their way.